VACATION TIPS

It’s vacation time, and Amy and I’d saved for ours for a long time. My organized and savvy wife hit the Internet and booked our trip. It ended a couple of weeks ago, and we are back to the grind once again; however, the break refreshed us and gave us a chance to rest for a while. Based on what we experienced, I’ve decided to offer a few tips to those who are traveling over the summer.

First, make sure you understand booking flights on line. Over the years, we’ve grown accustom to standing in line to check bags and receive boarding passes. Checking in electronically takes away that pass. I was more than a bit confused as to where I would sit. A hateful Delta worker met us at the gate and offered no help. We eventually understood that a seat would be assigned at the gate, but ours weren’t together.

If you travel often, buying a TSA Pre-check pass. It allows purchasers to go through shorter security lines where they can keep their shoes on. Most importantly, folks with passes don’t stand in lines for long times. In the Panama City Airport, we stood in a holding area for several minutes before we were allowed proceed to the security clearance lines. All of these points lead to the biggest piece of advice: arrive earlier than you think is necessary or take a chance of missing you flight.

Make sure to check the rating of the establishment where you stay. We booked place at a Wyndham^rd floor abode was magnificent.

spot through Resort Quest. It was 30 stories tall. The condo in which we stayed was nice. The amenities were also nice. Our view from the 23

The problems were multiple. We arrived at 10:30 a.m. because of our flight schedule. Yes, we knew that check-in time was 4:00 p.m. However, we hoped that the staff would be able to get us in our room before that time. We sat for a while and then decided to visit the beach. Chairs and an umbrella

were included in the booking, but we encounter trouble with that because we had not been assigned a room. The attendant allowed us to use the facilities any way. I checked at the front desk for our room number. Our paper work lay at the same place that it had when we arrived; it was now about 1:00 p.m.

A storm hit and scattered folks on the beach. We had no place to go, so we sat in the lobby across from the front desk. At about 3:45, we received a text with our room number and key pad numbers. I  

had to then go to the second floor to get a cart to load our luggage. One wasn’t available. When I finally loaded our belongings and returned from the garage, Amy and I discovered the worst problem. The elevators were slow and too few were available for 500 units.

All of this is to say that I suggest that you don’t stay in large facilities. I won’t book again a place where I can’t walk the stairs if the elevators are too slow or busy. I also will make sure that early check-in is available when our flight causes us to arrive before time. I’ll also make sure the staff cares about customer service and takes steps to get vacationers in their rooms in a timely fashion. That means they might have to send someone from the cleaning staff to clean a room instead of one where no one has been waiting for hours.

I’m not a griping, old man who finds fault with everything. Amy and I had a wonderful time after we finally broke through to our room. We filled our days sitting on the beach and reading. When rain came, we sat on the deck and watched the clouds and rain blow in. I do, expect, however, better customer service from those who are making a living on the travels of others. Make sure you check every step of your trip, but still expect problems to arise. They must be a part of vacations.

SCARED

Okay, folks, I’m scared and worried. No, I’m not afraid for myself; my concern is for my children and grandchildren and this country. What is going on is the destruction of the U.S. by a man who is unfit to be the president.

Supporters say Trump is “draining the swamp,” but a quick look at the actions of those in his own cabinet prove that he’s swapped one type of swamp monster with another kind that answers to him. This man is a danger to our nation, and his giving power to corrupt individuals is criminal.

Immigration is a sticking point for this man. Remember when he vowed to build a wall for which Mexico would pay? It’s not started, so now President Trump wants American citizens to pay for the boondoggle. At the same time, he’s had the Department of Justice wage war on immigrants who come from the Mexican border. Children are ripped from their parents when families cross the border. Just today a baby was taken from a mother as she breastfed the child. I’ve heard the lines that they broke the law and must pay the price. However, should that ever include losing children and breaking families? What would you do if someone took your child from you and placed him or her and foster where you would not be able to find the young one? Nazi Germany did the same thing to families heading for the concentration camps.

Trump’s war continues against most elements of press. Fox News and the conservative media are spared haranguing. However, so-called “liberal outlets” are damned and condemned by this president and his minions. Kellyanne Conway called their convoluted stories “alternative facts,” and Rudy Giuliani said the same thing. The truth is not a variable. It is based on facts. The truth never waivers. Statements that don’t say the same things as the truths are lies, plain and simple. The Constitution is quick to defend a free press and states its importance. This temporary resident in the White House should understand that the truth will outlast his lies and those of his followers.

Twitter attacks by this president are daily events. Most of them are complete with misspellings and grammatical errors, but that’s not as concerning as the lies and attacks and misinformation that he unloads. His limited vocabulary always includes simple words, sometimes misused. Trump believes that if he says something in those Tweets enough times that all people will believe it. Only the 38% that has always blindly supported him will swallow the line of bull he shovels on social media.

President Donald Trump has turned his back on our allies. Those folks are the ones with whom we’ve had steadfast relationships for fifty years. This man swats them away as if they were flies. In their places, he puts our enemies and other countries run by thugs, murders, and miscreants. Each day the president sides with these evil folks he destroys the United States’ leadership role in the world.

So, yes, I’m scared, but at the same time I’m mad. I’m furious that this incompetent man has been able to hijack the GOP and turn it into a disgusting political party. My anger is also aimed at the cowards who represent the people in Washington. Keeping their jobs is more important than standing up to the lies and misdeeds from this administration. Last, I’m furious with those people who refuse to see that this president is destroying our country. It’s no longer a Democrat versus Republican thing; it’s a defining moment for the survival or destruction of the U.S.A. God help us and guide us because we aren’t capable of steering the country in the safe direction.  

ANOTHER YEAR IN THE BOOKS

Another birthday has come and gone, and another year is in the books. I’m lucky enough to have a wonderful family that chooses to gather on a weekend around that date to celebrate that day. We sit

around the pool, cook hamburgers and hotdogs, and laugh and talk until we’re exhausted.

Growing old isn’t that difficult for us. If we are lucky enough, time slides along and takes us with it. Birthdays when I was young left memories and warm sun, honeysuckle, and Mother’s sixth grade class picnic at our house. The smell of leather always reminds me of that birthday when Jim and I received new ball gloves as presents. Neither of us were skilled at using them, but that never kept us from throwing ball in the front yard or trying to play on the team Mr. Wright coached. Melt-in-your-mouth always set center stage on the birthday table.

Teenaged birthdays were different. Sure, presents were nice, but more important was having a few friends at the house for a while. After celebrating there for a while, everyone left for destinations such as the Copper Kettle or another hangout. Yes, we bought alcohol with fake drivers’ licenses and sipped on the stuff. Cigarettes weren’t taboo then, and many of us started the habit during those high school years. When a couple of birthdays rolled around, I even had a girlfriend with whom celebrate the day. Mother was always home on birthdays and made sure they were special.

Adulthood changed those birthdays. Amy did more than she should have to spoil me. We always managed to meet up with Jim and his clan at Mothers. On that 40^th celebration, she and my sister-in-law Brenda planned a party at the Karns community center. A crowd of friends attended and listened to tales on the two of us. My older brother sent a cassette tape that recalled all the horrible events that we caused over the years. The get together was highlighted by the appearance of a large, friendly dancer.

Lately, birthdays are more about just spending time with the folks I love. Lacey and Nick bring Madden with them from Nashville, and Dallas travels home from Chattanooga. They insist on giving presents, some of which are rather strange. I’d as soon they saved their money and just came home for a couple of days. Years earlier, the family stayed up late to watch movies or television shows or just to talk. My bed time comes much earlier now, and my eyes slam shut too soon to suit me.

For the last few years, Madden has stayed the week after my birthday. We find things to do to keep a young boy busy. This year was to be partially spent swimming in the river in the mountains, but days filled with rain caused us to change plans. Just having him stay here willingly is nice, and I try to keep him from being too bored.

This year, I greeted the anniversary of day of my arrival with more aches and pains. Knees and

fingers ache, and a limp caused by inflammation of my Achilles tendon puts a crimp in the activities I want to enjoy. It sounds as if a case of the “gripes” is also present, but the truth is that I am thankful to be here each and every day. I love my wife, children, and grandson. Jim and I still hang out and find projects to keep us busy. I’ll take as many more birthdays as the good lord gives me because I want to share the days of each year with the people I love, even if I have to do so a bit slower.

BE NICE

I arrived at the Knox County Clerk’s office about five minutes before it opened. A man in front of me said the last time he completed this chore, he was number 50 in line. However, at that early hour, I walked in and immediately met one of the workers there. Her cheery voice and kind attitude made renewing my tags easy and pleasant. The fact is that we need more of this kind of behavior in our world.

The clerk’s employee unarms visitors with her friendly demeanor. In return, others relax and return the kindness. Everyday, those workers at that office face throngs of drivers who want to renew
licenses or registration stickers. The job demands patience and efficiency. For them to be kind also to folks, especially the ones who are more than a bit annoyed by the wait, is a credit to them. I didn’t get the name of the woman at the Cedar Bluff office, but if she sees this column, I want to make sure to thank her for being nice.

Fast food businesses are other places filled with stress on employees. Hungry customers are in a hurry to get their food and eat it or take it home to families. True, sometimes those workers at the businesses have no regard for customers and never worry that the line through the drive-thru wraps around the building. However, most of the folks on that side of the counter are concerned about processing orders as quickly as possible. We who are ordering food might make the day a bit easier
for them by being nice. That means saying thank you and foregoing our first instincts to tear into a teenager for having to wait a long time for a burger, order of fries, and drink.

Nothing tests the limits of our temper as does a phone call to a major corporation. Whether the help is with our cable, computer, or health plan, most customers fume when the first thing they hear is a

recording. If the wait is long, company representatives are in trouble when they finally answer calls. Our first tendencies are to blast workers for failing to answer quicker. Never mind that the phone lines are jammed with customers; we want help now. A kind person on the other end can quickly diffuse angry customers. If that person can quickly take care of our problems or questions, we are a bit stunned. In the end, we change our tunes and become kinder, gentler people.

Now, I’m the first to admit that my patience wears thin quicker than most people, and I’ve been a surly S.O.B. at times. However, when people are automatically pleasant, I become a calmer person as well. In fact, I enjoy talking with the worker and tell her how much I appreciate the kindness and help. That’s the way the world should be. More consideration for others makes everyone feel a bit better about life. One thing is for sure: we need to remember what our parents told us when we were children—be nice!