The "Raining On Their Parade" Story

Prelude: I'm a little sad today. Baseball has ended for me, since the Phittin' Phils lost 1-0 last night to the Cardinals. Good game, but you can't win if you don't score any runs, and the Phils haven't been doing that lately. Good season, but not a World Series Ring. Maybe next year. Can hardly wait!

It was an ordinary day. Seems that lately ordinary means that it is either cloudy, raining or overcast with a light mist falling. So today must be ordinary. But, I still can hear the music. Right over the hill from me, about maybe 500 yards away from my front door, are 35,000 people braving the crummy weather. Listening to their favorite country musicians at the annual FallFest which is held at Overlook Community Park. Yesterday they went around our neighborhood and placed signs along the street stating that there was NO PARKING on Sunday, the day of the concert. And, nobody parked in our neighborhood. I must admit that for the last few years, during FallFest, the crowd is extremely well behaved and courteous of the neighbors who border the park. This year's lineup of performers included Bradley Gaskin, Rodney Atkins, Lauren Alaina, Steel Magnolia and Randy Houser. I enjoy listening to some country music, but am not a huge fan. Tell you the truth, I only ever heard of Steel Magnolia and Lauren Alaina. The latter I heard of because she came in second this year on American Idol, and I enjoy watching that show. Last night I read in the paper that Joshua Scott Jones, one of the two performers in the group Steel Magnolia, had just entered a treatment center for drug and alcohol abuse. His girlfriend, Meghan Linsey, the other half of the duo, performed by herself today and received a nice reception when introduced. At least that is what I read. No way was I heading down to sit in the rain just for a couple of hours to hear artists I had never heard of before. The park opened at 8:00 AM so that you could place your chairs and blankets near the stage. Concert started at noon and about 6:00 PM I no longer heard and felt the beat of the large bass speakers. Long day to be sitting in the drizzle and cold weather. Local radio station WIOV-FM sponsored the event which was free to anyone who enjoys country music. Now if they could only get Jimmy Buffett to sing a few of his country songs, I would be one of the first in line at 8:00 AM to get a good seat. Even in the crummy weather. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - photos that follow were taken by Lancaster Newspapers Justin David Graybill

View from over the hill in front of my house of the 35,000 people who came to Overlook Park for FallFest.

Headliner Randy Houser performing at FallFest.

Meghan Lindsey, the female half of Steel Magnolia, performing.

Lauren Alaina talking with a fan.

Fan enjoying himself!

The "Apple of My Eye" Story

It was an ordinary day. Watching the news and a "Breaking News" flash came across the screen. Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computers had just died. WOW! Carol and I knew he had been ill for quite some time, but never expected this. But, of course, you never expect anyone young to die. Only 56 years old. Now what am I going to do. Most of my electronic items I have are Apple. Started back when I taught school. The district started buying Apple computers for the classroom. At first there was a computer lab where all the computers were housed, but eventually there was at least one computer in every classroom. In my case, with the advent of computerized typesetting, I had several computers in my classroom where I taught the programs "Quark" and "Photoshop". Had to go to classes to learn the programs, but did rely on a few students who were not afraid of computers as the teacher was, to help me get over the initial shock of teaching something brand new. In 1987 we bought our first home computer, a Macintosh 128K that used the 3.5" floppy disks. To think back, we thought it was so sophisticated at the time. Seven years later, through a special plan at school, we bought the second computer for our home. The Power Mac used a double-sided floppy disk for loading and storing documents. It had the Mac OS operating system. Latest technology and I thought I was pretty neat to have one at home. Then in 1998 we upgraded, through the educator's program at school, to the iMac which had the OS 9 system. Big advancement was no more floppy disk as well as a bigger screen and more sleek design. Then in 2004, through the yearbook company that I worked with to do the high school yearbook, I purchased an eMac which had not only the OS 9 system, but the newer OS X. Now I had the best of both worlds. Could still use all my old programs as well as using the upgraded OSX. But, eventually it started giving me trouble so in 2009 I bought the iMac with the Snow Leopard operating system. 21" HD screen and only 2" thick. Unbelievable. Screen is so neat to work on and the photos I take and download are so much more vibrant than ever before. They actually look better than the original scenes! Along the way my wife bought me an Apple iPod shuffle which can hold a gadzillion songs. Last Christmas we bought iPods for our grand daughters who just love them. And, for Christmas this year, we bought the Apple iPad2. Talk about small and handy. Plan to take it with us on vacation to email, search the web, and write a few stories to share with you. No need for the big Toshiba laptop that I carried for the last few years. The technology in LDub's house is almost all Apple products. Sure hope Steve trained everyone well so we will be able to continue in the same direction as we have for the last quarter-century. May God be with you Steve, and thanks for all you did for us. You'll never be forgotten! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

First home computer in LDub's house! Used the 3.5" floppy disk

My second computer which was a Power Mac that had a separate monitor and tower.

The really cool looking iMac. Came in a variety of colors. Mine was exactly as the one shown here.

The Apple eMac with two operating systems.

The sleek iMac with the HD screen.

LDub sitting in front of his iMac with the eMac in the background.

The "The Islands are on my Mind" Story

It was an ordinary day. Thinking about our upcoming trip to Barbados. Playing a CD that we bought last year by "The Merrymen" when we visited St. Martin. "The Merrymen" are a group of native Barbadians who have made it big in the recording industry. Listening to one of their songs called Islands on My Mind. They sing about leaving their home in the West Indies, traveling north to the big city where everyone says that the streets are paved with gold. They miss their friends and the sun, and the cold, sleet and snow keep telling their bones that they have to go ..... go back home where the weather is always fine. Cause ..... the islands are on my mind. Kinda like I feel some times. After visiting Barbados a few years ago, I found that it was one of the friendliest islands I have ever traveled to. The people were great and as they sang in the song, the weather is always fine. Loved the beaches, cities, food, art, but best of all the people. Hey, I even got a chance to watch cricket played live for the first time. Sat on a bench at the stadium and the gentleman next to me asked if I was familiar with the sport. Instantly had a new friend who thoroughly enjoyed giving me a play by play accounting of his island's favorite sport. One of many islanders who love to call Barbados their home. Listen to the song and view the island highlights and you'll see why they love to call Barbados home. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Squirrel Smorgasbord" Story

It was an ordinary day. Leaves on the English Walnut trees are starting to drop along with the large green walnuts. They litter the ground under the seven trees we having sitting on top of the hill next to our house. Years ago I used to gather the walnuts and place them in bags for the trash man. One year three people stopped at our door and asked if they could have all the walnuts that had gathered on our lawn under the trees. They collect them and load them into a truck and transport them to a mid-western state to a candy company who uses them to make candy. Told them to stop every year so I wouldn't have to pick them again, but never saw them again. Well, I now try to throw most of them from under the trees to a fence I have nearby so the squirrels and chipmunks can gather them for food. At times I tire of picking them up and just drive my mower over them. Sends them flying across the street and towards the side of our house. I also got in the habit of lining some of them up along the top of the fence so the squirrels could have easier access to them. Most times they just sit on the fence, peel the outside covering off them, and eat them, scattering the outside shell along the fence top. A neighbor told me it looks like I'm setting up a smorgasbord for the neighborhood squirrels! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Come On down!" Story

It was an ordinary day. Trying to relax in my favorite chair. Ever since I retired from teaching in 1999 I try to catch my favorite game show, if possible. Well, today is one of those days. I park myself in front of the TV with Otis, my cat, on my lap and we tune in CBS. Know which show it is by now? OK, one more clue: 11:00 AM. Yep, "The Price Is Right." And .... the first big prize for the day is a 1954 Chevy coupe in aqua and white with a white interior. OMG it is beautiful!! Did you know that they are celebrating 40 years of "The Price Is Right." But, the game show actually started in 1956 on NBC and later on ABC. It was hosted by Bill Cullen and had a slightly different formatt. I remember watching it on our family black and white console TV in the living room of our home on North Queen St. Back then they had contestants bid on items and after a set round of bids, the contestant who was closest without going over won the item. At the end of the show, the contestant with the most prizes was the champ and came back for the next show.This edition of "The Price Is Right" ran until 1965. In 1972 the show was revamped, re-named "The New Price Is Right", and was hosted by Bob Barker. In this "New" version, four contestants place ......wait a minute; you have to know all this, don't you. Anyway, eventually the word "New" was dropped. Bob Barker eventually retired in 2007 and the host spot was taken by Drew Carey. I must admit, I never thought I would like it anymore after watching Bob Barker for all those years, but I really enjoy Drew. He seems like he really feels for the contestants and is disheartened when they don't win. Bob Barker was never like that. Hey, I have a few pricing games that I really enjoy. These are the games where a contestant can win almost anything, including a car or truck. Games such as: Clock Game (have 30 seconds to guess the price of 2 items), Dice Game (usually played to win a car), 1/2 Off (contestant eliminates boxes and tries to win money), Hole-In-One (probably my favorite), Let 'Em Roll (also for a car), 3 Strikes, and the ever popular Plinko (win up to $50,000). One of the most notable shows in recent years was in 1989 when a contestant was called from the audience and as she ran to the front of the stage, her top fell down, exposing her. Bleeped that out on TV, though. Had a friend I taught with whose son was on contestant's row, but never got to go on stage. Car after car after car is given away on the show. Today's show had a winner who won 4 cars, yep 4, by placing the correct price on each one and pulling the lever. She had 30 seconds to try, but got it one the first try. Also remember when they had the $1,000,000 evening shows and a woman won the million in the Clock Game. I love watching the show and guessing the prices. Since I have retired and do most of the grocery shopping now, I am pretty good at guessing prices of items. Now all I have to do is plan a trip to California and become a contestant. Maybe in my next lifetime! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Happy Retirement, Doc" Story

It was an ordinary day. Writing down what I have to do tomorrow. Need to put it in writing or I will forget half of what I have to do, and when you only have four things you need to get done, half could make a difference. One of the items is to visit my dermatologist to have something checked on my face that the doctor cut out the last time I was in to see him three months ago. Looks fine to me, but then I'm not a dermatologist. My wife saw my list and after reading it said, "You know one of your favorite doctors just retired." I looked at her with a blank stare and asked, "Who?" She replied, "Dr. Gott." I have read doctor Gott religiously for the last 20 some years. I even wrote to him one time, but never saw my answer in the paper. Wanted to know why my big toe was always numb. I found out my own answer when I just had back surgery and found the nerves going down my right leg had been almost totally shut off for probably years. I have found many answers to my medical problems by reading Dr. Gott, and you know, he is always right. He was a big help when I had pain in my joints. He talked about arthritis in a column and I started using Glucosamine as he suggested. My family doctor agreed after visiting with him shortly after that. Hey, any doctor that can live as long as him must know what to do to survive. Good advice to follow. Dr. Gott started writing a medical column in his local paper in 1967, after he moved from New York to Connecticut. In 1984 he became syndicated and eventually appeared in in over 700 newspapers. He no longer will write a newspaper column, but he told his readers that they can mail their questions to him or can go to www.AskDrGottMD.com if they want. I wonder how many people have followed him and his advice for the last 27 years. I guess they will have to look for a new doctor now. As for me, I'm going to stock up on writing paper, envelopes and stamps. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "iStockphoto" Story

It was an ordinary day. Finally getting some results from iStockphoto. iStockphoto is the web's original source for user-generated, royalty-free stock photos, illustrations, video, audio and flash. Suppose you are designing a brochure for where you work and need a photograph to illustrate some part of the brochure. Go to iStockphoto and you can buy a photo for your job. Almost anything is available. Photos of people, cars and boats, houses, animals and the list goes on and on. A few years ago I applied for membership to allow me to place photos on their site for sale. I had to take a test to show I knew about composition, lighting, camera operation and a few other items. Passed it and downloaded three sample photos for them to look at from my many photos that I have. All were rejected! One had a product that you could identify and I had no written release for it. One, they didn't like how I lit the photo. And the last was the type of photo that they already had too many of for display. I tried 3 more and was shot down again. OK, enough of this. Time passed and a former student, Jerry Driendl, talked to me about submitting photos to him and he would place them on Getty Images which is a site similar to iStockphoto. The only thing I would need to do is buy a more professional camera. Price to do that wasn't in my budget, so I passed on that. Then I got to thinking, maybe I should try iStockphoto one more time. I pulled the website up, signed on again, and tried three more samples. Viola! Immediately they like 2 of the 3 I submitted. One was taken in Barbados of a fisherman at sunset while another was of a sunset taken in Sint Maarten. The third, a hat made from sea coral, is still under review. Seems I didn't title it correctly so I retitled it and resubmitted it. I have tons of photos that I can submit and will, after my third photo is approved. And, I didn't even have to buy a new camera to do it. Now I have to see if anyone in the world likes what I have done and is willing to pay me for the rights to use it. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "It's The Wildest" Story

It was an ordinary day. Checking out my airline reservation for my upcoming trip to Barbados. Trying to remember what the airport looks like in Barbados. How dangerous is landing in Barbados. Pulled up a photo of the airport and remembered that it was quite large and had no problems with landing or taking off. Not one of the truly wild airports that you find in the Caribbean. Was reading an article in "Islands" magazine about the wildest flights in the Caribbean. I think I probably mentioned about the landing in St. Martin. The runway starts about 15 feet beyond Maho Beach. People sitting on the beach watch the plane as it passes maybe 30 feet over their heads. Pretty scary. When we visit the island, we always take a day and visit Sunset Bar and Grill which is situated right next to the beach. Fantastic shots of the planes landing from this spot. A few years ago we visited St. Barts for a day trip from St. Martin and took a taxi ride around the island. Taxi driver took us to the top of the hill above the airport. He pulled over to the side of the road when we reached the top and waited for a plane to arrive. OMG! Right over the top of the taxi! Thought it was going to hit us! Plane must drop down towards the airport as soon as it comes over a mountain and the road is right below the top of the mountain. Scary sitting in the taxi, but I'm sure it is much more scary sitting in the plane as it drops to the end of the runway. Have never traveled to Saba, but after seeing a photo of the airport and reading about it, I'm not sure I would want to go there by plane. When you approach the runway you must be sure that you are high enough so you don't hit the rocks on either end, but not too high or you won't have enough runway to stop. As for taking off, you reach the end of the runway and then it drops off into the ocean. Not my idea of a fun takeoff. Now I know that there are more dangerous landings and takeoffs throughout the world, but in the Caribbean, these three airports are the most challenging. But, you just got to try it one time! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - pixs from top are: St. Martin, St. Bart, Saba

The "Oyster Pond Yacht Club - Present Memories" Story

It was an ordinary day. My last story dealt with the "Oyster Pond Yacht Club" during it's heyday and the eventual destruction of it during hurricane Luis in 1995. I had received a post card from a friend showing the original 20 room hotel and the surrounding area. The Yacht Club was located in Sint Maarten, on the peninsula just south of the border between French St. Martin and Dutch Sint Maarten. After Luis, the land was cleared and The Oyster Bay Beach Resort was constructed. It is perched on the coral reef peninsula where Oyster Pond Yacht Club originally and consists of the OBBR as well as its sister properties, Mainsail, Spinnaker and the Lighthouse. Don't think you can find a morsel of land on the peninsula that isn't now covered with building. The resort now offers an array of accommodations with great views of Oyster Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. OBBR is just north of Dawn Beach which is a beautiful white sand beach that has a coral reef just off the shore that is great for snorkeling. In 2008, Carol and I rented the Villa Sea Haven that is in the hills above Dawn Beach and slightly south of OBBR. From our vantage point above the water, we could see OBBR to the left and the newly constructed Westin to the right. Panoramic views of the land, ocean and the neighboring island of St. Barts greeted us every morning as we walked out onto our rear deck. Oyster Bay Beach Resort is a far cry from the original Yacht Club that occupied the peninsula back in the 60s to it's destruction, but draws the time-share crowd as well as weekly rental visitors. I have included a few photos of the views from our deck as well as a look at our villa, high above Dawn Beach. No matter where you stay on the island, you are greeted by fantastic views of either the Caribbean Sea or the Atlantic Ocean. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

View of the Oyster Bay Beach Resort that replaced the Oyster Pond Yacht Club. Photo taken from the hills above Oyster Pond.

View of OBBR as taken from Dawn Beach

Access to our villa was up this road leading to the Villas of Oyster Pond, Beach Side

The Villa Sea Haven as seen from Dawn Beach

Photo from our rear deck showing the OBBR to the left and the roof of the Westin to the right.

The "Oyster Pond Yacht Club - Past Memories" Story

It was an ordinary day. Just got an email from Kathy from Northeast, Maryland. Kathy runs Kathy's Corner Shop in the city. Her store is full of art and crafts from artists and craftsmen who live in Maryland as well as the states that border it. I found her store a few years ago and now sell my altered Polaroid prints as well as some stained glass panels in her store. Kathy is about the same age as my wife Carol and me and we enjoy our visits to her store when we drop off photos. Her husband died years ago, but she still has stories to tell about their trips to the Caribbean when he was a salesman and had to made stops in different exotic locations. We often share stories about our time in St. Martin as well as the US Virgin Islands. She told me she had a post card from Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of St. Martin, and when she found it, would email it to me. Just opened it! Pretty neat post card. Must be at least 50 years old!! OK, how can I figure out how old the card is and some history about the Oyster Pond Yacht Club, Hotel and Marina that is pictured on the card? Oyster Pond is located on the east side of the island, directly south of the border between the French and Dutch sides of the island and north of Dawn Beach. Well, my first choice was "Google" it. Surprisingly I found very little telling me about the building pictured on the card. What's next, I thought. Ah, the perfect place to find out about the card would be the two travel forums that I frequent. Pulled up "TravelTalkOnline" (TTOL) and "SXM Travel Forum" and typed in a message or thread about my find. Even included the same picture thatKathy had sent to me. Within the hour I started to get responses. Norm, who lives in St. Louis and frequents both the boards, told me he knew the perfect person who lives on Sint Maartenand would forward the card to her. By the end of the day his source, Barb, had emailed Norm and he forwarded her message. Barb said it is probably from the 60s. She believes that the Oyster Pond Yacht Club opened in the early to mid-60s. The Oyster Pond Yacht Club was the original hotel on the peninsula which was built by a wealthy gentleman from Chicago who also developed the hillside above the peninsula. The Yacht Club consisted of the 20 room hotel with a private restaurant and tennis courts. In the post card photo there is a boat going through the entrance of the pond which was owned by the manager of the club, Jean-Carolo Rossini. The rear of the post card shows that it was printed by International Graphics from Florida so I "Googled" that and had no luck finding a company that still exists with that name. I did have another response from a TTOL member by the name of sxmmartini who sent me the photo that was taken in 1995 after hurricane Luis devastated the island. After the hurricane, the resort was rebuilt and re-opened as the Oyster Bay Beach Resort. The tale of that resort will follow tomorrow. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Dessert for Dinner" Story

It was an ordinary day. Just got back from Stauffers of Kissel Hill Grocery Store and put my lunch in the microwave. Having an apple dumpling for lunch. Yep, dessert for lunch. Why not? I got a package of two and hid the other one in the back of the fridge for tomorrow. Felt so guilty not sharing one with my wife that when she came home from work I told her what I did and that if she would like the other one, it was in the fridge. "Funny you bought that today," she said. "I was just talking to Brynn (our daughter) last night and she was telling me about writing something on Facebook about apple dumplings. Call her tonight and ask her what it was," she continued. I gave Brynn a call and she said Jennifer wrote on her page, "Let's skip dinner and just eat apple dumplings!!!!" Jennifer is my cousin Judy's daughter. She works at the dentist's office that is directly across the street from our house. The next response, from Deb, said, "Ok. Sounds good to me! Can we have ice cream with it too?" And the next response, from my daughter was, "Carol Woods used to serve us apple dumplings FOR dinner. Go with that. Shortly after that Jennifer wrote, "Brynn, I TOTALLY remember my mom doing the same thing every fall....I would feel so guilty doing that now. Well, l remember back in the 60s, 70s and 80s when my wife would make apple dumplings, often, and we would have them as our evening meal. Not as a treat, but as a cheap meal. We struggled, having three children and me being a teacher. Teachers didn't make much during that time and with the price of flour, sugar and apples, it was a cheap meal. And it was a nutritious meal, wasn't it. Had most of the major food groups in it. Fruit in the apples, dairy (always poured milk over them), carbohydrates in the dough and we did get some proteins in the milk. I guess you can justify anything if you have to. In 1980 Carol and I made a cookbook which we sold to the public that had her famous recipe in it for apple dumplings. She still get comments about how good they are. My only question to her after our apple dumpling reminiscing was, "So when are we having them again?" It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - original page from the cookbook follows.

The "Lady and the Mennonite" Story

It was an ordinary day. Reading in the local paper that Lady Gaga made a visit to Lancaster. You know who I mean? The outrageous superstar who dresses .... well certainly not like conservative Lancaster County. Her real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. She came to prominence following the release of her debut album "The Fame" which was released in 2008. I'm sure you must have heard about it and know a few songs from it. Maybe even bought it. NOT ME!! I really believe I could pass her on the street and not know who she was. Probably why almost everyone around this area didn't recognize her when she visited here with her boyfriend. You know, I'm starting to see how my parents felt when Elvis and the like came on the music scene in the 50s and 60s. Well, she was sighted at the Log Cabin Restaurant and the Bulls Head Pub during her visit with Lancaster Mennonite grad and boyfriend Taylor Kinney. What? She's dating a Mennonite! Wonder if she knows that he Mennonite. Wonder if he does. Taylor was in town due to the death of his grandmother and she made the trip with him. She is beloved by her fans that she calls her "little monsters" and is well know for her outlandish clothes she wears. Actually had a dress made from meat. She and her boyfriend and four others dined at the Log Cabin near Akron, PA in a private upstairs room in the restaurant. Most of the staff of the restaurant didn't know who she was until after they had left the restaurant. No bodyguard, no entourage, just a few friends enjoying dinner together. She was dressed in black and had long, blond hair. Oh yeah, she did have the very high heeled shoes on and told the restaurant owner that they made her feet hurt. Her server said she thanked him for being "cool". After dinner the group traveled a few miles to the Bulls Head Pub in Lititz, PA where they sat unrecognized by fellow pubgoers. Stefani met Taylor while filming her latest music video "You and I". Kinney was a star athlete while attending Lancaster Mennonnite. All his friends think it's pretty cool that he is dating a superstar. This morning the Lancaster newspaper had a editorial cartoon geared toward her visit. Two comments on the Lancaster newspaper's website read: "I think it's earth shattering. Lady Gaga dating a Mennonite? Wow!" and another read "Dating a graduate of Lancaster Mennonite HS. There's nothing in the story to conclude whether of not he is a practicing Mennonite." My guess ......... duh! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Never Forget" Story

It was an ordinary day. Or at least I think it was. Sometimes when I prepare to write a story I have trouble remembering some of the facts that I plan to include, so I have to do some research. That usually includes talking with my wife or maybe calling one of the kids to help me remember better all the facts that I need to tell the story and tell it truthfully. Sometimes even have to quiz my 89 year old mom about something. My mom is someone who will call me at 6:00 PM to talk and at 8:00 PM will call back again, not remembering she had called 2 hours earlier, but when I ask her about something that happened 50 years ago, she remembers every detail as if she is reliving it as she speaks. Bet some of you are the same way. Do you write notes to yourself all the time as I do. I have a tablet in each of our cars just in case I remember something I forgot or have to do and know I will not remember it if I don't write it down. 95% of the stories I have written are stories that came to me on the spur of the moment and I wrote them down so I didn't forget them. Probably many more I could tell that I haven't, but because I didn't have a tablet with me, I forgot them. If only my memory were better, but it never was that good. I taught school for almost 35 years and had probably over 6,000 students in that time. I may remember maybe 50 names from that time. I can always remember a face, but the name sometimes escapes me. Hey, even when I was teaching I hoped to know all the names of my students by the end of the school year. Recently I read about a social media specialist who has started a new service called "4SquareAnd7Years Ago". After you join, every day or night you must make notes about your day such as where you ate, drank or socialized and send them to his service. Each morning the service will find what you did precisely one year earlier and email you a summary. Naturally, you must belong at least a year before you will get any summaries. I assume the longer the service operates they would give you updates from the previous year as well as two or three years before on the date. Something like memory engineering. Would be pretty neat to send photos, interesting facts, emails you receive, friends that visited with you, important conversations, books and magazines you read, and even stupid stuff you did. Then, a year later they would send you a diary of your life from the past. But, then again, there are some days that maybe I would rather forget. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Gem of the Caribbean Sea" Story

It was an ordinary day. Looking through my file folder marked Barbados. My wife and I are going to head there soon for a vacation with our traveling companions Jerry and Just Sue. My surgeon promised my wife when I scheduled my back surgery that I would be good to go by the time we had scheduled to leave. Now, the rest is up to me. As I am going through the folder I find our Passports as well as our travel itinerary for the two weeks. I was going to put both my wife's photo and mine on this story, but she would croak if I put her picture on here. Hey, I have on my favorite shirt again. Recognize it? Found the car rental information and the travel/medical insurance I purchased for this trip. Found the info for the condo we rented from a couple in England and a few emails from Henderson Reese who lives in Barbados and has become a good email and Facebook friend since we last traveled to Barbados. Plan to have a Banks Beer with him when we get there. Now if I can only like the taste of beer by then ...... or maybe he would go for rum! Last but not least, I found a few maps of Barbados and a CD from "The Merrymen" who are song writers and performers from Barbados. Popped it in the CD player and started reminiscing. Lead song, Beautiful Barbados, started with the Oooooooo, Ooooooooo , etc. After the first verse of the song played, the chorus started and asked me toPlease come back when the north winds are blowing, please come back to the surf and the sea, I'll find rest in Barbados, come back to my island and me. Won't be long before I head back to the gem of the Caribbean sea. I can hardly wait. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. Listen to the song and see if it doesn't make you want to sing along and head back with me.

The "2011 Flooding Horror" Story

It was an ordinary day. Had just gotten off the phone with Hal, a friend who I taught school with years ago. He was telling me about a trip he had to take a few days before, immediately after the rain had stopped and the flooding had started. He was delivering teeth to the area around Hershey, PA. Same area where the Hershey Chocolate Factory and Hershey Park are located. He described to me how it took him hours to get home because of all the roads closed due to the flooding in the area. He told me that Hershey Medical Center was surrounded by water and the ambulances could not reach the hospital. Swatara Creek came out of its banks and flooded acres and acres of Hershey proper as well as the Hershey Golf Course, Hersheypark, and the ZooAmerica located next to the Park. Yesterday, my friend Bill from Arizona emailed me photos of the devastation. Hersheypark looks terrible. The entrance to the park, with all the small souvenir shops was under water. Many of the rides were covered with water. Much of ZooAmerica was covered. Unbelievable devastation. I heard a new report saying Hersheypark was bringing in a corp of engineers to check on the safety of the grounds under the amusement rides as well as workmen to check on all the mechanical parts of all the rides to make sure they hadn't been compromised. Can't be cheap to do that. I have included some of the photos that Bill sent to me. The first few are from Hershey Medical Center, one from the Golf Course, a few from the zoo, and the rest from Hersheypark. So sad! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.