I've been telling you a lot about what my riders have said to me and what I have said to my riders, but I thought I'd tell you about a few comments that riders have submitted anonymously about me. Fortunately or unfortunately, there aren't too many comments and there are no negative ones, although I'm sure a few people were unhappy.
"BEST UBER DRIVER EVER!" Obviously this is an exaggeration and I did not write it either. What the rider probably meant was that I was their best Uber driver. And, without any modesty, I feel certain that there have been a few riders at least who thought the same thing.
"ONE OF THE MOST ENTERTAINING AND CONVERSATIONAL RIDES I'VE EVER HAD! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUCH AMAZING SERVICE!" You can be sure I enjoyed this ride, because this person obviously did. I wonder if I used some of my best lines on this rider, or if something happened during the ride to get this response. I'll never know, but it's nice to see they had fun too.
" This man is a credit to the human race. I wish I could get more rides like this everytime I get a Lyft." This comment was worth just pasting on since I laughed out loud when I read it. This is the kind or remark you receive and take a bow and give a five minute thank you for. This was the most recent comment and there's a good chance it came from when I was driving in Charleston. I wish I could drive this person once a week, how much fun would that be!
I do have fun when I drive for Uber and Lyft, but I'm not "on" every single ride I take. Sometimes I have passengers who are on the phone, listening to their music, or not interested in talking. And, if a ride is only a couple minutes, it's very difficult to have a good conversation or get a few laughs or give them much helpful information. However, I do believe that many of my riders leave my car with a smile, some information, or feel a little bit better than they did when they got in my car.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Sunday, February 24, 2019
"It's Deja Vu All Over Again"
Yogi Berra is famous because he's a Hall of Fame baseball player, but also due to his uncanny way of saying things such as, "It's Deja Vu All Over Again, and "if you come to a fork in the road, take it." I was reminded of the first quote this weekend when we traveled to Columbus, Georgia to watch our youngest child, Marisa, at a special Circle K event. (Circle K, which was founded in 1936, is an international collegiate service organization that is a leadership program of Kiwanis International that promotes service, leadership and fellowship and has over 13,000 members)
Marisa was finishing her term as Governor of Circle K for the State of Georgia, which she was elected to almost a year ago. We expected to watch her give a farewell speech, see a few awards given out, and eat a couple meals with her and the group. We got a lot more than that.
It was impossible not to flash back almost four years ago when weeks before she graduated high school, there was an awards night. We knew she had already received some awards/scholarships, but we were not prepared for what happened that night. Marisa had applied for over thirty different scholarships and wound up winning around half of them. Hearing her name announced over and over left us proud and speechless after such an accomplishment. My favorite scholarship that she won was the one she actually lost. Weeks after losing it, she was awrded it when the winner decided not to attend Georgia Tech where Marisa was going to school.
Marisa gave a great speech this morning and showed natural ability in front of a crowd. She was not fazed by a slip of the tongue or losing her place, but acted like a professional. Having both given presentations in the past, my wife and I were impressed by her speaking ability, but surprised when she received five different awards, including acceptance in the prestigious Kiwanis Hall of Fame.
Many of the adults representing Circle K and Kiwanis came over to us and praised Marisa which certainly made us proud. However, the most telling comment came as we were leaving the hotel and one of her fellow members of Circle K yelled over to us, "thanks for having such a great daughter."
We are fortunate to have three great kids, but this weekend Marisa showed us again how special she is. It truly was "deja vu all over again."
Marisa was finishing her term as Governor of Circle K for the State of Georgia, which she was elected to almost a year ago. We expected to watch her give a farewell speech, see a few awards given out, and eat a couple meals with her and the group. We got a lot more than that.
It was impossible not to flash back almost four years ago when weeks before she graduated high school, there was an awards night. We knew she had already received some awards/scholarships, but we were not prepared for what happened that night. Marisa had applied for over thirty different scholarships and wound up winning around half of them. Hearing her name announced over and over left us proud and speechless after such an accomplishment. My favorite scholarship that she won was the one she actually lost. Weeks after losing it, she was awrded it when the winner decided not to attend Georgia Tech where Marisa was going to school.
Marisa gave a great speech this morning and showed natural ability in front of a crowd. She was not fazed by a slip of the tongue or losing her place, but acted like a professional. Having both given presentations in the past, my wife and I were impressed by her speaking ability, but surprised when she received five different awards, including acceptance in the prestigious Kiwanis Hall of Fame.
Many of the adults representing Circle K and Kiwanis came over to us and praised Marisa which certainly made us proud. However, the most telling comment came as we were leaving the hotel and one of her fellow members of Circle K yelled over to us, "thanks for having such a great daughter."
We are fortunate to have three great kids, but this weekend Marisa showed us again how special she is. It truly was "deja vu all over again."
Friday, February 22, 2019
It's Christmas In February!
For those of you in the New Jersey area you may remember the old "Crazy Eddie" commercials of the mid-80's. Crazy Eddie was was an electronics store, but the actor who did the commercial was hysterical. The commercial would end with "Come to Crazy Eddie, the prices are insane." He also did commercials for them that said it was Christmas in July, which is where my title comes from.
There must be an age that people stop looking forward to presents around the holidays, but I don't know what that age is. I liked getting presents when I was a kid, but somewhere in the past few decades it's just okay and not something I look forward to much. I'm not sure why, but I don't think I'm alone in thinking that.
However, I did receive a present this week, which was like a Christmas or Hannukah present. (we celebrate both) My son sent me a box with shirts that he no longer wanted and I have to admit I enjoyed opening the box and pulling out one shirt after another. Many of them looked brand new, although I know they weren't new. I tried them on and liked them all, which is odd. I'm not big on buying or getting clothes, but somehow this was different.
I wore my first "new" shirt today for work and took a selfie(which I almost never do) and sent it to my wife and kids. I think I look younger in these "new" shirts. Or, it could be my imagination. So, as February is coming to a close, I got to celebrate the holidays a little bit this week. If only it would snow here in South Carolina, that would be a Christmas miracle!
There must be an age that people stop looking forward to presents around the holidays, but I don't know what that age is. I liked getting presents when I was a kid, but somewhere in the past few decades it's just okay and not something I look forward to much. I'm not sure why, but I don't think I'm alone in thinking that.
However, I did receive a present this week, which was like a Christmas or Hannukah present. (we celebrate both) My son sent me a box with shirts that he no longer wanted and I have to admit I enjoyed opening the box and pulling out one shirt after another. Many of them looked brand new, although I know they weren't new. I tried them on and liked them all, which is odd. I'm not big on buying or getting clothes, but somehow this was different.
I wore my first "new" shirt today for work and took a selfie(which I almost never do) and sent it to my wife and kids. I think I look younger in these "new" shirts. Or, it could be my imagination. So, as February is coming to a close, I got to celebrate the holidays a little bit this week. If only it would snow here in South Carolina, that would be a Christmas miracle!
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Yes, It's About Politics
When I started this blog fourteen months ago, I said that I wasn't going to talk about politics since there were many people who were not comfortable discussing the subject. However, my interest in politics has increased significantly over the past three years and not writing about something I know a lot about seems pretty silly now. And, if anyone doesn't want to read this, it won't bother me one bit.
I majored in political science(and English) and over the years I've read all kinds of political books and articles. In particular, I really enjoy election politics. Obviously, the 2016 election was one for the history books. However, I'd like to focus on what's going to happen between now and November 2020 and in particular the Democratic primary. I've been reading about the candidates at least since last summer. It's possible I can give you some insight and help you decide who you will vote for, if you're voting in the Democratic primary.
This primary will be historic. Nothing in our history can compare to the all out battle that is about to take place between male/female candidates, white and non-white candidates, young and old candidates, and liberal and moderate candidates. This will be an extremely competitive and fascinating race that will be studied for many years to come.
The outcome? There will not be two males on the ticket or two females either. There won't be two white people and certainly not two old people or two very liberal or two very moderate people. If the Democratic ticket is one on one with the Republican ticket, they will win the popular vote easily, but that doesn't mean they will win the presidency. They could lose it again. The vote in New York and California has given the Democrats a 5-6 million vote advantage the last three elections and I believe it will be higher than that in 2020 and that's not something the President can overcome. I think there will be a serious third party candidate(probably Bloomberg) and that will mean that anything can happen.
As far as the Democratic candidates, many of them are very likable. I may not like what they say, but I like many of them. I'm convinced Joe Biden will get in and he will be the person to beat. If he's the nominee, a perfect running mate would be Senator Kamala Harris from California. I've had these two picked since last summer. You should keep your eye on Senator Sherrod Brown from Ohio if Bident does not get in. He was my pick for VP for Hillary Clinton and he was her second pick. He's not flashy, but he's knowledgeable and he's from the middle of the country where they have to win back voters.
Bernie Sanders may have a lot of financial support already, but he won't win against a formidable group like this. He's also not going to win in November 2020. There will be a lot of debates and if you're interested you should watch them. This is something you may never see again. I'm going to enjoy every bit of it.
I majored in political science(and English) and over the years I've read all kinds of political books and articles. In particular, I really enjoy election politics. Obviously, the 2016 election was one for the history books. However, I'd like to focus on what's going to happen between now and November 2020 and in particular the Democratic primary. I've been reading about the candidates at least since last summer. It's possible I can give you some insight and help you decide who you will vote for, if you're voting in the Democratic primary.
This primary will be historic. Nothing in our history can compare to the all out battle that is about to take place between male/female candidates, white and non-white candidates, young and old candidates, and liberal and moderate candidates. This will be an extremely competitive and fascinating race that will be studied for many years to come.
The outcome? There will not be two males on the ticket or two females either. There won't be two white people and certainly not two old people or two very liberal or two very moderate people. If the Democratic ticket is one on one with the Republican ticket, they will win the popular vote easily, but that doesn't mean they will win the presidency. They could lose it again. The vote in New York and California has given the Democrats a 5-6 million vote advantage the last three elections and I believe it will be higher than that in 2020 and that's not something the President can overcome. I think there will be a serious third party candidate(probably Bloomberg) and that will mean that anything can happen.
As far as the Democratic candidates, many of them are very likable. I may not like what they say, but I like many of them. I'm convinced Joe Biden will get in and he will be the person to beat. If he's the nominee, a perfect running mate would be Senator Kamala Harris from California. I've had these two picked since last summer. You should keep your eye on Senator Sherrod Brown from Ohio if Bident does not get in. He was my pick for VP for Hillary Clinton and he was her second pick. He's not flashy, but he's knowledgeable and he's from the middle of the country where they have to win back voters.
Bernie Sanders may have a lot of financial support already, but he won't win against a formidable group like this. He's also not going to win in November 2020. There will be a lot of debates and if you're interested you should watch them. This is something you may never see again. I'm going to enjoy every bit of it.
Happy Half Birthday To Me
Unless you're Alice in "Alice in Wonderland" you probably haven't spent much time thinking about when you're halfway to your next birthday. Most people don't want to think about their birthday when it actually comes. It probably started as a kid and the fact that I really liked numbers. I probably looked forward to February 19th each year.
The only significant thing that happened on a February 19th, was forty years ago in 1979. We had a heavy snowstorm and my college closed that day. My roommate took me to "The Pub" on campus and I had my first beer at the age of 18 1/2. (really) The beer wasn't that memorable and the few I've had since then haven't been memorable either.
However, this year, I got an unexpected gift. Working as a courier there are a number of different ways you get paid for different things you deliver. A few of these payments are just not right, including actually delivering some boxes to Wal-Mart that you get paid nothing for. It's one thing to get paid poorly to do something, but it's another thing to get paid nothing. As a manager and a business owner for many years, there is no way I could expect a driver to get no pay for delivering something.
I told the warehouse manager and his boss about some of these issues and made it clear that if I wasn't going to get paid at all for deliveries, they would be better off giving it to someone else since I wouldn't be delivering them. As an independent carrier I had some leverage, but I didn't expect anything to be worked out.
I did have additional leverage since I voluntarily come in early in the morning and helped the warehouse manager sort out all the boxes for everyone. I've been doing this for almost a year when I first started and he would have a difficult time getting it done without me. He's a great guy (from New Jersey) and he agrees with me on the compensation.
Yesterday he told me that he got approval to pay me extra money each week and I was shocked when he said it would be $90 a week. It would have been a lot cheaper to just compensate me for the few things I was complaining about, but they decided to make my half-birthday special.
I've always told my kids that it's important on a job to do extra things that you're not paid to do. You should ask questions and find out how other things work and what other people do. Going the extra mile has benefited me many times in the past, but even I was surprised how well it worked this time.
This was a lot better than my first beer.
The only significant thing that happened on a February 19th, was forty years ago in 1979. We had a heavy snowstorm and my college closed that day. My roommate took me to "The Pub" on campus and I had my first beer at the age of 18 1/2. (really) The beer wasn't that memorable and the few I've had since then haven't been memorable either.
However, this year, I got an unexpected gift. Working as a courier there are a number of different ways you get paid for different things you deliver. A few of these payments are just not right, including actually delivering some boxes to Wal-Mart that you get paid nothing for. It's one thing to get paid poorly to do something, but it's another thing to get paid nothing. As a manager and a business owner for many years, there is no way I could expect a driver to get no pay for delivering something.
I told the warehouse manager and his boss about some of these issues and made it clear that if I wasn't going to get paid at all for deliveries, they would be better off giving it to someone else since I wouldn't be delivering them. As an independent carrier I had some leverage, but I didn't expect anything to be worked out.
I did have additional leverage since I voluntarily come in early in the morning and helped the warehouse manager sort out all the boxes for everyone. I've been doing this for almost a year when I first started and he would have a difficult time getting it done without me. He's a great guy (from New Jersey) and he agrees with me on the compensation.
Yesterday he told me that he got approval to pay me extra money each week and I was shocked when he said it would be $90 a week. It would have been a lot cheaper to just compensate me for the few things I was complaining about, but they decided to make my half-birthday special.
I've always told my kids that it's important on a job to do extra things that you're not paid to do. You should ask questions and find out how other things work and what other people do. Going the extra mile has benefited me many times in the past, but even I was surprised how well it worked this time.
This was a lot better than my first beer.
Friday, February 15, 2019
Turning 60
No, I'm not turning 60 yet, but I'm starting to prepare for it. This Tuesday, the 19th, is my half birthday and I will be 58 1/2 years old. This means that in around 500 days I will be turning 60 years old, a big milestone. How do you prepare for turning 60? I'm glad you asked, but I will warn you:
WARNING: Do not read this if you are hungry or just had a big meal.
How do you celebrate turning 60 years old? I want to do something different, unique, maybe something no one has ever done before. It has to be something I would really enjoy, but what?
What if in a twenty-four hour time period I attempted to eat/drink(digest) 60 of my favorite foods or beverages?
You may need to read that one more time. Really? Wouldn't that be unhealthy? Sure, but I could pretend to be on a one-day cruise without the ship and just spend the day eating and drinking.(and of course visiting the bathroom)
You think I'm joking, but I'm not. August 19, 2020 is a Wednesday, I already checked this out. I will probably need to be off work for this, but here's my preliminary plan:
1. The week before my 60th birthday I will eat considerably less than usual. Yes, I will probably be starving by the time I turn 60, but so what.
2. The best way to eat/drink a lot of food in 24 hours is to go to all you can eat buffets. Down here in the south, breakfast is a must for a lot of eating. I think I'm going to need one dinner the night before, one lunch that day and top it off with another big dinner on my birthday. (if I can fast one day a year I can certainly eat like a pig on a special day, right?)
3. I'm going to start making a list of what I want to eat and also start planning on where to do my eating.
4. This will cost a few dollars to do, but you only turn 60 once, so I'm going to make it count.
5. If I eat lightly the week after I'll probably go right back to my regular weight, I think.
I'll share some more details and some of the food and drinks I will be eating that day when I write a blog on my 59th birthday. Now you have something to look forward to in six months, my all you can eat blog.
WARNING: Do not read this if you are hungry or just had a big meal.
How do you celebrate turning 60 years old? I want to do something different, unique, maybe something no one has ever done before. It has to be something I would really enjoy, but what?
What if in a twenty-four hour time period I attempted to eat/drink(digest) 60 of my favorite foods or beverages?
You may need to read that one more time. Really? Wouldn't that be unhealthy? Sure, but I could pretend to be on a one-day cruise without the ship and just spend the day eating and drinking.(and of course visiting the bathroom)
You think I'm joking, but I'm not. August 19, 2020 is a Wednesday, I already checked this out. I will probably need to be off work for this, but here's my preliminary plan:
1. The week before my 60th birthday I will eat considerably less than usual. Yes, I will probably be starving by the time I turn 60, but so what.
2. The best way to eat/drink a lot of food in 24 hours is to go to all you can eat buffets. Down here in the south, breakfast is a must for a lot of eating. I think I'm going to need one dinner the night before, one lunch that day and top it off with another big dinner on my birthday. (if I can fast one day a year I can certainly eat like a pig on a special day, right?)
3. I'm going to start making a list of what I want to eat and also start planning on where to do my eating.
4. This will cost a few dollars to do, but you only turn 60 once, so I'm going to make it count.
5. If I eat lightly the week after I'll probably go right back to my regular weight, I think.
I'll share some more details and some of the food and drinks I will be eating that day when I write a blog on my 59th birthday. Now you have something to look forward to in six months, my all you can eat blog.
The Triple-Decker Sandwich
WARNING: Do not read this now if you are hungry. Go to your kitchen and eat something unhealthy before you come back to read this.
There's something about going to a diner that makes we want a triple-decker sandwich. I've always loved them-I think I got that from my Mom. It doesn't matter if it's turkey or roast beef or corned beef and pastrami, triple-decker sandwiches are the best. I'm not sure what I love most about them, is it the large amount of meat inside, the coleslaw or russian dressing, or could it be that there are three slices of bread? Nah, it's probably all three I love.
A few days ago I went to make my lunch for the next day and took everything out of the fridge. I was down to my last few slices of bread and I made a baloney and cheese sandwich and put it in a baggie for the next day.
Around 11 am the next day, I started eating the sandwich(while driving) and I knew right away that something was wrong. It tasted different. I was surprised to see that there was not two, but three slices of bread. How did I make this sandwich without noticing there were three slices of bread and not two? I have no clue, but I liked how it tasted.
It's true, I could have used more baloney and cheese or at least put some of it between the two slices that were lined up perfectly. Still, I enjoyed my new creation, the baloney and cheese triple bread slices, sandwich.
If you're bored with the same old sandwich, throw an extra slice of bread into your lunch. It may not be healthy, but it sure is more filling.
There's something about going to a diner that makes we want a triple-decker sandwich. I've always loved them-I think I got that from my Mom. It doesn't matter if it's turkey or roast beef or corned beef and pastrami, triple-decker sandwiches are the best. I'm not sure what I love most about them, is it the large amount of meat inside, the coleslaw or russian dressing, or could it be that there are three slices of bread? Nah, it's probably all three I love.
A few days ago I went to make my lunch for the next day and took everything out of the fridge. I was down to my last few slices of bread and I made a baloney and cheese sandwich and put it in a baggie for the next day.
Around 11 am the next day, I started eating the sandwich(while driving) and I knew right away that something was wrong. It tasted different. I was surprised to see that there was not two, but three slices of bread. How did I make this sandwich without noticing there were three slices of bread and not two? I have no clue, but I liked how it tasted.
It's true, I could have used more baloney and cheese or at least put some of it between the two slices that were lined up perfectly. Still, I enjoyed my new creation, the baloney and cheese triple bread slices, sandwich.
If you're bored with the same old sandwich, throw an extra slice of bread into your lunch. It may not be healthy, but it sure is more filling.
Thursday, February 7, 2019
The Week the Music Lived and Died
For most people, music is an important part of their life. If you ever thought about it, there is a lot of music out there and there's a wide variety things you can listen to. When did music become so big? You might look back to the days of Bing Crosby in the 1940's and 1950's and then Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley in the 1950's and 1960's.
The first week of February marks two big events in music history. Today, February 7, 1964, is the 55th anniversary of The Beatles coming to America. Their arrival at JFK airport resulted in pandemonium. Although they were panned by the press, The Beatles captured America in a very short period of time. Their two appearances on the Ed Sullivan Variety Show that month are still considered two of the most watched television shows in history. Although the band broke up in 1970, their six years of records changed music forever and they are still considered the greatest band of all-time. One year ago, I blogged about February 7, 1964 in more detail.
It was February 3, 1959, five years earlier than when The Beatles arrived and 60 years ago this week, "the day the music died." Three young, talented musicians, Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens, were killed in a plane crash during a snowstorm in Iowa after performing together. They say that sometimes a person's life can change with the snap of a finger or flip of a coin. Ritchie Valens, who was only 17, "won"a coin toss for a ride on that plane.
The plane accident was immortalized when song writer and singer, Don McLean, wrote the song "American Pie" in 1971. It is still considered one of the all-time great songs and although it is about America, it references "the crash" as "the day the music died." Years ago I heard him interviewed and he was asked, "What does "American Pie mean to you." He replied, "it means I don't have to get up in the morning and go to work."
At some point shortly after the album was released I was walking with my friend Paul down Main St. in Metuchen, NJ. One of us kicked a wallet that had $12 in it. We turned it into the police and they said if no one claimed it in 30 days, the money would be ours. With my $6, I bought the album "American Pie" and the song is still my favorite song 48 years later.
The first week of February is almost over. It may be a good time to listen to some great music. You can hear a Beatle song almost anytime, which is a tribute to their legendary career. Take a listen to "American Pie, " or listen to a song from Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper or Ritchie Valens. (Peggy Sue", "La Bamba" or "Chantilly Lace")
The truth is that the day of the wild welcome for The Beatles at JFK airport has faded from memory, unless you were actually there. The tragic day the small plane was found in Iowa has also faded after all these years.
But great music? No, it doesn't fade away, it lives on for generations to enjoy-enjoy it.
The first week of February marks two big events in music history. Today, February 7, 1964, is the 55th anniversary of The Beatles coming to America. Their arrival at JFK airport resulted in pandemonium. Although they were panned by the press, The Beatles captured America in a very short period of time. Their two appearances on the Ed Sullivan Variety Show that month are still considered two of the most watched television shows in history. Although the band broke up in 1970, their six years of records changed music forever and they are still considered the greatest band of all-time. One year ago, I blogged about February 7, 1964 in more detail.
It was February 3, 1959, five years earlier than when The Beatles arrived and 60 years ago this week, "the day the music died." Three young, talented musicians, Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens, were killed in a plane crash during a snowstorm in Iowa after performing together. They say that sometimes a person's life can change with the snap of a finger or flip of a coin. Ritchie Valens, who was only 17, "won"a coin toss for a ride on that plane.
The plane accident was immortalized when song writer and singer, Don McLean, wrote the song "American Pie" in 1971. It is still considered one of the all-time great songs and although it is about America, it references "the crash" as "the day the music died." Years ago I heard him interviewed and he was asked, "What does "American Pie mean to you." He replied, "it means I don't have to get up in the morning and go to work."
At some point shortly after the album was released I was walking with my friend Paul down Main St. in Metuchen, NJ. One of us kicked a wallet that had $12 in it. We turned it into the police and they said if no one claimed it in 30 days, the money would be ours. With my $6, I bought the album "American Pie" and the song is still my favorite song 48 years later.
The first week of February is almost over. It may be a good time to listen to some great music. You can hear a Beatle song almost anytime, which is a tribute to their legendary career. Take a listen to "American Pie, " or listen to a song from Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper or Ritchie Valens. (Peggy Sue", "La Bamba" or "Chantilly Lace")
The truth is that the day of the wild welcome for The Beatles at JFK airport has faded from memory, unless you were actually there. The tragic day the small plane was found in Iowa has also faded after all these years.
But great music? No, it doesn't fade away, it lives on for generations to enjoy-enjoy it.
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