My neighborhood, for the most part, is a sea of duplex townhouses. They are well-maintained, both inside and out, and with few exceptions in the last nine years, the renters have been quiet and law-abiding. The most amazing phenomenon to occur is that I rarely see when the people move out or, for that matter, move in. One day they are there; the next they are gone. It is hard to believe that you could miss someone loading their belongings into vehicles when they live directly across the street, but it happens all the time. One good thing about these townhouses is that they rent as fast as the signs go up. A couple of weeks ago there was a domestic disturbance that drew the attention of neighbors. One left; one stayed. However, true to form, they ended up in the same situation a week later. What is it with women who would rather suffer the beatings and or verbal abuse than be alone, especially if they are the only financial support, and the guy is living off her earnings while he sits home on his cell all day doing nothing? When are women going to learn that they do not need someone else to make them whole?

For the past couple of weeks I have had occasion to visit local eating establishments, and I must convey my amazement at what I observed. When most people dine out they are, for the lack of a better word, pigs, and I mean no disrespect to the pigs. Maybe it is because they have someone waiting on them that they feel they can strew food and drink wherever they desire, knowing they don't have to clean it up. Maybe they are just tired of cleaning up after children with no discipline so it's OK to let someone else do it. Yes, the wait staff is there to work for them but that does not mean it is fine to take advantage of the situation. The strange thing is those who leave the biggest messes for the workers to clean up seem to tip the least. Quite frankly, it is disgusting and makes an observer like me wonder if they leave their own houses in such messes after a meal. What happened to discipline? What happened to courtesy? Why do people feel they can mistreat wait staff just because they are paying for a meal? Previous experiences with the ladies who lunched were immaculate so this took me by surprise. The winner of the "let's leave a mess contest" was a table of nine -- six adults, three children. For the most part the adults ignored the kids. They sat back chugging their beers while the kids screamed and threw food at each other. The mother of one dumped candy all over the table then walked out. As I said, they had been drinking but they thought it was OK to drive the children home after three or four beers. I don't get it at all. The children of my era never misbehaved in public, and if they did, they knew what was coming; today's children do as they please -- following examples maybe?