tomversation

They are always lurking

I feel like I’m being stalked.

There is a new couple who moved into our small building and it seems that every time I turn around, there they are – in my face. It’s not intentional, I don’t think, but I am beginning to hate them for it. They have been here a few months and they are driving me out of my skull.

They rent the unit, and over the years, I’ve known everyone who has lived in that unit, and I was friendly with all of them and liked all of them. And I never felt annoyed by them. But this couple – I can’t explain it – they are just there – they are always there.

It’s a young husband and wife with a baby, who seems to be about one-year-old, maybe younger. They own a small restaurant in town, but they seem to always be here at home, when I am, rather than at the restaurant.

They seem to walk the baby around in a stroller or walk their dog every five minutes – they are always doing it. But the annoying part comes in where they are everywhere I am. Just lurking.

If I’m going to the elevator, she is invariably standing there waiting for it. If not standing there waiting for it, when the door opens for me to enter, there she is exiting and I have to say hello to her, which I don’t want to do.

More than once, I would say maybe seven times, when I have come home, driving up in my car, as I try to park in my parking space, she is in the parking space, washing her dog! The hose is next to my car, but rather than pull it out across the lot to a more convenient area, there she is, in my space washing the freaking dog.

And she is always so sickeningly sweet – “Have a nice day.” “Have a beautiful day.”

Her husband, is usually on his bicycle and he is always there when she isn’t there. Come to think of it, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen them together. But I must have. But it’s sort of like they torment me one at a time – only not on purpose.

I’ve lived in this building for many years, it’s a small condo building, only 14 units. I can honestly say, I’ve never seen any one of my neighbors this much. I’ll go weeks without seeing anyone, except for them. I don’t even remember their names.

Another neighbor, my friend Mary, says I am conjuring them up, you know, willing their presence, by talking about them. But I don’t think about them ever – that’s what makes it so irritating, when they pop up in my face so unexpectedly. I feel can do a magic trick, regarding this if I wanted to. I can tell someone, watch this, I can push the elevator button and one of them will appear – no joke.

I have avoided them by not getting in the elevator with them, making an excuse that I forgot something in my car, just to get away and not ride the lift with them.

Mary says I sound crazy, and asked if I told anyone else about this. But I only told her, and now you. I know it sounds crazy, but imagine that every time you opened your front door the same person was standing there. Or you walk in your backyard and there they are. Or you go to park your car and they are blocking your spot. Daily, more than once a day.

I did say something to the lady with the baby yesterday. I came home from Publix with arms full of bags, I hit the elevator key, and out popped mamma and baby. I said to her, “You are always there! You are always coming or going!” She said, “Excuse me?” She wasn’t exasperated, she really did not understanding what I meant. I just let her pass and I got in the elevator without responding.

I’ve taken to using the stairs to avoid the elevator, but of course that doesn’t matter since she is always washing the freaking dog in my parking space and always walking the dog around the elevator area and always pushing the baby in the stroller. The husband, not so much, but again, he pops up when she isn’t popping up.

Another neighbor keeps insisting that we go this couple’s restaurant for lunch, which is right here in the village. I keep turning that down. I see enough of them right here up my ass every day, I don’t need to go seek them out.

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Navigating insurance rates

I’m dealing with insurance – auto and homeowners. It’s amazing how different the rates are.

I didn’t get the homeowners rates yet, what happened was my insurance company of so many years dropped me. Well, they dropped the whole state.

This happens a lot with Florida insurance policies, but this was not for hurricane and windstorm, it was for homeowners, you know, to cover a toilet leak or something. The big insurance for hurricanes, etc., I get through the condo association, we pay through our maintenance fees.

Anyway, regarding the auto insurance, I am with Geico now, but every once in awhile, I change companies because you get better rates that way. I had State Farm auto insurance for many years, when I changed to Allstate, I immediately saved $800.00 per year.

After a bit with Allstate, I changed to Progressive and saved and then from Progressive, I changed to Geico and saved.

Now it may be time to change again, so I checked back with State Farm after all these years, I told them I would like to bundle the homeowners with auto. While I didn’t get the homeowners quote yet, I got the auto insurance – $1329.00 for six months. That’s with the bundle. Without the bundle, it’s $1466.00 for six months.

That’s almost $3000.00 a year!

Know what the rates are from Geico and Progressive? Less than $500 for six months ($481.00 with Progressive), and that’s with Snapshot, that thing where they track you. And according to my tracking – it isn’t perfect – but that’s the rate.

Maybe State Farm doesn’t want my biz or maybe they think I’m stupid or maybe they are punishing me for leaving them so many years ago.

They are calling me today with the homeowners insurance rates – that ought to be a laugh.

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Password craziness

This weekend, Twitter/X went down for me. I have a lot of accounts I still use for business, comics and other things. It just locked up and froze. I mostly use it for news.

I stopped watching cable news awhile back, for various reasons and occasionally I watch local news. So Twitter/X is it.

I know it sounds stupid to say that, but I’m talking about seeing reputable sites for news and verifying it if I questions something.

Anyway, I removed the app from my iphone and reinstalled it and I had to one-by-one, add my separate accounts. So many had different passwords, because that’s what you’re supposed to do – have different passwords.

I did this three times – deleted it all, reinstalled it all and tried to remember all the passwords.

Luckily things worked out after all that, and it’s all working now. My X account related to my cartoons and this blog is Tomversation, if you’re interested. I also have accounts on Bluesky and Threads, and they are related to this blog and my comics, too.

But now my Chrome browser on my computer, lost all the passwords! I had them all in the password manager – maybe 60 of them! And they are gone.

I remember most of them, but still, it’s an issue to deal with.

I know, I know, it’s a first world problem. It’s interesting that when one thing goes, everything seems to go.

Years ago when I worked with typesetting and all sorts of newspaper equipment, that was always the case. If one machine went, they all went at the same time.

So far, hopefully not jinxing things, but all things are well, now.

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The chicken wars are on again

The Today Show had a story on how chicken is dominating the fast food chain wars. Isn’t that old news? I thought that was a thing.

I remember the chicken sandwich being a big thing not long ago. Popeye’s introduced a chicken sandwich and then everyone started doing it. I think Popeye’s still has the best chicken sandwich.

I try not to eat most meats, including chicken and fish, but awhile back, I noticed I was not getting enough protein, so I went back to eating non-red meat things.

I was forgetting things – including names of people. A friend who is against vaccinations kept telling me it was that I got the Covid vaccine and that was the cause of me loosing brain cells, but I knew that wasn’t it.

Then one day, on the Today Show, ironically, a doctor was on and she said, “If you are forgetting names and other things, it may be because you are not getting enough protein.” And that was it! As soon as I heard that, I realized that was my issue.

For maybe six months or so, I was eating green. I mostly had a big salad, sort of like Elaine Benes, as my main meal of the day.

They knew me at Panera Bread around the county. I would go to various ones depending on where I was during the day, and I would get a cobb salad, minus the meat. I would also add extras in it like red onions, super greens, etc. But I was not getting any protein.

When they added the Mediterranean salad and Greek salads, I started eating those. I felt since the ancient grain farro was in one of these salads, it must be good.

I figured if it fueled the ancient Greek and Romans, it must be good. Then I realized this was an ancient grain, but people, like the ancient Greeks and Romans, didn’t live very long according to our standards. So farrow didn’t help them when you think about it.

Eventually I went back to chicken and fish – sometimes red meat, but hardly ever.

I like the Popeye’s chicken sandwich and also Wendy’s and Burger King. I also like Pollo Tropical’s chicken sandwiches and Publix makes a great chicken and fish sandwich, quite cheap, only the bun is always hard as a rock from sitting under the hot lights all day.

Popeye’s has Honey Lemon Pepper Wings – this drippy, zesty delicious thing. I think that’s my favorite thing right now.

I don’t like KFC; they really went downhill. It’s hit or miss. They have some chicken nuggets now, which are delicious if they don’t come out rubbery.

They are always trying to upsell at KFC. Before they even see you when you are around the bend at the drive-thru, the first thing they ask is if you want a 20 piece bucket. I guess they don’t realize that at noon, most people are there for a quick lunch, not a family meal. I try to joke with them about it, but they get offended, so I keep my mouth shut now and just order lunch.

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House Hunters

Ever notice on House Hunters that every time people see a nice balcony, overlooking a beautiful scene as they are house hunting, they say, it’s a perfect place to have coffee in the morning.

And of course, every spare room or small room, would make a great office.

I wonder how many people use the room for an office and how many people have coffee on the balcony.

I have a beautiful wrap around balcony where I live. I’ve been here for over 20 years and I don’t think I have ever once had coffee out there. I do use one spare room as an office, I’m typing this in the office right now.

I have another spare room that looks like an attic – it’s full of stuff.

My balcony faces the bay – it’s literally feet from Biscayne Bay and it’s beautiful. Whenever people would come here and see it for the first time, they would invariably say, “If I lived here, I would be out on the balcony all the time.”

I tell them, “I’m usually in my bedroom watching tv.” And they laugh, but it’s true. I guess the grass is always greener.

I was doing this thing where I was taking pictures of clouds and making images out of them. I was showing someone the balcony and said, “Here is where I take the cloud pictures. But I take them through the window, I don’t go out on the balcony to do it.”

The height of laziness.

I do appreciate the balcony and the view though. I look outside every day, it’s the first thing I do in the morning. I never get tired of it. I’m just not out there having coffee, or wine, or whatever. Maybe I should.

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Why train travel is a special adventure

A Metro-North Hudson Line train along the Hudson River

We’re going to a wedding this summer in upstate New York, one of my favorite places. I say we, because there are a lot of us – my immediate family including all my cousins.

After that, we are all heading back down to NYC. I had booked a train ticket, because I was going to leave before everyone else, but now everyone is headed down to the city on the same day, so I canceled the train ticket and I’ll ride with one of them in their cars.

I sort of regret it because the trains to and from New England, and upstate New York go through incredible vistas.

What’s interesting is that when trains were new in the 1830s and 1840s and beyond, the tracks were built going through towns that were big and small – mostly small towns and some not even existent yet.. So if you take a train trip these days, you pass through and stop at stations that are literally in the center of town. You can get off the train and be in a coffee shop, library, hotel or whatever, in what literally is steps away, in many places.

I’ve taken the train from Boston to NYC often and it’s amazing how you ride through and stop at the center of towns like Providence, RI; Mystic CT; New London, CT and so many more small towns. It’s how it was done in the past.

Upstate New York trains take you right next to the Hudson River, literally feet away. If the tracks were built today, I would guess that waterfront property would be full of houses and buildings, feet from the water. But luckily it’s not that way due to the train’s right of way. It’s a wide open view.

These small towns grew up around the train stations so it makes a lot of sense.

I believe if the trains were platted today, they most likely would be in warehouse districts or unseen places, away from the cities, sort of like airports, where we would have to Uber into town.

But since train tracks are permanent, we get to see the cities and towns that they encouraged to grow over the years. And in the beginning, they were built close to and inside of towns, and where there were no towns, towns were started and grew up.

A train ride is an adventure in itself. It’s about the journey, not the destination.

There’s a tv show I’ve seen called Mighty Trains, where this guy Teddy Wilson takes us on a trip through various countries – from one end to another. It’s enjoyable all because of the scenery and small towns along the way.

Another show I have seen in Railroad Alaska, where we follow two trains which travel from southern Alaska daily – one a passenger train, the other freight. The adventure comes in where the track workers have to clear the tracks of Alaskan elements – landslides, broken tracks, avalanches, etc. All while the railroads are running.

People live along the routes and flag the trains down to catch a ride – there are no stations along the way. It’s quite enjoyable.

If you have the time – train travel is worth the trip; and adventure. There are books here geared to train travel in the U.S. and around the world. Check them out for a new type of adventure.

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My crazy cowboy boot experience at the airport

I was cleaning out the closet and I came across an old pair of cowboy boots. Cowboy boots! I only wore them once, years ago, and that day I was stopped by the FBI or airport security, not sure who they were.

This was way before 9/11 so flying wasn’t as troublesome as it is today. I was going to a wedding in Cleveland and I had to make one stop on the way – in Atlanta, I was coming from Miami.

I was at the Atlanta airport between flights reading the papers, the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, which were two separate newspapers at the time – today they are combined as one. Anyway, I can picture myself sitting with the paper up to my face reading.

Two guys in suits come up to me. I don’t remember the exact words, but they wanted to know what was in my boot! I don’t know if they followed me all the way from Miami or just spotted me in Atlanta, but they saw me reach into my boot a couple of times.

I slowly reached in and took out my wallet! I was carrying my wallet in my boot. Back then I carried a full wallet, sort of like George Costanza’s wallet, and it was more comfortable to not sit on it on the planes.

I explained to them I was going to Cleveland and just holding the wallet there and whatever. They may have felt foolish, but they were being cautious and I understand that.

One of the guys said he wanted to look in my luggage, I guess to throw off their embarrassment. I told him it was on the plane headed to Cleveland with me. And that if they wanted, the could follow me to Cleveland and look at it there.

I remember their final words exactly, “Maybe we will.”

As they walked away, I shrunk back into my seat and went back to reading my newspapers, as all the people in that area of the airport stared at me.

The guys never did meet up with me in Cleveland and that was the end of that story. But that was the one and only time I wore those boots. Not because of the wallet incident, just because they were uncomfortable and I’m not a cowboy.

That was the first and last time I ever took a connecting flight. But I do have a connecting flight coming up in June for another wedding. So let’s see how this trip goes. I’ll let you know.

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‘Modern times’

I got the idea for today’s Tomversation cartoon from seeing old photos.

I follow sites on social media that show images from years ago – the 1920s and even the 1860s. And I stare at them.

Like this picture. It pops up once in awhile. It’s from 1907.

Here’s a closeup. These guys, in their heads, feel it’s the most modern of times. And it was. They are all dressed up, going somewhere or coming from somewhere. The guy in the center looks like the main guy – the boss, the ringleader.

It’s so interesting to look at. What were they talking about? Where were they going? How did it feel being in the new century – all being born in the 1800s – maybe the 1860s or 1870s. Fascinating. They didn’t have radio or tv, just barely had movies, all silent. They didn’t have modern transportation, although they did have subways and to them, they were in “modern times.”

I remember one of my father’s old aunts telling me about the subway opening in Brooklyn in 1905. She remembers that it was free the first week and then it went up to a nickel. “Modern times” for her.

I saw a silent move one time from the early 1900s and I was amazed at seeing people who looked to be quite old, born in the 1830s or 1840s.

This image is from 1908 at Atlantic City. It’s been colorized.

You can almost jump right into the picture. I’ve seen this image often, and I stare at it. These people are all long gone now, but at the time they were at the height of modern times.

Look at the guy in the green. Was that daring at the time? Most people wore black and just a few years before, everyone was covered up from head to toe. Is he wearing the “Speedo” of the time?

This was “modern times” in the 1860s in NYC. Look at the people – look at the carriages. There is City Hall in the background, which is still there, today.

And this is an image of The NY World/Pulitzer building in 1890. Right across from City Hall, which is to the left. You can’t see it, but next to the World was the Sun, the Tribune and the NY Times. The Times building is still standing today, it houses Pace University.

But check out these guys all dressed up in 1890. Part of those old Tammany Hall days.

Speaking of Tammany Hall, the 1928 structure, is at Union Square it’s at 17th Street and Park Avenue/4th Avenue. That was the last place Tammany Hall reigned. It was at a few other places before this.

The Decker Building, on the other side of Union Square on Union Square West, was built in 1892 and it’s still there today. It’s the tall building here. Check out the people walking by in their time period.

Andy Warhol’s “The Factory” was here from 1968 to 1973. This is the building where Valerie Solanas shot Andy. When Andy moved out of this location in 1973, he moved a short block away, still at Union Square. That building is still there. It’s been modernized, but it’s still there.

All these photos were modern at the time the photos were taken. Just like the cavemen in the cartoon above. Just like us, who 100 years from now will be considered cavemen.

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I get cartoon ideas from tv commercials

I keep hearing a commercial for someplace having a Red Dot Sale. It’s a bad commercial because I don’t remember what the company is that’s running the commercial, and I must have seen it 100 times.

But every time I hear it, I think of this – people buying red dots and walking out of the store with them. So I came up with this cartoon regarding that. It was published today at TomFalco.com.

I mostly think of red tag sales and if K-mart was still a thing, they had a Blue Light Special. I remember that from hearing it so much, but I do vaguely remember experiencing it as a kid a few times. I think the store had some sort of noise or siren and blue lights started flashing in the ceiling. I think.

Another commercial, that I don’t know what they are advertising is the “dry scoop” one. At the beginning this guy says, “Always dry scoop before you run!” Like it’s an order.

I came up with this cartoon thinking of that phrase. Then he says, “Listen to me; the hot dog diet got me shredded!” I love the sound of his voice. It’s commanding. And cartoon worthy.

I found the commercial here. Low and behold, it’s for One-A-Day vitamins. But honestly until I looked for this video, I didn’t know what the product was.

I learned in school years ago that the product is the thing when making ads or commercials. These two lose in the product remembrance department, but are great for cartoon ideas.

This cartoon, from an old advertisement is very popular still. It was published a few years ago, it’s a parody of the Progressive Insurance ad where the guy has blue hair and the insurance guy, Dr. Rick, says, “We all see it. We all see it.”

People remember it and to this day still buy cups and things with this cartoon on it and they also buy the actual cartoon at Cartoon Stock. Here’s the commercial.

Speaking of ads. Here is a new one below – Hotels. com – hope you use them when you are looking for travel arrangements. I get a commission on every sale – that’s sale, not click. You need to actually buy something from them for me to get a commission.

I use Hotels.com and have for years. I get lots of points and it pays for hotel nights which I use often.

Anyway, end of commercial. See what I did there?

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I have people who do that for me

I had mentioned in the past that when I was younger, I knew how to do everything. I just grew up that way.

I helped my father with everything around the house, I was the one who mowed the lawn and cleaned the pool. I know how to hang things and fix thing. But over time I paid people and forgot how to even tie my own shoelaces.

Well, I do know how to do that, but, I forgot how to do so much.

My car needed antifreeze, I don’t know why, because most of the containers say its good for 150,000 to 300,000 miles, so perhaps last time I got a tune up, they emptied it and forgot to refill it.

For months, the light was going off. I kept putting it off because I didn’t know how to deal with it. In the past I changed the oil, the far off past with a far off car, but now, I had no clue.

I mentioned it to one of my neighbors a month or so ago, he’s a young fire rescue guy who knows it all. He said he had an extra container of the fluid; did I want it?

I did, but I didn’t take it because I didn’t want to have to try and put it into the car with him standing there watching me.

I attempted to buy the fluid a few times, but something came up and I never got around to it. I finally made it the auto parts store the other day, and it was closed due to an electrical problem.

The other night I asked my young neighbor for the fluid, and he gave me a full container. He asked me if I wanted him to do it for me then and there. I said, “No, thanks, I can handle it.” Which of course, I couldn’t, and I would have loved for him to get it done right then.

The next morning, I attempted the job. I couldn’t find the lever to open the hood, I had to look it up in the car manual, and I finally found it, but then you have to put your hand under the hood and release something. I could not manage it.

Another neighbor, my age, came by and I asked him to help. His wife who was with him asked me, “When was the last time you opened it.” I responded, “Never, I have people who do that for me.” Which came out as the biggest fucking elitist thing to say, but since we are all the same age, she got it, and we all laughed.

My neighbor fooled around with it for a bit, and he finally opened the hood. They went off for their morning walk and I joked that I would be waiting for them to return so he could slam the hood shut for me.

So, I finally got the fluid into the car, and all is well with the world. I bought a new container of fluid, returned it to my other neighbor and that’s that.

For now.

With a car, it’s always, “For Now.”

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