Gas prices. Gas prices, at least in my area, have dropped over $.20 in the past two weeks. Oil prices, for the most part, have dropped steadily throughout July and into August. Just as I suspected it would, as in any overvalued stock, the price had to drop. But, even at $3.79/gallon in our area, it is a hardship for most people. I don’t know if prices will drop below $3.00/gallon or not. I would like to believe they will. But, I think the speculators are not finished with us yet. Neither Presidential candidate has really put forth a long-range energy policy that would wean us from dependence on foreign oil. This is something that we, as Americans, are going to have to do ourselves. We can’t depend on politicians, whose only aim in life is to get reelected. I’m ready for term limits.


Senator Obama. It seems he didn’t get the much needed bounce from his European swing that he and his supporters had anticipated. He opened up a 7-9 point national lead. Unfortunately, for him, the lead evaporated almost as quickly as it had risen. I can’t remember the last time I was as uninterested in a Presidential campaign as I am this one. I can’t stand John McCain. I think he is dangerous, he is in love with his maverick label to the detriment of his own party and he is flip flopping almost as badly as Senator Obama on issues (re: offshore drilling). Senator Obama simply isn’t ready for primetime politics. I think you’ll see his campaign unravel in the next couple of months. Still, he should still be strong enough to beat John McCain. But, this election will quite possibly be as close as the Bush-Gore election of 2000.

Ralph. My little beagle puppy must have really missed me while I was in the hospital. Since I have gotten back home, on July 14th, he simply will not leave my side. If I leave to go run an errand, he starts howling loud enough to make people think he is dying. I have to leave him behind sometimes. But, when I come back home, he is still sitting at the gate, anxiously waiting for me. I love my little buddy.

Finally, my yard man at long last called me. He had not been answering his phone. I had been calling him for several days after I got out of the hospital. My yard had grown into a jungle. As a result, I had to hire someone else temporarily. My former yard man told me he was helping his brother move some old furniture into a rental facility when he felt a hot twinge go down his left leg and left lower back.
Yes, unfortunately, my former yard man has a ruptured lumbar disc. I sympathized with him and told him if a 56 year old man can come through that surgery ok, a 23 year old man shouldn’t have much trouble. Of course, I told him that once he is back on his feet, I’d be glad to have him back mowing my lawn. He thanked me for that. Unfortunately, this young man has no insurance and will most likely not be eligible for unemployment benefits of any kind. And he has a wife and two small children. Sigh.