(Wouldn't that title be good for the next movie?) The big news this week clearly was the new Avenger movie that came out on Friday and is destined to break every possible record. It did not matter where you looked, something about The Avengers could be found. The only exception was the television show "Game of Thrones", but rumor has it that The Avengers will show up in the final show to finally kill all the dead people. (If you don't know what I'm talking about there apparently are dead people that are alive, sort of)
The Avenger movie supposedly ends a series of 22 movies that have been put out over the past years which you can't possibly remember or watch to get up to date. This new three hour movie is being talked about as being "the greatest movie of all time", even greater than "The Lord of the Rings!"
So, there I was visiting my Dad on Sunday night and I had a television in front of me, which is pretty unusual for me. My Dad wanted to watch Fox News(I'm joking, don't get upset kids), but it wasn't on yet. I looked through all the channels and found about 6-10 Avenger type/superhero movies that were going to be on. My Dad isn't a superhero fan, so I needed another option.
I found a movie called "Jack Reacher" with Tom Cruise and I felt confident that this movie would be a good fit for our evening. We sat down to watch and when it came on I wasn't sure what I was watching. After about five minutes I realized that they switched movies and it was another superhero movie that I haven't seen. We watched the first fifteen minutes and then found something else.
There will come a time at some point this summer that we will stop seeing stories about The Avengers, their tearful farewell and ravings about the movie. But, until that time, get used to it-The Avengers are everywhere!
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
April Riders: Conversations and Occupations
March was a long month with me working on all five weekends. April was a short month with me working only three of the four weekends. I also drove my 1,000th Uber ride this month and hit a record of 33 rides in one day this month. Still, there were plenty of interesting and entertaining rides:
"MY PARENTS DIDN'T HAVE SEX UNTIL 1990" Just to be clear, my rider said that. I was talking about the Yankee-Red Sox baseball season in 1978 and I looked at him and said, "this is probably before your time." His response to being young made me laugh.
'ST. LOUIS....ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI" Sometimes a rider gets in my car and we talk like we're old friends and this college freshman was the perfect example. I can't even remember what was funny immediately, but then I asked her where she was from. After her above reply, I said, "is there another St. Louis somewhere?" She laughed at that and told me that sometimes people don't know where St. Louis is and I said, "it's in Missouri." Then, she told me there isn't much to see there and I said, "what about the ark?" We both immediately were laughing that I mispronounced the Arch and said Ark and now she'll forever be able to tell people about the Uber driver who asked her about the St. Louis Ark. I can't explain it, but it was probably a good thing this was a short ride, because I would have laughed too much with her on a long ride.
HE'S NOT LAURA: My first ride on a Sunday morning was supposed to be Laura. I watched a man about my age walking towards my car looking like he was going to work and I greeted him with this, "I'm guessing your nickname isn't Laura." He said I was correct, but I was amused that I greeted him like that. He was still waking up so I don't think he was as amused as I was and you're probably not either.
"THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THE JERSEY SHORE IS THE BEACHES ARE FILLED WITH PEOPLE FROM NEW JERSEY" A rider told me that this is what is said in New Jersey.
"I DIDN'T GET TO LOOK LIKE THIS BY EXERCISING." He was a big guy, but very down to earth and easy to talk to. I dropped him off at a convenience store next to his apartment and offered to drive him over when he gave me those words of wisdom. However, even more interesting was his name, and he's the only one on the planet with this name. It's two names that are hyphenated and neither one is really a name. My internet attorney(my oldest daughter advised me not to use real names and since it is that unique I will not use it) The first word is either Wood, Forest or Trees and the second name is either Rain, Snow or Sleet. His Mom was a Native American and when she was a child she lived out near the woods and in bad weather she would stay under this big tree which would keep her dry. If my rider was a girl the two words would have been reversed, which wouldn't make any more sense, but it's quite a story.
THE KFC CHEF: He used to be a Divorce Lawyer with four offices before moving to Myrtle Beach to care for his very sick son. After several years of caring for him his son, his son passed away and then he eventually decided to work again. He got a job at KFC cooking and has a wonderful personality. He also must be a great cook since regular customers call the store to see if "Chicken Matt" is working today. (Ok, his real name is not Matt, but you get the idea) There are a number of things he does to make his chicken special and although I have not had KFC in South Carolina, I'm going to have try his chicken..
"IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE WEATHER IN MYRTLE BEACH, JUST WAIT FIVE MINUTES" This is a apparently a common saying here, since another passenger knew it when I told him.
THE STRIPPER: I can honestly tell you that growing up I never thought that one day a stripper would say to me, "oh, you're so nice, I'm going to give you a big tip." (she did) My conversation with her was a little different, but very interesting. She works a few nights a week and makes very good money, better than any other job she's had. The most she ever made was $4,000 in one night! She is saving her money to buy a house and got to school to be a ultra-sound technician. .
THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE: I learned this from a woman from Minnesota that before they leave an event/party, they start saying goodbye an hour earlier, because people there talk so much. Her and her daughter were going to Broadway at the Beach, which is one of our biggest tourist attractions. I told her ten year old to pick out the brochure behind my chair and she was going to be in charge of directions. I told her to open the map and that this was just for her and not her mom. I went a little further and told her to look at the back and in the upper top corner was her name. At this point I heard her mom laughing and this probably helped get me a very generous tip from her.(the mom)
THE SURGICAL TECHNOLOGIST TRAVELER: I had never heard about this career before this ride. However, I did mention it to my rider who was a stripper and she knew about it, so maybe I'm
just uninformed. You can go to school for two years and be trained to keep everything sanitary in the operating room. My rider travels to different cities to work in hospitals that are short on this profession. She gets a stipend for rent and food and gets paid well. It sounds like a great way to see the country.
"I GOT CUT BADLY AND WAS BLEEDING, BUT I'D DO IT AGAIN" One couple told me that they decided not to go to a place called "The Pounce Cat Cafe" in Charleston. I had a hard time not chuckling while they told me about the cafe that you can drink and pet rescue cats which are up for adoption. There is an admission fee and they suggest you spend an hour or two there. A second rider an hour later told me she was there and had a great time except for her scratches and her loss of blood. I can't believe the first couple missed out on this!
"THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT" AND "THE BAND IS ON THE FIELD" It was an unexpected fun ride when I picked up a thirty year-old woman who was a cook in a restaurant at Myrtle Beach Airport. She is a big sports fan and somehow I brought up the two greatest announcer calls in the history of sports. The Giants beating the Dodgers in 1951 with "the shot heard around the world" and college football's greatest play when the California Bears stunned John Elway's Stanford team with a bunch of laterals on the final play of the game in 1982 on a kickoff return with the band already on the field. My rider had never heard either of the calls and I told her it was her homework when she got home. She was so intrigued she took out her phone and played them and she loved it. She couldn't wait to tell her Dad about what she heard. It was a wonderful ride and she gave me a very generous tip, but I enjoyed hearing the calls again. If you've never heard the calls, you need to.
DRUDGER: That's what he called himself. He travels around our country excavating dirt to keep our shipping lanes open. It's apparently a very important job.
THE UBER DRIVER: What's unusual about the Uber driver I picked up? She lives in Costa Rica and is in logistics full-time. She drives for Uber illegally in her country. It has not been approved yet and there are many drivers who do it at risk of losing their vehicle if they are caught.
"MY PARENTS DIDN'T HAVE SEX UNTIL 1990" Just to be clear, my rider said that. I was talking about the Yankee-Red Sox baseball season in 1978 and I looked at him and said, "this is probably before your time." His response to being young made me laugh.
'ST. LOUIS....ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI" Sometimes a rider gets in my car and we talk like we're old friends and this college freshman was the perfect example. I can't even remember what was funny immediately, but then I asked her where she was from. After her above reply, I said, "is there another St. Louis somewhere?" She laughed at that and told me that sometimes people don't know where St. Louis is and I said, "it's in Missouri." Then, she told me there isn't much to see there and I said, "what about the ark?" We both immediately were laughing that I mispronounced the Arch and said Ark and now she'll forever be able to tell people about the Uber driver who asked her about the St. Louis Ark. I can't explain it, but it was probably a good thing this was a short ride, because I would have laughed too much with her on a long ride.
HE'S NOT LAURA: My first ride on a Sunday morning was supposed to be Laura. I watched a man about my age walking towards my car looking like he was going to work and I greeted him with this, "I'm guessing your nickname isn't Laura." He said I was correct, but I was amused that I greeted him like that. He was still waking up so I don't think he was as amused as I was and you're probably not either.
"THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THE JERSEY SHORE IS THE BEACHES ARE FILLED WITH PEOPLE FROM NEW JERSEY" A rider told me that this is what is said in New Jersey.
"I DIDN'T GET TO LOOK LIKE THIS BY EXERCISING." He was a big guy, but very down to earth and easy to talk to. I dropped him off at a convenience store next to his apartment and offered to drive him over when he gave me those words of wisdom. However, even more interesting was his name, and he's the only one on the planet with this name. It's two names that are hyphenated and neither one is really a name. My internet attorney(my oldest daughter advised me not to use real names and since it is that unique I will not use it) The first word is either Wood, Forest or Trees and the second name is either Rain, Snow or Sleet. His Mom was a Native American and when she was a child she lived out near the woods and in bad weather she would stay under this big tree which would keep her dry. If my rider was a girl the two words would have been reversed, which wouldn't make any more sense, but it's quite a story.
THE KFC CHEF: He used to be a Divorce Lawyer with four offices before moving to Myrtle Beach to care for his very sick son. After several years of caring for him his son, his son passed away and then he eventually decided to work again. He got a job at KFC cooking and has a wonderful personality. He also must be a great cook since regular customers call the store to see if "Chicken Matt" is working today. (Ok, his real name is not Matt, but you get the idea) There are a number of things he does to make his chicken special and although I have not had KFC in South Carolina, I'm going to have try his chicken..
"IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE WEATHER IN MYRTLE BEACH, JUST WAIT FIVE MINUTES" This is a apparently a common saying here, since another passenger knew it when I told him.
THE STRIPPER: I can honestly tell you that growing up I never thought that one day a stripper would say to me, "oh, you're so nice, I'm going to give you a big tip." (she did) My conversation with her was a little different, but very interesting. She works a few nights a week and makes very good money, better than any other job she's had. The most she ever made was $4,000 in one night! She is saving her money to buy a house and got to school to be a ultra-sound technician. .
THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE: I learned this from a woman from Minnesota that before they leave an event/party, they start saying goodbye an hour earlier, because people there talk so much. Her and her daughter were going to Broadway at the Beach, which is one of our biggest tourist attractions. I told her ten year old to pick out the brochure behind my chair and she was going to be in charge of directions. I told her to open the map and that this was just for her and not her mom. I went a little further and told her to look at the back and in the upper top corner was her name. At this point I heard her mom laughing and this probably helped get me a very generous tip from her.(the mom)
THE SURGICAL TECHNOLOGIST TRAVELER: I had never heard about this career before this ride. However, I did mention it to my rider who was a stripper and she knew about it, so maybe I'm
just uninformed. You can go to school for two years and be trained to keep everything sanitary in the operating room. My rider travels to different cities to work in hospitals that are short on this profession. She gets a stipend for rent and food and gets paid well. It sounds like a great way to see the country.
"I GOT CUT BADLY AND WAS BLEEDING, BUT I'D DO IT AGAIN" One couple told me that they decided not to go to a place called "The Pounce Cat Cafe" in Charleston. I had a hard time not chuckling while they told me about the cafe that you can drink and pet rescue cats which are up for adoption. There is an admission fee and they suggest you spend an hour or two there. A second rider an hour later told me she was there and had a great time except for her scratches and her loss of blood. I can't believe the first couple missed out on this!
"THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT" AND "THE BAND IS ON THE FIELD" It was an unexpected fun ride when I picked up a thirty year-old woman who was a cook in a restaurant at Myrtle Beach Airport. She is a big sports fan and somehow I brought up the two greatest announcer calls in the history of sports. The Giants beating the Dodgers in 1951 with "the shot heard around the world" and college football's greatest play when the California Bears stunned John Elway's Stanford team with a bunch of laterals on the final play of the game in 1982 on a kickoff return with the band already on the field. My rider had never heard either of the calls and I told her it was her homework when she got home. She was so intrigued she took out her phone and played them and she loved it. She couldn't wait to tell her Dad about what she heard. It was a wonderful ride and she gave me a very generous tip, but I enjoyed hearing the calls again. If you've never heard the calls, you need to.
DRUDGER: That's what he called himself. He travels around our country excavating dirt to keep our shipping lanes open. It's apparently a very important job.
THE UBER DRIVER: What's unusual about the Uber driver I picked up? She lives in Costa Rica and is in logistics full-time. She drives for Uber illegally in her country. It has not been approved yet and there are many drivers who do it at risk of losing their vehicle if they are caught.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
The Fountain of Youth
After you hit a certain age most people want to look younger than they really are. I've never given it much thought, although sometimes I'm surprised that I'm almost 59 years old. I don't feel that old, other than a few mornings I get up really, really slowly and of course when I pour orange juice in my cereal.
I've always heard that if you want to stay young, you hang around young people and you do things that young people do. (not climbing trees) I'll take that a little further. If you want to keep looking young, hang around people who look young. I'm fortunate to have a wife who looks much younger than she is. Many people are surprised when she says she has a daughter who is 29 years old. I think a lot people think she's in her mid-forties and she's even had some guys in their twenties "hit" on her. She's surprised by that, but I'm not.
As for me, people ask me if I'm retired and call me an old man. When a rider asks me if I came down here to retire, I tell them I'm much too young to retire and my wife is even younger. I usually wave two fingers in the air at my passenger in the backseat and then tell them she's two years younger. (so they don't think I was just giving them the peace sign)
However, today was really unique and I have to admit I enjoyed it. I was loading my van next to a co-worker who I'll call Brendan and we had to take off about half a dozen 44 pound boxes of paper. The part-time worker, who I'll call Larry, commented to Brendan that I was working faster than he was and he said something like I was an old man.
Brendan, who is 30 or 31 said this: "HE'S NOT MUCH OLDER THAN I AM." If I had been carrying one of those heavy boxes I would have dropped it on my foot. How funny is that? I'm almost twice his age and he thought I was only a little bit older than he was.
I can't wait to tell my wife in a few minutes. I hope this doesn't mean that young women are going to "hit" on me-I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face.
It feels pretty good to be in my thirties again. It's 9:30 pm and I'm about ready to go to sleep. Do people in their thirties stay up later?
I've always heard that if you want to stay young, you hang around young people and you do things that young people do. (not climbing trees) I'll take that a little further. If you want to keep looking young, hang around people who look young. I'm fortunate to have a wife who looks much younger than she is. Many people are surprised when she says she has a daughter who is 29 years old. I think a lot people think she's in her mid-forties and she's even had some guys in their twenties "hit" on her. She's surprised by that, but I'm not.
As for me, people ask me if I'm retired and call me an old man. When a rider asks me if I came down here to retire, I tell them I'm much too young to retire and my wife is even younger. I usually wave two fingers in the air at my passenger in the backseat and then tell them she's two years younger. (so they don't think I was just giving them the peace sign)
However, today was really unique and I have to admit I enjoyed it. I was loading my van next to a co-worker who I'll call Brendan and we had to take off about half a dozen 44 pound boxes of paper. The part-time worker, who I'll call Larry, commented to Brendan that I was working faster than he was and he said something like I was an old man.
Brendan, who is 30 or 31 said this: "HE'S NOT MUCH OLDER THAN I AM." If I had been carrying one of those heavy boxes I would have dropped it on my foot. How funny is that? I'm almost twice his age and he thought I was only a little bit older than he was.
I can't wait to tell my wife in a few minutes. I hope this doesn't mean that young women are going to "hit" on me-I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face.
It feels pretty good to be in my thirties again. It's 9:30 pm and I'm about ready to go to sleep. Do people in their thirties stay up later?
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Rice Krispies and Orange Juice, Not So Bad
There are certain foods that if you think of them together, really don't sound too good. For some people, sour cream and blueberries just don't go together. Me? Well, I love cheese and I love cake, but cheesecake? Not at all, just doesn't work for me.
I've already told you that twice I accidentally put orange juice in my Cocoa Krispies and for sure chocolate and orange juice do not mix. I've gone at least a few months pouring milk into my cereal, until yesterday. My success was due to me repeating in my head: milk, milk, milk, as I grabbed the milk. I forgot to do my mental chant. I guess I was just really still half a sleep, but here's what I did.
First, I got some orange juice so it would wake me up. While I read some things online I sipped my orange juice and started waking up, or so I thought. I finished the juice and put the cup back near the sink. I poured my Rice Krispies and then took a container out of the fridge and poured it in my bowl.
When I started eating the cereal, my first thought was that there was something wrong with the milk. Then, it hit me-could I have grabbed the same orange juice container again and poured it in? I couldn't really see the juice, but it was definitely orange juice and it wasn't too bad.
So, if you happen to do the same thing, don't worry, Rice Krispies with orange juice is manageable. I have a feeling that Cheerios and orange juice will not be as good, what do you think?
I've already told you that twice I accidentally put orange juice in my Cocoa Krispies and for sure chocolate and orange juice do not mix. I've gone at least a few months pouring milk into my cereal, until yesterday. My success was due to me repeating in my head: milk, milk, milk, as I grabbed the milk. I forgot to do my mental chant. I guess I was just really still half a sleep, but here's what I did.
First, I got some orange juice so it would wake me up. While I read some things online I sipped my orange juice and started waking up, or so I thought. I finished the juice and put the cup back near the sink. I poured my Rice Krispies and then took a container out of the fridge and poured it in my bowl.
When I started eating the cereal, my first thought was that there was something wrong with the milk. Then, it hit me-could I have grabbed the same orange juice container again and poured it in? I couldn't really see the juice, but it was definitely orange juice and it wasn't too bad.
So, if you happen to do the same thing, don't worry, Rice Krispies with orange juice is manageable. I have a feeling that Cheerios and orange juice will not be as good, what do you think?
What Is A "Good" Restaurant?
It may seem like an odd question to you, but it may seem even odder that I've been thinking about this for awhile. There are a lot of "good" restaurants here in the Myrtle Beach area and also in Charleston. But, aren't there a lot of "good" restaurants in most places? When I ask local people here to name their favorite restaurant, rarely do I hear the same name repeated.
Some background about me first: I like to eat. Okay, I love to eat. I do like to eat out from time to time, but probably not as much as most people. I'm out all the time and frequently for 10, 12 or sometimes more hours in a day. I've been fortunate to have had a Mom who was a good cook and a wife who is good cook too, so staying in to eat has always been a very good option. I've never been that comfortable spending a lot of money and I've never felt I had a lot of extra money, so eating out is not my most favorite thing to do.
What makes a restaurant "good?
AMBIANCE: For some reason a lot of people like eating in the dark. I like sleeping in the dark and when I'm awake, I like light. I like to be able to see the menu, my food, and who I'm eating with. (in addition to the plate of ribs or steak that someone at the next table is enjoying) For some people, darkness is a plus, not me. Or, the ambiance could be how the restaurant is decorated or you could have a great view outside or be sitting outside.
THE FOOD: How good is it? To me, I rarely eat something in a restaurant I don't like, but how do you compare it? If I've eaten chicken parmesan in five restaurants, I would need to do a taste test to determine the best one. I'd have to line up several dishes and compare them.(and that sounds like fun) For some people, they seem to know a lot easier than I do which meal they like best.
THE PORTION SIZE: It's easy for me to remember how large the portion was and that's probably the same for most people. The size of my salmon at the Claw House here on Labor Day Weekend in 2017 is something I will never forget. It looked like a piece of steak. For me, big portions are unforgettable.
THE SERVICE: I think it's easier to notice and remember bad service, which we've had a few times over the years. Occasionally, a server will impress you with great service and they should be rewarded for that.
THE WAIT: Getting into a place is very important also. Waiting a long time while you're hungry can erase a lot of things that are very good.
THE PRICE: When you have a great time and good tasting food at a good price, it doesn't get much better than that. At times, you do run into things that are overpriced and it is easy to remember.
So, how do you define a "good" restaurant? It may be different for all of us. Right now I'm thinking about the Sunday Brunch at Seabrook in Tinton Falls, NJ which I'll be enjoying in five days. That, is a good restaurant!
Some background about me first: I like to eat. Okay, I love to eat. I do like to eat out from time to time, but probably not as much as most people. I'm out all the time and frequently for 10, 12 or sometimes more hours in a day. I've been fortunate to have had a Mom who was a good cook and a wife who is good cook too, so staying in to eat has always been a very good option. I've never been that comfortable spending a lot of money and I've never felt I had a lot of extra money, so eating out is not my most favorite thing to do.
What makes a restaurant "good?
AMBIANCE: For some reason a lot of people like eating in the dark. I like sleeping in the dark and when I'm awake, I like light. I like to be able to see the menu, my food, and who I'm eating with. (in addition to the plate of ribs or steak that someone at the next table is enjoying) For some people, darkness is a plus, not me. Or, the ambiance could be how the restaurant is decorated or you could have a great view outside or be sitting outside.
THE FOOD: How good is it? To me, I rarely eat something in a restaurant I don't like, but how do you compare it? If I've eaten chicken parmesan in five restaurants, I would need to do a taste test to determine the best one. I'd have to line up several dishes and compare them.(and that sounds like fun) For some people, they seem to know a lot easier than I do which meal they like best.
THE PORTION SIZE: It's easy for me to remember how large the portion was and that's probably the same for most people. The size of my salmon at the Claw House here on Labor Day Weekend in 2017 is something I will never forget. It looked like a piece of steak. For me, big portions are unforgettable.
THE SERVICE: I think it's easier to notice and remember bad service, which we've had a few times over the years. Occasionally, a server will impress you with great service and they should be rewarded for that.
THE WAIT: Getting into a place is very important also. Waiting a long time while you're hungry can erase a lot of things that are very good.
THE PRICE: When you have a great time and good tasting food at a good price, it doesn't get much better than that. At times, you do run into things that are overpriced and it is easy to remember.
So, how do you define a "good" restaurant? It may be different for all of us. Right now I'm thinking about the Sunday Brunch at Seabrook in Tinton Falls, NJ which I'll be enjoying in five days. That, is a good restaurant!
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
The Best Day of The Year is Almost Here
Sometimes you don't know when the best day of the year is coming. It could be a promotion, a surprise birthday party, a holiday, a special gift, or even winning the lottery. (I'm not holding my breath on the last one since I've never played the lottery) However, sometimes you know the day it's coming and you know how much you're going to enjoy it.
About a year ago, I wrote that my favorite day every year is the day of the big book fair in Hunterdon County near Flemington, NJ. (It is a huge fundraiser for the Friends of Hunterdon County Library) Last year was only the second time in eighteen years that I've missed the event, but I had a good reason. We were closing on our house in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and there's no way I could be at the book fair.
Over the years I've purchased 20-40 books at the book fair for $25-$50 and I've read them throughout the year. In 2017, I donated back to the library more than 500 books since we were moving to Myrtle Beach. Many of those books I had purchased at the book fair and they would be able to profit again from the same books.
It's only ten days away, Saturday, April 27th, but this "best day" will be even better than other "best days" I've had there. I'm meeting my oldest daughter there and we're going to have lunch afterwards. This will be the first time in probably ten years that I"ll be able to spend more than thirty minutes at the book fair, because I won't have to leave early to work. Then, I'll be headed down the shore to spend a couple days with my Dad and also see my sister too.
My Dad and I have some really big plans such as: going out to dinner(where he enjoys watching me eat ribs), visiting Wal-Mart which is always fun for him, stopping at the beach which he enjoys, and having that wonderful brunch Sunday morning where I will have to eat a couple bagels with cream cheese and lox among other things.
In addition to all this happening that weekend, I'm taking three days in a row off, which I last did Thanksgiving last year. Finally, a week from Saturday will be the first day I'm not doing any work in 61 days. Yes, I know that it is crazy, but it's by choice. And what am I doing on my "best day" of the year? I'll be driving through the night with some naps and arriving in Flemington, NJ., 650 miles away around 8 or 9 am. I don't think you can beat my "best day". And, when I close my eyes that night I'm going to sleep like a baby.
About a year ago, I wrote that my favorite day every year is the day of the big book fair in Hunterdon County near Flemington, NJ. (It is a huge fundraiser for the Friends of Hunterdon County Library) Last year was only the second time in eighteen years that I've missed the event, but I had a good reason. We were closing on our house in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and there's no way I could be at the book fair.
Over the years I've purchased 20-40 books at the book fair for $25-$50 and I've read them throughout the year. In 2017, I donated back to the library more than 500 books since we were moving to Myrtle Beach. Many of those books I had purchased at the book fair and they would be able to profit again from the same books.
It's only ten days away, Saturday, April 27th, but this "best day" will be even better than other "best days" I've had there. I'm meeting my oldest daughter there and we're going to have lunch afterwards. This will be the first time in probably ten years that I"ll be able to spend more than thirty minutes at the book fair, because I won't have to leave early to work. Then, I'll be headed down the shore to spend a couple days with my Dad and also see my sister too.
My Dad and I have some really big plans such as: going out to dinner(where he enjoys watching me eat ribs), visiting Wal-Mart which is always fun for him, stopping at the beach which he enjoys, and having that wonderful brunch Sunday morning where I will have to eat a couple bagels with cream cheese and lox among other things.
In addition to all this happening that weekend, I'm taking three days in a row off, which I last did Thanksgiving last year. Finally, a week from Saturday will be the first day I'm not doing any work in 61 days. Yes, I know that it is crazy, but it's by choice. And what am I doing on my "best day" of the year? I'll be driving through the night with some naps and arriving in Flemington, NJ., 650 miles away around 8 or 9 am. I don't think you can beat my "best day". And, when I close my eyes that night I'm going to sleep like a baby.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Empty Nesters and Eating The Southern Barbecue
When do you really become an "empty nester?" It's usually pretty easy to figure out. When your last child leaves home and isn't coming back and you're all alone. Our third child graduated college in December and has been staying with us on and off since then before she starts her first job. She left on Sunday flying to Chicago for training and then to China for five weeks. She is officially a software developer. Now, we just have a lot of her stuff, but I guess that's pretty normal.
Before she left she wanted to go to this "all-you-can-eat" barbecue place and she really had to twist my arm for that. Saturday night I filled up a couple of plates and enjoyed eating it, especially the fried chicken and ribs. She enjoyed it too. It was a nice was to give her a "southern send-off" since she also spent four years going to school in Atlanta.
The icing on the cake was walking out of the restaurant and finding two lonely dollar bills in the parking lot. I probably had my best day getting tips driving for Uber and Lyft, but I never imagined I would get tipped at the restaurant too.
Before she left she wanted to go to this "all-you-can-eat" barbecue place and she really had to twist my arm for that. Saturday night I filled up a couple of plates and enjoyed eating it, especially the fried chicken and ribs. She enjoyed it too. It was a nice was to give her a "southern send-off" since she also spent four years going to school in Atlanta.
The icing on the cake was walking out of the restaurant and finding two lonely dollar bills in the parking lot. I probably had my best day getting tips driving for Uber and Lyft, but I never imagined I would get tipped at the restaurant too.
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Southern Work Ethic?
I probably haven't been down here long enough to accurately judge the Southern work ethic, but this is just a limited observation. It is a slower pace down here, but I haven't been that impressed with the work ethic. There are exceptions of course. But, some of the people I've been impressed with are from the northeast.
I'm pretty sure my work ethic comes from my Dad and I'm not just saying that because he's reading this. You can tell that some people are paid by the hour and their efforts are just lacking. I've always thought of myself as being in my own business, before I actually had my own business. lf you work like you're in charge and as if what you do really matters, you're going to do well, at least that's my opinion.
A funny thing happened to me last week while I was working. I walked into an elevator in a hospital with someone who was delivering Edible Arrangements. I noticed right away that he looked beat. It was 2 pm and he asked me how I was doing. I said I was doing well and asked about him. He said something about the drivers out there and I replied, "it's a beautiful day to be out there." He said to me, "how many more deliveries do you have?" I told him just these two and he clearly was jealous that I was headed home.
That's when the conversation got interesting. (at least I thought so) He said I was lucky to be heading home and I asked when did he start working that day. I expected him to say early in the morning, but he said, "11 am." He had only been working for three hours! I told him I started at 6 am and then he said, "you deserve to go home."
We parted ways and I had to laugh. He was wiped out after working three hours and I felt pretty good after working a pretty easy eight hours. And, he was probably 25 years younger too! Imagine what his reaction would be if I told him that I'm used to working 12 plus hours a day and I used to work 19 hours in one day each month.
It's possible he was just getting over being sick or he has a baby at home keeping him awake or some other reason he looked wiped out. But, it's also possible he's just not used to working that hard or that long.
It's now 5 am on a Saturday morning. I'm getting ready to go out and "work" by driving around and picking up some people who need rides. It should be a relaxing day.
I'm pretty sure my work ethic comes from my Dad and I'm not just saying that because he's reading this. You can tell that some people are paid by the hour and their efforts are just lacking. I've always thought of myself as being in my own business, before I actually had my own business. lf you work like you're in charge and as if what you do really matters, you're going to do well, at least that's my opinion.
A funny thing happened to me last week while I was working. I walked into an elevator in a hospital with someone who was delivering Edible Arrangements. I noticed right away that he looked beat. It was 2 pm and he asked me how I was doing. I said I was doing well and asked about him. He said something about the drivers out there and I replied, "it's a beautiful day to be out there." He said to me, "how many more deliveries do you have?" I told him just these two and he clearly was jealous that I was headed home.
That's when the conversation got interesting. (at least I thought so) He said I was lucky to be heading home and I asked when did he start working that day. I expected him to say early in the morning, but he said, "11 am." He had only been working for three hours! I told him I started at 6 am and then he said, "you deserve to go home."
We parted ways and I had to laugh. He was wiped out after working three hours and I felt pretty good after working a pretty easy eight hours. And, he was probably 25 years younger too! Imagine what his reaction would be if I told him that I'm used to working 12 plus hours a day and I used to work 19 hours in one day each month.
It's possible he was just getting over being sick or he has a baby at home keeping him awake or some other reason he looked wiped out. But, it's also possible he's just not used to working that hard or that long.
It's now 5 am on a Saturday morning. I'm getting ready to go out and "work" by driving around and picking up some people who need rides. It should be a relaxing day.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
The Search For Sleet
I did not say, "the search for sleep." That is something that almost everyone does each week. (I also did not say "The Search for Spock", for those of you who are "Star Trek" fans). Sleet is not something that anyone ever looks for, but I like to be a little different.
The winter weather in Myrtle Beach has been more rainy than usual, but still we had some beautiful days. We had just come off 3 or 4 really nice days in the 60's and 70's until Monday afternoon hit. The beautiful morning turned into some rain and dreariness.
Tuesday, today, was weather that reminded me of New Jersey. For a good part of the day it was in the low to mid 40's and raining. I was out delivering and it was miserable. For a couple hours there was heavy rain and a blustery wind.
That's where the sleet should have come in. It wasn't quite cold enough for sleet, but it looked and felt like it. I kept looking for it, but it never came down. However, somewhere in northern South Carolina there was snow. That would have been fun to see, I'm still waiting for it here.
I got soaked in the heavy rain. I was prepared. I had two rain hats, a hood and I even switched to my winter hat it was so cold. My hood is still wet five hours after I arrived home. My front seat got wet either from my jacket or from me sitting on it. It finally stopped raining around 3 pm, but it was still almost New Jersey cold.
The forecast for tomorrow is sunny and in the mid to high 60's and I'm going to wear shorts. The weekend will be in the 70's. There's still no chance of sleet, so the search continues.
The winter weather in Myrtle Beach has been more rainy than usual, but still we had some beautiful days. We had just come off 3 or 4 really nice days in the 60's and 70's until Monday afternoon hit. The beautiful morning turned into some rain and dreariness.
Tuesday, today, was weather that reminded me of New Jersey. For a good part of the day it was in the low to mid 40's and raining. I was out delivering and it was miserable. For a couple hours there was heavy rain and a blustery wind.
That's where the sleet should have come in. It wasn't quite cold enough for sleet, but it looked and felt like it. I kept looking for it, but it never came down. However, somewhere in northern South Carolina there was snow. That would have been fun to see, I'm still waiting for it here.
I got soaked in the heavy rain. I was prepared. I had two rain hats, a hood and I even switched to my winter hat it was so cold. My hood is still wet five hours after I arrived home. My front seat got wet either from my jacket or from me sitting on it. It finally stopped raining around 3 pm, but it was still almost New Jersey cold.
The forecast for tomorrow is sunny and in the mid to high 60's and I'm going to wear shorts. The weekend will be in the 70's. There's still no chance of sleet, so the search continues.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)