Sunday Morning in East TN

 AND...  it don't git no mo' better than this...

I always look forward to Sunday mornings here because we have a local restaurant chain PERKINS, that has a philosophy where each owner can pretty much do his/her own thing...  I have been going to Perkins here since 1993, and about that time I met the owner who only goes by the name of OTTO...  obviously, he is of German descent and manages his restaurant like a precision German Watch Manufacturer when building and assembling the parts.

I have visited other Perkins restaurant both north and south of this location and NONE OF THEM come close to comparing to the quality of food that OTTO and his team prepares daily.  Otto is retired and his son is the new manager but every once in a while, we see OTTO somewhere around helping out as he provides the right example rather than providing the right orders and/or instructions.

When my wife and I go there Sunday mornings it is usually for breakfast and I always get an EVERYTHING OMELETT
E with breakfast potatoes, and three pancakes and endless coffee.  AND...  every Sunday morning, I always eat half the omelet and half the breakfast potatoes and none of the pancakes, taking it all home.  So, I have the other half of the omelet and breakfast potatoes on Monday, and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday eat my three pancakes with sugar free Strawberry jelly.  

FIVE MEALS for the price of one.

East TN Weather

 Weather Forecast for East TN...

4Apr21 - Monday................68 degrees

5Apr21 - Tuesday...............72 degrees

6Apr21 - Wednesday..........74 degrees

7Apr21 - Thursday.............77 degrees

8Apr21 - Friday..................72 degrees

9Apr21 - Saturday..............70 degrees

10Apr21 - Sunday..............69 degrees

Note::  I am glad that I live in East TN, even though I do not have access to all the restaurants that may be available for patronage in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, or Los Angeles...  

East Tn does not  have:

• crowed conditions
• crime and violence
• illegal drugs
• broadway
• subways
• pollution
• tall buildings

Personally, I like the rural conditions in which I live here in East TN and I don't want to live anywhere else because I have lived in the Piedmont of North Carolina and am not too fond of that area because of the automobile traffic and because of the increasing population that is no longer friendly because they typically relocated from Northern States...

East TN costs (on average) about 15-21% less to live than other places around the United States.   

The American Worker versus East TN

2018-2020 --  The average per worker income is $108,245

2018-2020 --  The average household income in right around $50,000

2018-2020 --  The average middle class income was $48,500 to $145,500

How does this compare to your current income levels?  family or individual?

In 2019...

                In Tennessee...

                                         the average income was $56,627...

                                                                                                   $3,774/month after taxes...

My wife and I receive about $36,000 in Social Security each year as long as we both remain alive...  which is kinda obvious one would think.  but, it is $20,000 less than the average...

1. If wages increase so too does prices
2. If wages increase so too does the cost of living
3. If wages increase so too does taxes increase
4. Inflation is right around 2% which is not bad    

TN has a cost of living index of 87.6 out of a possible 100 which means it is less expensive to live on average than other places.  AND...  the average monthly cost of living in the USA for a family of 4 is $4,609.00 and if TN is 87.6% of that then TN's cost of living for a family of 4 is about $4,000.00 and less if you are single or a retired married couple.

My wife and I live very comfortably on right around $3,500 each month which does include a couple of week long vacations.  If we want to go more often then we have to draw money out of savings.

In other words, our SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME just about pays for all of our expenses and if we cut back on a few luxuries then we could easily get down to $3,000/month on which to live.  Of course, my wife and I are debt free...  which makes a big difference.

The point is that EAST TENNESSEE is a pretty damn good place to live taking into consideration other factors like:

• Traffic
• Pollution
• City Crime
• Property taxes
• Cost of living
• Weather
• BLM Crime in cities
• Healthcare
• Open spaces
• Parks and Recreation
• Transportation

East TN Humidity

As we approach the Labor Day Weekend and the unofficial official end of summer, humidity levels in East TN force many people inside as one can easily feel the moisture in the air without it raining and either you are in a pool of water or sitting in front of a fan, you are still miserable.  Labor Day Weekends are typically filled with family activities that revolve around cooking outside on a grill and I wonder if that past time will still be observed this year with our unfriendly Corona Virus Pandemic.

People who do not wear a face mask, do not wash their hands, and do not social distance do have that right and the rest of us should support their right to die.  However, most of these people will not die, they will simply pass the virus along to others who may not be that fortunate.

As far as our humidity is concerned here in East TN, it has been in the upper 80's with only slight evening rain while we sleep and in the afternoon of the second or third day like this, when I went to mow the lawn in the afternoon, the grass was still wet close to the ground because of the humidity.  While mowing my acre lot which is not that much land, I had to stop and clean the riding lawn mower out twice...  and no, I was not mowing it on a low setting...  and yes, I had the flap pulled up with a cord.

This morning, I decided to sit out on the porch for an hour or two and while the temperature is not that high, the air is still, full of moisture, and the longer I sit out here the harder it becomes for me to breathe believe it or not.  I have a little fan on the table beside my table and chair and when I turn it on, it mitigates the humidity and I am relative comfortable but now cooler than I was before since I am sitting out here in just my cotton boxers.

The sky is composed of about 4-5 different shades of gray from the light to the not so light but not threatening dark either...  at least not yet anyway as they are calling for thunder showers today.

Living in a Vacuum

Ever since 1990, I have lived in the Tennessee Valley of East TN (which to locals might seem redundant) and have only visited larger cities to work.  East TN is not like the rest of the country and certainly not like Atlanta, New York City, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco,  Seattle, Denver, or Portland which has been in the news lately with all its riots and demonstrations.
\

East TN is not plagued with:

1. city ghettos
2. drug related crimes
3. daily shoots
4. street gangs
5. street violence
6. crowds of people 
7. waiting lines
8. bumper to bumper traffic
9. extortion for protection
10. subway transportation
11. pollution
12. international visitors

 

East TN is somewhat like living in the suburbs just outside of these large cities, but even that is not an accurate description.  First of all, the Tennessee Valley lies between the Great Smokey Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau, giving us moderate weather all year long.  We have hundreds, perhaps thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of land that is not bothered with houses, shopping centers, or even marred by farming.  We can look off in the distance and see the fog in the mountain ranges in the fall and sometimes in the summer.

WE HAVE FRESH AIR AND MINIMAL POLLUTION FROM FACTORIES...

If there is a downside to living here it is having to deal with the HALFBACKS.  Halfbacks are northerners who moved to Florida and because of the humidity of Florida decided to move half way back which puts them in the TN Valley.

We do not have all the restaurants, plays, and musicals that one may find in New York City nor do we have celebrities walking our country streets...

BUT, it is 15-21% cheaper to live here (depending on location) than anywhere else in the USA.  I can get a perfectly cooked SALMON dinner with wild rice and broccoli for under $12 not including tax.  And, speaking of taxes, we have no State Income Tax.  Every time I go out for dinner, I am served so much that I get a doggy bag that is enough for another meal the next day.

The only news I know is what I see on FOX NEWS and I watch FOX NEWS because the other stations do not present ALL THE NEWS...  and, I have made a comparison so that is not speculation.

So, one could say that I am living in a vacuum and will never experience what the rest of Americans are experiencing, especially in the big cities...  Personally, I like living in a vacuum.