BY MICHAEL SCHENK

A LOT to be thankful for… hopefully it is not just me!

What a great holiday with plenty of laughs, shared stories and, of course, food. In talking to a friend of mine recently, the idea of waste came up. So much waste following a big, family dinner, and this year my approach was prep just enough, and then it occurred to me the next natural step should be offload to a food pantry or shelter or your favorite charity. Too often the extra is shipped off with family, and does it really get used? Food for thought, and now on to random life thoughts…

Recycling is not just a verb. It is a location here on Catawba or a noun. It is where old men meet at the blue bins and do what we can so these items do not go into trash. It is a job that is done purposefully by us “old men.” So if you are not doing recycling already, regard this task as a helping hand to future generations, so maybe we do not have to follow Elon Musk to Mars.

It is just me or do the following questions come up often during your day: “Where is my cell phone?”, “Where is my watch?”, and the big one “Is my purse (meaning my wife’s in this case) in the car?” And yes, then there is the game stopper q&a moment: “What is this, and where did it come from?”

Finally, is it just me, or is music at restaurants turned up so loud that you cannot even think? For whom is this volume setting good for? Why does it need to be? Give us all a break so we can talk. TURN DOWN THE BACKGROUND?!?! MUSIC. We even get deluged at the gas pump with commercials and sales pitches!!

See you around Ottawa County!!