I am, of course, writing about those motorists who stand ever vigilant at every traffic light in the nation with their palm firmly placed on the horn. These super motorists jump into action as soon as the traffic signal turns from red to green. Before we “mere motorists” are even aware that the light has changed they honk, sometimes just a little beep, but much more often it is a long, extended, angry hoooooooonk! This immediate notification to whoever is stopped at the front of the line jars them into action fractions of a second prior to when they would have reacted without the embarrassing, uninvited, unwelcome notification.

Think of the impact these super motorists have on the roadways of our nation. These unwanted blasts at every traffic signal multiplied by the several times a day they are heard probably save minutes, if not hours, of drive time for motorists in farmlands to major cities over a twelve month period. Oh sure, they are irritating, unwelcome, unnecessary and unwanted. Perhaps they have been the cause of more than one road rage incident. Maybe, sometimes, minor injuries or hospitalizations have resulted. But think of the greater good! If only one driver arrives at their destination 1/4 second sooner than they would have without the honk, isn’t that a good thing? Isn’t that worth all of the under the breath, or right out loud, possibly out the window expletives that aren’t deleted?

A polar opposite of the traffic signal super heroes are the passing lane procrastinators. These are the people who pick a speed, often at the speed limit or below it, and then enter the “passing lane.” The passing lane is called that because it is designed to be a lane to enter only to pass slower traffic on the right. After passing the car on the right the rules of the road require the passing motorist to return to the right lane unless it is unsafe to do so or there is another slower moving vehicle in the right lane. I suspect the procrastinators stay in the left lane for many reasons: They see a car miles ahead in what they believe might be the right lane and they believe they will, eventually, catch up to that car if it too is traveling well under the speed limit. Perhaps they feel that traveling 68 mph in a 65 mph zone must be done in the fast lane only. There is also a chance that the factory installed speedometer is stuck at 95 and they have not realized it. I have written an “Ode to those who go slow.”

I’m in the fast lane but don’t go fast
I drive for miles without hitting the gas
If you’re behind me you just may ask
Why you in the fast lane when you don’t go fast?

Questions? Comments?

The post Traffic “Pet Peeves” appeared first on A Boomer's Thoughts.

I was frustrated and happened to be listening to the news segment on the radio. The announcer’s voice was like a lifeline, “Congress is at a stalemate and we may have yet another government shutdown….”

My mind started racing. I didn’t think I could use “household shutdown” to avoid paying my credit card bills, but I should certainly be able to use it to put off paying government bills such as income tax, property tax, and, maybe even, sales tax.! How could the government object? They couldn’t put me in jail for mirroring their behavior, could they?

I was almost giddy as I headed to the grocery store to shop for my large family. I raced through the aisles and finally arrived in front of the cheery, high school aged, cashier.

“Good afternoon sir. How are you today” She gushed. My reply was that I was fine. The register sang to me, “beep, bop, beep, beep, bop, bop” It’s song ended and the cheery cashier chirped. That will be $318.00, will you be paying cash; or would you like to charge your purchase today?

With I very straight and stern face I replied, “I will gladly pay the three hundred dollars in cash. I am not able to pay the eighteen dollar tax due to a household shutdown caused by a fiscal disagreement between the principle parties in charge of all budgetary concerns relating to payments demanded by a taxing body which, itself, is currently in a shutdown mode.”

I then explained to her that, “We will pay our taxes after the parties of the first part otherwise recognized as ‘The household’ are able to agree to a budget acceptable to a majority of the recognized participants in the current deficit crisis negotiation.”

The cashier was still smiling, but obviously confused as I slapped three one hundred dollar bills in her hand and headed for the exit, smiling ear to ear.

As I approached my car I saw a lot of activity near the register I had just left. I wondered what had happened.

Well, right now my house is surrounded by police and secret service agents and the voice on the megaphone is not clear, are they ever, but it sounded like he said something about tear gas.

Stay tuned for next week’s blog.

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I had some letters to mail, one I wasn’t sure if it might require more than the regular .50 postage so I would have to go in the main building to have it weighed.
That was probably best because the last time I used the outside box I had to force the overflowing letters down into the tube to get mine in, in all of my 60+ years that has never happened to me before. I guessed that the overflow problem was a direct result of all the business people being forced to work out of their homes- and not use the mail chutes provided at many office buildings.

I pulled into the parking lot and almost ran a mask wearing patron, who was reading his newly acquired correspondence, over. I thought to myself of how rude, unsafe, thoughtless… that was, but I guess that’s fodder for another blog. I also observed, “Oh, that guy’s wearing a mask- I’ll have to remember to put mine on.” I wonder if I’ll ever get used to these new rules; my hope is that I won’t have to.

I entered and saw a line that stretched from the counter to a far wall. My spot would be approximately 3 feet from that wall, not enough room to allow the next patron to maintain the governmentally required “social distance” of 6 feet. I waited in that line for approximately one hour and 15 minutes, giving me plenty of time to observe the two clerks working hard to keep the line moving.

Next! Called the surprisingly cheerful, overworked, clerk. I handed him my collection of bills, social letters and a mass card for a friend who’s mother had died. The mass card was the post I was not sure about. “I’m not sure if this will require any additional postage.” I said to the clerk, fully expecting him to say the stamp I had already affixed was sufficient. He held the envelop and gave me a peculiar look, which made me more convinced I had waited in that long line for no reason. Then he said, “Yeah, that’s going to cost you an additional $3.50.” That was going to be one expensive mailing, it was just a card- a big heavy card, but just a card! I wondered to myself why they couldn’t afford three clerks if they were charging $4.00 to deliver a big envelope.

I paid the ransom and wished the clerk good fortunes.

I am a law abiding citizen and haven’t committed any crimes for several years, I will give you more details when I am passed the statute of limitations, but I am concerned about how the churches, schools, citizens, judges and businesses have almost unanimously consented to have our rights trampled on for a virus that has not yet passed the numbers generated by a serious outbreak of the flu.

What do you think? Am I wrong?

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I remember as a kid, and then a young man, I would “Cruise the town” with my buddies looking for girls/parties and listening to all of the top ten hits on Super CFL and WLS.

Blasting out of that big city to the East, Chicago (Remember gas prices were around $.40/gallon in the late 60’s and early 70’s. We’d cruise all night and then pitch in a buck for gas, if we had it.). I believe there was another station that played rock and roll, then country and then became one of the first stations with a talk radio format, but I digress. Those stations played “All of the hits from the 50’s 60’s and now back in the 70’s.”

Looking back I remember my favorites, “Wake up Little Suzie” by Ricky Nelson, the kid we met as one of the sons on ‘The Ozzie and Harriet Show'”, “Surfin’ Safari” by the Beach Boys or “Dead Man’s Curve” by Jan & Dean, or just about any Beatles song. There were so many great songs and then this upstart, FM Radio, came along and gave us more stations and many more options.

Wow! Was that heaven?

Looking back I recall some of the lyrics and think those songs probably would not even get on the radio today. I refer to the current lack of tolerance for things that can be construed as demeaning women. Do you remember, “Louie, Louie” By the Kingsmen- I was at an 8th grade party (Catholic Grade School) the first time I heard it and it was scandalous. We all heard what he did with his girl “Every night at 10…” I do believe that the party ended early and the parents present destroyed the offending 45rpm record. “I’m a Girl Watcher” by Okaysions is another song that I could see being protested. The whole song tells of the singer putting away his toys in favor of watching girls he sings, “I wonder if you know, that you’re putting on a show, could you please walk a little slower?” I, somehow, doubt this would get a thumbs up from NOW. How about Paul Anka’s “Having My Baby?” Maybe I’m stretching the point with that one, what do you think? Does anyone remember when The Beatles sang, “I’d rather see you dead little girl than to see you with another man..,” in “Run for Your Life” on the Rubber Soul Album?

I think some of our songs might confuse a new generation of listeners, listeners who have never seen a juke box or a pay phone? Would Joan Jett and the Blackheart’s “I Love Rock and Roll” be confusing when she sings, “I love rock and roll, put another dime in the jukebox baby” make sense to people born after 1985? What do you think about “Operator” by Jim Croce when he says, “You can keep the dime..” or Dr Hook pleading with “Sylvia’s Mother” on the phone while the operator keeps asking for more money?

I loved my early boomer years and I enjoy looking back at them now, unlike Bruce Springstein who sings that he hopes he doesn’t sit around thinking about the past in “Glory Days”

What do you think?

What songs have I forgotten to mention? I know there are plenty more.

The post About Music appeared first on A Boomer's Thoughts.

My name is Phil Steik, as most baby boomers, I have lead a full life with a lot of ups and downs. As my retirement approaches, I have decided to start writing and see if anyone is interested in reading what I have to say.

In my 60+ years of living I have had many experiences I think/hope you will find interesting. I plan to put those out there. I would like to hear your comments. I also plan to throw in some of my opinions. I doubt that everyone reading will agree with me. Great! That will lead to discussions. My father told me that if you put two adults in one room you will end up with more than one opinion. I look forward to hearing yours, and I hope that you will let me have it rather than blocking me.

I spoke of my experiences. I have worked many jobs, starting with a paper route in 6th grade, then a busboy in high school. I also worked as an usher in a large (for the time) cineplex, pumped gas and moved up to learning how to work on cars graduating from oil changes to brake jobs, tune-ups and more involved mechanical repairs.

I stayed at the gas station as a summer job while I worked my way through college. While I was attending college I also worked as a doorman at a combination disco-rock and roll bar in Carbondale, IL. After college I interviewed at some of the largest advertising firms in the country and while I was in that process I got the opportunity to buy the mechanical repair business portion of the gas station I had worked at. I bought it and ran that until the large conglomerate I was leasing space from decided to “repurpose” that location and make it a car wash. I proposed to my girl the night I learned that I lost the lease saying, “You told me you would love me if I was rich or poor, well I’m going to be poor real soon, do you want to marry me?” Despite the awkward proposal she said yes and we raised a large family. I went on to work as a jail guard and then a police officer. That’s not all of my jobs- but it’s quite a variety isn’t it?

I ran cross-country for a year in high school for a man recognized as one of the greatest coaches in the state, I also wrestled and tried out for the baseball team 3 times before I finally got the message my services were not required. I was on the boxing club in college and I bowled, played softball and flag football on organized leagues until my ex-wife suggested, then demanded, I spend that time at home.

I’m a religious man and I attribute my faith in God to why I am happy almost all of the time.

I ask you to try me out. If you’re not happy with one topic don’t read it, but please come back and try another because, as you can see, it will be different.

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