I hope to make a trip downtown to our local map emporium very soon. I know what I need, I just need to pony up the bucks and find the time to go get it.

Right here in this thread you've opened up a universal theme for those of us with age and responsibility. You should exploit it musically as well as writing on it further. Sometimes life hurts because it has to hurt to be significant. MAKE MUSIC OUT OF THIS! You can be funny as hell with it or more sober but your diety here use it, it's your life man you own it.

You probably don't even need to go to a map emporium, Patrick. Around here many 7-11's, the grocery stores, and Walmart, among others sell a big book of local county street maps put out by MapVan (or some name like that). The thing retails for 19.95 for my area, and if you are doing ANY sort of delivery, it's worth every penny. Hint: resign yourself to middle age and score a cheap pair of readers at Walmart. Once you get over the humiliation of putting them on for the first time, you'll be amazed at how much easier they make your life - especially when it comes to map reading!

I picked up a nice, cheap collection of maps for KC Metro that includes my delivery area. I'm going to take my magnifying glass with me tonight.

I wear glasses, Mari...they just aren't quite enough for a lot of this fine print. Drives me nuts. The worst part is that it is even difficult to read the house numbers sometimes. Takes my eyes a moment to adjust from looking inside the vehicle, to looking in front of it, to looking clear up to someone's house.

Things on me used to work better than this. I remember. I think.

Breaking in and working........
 

:D Just do what I did recently....find an empty office somewhere and start working while the boss is out. Wow I manage four companies now. No maps, no driving, just go hire yourself. Hahaha! I'm pure evil but no one would suspect what happened anyway. Go pick another place to work, take a seat,find an available computer, and watch the paychecks roll in. (they are now trying to figure out how much to pay me) Ha Ha! (and it's a lot) :D It's crazy but it works. I CrACk myself up sometimes I sware. Yesterday I had pizza delivered on the company dime (with cheesy bread). I thought of you El.

May I add........HAHAHAHAHA SUCKERS!!!!

That's the ticket!

I wouldn't want to deliver in my neighborhood b/c 1) I don't think the tips would be that good and 2) the neighborhood gets more...colorful...not that far from here.

:lol: :lol2: Ok one more time....HAHAHA! They even taught me how to Make checks yesterday! HAAAAAAA! And why is this tool-bar following me all over the cellar?

:D Elspode go hire yourself somewhere it's a blast!! I'm having a great time and the best thing is....They can't fire me because they never hired me!!!! HAAAA! Sorry guys I'm just completely and utterly amused with the complete incompetence of the masses especially at work! Everyone! Go hire yourself somewhere for about a week....Oh and, Don't get caught....well their collective dummy heads may explode. HaHA! I'll report back later on the lucky winner who finally 2 + 2's it and has a complete melt-down. :D Oh and I don't even think I broke a law. HAAAAA!

Took the words right out of my mouth as off thru the snow I go like Santa with an Explorer full of phonebooks for all the bad boys out there waiting for a new list of numbers to make obscene phone calls to! :notworthy

I really think he means less colorful, but is too PC to say so.

I wouldn't deliver pizza in your neighborhood either.

I have a hard time just driving through your neighborhood.

Funny...I actually thought about my choice of words after I typed it.

"Colorful" in this case means "dangerous."

As far as actual color, it depends on which way you go...further into Germantown or towards North Philly, more color. Towards Roxborough, West Mt. Airy or East Falls, less color.

FLippant?? What are you smoking, dude?

My fourth night as PizzaBoy was last night. I had anticipated it would be a busy one, and it was. Even with a woeful football team, Monday Night Football in KC is a big deal, and the pizza consuming public did not disappoint. I ran from the moment I walked in the door at 6:00 until the moment I left at 10:30. In my pockets I carried the highest total of tips earned so far, as well as the largest number of route fees.

Last night was the first time I had seen a bona-fide pizza frenzy. The Captain was slinging dough like a demon with its tail ablaze. Stacey seems unflappably cheerful, even when covered head to foot with flour, a phone on her shoulder and pizza toppings flying from her fingers. Everyone else was just a blur, ebbing and flowing with the tsunamis of phone orders.

There are so many nooks and crannies in the city of Lee's Summit. I have good, close friends who have lived there all their lives, and I have spent innumerable days and nights there, but I have driven to places I had no idea even existed. Entire shopping districts have sprung up, complete with theaters and giant box stores, and I was utterly clueless until now.

The absolute worst is delivering to apartment complexes. Most are posessed of a numbering scheme that has no discernable rhyme or reason. Even numbered apartments are sometimes on one side of the building and odd on the other; sometimes even is upstairs and odd down, and so forth. Nothing for it but to look for them, sometimes on foot.

The most interesting event last night was when a woman zoomed up the street and stopped right next to me.

"Are you looking for someone?", she asked.

"Just trying to find an address. I'm delivering a pizza."

"Oh...I see. We were all just wondering who was spotlighting our houses."

I had been told people would get miffed about it, but hey...I have to see the address to deliver the pie. Even with the megalight, there are some address plates/numbers that simply don't show up. Sometimes it is because they are embossed, and the shadowing renders it unviewable. Sometimes, the letters are so reflective, that I can't read them due to glare. Always, I am trying to pick an address from an apparently unoccupied house so as to not disturb people, but I suppose I can understand people's concern about the entire concept.

There is another Patrick working there. He goes by "Rufus", which is a nickname derived from his last name (which I will omit). Rufus is the most upbeat, totally consumed by the pizza biz guy I've ever seen...or can ever imagine. He zips back and forth, doing all jobs possible, even delivery, all the while spouting statements of support and encouragement, singing oddball tunes, patting people on the shoulder. It is inconceivable that anyone could dislike him. So truly does he seem to enjoy what he does, so completely in his element is he, that it is like watching a fish swim or a bird fly. Whether sweeping the floor, tossing dough or taking an order, he is a gem to work with. I hope they pay him better than they do me.

Well done work is satisfying. I have great respect for that, particularly when it is the least glamorous. Good job Patrick.