The "Oh, What A Night!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a bit more about one of my former classmates at Millersville State Teacher's College.   Guy's name was Roy Clair who happened to take Wood Shop the same semester that I did in 1965.   The course was Wood II which featured students who were taking Wood Shop a second year in hopes of maybe becoming a Wood Shop teacher in the future.  Each student in Mr. Eshelman's course was to design a piece of wooden furniture and make it from scratch.  I decided to design and make a stereo unit since I was getting married in the near future and my wife and I could use the stereo for entertainment.  Seems that Roy was doing the same thing as myself, so we worked together making our stereo units.  As we were finishing them, Roy asked me where I was buying the sound system that was needed for the stereo.  I had no idea, so he offered to get one for me.  Seems that he and his brother Gene were in the sound and technology business.  Roy bought two stereo units for both he and I and my stereo had the best sound anyone could imagine.  Little did I know at the time that Roy and his brother Gene would one day become one of the best sound and technology companies in the United States after establishing Clair Global.  

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

And...one of their best known customers was Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons who happen to be in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, my home town, this weekend for a show at The American Music Theatre.  They are performing the same time that the Broadway smash hit about the Four Seasons' glory years, 'Jersey Boys' is running at Lancaster's downtown Fulton Theatre.  Frankie Valli is partly responsible for creating the foundation of Clair global which in turn helped turn Rock Lititz into the musical production juggernaut that it is today.  Roy said in Lancaster, Pennsylvania's local newspaper that never did Clair Global ever think that the Four Seasons would be the ones that were responsible for Clair Global's success.  "Without them, we wouldn't have been successful.  There isn't a day goes by where we don't pinch ourselves and say, weren't we lucky to have the Four Seasons," reports both Roy and his brother Gene.  It all started when the Clair brothers father bought them a sound system in 1955 for a Christmas gift.  They used it to play records at local school dances.  They moved to doing college programs and finally to do a show for Dionne Warwick.  The next big show would be for Valli and the Four Seasons.

The day after they used the Clair Brothers sound system at F&M College in Lancaster, the music group called and asked if they could bring their system to nearby Allentown, PA, since they didn't like what they were given to use.  The brothers borrowed Roy's wife's uncle's truck and before long were in Allentown.  It was at that show that the Four Season's manager asked the Clair Bros. to go on tour with them.  It was the start of one of the best sound systems traveling the country with the Four Season's.  All for the initial rate of $100 a show.  Then in 1968,  Clair Bros. got a call from British rockers "Cream" who were going to perform at The Spectrum in Philadelphia.  That led to "Elvis" and "Live Aid."  Gene Clair died in 2013 and Roy is now retired but still lives in nearby Lititz.  Roy says he keeps in touch with Valli and went to see him a year ago.  Roy became the Mayor of Lititz and still keeps in touch with Valli.  I often wondered what ever happened to Roy's stereo cabinet that the two of us made together in the early 1960s.  As for mine...well, it became obsolete and eventually bit the dust!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.        

The "Time For A Good Laugh" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Found a website that listed the 100 funniest quotes from the past 100 years.  Began to read them and knew I just had to share some of them with you for today's story.  So...follow along and don't be afraid to laugh, or at least smile when you come upon one that you enjoy.  I have only posted about a third of the quotes, since many that were posted didn't seem too funny to me.  

1.  “If you want to be sure that you never forget your wife’s birthday, just try forgetting it once.”

2.  “Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow Internet service to see who they really are.” —Will Ferrell

3.   “Adults are always asking children what they want to be when they grow up because they’re looking for ideas.” —Paula Poundstone

4.  “Just be good and kind to your children. Not only are they the future of the world, they’re the ones who can sign you into a home.” —Dennis Miller

5. “When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.” —Rodney Dangerfield

6.  “When your mother asks, ‘Do you want a piece of advice?’ it is a mere formality. It doesn’t matter if you answer yes or no. You’re going to get it anyway.”—Erma Bombeck

7. “I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them.” —Phyllis Diller

8. “It seems I have spent a lifetime of mouthing mechanically, ‘Say thank you. Sit up straight. Use your napkin. Close your mouth when you chew. Don’t lean back in your chair.’ Just when I finally got my husband squared away, the kids came along.” —Erma Bombeck

9. “The cat could very well be man’s best friend but would never stoop to admitting it.” —Doug Larson

10. “The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they’re okay, then it’s you.” —Rita Mae Brown

11.  “Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”—Oscar Wilde

12.  “Before borrowing money from a friend, decide which you need most.” —Addison H. Hallock

13. “Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?” —Edgar Bergen

14. “In real life, I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra.” —Fran Lebowitz

15.  “By the time you’re 80 years old you’ve learned everything. You only have to remember it.” —George Burns

16.  “People can’t drive you crazy if you don’t give them the keys.” —Mike Bechtle

17.  “Sometimes you lie in bed at night and you don’t have a single thing to worry about. That always worries me!” —Charlie Brown

18.  “When the waitress asked if I wanted my pizza cut into four or eight slices, I said, ‘Four. I don’t think I can eat eight.'”—Yogi Berra

19.   “I always cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food.” —W.C. Fields

20.  “Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.” —Redd Fox

21.  “Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.” —Mark Twain

22.  “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.” —Anonymous

23.  “Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping.” —Bo Derek

24.  “One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.” —Rita Mae Brown

25.  “The nice thing about egotists is that they don’t talk about other people.” —Lucille S. Harper

26.  “An optimist is someone who falls off the Empire State Building, and after 50 floors says, ‘So far so good!'” —Anonymous

27. “The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.” —James Branch Cabell

28. “We use 10% of our brains. Imagine how much we could accomplish if we used the other 90%.” —Ellen DeGeneres

29. “My definition of an intellectual is someone who can listen to the William Tell Overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger.” —Billy Connolly

30.  “I don’t believe in reincarnation, and I didn’t believe in it when I was a hamster.” —Shane Richie

31. “Always go to other people’s funerals; otherwise they won’t come to yours.” —Yogi Berra

Hope you enjoyed my choices.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Big Brother Wally Will Certainly Be Missed!"

It was an ordinary day.  The headline across the top of page A9 of my LNP morning newspaper read "Big brother Wally from 'Leave It to Beaver' dies at 77.  Holy Cow!  That just can't be!  Wally was one of my childhood heroes on television.  

Tony Dow

His real name was Tony Dow who was born in Hollywood on April 13, 1945.  He was the big brother to Jerry Mathers' Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver.  Together they played brothers on one of my favorite television shows.  Tony's son Christopher Dow announced the news to all who loved him.  Tony was born in Hollywood, California.  He had little acting experience when he began his career as Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver's brother.  He helped his younger brother Beaver understand the was of the world and charmed viewers with memorable one-liners.  I heard of his passing this morning when I turned on my TV and saw the message on my screen just before the first episode of "Leave It To Beaver" began at 8:00 AM.  Dow was diagnosed with and treated for cancer several years ago, and his wife announced in May that it had returned.  

Tony as big brother Wally

Tough for me to understand why he died, since to me he was still one of my favorite characters on my TV screen.  His best friend Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmond) is still the same jerk he was years and years ago on each episode that I now watch on weekdays.  His son Christopher confirmed his death saying his family was by his side when he died.  The series ended in 1963, but Dow appeared in "The Greatest Show on Earth," "Mr. Novak" and "Never Too Young."  I tried to watch theses shows also, but he still was Wally to me and never fit any other characters he tried to play on TV.  In 1965, Tony took a break from acting to join the California Guard.  He was assigned to Special Services and served as a photographer in the Headquarters Company, 40th Armored Division.  He later studied journalism and photography.  He returned to acting in the late 1960s and early 70s, appearing in "Lassie," "A Great American Tragedy" and "Death Scream."  

Wally and The "Beav"

In 1969 he married Carol Marlow, with who he shares son Christopher Dow.  Christopher broke the news to the media about his father's death.  In June of 1980 Tony married Lauren Shulkind.  Tony did try and bring his old show back to TV when he played Wally in the TV movie "Still Beaver" as well as the sequel "The New Leave It To Beaver," which ran from 1983 to 1989.  He was the director for these TV episodes.  In 1988 the Young Artists Awards honored Dow with the Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award for his performance as Wally Cleaver.  He dabbled in visual effects and received credits for "Babylon 5" and "Doctor Who: The Movie."  He also tried painting and sculpture with his works displayed in the Louvre in Paris.  He is survived by his son Christopher, wife Lauren, daughter-in-law Melissa, granddaughter Tyla, and a bother-in-law and sister-in-law.  To me he will always be Wally, the big brother to The Beav.  I guess that I'm lucky enough to have watched all his shows when I was growing up and still get to see some of his later work.  He was one handsome fellow who was one of my favorite TV actors.  R.I.P.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Going To Have To Wait A Bit Longer For a Great Crabcake" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Told my wife I think it's about time to get out of the house and head down to Woody's Crab House in Northeast, Maryland for one of their award-winning crab cake sandwiches.  I typed in their website address on my computer and within seconds a note appeared on my screen which read.... Pricing Statement from Woody's Crab House.  With the prices and availability of Alaskan King Crab, Snow Crab, Dungeness Crab and Crab meat skyrocketing, we have been forced to make some hard decisions. As a business, there are three options: Cut back on portion size, cut back on quality or raise your prices. And if you are not doing one of those three things, you're going out of business. Cutting back on quality and portion sizes was not an option for Woody's Crab House. Normally we struggle with raising prices, however we have been forced to change pricing to survive. As soon as crab prices stabilize and hopefully return to normal, our prices will reflect the changing market.  Wow! Wasn't sure if we should forget our trip to Woody's because of the price of their crab cake sandwiches or still make the trip to Woody's and buy something else off their menu.  I  guess I should have known that the price of anything that had crab meat in it was going to be high, since our local newspaper recently published a story on the front page of the paper that read "FISHING FOR ANSWERS."  Story told that this year's crabbing season has been lean.  Commercial crabbers in Maryland and Virginia aren't catching their limits, and the harvest in the first few months of the season was so meager that some gave up trying.

Slim pickings 

One long time crabber, Billy Rice, reported that, "Crabs are so scarce that me and my son are still cat fishing."  Ugh!  I have enjoyed a catfish or two over my lifetime, but it comes no where close to a good crab cake.  I can still remember visiting with my Aunt Doris on the Elk River and catching both catfish as well as crabs.  We would open the shells of the crabs and pull out the meat which mom would make into crab cakes.  I might have been a young boy at the time, but I still loved the taste of crab meat.  The story in the newspaper I was reading said that changes in water quality, climate change and an influx of crab-eating fish are a few reasons for the shortage of crabs this year.  Newspaper also said that scientists aren't sure what's behind the slump, and many say it worries them because crabs are such an important part of the bay region's seafood industry and food culture.  The Chesapeake's crab population tends to yo-yo naturally every year or two.  This year though, marks the third below-average year for crab harvest.  And, the amount of juvenile crabs seems to be way down.  Crabs have been in deep trouble before, turning 1998 into a decade of below average abundance and subpar harvests.  But, 2008 seemed to have turned the crab industry around.  in 2021 the Chesapeake Bay commercial catch of crabs was 36.8 million pounds.  But the number of female crabs was much lower than it should have been.  As I read on I read that a Virginia Institute of Marine scientist reported that blue catfish are eating more than 2 million juvenile crabs a year.  That's one big reason for the decrease in crabbing.  Scientists and fish managers are getting together to try and figure out how to stop the decrease of crab population, thus the fewer crab cakes.  Fishermen are hoping that restrictions on crab harvesting will make for a better harvest next year.  And, that in turn means we will be able to head back to Woody's for a great crab sandwich.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "You Can Have "The Mick." I'll Take The "Say Hey Kid" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading my morning paper and thinking of my old-time friend Bill who for years, and probably still is...a Mickey Mantle fan.  We had many go-arounds as to whom was the best outfielder in baseball...either The Mick or Willie Mays.  Of course Willie was my all-time favorite outfielder.  But, I must admit, that after reading an article in the Tuesday, July 26 LNP newspaper that Mickey just might be one up on Willie in one category...rare baseball cards.  

Seems that a decades-old, mint condition Mickey Mantle baseball card could break a record at auction.  The story I read said that a collector's card from 1952 features one of baseball's most celebrated and charismatic legends, and is widely regarded as one of just a handful in near-perfect condition.  The estimated cost of the card could exceed $10 million when the auction ends August 27.  The current record is $6.6 million for a 1909 Honus Wagner card that sold at auction a year ago, months after another 70-year-old Mantle card fetched $5.2 million.  Hey, what ever happened to all those top-notch Mays' cards?  Well the current auction opened this past Monday and as of the time I typed this story, the price of the card was $4.2 million.  The current owner of the Mantle card is a New Jersey fellow who bought it for $50,000 at a New York City show in 1991.  The newspaper story I was reading said that every time Mickey got to the plate, the crowd would go crazy, the roars would be there.  And, he never disappointed.  He had an aura about him, just like Willie did!  The switch-hitting Mantle was a triple crown winner in 1956, a three-time American League MVP, and a seven-time World Series Champ.  The Hall of Fame member died in 1995.  There is one thing I will give him...he wasn't a showboat like many great players are.   He was considered a humble player who when he hit a home run would run around the bases with his head bowed.  The Mick once said that he figured that the pitcher already felt bad enough without him showing him up while running around the bases.  The card that is now up for auction has a rarity on par with it's subject's mythical reputation.  The quality of the card in perfect.  Someone took good care of it over the years.  It has four sharp corners and the gloss jumps off the card at you.  Well, Mickey Mantle may be "the King" of baseball cards, but Willie is "the King" of baseball.  At least in my eyes and heart.  Just don't ask Bill how he feels about it!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.        

The "Is It Two Pieces Or Two Slices?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sunday afternoon and baseball is on my TV as it usually is.  Last of the 10th and the Phillies are in need of a hit to avoid losing the game in extra innings.  Runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs and behind by one run.  Alec Bohm hits one towards 2nd base and the 2nd baseman misplays it.   One run has already scored and the second runner is on his way home on the error.  RUNNER SAFE AT HOME!  RUNNER SAFE AT HOME!!  THE PHILS WIN!!  Time for supper!  We decided to call for a few pieces of pizza.  My wife tells me she wants a big piece of pizza so I called Caruso's for the pizza.  Guy answers and I tell him I want two big pieces of pizza.  Tells me they will be ready in about 5 minutes so I grab my wallet and keys and head to the car.  Five minutes later I'm sitting in front of the pizza store.  Enter and tell the fellow waiting on me at the counter that I came for the two pieces of pizza.  He grabs two small sized boxes and sets them in front of me.  "What's this?" I asked him!  

"The two pizzas you ordered," he replied.  "I only wanted two pieces...not two pizzas," I said.  Now what's going to happen?  He tells his boss about the problem and the boss, whom I recognize from all the other times I have been in the place, says to me, "How about taking one of them for full price and I'll sell the other one to someone else."  Sounded good to me and we worked out our deal.  We ate the entire thing anyway, but I learned to never tell them I wanted two pieces instead of two slices.  Anyway, by the time I got back the Phils were still celebrating.  Felt bad for the 2nd baseman on the other team, but hey, my Phils are already getting too far behind the leaders of the division.  So, I had not only a winner in the game, but a winner in my pizza.  Sometimes everything works out well!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Wright Brothers Take To The Sky" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, December, 1903 and the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur are preparing for another try at flying!  They had placed the track 150 feet up the side of the slope and put the machine on it, facing the wind.  They had no doubt they would get up to flying speed that day.  Their chief concern was being able to keep the plane balanced on the track while it was moving.  It could not start until the pilot released a wire which held it to the rail, so he would have time to have the engine running properly.  The two brothers flipped a coin and Wilbur won.  But, Wilbur was not destined to make the first flight.  Orville held one end of the wings to help with the balance and the machine ran down the track.  The aircraft started down so quickly that Orville couldn't keep up with it; so it ran on the track free and about 40 feet from the start it left the rail, climbed a few feet, stalled and settled to the ground.  Took two days to make the repairs, but they were used to that by now.  By the afternoon of December 16 it was ready to take flight once again.  The next morning, December 17, they found the wind blowing at about 27 miles an hour.  They remained inside until about 10 o'clock, waiting and hoping that the wind would die down.  But, the wind continued to blow, but they made the decision to fly despite the high winds.  Today was Orville's turn to take the controls.  He took his place in the seat of the machine and after running the motor for a few minutes to heat the engine, Orville released the wire and the plane started into the wind.  Wilbur ran along the side holding one of the wings to balance it on the rock.  The wind shielded the back of the plane so that it started down the track slowly, so Wilbur could run with it until it lifted free.  From this point forward the flight was very erratic, because of the bumpy air and because of inexperience in handling the machine.  During a sudden lunge, it touched the surface, thus ending the flight.  The first flight lasted 12 seconds.  The machine was in the air for a distance of about 120 feet.   It had attained a speed of about 35 miles an hour.  Three more flights were made that day by both brothers, the longest being 852 feet.  Shortly after, the wind hurled itself upon the little aircraft, as if bent on wreaking vengeance for man's conquest.  One angry gust struck the machine, caught under the wings, and turned it over.  That ended the flights of 1903.  Tomorrow would be 1904.  Try again next year!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Story From 'The Saturday Evening Post Vault'" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading my July/August 2021 edition of "The Saturday Evening Post."  I've read it a few other times, but I never tire of reading some of the stories over and over again.  One of the stories I enjoyed the most was a story that was placed in "The Vault" which are stories, or "Gems" as they label them, that was written and posted in previous issues of the magazine.  The story I was re-reading today was originally written and posted in the July17, 1954 issue of the magazine.  The story is titled "King-Sized Woes" and says that no one except Nat King Cole himself will ever realize how much it has cost him to achieve his success.  When the singer, in 1947, bought a pricey, ivy-covered, Tudor brick mansion in Hancock Park, one of the most exclusive residential districts of Los Angeles, the homeowners rose in unison against this "invasion."  Signs reading GET OUT were posted nightly on the lawn.  More than 100 lawsuits were threatened by neighbors.  A hastily organized property owners' association offered to buy the house from Cole.  The real-estate brokers who sold it to Cole were threatened and requested police guards.  Guards were also posted at the house until Cole complained about it.  Cole remained unperturbed on the surface.   He issued a statement: "I would like to meet all my new neighbors and explain the situation to them.  My bride and I like this house.  We can afford it and we'd like to make it our home.  The story got headline play in the Negro press and in the Deep South.  "There was more sand raised in the newspaper's than there was here," Coe says.  "Some people threw rocks on the lawn and someone shot through a window, but I think that was a mistake."  The only time that he met the lawyer for the other property owners, the latter told him sternly,, "Mr. Cole, we want you to understand our position.  We-er-well, we don't want any undesirable people coming into this neighborhood, you know."  "Neither do I," Cole said mildly.  "If I see anybody undesirable coming in here, I'll be the first to complain."  Cole still lives in the disputed house.  He claims his relations with his neighbors are now excellent.  "Everybody makes too much of these things." he says, "but I guess I'm a symbol to a lot of people."  Neat to be able to read stories from the past and reminisce what life was like back then.  Every time I get a new issue of "The Saturday Evening Post" I always head to the back of the magazine to see what they have included in that issue from another issue of "The Post" from days gone by.  To me, stories such as what I just typed seem like they happened just yesterday, but to many of you reading this story, it seems like it might of just happened months ago.  But then I have to remember that I'm a bit over 3/4 of a century old when things I just described were common.  If you have never read a copy of "The Saturday Evening Post," well...you must pick one up sometime and see what a real magazine was like years ago.  As soon as my copy arrives in my mailbox, I know I will have a few hours of entertainment waiting for me that evening.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "My Solo Was A Sign Of My Future Home" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Carol had just placed a call with the admissions director who works in the office at Woodcrest Villa which is a retirement community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  We have been trying to decide if and when we want to become residents of Woodcrest Villa and Carol is calling to ask for a bit more information on the Villa we had toured a week ago.  The villa is a two-bedroom, two-bath villa with a garage.  Our entire family met us at the villa to take the tour with us.  I had cut out paper replicas of our furniture so we could see what pieces of furniture would fit in the villa.  The more I talked about Woodcrest Villa the more I realized I had been there in the past, but couldn't remember when and for what reason.  Then while scanning a few past stories in my blog it struck me that I had made a visit to Woodcrest years ago.  It was on June 21, 2010 that I made a visit to Woodcrest for a Sunday afternoon service in the retirement home's auditorium.  Mr. Frank McConnell, organist and choirmaster at St. James Episcopal Church in downtown Lancaster had asked me if I would sing Amazing Grace for the service that June day.  The service was offered that afternoon by Molly Solbak, Assistant minister at St. James and Mr. McConnell who was playing the piano in their large auditorium.  My father, Paul Woods was the church Bass soloist, but was not able to make the service, so I was filling in for him.  Everything went well during the service and it was finally my time to sing.  I knew I could never top my dad's beautiful bass voice, but I feel I did a good job in his place.  At the time I had no idea that one day, 10 years in the future, I would be getting ready to move into the same retirement community where I had sung.  Will anyone remember me when I walk into the auditorium in the near future?  Not a chance!  I'm sure many who were in attendance at the church service didn't even live at the retirement community 10 years ago and perhaps a few of them who were in attendance aren't with us anymore.  But, for me...I'm proud that I still remembered that day 10 years ago when I filled in for my dad at the place that I might call home one day soon.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "General Edward Hand's Name Is Tarnished Forever" Story

It wa an ordinary day.  Reading about one of my local heroes, General Edward Hand.  General Hand, a Lancaster County, Pennsylvania physician at one time, was also a farmer at Rock Ford along the Conestoga River in Lancaster County Central Park.  But, Gen. Hand also had a dark side to him.  He was a slave owner who looked on buying humans just as he did buying livestock and horses.  At one point during the Revolutionary War he wrote to his dear wife that he would not be sending a large sum of money to her since he was purchasing horses and slaves.  He saw buying horses and humans as the same.  Edward Hand was a Lancaster physician who at one time was the mayor or Lancaster.  He was also active in state government as well as farming his large plantation at Rock Ford.  Gen. Hand was known to enslave African Americans.  Some actually served as his servants, working on his family farm at Rock Ford, during the Revolutionary War. His slaves contributed to his economic well-being. His ownership of slaves was well known and was mostly swept under the carpet until a few years ago when his treatment of slaves became an issue in Lancaster County.  His name has become tarnished and was recently removed from a local Middle School in the south end of Lancaster City.  The name "plantation" was also removed from the title of his farm in southern Lancaster.  It is now known as Historic Rock Ford.  I always thought of General Edward Hand as a local  hero, but my opinion of him has changed somewhat during the past twenty or so years.  At some point local heroes that at one time were slave holders have to be held accountable and the word hero must be removed from their name.  Hero and slave-holder can't be used in the same sentence when describing someone.  Many people say that people such as General Hand didn't think that owning slaves was immoral, while others say he knew exactly what he was doing when he bought those slaves.  At what point do you have to hold a person accountable?  But, will we ever know what General Hand had in his head when he purchased his slaves he owned.  Abolitionists at the time made people aware of the immorality of slavery, but some refused to worry about it.  General Hand was one of those people.  I know...it is impossible to know what General Edward Hand was thinking when he purchased his slaves.  Perhaps he didn't recognize the insensitivity of owning another person, be he black or white.  Therefore, I feel that he must have known that what he was doing was wrong.  He had to recognize the insensitivity of owning another human being and treating him or her as his own.  It finally, after all these years, has come back to bite him.  His name has been tarnished forever.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  My story today was based on a story in the Lancaster Sunday News "The Scribbler's" column which is written weekly by Jack Brubaker.  Thanks Jack for your great coverage of Lancaster's historical events.

The "Goodbye Until We See You Again1" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just fed our two cats and walked to the back door to look out at the rear deck behind our home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  There stood "Big Bob" on the steps that lead up to the growth of trees to the rear of our property.  

Big Bob looking for a meal!

"Big Bob" is the name we gave to the stray cat that showed up at our back door for a free meal close to five years ago.  My wife Carol and I have no idea where he came from, but in no time he was a constant visitor to our back porch.  Perhaps he shows up because we feel sorry for him because we just can't see a stray cat, or any animal, go without food.  How would you feel if you were homeless and had nothing to eat?  We had thought that Big Bob had died since he hadn't stopped for a dish of food for close to half a year.  He looked to be close to death at that time and we just assumed he had died somewhere in the neighborhood.  Well, my wife yelled to me when she saw him sitting at the top of the steps behind our house.  Sure enough, it was Big Bob.  We put a dish of cat food out for him and before long it was empty.  It's been a week now and once again he's stopped coming to our back door.  We just assumed that someone else feeds him and gives him better meals, or perhaps he really did die this time.  We wanted to thank him one last time for the two stray cats that are our constant in-house guests.  We enjoy The Gray Lady and Snickerdoodle so much and they wouldn't be part of our family had it not been for Big Bob.  Will he show up again in the near or distant future?  Who knows!  He looks to be so old that he can't last another day, but just when we thought he had died months ago, he returned again.  Carol and I are certain that a few other neighbors must also feed him since he has been around for quite a few years now.  Perhaps he is visiting another home that has left-overs that are better than the canned cat food that we give him.  So...we will continue to check our back door to see if someone is looking for a hand-out in the future.   It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Pitch Clocks, Larger Bases, What Are They Doing To My Favorite Game?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the sports section of my daily newspaper when I came upon an article that talked about "Pitch Clocks" and "Larger Bases."  It reported that minor league baseball games that now use a pitch clock are ending about a half-hour sooner than in the past.  Could be that next year Major League games may be using the pitch clock.  Major League officials have taken notice to the fact that minor league games end a half-hour sooner and they are going to promote the timers to the major league.  It is said to be coming even though players don't want it.  Yankee's All-Star pitcher, Gerrit Cole believes it will happen regardless of the opposition it will meet in the future.  Another change that may be coming to Major League Baseball in the near future is shift limits, larger bases, and restrictions on pick-off attempts.  By 2024 baseball may be using robot umpires to call balls and strikes.  Today the average time of a nine-inning game has increased from 2 hours, 43 minute in 2003 to 3 hours, 13 minutes in 2020.  Recently, a clock experiment in the minor leagues cut the average time of a game to 2 hours, 37 minutes.  Today, the time between pitches with no runners on base ranges from 12.6 seconds for Milwaukee's Brent Sutter and San Francisco's Sam Long to 26.6 seconds for St. Louis' Giovanny Gallegos.  With runners on, San Diego's Tim Hill leads at 18.1 and Gallegos (32.1) and Jansen (31.1) are the slowest.  Then along came video review for home runs in 2009 and for a broad array of umpire decisions in 2014.  All 30 of the major league teams are using the electronic  pitching signaling device introduced this past Spring.  In comparison...a clock is being used in the minors: 14 seconds with the bases empty and 19 with runners on in Triple A and 14/18 at lower levels.  The clock starts when the pitcher has possession of the ball and the catcher is in the dirt circle surrounding home plate.  In addition...the batter must be in the box and alert to the pitcher with at least 9 seconds remaining.  Major League Baseball's goal is to eliminate dead time which includes batters tapping their toes with their bats and adjusting their batting gloves between every pitch.  Bases have been increased to 18 inches square from 15 inches to help promote safety.  It will be less likely that first basemen will have their foot stepped on with the larger base size.  Shifts have been limited all season at Double A and Class A leagues.  Now teams are required to have four players on the infield, including two on each side of second base.  During the past decade, shifts have exploded.  Now teams in the majors might shift an additional player to one side or another of the infield and have 3 infielders on one side of 2nd base based on each batter.  Big league batting averages have suffered due to that change.  To me, baseball is getting to the point where it is no longer baseball but a game of wits.  Major League Baseball is now piloting an automated Ball-Strike system in the minors, which could reach the majors as soon as 2024.  Defining the computer strike zone is still being worked on.  In an age of high-speed video cameras, umpires are being criticized on just about every pitch.  The best umps have been correct with their calls 95% of the time.  In the Class A Florida State League, robot umps have been tried.  For me, that's just not baseball!  I like the fact that the umpires are human and do make mistakes.  What would the game be like if we didn't have the chance to yell at the umps if you thought they made the wrong call?  Hey...it's only a game...or at one time it used to be!  I know, it's probably best if the pitches were called correctly every single time, but to me that just isn't baseball.  I doubt if I would watch it as much because of it.  And, I hate it when they put three infielders on one side of the infield depending upon whom is batting.  Being an umpire is one of the toughest jobs in th world.  I know because I umpired adult league softball for a year.  Couldn't take all the fans yelling at me so I changed positions and now I once again do the yelling.  Hey!  It's part of the game known as baseball.  Umps expect to be yelled at.  In return they get paid to take all the yelling!  When someone is throwing the baseball 100 miles an hour and you have a micro-second to decide if it falls within a small area, you are going to get it wrong quite a few times.  So what!  That's how the game was designed to be played years and years ago.  If you don't like how the game is being called, go home!  Baseball: players, umpires and making calls is all part of the game and somewhere along the way, someone is going to make a few mistakes.  So what!  Tomorrow is another day and the calls will go your way.  It has always happened that way and will forever happen that way.  Except if they add all these special devices to make the calls.  Then it will no longer be called BASEBALL!  It will be more like a board game where there are specific rules that have to be followed to play the game.  Please don't ruin the game of baseball!  It will never be the same again!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Special Tool For The Writer!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just like many other days on which I post a story.  One of those such days is known as National Thesarus Day.  My thesaurus is probably one of the most important tools I use when writing my stories.  The thesaurus is sort of like a wrench that a mechanic might use, or perhaps like a tape measure that a carpenter might use.  The mechanic needs to secure all the bolts while the carpenter needs to make sure that he reads the measurements correctly while the writer needs to use the correct form of the word if he wants to make sense. And, after all this...I still make mistakes.  I'm sure, if you have been reading my stories for any length of time, you have found a few mistakes.  I do try to proof my stories, but I'm sure I still miss some of the mistakes.  My thesaurus is a great resource for me on a daily basis.  I hate to keep using the same word all the time in my stories and especially in the same sentence, so I can use my thesaurus to help me with that.  At times I use my thesaurus as a dictionary, providing a more concise meaning for different uses.  At times when I write, my mind just goes blank from time to time and I just can't remember a certain word I wanted to use, so the thesaurus helps me with that detail.  If you do a large amount of writing for your job or just to communicate, a thesaurus is a great tool.  Another book which is a big help is the 1957 Chase's Calendar of Events which is an authoritative, day-by-day resource of what the world is celebrating on any particular day.  From national days to special birthdays; from historical milestones to astronomical phenomena; Chase's Calendar is a big help.  But, not all national days are listed in the book and at times I turn to the National Day Calendar website which is the premier destination for brands, nonprofits and corporations to register a National Day that aligns with their product or service.  For example, did you know that January 19 was National Popcorn Day?   How about January 24.  That day was National Compliment Day.  I did know that February 2nd was National Groundhog Day, but how could I have missed it since Lancaster has it's own groundhog to celebrate that day.  Then along comes February 14th and Valentine's Day.  Get the idea that the Calendar is great for dates that I can write about if I care to do so.  I think you get the idea that a book such as this can be a big help if I need a topic to write about.  So, I will end today's story with a few greetings I have found in my Thesaurus:  Adieu! Bon voyage!  Farewell!  Blessings!  Godspeed!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Start Of Moving On! Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with my wife about the retirement community that we had visited a few weeks ago.  We have been thinking of leaving our dream home and moving into a retirement community.  We both find it is getting harder to take care of our property and home as we age.  I am three quarters of a century old and Carol is...well I'm quite a few years older!  I find the maintenance of the property is getting harder considering we have just about an acre of land which needs mowing weekly in the summer and leaves raked several times from much of that property in the fall.  In the winter the driveway needs to be plowed of snow several times each winter.  And, that's just the grounds.  Keeping up with the exterior as well as interior of the home is another problem that needs addressed each year, year-round.  My body has begun to find that it can't handle the physical work like it used to.  So..what can be done.  Move!  We began to look at retirement communities that provide all the exterior maintenance needed as well as will take care of the interior of your home when needed, at a fair price.  We have visited a few different places and have decided upon one place that is close to all our doctors offices as well as two of our children whom still live in Lancaster County.  It is tough making decisions when it means we have to leave the house and property that we have loved for years and years.  Some days we talk about it and are positive we can stay put at our home and take care of the place for a few more years...while the next day we are positive that it is too much work and I just can't do all of it with the bad back that I have.  Yeah...we could hire someone to do the work, but that can get as pricey as moving to a retirement home where they take care of all the maintenance for you.  So, after a few years of talking about it and another year actually going around and looking at retirement communities, we have decided upon a retirement home that we both enjoy.  The community is called Woodcrest Villa and is located near most of our doctors as well as less than a mile from two of our children.  All three of our children made a visit to the place with us and they too thought the place was fantastic.  We looked at both villas as well as apartments and decided upon a villa which would give us a garage that is not part of the apartment.  Prices at every place we visited were about the same so that din't factor into our choice.  We have a few friends whom already Iive at Woodcrest Villa and  have nothing but good things to say about it.  We recently made a visit and have decided on the model we want and will place a deposit on the villa in the near future.  No more raking, snow shoveling, lawn mowing, etc.  Instead we can swim in the indoor pool, play bocce ball and pool and take bus day trips to local places.  Sure beats all the work that makes my back feel bad.   Sometime soon I will post photos and a story showing you what a retirement village in Lancaster County looks like and how well we are enjoying it.  My hope is that my story will be reporting nothing but positive remarks.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "The Shot Heard Round The World" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The date was October 3, 1951.  I had just turned 7 years old the previous month and had entered 2nd grade a few days before my birthday in September.  So, what was so important about October 3 of 1951.  Well, for one thing, the Brooklyn Dodgers were playing the New York Giants to determine whom would play in the 1951 World Series against the New York Yankees who had won the World Series the previous year.  I got home from school about 3:00 P.M. and immediately turned the radio on so I could hear who was going to win today's game and qualify to play the Yankees in the 1951 World Series.  Seems that all season the Dodgers were in first place in the National League.  But right at the end of the season the Giants pulled even with them.  Came down to the final game which was to be played at the Polo Grounds.  The Polo Grounds, an odd name for an odd stadium, was home to the New York Giants until the team eventually moved to San Fransisco.  All season long the Dodgers had a lead over the Giants until the final game when the teams needed the season tied for 1st place.  The Giants had won their final 16 games to tie the Dodgers on the final day of the regular season.  People stood in line that early day in October to see who would qualify for the World Series.  The game was close throughout until the Giants pitcher, Sal Maglie, tired and gave up three runs.  In the bottom of the 9th the Giants scored a run and had two runners on base when Bobby Thompson came to bat.  On deck was my all-time favorite Willie Mays.  I kept hoping the Dodgers would walk Thompson to get to the much younger Mays.  Well, the Dodgers summoned  Ralph Branca from the bullpen to pitch to Thompson.  The first pitch was a fastball right down the middle.  Strike one!  The next pitch was up and in...not a good pitch to swing at...but Thompson swings anyway and tomahawks the ball.  I must have been screaming at the radio and never heard my mom yell at me to keep the noise down when all of a sudden the radio announcer yells "The Giants win the pennant!  The Giants win the pennant!  The Giants win the pennant!  I listened as Thompson rounded the bases as the announcer described the scene over the radio.  Bobby Thompson's homer will forever be known as "the shot heard round the world."  

Bobby Thompson hitting his homer in 1951

It's been years ago, but I still remember that magical day in 1951.  I've always been a Willie Mays fan and that will never change.  Today my favorite team is the Philadelphia Phillies and that will also never change either.  But, I must admit that when I read, hear or see a story about "The Greatest Homerun in History," I still get excited and try and recall that day in history when the Giants won the pennant.  It was another extraordinary day in the life an ordinary guy. 

The "Big Ben To Ring Again After 5 Years!" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Monday, July 4, 2022 and I just finished reading about legendary clock tower "Big Ben".  Seems that it will be at least another 5 years before it will once again ring.  It's been five years since the world famous clock tower, that is located in London, has been in hiding and has been silent.  

Big Ben

The clock tower was officially named in 2012 as Elizabeth Tower when it was renamed in honor of the queen's diamond jubilee.  The nickname of the biggest bell in the belfry is Big Ben.   Over the past five years the clock was dismantled and serviced for the first time since 1859.  Over 3,500 parts were removed and refurbished in the 316-foot tower.  The renovations on the clock are said to be about 97 million dollars.  But it's the symbolism, the size of the great clock of Westminster, that gives it its importance.  The clock is so important that during the renovations, the chime will sound once a year on Remembrance Day, to commemorate Britain's dead; and to usher in the New Year.  Big Ben weighs a bit over 15 tons and has the most advanced technology available.  The Elizabeth Tower is not the first clock tower to watch over Parliament.  That one dates back to 1290, but was destroyed by a fire.  In 1859, crowds lined the streets to greet Big Ben's arrival.  The huge bell was pulled by 16 horses to Westminster where it took 18 hours to haul it 200 feet to get it to the belfry before it could ring for the first time.  By 2017 Big Ben began to deteriorate and had water leaking into the belfry.  The steps, ironwork, and guttering were all in need of repair.  Much of the damage occurred in 1941 when Parliament was bombed during WWII.  The restoration work is very time-consuming as can be expected.  An elevator was installed as well as a restroom at the top for Big Ben's maintenance workers.  Since there are 334 steps, the restroom was much appreciated by the workers.  Big Ben did have constant maintenance, but the clock itself hadn't been serviced.  The clock was dismantled and secreted away from London which is more than 280 miles, to the workshop of the Cumbia Clock Co. in northwestern England.  

Big Ben awaiting it's new works

To help keep the work under wraps, the clock company removed all signs from its building to make it harder for uninvited guests to find it.   After all the renovation work was done and the scaffolding came down, Big Ben looked as if it were new in the sunlight.  It was hugely exciting to see it.  There are a few moments that catch you off guard, and that was one of them.  I'll bet that when Big Ben chimes once again this summer, Londoners will chime along with it.  The restoration work will be done, and a sound familiar to Londoners for more that 1 1/2 centuries will again ring out across the British capital...Big Ben is back!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Nicest Guy You Could Ever Know!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just returned home after attending the funeral for the father of an old friend.  For years I taught Graphis Arts and Photography at the high school level and one of my best students was a fellow named Keith Grebinger.  Keith was not only a student of mine, but was the photographer for the high school yearbook which I was in charge of for any years.  Keith was not only a great student, but a likable guy who was very good at taking photographs for the yearbook.  After graduation and a few more years in photography school he opened a frame and gallery shop, known as Grebinger Gallery Art & Frame Shop, in the small town of Neffsville, Pennsylvania which was within walking distance of the high school from where he graduated.  His shop became a big hit in no time and he had to add an extra store front to his shop to accommodate all the work he had.  In 1999, after 33 years of teaching, I finally retired and on my way home that final day I stopped in at Grebinger Gallery to see how Keith was doing.  When I walked back out the door I was an active employee of Grebinger Gallery.  After a short vacation I began doing matting and framing for one of my former students.  I only worked a few hours a day, but I thoroughly enjoyed doing what I had been teaching for so many years.   Many times during my tenure at Grebinger Galery, Keith's father, Jim stopped in to talk and see what jobs we were working on at the time.  Great guy who loved seeing the work that his son's business was working on at the time.  I got to know Jim a bit better during the ten years or so that I worked at the gallery.  Interesting fellow who loved the Philadelphia Phillies as well as his family.  

Wasn't long ago that Jim became ill and had to be taken to a nursing facility.  Jim died on Wednesday, June 22. 2022.  He leaves behind a great wife, Pat, as well as his son Keith, son Dirk and daughter Lori.  He worked many years as a welder for Armstrong World Industries after serving 4 years in the United States Air Force.  Jim's funeral was a great celebration of his lifetime with various relatives telling of Jim's love for his family.  Other stories told of Jim's love of hunting, horse racing, and the Philadelphia Phillies before Mr. Kenneth Smith, a Hospice volunteer and fellow Air Force member told of Jim's final day which was spent with him.  Jim will be buried with Military Honors at The Indiantown Gap National Cemetery on Thursday July 14th at 1:00 PM.  Jim was a great guy whom I only knew for a short time, but during that time I could see why his family loved him so much.  Rest In Peace, Jim!  You certainly earned it!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Photo from when Jim was in the service.

    

The "Landis Valley Firearms Recovered After 50 Years" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about four antique weapons that were stolen from the nearby Landis Valley Farm Museum more than 50 years ago.  The firearms were part of a collection of antique and historic weapons stolen from six regional museums over ten years ago.  The firearms were recently returned to the museum this past December and April.  They were recovered by the FBI's art crimes unit as well as a few detectives from nearby Upper Merion Township.  The firearms were part of a collection of antique and historic weapons that were stolen from six nearby museums decades ago.  The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that a Mr. Thomas Gavin admitted that he committed the thefts during the 1960s and 1970s.  This past December, Landis Valley Farm Museum recovered four guns which had been part of the robbery years ago according to Landis Valley museum curator Jennifer Royer.  Now on display once again in the Landis Valley visitor's center are a six-shot, 35-caliber, percussion cap 1851 Colt Navy revolver; an 1860 six-shot, 44-caliber, Army model revolver; and two single-shot, 41-caliber cartridge Colt model Derringer pistols.  The 1851 Colt revolvers originally came to Landis Valley Farm Museum in 1914.  Henry Landis purchased them in New York City for $1.50.  He also purchased one of the Derringer in 1915 in New York City for $2.   These  weapons are now part of the collection of vintage farm implements and other antiques that were collected by Henry and George Landis to be part of the Landis Valley Museum.  

The two guns were recently retrieved from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia by Jennifer Royer to once again be part of the collection at Landis Valley.  The other two firearms were found last year in a cluttered barn owned by Mr. Gavin.  Mr. Gavin pleaded guilty to one count of disposing of an object of cultural heritage stolen from a museum. (Yes, we really do have laws to cover just about anything imaginable).  He spent a day in prison after pleading guilty to stealing a 1775 rifle from the Valley Forge State Park Museum in 1971.  If you care to see the firearms you can visit the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum at 2541 Kissel Hill Road in Manheim Township.  The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday.  Fee is $12 and free to those under 2 years of age.  I have made many trips to the Museum in the past and enjoy every trip I make to it.  Try it sometime, you may enjoy it, also.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "I Assume You Know Milkglass Is White" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out a few items on the table under our wall-mounted TV.  One of the items which has been sitting on the table for the past couple of years is a small vase that is totally white.  Funny that the same morning I had just read a story about bright white milk glass which dates back to the Italian Renaissance era.  In fact, milk glass originated in the famous glass furnaces of Venice, Italy and was introduced to many in the 1500s.  Milk glass was a cheaper alternative to porcelain which is highly sought-after in Europe.  Milk glass is primarily produced in China and has many of the same qualities as porcelain, but is much less expensive than porcelain.  Milk glass was all the rage with Europeans in the 1500s and 1600s.  In order to make something similar to porcelain's color in durability, milk glass answered the global need.  It was much less expensive than porcelain, but still has the same qualities and color as porcelain.  By the 18th century, Americans collected Chinese porcelain, including famous figures such as George and Martha Washington, and used the glass for display.  The inexpensive and handsome look-alike objects made of milk glass were great for collecting and proved to be a perfect alternative for collectors.  If you may want to start or add to a milk glass collection, check out online and traditional auctions, yard sales and estate sales.  Also, vintage and antique websites like eBay, Rubylane.com, Etsy.com and others present a great option for many collectors and resellers in search of milk glass pieces.  Though milk glass is less expensive than porcelain, it is still somewhat pricey.  Some interesting aspects of milk glass feature characteristics like patterns, shapes, sizes and even nuances of color.  Some of the popular patterns and designs of milk glass impact their value.  The rabbit or hen-covered game dishes in milk glass are collectibles that date to the late 19th and 20th centuries.  And, milk glass also has highly sought after pieces such as pedestal planters, embossed pitchers with fruit and flower motifs such as daisies, roses and leaves, chalice cups, tapered bud vases and pairs of figural candlesticks.  Milk glass has been used in homes since the 20th century in traditional and innovative ways.  Milk glass has retained its popularity because of its versatile style.  Planters and vases are the most popular types of milk glass objects.  Items in milk glass can range in value from $15-$25 for a small milk glass piece to hundreds of dollars for a large punch bowl set with matching cups in a highly decorative pattern.  Milk glass often makes an appearance during early summer, when parties and weddings require white bud vases for home and garden.  White goes with anything and gives a fresh, clean look to any space in the home.  

Check out the milk glass vase we have under our wall-hanging TV in our family room.  Neat piece with a variety of flowers around the sides of it.  Carol has had it for years and I haven't broken it yet.  At least if I do break it...it isn't as expensive as porcelain.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "What Do You Think About A Memorial Extraordinary Stories Book?"

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with my wife about something I read recently in the newspaper.  Story was about a fellow whose mother was a fantastic cook and was always making special recipes for her family.   When she died he decided to place the recipe for her favorite Christmas cookies on her tombstone so that all her visitors to the cemetery could try out here cookies.  Pretty neat idea, or is that something that you could never do?  Would you be to upset to ever eat something that you saw on a tombstone?  The story told about a fellow by the name of Charlie McBride who just loved his mother's peach cobbler and when she died he had it etched into her tombstone.  Wonder how many people might have copied the recipe so they could try it themselves?  Seems that recently more and more families are doing just what Charlie did.  Recipes on gravestones are a relatively new phenomenon in the long history of cemetery iconography.  

Charlie realized that you only have one last chance to make an impression after you are gone, so why not have your favorite recipe etched into your final resting place when you die.  Seems like cemeteries from all across the world are memorializing their loved ones by placing  favorite recipes on their tombstone.  Perhaps your recipe may be tried by another family whose relative might have been buried near your mother.  They may enjoy it also and your mother's name will be brought up in other folks homes.  Now, for me...my mother and father were both buried in our church graveyard after being cremated.  There is no tombstone onto which a special recipe can be placed.  Same goes for my wife and myself.  We will be buried in the same historical graveyard.  Perhaps that special recipe could be added to the church bulletin for the burial service.  My mother was a great cook and made some of the best recipes which I would have loved to have carried over into other families.  My mom's creamed peas and eggs on toast was one of my all-time favorites which luckily my wife found out how to make before my mom died.  Perhaps there are many others who would also enjoy the easy meal.  That will never happen; but if they could have at least been put in the church bulletin, my mother would have been memorialized throughout history.  Have to check with my wife and see what she thinks about putting her wacky cake recipe in the church bulletin when she passes.  As for me...well maybe a few of my blog stories could be placed in the church bulletin when I die.  I better get busy and decide which ones would be the best.  Any ideas?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy,

The "...We Have To Leave The Building... Round II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  That is if you consider July 4th and our daughter's birthday an ordinary day.  Carol and I had just finished our lunch and were sitting in front of our TV when Lancaster's Channel 8 Weather girl, who was in the midst of giving her weather report, stopped mid-sentence, looked off to the side of the camera and that's when we heard an alarm go off in the TV studio.  She tried to continue her report when an announcement came over the loud speaker..."Fire has been detected in the building...evacuate immediately...."   She looked at the camera and said..."we have to leave the building..." as the screen went black.  That was followed by 10 minutes of online commercials until Days of Our Lives came on the screen at 1:00 PM.   I looked at my wife and said, "What happened?"  She replied with "well we know snow didn't collapse the roof like it did a couple of years ago"  We kept Channel 8 on our screen, but all we saw was commercial after commercial for the remainder of the half-hour news broadcast.  After about 12 minutes of advertisements, we changed to another channel thinking maybe another channel might have some news on about what had happened to Lancaster's Channel 8.  It was on Tuesday, February 18 of 2014 that the same thing happened at Channel 8 studios.  Seems that the roof of the station fell in!  The snow that had accumulated on the flat roof of the station on Columbia Ave. in the West End of Lancaster City forced evacuation of the building at about 3:30 PM.  Channel 8 had no ability to air their news so the screen remained black.  The news team of Kim Lemon, Ron Martin, Janelle Stelson and meteorologist Joe Calhoun tried to do a live newscast from the parking lot located along Columbia in Lancaster.  By now I had grabbed my laptop and was watching the event on their website.  Hey...that's much like I'm trying to do right right now.  I just finished trying to pull up other local stations, but with no success.  I guess Carol and I will have to wait until Lancaster's Channel 8 begins live broadcasts once again.  Perhaps sometime in the near future I will be able to write another story telling why our local TV station has lost contact with its viewers.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "I Never Regretted Being A Teacher" Story

It was an ordinary day.  That is until I read what are known as the 10 quotes about teaching.  From the moment students take their first hesitant steps into the kindergarten classroom, clutching their lunch bags and carrying pristine backpacks, teachers begin to introduce them to the possibilities of the world.  In the years that follow, education forms a foundation, with more complex ideas layering over the basics as the children themselves grow and become more capable.  Study after study has shown that teachers are among the most important factors influencing student achievement. One extensive, longitudinal study followed students through several years of learning and determined that kids who spent one school year with a highly effective teacher continued to experience academic benefits even two years later in their education.  But none of these statistics will sound like news to anyone who has been lucky enough to have had an excellent teacher.  Teachers inspire.  They create and nurture and encourage far beyond what the job description calls for, and in doing so, they instruct the young generation in much more than science, math and literature.  It's not an exaggeration to say that teachers are shaping the world of tomorrow by educating the children of today.  In honor of teachers everywhere, here are 10 quotes celebrating them and all they do. 

Wherever you find something extraordinary, you'll find the fingerprints of a great teacher.  Ann Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education

When the untapped potential of a student meets the liberating art of a teacher,  a miracle unfolds.  Mary Hatwod Fuerell, educator

Let us remember: one book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.  Malala Yousafzai, activist

Teaching is the greatest act of optimism.  Colleen Wilcox, educator

Everyone who remembers his own eduction remembers teachers, not methods and techniques.  The teacher is the heart of the educational system.  Sidney Hook, philosopher 

Teaching is the essential profession, the one that makes all other professions possible.  David Haselkorn, author

Technology is just a tool.  In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.  Bill Gates, entrepreneur

I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society then any other single profession.   John Wooden, college basketball coach

The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.  Mark Van Doren, poet and professor

Your heart is slightly bigger than the average human heart, but that's because you're a teacher.  Aaron Bacall, cartoonist

I was so influenced by a few of my teachers that I chose to be a teacher myself.   I'm sure we all can remember a few great teachers we have had over our lifetime, but have they influenced you enough to become a teacher ?  My only wish about my own teaching career is that I influenced at least one student enough that they too wanted to follow in my footsteps.  I have never regretted that I chose to become a teacher.  When I meet a former student I feel so proud when they tell me of their accomplishments, since I feel I was part of them.  I only regret that my health wouldn't have allowed me to teach longer, while others tell me that 33 years was long enough! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Are Mayflys More Exciting Than History?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the column written for the Lancaster, Pennsylvania daily newspaper by Jack Brubaker, known as "The Scribbler." Jack had written a story telling about "Another Columbia Bridge" that told about the bridge that crossed the Schuylkill rather than the bridge that crosses the Susquehanna River at the small town known as Columbia.  His story was rather simple to follow, but that's because I understand how Jack writes and I knew about the two bridges before I read the story.  Follow along and I'll give you my rendition of the story that Jack recently told in his "The Scribbler" column.  Seems that Jack was walking through Fairmount Park in Philadelphia when he came upon the Columbia Bridge.  This one was on the Schuylkill River instead of the Susquehanna River in Lancaster/York Counties.  The Columbia Bridge over the Schuylkill that exists today is actually the third bridge that had been constructed over the river.  The first was built for the Philadelphia & Columbia Railroad which connected Philadelphia with Columbia in 1834.  That bridge was set on fire to prevent General Gordon's Southern soldiers from crossing it in 1863.  The Philadelphia & Reading Railroad bought the bridge over the Schuylkill in 1851 and increased it in size in 1886 so it could carry more freight trains.  The current arch bridge over the Schuylkill was constructed in 1920 and has seven arches that span the Schuylkill which is a much smaller river than the Susquehanna.  The Columbia Bridge at Fairmount Park is not as graceful as the hugh concrete 28-arch bridge built across the Susquehanna in 1930.  That bridge is named "Veterans Memorial Bridge, but eveyone knows it as the Columbia Bridge.  So...if you want to see a bridge that is called The Columbia Bridge and doesn't cross the Susquehanna, you will have to drive to Fairmount Park.  That bridge is near the statue of John B. Kelly who was the Olympic rowing champion.  That's more exciting than our bridge which crosses the Susquehanna at Wrightsville into Columbia, PA.  That bridge is famous for the tons of Mayflies that fly into the lights at night and drop dead onto the surface of the bridge.  Makes for a real mess and at times has closed the bridge.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.