I think each generation likes to talk about “the good old days”.  I think the older we get “the better we were” and “the better our things and the times were”.  I can only speak for Dave but when I really analyze the good old days and the new days, I almost always prefer the good new days.

I started a love affair with the American automobile long before I could legally drive and I think that affair will last until long after the girls have confiscated my keys.  The cars I love to remember and talk about are the big heavy “you got some metal around you” go fast gas-guzzlers from the fabulous fifties.  You know, the ones that didn’t have air conditioning; the ones that required a trip to the local service station for a lube job every thousand miles and oil change every 2.000.  Did I mention the tune up every 15,000?  Those are the ones I like to talk about but I think I prefer the comfort, reliability and maintenance schedule of those rolling off the assembly lines today.

When I was a kid the air conditioning repairman never came to our house.  I think it was because we didn’t have an air conditioner.  When I was about ten we got a small box fan.  We didn’t even have indoor plumbing.  That one is a no brainer, I’ll take the “good new days” housing over the “good old days”.

A hamburger cost about a quarter and a gallon of gas about that same amount.  I was making about a buck an hour.  Considering today’s wages, it is close, but I believe the nod goes to the good new days.

There are exceptions.

When was the last time you shopped for light bulbs?

Was that just a little bit confusing?

Back in the good old days you just needed to know if you wanted 40, 60, 75 or 100-watt bulbs.  I started to say you just needed to know what watt, but I thought that sounded kind of funny.  This is a quick out of focus pic of one side of the light bulb aisle at Wal Mart.  I didn’t want to take time to focus for fear of being labeled one of those weirdos shopping at Wal Mart.  The big home improvement stores have an even larger selection.

The popular choices are incandescent, CFL or LED.  You might even want to step outside the lines and get a halogen or a Vu1 ESL, whatever that is.  If you are replacing a 100-watt incandescent with a CFL get a 26-watt or maybe you want the 20-watt LED.  That 20-watt LED should last 22 years, I think it cost $27.95; I didn’t need one of those.

Here are three of the many charts I found via Google to simplify, yeah right, the decision making process.

If I am shopping for light bulbs please let me return to “the good old days”.

Please say a little prayer for me. Thanks for reading the stuff that makes it to your side of the keyboard.

Good Night and God Bless.

Dave