Tidbits From Kansas

Snow and cold is a good recipe for getting out of town and that's exactly what happened to me last Sunday. I've had it with winter in Dublin, Ohio. Even though we haven't been close to what's going on in the rest of the nation it was still time to say, "Adios". Did you know that there were over 4,000 record cold days reported in the US this winter? Hell has frozen over. After an hour's visit with my youngest son and his family who live an hour west of me I hit Interstate 70 toward St. Louis. Here's where, for me, life gets interesting. I notice things as I drive along. There was enough sunlight, about five hours worth, to wonder about the number of elderly drivers on the highway and there were a great deal of them(us). I've come to a conclusion as to when old timers should give up driving. I think those around my age, 68, see directly out the front windshield, about halfway up give or take a few inches. For every year a person ages their body shrinks about two inches so that by the time they're 88 they're looking directly over the steering wheel. By the time they hit 90 all they see is the speedometer. Then it's a given that this is the proper time to put the keys in the garbage can. And another thing; This may sound morbid to some but I must have seen ten thousand cars on my trip and tons of them were filled with oldsters. Now, think about those areas of the country with the greatest population density and drivers who fill these highways. I don't think I've ever read an account of how a driver bought the farm because he had a heart attack while driving. In Florida it must happen thousands of times a day but it's hardly a news item. Just a thought. I had visions of vehicles flying over the highways into oncoming traffic constantly. It wasn't pretty.
I went to a Wal-Mart this morning looking for khaki slacks(seems I left mine in Ohio). I had another observation but it's more of a bugaboo for me. In Wal-Mart parking lots people feel they have the right and duty to leave their shopping carts wherever they desire and many of these carts end up in parking spaces. At a Costco folks are most likely to take them to a return slot or run them back in the store. Make of it what you want but I know I'm right. I was going to write something about Wal-Martians be heavier than Costconians and that it takes more exercise to take the carts back but that wouldn't be prudent or Christian so I'll let it drop.
I met two of my long time buddies for lunch. We decided to go to a place called Twin Peaks. If you aren't familiar with it please check it out first before you take your wife. It's an upscale Hooter's. The waitresses are what guys would call eye candy for the mind. Since it's Valentine week the apparel for the lovely young ladies was lingerie. I wouldn't kid about this, either. I've seen most everything on the female body but after today I have a much better handle on what the words 'fake' and what are 'not fake' mean. My buddy says that getting a boob job today has the same social impact as getting ones ears pieced in the 70's. Seriously, I think society has sprung a leak. The most interesting aspect of being in the grill was not oggling waitresses but staring at a customer. He was completely bald and had a tattoo of his face drawn on the back of his head. But he left a sprig of natural hair grow near his neck to give the face a goatee look. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was drunk when he had it done. His wife and four year old son were with him. I hope he isn't permanently without hair. When his son turns fifteen and asks his dad to go to parent/teacher conference and meet his hot English instructor-------Well, you get my drift.
Did I write that I'm in Olathe, Kansas. It's like every other town in America except my family and I are here. And so it goes.