Below is my new look, which I happen to like even if others don't. I've received several compliments on my appearance and a few questions, but overall the general consensus is a positive one.

Yesterday I stopped at a truck stop in rural NC to refuel my truck. After fueling up I walked inside to the fuel desk to sign and receive a copy of my fuel ticket. As I walked up a driver was standing at the counter who had obviously watched through the window as I walked up and he said "I know you're not a truck driver".

I repliued "I guess you don't know as much as you think you do" in a somewhat less than friendly tone of voice. It had been a long day and I wasn't in the mood for any nonsense.

He then changed his tone and said "Well, ya don;t see many truck drivers dressed like that, but it looks good".

I just thanked him curtly and asked the cashier for my fuel ticket. Another cashier, a rather young lady who was standing several feet away, rudely called out "Which Blues Brother are you?"

I looked at her with not a small amount of distain as I despise rude people and just replied "I've never met them, do you have any other rude questions young lady, or may I get on with my business here?"

She blushed and apologized, saying that she meant no offense. As I pride myself on being a gentleman above all else I accepted her apology with a smile and let the subject drop.

I do have a good sense of humor and am accustomed to getting a little good-natured ribbing from my fellow drivers and such either about my appearance or my habit of knitting in public, but at that moment I was tired, sore, and simply not in the mood. Besides, the young lady's tone was less of one of humor and more one of derision, which is something I simply will not stand for.

I left the place and continued on my way toward Nashville. I stopped in Lebanon, TN which is just East of Nashville and checked into a motel.

I have to pick up a military truck for my primary customer tomorrow where it has been on display at a trade show. I do hate trade shows as they are always a circus of trucks and a lot of confusion, but that's the task at hand and I'll muddle through it as best I can manage. I'll be hauling it back to the factory in WI.

Another of our drivers is also picking up there. He called me yesterday to tell me that he had made it there and was checked into a hotel close to the location we are to be by Noon Sunday. He said the room cost him $73 and was the cheapest he could find there.

I called him today and let him know that I had stopped in Lebanon where I rented a room for only $41. What can I say? I'm cheap. Besdies, I'm nearly broke.

Early this afternoon I went to the laundrymat about a mile down the road from the motel. The desk clerk had told me about it. I was just about out of clean clothing and needed to wash at least enough to get me through this coming week.

The place wasn't very busy and I was able to get to the machines right away. I put in my stuff and started the machines. Washing in a real laundrymat is far cheaper than using the machines in a truck stop as the truck stops tend to charge about double for a wash and a dry. Robbery.

As is my usual habit I sized up the folks who were in the place as I walked in. There was a young mixed race couple (a black fellow and a white girl) with a small child who was obviously of mixed race and a pretty little thing, an older black lady, a middle aged white couple who looked like, not meaning to be rude, white trash, and an older white lady with two children who I suspected and later learned to be true, her granddaughters.

While my clothes were washing I wandered over to the used book store located in the same little shopping plaza where I found a hardback copy of The New Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes. I do enjoy looking around in book stores, especially used book stores, and had a very nice time reading titles and checking out the place. I returned to the laundrymat with my new reading material.

Upon looking through the book I found three old Doonesbury comic strips that had been cut out and placed within the book, all of which were rather amusing Sherlock Holmes strips. I was quite pleased at finding these and intedn to keep them in the book, using them as a bookmark for the time being. I think they add a great touch to the purchase of the book and are exactly why I love buying used books; you just never know what you'll find inside.

Back at the laundrymat I tried to sit and read a bit while my clothes were doing their thing in the machines, but the two little granddaughters of the older white lady were, well, let us say less than calm and quiet in the place and made reading difficult at best. The lady did apologize to me a couple of times but I just told her that "kids will be kids" and shrugged it off.

I chatted with her a bit as well as the young mixed couple. I didn't talk much with the middle aged white couple as I frankly didn't like them. I had tried a couple of times to chat with the older black lady but got the distinct impression that she either didn't like me, didn't like white folks in general, or was simply in a foul mood all around, and so I didn't press it.

When she (the older black lady) had finished her washing she had three large baskets of clothing. She had made a phone call and then picked up one of the baskets and carried it out. When she returned she started to pick up the largest of the three, which looked quite heavy, but I stepped in and snatched it up from the floor and said "Ma'am, please allow me".

She protested for a moment but I told her "A gentleman can't sit by and watch a lady carry such a heavy basket herself, please just show me where you would like it". The thing was in fact quite heavy.

The lady smiled at me after a moment, picked up the remaining smaller one, and lead me out the door to where she had sat the other one. She told me she was waiting for her ride and "right here will be just fine". And then she thanked me, calling me "sir".

I hung around outside on the pretense of smoking a cigarette until her ride appeared. I noted that the car had a handicapped placard on the rear view mirror and the old man didn't bother to get out to help her carry the baskets to the car. I immediately tossed away my smoke and walked over to get the large, heavy basket.

I carried it over to where she was loading the first basket into the back seat, sat it down there and went back for the other one. The lady looked as if she were in total shock, which made me chuckle a bit inside. "Thank you, Sir!" she said to me as I handed her the third basket.

"Not at all, Ma'am, I just wanted to save you the extra walking" I replied to her and tipped my hat to her before I walked away.

It is my hope that perhaps in some small way I either improved her estimation of white folks in general or improved her foul mood a bit, whichever is the actual case of her earlier mood. If not, well, at least I can say with a clear conscience that I fulfilled that which is expected of any gentleman under the same circumstances.

I know that the whole idea of a gentleman, or of chivalry, these days in not what it once was. It's an old fashioned idea for the most part, but one to which I do subscribe. I feel that in general it's lacking in our modern era and that is sad thing. The world would be a better place if such things became important and expected once again.

I would very much love to see a return of the social expecation and even demand of politeness, civility, and somewhat more modest manner of dress. I do admit that I have always been a fan of the Victorian era with regard to the social expectations and dress. Somehow I just think that a bit of that would go a long way towards making our modern life a bit more pleasant.

Perhaps I am just too old fashioned for my era. That's possible, I supposed, but I don't know anyone who doesn't think that civility and respect is a good thing even if they don't themselves know how to go about it. I would imagine that if I found myself back in the Victorian age I would myself be viewed as a foul brute even though my own mannerisms are viewed as extremely old fashioned in our own time.

A week or so ago I was shaving in a truck stop restroom. Beside me was another driver who was also shaving. By his accent I'd say he was from Eastern Europe, probably Poland although I am not positive of that fact. He was using a modern multiblade razor, one of those vibrating ones that I find very silly, and a modern shave cream.

I was using my old fashioned shaving soap, badger bristle brush, and whisking bowl as well as my 1961 Gillette razor. He commentred on my choice of shaving gear saying in a thick accent "I haven't seen stuff like like in a long time".

I just smiled and told him I am a little old fashoned. When I finished shaving I slapped on some bay rum after shave. He then told me "I haven't smelled that since my grandfather died! I haven't seen anyone so old fashioned as you since I came to this country!"

I laughed as I was packing up my dop kit and just gave him a little slap on the back. "I'm just that way". I put on my hat, straightened my tie, and walked out.

I was sitting in the tv lounge a little while later when he walked over and introduced me to his wife, Ania. After she shook my hand she asked if she could smell my neck. WHile I thought that was a little odd I told her it was ok and she did so. She then told me that her father had worn bay rum after shave when she was a child and she hadn't smelled it since he died when she was young.

We chatted for a few minutes before they went on their way. The guy did ask me where I bought my after shave and I suggested a couple of different websites where he could order it. We shook hands and they left.

Somehow I suspect that there are a good many people more than one might expect that appreciate some of the older things and mannerisms that have slipped out of view in our era.

Ok, here is where I have to confess that I am most of the way through a 12 pack of beer and am most likely rambling, ok I know I am rambling, just for the sake of having something to say whether worthwhile or not.

These are my thoughts and such st this time. Important? Hardly.Well crafted? Hopefully.. Entertaining? I leave that to you, dear reader.