MY FAVORITE RIDERS IN JUNE 2026

CONGRATULATIONS MS. SOUTH AFRICA

In 2022, my rider pictured below, won the Ms. South Africa Beauty Contest and I can tell you they made the right choice. I had the pleasure of driving her for an hour and she was absolutely captivating. Her dad encouraged her to enter the contest and she prepared for it for two years. She was motivated to do this because it involved a lot of community service and she wanted to help people in her country. She is the youngest in her family and has fifteen siblings.

When it came down to her and one other girl, I asked her how she felt and she said, "Oh my gosh, it's so scary." What did she win? She explained, "I got to use the newest Mercedes for only a year and I lived in a ten million dollar ranch penthouse. I received around $250,000 in U.S. money." She also represented her country in the Miss Universe Contest and she reached the top 16.

Today, she's a model, she was in a television show like "Survivor" and she was in a movie where she played the wife of a king. She has her own consulting business helping other young women prepare for beauty contests. The sky is the limit for her. Her picture is hanging in my car and I told her that she was one of the best riders I've had in eight years.  

"I'LL DO IT FOR YOU RIGHT HERE"

What would be a ridiculous thing for someone to do in my car while I'm driving 60 miles per hour to the airport? I picked up four Indian guys who became great friends in India and they were having a reunion since they all live in our country now.  They originally told me they were engineers, but then said they were doctors. One of them said,  "We're engineers of the body." I told them my best Indian stories and asked if they had a good one. 

One guy said, "Three of us are general practitioner doctors and one of us just turned 40 and is due for his first colonoscopy." I asked, "How do I know you're really doctors?" He said, "We can do the colonoscopy now. I'll do it for you right here." I said, "I've never had anyone do that here." He said, "There's always a first time."

They did not do it, but as I dropped them off I said, "Do you realize when I have one done next year and every other time the rest of my life I'm going to be thinking about you guys?." When my friend Larry read the story he suggested this: "Maybe you should pull into a Jiffy Lube to park during the procedure."

A MAN OF MANY, MANY TALENTS

His accomplishments and talents continued to pile up as I drove to his destination. He started as a trumpet player and toured for eight years with legendary Blues musician B.B. King. For the next 12 years he managed all the merchandising of the group.  He turned that experience into a successful mortgage company.  Today, in his seventies, he is a songwriter and music producer and is working on the soundtrack for a very big musical movie that will be completed in the next year or two.  His mantra for his music business, "Flawless Productions" is, "Music doesn't have to be perfect if it's flawless."

He talked about some of his experiences touring and how he viewed current music and that it's not as "organic" as music in the past. I could have talked with him for hours about music and he was kind enough to send me some things by email the same day I drove him. Wishing him lots of good health and continued success with his business.

TRYING TO RETIRE, SHE CONTINUES TO INSPIRE

What makes a great rider? Someone who is willing to talk, friendly, cheerful and has some very unique things to talk about. I could have talked to this rider from Las Vegas for hours, because she was so enthusiastic, full of life, and obviously very successful.  She said she has been an executive producer for corporate events for most of her 38-year career. She's also worked with several big stars such as Beyonce, Tina Turner, and  I believe Cher also.

She tried to retire three years ago, but one corporate account has convinced her to do their big event each year. I picked her up from the event that she ran for 900 people. She worked five straight 18-hour days to make the event a success.  Her main goal is to get someone to replace her, because she would rather be enjoying life and dancing which gives her a lot of joy. She gave me a lot of joy and if I had to come up with one word to describe this woman with an infectious smile, I would say-"WOW!" This will probably be one my top ten rides of the year, she was great.

ANOTHER OUTGOING LIBRARIAN

A few years ago I drove a very funny and outgoing librarian from Chicago and this month I met another one here in Colorado. She was a librarian for eight years and is now in childcare for very young children which she absolutely loves. We were having a good ride until we started talking about my mannequin in my car.  I told her that people tell me mannequin stories and she said, " I don't have any mannequin stories." She then proceeded to tell me this mannequin story as she was laughing and having a great time.

"I was afraid of mannequins so I bought a mannequin head to overcome my fear. I was teaching 14-15-year-olds so I put on a spaceman outfit and I attached the mannequin head to the outfit near my head and I chased them around." Her friend has a picture of this and I asked her to send it to me, because this "non story" is one of the funniest mannequin stories I've heard. 

MY CAMPING TRIP TO ALASKA

Obviously I did not go to Alaska, but my rider did with two friends. They rented a camping vehicle and basically "winged it" for a week.  They saw a, "ton of wildlife" of all kinds and traveled around in 16-20 hours of daylight each day.  It was an incredible experience and one of his friends completed his quest of visiting every state in the country.  His friend visited most of the 50 states in less than a year, traveling around in a Toyota with his dog while he worked in human resources remotely. My rider had just gotten off the plane and he enjoyed telling me about his trip almost as much as I enjoyed hearing about his adventure.

THE FUTURE BAKERY OWNER

I've met a lot of motivated young people and my rider grew up nearby and is extremely motivated. Her motivation comes from her parents who built a group of 32 restaurants that each make over a million dollars a year. "My family is really into football and I've been to five Super Bowls." I picked her up the morning after she attended the wedding of a Denver Bronco player.  Right now she's not interested in running a family restaurant so she's working in a hospital as a respiratory therapist and she has a small bakery business on the side. Her plan is to to own her own bakery and she's been doing well with jobs in her free time for the local government. There's no doubt in my mind that she will succeed with her goals, she's a hard worker and has a great personality.

MY NEXT ROAD TRIP IN 2027?

 On November 11, 2026, Route 66 is celebrating one hundred years. This road was the first highway to be paved in our country and it spans eight states and 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, California. I'm not going to go this year, but what would be interesting to see on this road in the Spring of 2027? There are several states I've never been in: New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Let's take a look:

AMBLER'S TEXACO STATION

It opened in 1933 in Illinois and did not stop selling gas until 1999.  Gas attendants used to wear bow ties here.  You can take pictures of this station which is now a visitor center with nostalgic things inside.

ARISTON CAFE

In Illinois, the restaurant is the oldest restaurant to operate under the same family on route 66., beginning in 1935.  It is know for it's desserts, but it's old style serving.

THE PINK ELEPHANT ANTIQUE MALL

Also in Illinois it's a large antique mall that specializes in the unusual. How often do you see a pink elephant?

THE URANUS FUDGE FACTORY

You can guess what they specialize in at this general store in Missouri.  They also have a museum inside and it's a great place for kids and fudge too.

66 DRIVE-IN THEATRE IN MISSOURI

It opened in 1949 and there aren't many of them around anymore.  It has its original screen tower and playground.

THE BLUE WHALE OF CATOOSA, OKLAHOMA

If you're thinking what to get your wife for a gift, why not a whale? A zoologist did that in 1972. It's 89 feet long and 20 feet high and it would fit perfectly on anyone's front yard.

CADILLAC RANCH, TEXAS

There are 10 kaleidoscopic Cadillacs lined up in the ground which are hard to miss.

There's a lot of history on this road and unusual things like the largest soda bottle(66 feet high), the Leaning Tower of Texas, The Big Texan Steak House with it's 72 ounce steak challenge, a Petrified Forest in Arizona, and a unique McDonalds that you can eat in a railway car.

I think I can find plenty of things to do on this road, but I don't think I can travel the whole road-we'll see.

The Costco Legend (It is not Chicken!)

Really, it's not chicken.  This September 15th will be the anniversary of the opening of the first Costco which opened in Seattle, Washington.  Costco will be 43 years old. Only a couple weeks before that my wife and I will be celebrating our 43rd anniversary.

The two owners of Costco, Jim Senegal and Jeff Brotman, were told that charging people for a membership would not work and they would fail. Senegal had studied this model for thirty years and worked for Sol Price who started The Price Club in 1976 when the warehouse model of selling to small businesses began.

Some of the criticism was this: "You're charging customers for the privilege of buying from you?" "You're not going to advertise? At all?" "You carry 4,000 products. Walmart carries 120,000. How is that a business?" "Selling 48-packs of toilet paper in a warehouse isn't retail, It's storage."

They were wrong, What Senegal knew was that people wanted fewer options and better prices and they didn't want to be manipulated. He set margins on his profit and would not exceed them.  The legendary example is what they did in 1985 with hot dogs, not chicken.

The hot dog/soda combo cost $1.50 in 1985 and it cost $1.50 in 2026.  In 2025 Costco sold 245 million combos.  To keep the same price they had to fire Hebrew National and also switch from Coca Cola to Pepsi.  He started his own meat processing plant and started producing Kirkland Signature hot dogs.  Kirkland Signature does $90 billion dollars in annual sales.

Costco has 924 locations and does 275 billion in revenue with 85% of their stores in the United States with 341,000 employees.  

These days you can read many bad stories about companies, but Costco is a great example of putting people first for a very long time and their success is proof of it.  The chicken is pretty good too.

The new CEO recently announced that the hot dog/soda combo will always be $1.50 while he is in office.

Before I could post this blog Costco added an option to this special deal.  You can now get a 16 ounce bottle of water with your hot dog instead of a soda. The Costco Legend still remains.

Costco in Ocean Township, New Jersey

How Funny Was Abraham Lincoln?

Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan were known for their sense of humor among many other things. President Abraham Lincoln was very witty and he was from an early age. He used self-deprecating humor to get a laugh and he was really good at it.  

I have the below old book that is falling apart. The price of the book is $.35.

Here are some samples of his humor:

1. "Shoot me, for I am uglier man then you, I don't want to live."

This was not when he was President, but when he was a younger man.

2. "He has a good deal of trouble with his popular sovereignty. His explanation explanatory of explanations explained are interminable."

I don't really have to explain this, do I?

3. "Honestly, if I was two-faced, would I be showing you this one."

There are a lot of pictures and drawings of President Lincoln and some look better than others.

4. "I am rather inclined to silence, and whether that be wise or not, it is at least more unusual nowadays to find a man who can hold his tongue than to find one who cannot."

160 years later this is still the same for sure.

5. "My dear McClellan, if you don't want to use the army I should like to borrow it for awhile."

When a general does not want to attack, it is a problem.  When Ulysses Grant became a general it changed the Civil War.

6. "I have now come to the conclusion never to marry again for this reason: I can never be satisfied with anyone who would be blockhead enough to have me."

And yet, one of the greatest American success stories in history is Abraham Lincoln.

Dad-The Knicks are World Champs

                                            

We lost my dad five years ago. Over these last few years I think about him in random ways: when I'm shutting the lights off in the house like he used to do, or when I walk with my hands behind my back like he used to do, or I say something he would have said.

Sometimes it's an easy and natural thing. I drive a reddish/orange car because I ordered it right after he passed since orange was his favorite color. In my car on the right is a small American flag which represents his service in the Army.

On the other side of my dashboard is his blue, New York Knicks hat. His favorite sports to watch were football and basketball. I'm pretty sure we only went to one New York Knick game and it was on March 8, 1970.  I was nine years old and the Knicks lost to the 76ers by 17 points.  Two months later they won their first World Championship. Three years later they won their second championship and I thought it was going to be a regular thing.

Over the years we watched plenty of Knick games, battles with the Celtics, the Pacers, and the Bulls. The Knicks had some great players like Patrick Ewing and Bernard King and some very good teams, but there was no championships. There were a lot of heartbreaking moments against Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller and others. We would talk on the phone a lot about the games over the years.

Sunday is Father's Day and this past Saturday, The New York Knicks won their first championship in 53 years. They won 15 of their last 16 playoff games, an incredible streak.  On Saturday, my son and I got together with my wife, his wife, and our granddaughter. We at ate at a pizzeria/bar/restaurant and we watched the game together. When we finished eating, the girls headed home and it was just the two of us watching the second half.

My dad was with us watching, I had his blue hat on. The Knicks kept coming back. They needed one more win for the championship. They were eight minutes away, then 6, then 3. Finally they took the lead in the game and it could have gone either way. Twenty seconds, four seconds, and it was over.  A four point win, winning all three road games in San Antonio to win the series in five games. The Knicks leader, Jalen Brunson, could not be stopped and he scored 45 points in the game.

What does the thrill of victory look like? Below is my son and I and my dad's hat moments after they won. 

One Knick announcer at the end said, "Knick fans this is not a dream." Tens of thousands of Knick fans across New York were watching the game in the streets and were now jumping up and down. Another announcer said, "Next stop is The Canyon of Heroes."  The next day I listened to Sports Talk Radio all day and could not hear enough that The New York Knicks were World Champions. The parade down the streets of New York on Thursday was incredible with around 2 million people celebrating.

This was a great Father's Day gift for me and my son and my dad. Happy Father's Day dad-The Knicks are World Champions!

A Perfect Father's Day Story

This week is Father's Day and this is about as great as a story that you can read.  It's about a father and son from Norwich, Norfolk in the UK. They returned home two weeks ago from an 18,000 mile bike ride around the world and they set three world records on the ride. 

They had left their home 400 days ago in March 2025. The father, George Kohler, 57 and his son, Josh Kohler, 23 accomplished this feat together traveling through South America, Australia, Asia and Europe.

Josh was inspired in high school when he heard a talk from a guy who cycled through North America. He suggested to his dad that they should do it. They had never cycled and did not have bikes.  In 2021 they cycled for charity and the following year they cycled over 3,700 miles from New York City to San Francisco.

They had many great experiences together and above are holding the three world records they set: the fastest bicycle circumnavigation of the world by a father and son, the longest bicycle journey by a father and son and the most countries visited in a continuous bicycle journey by a father and son.

Their final 15 miles they were joined by 70 cyclists who road with them as they arrived home to cheering crowds.

The Tuna Fish Battle Continues

A couple years ago my wife and I had a serious conversation-about tuna fish. I like tuna fish a lot and she likes it but doesn't like to make it. When she makes it she puts egg in it and I said I'm fine without egg, just make the tuna. (She likes egg in it) I suggested that she show me how to make it and I'll make it when I want it and she doesn't have to. This wasn't the first time I suggested this, but finally she agreed to show me.

I took notes and this happened about two or three years ago. I think she let me make it once, but I didn't clean up the sink well enough so we were back to her making it.

Last month she was dog sitting for a week for our daughter and son-in-law and when I opened the pantry door I saw two cans of tuna. I really wanted to eat some tuna and she was thirty miles away and there's no way she was going to smell the tuna from there.

I got my supplies ready: Febreze spray and "The Kitchen Mama" can opener are pictured below.

I liked the color of the "Kitchen Mama" and it matched well with the spray, but how do you get the opener to open the can of tuna? I knew what the top of the can was and I turned it on and I saw the sharp part of it, but how do you get it to open? I thought of asking the robot that cleans the floors, but I doubted even she knew the answer.

I thought of getting a hammer and smushing the tuna out into a bowl, because I was now craving tuna fish. Instead, I went to Mr. Google and asked, "How does this work?" I watched a video and surprisingly to me, it was very simple and I got most of the can open to rescue the tuna.

I still have my notes on how to make tuna, but after moving it could be anywhere. I knew mayo was involved, but I just guessed how much. Below is the picture of the tuna and I'm going to enjoy eating this.

When I'm finished with the bowl I'm going to clean it three times and sit it outside for it to air out. I waited to post this blog until 30 days after so I know I'm in the clear when she sees what I have done.

We may have another serious conversation about tuna fish, maybe I'll write a song about it? There was a great ballad in the 70's called, "Make it With You." What about, "Make it Without You?"

Postscript: I had two great tuna sandwiches without egg and they were terrific and I found the below notes, but I had trouble reading them.