A relative of mine(who looks like me), suggested that my blog posts were boring. Surely, that person was just kidding, but I do understand that some of them are not that interesting to some people. That's why I wanted this one to be "not" about constipation.
Many years ago there was a commercial where I believe a man said, "I want to talk to you about constipation." You can imagine how interesting that commercial was. I could tell you about what it's like working on the road with constipation, but I'm not going to. I could tell you about walking into a supermarket to buy prunes and finding out that they work even when you just bring them into a bathroom, but I'm not going to.
Instead, I'll talk to you about-communication, not constipation. Today, there's supposedly a lot of communication. People communicate on the phone, by e-mail, texting, Facebook, blogging, Instagram, and probably a number of other ways I don't really know about. And, let's not forget, people still do talk to each other in person.
Still, it doesn't seem to be adequate. Some people "communicate" too much and some too little and some just poorly. What is the best way? There really is none. It's left up to the individual and what they like and what they want to do. I guess that's the way it should be, but sometimes, don't you just wish things were communicated better?
I don't know, was communication really a more interesting topic than constipation?
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
How Many Friendly Reminders Do You Need For A Dentist Appointment?
Last Monday I made another visit to my new dentist who is only a couple miles from our house. When it comes to making medical appointments I'm not very good at it. I go to see a doctor when I really need to, but fortunately it's pretty rare. I've always had a tough work schedule and making the appointment has never been easy for me.
However, once I make an appointment I always make it the office somehow. I understand that a doctor's time is very valuable and sending patients a reminder is certainly necessary. However, how many reminders do you need? One, two, I can't imagine getting more than that as being necessary.
For my appointment I received five reminders, by phone call, text, and e-mail. When I got to the office at 4:20 I made it a point to tell the receptionist that I was twenty minutes early for the 4:40 appointment, just in case in the future I'm late. She looked at my appointment and told me I was one minute late and the appointment was for 4:20. I got five reminders, but I never checked the time of the appointment.
I told my dentist with a smile on my face that coming to a dentist is never something I look forward to, but being reminded five times only makes the experience worse. He understood and thanked me for letting him know.(while he put my arm around me-a southern thing I think) He said there's no problem in cutting back on those reminders for me.
He asked me if I wanted to get a check-up cleaning once or twice a year and I said once and he told me they would contact me at the beginning of the year for my next visit. I was feeling pretty good about our talk when I left his office Monday at 5 pm. Wednesday morning I got an e-mail and a text from the office about my next visit. Do I reply to the two reminders or hope they stop at some point?
It's still five months until New Year's Day, how many friendly reminders will I get? I can't wait.
However, once I make an appointment I always make it the office somehow. I understand that a doctor's time is very valuable and sending patients a reminder is certainly necessary. However, how many reminders do you need? One, two, I can't imagine getting more than that as being necessary.
For my appointment I received five reminders, by phone call, text, and e-mail. When I got to the office at 4:20 I made it a point to tell the receptionist that I was twenty minutes early for the 4:40 appointment, just in case in the future I'm late. She looked at my appointment and told me I was one minute late and the appointment was for 4:20. I got five reminders, but I never checked the time of the appointment.
I told my dentist with a smile on my face that coming to a dentist is never something I look forward to, but being reminded five times only makes the experience worse. He understood and thanked me for letting him know.(while he put my arm around me-a southern thing I think) He said there's no problem in cutting back on those reminders for me.
He asked me if I wanted to get a check-up cleaning once or twice a year and I said once and he told me they would contact me at the beginning of the year for my next visit. I was feeling pretty good about our talk when I left his office Monday at 5 pm. Wednesday morning I got an e-mail and a text from the office about my next visit. Do I reply to the two reminders or hope they stop at some point?
It's still five months until New Year's Day, how many friendly reminders will I get? I can't wait.
Monday, July 22, 2019
I'm Making Money on The Beatles???
It doesn't seem possible, but it really is happening. In April 2020, it will be fifty years since The Beatles broke up as a band. During that time there have been movies, television shows, records/CD's, and promotional events where a lot of people have made money on The Beatles. The biggest financial winners I think are still The Beatles, but I never thought I could make a few dollars on them.
A few weeks ago the movie, "Yesterday" came out about a young singer who is hit by a bus and afterwards discovers that he is the only one in the world who has heard of The Beatles. It is a wonderful movie that will have you grinning when the movie ends. You should see it.
I've been promoting this movie for months since my bother sent me the trailer. I even promoted it to four British teenagers who were visiting the Charleston area. After seeing the movie on it's third day out I have continued to promote it and I am responsible for a number of people going to see it.
This weekend I drove a couple and then a mom and daughter to the movies and convinced them to see "Yesterday." I believe some of the people I have talked to really appreciated my movie recommendation and have tipped me more or possibly tipped me when they wouldn't have tipped me before. The uniqueness of the movie and of course The Beatles, has helped me promote it.
A long, long time ago I wrote an article for a school paper where I interviewed my history teacher, Mr. Schuster. The beginning quote in the story from him was this, "enthusiasm is infectious." I never thought that my enthusiasm for The Beatles all these years, would actually make me some money. Now, if I could only make some money on my enthusiasm for politics-that would really be something!
A few weeks ago the movie, "Yesterday" came out about a young singer who is hit by a bus and afterwards discovers that he is the only one in the world who has heard of The Beatles. It is a wonderful movie that will have you grinning when the movie ends. You should see it.
I've been promoting this movie for months since my bother sent me the trailer. I even promoted it to four British teenagers who were visiting the Charleston area. After seeing the movie on it's third day out I have continued to promote it and I am responsible for a number of people going to see it.
This weekend I drove a couple and then a mom and daughter to the movies and convinced them to see "Yesterday." I believe some of the people I have talked to really appreciated my movie recommendation and have tipped me more or possibly tipped me when they wouldn't have tipped me before. The uniqueness of the movie and of course The Beatles, has helped me promote it.
A long, long time ago I wrote an article for a school paper where I interviewed my history teacher, Mr. Schuster. The beginning quote in the story from him was this, "enthusiasm is infectious." I never thought that my enthusiasm for The Beatles all these years, would actually make me some money. Now, if I could only make some money on my enthusiasm for politics-that would really be something!
Friday, July 19, 2019
"The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street"
For my 200th blog post I decided to get some assistance from the legendary writer, Rod Serling. He is best know for the television show, "The Twilight Zone" which aired from 1959-1964. It is one of my top three favorite shows of all-time and the reruns can still be seen on television today.
In 1960, one of his most famous episodes ran, "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street." It's a story of Anytown, USA and the people who live on one street, Maple Street. One day the electricity shuts off only on their street and as the neighbors gather outside, suddenly, different houses have their lights turned on and off. Suspicion swirls around and one person after another gets picked on and accused of being an alien or having odd behavior. The neighborhood becomes a mob and tragedy strikes when a man comes walking towards them in the darkness and is shot dead. That is when the reality of the situation hits the neighborhood. The very final scene is a couple of aliens who have been somehow manipulating the lights and running an experiment that always comes to the same conclusion with human beings.
There are 2,000 people every month who move into the Myrtle Beach vicinity and of course tens of thousand of people in the country monthly move into a new neighborhood. What would happen if a new neighbor was "weird?" What if the house is mainly just inhabited by teenagers who smoke pot and drive new trucks that are noisy at all hours of the day and night? What if they regularly have friends over and cars are parked all over the street although there's no parking allowed on the street? Questions could arise like, are they selling drugs, do they have a gun, and what is going on inside the house? Suddenly, people don't feel safe on their own block. What if trash was being left on the property and suddenly a quiet neighborhood had completely changed?
Of course this is all hypothetical. (This is where Rod Serling would enter my blog to finish up.)
Rod: "Imagine that this neighborhood is really your neighborhood and you can see this unusual house and sometimes their inhabitants from your very window. Could this be just a couple of teenagers being kids without respecting others, or, could this be your worst nightmare, a place you now live in....in The Twilight Zone."
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
My Hand Truck(The Sequel and Final Episode)
Hollywood makes sequels all the time, but I didn't expect to have one about my hand truck. I thought this was funny, but you probably won't. This episode also shows how incredibly friendly people are here in the South.
As I pulled up to an office building to deliver yesterday, I found a spot right in front of the door I was going to go into. Normally that would be good, but it really wasn't. I had four heavy boxes of paper to put on my hand truck and bring in and I would now have go over the curb of the sidewalk or walk down about six cars and easily roll my way up the sidewalk.
It seemed silly to go away from the building and since this hand truck has bigger wheels to go over curbs, I chose the closest path. As I pulled on the hand truck handle(which has never come out), I pulled so hard that it flew out of my hand and I went flying backwards, bumped into the brick wall of the building and fell straight down on my ass. The four boxes of paper stayed on the hand truck but they were now horizontal instead of vertical.
I was laughing on the ground, because I was convinced that the handle was stuck and did not come out. I was also not hurt at all. I think somehow only the middle of my back hit the wall slightly, I had a very small cut on my elbow and I fell straight down easily.
What I didn't realize was that several people saw this happen and a bunch of people heard the bump into the building and the metal pieces of the hand truck hit the ground. An older man(who had trouble walking) jumped out of his car to ask if I was okay. A patient inside who had an oxygen mask on, ran out to see if I was okay. And, at least three women who worked there came out to check on me.
I was still laughing at all this attention. One women said I should get checked out and another said I should write a report. I laughed it off and felt fine. "You'll be sore tomorrow someone said, " but I'm not. When I delivered inside I had at least four other women ask if I was okay. I finally told someone as I was grinning, "if I wasn't okay I wouldn't be smiling like this, I'm not that good of an actor."
They were all very nice and I appreciated it, but I just hope I don't have to go back there this week and have all those people ask again if I'm okay. What if I go back and there's white chalk marked on the building where I bumped into?
Just another adventure in the South....
As I pulled up to an office building to deliver yesterday, I found a spot right in front of the door I was going to go into. Normally that would be good, but it really wasn't. I had four heavy boxes of paper to put on my hand truck and bring in and I would now have go over the curb of the sidewalk or walk down about six cars and easily roll my way up the sidewalk.
It seemed silly to go away from the building and since this hand truck has bigger wheels to go over curbs, I chose the closest path. As I pulled on the hand truck handle(which has never come out), I pulled so hard that it flew out of my hand and I went flying backwards, bumped into the brick wall of the building and fell straight down on my ass. The four boxes of paper stayed on the hand truck but they were now horizontal instead of vertical.
I was laughing on the ground, because I was convinced that the handle was stuck and did not come out. I was also not hurt at all. I think somehow only the middle of my back hit the wall slightly, I had a very small cut on my elbow and I fell straight down easily.
What I didn't realize was that several people saw this happen and a bunch of people heard the bump into the building and the metal pieces of the hand truck hit the ground. An older man(who had trouble walking) jumped out of his car to ask if I was okay. A patient inside who had an oxygen mask on, ran out to see if I was okay. And, at least three women who worked there came out to check on me.
I was still laughing at all this attention. One women said I should get checked out and another said I should write a report. I laughed it off and felt fine. "You'll be sore tomorrow someone said, " but I'm not. When I delivered inside I had at least four other women ask if I was okay. I finally told someone as I was grinning, "if I wasn't okay I wouldn't be smiling like this, I'm not that good of an actor."
They were all very nice and I appreciated it, but I just hope I don't have to go back there this week and have all those people ask again if I'm okay. What if I go back and there's white chalk marked on the building where I bumped into?
Just another adventure in the South....
Monday, July 15, 2019
My Hand Truck
There's a pretty good chance that no one has blogged about their hand truck before and you will probably never read a blog like this again either. (assuming you finish this) As a courier I've been using an old hand truck. I'm not sure, but it has to be at least ten years old, maybe even 20 years old. It's green and it looks old and worn, but it's not heavy to pick-up like new hand trucks.
The best part of my hand truck is that you can pull out the handle and make it two separate pieces. That's important so I can squeeze into my van when I need to. I replaced the two wheels a couple months ago so you no longer hear me coming.
Last Monday, the new wheel broke off. It's possible I had too much weight on it, but it is definitely broken. I started using a replacement hand truck that I found in the warehouse. It's heavier, has bigger wheels and is bright red. It was okay, but not as good as my hand truck.
At the end of the day Tuesday, I left the hand truck at a stop and had to pick it up Wednesday morning. In sixteen months I've done that a couple times, not a big deal. At the end of the day on Wednesday, I left the hand truck at another location and picked it up Thursday morning. At the end of the day on Thursday, yes it does sound a little like "Groundhog Day", I did it again.
I told my warehouse manager that I now had the record for consecutive days leaving my hand truck somewhere. He asked me how that could happen and I said, "red isn't my color." Friday was a different day. It was very long, but my wife texted me and reminded me not to forget my hand truck. I had a very tiring day, but I managed to get home and break my streak of three consecutive days leaving my hand truck behind.
Today, one week later, was a slower day and I decided to buy a new wheel for my green hand truck. I went to the same place I bought it before and they said they never sold a wheel like that. I struck out there, but the worst part was before my last stop-I left my hand truck behind AGAIN! I had one more stop with four large boxes of paper and I decided to get the hand truck after my last stop.
When I walked into the smaller hospital I saw a very large wheelchair in the front. I asked for permission to use it and I wheeled by boxes in on a wheelchair. I did leave the wheelchair behind and picked up that bright red hand truck at the other stop. There's no way I can keep this red hand truck-it just doesn't want to stay with me.
The best part of my hand truck is that you can pull out the handle and make it two separate pieces. That's important so I can squeeze into my van when I need to. I replaced the two wheels a couple months ago so you no longer hear me coming.
Last Monday, the new wheel broke off. It's possible I had too much weight on it, but it is definitely broken. I started using a replacement hand truck that I found in the warehouse. It's heavier, has bigger wheels and is bright red. It was okay, but not as good as my hand truck.
At the end of the day Tuesday, I left the hand truck at a stop and had to pick it up Wednesday morning. In sixteen months I've done that a couple times, not a big deal. At the end of the day on Wednesday, I left the hand truck at another location and picked it up Thursday morning. At the end of the day on Thursday, yes it does sound a little like "Groundhog Day", I did it again.
I told my warehouse manager that I now had the record for consecutive days leaving my hand truck somewhere. He asked me how that could happen and I said, "red isn't my color." Friday was a different day. It was very long, but my wife texted me and reminded me not to forget my hand truck. I had a very tiring day, but I managed to get home and break my streak of three consecutive days leaving my hand truck behind.
Today, one week later, was a slower day and I decided to buy a new wheel for my green hand truck. I went to the same place I bought it before and they said they never sold a wheel like that. I struck out there, but the worst part was before my last stop-I left my hand truck behind AGAIN! I had one more stop with four large boxes of paper and I decided to get the hand truck after my last stop.
When I walked into the smaller hospital I saw a very large wheelchair in the front. I asked for permission to use it and I wheeled by boxes in on a wheelchair. I did leave the wheelchair behind and picked up that bright red hand truck at the other stop. There's no way I can keep this red hand truck-it just doesn't want to stay with me.
Sunday, July 14, 2019
It's "Groundhog Day" in Myrtle Beach
It was 26 years ago that the classic comedy, "Groundhog Day" came out. Comedian, Bill Murray, starred as a popular weather man covering the events of Groundhog Day in Pennsylvania. Somehow, he woke up every morning at the same time and was able to repeat everything that happened that day and he changed some things to make it a better day. It's a great movie.
Yesterday in Myrtle Beach there was a 25% chance of rain which isn't unusual. The morning was perfect, sunny skies and some white clouds and then the humidity came. It was a really good beach day until 3 pm. (if you're into that) As I drove a couple from the airport to North Myrtle Beach I pointed to the dark clouds to the west and told them we would get some rain and then a short time later the sun would come out.
I was only half right. At three thirty the skies opened up everywhere and with thunder, lightning, and heavy rain there was also some hail spotted by my wife at the airport hitting her car. The planes started circling the airport skies and were delayed over an hour. I stopped driving and waited until it slowed down and I was not in the heaviest downpour. The sun never came out again and it kept raining and thundering in places during the night.
Sunday morning was beautiful, just like Saturday morning. There was also a 20% chance of rain. The humidity heated up and people were enjoying the great weather. I even told passengers that we weren't going to have a repeat of yesterday's weather. At 5 pm I was standing outside my car at the airport lot and I saw a couple big drops of rain. Then, loud thunder a couple times. The sun was gone. The next thunder blast chased me into the car and I got a ride to pick someone up at a hotel.
Before leaving the parking lot, the skies opened up and suddenly I was Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day." One mile from the airport there was water rising on the roads from only a couple minutes or rain. My passengers literally jumped into my vehicle trying to avoid getting soaked. As we headed north in the monsoon I told them it was possible there was no rain ten minutes north where they were going to dinner. It seemed ridiculous to tell them that, but it was true. No sign of rain could be found 10 miles north of where I picked them up.
The weather for tomorrow: a zero per cent chance of rain, but it says "thunderstorms." Our grass is growing, but I don't think we're going to water the lawn tomorrow.
Yesterday in Myrtle Beach there was a 25% chance of rain which isn't unusual. The morning was perfect, sunny skies and some white clouds and then the humidity came. It was a really good beach day until 3 pm. (if you're into that) As I drove a couple from the airport to North Myrtle Beach I pointed to the dark clouds to the west and told them we would get some rain and then a short time later the sun would come out.
I was only half right. At three thirty the skies opened up everywhere and with thunder, lightning, and heavy rain there was also some hail spotted by my wife at the airport hitting her car. The planes started circling the airport skies and were delayed over an hour. I stopped driving and waited until it slowed down and I was not in the heaviest downpour. The sun never came out again and it kept raining and thundering in places during the night.
Sunday morning was beautiful, just like Saturday morning. There was also a 20% chance of rain. The humidity heated up and people were enjoying the great weather. I even told passengers that we weren't going to have a repeat of yesterday's weather. At 5 pm I was standing outside my car at the airport lot and I saw a couple big drops of rain. Then, loud thunder a couple times. The sun was gone. The next thunder blast chased me into the car and I got a ride to pick someone up at a hotel.
Before leaving the parking lot, the skies opened up and suddenly I was Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day." One mile from the airport there was water rising on the roads from only a couple minutes or rain. My passengers literally jumped into my vehicle trying to avoid getting soaked. As we headed north in the monsoon I told them it was possible there was no rain ten minutes north where they were going to dinner. It seemed ridiculous to tell them that, but it was true. No sign of rain could be found 10 miles north of where I picked them up.
The weather for tomorrow: a zero per cent chance of rain, but it says "thunderstorms." Our grass is growing, but I don't think we're going to water the lawn tomorrow.
Thursday, July 4, 2019
"May The Fourth Be With You"
A long, long time ago(yes, I can still remember) there was a Star Wars movie out in the month of July. The advertisement in the paper was one of the best I've ever seen and I still have it somewhere. It made me laugh, but it had a double meaning.
For those of you non-Star Wars movie types(over 90 years old), probably the biggest phrase coming out of those legendary movies was, "May The Force Be With You." The advertisement in the paper around July 4th had the wise creature Yoda pointing his finger and saying, "May The Fourth Be With You."
I did laugh the first time I saw it and I still find it amusing. However, today on Independence Day, it's a good idea to have the fourth with you, but not just on this day. It's easy to forget how fortunate we are to live in this country and how much better our country is since our beginning in 1776.
There have always been and always will be problems and struggles, but it's more important to look at what we've accomplished and what we stand for. Over 343 years, a lot has happened in this country. Today's a good day to think about some of the well known people who have made the biggest contributions in making us what we are today. For each of those people there have been thousands of unknown, regular people who have made smaller contributions that have added to make our country what it is today.
Many years ago as a child I went to Disney World and visited the American Adventure. As they showed a movie of America they played a song, "The Golden Dream." I loved it immediately and it's a perfect song to celebrate The United States of America. Some of the words are below, but the song has John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King speaking in it also. Listen to it online and hear it for yourself, it really is a beautiful song.
And, "May The Fourth Be With You'-always.
For those of you non-Star Wars movie types(over 90 years old), probably the biggest phrase coming out of those legendary movies was, "May The Force Be With You." The advertisement in the paper around July 4th had the wise creature Yoda pointing his finger and saying, "May The Fourth Be With You."
I did laugh the first time I saw it and I still find it amusing. However, today on Independence Day, it's a good idea to have the fourth with you, but not just on this day. It's easy to forget how fortunate we are to live in this country and how much better our country is since our beginning in 1776.
There have always been and always will be problems and struggles, but it's more important to look at what we've accomplished and what we stand for. Over 343 years, a lot has happened in this country. Today's a good day to think about some of the well known people who have made the biggest contributions in making us what we are today. For each of those people there have been thousands of unknown, regular people who have made smaller contributions that have added to make our country what it is today.
Many years ago as a child I went to Disney World and visited the American Adventure. As they showed a movie of America they played a song, "The Golden Dream." I loved it immediately and it's a perfect song to celebrate The United States of America. Some of the words are below, but the song has John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King speaking in it also. Listen to it online and hear it for yourself, it really is a beautiful song.
And, "May The Fourth Be With You'-always.
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
What Would You Eat For $100?
Some people will eat just about anything, but most of us have our limits I think. I was taking my mother-in-law food shopping yesterday when she picked up a large avocado and said, "if I buy this for you would you eat it?" I answered her question in .3 seconds and said, "I wouldn't eat that if you gave me $100." I thought another ten seconds and added, "I wouldn't eat that if you gave me $500."
If the hundred dollar bills were in front of me and the avocado, would I change my mind? No, it's not going to happen. I think there are certain foods that were created to just sit in the supermarket and never be touched or eaten. There should be a sign above that food that says, "For Eyes Only." I remember tasting peanut butter once for my kids and that is not going to happen ever again. Just the smell is too much for me and the taste was awful.
But what about you? Is there something you would not eat for the first time, for one hundred dollars?We all have our likes and dislikes and some of us just might take a bite of something for a price. It's more than likely we'll never know for sure, but it's interesting to consider it-or maybe I'm the only one who finds it interesting.
If the hundred dollar bills were in front of me and the avocado, would I change my mind? No, it's not going to happen. I think there are certain foods that were created to just sit in the supermarket and never be touched or eaten. There should be a sign above that food that says, "For Eyes Only." I remember tasting peanut butter once for my kids and that is not going to happen ever again. Just the smell is too much for me and the taste was awful.
But what about you? Is there something you would not eat for the first time, for one hundred dollars?We all have our likes and dislikes and some of us just might take a bite of something for a price. It's more than likely we'll never know for sure, but it's interesting to consider it-or maybe I'm the only one who finds it interesting.
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