My Favorite Riders in January

My 10,000th rider was picked up a couple weeks ago and I posted a blog just on that ride.

A GREAT AMERICAN SUCCESS STORY: We have heard stories about people who come to America with nothing and achieve success, but how often do you get a chance to talk to someone who did it? Without a doubt, she is my favorite rider of the month. I noticed right away that she had a beautiful accent and she said she was from Romania. (East of Hungary and south of Ukraine) She was excited to see a bill from Romania hanging in my car. She arrived in this country over twenty years ago, "With only a backpack and shoes." She did not speak English, but was helped out a lot by watching cartoons on TV with captions. She was here on a college visa, but after a month in New York she decided not to go to school, but to work and make something of herself. She said, "I was working at times for $3 an hour, I worked my ass off." She explained, "I was not going to give up."

Today, she is an executive assistant, married with two kids and living in Suburban Chicago. I asked her, "What kind of company do you work for?" She said, "I can't tell you that." When she was hired she signed confidentiality papers and she can not talk about the company or her boss. She did say he was a VIP for the upcoming Super Bowl.(VIP tickets range up to $81,000 per seat)  She told me that she loves her job, because, "Every day is a different challenge." The first time she came to the area office in the South, she walked in and told people all the things she needed and she realized right away that things move slower down here. She is obviously successful and works for a big time CEO, but she is also a delightful person with an inspiring story. She made my day and our ride to the airport was an absolute pleasure.

THE MYSTERY MAN: He was in Charleston for a meeting with 800 very successful people at the convention center. They call it Renaissance Weekend and it is a very unusual event. It was created 42 years ago to have leaders from all walks of life to gather and share their knowledge and  discuss ideas. It is invitation only and over the years people in government, entertainment, business, religion and science have given presentations on their experience and have sat on committees completely out of their field of success. If you look up "Renaissance Weekend" you'll be impressed.  Groups meet in places around the world several times during the year.

My rider has had a lot of success in business and currently works with wealthy people to, "Help them find out who they really are separate from their success". He was carrying a small guitar and told me that when there's a break he needs a mental break from the conversation.  He goes out to a street corner and plays music and talks with people who stop to hear his music.  He told me that in Charleston, "People were telling what to see and what to." I've never heard about this kind of gathering, but it's really a who's who in life.

SELLING, NOT DRINKING WINE: The two women I took to the airport were from Tuscany, Italy( a region in Central Italy with around four million people)  They are cousins and work in the family winery.  One woman was training the other one and they have about ten salespeople who travel around the United States visiting their customers.  The woman being trained had a terrific name, Noemi, which means happiness in Italian. I asked her trainer what did she like about traveling our country.  She told me that the people were, "Very friendly and helpful." She also said that, "If you walk outside in your pajamas no one cares." The sales trips they take are usually 2-3 weeks long and then they get a break when they are home.  It was a very enjoyable ride and I could tell they had a very good business trip.

TURNING ASHES INTO DIAMONDS: The 20 year old guy had a big goal that he was working on with his brother, 25 and a jeweler.  They had lost both their parents and are determined to help people with their grieving for loved ones. "I got the idea because my brother loves diamonds. I said to him, when you die I'll turn your ashes into diamonds." He said there was one company in Canada that did this and they now have an LLC set up and a patent for their business.  They have a great name for the company also, but since it didn't start I'm not sharing it.  He explained the process to me and said, "Two cups of ashes equals one karat." I was impressed with the details he went into, even explaining that the finished product would be delivered personally to the person's door to make it special.  He and his brother's ultimate goal would be to sell the successful company and build homeless shelters and revitalize playgrounds in underprivileged neighborhoods.

Checking with "Mr. Google" I did find out this is a real business and there are a number of businesses that do this, one financed my billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban.  There is a market for this and I hope they succeed with their business.  I've met a number of very focused young people and it is always inspiring to talk with them.

THE ROCK BAND MANAGER: He was heading to the airport because the band he is with, "Widespread Panic", was playing in Mexico. He spent a lot of years living in Colorado and since I just visited there last year, we spent a lot of time talking about the Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater pictured below. He said, "Our band holds the record for most consecutive sellouts, 67." He also told me that, If you're sitting in the first few rows or way up top, the sound you hear is very different because of the wind". He was very knowledgeable and fun to speak with. I told him that The Beatles did not sell out here in 1964 on their first summer tour, because their younger fans could not get there. He told me that rock concerts were banned from there in the early eighties and I looked it up and it was a five year ban due to a riot at Jethro Tull concert where 1,000 fans without tickets stormed the gates to get in.

MUSIC IS HIS PASSION: Picking up a chef/cook early in the morning is very routine for me, however, this wasn't just any chef.  He told me he was off yesterday and was playing his guitar and time just flew by.  When he said he lived in Colorado for 13 years, (In both towns my two kids now live in), I knew I had to bring up Red Rocks, which I visited this past summer.  He not only worked there, but he knew the manager of "Widespread Panic" very well.  His enthusiasm for Red Rocks was unbelievable and I think they should hire him to promote the place.  He said, "I've seen 500 shows at Red Rocks. There's nothing like it in the world. If you have the chance you have to see a concert there, just do it.  Talking about it is bringing me to tears." He usually sits in the same section and has made a lot of friends there too. He talked about seeing, "Greg Allman just before he died and Paul Simon was awesome." He sold me, I have to see someone perform there, maybe this year?

They Want My Car Back???

 As you know the past few years it's been difficult buying a new car.  I waited almost 11 months for my orange Ford Transit and one day it just showed up-Ford had no idea it was coming.  At the same time, the market for used cars has been off the charts, partly due to the fact that people can't buy new cars. Dealerships have always been calling and contacting owners to buy back their car and I've had calls over the years looking for a car I no longer had.

I never expected that my dealership would contact me nine months after I received my car, but they did the other day.  This is the way the online salesperson e-mailed me:

"We are looking to expand our pre-owned inventory. We're having a hard time buying Transit Connect's at the auction and we're paying top dollar for them. Since you recently had your Transit Connect in our service department, it looks like it would be a great fit for us! 

If you're interested in letting us make you an offer on it, please call me or just reply to this email."

I had to have some fun with this, so my immediate reply was this:

"There is probably no one on the planet who enjoys a Transit as much as I do.  As an Uber driver I am constantly showing off the car and people really like it, as they did my last one. (I've given 10,000 rides in the two Transits in the past 4 1/2 years." I waited 11 months to get it last March and you would have to offer me at least $10,000 more than I paid ($31,000) and probably free chicken for life at a chicken place.  

Good luck in your search.  If you even need a referral or someone who wants to talk to an owner, feel free to contact me."

After I told my wife what I did, I got a little nervous. What if they accepted that offer? What would I do about a car? Then I started thinking about eating unlimited chicken every week. I haven't heard from him. You would think someone with a sense of humor would have taken sixty seconds to reply to a happy customer? Maybe he's negotiating with a chicken place?

FIVE YEARS OF BLOGGING-2022: The Traveling Man

 I left South Carolina seven times this year, more than any year in my life.  Here are some highlights:

The Forever Purse

My wife purchased her first special Brahmin purses and I was told that they were made so well that they are, "forever purses." I guess they are going to be around awhile with us.

Costco's Finest

The sold $101 million dollars worth of chicken in 2020 and lost $30-$40 million dollars because they haven't changed their price of $4.99 in thirteen years.  Yes, they are delicious.

MY ORANGE CAR HAS ARRIVED!

In mid-March, after waiting for 10 1/2 months, my orange car finally appeared in South Carolina.  It has been great and well worth waiting for.

The Vacation House

We rented a house in Orlando for the family and it was not just an ordinary house.  We had a great time and I even got to eat chicken in Harry Potter World with a fire-breathing dragon above me.  And, no one in my family will forget the story behind my first cup of coffee that I drank since I was constipated:
I ordered my first cup of coffee by text in the bathroom, which I'm pretty sure does not happen too often, if ever.  A few minutes later, a hot cup of medium roast coffee with sugar and creamer, appeared at the door. I did not tip my wife for the delivery, but I drank it pretty quickly.

Golfing-In The Twilight Zone

There were a number of fun moments in my short trip with my brother in Las Vegas.  Playing golf inside in a dark, Twilight Zone themed course was one of them.  This could be William Shatner looking out of the window at that goblin on the wing.

Two Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

Learning the history of the two special sandwiches was interesting, but this one is my favorite.

Am I Ted Lasso?

The Apple TV show, "Ted Lasso" definitely has an optimistic view of life, especially through the main character, Ted Lasso. Our oldest daughter said he reminded her of me. I may remind you of him. Below I am doing my best Ted Lasso impression without saying anything positive.

ODIN'S LONGEST VACATION

Our ten day trip to Colorado was filled with incredible pictures and many memorable moments with our family. The bridge, the Camel's eye, Coors Field, my breathing vent, the gardens and majestic scenery throughout are only a few. Below is one scenery picture. However, the oddest sight I explained that we saw on a front lawn: I just barely saw it, but my wife said it was a female mannequin wearing a yellow dress and blue hair. You would think I would focus on that, but next to it was a sign that said, "Don't Fake The Funk."

How Does A Dog Pee in A Hurricane?

I have written some funny blogs, but explaining how our dog Odin peed in our shower on grass after I did, has to be one of the funniest blogs.  Below is Odin getting his turn. 

"I Traded Gandhi"

The idea of trading foreign currency that riders gave to me sounds ridiculous even now. But, I actually traded this beautiful bill with Gandhi on it and just recently got a different one with him on it.  He is on the top left bill.

My Wedding Toast

In October, our son and daughter-in-law were married in Pennsylvania.  Below is a picture of that day.

The Sour Cream Question

I found out that there are other people who eat sour cream by itself, although I may be the only one who adds bread, blueberries, strawberries or bananas to it.

FIVE YEARS OF BLOGGING: Remembering 2021

It is fair to say that this was the year of Odin, our puppy, who we picked up from a breeder in mid-February, however there was a lot that happened this year.  Here are some of them.

          The Era of Odin Has Begun-Day 1

My wife posted several pictures on Facebook and an old neighbor said, "I see the hubby is in love with the puppy as well." If she can see that from the picture, what else can she see and when was her last visit to the eye doctor?

                             My Dad

We lost my dad at the beginning of March and I wrote about him being in the Army: The flag will always be in my car window because it represents our country, but it also stands for my Dad who was always a great example of what an American is.(hats of his two favorite teams )

                    The Fork In The Road

Driving in Charleston I took the fork in the road which destroyed my tire and I explained the line that Yogi Berra made famous.

                         Courier Tales

I carried the three, 44 pound boxes of paper up to my customer's door. She wasn't there, but she did apologize by phone that I had to carry them up-I sent her this great picture of how tired I was doing it.

   THERE'S A RUN ON COCOA KRISPIES!

Finally finding three boxes of my favorite cereal I tried to get a picture of all of us together.

          Tom Carvel Gets a New Customer

My son-in-law Mike became a big fan of "The Flying Saucer" and we shared this together.

             My Last Day Working Full-Time

I finished up and stopped back at the warehouse and after closing the gate I took a picture and sent it to my family.  The picture below looked like I had just gotten out of prison, but then I got a text from my wife wanting to know what happened to my tooth.  I had no idea and could not see that my tooth seemed crooked. The smile on my face was real and I headed home to begin being semi-retired.

                    How To Make Tuna

My wife gave me specific instructions on how to make tuna.  I still have it and I've used it, but I haven't made it in awhile.  This could be the week.

THE SUPER BOWL RING

In remembering my five years of blogs I purposely left out all of my rideshare blogs, but this one was special and has to be included. The woman from the Kansas City Chiefs generously pulled out her ring at the end of the ride, saying, "If you promise not to mug me, I can show you something." This picture of my finger wearing a Super Bowl ring, hangs in my car and has been enjoyed by thousands of riders.

Odin's First Vacation

On the way home Odin made a new friend who looked just like him.

                   BOND, JAMES BOND

Sometimes a movie character seems larger than life, he was.

               Weekend in Washington (Part1)

My weekend vacation in D.C. with my brother was terrific.  My favorite picture came from the back of the Lincoln Memorial looking out to the Washington Monument and the Capitol.

                          Me and My Dog

I had many blogs about Odin and some were hilarious.  I like this one where we had a conversation about eating chicken when mom wasn't home.  Here's part of it and how he looked waiting for more:

Odin: I want more chicken.

Me: Odin, you've eaten a lot and eaten very quickly, rest for now.

Odin: I ate as quickly as you are, I don't see you resting.

Me: I just started and it's MY chicken.  Ok, here's a couple small pieces.

Odin: That was really good, Mom would give me more.

Vogliamo andare in Italia

 

(The title means: We want to go to Italy)

Io e mia moglie (My wife and I)  

conosci qualcune (Know someone)

chi va in italia e in grecia  (Who is going to Italy and Greece)    

a maggio.  (In May)

Vogliamo andare.  (We want to go.)

Spero che questo li convinca (Hope this convinces them) 

Per lasciarci andare   (To let us go.)

Elsa is singing in Italian, Lasciali andare      ("Let them go.")

My 10,000th Ride

I knew it was coming up in February until I figured out I was wrong.  When I stopped driving for Lyft in 2000, I had received a very nice jacket when I hit 1,000 rides with them.  It was shortly afterwards they told me that my model car was no longer acceptable. In preparing for my 10,000th ride, I went and checked my first couple years of driving and found out that I actually did 1,157 Lyft rides.  I was only 18 rides away from 10,000 and Friday would be the day I would hit the milestone.

I wanted to do something special to celebrate the day and I asked other drivers on the Myrtle Beach and the Charleston Facebook sites for suggestions.  Previously, a female rider in marketing suggested, "You should celebrate your 10,000th ride with firecrackers, have your riders hold them." A much more creative response came from a driver who said,  I should get a ,"McDonald's license plate that says, "Over 10,000 served." The craziest suggestion was the guy was said, "Run naked down Ocean Boulevard near the sky wheel, then do  a back flip into a split."  A few other suggestions were getting a gift card or getting larger confetti in the car so it wouldn't make a mess.

I decided to do three things, I got a $20 Uber card for the rider, put up a gold banner with gold confetti  hanging down around my car, and wrote on my side window, "10,000 Rides Today."  Below is the window on Friday morning at 5 am.  My wife wrote it on my window on Thursday night and then it rained and completely washed it away.  I had just re-written it before going online to start my day.

The banner was another story.  I put part of it above me in the front part of the car and it was hanging down. You can also see the gift certificate hanging down from my mirror with a personal note.

I tried to tape the banner to my ceiling going down the middle of the car.  I wish I had it filmed, because it was hilarious. I was lying flat on my back and the tape kept coming off.  I was trying to tape it, but I was pulling it down just as fast.  My wife came up with the idea to cut it in half and put it on the sides and it looked good in the second picture below.

I had a lot of fun promoting it all day.  The last few riders I told them what number ride they were and number 9,999 I told her, she missed it by that much. (With two fingers slightly apart)

I drove into Mt. Pleasant, my favorite place to drive and took a break and cleaned the car up.  I picked up two guys in commercial real estate for a nine minute ride into Downtown Charleston. The winner told me that they had flipped a coin on who would order the ride and he lost.  I think I paid for the ride for him and he gave me a generous tip.

I think they were here on business from Florida, but it was so fast it might have been a different state.  He was formerly from Westchester, New York and he is a big New York fan like myself so it was perfect.  I didn't tell him he won, but I had him read my note hanging from the gift certificate before I told him the good news.  I think he is in his mid to late twenties and his friend took the picture.  The words on the window did not come out well due to the glare, but it's still a good picture.

Five Years of Blogging-Remembering 2020(Do We Have To?)

There are few years in history that will be remembered as clearly as 2020 due to the world wide pandemic which killed 350,000 here and shutdown a good part of the country for a couple months.  However, there were some interesting or funny things to blog about and after looking this over it doesn't seem that bad of a year. Here they are:

Can You Catch Rice?

Step 10: Open your mouth to eat the hot rice.
Step 11: Try to get the fork close to your mouth while still watching the chicken.
Step 12: As the rice starts falling, make sure your legs are closed.
Step 13: Catch the rice with your ankles before they hit the floor.

When do you ever get a 16 step explanation on how to catch rice before it hits the floor?

I learned this year that the day before Valentine's Day is the day that you take your girlfriend out if you're married and some "smart" guys bring them to the same restaurant that they bring their wife the next day!

It's Girlfriend's Day?

A case could be made that the greatest moment in sports history, (At least USA sports history), took place forty years ago in February when the US Hockey Team miraculously beat the professional Soviet team and then one the gold medal. If you've never seen the movie, "Miracle on Ice," it is worth seeing. The final call of the game against the Soviets is legendary, 

"Do You Believe In Miracles?"

"Some Good News:

Actor John Kasinski of "The Office" fame had an uplifting 15 minute newscast that was terrific.  It was about good news and I wrote a review online to him: "Congratulations and thank you John. The show is delightful, informative and extremely well written. If you weren't already an actor you'd be getting offers from all over the country. My business name is The Sunshine Man and I am actively promoting this to people I come in contact with. Keep spreading your sunshine John, it's needed and greatly appreciated."

Running The Charleston Bridge

One Saturday morning that I wasn't driving due to the pandemic, I drove about 2 hours down to Charleston and walked and jogged and took some pictures.  One of the highlights of the year and here I am below on the windy bridge in May.

Haagen-Dazs is 60 Years Old Too This Year!

My favorite ice cream and I were both turning 60 today.  The anniversary container still sits above my computer and yes it is cleaned out of every drop of that delicious coffee ice cream.

Eating My Way To 60

I decided to celebrate turning 60 by eating 60 of my favorite foods and it was hard work, but I only fell a few short of my goal.  It was a lot of fun.  One of the best moments was going to Friendly's by myself and ordering two sundaes, a Jim Dandy sundae with coffee ice cream and a strawberry shortcake Sundae. A woman across the room saw me eating it and was so excited I wish I had a picture of her.

It's Biden and Harris!

A rare political post where I bragged about picking the Democratic tandem two years earlier.  It's a pretty good pick I had, but for 2024 it's going to be absolutely incredible if this happens:
If Biden/Harris wins, I'm going to predict right now that the two presidential nominees in 2024 will be Senator Harris and former Governor Nikii Haley.

My Tissues Are Angry!

My dental hygienist told me this when I visited the office.  The best thing was the below picture. She said I looked good and that she said my wife would like it.  I think it's hilarious.

How To Make A Salad With Your Dog Hounding You

Forget about it, surrender. It's not going to work well and I'm an optimist. Are there dogs that are NOT hungry all the time? I don't have one. Odin is two years old and he's definitely a Hoenig. (My last name.) We love to eat, but how does a dog get a family trait like this? 

All I wanted to do was make a salad for lunch.  There are only four ingredients in my salad: lettuce, cheese, chicken and an egg. Unfortunately, the last three are things that Odin eats and he smelled all of them from the bedroom.  He might be able to smell them from outside through two doors.

I'm standing at the kitchen counter and Odin is pacing. I showed him the lettuce, said it wasn't for him, but it didn't matter.  I'm doing something in the kitchen and he knows any moment something good will come out.  This is the look he's giving me:

I had given a couple small pieces of cheese a short time ago and now I have to take the piece of chicken out.  Strategy time: if I tear off a few pieces of chicken and put it on his plate, can I sneak the cheese out? I put the chicken on the plate and he heard the bag of cheese coming out.  Now I have to give him a little more cheese! Fortunately, he gives up after eating the cheese and heads to the bedroom to his cozy quarters under our bed.

I still have two hard boiled eggs that I have to crack and slice up. How do you crack two eggs without "Supersonic Hearing Dog" knowing? One little crack-here he comes!  He positions himself on one side of me and then switches to the other side. He does it again, earning a few tiny pieces of egg, before retreating to the comforts of our bedroom.

Below is my bowl after a very enjoyable large salad. Take notice of Odin to the right of my bowl, he's passed out on the floor, exhausted from hounding me.

Would You Want a Rooster Waking You Up?

I am interrupting my Five Year Anniversary of blogging posts to tell you about my food shopping adventure with my mother-in-law.  I know when I'm with her that the unexpected will happen or be said and sometimes it is really too funny to keep to myself.

My mother-in-law told me that she needs to get a timer, so we went over to housewares in Wal-Mart.  I tried not to ask, but the urge was too strong. I said, "So, what are you going to time with a timer?" She didn't give me an answer, (Which is not unusual) but then she said that she wanted a small one that is simple and you just wind it up, so I don't have to get out of bed. I took another shot at understanding, and I said, "You know you have a time, an alarm on your phone." She said, "But, I don't want it electronic."

That is when I started laughing and said, "Are you looking for a rooster?" When you say "Not automatic," are you talking about radiation again?" She was, she doesn't keep her phone near her bed because she's afraid of the radiation and she can't get up quickly to shut the alarm off. 

Once again, I explained to her, the reason they have alarms is so when they go off, you get up and shut it off. I feel like Seinfeld saying this, but, "That's the purpose of an alarm clock, to get you up." She was laughing too, but I said maybe I would get her a rooster for her birthday. This looks like a nice one, doesn't it?

Below is a picture of her looking for my rooster, or something that wasn't radioactive.  She did not find what she wanted, but I know this is going to be a running joke for a long time. (Excuse the pun)

I was looking online and I found a great rooster for her.  This is a vintage alarm clock rooster and it only costs $199.  I don't think she's going to go for it, but I think it's makes a rooster sound when it goes off. It could be worse-you could be waking up to hear someone playing "Bohemian Rhaposdy" on the piano. That has happened in our family, but I can't tell you about that.