Some Short June Stories

 How Early Can You Be For a Doctor's Appointment?

Like many people I can be a little lax when making medical appointments.  In the book I'm finishing writing, "More Time For You," I have a short chapter on how important it is to make your appointments. I decided to follow my own advice when I received the message that it was time for my dermatologist check-up.  I had an issue to Myrtle Beach in 2024 and in November 2025 I had my first check-up in Colorado.

I got my appointment for June 10th and arrived 20 minutes early.  Somehow they didn't schedule me for a full body check and told me they could do it, but it's possible that insurance wouldn't cover it since I was there in November and it's usually a yearly thing. I left immediately and said I would contact them in a few months for an appointment in December.  I was 5 1/2 months too early-that won't happen again.

When I Went to a Ticker-Tape Parade

It was January 30, 1981 that the ticker-tape parade in New York City took place for 23 of the hostages who were released by Iran. They worked in the U.S. Embassy in Iran and were held captive for 444 days.  I went to the parade with one of my friends and it was pretty awesome to see.  It was a very patriotic event. This picture above only shows some of the confetti, but there was a lot of it.  Below is a picture of me with a mustache at the age of 20 when I was in college.

What Did I Do During the Knicks Parade?

I was babysitting my almost two-year-old granddaughter.  We took a walk to the park and instead of bringing the large ball we usually take, she picked a basketball. Do you know how difficult it is to kick a basketball up a big hill? This picture is the ball on it's way down.  We still had fun.

Have You Ever Seen a Two-Year-Old With a Space Station?

It was pretty cool and she loved it. It was a blown up, large space station. My granddaughter called it a rocket ship, which is okay with me.  Her dad, my son, does work for NASA and so she knows about going to the moon. She kept saying, "Nice rocket ship." She put in a little couch to the far right inside of it and a blanket and pillow and she was all ready for the next adventure. She was crawling through it as if she was training. It did not come from NASA, but it said NASA on it. Can you buy a planet for a child?

Is It Good or Bad That Someone Is a Trillionaire?

It came out this month that Elon Musk became a trillionaire. For some people that means that the money he earned came from other people, but it doesn't really work that way.  Somehow lost in the story is that there were around 4,400 former and current employees who became millionaires at the same time and some of them were welders and cafeteria workers.  What impact would a million dollars have on 4,400 families for generations?

Am I A Professor?

How close is this to my name?  "Jeffrey Henig, a professor emeritus at Teachers College, Columbia University." Just an "o" away from being at Columbia. (Jeffrey Hoenig)

The Legend of Mark Twain

I don't recall when I started reading the 1,000 page biography of Mark Twain, but I finally finished it.  It was brilliantly written by Ron Chernow who won the Pulitzer Prize for books on President Ulysses Grant and Alexander Hamilton.  Here are some of things that stood out to me:

1. Although he is best known for writing "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," he was very well known for his speeches and lectures around the world. A number of times in his life he went on long speaking tours and packed auditoriums with ease.

2. His wisdom and sense of humor is remembered frequently and in a lot of places including my new book, "More Time For You," which will be out soon.  His lectures left his audience mesmerized and entertained thoroughly.

3. Today and for quite a long time we have had a lot of celebrities. Mark Twain was a celebrity around the world.  He lived from 1835 to 1910. On his last visit to The United Kingdom he was treated as royalty. The Lord Mayor of Liverpool introduced him with these words, "There was no man in the world to-day...who had brought so much mirth and happiness to the citizens of this Empire and of the United States" as Mark Twain.

4. When I read the book on The Wright Brothers it surprised me that they would meet with kings and leaders of countries all around the world after they flew their plane in North Carolina. Mark Twain did the same, but he also lived in dozens of places in this country and around the world.  

He knew many, many authors, Winston Churchill before he was famous, had lunch with President Theodore Roosevelt and was friends with Helen Keller. He inscribed a photo to Anne Sullivan who taught Helen Keller, "With warm regard & with limitless admiration of the wonders she has performed as a miracle-worker." Anne Sullivan got her nickname, "miracle worker" from Mark Twain.

5. Thomas Edison and Mark Twain went back and forth putting on their business hat and using their creative talents. Twain really struggled as a business man and lost a fortune that he paid off over many years with a lot of hard work.

6. Despite his incredible success, he had to leave the below mansion that he built to save money because it cost too much to live in.  In Hartford, Connecticut, this 11,500 foot square home had 25 rooms and it can still be visited today.

7. Mark Twain's life was unfortunately filled with illness and death. He outlived his wife and three of his four daughters who all died before they were 30. He lived to the age of 74. When he died one headline said, "The world mourns Mark Twain." He has also been referred to as being, "The Lincoln of literature."

8. The book is an incredible tribute to Mark Twain and the maddening and magnificent life of one of the most original people in American history.  Although he was honored and revered across the world, what better person to honor around July 4, 2026, our 250th birthday, than a true American? 

MY FAVORITE RIDER COMMENTS IN JUNE 2026

Four good friends from India were having a reunion and one of them said, "Three of us are general practitioner doctors and one of us just turned 40 and is due for his first colonoscopy." Me: "I thought you said you were engineers?" He: "We're engineers of the body." Me: How do I know you're really doctors?" He: "We can do the colonoscopy now. I'll do it for you right here." Me: "I've never had anyone do that." He: "There's always a first time." (They did not)

Bartender: "I once saw a chef drink thirty beers in one eight hour shift."

The eighth grade history teacher was with his class at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, D.C.  One student said, "Why don't they just open it and see who's inside?"

When she won the Ms. South Africa Beauty Contest she received the newest Mercedes, but said, "I could only use it for a year. I lived in a $10 million dollar penthouse and I received around $250,000."

She: "I felt pretty good when the pilot thanked me for having a million miles in the air and then he thanked the guy next to me for having three million miles."

A very talented guy: "I played the trumpet and toured with B.B. King for 8 years and worked for him for 20 years. Right now I'm a co-producer for the Michael Jackson sequel movie and I'm working on the soundtrack."

I asked the couple how they met. She: "We met in grade school, but we didn't date." He: "I had to grow."

He: "Years ago an FBI agent was at a club and did a backflip and his gun fell out and it shot someone. They had it on film and it was on the news." (Denver 2018)

He: "I was born a Yankee fan. My dad was a Yankee fan and I saw the picture of them taking me out of the hospital and I was wearing a Yankee outfit."

On the day my New York Knicks would have a chance to win their first championship in 53 years, I was excited to pick up a guy from Syracuse, New York. I asked, "Are you a big sports fan?" He said, "No not really." Me: "Are you a Knick fan?" He said, "I've never heard of them."

Picking up the young woman at McDonalds, I said, "What are you up to today?" She: "I got me some weed and burgers." Me: "Imagine that, weed and burgers together."

"My family owns 32 restaurants and none of them make less than $1 million a year."

From Ethiopia he said, "I was going to represent my country at the 1984 Olympics in LA for track & field running the 400 meters. My country decided not to go because they didn't get along with the United States." (they joined a Soviet Union boycott)

The young man wanted to get out at the traffic light and run across the road because he was late for a haircut. I said, "Not here, it's not safe. Let me make this turn." He: "I'm a grown-ass man, I can do what I want." I let him out and got to his destination before him.

He: "Working in an office is soul sucking."

I asked him how old he was and he said, "66, but I'm not sure. There were no doctors or nurses, I'm just guessing."

He: "I officially changed my name to silver because teachers in school said I had a silver tongue."

She changed her life. "My husband committed suicide 9 years ago and I turned to alcohol and drugs and lost everything. I was homeless for three years and I wanted to die, but I couldn't do it."

I explained to her that people tell me mannequin stories after seeing my mannequin.  She said, "I don't have any mannequin stories.  I was afraid of them so I bought one to conquer my fear. I was teaching 14-15-year-olds and it was Halloween. I put on a spaceman outfit and attached the mannequin head to the outfit near my head and I chased them around." Me: "That's your non-mannequin story?"

MORE RIDER COMMENTS

He was on the phone with his wife who was a San Francisco 49er fan. He said to me, "Is that a Kansas City Chief Super Bowl ring hanging there?" I said, "It is and it's the one they won playing the 49er's." He said, "My wife just said, 'Watch your mouth buddy.' "

Looking at my mannequin the young guy said, "I thought maybe you were selling wigs." Me taking off my hat to show my almost bald head, "If I was, would I be wearing this on my head?"

 I picked up Ace and I asked her how she got her name. She said, "Have you heard of a band named "Kiss?." I was named after Ace Frehley the lead singer."

She: "I was a bank manager but switched to a property manager when the bank was robbed."

The Russian woman who is an American citizen said, "We should give free high education to all engineers who keep up their grades."

She: "My family is into football, I've been to five Super Bowls."

From Chicago originally, he said, "I never played a warm baseball game, it was always cold."

I asked the couple how they met and she said, "We were in a group and they were going scuba diving and snorkeling.  I said I can't scuba, but I'll snorkel."

He said, "My wife is convoluted."

In between jobs he said, "I know a good job is on the horizon."

From Turkey she said, "I'm a flight attendant because it pays double what I made as a biomedical engineer."

From Chicago originally, he said, "I never played a warm baseball game, it was always cold."

She: "If you embarrass yourself in front of teenagers, they love it."

He: "I became an architect because I wanted to help people."

I asked him how he got the name "Journy." He said, "They said it was a journey to get me here."

She: "I'm a Gemini chatterbox."

I asked her, "What kind of work do you do?" She: "I do what I want to do."

The guy originally from Costa Rico said, "I miss the water."

After reading my list of top ten riders, he is the first rider to ask about four or five of them.  He said, "Just call me Mr. Curiosity." 

Taking the young man with short hair to get a haircut, I asked, "What does a haircut cost these days?" He said, "$50, for everything."

The young Fed-Ex worker asked something very rare: "How do you remember all these stories?"

THANK YOU TO JO AND HER AUNT FOR THIS BILL FROM MOROCCO AND COIN FROM ZAMBIA, TWO NEW COUNTRIES REPRESENTED IN MY CAR

           

UNIQUE OCCUPATIONS:

Volunteer Baby Cuddler in a hospital

Executive Producer for Corporate Events

Hibachi Chef

Mining Consultant

Nuclear medicine consultant

Figure skating coach

Anesthesiologist 

Geological Engineer

THANK YOU TO THE FLIGHT ATTENDENT FROM TURKISH AIRLINES FOR THIS BILL FROM TURKEY, MY 80TH COUNTRY IN MY CAR

I PICKED UP PEOPLE FROM THESE COUNTRIES

Costa Rica, South Africa, Turkey, Mexico, Columbia, Peru, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Philippines, Nepal, India, 

WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THIS PICTURE?

My rider said that she has seen this car several times with a mannequin head hanging out of the window.  Is it really a mannequin, or do you see a tree, a cardboard picture, or a real person? I have no idea.

WHAT DID THEY SAY ABOUT ME AND MY CAR?

"I really appreciate you trying to see the good in humanity."

From a 20-year-old: "This is what living is all about. Instead of making money, creating memories."

She's about to graduate as a chemical engineer: "You are so nice, I didn't expect to have this kind of morning."

Dr. Lily from Mexico in May posted this on my blog: "Definitely that ride with you is a core memory and my children and everyone I meet will know about driving on the sunny side with Jeff! So wonderful that our paths crossed."

"I will never forget this Uber."

"People are losing connections and being disconnected. I love what you're doing."

Former Uber driver: "You've been awesome. This was a great ride. You have to make it fun."

"This was a wonderful experience, one heck of a museum."

"You should have your own show."

"Thank you, you made my morning."

"I love your car."

"Thank you for the feel good vibes."

"This is one of the best Uber rides I've ever had here or around the world."

"When you get in the car you want to know more."

"I definitely got the right driver."

"This was absolutely amazing."

"This is very cool."

"This was really entertaining."

"It's beautiful."

"Amazing"

"Best Uber driver ever."

"You're a people person."

"That was great!"

"I enjoyed this."

"Keep on keeping on."

"That was amazing to see."

"This is crazy."

"This was a nice display."

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.

What Does A Doctor Do To Make Extra Money?

A doctor wants to make extra money, really? My experience has been that most people are always looking for another opportunity and that's been going on for decades.

As a young doctor, Brandon Axelrod, owes $400,000 in student loans and he works and lives in New York. He performs oral surgery as a dentist.  He's 27 years old and he became fascinated by magic when his dentist did balloon tricks when he was a patient. He said, "That was the coolest thing I've ever seen."

The dentist taught him magic and took him under his wing. For years, as he went to school he built up a good sized business. He said, "Even at an early age I told myself, 'I'm never going to say not to any balloon request that comes his way."

He's a first year resident at a major Manhattan hospital with very little time now for side events.  He's been making videos at home with all the creative things he does. In the future he plans on entertaining his patients and making them laugh. He'll also be paying off his loans for quite awhile.

A Few Short May Stories

MAKING MONEY AT THE GAS STATION

At the very beginning of May I was out Ubering and after dropping someone off I checked my app and saw I had just gotten two nice tips. I was heading to a gas station for a break and as I pulled into the station and headed to park at the pump I saw it on the ground. I couldn't tell what it was, but it was definitely money. I pulled in right over it, opened the door and picked up this $20 bill. I couldn't believe I got tipped at the gas station. I did feel guilty I didn't need gas and I wasn't buying anything, but it was a lot of fun picking up an easy $20. It wasn't the first time I found a twenty dollar bill. Eight or nine years ago I found a $20 bill in New Jersey as I walked with my oldest daughter.

CALLING FOR BACKUP

I was babysitting my almost two-year-old granddaughter. She hasn't been potty trained yet, but she does tell us when she's pooping. She gets into a crouching position and it usually takes a few minutes.  Lately, she's been delaying getting changed by saying, "More poop." This time, the delay was over thirty minutes and it was obvious she was just pretending.  Finally, I blurted out to her, "Riley, if you've been pooping this whole time I'm going to need backup." She replied immediately, "Backup." It wasn't bad at all, but I got a good laugh about it.

FINDING A SUIT

I had a suit at the end of May last year and I wore it to my daughter's wedding. Since then I've lost 40 pounds. In this current picture I am wearing the shirt I wore with the suit.

My wife and I went to Men's Warehouse and tried on a nice suit and it fit well. It was $500.  I need a suit for a wedding but not everyday wear! I'll get a different suit.

WHO ATE MY SANDWICH?

Driving around and picking up passengers on the last Sunday of the month, I reached into my lunch bag and pulled out my sandwich.  This is what I found:

Either someone ate what was inside or I forgot to put something between the bread.

MARY POPPINS

A month of two ago I showed my almost two-year granddaughter a video on my computer of The Beatles singing "Yellow Submarine" with an animated cartoon.  She loved it and we play it regularly with her sitting on my desk. This month I played "Let's Go Fly A Kite" from "Mary Poppins" and she loved it. I showed here a few animated scenes which she liked, but "Mary Poppins" is still a great movie and even an almost two-year-old knows it.  Wait till I get to watch the movie with her!

MY FAVORITE RIDER COMMENTS FROM MAY 2026

"My boyfriend bought me a $500 derby hat and then bought a full mannequin for maybe $100 so I could put the hat on top of her head."

He: "I breed reptiles. I can buy a $500 reptile and turn it into 20 reptiles worth $500 each."

I asked the couple married 16 years how they met and she said, "We met in kindergarten." I asked what line he used and then asked, "What do you remember from kindergarten?"  He said, "We sat around on the floor reading books and we all got the chicken pox so we had a chicken pox party."

She loves this quote: "Home is where you find people who love you." She added, "When I go back to Chicago, people love me who don't even know me."

The owner of a health insurance business said, "I'm the first one in in the morning and the last one out at night. When I get those $10-20,000 weekly checks, I don't mind the hours."

He asked me what's the secret of a successful marriage and I said one of the things is, "Your partner is going to be better than you at some things and you have to let them win."  The former athlete said with a half smile and his wife next to him, "That ain't happening."

I asked the 77 year-old from Italy how she keeps young. She said," I play tennis every day of the week and I don't look at the body, I look at the spirit."

From Kenya he asked me, "What is your sunshine?" I told him it was my wife of 42 years."

The truck driver said about Uber drivers: "Thank you for the hard work you guys do."

He: "The former King of Thailand was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and he used to play the saxophone."

She: "Jackson Hole, Wyoming is the only airport in the country that is in a national park."

She said, "A guy from the UK. told me, 'The Great Lakes in Michigan are inland oceans with fake ID's.'

She: "My friends sent me a cushion cover with a picture of me on it for my birthday, but I'll probably never use it."

Giving me a bill from Qatar for my money museum, she said, "I've had it for eight years and I traded for it with a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos."

He was married twenty years and lost his wife to cancer 17 years ago and he's still mourning her. He said, "I'm completely lost. I've tried everything. She was my best friend, I try to forget, but I can't."

"When we went to Dubai we had two rooms in a hotel and there was a butler serving us. It was a whole different world."

The woman in her 50's was in California a few years back and changed her life. "I was in a very bad abusive relationship and I called up my sister who no one in the family talked to.  She was a director for AA and I asked her for help. She saved my life and a neighbor helped me escape. A few years later my sister had breast cancer and I sent her all the money I had, but I lost her three months later. I still miss her."

         

                                    MORE RIDER COMMENTS

I asked the two accountants how they met and they said, "We met in an accounting class in the UK."

He: "I moved from Alaska to Florida to get as far away as I could from a woman."

From Ukraine he said, "We have to be friendly there."

She told me, "My copywriting business in Minnesota is called, "Freshly Brewed Copy."

He told me, "My two daughters, 9 and 11 have been to 30 countries."

The accomplished woman told me several times, "I'm proud of myself," and she had every reason to be. Her boss said that she makes the people around her better.

His name is Jose Posada and he told me, "My uncle was the former Yankee catcher, Jorge Posada." He was just kidding.

"I was an Uber driver for awhile because I just wanted to talk to people."

I asked her how she got the name Autumn and she said, "My mom didn't know anyone with that name."

I asked the two Red Sox fans a couple questions and one said, "Do you want to know my blood type?"

She: "I've ghost written a book, but I can't tell you about it."

"Eli Manning is the greatest Manning."

He said, "When we went to Disneyland Japan there was one line that the wait time was four hours."

He: "When I worked for an airline I met Timothy Dalton and Michael Jordan."

He: "Bella's Bagels in Colorado Springs recently won "Smear of the Year," and Governor Polis visited them to congratulate them."

I asked how she met her boyfriend and she said, "We met playing intramural kickball."

He: "When the Japanese invaded the Philippines the money they created was also called, "Mickey Mouse money."

"My first football game was a playoff game between the Broncos and the Jets. It was so cold that when I bought hot chocolate by the time I got back to my seat it wasn't hot anymore."

"My son was on the Michigan football championship team. He's an offensive lineman and he's on the draft board and if he has a good year this year he has a chance at the pros."

The Church Bishop said, "We're all brothers and sisters and children of God."

"My insurance business is in 33 states and has 4,5000 agents."

She told me, "Black people are moving from the south to Chicago and Michigan because of racism."

Young woman at a local supermarket who brings groceries out to the car for people said, "We all pool our tips and by Red Bull because we need it getting up this early."

UNIQUE OCCUPATIONS:

Clinical Research Coordinator

Strength and conditioning coaches from Italy

Eye Surgeon from the United Kingdom

Reptile Breeder

Bishop in Church

Former FAA Administrator

Master tennis player from Italy

THANK YOU to the woman who gave me the below bill from Ghana where she's from.  She gave me all three of these bills and Ghana is my 75th country represented in my car.

THIS MONTH I PICKED UP PEOPLE FROM:

Italy, Mexico, Kenya, Eastern Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Senegal, Guatemala, Venezuela, Ukraine, Burkina-Faso.

THANK YOU to the couple from Minnesota who gave me the most unusual gifts below from The Four Seasons Hotel- spring water and two butter toffee candies. They were being, "Minnesota Nice."

THANK YOU to the rider who gave me this bill from the country of Laos.

WHAT RIDERS SAID ABOUT ME AND MY CAR

"This is refreshing.  We need more people connecting like this and having your energy."

She was almost completely blind and said, "This ride is wasted on me." When I told her a story about me and my car was published in India, she said, "Are you gobsmacked? I am."

"I've taken a lot of Ubers in my life and this is the best ride I've ever had."

"You have a fulfilling life. Thanks for making sunshine."

"Impressive experience, you look at life differently seeing this."

"This is a one in a million Uber."

"I'm enamored by this."

"I thoroughly enjoyed this."

"This is hilarious."

The older man got out of the car and said, "Love your F'N outfit here."

Getting out of my car the woman told my next riders, "Get ready for an adventure."

He: "I'm usually looking at my phone, but I got some history on this ride."

"You're living your best life."

Young guy, "This is pretty sick. Keep collecting stuff."

"I love your museum."

"Thanks you for making this ride so nice."

The 19-year-old said, "This awesome, awesome. I have to stop saying that. This was a treat."

"I've never seen anything like this."

"You made this fun."

"This is a positive way to live your life."

Picking them up for an hour ride, he said, "You are our angel."

"Thanks, you got my night off to a great start."

"You're one of the most interesting people I've ever met."

"You're showing people the world, how big it is."

"You should do stand-up."

"You are the most awesome Uber driver."

"Are you an angel?"

"This is crazy."

"This is the coolest thing I've ever seen."

"Thank you for the great ride."

"This is the best ride I've ever had."

"I really needed this today."

"We need more people like you."

Looking at the pictures of riders in my car he said, "Are these all your family?"

"This is the most interesting Uber I've ever had."

"Very cool."

"That's crazy."

MY FAVORITE RIDERS IN MAY 2026

 

AN INSPIRING ITALIAN WOMAN

On a very short ride, the vivacious woman visiting from Italy was inspiring  At 77 years young, she was a master tennis player in Italy and Peru. She actively plays in tournaments and I'm pretty sure she's very good.  I asked her how she keeps young and she said, "I don't look at the body, I look at the spirit." She also plays tennis five days a week. She gave me a new bill from Peru which appropriately has a woman on the front pictured below and I replaced the Peru bill with a man on the front. I would have loved to have driven her further, but we ran out of time.

THREE NEW MEXICAN DOCTORS

I had a delightful ride with three women from Mexico who recently graduated from medical school.  They were in town for the very large vision conference.  They were all friends and at times answered questions all at once.  The enjoyed the ride and one of them said it was, "refreshing."  I asked to get a picture of them for my car and they wanted a picture of me.  I'll be putting their picture with my Mexican display which will inspire other young people-congratulations to all of you!

One of the doctors was named Lily, the same name as my mannequin.  She's only the second Lily to be in my car in three years and she was happy to take a picture with my mannequin. The caption reads: "Dr. Lily and My Lily."

THE DOUBLE BIRTHDAY RIDE

It's always fun to drive a family celebrity a birthday, but this ride had two birthdays to celebrate and they were originally from Massachusetts.  A mom, her two adult children, and her daughter-in-law were going to a very nice restaurant and I was their before dinner entertainment.  They loved my stories and I even got to play "The Boston Seagull" recording for them.  A woman from Boston two years ago this May did an incredible seagull impression that I recorded.

The daughter generously gave me a bill from Qatar, which became the 77th country represented in my car. She told me, "I've had it for eight years and I traded a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos with a college friend." It was another great ride from the state of Massachusetts, one of my favorite states to pick people up from.

A HAIR STYLIST FOR PORN STARS

When he lived in Las Vegas he worked for three years doing hair, make-up and wardrobe in the porn industry.  He says that, "Now I'm working for a boring salon," but there's nothing boring about this guy.  He has a lot of personality and he said, "I'm married to my career." He told me he used to scare his little cousins with mannequin heads in the past.  He wanted the below picture with my mannequin and he took his glasses off and gave Lily a new look. This picture will be in my car.  

THE ITALIAN COACHES

When I picked them up early in the morning for an hour ride, one of them said, "You're our angel." They were here from Italy and were about to become master coaches. They are strength and conditioning coaches with private clients and they've been in school for eight years.  They told me that training here is far ahead of their training in Italy. They hadn't slept and they were about to take the final part of their test and they were very confident they were going to succeed.  This picture below will be hanging in my car and it will say Italian Master Coaches.

HE LOVES EVERYTHING HE DOES

I was impressed with his energy.  I picked him up on the weekend where he had been coaching two different teams that morning.  He told me that we was teaching leadership in a middle school and he was an entrepreneur.  He has his own aquarium business and he's a reptile breeder.  He said that, "I can take a $500 reptile and turn it into twenty $500 reptiles." When I asked him how he manages his time with all his activities, he explained that the key thing was, "I love everything I do." He has a great future ahead of him and he's a great role model for the kids he works with.

HE'S STILL IN MOURNING

I've only had a few rides like this over eight years of driving, but this was a difficult ride. The man was probably in his late 50's or early 60's. He was married for twenty years, but he lost his wife to cancer-17 years ago.  I spent a lot of time listening to him and he told me, "I'm completely lost. The only thing left for me is death. I try to forget, but I can't." He has ten grandchildren and I think eight children who live close by. He said he has tried everything and he cried some on the ride. I wished him well and to keep in mind that his wife would want him to get through this.

Where Do You Live?

It's a very simple question, but I'm sure that some people would rather not answer it, or they have a lot of fun doing it.  Confused? I don't blame you. What if you lived in a town with a very unusual name? There are some towns in the United States that have very unique names.

HELL, MICHIGAN: How do you name a town hell? Can't you just hear the conversation.  Someone asks, "What are you doing today?" Answer: "I'm going to hell." They do have devilish attractions in the town for tourists if you're planning a trip.

CHICKEN, ALASKA: Now you're talking, I could get into that. They named it after the animal, not the food. It might not make a difference to you, but it does to me since chicken is my favorite food.

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NEW MEXICO: There used to be a television show with that name.  The TV host of that show announced that he would broadcast the show from the first town to name themselves after the show and he did.

ROUGH AND READY, CALIFORNIA: This town was named after former President of the United States and General, Zachary Taylor. They came up with the name because of his reputation.

DING DONG, TEXAS: The name came from the words, "Ding Dong" and the picture of two bells on the front door of a general store.

WHY, ARIZONA: They named the town due to a "Y" intersection where the town was founded.

WHYNOT, NORTH CAROLINA: If after reading about Why, Arizona, you may have thought Whynot  could be a name of town also.  That is exactly how it was named, almost. They were trying to come up with a good name and someone say, "Why not this one?" It stuck, why not?

ACCIDENT, MARYLAND: Two land surveyors were working on the same property and came up with the same results, accidentally of course. It became called, "The accident tract," and then they shortened it intentionally.

PECULIAR, MISSOURI: They couldn't come up with a name and someone suggested they choose something...peculiar. I am not making these up.

NO NAME, COLORADO: The town was settled as Rt. 70 was being built and since they didn't have a name...

I grew up in Edison, New Jersey, named after Thomas Edison and I'm glad I did.