I Think

That's called infrastructure spending. Long overdue.

The problem is, they are always bringing too little too late. By the time they build these things, the traffic has already outpaced them. As massive as is this project, there will still be traffic jams.

That's not a problem only in Texas. We have the same problems here in California; they're always having to expand freeways to accommodate the growing traffic. It's a nightmare every commute hours around here! I'm glad I no longer have jobs where I have to drive on the freeways during commute hours. Some roads are 5 and 6 lanes wide - each way, and they still slow down during commute hours.

Now they will have three loops around Houston. Wonder how long before they start on four and five -

I used to have a job that was 8 miles away from home. It was 8-5...still it would take me one hour to get home....so glad that's over.

That is a traffic truism long going on (a colleague used to work in transportation design).

I drive twelve miles. Not so long ago, I could pick my speed and rarely saw more than a couple of other drivers. Now it is stop and go, with added three and four way stop signs and a new light.

Don't all of you find it amazing that the public seems to vote down public transportation when its offered, then complain about the traffic problems.

Tomball doesn't want Houston buses to come out this far. Reason being, they don't want objectionable types moving to this area. I guess they mean poor people. Whatever, all types are moving here at a projected top of around a million, so, in my opinion, we need those buses. The trains they are gradually adding are not my idea of a good alternative.

California re fast rail and New Mexico's Albuquerque re fast buses, and pretty much only fast ones in few places, share a speed love that leaves a lot of people or smaller places out of it, car dependent. Stupid stupid planning.

I'm reminded every time I travel to foreign countries where they have excellent public transportation.

Athens is a very old city, and they even built a subway system in the late nineties.

Lots of American towns and cities once had nice streetcar systems, but auto makers bought and dismantled them.

In Los Angeles, the Red Cars..

I put up my gates across the driveway today. The area it encloses is a rectangle in the corner of my lot. You still have to pass through a chain link gate to get to the house. I designed it like that to keep the dog from getting out when we have to unload the car.

We went out to have breakfast for dinner. The waitress seated us, promised to come back and take our order, then vanished. People who came in after us had their food by the time our order got taken. I at last had to tell the manager we were waiting for ever for a waitress, before we were served. They were not particularly busy, when we walked in. I just gave a two dollar tip.

I came into a case with three expensive cameras inside it. But, they are the kind that use film. I guess I can put them on ebay.

I think too many terrible things are happening in my realm. I belong to a retired DOD member society that keeps us up to date on fellow retired colleagues. Most of the time we hear about new grandchildren, wonderful trips people are taking, endeavors they are undertaking. We can contact each other, we have a directory, the Phoenix society arranges trips and social engagements, and I love to keep track of my old buddies.

Since early November, I've been notified of 14 agency people who have died, I called the Phoenix office today about how sad it is and then was told they received 8 more names today. It's a huge Agency, so possibly the numbers are not unusual, but I knew every single person, tomorrow I'll be at the local church to attend another funeral service. I remember most of the people, but
can only remember them as healthy, industrious and too young to die.

But, we age, we will not live forever, just doesn't mean you won't feel an ache when you learn that old colleagues are gone.

I wish I had something that was more cheerful, I'm just going to reflect on what it all means, and get back to a new normal.

As the saying goes, aging isn't for sissies.

Most in our social group are in the same age group - between 70 and 84; a couple have passed away, but with our increasing age, it's going to get more common for our group. It's also the aging ailments that have hit most in our group. Many call my wife for medical advise, because she's a nurse, and even our friend's children call her for advice.

That's the way of most seniors; we go through the best of times and the worst of times. But, isn't that life?

It's definitely life, but life set me back a bit. However, life will go on.

Working apartments that are loved by the elderly puts me in a position to make friends with some very old people. I have had to be the one to bring in the police when they die with the doors locked. Without exception, it seems, they try to hang on to their independence right up until the end. Memories of the dead and gone, multiple times, in the same apartment numbers. But they all are worth knowing and I am not sorry for having been there.

My daughter will be waking to minus 11 degrees, near Denver, this morning. I was unhappy with our 37 plus, before I saw that.