The "The Symbol Of Zip 08247" Story

The Stone Harbor water tower and pumping station.

It was an ordinary day.  Checking the photos that I recently took while on vacation at Stone Harbor, New Jersey.  Stone Harbor is a beautiful town that has an average single-family home which sells for $2.5 million.  And, that was 6 years ago!  The town has a year-round population of under 1,000 which swells tremendously in the summer.  My cousin and his wife own a home on one of the major streets in the city and have a great view of the water from their porch.  But, what I remember more than anything else in this city by the sea is the huge aqua-colored water tower in the center of town.  I must have more photos of the water tower than any other landmark in the city.  

Original pumping station and water tower at 96th and 2nd.

It was back in the early 1900s that a well was tunneled 856.5 feet into the gound at the corner of 96th Steet and 2nd Ave. to reach a water source that began in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.  The water was funneled to a pumping station and water tower which served the town.  Eventually, a new and larger pumping station was built in 1924.  

The 1924 pumping station with tower next to it.

That station is now the oldest municipal structure that is still in use in Stone Harbor.  The original tower was replaced in the 1940s with a four-legged structure that held 150,000 gallons of water.  A larger tower was needed with the expansion of  building in Stone Harbor so in 1978 a 133 foot, single column, hydro-design was built.  

Both the old tower and new tower
stood side by side for a few months
until the one on the right was removed.

Both towers stood together for a few months until the older version was removed.  Today water is supplied by four wells that are 890 feet in the ground that draw water from the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer in the nearby New Jersey Pine Barrens.  The water is aerated, disinfected and pumped into the 500,000 gallon tower.  I can remember making a visit with my wife and my parents to visit my cousin and his wife for a week in 2005 and seeing the tower covered with Peter Max paintings.  They covered most of the tower and copies of the artwork were for sale in galleries and stores in town.  The money received from the reproductions was used to benefit The Wetlands Institute as well as local charities.  Many residents of the town didn't like the paintings on the tower and they were abandoned after the summer season.  A few of my photos from this year are featured with this story, as well as a few historical photos taken years ago that show the original tower and pumping station.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.    

The tower was white in color in 2005 when it was surrounded with paintings by Peter Max.

Today the pumping station still stands at the corner of 96th Street and 2nd Avenue in Stone Harbor, NJ.

   

The "Candyology with a Twist" Story

Sodas known by names such as Radioactive Soda, Martian
Soda and Martian Poops line the wall in Candyology.

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in front of a wall of a couple of hundred soda bottles with names such as Wizard of Oz, Mighty Mouse, Dog Droll and even Martian Poop.  And, where might one find sodas with names such as these?  In a small store on the main street of a town called Lititz.  Lititz is a town in Pennsylvania which has some of the neatest stores along its downtown streets and I happen to be standing in one called Candyology, talking with its owner Rita.  I have always enjoyed drinking soda and love unusual ones with funny or catchy names, but this ....... well, you have to see it to believe it.  

Reading Draft which comes in a variety of flavors was one
of the few sodas that I had seen before.  My grandson and
I purchased a few bottles at the Strasburg Railroad Museum store.

I passed through the usual collection of chocolates and boxed candies as I walked in the door.  I looked around and saw a woman standing at the rear of the store and asked where I might find the sodas that I had heard about.  She told me behind her on the rear wall of the store.  I spent the next fifteen to twenty minutes looking over the collection that she has accumulated on a wall in what used to be a storage cabinet.  Loved it!!  Rita told me that she now has over 100 different bottles of soda made by a variety of manufacturers with many of them coming from California.  A few of the companies carry names such as: Astro Pop, Lester's Fixins, Siioux City, Always Avery, Reading Draft, Golden Records Boylan, and Jones.  

My purchases of Wizard of Oz cherry
cola and Melba's Fixins Key Lime Pie.

Her customers come from all over the world as well as locally.  One fellow who lives a few hours away in northern Pennsylvania makes frequent visits and purchases a few dozen at a time.  I asked her what were her most popular soda flavors and she said the top three were: Bacon, Dog Droll and Martian Poop.  And one of the most unusual things about all these sodas is that Rita doesn't like soda.  She hasn't tried the majority of the drinks in her shop.  But that doesn't keep people guessing what the drinks may taste like when they try them.  As for me, I just had to try the Key Lime Pie made by Melba's Fixins and one called The Wizard of Oz made by golden records.  The second one I bought for my oldest son whose favorite movie was The Wizard of Oz.  Just has to be good!  I have included a few photos of some of the sodas to show you a small sampling of the sodas that can be found at Candyology.  You can visit them at 69 East Main Street in Lititz, PA or check them out online at www.lititzcandyology.com.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Click on photos to enlarge them.

Rita's best seller at Candyology is the Bacon Soda.  Sitting next to it is the Buffalo Wing Soda.  Both are made by Lester Fixins.

A variety of Always Avery's which includes Dog Drool, Monster Mucus, Kitty Piddle and Bug Barf.  Sound good?

Some pretty neat bottles are found on the Golden Records label.  The two here are Mighty Mouse and The Wizard of Oz. 

This soda made by Jones Soda has normal names like Strawberry Lime, Vanilla and Green Apple, but what makes it really neat is the note on the back of it that reads:  If you're like us, you think for yourself.  Come on .. do they really believe we'll fall for flashy ad campaigns that cost more than a solid gold private jet?  Don't expect to find any of that here - we let what we do speak for itself.  At Jones we're just regular people who make good soda.  While we can't promise you more popularity or better hair, if we like your photo, we'll put it on a bottle.  Jones Soda, independent since 1996.  Your photo.  Your soda.  Your brand.

The "Imported From Lancaster County!: Part 3" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Our daughter-in-law, Barb, just called to tell us that our son, Derek, was in terrible pain and in the emergency room at the hospital.  Needless to say we too were upset and asked what we could do.  She told us she would let us know when they examined him.  Half an hour later we heard he may have a kidney stone that was working its way from the kidney to the bladder.  

Seems that kidney stones, which are small crystals that form from minerals and salt, normally are found in the urine in the kidneys or ureters, the small tubes that drain urine from the kidney to the bladder.  The stones are usually so small they are harmlessly expelled from the body, but sometimes they grow larger and become lodged in the ureters.  Men are four times more likely to develop kidney stones than women and the risks increase considerably after age 40.  

Size of a kidney stone can be seen in the palm of a hand.

Derek, who is over 40, was told to go home, drink water and relax.  The stone would eventually pass through his system.  If not, or if the pain became too intense, they would have to operate and remove the stone.  An operation was considered the last choice, because of many complications that can occur.  His pain at home was intense.  Lasted for days before it eventually passed.  After his experience, he talked with his doctor about what could have caused it.  He was told that people that eat foods high in oxalates, such as spinach, chocolate, rhubarb and nuts are susceptible.  Also those who use too much salt, eat too much meat, drink very little water and have very little calcium intake are also at risk.  Derek confessed he used too much salt, but then the kicker came.  The doctor asked if he drank Turkey Hill ice tea.  Yep!  

Container of Turkey Hill Orange tea can be seen in my fridge.

Derek drank gallons of the stuff just like I do as well as many other people in Lancaster County where Turkey Hill ice teas are king.  Seems that Turkey Hill ice teas are not brewed like "real" ice teas and that is why they can be the cause of kidney stones.  Many people choose to drink ice tea rather than sodas because they feel it is healthier.  If you must drink a fluid other than water, real lemonade (not powdered) is the best bet since lemons are high in citrates which inhibit the growth of kidney stones.  The doctor told Derek to "brew" his own lemonade instead of store bought lemonade or ice tea.  He did this for some time, but still enjoys the ice tea.  He has cut down considerably on the tea, since he doesn't want the same thing to happen again.  As for me,  I too have cut back, but still drink the Turkey Hill Orange ice tea which is my favorite.  Try not to drink more than a quart every two weeks.  I certainly don't want to have to go through what my son did.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Imported From Lancaster County!: Part 2" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in our new Costco lawn chairs watching our grandson Caden play baseball in a small town along the mighty Susquehanna River called Cresswell.  Had to make a stop along the way at a small neighborhood park pavilion to ask for directions from a fellow who was setting up for a surprise birthday party.  It was maybe 60 years ago that I played baseball at a ball field in Cresswell and for some reason they must have moved it ... or maybe I just forgot where it was.  Anyway we got there by the second inning and sat with our son and our daughter-in-law.  

The twin wind turbines from Turkey Hill Dairy.

Off in the distance behind the rightfield wall were two huge wind turbines turning in the brisk breeze that was blowing this Saturday morning.  They were installed by Turkey Hill Dairy in 2010 to help generate electricity for their ice-cream and iced tea factory.  Someone sitting near us asked us if we had seen the letter-to-the-editor in the Lancaster Newspaper which questioned how many wildlife fatalities and injuries have occurred since the wind turbines had been installed.  

Trucks delivering the wind turbines to Turkey HIll Dairy.

Now, these are the same 397-foot-high twin turbines that have 135-foot-long blades that turn about maybe 20 MPH in a wind that averages 14.5 MPH.  I guess a regular windmill might gain speed when the wind picks up, but these are supposedly constantly turning at the same speed.  So how could a bird or bat be killed by the blades?  I have no idea.  My guess is that they may sit on the blades and take a ride when their wings are tired.  

Wind turbines shortly after they were installed.

I to would not want to see animals killed, but I believe that the twin turbines, which create about 7.5 million kWh of electricity annually, will be a big help to the environment in Lancaster County.  The estimated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is equivalent annually to about: removing 1,000 cars from the road, reducing gasoline consumption by 600,000 gallons, or reducing our imported oil needs by 12,000 barrels of oil.  Turkey Hill, our nation's fourth largest-selling premium ice cream and top-selling refrigerated iced tea, began full wind generation in early 2011.

The wind turbines are seen to the rear
of the Turkey Hill Dairy.

The wind turbines were proposed beginning in 2003 and were finally installed on the nearby Frey Farm located on Turkey Hill along the banks of the Susquehanna River.  They were made possible by $4 million in tax credits and a federal stimulus fund grant.  They stand about double the tallest structure in Lancaster County, the 14 story Griest Building in downtown Lancaster.  The turbines are visible for miles along the river.  The base of each turbine is a 52-foot-diameter concrete pad.  So, you see, these really neat wind turbines on the hill in front of us will help our environment much more than they will ever harm it.  Hey, I got to go.  My grandson is gonna bat next!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Imported From Lancaster County!: Part I" Story

Turkey Hill Dairy in Lancaster County, PA

It was an ordinary day.  Traveling along Rt. 441S in Lancaster County, PA looking for the baseball field where my grandson is playing a double-header today.  As I rounded a bend in the road, there to my right was one of the most famous businesses in Lancaster County, the Turkey Hill Dairy.  Last year I took my grandson to visit the Turkey Hill Experience in nearby Columbia, PA.  

The original deed for the land where Turkey HIll is located.
Click to enlarge photographs.

I would have loved to visit the dairy where they make the ice cream and ice tea that I eat and drink, but they do not allow for personal tours.  The Turkey Hill Experience was interesting and exciting and I did post a story last summer telling of our experience,  but stopping across from the actual business was pretty neat.  Then I noticed one of the tractor-trailers, that make deliveries to the stores near me, pull into the drive to the dairy.  

Early delivery truck for Turkey Hill Dairy.

In the distance, behind the dairy, I noticed the two huge wind turbines that stand on the crest of Turkey Hill, overlooking the mighty Susque- hanna River.  The Susque- hannock Indians lived along the Susquehanna River flatlands just north of the ridge where the dairy now is located.  The ridge rises out of the river valley to form a prominent landmark which the indians named Turkey Hill for its reputattion as a natural hunting ground and for the wild turkeys that were plentiful on the ridge.  

A fleet of newer trucks.  Today they have over 150
trucks used to deliver their products.

It was William Penn's sons, Thomas and Richard, that deeded the original farm, where the present dairy stands, to the Frey family ancestors.  The deeds were scribed on sheepskin and still remain in the Frey family posession.  Armor Frey, the founder of Turkey Hill Dairy was born in 1896.  He took over the original farm from his parents, Fred and Alice Frey, and began the dairy.  

Armor Frey, founder of Turkey Hill Dairy.

The values and thoughtfulness he learned from his parents carried over into his business when in 1929 he began to bottle and sell milk to support not only his own family, but the families of his hired men.  He and his wife, Mary, had seven children.  He made his first deliveries in his personal car.  Today there are over 150 trucks making deliveries.  Armor died in 1969 after working a hard day at the dairy.  Went to bed saying he was tired and died in his sleep.  Today, Quentin Frey, Armor's grandson, is now president of Turkey Hill Dairy and the line of products has grown over the years to include ice cream, frozen yogurt, iced tea, ice cream sandwiches, and sundae cones.  

Package of Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream which
sports the logo "Where We Make It Is Why It's Good."

Many of the workers who toil in the dairy today live in the hills around Turkey Hill.  Turkey Hill Dairy is proud of their heritage in Lancaster County.  On their packages of ice cream is displayed "Where We Make It Is Why It's Good."  They are the fourth largest-selling premium ice cream and the number one refrigerated iced tea brand in the nation.  Over the last two decades Turkey Hill has tripled in size and sell their products in 49 states and over a dozen countries around the world.  Wonder if the Susquehannock Indians would have traded their skins for a gallon of Turkey Hill Ice Cream!  I know I would have!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Tomato Barn" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Taking a Sunday afternoon drive through the rolling hills of Lancaster County. Headed toward the Susquehanna River to see if there was any boating or fishing along the river, then headed in the direction of Safe Harbor, PA.  As we approached Rt. 999 we decided to take that route and head towards Millersville, PA.  The day was mild and the skies were partially cloudy.  The fields on both sides of the road showed signs of harvested corn and soybeans.  The farms along the road are just amazing with a patchwork of crops that look like they've been quilted in place.  We approached a slight rise in the road and after reaching the crest we noticed the barn sitting directly along the road.  

"Remember when ……" we both said as we saw the "The Tomato Barn" sign.  Some of the best tomatoes you will ever eat are found in Washington Boro, PA.  I was told the sandy soil is the main reason for the fantastic taste.  The owner of the farm where the tomatoes are grown, Steve, used to wholesale all his tomatoes.  He had 20,000 plants which were mostly a variety known as Jet Stars.  He would sell to dealers as well as grocery stores.  

The Tomato Barn along Rt. 999.  Click to enlarge.

Every year in Washington Boro the Tomato Festival is held on the 2nd and 3rd Saturdays of July at the local park.  1987 was totally rained out and the Jet Star tomatoes were cracked, ugly and soft all due to the wet weather.  Well, a few of the wholesalers and stores feared Steve's tomatoes were no longer any good so they stopped ordering from him.  What do you do with tomatoes from 20,000 plants?  So, the following year he put a stand along the road in front of his barn.  His earnings barely paid for his help, but then the local TV station mistakenly happened to stop and began to set up for a live story.  By the time the TV reporter found out he was at the wrong place it was too late, so he broadcast from Steve's Tomato Barn.  The next day sales increased 800% and the rest is history.  

The end of the growing season for tomatoes, but these
look absolutely delicious.  Can't beat the price either.

Carol and I often used to stop by the Tomato Barn for our tomatoes, but over the years, and with raising a family on the opposite end of the county, we didn't make it back too many times.  But, I must admit the tomatoes are fantastic.  I'll even go as far as saying you'll have a hard time finding a better tomato anywhere else in Lancaster County and I'm sure by now, after reading this blog for years, you realize that Lancaster County is the "Garden Spot of America" and we have the best crops in the country.  Memories are hard to forget and Carol and I said we will have to begin making weekly stops once again at the Tomato Barn.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - check out the video on the Tomato Barn.  PS - check out the TV video on the Tomato Barn in Washington Boro, PA

The "Orient Beach Update" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out one of my favorite forums titled "Travel Talk Online" (http://www.traveltalkonline.com).  The forum deals with the island of St. Martin/Sint Maarten.  On our most recent visit to the island this past April/May, Carol and I talked to Cheryl who runs Andy and Cheryl's Baywatch Restaurant on Orient Beach on the French side of the island.  Her restaurant is one of eight that were being demolished by the French Government and replaced with new structures farther back from the beach.  In a recent hurricane many of the establishments suffered massive damage and the French Government decided they were too close to the water and decided to tear them down.  Since they owned the property and were leasing the places to the restaurant owners, they had the right to do so.  But, the Caribbean flair and uniqueness of the old places will be sorely missed.  Cheryl was preparing to move out soon after we departed for the states and I tried to follow the demolition and new construction on Travel Talk (TTOL).  Well, the new places are coming along and from photos posted online I am getting a chance to see where I might be able to grab a bite to eat when I travel back to the island next year.  I thought I would post a few photos to show you what construction techniques are used in the Caribbean and then post some of the comments from people who visit TTOL.  Interesting to say the least.  I want to thank the following for allowing me to use their photos that were posted on TTOL: Bill9720, mprevo, R De Haan, gotaluvit, DonLinda and astropilot. 

A view of the restaurants that were damaged and to be demolished.

A favorite for Carol and me, Andy and Cheryl's Baywatch.

Renderings of what the new restaurants are to look like when finished.  All the restaurants that were demolished will be given first chance to take one of the newly created restaurants.

On site placard showing the restaurants and seawall that is being constructed.

Photo from the air showing the empty space created after demolition.

Demolition began shortly after we left in May.

All buildings have been removed and the land has been prepared.

Concrete pads have been poured for the new restaurants.

Beginnings of the sea wall are put in place.

Wooden construction is placed on the concrete pads.  Below you can see the OSB board being placed on the sides of the structures.  In the photo below that you can see the wall being put in place.

This photo and the next were added after I posted the original story.  They are updated photos showing more of the construction. 

The photos give you an idea of how well the construction is going.  It is hoped that the new places will be ready for the busy season which starts right around Christmas.  Now for the comments from others who have been following the construction on TTOL.

my educated guess is that those walls will NOT be concrete. First of all they are not using plywood.....using instead the particle board sheathing. Wet concrete would not cure well with that type of plywood..it soaks up too much water. second..if it was forms...it wouldnt have the header on top of the doors. most concrete structures are made of concrete block, and filled in... i would've thought that the concrete block would've been used to protect against storms....not a wooden based structure...but it is SXM.

Also agree with EdB that you don't form concrete walls that way. The weight of the mix would blow out those walls before you could even fill them.

One good storm and those have the potential to be history. 

There using particle board to build the buildings..what a joke..should have been steel and cinder blocks instead..will be gone with the 1st storm.

They're using OSB, or oriented strand board, which is actually stronger and more weather-resistant than plywood. Particle board is something else entirely, and is never used on any surface that might be exposed to moisture. I'm confident that there will also be siding over the OSB to further protect it. The structure itself is what will protect it from wind and rains, not necessarily the exterior sheathing.

Amazing how many construction experts we have here. I'm not one either, but I have built (literally) a house in a hurricane zone. It's the way the walls are attached to the foundation, and the nails used to attach the sheathing and shingles, that protect the structure from the hurricane-force winds. OSB is a perfectly acceptable sheathing material in a hurricane zone.

I'm sure that the people contracted for this project know what will work in that type of climate condition far more than someone sitting behind a computer screen in the states.

Regardless of what anyone thinks, these buildings are constructed better than the ones they are replacing.Yes, steel and cement would be less destructible, but then the rents would be sky high and they might be sitting there empty.I would like to see the totally finished product before making any judgement and looking forward to doing that soon.

The plans called for seawalls and you can see the trench for the first one in one of the photos. That will help but big wind is going to take them down along with most of the rest. It almost looks like they are planning for the above slab structures to be expendable and easy to replace???

I have been part of building a couple of houses and I don't personally like what I see so far. Not my property/building so not my problem.

you are correct.....that was my first thought last Friday.....who allowed this design and construction is laughing and walking away with a load of cash knowing that the rebuild will generate yet another cash cow....shame on the Collective for allowing this....are there any building codes on the French Side?…. 

In looking at the construction of these buildings, the contractors are not following basic construction rules. Notice, all the 'headers' above doors and windows are not supported with jack studs. They are simply tacked (nailed) to the king stud. Headers are installed on jack studs to properly support the weight above and transfer the weight to the foundation. In this case, the headers and anything above (roof) is supported by nails only. The headers are also single beams vs doubled beams. .Notice the header above the very wide entrance way, there is no supporting studs holding up that header! That headers job is to support the roof above. Anyone with basic framing experience would not do this. Rules may be different in SXM, but this is very shoddy construction and would never pass any inspections in the US.

Good pickup. In my view, it appears they have installed 4x4 posts in all corners and large openings. The walls appear to be fastened to the corner posts. The posts appears to be pressure treated lumber. I'm sure they have their reasons for the combination of pressure treated posts and untreated walls.

I'm pretty sure they comply with the French building code for SXM and structurally, I find these buildings better built than the houses of cards they're replacing. 

The first positive element being that they are erected on a concrete slab vs. piles, and the second being that they seem to be built in clusters, where each unit is attached to another. IIRC, the old ones were standalone buildings, no? 

They might not be built like Fort Knox but based on these 2 elements, they should withstand bad weather much better than the previous ones.

The roofs were nailed that way so that when hurricane winds sweep under them they will fly off and land upside down twenty feet behind the buildings. This will decrease the pressure on the walls and they will survive. After the storm has passed, the roofs can be easily reattached at minimum cost. This way the businesses will be up in no time at all keeping losses to a minimum.

These buildings SHOULD have been elevated at least five feet in the air, maybe more. I have built a home on the water and I am ten feet in the air. These building may survive a minor blow, but a real hurricane will leave nothing but the concrete slabs. Building in the air allows the tidal surge to pass under the structure, not beat it to toothpicks. If proper international hurricane standards are followed, raised structures can be built so survive 125 MPH winds. I hope hurricane straps, rafter and joist hangers, and metal roofs with proper fasteners are used on these buildings.

I know it is SXM, but building on a slab along the coast of the US would not be permitted nor could you get insurance. While I can see where the buildings will be stronger than the ones being replaced, they will not survive the rising ocean or a major hurricane.

I really preferred the more rustic look of the original structures. They had more of an "island feel." Too bad there wasn't some way that they could've recreated the original structures, using stronger materials. Oh, well. What's done is done, but feeling like I'm "off the beaten path" is what I like about certain beaches on the island. With these new buildings, that feeling is gone on this stretch of Orient.

Everyone has an opinion and a comment.  I'm hoping they have the same food as the old places did.  I refrained from commenting for fear someone might take my comment and place it in a blog story just as I have.  Hope you enjoyed reading the comments and the thoughts of those that call St. Martin/Sint Maarten their choice of vacation sites.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Quicker on the Draw" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Laying on the operating table at the Surgery Center of Lancaster talking with my surgeon,  Dr. Kuntz.  Nothing unusual except that he is operating on me at the time.  Talking about coaching the rifle team at the high school where I taught school.  He was questioning me about the type of rifles we were using and was amazed that we actually used live ammunition in a high school.  "You have to remember that was over 40 years ago," I told him.  Then I felt a few tugs on my hand and he said, "That's it.  All we have to do now is put a dressing on it."  The "it" was my pinky finger on my right hand which he was operating on for "trigger finger."  If you haven't heard of that before ... trigger finger results from a discrepancy between the size of the tendon and the size of the entrance to the tendon sheath.  This discrepancy can be the result of localized inflammation or a nodular swelling on the tendon itself.  When the size between the tendon and the tendon sheath reaches a critical point, the tendon will experience resistance from the tendon sheath.  At first, this is felt as a snapping of the trigger finger when relaxing a fist.  If the condition worsens, the trigger finger many need applied pressure from other fingers to straighten, or may not straighten at all.  

The stitches will be removed in another
week.  If you are considering the surgery,
it is a simple procedure with minimal pain.
I can now open the finger without pain.

My pinky finger on my right hand would no longer open unless I grabbed it and physically opened it.  And, OUCH!  Well, I went to visit Dr. Kuntz and he agreed I need to have it surgically repaired which is what he is putting the finishing touches on right now.  About 10 years ago I went through the same thing with my right thumb and a few years ago I had my middle two fingers repaired.  My thumb was done with a local anesthetic while my middle fingers were done with a general anesthetic.  I asked Dr. Kuntz if he could go the local route this time to reduce the recovery time and he agreed.  All I asked of him was that he didn't tell me what he was doing, just do it.  So, we talked about sports, our families, ... and in no time he was done.  Wrapped a bandage around my hand which held a piece of gauze over the incision.  After I was taken to the recovery room my wife was called back to see me.  She walked into the recovery room as Dr. Kuntz was talking with me.  She happened to have a rather large novel in her hand and when she saw the doctor looking at it she said, "I thought the operation would last longer."  He replied, "Yeah, that book would have been good for brain surgery."  A nurse checked my blood pressure while Dr. Kuntz talked with Carol and I.  He is a very personable doctor with great bedside manners.  He gave me instructions as to what to do and said he'll see me in ten days to remove the stitches.  Five days later I removed the bandage and was able to bathe once again without a bag over my hand.  Trigger finger surgery is a fairly easy operation and there is no reason to have to go through the pain associated with trigger finger.  The only thing you can't do is have a trigger finger repaired on both hands at the same time.  Tough to use the toilet with both hands covered with gauze.  Don't put off the surgery any longer if you have this affliction.  It is simple and fairly painless.  After having it three times, I should know.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "It's All Too Ordinary" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Days like this have become more and more ordinary all over the world.  So sad.  Turned on the news after getting home from my part-time job at the framing gallery to find that 13 people were killed and almost two dozen more wounded at a community college in Roseburg, Oregon.  It was the latest mass killing in the U.S. and need I tell you how it was carried out.  Seems a young man fired a shot that went through a classroom window, killing the teacher, and then asked other students in the class to stand and give the religion they were associated with before he began to shoot them.  Almost everyone in the classroom was killed by the shooter who had four guns on him.  He was later killed in a shootout with police.  Reports online call for more gun control in the United States, but you and I both know that will never happen.  The President came on the screen and said, "Somehow this has become routine.  The reporting is routine, my response here, at this podium, ends up being routine. ...We've become numb to this."  How true.  It was only three months ago when a young man, visiting in a South Carolina church, killed nine congregation members.  Then five U.S. servicemen in Chattanooga, Tennessee were gunned down.  Today's shooting wasn't a record though.  That happened in April of 2007 when a student at Virginia Tech University killed 32 people, wounded 32 others and then killed himself.   Remember back in December of 2012 when a young man shot and killed his mother then went to nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School and opened fire on the teachers and students before killing himself.  Much earlier than that in October of 2006 a deranged man, using a gun, burst into an Amish Schoolhouse a few miles from my house in Lancaster, PA and shot 10 little schoolgirls, killing many of them.  One thing all these shooters had in common; a gun!!  Yeah, I know if everyone else in the United States was armed, these shootings may not have happened.  Sounds like we are living in the wild, wild West of days gone by.  

Starting to remind me of the old-time Westerns I used to watch on TV Saturday mornings when I was a kid.  Everyone would get shot and the next week they were all back on TV once again to do it all over again.  Was never that way in real life and never will be, will it?  I mean the part of coming back again next week to do it all over again.  Now the shootings are permanent and seems like they will never stop.  Certainly stronger gun control isn't the answer, or is it?  I guess I need to join the crowd and get a handgun and a permit to hide it under my shirt.  Just like everyone else seems to be doing.  So sad.  And, it's all too ordinary.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "100 Years of Travel on Route 30" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading online about the three great-great nieces of Anita King who wanted to replicate the feat that Anita accomplished 100 years ago this month.  Seems that Anita traversed the 2-year-old Lincoln Highway from it's start in New York to its final point in San Franisco.  Took Anita 49 days to make the trip from coast to coast, but her distant relatives plan to make the trip in 49 hours of road time.  

Travel line of the Lincoln Highway.  Click on photo to enlarge.

Was in 2013 that I wrote a five-part story on the Lincoln Highway as it passed from close to Coatesville, PA to close to Gettysburg, PA.  Lancaster, PA was approximately in the center of those two points and I was able to find some of the historical points along what I know as Route 30, but do call the Lincoln Highway from time to time.  

My home in Lancaster is about a half-mile north of the Lincoln Highway as it bypasses Lancaster City.  

Lincoln Penny replica is shown in these pavement inserts
in the city of Columbia, Pennsylvania.

My stories told of and showed signs along our country's first coast-to-coast highway that was established in 1913.  The road helped to open new ways for Americans to travel and vacation as well as establish cities along the way.  

Painting on the side of a convenience store along Route
30 showing what the store looked like years ago.

Rest stops, restaurants, camp grounds and even gas stations lined the sides of the new Lincoln Highway.  Anita King, star of stage and screen and born Anna Keppen, managed to escape a life of being a house servant to take the personal challenge of completing the coast-to-coast trip which two male directors had said couldn't be done by a female.  She was faced with using a car known as a Kissel Kar which wasn't built for travel on roads that weren't even paved at certain spots and meant for horse travel at other spots.  

As you can see by the words under the photo published almost 100
years ago, Miss Anita King has arrived in New York.

She carried a pistol and rifle with her for protection from wildlife of both animal and human behavior.  She had to change many tires, make her own mechanical repairs and dig herself out of muddy ruts.  It was on October 19th of 1913 that Anita arrived in New York to a wild celebration.  She had proven that women could do just about everything that men could do.  And, she may have been slightly responsible for women getting the right to vote a few years later.  The nieces left San Francisco in a Chrysler 200 and got to travel on parts of the Lincoln Highway with speed limits four times or more the 18 MPH speed that Anita could travel in her car.  They had music from just about any era to listen to while Anita didn't even have a phone to use if in trouble.  She did have a huge following which I doubt her nieces have while recreating the passage that their distant aunt made 100 years ago.  I'd love to try something historic that a distant relative of mine may have done years and years ago, but I'm not quite sure what that may be; yet!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.