I realize they are a business, and they have to make money to pay the bills. I really do understand. But somehow there has to be a middle ground of some sort where they can use a squirt of dental cement to help someone out. Call it a good-will investment. Write it off as Marketing. Had they seen me today, and not charged me anything (or even just a very nominal amount, like $5 or $10 at most), and had I liked how I was treated by the doctor and other staff, they would have had a potential convert from my dentist (who I love) in Fairfax (45+ minutes away). They go to all that trouble to build a web presence, fill it with info, get someone on the phone. And then chase them away. Sorry, I won’t be back, you had your chance.

Drug dealers know what they’re doing. The first hit is free. After that, you pay.

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, ‘Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!’

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you. Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so … Love the people who treat you right.Pray for the ones who don’t.

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Have a garbage-free day!

I’ve been a Tracfone customer for years, and my opinion of them has just taken a drastic hit. They lied to me about why they wanted my home telephone number, and then they chose to market to it. I’m on the National Do Not Call list for a reason. Yes, I have a business relationship with Tracfone, but keep this up and we won’t! Telemarketing is unacceptable!

Actually, getting the Tracfone junk mail is frustrating too. They used to send out mailings with the address printed in a font that looks like handwriting. Deceptive!

My overall Wii Fit age today was 28. My previous best time on the Wii Fit Basic Balance Test was 16.00 seconds (3.00, 3.15, 3.00, 3.85, 3.00).

Photos are at:

• Collection #1: December 19, 2009 at 12:15pm
• Collection #2: December 19, 2009 at 3:30pm

I shoveled the sidewalk at 11am. I did it again at 3:30, and you really couldn’t tell I had done it earlier. Whew! I’m glad to be inside where it’s nice and toasty.

It looks like we’ve received at least 18 inches of snow. And it’s still snowing!

Since he was a Chief in a modern society he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky he couldn’t tell what the winter was going to be like.

Nevertheless, to be on the safe side he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared.

But being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, “Is the coming winter going to be cold?”

“It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold” the meteorologist at the weather service responded.

So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service again. “Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?”

“Yes,” the man at National Weather Service again replied, “it’s going to be a very cold winter.”

The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.

Two weeks later the Chief called the National Weather Service again. “Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?”

“Absolutely,” the man replied. “It’s looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters ever.”

“How can you be so sure?” the Chief asked.

The weatherman replied, “The Indians are collecting firewood like crazy.”