COLUMN: "K"

'm a little late to the party for a "New Year's" column, but there are certainly some things I would like to see unfold a little bit different in 2019.

Don't get me wrong, I'm completely happy with my life, I would just like to see few minor things changed in 2019.

I would love to say that the year will see people start using their phones a little less, but I know that is never going to happen and I'm sure I'll probably once again miss a few huge touchdowns or three pointers because I was taking a survey that would try and guess my age and weight based on my decisions ordering at a fast food restaurant. I swear when I miss something important I am always looking at something ridiculously stupid that has no redeeming value other than a chuckle or two.

While I know the world won't put their phones down, I would like to see society come together in unison to banish the use of "K" as a response to a text or message. While it is not always fun when someone writes a novella in a text, it is so frustrating to receive a response of "K". If someone took the time to express something important, it probably deserves a little bit more than a one letter response, a two letter response of "ok" or a four letter response of "okay". I think some people get so used to responding with "k" that it often times doesn't make any sense. I once asked what someone wanted for dinner and the response was "k". I could probably tell the same person I was about ready to get eaten by a lion and would most likely get a "k" in response.

Every time I write a column like this that expresses my biggest pet peeves I have to include a few paragraphs where I shake my fist about how naughty people drive in the winter. I often times feel half of my time is spent on Cardwell Hill or Homestake Pass and when there is snow and ice there is always some lunatic that speeds past me faster than the kids to the table when I call them for dinner and we are having homemade mac and cheese. I see people being stupid on a daily basis, but the problem in bad roads is that an idiot driver puts other lives at risk and that is where it involves me. Slow down, wherever you are going is still going to be there when you arrive five minutes later. You however might night make it if you keep driving like you can count your IQ on one hand.

I'm hoping this is the year people finally figure out how to park properly. I'm not quite sure why it is so hard to get between the lines but it seems like I see this happening daily. There are also times where I park so far from the store so I don't have to deal with people's awful parking and I will come out and somebody will find the need to park so close to me I can barely get into the car. I could park in the middle of ranch land four or five miles from the store and this would still happen. I understand how hard it can be to see lines during the winter, but at the same time it cannot be possibly that hard to lineup cars. There are times when half the parking lot will be angle parking, the rest not, and it makes it harder than watching the final round of jeopardy with someone who is a lot smarter than you. And just because there is snow that does not mean you use handicap spots. One inch of snow in a parking lot and it becomes a big hassle, two inches and it is like Armageddon and you are lucky to get home from the store alive. It's like a scene from "Mad Max" and it really shouldn't be that bad if people would just use common sense.

Last, but not least, my hope for 2019 include a year where people will be a little bit nicer to each other. Nobody is going to agree on everything, but one thing people can do is be respectful about an opinion you do not share. Name calling and bullying about politics is a bad look and I want to see less of it. Bob likes Trump. Nancy does not like Trump. That does not mean that Bob and Nancy can't get a long like mature adults because at the end of the day they still get to live in America.

I'm sure this is all wishful thinking and in the next week I will have to climb into my car through the trunk, will have somebody pass me on the Interstate at 100 miles per hour, and I will be called a nasty name because I don't agree with them. Cheers to what should be an interesting 2019.