"Coffee is a hug in a mug." ~ Author Unknown

Welcome back where we find ourselves dealing with back to work Monday on this October 26, 2015. There are times when things look pretty bleak. Last week I was hit with a major challenge. It was one that required all the resources and stamina I could muster. It may not sound so serious to you. It was to me. It came unexpectedly on a day when I was chasing several different priorities, suddenly.... from out of nowhere, bang, zoom, my single cup Keurig gave up the ghost.  I cleaned it. I talked to it. But, it was done. Dead on arrival. That may not qualify as an emergency in your world but it is serious business to me. Ever since I made the transition to the single serve world I've been pretty much locked in. I researched the information on exactly when I got this unit and when I used my first Community K-cup style single serve pod. It's one year warranty lapsed about 10 months ago. A conservative estimate says it had faithfully delivered maybe 2000 cups and without any fanfare the pump quit pumping. I do have a little one cup thingy I can use with ground coffee if I have to but I've become accustomed to the K-cup approach. (A well stocked inventory of Community Keruig K-Cup Pods may have played a role.) Once we determined it couldn't be salvaged I had some decisions to make. I hurried down to the big box store and found a cheap unit made by Hamilton Beach. It cost less than half what the Keurig cost so I figured if it lasts a couple of years it will have earned its keep. It's more manual than the other and little more flimsy but it serves the purpose and after a couple of trial runs I got the Community just about right. Now the world seems to be a much more peaceful and tranquil place. It may take me a while to get over it. I sat there waiting. It just kept looking at me. The light was blinking but nothing. Do what? Not now. Please. I guess I'll be okay. (I can still see that winking red light in my dreams.) The wife watched a YouTube video of a young lady showing how she makes a cup just using the K-cup and no maker. No thank you. Thanks for your kind thoughts and concerns. I appreciate it.

The thoughts expressed in the foregoing paragraph are true. The descriptions may have some embellishment but for the most part you have a firsthand account of exactly the events as they transpired. Sounds a little shaky? I was a little shaky. Thanks for noticing. And upset too. Speaking of being shaky, I had to be across the metroplex three different times last week in the very early hours of the morning. It was approximately 50 miles one way. Thanks to the gridlock and mayhem that transpired each trip I averaged around 1 hour and 45 minutes to my destination. I had to go under one of those spaghetti like overpasses with north, south, east, west all in motion at the same time. Not enough motion. The cars were all stopped. The tail lights in the dark on each layer looked like decorations that one could reach up and touch. In the middle of that chaos would not be a good time to get lost in thought. Everyday was a different version of what had to be a meeting of the traffic weaving association. They were all practicing their acrobatic diving in and diving out skills. I was actually traveling on the pay as you go freeway where you drive for a 1/4 of a mile and then sit for 10 minutes. Rinse and repeat. Meanwhile the in and out divers kept everyone on the edge of their seat. I suppose they serve a valuable purpose. Oh yeah. I forgot about the construction. You've got right and left brained thinking. Then you have the construction planning demonstrated by the no brained thinking. I think when people call into a talk show they say their piece and call it their take. You now have my take on trying to get from Point A to Point B at 6 a.m. in the morning.

The wife recently upgraded her phone from being smart to I suppose being a smart aleck. That means her previously used and less intelligent phone became available to me. I still use a flip phone. I would like some of the features on her old phone but I said no thank you. Here's why. Texting. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that more than 90% of the time that I am out and about I have a near miss experience with someone texting while driving. Word picture time: A fellow nearly laid down in his seat driving 75 mph texting while pulling a trailer loaded up with lawn care equipment weaving here and there over into my lane with the truck (front) and the back wheels (rear) of the trailer. Word picture time: A white haired lady with slowed responsiveness darting here and there driving 25 miles lower than the speed limit because she is attempting to operate her motor vehicle while texting. Those who say talking on the cell phone has the same distraction risks are not driving on the same roadways I am. I believe this texting while driving to be both epidemic and a serious threat to those who are doing nothing more than trying to drive to their destination. When I finally stop and catch my breath I discover I'm exhausted not from the journey but from the stress of having been nearly run over multiple times. Now you have my first hand account of this menace. For what it's worth. I feel somewhat exhausted now just from remembering and writing about it. This may qualify as a public service announcement. Maybe they will remove my slow men working sign. Have a great rest of the day and may God protect us all is my prayer. Amen. .....More later.