The "The Dryer Sheet To My Heart" Story

It was an ordinary day. Being that Valentine's Day is upon us, I thought it might be neat to feature a story about something very romantic … like chocolate!  Isn't chocolate the most romantic item you can think of today?  Be it dark, light, white, filled with almonds or peanuts, or dripped over strawberries, it is fantastic!  I assume you know that milk and dark chocolate come from the cacao bean which grows on the cacao tree, an evergreen from the family Malvaceae.  Therefore it makes the most important part of the sweet treat a vegetable.  And, therefore one of the main food groups!  And, you need this food group daily!  White chocolate really isn't a chocolate since it doesn't contain cacoa solids or chocolate liquor, but does contain parts of the cacao bean; mainly cocoa butter.  Hey, that's find with me!  In both the early Mexican and Aztec cultures, cacao was brewed which yielded a bitter concoction that was often used for ceremonial occasions like weddings.  It is supposed to be the origin of our hot chocolate, only more refined and sweeter.  Love a cup of Quik for breakfast in the morning.  Gives me something to dunk my toast, cookies, cake or muffin into.  

And while I'm on the topic of hot chocolate, did you know that Marie Antoinette dipped her cake in hot chocolate.  Seems they served hot chocolate frequently at the Palace of Versailles and it went perfect with the cake she often had.  It also was believed to be an aphrodisiac; the hot chocolate that is - not the cake.  It wasn't until 1847 when a pair of British confectioners invented solid chocolate. The Fry and Sons confectionary concocted what they called "eating chocolate" by combining cocoa butter, sugar and chocolate liquor which made a grainy, solid form of treat very similar to our chocolate candy.  Actually cocao and cocoa are both the same thing.  Over time, people just switched the same letters around, but came up with the same item. Made for something like fake news, I guess.  I do that rather often you probably realize by now.  Getting back to French culture, did you know that Napoleon loved chocolate?  The French leader demanded that wine and chocolate be made available to him and his senior advisers even during intense military campaigns.  

Now, if you look in my wife's pantry, you will probably find something which is known as Baker's Chocolate which isn't just for baking.  She tells me that, but perhaps to keep me from eating it.  Doesn't work though!  Baker's Chocolate was actually developed by Dr. James Baler and John Hannon who founded a chocolate company which later became known as Walter Baker Chocolate in 1765.  It wasn't just meant to be for baking, but it sort of revolved into that since it carried the name baker on it.   Then along came Lancastrian Milton Hershey who was the real candy KING.  Built a caramel factory in downtown Lancaster on Church Street at the age of 30.  He later found that adding chocolate to his caramels made them sell faster.  He sold his caramel factory in Lancaster and built a plant in Hershey, Pennsylvania and the rest is history, as they say. Milk chocolate was actually invented in Switzerland in 1875 when Daniel Peter created a tasty treat after eight years of experimenting.  Would have loved to have worked for him in quality control.  

LDub has turned into chocolate while typiing this story!!

He finally found that condensed milk was the key ingredient in milk chocolate.  Also interesting to know that it takes 400 cacao beans to make a single pound of milk chocolate.  It was in 1842 that the Cadbury Company made the very first chocolate bar.  They still are one of my youngest sons favorites and we make sure he gets his Cadbury chocolate eggs every Easter on his dinner plate.  And finally, if you have ever put a candy bar in your pocket or under your baseball cap to keep someone from finding and eating it, you probably realized that it melts if it get too hot; 93 degrees to be exact.  That's just below the human body temperature.  And the reason for that is … so it can melt on your tongue!  Well, hope you bought some chocolate for your favorite sweetheart today, but if not, don't worry for I will be eating a few extra pieces just for you, since you realize that chocolate is the dryer sheet to my heart.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Like Father, Like Son" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at the face staring back at me from the rear page of the Lancaster Newspaper.  Face belongs to a young man named Paul Weibel DMD who was a graduate of nearby Hempfield High School in Lancaster County.  According to the announcement in the paper, Paul studied at Villanova University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and recently completed his orthodontic residency at Seton Hill University.  He is planning to join the practice known as Weibel Orthodontics located on Marietta Ave. in Lancaster, PA.  So far nothing out of line that would surprise you except for the fact that Paul isn't going to be the founder of the practice where he will work.  The person that did that was his father Steve who opened the practice many year ago.  Dr. Steve Weibel is not only skilled with dental tools, but also with a Remington 22 caliber rifle.  Steve was one of the members of my rifle team that won the Pennsylvania State Championship in 1972.  He along with nine other members of the rifle team annihilated the competition at State College by firing a perfect score that Saturday morning years ago.  The photo of Paul in the paper today is a spitting image of what Steve looked like when he was younger.  Actually haven't seen Steve for quite a few years; since he did orthodontic work on my youngest son.  As with most of the members of my rifle team, we talked about school, friends, and what they wanted to do in life.  Steve shared with me for quite a few years of his high school experience that he wanted to be a dentist; practicing in orthodontics.  

Dr. Steve Weibel is pictured standing next to me on the
far right of the photograph of the State Champion Rifle Team.

That's all he talked about.  One day close to the end of his senior year in 1973 I told him that if he ever became a dentist I would be sure to bring my children to him to have their orthodontic work done.  We made a pact that day that I would bring my children to him and he would give them the best teeth possible.  The deal was made and we both kept our part of the agreement.  My oldest two children luckily didn't need orthodontic work, but our youngest son did.  I can still remember the first visit to see Steve at his office.  I told his nurse that Steve was on my rifle team and was one of the best shots on the team.  She told me he talked about the team quite often and that it was nice to get to see his coach in person.  Steve entered and it was like we were still on the rifle range talking about life all over again.  He told my wife and I what he would do for our son and told us there would be no charge for his services.  Really appreciated the gesture, but told him he'll never stay in business that way.  Only way he was going to me my son's orthodontist was if my son was a paying patient.  We went back and forth a bit, but he finally agreed on a price; a slightly reduced rate for his services.  We made many visits to his office and found Steve to be as good with his dental tools and knowledge as he was with the Remington.  My visits to his office with my son were usually the highlight of the day.  Rehashing "the good ole times" as he worked on my son's teeth … well it was like those practice sessions every winter rifle season when my team members talked about what they would do after high school and wondering if their coach would every see then again.  I'm sorry to say that I have only keep in touch with a few of the members and the photo in the paper today gave me another reason to call and hash over those memories with one of them.  And, I loved it! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Could My Dad Have Gotten It Wrong? Story

Freedom display featuring Henry Norwood "Barney" Ewell.

It was an ordinary day.  My first day visiting The Lancaster County Historical Society as a new member.  My wife bought me the membership as a Christmas gift and I finally decided it was time for a visit.  Wanted to see the "Freedom" display that is in the main lobby for a few more months.  One of the displays was an entire wall filled with photos and memorabilia about Lancaster's own Barney Ewell who attended John Piersol McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and who won a Gold Medal in the 1948 Olympics.  

Sprinter Barney Ewell

As I stood in front of the forty foot long display, reading the many accolades of Mr. Ewell, I wondered if my dad could have gotten it wrong.  Seems my dad went to school with Barney and told me more than once that Barnney borrowed money from him, as well as other classmates, and never repaid the debt.  "Happened more than once, until I figured I wasn't getting my money back and stopped giving him money.  Then he hit the next guy up for money until he also realized he wasn't getting repaid," dad told me.  Heard the story more than once and I began to dislkie the guy who became famous and never repaid his debts.  

Plaque awarded to Barney for McCaskey HS Hall of Fame

I looked at one photograph after another and read the literature on the wall in the Historical Society and wondered if this really was the guy who my dad had told me about.  Couldn't have been ... or could it?  Seems that Henry Norwood Ewell, known to his classmates as "Barney," was born into a poor family on February 25, 1918.  He became Pennsylvania's greatest high school sprinter and jumper in the mid-1930s.  

Another award from the state of Pennsylvania.

He attended high school with my dad and was a track and field star at the school.  In 1988, Barney entered the J.P. McCaskey Athletic Hall of Fame during the school's 50th Anniversary year.  After graduation he entered Pennsylvania State University, but dropped out in order to serve in the United States Army.  

His 1948 Olympic Gold Medal for the 4 x 100 race.

After his time in the Army, he returned to Penn State and received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1947.  While at Penn State, before he entered the service, he was a celebrated sprinter and jumper, running the 100 meter and 200 meter races and winning 12 gold medals between 1940 and 1942.  Since both the 1940 and 1944 Olympic Summer Games were canceled, he lost hope that he would ever be a celebrated Olympian.  

Receiving his Silver Medal for the 100 meter dash.

By the time the '48 Olympics came around, everyone thought Barney was past his prime and had missed his chance at a Gold Medal.  He surprised everyone by making the team, equaling the world record of 10.2 in the 100 meter dash at the 1948 AAU Championships, which served as the Olympic trials.  He ran the 100 meter dash at London and thought he had won the race, but it was awarded to teammate Harrison Dillard with Barney taking the Silver Medal.  In the 200 meter race he also took the Silver to teammate Mel Patton.  He was added to the 4 x 100 relay after teammate Ed Conwell became sick.  The U.S. team easily won the race, but were disqualified due to an "out of the zone" baton exchange between Ewell and Lorenzo Wright.  

This photo shows Jesse Owens (seated) talking with Barney
Ewell.  Both were World Class athletes in track and field.

After reviewing the film of the race the officials reversed the ruling and Barney was awarded the Gold Medal along with his team members.  Barney contributed to his community by encouraging young athletes to strive for excellence in every thing they did in life.  He eventually, in later life, had both his legs amputated due to diabetes.  Not sure what year that might have been, but dad never said a bad word about Barney after that happened.  I guess he figured Barney had paid the price.  Barney died on April 4, 1996 in Lancaster.  He will be remembered forever as one of Lancaster's most prolific athletes.  And, I still wonder if dad could have gotten it wrong!  Nah, dad was always right!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Lancaster's Quiet Champion of Woman's Rights" Story

The tombstone of Lydia Hamilton Smith in the
St. Mary's Catholic Church cemetery.  The inscription
reads: LYDIA HAMILTON SMITH, Relict of Jacob
Smith, For many years the trusted housekeeper of HON.
THADDEUS STEVENS. Born at Gettysburg Penna.
on St. Valentine's day, 1813. Died at Washington DC
on St. Valentine's day, 1884. One of her sons is buried
next to her, but I couldn't read the inscription.

It was an ordinary day.  Trying to find the tombstone of one Lydia Hamilton Smith who was buried in the Saint Mary's Catholic Church cemetery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  She died in 1884 and since that time many people have been buried in the cemetery on the northeast side of town which makes it even harder to find the tombstone.  Luckily I knew the shape of the tombstone so I eventually found it.  Almost impossible to read since time has eroded the edges of the limestone letters.  Didn't matter since I already knew the story I would find on the tombstone.  Lydia was born on Valentine's Day in 1813 in Russell Tavern, near Gettysburg, PA to an African American mother and an Irish father.  

Lydia Hamilton Smith

She married a "free" black man named Jacob Smith and mothered two sons.  Her husband died in 1852, shortly after they had separated, and she raised the boys by herself.  While living in Gettysburg, Lydia and her mother got to know attorney and abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens.  Stevens, who had moved his law practice to Lancaster in 1842, offered her a position as his housekeeper in 1847, which she accepted.  Stevens help her buy a modest home around the corner from his house on East Vine Street.  A year later Stevens was elected to the U.S. Congress, where he advocated ending slavery.  Lydia accompanied Stevens on trips to Washington, D.C. and went with him to social gatherings and was addressed as "Madam" or Mrs. Smith.  It was said they were not romantically involved, as she always said, but it was often questioned.

Early drawing of Stevens' home on South Queen Street.

In recent years archaeolo- gists, called in due to construction of a new convention center in downtown Lancaster, directly adjacent to Stevens' house on South Queen Street, discovered evidence that the cistern at his Lancaster home was used as a hiding place for freedom seekers and suspected that Stevens and Smith participated in the Underground Railroad.  

The same houses today.

The year 1860 saw the start of the Civil War as well as the death of her oldest son, William.  Her other son, Isaac, was a noted banjo player and barber and enlisted in the 6th U.S. Colored Troops in 1863.  In July of that year, the Battle of Gettysburg took place with tens of thousands of dead and wounded troops.  The compassionate Lydia Smith drove a borrowed horse and wagon to Adams County where she collected donations of food and clothing and distributed them among the wounded men, both Union and Confederate alike at the many troop hospitals.  It was said she was able to see past their role as soldiers fighting to perpetuate slavery and view them only as wounded, suffering humans.  

The house on the left was Smith's house on East Vine Street.

Smith and Stevens' friendship lasted until his death in 1868.  Thaddeus left Smith $5,000 in his will which she used to purchase his home in Lancaster as well as a large boarding house in Washington, D.C.  She spent most of her time in Washington, D.C., but still returned often to Lancaster where she died on Valentine's Day in 1884.  She was buried in the cemetery where I finally discovered her grave. To me she was one of our nation's, and certainly Lancaster, PAs, quiet champions of woman's rights.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "5 Caribbean Towns To Visit" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Enjoying an email sent from Caribbean Life Magazine.  One of today's stories on the email was titled, "5 Caribbean Towns to Visit Right Now".  Naturally had to click on the link http://www.caribjournal.com/ to take a look since Carol and I enjoy frequent vacation trips to the Caribbean.  The story listed five small towns on different islands in the Caribbean and told why it was a good choice to visit these towns if you every travel to the island on which the town is located.  Two of the islands we have already visited and while on those islands happened to make stops in the towns reviewed.  The three we have never visited are: (1) St. Pierre in Martinique which is dubbed the "Caribbean Pompeii".  It was once known as the Paris of the Caribbean until a 1902 volcano just about destroyed the area.  Now it's a charming French-Caribbean town with great food, bakeries, hiking, historical ruins and rum distillery.  (2) Cabarete, Dominican Republic which is the Caribbean's ultimate surf town with cosmolitan cafes, beach bars and high-level restaurants.  (3) Deshaies, Guadeloupe which is known as the town of St. Honore on the fictional island of Saint Marie on the BBC TV show Death in Paradise.  It is also known as one of the Caribbean's up-and-coming culinary capitals.  

Coral Bay.  Fantastic view from Skinny Legs Restaurant.

As far as the other two towns go, Carol and I have enjoyed both of them.  The first, Coral Bay, St. John we visited one time, maybe ten years ago, while driving around the island.  We drove through the small, funky and artsy small town and stopped at the restaurant known as Skinny Legs Bar and Grill for lunch.  It is located in an historic church, which I'm sure we didn't know at the time.  

Boaters arriving in Grand Case head to Restaurant Row.

The view from the restaurant, looking out over the beautiful bay in front of us while sitting in the restaurant, was just gorgeous.  The hat which I bought there is one of my favorites.  

The main drag in Grand Case is lined
with restaurants on both sides with
many displaying colorful flowers.  My
wife stands in front of some of them.

Happened to be shopping in Chesapeake City, Maryland a few years ago when I stumbled upon someone who had a hat just like mine perched on their head.  The second town that was reviewed is one of our favorite towns in the Caribbean.  Located on the French side of Sint Maarten/St. Martin, Grand Case is known as the culinary capital of the Caribbean.  I have written many stories about the town and if you type in "Grand Case" in the small white box that appears to the top left of my website when you open it, you can read about the town.  Carol and I have made close to a dozen trips to the island and always make a few visits to Grand Case while there.  Fantastic food destinations line both sides of the seafront main road.  One of my favorite Caribbean restaurants, Il Nettuno, is located in this town.  So, take a look at the website and if you ever hit any of the islands listed, stop in the respective towns and see why they have made the list of "5 Caribbean Towns to Visit Right Now."  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Caps from the two islands on the list: St. Martin and St. John

The "M29 'Lady Luck'" Vehicle" Story

The M29 Weasel at Horsepower Enterprises.

It was an ordinary day.  Finally stopped at Horsepower Enterprises on Prince Street in Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania to talk to Dave, a former student of mine, who works at the auto-restoration business about the rather unique vehicle that has been in the showroom window for over a month.  Walked into the showroom and saw Dave in the work area holding a fresh cup of coffee.  I waved and in no time we were standing in front of the vehicle known as a M29 Weasel.  

"Lady Luck" hand-painted on the side of the vehicle.

Hand painted on one side of the Army green vehicle in perhaps five-inch high white paint was "Lady Luck".  Evidently it worked since this tracked vehicle is a survivor of World War II.  The vehicle was produced in 1945 by the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, later doing business as Studebaker Automobile Company in South Bend, Indiana.  It was after the German Invasion of Norway in April of 1940, during WWII, that British inventor Geoffrey Pyke came up with the idea of a small tracked vehicle large enough to ferry commando-type elements across Arctic environments.  Eventually in 1941 the vehicle went into production with a Canadian/American effort with Studebaker making the two-seat vehicle which used a twin bogie, four-wheeled track system.  

The M29 in action.

The original version was known as the M28 Weasel with the M29 coming into existence in 1943.  The M29 had the engine located in the front of the hull which allowed for two more seats in the vehicle.  The running gear was completely revamped to include sixteen road wheels and a new suspension assembly.  The four-person vehicle weighed close to two tons and was 10 feet, 6 inches in length and 5 feet wide with a height of 4 feet.  Some Weasel's had 50mm machine gun turrets on them while others may have had 75mm cannons which were known as tank killers.  Power was served through the Studebaker Model 6-170 Champion 6-cylinder gasoline-fueled engine of 70 horsepower which provided the vehicle with road speeds of 36 miles per hour and operational ranges of 165 miles.  The Weasels could climb high grades with some able to cross water sources.  It could manage trenches of 36 inches and obstacles as high as 24 inches.  

Here you can see the dual rudder control on the rear of the Weasel.

When it was not transporting personnel it could be used to haul 3,800 pounds of goods into battle.  The M29C was a dedicated amphibious form with internal float tanks and dual rudder control.  The M29 was meant to be used in combat action in Norway, but ended up in combat service in mainland Europe.  The model I am standing in front of does have the rudder control, but I'm not sure where the float tanks might be located.  Dave explained some of the workings of the vehicle and gave me a chance to take photos before he was off to work on another project.  Horsepower Enterprises sees some of the most interesting vehicles pass through its doors on their way to restoration at the hands of Dave and the other workers at the building that at one time was called Mohn Bros. Buick in the late 40s and 50s.  I lived half-a-block from the garage while a child and even had my 1955 Ford painted at the place. My friend Jerry's dad was a member of the work force at Mohn Bros. in the mid-1900s. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Here you can see the multi-wheeled track system.

Front view showing the light. 

The rear seats of the four-passenger vehicle.

Small plaque telling the specifications of the vehicle.

I am standing on the "driver's" side looking toward the center console with gauges in the center.  To the left is the "steering" mechanism which is a straight bar with small knobs on the ends.

Final view shows the ground clearance of the M29 Weasel.

The "Big Man Who Made It Big" Story.

Wally Walker as a high school for Penn Manor High School

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at an old photo of Lancaster County basketball superstar Wally Walker who played basketball for Penn Manor High School from 1968 to 1972.  I knew Wally years ago since he was the brother of one of my friends that I worked with at the Acme Supermarket, Bob Walker.  Bob and I worked for a few years together at the grocery store and had the best time.  Often we would come up with something to do while at work that would either entertain the customers or annoy them.  

Congressman Robert Walker, friend and grape-thrower.

More than once we would grab a handful of loose grapes from the produce counter and take them to our checkout registers to throw back through the store while the customers were shopping.  Other times we would hand out free items to customers; items that had been removed from the store's shelves due to being outdated.  They loved it and often would try to get in our checkout lines to see what we were offering that particular day. Needless to say the store manager wasn't in favor of either, but what he didn't know .... you know the rest.   Well, Bob introduced me to his brother one day and I was amazed at this very tall kid who was as skinny as I was.  Bob went on to become a teacher, as I did, and then became a politician and represented Pennsylvania in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican from 1977 to 1997.  While a congressman I can remember him making a visit to Manheim Township High School, where I was a teacher, to present the school with a flag that had flown over the House of Representatives.  He was giving a speech to the administrators, teachers and students when he looked toward the back of the auditorium where I stood.  He stopped in mid-sentence, looked my way, and said, "Larry, is that you?"  I naturally waved to him from the rear.  "I'll see you after and we can catch up on the good old times at the Acme," he said.  Got a good laugh!  

Wally when Virginia won the Atlantic Coast Tournament.
Wally is the tall player on the left behind the coach. 

Well, as I was looking at a local website, there was Bob's younger brother Wally taking a shot over everyone in a game when he played for Penn Manor, my wife's alma mater.  Wally was so good he ended up playing for the Division I Virginia Cavaliers in the Atlantic Coast Conference.  His 6'7" frame and sweet shot took his team to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship and its first NCAA Tournament berth in 1976.  Wally scored 21 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in that championship game against the University of North Carolina.  

Wally when he played for the Seattle Supersonics.

He is the 6th all-tie scorer in school history and has the 6th highest point average in school history.  He was a first-team Academic All American in 1976 and had his number 41 team jersey retired by the school.  I cheered for him throughout his collegiate career until he was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round with the fifth pick of the draft.  He played a total of eight years between Portland, Seattle and Houston.  Won two championship rings, one with Portland and one with Seattle.  

Wally now lives in Seattle with his wife and three children.

After ending his career in the NBA in 1984, he played briefly in Italy until enrolling in Stanford Graduate School of Business, graduating in 1987 with his MBA.  In 1994 he was named General Manager of the Seattle SuperSonics.  A few years later he finished second in voting for Executive of the Year when the team won the Pacific Division of the NBA.  Then in 2004-05 the Sonics won the Northwest Division, the 4th Division Title won while Wally was team President.  He was President for 12 years.  Today he still enjoys the game of basketball, the game that made him famous.  I'm just glad I had the chance to meet him when he was a young boy and get to watch him on TV while playing collegiate and professional basketball.  It was another extraordinary guy.  

The "So Why Did You Watch The Superbowl Game? Story

It was an ordinary day.  Superbowl Sunday!  For most I realize it isn't an ordinary day, but since my Eagles aren't playing in the game, it is just an ordinary day.  For those who don't follow football or have that sport in your country, the Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League, the highest level of professional football in the world. The type of football that isn't played with a round ball and players tackle one another.   

The Superbowl officially began in 1970 and was meant to be the champion- ship between the National Football League and the American Football League.  The winner was to be declared the World Champion.  Even though the game isn't listed as a national holiday, many believe it should be.  I must say I'm not one of them.  Super Bowl Sunday is the 2nd largest day in the year for food consumption in the USA; Thanksgiving being the largest.  The game itself is said to be the most-watched American television broadcast in history with an average annual audience of about 114 million viewers.  The show that held the record before the Superbowl gained the top spot in 2010 was the final episode of M*A*S*H which was an American television series developed in the late 1960s to the early 1970s and was based on the 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors.  Since most everyone in the world seems to be tuned to the Superbowl, commercial time is extremely expensive, costing in the millions for a 30-second commercial.

I find I enjoy the commer- cials some years more than I enjoy the football game.  I wrote a story a few years ago about my favorites which include the Budweiser Beer commercial that features the Clydesdale horses being my favorites. Back in 2010 a survey was conducted and it was found that more people tune in to see the commercials than to watch the game.  Perhaps one of the best commercials was the 1984 Macintosh computer commercial.  It was said it changed the way that Super Bowl commercials were made.  That one-minute movie commercial promised that  the new Apple Macintosh would put an end to conformity and spark innovation and individuality.  The epic commercial was based on George Orwell's 1949 book "1984".  I guess you have to decide for yourself how iconic that ad was.  Another iconic Super Bowl commercial was the 1984 Wendy's "Where's The Beef?" commercial where three older woman examine a rather large hamburger bun and find a small beef pattie and one cries out, "Where's The Beef?"  Still funny after all these years.  Then there was the 1993 McDonald's ad which featured basketball stars Larry Bird and Michael Jordan who tired to outshoot each other in a game of HORSE for a Big Mac.  I think the earliest Super Bowl commercial was the 1976 ad which featured a monk using a Xerox 9200 copier to make 500 copies of an old manuscript.  This ad set the standard for all Super Bowl ads that followed.  Well, there you have it.  Any idea who might be playing in the game this year?  All I know it isn't the Philadelphia Eagles, my favorite.  One thing I can tell you though, there's bound to be a Budwiser commercial which features the Clydesdale horses.  If not, I'll have to watch reruns of House Hunters International next year ... unless the Eagles are in the game.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

PS - Well the game is over and my team lost.  And ... the advertisements were boring.  I really don't remember any of them they were that bad. Oh yeah, I did see the Clydesdales ... for maybe 3 seconds in one commercial.  If I had blinked, I would have missed them.  You know, maybe I just imagined I saw them.  

PSS - check out some of the older commercials ... commercials that you will certainly remember.

The "The 'Frisbee' Turns 60" Story

My ring, or coaster Frisbee, waits on my
workbench for a few tosses.

It was an ordinary day.  Digging out my Frisbee to throw with my grandson.  I was never very good at throwing a regular Frisbee, but I can really throw what is called a Coaster Frisbee.  That is a Frisbee that has a hole in the center, making the Frisbee look like a plastic ring.  I can sail that Frisbee great distances and with a fair amount of accuracy.  Not so with a regular Frisbee which I have no idea where it may go and how far.  Anyway, my story today announces the 60th birthday of the fairly inexpensive toy or sports article.  It was in 1871 that William Russell Frisbie moved from Bransford, Connecticut to Bridgeport, Connecticut and began work as a manager at a new bakery.  Wasn't long before he bought the place and named it the Frisbie Pie Company.  He died in 1903, but his son, Joseph took charge until he also died in 1940.  More family members continued the business until in 1956 they were making 80,000 pies a day.  

A more recognizable Frisbee.

At this point I should tell you that there are two schools of thought as to how the Frisbie got it's name.  (1) One group claims that students at Yale College bought Frisbie's pies and tossed them all over campus as they exclaimed "Frisbie" to signal to the person who was catching the pie.  (2) Another group claims they were the developers of the Frisbie because they used the lid of the cans that held the sugar cookies that were baked by the Frisbie Company.  So which one is the correct answer.  Well, may not be either since the now-common plastic variety was invented in the 1950s by a former World War II fighter pilot and carpenter named Fred Morrison.  The shape was inspired by UFO sightings as was Morrison's original name for them: Pluto Platters.  In 1957 Fred sold the rights to his design to Wham-O toy company.  The same company that made the hula hoops.  

Playing with a Frisbee has been turned into a pro sport.

They renamed the Pluto Platter the "Frisbie" after what he heard many people in New England calling the pies or lids that were tossed about in Connecticut.  Since they didn't want any problems with those tossed around at Yale, they changed the name from "Frisbie" to Frisbee.  When Morrison died in 2010 it was said that well over 200 million Frisbees had been sold.  The casual tossing of the Frisbee has grown over the years and there are now  professional disc golfers who compete by hitting targets rather than sinking putts.  There is also Ultimate Frisbee which is a cross between soccer and football.  And then there is "Guts" in which players attempt to catch each other's high-speed throws without breaking their fingers.  

A photograph of the World's Largest Whoopie taken at
the Whoopie Pie Festival in Strasburg, PA.  The festival
is a yearly event held in the fall.

A few years ago my wife and I went with friends to the Whoopie Pie Festival in nearby Strasburg, Pennsyl- vania and got a chance to see how far we could toss a whoopie pie which is much the same shape as a Frisbee, except smaller.  I watched contestant after contestant throw their whoopie pies and when it was my turn I passed on throwing it, opting to eat it instead.  There was another contest where you put your whoopie pie on a slingshot type device to see how far you would sling it across nearby farm fields.  One way or another, Fred Morrison, at the age of 17 sent the lid of a popcorn tin skimming through the air in a California backyard and eventually made a similar device from plastic and invented the Frisbee.  As for me, I'd rather eat a whoopie pie than throw a Frisbee any day.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "So What Would You Do? Really??" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Decided to ask you, my readers, a question today after giving some background info.  So, the information is: Your spouse has been ill for many years and has finally suffered several debilitating strokes over a rather short period of time.  Your Spouse expressed to you, as well as others, that they no longer wish to live.  Then one more stroke makes every task unbearable.  Would you aide your spouse by helping them commit suicide?  Would you commit suicide with them?  Well, that exactly what happened in Lancaster, Pennsylvania this past week.  A 70 year old woman, who was in a nursing facility after suffering an extremely debilitating stroke which left her barely functioning, went with her husband, who had checked her out of the facility for the day, to their home where her 60-year old husband made a prescription-drug cocktail mixed with vanilla pudding and as they sat in their car, BOTH ate the mixture.  The nursing facility notified the authorities that the woman never returned and they found the pair in their car in their driveway.  A few days later the woman died and the husband, who had recovered, was charged with a second-degree felony count of causing or aiding suicide.  The Lancaster County coroner has not made a ruling as to her death yet and said his office is still in the process of gathering medical records and other information from the hospital before making their decision.  Could they be setting this up to be death by natural causes?  Could they know that she would have died soon anyway.  Are they in favor of what her husband was about to do?  And, what would do?  I'm struggling with what I would have done if I had been the husband.  I questioned why he would want to take his life, along with his wife, until I read that he figured he would be arrested for murder and didn't want to spend the rest of his life in prison.  He said he loved his wife too much not to die with her.  He also said that he struggled with insurance carriers and care providers to get his wife the treatment she needed.  His wife told him that it was too much to bare and she couldn't live like that.  The husband and wife were totally devoted to one another and often talked about wanted to die together.  So ... what would you do?  Would you do it if it was legal to help assist with a suicide?  Do you think it should be legal for a health professional to help with a suicide?  Could you live with yourself if you helped with a suicide?  Just asking.  I don't expect an answer.  Very interesting, isn't it?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Yesterday .... All My Troubles Seemed So Far Away! : Part IV - Cryosurgery Prep" Story

Foreword:  Previous I told of the day I found that I had prostate cancer.  I have decided to take you along with me on my journey to try and conquer the disease so that if you are a male or have a spouse or close friend who is a male, you may better understand what they are experiencing and can help your loved one with their journey through the disease.

It was an ordinary day.  Reading all the things I must be aware of since I just had my first treatment to prepare me for Cryosurgery.  I will be given a series of shots that will help to reduce the size of my prostate before the Cryosurgery is done.  Today I was given two shots, one on either side of my stomach just above belt height, of the drug Firmagon.  The multitude of papers I was given tells me the drug is used to treat prostate cancer.  Before I was given the injections I was questioned about any drug allergies I may have and what reactions I had to the drugs I now take. Firmagon may cause weak bones so I was told I should take a daily dose of Vitamin D.  Seems that Firmagon has many side effects that have been experienced by others in the past such as: weight gain, change in sex ability, feeling tired or weak, hot flashes, back pain, joint pain, chills, constipation, redness or swelling where the shot is given, itching were the shot is given and pain where the shot is given.  Wow!  But then the nurse told me these are not all of the side effects that may occur and if I have questions about side effects I can call the doctor.  Was I ready for the shots?  Hey, I already have most of the side effects so I more than likely won't notice any change after the shots.  She pulled out a big needle, REALLY BIG, and proceeded to give me the two shots.  Then she told me to call my urologist, Dr. Seiber, right away if I have: very bad headaches, very bad dizziness, pain when passing urine, trouble passing urine or an abnormal heartbeat.  Oh yeah, if I get a rash, hives, itching, redness, swelling, blistering, wheezing, fever, tightness in the chest or throat, trouble breathing or talking, unusual hoarseness or swelling of my mouth, lips, face tongue or throat I should call right away.  The direction sheet I was given also said I should remove any throw rugs in the house, don't use a ladder to climb on the roof, make sure extension cords are behind furniture, take a yoga class to help my balance, lift weights, walk and make sure I have a nightlight in the bathroom and hallway to improve my night vision.  I did experience eye problems from having to read all the literature given to me as well as pain while urinating so I called, as directed.  I was told they couldn't help me with my eyesight, but was told to come to the office where a nurse practitioner questioned me and then asked me to give a urine sample.  Within minutes my sample was negative for blood or any infections.  Sent home with a drug that turned my urine bright blue. Was told it would settle my bladder due to the shot.  My wife thought I had placed a Tidy Bowl tablet in the toilet bowl tank when I had forgotten to flush the toilet the next day.  The blue stuff helped and in a few days I had no discomfort, but did have impressively beautiful toilets.  Well, its been a month since those shots and I just had another single shot of Firmagon.  I questioned the nurse why I had to wait that long between shots.  She told me that the shots are very expensive and if they give them to me too close together, my Medicare will not pay for them.  And, they cost several thousand dollars a shot!  I was then given a date for another shot in late February; the final shot before the procedure.  I told her of an upcoming vacation and she said I would have to talk to the doctor about that problem.  So far I'm still working half-days at the framing gallery and taking photos for the two school yearbooks I do.  Have found I do tire mid-afternoon and was told I can take a short nap, but it should be before 3:00 pm so I wouldn't have trouble sleeping at night.  I have tried numerous times to contact the man whose telephone number Dr. Seiber gave me who told him he would be willing to talk to me about the surgery since he had it about a year ago.  Since I haven't been successful, I emailed my urologist, Dr. Seiber, and asked for another patient who may be willing to talk to me so I can find out what to expect after the surgery.  His response was:  Still trying to find someone to talk with you.  Seems most of my patients are in Florida for the winter.  I'll keep trying.  So, I try not to think of my cancer and have been fairly successful with that.  I am willing to talk about it since it is a common occurrence with men of almost any age and many wonder and worry about the disease. I figure I have been lucky for 72 years that I never had it and plan to conquer it in the near future.  But, you can say a prayer for me if you wish.  I can use any help I can get. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.    

The "Life's Memories Never To Be Forgotten" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Found an old black and white photo of Old Main on the campus of Millersville State Teachers College.  I can still remember the day I went for an appointment in the admission's office that at the time was located in the lower level of Old Main.  Scared half to death of what was going to happen that day.  I wanted so bad to gain entrance to the college to make my mom and dad proud.  No one in either my mom's family or my dad's family had ever gone past high school and I was going to be the first.  Maybe!  My high school grades were only average, but my guidance counselor at Manheim Township High School thought I could gain admission to the school.  

Old Main on the campus of Millersville State Teachers College.

I was called into one of the admission offices and sat, more than likely shaking, as the woman went over my high school records.  She said, "I see you want to be a math teacher someday.  Your math grades are very good, but a few of your other grades are only average.  Do you suppose you would be interested in admission to our Industrial Arts Department (IA)?  I believe you would be a good candidate for that curriculum."  I know that was fifty-five years ago, but I'm almost positive they were her exact words.  I remember looking at her with surprise on my face and saying, "I'm sure I'd like that!"  And that, dear readers is how I became the first person in my family to go to college.  At the time I had a part-time job working at the Acme Supermarket and was able to pay my tuition, books and car expenses with the money I made working.  At the time tuition for a semester was $144.00 and books cost under $50.00 for all I needed.  I lived at home for free and began Millersville State Teachers College in the fall of 1962.  Did great in all my Industrial Arts classes and could have had close to a 4.0 grade average if it hadn't been for a few courses I had to take.  A few I had to take over one time, with one I had to take over twice.  I passed that one final class on my third try only because my wonderful IA adviser managed to get my class changed from that history class to a class in bowling.  I aced that one!  In my fourth year I began student teaching during the fall semester at a nearby high school, teaching in the wood shop.  Two thirds of the way through the semester, my cooperating teacher took off a day to go hunting and put me in charge of the class by myself.  That day he had a heart attack and died while hunting.  For the rest of the semester I was in charge of the class.  Not long after a bill was passed in the Pennsylvania Legislature prohibiting school districts from allowing student teachers to do exactly what I had just done.  I would have had zero liability if a student had been injured in any of the classes I had, and the school would have been responsible. I believe to this day that my Millersville adviser, who visited with me once a week at that high school, put the wheels in motion to have that bill passed.  As I began my spring semester back at Millersville, I was called into the Industrial Arts office and asked if I would be interested in teaching the next fall, even if I didn't have enough credits to graduate.  

Millersville State Teachers College

By that time I had a special girl who I was dating and knew I wanted to marry her so I interviewed with three local school districts and got a job at all three.  You see, Industrial Arts is a required subject in the curriculum of all Pennsylvania schools and they had to have an Industrial Arts teacher to teach the course.  Didn't matter if you graduated or not!  I taught the following year on an emergency certificate, got engaged, married the month I finished teaching my first year and graduated at the end of that summer.  So, you see, when I saw the photo I have posted with this story, it brought back so many memories from way back.  Memories I will never forget.  Happy memories, except for those three classes I screwed up!  But, I did become a much better bowler!!It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "What Goes Around, Comes Around" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an article in the "Sports" pages of our local paper titled, Bani Gbadyu settles into life in Lebanon.  My interest in the story came from my meeting Bani several times when he was a high school football player at Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland playing for my son-in-law Dave who was the head coach at the school at the time.  

Bani Gbadyu

Bani's history reads like a movie line.  Bani was born in Liberia, a West African nation that for years has been sporadically fighting a civil war with daily gunfire.  Bani's family escaped the country when he was seven years old and took refuge in the country Ivory Coast.  They then immigrated to the United States, arriving by boat in New York City the same way that so many have over the history of the United States.  At the time Bani was ten years old.  Other family members lived in Gaithersburg so it was natural that they gravitated to that location.  Dave had the Quince Orchard Cougars at the top of their game with winning seasons every year he had coached at the school and Bani fit in right away, knowing after his freshman year that football was going to be his way to a successful life.  

Penn State Linebacker #15 Bani Gbadyu

By his senior year he was first-team all-state while leading the Cougars to two Class 4A West Championships.  My wife and I made many visits to the area where Dave and our daughter lived over those years and saw many of the football games when Bani played.  He was a special talent, playing both offense and defense, that you could tell was going to succeed just based on his football skills.  Had the chance to meet him after games on more than one occasion.  He was recruited by Nebraska, Georgia and North Carolina State and actually committed to LSU.  But then he met one of the greatest college football recruiters in Larry Johnson, defensive line coach at Penn State. With Larry's encouragement, Bani's coach Dave helped him get into Penn State University under the tutelage of Joe Paterno.  Penn State has been known for years as Linebacker "U" and Bani became one of those linebackers.  While at Penn State, Bani met Molly Kramer through his teammate Jared Odrick.  Odrick was a student at nearby Lebanon High School (Pennsylvania) during his football career while Molly was a nearby Cedar Crest High School graduate.

Oakland Raiders Linebacker #48 Bani Gbadyu

Bani eventually married Molly.  While a student at Penn State, Bani was a dean's list student quite a few times and earned his degree in human develop- ment and family studies.  After graduation, in 2011, Bani was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Oakland Raiders.  He got to play in the preseason, but wasn't retained by the team.  He moved with his wife back to the town where she grew up, Lebanon, PA.  He now is a community sales manager for Ephrata (Pennsylvania) based Landmark Homes, overseeing the sales operation for developments throughtout the region.  He is also the defensive line coach at Manheim Township HIgh School where I taught high school as well as still do the school yearbook and work printing in-house materials.  He is under head coach Mark Evans who was a Cedar Crest graduate.  Made visits a few times to practice sessions to visit with Bani and managed to take Dave with me one time while he was visiting at our home in Lancaster.  Funny that what goes around, comes around.  So true in this case.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "A Father's Unbearable Grief" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Struggling with my thoughts today as I write this story.  This past Thursday I wrote a story of a young man who took his own life while in prison for the murder of three people; his best friend and his best friend's parents.  Throughout this terrible tale which began on May 12, 2007, I often thought about the parents and siblings of the boy who committed the crime, Alec Kreider.  I can remember Alec from his time in the Manheim Township Middle School and even though I never experienced him as a student, I do remember him from photographs I took of him for the school yearbook.  But, I never got to know the parents of Alec.  I'm sure they were just like myself and my wife in that they wanted the best for their son as he grew from childhood to become an adult.  But, in this case that didn't happen.  I feel sorrow for not only the boy but his parents.  He confided in his father about a month after the murders that he was the one who had committed them.  How awful his father must have felt.  I still get chills and tears in my eyes just thinking about it.  And, to have to turn your own son into the police ... well, I'm not sure I could have done that.  But, his father Tim did the absolute right thing.  I'm sure he has thought about that every single day of his life since that fateful day of June 16th, 2007 when he told the authorities about his son.  The few days that elapsed from the time his son told him until the day he talked to the police must have been unbearable, just as that month was for Alec when he told no one of his terrible deed.  Well, today I got to visit the internet site titled "Refuse To Drown" and read the father's heart-wrenching story which led from the day his son told him of the murders till the day he was notified of Alec's death.  The Blog post tells the story of a young, troubled boy who loved animals and enjoyed spending time with his family.  What follows is the text that Tim wrote in his blog.  Tim's website: "Refuse To Drown- A Father's Unthinkable Choice" can be found at: www.refusetodrown.com and you may care to visit it.  Tim has co-authored a book about his experiences which no one should have to ever go through.  May both Tim and his son Alec be at peace now!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

On January 20, 2017, in a small quiet cell, alone and desperate, the life of my son Alec Kreider came to a tragic end. There are many who will say and believe that he got what he deserved, good riddance or it’s about time.  Alec committed a horrible crime and took so much away from an innocent family and that certainly is part of who Alec was and part of his story.  It simply isn’t the entire story. There was another side to Alec.  He was a loved son, grandson and brother.  He wasn’t always angry, desperate and lost in the wasteland of depression and anger.  He was a beautiful baby boy born with ears too big for his head and eyes that didn’t quite work right.  But he was still beautiful to us. Eventually, he grew into his ears and after a couple surgeries and eye glasses he learned to deal with his eyes.  He became a small child with a huge grin, big dimples and bright eyes behind those eye glasses.  He loved to play with legos and his nerf guns.  He played in the snow, ran in our yard and road in his big foot truck.  He was an innocent child simply enjoying life.  Like almost all small children, he was scared of the dark and “monsters” under his bed and would wake me to tell me he had a bad dream.  He loved animals and would curl up on the floor with our family dog or chase him around the house.  One time when our kids wanted to watch a “scary” movie, we rented The Creature from the Black Lagoon.  Alec was maybe 10 or so and after the movie I asked him if he thought it was scary.  He said not but when I went upstairs to tuck him in, every light in every room in the house was on. I guess it was a little scary.  He had a bright and quick mind, which at times made him a challenge.  He wasn’t one to take “because I said so” as a good enough reason to do something.  He was determined and strong willed.  Attributes that should have served him well in life.  There were so many hopes and dreams for his future and the life he would have.  The possibilities seemed endless.  As he grew older he became a handsome young man who valued honesty and integrity and he simply didn’t understand why so many things in the world were so messed up.  He so wanted things to be better and different.  One of my fondest memories is when we watched a John Pinette video together.  John Pinette was a comedian and Alec, his younger brother and I watched and laughed so hard our sides hurt.  They were big belly laughs, we were, at that time, happy, enjoying life and for the moment free of any worries or concerns.  Unfortunately, somewhere along the journey, a darkness fell over Alec. It was something he struggled with every day.  All he wanted was for the pain, hurt and anger to end.  He tried so hard but yet the darkness would not leave him.  The bright eyes of his early childhood became dim and darker.  That small child with the big dimples and the joy for life was lost deep inside the anger and desperation he felt.  He was not the “monster” so many want to simply right him off as.  He did something monstrous, but that is only part of Alec.  To label him as such and not make an effort to understand the deeper story is the easy way to discard him and his life.  Alec loved and wanted to be loved.  Alec desperately wanted his life to be different.  He had hopes and dreams for his life and future and they were lost to the darkness and where it led him.  He was hurting and unable to conquer the inexplicable darkness that was a constant part of his every day.   He didn’t understand or know why he felt the way he did and why, no matter what he did, no matter how much he wanted to, no matter how hard he tried, he wasn’t able to overcome the darkness and anger.  Alec wanted, with all of his being, for his life to be different, to be free of the torment he endured and had lived with for so long.   I encouraged him constantly to not give up, to keep trying, to believe that things could and would get better.  Some days he was hopeful and other days he was hopeless.  Unfortunately, the hopelessness proved to be too much to endure.  Alec was my son, his life did matter, he was loved and he will be missed.  May he finally rest and be at peace.