Monetizing Loneliness by the Numbers

Stats from December 25, 2020:

Time leaving apartment: 8:45 AM

Time on #1 tee at Foxdale Park 9 AM

Air temperature: 11°F

Wind Chill: -5°F

Distance from pin on #8 after deliberately skipping drive off frozen pond: 30 feet.

Time first logged into Door Dash: 9:38 AM

Number of delivery sessions: 5

Total orders assigned: 30

Total orders accepted: 29

Tip on order declined: 1¢

Total orders cancelled before I arrived to merchant: 1

Total orders arriving at closed location: 0

Total orders from Popeye's near my house where those there realized I was the only one taking the orders: 6

Time that Popeye's closed: 4 PM

Total McDonald's orders: 6

Different McDonald's locations: 4

Total Sarpinos Pizza orders: 3

Total orders from a place that generally serves food based from Asian cultures: 3

Total orders from place at a mall: 3

Times making a purchase for myself while making a pickup: 3

Total orders from a virtual restaurant (which only exists on line and is picked up at a restaurant with a different name): 1

Most expensive order from a sushi place: $190

Least expensive order from CVS: $6

Number of places that looked like they were overwhelmed by number of customers or being short staffed: 1

Times picking up two separate orders from same location: 2

Total locations that customers were eating inside in spite of the governor's order: 2

Number holes played at Clark Park after a delivery was less than five minutes from there: 12

Pickup zones logged into during day: 1

Approximate boundaries of that zone: IL 390, I-294, I-88, I-355

Times on a toll road including pickup from the McDonald's at the I-294 Oasis: 2

Total deliveries: 28

Furthest northern delivery: Mount Prospect (3/4 mile north of Golf Rd)

Furthest southern delivery: Darien (75th st)

Furthest western delivery: Carol Stream (Gary Av)

Furthest eastern delivery: Bellwood (Mannheim Rd)

Deliveries to someone else working on Dec 25: 3

Times delivering to a hotel: 4

Times delivering an order from two different places to the same customer at a hotel: 1

Food deliveries: 27

Food deliveries where customer did not tip: 7

Highest tip: $15

Number of customers who tipped $5 cash as well as $5 on the app: 1

Flags seen in support of the person who came second in the 2020 presidential election: 2

People seen who would go on a "date" (which would have been real tempting as I had enough cash on me to afford to do so but had a delivery to make and she was gone by the time I was heading back): 1

Disc golf courses passed: 3

Hospitals passed: 2

Different gas stations making a purchase after using bathroom: 4

Time last delivery session ended: 12:13 AM 

Time home: 12:18 AM 

Total time logged in: 12 hours, 48 minutes

Total miles driven: 250

Total earnings through app: $231.75

Total cash tip: $5

People seen whose name I knew outside of delivering food: 0

2020 season recap

On a heavy and slippery Round Lake course that had thawed during the day, finished my 2020 tournament season which was unlike any other.:

Even if the points required for Am Worlds was not reduced by 30% due to COVID, tying for 25th out of 51 players in the last event got my to the 500 point mark.

Looking a the 2019 recap, there were four ideas to qualify:

One get better. That seemed most unlikely as eventually age will take its toll but due to physical improvement (other than are issues in late summer caused by hitting a tree on a follow through) and better form, am able to general throw a disc farther and it showed:

Three months, including the last two had a new personal lifetime best rating including a big jump once the rounds at the 2019 Worlds played on a knee that was dislocated the Friday before were removed. On the 2019 chart, had a column for two shots better per round and my 18 point improvement in rating is almost two shots better.

Two was to play large events. COVID caused the spring ones to be cancelled and the only one I could have attended, Ledgestone, was not doable as a coworker needed the time off as his gf was due to deliver a baby.

Three was more MA3 rounds: Except for the IOS (where I lost the series title by three shots) and IL states, that was my plan. A couple of events were changed to MA50 once after I hit the 350 mark. Had I played MA3 all year, would have reached the mark easily.

Four was more league rounds: I did that before COVID at Dellwood in the cold and snow and expect to do the same in 2021.

Due to COVID, all majors were moved to 2021 so the idea of playing in the revamped Masters Worlds near Peoria won't happen until 2022 so I will need to repeat my success to do so.

Math and pizza

Other than attempting to add scores after a frustrating round of disc golf, my math skills are exceptional if not superior. The obvious question of why am I not changing the world with those skills if they exist is a different post.

After a long day moving paper and delivering food, was hungry and did not want to heat something at home. Since there were ten cars in the Wendy's drive through, went to the local Speedway gas station wanting to get a 14" pizza to eat half when I get home and half the following day.

There was disappointment upon realizing the large pizza was not available but the 7" personal one was. The person who makes them told me that they are out of 14" crusts but he would make two 7" ones for the same price as the 14".

After confirming in my mind the area of a circle (or pizza) is π times the radius squared stated that a 7" pizza is a quarter of the area of a 14" one which he denied.

The combative version of me from a decade or more ago would have attempted to explain the math, called him out for trying to rip me off, mentioned that he is working a gas station cafe on a Saturday night, and stated he is why some people should not make $15/hr.

The 55 year old version of me realized confronting him is not worth the effort and that I did not want him to make any food for me so instead of getting a sandwich, turned away and shaking my head walked out.

"I'M SORRY YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND MATH!"

When that person was in preschool, a Subway employee barely 5 feet tall put everything on a sandwich for a hungry man who worked a ten hour day and told him he will like it that way then offered to punch out and deal with him behind the building. That employee was not expecting a sucker kick to the groin as he followed the hungry man out the door.

I paused when I heard his statement. Then again realized best to get food somewhere else. However his statement won't be ignored. While eating Little Caesars (where I ended up after two cars pulled into Popeye's while I was waiting to turn left into the lot), went to Speedway Cafe on line and explained what happened. I did not want a free anything as sometimes items are not available. I did not want that employee punished. I just want someone to explain to him how math works.