6/11/2026 Update! (this post is referring to earlier post made on 6/3)
There are people that are working at the toll company in Atlanta! I don’t have a name, but the correspondence I received about the incorrect toll charge makes me think that a human actually opened my envelope, read my submitted evidence, and decided that I was telling a true story of not being in Raleigh on the date of the toll charge and that I don’t in fact drive a white Honda. Case closed. Thank you human down there in Atlanta. Whoever you are, I hope all good fortune comes your way.

6/4/2026 gosh, I hope this doesn’t turn into a blog where I gripe about stuff…but it might. Today I am going to tell you about my latest aggravation. There are a lot of people from a lot of areas coming to visit Boone. I’ve been working at the Visitors Center for a little while now, in addition to all my projects at home. So, I talk to people on the phone and in person about the area a lot. My “pet peeve” is this: when they pronounce a proper name for areas here differently, even after hearing me (a lifelong native) pronounce it correctly. They insist on continuing on with the incorrect pronunciation. Example: they say “Appa-LAY-chun” and I will then use the same word in a sentence correctly. As in “Appa-LATCH-un”. I don’t go ahead and say, “oh by the way, that is pronounced…” and then say it, I just use the word in a sentence so that anyone that isn’t a moron would hear it and think, “oh, I’m in the town where this is, so it must be said this way…I’ll do that.”…Nope…they insist on continuing to say it the wrong way. Another one is when Roan Mountain is mispronounced as “Ro-Ann”…not one syllable “Roan”. Like roam with an “N”. Or the county here, Watauga. It is “what-taug-ah”…not “wa-toooga”. I get it. It’s a free county, and people can say what they want. But, if I come to your town and pronounce something differently than you do as a local, I would say it your way. Because I am nice like that.

6/3/2026 So, have you ever gotten an invoice for a toll that you were never even anywhere near, and you know it’s not you? I got one from the toll company that is used on toll roads around Raleigh. For being on Hwy 54/55 – which I know where it is, but I’ve not been to that area going on almost 2 years. And the car in the photo (there was a blurry photo on the invoice) is white and not like my car which is blue-ish and a different type of car. It was for $1.68, which I know isn’t much, but there was some rather direct copy on the notice about “penalties” and “collections” if I don’t pay it. But, on principle, I am sending them copies and letters and more to justify that it isn’t my car, was not me, and I won’t be paying it. The collections company is out of Atlanta, GA. So, not even an NC company. I hope some human will read my correspondence and correct the mistake. Fingers crossed that there are still humans somewhere looking at such matters. I’m sure my tag was read (incorrectly) and the invoice was sent out by a robot.

“Don’t fight it, son. Confess quickly! If you hold out too long, you could jeopardize your credit rating.”~ from the Terry Gilliam movie; Brazil.

5/22/2025 This is where I might ramble on about random nonsense and (occasionally important) topics. If you feel inclined, please read on…

I will attempt use proper punctuation, spelling and grammar, but I’m not going to make any promises. tbc.