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Bummer
by James Glaser July 15, 2011 
So, I was sitting at a stop sign after getting off the interstate in Northern Illinois. The town's name is El Paso. Well, the guy that got off right after me decided that I wasn't there, and he ran right into my driver's side tail light. In a Caddy, that was a $3,500.00 hit. I didn't get hurt, and neither did he, but my "mint" 1996 Cadillac Deville doesn't look so cherry now. Other than that, it was a nice drive, and I am in Saint Paul right now. It is 71 degrees with a cool breeze. However, it is supposed to be 96 by Sunday. I guess the heat is following me up here. I noticed a few things coming up here. Large portions of our interstate road network need work. Thousands of small businesses are closed. The hand dryers in Georgia's road side rest areas are made in China, but those in Illinois are made in America. Motels are higher priced than a year ago, and so is the cost of restaurant food. The religious right has taken over a large portion of the FM radio dial. Middle America has Left Wing radio programs on the air. The Ford dealer in El Paso told me farmers who drove Chevy and Dodge trucks their whole lives have switched to Ford, because Ford did not take the federal bailout. That little farming town has the second highest Ford truck sales in the nation. The new F150 I was looking at cost $46,000 plus tax and license. Motel breakfasts are neither free nor are they any good. Orange juice costs way too much to enjoy at a restaurant, but the same can be said about any drink other than water. Over 1,378 miles, and I did not see one person pulled over by the police. It took 3.5 hours to get a policeman to come to my accident so I could file a report. Talking to farmers I learned that every thing they do now costs more. The same is true for the retired people and the young people I talked to. Americans are worried, but all in all, those who are working are still pretty upbeat about what they are doing, but they have this worry hanging over them, and it is called their future. Younger people worry about their kids, and older people worry about their kids and their kid's kids. Minnesota's state government is shut down, and so they have no wayside rests, and I hear tell they are about to run out of beer. So, you know people will be up in arms about that, which will pressure the politicians how to settle things so the people of Minnesota don't have to worry about having a cold one or two or three on a hot summer day. No, I don't know what the State Government and the shortage of beer have to do with each other. I heard something about beer distributors lack a new license to sell alcohol. I must admit I am a bit burned out from the drive and will write more tomorrow. |
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