On the internet we can read just about anything, but it doesn't mean we want to read everything. I am sure somewhere, someone, for some odd reason has written something about a roll of toilet paper. I am also pretty sure you have never read or wanted to read about a roll of toilet paper. There's also a good chance you will forget what you are about to read.
As a courier I deliver packages, supplies to offices, stores, and some homes. A couple weeks ago I delivered a bunch of boxes to an eye doctor's office. One of the boxes was a very large box of toilet paper. When I got home that day I found that one wrapped roll of toilet paper was sitting underneath my seat. I figured out pretty quickly that it had come out of the box for the eye doctor's office.
Since I was going to drive for Uber I cleaned out my car and put the roll of paper next to my work things so I could put it back in my car and then deliver it back to the eye doctor's office(Uber does suggest you could have water or gum available for passengers but they probably don't support having a roll of toilet paper in the car)
My wife saw the roll of toilet paper and was going to bring it inside, but instead moved it from where my work stuff was and therefore I forgot all about it. Days later I saw it sitting in the garage and I was going to put it back under my car seat, but I forgot about it again. About a week later, the toilet paper roll was sitting in our kitchen and I finally threw it back into my car.
Yesterday, I stopped into the eye doctor's office and walked in holding one roll of toilet paper. Imagine how odd I must have looked! A couple women in the office noticed immediately and when I started explaining several more turned to look at me. I said, "this roll of toilet paper jumped out of the box I delivered to you two weeks ago so I wanted you to get it back. All the paper is still here." There was laughter and one woman said, "how do we know it's all there?" I said, "I can't wrap it up that neatly."
I left the office grinning as were a number of women in the office and possibly a few patients who overheard the conversation. Maybe the next time you read about a roll of toilet paper it will be better than this, maybe not.
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
A Thanksgiving Without a Carcass
If you did a survey to find out what is America's favorite holiday, it's possible that Thanksgiving could come in first. There are many reasons for that, but the one dominating aspect of Thanksgiving is of course the food. What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish? It could be the stuffing or mashed potatoes, or THE CRANBERRY BREAD, the beans or carrots, the cranberry sauce, or any of a number of dishes.
My favorite dish is definitely turkey. I think it is a very underrated food. What kind of turkey? Is it the dark meat, the white meat, or the bones? I really like them all, but I'm a little different if you haven't noticed. My all-time favorite dish at Thanksgiving is something I don't eat on Thanksgiving.
I love eating the carcass the next day as a meal. No, I don't actually eat the bones, just the meat off the bones. No matter how much you cut off the carcass for Thanksgiving, there is always plenty left on the carcass. And, it tastes just as good on Black Friday.
Watching me tear apart the bones and gnaw on them with some food flying here and there, is something I am sure my three children did not enjoy watching. It would not surprise if they've had a nightmare or two about it.
We had a great Thanksgiving this year and our daughter and son-in-law did the cooking and we enjoyed it all. But the next day there was no carcass for me to eat. My wife bought a rotisserie chicken a few days later and I ate the carcass. I eat one of those a week, it's a little weekly holiday that I enjoy.
My favorite dish is definitely turkey. I think it is a very underrated food. What kind of turkey? Is it the dark meat, the white meat, or the bones? I really like them all, but I'm a little different if you haven't noticed. My all-time favorite dish at Thanksgiving is something I don't eat on Thanksgiving.
I love eating the carcass the next day as a meal. No, I don't actually eat the bones, just the meat off the bones. No matter how much you cut off the carcass for Thanksgiving, there is always plenty left on the carcass. And, it tastes just as good on Black Friday.
Watching me tear apart the bones and gnaw on them with some food flying here and there, is something I am sure my three children did not enjoy watching. It would not surprise if they've had a nightmare or two about it.
We had a great Thanksgiving this year and our daughter and son-in-law did the cooking and we enjoyed it all. But the next day there was no carcass for me to eat. My wife bought a rotisserie chicken a few days later and I ate the carcass. I eat one of those a week, it's a little weekly holiday that I enjoy.
Monday, November 19, 2018
On Thanksgiving, Give Thanks To Sarah Josepha Hale
I love reading about successful people, where they came from and how they accomplished what made them famous. One of my favorite success stories and one of the least known is Sarah Josepha Hale. She lived from 1788 to 1879 and was America's first woman editor of a magazine.. As a writer she published over fifty volumes of work in her life and was one of the earliest campaigners for women's education. She was the first person to start day nurseries for working women and also the first to suggest public playgrounds..
Her career took off when she suddenly became a widow when she was pregnant with her fifth child. With five children under eight to support she published her first book of poems. In her second book, she wrote the famous nursery rhyme, "Mary Had A Little Lamb."
That was the beginning of her long and distinguished career as a writer and editor, but it wasn't her most extraordinary accomplishment. She is known as "The Mother of Thanksgiving." During her life Thanksgiving was celebrated in different states at different times. She believed that Thanksgiving should be a National Holiday that everyone in America would celebrate together in November and it would bring the country together. She wrote columns and editorials and many letters to Presidents of The United States. Her campaign spanned 40 years until Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. It took seventy-nine more years for Congress to officially make the fourth Thursday of November the national holiday.
One person can make a difference So this Thursday, give thanks for your family, health, and our country and also for "The Mother of Thanksgiving."
Happy Thanksgiving.
Her career took off when she suddenly became a widow when she was pregnant with her fifth child. With five children under eight to support she published her first book of poems. In her second book, she wrote the famous nursery rhyme, "Mary Had A Little Lamb."
That was the beginning of her long and distinguished career as a writer and editor, but it wasn't her most extraordinary accomplishment. She is known as "The Mother of Thanksgiving." During her life Thanksgiving was celebrated in different states at different times. She believed that Thanksgiving should be a National Holiday that everyone in America would celebrate together in November and it would bring the country together. She wrote columns and editorials and many letters to Presidents of The United States. Her campaign spanned 40 years until Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. It took seventy-nine more years for Congress to officially make the fourth Thursday of November the national holiday.
One person can make a difference So this Thursday, give thanks for your family, health, and our country and also for "The Mother of Thanksgiving."
Happy Thanksgiving.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Torture By Cranberry Bread
Forgive me, I do know that it's not right to joke about torture, which is a serious subject. However, after I explain, I think you'll understand. Next Wednesday my wife and I are heading north for Thanksgiving and we were talking about what we were going to put in my van for the trip. I suggested I bring the snow shovel, but she nixed that. She told me that she was bringing cranberry bread that she's making for Thanksgiving.
"I'm going to drive in the car for ten hours with cranberry bread in the car?" I'm hungry now just writing this. I would smell it in the car, how would I concentrate? Cranberry bread is one of my top fifty foods, probably in the top fifteen. I am not talking about a fruit loaf, this is unbelievably good.
My wife got the recipe from my Mom who made it for many years and she got it from my Aunt Libby who I think got it directly from the Creator.
I am talking about something that is so good that you can eat it for breakfast, at lunch, at dinner and for an afternoon or late night snack. What's in it? Cooking/baking is not my specialty, but I know there are cranberries in it and it goes in the oven and it's magnificent. I like it better when it's a little chilled, but it's always good.
But back to my wife and our conversation. She said that she was going to make a couple smaller ones so I could eat some in the car! What a relief and what a treat too! Just think, next Wednesday afternoon and during the day Thursday when you're thinking about the turkey(also in my top 50) and the big meal, I'm going to be munching away on cranberry bread while I'm driving to New Jersey. I can have some late Wednesday afternoon when we start driving, after dinner for a dessert, for breakfast on Thursday and for a light lunch before the big meal.
And, you thought I was going to be tortured by cranberry bread! You're going to be thinking about me eating it, like you are right this minute.
"I'm going to drive in the car for ten hours with cranberry bread in the car?" I'm hungry now just writing this. I would smell it in the car, how would I concentrate? Cranberry bread is one of my top fifty foods, probably in the top fifteen. I am not talking about a fruit loaf, this is unbelievably good.
My wife got the recipe from my Mom who made it for many years and she got it from my Aunt Libby who I think got it directly from the Creator.
I am talking about something that is so good that you can eat it for breakfast, at lunch, at dinner and for an afternoon or late night snack. What's in it? Cooking/baking is not my specialty, but I know there are cranberries in it and it goes in the oven and it's magnificent. I like it better when it's a little chilled, but it's always good.
But back to my wife and our conversation. She said that she was going to make a couple smaller ones so I could eat some in the car! What a relief and what a treat too! Just think, next Wednesday afternoon and during the day Thursday when you're thinking about the turkey(also in my top 50) and the big meal, I'm going to be munching away on cranberry bread while I'm driving to New Jersey. I can have some late Wednesday afternoon when we start driving, after dinner for a dessert, for breakfast on Thursday and for a light lunch before the big meal.
And, you thought I was going to be tortured by cranberry bread! You're going to be thinking about me eating it, like you are right this minute.
Thursday, November 8, 2018
A Day Off
This Saturday I'm taking a day off. Our youngest daughter and her boyfriend are coming to visit and I'm not doing any work on Saturday. Taking a day off is usually a pretty normal thing, but this day off is a little different. My last day off was Monday, September 17th when we returned from Florida after being away for six days due to the hurricane. Tomorrow, Friday, November 9th, will be the 53rd straight day I've worked.
I know how ridiculous that sounds, but it's not really that bad. There are two things to remember when someone presents you with a number or a group of numbers. First, most people don't like numbers and secondly, most people are not good with numbers. The big question is this: when you are given a number, is the number real? Does it mean what it really says or can you view it from a different perspective?
Working fifty-three straight days is a lot, until you consider the work. As a courier, I frequently work 5-7 hours a day. There have been many days that I was home by 1 or 2 pm. For me, some of those days were really half days. Occasionally, I did go out and "work" as an Uber driver for a few hours, but a number of those days were really easy days.
On the weekends I've been "working" as an Uber driver and it doesn't seem like work. I'm just driving, picking up people and having great conversations with a lot of them. I find it relaxing. It's very common for me to be waiting in a hotel or airport parking lot for my next ride. I've taken short naps, ate lunch, read the Sunday paper, called my Dad and read a book in addition to sometimes talking with other drivers and my wife. Frequently hat time adds up to two hours or more in my "work" day.
So the next time you hear or read about a number, pretend that I'm whispering in your ear: is it real? Does that number mean what it's supposed to mean? You may be surprised if you take a closer look.(if you hear we whispering in your ear when you're not thinking about a number, you've read too many of my blogs-take a day off!)
I know how ridiculous that sounds, but it's not really that bad. There are two things to remember when someone presents you with a number or a group of numbers. First, most people don't like numbers and secondly, most people are not good with numbers. The big question is this: when you are given a number, is the number real? Does it mean what it really says or can you view it from a different perspective?
Working fifty-three straight days is a lot, until you consider the work. As a courier, I frequently work 5-7 hours a day. There have been many days that I was home by 1 or 2 pm. For me, some of those days were really half days. Occasionally, I did go out and "work" as an Uber driver for a few hours, but a number of those days were really easy days.
On the weekends I've been "working" as an Uber driver and it doesn't seem like work. I'm just driving, picking up people and having great conversations with a lot of them. I find it relaxing. It's very common for me to be waiting in a hotel or airport parking lot for my next ride. I've taken short naps, ate lunch, read the Sunday paper, called my Dad and read a book in addition to sometimes talking with other drivers and my wife. Frequently hat time adds up to two hours or more in my "work" day.
So the next time you hear or read about a number, pretend that I'm whispering in your ear: is it real? Does that number mean what it's supposed to mean? You may be surprised if you take a closer look.(if you hear we whispering in your ear when you're not thinking about a number, you've read too many of my blogs-take a day off!)
Monday, November 5, 2018
"Make Your Own Kind of Music"
Driving in the car today I heard a song that brought back some fun memories. For the two or three of you out there who were fans of the television show "Lost", you know that this song was one of those unusual moments in the show. We watched the character Desmond get up in the morning and go about a normal routine like everyone else does in the morning while he played the record, "Make Your Own Kind of Music". The only difference was that he was underground inside a hatch on a mysterious island that moved. If you're confused I won't explain the time travel or the polar bears on the hot island.
However, it made me think about how unique we all are and how important it is that we be our own person. Some of us have some of the same genes, but we're still very different. I may like cold hot dogs and blueberries in my sour cream and you might love peanut butter.(yuck) When you eat your cereal you may may drown all of your cereal and I might like to just put enough milk in(not orange juice), so I have a little well that I can dip my cereal in and get it wet before I eat it.
We can have very different opinions or views about every possible subject. Sometimes people hold back on what they like instead of accentuating who they really are and what they really like. On my iPod I have country songs, rock songs, ballads, Disney songs, show tunes and a bunch of Christmas songs I listen to all year long. No one has a collection of songs like me and I'm good with that.
So, as we go into the holiday season it's a good reminder to be your own person and make your own kind of music. The song below was sung by The Mamas and Pappas in the 1960's and although their aren't many words, they are meaningful.
Make Your Own Kind Of Music
However, it made me think about how unique we all are and how important it is that we be our own person. Some of us have some of the same genes, but we're still very different. I may like cold hot dogs and blueberries in my sour cream and you might love peanut butter.(yuck) When you eat your cereal you may may drown all of your cereal and I might like to just put enough milk in(not orange juice), so I have a little well that I can dip my cereal in and get it wet before I eat it.
We can have very different opinions or views about every possible subject. Sometimes people hold back on what they like instead of accentuating who they really are and what they really like. On my iPod I have country songs, rock songs, ballads, Disney songs, show tunes and a bunch of Christmas songs I listen to all year long. No one has a collection of songs like me and I'm good with that.
So, as we go into the holiday season it's a good reminder to be your own person and make your own kind of music. The song below was sung by The Mamas and Pappas in the 1960's and although their aren't many words, they are meaningful.
Make Your Own Kind Of Music
Nobody can tell ya;
There's only one song worth singin',
They may try and sell ya,
'Cause it hangs them up to see someone like you.
But you've gotta make your own music
Sing your own special song,
Make your own kind of music even if nobody else sings along.
You're gonna be knowing
The loneliest kind of lonely,
It may be rough goin',
Just to do your thing's the hardest thing to do.
But you've gotta make your own music
Sing your own special song,
Make your…
There's only one song worth singin',
They may try and sell ya,
'Cause it hangs them up to see someone like you.
But you've gotta make your own music
Sing your own special song,
Make your own kind of music even if nobody else sings along.
You're gonna be knowing
The loneliest kind of lonely,
It may be rough goin',
Just to do your thing's the hardest thing to do.
But you've gotta make your own music
Sing your own special song,
Make your…
Thursday, November 1, 2018
It's Never Too Early For Christmas!
I may have written about this story before. A number of years ago one November, I listened all day to a radio station playing Christmas music as I drove around working. I had a great time and came home and told my family how much fun I had and my youngest daughter said, "It's too early for Christmas." I immediately replied, "it's never too early for Christmas." That comment inspired me to write a song by that title and I thought about that day today.
It's November 1 and the temperature here hit 80 degrees. It was a warm day here until late afternoon when we had some rain. One of my last deliveries this afternoon was a large outlet mall. As I turned towards the front on the mall, I had to smile. There it was, a very large Christmas tree! That's when I realized that Christmas was just around the corner, literally.
Christmas this year will be very different in South Carolina. Since our youngest daughter is graduating college the week before in Atlanta, we don't have any plans on going anywhere for Christmas. We no longer have a tree, but I think we still have some decorations for the holiday.
And, there's no chance of snow on Christmas, I'm pretty certain of that.
We have some time to figure out what we're going to do on December 25th, but I just wanted y'all to know that it's November 1 and there's a little bit of Christmas spirit here in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
It's November 1 and the temperature here hit 80 degrees. It was a warm day here until late afternoon when we had some rain. One of my last deliveries this afternoon was a large outlet mall. As I turned towards the front on the mall, I had to smile. There it was, a very large Christmas tree! That's when I realized that Christmas was just around the corner, literally.
Christmas this year will be very different in South Carolina. Since our youngest daughter is graduating college the week before in Atlanta, we don't have any plans on going anywhere for Christmas. We no longer have a tree, but I think we still have some decorations for the holiday.
And, there's no chance of snow on Christmas, I'm pretty certain of that.
We have some time to figure out what we're going to do on December 25th, but I just wanted y'all to know that it's November 1 and there's a little bit of Christmas spirit here in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
A Southern Halloween
Over the years from time to time we have had warmer Halloween's, but typically on Halloween when we would sit out on our driveway and give out candy, it would be cold. A few years ago they postponed Halloween when we were hit with an early snowstorm.
A snowstorm on Halloween is something that will never happen in South Carolina. Yesterday was in the 70's and we sat out on our driveway in our new development and waited and waited and waited. We did have a dozen or two dozen kids come by and we let them take 5 or 6 small pieces of candy, but there weren't a lot of kids that we saw.
Eventually, we'll have close to 200 houses here and Halloween will be busy like it was in New Jersey. The highlight of the day had to be my wife dancing to the "Monster Mash" on our driveway which was blaring from the neighbors across the street.(and I have a short video too) It was odd seeing so many neighbors at the same time on our quiet street.
The biggest issue we have from Halloween is, what do we do with the 150 leftover pieces of candy? I think we'll just put it away and use it next year, why not?
A snowstorm on Halloween is something that will never happen in South Carolina. Yesterday was in the 70's and we sat out on our driveway in our new development and waited and waited and waited. We did have a dozen or two dozen kids come by and we let them take 5 or 6 small pieces of candy, but there weren't a lot of kids that we saw.
Eventually, we'll have close to 200 houses here and Halloween will be busy like it was in New Jersey. The highlight of the day had to be my wife dancing to the "Monster Mash" on our driveway which was blaring from the neighbors across the street.(and I have a short video too) It was odd seeing so many neighbors at the same time on our quiet street.
The biggest issue we have from Halloween is, what do we do with the 150 leftover pieces of candy? I think we'll just put it away and use it next year, why not?
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