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/

"Have You Forgotten?" (25 Years Ago)

HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN?

Country singer Darryl Worley released a song, "Have You Forgotten?" in 2003 which became a number one song on the country charts. Today, September 11, 2026, is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the attack on our country. In New York, Washington D.C., and Somerset County, Pennsylvania about 3,000 people lost their lives that day.

There are times in each person's life that are unforgettable: weddings, births, new houses, new cars or new jobs or promotions. On the other side, there are the difficult days that we wish we could forget.

Three years ago, I blogged about this day with pictures and stories from two scrapbooks I made with my 11-year old daughter about this day and the days and weeks following it.  The time I spent with her working on it was special and each 9-11 I spend 30-60 minutes going through each page of those scrapbooks to remember what happened. 

Tuesday, September 11th is one of those days that millions of people wish they could forget. On this day and the following days in 2001, there were so many amazing things that happened that we should always remember them too. The number of heroes are impossible to mention, but on 9-11 remember some of these stories and people:

Some of the best known heroes were police, firemen, rescue personnel, and the passengers of Flight 93 who fought back and stopped their plane from killing more people in Washington, DC. Some of those passengers names are well known, Todd Beamer, Jeremy Glick, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett and flight attendant Sandy Bradshaw.

Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, lost 658 employees that day and donated 25% of their profits directly to those families, over $180 million dollars. He also promised jobs to any child who lost a parent and more than 50 of them have been hired over the years.

Victoria Cross Kelly, the Deputy director of the Path train system, stopped the trains from entering the World Trade Center and is credited with saving 3,000 to 5,000 people that morning.

Elevator mechanic, Chuck Costello Jr, 46, of New Jersey had four kids.  A couple blocks away from the attack, the Navy veteran ran towards the building because he knew his experience would be helpful. He worked with rescue personnel to get people out of elevators and survivors referred to him as, "The elevator man." His body was found several months later.

Welles Crowther was 24 years old and he worked on the 104th floor of the South Tower. He tied a red bandanna around his face that many survivors will never forget. Known as "The man with the red bandana," he was a volunteer firefighter and he took charge and gave people instructions. He found a staircase and kept carrying people and led two groups to safety, but he never made it home.

Amy Sweeney, 35, was a flight attendant going from Boston to Los Angeles that day. She immediately started talking with personnel on the ground when the hijacking took place.  For twelve minutes she gave detailed information and seat numbers of the hijackers. Fellow flight attendant Betty Ong was doing the same thing and providing invaluable information to authorities on the ground. Their last moments was Amy communicating that something was wrong and the plane was too low.

Rick Rescorla was born in the UK and served in the British Army and in Vietnam.  He was a security guard and became Vice President of Security for Morgan Stanley in the South Tower in 2001.  After the attack in the World Trade Center in 1993, he warned people that the next attack would be in the air.  He ran so many evacuation drills people complained about him.  On the morning of 9-11 he ignored the announcement for people to stay at their desks and he's credited with leading almost 2,700 employees to their safety. How did he do it? He had a bullhorn and he sang Cornish and Welsh songs to keep the line moving.  He made one last sweep to make sure no one was left behind. Unfortunately, he was the one left behind, but he will always be remembered by thousands of survivors and their families.

One of the most incredible stories was the 500,000 people who were evacuated from Manhattan by boat in nine hours. About one hundred fifty ships of all kinds picked people up and helped get them home. It is the largest maritime evacuation in history.

Lastly, every story about 9-11 should include the incredible people in Gander, Newfoundland. When United States airspace was closed on that September day, thirty-eight jetliners heading to The United States were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland. (A total of 250 were diverted to Canada) With a total population of 9,600, the people of Gander took care of over 7,000 stranded passengers for four to five days.  The passengers started a foundation for scholarships for their kids and to date has raised over $1 million dollars to thank them for their generosity.  The award-winning book, "The Day The World Came To Town" by Jim Defede is an amazing book to read. 

The key chain below I bought at the gift shop at Ground Zero in Manhattan and my keys are on it. I always tell people when you go to New York you need to visit Ground Zero and always remember the whole story of 9-11. 

How Many Diners Have You Visited?

I grew up in New Jersey which is fondly referred to as "The Diner Capital of the World." There used to be over 600 diners in the state, but now it appears there are "only" around 450 diners in New Jersey.  They say that it all began around 1870 in New Providence, Rhode Island.  A guy named Walter Scott noticed that around 8 pm near the train station there was nothing open so he loaded up a wagon which was moved by a horse and put in it...hard boiled eggs? Yes, and coffee, sandwiches and donuts.

In the early 1900's New Jersey had some of the best roads in the country and diners were located right off the highway.  Diners provided good food at reasonable prices and were very popular in New Jersey. Times have changed and many diners have been bought out and their menus have also changed drastically.  The menus used to have many, many pages and that has been cut back to a much smaller amount to be more efficient.

Diners used to be open 24 hours a day, but there are only 16 of those left in New Jersey, one of them being The Clinton Diner in Clinton, New Jersey which used to be very close to where I lived.  I've eaten at this diner a number of times since leaving New Jersey and it's train cars and this monster burger are a couple things it's none for.  They do serve a lot of good food also.

                

I recently read an article in the Fairleigh Dickinson University Magazine about a couple who met on campus and live in Bergen County, northern New Jersey. They decided to visit all the diners in New Jersey and currently are at 325 diners with 125 to go. Why would they do that?

Here are some of the things they said in the article:

"We're just doing our part to support these diners, these small businesses in the state as we bond and travel."

"I call it a vacation without a suitcase."

"We're not comparing, just enjoying."

"There's such a nostalgia to diners, and they're near and dear to many, many people."

The couple has been married since 1984 and their diner travels have led to them being on some television news shows, throwing out the first pitch at a Somerset Patriots minor league baseball game and filming a scene in an upcoming gangster movie where they appeared in a diner.

Working in the magazine delivery business for many years I have visited a lot of diners in New Jersey and I've eaten at a number of them too.  How come I never got to throw out the first pitch at a baseball game?

MY FAVORITE RIDER COMMENTS FOR AUGUST 2026

Her birthday is coming up this week and I asked her what she's going to do. She said, "Well, I'm 46 and I really don't have birthday parties anymore, but if you give me some weed, money, or coffee that will work."

The pharmacist has no kids, so I asked, "Do you have a dog?" He replied, "I barely remember to feed myself, that wouldn't be a good thing."

Married for 58 years I asked what the secret of a successful marriage was and he said, "Shut up! Don't continue to upset the other person."

I asked the couple married three years how they met. She said, "We're actually cousins by marriage. My aunt married his brother. We both use to babysit a lot of the kids in the family." Me: "Have you gotten a lot of flack from your family?" She: "We' used to, but one still calls us "Crazy 1 and Crazy 2."

I asked the young couple from Mississippi, "How long have you been dating?" She said, "About three months, but we're definitely going to get married and see all fifty states."

What does she do for a living? She said, "I do por_. Chat, about 3-4 nights a month."

I said to the two sisters from Idaho, "You know when you're driving someone from Idaho it would be nice to get a potato." She: "I gave the last one out at the hotel." Me: "You're going to be in my blog with that comment."  She: "I never dreamed of getting such recognition."  An hour later a young guy added, "It sounds like something people from Idaho should do."

The attorney is moving from New Zealand to Australia, "We call it crossing the ditch."

Visiting Colorado they decided to walk forty minutes to get coffee. She: "Because of the concert we waited in line for an hour and a half.  I can't have caffeine and they didn't have decaf so I had milk."

He builds the insides of Amazon facilities and told me, "There is a secret location they have in New Jersey and even if you guessed where, I can't tell you."

The die-hard New York Met and New York Jet fan kidded, "If the planes carrying The New York Yankees and New York Giants crashed on their first road trip I wouldn't mind."

"You always have a choice. I don't believe in coincidence." After spending ten years in jail for drugs and other offenses he changed his life and has a good job, plays in a band and is a music producer.

I asked if he was a sports fan and he said, "I'm not really a fan of anything in life."

The experienced flight attendant said, "I'd rather deal with the peasants(joking) in the back than the people up front." 

"My husband and I had a processing business for 42 years turning animals into meat and we've been married 53 years. Sometimes I wonder how I had the time to work a full-time job and also raise three kids."

Bartender: "I always try to give people my best and leave them better than they were before."

 MORE RIDER COMMENTS                       

A caregiver for forty years she said to me, "My job is everything, I love it."

She: "I have silver shoes and I know how to have a good time."

Married for 54 years I asked the woman from Nepal, "What is the secret of a successful marriage?" She said, "In my country women must compromise."

Married for 36 years I asked him the secret of a successful marriage and he said, " Don't fight, arguments are not personal and don't let them drag on."

She: "My best friend in Seattle bought a mannequin and kept it in the car to avoid the extra taxes(tolls) as a solo driver for five years. She would put different hats on it or sunglasses and saved thousands of dollars."

He stumped me with two money trivia questions: "Who is on the $500 and $1,000 bills?" Although they are no longer printed the answers are, "President McKinley is on the $500 and President Grover Cleveland is on the $1,000 bill." 

I told the two couples they now had better luck being in my car and the guy who said he was a "man of leisure" said, we're taking three different planes and they may all crash."

She: "I always smile to people because you don't know what people are going through."

He: "I had to learn how to relax. I'm very outgoing, but when I'm under stress I stay away from people. Don't isolate yourself and when someone asks you to do something with them that you really don't want to do, do it."

He: "When I was a kid my mom used to go to a wig store that had mannequins. I used to call it "The head store." 

Talking about a past rider who was a cancer researcher and was concerned about her impact, my rider said, "Fulfillment comes from seeing impact."

He: "I built humanoid robots in Norway and unmanned drones here."

She found love at work and said, "Love happens when you least expect it."

I asked the chef for many years, "Do you have chef dreams?" He: "All the time, sometimes I wake up sweating. I don't have the food ready or don't have enough ingredients. My next job is going to be on an oil rig."

She: "When I worked in a bakery I gained a hundred pounds."

I asked, "How do you like Colorado?" She replied, "It's actually kind of nice."

The rider can no longer drive and told me, "You guys have taken care of me for ten years."

I asked the guy what he did for work and he said, "I have about 200 jobs. It's really about ten jobs."

"My sister(hair stylist) had mannequins around the house and they always scared me in the bathroom."

"My friend has about five mannequins that he draws on for fun."

She: "I became a massage therapist after going to an energy healing class my mom couldn't make."

Her unique name was "Lyric" and I asked how she got the name. She said, "My mom liked it from an old movie she saw."

When I asked a Marissa(my daughter's name) how she was named Marissa, she said, "I don't know, I'll call my mom now." Her mom said, "I just liked the name."

I PICKED UP RIDERS FROM

Italy, Guatemala, Philippines, El Salvador, Afghanistan, Micronesia, India, Ireland, Mexico, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Soviet Union, Germany, Nepal, Columbia, Ukraine, Ghana. 

UNIQUE OCCUPATIONS:

Formerly built humanoid robots and unmanned drones.

Director of Property Management building Amazon facilities

Aircraft Fueler

Director of Marketing United Airlines

HR Air Force

Former Town Planner

Owner of in-home diagnostic testing for epilepsy

Realtor, manager of cafes, and plays roller derby

Top Teamsters Manager and Recruiter

Optician

Female attorney from Columbia

Business Owner Satellite Imagery and Representative of the Philippines Government

WHAT RIDERS SAID ABOUT ME AND MY CAR

She: "Neatest Uber experience. We enjoyed our experience with you so much! I love the sheet you gave us with your favorite quotes. We were laughing so hard at them at the bar! I can't wait to show them to my family back in Mississippi. Quite the comedic relief! We will continue to share stories about you!"

Wiping tears from her eyes, she said, "It's nice to know that there is humanity in the world."

"This is a beautiful thing to see. You just don't see something like this very often."

"This is a collage of humanity, it's very special.  I always wished there were people out there who did things like this. Thank you so, so much. Can I give you a hug?"

"It is insane. It's so sweet what people did. I love when people come together to do something."

The young guy said, "This car really tells a story. It's kind of magical and shows everyone is different. I wish I had something to add to the history."

"This is beautiful what you've turned this into. I never expected this in an Uber, it was such an experience. Best of luck with all your adventures."

"You make people happy, I feel happy."

He: "The ripples you create spread far and wide."

"This is a great way to start my day. It really lightened up my mood."

"I can feel your life energy."

"This is well organized."

He: "You're going to need a bigger museum."

She: "I know I was meant to be in this car."

He: "Incredible, your granddaughter is so lucky."

"This is not what I expected."

"I've never ridden in a car museum."

"This is freakin' amazing. I love the set-up.

"This is the most memorable ride-you're awesome."

"Your car reminds me of the Jingle trucks they have overseas with a lot colors and things hanging."

"I love your collection."

"I love your drive."

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

She: "You have to come back to Colorado Springs-people here need to see this."

"It would be awesome if you were my driver again."

"This was such a pleasant surprise."

"Great conversation."

"I had a great time."

"This car beats the best Uber car I've been in."

"This was so much fun"

"I love your vehicle."

"This was a fun ride."

"This was the most entertaining ride-awesome."

 "Lovely to have ridden with you. I'll remember you."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you again-awesome."

He: " This is tenacious, to consistently keep this going takes dedication."

The Red Sox fan said, "Love you, thank you. Keep doing what you're doing."
"That would be awesome if you were my driver again."

"You're the guy with the coolest van."

"Amazing, you're doing good work."

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

"I really appreciate your car, I wish I could contribute."

"Thank you, that was so nice."

"Have you ever been a tour guide?"

"After 43 years, how do you keep the spark?"

He: "You probably shouldn't tell us which bills are the most valuable."

"One of the coolest rides I've ever had."

"My friend used to have a cab with pictures of his riders on the ceiling."

"Thanks for the tour.  I love your car."

Words that riders said to describe the car: "Dang", "Wow", "Wild", "Curated", "Super cool","Crazy" "Magical".

MY RIDERS GET MORE THAN A RIDE

Several years ago I posted a few separate blogs from riders commenting about me and their experience riding in my car and I made comments about the comments. With my museum expanding to 80 countries represented in my car and pictures of over 50 riders, the comments I receive are always posted on the bottom of my monthly rider comments list. (That list will be out in two more days with over 60 comments including these below)

This is my way of thanking them and highlighting them this month after giving almost 200 rides on the five weekends in August.

My story on "The Sunshine Girl" appeared in the last blog and although she thanked me for being an inspiration with this drawing and sunflower pin, it really was her.

She: "Neatest Uber experience. We enjoyed our experience with you so much! I love the sheet you gave us with your favorite quotes. We were laughing so hard at them at the bar! I can't wait to show them to my family back in Mississippi. Quite the comedic relief! We will continue to share stories about you!"

The young couple from Mississippi were adorable and below is their picture hanging in my car. Her enthusiasm will be shared with young and old couples alike.

Wiping tears from her eyes, she said, "It's nice to know that there is humanity in the world."

"This is a collage of humanity, it's very special.  I always wished there were people out there who did things like this. Thank you so, so much. Can I give you a hug?

Two different riders, both women, brought up humanity which is a very common word used in my car.  I make sure riders understand that this is about them, not me. They get the credit for what they have shared for many others to enjoy and these two women on different rides understood my message. The second young woman lives in Charleston, South Carolina where I used to drive and she is a very dedicated nurse. Thank you, for doing what you do!

"It is insane. It's so sweet what people did. I love when people come together to do something."

People coming together is what this rider understood, it's an effort by many people. Sometimes it takes a village and sometimes it takes a museum in an Uber.

The young guy said, "This car really tells a story. It's kind of magical and shows everyone is different. I wish I had something to add to the history."

"This is beautiful what you've turned this into. I never expected this in an Uber, it was such an experience. Best of luck with all your adventures."

Two different young men enjoyed the ride and this was their view.  People are surprised and they realize this is something very special.

She: "I know I was meant to be in this car."

I've talked with riders about this a lot. Sometimes they are running late or their car broke down, or they are having a very difficult day.  I refer to the dentist a few months back who was wiping tears away because she had lost a close uncle and she said, "I wish all my friends could be here in this car talking with you." Sometimes things happen for a reason and I want my riders to feel special, because they are.

He: " This is tenacious, to consistently keep this going takes dedication."

"This is well organized."

Two more guys commenting on my organization in the same month.  It's the first time I've heard the word "tenacious" used, but I appreciate the compliments.

He: "The ripples you create spread far and wide."

The bartender was very moved and said a number of things, but this was key. I told him about the Scott Adams quote that I love, "Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with not logical end." I am very confident that my riders will think about what they saw in my car and it will have some impact in their lives and the people around them.

MY FAVORITE RIDERS IN AUGUST 2026

HE WAS THE SUNSHINE 

August was an incredible month personally and driving. My final rider of the month ended my month with his thoughtful generosity.  I had told him that my wife and I had just celebrated our 43rd anniversary and then his sister told me he was going through a difficult divorce. He took out a $50 bill and handed it to me saying that my wife and I should go out to dinner on him. Above my head in my car is a sign that says, "If You Can't Find the Sunshine, Be the Sunshine." He was the sunshine. A picture of his $50 bill is attached to the sign and when people ask I will tell them about what he did. Sending lots of good karma to him and many thanks for inspiring others.

MOTHERHOOD AND MUAY THAI FIGHTING

I've always thought being a mother is an incredible profession and mothers deserve all the credit in the world for what they do. On the second day of the month I drove a mom with four kids, who is also a neonatal pulmonologist (MD) and for the last five years she is a Muay Thai fighter in her free time. I asked her how she is able to manage her time and she said, "I've always done it."

Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand known as "The Art of Eight Limbs," where you use punches, kicks, elbows and knees. She is 6-1, she trains six days a week and has fought in several countries and has won one big tournament. When I asked her about her hobby, she said, "It's not a hobby, it's a lifestyle."

As a gift she gave me a Pra Jiad, (above) which is a traditional wristband warn by fighters to give them good luck and offer protection, and show respect for teachers. It's very colorful and she told me that it was blessed by a monk. I am displaying it right up front for everyone to see and bring them luck too.

THE SUNFLOWER GIRL MEETS THE SUNSHINE MAN

It was her very first Uber driver and she was a joy to drive.  She's been helping at-risk children in her career, because, "I don't want anyone else to go through what I did." She taught herself to smile saying, "You never know what people are going through." We could have talked for an hour because of her positive attitude. She loves sunflowers and below is a picture of my wife's sunflowers in our backyard. The sunflower girl gave me a sunflower pin which will hang in my car, drew a picture of a girl and thanked me for the ride. The pin and the picture and message will be on my next blog under rider comments. She made my day and I made hers, how great is that?

                                                 

"YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE"

Over the years I have been inspired a number of times by people who made a decision to change their life and they did it. My rider had spent ten years in prison for drugs and a number of crimes.  He had enough of that kind of life and today has a good job, but his passion is his music. He plays in a band and records his own music and is a music producer. He told me, "I don't believe in coincidences," and that you determine your life.  His music is a reflection of his positive beliefs and actions. He's a good role model to show people that they can overcome adversity in their life.

THE SMILING SISTERS FROM IDAHO

Another ride was pure fun driving the two sisters(not nuns) on vacation together in Colorado. We really had fun when I told them how nice it would be to get a potato from someone coming from Idaho. One sister replied, "I gave out the last one at the hotel." When I told her that she was going to be in my blog, her reply was, "I didn't expect to get that kind of recognition." I've been telling this story and other riders have been adding to the story. One guy said, "It sounds like something people from Idaho should do." I put this great picture of them in my car mentioning the potato, but they didn't text me so I can't send it to them. (If you're reading this, comment on the blog so I can send it to you.) Who knows the great comments I'm going to get from a potato.

THE WORLD CAME TO ME

He was born in California and his mom is from France. He speaks fluent French, (unlike me), he travels a lot, he has a unique Indian name, and he's moving to Canada to go to graduate school. His youthful enthusiasm and his joyous personality made my ride with him a real delight. He may have set the record for the most "Wows" in my car and I made him laugh easily and often and enjoy our ride together. He's interested in environmental studies and is going to grad school for ecology and evolution and that's a lot of "E" words. Although he raved about my car and said, "This was such an experience," it was quite the experience to meet him and I hope to see him again when he returns next year for a convention. Au revoir, mon ami! (FOUR FRENCH WORDS!}

COUSINS BY MARRIAGE?

The ride had three stops and went a total of three miles, but we got a lot of laughs in this short ride. They were my 10th ride of the day and this was the one I was waiting for.  Married three years I asked how they met and she explained, "We're actually cousins by marriage. My aunt married his brother. We both used to babysit a lot of the kids in the family.  Are family is still giving us flack today." One family member calls them "Crazy 1 and Crazy 2!) Their family should stop giving them a hard time. They've known each other a long time and get along great. I hope to drive them again, but a little bit longer.(I drove them one week later, but the ride was shorter)

ANOTHER OUTSTANDING FLIGHT ATTENDANT!

For the second straight month I have to write about a male flight attendant who was a real character and professional.  He and his wife have a real estate business in Arizona and he's a real people person. He told me that some of the best fliers were from the Boston area and I've already shared that with someone from Boston. He said, "95% of people are great and the other 5% are just a-holes." He told me that he can't believe some of the things people do in airports and what they do or don't wear. He prefers to work the back of the plane instead of upfront and jokingly called the people in the back, "peasants." I'd love to hear him do fifteen minutes of stand-up and I have no doubts he would do it well. 

THE RESTARAUNTEUR WITH A SENSE OF HUMOR

He was from New York and since I'm from New Jersey I knew he was going to be a fun ride. He said he was in town to check on his three restaurants  and make sure the people there, "Weren't stealing too much." On three different trivia questions he stumped me: Tom Seaver's real first name(George), Who is on our $500 bill, "President McKinley" and who is on our $1,000 bill, "President Cleveland." He's a huge sports fan with his favorite teams being The New York Mets and New York Jets." He told me that if my teams, The New York Yankees and New York Giants had planes that crashed, "He wouldn't mind." I wish we had more time together, maybe next time.

FUTURE SKIING CHAMPION

I had the pleasure of driving a German college student going to school in Vermont.  He's studying business, but his real passion is skiing. His mom won a championship years ago and his family has a history of being very good skiers.  He's constantly around better skiers and consistently training. His goal is to win a World Cup in a couple years and he has the right attitude to do it. We had a great conversation and I got to learn about the world of skiing-I'm rooting for him.

DRIVING MCCARTNEY FROM THE UK?

It wasn't a dream, but it was D. McCartney and not Paul McCartney that I had the pleasure of driving. She told me that she doesn't use the name McCartney at work, but uses Starr as her last name.(Ringo Starr) From Ireland, part of the UK, I entertained her with my British stories and enjoyed hearing her accent very much. I did not ask her to sing, but she probably would have just for the fun of it.

Is Luck the Answer?

I read an article recently by a woman named Lori and it was entitled, "The Older I get, the Less I Believe in Luck." She made a lot of good points which makes sense since she is a "Certified Life coach, an educator, and an empowerment advocate."

Many, many years ago I heard an interview with the Hall of Fame football player, Roger Staubach who played for The Dallas Cowboys. As a Giant fan, the Cowboys are one of my least favorite teams, but  he is my favorite Dallas Cowboy.  He said that you have to be prepared and ready when opportunity comes about.  After football he built a very successful commercial real estate business which he sold in 2008 for over 600 million dollars.

In the article, Lori said that she now believes, "What I once called luck, I now recognize as preparation, persistence, and courage." Here are a few of her comments I loved:

"What we often call luck is usually something much deeper. It's preparation meeting opportunity. It's persistence surviving long enough to see results. It's courage showing up when fear stays home." 

I recently finished an incredible biography on Richard Branson the British billionaire and how he started his company which is spread across 35 other countries and he had a lot of courage and persistence throughout most of his career.

"From the outside people see the result, rarely do they see the journey."

I remember hearing the story of the great Liberace who was signing autographs and someone yelled out, "I would give anything to succeed like you." Liberace replied, "I did."  The results are only part of the story.

"The older I get, the more I see that life rewards people who keep showing up. Many people quit when results don't come quickly."

Thomas Edison failed 10-14,000 times to discover the lightbulb, but he kept going.

"Believing in luck can be dangerous. It can convince us that our future depends on circumstances that we don't control."

One of the most powerful forces in the world is choice.  People can choose to change their circumstances and I've personally spoken to many people who have done it.

"I spend less time hoping for luck and more time preparing for opportunity." 

 What opportunity are you preparing for today or this month?

Some Short Stories in August

 WE'RE GOING TO THE ZOO!

When was the last time you went to a zoo? I have no idea my last time, but I went on August 3rd, our granddaughters birthday. I went on the carousel and the little train.  The Denver Zoo had a Disney-like feel to it.  We got lucky it was cloudy for the first couple hours.  Below is my train and carousel picture. I'm not really an animal kind of guy, but they were there.                    

                          

CAN YOU SEE THIS CAR?

I am not the most observant guy, but I have to admit this observation was pretty ridiculous.  My two-year-old granddaughter got her first car.  It's not too big and not too small, but I wasn't there when she got it. So I walked in the garage door to babysit and I was in the house a couple hours and walked back and forth past this blue car without seeing it. Sitting at the kitchen table I looked over and saw it very close to the front door. It did not just arrive, but I did not see it for hours. 

TOOTH EXTRACTION

If you have never have had a tooth removed I can ease your anxiety and tell you it is simple, quick and painless...when it happens. When the meds wear off, a throbbing toothless area is left.  I did have one removed this month and when the oral surgeon started working on my tooth I heard the music in the other room very clearly-it was Olivia Newton John singing, "Let's Get Physical." I would have liked more calming music when the drilling began.

HOW MANY SPRINKLES ARE THERE?

The above donut was put in front of my two-year-old granddaughter and she started eating one sprinkle at a time. I estimated that there was a few hundred sprinkles. She eventually could not resist and took a couple bites and after twenty-five minutes she lost interest and the donut looked like this below. An hour or so she went back to the donut, but I'm not sure how many sprinkles she ate.

VISITING HOME DEPOT FOR MY BIRTHDAY

 After eating my birthday dinner at Olive Garden my wife took me to Home Depot. I was a little concerned when the guy below went to wish me Happy Birthday so I took his picture.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THIS?

This dinosaur is on a scooter and he goes down a big slide.  Here's the picture of it failing to do it and he comes up looking a little green.

                                                                      

                                                                              

                                                                                                                                              

IT'S NOT JUST THE FLOWERS!                                                                                                                            

I did buy my wife some beautiful flowers for our 43rd anniversary at the end of the month. However, I brought it into the house and could not find a vase, so I improvised.  I took part of a bottle and put water in it and then I put it in the below bucket and I threw in the salt shaker to maker sure the bottle would not tip over. It was perfect!

                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                              

                                                                                       

How Many Free Throws Would You Shoot?

When I was a kid my dad put up a basketball backboard and rim and it was attached to the middle of our garage on the top of our driveway.  I used to shoot hook shots and long shots and free throws.  The driveway sloped down so I was always shooting up.  I would take twenty straight free throws and my goal was to make sixteen which I did from time to time.

I recently saw a video that I watched a couple years ago by Eric Johnson of KOMO News in Seattle, Washington.  It's about a guy named Tom Steurey who lives in Eastside, Washington. After he retired at 65 he was at the gym and walked by the basketball court and saw a ball sitting near the foul line. He picked it up and decided to do one hundred free throws and he made 82 of them.  He was on his high school basketball team, but that was a long time ago.

He wrote down his numbers on his calendar and started doing it every day as part of his workout and then it became his workout.  Sometimes he would shoot 400 in a day and record it on his calendar and then on his computer.  He had retired from Boeing and he was a guy who liked numbers.

After a few years he had a bigger goal-he wanted to shoot one million free throws.  It took him a total of 17 years and he tracked all his free throws and he made 94% of them which is incredible.  He also estimated that going back and forth on the court he walked 1,500 miles.  At one point he made 222 shots in a row.

On his 82nd birthday he made free throw number one million in front of friends and family.  You can watch the news story online by looking up his name.  He said, "I did it for the challenge."

When you retire, what will you do for "the challenge?"

Why Are Dutch Kids so Happy?

Children in the Netherlands are regularly rated some of the happiest kids in the world, but why? Studies have shown a few simple explanations: Margreet de Looze, as assistant professor at Utretch University said, "Where Dutch children really stand out is that they have very good social relations. The amount of support they receive from family and friends, from teachers and classmates-in all these areas they score high."

The kids also have a lot of freedom, do a lot biking, and cell phones are banned from schools. These areas are all considered to be very positive.  Many parents work part-time which enables them to spend more time with their kids. Will working remotely have the same impact today?

Their are no school buses so kids regularly bike to school and of course the exercise is good for them. The communities are very close and kids are frequently involved in activities and local events. They feel good about themselves and their community.

As we raise or help children one of the basic things we want is for them to be happy.  It seems that the people in The Netherlands have figured out how to do this for years.

A Tribute To Allan Sherman

One day around the year 1975 I went over to my best friend's house, Larry Osman.  I think we were in high school.  He played the guitar and he sang me part of a song he wrote called, "Jersey Traffic." He told me that the music was from a popular song. I thought it was pretty good and the idea of writing something to other music was a pretty cool thing to do.

It may have been that day he told me about a Jewish singer, Allan Sherman, who wrote a bunch of songs or parodies of other songs in the sixties. He played me the album he had. I thought it was so good that I asked him to put the songs on a cassette tape for me and I still have that tape today.

Between 1980 and 2024 I have written well over two hundred songs/parodies and Larry and Allan definitely deserve some of the credit and blame. I recently found out that Allan Sherman wrote the below autobiography and I bought it and read almost all of it flying to New Jersey recently.  Who was Allan Sherman and what incredible journey in life did he have?

They say that Allan Sherman was a comedian, a writer, a musician, and a television producer.  He created a television show, "I've Got A Secret" that was on the air for fifteen years. He produced it for six years. At the same time he struggled with bad health being overweight, an alcoholic, and a diabetic.  Before the Beatles became famous in February 1964 on the Ed Sullivan Show, Allan Sherman for a year and a half was almost as popular as The Beatles were in 1964.

He once lived next to Harpo Marx, one of the Marx brothers. He once lived in the exclusive Brentwood section of Los Angeles. He also  moved into a neighborhood that three weeks later ninety-one of the ninety-seven houses burned to the ground, but not his. He knew comedians and singers, but he really had no musical talent. He was fired as the producer of a television show for Steve Allen, before the show started.  

His life went up and down and being unemployed with a wife and two kids, he was on unemployment. He used to sing songs at parties for friends for free and sent Capital Records a bunch of songs, but he was turned down.("We don't think there's a market for this kind of thing.")

A friend got him an audition at Warner Brothers and they decided to record a comedy album of his songs called, "My Son, The Folk Singer." Quotes on the album were from friends who loved his songs, famous people like Harpo Marx, Steve Allen, Jack Benny, and Jerry Lewis. 

On October 7, 1962 the album was released and here are some of the ridiculous highlights:

1. The album became the fastest selling record album of all-time as of that date.

2. The Warner Brothers New York distributor ordered 100 copies on Monday and 30,000 more on Wednesday.

3. Frank Sinatra bought 25 copies to give out to all his friends.

4. The week before he was on unemployment and the first week the album was out it sold 65,000 albums and he made $23,000 that week. (In 1962)

5. He released three albums in 1962-1963 and they all went to number one on the charts.(A total of eight albums in his life)

6. His first single from his first album was "Sarah Jackman" and President Kennedy was overheard a number of times singing some of the words. (Parody of "Freres Jacques")

7. The Sam Goody record store in New York put up a sign, "Limit 12 To A Customer". 

8. It is said that he sold over 500,000 albums the first month and there is no definitive amount on how many millions he sold of that first album.

9. He turned down performing on The Ed Sullivan Show twice because he was terrified of performing, but he eventually did perform some concerts.

10. He guest hosted for Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show" a number of times including once for an entire week.

11. The sudden death of President Kennedy in November of 1963 and The Beatles coming to America in February 1964, some say led to his popularity decreasing.

Most of his songs were parodies of other songs, but he did write and perform some original songs.  Many of the parodies on his first albums were filled with Jewish humor.  My favorite song he did was "The Ballad of Harry Lewis." Some others were: "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" (about going to Day Camp), "My Zelda", "Oh Boy", and "In Sherwood Forest There Lived a Knight."(Sir Greenbaum) He also did a song called, "Pop Hates the Beatles," in 1964.

It was a terrific book to read and his sudden success was absolutely incredible. You can look up these songs and hear some terrific lyrics. His first album was performed in front of a very amused and entertained crowd in  a studio and his songs are still very good sixty years later.