Category: Uncategorized

Why is it that every business seems to think they need an app? And why do these businesses insist on driving their customers through the app? What kind of madness is this? Three questions, no answers.

As a consumer, I just want to buy your product. Let’s go over how this used to work. I want to buy something you sell. I give you money, you give me the product. Simple, right? Did I mention an app? NO!!! Because an app is not needed in the transaction. Businesses know this, otherwise they would not be offering incentives to use the app.

I understand that apps are what the younger generation like to use and they spend more money than people of my generation. So I’ll accept the fact that apps are here to stay. But is it to much to ask the developers to test the apps and make sure they work before deploying them?

2025 is ending, just a few more hours and it will be over. I’ve written in a previous post about my 2025, so I won’t repeat it here.

As with any new year, 2026 brings with it unlimited possibilities, it’s mine to make the most of it. A whole year, 12 months, 365 days, 8760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. What to do, what to do.

I have my New Years Resolutions, but this year I want more. I don’t know what more is, I’ll have to think about it.

As I get older, I am becoming more aware of the passage of time and each year that passes means I have one less. I don’t know how much time I have left, I do know that I want to make the most of it.

I’m sorry, this is becoming a sad post. Let’s see where it goes.

My life can be divided into segments, school, marriage, work, kids and now retirement. The first four were easy to define, the last, retirement, is proving harder for me to figure out. I’ve talked to other people and they all have different ideas about it. And that’s the beauty and the hell of it, I can do whatever I want. I just have to figure out what I want.

So the past few years I’ve been trying different things, I worked at a bike shop, I traveled around the country, I moved to be closer to my family and other things. None of them have really felt right to me.

This year I’m going to try a bunch of different things. I’m going to apply for a job as an engineer in Cambridge, volunteer for the Red Cross Disaster Relief (continue this one), start doing jigsaw puzzles and a whole lot of other stuff that I haven’t even thought about yet. 2026 might be the year I figure it out, but if not there’s still 2027 and 2028 and…

Happy New. May all your wishes and dreams come true and may you find your own path to peace and happiness.

My granddaughter is a lucky girl. She has six, count them, six, grandparents. How you might ask? Well, there are the usual four, mommy’s and daddy’s parents and then my ex remarried and her daddy’s father remarried. So, six it is. If I could find a partner, it would be seven. But that’s another post.

She also has three parents as her father has remarried. So she has a lot of adults in her life who love her dearly. Maybe I should change the title of this post to My Job Description as a grandparent? Because with so many of us, spoiling her at holidays and her birthday became an issue that my daughter had to manage. Oh, I almost forgot to mention her two aunts on her mother’s side and aunt and uncle in her father’s and that she’s the only grandchild.

So my role? It’s evolved into experiences. We go to Hershey Park once a year and out to dinner. Her favorite is Red Robin. I go to her soccer matches and have even had the opportunity to babysit once. She comes over to play with my two golden retriever puppies. I also invited myself along for a week when she went to France to spend a month with her father over the summer while he was on sabbatical. I’m currently in discussion with my daughter about taking her to the circus or to see the Harlem Globetrotters. I have a niche role helping my daughter when needed and making memories my granddaughter will have long after I’m gone.

I play a unique role here. I am of use to my daughter and granddaughter, allowing my daughter to relax for a moment during her busy day and my granddaughter to have a relationship, an interaction if you will, with an adult male in a safe space. These are life experiences, teachable moments I think is the current phase, that will serve her as she grows up and interacts with others. She is looking at me and learning from my actions what to expect from others.

You are probably in a similar position. It’s a great responsibility, I’m sure you are up to the challenge. Tell me your story. I’d love to hear it.

This is a tough one. I want to keep my posts upbeat, positive and fun and leave you wanting to come back for more, but this one is hard. Please don’t misunderstand me, my transactions with just about all the people I deal with I find are positive and enjoyable and productive. I say “just about all” because my interactions with AI things (not sure what to call them because they are not people) have been negative with me sometimes hanging up in frustration. But writing this I realize that they are not people, so I must amend my previous statement and write “all my interactions have been great.”.

So why this post. To thank the people on the front lines for all their hard work and to note I understand when they have to do something they know is stupid, and they know that I know it’s stupid, but the boss requires it.

The other day I had a procedure for my back. Due to insurance rules it had to be done in two visits. I had the first one and while in the recovery room, set the date for the second one. A week later the national office located in Ft Walton Beach, FL called me. The call interrupted me at the gym, so I didn’t take it. I called back later to see what they wanted. They wanted to set the appointment. When I told her I already had the appointment, I was informed the local office couldn’t do that. So we set the appointment for the same time and date as I had already set.

Was that a waste of everyone’s time or am I missing something. I mentioned it to my doctor during my follow up visit. She just shook her head. Some battles aren’t worth fighting.

I put this story out as an example to see what stories my readers might have. Please send them in and I’ll share them.

Back in June my synagogue put on a 5k matzoh ball run. They’ve been doing if for about 25 years to raise money. This year they gave out coupons for a free bowl of matzoh ball soup at Mikey and Mel’s, a local restaurant. I picked up a handful of coupons and gave them to my sister and we forgot about them.

She found them the other day while cleaning. Since they expire at the end of the year, we decided to go for lunch. As we waited for a table, my sister started giving away the extra coupons. Everyone was happy to get them and the management didn’t object.

The soup was excellent and I got a hot pastrami on rye, my sister got hot corn beef on an onion role. We thoroughly enjoyed the meal. When we were ready to pay, the waitress told us the table next to us, a recipient of a couple of matzoh ball soup coupons, had paid our check. They had asked her to wait until they had left before she told us, so this is my way of thanking them.

Th world is full of good people. We just need to own our eyes to see them. Look around you, they are probably standing next to you.

Happy Holidays.

When I started this blog in 2024 I thought I would share what was on my mind. Then life happened and I ended up writing about my travels. It was nice but now it’s time to move on to other subjects. Now is the time to explore the grumpy in grumpy old man. So buckle up and hang on. I’m going to elevate grumpiness to a new level. As always, your thoughts and opinions are appreciated.