When did people start going to the beach to relax? Is it possible this tradition goes all the way back to our Founding Fathers?. Did Washington, Adams, and Jefferson relax on the beach? What did they wear, formal attire, uniforms, or something semi-casual? I know there were beaches back then. At Boston Harbor during the Boston Tea Party there had to be a beach there. Is it possible there were people sitting on the beach watching and saying, "what are they throwing into the water?"
I know it's not important, but I was just wondering. There's probably a good chance that Thomas Jefferson did not go to the beach to relax, so I decided to take him there. I've been reading a biography of Thomas Jefferson and decided that Memorial Day would be a good time to get some reading done under the umbrella.
I was at a critical point in the book where Thomas Jefferson at the age of 53 had been out of politics for several years. He had been staying at home in Monticello trying to repair his home, he was in poor health and had children and grandchildren living there too and he was still mourning the death of his wife.. How is it possible that in another year he would be elected(not chosen) Vice-President of the United States and four years later be elected President of the United States?
Sitting there on the beach and hoping another storm did not ruin such a beautiful day, I realized that I'm only a few years older than Jefferson was. Maybe it's not too late to run for office and be elected President of the United States? There are a lot of people in their 70's running for office, including the current President.
Can you see it now: the reporter says to me, "when did you first get the idea to run for political office?" I was sitting on a beach with Thomas Jefferson......
Friday, May 31, 2019
Thursday, May 30, 2019
May Driver Stories
"MAKE SURE YOU TELL YOUR WIFE SHE IS SO BEAUTIFUL!" What could be more fun than picking up a woman going home to Newark, NJ? She works in security in the Weequahic section where my parents lived a long time ago. She also occasionally drives for Uber and Lyft and she's in a motorcycle club in Newark and was here for bike week. In the club she goes by the name, "Juicy", but I did not ask her why she picked that name. She missed her flight the day before because she was stuffing her face at an all-you-can-eat buffet. She explained that she missed the flight because, "God wanted me to have one more day of fun." I told it was so she could get picked up by me. We laughed a lot and I showed her the picture of my business card with my wife on it and she immediately commented on how beautiful she was. I agreed of course, but I was laughing when I said goodbye to her. She said goodbye to me by saying, "make sure you tell your wife she is so beautiful."
"WE ONLY TASTED 21 WINES" I was driving the two women to a half marathon at 7 am on a Sunday morning when they explained that they don't get out much. After arriving at 4 pm on Saturday they did some wine tasting and had dinner with more drinks. One woman said that she would have to go home and pretend she wasn't tired so her husband wouldn't think she was up all night drinking. I pointed out to her that she did do just that. I told her that she needed a strong offense to defend herself and since her husband was concerned she would drink and drive, I wrote her a note. It read, "She only tasted 21 wines and did not drive. Uber Driver." They thought it was pretty funny.
The other woman cracked me up when she that said she was an Accounting and Finance Professor and she has a messed up sleep schedule. She grades papers sometimes at 2 or 3 am....with tequila. She explained, "if I look at some numbers and it doesn't look right, I take some tequila and check it again. If it looks the same I know I'm good." I can see her sitting there now!
"SHE WAS DOING MORE THAN DRINKING LAST NIGHT" My ride immediately after the two joggers above, was another two women who were running in the same race. When I told them the story of the other two, one woman said my note should have read, "she was doing more than drinking last night!" The other lady added more to the story by saying the husband wouldn't believe the note and probably would think I was having an affair with her.
"GOLF AND I HAD NO RELATIONSHIP" A very competitive guy told me that he taught himself how to play golf years ago by reading a book, but he stopped playing because they had no relationship. He knew when he got older he would start playing again and be a very good golfer and he's playing again and playing well.
"YOUR CAR IS SO CLEAN" I thanked the woman who made the comment and when she got out of my car I noticed that the mat under her feet looked like she had walked through a construction site. Her shoes had to be one of the dirtiest that had ever been in my car.
INSPIRATION I've had a number of rides that were inspiring and I was really surprised by this rider. He was an African-American male, had a beard, was 6 ft. 3 inches tall and he looked about 30 years old. He works for American Airlines as a "ramp supervisor." When a plane comes in he has a small staff that works quickly to get the plane prepared to fly out. I was impressed by his knowledge and enthusiasm and then he told me he was 21 years old! I asked how he got the job and he told me that his step-dad suggested he apply and American Airlines was impressed with his moving business. "What moving business," I asked? He started it in high school after helping many people move. A woman from his church suggested he should start his own business and she gave him $25,000 to start it. He still runs his moving business(with several managers) while working full-time for American Airlines. I told him he should go back to his high school and encourage young people, because they need to hear from someone like him. I thanked him for the ride and I was very surprised when this 21-year-old tipped me $20 for the ride. I should have paid him.
"LIVING IN MYRTLE BEACH IS LIKE BEING ON VACATION EVERY DAY" The woman who had moved from Connecticut six years said that she had heard someone say this before and it wasn't an original statement, but I told her I was going to give her credit. It would make a great commercial!
SUPERMARKET CASHIER: My rider appeared to have a pretty normal job when I picked him up at the local supermarket until I found out his hours. He had been working 13 hours a day, six days a week, for the past several months. That week was the first week he had two days off this year. He may have been only 20 years old, but I complimented him on his work ethic.
"I HATE TOURISTS" She wasn't a local, but she came from London. She complained that tourists in London walk too slowly and speak too loudly. She laughed at some of my stories of how friendly southerners were and she said it's definitely not that way in London.
"IT'S EITHER HORTON OR NORTON" When a woman gets married she typically will take her husband's name and sometimes her name is longer or more difficult to pronounce and sometimes it's shorter or easier to pronounce. But, when have you ever heard of someone who changes only one letter in her new last name? The funniest part is that when she goes to the vet or a few other places, she doesn't remember what she's listed under. They ask her for her last name and she says, "It's either Horton or Norton."
"ONE SPOUSE, ONE HOUSE, NO BOAT: Some people are naturally funny. (like my good friend Larry Osman) I picked up this couple for a long ride in Charleston and he was making me laugh immediately. It didn't matter what he said, it was funny. He worked for IBM for 15 years and told me that he was in a meeting once with several multi-millionaires and one guy told him that the secret to financial success was simple: "one spouse, one house no boat." They were at a wedding the night before and he was telling his wife that when people asked him if he was on the bride or groom's side, he would make up a far-fetched story. I asked him if he ever did stand-up comedy, but he hadn't. I said, "when you do your first comedy special, I want a copy of it." His immediate response was, "it's going to be inexpensive to make, because I'll need only one copy." He's wrong, if that IBM thing doesn't work out he should try comedy.
"DON'T EVER HIRE A REALTOR WHO IS PAYING ALIMONY OR RECEIVING IT" This was the advice that one rider gave another rider in my car and it did make sense. She explained that someone getting alimony would not be as motivated to work hard to sell your house and someone who was paying alimony would be concerned about having to pay more money if they sold your house. She sold her own house.
"IS THERE ROOM FOR HER IN THERE?" I picked up a couple that was going on a cruise and when I said there was plenty of room in the trunk for their luggage, he asked, "is there room for her in there?" He was clearly joking, but as I shut his door I said to him, "you better be nicer to her, otherwise I'm the only one who's going to be nice to you today." The wife got into the act by mentioning how often a spouse disappears at sea off a cruise ship. I told them I did not want to read about that happening and I would forget this conversation immediately. (I lied)
"THE FUDRUCKER'S STORY" One of my favorite stories in the past was an older couple that flew into North Myrtle Beach to have dinner at Fudruckers on their own plane from North Carolina. I was telling the story to four women in my car the other day when one woman said, "that's very normal." Her husband is an airline pilot and they have their own plane. The husband is very particular about checking out his engine so sometimes they fly to a neighboring airport and have dinner, even in the airport restaurant. Who would have thought this was normal?
"IT WAS AS HOT AS HADES OUT THERE" A passenger told me about her experience at the Blue Crab Festival the other day. I've heard the phrase "hot as hell," but never about Hades. Is it possible that down south where it is more religious they don't joke about hell?
"YOU DESERVE A BREAK TODAY" I had four women in my car from the midwest and two of them worked for The McDonalds Corporation. I asked them if they knew what the most famous McDonalds commercial was of all-time. They had never heard of the jingle, "You Deserve A Break Today." It came out in 1971 and was written by future music star Barry Manilow. It was the first singing/dancing commercial to sell burgers and it is legendary. One woman played it on her phone and said, "that's pretty catchy." Yes, it's still one of the all-time greats- "Get a bucket and mop, scrub the bottom and top, tell me what does it mean, that McDonald's is clean....You deserve a break today, so get up and get away-to McDonalds" It's a good thing I'm already eating right now.
THE NEW YORK HOSPITAL CLERK: It's not an unusual job, unless you're doing it in South Carolina. My rider was able to get hired for a "remote" position handling insurance claims, several years after working in New York and she is getting paid a "New York" salary on top of that.
NOT EVERYONE IS FRIENDLY IN THE SOUTH: A few minutes before this happened I told my passengers from the northeast how friendly people were down here and I told them a few of my favorite stories about southern hospitality. We were sitting in traffic a few blocks from the beach when a pick-up truck turned into the middle lane, put their signal on and pulled in front of me. There was plenty of room, so much so that a second pick-up truck did the same thing, but much faster. The turn was so sharp that a refrigerator in the back of the truck tipped over on its side. The driver, a kid maybe in his early twenties got out to stand the fridge back up. Immediately, he was staring at us and didn't take his eyes off us. We were puzzled as to what his problem was. A couple minutes later he went to turn left and as I passed him he leaned over to the other side of his truck and stuck his hand out the window and pretended to have a handgun and shot at us. None of us had a clue why he seemed upset.
IF YOU'RE UPSET AT YOUR WIFE.... Four women had been out having a good time and the woman in the front seat next to me said that she was shy, but she hardly stopped talking. They were here for a bachelorette party and had a good time last night also. They taped their Uber driver last night saying something funny. This woman, Meagan, told him that when her husband is mad at her, he pronounces her name, "Meagannnnn" and so the Uber driver was repeating her name with the extra "N's" and it was funny. My version wasn't as funny, but I did say goodbye to Meagannnn.
"I'VE BEEN DRINKING ON THE BEACH ALL DAY" Of course that wasn't me, but my passenger. I could tell he had been drinking, but he was pretty mellow. He was celebrating his 40th birthday a day early, but it was a tough day for him. His uncle, who raised him, passed away six years ago on his birthday and he was sincerely still upset about it. He also told me that "he outworks everyone," but I wasn't sure if I believed that until he told me what he did. He had several small businesses and owned 16 rental properties and I took him to one he was checking on. He was a pretty unique guy to say the least.
THE MAGNA CARTA: The couple I picked up were really into history, so I shared something I learned from my 7th grade math teacher in 1973. He said that for the rest of our lives we would remember that The Magna Carta Treaty was written in 1215, because it was signed at lunch. When I told them this info the wife spent the next ten minutes summarizing how important the treaty was and what led up to it. It was impressive, I was just glad she didn't quiz me on what she taught me. And, in case you're wondering, the treaty was not signed at lunch.
"I'M GOING TO PUT MY HEAD PHONES ON NOW IF YOU DON'T MIND" The guy in his twenties told me this about two minutes after I picked him up at the airport for a thirty minute ride. Very few passengers in my car don't want to talk, but he was going to be one of them. He had just told me he was Red Sox fan and I was looking forward to a good baseball talk. After 15 minutes of silence however, he got hungry and asked if I could stop so he could get some lunch. I said yes, but with his headphones off we got in a good ten minutes on baseball. It was a much better ride with baseball. And, my car smelled like chicken when he bought lunch, what could be better than that?
"WE ONLY TASTED 21 WINES" I was driving the two women to a half marathon at 7 am on a Sunday morning when they explained that they don't get out much. After arriving at 4 pm on Saturday they did some wine tasting and had dinner with more drinks. One woman said that she would have to go home and pretend she wasn't tired so her husband wouldn't think she was up all night drinking. I pointed out to her that she did do just that. I told her that she needed a strong offense to defend herself and since her husband was concerned she would drink and drive, I wrote her a note. It read, "She only tasted 21 wines and did not drive. Uber Driver." They thought it was pretty funny.
The other woman cracked me up when she that said she was an Accounting and Finance Professor and she has a messed up sleep schedule. She grades papers sometimes at 2 or 3 am....with tequila. She explained, "if I look at some numbers and it doesn't look right, I take some tequila and check it again. If it looks the same I know I'm good." I can see her sitting there now!
"SHE WAS DOING MORE THAN DRINKING LAST NIGHT" My ride immediately after the two joggers above, was another two women who were running in the same race. When I told them the story of the other two, one woman said my note should have read, "she was doing more than drinking last night!" The other lady added more to the story by saying the husband wouldn't believe the note and probably would think I was having an affair with her.
"GOLF AND I HAD NO RELATIONSHIP" A very competitive guy told me that he taught himself how to play golf years ago by reading a book, but he stopped playing because they had no relationship. He knew when he got older he would start playing again and be a very good golfer and he's playing again and playing well.
"YOUR CAR IS SO CLEAN" I thanked the woman who made the comment and when she got out of my car I noticed that the mat under her feet looked like she had walked through a construction site. Her shoes had to be one of the dirtiest that had ever been in my car.
INSPIRATION I've had a number of rides that were inspiring and I was really surprised by this rider. He was an African-American male, had a beard, was 6 ft. 3 inches tall and he looked about 30 years old. He works for American Airlines as a "ramp supervisor." When a plane comes in he has a small staff that works quickly to get the plane prepared to fly out. I was impressed by his knowledge and enthusiasm and then he told me he was 21 years old! I asked how he got the job and he told me that his step-dad suggested he apply and American Airlines was impressed with his moving business. "What moving business," I asked? He started it in high school after helping many people move. A woman from his church suggested he should start his own business and she gave him $25,000 to start it. He still runs his moving business(with several managers) while working full-time for American Airlines. I told him he should go back to his high school and encourage young people, because they need to hear from someone like him. I thanked him for the ride and I was very surprised when this 21-year-old tipped me $20 for the ride. I should have paid him.
"LIVING IN MYRTLE BEACH IS LIKE BEING ON VACATION EVERY DAY" The woman who had moved from Connecticut six years said that she had heard someone say this before and it wasn't an original statement, but I told her I was going to give her credit. It would make a great commercial!
SUPERMARKET CASHIER: My rider appeared to have a pretty normal job when I picked him up at the local supermarket until I found out his hours. He had been working 13 hours a day, six days a week, for the past several months. That week was the first week he had two days off this year. He may have been only 20 years old, but I complimented him on his work ethic.
"I HATE TOURISTS" She wasn't a local, but she came from London. She complained that tourists in London walk too slowly and speak too loudly. She laughed at some of my stories of how friendly southerners were and she said it's definitely not that way in London.
"IT'S EITHER HORTON OR NORTON" When a woman gets married she typically will take her husband's name and sometimes her name is longer or more difficult to pronounce and sometimes it's shorter or easier to pronounce. But, when have you ever heard of someone who changes only one letter in her new last name? The funniest part is that when she goes to the vet or a few other places, she doesn't remember what she's listed under. They ask her for her last name and she says, "It's either Horton or Norton."
"ONE SPOUSE, ONE HOUSE, NO BOAT: Some people are naturally funny. (like my good friend Larry Osman) I picked up this couple for a long ride in Charleston and he was making me laugh immediately. It didn't matter what he said, it was funny. He worked for IBM for 15 years and told me that he was in a meeting once with several multi-millionaires and one guy told him that the secret to financial success was simple: "one spouse, one house no boat." They were at a wedding the night before and he was telling his wife that when people asked him if he was on the bride or groom's side, he would make up a far-fetched story. I asked him if he ever did stand-up comedy, but he hadn't. I said, "when you do your first comedy special, I want a copy of it." His immediate response was, "it's going to be inexpensive to make, because I'll need only one copy." He's wrong, if that IBM thing doesn't work out he should try comedy.
"DON'T EVER HIRE A REALTOR WHO IS PAYING ALIMONY OR RECEIVING IT" This was the advice that one rider gave another rider in my car and it did make sense. She explained that someone getting alimony would not be as motivated to work hard to sell your house and someone who was paying alimony would be concerned about having to pay more money if they sold your house. She sold her own house.
"IS THERE ROOM FOR HER IN THERE?" I picked up a couple that was going on a cruise and when I said there was plenty of room in the trunk for their luggage, he asked, "is there room for her in there?" He was clearly joking, but as I shut his door I said to him, "you better be nicer to her, otherwise I'm the only one who's going to be nice to you today." The wife got into the act by mentioning how often a spouse disappears at sea off a cruise ship. I told them I did not want to read about that happening and I would forget this conversation immediately. (I lied)
"THE FUDRUCKER'S STORY" One of my favorite stories in the past was an older couple that flew into North Myrtle Beach to have dinner at Fudruckers on their own plane from North Carolina. I was telling the story to four women in my car the other day when one woman said, "that's very normal." Her husband is an airline pilot and they have their own plane. The husband is very particular about checking out his engine so sometimes they fly to a neighboring airport and have dinner, even in the airport restaurant. Who would have thought this was normal?
"IT WAS AS HOT AS HADES OUT THERE" A passenger told me about her experience at the Blue Crab Festival the other day. I've heard the phrase "hot as hell," but never about Hades. Is it possible that down south where it is more religious they don't joke about hell?
"YOU DESERVE A BREAK TODAY" I had four women in my car from the midwest and two of them worked for The McDonalds Corporation. I asked them if they knew what the most famous McDonalds commercial was of all-time. They had never heard of the jingle, "You Deserve A Break Today." It came out in 1971 and was written by future music star Barry Manilow. It was the first singing/dancing commercial to sell burgers and it is legendary. One woman played it on her phone and said, "that's pretty catchy." Yes, it's still one of the all-time greats- "Get a bucket and mop, scrub the bottom and top, tell me what does it mean, that McDonald's is clean....You deserve a break today, so get up and get away-to McDonalds" It's a good thing I'm already eating right now.
THE NEW YORK HOSPITAL CLERK: It's not an unusual job, unless you're doing it in South Carolina. My rider was able to get hired for a "remote" position handling insurance claims, several years after working in New York and she is getting paid a "New York" salary on top of that.
NOT EVERYONE IS FRIENDLY IN THE SOUTH: A few minutes before this happened I told my passengers from the northeast how friendly people were down here and I told them a few of my favorite stories about southern hospitality. We were sitting in traffic a few blocks from the beach when a pick-up truck turned into the middle lane, put their signal on and pulled in front of me. There was plenty of room, so much so that a second pick-up truck did the same thing, but much faster. The turn was so sharp that a refrigerator in the back of the truck tipped over on its side. The driver, a kid maybe in his early twenties got out to stand the fridge back up. Immediately, he was staring at us and didn't take his eyes off us. We were puzzled as to what his problem was. A couple minutes later he went to turn left and as I passed him he leaned over to the other side of his truck and stuck his hand out the window and pretended to have a handgun and shot at us. None of us had a clue why he seemed upset.
IF YOU'RE UPSET AT YOUR WIFE.... Four women had been out having a good time and the woman in the front seat next to me said that she was shy, but she hardly stopped talking. They were here for a bachelorette party and had a good time last night also. They taped their Uber driver last night saying something funny. This woman, Meagan, told him that when her husband is mad at her, he pronounces her name, "Meagannnnn" and so the Uber driver was repeating her name with the extra "N's" and it was funny. My version wasn't as funny, but I did say goodbye to Meagannnn.
"I'VE BEEN DRINKING ON THE BEACH ALL DAY" Of course that wasn't me, but my passenger. I could tell he had been drinking, but he was pretty mellow. He was celebrating his 40th birthday a day early, but it was a tough day for him. His uncle, who raised him, passed away six years ago on his birthday and he was sincerely still upset about it. He also told me that "he outworks everyone," but I wasn't sure if I believed that until he told me what he did. He had several small businesses and owned 16 rental properties and I took him to one he was checking on. He was a pretty unique guy to say the least.
THE MAGNA CARTA: The couple I picked up were really into history, so I shared something I learned from my 7th grade math teacher in 1973. He said that for the rest of our lives we would remember that The Magna Carta Treaty was written in 1215, because it was signed at lunch. When I told them this info the wife spent the next ten minutes summarizing how important the treaty was and what led up to it. It was impressive, I was just glad she didn't quiz me on what she taught me. And, in case you're wondering, the treaty was not signed at lunch.
"I'M GOING TO PUT MY HEAD PHONES ON NOW IF YOU DON'T MIND" The guy in his twenties told me this about two minutes after I picked him up at the airport for a thirty minute ride. Very few passengers in my car don't want to talk, but he was going to be one of them. He had just told me he was Red Sox fan and I was looking forward to a good baseball talk. After 15 minutes of silence however, he got hungry and asked if I could stop so he could get some lunch. I said yes, but with his headphones off we got in a good ten minutes on baseball. It was a much better ride with baseball. And, my car smelled like chicken when he bought lunch, what could be better than that?
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Is it Bad If You Eat Corn on The Cob That Wasn't Cooked?
This is hypothetical of course. Let's say you're home alone for dinner and you're looking for some things to eat. You come across the corn on the cob leftovers from a couple nights ago. You take it out and you look at it. Is it cooked? You smell it. You hold up to your face and take a good luck at it. It looks cooked, but is it?
If I take a bite I should be able to tell if it's cooked, right? You take a bite and it tastes good. You take another bite and still tastes good. You swallow and you feel okay. You wonder, if it isn't cooked, how long would it take to notice?
After eating the whole corn on the cob and enjoying it, you still feel good and you're still hungry. You wonder, if this isn't cooked how bad would it be to eat a second corn on the cob? It probably wouldn't make much of a difference. And so, the second piece is history.
Finishing the second piece you still have some doubts, was it cooked or uncooked? After four hours you appear to be safe and have not rushed into the bathroom or had sharp stomach pains. As you get ready for bed you ask yourself, "will I be able to sleep if it wasn't cooked?"
This is just hypothetical situation of course. But, if you did eat uncooked corn on the cob, what would happen? We may never know the answer.
If I take a bite I should be able to tell if it's cooked, right? You take a bite and it tastes good. You take another bite and still tastes good. You swallow and you feel okay. You wonder, if it isn't cooked, how long would it take to notice?
After eating the whole corn on the cob and enjoying it, you still feel good and you're still hungry. You wonder, if this isn't cooked how bad would it be to eat a second corn on the cob? It probably wouldn't make much of a difference. And so, the second piece is history.
Finishing the second piece you still have some doubts, was it cooked or uncooked? After four hours you appear to be safe and have not rushed into the bathroom or had sharp stomach pains. As you get ready for bed you ask yourself, "will I be able to sleep if it wasn't cooked?"
This is just hypothetical situation of course. But, if you did eat uncooked corn on the cob, what would happen? We may never know the answer.
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
What's In A Name Anyway?
I blogged awhile ago on how I've always had a bunch of nicknames when I was a kid. The one that really stuck for a long time was "penguin" due to how I used to run. (I probably run faster now) The oddest name was "cork" since one person thought I looked like a cork.
Over the years I have been called a lot of names and some of them were good. My favorite one was by a co-worker who named me "The Sunshine Man." She said that my friend KC and I should enter a work contest as "KC and The Sunshine Man." (For those of you over 90 the reference is to the famous band, "KC and The Sunshine Band) I loved the name immediately and I decided then in the 1990's that if I ever had a distribution business I would call myself, "Sunshine Man Distribution." (I still have a registered business in New Jersey and South Carolina with that name)
In South Carolina, I've already been called a lot of names. My co-worker has come up with dozens of them, but my customers have been calling me names also. Since I deliver many things to them, to some I'm "the water guy" or "the paper guy" or "the Staples guy." My favorite one last year was the guy who asked me, "are you the beer guy?" I had to answer yes, since I was delivering beer to him.
My current favorite name was the guy this month who said I was, "the head delivery dude." I can see that on a business card in the future in big letters and my name and number underneath it. I'd love to see the look on people's faces when I give them that card!
I've been driving people with unique names also. A couple who were both named Chris could have a lot of fun with solicitor's calling them on the phone. How do they separate their mail? Do they dare name a child Chris?
What if your name was "Special?" I gave her a ride and she told me that her parents did not have any girl's names picked out when they went to the hospital, so they called their baby, "Special." Oddly enough, she has met two other woman with the name of "Special."
Have you ever seen the name "Karen" spelled "Karrenn?" My rider said that they made a mistake on her birth certificate and never corrected it, really.
I've joked with some of the people I deliver to about their last name, when it's a "presidential name." The most common are "Wilson" and "Johnson", but I've also had people sign for deliveries with "Washington", "Adams", "Taylor", "Kennedy", "Jackson" "Grant", and "Bush". My favorite is Ms. Wilson in a hospital I deliver to and she starts grinning as soon as I walk in. I've told her Mrs. Wilson was really the first female President of the United States since she covered for Woodrow Wilson for some time when he had a stroke. I call her the First Lady which always gets a laugh out of her.
I was going to write this blog last night, but I didn't get to it. My blog would have ended with this: after naming several of the Presidents as I do above, I would have added "Gore", since some people still think he won the 2000 Election. But, the reason I didn't get to it was the better ending I got today.
A woman at a hospital today with the last name of "Grant" said her name and our conversation went like this:
Me: "A Presidential last name!"
Ms. Grant: "You said that the last time I signed."
Me: "Am I the only one who has ever said that to you?"
Ms. Grant: "Yes"
Me: "There are a lot of people with Presidential last names, like "Wilson" and "Johnson" and "Bush."
She did not want me to have all the fun, so she added:
Ms. Grant: "And Gore."
I politely laughed and did not fall on the floor laughing.
Me: "But,he didn't become President"
I'm not sure if she just got confused or she really thought he was President of The United States. You can't make these things up. Sometimes the reality of names are much more interesting and entertaining than what you can make up. I wonder how many people have signed for my deliveries who have names of Vice-Presidents? Well, there's Gore........
Over the years I have been called a lot of names and some of them were good. My favorite one was by a co-worker who named me "The Sunshine Man." She said that my friend KC and I should enter a work contest as "KC and The Sunshine Man." (For those of you over 90 the reference is to the famous band, "KC and The Sunshine Band) I loved the name immediately and I decided then in the 1990's that if I ever had a distribution business I would call myself, "Sunshine Man Distribution." (I still have a registered business in New Jersey and South Carolina with that name)
In South Carolina, I've already been called a lot of names. My co-worker has come up with dozens of them, but my customers have been calling me names also. Since I deliver many things to them, to some I'm "the water guy" or "the paper guy" or "the Staples guy." My favorite one last year was the guy who asked me, "are you the beer guy?" I had to answer yes, since I was delivering beer to him.
My current favorite name was the guy this month who said I was, "the head delivery dude." I can see that on a business card in the future in big letters and my name and number underneath it. I'd love to see the look on people's faces when I give them that card!
I've been driving people with unique names also. A couple who were both named Chris could have a lot of fun with solicitor's calling them on the phone. How do they separate their mail? Do they dare name a child Chris?
What if your name was "Special?" I gave her a ride and she told me that her parents did not have any girl's names picked out when they went to the hospital, so they called their baby, "Special." Oddly enough, she has met two other woman with the name of "Special."
Have you ever seen the name "Karen" spelled "Karrenn?" My rider said that they made a mistake on her birth certificate and never corrected it, really.
I've joked with some of the people I deliver to about their last name, when it's a "presidential name." The most common are "Wilson" and "Johnson", but I've also had people sign for deliveries with "Washington", "Adams", "Taylor", "Kennedy", "Jackson" "Grant", and "Bush". My favorite is Ms. Wilson in a hospital I deliver to and she starts grinning as soon as I walk in. I've told her Mrs. Wilson was really the first female President of the United States since she covered for Woodrow Wilson for some time when he had a stroke. I call her the First Lady which always gets a laugh out of her.
I was going to write this blog last night, but I didn't get to it. My blog would have ended with this: after naming several of the Presidents as I do above, I would have added "Gore", since some people still think he won the 2000 Election. But, the reason I didn't get to it was the better ending I got today.
A woman at a hospital today with the last name of "Grant" said her name and our conversation went like this:
Me: "A Presidential last name!"
Ms. Grant: "You said that the last time I signed."
Me: "Am I the only one who has ever said that to you?"
Ms. Grant: "Yes"
Me: "There are a lot of people with Presidential last names, like "Wilson" and "Johnson" and "Bush."
She did not want me to have all the fun, so she added:
Ms. Grant: "And Gore."
I politely laughed and did not fall on the floor laughing.
Me: "But,he didn't become President"
I'm not sure if she just got confused or she really thought he was President of The United States. You can't make these things up. Sometimes the reality of names are much more interesting and entertaining than what you can make up. I wonder how many people have signed for my deliveries who have names of Vice-Presidents? Well, there's Gore........
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Summer Is Here
The summer is supposed to begin officially on Memorial Day, but that's not the case everywhere. In Myrtle Beach we've been enjoying summer for a few weeks. The weather has been in the mid 70's to high 80's all month and this is just the beginning. We've had very little rain to speak of this month and in the next ten days there's a 5% chance of rain tomorrow, that's all.
Monday is Memorial Day and we are planning to spend all day at the beach, or most of the day at the beach, or it could be just some time on the beach. Our son and his girlfriend are visiting and I remember exactly what happened the last time we went to the beach with them. It was July 4th last year and after a few hours on the beach we watched very dark clouds come in from the ocean and absolutely pound us with water as we ran to the car. It would be awful if that happened again!
I will have a good time on the beach. I'll be covered in lotion, wearing a hat and shirt and sitting under the umbrella reading a book. I will not get sunburn and I haven't in 17 months in South Carolina. As a kid I would avoid the sun and I would sit under the boardwalk reading a book, but I've changed a lot since then.
I hope you get to enjoy the official beginning of summer in your own way and avoid getting sunburn. And, if you get to have some barbecued chicken Monday, eat a piece for me.
Monday is Memorial Day and we are planning to spend all day at the beach, or most of the day at the beach, or it could be just some time on the beach. Our son and his girlfriend are visiting and I remember exactly what happened the last time we went to the beach with them. It was July 4th last year and after a few hours on the beach we watched very dark clouds come in from the ocean and absolutely pound us with water as we ran to the car. It would be awful if that happened again!
I will have a good time on the beach. I'll be covered in lotion, wearing a hat and shirt and sitting under the umbrella reading a book. I will not get sunburn and I haven't in 17 months in South Carolina. As a kid I would avoid the sun and I would sit under the boardwalk reading a book, but I've changed a lot since then.
I hope you get to enjoy the official beginning of summer in your own way and avoid getting sunburn. And, if you get to have some barbecued chicken Monday, eat a piece for me.
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Words of Wisdom
I was delivering to the main lobby of a very nice home community in Myrtle Beach recently. I've been there many times, but this was the first time I saw what was engraved into the wall in big letters. It read:
Another Day. Another Chance To Do As Little or As Much As You Choose
I read it a couple times and then wrote it down when I got in my car. I assume the reason it's on the wall is to promote the community and is mostly directed to the homeowners or future homeowners that are retired. However, I think it can be applied to everyone.
Every day we do have the power to choose what we want to do and how much we want to get done. Sometimes the most productive thing to do it rest. (I have one of those days every month or two) Seriously though, there is a lot in those words. People make lists and plan what they want to do for a particular day and it has been proven that if you do that, you will get more done. That does not mean you will get everything done, just more.
What do you put into your work, if you are working? Some people regularly put in 100% and some people don't. Some people "go the extra mile" on a regular basis and those people usually stand out. There's no doubt that I really enjoy getting things done and I like to move quickly. The other day, the receptionist at a hospital I was delivering to, said this to me as I walked towards her, "do you have only one speed, fast?" I replied, "yes.". She sees me constantly walking briskly while just about everyone else is moving at a slower pace. A worker at Wal-Mart recently told me, "you should slow down." I didn't bother to tell her that I have, I used to move faster in New Jersey.
There's been a lot in the papers concerning Uber and Lyft drivers and whether they are employees or independent contractors. I constantly read all the horrible stories and complaints how independent contractors are taken advantage of and are suffering. For the past 25 years I've been an independent contractor andI've managed and supervised independent contractors. It's a very good thing and The Department of Labor just confirmed that Uber drivers are independent contractors. I get to decide when and how much I work and pretty much how I work-I wouldn't want it any other way.
So, what are you going to do today or tomorrow? You do have a choice and even if you're an employee, think like it's your own business. You're in charge of your life and your actions, so go ahead and do what you choose to do.
Another Day. Another Chance To Do As Little or As Much As You Choose
I read it a couple times and then wrote it down when I got in my car. I assume the reason it's on the wall is to promote the community and is mostly directed to the homeowners or future homeowners that are retired. However, I think it can be applied to everyone.
Every day we do have the power to choose what we want to do and how much we want to get done. Sometimes the most productive thing to do it rest. (I have one of those days every month or two) Seriously though, there is a lot in those words. People make lists and plan what they want to do for a particular day and it has been proven that if you do that, you will get more done. That does not mean you will get everything done, just more.
What do you put into your work, if you are working? Some people regularly put in 100% and some people don't. Some people "go the extra mile" on a regular basis and those people usually stand out. There's no doubt that I really enjoy getting things done and I like to move quickly. The other day, the receptionist at a hospital I was delivering to, said this to me as I walked towards her, "do you have only one speed, fast?" I replied, "yes.". She sees me constantly walking briskly while just about everyone else is moving at a slower pace. A worker at Wal-Mart recently told me, "you should slow down." I didn't bother to tell her that I have, I used to move faster in New Jersey.
There's been a lot in the papers concerning Uber and Lyft drivers and whether they are employees or independent contractors. I constantly read all the horrible stories and complaints how independent contractors are taken advantage of and are suffering. For the past 25 years I've been an independent contractor andI've managed and supervised independent contractors. It's a very good thing and The Department of Labor just confirmed that Uber drivers are independent contractors. I get to decide when and how much I work and pretty much how I work-I wouldn't want it any other way.
So, what are you going to do today or tomorrow? You do have a choice and even if you're an employee, think like it's your own business. You're in charge of your life and your actions, so go ahead and do what you choose to do.
Monday, May 13, 2019
Can Anyone Answer A Direct Question?
I'm waiting, did you answer yet? If you said yes, are you sure? It's amazing to me that some people have a very difficult time doing this. Maybe they are not paying attention to the person talking or they are reading something too quickly or they just want to talk about what they want to talk about. If I ask you, do you like coffee ice cream and your answer is, my stomach doesn't feel good tonight-you did not answer the question
Six weeks ago, I submitted a couple easy questions to Uber to understand better how a Rider can schedule a ride in advance. After eight e-mails, I surrendered. They could not or would not give me a direct answer. This is a common occurrence with Uber Support, but we have no idea why this happens consistently.
With technology as advanced as it today, how is it people can't answer a direct question? We have a Facebook Group for Uber and Lyft drivers and I asked a question for anyone to respond too. The question was, what per cent of drivers are full-time(online for 40 hours or more a week) and how many of them are part-time? under 40 hours a week) I guessed only 15-20 per cent were full-time.
Two drivers gave me a thumbs up, which could mean they agree with my guess and seven others told me their hours and if they were full or part-time. Most of them did not answer my question.
The next time someone asks you a question, pause and think to yourself, what do they want to know? Then, answer the question as best you can. If you don't know, say, "I don't know." Can you do that?
Six weeks ago, I submitted a couple easy questions to Uber to understand better how a Rider can schedule a ride in advance. After eight e-mails, I surrendered. They could not or would not give me a direct answer. This is a common occurrence with Uber Support, but we have no idea why this happens consistently.
With technology as advanced as it today, how is it people can't answer a direct question? We have a Facebook Group for Uber and Lyft drivers and I asked a question for anyone to respond too. The question was, what per cent of drivers are full-time(online for 40 hours or more a week) and how many of them are part-time? under 40 hours a week) I guessed only 15-20 per cent were full-time.
Two drivers gave me a thumbs up, which could mean they agree with my guess and seven others told me their hours and if they were full or part-time. Most of them did not answer my question.
The next time someone asks you a question, pause and think to yourself, what do they want to know? Then, answer the question as best you can. If you don't know, say, "I don't know." Can you do that?
Are They Counting Cars?
You're driving along on a road usually at night and you see it, the deer. The deer is facing the road, just standing there. It would be easy to say that like the chicken it's waiting to cross the road, but is it doing that? I decided to research it and I Googled the question. I use Google once or twice a year and I figured this would be a good time. Unfortunately, I did not get any serious answers. One person said that we're driving through their territory, they are not standing in our territory.
Driving down to Charleston on route 17 Saturday morning, I usually see a deer standing there and then a short distance later I see another deer. Could they be the same deer each week?What if they really have a purpose? What if they are doing a car census and counting the cars that go by? You probably wonder like I do, how long is their shift? Could they do it five hours or eight hours and then another deer walks up and tells them he's taking over? If they've counted 64 cars, do they give that information to anyone?
There are a lot of questions people have each day, some serious and some not so serious. There are questions that you would really like to get an answer for, but I'm not sure this question is very important. Are they fascinated by the lights or the sound of the cars? Is it that they don't know how to go backwards? If they want to cross the road, why?
If anyone has the real answer, let me know. You may not care about this question, but I do. If I get an answer I'll have one less thing to think about and one less thing to write about.
Driving down to Charleston on route 17 Saturday morning, I usually see a deer standing there and then a short distance later I see another deer. Could they be the same deer each week?What if they really have a purpose? What if they are doing a car census and counting the cars that go by? You probably wonder like I do, how long is their shift? Could they do it five hours or eight hours and then another deer walks up and tells them he's taking over? If they've counted 64 cars, do they give that information to anyone?
There are a lot of questions people have each day, some serious and some not so serious. There are questions that you would really like to get an answer for, but I'm not sure this question is very important. Are they fascinated by the lights or the sound of the cars? Is it that they don't know how to go backwards? If they want to cross the road, why?
If anyone has the real answer, let me know. You may not care about this question, but I do. If I get an answer I'll have one less thing to think about and one less thing to write about.
Monday, May 6, 2019
One Year Without Television
I know some people think it's odd that we don't have a television, but we've gotten used to it. When we came down here 16 months ago we gave our son our television set since it's a tough thing to move 650 miles without problems. We figured we could get along without it. We rented a place for four months that had a television and we did watch it.
A year ago we moved into our new house without a television. We watch some shows online after they were on and that's worked out okay. We've watched some things on Netflix and Amazon Prime and that's been pretty good too. Maybe a few times in the past year we would have liked to have a television, but it wasn't a big deal.
When will we get a television for the house? I don't know. Can you rent one for a night? I think I'd like to have a television on election night 2020, but it's still eighteen months away. It's hard to believe but I think I've watched less television commercials than my Dad. (he avoids looking at them) He told me tonight he's having trouble finding things to watch. I am too, but I stopped looking a year ago.
A year ago we moved into our new house without a television. We watch some shows online after they were on and that's worked out okay. We've watched some things on Netflix and Amazon Prime and that's been pretty good too. Maybe a few times in the past year we would have liked to have a television, but it wasn't a big deal.
When will we get a television for the house? I don't know. Can you rent one for a night? I think I'd like to have a television on election night 2020, but it's still eighteen months away. It's hard to believe but I think I've watched less television commercials than my Dad. (he avoids looking at them) He told me tonight he's having trouble finding things to watch. I am too, but I stopped looking a year ago.
Celebrating May Day(oops, I forgot to publish this on May 1)
Today I am celebrating May Day, but not the May Day you are thinking about. It's not even the May Day you don't know about. May Day, May 1st, is actually a holiday around the world. Although it is somewhat celebrated in this country, it is best known in The Soviet Union who started celebrating this day in 1917 to celebrate their worker's by showing off their military force in a parade.
The May Day I'm celebrating is from four years ago when our youngest daughter, Marisa,(I probably can use her real name), had one of the ultimate great days someone can have. I will probably get some of these details wrong and she will certainly correct me. However, the bottom line about this day is this-you never know, almost anything is possible.
Marisa was about six weeks away from graduating high school and she had applied for over thirty scholarships, from small ones to very large ones. I was working a 19 hour day on the road and it turned out to be one of the most memorable road days I've ever had.
It all started when Marisa was in school and I believe she found out she had won a small scholarship and then she found out she won the $40,000 scholarship. Several students won the same award which was given out by The Singer Corporation. That is when I got my first phone call. I was a little concerned to hear her voice when she was in school, because I don't get personal calls on days like that. Then, I was just stunned and could not not believe the great news.
Marisa went home and in the mail she found out she received another scholarship which I think made three for the day. The clincher was the next phone call. She received a call from Google and the woman asked her, "how are you doing today?" Could she have been doing any better? No, until the woman told her that she had been selected to attend the Google summer internship program in New York City.
That's when I got my second phone call. It was too unbelievable for one day, for one person. We actually refer to today as "Marisa Day." So, I'm sending this out to our youngest child who right now is out in China for five weeks starting her first job as a software developer. She's going to have some pretty special days in her life, but it will be tough to beat May Day, May 1, 2015.
Love you Marisa and we're both very proud.
The May Day I'm celebrating is from four years ago when our youngest daughter, Marisa,(I probably can use her real name), had one of the ultimate great days someone can have. I will probably get some of these details wrong and she will certainly correct me. However, the bottom line about this day is this-you never know, almost anything is possible.
Marisa was about six weeks away from graduating high school and she had applied for over thirty scholarships, from small ones to very large ones. I was working a 19 hour day on the road and it turned out to be one of the most memorable road days I've ever had.
It all started when Marisa was in school and I believe she found out she had won a small scholarship and then she found out she won the $40,000 scholarship. Several students won the same award which was given out by The Singer Corporation. That is when I got my first phone call. I was a little concerned to hear her voice when she was in school, because I don't get personal calls on days like that. Then, I was just stunned and could not not believe the great news.
Marisa went home and in the mail she found out she received another scholarship which I think made three for the day. The clincher was the next phone call. She received a call from Google and the woman asked her, "how are you doing today?" Could she have been doing any better? No, until the woman told her that she had been selected to attend the Google summer internship program in New York City.
That's when I got my second phone call. It was too unbelievable for one day, for one person. We actually refer to today as "Marisa Day." So, I'm sending this out to our youngest child who right now is out in China for five weeks starting her first job as a software developer. She's going to have some pretty special days in her life, but it will be tough to beat May Day, May 1, 2015.
Love you Marisa and we're both very proud.
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