I'm Tired......................................

Dude, I was joking. I don't know what your problem is. but I was only joking. that's why I didn't respond to your private message either.

 

If I misconstrued your posts, then I apologize for getting my "swiss up".
Add. PM sent-

 

Thank you Chuck for being a Christian brother, I truly mean that. I don't want to get into a Bible debate on here, but let me just say. I believe we are living in the last days by all the signs but I don't think it is ever too late for revival. God withheld his judgement at other times and he could choose to be merciful to us as well.

 

Rotti,
I am tired too. well said

 

Not very many prophesies left to be fulfilled for sure however no one knows the day or time and as far as time goes God is on a totally different timetable than anyone on earth. The cool part is as long as you are breathing it is never to late to make things right with him and accept his payment on the cross.

 

I remember when people were too proud to accept welfare, now it's just expected as lifelong income.

 

Rotti, you are so right.. I am a landlord among other things, I shake my head a lot on the younger group that complain about electric bills but refuse to hang clothes on a clothes line. I see grandparents struggling to pay for grand kids and working while parents that chose to make the children, are playing video games.. Cry when I hand out an eviction notice, because they did not pay rent, but have no less than 5 huge TV and everyone in house has a new Apple 6 cell phones.

But there is hope everyday I meet young people who are bright and have ethics.. 4 month tenant asked to see me I knew he had been laid off recently.. So I stopped in he asks if can lower rent 25 bucks a month he is working but at a lower amount and hands me his budget.
First he has a 10% tithe to his church
2nd he still has 6% to his retirement plan
no TV bill and base Internet for kids homework (3 kids)

I say yes. He says on a handshake he will catch up as soon as he can! yup he's a keeper.

 

Canadian border VT,
I too am a landlord. You captured the problem in this country to a "t". There are two types of people in our country today. The first that thinks everything is a right and the second that understand that sometimes things can get tough. And I too have had both types. Hopefully, I think we still have more of the later. How can you not help the second guy? Good move man.

 

Hit the nail right on the head.
I have always said there are Takers and Makers. Unfortunately, I seem to be surrounded by Takers these days.
Have a Niece who along with her husband has too soft a heart, and unfortunately, a soft head to match. She has just gone through cancer, almost couldn't get treatment because hubby had just been laid off, didn't have that job long enough to get insurance (before Obamacare). Struggling to pay bills, but the sun rises and sets in their 3 kids behinds, the eldest went to college for a while(financed by mom and dad), decided to quit, works part time at an auto parts store. Middle kid had baby out of wedlock while in high school, baby is now almost 3, and parents live separately two houses away, but blow whatever money they get babysitting or whatever, and apparently have huge credit card debt! Neither pays a plugged nickle for rent, and baby is being cared for by its grandparents. My nephew-in-law works his hind end off, full time as an A/C technician, plus as many side jobs as he can get. He finally wised up a few weeks ago and told both they would have to start paying board. The daughter decided she would just move in with the baby's father's parents. So far, she is still there, and I am pretty sure my niece hasn't received any board money from either. The last one is still in high school, but somehow I don't think he will be contributing much, either.
Sad thing is, they don't seem to think there is anything wrong with this set up...

 

Driving down the road in the left lane, you see a sign saying left lane closed in 1 mile. I'll make my over to the right lane after seeing that sign. Sure enough, I'll watch 10,20,30 cars go by and go to the very end to cut in ahead of everyone. Now I have the patience to move into the right lane and move along with the flow of traffic in the right lane. However; all of the people that must go all the way to the front to cut in slow my progress. Overtime I'll get frustrated. Eventually I'll put my small VW Jetta half in the left lane and part in the right lane to stop these baboons. When I do get to the point where they must merge in, I refuse to allow someone in that decided they were too important to merge in earlier. God forbid they have the patience to wait like the rest of us.

I'm 20 years below you in age, but I can tell you that I echo your thoughts. Lead by example, and expect higher standards. Hopefully enough will get it along the way. Sadly I run into these baboons each and everyday. In fact it's so bad that I take the time to thank the younger generation when I find one that gets it.

Sunday I went to Panera Bread for a decaf ice coffee (acid reflux before you start hammering on not getting caffeine). The boy (I mean boy, if he was older than 16 I'd be very surprised), that waited on me was extremely polite, attentive, and went the extra to go wait for the ice coffee that was brewing in the back to finish. You just don't get that from the current generation. Most would just say sorry we are out.

Oh I'm tired and cranky. It's time someone starts straightening out these lazy pieces of ......

 

Watch the movie Idiocracy. It was a Comedy when it came out, but is turning into a Documentary.

 

Have them go out and get their own switch, or for us northern's the sound of the belt leaving the loops.

 

Oh and start with the parents if the problem starts there.

 

I'm going to get a little personal here. Please forgive me. I suffer from anxiety and depression. However; as stated in the original post, I've had a job since the age of 13 when I could get my working papers. My problems have not stopped me from working. In some cases I'll admit it has slowed me down, but I keep plugging along. If I ever were to lose my job, I will promise you that I will have a job within a week to put food on my table and to pay my mortgage. Even if that job is as demeaning as they come.

Many of the people looking for handouts are downright lazy. However; I recognize that some of mental health issues. I get that. Yet it has not stopped me. Now let qualify that please. If your mental health issues are from PTSD or TBI, then I am all for this country taking care of you the rest of your life. It's the able bodied ones I am addressing.

 

I tired too. In fact exhausted. Good post!

 

rottiman No man crush here but I'll buy ya a beer if you were here

I got quite a many years left but I plan on retiring early and making preparations now. I know I won't be rich so my preparations are to get land and house paid off and little by little adapting to DIY and off grid lifestyle, small and very efficient home, live off the land as much as possible, etc. My favorite hobbies are running, hiking, paddling, etc stuff like that doesn't take much money.

I quoted you though, woodlands, since part of my plan is to move to NYS! Yeah the taxes are concerning and will likely be the most costly thing I spend money on after retirement. But I have family in the north country, there is a job like I do now that I could probably get there, and well I love the area. In fact even though its several years out I started looking at land and houses. Looking at the southern tip of the Adirondack Mountains, on the fringe of what I could drive to Albany. The land there was considerably cheaper than rural Ohio. I was beside myself. I showed my realtor a house near Gloversville and she said the same house here would go for probably 3X more. That is hundreds of thousands more mind you. Taxes appeared to be maybe a couple grand more a year than here (just talking tax on the house), I think the purchase price more than makes up for the slightly higher taxes. Honestly I was salivating over being able to afford such a place and would probably move there last year if I didn't still have a son in school here. Got to wait until he is on his own then I'm thinking Adirondacks here I come! I know I am missing something so someone needs to talk me out of it lol.

 

Sounds like you have got your priorities right. Looking after son first, locating to an amazing part of our amazing countryside, doing things you enjoy and help to keep you active and healthy. Heck, what's a few bucks for property taxes. Around here there is also a grid tied option for solar. Instead of battery storage and all the cost the electricity you do not use turns the meter backwards and any surplus beyond your needs is a credit. Basically selling your power back to the power company. Here they pay 80 cents/kwh (or they paid that when I last looked into it) and guarantee 20 years contract for it. We could get by with 25 KV average daily. If it's outage back up you are concerned about also can go with say a 7 or 10 KV storage/inverter unit in line with your grid tie interface. All this stuff is getting better and coming down in price. Can be pretty slick but I am too old for any payback unless I live to see triple digits. My mother is 98 and going along fine and living independently - so who knows.

 

I'm normally a pretty humble and calm guy, I try to leave at an appropriate time so I can get to my destination with time to spare and actually drive the speed limit or just a few over, or go with whatever the flow is. But of course there are always unforeseen traffic jams, or situations like you described. I may push the speed a bit when its open highway but would never do all the zig zagging and cutting people off. But I do tend to get a bit pizzed when so many do inappropriate things while driving. I don't really care so much if it's not effecting myself or others, but like you explain, they are actually inconveniencing the folks that are actually being responsible drivers. I don't usually try to block them off, highway shoulders are large enough for a semi to still get around you if your half over the line - or I even see them going on the grass to get around someone ahead of me trying to block em. But if there happens to be a bridge or guard rail, and I see someone cutting around on the shoulder in my mirror approaching from behind, I have been known to stop em in thier tracks behind the F350.

I to often give the benefit of a doubt that someone didn't notice a sign or isn't from around here, but when people blatantly do things to cut you off then it bothers me. There used to be one spot on my way home that shortly after a stoplight, the right lane would end. Knowing this most would stay in the inner lane, but often people would pass you on the right to get around you as the lane was ended. Whatever. But very often the people that would do this would then get in front of you and stop, waiting on traffic to let them make a left turn! Why the heck would you go around me to the right, in a lane that ends, just to immediately turn to the left and make me slow down?

But here is a good story... I don't often retaliate, but one time I couldn't take it anymore. This was in downtown Columbus. I'm in my F350 and pull up to a red light in the middle lane. A Tahoe (or whatever Chevy's small full size SUV is) pulls up behind me. The right lane has cars parked in it about a block ahead. After pulling up behind me the fellow then decides to go to the right lane beside me. I could see his new SUV has been chromed out with big chrome wheels, low profile tires, tinted windows, etc. I had a feeling he wasn't turning since he originally pulled up behind me. He must have thought this big truck with the homemade wood racks was a slow clunker compared to his flashy SUV. As I figured he guns it when the light turns, trying to pass me on the right before getting to the park cars in the right lane. I thought it was time someone needed taught a lesson. Now the 350 won't win many races, especially with the somewhat clunky manual, but against a full sized SUV I figured I'd give him a run. I let the V10 sing, but he got a good head start and almost cleared my bumper but not quite. I start reeling back in as the parked cars are approaching really fast. He puts on his turn signal and starts to try to push me over but I don't budge as I start creeping back up - by this time my front bumper is about up to his door. We're probably doing 40+ mph at that point and the parked cars are only a couple car lengths ahead. I don't see any heads in the cars or around them thankfully. He is probably about a foot over the line into my lane trying to push me, and then all the sudden decides finally he isn't going to make it and slams the brakes. As his SUV flies back along side me his driver mirror clipped my passenger mirror and flipped it in, that's how close he was trying to push me out of the lane. I have no idea how he could have stopped in time not to plow into the parked cars. I didn't want to see what happened next so I didn't look back... until I cleared the next block. When I did look back there was no one driving behind me in any lanes. I don't know why people are so concerned about getting ahead to go to such extremes to save just seconds or even less - I was only 1 vehicle and I was not going slow. He just had to try and pass me on the right, in a lane that was ending, just to get around 1 vehicle and I was sick of this kind of thing. Sometimes you play with fire and you get burned. After that I've gone back to being calm and humble now for a few years.