On The Sly

I agree with Warren--along those same lines--how about this one, someone puts gas in their car at the convenience store, leaves the car at the pump and goes into the store and does their weekly groceries or better yet runs into someone they know and talks for a few minutes--

You guys gotta be kidding! Is this all you do is sit around a rant about what bothers you? Life is too short to waste your time on something you can't change - wake up - these people will not change. The way I see it you've got two choices: get some spine and tell these ignorant and self centered bums what you think when you catch them in the act of their lack of good judgement, or excuse yourself and try to perform an act of kindness or thoughtfulness in front of the offending person. If that doesn't work then move on, you gave it your best shot, try it on someone else, but don't sit here and rant about what is wrong- do something about it!!! enough

bruin

(Foxy's note: Good wake-up call, bruin!)

Thanks UPS Dave - I truly understand the dilemna of delivery people - shoveling and clearly marking your CORRECT address seems a small price to pay for the service we expect! Also - are you sure that was a "she" who pulled in front of our friend Foxy - there are some imposters out there you know, even guys with ponytails - who's to know what's what these days! (chuckle chuckle)

Always! miss d

(Foxy's note: Hey, I've got a beard to go with my ponytail, miss d ... )

i just had to respond to this one.
how about the irritating people at many convienience stores that will get a soda and a candy bar, and either pay with a check or credit card? this is one of the most agrivating things on the planet!! you mean to tell me that these people cannot carry a 20 spot in cash with them ? that burns my butt like a 3 foot flame. what, are they afraid of getting mugged for a 20 spot ? or how about the fools that pay for gas with a ziplock full of pennies ? or the ones who put 5.00 in gas in their cars and proceed to spend 25.00 on lottery tickets, and 10.00 for a twelve pack of beer !!!! alll of the above comments i can concur with also. oh, how about the morons who congregate in groups in walmart to catch up on gossip in the middle of the aisle i want to get down ? i could go on, but i'll leave it at that.

thanks for letting me rant foxy, i needed it

Foxy, I guess you have something else to add to your list. I cannot believe that she not only pulled out in front of you but sat there waiting to pull in to the other lane. That's just a small sampling of what I put up with on a daily basis as no one wants to follow the UPS truck.

(Foxy's note: Yes, UPS Dave, I saw you shaking your head as I waited in my lane where that driver cut me off. I'm sure you run into that kind of stuff every day!)

Miss D

Thank you for your comment on how tough it is for delivery people when folks don't take the time to shovel their sidewalks. The worst abusers of this are the owners of the off-campus student housing. I laugh to myself when I finally get to the door and the homeowner says, "Be careful, it's slippery."

My biggest gripes are drivers who have yet to figure out what that "funny" lane in the middle of Rte. 3 is for and drivers who stop in the middle of traffic to let someone out of a business to cross 2 lanes of traffic to go in the other direction without making sure that there are no cars coming in the other lane. Careless smokers, uninformed voters, people who scratch their lottery tickets at the counter while you are waiting to pay for your purchase, people who begin their order at a fast food place with the words "I need...", and the people who insist upon continuing their cell phone conversation while trying to take care of their business (ordering food, paying their cable bill) thereby totally ignoring the person who is trying to provide them with customer service.

Foxy; For you and other Dodger Fans in the area our local newspaper has done a great article and story about Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fl. As you know they are moving to Arizona for spring training next year.
Its sixty years of baseball history with great moments, stories and over 100 photos taken throughout the years. All you need to do is to go to----www.tcpalm.com/interactives/dodgertown
Hope your readers enjoy it! Tom Lasorda takes over the team for the last 8 spring training games ever in Vero Beach, Florida.
Lenny

(Foxy's note: Thanks for the news, Lenny. I'll check it out.)

Hey Foxy,
Things that bother me....
...people whose capacity to forgive is linked to the political bent of the person needing forgiveness.
...people who post personal or "inside" jokes on blogs that the rest of us have NO way of getting.
...people who don't know the law.
...bloggers who write stuff just to see how many people they can get mad at them.

Next!

Two words - Governor Spitzer. This is such a big deal I can't even concentrate on the small stuff. After all he has espoused and pledged to his family and his state, he should crawl under a rock and stay there - his apology is worthless.

Well, I guess there is one small-stuff thing that really bothers me - able bodied people who do not clear their walks after a storm - delivery people deserve much better and it is too bad a law has to be enacted to encourage people to do what is the right thing to start with. They're lucky no one enforces that law - oh yeah, that bothers me too! O.K. that's it for now, thanks!

Always, miss d

Hey Woody,
You and Stanley had too much class to ever do those evil things Swiney, I mean Miney, is accusing you of. Or should I say "ratting" you out on. As for not working, I can say I was Harry Yelle's right hand man. Miney was too worried how he looked and so he never got down and dirty. Now that we have beaten this dead horse let's move on.
Bullet

Bullet: Stan and I MAY have inadvertantly dropped a butt at one point in our lives, but I say Rowlson should be the one picking them up since he is so into walkng for exercise......bending over once in a while to pick up a couple of butts could only help his ever growing waistline.

Woody & Stan are the ones who threw those butts on the ground. Bullet, since you never did any work that summer in 1966 when we worked for the City DPW - please go around and pick 'em up. Thanks

Foxy,

Everyone needs a place to rant once in a while and some of the suggestions that my fellow blogateers have made sound rather interesting.

Unfortunately, Carver, In some cases, neither tight socks nor old age may be the cause of losing ankle hair. If it is truly a factor, and if you are losing hair on the lower halves of your legs as well, please go and have a simple blood test done for diabetes. The constricting of blood vessels, and therefore lack of circulation in the lower extremeties, is sometimes the first sign.

(Foxy's note: I hope that The Carver takes your advice, Kathy.)

what about pet owners who don't pick up after their pets. it not only p's me off when I see it happen, but again when i step in it.

(Foxy's note: I'm with you on that one, rubble!)

To JH,
Crosswalk or no cross walk, it still doesn't give people the right to carelessly walk out in front of cars without even looking! Drive in the city when college kids are changing classes, then you will see what I mean!

Gotta disagree with a previous response. Most state laws (including NY) dictate that pedestrians have the right of way while in a crosswalk. Walmart, Price Chopper and other stores all have large crosswalks in front of their stores. Anyone driving in those areas have to expect to stop often. Backing out of a parking spot does not give you the right of way if a car is already moving in the roadway. My mommy also taught me to obey laws.

You are right on target, Fox. Did you know the following:
1. Each year over one billion worms come down with some form of cancer due to cigarette butts left on city streets.
2, Television talk show hosts are actually paid by the number of times they are able to successfully interupt their guests . (No one ever made a dime on Bobby Knight by the way)
3. The livin' large Bob actor actually lives in Plattsburgh and that the Common Council is considering erecting a statue in his honor in the center city. (There is also speculation that the statue may be located in front of the new waterfront hotel. )
4. Without junk mail the US Postal Service would have to raise the price of a single postage stamp to 2 dollars.
5. Your mail carriers' knee problem is likely due to Cathelitis which is caused by excessive praying for snow- free streets, driveways and sidewalks.

Foxy,
What bothers me is able bodied people who park in handicap parking. They will either smugly pull out a tag that belongs to another relative and place it on their mirror or somehow don't realize they are in a handicap spot, and jump out of the car without a second thought of the truly handicap person that now has to wait for them to move before they can access the place. But what really bothers me is when they are done shopping they leave their shopping cart in the handicap parking spot so now it is totally unaccessable until someone moves it for them. To me this is truly unforgivable. As punishment, I would love to sentence them to a day confined in a wheelchair to learn how hard it is to just get around not to mention trying to find a parking place!!!!
Okay, I feel better now. Thanks for letting me vent.

As far as things that bother ME -- how about when you are backing out of a parking space, and people decide to drive behind you, or worse WALK behind you!! Hello, my backup lights do work, and when you see them on, and my car is going backwards, don't walk or drive behind me!! Also, when people are exiting Wal-mart, the mall, or other stores, why do they feel the need to walk out in front of cars!?! They say that pedestrians have the right of way, but where I come from, with rights come responsibilities. Look both ways, people, didn't your mommies teach you that??
That is my rant for today. Have a great day, Fox!!!

(Foxy's note: Good to know, Auntyellow, that other people have things that bother them, too!)

Egad Foxy,
Your relatively short retirement is turning you into an "old crank."
The little trivial things you mention are the little "stuff" you can't sweat. Why fret about things you can't control? Although you can control mail (I'll tell you when I return)
The nasty North Country winter is getting to you. As the "old crank on a fixed income", it is about time you "chilled out" in the sunny South. Playing golf a couple times a week, walking the beach, dining on fresh sea food is the norm around here for those on a fixed income.
Last week we attended a college baseball tourney at Coastal Field (W. Virginia and Marshall) took in a Parrothead music fest at a local vineyard, did some karaoke at a local pub with Wick Cadieux entertaining the throng. With Bruce Edwards, Rick Vaughan and myself accompanying him. Met up with Tom and Joyce Glasgow at a local restaurant, went to a root beer place and museum serving fine home made root beer, birch beer and sasparilla, etc.
We are expecting about 30 more North Country folks here next week for a Memorial Golf tournament honoring Michelle Hall, Bobby's daughter.
We retired North Country people are enjoying the life on North Myrtle Beach not having time or inclination to fret about the insignificant.
See ya in the spring.
Skip

(Foxy's note: It sure does sound great. Maybe you've got a point, Skip. In a few more years I'll reach the "I can't take it anymore!" point and join you!)

Foxy:

It sounds like you are destined to become the resident curmudgeon of the area like Andy Rooney of 60 Minutes fame. That's great, we need more curmudgeons to keep our perspective on things.

I agree with you on the cigarette butts - they are becoming a disgrace. Here's something that really sticks in my craw: The drivers, usually younger ones, that flaunt the law and keep chatting on their cell phones while narrowly running me off the road. I'd love to have them stopped by a police officer.

Here's a partial solution for the credit card solicitations: Remove the sheets with your name pre-printed on it, shred these and take the remainder of the stuff, put it in the pre-paid envelope and mail it back to them. They'll get hit with the postage. Now multiply this by the number of solicitations that they send out and you'll see that it would cost them some real money. Just don't put your return address on the envelope.

How many times have you tried to contact a company only to have to endure one of those computerized phone trees? After navigating the thing carefully you finally reach a real person - who can barely speak English!

As a former English teacher, I'm sure that you are not amused when dining out with a mixed group to be greeted by a waitress who says: "How are you guys tonight?" Hmmm - did anyone here have a sex change operation that we don't know about?

But hey, being a retired teacher is just great - we have the time to think about and analyze all this stuff and every month those nice people in Albany send us money!

Keep up the good work, Foxman!

Old ladies that think shopping carts are their personal walkers and roam the city leaving them where they please.

Cell phone users that have no courtesy or manners and think the world is their personal phone booth, even while driving.

Shop lifters that justify their indiscretions as a remedy for poor service or high prices.

People who have no regard for others and monopolize every bit of public space on sidewalks, aisles, in malls and everywhere they park their carcasses.

Idiots who reprimand their pets in nasty tones and statements thinking the poor animals can understand the language while they tug on leashes, rather than take the effort to train the pets properly from the beginning. These same individuals treat their children the same way.

Smokers in general, regardless of where they put their butts.

Bloggers who rant on with little regard to the space they use or the words they type. Sounds like I've got a lot of pent-up rage & I'm not even retired………TBI

By the way, I was thumbing through the dictionary the other day and noticed an interesting definition for a “foxtail”. It describes a bald person who wears a pony tail. Also “foxtale” is listed as a writing style that is intended to illicit a response, sounds like a blog to me, and the foxman has made his imprint on the annals of time. Move over Doppler, there’s a new man in town.

have a few suggestions addressing your problem(s)

collect the butts, put them in the postage paid "junk" mail envelopes and send em back!

it will clean up the driveway, and cost the junk mailers about 40 cents ...

pretty much everytime I get junk mail with a postage paid envelope, I just seal it and send it in!... just makes me feel better... it's one thing to send me credit card offers but to send credit card offers to the kids who go to school full time is a crime! Probably receive about 12 credit card offers a week, over half for the kids, some even for the dog! It's no wonder we're having credit problems in this country.

Problem is, if we did away with junk mail the federal postal service would probably be out of business.

As far as the ads go... if you can't beat'em join em... why not start making your own commercials for "foxy vision"...I think seeing "Carr" , "old Timer" or "W" walkin around town like "Bob" with big smiles on their faces would drive viewership through the roof!

Maybe you, "Goose" and the "Bullet" for the many types of hair care products?, some to grow it, some to condition it, some to color it.

I wish they'd come up with a product for ankle hair replacement...is it tight socks or old age that cause that???

(Foxy's note: As always, The Carver has life figured out!)

Dont forget opening day is just a few weeks away. That should make you forget about everything that bothers you. I see good things ahead for your "Blue" . A Cy Young for Derek Lowe and a trip to Fenway in October. What do you think the Steinbrenner family would think seeing Joe Torre managing in the World Series?

(Foxy's note: Yes, 24 days until Opening Day!)