Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Proof of just how affluent some people are!

Forsyth MO - Located on the grounds of the Taneycomo Terrace Condominium are a fair number of dumpsters that are meant to service the needs of the one hundred and some condominiums that are located there. The picture above was taken of the dumpster that services my building which contains approximately 12 active units, all of which use this dumpster to get rid of their trash. As you can see, this rather sizable 6 yard dumpster is full and even beyond full. (It's like that pretty much every week when the Republic Services comes each Wednesday to haul it all away). Sometimes there's even large appliances leaning up against the dumpster and that really makes me feel that eleven of the resident's must produce God awful amounts of trash! (I say eleven, because as the twelfth unit owner, I typically have only two or three small bags totaling about 30 pounds that I carry out and dump each week).

After doing some fast and loose math, I figured the above dumpster holds about 6 cubic yards, I have estimated the capacity of this dumpster at somewhere around 7200 pounds of trash. (This could be more or less depending on the type of trash that in it). Now, since it is filled every seven days, one could then surmise that those other eleven unit owners are producing something like 600 pounds of trash per person every week, and they do it like clockwork. (Amazingly, I did the math and figured that between them, they must be dumping a total of over 171 tons of junk a year versus my rather meager 3/4 ton)! Can you say unreal?

So, the message here is very clear. I really need to jack up my lifestyle A LOT if I am to 'keep up with the Jones'. My only problem will be to figure out how to exactly do that!

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

D's Auto - Complete Auto Service and Repair!

Owner Dennis Renteria

Forsyth MO. - Dennis Renteria, owner of D's Auto recently opened for business performing oil changes, engine work, transmissions and brakes not to mention preventative maintenance work. All this work is performed at 180 Kelly Ave in Forsyth Mo. at affordable prices!

It's great to know that getting your oil changed can still be done right in town. When I stopped by, Dennis and his crew were busy with numerous customers. While I was there, a customer by the name of Debbie, had traveled all the way from Branson West, where she works as a lead at Silver Dollar City, just to get an opinion about a problem she was having with her auto. That told me a lot!  Please give Dennis a call at 417-230-6090 to schedule an appointment any time 8-5PM Monday through Friday! You can also email Dennis at DennisRay2117@Gmail.com! I plan to get my next oil change done at this venue and will plan to do a followup report at that time!

Monday, August 22, 2016

Forsyth Fun Day - Saturday September 10, 2016!

Lots and lots of food!
Forsyth MO. - I was finally able to get some information on a popular coming event that I wanted to share.

The annual Forsyth Fun Day will be held on Saturday, September 10, 2016 at the Shadowrock Park located at the intersections of Highway 160 and 76. The event will feature a fantastic BBQ cook off, live music, cardboard boat races, vendors and even an obstacle course for the kids.

The two live bands that have been booked to perform include NRG and Highway 13. Interested parties can obtain more information by calling the Forsyth City Hall at 417-546-4763. As of September 6th, the projected weather will be partly cloudy with a high of 80F!

Personally, I can't wait to sample some (a lot) of the bodacious BBQ creations that the hard working men and women will be creating, and then serving up to us plain folk during the course of the event! Check out a short video of the 2009 event at https://youtu.be/8MzuRdpWZ7U to get a feel of what you can expect!

Friday, August 12, 2016

A menu cost increase at Charlie's?

Charlie's is a very clean up scale eatery!
Forsyth MO. - As a aging senior with an expanding waistline, I profess to enjoy eating out as often as possible. I also try and make an effort to visit some of the local restaurants in the small town of Forsyth as I feel the hardworking men and women who work there deserve my patronage and support!
Steak and eggs. Was $7.99, now $10!

One of my favorite eateries is Charlie's Steak, Ribs and Ale located at 139 State Highway Y, not only because of the great job the kitchen does in preparing constantly excellent meals, but also for the very excellent treatment I have always received from the very professional serving staff. On this day, my server was the beautiful Lisa Davis who was a blur of efficient motion and a pleasure to watch! As a result, Charlie's has been frequented by me on numerous occasions over many years.

But, I had to admit that it was with some shock to discover that some menu items had been increased by double digits on a recent trip to the Forsyth location! And, while I'm sure that the ownership had very good cause to raise their prices, I was forced to wonder why their popular steak and eggs menu offering deserved a 20% increase? I questioned this because I'd recently written a short post on how beef prices were headed downwards in 2016 (see Beef prices moderating in 2016 post)!

In spite of that move and the decision not to offer free refills of coffee, I do plan to continue eating there even if it will be on a more infrequent basis. Charlie's IS one of the cleanest and most up scale venues in the area, in my view!

CORRECTION: I was wrong about the coffee refills - they are FREE according to one of the employees, Shannon Henery, who also soundly corrected me on Face Book!

UPDATE: Beginning on Sunday, November the 13th, this restaurant will become smoke free.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Major fire at NEC encap building!


Damage was evident everywhere due to the fire!
Forsyth MO. - On the evening of Tuesday, August 12, 2016, a three alarm fire erupted and caused the almost complete destruction of the encapsulation portion of the three building campus at the National Enzyme Company located off Highway 76 about one mile outside the western city limits. As of this post the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

At left, a view of the IT building which I was told was undamaged. The hook and ladder fire truck was deployed the prior evening when flames could be seen erupting from the main building.

My good friend John Carnahan, also got some great shots of the extensive damage.

I was allowed to walk around the fire scene and had a chance to grab a few pictures of the aftermath on Wednesday morning. I was told by one individual whose parent worked for the company, that NEC was already in the process of looking for commercial space so that they could get back into operation as quickly as possible. As someone who was with the firm for many years, I can attest to the fact that it will be some time before that happens. I would also estimate that this loss will be in the millions of dollars.

Sunday, August 7, 2016

When in Rio, please avoid touching the water!


Forget about the floating tires. You can spot those in the water even in clean cities around the world. What gob-smacks you as you approach a canal near the Rio international airport, a body of water that flows into the city’s Guanabara Bay – home of the 2016 Olympics sailing venue — is the smell. It’s a gaseous stench: inhale it at your stomach’s own risk. There’s also the sludge, so thick you slip on it. And the sheer mass of stuff: Christmas ornaments, milk cartons, cookie packaging, clothes sitting in the stew. Then there are all the insidious things you can’t always see, like super bacteria!

Why is Guanabara Bay in such dire shape? “For the past 30 years, we’ve invested very, very little money in it,” says Paulo Rosman, a professor of coastal engineering at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He says some $800 million has been spent in bay cleanup since 1990. In contrast, Maracana stadium, home of the opening and closing ceremonies, was given a $400 million facelift ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

Indeed, falling far short of their promise, made seven years ago, to clean up 80% of the pollution in Guanabara Bay. It is among one of the biggest failures of the Rio Olympic organizers. While the water is said to be cleaner than it was before Rio won the bid for these Summer Games, the pollution is still putting athletes competing in the bay and other bodies of water around the city — sailors, open water swimmers, rowers, triathletes — at real risk. An Associated Press investigation in early August found that Rio’s water is “as filthy as ever, contaminated with raw human sewage teeming with dangerous viruses and bacteria.”

To Rosman, the promise to clean the waterways was all but guaranteed to fail. He says the reason is social more than scientific. “Everyone looks out into the water and says it’s a problem,” says Rosman. “Put your back to the bay, and you’ll see the problem. It’s as simple as that. There’s no magic in that.”

What you see when you turn away from the bay are the favelas housing millions of Rio’s poor residents. These impoverished neighborhoods, scattered atop the city’s hills and mountains, often lack basic sanitary services, like plumbing and garbage pickup. Without these essentials, waste flows into water. “People there are fighting for survival,” says Rosman. “They’re worried about quantity of life, not quality. They go to the bathroom and have to use plastic bags to clean up. Where to these plastic bags end up? The bay. It’s a tragedy.”

Officials did their best to put a positive front on the problem. The water, while polluted, does often look clean. Drier winter weather in Rio recently has also helped because there has been no torrential rain to flush human waste from the hillside slums that surround the city into the lagoon.

Saturday, August 6, 2016

Head Massages in India, well not so much like here in the US!

In my country, you get a just a plain old haircut. In other parts of the world, you have a total experience!

An afternoon at the Mug!

John's Frosted Mug is a restaurant slash bar located on the main drag in the small southwestern town of Forsyth Missouri. It's been around for almost forever as has the owner John Sumner. I like to frequent the joint for the main reason that it is only a mile or so from my place. And while the exterior might look a little worn with time, the inside features nice tables and bar stools.

On a otherwise dreary day in August, I ambled into the establishment's air conditioned coolness with a sense of relief, as my AC unit was on semi permanent hiatus. The bartender, on that day, was the ever beautiful Judy Brown; a professional if there ever was one! Honestly, I've never seen a customer have to wait very long to be served when Judy was behind the bar. (She has that kind of sixth sense or spacial awareness that separates a so-so type of employee from the Awesome kind of person who seems to know what you want even before you did)!

Also in attendance was Tim Evans, the chef, and just a smattering of 'regulars' such as Morrison, Wally, and my good friend Donnie Oakley who was the proud owner of an awesome Harley that looked to be in mint condition!


While I there, I had a chance to sample a slice of the Mug's signature pizza. And, while the picture at right is a bit fuzzy, it tasted just awesome. The Mug has a full menu, and over the years, I've sample many of their offerings, all of which have been first class in taste while staying at an affordable cost!

Monday, August 1, 2016

Taneycomo Terrace and other legal quicksand style issues?



Coming very soon, I plan to voice my opinions on a Condo I purchased at Taneycomo Terrace in Forsyth Missouri this past year... I'll also be stretching my First Amendment Rights while doing so. In another post, I want to dip into some of the cruddy attorneys that slink their way through life in the same area...

My friends, going through life dense, stupid and moronic is no way to live. Of course, those comments do not in any way reflect on the management team of Taneycoma Terrace....

Critique: The Tire Crew LLC in Forsyth Mo!



Forsyth MO. – Every so often in ones life, I've run into exceptional individuals working at improbable occupations. When I look back over the years at my experiences with auto repair facilities, I've generally walked away disappointed for one reason or another. That business sector has been often populated by practitioners that could best be described as somewhat shady. That was definitely not the case at the Tire Crew located at 13149 Hwy 160 just to the north of Forsyth Missouri! The owner, Don Goodman who is ex-military, runs a very 'tight ship'. I felt I was treated very promptly and in a professional manner.

While waiting for an oil change, I was impressed with the amount of activity going on. Mr. Goodman was on the phone with a local parts supplier who had promised that a part would be there early Monday, but which was not. When he discovered that there was another duplicate part over in Branson West, he dispatched his daughter in law, Heather, to go fetch it for two customers who were there waiting patiently at the facility for that part to repair their vehicle. I found that sort of 'get it done' attitude to be rather impressive.

The Tire Crew does just about everything right, be it new tires, oil changes, brakes, exhaust systems, batteries or just about whatever needs to be done. They even have a towing service and can pick up a customer when their vehicle is ready to go! Add that to the fact that their invoices are itemized with fair pricing and I think I will be a customer of theirs for years to come! The Tire Crew shop can be reached at 417-546-7435!

Update: December 2016 - I went to the Tire Crew for an oil change and was handled in a very professional manner! Don Goodman was there, working hard as was usual for him. This service company has always been busy (a good sign) and they offer full automotive care.