Jimmy T. was the son of Henry T. Henry worked very hard to build himself a very successful construction company. And Jimmy T. was the rich kid destined to inherit it all. A silver spoon boy so to speak.

Well, the Ts were awarded a construction contract at Calvin College where I worked at the time. Jimmy T. was the construction foreman for the job and I was responsible for installing the phones in the building.

Unlike other construction projects where all of the subs reported to the general contractor, I reported to the VP of Business for the college. So, I was a VERY independent contractor and Jimmy T. didn’t like that at all. So, he TRIED to jerk me around when every he got the chance.

One day, I unboxed some equipment for the phones in the building and threw a couple of small empty boxes in the dumpster at the construction site. When Jimmy T. saw me, he came running out of his office and proceeded to chew me out for using his dumpster.

Now, had he been nice to me, I would gladly have removed the boxes and put them in the trash else where. But no, he was down right nasty. So, I removed the boxes and proceeded to burn them on the ground outside near his office.

Once again, Jimmy T. came flying out of his office and once again he confronted me. He told me that it was against the law to burn trash in the city. I thanked him for the information and then told him that it really wasn’t any of his business. He turned red in the face and went back inside.

I just love passive aggressive behavior.

Over the past few months, I have noticed that some shoppers at Meijer’s (regional grocery chain) are using reusable shopping bags instead of the plastic ones. These shopping bags are made of a heavy duty woven synthetic material with two handles and a special flap for attaching to the Meijer’s check out bag holder.

At a dollar a piece, I considered them to be a better alternative to the regular plastic bags that Meijer’s uses. So, I bought six of them.

These bags actually hold more that the plastic bags and are much stronger. Plus, they have a couple of side straps for bottles. All and all, they are a very good idea.

However, there is one major problem with these bags and that would be the owner. You see, while I bought the bags with the intend of going green, they are useless if I forget to take them with me. So, I have taken to carrying them in the trunk of my car. At least, if they are in the trunk of my car, they stand a good chance of making it on to the Meijer’s property.

Now, I am batting about .500 on actually using the bags. Once, while I was in the check out, I remembered that the bags were in the car. So, I excused my self to my fellow shoppers and went out to grab my bags.

Unfortunately, the other day, I was too far along in the checkout process to leave the line. So, in an effort to save face, I requested paper. (we use paper bags for recycling)

While I may not have used my new heavy duty bags, at least I wasn’t using those plastic ones.

Each year at Christmas time, I exchange gifts with two of my co-worker. While our gifts are usually stuff like wine or small trinkets, every now and then, one of us gets creative. And this year was one of those years.

This year, my co-worker Dawn, gave me a gift bag with tissue paper covering the gifts. Inside the bag was a computer screen cleaner that looked like one of the M&M characters and some chocolate liqueurs. Very nice.

When I got home, I pulled the gifts out of the bag to show Kathy. She was really interested in the chocolate liqueur and proceeded to examine the selection. Moments later, she said that there was something else wrapped up inside the bag.

Surprised, I went over to the bag and removed the final contents. It was a box of Enzyte.

Kathy and I have seen those ads on TV for Enzyte and know that it is touted to be a natural male enhancer. However, Kathy was under the opinion that I am enhanced enough and any more enhancing would limit her ability to get any work done around the house. So, she took the Enzyte away from me and told me that I couldn’t have any.

Then, when she discovered that one of the ingredients was “Horny Goat Weed”, she said that I definitely could not have any.

I just read an article the other day that said that some drug stores and grocery stores are starting to carry an array of items for sexual enhancement. While a certain amount of lubricants and creams have been available in these stores for years, they are now starting to sell items such as massage oils and sensitizing creams.

And some of these stores are now carrying a line of marital aid devices. And while this merchandise is being sold in the pharmaceutical section, it is still out on display. Can you imagine some fourth grade girl saying “Mommy, what are those things hanging next to the curling irons?”

Many years ago, when I first became a Christian, I was taught to pray using the ACTS method. Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. This was a general guideline for prayer.

However, for the past few years, I have had a hard time following this approach. Why? Because I can never seem to get past the Adoration. I can literally spend hours praising God. Or more specifically, loving God.

Some days I am so overwhelmed with the love of God that I can barely speak. In many respects, all that really matters is God not me. I am just His servant, a tool for His use.

Who is your favorite super hero, Superman or Batman? A co-worker postulates that if you choose Superman, you are a liberal Democrat and if you choose Batman, you are a conservative Republican. And, here is why.

Superman is a lowly photographer employed by a liberal news paper. Batman, is a wealthy businessman who is self employed.

Superman uses his power to help the helpless such as people trapped in burning buildings. Batman uses his gadgets to catch criminals who are a menace to society as a whole.

I guess if you chose Spider man, you probably voted for Ross Perot.

Back in 1904 a young entrepreneur, named King Gillette, was looking to invent a product that he could produce and sell to the public. An old friend advised him to invent something that was cheap and disposable. That is when he hit on the idea of the safety razor.

At the time, everyone told him that it was impossible to create a sharp, thin, steel blade. But a MIT graduate proved them wrong. And thus, the safety razor was invented.

He sold his product to the US Army during WWI and soon, everyone was abandoning their straight razors for his safety razor. And of course, he didn’t make his money on the razors themselves, he made his money on the blades.

So, when I received my free Gillette Fusion razor in the mail, it was no surprise that a package of blades cost me $20.

The man was a genius!

One of the restaurants, here in Lowell, offers outside dining. The restaurant is located on the river so it is a natural to have outside accommodations. You can eat while looking at the scenic river setting and feeling the cool breeze off the water. And, if the sun is too hot, you can put up an umbrella.

Not to be out done, one of the local bars is offering outside seating. The location is a section of blacktop surrounded by buildings and privacy fences.

But, unlike most bier gardens, there is no overhead canopy to shield you from the heat. And as far as I can tell, there is no shade what so ever. And to add to the atmosphere, there are a couple of dumpsters up next to the building.

So, after a hard day at work, you can sit out in the heat, staring at the side of a building while enjoying the ambiance of rotting garbage. Life is good.

Today, when I was out for my morning walk around Lansing, I noticed the dates on the sidewalks. The section that I was walking on was poured in 1925. It looked better than the section that was poured in 1975.

This made me wonder why? Was the concrete better in 1925? Was the 1925 sidewalk used less than the 1975?

And why do they sidewalk companies put their name on the sidewalk? I doubt that the 1925 sidewalk company is still in business.

And why the date? It is not as if someone is going to say, “That side walk is 83 years old. Guess I’d better replace it.” Or, “That sidewalk is pretty rough but it is only 30 years old so I guess it doesn’t need to be replaced.” And, it is not like the historical society is going the specifically visit the site.

The best that I can come up with is that it is just a sophisticated way to write your name in the cement.

Posted on a sign outside of the Michigan Hall of Justice is “No Freestyle skateboards, bicycles or roller skates.” The Hall of Justice is where the Michigan Supreme Court resides and not super heroes as the name might imply, though I am sure some of the occupants view themselves that way.

Apparently, you can roller skate, bicycle and skate board there, you just can free style. This begs the question of what is “free style”? And, is there a legal definition of “free style”?

To me, free style is any thing that differs from the required. So, I guess if you follow the routines required in competitive sports, you are OK.

I think the Hall of Justice folks have too much time on their hands.