Out and About – Week of January 16th

We are half way through the month of January and have been lucky enough to have had only one real snow storm here in St. Joe County. If history repeats itself, we are due for two more blizzard-like storms. The temperatures have been above normal for this time of year. The way I look at it, February is going to be our time for our share of the white stuff. I’ve used my snowblower once and am planning to use it at least two more times. I will have no right to complain about whatever amount of snow we receive. This is Michigan and this is the Midwest. We could be living in Buffalo, New York. No thanks!

The big holidays are behind us now, so it’s time to get ready for April and the dreaded Tax Man. Being retired makes this coming season easy. I don’t have a stock portfolio, so all I need to do is gather my usual IRS forms and take them to our tax preparer, say a couple of prayers and write a check. I’ve considered forgetting the whole thing and not even file for 2022. If the IRS ever calls and asks why I didn’t file, I’d simply say, “Sorry, I guess I forgot.” You never know what you can get away with unless you try. I’m not planning to run for public office, so who would be interested in seeing my prior tax returns?

Everyone in my high school graduating class had the privilege of taking Drivers Education as a semester class. We were lucky, because the cost of this class was covered by school taxes. Mr. Voorhees was our teacher and was very thorough. We even had the experience of night-driving. Here are three things we learned and I’m sharing them, because of a discussion I had with a friend at church, who like me, has difficulty driving at night because of all the bright lights:

Dealing with an oncoming vehicle on a two-lane highway. Look down at the fog line (the painted stripe on the right edge of the road) for guidance. This will prevent you from becoming blinded by the oncoming headlights.
Dealing with high-beam headlights. Close your left eye to protect your night vision until the car passes. Blinking your own brights should alert the oncoming driver to dim his lights.
By keeping your dash lights dimmed when driving at night, it will improve your night vision. When looking for a new car, look for red dashboard lights, like the lights used on a submarine. Red dashboard lights don’t affect night vision.
Next week, I’ll share some ideas on driving in rain and fog. Thank you Mr. Voorhees.

See you Out and About!

Submitted by Norm Stutesman