What's In A Name?

In a few months my wife and I will have two grandbabies born in our family, what will their names be? We don't know, but what are the most popular baby names this year? Let's first look at boy names and see what names you like.

The top twenty boy names: Noah, Liam, Oliver, Elijah, Mateo, Lucas, Elias, Levi, Ezra, Leo, Asher, Luca, Henry, Hudson, Theodore, James, Sebastian, Samuel, Waylon, Daniel.

I think you have to match it with the last name. If you were choosing, would it be a more common name like Daniel or James or more unique like Luca, Oliver, or Waylon?  If the last name was Hoenig,(which it is) do you do the alliteration with Hudson or Henry?  Theodore sounds pretty formal to me. I don't like Elijah, Mateo, Elias, Ezra, Luca, or Waylon.  Does anything float your boat out of the top twenty names?

What names did I like? Noah, Lucas, Levi, Hudson.  I looked at the top fifty boy names and I did like Cooper and Carter too.

Let's take a look at the top twenty girl names: Olivia, Eliana, Amelia, Charlotte, Sophia, Isabella, Emma, Aurora, Evelyn, Mia, Ellie, Lilly, Violet, Sophia, Hazel, Ava, Aria, Luna, Ella, Willow.

 My first thoughts on these is it won't be Aurora since that's a town nearby and I can't imagine the name being Lilly, because my mannequin's name is Lily. (although I do like the name.) Evelyn, Ava, Aria, Luna, Ella, Eliana, I'm not really fond of.

The last name will be Martin.  I do like Olivia, Amelia, Charlotte, Violet and maybe a couple others. In the top fifty girl names I liked Zoey, Paisley, and Scarlett.  

Whatever our kids choose we're going to love the name and we'll get used to it. Do I send them this blog post before I post it? I'll probably wait awhile, but maybe I'll send it to my wife to look at first.

Only a few hours after writing this blog I accidentally found out the name of our future grandson. It is not for me to reveal it publicly, but it is not on this list and I do like it.

OCTOBER'S SHORT STORIES

 AM I REALLY CUTTING MY NAILS WRONG?

I am 66 years old and I'm just finding this out? Here's the story: my wife is recovering from hand surgery(doing very well) and she couldn't cut her nails on the other hand so I started to do it for her. She asked, "What are you doing?"(Not unusual in our house) She said I had the nail clipper upside down. Below on the left is how I was cutting her nails and she said it was the other way, is she right again? I asked four people and they all agreed with her. How do you cut your nails?

                                   

 
The nail clipper on the right has Korea or China on the top very visible. "Why would they put it on the top where it is very visible? Those things always go on the bottom. I asked a friend, "Should I start cutting my nails upside down?" She said, "As long as you're getting the job done and not hurting yourself you should be fine." Next time you cut your nails, maybe YOU'RE doing it the wrong way?

WHO IS BIGHTING THAT APPLE?

My two-year old granddaughter was sitting on my lap and I was going to show her some pictures.  My phone had been completely off so I turned it on.  The picture came on and I said to her looking at the apple symbol, "Who took a bite out of the apple?" She answered, "Tyrannosaurus Rex." (She's into dinosaurs.) 

HOW SCARY IS THIS?

Around the corner is this skeleton and it looks as tall as it is.  We were joking with the neighbors that they could use it for almost every holiday in some shape or form and then everyone in the neighborhood could use it as a landmark-turn right at the large skeleton.

DID YOU KNOW THIS?

In 2025, charitable giving in The United States went up 3% and it hit a record high of $617 billion. It's been said that the reason for the record was that the stock market was doing so well.  It's a lot of money.

PINBALL IS STLL GREAT

My wife and I took our two-year-old granddaughter to Costco and she was fascinated watching me play pinball. She can't wait to play me when she's old enough.

DON'T GO TO THIS HOUSE

Soliciting can be a big problem in any neighborhood these days, but this is one house you don't want to go to. How weird is this sign below? 

            

MY FAVORITE RIDER COMMENTS IN OCTOBER 2026

I said to the Lieutenant Commander in the Navy, "You're probably a very good negotiator." She said jokingly, If I get enough coffee in me I can run the world."

Heading to his girlfriend's  house at 4 am he was going to sneak into the house. He told her on the phone, "I really have to go bad. I'll go quietly. The side of the house? Make sure you have a cup for me. I only have to do #2." I said to him, "I've never heard anyone negotiate going to the bathroom."

The very talented and creative woman said, "I'm the founder of a vampire clan, but I do not believe I'm a vampire."

Her favorite country to visit is Singapore, but she said they were very strict about cleanliness, "If you spit out your gum there you could be caned. You can't make it, sell it, or distribute it."

She: "When I was 16, I was living in Brooklyn, New York and my mom told me we were moving to Colorado.  I only knew about the Rocky Mountains.  I thought we were going to be hillbillies living in the mountains. I told her, 'You can't do this to me.'"

He: "When I was 16 or so I was a server and I got to meet Queen Elizabeth when she was racing her horses at the Royal Ascot Racecourse. She was very nice when I served her."

The very bright young woman said, "What I really want to do is be rich and hot."

Married 33 years I asked the couple, "What's the secret of a successful marriage?" He said, "Not to answer that question."

She: "The first time I met my husband I was introduced to him by a friend and he was stuffing nachos into his mouth in a restaurant. Later I saw he could eat and carry a conversation and that was enough."

"Our family is expecting the first grandchild in a couple months and five of us already have car seats in our car."

The older couple got in my car and the first thing she said was, "He's 95 and is going to take a nap so there isn't any unnecessary conversation."

The teacher was speaking Spanish to her 5th grade student but she wasn't getting through. "I knew I had the right words and another student said, "You're too white," meaning I didn't have the right accent."

He: "I bought some land in the mountains and put in a paid parking lot for the walking path up to the lake. It brings in some good money."

I picked up "Honesty" and she said she got her name, because, "My mom said she couldn't tell a lie when she was pregnant with me."

I had one guy who was from India, one from the United Kingdom, and one from The United Arab Emirates, all working for the same company. I asked them if they had a funny story and the salesman from the United Arab Emirates said, "We are not working in software, we're trafficking human kidneys through India and Pakistan and to an underground group in the UK, the Illuminati, a secret order." I asked, "Who are they?" He said, "I can't tell you, or I'd have to kill you and take your kidney."

He: "About twenty years ago, a guy had a dressed mannequin in his car with a hat, glasses, and a string he pulled to waive the arm at people for the HOV lane. He was caught and the judge sentenced him to be at a major intersection for a couple weeks with the mannequin and a sign that said something like, "Mannequins are not for HOV lanes or mannequins are not real people. It was on the news every day."

                                                MORE RIDER COMMENTS

From Wisconsin he said, "I was 'Liberty Biberty' in the Liberty Mutual commercial. I bought this fur coat for $20. Tonight I'm going to be at a party as one of five Lebron James dressed in different uniforms."

I asked the engineer how he met his wife and he said, "I walked into a bar and she was up on stage playing the guitar and singing and I fell head over heals for her."(married 24 years)

I told the guy from New York about my rider from Syracuse, New York who said he had never heard of The New York Knicks. He said, "That's bad parenting."

She: "This neighborhood has been known to eat Uber Drivers." (Difficult to get around)

Shortly after alcohol detox for three days he couldn't sleep for four days. "On the fourth day I was becoming delusional and saw worms coming down from the ceiling. I just want to be normal again."

The professional soccer referee told me, "A sideline referee can make $70-$90,000 and the main referees can make as much as $140,000."

The Wal-Mart security guy said, "This store loses $5-$10,000 dollars a day to theft. Theft will always be a thing."

She: "When I visited New York I said, 'I cannot stay here."

From Iowa, she said, "I became a social worker because I wanted to help people."

The young woman is confident that her career path will find her based on a religious saying, "If it is buried between two mountains it will find me."

From San Francisco and living in Australia for many years, "Our eight-year-old son keeps asking us to take him to Paris for his birthday. He's a big soccer fan of the Paris team."

He said, "Enjoy what you do until you get to do what you enjoy."

He: "In our Wal-Mart store a homeless man comes in and steals food, but instead of eating it he flushes down the toilet to make it overflow."

Over twenty years ago my rider lost his sight: "A guy I didn't know intentionally drove into my car and the police said it was road rage. He took a sawed off shot-gun and shot through my window. I was in a coma for a short time and the guy was caught and died a short time later. I still have a lot of pain today." He's been working at Amazon the past three years.

Having lived in beautiful Monterey, California, she said the place was known as 'newly wed or nearly dead.'" She met her fiance there.

She: "I like dealing with kids way better than working in sales with people."

The Lieutenant Commander said, "My fiance is also a Lieutenant Commander. At one point I outranked him and he used to salute me when we were not on duty just for fun."

New York Knick fan from New York: "When they won I slept with my New York Knick flag."

"My dad use to build guidance systems for rockets for NASA here in Colorado."

I asked him why he got into into military intelligence and he said, "I wanted to have a meaningful impact." 

I told him that my lack of hair is my dad's fault and he said, "The hair I have all over my body is my dad's fault."

He: "When I was four years old my dad took me to Japan, it was a bad idea."

"There are a lot of burger places around the world, It's the only export we like from the U.S."

From Minnesota they told me that, "A bear was found near our lake in a whole he made. We called a bear biologist who go him out and changed his tracking so they could keep an eye on it."

Working in a computer science department at a university she said, "We had some old CPR mannequins lying around so we put them up at the front desk.  I don't think some of the faculty appreciated my sense of humor."

Business owner: "Did you notice after the pandemic that people changed and just didn't care about others?"

When he drove through Wyoming he saw a wind warning sign that said that said, "Cars may tip over."

I said to her, "Congratulations on your dual careers." (Dog trainer and speech therapist) She said, "You should talk to my parents."

The two Australians studying finance in Philadelphia said, "Pennsylvania is awesome." 

I asked the accountant if he liked numbers and he said, "Not really, they just come to me."

I asked the mother of six children, "How do you raise six kids?" She said, "Love the chaos and accept help."

Red Sox fan: "I forgive you for being a Yankee fan."

He: "When I was in high school my parents motivated me to get 95 and up in all my classes and they would get me a new phone.

I asked the guy in the Navy, "What is the best thing you've gotten out of the Navy?" He said, "Discipline and accountability-if you're without that, what do you have?"

Having lived in Idaho and Iowa she said, "There's really not much to talk about there."

"I'm really impressed with the culture and people in Denver."

She's in community development and told me, "I use to do fundraising for a non-profit and now I'm giving money away to people."

Used to be From Buffalo: "They have a very negative attitude and complain a lot."

He: "In Germany there is no conversation in taxis."

"90% of the Uber/Lyft drivers in Australia are international students."

She: "I like dealing with kids way better than working in sales with people."

She: "I'm a private chef and I prepare food for seven families during the week."

Married 26 years I asked them, "What's the secret of a successful marriage?" They agreed, "Compromise."

Candy: "I was named after a famous actress on one of the top shows in Mexico."

She: "I was a Navy Baby and we lived in many places."

I asked the service man what country he liked the most and he said, "Poland, I walked around there like a ghost." 

"Panama city was beautiful, it looked like Miami."

I asked, "Have you ever gotten a gift from an Uber driver?" She said, "We've gotten some recipes from some drivers."

She: "I'm a nanny for a very smart four-year old and I asked her what I should have for dinner and she said, 'Anything but pizza.' I was going to have pizza but I chose something else."

The owner of a commercial real estate company had no experience when he bought the company.  He said, "It's paint, it's not rocket science."

The former Dallas Cowboy fan said, "I don't root for them anymore."

Her name was "Madoka" which means flowers by a window."

She: "I added four stops on my ride and the Uber driver came in with me to shop."

Cook: "I enjoy giving someone a good feed."

Woman: "My dad was a pastor and I'm a PK (pastor kid) and I was a wild child."

The woman had moved from another country and I asked, "What do you like best about our country."
She replied, "Halloween and Thanksgiving."

He: "When you have a child it's part of the growth of your tree. When you have a grandchild it's the fruit off of the tree."

She: "In Iowa we have the world's largest truck stop."

She: "I moved to Mexico to learn Spanish."

She: "I played softball once on "The Field of Dreams" in Iowa."

"Casa Benito in Lakewood had 1,738 people come in yesterday between 3 pm- 9 pm. It's like a Mexican Disneyland."

He: "I got interested in flying when I took a discovery flight in high school. I paid $250 and I got to fly over my high school and take pictures."

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE CAYMAN ISLAND                           BILL WORTH $12-COUNTRY #81

I PICKED UP PEOPLE FROM

Nicaragua, United Kingdom, Iran, Germany, Australia, Burundi, Jamaica, Argentina, Cambodia, Iraq, Senegal, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, India, Sudan, Cuba, Peru, The Congo, Ghana.

I DROVE PEOPLE WITH THESE UNIQUE OCCUPATIONS:

Army Intelligence analyst               Owner spa/massage parlor                   Private chef

Dog Trainer/Speech Therapist         Marine Corps Recruiter          Married couple both geologists

Parking lot owner                             Chemist                                     Operations Nuclear Fusion

Studying Quantum Engineering           Judge Assistant                  Couple owns soccer business

Part-time voice for video games          Kidney researcher               Life Coach

Former Army bomb specialist              Builder high voltage transmission lines

Project manager AI scientist                 Urban planner

WHAT PEOPLE SAID ABOUT ME AND MY CAR

"I love that you turned something mundane into something beautiful."

I told the two young skilled guys how fortunate they were to be skilled and one said, "You have the experience and knowledge we would die for. You can do more than us."

"Keep finding the good in people."

"I don't think I'll get another ride like this the rest of my life."  After sending the two young Aussies a picture of them in my car, one said, "That has just made my whole week!!!!! It's an honour."

"This was one last beautiful event on our trip."

"It is amazing what happens when you treat people with kindness and respect."

Driving her to the dentist for a broken crown she said, "I'm really a scaredy cat for these things, but you made me feel a lot better with this ride." I said, "I do a lot of work for this dentist."

"I'll never forget this ride."

"Thank you for the magical ride!"

"This car is a blessing.

"This is a joy, it's so positive."

"This was a great way to start our evening."

The young engineer was looking for a job and I'm going to give his name and number to my son who is an engineer.  My rider said, "If I got a job you would get the biggest tip ever!"

"I loved seeing your museum."

"I like your car, it looks thin."

"I like your pictures, amazing, very impressive, great job."

She said, "Getting in your blog was not on my bingo card today."

"You have a really great car."

"This makes you feel something."

"You were awesome."

"I love the different bills." 

"This is incredible, I love it."

"This was the most unique Uber I've ever been in."

"This was a lovely ride."

She: "I like your sign-if you can't find the sunshine be the sunshine."

"This was fun."

"This was very, very cool."

"It's a lot easier to see the dark side in life."

"I appreciate you."

"Nice to meet another eastcoaster"

From Minnesota, "Thanks for sharing your stories with us."

"I hope you get money from all the countries."

"It was the best decision to pick-up my car early." 

PART 2- MY FAVORITE RIDERS OF OCTOBER 2026

 You can still read part one that I posted three days ago.

QUEEN ELIZABETH AND THE KIDNEY CONSPIRACY

How about that for a title? If the following sounds like a joke about three men walking into a bar, it could have been. One of the great rides this year was when I picked up three guys who work together at a software company. I had two guys working in HR, one from the UK and one who was Indian and another from The United Arab Emirates. 

The guy from the UK met Queen Elizabeth as her server when he was 16 years old.  She was racing her horses at the Royal Ascot Racetrack. He said when he served her, "She was very nice." My car has many bills with Queen Elizabeth on them and he's the first rider I've had who actually met her.

I told a number of my best British and Indian stories to entertain the group. I told the guy from The United Arab Emirates I didn't have a great story from his country, but he did see his country's bill as soon as he got in the car.  He quickly gave me this story:

"We are not working in software, we're trafficking human kidneys through India and Pakistan and to an underground group in the UK, the Illuminati, a secret order." I asked, "Who are they?" He said, "I can't tell you, or I'd have to kill you and take your kidney."  Thanks for making my day guys.

MY FIRST PROFESSIONAL SOCCER REFEREE

I'm not a big soccer fan, but I did find my ride with this referee to be interesting and fun. It wasn't that long ago that he was a referee on the field of a group of kids playing when a professional referee spotted him and asked if he'd be interested in learning how to be a professional referee. He was mentored as was his brother and they are both working for the Professional Referee Organization.

For the last six years he's been a sideline referee as a part-time employee and has a full-time occupation as a policy analyst. He travels around the country doing 1-4 games on the weekend each month with his expenses paid for and a meal per diem. He loves being able to be around the sport and he used to be a goaltender when he played soccer. He can make a full-time income part-time if he chooses to work more weekends. He's a very friendly guy and keeps himself in shape so he can keep up with the action on the field. Wishing him the very best in the future.

A FUTURE SUCESS FOR SURE

I love driving very unique people. This young woman was about to finish her education as a nurse, but she had already decided a career in nursing was not what she wanted. She is extremely bright and in  college she studied international relations. She had a sense of humor also. She said, "I just want to be rich and hot." She doesn't want a boss because she's very independent, but she has a lot of belief in her Muslim faith.

She told me, "I have a vision of what I want." There's a religious saying that what you're searching for "Can be buried between two mountains and it will find you." She's believes in destiny and that her future will be created for her. When I told her that she made my blog, she said, "That wasn't on my bingo card today."

I hope to drive her again and see what direction she is headed, but I believe in her belief in her future.

"I DO NOT BELIEVE I AM A VAMPIRE!"

I've heard a lot of unusual comments in my car over the years, but this is one of the best.  This unique woman explained her many interests and jobs as "sidequests," which I've never heard before. She said, "I am the founder of a vampire clan, but I don not believe I am a vampire." I think it was more like a club, but she has a unique style about her. One of her "sidequests" was "live steel fighting" where she and others used real weapons. She's been in photography, theatre, modeling, and seemingly anything else creative. She told me, "I like to be whimsy." I'd love to write a book about her life, what a story she has!

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY

In his mid to late twenties he has experienced a lifetime of struggles. He lost his mom as a small child, suffered abuse as a child, and his car was hit by a drunk driver. In the accident his girlfriend was killed and he was in a coma for nine days and he died for three hours. A day after he woke up he was released from the hospital. He was an Army bomb specialist and was responsible for the death of 30-40 people.

He's not the same person anymore. He has a girlfriend he really cares about and he has his own distribution business working with Amazon the past two years. He wants to be a dad one day and give a child the childhood he didn't have. He has a bright future because of the struggles and challenges in his past-I'm rooting for him.

YOUNG AND WISE

How does a twenty-four year old become a Life Coach and help people much older than him?  Two days after graduating college he found a mentor to teach and train him to help others. He said that, "I was standing on the shoulders of greats." He's worked hard and read a lot of books that have helped him. He's learned how to "Change the mindset of people he's working with." We hit it off immediately and he took pictures of my car and understood the positivity in front of him. I'm looking forward to sitting down and talking with him more about his journey and mine.

CAN YOU GET AN ENGINEERING JOB THROUGH UBER?

Almost anything is possible in an Uber, you might even see a mannequin and a museum. I picked up two brothers from the airport and they both have graduated with engineering degrees.  We had a great ride together and the brother on the left with his thumb up is interviewing with companies in the aerospace industry. One company is located in San Diego and I told him that if he's hired he should put a picture on Facebook that he was hired and he should be pictured with a surfboard because he has the surfing look.

The funny thing is that my son is an engineer in the aerospace industry and he lives in Colorado where the brothers live.  I'm passing his name and number to my son if he would like to contact him.  My passenger said, "If I got a job, you're going to get the biggest tip ever!" No pressure on my son, but these brothers are really great guys.

A PASTOR'S DAUGHTER

If you wanted to meet someone who has lived many lives, she is probably a good candidate. She's lived many places in this country and has worked in many fields including fundraising and two years in a Disney store. She told me that children of pastors are known as PK and they are sometimes wild kids like she was.  She has overcome battles with alcohol and drugs and she is currently writing a very long science fiction book. With a big smile and a good laugh our ride to church on Sunday was fun for both of us.

LEARNING ABOUT SQUARE DANCING

I was driving her to the airport at 5 am and she was very enthusiastic about her weekend. She was heading to a square dancing event in California and gave me an interesting history education about it. She explained that our image of square dancing is not exactly right. In the beginning years, the announcers who were calling out instructions were frequently black people and the calls, music and dancing were a little different depending on if white or black people were leading the square dance. She was looking forward to the event with the hope she could one day start up some square dancing events here in Colorado in the future as a fun community event. 

MY FAVORITE RIDERS IN OCTOBER 2026 PART 1

NOTE: This may be only the second time in all the years I've driven that I needed to write two blogs on all the amazing riders I've had in one month. Thank you to them and the second part will be posted Monday night and delivered to some on Tuesday morning.

SHE PROBABLY COULD RULE THE WORLD

Over the years I've driven many active or retired military personnel, but my third ride this month may be the most impressive of them all. In the Navy for eleven years, she is a Lieutenant Commander.  She explained that it means, "I do a lot of paperwork." She was wide awake for our early morning airport ride and very personable and fun to talk with. I said, "You're probably a very tough negotiator," and her reply had me laughing when she joked, "If I have enough coffee in me, I could rule the world." 

Her fiancee is also a Lieutenant Commander and at one point she outranked him and would sometime salute her when they were not on duty.  She was a real joy to drive and a dedicated professional who is going to be transitioning soon out of the Navy and going back to school. She will be successful in anything she does in the future and if she ever went into politics I would vote for her.

OVERCOMING ADDICTION

She has been drug free for two years and has a good job as a 7-11 manager. She was willing to share her struggles and how she turned her life around. She spent over four years in prison. Her daughter stopped talking to her and she finally realized that she didn't like doing drugs. Another motivating factor is that she has an eight year suspended sentence waiting for her if she's arrested again. I encouraged her to continue having a healthier life.

HE REALLY, REALLY HAD TO GO

It may have been the funniest ride of the year.  I woke up earlier than normal and drove a guy to his girlfriends house for 4 am.  It was a forty minute ride and he spoke with her on and off multiple times. He said, "I really have to go bad. I'll go quietly. The side of the house? Make sure you have a cup for me. I only have to do #2." I thought it was odd he never asked to stop at one of the gas stations we passed and when was #2 something you could do in a cup? I said to him, "I've never heard anyone negotiate going to the bathroom." He made it to her house and I'm pretty sure once he snuck into the house he did go, someway and somewhere.

A HALLOWEEN WINE FESTIVAL

They were dressed as three witches and a dead guy and they looked terrific. The couple was from Buffalo, New York and they were very grateful to be in Colorado. They are still Buffalo Bill fans and next week they are celebrating his 40th birthday by seeing The Bills play in Las Vegas.  They were a lot of fun to drive and their picture below is hanging in my car.

HE DID HEAR ME

When I went to pick him up I got the message that he was deaf. I thought it would be a pretty quiet ride, but we were able to communicate. He loved my car and had many comments that others have given me on the car. I gave him my list of yearly comments so he could read them in the car. About half way through the ride I think he put on a hearing aide and we were able to have a somewhat normal conversation. He works for the federal government with credit unions. He told me that he usually doesn't have much of a conversation with other drivers. It was rewarding to know that he really enjoyed himself.

NEW LIFE/YOUNG LIFE

The twenty-year-old has started his life over. After dropping out as a High School Junior, he changed his name, separated from his friends, and found other interests. His childhood had many abuses, including alcohol and drugs and meditation helped leading him in a better direction.  He reads classical literature, loves to write, and is working in a car dealership learning about business. He's very creative and would love to be in a circus juggling knives or swallowing swords. After spending some time with him I think he's going find out who he really is and express himself very well with his creativity.

RECRUITING FOR THE MARINE CORPS

I had a very interesting ride with a guy who has spent three years recruiting for the Marine Corps. He has spent a lot of time in Okinawa, a small island off the Japan coast.  He explained the process of recruiting and how difficult it is today due to tougher restrictions and people who can't pass the test. The process for recruiting is very similar to "sales process" in any field and I could tell he knew what he was doing and he was successful in doing it. He's exploring other opportunities outside the military and there's no doubt he has a bright future ahead of him.

THE MOST GENEROUS RIDER OF THEM ALL

I've been fortunate to have driven many generous riders, but the young massage therapist shocked me with the largest tip I've received  in over eight years. I drove him home from downtown Denver for a 75 minute ride to the small town of Peyton near Colorado Springs, Colorado.  We had a great ride together and I enjoyed sharing my stories with him. He said, "I'll never forget this ride," and after he gave me a very significant amount of cash for a tip, I said, "I'll never forget this ride also." Thank you, my friend.

Inmates Pay For Big Lunch Tab

There's a non-profit program called, "Reaching Out From Within" that operates in three states in the country-Kansas, Missouri, and North Carolina. It keeps inmates involved and part of their community while they are imprisoned. 

Earlier this year in Norton, Kansas, inmates found out that there was a $6,000 lunch tab that was unpaid. The money was from parents in need who were unable to pay the total amount of their breakfast or lunch bills for their children in school.

Inmates at Norton Correctional Facility ran a fundraiser and contributed their own money and raised just under $4,000 for the lunch tab. The Kansas Department of Corrections chipped in an extra $457 to get the amount over $4,000.

The $4,267 was donated towards the fund by 30 incarcerated men earlier this year. Several inmates spoke at the event when the money was given and said that they frequently went hungry when they were younger.  It was their way of giving and doing something to help others and hopefully it also helped them by giving to a good cause. 

.

Will You Be Hiking When You're 91?

Even better, will you be doing anything at 91? A little while back I blogged about a young guy walking barefoot for a whole year. This guy, Dale Sanders, is called, "Grey Beard" and you can see why in the picture below. 

In 2017 at the age of 82 it took him seven months to travel the 2,193 miles which of course set the record for someone his age. Nine years later he did it again taking 359 days to do it. He trained for six months to accomplish this and overcame a number of minor falls.(71)

He served in the Navy earlier in his life and had a long career in Parks and recreation. He also holds a number of other age related records including his 87 day paddling across the entire Mississippi River when he was 87.

When asked about the rocks he climbed he said, "When people are taking care of you and giving you caramel frappes on the trail, the rocks don't matter."  What surprised him on his trip? He explained, "People are encouraged and motivated by my efforts."

I'm going to stick to the little bicycle in our third bedroom and just tip my hat to him.

Where Did All The Hats Go?

If you look back at pictures of people in the 1950's it was very common for people to wear hats. But other than wearing sports caps today, it's not a normal part of society, why is that?

I read an interesting article recently that listed a number of reasons:

1. Cars became more popular in the sixties and people were inside their own car instead of walking or taking public transportation.

2. Society was changing and the younger generation was rebelling against formal dress and they didn't like wearing hats.

3. John F. Kennedy wore a hat when he became President, but rarely wore a hat when he was President. He was photographed frequently in those three years, but rarely wearing a hat. He did not like them. You can easily recognize his smile below, but the hat doesn't really look right on him.

4. The Beatles came to America in February of 1964 and they rarely had a hat on and they became the most popular band in the world. How could they wear hats when it would cover up their hair which they were famous for.  There were a lot of Beatle wigs sold, but not Beatle hats.

The combination of these four things led to the hat industry declining significantly. Are hats due for a comeback?  Anything can happen, but I wouldn't count on it.

What I really want to know is this: when did people stop using umbrella's? Around ten years ago our family helped my parents move out of their home in Edison, New Jersey and I believe we found 17 umbrellas there. Were they the last people to have umbrellas?

What Is The Most Popular Cereal In Your State?

 I'm always amazed at the number of cereals that exist and some that really make no sense at all to me.  A long time ago when our family visited Hershey Park, Pennsylvania we discovered it was two weeks before it opened. We went to the local supermarket and they had some of the oddest cereals I've ever seen. The one I remember best was, "Best Friends." I have never been able to understand how that could be a name for a cereal. A couple other cereals there were, "Freaky Fruits" and "Confetti Crisps."

This article I recently read lists the top cereals in each state, not by sales but by google searches. I'm not sure I'm completely convinced that's the most accurate way of researching this, but it should be close. It was done by the CPS Global, a nursing school.

Thirteen states had Fruit Loops as their favorite cereal and Cheerios and Rice Krispies and five states each. In New Jersey, the winner was Cookie Crisp, but I did read that Cheerios and Frosted Flakes ranked very high in my former state.  In Colorado, the winner was Fruit Loops and runner ups were Frosted Flakes and Honey Nut Cheerios.

Here are some unusual choices and the only state to pick these: 

Mississippi -Apple Jacks (I didn't know they still made these)

Alaska- Corn Pops (I have no clue what this is)

Arkansas-Honeycomb (I thought this was a song)

Wyoming-Frosted Mini Wheats (Thank goodness they are frosted)

Rhode Island-Fruity Pebbles  (Does that really sound appetizing?)

North Dakota-Special K-(Only 1 state?)

Maine- Raisin Bran (This is very good)

New Mexico- Honey Bunches of Oats (Really a cereal?)

Iowa- Cap'n Crunch (Still around?)

Minnesota- Wheaties (Only 1 state, I'm surprised)

Nebraska-Lucky Charms (I know their magically delicious, but I've never had them)

The four cereals I eat today are Special K with strawberries, Raisin Bran, Rice Krispies, and Cheerios. I used to eat Cocoa Krispies, but they are not very good for me. They were my favorite, but not mentioned on this list at all. Below is an old picture of me trying to get all the boxes of  Cocoa Krispies in a selfie. I think I had a great bargain for 6 boxes. It's a better picture of my nose and Yankee hat.

Can You Walk Barefoot Further Than He Can?

I only like walking barefoot in the shower and I don't go very far. Sure, I can wear socks and walk, but there's no way I would ever do what this guy just did. 

Eamonn Keaveney started walking from Istanbul, Turkey and walked barefoot to his hometown of Claremorris, Mayo, in Ireland. It was 4,228.94 miles and it only took him 369 days. In 2016 he set the record with about a 1,3000 mile walk across Ireland and in 2024 set a new record with a 2,200 mile walk. He also holds the record for going across Ireland on a Unicycle in five days.

He's a 34-year-old civil servant and he obviously loves his hobby. His challenges are a little bit different than ours. He explained, "I had thorns and small pieces of glass pricking my feet-near the end of the rip, a blackthorn caused an infection in my foot that took me off the road for a full week."

He met a lot of very curious and kind people who helped him in all different situations including when he was bit by a dog and need a rabies shot. If you wanted a safe bet, I would say that he's going to be on some long quest again once he recovers from literally being on the road for a year.

Occupations and Divorce Rates

I frequently get comments from young people that there aren't a lot of people married a long time.  I tell them that it has been very common for me to driver married couples for 20, 30, 40 and sometimes over 50 or 60 years.  Having just celebrated my 43rd anniversary recently, I have a few thoughts on this including the below chart which I recently read.

I am a number's guy and I believe that whatever the odds are the most important thing is your marriage, not your neighbor's marriage, your sister's marriage, or your friend's marriage.  Your success or failure is based on you and your spouse and unfortunately there are times that are beyond a person's control and divorce may be the best for both parties.

The chart is based on a five year study and came out two years ago.  The lowest ranking occupations were actuaries, maybe because they know that divorce numbers don't matter it's up to them? Just kidding, but who knows? Low numbers are showing for scientists, IT people, doctors, engineers, surgeons, dentists, and pharmacists.  I'm surprised by the number of professionals, especially dentists which I've heard in the past that numbers were high.

On the highest side of divorce rates are a number of careers associated with the medical field but not necessarily the top occupations. Telemarketers, machine operators, bus drivers, bartenders, are very different occupations than the other list. In some cases this may be people who are doing this part-time and not full-time.

The biggest question I would have in looking at this chart, how has money made a difference in divorce? I am certain if you looked at the average salary in both columns it would be a very significant difference and you might be able to conclude that more income leads to less divorces.  Of course that doesn't mean wealthy people don't get divorced, but maybe education and money are a big factor. Some of the highest percentages may also be impacted by work schedules being very different and causing problems in their personal life.

It was noticeable to me that teachers are not on either list. I found it an interesting chart and maybe you will also.

"America Runs on Grandparents"

I thought America runs on Dunkin' Donuts? I am sure there used to be a commercial like that, but this isn't about donuts, it is about grandparents.

Debra Whitman, executive vice-president for AARP actually said, "American runs on grandparents. They are really an economic backbone of our country that I don't think many people appreciate." There are 65 million grandparents in this country and 15% of them care for a grandchild daily or almost daily. The stats show that on average grandparents watch their grandchildren 500 hours a year for free.

My wife and I are grandparents of an amazing two-year old girl and we spend right now three days a week babysitting her together and the other two days I do by myself. All together we watch her maybe 35 hours a week and we have no regrets.

She keeps us very active, we laugh a lot like the picture above(not us) and we get a lot of exercise too. She gets to be around other adults and hear things and learn things in addition to what she gets from her parents. I highly recommend it and this was an easy decision for us when we moved across the country. We wanted her to have a great childhood, because not every child has one like she is having.

We are about to expand our babysitting operation.  Our granddaughter is months away from becoming a big sister and a big cousin.  At the beginning of the year we will have two new grandchildren and who knows how we will juggle it, but we will be available for all three grandchildren.

The AARP estimates the total value of the "grandparent economy," combining unpaid care and financial support at $904 billion a year. It's nice to be a part of something so large, but it's even better to be a big part of our granddaughter's life.

Short Stories From September 2026

HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY FOR THIS?

To me this looks like an old metal container that was run over by a big truck. My wife and I saw this in a rock shop and it's called, "Turquoise." The price on the bottom is $5,900.  Any buyers, I'll send you the address.

HOW DO YOU TURN A $50 BILL INTO A $20 BILL?

As many of you know, technology is not my thing, however, this story is pretty unique.  After getting a $50 bill as a tip I took a picture of it and turned it around to post it on Facebook and my blog. Somehow, I managed to come up with this picture, seriously. I wish I could turn $20 bills into $50 bills. I have no clue what I did, but this is the $50 bill I received.

DID YOU KNOW THIS?

I learned this month that Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on our Columbus Day? They have a big turkey dinner on Sunday and they are celebrating autumn. Do other countries celebrate seasons of the year?

"MORE TIME FOR YOU"

I have finished my second book, but it's been on hold. My second editor who was going to help me get it on Amazon suddenly got very sick and she's recovering.  Hopefully, this fun, easy to read book will be out in October.

A SPECIAL RIDE ON A FAMOUS TRAIN

At the end of the month my wife and I spent a few hours at the Colorado Railroad Museum with our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.  The famous Thomas The Tank Engine was there and we all took a ride around the museum facility led by Thomas.  Pictured below is the entrance/exit to the partially indoor/outdoor museum. Our two-year-old granddaughter could have spent the rest of the day playing with the small trains and train tracks.

SHE HAD WHAT ON HER FACE?

Our two-year-old granddaughter told my wife that she had shmutz on her face. It's German for dirt. She's heard her mom say the word.

MY FAVORITE RIDER COMMENTS IN SEPTEMBER 2026

I picked up three guys at 4 am who were on the way home from a fun night. One said, "My son is sitting next to me." I said, "How old is he?" He said, "20, I'm very proud of him." The father sounded young and I asked, "How old are you?" He said, "28, I started  young." I answered, "That's why I'm driving you home."(38)

I was driving "J" and asked if that was short for "Jay". He said, "No, I had to change my name on the app from Jacob because Uber drivers kept telling me bible lessons about Jacob."

The 911 operator told me, "Recently I spoke with a 3 year-old on the phone. He was taught to call 911 if his mom had a seizure. He couldn't talk that well, but he was able to get an ambulance there quickly."

The couple had big smiles and she said he was, "Like a walking golden retriever." He said he was, "A dog in human form."

I asked him how he met his wife and he said, "I walked into a friend's party and I saw her and time stood still. It was love at first sight."(Married 10 years)

I told the guy from Idaho about the two sisters from Idaho last month who I told they should have at least given me a potato. He said, "I should have had a potato for you." Another guy said, "I looked at their picture a second time, I used to date a girl from Idaho."

"We were in Hawaii during the hurricane with winds of 160 mph. We heated our coffee on a barbecue grill."

"If someone tries to explain to you what Japan is like, you won't get it. I went to a professional baseball game there and at the end there were no crumbs on the ground."

The young couple are engaged with plans to marry in two years when she finishes her masters. She said, "He made me wait and he can wait for me."

From Chicago: "I was driving one night with a heavy foot and got pulled over. In the back seat I had some blankets and several mannequin heads. As the cop approached my car he drew his weapon and told me to get out of the car. Another officer pulled up and they searched my car and then realized they were just mannequin heads and we had a good laugh. He gave me a warning and told me to slow down."

                                                MORE RIDER COMMENTS

She: "We were at a wedding and at the end a guy went into the picture booth by himself  and had a picture taken with these big lobster claws."

She: "Life is what you make of it. Art makes the world a better place."

From the UK he told me, "People in the north are more accessible in the UK."

He: "I didn't think I'd ever see Georgia with the championship. It may never be done again winning two consecutive ones."

He: "My step-brother just started playing for the Buffalo Bills."

She handed a very small brown envelope and inside it had a sticker that said, "You are beautiful." There was also a colorful, shiny message that said, "I AM ENOUGH," and a handmade chain that said, Clear Your Mind. She explained this by saying, "I like to give strangers games." It is now part of my museum.

I asked the woman what kind of work she did and she said, "I'm actually a doctor, an orthopedic surgeon." I asked her why she said it that way and she said, "I'm an unassuming person and some people are surprised I'm a doctor."

She: "I'm an OBGYN and I deliver babies in the hospital that Taylor Swift was born."

He worked in Los Alamos, New Mexico for six years and told me, "I have a PHD in nuclear engineering. 

He: "Hong Kong is the New York of the east."

She was in town to help her friend get ready for a theme wedding. She said, "It's like a Greek Mythology wedding with a fairy look. The groom is going to be dressed as Emperor Palpatine from "Star Wars", but creating the fake wrinkles is a challenge."

He: "Thailand is known as the land of smiles."

High school coach: "I'm just trying to get them to have confidence in themselves."

The dentist moved to Colorado and said it was very easy to get a license here, but very difficult to do in Texas. "For Colorado I just had a couple clicks on the computer and I had a license." 

He: "I'm kind of famous, I'm the third baseman for the Savannah Bananas." 

From India she asked me something no one else has ever asked, "What are your three favorite books?"

The woman's name was Charlie and she said, "I was named after my grandmother."

He tried to teach me how to say cheers in Eastern Europe which sounds like, "nah zdro vyeh". Finally, he gave up and said, "In German they say "prost" for cheers."

The young woman asked me, "What advice would you give someone who wants to make more friends?"

My three riders told me about the motor scooter clubs they belong to-"We are in a Vespa scooter club and some of us for 25 years we ride around and socialize."

He: "I have Irish twins, a boy and a girl who are 5 and 6."

THANK YOU TO THE THREE RIDERS WHO GAVE ME THESE EXTRA BILLS

 Albania, Poland, and the Euro bill.

I PICKED PEOPLE UP THIS MONTH FROM: Ukraine, India, Venezuela, Senegal, Mexico, Peru, United Kingdom, Philippines, Palestine, Zimbabwe, Columbia, Abkhazia, 

I DROVE PEOPLE WITH THESE UNIQUE OCCUPATIONS: 

Plasma Physicist            Former political reporter                  Nuclear Pharmacist

In Radioactive Waste Management           Energy Developer                   911 Operator

Practicing Chinese Medicine for 20 years            Operations person for IT company in India

Professor of Aerospace Engineering          Commercial Transportation Director

Project Manager Chicago University         Grant writer           Human Resources for QVC 

Private Chef Business in the Outer Banks    Marketing Director for Art Museum

WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT ME AND MY CAR:

Therapist: "I went out for pizza and I came back with the meaning of life. This is your superpower, you're giving people a rare experience."

"Thank you for starting my day on a sunshiny note."

"Honored to be part of the 17,000 plus passengers! Keep spreading joy!

I said to them, "You got a vacation in Hawaii." He replied, "Yeah, but I don't have a museum in my car."

"Are you a big time traveler?"

"You get to see the different slices of life."

As I was talking to her she thought, "This guy should write a book."

"This is a great way to wake up in the morning."

"You're passing on the good."

"I love your passion."

"The world needs more kindness."

"Thank you for sharing so much."

"This could be a showcase car."

"Definitely an experience."

"I appreciate you, you have everything here."

"I know this was going to to be an excellent ride as soon as you pulled up."

"This is a beautiful thing."

"I love your car."

"Your car is amazing."

"Glad you enjoy what you do."

"This was the most enjoyable ride."

"This was amazing, incredible, a unique experience, a pleasure."

"I really appreciate you, you're really cool."

"Thank you for the stories."

"You're the most memorable driver I've ever had."

"You are very entertaining."

"You're a sweetheart."

 Looking at the mannequin, she said, "She has a compelling gaze."

"You're living your best life."

"You made this fun."

"Very inspiring that you've been married 43 years."

"You I trust."

"You're the best."

"This was a wonderful ride."

"I really enjoyed this, it was the coolest Uber I've ever been in."

"This was the most unique Uber I've ever been in."

"This is crazy."

Wild.

MY FAVORITE RIDERS IN SEPTEMBER 2026

 A NUCLEAR PHARMACIST?

It sounds dangerous, but my rider as you can see below does not look dangerous at all. He was very outgoing and amusing.  He said, "I'm really not into working, I'd rather sleep and travel." Don't worry though, he is serious with what he does. He prepares, tests, and distributes radioactive drugs to hospitals. It is a unique occupation that requires eight years of school and there are not many nuclear pharmacists in the country. His picture is now in my museum and I'll be talking about meeting someone who has a career that most people have never heard of.

PHISH PEOPLE ARE BACK

Several years ago when I was driving in Charleston, South Carolina, the band Phish had a couple shows one weekend. The band started playing in Vermont in 1983 and has a very unique following. They focus mainly on musical improvisation and jams without having a single hit song.  One fan told me that, "Phish is the most popular band no one knows about." Many of their fans have gone to their concerts 50, 100, 150 times over the years. The fans were passionate, dedicated and a a lot of fun to talk to.

During the first weekend in September Phish played in Denver, Colorado and their fans once again impressed me. One rider told me that this was her 98th concert and her best friend it was going to be her 200th concert. She explained that Phish had taught her a lot about music including how to listen more carefully. Two of my Phish riders were very generous tipping me and one gave me a very unique game which will be in my next blog with my favorite rider comments.  Looking forward to Phish returning in the future.

THE CHALLENGING HAWIIAN VACATION

The Colorado couple had been to Hawaii before, but this time they were there the same time as Hurricane Lowell which dropped 21 inches of rain on parts of Hawaii.  They did have two days before the storm and they made the best of their time the rest of the week.  Electricity was out in many restaurants and they heated coffee on a barbecue grill. They experienced wind gusts up to 160 mph. Next month they will be celebrating being married 46 years, so Happy Anniversary to you both and thanks for sharing your Hawaiian adventure with me.  At the end of the ride I said to them, "At least you had a vacation in Hawaii and he said, "Yeah, but we don't have a museum in our car."

REDEMPTION WILL BE ACHIEVED

My Sunday morning was brightened when I picked up a well dressed, smiling woman with a unique story. I thought she was going to church or a wedding, but instead she was headed to work in a retail store. Living at a halfway house she shared her story how she barely avoided going to prison. She had taken money from a retail store where she was working and planned on returning it, but she was caught before she returned it. She was sincerely sorry and took full responsibility for it and was paying back the money she took. I congratulated her on how she was changing her life and encouraged her to continue what she was doing.  I'm confident that she will have a much better life as she completes her journey for redemption and I wish her the very best.

DREAM GREAT DREAMS

The college student has big goals. She is in a pre-med program and wants to travel to Madrid and possibly get her Veterinarian degree there in the near future.  I could tell that she is very determined and goal oriented. When she was younger her hobby was doing rodeo for eight years and now she is on a volleyball team in college. She gave me a bill from Poland that she had from a vacation last summer. I would wish her luck, but I don't think she needs it.

ANOTHER TERRIFIC BRITISH RIDE

I had the pleasure of driving a very personable guy from the UK to the airport for his trip home.  He has a computer science degree and a PHD in Mathematics. Although I love numbers he said that his strength is in "reasoning." He works for a company that handles a lot transportations issues. He has plans to visit Utah and California on two separate trips in the next 6-12 months. He's traveling to Greece soon and is going to see if he can get me an older Greek bill and he may be able to come up with a King Charles bill from the UK for me.  I enjoyed sharing some of my funny British stories with him and I hope to see him in the future if he returns to Colorado

A DYNAMIC DUO

The two friends were going to a Panda Fest, which is a very large Asian festival. One of them had just returned from serving in our Army in Albania for nine months and generously gave me my second Albanian bill. He has been in the Army for four years and was helping protect the Kosovo border from Serbia. He missed home and said that Albania was "not for him." He enjoys Colorado a lot more.

His male friend has been a surgical technologist for six years in a field dominated by women. He prepares and helps surgeons during surgery and needs to know everything that is going on during the operation.  Although he's not doing the work, it's a stressful job but it's very rewarding for him.

THE PROFESSIONAL RIDE

I joked with the couple from Pennsylvania that I was feeling a little uneducated driving them.  She is an OBGYN delivering babies in the hospital where Taylor Swift was born and he is an attorney.  After telling them about the secret agent who gave me the first bill in my car, I asked him, "What kind of attorney are you?" He said, "I'm not a secret agent, but I do work for the government." I enjoyed driving them to the Botanical Gardens especially since they are now living in Pennsylvania, my favorite state for great riders. 

THE SMILING COUPLE

It had to be a great ride because they were both grinning from ear to ear. Married for three years, the Colorado couple met playing soccer on different teams. When I complimented them on their smiles, she said, "He's like a walking golden retriever." He added, "I'm a dog in human form." We had a very short time together unfortunately, but they were a joy to drive.  Next time I have to get a picture for my museum.

THE LONE OFFICER

For 19 years he was the guy in charge of law enforcement for a small town. He covered forty miles in a department of one. The guy he replaced did train him for three months, but he was the only one in charge for 21 years. The best advice he got was to "Speak firmly and carry a big stick, but don't use it." He finally decided he had enough and moved into another city job taking care of the maintenance which is a lot easier to do.

The 100 Best Pizza Places in The World!

I had Pizza Hut recently and although I liked it, I was "shocked" to find out it was not on this list. As some of you know I'm not really fond of pizza anymore, but that could change. My kids ate too many pizza bagels and every other kind of pizza growing up and I lost my pizza taste buds. If I eat pizza a few times a year, I'm good.

In 2017, three Italians formed an organization 50 Top Pizzas and later started picking out the top 100 pizza places in the world. The number one place this year is Napoli on the Road in London. It somehow jumped from fifth place to first place.

What I find most interesting on this list is the cities that have a best pie. Would you have guessed this? Would you be eating pizza here?

Two of the top ten pizza places are in Tokyo. (RistoPizza by Napoli and The Pizza Bar on 38th.

Baldoria in Madrid is number 8.

Alleria in Chile is listed as number 11.

Fiata, in Hong Kong is number 16.

Gigi's in Sydney is also number 16.

La Clasica in  El Salvador is number 25.

Spaca Napoli, Seoul is number 28

Other places with great pizza in the Top 100: Bangkok, Philippines, Germany, Amsterdam, Peru, Slovakia, Japan, Uruguay, Vietnam, Buenos Aires, Costa Rica, India, Zagreb.(Croatia)

Italy had the most places with 25 and New York only had 7 and New Jersey had 1.

I may have to carry a list of this to let my passengers know who are traveling to these countries. I'm sure they want to know where to get great pizza on their vacation.

Sausage Anyone?

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile below was created in 1936 by the nephew of the founder of the Oscar Mayer company.  Today they have a fleet of cars that travel around the country advertising the company. I used to work with someone who used to drive one of them and I have a picture somewhere of my youngest daughter and I standing in front of one.

There's a new big dog in town, but it's made out of Lego brick.  The picture below is the largest Lego sausage in the world measuring 6 feet and 6.7 inches long.  A German man put together 65,000 Lego bricks to make this sausage and bun.

The unique idea came from talking with a sausage producer.  Tommy Schmidt gets the credit for making it and he said, "I have always enjoyed taking on unusual challenges."  This is a tribute to his area which is famous for its bratwurst.

How long did it take to make this? It took a full year to build it including six months in the construction phase. It took many people to move it from his backyard to the sausage company's headquarters. I guess he wasn't thinking about the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile or he would have put wheels on it.

The Millionaire Cashier

Believe it or not this is another story about Costco.  I do not work for them. Yes, I love their chicken and I did eat most of one last night, but I don't work for them. However, it can be a really good thing to work for them.

The article I recently read was about Tony Barzar, a 60-year-old cashier in Arizona, who started working for them in 1986, forty years ago. His 401k has over a million dollars in it. Costco's philosophy is to keep workers and pay them well which reduces the amount of money they have to pay for training new employees.

He is currently working part-time and still makes $32.90 per hour. He's also very good at his job. Although over the years he's been offered management positions, he's very happy doing what he does and has declined the promotions.

In 2009 his family bought a three bedroom house with a pool and they've traveled to Europe twice in the past decade.  He also has pretty good health insurance from the company.

According to Costco there are thousands of employees who have over a million dollars in their 401k account which is pretty impressive.  The first year turnover rate for employees is only 7% which is very low.

Two important things here: Saving money in a 401k does add up to a lot of money and there are some pretty great companies who do treat their employees very well.

A Nun Who Runs Marathons

Sister Stephanie Baliga works at Chicago's Mission of our Lady of the Angels, but she came close to being an Olympic athlete.  When she was a student athlete at The University of Illinois she was the sixth fastest freshman in the nation.  When she fractured her ankle as a sophomore she decided to dedicate her life to God.

For the past 15 years she has run in the Chicago Marathon to raise money for the their food bank. She has helped raise $2.6 million for the food bank.  She said, "We serve 400 to 500 families every Tuesday and we send about 300 deliveries to senior citizens each week. It's totally changed my life."

This year she is running with 200 others from their Mission and their goal is to raise $500,000.  Other members line the marathon route with funny signs such as: "Run Like You're Being Chaste," "2/3 of God's Name is Go," and "May God Have Mercy on Your Soles."  They have already raised close to $200,000 before the marathon.

There are times that one person make a very big difference in the lives of many.

A Repair Shop For You?

When you think of a repair shop, do you think of a car or computer repair shop? What if there were repair shops for anything you needed repaired and it cost nothing? Yes, it really costs nothing.  In 2009 it began as a free event, "A Repair Cafe" and today it is global non-profit organization with 59,000 members, almost 4,000 repair cafes, and 850,000 things fixed each year.

What an incredible idea! It gives people the opportunity to work together and get things fixed that are of sentimental value or in bad condition. It extends the life of things you want to keep. You don't have to give throw them out-how great is this!

The way it works is that you bring your item to a repair cafe and a repair export will work on it for you. The experts find it very rewarding helping people and fixing something that needs to be fixed. They get to show someone how to fix it.

Who has repair cafes? The Netherlands, The United Kingdom,  Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and The United States which has over 250 repair cafes spread across the country. How do you find a repair cafe near you? Click on the link below to check it out.

https://www.repaircafe.org/en/community/