The Cutting Crew

For several years,  I've been going to the same undisclosed barbershop. I usually go when the Wifey tells me it's time. It can be a couple months. It's been my experience to seek out and stick with the oldest barber in the shop and that's what I've done. ""Jack" has a similar hairline as I. Think Louie CK. It's not that much to trim and he still takes time. Sometimes it's awkward to walk in. "Can I help you?" "Need a haircut?" I tell them I'm waiting for Jack. The look of loss in their eyes. There goes a customer. Jack does his usual fine job and I tip well. The problem is when goes out of town, out of state in late May.  He doesn't return until September. I try to time it so I get a cut from him before he leaves but eventually, I have to go in. Before he leaves, Jack suggests who to see within the shop and I follow his advice. Sometimes, they are not there or free so I bite the bullet and just submit to whoever is available. It's hard to mess up my hair and I end up looking much better than when I walked in. Still, I look forward to seeing Jack and having him work his master craft on these follicles.

Are you going to go my way?

    My commute takes me to my office in Rockville. It is a little over ten and a half miles. During the summer, when school is out, I can make it there in about twenty minutes. It's a breeze. Down 108, a right on Georgia, down Randolph. In a couple weeks that will all change. The presence of the big yellow school bus makes all the difference. More people schlepping their kids to school. Actual teenage drivers. Yikes. So, it adds on up to another ten minutes. And that's OK. Kids got to get to school to learn. So enjoy your commute now and hope you enjoy your commute as another school year begins.

Good Behavior on the Road

After my daughter obtained a learner's permit, she noticed other drivers' bad behavior. "That person didn't signal," she would report. Or she would note, "That car didn't come to a full stop at the 4-way stop sign intersection", "Is that okay for that SUV to drive on the right [shoulder] and cut ahead of everyone?" and more.

One afternoon after dismissal time, I was driving on Muncaster Mill Road past Magruder High School when my daughter commented, "Oh, no wonder everyone is driving slowly ... There's a police car.”

Sure enough, a police cruiser was right in front of me. I glanced around for an accident but thankfully saw none. During this usually busy time, the scene was unusually calm. Traffic was heavy but cars were merging politely and everyone seemed mellow. No one was in a rush or tailgating anyone else.

This scene confirmed an adage I once heard: "People don't speed when police are around." I think this saying is applicable to different situations when people are temporarily on their best behavior, like Office workers don't surf YouTube while the boss is in and Shoppers don't cheat at self-checkout when a clerk stands nearby.

And now I apply this adage to a new scenario: don't speed or curse at other drivers when my student driver is also in the car.