Ponderous thoughts while ridding my shoes of leftover sand and summer musings.

Nothing beats the smell of being stuck behind a garbage truck on a hot and humid day ...

Or of lavender or honeysuckle for that matter ...

I actually saw a guy making a visual signal for a right-hand turn with his left arm stuck out the window and his arm affixed upward - honestly ...

Of course, I wish that I had a nickel for all of the nitwits who prefer to buzz from the left passing lane toward an exit instead of working themselves over a lane or two and getting off at the next exit ... How come kids aren't name Tyrone, Marybeth, Roscoe or Abigail anymore? ...

If the folks at TPC-Boston in Norton can confiscate and forbid the use of cell phones for the Deutsche Bank Championship, should the Red Sox do the same for folks sitting in the seats behind home plate at Fenway Park and waving to their friends watching the game? ...

Nothing beats the smile on a kid's face after an exhilarating ride on a boogie board ...

Hey, what's the betting line on tonight's soccer match in Foxboro between the Revolution and Joe Public F.C.? ...

Whereas hamburgers and hot dogs always taste better on the grill, is there a better summer treat than doughboys at some festival? ...

Or hearing a great "summer song"? ...

Or running into someone that you haven't seen for a while? ...

Hey, any zucchini, summer squash or tomatoes from the garden that you don't need, leave them off at the front desk with my name on the bag ...

Instead of playing birthday's, anniversaries, house numbers etc., I actually know someone who plays the dates that family members died for his lottery numbers ...

Kudos to Pawtucket Red Sox manager Ron Johnson, who, every single day that you walk into the clubhouse or his office, he has a smile on his face because he enjoys his job and baseball so much ... Do you find yourself listening to a baseball game on the radio and find yourself drooling and falling asleep shortly thereafter? ...

For that matter, some of the sermons that I've listened to lately lack for inspiration ...

Nothing's free in New York City, but there are two actual "free" gems that are truly Manhattan moments - a ride on the Staten Island ferry, past the Statue of Liberty and back to Battery Park; and the open admission policy by the Museum of Modern Art on Friday nights (and by the way, for a meditative moment, sit in Pauley Park on West 53rd Street with its wall of water) ...

Craig Hansen was sent to the minors, Brandon Moss is batting just around .200, seems to me that Jason Bay was more than fair compensation ...

If you haven't been to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, the view of Boston Harbor from the glass-walled sitting observatory is worth the price of admission ...

Drop the puck! NHL hockey camps open. Nothing like some good hockey talk Garth Snow, eh? ...

Has anyone actually scored a hole in one on the windmill hole at miniature golf? ...

Okay, how many days have you gone consecutively without wearing socks? ...

Seems to be that there has to be a team of traffic engineers somewhere in the Commonwealth who can solve the traffic flow in and out of Gillette Stadium on "game day," football or futbol ...

Gelato, spumoni or Italian ice? ...

September is the most melancholy month of the year - what with lower temperatures, shorter days, the thought of winter, the beach crowd dispersed and incoming freshmen at high school and college look younger and younger ...

Now if high schools can transform those long and triple jump pits into beach volleyball sites, I'd be willing to watch more Kerri Walsh's and Misty May-Treanor's ...

It seems that no matter how much or how little birdseed that you put out, the bag is gone in a week ...

Is there more boring, inarticulate and non-informative matter coming out of the mouths than of college football television analysts? ...

Forget the desert, just bring on the watermelon ...

Oops, have to take my outdoor shower before the sun sets.

PETER GOBIS can be reached at 508-236-0375 or at pgobis@thesunchronicle.com.