Saturday, November 30, 2019
Those Holiday Trees
The news said there is a shortage of holiday trees. The
amount of trees available is 33% less since 1977.
That's a lot of trees. People still buy them instead of the fake ones.
It's a small sale window.
Friday, November 29, 2019
When You Donate
The news had a story that Americans donated $290 billion
to charities last year.
Donors always need to know where their money is going.
Some have very high administrative costs. People make a
living raising funds.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Fighting For Sales
Retail stores are hoping
for big sales over the next few days. The scene has changed so much in recent years because of on-line sales.
Stores are closing at an alarming rate as shopping patterns change. They will offer all sorts of
deals to get the crowds through the doors.
Will it be enough for the bottom line or will they pay the price in their own way with more closings?
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
A Fatal Day At Work
Some jobs are more dangerous
than others. Construction can cause a lot of injuries.
Today, a worker was killed and another seriously injured while they were working on the Rt 495 bridge
in Haverhill.
It sounds like they fell from a bucket lift. Were
they properly harnessed in and secured?
Investigations
and lawsuits will follow, but it will never bring back the worker to his family or make the injured one 100% whole.
Those Big Trucks
The news had a great story about the hazards of tractor
trailer-trucks on the highway. Many of them are driven too fast and are overloaded.
Massachusetts has no mandatory training to operate them. If you can get your license, nothing else
needs to be done.
When I see one on the highway, I do my best to get past
them or build up a distance between us. Accidents can happen very fast.
Monday, November 25, 2019
Let's Have More Birthdays
I had the great fortune
to turn 66 today. As the Hallmark card said; This is the oldest I've ever been, but I'll never be this young again.
That really sums up a birthday.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Who Do They Blame?
People love to play the blame game. Some decisions will
never make everyone happy.
A local group didn't cancel their annual Santa parade in spite of the bad weather. They didn't have
a rain date.
Many groups in the parade were committed on other weekends.
The local community Facebook pages are going crazy on this. Some people have nothing else to do.
Roads Can Be Rough
Our highway system could
be so much better with the quality of roads.
While driving to UMass today, I encountered two holes in the road. You never want to hit them at 65 mph.
There is so much to do with the roads of America. They will never be perfect in my lifetime.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Check Back In 2057
Historical moments eventually fade away as time passes.
Someone would need to be at least 61 years old to have any memory of the assassination of President Kennedy on this date 56
years ago.
It didn't get much attention in the news today. Back in
1963, it was the biggest news story of the year.
People who remember the attack on Pearl Harbor would be at least 83 years old. The population is growing smaller.
By 2057, the kids who were five in 2001 will face the same issue.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Try To Beat The Traffic
I plan to travel to
Boston tomorrow. There is no good time to leave in the morning. I expect to encounter heavy traffic.
There could be big delays if I leave after 3pm to come home. I certainly want to avoid that.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
The Final 42
It's too crazy to think
that Christmas is five weeks from today and 2020 is six. Time is passing too quickly.
It's important to enjoy the ride along the way. It won't last forever.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Gas Card
Too many gas stations
have those double pricing signs for members and non-members. They want you to sign up with them.
The price of gasoline is so fluid. World events effect it so much.
At he end of the day, it's not that much in price savings.
Monday, November 18, 2019
Dropping Off Trash
Every thrift store has limitations on what they accept.
I brought some items today to a place that also takes furniture.
The delivery area was filled with all sorts of furniture that people dropped off. For a lot of the stuff,
it was easier to bring it there rather than hope it gets picked up on trash day.
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Can't Park There Now
It's amazing to see
what is going on in Boston with so many real estate developments. The Seaport District is very exciting and being built before
us.
They will never complete it all. So many projects trying
to build in the hottest part of town.
That
area was once the biggest parking lot of Boston. Great deals back then.
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Lot of Honey
The news had a story of a house on Long Island that had a hive of 120,000 bees inside a wall. The
owners were alerted to it by a constant buzzing sound.
A beekeeper was called in and was able to determine the hive was seven feet tall and contained 70 gallons
of honey.
It will be removed in the spring to make it less traumatic
for the bees.
Not Long For Styrofoam
Styrofoam coffee cups are not cool these days. Major chains
are trying to move to paper cups.
I
hope it works for all their customers.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Closing The Magazine
Weekly and monthly magazines are disappearing at a fast
rate. Some have reduced their issues while others have migrated to the on-line format.
I subscribe to National Geographic Traveler, but they will cease after two more issues. They will
remain on-line, but for how long?
Sports
Illustrated will only publish monthly starting in January, but will also give readers five special issues throughout the year.
Magazines are cutting staffing and costs, but it might not be enough to survive.
Final Seven Weeks of 2019
It's hard to believe the year is over in seven weeks. Two
weeks from tonight is Thanksgiving Eve with Christmas six weeks from today.
It's so crazy that time is flying by. We can only sit back and enjoy it because nothing is ever guaranteed.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Feels Like January
Large potions of the
country are being hit with record low temperatures. They will be in the single digits tomorrow with the wind chill factor.
It is much too cold for this time of year. It might get up to 50 degrees on Friday, but I'll
believe it when I see it.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Amtrak Losing Less
It's great to hear that Amtrak will only lose $30 million
this year.
Ridership is the highest ever
with 32.5 million passenger trips over the last fiscal year.
We always hear of the threat to cut funding in the federal budget.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Maybe Snow
We might get snow by Wednesday. Nobody really knows. The
weather people are all over the place.
It
doesn't sound like the weather will be great over the next few days.
We could also get a 70 degree day at the end of November.
You never know.
Weather
is crazy.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Say No To Paint
I wonder who had the idea to paint the guardrails along
parts of Storrow Drive in Boston.
Painting
them green was done with good intentions, but the coat is peeling and it looks awful now.
I have never see them painted before. They wouldn't look bad if the paint didn't chip.
Hands Are Ready For It
It's only November 8th, but it was so cold today with the
wind. I find it difficult to adjust to the temperature.
We are still six weeks away from the start of winter, but I already feel it in my hands. My skin is and cracked.
From this point forward, it's all about using cream on them.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Having A Shot
I had a flu shot today like I did last year. Prior to that,
I had gone 37 years without one.
In
1981, I got very sick after it.That lead to my decision not to have one in the future.
After being sick for about six weeks in 2018, I decided that I would get one last year and going
forward.
I don't want to go through that again. Hopefully, it works.
Train Time
I always wanted to take the Amtrak Downeaster to Portland
Maine and back for a day trip to do lunch.
It finally happened today. I love riding trains and staring out the window looking at everything.
Amtrak is so awesome, but it cost me $52 with a senior discount. I thought it would be cheaper.
Public transportation is not always the best way. Some people have no options and must deal
with all the hassles.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Didn't Go Early
A number of states allow early voting. In New York, the
turnout was dismal with only 2% of the voters casting a ballot before election day.
New York City announced it with great fanfare, but only had a 1.3% turnout. Only 60,110 of a possible
4.8 million voters took this option.
Monday, November 4, 2019
Golf Season Ending
Two weeks ago, I set
up a golf time with some friends for this Friday. You never know with the weather.
The weather people are predicting a dire situation with a dusting of snow.
They get top billing on all the news shows as a result.
Rain happens. It could be very cold. Who knows?
I sounds like the weather will keep us from playing golf.
