Goodbye
I began this blog on September 7, 2009 and today is the 366th and final installment. This year I began to think it was about time I stopped subjecting the internet to my ramblings every week. As I thought more about it I decided to end with blog number 366 so that there would be one blog post for every day of the year – including leap year. I considered having the last blog appear with a link to a blog topic for every day of the year. This would be similar to the page a day calendar that is popular for cartoonists or for “word of the day” calendars. After consideration; I decided it would take too long to do. I am sure you will find a way to make it without my weekly contribution to your life.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Back To School
It is that time of the year when schools are beginning again after the summer break. Some schools will start shortly and others have already begun. Today I will take a look at the good and the bad of back to school. I wrote about back to school memories in 2012 as well, click here to read what I had to say.
The good:
- Traffic gets better with fewer people on the road during morning and afternoon rush hour.
- High School football games offer a fun way to spend a Friday night.
- Child care expenses are greatly reduced. Having nearby relatives has substantial benefits.
- Going shopping for some new clothes. I typically wore jeans and T-shirts in high school but was made to dress up in elementary school. Getting bell bottoms was a big deal.
- Seeing your friends again on a regular basis. Things might be different in today’s connected world. We did not have Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Skype/Face Time, cell phones or the internet when I was in school.
- Having your mind filled with knowledge and to continue your lifelong journey of learning. (I am sort of serious)
The bad:
- For the kids, it is the homework, getting up early and the lousy slop that they call pizza at the cafeteria.
- Finding out that you have a first period gym class or worse a challenging subject like calculus or physics. After the summer off and sleeping in you don’t want to tax your body or your brain that early.
- The drama associated with the bus ride for the elementary school kids. On top of that, it seemed like every year I would get on the bus first in the morning and be the last to be dropped off in the afternoon. Spending 45 minutes on a bus is no fun.
- Traffic gets worse during the morning and afternoon rush hour.
- For the parents the running kids to various school related activities.
- For the parents they also have to deal with homework every night making sure the assignments get done. I personally think they assign too much homework these days.
- For parents taking a hit to the budget to get clothes for the new school year can be a shock.
I hope this brings back some memories for you and I hope that back to school is mostly a good thing for you. Have a great week.
Tennessee Vacation
This summer I was fortunate to take a couple mini vacations. In June I went to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to check out the mountains and enjoy the wildlife. I avoided nearby Pigeon Forge and all the tourist attractions. I did see a black bear and several deer and even a turtle that was crossing the road as I toured the Smokey Mountain National Park. I visited a farm that was founded in the early 1800’s by rugged pioneers. This place was remote even in 2016; I can’t imagine what it was like then! I cooked some juicy steaks on the grill and enjoyed a swim. It was in the mid 90’s even at the higher elevation so a dip in the pool was quite refreshing.
About a week later my wife and I spent a long weekend outside of Chattanooga at a bed and breakfast. We visited Rock City which was nearby and spent an evening in downtown Chattanooga checking out the local scene and stopped in at a wine bar to escape the nearly 100 degree temperatures. We also checked out the Riverwalk and an outdoor flea market by the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga football stadium. We browsed local produce, arts and crafts and had to buy some kettle corn that was made as we watched.
After the flea market we had lunch at a BBQ restaurant and headed back to the B & B to check out the pool. They served locally roasted coffee all day long and I enjoyed some with my frequent snacks that were also served in the afternoons and evenings. The breakfast offerings were very good with a breakfast burrito one day and Belgian waffles the next. Again I enjoyed the coffee to wash it down.
On Sunday night we decided to travel about 30 minutes west of town and have dinner at a local winery that overlooked the Tennessee River. The wines were made from California grown grapes but were made, bottled and aged on site. We sampled a flight of their offerings and had dinner there. They had a wood fired oven that made a very tasty pizza. You can’t beat pizza, wine and a terrific view on an outdoor balcony to end the day. We took home a bottle of wine to enjoy and remember our trip.
It had been a long time since I had a chance to get away and relax. I recommend it! If you can’t get away before summer ends, try a fall excursion to view the colorful leaves as they reach their peak in you area. Have a great week.
Favorite Movies
- The Great Escape – This is from 1963 and has a large ensemble cast including Steve McQueen, James Garner, Donald Pleasence, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and David McCallum. It was aired annually in the 1960’s and 1970’s and I grew to enjoy it.
- Sole Survivor – This was a TV movie from 1970 that was very memorable and made big impact on me when I first watched it as a kid. The ending was what made the lasting impression. I recently re-watched it and it had much less effect on me. In fact the main plot centered around a General who was a young navigator on a doomed plane who bailed out and left the rest of the crew flying blind. This was mostly lost on me when I originally watched it. It starred William Shatner shortly after Star Trek ended.
- Wizard of Oz – I liked it as a kid when it scared me and appreciate the comedy scattered throughout as an adult.
- A Christmas Story – Despite the constant showings around Christmas I still like to watch it.
- E.T. – I knew it was going to be a classic the first time I saw it and was right. I even insisted that my parents watch it but they were not impressed.
- Gran Torino – This stars Clint Eastwood and that is all I am going to say about that.
- Forrest Gump – That is all I am going to say about that.
- Breaking Away – I saw this when it was released at the local drive in theatre around 1979 or 1980. This was a movie that was about some friends in High School who were going through changes as they graduated. A bicycle played a part in the plot. Who knew I would become a bicycling nut about ten years later.
I guess that is about I can recall, I am not a movie enthusiast. I have other favorites that are universally liked but these are ones that made a significant impression on me for one reason or another. If you haven’t seen any of these I would recommend them without hesitation.
Have a great week.
Be Careful What You Wish For
In September 2014 I wrote a blog about the push for a $15 per hour minimum wage. I cautioned that it was a very bad idea and described what would happen if it were to be implemented. You can read about that by clicking here. As it turns out the push has continued and the fast food industry has reacted well before the rate has reached $15. Click here to read what a former CEO of McDonalds has to say about this in a recent article.
My prediction of what would happen is coming true and instead of helping those who work in minimum wage jobs or at entry-level jobs near minimum wage it will hurt. There will be fewer entry-level jobs. Please don’t hail me as an economic genius; this is really simple to anyone who has any business sense. The technology has been available for a long time and now that labor is becoming more expensive a switch to automation becomes more viable.
At the beginning of June, Chick-Fil-A launched their mobile ordering app similar to the wildly popular Starbucks app. This switch to automation was inevitable and the ruckus that the $15 per hour movement caused simply accelerated the move to machines. I applaud the move to more technology only because it is a more efficient way to “deliver the goods”. My wife and I use the app that Panera Bread has to order food and pick it up when we are ready. It is a fantastic way to avoid the lines and save time. I am worried about where all the low skilled workers, students and people looking for part-time work to augment their income are going to find employment.
Have a great week.