The "Drying Up The Bank" Story

Shoal Bay East on the island of Anguilla

It was an ordinary day.  We were sitting on Orient Beach in St. Martin talking about whether we want to take a day trip to the neighboring island of Anguilla.  Anguilla has some of the world's most beautiful beaches, with Shoal Bay being on the top of the list.  But, we have been there twice before and it can be a costly day.  First of all you have to take a ferry to get there and that will cost you $15.  But, you also must pay a departure tax to leave the island.  That is another $5.  On the return trip it is the same charges, so for both of us, it would be $40 for transportation.  Then you have the cost of renting a car when you get to Anguilla.  A taxi is available, but it is just about $50 for the round-trip to Shoal Bay and that will not allow for any other touring you may want to do.  A car costs about $75 for the day plus the gas and a week-long driver's license which is $20.  With food, drinks and a couple of souvernirs, it probably will cost us $350 for the day.  "Nah, I'm happy sitting right here on this beach.  Heck, we get 2fers during happy hour so our day here will only cost us $7," I told Carol.  For the past three years we have the same conversation with the same results.  For months before we travel we spend time looking through magazines and at information online and always say we should take a day trip to Anguilla, but then we get there and sand gravity sets in and we stay put.  Actually nothing wrong with that.  Traveling is fun, but the extra expenses associated with traveling can really wreck the budget.  Most Caribbean islands don't require a Visa so we are lucky, but if you are traveling to places like China, United Kingdon, Australia or even Egypt, there is a $59 fee for a Visa.  If you wait until the last minute to apply for it, it costs $99 for a rush Visa or $149 for an urgent Visa.  Don't know what the difference is except for the $50.  On the island of St. Martin/Sint Maarten, there is a $30 departure tax when you leave the island.  Seems like they want to try to keep you there, doesn't it.  Quite a few airlines will add that to the cost of the ticket so you don't have to worry that you have $30 left in your pocket at the end of your vacation.  Many credit card companies charge you an exchange rate charge when you use your card outside of the US.  I have researched and found that Capital One is one of the few that does not charge, so we have Capital One credit cards.  Can save you big if you buy a piece of artwork or charge an island trip or groceries on your card.  If you want to exchange US dollars for the currency of the place you are visiting, there usually is a charge for that.  Check to see what the charge will be before you leave so you can decide if you want to make the exchange when you get there or if you want to get the money while here in the US.  We have found that every place we have ever visited will accept US dollars, but some revalue the dollar to match their currency and you can never be sure if they are taking advantage of you or not.  Then, if you stay at a resort you may have to pay for internet service or even parking.  We assumed that we could park our car for free when we visited Hawaii a few years ago, but found there was a daily charge to do so.  If you are taking a cruise you will have the tips to pay for just about everything.  We have paid them upfront and added them into the cost of the trip to avoid spending all the money and not having at the end of the trip.  Then there is the usual tipping involved with traveling.  The porter at the airport, the taxi driver at your destination, the waitresses at all the places you eat, the beach boy who you rent a chair or umbrella from, and the list goes on and on.  Extra expenses can really add up if you don't plan for them, so if you are not a seasoned traveler, plan well before you pay for anything.  You will be so glad that you did so when the vacation is over.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.It was an ordinary day.  We were sitting on Orient Beach in St. Martin talking about whether we want to take a day trip to the neighboring island of Anguilla.  Anguilla has some of the world's most beautiful beaches, with Shoal Bay being on the top of the list.  But, we have been there twice before and it can be a costly day.  First of all you have to take a ferry to get there and that will cost you $15.  But, you also must pay a departure tax to leave the island.  That is another $5.  On the return trip it is the same charges, so for both of us, it would be $40 for transportation.  Then you have the cost of renting a car when you get to Anguilla.  A taxi is available, but it is just about $50 for the round-trip to Shoal Bay and that will not allow for any other touring you may want to do.  A car costs about $75 for the day plus the gas and a week-long driver's license which is $20.  With food, drinks and a couple of souvernirs, it probably will cost us $350 for the day.  "Nah, I'm happy sitting right here on this beach.  Heck, we get 2fers during happy hour so our day here will only cost us $7," I told Carol.  For the past three years we have the same conversation with the same results.  For months before we travel we spend time looking through magazines and at information online and always say we should take a day trip to Anguilla, but then we get there and sand gravity sets in and we stay put.  Actually nothing wrong with that.  Traveling is fun, but the extra expenses associated with traveling can really wreck the budget.  Most Caribbean islands don't require a Visa so we are lucky, but if you are traveling to places like China, United Kingdon, Australia or even Egypt, there is a $59 fee for a Visa.  If you wait until the last minute to apply for it, it costs $99 for a rush Visa or $149 for an urgent Visa.  Don't know what the difference is except for the $50.  On the island of St. Martin/Sint Maarten, there is a $30 departure tax when you leave the island.  Seems like they want to try to keep you there, doesn't it.  Quite a few airlines will add that to the cost of the ticket so you don't have to worry that you have $30 left in your pocket at the end of your vacation.  Many credit card companies charge you an exchange rate charge when you use your card outside of the US.  I have researched and found that Capital One is one of the few that does not charge, so we have Capital One credit cards.  Can save you big if you buy a piece of artwork or charge an island trip or groceries on your card.  If you want to exchange US dollars for the currency of the place you are visiting, there usually is a charge for that.  Check to see what the charge will be before you leave so you can decide if you want to make the exchange when you get there or if you want to get the money while here in the US.  We have found that every place we have ever visited will accept US dollars, but some revalue the dollar to match their currency and you can never be sure if they are taking advantage of you or not.  Then, if you stay at a resort you may have to pay for internet service or even parking.  We assumed that we could park our car for free when we visited Hawaii a few years ago, but found there was a daily charge to do so.  If you are taking a cruise you will have the tips to pay for just about everything.  We have paid them upfront and added them into the cost of the trip to avoid spending all the money and not having at the end of the trip.  Then there is the usual tipping involved with traveling.  The porter at the airport, the taxi driver at your destination, the waitresses at all the places you eat, the beach boy who you rent a chair or umbrella from, and the list goes on and on.  Extra expenses can really add up if you don't plan for them, so if you are not a seasoned traveler, plan well before you pay for anything.  You will be so glad that you did so when the vacation is over.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.It was an ordinary day.  We were sitting on Orient Beach in St. Martin talking about whether we want to take a day trip to the neighboring island of Anguilla.  Anguilla has some of the world's most beautiful beaches, with Shoal Bay being on the top of the list.  But, we have been there twice before and it can be a costly day.  First of all you have to take a ferry to get there and that will cost you $15.  But, you also must pay a departure tax to leave the island.  That is another $5.  On the return trip it is the same charges, so for both of us, it would be $40 for transportation.  Then you have the cost of renting a car when you get to Anguilla.  A taxi is available, but it is just about $50 for the round-trip to Shoal Bay and that will not allow for any other touring you may want to do.  A car costs about $75 for the day plus the gas and a week-long driver's license which is $20.  With food, drinks and a couple of souvernirs, it probably will cost us $350 for the day.  "Nah, I'm happy sitting right here on this beach.  Heck, we get 2fers during happy hour so our day here will only cost us $7," I told Carol.  For the past three years we have the same conversation with the same results.  For months before we travel we spend time looking through magazines and at information online and always say we should take a day trip to Anguilla, but then we get there and sand gravity sets in and we stay put.  Actually nothing wrong with that.  Traveling is fun, but the extra expenses associated with traveling can really wreck the budget.  Most Caribbean islands don't require a Visa so we are lucky, but if you are traveling to places like China, United Kingdon, Australia or even Egypt, there is a $59 fee for a Visa.  If you wait until the last minute to apply for it, it costs $99 for a rush Visa or $149 for an urgent Visa.  Don't know what the difference is except for the $50.  On the island of St. Martin/Sint Maarten, there is a $30 departure tax when you leave the island.  Seems like they want to try to keep you there, doesn't it.  Quite a few airlines will add that to the cost of the ticket so you don't have to worry that you have $30 left in your pocket at the end of your vacation.  Many credit card companies charge you an exchange rate charge when you use your card outside of the US.  I have researched and found that Capital One is one of the few that does not charge, so we have Capital One credit cards.  Can save you big if you buy a piece of artwork or charge an island trip or groceries on your card.  If you want to exchange US dollars for the currency of the place you are visiting, there usually is a charge for that.  Check to see what the charge will be before you leave so you can decide if you want to make the exchange when you get there or if you want to get the money while here in the US.  We have found that every place we have ever visited will accept US dollars, but some revalue the dollar to match their currency and you can never be sure if they are taking advantage of you or not.  Then, if you stay at a resort you may have to pay for internet service or even parking.  We assumed that we could park our car for free when we visited Hawaii a few years ago, but found there was a daily charge to do so.  If you are taking a cruise you will have the tips to pay for just about everything.  We have paid them upfront and added them into the cost of the trip to avoid spending all the money and not having at the end of the trip.  Then there is the usual tipping involved with traveling.  The porter at the airport, the taxi driver at your destination, the waitresses at all the places you eat, the beach boy who you rent a chair or umbrella from, and the list goes on and on.  Extra expenses can really add up if you don't plan for them, so if you are not a seasoned traveler, plan well before you pay for anything.  You will be so glad that you did so when the vacation is over.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "So Glad I'm at the Top of the Food Chain!" Story

Carol with her bib.

It was an ordinary day.  On our way back from Cape May to our vacation condo in Ocean City where the rest of the family is probably still on the beach.  Carol and I spend a day in Cape May every vacation to enjoy the day "off" by ourselves, without the noise and commotion of  the kids and grandkids.  Cape May is a 20 minute ride from Ocean City heading south on the Garden State Parkway to Exit "0".  The town is row after row of Victorian houses with ornamental mouldings around the porches and roofs. Houses of Williamsburg colors with shutters that actually were used at one time, line the narrow streets.  Close to the center of town is a shopping area that at one time had beautiful large trees down the center of the mall.  Tree roots eventually started to destroy the water and sewer lines under them and had to be destroyed, replaced with seating, fountains and a few new trees.  Antique stores, art galleries, restaurants and a variety of clothing and gift stores line both sides of the mall.  Carol and I park, pay for the parking ticket and head to the street for browsing.  One of our all-time favorite streets to shop anywhere.   Purchased a new flag for the front of the house, a new glass sun-catcher and a glass flower holder that you can stick on a window with a suction cup.  Neat purchases that we found in a few of our favorite stores.  Then, after two hours ....... it's off for lunch at the Lobster House.  The restaurant is one of the most famous in Cape May and we managed to get a seat right along the water where we could watch the fishing and leisure boats pass by as they enter and exit the harbor.  Any guess as to what we had for lunch?  Yep, we each chose the 1 1/2 pound lobster, broiled with melted butter, baked potato with sour cream and more butter and home-made cole slaw.  The salad and freshly baked loaf of warm bread arrived soon after our glasses of freshly brewed ice-tea.  Then Sally, our waitress, arrived with the lobster bib for Carol.  I chose not to have a bib, since it makes me look silly.  Makes Carol look silly also, but she  wears one because she claims she needs it to protect her from the mess I make.  Then the main meal arrives!  Somewhat sorry to know that only minutes ago our lunch was swimming around in a big tank in another room of the restaurant.  So glad that I'm at the top of the food chain!  I needn't tell you if we enjoyed lunch or not, do I?  I will tell you that we do this only one time a year.  Not sure my system could stand the pound of butter and sour cream more than one time a year.  Left with a full belly as we passed the 37 1/2 pound lobster caught in 1987 that is mounted and hangs on the wall of the lobby.  We have looked forward to this day for a year, and just as quick as that it is gone.  Oh well, there is next year and we will enjoy it as much next year as we did this year.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Ridin' the Rides at OC" Story

Wonderland Pier taken from atop the Ferris Wheel

It was an ordinary day.  Everyone is showered and dressed so we're heading up to the boardwalk for supper at the food court and then to ride a few of the rides on the Ocean City boardwalk.  The family has been coming to Ocean City, NJ for years and years.  First it was my wife Carol and me with our three children and my parents, and now it is Carol and me with my three children and my three grandchildren.  Just love the atmosphere at the Jersey Shore in early summer.  We travel early in the summer to avoid the high rental prices for lodging.  Have been staying at the same condo on 9th Street for quite a few years now.  Block right off the boardwalk so the grandkids have no busy streets to cross when walking to the beach each day and the boardwalk in the evening.  Almost every evening and sometimes in the morning, we make a trip to the boardwalk to enjoy the rides or arcade games.  Gets expensive, but we do it only one time each year and the grandkids save their money all year for the excitement of one week at the shore.  I used to enjoy the roller-coasters, but now have to settle for the milder Ferris Wheel to avoid breaking something that may be an important part of my body; such as a leg or arm.  There are two large amusement piers, one on the north end of the boardwalk and another close to the middle of the boardwalk.  They both have fun rides, but "Wonderland Pier" in the north seems to have a larger variety of rides.  My favorite is naturally is the Ferris Wheel.  Actually the only one I go on anymore.  Costs $4 per person to ride, but it lasts longer than any other ride and the sights at night-time of the Jersey coastline and north to Atlantic City are amazing.  Last night my two granddaughters, Courtney and Camille, and my oldest son, Derek grabbed a ride with me on the wheel after an evening meal on the boardwalk.  Seems we are about the only ones who aren't afraid of heights and actually, this was the first time for Derek to ride in quite a few years.  The girls are always up for a ride with Tampah.  "Wonderland Pier" was first opened in the summer of 1928 by David Gillian.  He was a long time drummer in bands on the boardwalk, but in 1927 quite a bit of the boardwalk went up in flames and Dave lost his job and had to make a career change. Lucky for him!  Because of the great depression, only a few places reopened after the fire, but David saw that it was the opportune time to open what was originally called the "Fun Deck", located at Plymouth Place and the boardwalk, and did so with only a Ferris Wheel and one carousel.  The business prospered and in 1957 he turned the business over to his two sons, Rob and Roy. In 1963, Roy bought the property where Stainton's, a department store, had been 10 year before and had burned.  That year Roy opened the pier with 10 rides and a parking lot.  Today, "Wonderland" is still in operation with Roy's son, Jay running the operation as well as being the mayor of Ocean City.  Jay's oldest brother, Jimmy, operates Gillian's Water park and miniature golf course, Adventure Golf.  The water park and golf course are now located where the original "Fun Deck" was located.  Original founder David Gillian died in 1993 at the age of 102, still looking over the pier until his last days.  Jay's seven children will more than likely keep the very successful amusement business  in the family for a long time.  Wouldn't you?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Venom in My Blood" Story

Original 1978 Ewing Family

It was an ordinary day.  Watched "Dallas" on TV the last two weeks.  Carol and I used to watch the show every week when it first hit the prime time TV soap opera circuit.  The show debuted April 2, 1978 as part of a five-part miniseries on CBS and was so popular that it turned into a regular series for the next 13 years.  The first five shows are considered season 1, so in all the show really had 14 seasons.  Final episode aired May 3, 1991 with JR Ewing contemplating committing suicide.  I don't believe I missed more than a dozen shows during those 14 seasons.  In 2007, Time magazine listed it as one of the "100 Best TV Shows of All-Time."  By the time it went off the air in 1991 it had become one of the longest running prime time dramas in American TV history ...... second only to Gunsmoke and Law  Order which both lasted for 20 seasons.  I think my favorite episode was probably everyone's favorite, "Who shot J.R.?"  The show revolved around the Ewings who were a wealthy Dallas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries.  The main characters were: Larry Hagman, who played JR Ewing; Patrick Duffy, who was his younger brother Bobby; Linda Gray who was JR's wife Sue Ellen; Victoria Principal who was Bobby's wife Pam; Jim Davis who was the patriarch of the family, Jock Ewing; and Barbara Bel Geddes who was Jock's wife Miss Ellie.  Quite a few others were in the show, but the show revolved around the trials and tribulations of the Ewing family.  Pam was my favorite as well as Lucy Ewing Cooper who was played by Charlene Tilton.  They were the two best looking girls in the show.  JR was the villain while Bobby was the hero, at least in my eyes.  Well, JR is again the villain, but his son, John Ross Ewing III, played by Josh Henderson looks like he will take over that role from his father in the revival of the show that airs on Wednesday night.  The show takes place at the same ranch, Southfork, and has the same opening music.  Seems like it never went off the air.  A few of the original characters still remain with Larry Hagman, who is 81 years old, Linda Gray, who is 72, Patrick Duffy, who is 63, as well as a few minor actors who were in the original show.  Boy, do they look old!  Even with makeup on!!  I certainly hope I don't look as old as they do.  Other new cast members, besides Josh Henderson, are: Jesse Metcalf who plays Bobby's adopted son Christopher (a good guy); Julie Gonzalo who plays Rebecca, Christopher's wife; Jordana Brewster who plays Elena girlfriend to John Ross; and Brenda Strong who plays Bobby's third wife, Ann Ewing.  She's pretty, but not as good looking as Pam was in the original show.  Looks like I'm going to have to reserve Wednesday evenings at 9:00 for Dallas.  Last last two week's shows got me hooked again with all the neat plots and sub-stories.  Should be fun.  And why my story title?  At the end of the show someone said that John Ross III had venom in his blood.  Hey, have to go get ready and plan for tonight's show. Gonna have to go back and forth between Dallas and the Phils.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Awning Experience" Story

Prelude:  This story was started early in the morning, while the family slept, during our annual visit to Ocean City, NJ.  Part way through the story the wireless connection failed and the story mistakenly posted to my blog.  Half a day later when I was able to access the Internet again I realized the problem with half a story being posted.  Well, some of you may have read the first half of this story and can now skip to the second half, but in case you haven't viewed it before, enjoy the entire story.  Sorry for the problem.

Awning similar to the one on our home on Queen St.

It was an ordinary day.  Walked a few blocks around our condo to pick up a newspaper this morning and saw house after house that brought back pleasant childhood memories, for you see the streets of Ocean City, New Jersey are lined with houses that have ornamental white wooden railings and roofs rimmed with colorful canvas awnings.  When I was in my pre-teen years and living on North Queen Street near the Lancaster Train Station, my mom and dad always had a tan canvas awning hanging from the front porch roof.  Also had one on the north side of the porch, but not on the opposite side since that side joined the neighbor's  porch.  Had many fond memories of playing and sitting with friends and family on the front porch and just loved when the weather started getting warmer in the spring and dad decided it was time to get out the metal porch furniture and put the awnings up.  Carried the awnings from the basement, opened them in the back yard and scrubbed them using soap, bucket and the garden hose.  Also had to carry all the cast iron metal poles that were used to support the canvas awning.  Dad grabbed the old wooden step-ladder and attached the awning to the wooden rail under the spout with the same hooks that were a permanent part of the railing and fit into the grommet holes in the awning.  Then he would slide the long metal pole into the seam on the bottom of the awning.  On either end of the pole he would attach a threaded metal angle that then would accept a shorter pole that would travel through a sleeve on the side flap of the awning.  These two shorter poles, one on either end of the front awning, would be fixed with hardware to the corner posts of the porch.  Ropes and pulleys would finish the job and would be used to raise the awning in case of inclement weather to prevent damage to the awning.  Pretty neat to watch and dad always made it more exciting with his yelling at mom and cursing at the awning.  Then ........... he would have to do it all over again on the open side of the porch.  Boy did our house look neat with that awning on the front.  Looked like houses on the TV show "Leave it to Beaver."  Most of the houses on the last block of Queen Street had matching awnings and added a touch of unity to the block.  Back then there really was such a thing as a neat city neighborhood block; ours!  Over time the awning would get damaged and maybe could be repaired, but eventually had to be replaced.  This was a costly expense and took months of saving to be able to replace it.  In the mid-60s mom and dad sold the house on Queen Street and moved to Helen Avenue in Grandview Heights, another really neat neighborhood, but one that had very few homes with awnings.  I had graduated from high school by then and awnings weren't a big concern of my by then.  Girls, cars and college, in that order, had replaced awnings on my priority list.  But, every year, when we travel to Ocean City for the family vacation, I still enjoy walking through the neighborhoods admiring the many awnings that grace the neighborhoods.  Green, tan, blue or what ever color as long as they are canvas, bring back the memories from my childhood.  Something from my past that I will probably never see on a house that I own.  Sad at times, since my kids never had the awning experience as I did!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Age Old Laughter" Story

It was an ordinary day.  My friend Bill, who lives in Arizona and who sends me something interesting almost daily, sent something today that is very relevant to all my age.  Don't really need to know what that age is, but after looking at the following cartoons, you'll be able to guess within maybe 10 to 15 years how old that may be.  Thanks Bill for the laughs.  I always need a good laugh since it is supposed to help exercise all the face and neck muscles.  Heaven knows I need all those muscles exercised as much as I can so they don't sag any more than they already have sagged.  I was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Visual Torture

Life's Nourishment

The "Faces of Strangers: #3" Story

Red Cap Richard

It was an ordinary day.  Visited the old neighborhood on my way back from running a couple of errands. Stopped at the Amtrak Station to see how the renovations and improvements are coming.  Looks almost as bad as it did when they started.  This fellow saw me taking some photos and came up to me to see what I was doing.  His name was Richard and he worked for Amtrak as a Red Cap.  We got to talking and it was evident he knew his job.  A Red Cap is a railroad porter. Richard had all types of electronic devices fastened to him.  Made him more important I think.  Oh, he also carried a small broom and long-handled dustpan which he used to collect trash.  We talked about the renovations and about railroading in general.  He had spent time in the Navy or submarines and when he left the service got a job working in a rail yard.  Nine months ago he applied for the Red Cap porter job at the Lancaster Amtrak Station and got the job.  It is obvious that he loves his work.  We talked for a short time and I asked him when the next train was due.  Pulled out his schedule from his rear pocket and asked if I was heading west-bound or east-bound.  Told him all I wanted to do was take a few photos and didn't really care; just wanted the next train.  "Head to platform #2 and in 18 minutes the west-bound train to Harrisburg will arrive."  Thanked him and found my way onto platform #2.  Sat on a bench and within a few minutes here comes Richard.  Needed to tell me some more about the station.  Explained that the ties under the rails had been replaced with concrete except for about two dozen on each track.  That is where the tunnel runs underground, under the tracks.  When Railway Express operated years ago they would transport baggage and packages under the rails to the two platforms.  The wooden ties are directly on top of the tunnel and they couldn't use the concrete ones, since the are larger than the wooden ones.  His knowledge of the station was amazing.  Then he decided to tell me about the high speed line that they are preparing for in the near future.  Plans are for a line that will be able to obtain speeds of 165 mph in the straight-aways.  The only thing that is holding them up is the catenary lines.  Catenary lines are overhead lines, or overhead wire, and is used to transmit electrical energy to the train.  He told me that the catenary sags slightly and the speed would cause problems.  They have tried to place concrete weights at different locations to pull it tighter, but haven't been successful yet.  I was impressed with his knowledge of the railroad.  He oozes love for his job and I'm sure is a great worker.  He greets passengers as they arrive on the west-bound train and then escorts me back to the main stairs that take me out of the station.  I thanked him for the information and conversation and he told me to stop back again soon so he can tell me more about his job. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Framin' The Fightin' Phils" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished one of the biggest matting and framing jobs that I have ever done. My brother deals in sports collectibles and knows I enjoy watching baseball on TV and that my favorite team is the Phillies so he gathered together a poster, autographed cards and simple signatures of everyone associated with the 1980 World Series winning Phillies team and asked if I wanted to work out a deal for them.  Didn't take long to work out the deal and then I had to decide how I was going to mat and frame everything.  Took some time to take all the measurements and do the layout, but I was able to get everything on a 32"x40" regulations sized mat board.  Decided to do a double mat and the colors naturally had to be red and white, the Phils colors.  I layed out the job on the computer at Grebinger Gallery where I work and cut the white top mat and the bottom red mat in no time.  Bought the mats, foam board, glass and frame from Keith, the gallery owner and took everything home to put it together.  All the autographs are documented so I had to be careful that I didn't damage any cards.  I cut pieces of acid-free paper the exact size of the baseball cards and used them on the rear so any tape I would use would not damage the cards.  The poster fit into the center of the mat with two rows of cards on the left and three rows of card on the right.  The autographs that were not on any baseball card went along the bottom.  One item that was autographed was an envelope with a photo of the Vet on the left and Pete Rose's autograph on the right.  Another large card bore the name of Harry Kalas and another post card had the names of three of the pitchers on the team.  Three cards were meant to run horizontal, but I couldn't figure how to do that so I placed the in a vertical position.  I don't believe anyone will comp[lain about that.   I dry-mounted the poster, but hand-mounted each card individually into the openings I had created.  Took quite a few hours to complete, but the final result will look great above the desk.  Called my brother Steve who stopped to look at it and gave his approval.  Said I could get big bucks for it, since it was presented in such a nice manner.  Hey, that's my job, matting and framing.  I've looked at it for quite some time now and I think I would have done it differently if I did it over again, which I'm not going to do.  All the player's cards on the left I would chose players who were looking towards the poster and the player's cards on the right would feature players who were looking the opposite way and in to the poster.  I know this is a minor change, but would have looked better.  I love the way it turned out and may have to do one for the 2008 Phils.  May be a long time before the World Series trophy returns to Citizen's Bank Park again.   It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

Attaching the cards into the mat, one at a time

Finished foam board with poster on it and mat with autographed cards.

Had to tie sides together with wire so the frame wouldn't break.

The final result!

The "Remembering Nannan" Story

It was an ordinary day.  This past Sunday was Father's Day and if that's not important, how about adding our anniversary.  Yep, Carol and I celebrated 45 years of wedded bliss.  Wedded bliss!  Exactly what is wedded bliss?  Naturally had to "Google" it and found page after page of answers.  Found out that there is a Wedded Bliss Foundation based in Washington, DC and you can register and take courses there.  For what I'm not sure.  Then I found this: Wedded means "married." Bliss means "great joy or happiness." Put together, it should mean being married has brought great joy to the happy couple.  Sounds good to me. The night before our anniversary I laid in bed thinking about 45 years.  Holy Cow, 45 years!  That's 16,436 days, taking into consideration leap years.  And I don't think we have been apart for more than a dozen days during that time.  Any problems during all those days.  Nah!  Well, maybe a few, but probably could count them on the fingers of one hand.  Then I started to think about how many times I mowed the grass during those 45 years and how many movies we went to during that time.  How many vacations did we take and how many pets did we have.  Then, I fell asleep!!  Every year we agree to not buy each other presents, but then the day arrives and if I wouldn't have a present I would look bad because she always has one for me.  This year I got Carol two beads for her Troll bracelet.  Found them at The Silver Moon Gallery in Park City Shopping Mall, Lancaster, PA.  Looked and looked for the one I found she had "pinned" on my Pinerest account, but they didn't have it, so I searched the store for something similar.  Found an entire display made by Kelly Gallagher who is an art teacher in high school and is married to Jim whose art classroom was two doors from my classroom when I taught school. Jim and I were co-advisers for the high school yearbook for over 25 years.  I knew Kelly did papier-mache molding, but didn't know she did glass work.  Great beads, and they have some local flair to them.  Carol bought me a Apple iPod Nano.  Know what that is?  Something that I can load my favorite songs on and listen to when I go to the beach, fly on a plane or run the printing press at the high school.  I'm actually callinig it my Nannan, since that is what I used to call my one grandmother.  Always loved her and this is how I can honor her.  Least I can do, huh?  Took me an hour or so to figure it out, but I finally have loaded about 100 or so songs on it.  Mostly "oldies", but a few reggae and country songs.  Can't listen to any music unless there are a few Jimmy Buffett songs included.  Downloaded all the songs onto iTunes on my iMac computer, plugged the Nannan into the computer and presto! ....... the songs instantly went into the Nannan.  Actually, I'm listening to "Blueberry Hill" as I type this.  Pretty neat gift and I must admit it is neater than a couple of glass beads.  I'll have to do better next year or I might not make it to 50.  Got any ideas for #50 for me?  Got to be something GREAT, you know.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Walking On Stones" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got off the phone with the nurse.  Had to make another appointment to see the doctor about this crazy case of shingles I still have.  Got them back at the end of April, two days after arriving in St. Martin for vacation.  Started first with a tingling sensation in my thigh.  Thought it may be too much sunburn from a day at the beach.  Then the next day I got a blister like rash on the rear of my left knee.  Both Carol and I thought that also was from too much sun.  But, I put 65 SPF lotion all over my body, so it had to be something else.  Then the next day it started to spread up and down from behind my knee.  Another day saw it reach my left rear butt cheek and down to my calf.  Big, no make that BIG, sore-like blisters that were really ugly.  Didn't hurt or bother me too much until they reached my butt and I had to sit on them.  By now Carol realized it was a full blown case of shingles.  We went to Philipsburg, the capital of Sint Maarten (Dutch side of the island) to find a pharmacy to see if they had a cream to use on it.  Didn't, but the pharmacist asked to see them and said I should have a doctor look at them.  She made an immediate appointment for me at a clinic about two blocks away.  Told me they were waiting to see me as soon as I could get there.  Doctor told me that if he had seen me within the first 72 hours he could have given me an antiviral medication that would have stopped the virus from multiplying and would also have helped speed the healing of the skin lesions and reduce the severity and duration of the pain.  Too bad I missed it!!  The doctor told me there is nothing I can do but wait until the virus has worked it's way out of my body.  He continued by telling me that about 10% of those who get shingles develop postherpetic neuraligia which is a condition where people keep feeling pain and or discomfort even after their rash goes away.  Sometimes for months or even years.  Also told me the rash and resulting blisters travel along the nerves in your body.  Great, just GREAT!!  I'm telling you this in case you ever get anything that closely resembles shingles and can get to the doctor right away.  Don't delay.  This is HELL!  I made sure it didn't ruin my vacation by ignoring it as much as I could.  Had no trouble on the beach, since everyone who saw me steered clear of me.  Then the scabs started to develop.  Well, it's been a week shy of 3 months now and I still have trouble walking because of the pain in my foot.  My foot is partially numb and the part that isn't numb makes walking feel like I'm tramping on small sharp stones.  Socks feel like sandpaper when I have them on.  Did I mention that this is HELL!  Last Monday I went to one of my grandson's baseball games and my daughter-in-law's step-father told me that he is taking a drug to relieve nerve pain in his legs.  Told me he read that it is also good for shingles.  Called my doctor Tuesday morning and asked about it.  His nurse returned my call early afternoon telling me they had called a prescription into the pharmacy for me.  Shortly I stopped and picked up the pills.  Popped one in my mouth when I got home.  Supposed to take two a day.  Wednesday morning I took another one and went to work at the high school where I used to teach school and still do the in-house printing for the district.  By 11:00 AM I started to notice something strange happening.  Not sure what it was, but it was strange.  Seemed to be floating.  I told the fellow I work with that I wasn't feeling well and headed home.  By the time I got home I was getting dizzy and lite-headed so I parked the car in the garage, sat in my favorite recliner and woke almost 3 hours later.  Wow!  Called the doctor's office and reported my reaction to the drug.  Told me to only take the one in the evening, but I opted to stop it altogether.  Heading back to the doctor this afternoon to see if he has any other suggestions.  I'm taking a list of allegedly effective treatments that my friend Just Sue from State College mailed me after seeing it in her local newspaper.  Some of the treatments are: a numbing patch, antidepressants, anti-seizure and anti- ...... wait, that's just what I stopped, topical anesthetics, acupuncture, steroid injections, intercostal block and capsaicin.  Maybe just one of those might work so I can walk the boards on the Ocean City boardwalk next week when we travel there with our children and grandchildren for our annual week at the beach.  I'm sure that something will work or I'll just have to ignore the pain for the week like I did when I first got the virus.  Hope it works soon, because this is HELL!  Oh, yeah, I think I mentioned that, didn't I.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy

The "Grillin' Up A Storm" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Thinking back a few nights ago to when Carol and I enjoyed having friends Barry and Karen over for a meal and to see the photos from our latest trip to St. Martin.  I know how much some people hate to see their friends vacation photos so I made my favorite 228 photos into a slide show with music that lasted slightly over 12 minutes.  They still seemed interested in our trip when the show was over, so I guess they weren't bored out of their minds.  I should tell you that they traveled with us to St. Martin over a year ago and they were anxious to revisit some of the same spots again through the slide show.  Made the slide show an easy go for me.  Carol prepared a meal for the evening which included mostly grilled items so that we could talk while we sat near the grill.  Most of the time I kept turning the Romaine lettuce and steak over and over.  Did you know that you can grill Romaine lettuce?  Hey, there are many items that I didn't know could be grilled until I read an online article sent to me from Reader's Digest.  You may find some of the items to your liking so I will give you a few photos and how you can grill them.  Happy eating!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Carol cut the Romaine lettuce "stalks" in half and I placed them on the grill for a few minutes on each side.  May get some burning on the ends, but the flavor with olives, small tomatoes and feta cheese is great.

Don't these look great.  Watermelon or even cantelope can be used for grilling.  Make the pieces about 1 inch thick, brush them with olive oil, season to your liking, and grill for about 4-5 minutes per side until the fruit carmelizes and begins to dry out.

Did you know you could grill cheese.  Put the cheese directly on the grill until it gets char marks.   Different varieties of cheese require different times, so watch that you don't melt it.  Don't make you pieces too thick and use a medium-high heat.

Place the entire sweet potato on the grill until soft, slice and drench in butter and brown sugar.  You know, any potato would taste great with butter and brown sugar on it. 

Put slices of bacon on a skewer and grill.  You must be careful that the fat doesn't cause the grill to flame-up too much. Use the grilled pieces for salads, burgers, or add them to grilled pineapple as an appetizer.

You can grill avacado halves, scoop the flesh into  guacamole that's extra smoky and savory.  Never did it, but it sounds good.

The "Radioactive Birthday Party" Story

It was an ordinary day. Carol and I are taking a walk through Overlook Park which is adjacent to our neighborhood. Great walking trails with plenty of wildlife to observe on our walk. As usual, we talk about almost anything that comes to mind. She was telling me about a couple that were living next to her boss who were having a bad time. Seems that the wife had died from cancer as well as one of their children and now the husband has been diagnosed with cancer. Wow, talk about bad luck. Carol told me that she asked her boss if the couple had been living near Three Mile Island (TMI) at the time when they had the nuclear reactor accident in 1979. Her boss had no idea, since he had just moved to the area a few months ago. I have written about TMI in a few other posts, but just to refresh your memory: On Tuesday, March 29, 1979 at 4 AM, EST, the #2 reactor suffered a nuclear meltdown. It was the worst accident in US commercial nuclear power plant history and resulted in the release of small amounts of radioactive gases and radioactive iodine into the environment. 28 hours after the accident Lieutenant Governor William Scranton III held a press conference saying that all schools within a 5-mile radius of the plant would be closed, residents were to stay indoors and farmers should keep their animals under cover and feed them stored feed. Then, on Friday, Governor Richard Thornburgh said that the area had been extended to a 20-mile radius. Wow, we were right on the border line. Pretty scary. But, my story goes beyond that. Seems that our oldest child's 8th birthday was on March 28. Something to help him remember his birthday in the future. But, we had scheduled a birthday party with eight to ten of his friends from Schaeffer Elementary School on the Saturday after the accident at TMI. What should we do. Everyone was extremely concerned, but we made calls to the parents telling them we would still have the party and if they felt their child should not attend, we would understand. All showed up and we kept them inside at 925 Janet Ave. At least for an hour or so, then, since they were all young boys, we felt a great need to get them outside so they could work off some of their energy. What to do! One of the boys' father was a doctor at the Lancaster General Hospital. A radiologist matter of fact. So we called the hospital and asked to talk to him. Asked if he felt it would be safe for the boys to go outdoors. He said that they had a meter on the roof of the hospital that measures radioactivity and they had checked it about an hour ago and it did not register anything out of the ordinary. He felt it was perfectly safe for the boys to be outside. He also was sympathetic about our need to be outside. Well, the party was a success and everyone made it home safely. But, we still wonder, after all these years, about the amount of radioactive gases that were released into the air, especially around the TMI plant. We have heard about many cases such as the one my wife told me about during our walk and still believe that it may have been caused by the accident. I guess we will never know. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Still Goin' Strong" Story

Prelude:  Today I will enter and post my 1000 story!!  I find it hard to believe that I have written 1000 daily stories about my life, or at least something that interests me in my life.  Thanks for sticking with me through all or most of those stories.  I must tell you that about a half-year ago I wrote what follows and what you are about to read.  I thought I had run out of stories, but then someone called and asked when I was going to write about ......... and so it goes.  Well, I filed this story in my "draft" box and thought I could use it when I was totally finished writing.  Didn't happen yet, but here is the story I wrote anyway.....

It was an ordinary day. I sat down in front of the TV around noon yesterday and my wife had one of my favorite movies on the screen. "Julie & Julia" is based on the book by the same name, which is based on the true story by Julie Powell about "The Julie & Julia Project". Julie (Amy Adams) is a government employee working in New York City in the year following 9/11. She, her husband Eric (Chris Messina) and their cat live in an apartment above a pizza parlor. All of her friends are successful in their careers. Julie is not. Of course, we all know who Julia Child is!  Meryl Streep was a fantastic Julia Child, who started out as a bored housewife in Paris looking to fill her time and ended up being a major influence on American cuisine. One evening, while bemoaning the lack of meaning in her life, Julie picks up Julia Child's cookbook and decides to cook all 524 recipes in the book in a year, while blogging about her experience. At first, no one is interested, but as time goes by, Julie gets more and more followers of her blog. If it had not been for this movie that we saw in 2009 with our friends Jerry and Just Sue in State College, you may not be reading this today. After leaving the movie theatre I told Carol, "I'm going to write a blog just like Julie did."  She naturally asked me about what and I said, "About me!"  "Won't take too many days for that," she replied. She was kind enough to help me set up the blog on Blogspot, just like Julie did, and after 874 stories I am still writing. See why it is one of my favorite movies of all time! And last I checked the counter telling how many times someone has pulled the site up on their computer was 20,446. That is just mind-boggling to me! Thanks for reading along!!  I am now finally out of ideas, but check back every so often and I may have a few more tales to tell.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

So, you see how it all began.  As of today I have posted 1000 stories and still goin' strong.  Hits number over 29,000 and some days over 100 or more of you check in to see what I'm up to.  Hey, thanks for letting me share with you my life.  Last week I went to work at the high school where I used to teach and encountered one of my former co-workers.  As soon as he saw me he said, "Hey, LDub."  I immediately knew he had tuned into my blog.  Said he found it while googling some topic and found I had written about it.  I hear stories all the time from many who have happened on the site while looking for something else.  Glad you were able to find me.  See you tomorrow.  It was another ........... you know by now!

The "Happy Father's Day Card" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Yesterday, after the mail arrived, I opened a letter with my name handwritten across the front of the envelope.  Didn't recognize the handwriting, but still excited to see what is inside the medium sized envelope.  Inside I found a hand-made Father's Day card.  The outside of the card stated "Couldn't let today go by without wishing you a very Happy Father's day!" it proclaimed on the red and black front.  Inside was just the greeting "Happy Father's Day" in large black type on  a light red background and it was signed "Love" Mom!  Pretty neat!  My mom is a resident of Moravian Manor retirement community in Lititz, PA and she loves it there.  I try to visit at least once a week and sometimes manage to get there more than once a week.  The nurses that work in her area are all great people and love her as much as she loves them.  They are always trying to do something with the residents to make their quality of life better in their waning years.  The card is one example.  I'm sure that most guys who have a relative in the unit where my mom is and who are a father received one of these cards.  Included with the card is an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper with a quiz to take.  Titled "Famous Fathers & Sons", it lists on the left 25 fathers and on the right 25 sons.  My job is to match the fathers with the sons.  Easy to match Ozzie with David and Ricky, Henry Mitchell with Denis, George Bush with George W., Ward Cleaver with Beaver, and Bobby Bonds with Barry, but then it got harder.  Who would you match with King Solomon, King David, Polonius, and Bruce Lee? I know, if you had all the names across from them you might know, but for me I was stumped on all the rest.  And, after cheating and looking at the answers on the reverse side, I still did recognize the names. But, it really doesn't matter because the most important part was that my mom sent me the card to wish me a Happy Father's Day.  And, I have a few of her guardian angels to thank for that.  Will give her a call tonight and thank her for the card.  She may or may not remember making it and sending it to me or even that today is Father's Day, but that's OK.  She did remember that I was a father and that's all that matters.  Happy Father's Day to all of my readers who are fathers on this special day of the year.  Hope you got a special card, also  Enjoy!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Slip Slidin' Away" Story

It was an ordinary day. Reading about all the uses for WD-40. Seems that there are so many uses for the stuff, other than the regular use of getting stuck bolts and nuts loose. I have already tried a few and found that they really do work well. I sprayed the stuff on some of my old license plates that I collect from islands where I have been and it really does remove light surface rust and hopefully will keep them from getting rusty again. I have the plates wired to the front of my Tiki Bar on the back deck and they are constantly in bad weather all the time. I have also used WD-40 on the top of my bird feeder and on the post of the feeder to try and keep the squirrels from taking over. Funny watching the squirrels jump off the trees right behind it and slide down the roof. One more thing I read about and tried was cleaning the toilet with WD-40. Spray the toilet bowl with it, wait a minute and use the toilet brush to wipe away all the stains. I even noticed that it removed a few lime stains I had on my shower stall. Maybe it will make the toilet bowl slippy enough that nothing new will stick to it. Maybe I should spray the seat of my first floor toilet with it and see what the guests say when they try to sit down on it.  After reading some more I found out many other uses for the stuff that has it's own distinct odor. Here are a few of the many uses:

(1) If you happen to tramp on dog poop, spray the bottom of your shoe with WD-40, use as small brush, such as a nail brush or toothbrush, and the stuff will scrub right away.

(2) Now, I haven't tried this yet, since winter never arrived this year, but if you spray the outside of your windows with WD-40, snow will not stick to the glass.

(3) You can also spray your boots and shoes with the stuff and it'll act as a barrier so water can't penetrate the material.

(4) If your ring is stuck on your finger, instead of using butter to try to get it off, spray it with WD-40.

(5) Chewing gum stuck in your kids hair? Just spray the hair and comb it right out.

(6) You ever have scuff marks on you linoleum or tile floors? Spray with WD-40, wait a few minutes and wipe the scuff marks away. Works also on tar that the kids may drag in after your street has been tarred. May want to open the windows or circulate the air to get rid of the smell.

(7) Sometimes when I put the glassware into our cabinet, I stack it on top of each other for lack of enough space. If they ever get stuck together, you can squirt some WD-40 on the glasses, wait a few seconds and gently pull them apart. Hopefully you won't break them, bit I think I would re-wash them before I used them again.

(8) One use that I will be trying it for soon is spraying it on window sills, door frames and screens to keep insects and spiders from entering the house. Not sure if it would work on stink bugs, but I certainly will try it. Don't inhale the stuff and I read that if you have young children, don't try this at all. Also, if you get bees and wasps every summer, spray their usual nesting spots with WD-40 and they won't return.

I have read a few more hints, but I don't think they would work so I'm not going to suggest them to you. Right now I'm thinking about spraying my BBQ grill with the stuff to keep my burgers from sticking, but my wife tells me there's no way she will eat anything off the grill if I do that. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.