My Love/Hate Relationship with the Ford F-150

I once read that the Ford F-150 was a huge economic indicator in America. Because these trucks are so often used in construction and building, when their sales go up it means the country is building and doing well. So when you see more of these on the roads where you live, your community is in an economic boom, my friend.

I know for sure that mine is.

And I want to make clear straight up that my beef is not with the truck itself. I have no doubt that the F-150 is a well-made and good heavy duty truck. If it's the best-selling and most widely used truck in the building business, that's good enough for me.

My beef is with some, not all, of the guys driving these excellent workhorse vehicles.

Because some of you guys need to straight up learn to drive better. Some of you need to learn to respect the size and power of the vehicle you're in against the much smaller less powerful vehicles in the lane beside you. Some of you need to learn that with great power comes great responsibility. And some of you just simply need to learn how to use your mirrors and turn signals.

Because some of us drive teeny tiny Scions. We are no match for you, and we don't try to be. Could you try a little harder to not scare us to death?

Some days I just sit and wait and hope a truck will pull in and give me something to do. Other days I barely catch my breath before one pulls out and the sound of another diesel engine pulls up in its place. Some days I love these guys driving these trucks and other days I wish I never had to hear their voices again. (And other days I hear the words and phrases "bo", "bud" and "10-4" in my sleep. But again, another story.)

Some days these trucks pull in full of smart, humorous, hard-working men. Some days they're full of angry, weather-beaten grumps. And on worst days, there's the occasional disgusting jerk. But luckily, these are the rarest cargos of all.

And yes, of course, I know that women also drive trucks. I'm not trying to be sexist here. But who I most often see driving big pick-up trucks is dudes. (Women are more likely in SUVs, and they can't drive either, but that is a whole other story.) But whether it's a man or a woman, I really respect and appreciate the people in these trucks because these are the people moving and building America. To me, they are the embodiment of hard work, innovation and rugged spirit.

These guys keep me in a job and have for some years. These guys teach me things. These guys work hard. These guys also try my patience. These guys make me roll my eyes.

And their trucks. Ah, bless. Their trucks make me do all the same things.

Reclaiming Your Childhood: Priceless

This story might take a minute to tell. Bear with me. When my sister and I were little girls, my mother took us to a large baptist church in town. Even as a child, I never remember feeling welcome there. But I do remember the lovely older couple that kept my Sunday School class. They gave us saltines and kool-aid, and I remember thinking they would be nice grandparents to have. At Christmastime, the Sunday School class was set to have a random gift exchange. Every child was supposed to bring a gift that could be exchanged with any other child.....no specific gift designations. I received the gift of an Avon 7 bead necklace which was very popular at the time. I loved it so much and was thrilled to have it! I was somewhere between 5 and 7 at the time. (Back in the 1970's and 80's, Avon was a cosmetic company that was also known for it's inexpensive jewelry. I couldn't find a price on what this necklace would have cost back then, but apparently there is ...

My Week with Rumor

My dog Rumor was an experiment. A trial offer. And all parties knew that going in. Except for maybe Rumor. Rumor was an outdoor country dog. His given name was Ruger (named after a firearm if you don't know, I didn't) which made sense for a dog raised in hunting country. He was a stray that came to live with a loving family at about the age of 1. He lived outdoors, slept in a garage crate at night, frolicked with an older dog pack and had a lovely life. We think he was about 4 years old. He had been neutered, had vet care and was by no means a "rescue". His dad offered Ruger to me on a give-it-a-try basis. He knew I wanted a dog. He told me Ruger would be sweet to me and also be my protector. He was right on both counts. He told me if it didn't work out, I could bring Ruger back to him and his wife. I could tell they were a little sad when they dropped him off. It made me glad to see that Ruger came from such ...

NYE for $200, Alex

Can we all just agree that New Year's Eve is the worst of the string of winter holidays? I would even go so far as saying it's THE WORST of all the holidays. I loved when Stanford Blatch defined a party as feeling very "forced festive". To me, most NYE parties feel that way. The idea that this is a big year-end blow-out and we'd all damn well better make it awesome! The reason I hate NYE is because it combines two of things I most hate about celebrations: cold weather and crowds. Plus it's during a time of year when everyone has already spent all their money. AND you usually have to the leave the house. ADDITIONALLY, you have to stay up late. It's a big F.U. from me on all this. I would dare say that some of my happiest New Year's memories have been spent at home in my pajamas with either my child, an S.O. or happily alone. I remember one unforgettable year of moving into a 3rd floor apartment on NYE. I rememb...

Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

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