Juuuust right!

 We're now about 6 weeks into our latest bi-annual move.  There is currently a glut of new apartment communities in our area, and they all have some generous incentives designed to entice you to move.  Ours is an urban-style 4-story block of buildings with some amazing amenities.

Immediately off the lobby is a community room with various game tables, a conversation area, and a kitchen with a machine what spits out fancy Starbucks coffees. 

Of course it has the obligatory pool....

...and gym (with a yoga studio upstairs).

 How about a small theater, available first-come-first-serve for private screenings? 

They ticked my hot-button box with a number of gas grills that they keep spotlessly clean.

Jax, however, has figured out what the Paw Spa is for, and he is NOT impressed.

If you somehow don't have a computer (who doesn't have a computer these days?) they offer a business center with 5 Macs, 5 PC's, and printers.

Inside there are four elevators, the hallways are wide, carpeted, and climate controlled...and VERY quiet.  Outside the landscaping is very nice, a greenbelt is just across the street, and a walking trail is just a block north.  Best of all, I don't have to maintain ANY of it!  *happy dance*

...even the mail room is kept spotless.

 They've also ticked my "I like my cars safely out of the weather" box, too.

I wondered why we had so many electric cars (EV's) in the garage.  When I found 2 electric charging stations it all made sense.

As for our apartment itself...our first attempt at downsizing was still too large.  We began to buy more "stuff" again, which defeated the whole purpose of downsizing. On the next try I undershot the mark...we were seriously cramped.  This time, though, I think I found the sweet spot.  The kitchen is more than adequate (just out of the picture is K's "coffee bar"), as is storage space.

 At Kelly's insistence we opted for the "indoor plumbing" package.

It's still only one bedroom / one bath, but with lots of counter space, double lavs, a large soaking tub and a separate shower, too, we're very comfortable.  I even managed to swing a covered top floor balcony, with enough room for a couple of chairs and small tables, and a TV that only receives football games.  *wink*

Downsizing doesn't allow for a "man cave", but I did manage to squeeze in for myself a "man corner".  It works fine.  :)  Kelly has her own "chick space", too.

Oh, and Jax staked out his claim also.

 For those who have kids at home, lots of out-of-town company, heirloom furniture they're married to, etc, this would be an impossible way to live.  All things considered though, for us, I feel we've made a good move.  Cheers!

S 

My personal John McCain story

In 1996 Sen. Phil Gramm was running for President, and Sen. John McCain was campaigning for him ahead of the first-in-the-nation political primary in Iowa. (I think that would have made this sometime in 1995.) I was attending an airshow in Ankeny, Iowa, participating as the advance man for an invited CAF team. Before the gates opened to let the crowd in, and while my guys were up preparing for their act, I was just wandering around taking in the sights.

Out of nowhere I was approached by Sen. McCain. He said he was a bit early, introduced himself (of course I knew of him already) and we sat and talked one-on-one. He put me at complete ease, acted "normal"...humble even...while we had a nice, casual conversation for about 20 minutes. I mentioned he had been in the Hanoi Hilton with my Congressman, Sam Johnson, and it was like we were long-time buddies. He told stories, I asked some current event questions, and he answered with complete candor, devoid of any two-faced BS the way every other politician I've ever known would have. With sincere smiles we eventually shook hands again and he said he had enjoyed our visit, then he went off to "press the flesh" on behalf of Sen. Gramm as the crowd began to filter in.

Senator John McCain passed away today. I can honestly say I knew him personally and felt he was a sincere man of great integrity. I know he's in a comfortable place now, and I feel better knowing that.

RIP my friend.

A sign of our times

If you've had the opportunity to travel around the US much, and if you've been paying attention, you've probably noticed how much one place looks like every other.  If you want to go out for dinner, you'll find lots of Olive Garden's, Outback's, Chili's, Applebee's, McDonald's and Taco Bell's, but you'll have to look hard to find a Mama's Cafe.

Most towns will have multiple branches of Bank of America, Citibank, Chase, and Wells Fargo, but it's doubtful you'll still find a local First National Bank.  You'll find lots of Chevy, Ford, Dodge, and Toyota dealers that may have a sign that says "Proudly serving _____ since 1974", but if you'll Google it you'll probably find it's now owned by one of the hundred-dealer auto conglomerates.

You probably won't find a local Tip Top Grocery, but you'll find plenty of 7-11's, Quick Trip's, and RaceTrac's.  And almost all sell gas, too, which has put the locally owned and operated 4-pump Exxon's and Texaco's out of business.  Grocery stores are now dominated by big names like Walmart and Kroger's.  Find yourself in need of a pair of pliers or a screwdriver?  You'll likely find a Lowe's or Home Depot before you find a Floyd's Hardware.

Have an unexpected day free for some fishing?  You'll burn up a tank of gas looking for Bubba's Bait and Tackle, while you drive right past Cabela's, Bass Pro Shop, Academy, and Dick's.  Need a dress shirt?  Ken's Man's Shoppe is long gone, replaced by Men's Wearhouse, Dillard's, and Joseph A Bank's.  Rick's Furniture was killed off by the likes of Nebraska Furniture Mart and Haverty's, who are themselves now keeping a wary eye on Wayfair.

This is true for every midsize and large city I've been to in recent years.  It may or may not be true if you're in some place like East Bull Turd, Alabama.  Even then, if East Bull Turd happens to be within 30 or 40 miles of a major city, it will soon be a growing suburb and will see this phenomenon, too.  And if it's too far away to attract city commuters, then it will likely continue to just wither away.

The little guys don't stand a chance these days, and even the big guys are now feeling the heat from the 500-pound gorilla in the room....Amazon.  I guess it's true what they say:  "The only thing constant is change."  *sigh*

S

Form vs function

I receive catalogues from many different sources, for products that I have absolutely no interest in.  Furniture vendors in particular.  I guess I clicked on something one day and BAM, I was on their radar as a sucker potential customer.  Now I do like (soft) contemporary architecture and furniture, but much of it just looks downright uncomfortable.  Obviously (to me) whoever designed it placed form over function.

Exotic automobiles are often conflicted by this "form vs function" conundrum, too.  Lamborghini's are decidedly gorgeous, sleek cars....

....but have you ever tried to get into or out of one?  *groan*

The Amish, by contrast, don't even recognize the concept of "form".

Some people are impeccably stylish.  You rarely see England's Prince Charles in anything other than his trademark double breasted suit, and then he's either wearing his polo attire or one of his dress military uniforms.  Do you think he ever just puts on some shorts and a t-shirt and gets in a quick game of croquet out back with the guys?

Donald and Melania Trump's New York apartment is I'm sure considered by many to be Architectural Digest perfect, but if he invites Sean and his pals over to watch the game, where would they sit?  You think he has a man cave no one ever sees where he goes to let his hair down?  (pun intended)

Most of us fall somewhere in between.  We like form, but we like function, and comfort, more.  I can't imagine buying a sofa or a chair from a catalogue.  I insist on sitting on it first.  If it isn't comfortable, I don't care how good it looks, I'm not buying it.  I have an old, decidedly worn looking oversized leather chair in my den.   As I recall it had a pleasant "form" when I purchased it 20+ years ago, but since then it has decidedly conformed nicely to butt, making it's original form almost unrecognizable today.  It will probably join Archie Bunker's chair in the Smithsonian some day.  *snort*

As I look around our apartment I'd have to say I lean 90% +/- toward function.  I own very little that anyone would consider "stylish".  Not our furniture, not our "art", and certainly NOT my wardrobe.  My car, a Mazda, is currently parked in our garage between a Mercedes and a Maserati (no joke).  I wonder if either of those people ever say to themselves, "Doh....I coulda had a Mazda!"  (They probably do, actually, when they're looking out the window of their respective dealer's service departments and see me puttering by.)

How about you?  I'm not saying there's anything at all wrong with being stylish.  To some it's worth the effort.  How would you rate yourself....be honest now....on the "form vs function" scale?

S 

Do I know you? No? Great....let's keep it that way.

Have you noticed how UN-social we've become?  People are withdrawing, to one degree or another, from social interaction.  It's been a creeping thing for years, but now it seems to me it's becoming a stampede.  The most obvious example of this....

Texting

Given a choice, people....young people in particular, would prefer to not talk to other humans, ever.  Instead of going to see our neighbor two houses down the street, or calling them, we text them.  People go out for dinner, and then spend half their time texting, sometimes to the person sitting right across the table from them!

Shopping

It's estimated that 20% of American shopping malls will close within 5 years.  People are just not going out shopping like they used to.  Toys R Us, Radio Shack, Circuit City, and Blockbuster, among many others, are long gone.  Sears and Kmart are dead men walking, JC Penny isn't far behind, and even big chains like Macy's are closing stores as fast as they can.  Yet online retailers are THRIVING!  (OK....guilty.  Just this week I placed online orders with Amazon, LL Bean, and REI.)

You can even buy a car online without ever speaking to a live homo sapien!  That is, those who still want to drive can.  I recently read that the average young person doesn't even bother getting their driver's license until they're 19 years old.  In my day (as we old farts used to say) we were at the DMV at 6 am on our 16th birthday to be first in line to get our license.  Auto makers are seeing a trend of "car sharing", where a number of people will buy a car together, then take their turn driving it on the increasingly rare times they have to venture out of their house/apartment.

It wasn't long ago that if you wanted a meal of a slightly higher caliber than a drive-thru joint, you had to go INSIDE, be seated by a human, tell a human what you wanted, and pay a human on your way out.  

Today we have home delivery via Grub Hub and Uber Eats.  Just place your order and pay online, in half an hour open your door up just wide enough for someone to slip your food to you, then slam the door and lock it again.  No eye contact necessary.  *sweet!*

Many local grocery stores are now making home deliveries, and they all allow you to order everything from beans to toilet paper online, then just pull up curbside where they will hand you your assembled order.  (Coming to a complete stop is appreciated.)

If you're feeling puny, you can call any number of online doctors who will examine you long distance (?) and in many cases send you a prescription from a mail-order pharmacy.  (Just hold your camera phone up to your open mouth and say 'ahh'.)  Why go out to see a doctor or to a hospital (oh, many hospitals are closing, too) when you can sit at home and get fixed?

Will dermatology eventually become an extinct medical specialty?   Today dermatologists are in their heyday, treating all of us who regularly went outside when we were younger and now have skin cancer.  Soon we won't go outside enough to absorb any of those evil rays that give us problems 30 years down the road.  *note to self:  sell all suntan lotion stock*

Are we just getting lazier, or just more scared to interact with others?  Gee thanks Gates, Jobs, Bezos, and Zuckerberg.  *sigh*

S

That's all folks!

  
Do we dare hope?  Is Robert Mueller about finished with his investigation?  Please?

With congressional mid-term elections just a little over 3 months away, Special Counsel Robert Mueller will either have to wrap up his investigation soon, or hold it over until after the election.  A final report out immediately before the election is not going to happen, particularity after Comey botched a similar situation back it '16.  The Democrats are probably hoping for the former.  Both say their position, whether pro or anti Trump, will be vindicated.  I predict....only Robert Mueller knows. *wink*

Seriously, it seems to me Prez Trump's only hope to avoid the political guillotine is for the economy to continue to boom.  "It's the economy, stupid" has never been more true.  That's overwhelmingly what the 40% who avidly support him tout about him.  Truth is, he has indeed helped the economy stretch its 10 year rebound from the Great Depression of '08, but he is really just riding the recovery coat tale.  Not that Obama fixed it either....the economy had little place to go but up after our $%^&# crooked bankers nearly tanked us all.

I think Trump and his team will be in a world of hurt when Mueller makes his findings known publicly.  There is ample evidence that at least some of those around Trump were duped by Putin and his intelligence people.  The Russians originally recruited Trump's team, not the other way around.   Still, Trump's team didn't walk away, and may have even taken the Rooskie's bait to Trump personally, and when the "implied" offer of help was accepted....BOOM!  Putin has likely been reeling him in ever since.  Or Trump's vulnerability may go back several decades with Russian money financing his businesses after US banks told him they'd had enough of his fast-and-loose financial shenanigans.  We'll see.

And if Mueller does in fact indict some of Trump's team, or his family (Jr, Jared?)....well, the plot thickens.  With something like a 95%+ successful prosecution record, the smart money will be betting on Mueller to win this one, too.  And that's IF Mueller and the DOJ (Rosenstein) agree a sitting president can not be indicted.  If they puncture the presidential shield of prosecution....YIKES!....Watergate redux!  Look for popcorn sales to skyrocket!  *snort*

But not to worry.  We'll survive this, too, whatever happens.  I'm pretty sure.  :)

S

What has happened to the Republican Party?

It wasn't that many years ago that the "Republican Party" and "Ronald Reagan" were synonymous.  Conservatives were proud to say they were "Reagan Republicans".  He would bend and compromise if necessary, but NEVER when it came to the Soviet Union.  He stood firm, gave them no quarter, worked with and within NATO, and eventually backed them down.  Ronald Reagan was tough!

The USSR officially collapsed on December 26, 1991, on GHW Bush's watch, but it was all due to Reagan's perseverance.  Reagan very famously said, when talking about our arms control treaty with the Soviets, "Trust, but verify."  He did not say, "Well, they said they were abiding by the treaty, and that's good enough for me."

Early in his Presidential term a very naive George Dubya Bush once met with Vladimir Putin and said, "I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy....I was able to get a sense of his soul."  Later, a much more experienced and worldly Sec Defense Robert Gates said after he met V Putin, "I....looked into Putin’s eyes and I saw a stone cold killer."

It's now said the GOP has become Donald Trump's party as [brilliantly] designed by former advisor Steve Bannon.  Rank and file Republicans rarely say anything negative about Trump.  His brag, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and not lose any voters" has been proven essentially true.  President Trump met with Putin in Helsinki recently and fawned all over him.  He had just been briefed on the 12 Russian intelligence officers who were indicted for meddling in our 2016 election with Vladimir Putin's express approval, but said he believed Putin's denial instead.  

Republicans began to stir uncomfortably, Trump backpedaled his sweetness weakly, and his faithful seem to have gone compliant again.  Their stock, canned comeback to any criticism is "well, Hillary did a lot worse."  For the record, Hillary's emails, Watergate, Teapot Dome, etc, were all criminal scandals, no doubt, but none of that has anything to do with the way Donald Trump is behaving today.  A bank robber can't use as his defense, "well, I only got $500....Hillary got $1,000."

I have many very intelligent, good friends who resemble the description of the Trump Republican I just described.  I encourage them to continue to present their positions on health care, immigration, tax reform, etc.  Those are all things we can reasonably debate.  Kowtowing to Russia and the thug-killer Vladimir Putin should be beyond debate.

I suggest you refresh yourself with the Steele Dossier (here) that was in the news last year.  The jest of it was that the Russians/Putin had some incriminating evidence on Donald Trump that they could someday use to blackmail the new President.  Given the recent strangely cozy US/Russian relations, I expect you'll see this topic soon re-enter the news.

S

We can reasonably debate many issues, but kowtowing to Russia is NOT one of them!

I wish this was funny....

....but it isn't.  It's scarily accurate.

President Trump meets with Russian President Putin in just a few days.  Putin is right now most likely huddled with his personality profile psychologists determining exactly what he can say to get Donald Trump to fetch, roll over, and sit up and beg.  Trump is right now most likely propped up in bed skypeing with his BFF Sean Hannity.

Trump is in no way intellectually or cunningly Putin's equal.  Putin has been laser focused on returning Russia to its former glory ever since the USSR was officially dissolved on December 26, 1991.  Trump was completely unprepared for his office, and was as shocked as anyone when he was elected on November 8, 2016.  Putin was trained as an intelligence officer in the KGB, eventually becoming a Lt. Colonel, and later heading the KGB's successor, the FSB.  Trump kept his dad's slick lawyer on retainer to keep him out of trouble.  Bone spurs *wink* kept him out of the military.  Putin has a honed, long-term strategy.  Trump just says and does whatever pops into his head.  Trump slanders and belittles his opponents.  Putin kills his.

Vladimir Putin will destroy Donald Trump, and we'll all be collateral damage.  No, this is not funny at all.

S

Kickin' a$$ and takin' names

Democrats and Republicans conducting the People's business in Washington.

I recently saw a news clip of a Republican congressman giving the acting Attorney General hell because the Mueller investigation is taking so long.  "If Mueller has something, take it to the damn Grand Jury.  This is tearing the country apart."  He was upset because the investigation has so far taken one year.  For the record, the Nixon/Watergate investigation took TWO+ years, as did the Clinton/Lewinsky investigation and the House Benghazi investigation.  Why can't Mueller have the time he needs, too?

Here's what Congress should, but won't, do:  Both parties should ban all talk about Mueller's investigation.  They should zip their pie holes.  Don't respond to the latest tweet or leak.  Wave the press off.  Just go to work.  Let Mueller do his job, AND MAKE CONGRESS DO THEIRS.  

On a good day, many reports say, the typical congressman and Senator spends half his time fund raising so as to build up his campaign chest for his next election bid.  Then they spend most of their remaining day strategizing how, when, and at who they will poke another sharp stick in the eye of, and of course primping for their next TV appearance so they can lie to us about how hard they work blah blah blah.  That leaves them just a few precious minutes a day to actually DO anything.  If anything actually gets done in Washington, it's purely by accident.  You and I would get fired on our second day of work if we were that unproductive!

No foreign overseas frolicking at the taxpayers expense. No spring/summer/fall/winter recesses.  They need to go to their offices and WORK.  Figure out what to do about North Korea, trade with China/Mexico/Canada/Europe, immigration, how to cyber smack Russia, fix our decrepit roads and bridges and air traffic control system, etc.  No one can go home, no one can get paid, no one is eligible for re-election UNLESS they work out something with the other party.  There is no shortage of projects that needs urgent attention.

Kickin' ass and takin' names.  Who's with me?

S

FAKE NEWS!

Webster defines "fake" as:  Not true, real, or genuine.

I'm sure over time many politicians, celebrities, and others have called unflattering stories written about them "fake".  Occasionally they were right, and they sued for defamation, and were awarded millions of dollars in damages.  National Enquirer-type grocery store tabloids are notorious for this.  Occasionally articles are published that are simply satirical.  Stories in The Onion fall into this category.  (Tom Cruise did not have a love child with a three-headed alien.)  The editorial page is by definition not news, but opinion.  The two should not be confused.  And occasionally photos are mislabeled....John D. Smith might be referred to as John B. Smith, and an apology and a correction are later published.  Mistakes happen....meh.
 
Today President Donald Trump has made "FAKE NEWS" his battle cry, and his supporters buy it, no questions asked. I contend there is virtually no fake news these days, but only slanted news.  If a media outlet such as FOX News on the right or MSNBC on the left uncovers 10 facts about someone, but only reports on the 5 that support their view, that doesn't make those 5 facts "fake".  You can't label what they report as not true, real, or genuine.  They just aren't reporting those facts that give credit to something that doesn't further their bias.  Their coverage is simply "slanted".

If the media makes up a story with no basis in fact, they can be sued and they'll lose their shirt.  That's why they corroborate everything they publish.  The next time you hear President Trump say a report about him is fake news, ask him why he doesn't file suit and make them prove what they say is true?  Put up or shut up.

I have great admiration in general for American journalism.  Without them and their investigative talents, evil-doers would run roughshod over us.  I might disagree with them sometime, but I respect them.

I guess you could say, ironically, that a blanket claim of "fake news" is itself fake news.  That's the "virtual" caveat I mentioned.  That's kinda funny, huh?

S

The streets are a dangerous place

Today the East Pittsburgh, PA officer who shot and killed Antwon Rose as he jumped out of a car and ran AWAY from police has been indicted for criminal manslaughter. This seems like a slam-dunk case to me since the unarmed teenager was shot in the back by the officer (on his very first day on the job), and it was all caught on cell phone video.  Mr Rose clearly never turned and confronted, or charged toward, the officer.  The officer was NOT threatened.  I can't imagine a remotely believable defense. 

But lets look deeper:  The next time you hear a politician say if elected he'll put another 50,000 or 100,000 police on the street to combat crime, call BS.  Truth is, it's hard to find people who want to be police officers these days. Your large cities especially have to cast a wide net, likely over several states, to find new recruits.  It takes a very special person to be a good police officer.  Just throwing more money at them won't make them any smarter.  I think the above officer is proof that not everyone can do it.  Few have the intelligence/judgement AND the physical attributes AND can pass an in-depth background check AND the psychological tests necessary to be a good cop.  It's a tough job, and it's getting tougher every day.

It also appears to me training standards are often being relaxed, too, maybe to accommodate the questionable quality of many of the recruits available these days.  I can't imagine how this officer, on his first day on the job, could exhibit such horribly bad judgement.  IMO it's a serious indictment of the training he received.  *shaking head*

And finally, why would a teenager jump out of a car and run away from the police?  Did he REALLY think he would be able to outrun them?  Did he REALLY think he could outrun a police radio, or a police helicopter?  Did he REALLY think his friends wouldn't rat him out and that he could escape?  I know that some will say an old white guy like me can't imagine the fear this black teenager must have felt, and they'd be right.  But I also don't think you have to be white to see that this young man checked every wrong box there is when he ran from the police.  Young people, of every color, need to learn to THINK!

While Mr Rose might or might not have deserved to be punished for some crime, he did NOT deserve to be shot in the back.  Nobody does.  Ever.  May he rest in peace.

S

Watch where you step....there are mines EVERYWHERE!

With immigration front and center again these days, we'd better be careful what we wish for.  There's a huge "unintended consequences" minefield out there.

I don't believe those who are saying we need to slam our borders shut and deport all illegals here now are thinking it through all the way.  If they get their wish, any nasty, dirty job that needs to be done, especially outdoors, might not get done.  Need to pour any concrete or spread any asphalt, put on a new roof, or have any landscape work done?  Haha....good luck!  Do you think your favorite restaurant can keep its doors open without them?  Farmers everywhere are already reporting they're having trouble finding seasonal help to get their crops harvested....much of it is now just being plowed back under.  (Wouldn't THIS be the ultimate "national security" crisis?)

What we need is an expedited method of vetting those who want to immigrate here, say within 2 or 3 months, vs the current 2+ years.  This long wait time is what drives many to just wade the river.  Let them apply at US embassies and consulates in their home countries and GET THEM AN ANSWER WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.  We need to bring illegals out of their thriving underground economy and make them full taxpayers.  Right now they pay little more than the sales taxes on their daily purchases.  Lets vet them, and if they're good people, welcome them and put them to work.  And if they aren't, turn them back / send them packing. 

Now, about those kids separated from their families....it's still wrong.  Why are we punishing the kids for the sins of their parents?  And I don't want to hear about what Obama or Dubya did.  Wrong was, is, and always will be WRONG!

S

"Thank you for your order. You should expect delivery in about 2 years."

I remember a number of years ago talking to a guy who worked at a local hardware store.  He was Hispanic, worked all day, and then went to evening classes at the local community college.  I was pretty impressed with him.  I asked him if he was here legally, and he said, yes, he was, and so were his parents, but his uncle was not.  I asked him why his uncle wasn't, and he said after waiting two years on his paperwork to be processed, he finally just gave up and waded the river to get here for a job.  

I've heard since that a 2+ year wait is not unusual.  My understanding is that both the Democrats and Republicans say they would welcome legal immigrants, but they had to go through the proper channels and jump through the proper hoops first.  Fair enough.  

So here's my question:  I googled "Samsung TV's" and it found 1,410,000,000 responses in .53 seconds. I can buy a gun and it takes the FBI about 15 minutes to do a background check on me to see if I qualify.  I can go through a fairly exhaustive Texas Dept of Public Safety background check in order to legally carry a firearm in about two months.  In this age of the internet, massively powerful computers, and nano-fast search engines, why should it take TWO YEARS to get a background check on some guy from Mexico?  And I checked....yes, they have computerized record keeping in Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and elsewhere in Central America, too.

I also want strong borders.  I want to know who we're letting in.  I want to know they aren't felons, aren't currently wanted for a crime, etc.  But if we drag our feet for a ridiculous TWO YEARS and still can't complete a background check, why should we be shocked if they just sneak in?   It seems to me we could control our borders much better if we had the cooperation of a proud, secure, legal immigrant population.  

Or is there some other more sinister ulterior motive that explains why we throw up all these roadblocks?

S

Don't go lighting your cigars with $20 bills just yet

This morning while making my rounds I saw this on the front window of a Domino's Pizza store:

How can they pay "UP TO" $15 an hour "OR MORE"?  Which one is it?  I think I'd go for the "MORE".

The official US unemployment rate recently dropped to 3.9%, the lowest since the Pilgrims beached their boat in Massachusetts, before it was Massachusetts.  Historically the stats people say 4% is considered "full employment"....anyone who doesn't have a job now just doesn't want to work.

Here in my area of the northern DFW Metroplex (Plano, Frisco, McKinney, etc) they say the unemployment rate is somewhere down in the 2% range.  Pizza delivery drivers can get $15 an hour, and McDonald's is begging for help, even offering starting pay of $12+.

Yesterday I was talking with my steel fabrication vendor and he said it was just he and his son....they can't hire and keep help, and they pay very well!  My electrician has been trying to hire for 2 years with no luck.  Construction material prices are continuing to climb.  We try to buy 300 yards of concrete and can't get anyone's attention at the concrete plant....they're shipping tens of thousands of yards daily to commercial construction sites.  We're small fry!  Any materials with a petroleum base have gone up dramatically along with the recent increase in crude prices.  Talk of import tariffs isn't helping, either.

It wasn't long ago that the cost of living in my area was below the national average.  Now, according to one report I saw recently, the CoL in my immediate area has surpassed the national average.  Property tax bills are hitting homeowners hard after a few years in the doldrums.  Standard and Poor's Case Shiller home price index actually says our area's home prices today are OVER valued.

Where am I going with this?  "Make hay while the sun shines" as they say, but be cautious.  Make all you can while you can, as these good times will eventually go flat just as other overheated good times have in the past.  Just recognize where we are in the economic cycle and don't let yourself think this is the "new normal".  Remember what happened to those who got fat and sassy back in the run-up to 2008?

Let's all enjoy our good fortune today and be grateful, but not let it go to our head.  Been there, done that.

S

A somber Friday and a fun Saturday

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a ceremony at the Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery honoring my late friend Ted Short.  I had never been to this site before and I must say I was impressed.  

 

The facility was immaculately maintained and the service was attended to by US Army personnel and a local Korean War veterans group.  It was a fitting end of service for a good man.  The grounds absolutely felt as hallowed at those at Arlington National Cemetery, which, if you haven't been there in person, you have to see to understand and feel what I mean.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, on a lighter note, the Ms, Jax, and I made a run to the McKinney Farmers Market for some fresh vine ripened tomatoes and some tamales.  No, I didn't know there was such a thing as a tamale farm either, but trust me, I've tasted their latest crop and they're delicious!

Then it was off to the Spoon Cafe in historic downtown McKinney for brunch, where Jax the One-Blue-Eyed-Wonder Dog stood guard to make sure no dropped morsels made it to the ground.  His perfect record is still in tact I'm happy to report.

Now it's back home for a siesta.  Maybe later when it's cooler I'll venture out to check on our neighborhood ladies bikini volleyball team.  (Or not, depending on whether the Ms reads this first.  ;)

S