The "Beaches of St. Martin" Story

It was an ordinary day. I had a carton in my office that I was starting to put items in for our next trip. Carol and I are traveling back to St. Martin for the 7th time. Not leaving for a few months, but like to put things in a carton so it puts me in the mood for the trip. 5 paperbacks, long lens for my Sony SLR digital, camera bag, chargers, credit card booklets that list all they cover for travel and an old Millersville University PA license plate for Andy and Cheryl to hang in their new restaurant. Andy and Cheryl run "Baywatch" which is a restaurant on Orient Beach that specializes in American food. Charges are in dollars instead of euros even though it is on the French side of the island. On the wall of the restaurant are license plates from the 50 states. Cheryl always greets you, gives you a hug and makes you feel at home in their place. I'm also starting to think about what beaches we will travel to this year. We have quite a few that we really enjoy. I guess our favorite has to be Orient Beach located on Orient Bay. A mile and a quarter of powder white sand with turquoise blue water. Quite a few beach bars are located on that stretch and the all rent chairs and umbrellas. Bars such as Bikini Beach, Kontiki, La Playa, Orange Fever, Pedros, Coco Beach and Waikiki sit back about 50 yardsfrom the water. Each features different colored umbrellas. At one end of the beach is Club Orient which is a naturist resort. They have yellow loungers and yellow umbrellas. Universal symbol for sun worshippers. Days we travel there we must get there by 9:00 AM or all the chairs are taken. Mostly an older crowd travels to this location. The other end of the beach has the Mont Vernon. This used to be a plush hotel which grew to be in disrepair, but is now being sold as units to private individuals and is once again starting to be a beautiful building. Another favorite beach for us is Happy Baie. Must walk over a small mountain through brush and rocks to get there. Because of the inconvenience of getting there, few people venture to this beach, but it is probably the most beautiful beach on the island. Seagrape trees and palm trees line the edge of the sand for about a quarter of a mile. No facilities or rentals on this beach, so you must lug all your chairs and food with you. We head over to this site at 8:00 AM so we can have a full day in paradise. There are days when you and one or two other couples share the entire strip. Another beautiful beach is Baie Rouge. This is about a half mile long strip of sand that is gorgeous, but very hard to walk on. The sand is so soft that you tend to sink in up to your ankles, even along water's edge. There are places to eat and rent chairs at this beach. Mullet Beach is close to the airport and another beautiful beach. Facilities and parking line the edge of the beach. Water is probably more calm on this beach than on any other beach. All these beaches are located on St. Martin proper, but another one of our favorite beaches is on an island that you need a ferry ride to reach. The ferry travels from the French capital, Marigot, every half hour starting at 10:00 AM to Pinel Island. This is an uninhabited island which has soft sand, calm shallow water and three beach bars. They are all powered with generators since there is no electricity on the island. Yellow Beach with it's yellow umbrellas, Karibuni with it's blue umbrellas and The Key with the orange umbrellas make for a colorful adventure. We usually hike to the top of Pinel for a view of St. Martin and head to the other side for our picnic lunch and a swim. This is always an exciting and fun day, but you have to make sure you don't miss the final ferry back, or you'll be stuck there until the next morning. Wouldn't be the end of the world if that happened, though. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Pixs from the top are: "Baywatch", Orient Beach, Happy Baie, Baie Rouge, Mullet Bay and Pinel Island from the top of the hill.

The "I Can Make That! Part 1" Story

It was an ordinary day. Our guests for the weekend had just left and I was cleaning the guest bedroom. I noticed that when I flipped the one switch by the door that the floor light did not go on. I figured it needed a new light bulb. Then, as I was attempting to remove it, Irealized that I had made it in such a manner that it was REALLY HARD to remove the bulb. When I made it I thought that it would be a novelty floor lamp and not used that much. My wife had seen a photo in a catalogue of a "Lifeguard Stand Lamp" and asked if we should buy it. "Goes with the decor of the house," she said. "Nah, I can make that!" I told her. And I did. Stands about five feet tall and really looks like a lifeguard stand. Looks great in the bedroom. I seem to tell her "I can make that!" many times. When we first moved into the house we now occupy about 15 years ago I made a set of tables for the living room. Something I had seen in a furniture store and decided I can make that myself. And I did. Coffee table has two drawers that can be opened and used to display items. Used to have my antique camera and photo collection in it, but decided seashells would be more appropriate for the house. Looks great in the middle of the room. I also made a table to stand at the back of the sofa. This also has a drawer for displaying ....... seashells. When I was thinking of retirement I took a course in stained glass and enjoyed it so much I have made it not only a hobby, but a part-time job. Carol thought that the window we have next to ourfront door would be a perfect spot for some stained glass. She said "How about a blue heron by the beach in the window?" "I can make that!" I told her. And I did. In late afternoon, when the sun is going down, it casts really neat colors all through our entrance way. I also have two other tables that I made that are very unusual. We had a small round table in our kitchen that we use for breakfast that Carol thought ought to be updated to match the rest of the house. "Gotta idea for the table," I told her. Took my router and cut out about 1/4" of the top. I left a border around the opening to help with my idea. I drew atiki hut and palm tree along a beach with the sun in the sky. Used pieces of stained glass and broke them into smaller pieces with my hammer. Placed them on the table top inside my drawing. When I was satisfied with how they looked, I use silicon caulking and attached them to the table top. Finished the job with grout and a 1/4" piece of glass to keep you from cutting yourself on the stained glass. Pretty neat, and I did it. We also saw a coffee table at one of the beach houses we rented while on vacation. It was shaped like a seashell. Carol said, "You should make a table for us something like that." And I did. I glued a series of 1 1/2" thick pieces of mahogany together and drew a big, long fish on it. Used a band saw to cut it out and then a lot of sanding. Added an eye and a base for the table and it now displays some of our many conch shells we have accumulated. I have made many other items, but are too numerous for just one story, so I will tell you about my latest and save the rest for "Part 2." Last year Carol and I were watching an episode of HGTV's House Hunters. They showed the entrance to a really neat modern home and on the wall was this mirror that had flattened soft drink cans around it. I said to Carol, "That's really neat. We ought to have one of those for our deck. I can make one!" And I did. Shortly after we saw the show we traveled to St. Martin for vacation and I took a good scissors along with me. Every time we purchased a soda, I asked for the can. Some of the sodas can be found in the USA, but most are local ones. One can was a coconut soda, anotherlicorice (way too strong a taste), a watermellon soda, a peach tea, a ginger beer, a tropical fruit, a pina (pinapple) soda, Coke and Pepsi in cans printed in French and one of our favorites, Ting which is a Jamaican Grapefruit soda. I would take the cans back to our villa and wash them out. When dry, I would cut the top and bottom off, then cut them down the middle. When we got home I laid out 44 can panels that I had cut 3 x 3" on a shears. In the center was a 9 x 12" mirror. Attached with the smallest carpet tacks I could find and put a frame around it. Looks great next to the Tiki Bar on the deck. Also, gets lots of comments! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Pixs are from the top: Lifeguard floor lamp, coffee table made for displaying our seashell collection, stained glass window panel by our entrance, kitchen table with glass design, living room table which we use to display conch shells and soda can mirror.

The "What's In A Name" Story

It was an ordinary day. I had just returned from getting my taxes done. Some people hate to do their taxes, but I really enjoy visiting with Jim to see if I was a financial success this year. Jim used to teach office practices, business law and desktop publishing at Conestoga Valley High School, but retired a few years ago. He still continues to do tax returns and has quite a few Amish farmers as his clients. Has a spot for a buggy in front of his office. I enjoy talking to Jim about his hobby of car restoration. He has a beautiful 1957 Oldsmobile and used it last summer for the local opening of the Movie "Taking Woodstock" which is a comedy-drama about the Woodstock festival in 1969. Jim drove one of the main actors, Jonathan Groff, to the show in his Olds. Jonathan is a friend of Jim and graduated from CV where Jim taught. Now, I also have a good financial advisor by the name of Alan. Alan graduated one year before I did from MTHS and has been an advisor since graduating from college with numerous degrees. They all hang on his wall in his office. Pretty impressive. Has his own Wealth Management company and has been very successful. He also dresses the part. Saw him at Costco and even his jeans had creases in them. He handles all my finances. I must tell you that the two people that I trust the most with my finances are Jim and Alan. Jim's last name is Dum and Alan's last name is Loss. So much for names giving away their true worth. So what's in a name? I read the newspaper all the time and am amazed at the nicknames of people arrested. Last week they arrested Michael Tyrone Stewart from Columbia for murder. His nickname........"Mike Murder." You know he has to be guilty. When I read the newspaper, I always check out who died. The older I get, the more names I recognize. The nicknames of some of the people in the obituaries, though, are pretty funny. Lots of Skippys, Homers and Buddys. Even saw a "Gooks" and a "Cootie" last night. Our friend Sue got her nickname of Just Sue from our travel agent. Karen, the agent, had booked Sue on a flight using the name Susan. Not the name on her passport so she wouldn't be allowed on the plane with us. I called and told Karen it was just Sue, not Susan. From then on Karen always says, Just Sue. We all call her that now. Nicknames sometimes give away the person's attributes. "Big Daddy" was the nickname of a 320 lb. lineman who played for our high school football team. Need any further explanation. I'm sure you have an image of "Boobette" who walked the topless beaches of a Caribean island we visited, her two attributes not jiggling an inch as she walked. Now, Carol picked that name, not me!! We had nicknames for our kids. Derek was known as Dirk and sometimes "Lefty", because of his baseball prowess and I called Brynn, "Brynner" and still do. Called our youngest Tad. His name is Paul Thadeus, but I had a student in class by the name of Tad and really like it so.....close enough to Thadeus I thought. Tad's brother and sister called him, and still do, Bowls because of one of his haircuts that he had when he was very young. Throughout my childhood I was sometimes known as Woodsie, but now, as you may have guessed by my blog address, my daughter has decreed me to be LDub. But, one of the neatest stories about nicknames comes from my childhood friend, Leon S. Leon was always picked on by almost everyone during his junior high and senior high school years. I'm not sure why, but people picked on him. Made his life a living hell. "Bugsy" didn't have eyes that stuck out or any other features that would justify his nickname. He was just the fall guy for every one's jokes. Poor "Bugsy" suffered throughout his school years. Recently I saw him at our 45th High School Reunion and we talked. He has had a great life post "Bugsy" and has a beautiful wife. I think he took everyone by surprise when someone questioned him about what he was now doing, and he told all of us that he carries the title "Regional Director of Department of Homeland Security - US Customs for the State of Kentucky." Way to go Leon!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Beach House" Story

It was an ordinary day. I was out cutting the grass, riding my Sears lawn tractor. I enjoy doing this and sometimes do it twice a week. I'm sure the neighbors think I'm nuts, but I've had quite a few of them as students in my class in high school, and they already know that I'm nuts. Our next door neighbors are former students who met in my class. When my cousin, Susan, who is a realtor and helped us with the purchase of the house, showed us the house for the first time, we were standing outside in the front yard when Keith, the neighbor and student, saw me and yelled, "Mr. LDub, is that you?" Yep, still remembered me after all those years. I love looking at our beach house. Wooden walkways and deck, modern architecture and a big, no REALLY BIG piece of driftwood hanging on the side of our garage, facing the front of the house. Carol and I found it in Betterton Beach, MD after we moved in to our new house. We had stopped during the winter to see the ice on the Chesapeake. The beach was covered with all sizes of driftwood. We found the biggest piece we could carry and would fit on the roof of our van. A few neighbors told us they love the driftwood. Looks like the beach!! This all started in the late 90s when all the kids were out or almost out of our house on Janet Ave. We decided maybe we would move to the Chesapeake Bay. Maybe somewhere near one of our favorite vacation destinations. We wanted a waterfront home. Well, the prices were astronomical for water front homes and property so we gave up. Then one day Carol saw a picture of a home in an ad in the newspaper. She said that it looks like a beach house. Only about two miles from Janet Ave. Hopped in the car and headed for a visit. House was really neat...and empty. Looked in all the windows. Now, this is Lancaster County, home of the Amish. Farmland. Conservative views. Early American. This home was CONTEMPORARY!! And, we found out it had been for sale for over two years. It's CONTEMPORARY, in Lancaster County, remember. Couple who owned it separated, stop payments, foreclosed and it was eventually bought by Freddie Mac. Freddie Mac really wanted to unload it after all that time. We were willing to help them. Former owners totally stripped the house of anything of value so they could make some money on it. They took the garage door opener, central vac system, sump pump, towel fixtures and toilet paper holders. We first moved into the garage while we repainted and recarpeted, then moved into the house. Inside flows from one room to the next with very few interior walls. We now have all the remaining wall space covered with the artwork fromour travels as well as some of my photography. We added a pond with a waterfall behind the deck and a palm tree in the yard. We have been here for over 10 years now and it still feels like we are on vacation every time we walk through the door. I don't think I'll ever tire of the house. Maybe the mowing! It was an extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Photos are from the top: Our "Beach House", piece of driftwood recently photographed with snow on it. back deck with waterfall and garden, front entrance showing stained glass window panel I made and suitcases covered with decals from vacation locations, and recent photo of outdoor palm tree covered in snow and decorated for the holidays. By the way, it isn't real!

The "Trained Gator Show" Story

It was an ordinary day. We had just left ourmotel on Sanibel Island and were heading to the Everglades. Down to Alligator Alley. We wanted to take a ride in one of those swamp boats with the big propeller in the back. Hope to see a few alligators as we tour the everglades. We have no idea what we are in for on this trip. We had found a coupon in a tourist publication for Al's Swamp Boat Rides and the directions took usright to the place. Very rustic right in the middle of the swamps. Like the movie Deliverance, only with marshes instead of hills. Pretty creepy, really. Didn't hear any banjos playing. "We're going to fly across the water on this aluminum plate which has a big airplane propeller attached to a huge motor. And.....there are alligators waiting just for us," the guide tells us. We sit in the front on a wooden bench and the guide sits above us in a nice padded chair. He starts the engine and attempts to tell us a little bit more about what we are about to see. I guess he was talking to us, but it was sooooo loud that none of the passengers heard much of what he said. Off we go into the wild blue yonder. I can see that he is following a path through the reeds which he probably follows on every trip he takes. Then, all of a sudden, he quickly stops. He points to the water and tells us he sees agator and believes he is coming towards our swamp boat. Just then, this reptile comes flying out of the water next to us with his mouth open. Holy s*#t!! I thought he was heading in the boat. The guide leaned over the side and threw some chicken parts to him. Seemed to satisfy him as he lowered himself down into the water, out of sight. Round the next couple of bends and again, here comes another one. Same thing. Pops out of the water and scares the crap out of you. I can see the guide laughing as he takes his foot and pushes him back in the water. Again, he throws some chicken parts into the mouth of the reptile. Now, I get the idea. These are trained reptiles that are taught to scare you when they hear the motor of the swamp boat. And you know what? It really worked!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Big Airplane Strike" Story

It was an ordinary day. We had just finished our stay in St. Martin for the year. Had a
great time, but you know, it's always sucks when you have to come back home after such a great time. We pack our bags early then headed to the beach for our last breakfast and dip in the Caribbean Sea. Water today is 85 degrees and so is the air. Can't imagine having to come back to the sub-freezing temperatures and snow. We stop at the Tap 5 convenience store which is across the village from our hotel for our usual chocolate croissants and apple pastries. Picked up a drink to go with the breakfast. Head to Kakoa Beach on Orient Bay where we have free blue chairs and umbrella. Chairs are padded and the umbrella is extra large. Just a great place to watch the waves and babes. Breakfast is fantastic as usual. How can it not be with the great French delights (I'm talking about the pastries now). We still have two hours before we must head back to shower and return our rental car. One last walk up and down the mile and a half beach to grab final memories of why we love coming here so much. The stray dog that has been our constant companion for two weeks seems to sense we are leaving him. He stretches out under our chairs. After a final relaxing dip in the ocean we throw away our trash, pack our bag, say good-bye to the beach boys and rub our friend a final time. He watches as we head back to our room. After showering and checking under the bed and in the drawers for left behind items, we put our suitcases in the car and head back towards the airport to drop off our rental. They check us in and drive us to the airport. Don't you just hate the lines you have to endure? In Princess Julianna Airport you stand in line until the rubber gloved security person calls you and then you plop your suitcase down on the table and they proceed to look through your belongings as everyone else watches. Kind of neat to see what everyone else has in their suitcase. Souvenirs, dirty wash, license plate, bottles of rum, medicine and anything else you may have in the bag is fair game for everyone to see. They hand check your check-in luggage on the spot at this airport. Your body check and carry-on is screened with X-ray later in the process. We are now three people from the ticket counter and a loud siren sounds. "What the s*%t is that," I ask Carol. Then the people at the ticket counter put everything down, walk around the counter and join the big parade that has rounded the wall at the end of the airport. Seems like they are.......GOING ON STRIKE!! Yep! At first it was kinda neat to see their signs and hear their chants as they paraded back and forth, then we realized we had a plane to catch. We were told that management would be here in a few minutes to help with check-in. Yeah, right! About a half-hour later we had our tickets and were told that no one could go through final security screening, because all those people were part of the union that was on strike. We got in the line and waited. And waited. Warm. No air conditioning in this airport. Another hour. Then two hours. Big crowds were building up. The time for our departure came and we were still in line. Then.......the announcement that a settlement had occurred and we would start moving again. After another hour we made it through screening and headed to our departure gate. We could see that the plane was still at the airport, but they were moving the steps away from the doors. "No, hold the plane," I shouted as we ran for the door. There was another couple running with us and we all yelled loud enough that they slid the steps back and opened the door so we could board. The other passengers were none too happy that we made them sit in the plane for so long. One of them yelled, "Get to the airport on time will you!!" "Hey, it was their fault," I said quietly as I pointed at the other couple who boarded in front of us. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Pixs from top: Kokao Beach sign, panorama of Kokao, breakfast and our friend guarding Carol in the water.

The "And....on the Eight Day Pills Were Created" Story

It was an ordinary day. I had just finished taking my morning meds. Years ago I saw all my older friends taking all those pills and swore I would never have to do that. Well, you know you're not supposed to swear. And....now I am doing the same. My Mom gripes and gripes about all the pills she has to take. 100s of them if you listen to her. Her sister, my Aunt Lois, is the same way. "Don't need all those pills," they both say. Must be hereditary. Stopped with my Mom's gene though. I function so much better if I take the 12 pills in the morning that I am supposed to take. No, that's if I REMEMBER to take them. They tell me they haven't come up with a pill yet to help you remember to take your pills. 12 PILLS!! Could be more. My doctor wanted me to take 5 Niacin tablets daily to help increase my good cholesterol, but we agreed on two, because of the cost. These are called "Flush Free" Niacin. The first bottle I bought did not say that and after I took the first 2 regular Niacin, within a half hour I was hot, sweating and was a BRIGHT RED color all over. Now, that really had side effects. Now, I take a pill that reduces the inflammation in my back caused by my arthritis, a pill to reduce my cholesterol, 2 pills to help increase the good cholesterol, 2 Glucosamine/Chondroitin tablets to help reduce joint pain, a One-A-Day vitamin for prostate health, an 81mg aspirin to help with blood flow to my heart, 2 Tylenol Arthritis Pain tablets, and a new one which was added a week ago by my urologist. One Avodart in the morning to help reduce the size of my prostate. Now the side effects of Avodart include a decreased sex drive, impotence, and abnormal ejaculation. There are also some Avodart side effects that I should report to my doctor such as signs of an allergic reaction -- like itching, hives, wheezing, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or an unexplained skin rash -- and any breast changes. Wow! I'll be wheezing because of no more sex and my boobs will get bigger while I'm scratching the heck out of them! Holy cow!! Then, the last pill I take in the morning is a pill to settle my stomach, because of all the other pills I have to take. Now, that's only in the morning. After a hard day of work, which is becoming a thing of the past because of the economy, I can take 2 more Tylenol if I need them. After supper I need to take a pretty three-colored pill to make sure I don't have to get up to pee more than once at night. But you know, the last pill I take before hopping in bed, the Tylenol PM, usually knocks me out anyway. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Good, Ole Lawn Boy" Story

It was an ordinary day. I was headed to work at Fairview Ave. Rentals. The last two years that I went to Millersville State Teacher's College, as well as the summer after my senior year of college, I worked part-time at Fairview. My boss and the owner of the place was Merle Peachey. The only other employee was a woman named Dottie. She handled the office transactions when Peachey wasn't working. I would work most every day during the summer and after classes and Saturdays during the school year. I gave up on the Acme Supermarket because of too few hours and having to pay such high union fees. My job at the rental place was to sharpen and clean the mowers when they were returned, sharpen the blades on the hedge trimmers as well as fix the cords that people would constantly cut in half as they trimmed their bushes, sharpen the blades on the chain saws and deliver party goods. We had a large selection of punch fountains, place settings, table cloths and naturally tables and chairs. We had an enclosed panel truck that I would load for the deliveries. We also rented trucks much like the U-Haul trucks, and had trailers for rent. It was unbelievable the tools that Peachey had to rent. Table saws, floor sanders, cement machines.....you needed it, he had it.....or would go buy it for you so he could rent it again. More than once the tools or machines were returned with blood on them and I would wonder what the person did to themselves or to someone else with it. My job was to clean the blood off and not ask questions. After my first summer with him ended, I noticed that Peachey sold all the lawn movers for a really good price. I did keep them in good shape throughout the summer. They had been used pretty hard, but he only purchased Lawn Boys, so they still had life in them. People would start to inquire about them in late August and he would sell them as soon as the first frost came. Gave the customers a really good deal. Gave me an idea for the following summer. The following April, Peachey purchased 15 new Lawn boys. Top of the line. I was to rotate them throughout the summer so they all got the same amount of use. OK, I can do that. Fall came around and people started to inquire about the price for the used mowers. $15. Not bad for a mower he paid close to $90 for a few months before. But, they were used every day, a few times a day, by people that didn't care what they did to them. I told Peachey I wanted to buy one, since I had gotten married during the summer and was going to eventually need one. "Sure, when I sell them you can have your pick," he assured me. Sale day came and I gave him my $15. After work I pushed my mower to the car for loading. He was standing in the doorway of the office and yelled "Where'd you get that mower?" I replied, "It's the one I'm buying from you." He walked over and takes a look at it. "Well, it looks brand new!" he says. "It does, doesn't it, but it was rented a few times during the summer," I said. "About how many times do you thing you sent that one out?" he askedme. I smiled at him and said, "At least.....5 or 6 times." He's is now laughing as he says, "You knew you were going to buy that, didn't you? And you kept it back in the shop." I said, "Yea, but it never cost you a rental." "He responded, "Then you really got a good buy on that one. I guess you deserve it." And......I still use it today, 43 years after I bought it. I wrote a letter to Lawn Boy asking if they wanted to feature me in an ad or commercial and they wrote me a letter saying NO. But, they did send me a hat and a T-shirt! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Officer and A Wife" Story

It was an ordinary day. Just Sue, Jerry and I are getting ready to celebrate Carol's birthday with a party at Chenay Bay Beach Resort's restaurant. Restaurant sits right on the beach at Chenay Bay. We're on the island of St. Croix in the Caribbean. This is one of the US Virgin Islands. We are leaving tomorrow for Tortola which is a British Virgin Island. Our stay in St. Croix took us to The Divi on the south-east end of the island. Had fun snorkeling at Buck Island, shopping in the capital of Christensted, visiting the Fredericksted which is the the boat harbor, visiting the St. George Botanical Gardens, riding at Paul and Jill's stable, eating at Cheeseburgers in Paradise (needed to put the "s" on the burger or would be illegally titled), watching the sunrise at the easternmost point in the USA at Point Udall and relaxing on the many beaches we visited. But, we can't miss Carol's Birthday. Seems we are always on vacation when the event occurs. We made reservations for tonight because they told us at the resort that the restaurant is always crowded. Yea, right! Even got there early! Maybe there was 20 people in the restaurant. Neatest thing was that another person was also celebrating a birthday so we all got together and celebrated abigger party. After supper the entertainment started. First the Mocko Jumbi dancers entertained. They had to be on the beach since this is dancing on stilts. Colorful dress and music complete the dance routine. This is a dance tradition on the island that originated in West Africa. Next entertainer was an islander who broke several bottles, scattered them on the floor and danced on them. Only after a few drinks is this exciting!! Then the dancing started. The other girl who was celebrating was an officer in the US Army so Carol and her shared the first dance of the evening.....together. 3 piece band really could entertain. Fun evening a a great way to end our stay on St. Croix. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Where the Wild Things Are" Story

It was an ordinary day. We have just feed Creamsicle. She is an orange and white feral cat that visits us daily and we feed her to keep her from starving. She took the place of Arnette who was a mottled gray feral cat. Arnette had three litters of kittens around our house which we caught and took to the Humane League. The first litter we caught in a butterfly net while they were playing. The second litter we caught when she brought them to feed on our deck and they very nicely walked into the cat carrier to get the food. Reached out the door and snapped the cage shut as they were busy eating. Pretty neat. All of these kittens ended up being adopted. Her third liter she didn't bring around for fear she would lose them also. But, we did manage to catch all but one in a trap. They were also adopted. We finally managed to catch Arnette in the cat carrier, but we never knew what happened to her after we took her to the Humane League. We believe that Creamsicle is the lone kitten we didn't catch. We're still trying. We love animals of all varieties and have had many pets in our house over the last 43 years. Everything from dogs, gerbils, cats, a guinea pig, a ferret, a rabbit and a chinchilla. But, these were all domesticated pets. Now, the cats aren't the only visitors to our feeding bowls on the deck. We have Pepe LePew, a totally black skunk with a small white spot on his head. He looks into our back door while we watch TV at night. He loves the excess cat food that remains in the bowl. We also have Percy the possum that comes to visit a few times a week. Our grandson Caden helped pick his name for us. Percy is one of his favorite train characters in the Thomas stories. Percy wakes us at night when he tries to get the last bite out of the bowl. He's an extremely noisy eater. At times he brings a smaller possum with him. We are trying to come up with a good name for her. Then there is Rocky the raccoon. Last night as we watched TV we knew something was watching us. Carol turned and looked at the back door. A masked creature was looking back at her. Rocky! Probably hoping we would put more food out for the evening. Over the years I have trapped and released 3 groundhogs, 2 possums and a skunk. I caught Arnette the cat one time in our trap, but before I could get out of bed to cover the trap to calm her, she escaped. She really had street smarts. We live in a development that is near a public park that was originally a large wooded farm. At times, when we walk, we see red foxes as well as deer. I must admit that looking out our back door at night and seeing a fox or a deer staring back might freak me out. My trap isn't big enough!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - since I originally wrote this story another skunk has arrived. Big with white stripes that start at his head and go to the tip of his tail. Saw him three nights ago eating on the deck while Creamsicle watched from the picnic table. Went to bed that night and shortly after was awakened by this terrible odor. Takes a lot to wake me, but this smell sure did. The skunk decided to spray someone or something next to our back door. Smell has gone away outside now, but the odor has permeated the house. We have candles, deodorizers and an industrial sanitizer blasting away, but is still there when you enter the house. Almost like in the Seinfeld episode when the valet parked his car and the BO never left his car. We don't plan to sell the house though to get rid of the odor.

The "Operation #3" Story

It was an ordinary day. I was headed to the hospital for operation #3. My back this time. For years I had this pain in my back. I thought it started when I lifted a monstrous air conditioner into my window on Janet Ave. Never went away so my doctor sent me to physical therapy, had an Xray, more physical therapy, did home stretching routines, more physical therapy then finally after years of pain in the lower back was referred to Dr G. at the Lancaster NeuroScience and Spine Associates. After examination he made arrangements for me to visit a physical therapist. Not Again! I gave it one more try. Tim K., the physical therapist and a longtime friend was glad for the business, but didn't know anything more to do to help me. He tried a few new things and after six weeks told me to go back to the surgeon again. This time Dr. G. ordered a CAT scan of my lower back. A week later Carol and I were called to his office. This time it was a different message. "See here, in the lower back, are these little white things. They are bone fragments floating around in your back. I believe that is what is causing the pain. We will have to remove them surgically to eliminate the pain." "Let's get it done then," I told him. He had his secretary schedule me for surgery and three weeks later I am headed to the Lancaster General Hospital. Check through admissions and given a room with a view. Can see the entire way to the Lancaster Train Station from my window. Next day they take me early in the morning to the operating room. Give me a shot and I'm out. Next thing I know I'm in recovery. No pain in my back at all. Wow! But, the doctor told my wife while I was in recovery that the reason I have pain is arthritis. He couldn't decide what the white marks were on the CAT scan. Maybe someone dropped some white-out on it in the office. He scrapped and broke off as much of the arthritis as he could and stitched me back up again. I asked if the pain would come back again. "After the anesthetic wears off in about a day, we'll see if you have pain," he said. I also asked if the arthritis was totally gone. He told me that he did his best, but it will return. "You will know when it does," he said. "May be a year, five years or longer, but it will return." But for now it feels great. When I looked out my hospital room window I could see all the way to the train station. Without my glasses! My eye doctor said that with some people, their vision is affected like that. If only they could produce a pill that would duplicate the results I was having, I wouldn't need glasses! I take pills for everything else, why not this. In a day the anesthetic wore off and my vision was back to normal, but the pain in the back was mostly gone. Wow!! The soreness was from the stitches. Took about two weeks for recovery from the operation. I was told not to drive during this time. Well, those of who know me, know I don't listen very well. Yep, hopped in the car to visit Keith at the gallery where I work and.......someone ran into me in the parking lot. Murphy's Law, right. I did have my seatbelt on at the time. Doc never found out, though. It's been over ten years, the pain has slowly returned, but I am controlling it with medication now. At first with prescription meds, but when I found that Tylenol Arthritis works as well, I switched. Not as bad on my liver as the prescription was. My wife has started to complain that she also has a pain. It comes and goes, but it's not in her back and Tylenol doesn't help much. It's in her a**. It's ME! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Don't Do It This Way" Story

It was another ordinary day. I was teaching a class how to run the ATF Chief Offset Press that was in my graphics room at MTHS. We were learning desktop publishing, darkroom procedures, stripping and burning plates and running the press. Time for the final lesson before they would run off stationery and envelopes for themselves. The class has only eight students, so it is a pleasure to work with all of them and be able to give them immediate individual help when needed. All guys in the class today, which is unusual even in the 70s. I have my shop coat on and have started my demonstration. Show them how to adjust for the paper size, how to attach the offset plate, how to apply the ink and water to the press and a few of the safety features to protect them. I then start the press and explain how they first must apply the water to the plate and then the ink. If done in the wrong order, the offset plate will become covered entirely with ink and it will take quite a while for the water to clean off all the ink. I add the water, then the ink and they get to see how the plate is ready for the paper. Next the paper. Push up the paper lever and a piece of paper enters the press, receives the image from the blanket and lands in the receiving tray. Pretty simple, right? Well, after running a few pieces the plate starts to pick up too much ink, since I have not properly adjusted the ink and water ratio. Good, I think, because now I can show them exactly what to do to correct this problem. I show them how to make the necessary adjustments and proceed. There is still a little too much ink on the plate so I take a cotton pad and apply a little etch to the pad and ATTEMPT to clean the ink from the plate while the press is still running. That's a NO NO! Oh, S@#T I cry as my fore finger stalls the press. My finger is now caught in the press. I can feel the color leave my face and feel the pain in my hand. I quickly grab the press wheel and turn the press backwards to release my finger. By now the students are showing concern, but they don't know what to do. As I look at my finger I realize I can't continue so I grab a cleaning cloth, wrap it around my hand, tell them to sit down and hustle out the room to the nurse's office. She takes one look at it and calls the office to tell them she is taking me to the emergency room at the hospital. Seems I flattened the finger to the second joint and made it look like an ink spatula. Bleeding pretty good by now. At the hospital they remove the rest of the nail, twist the finger back in place, place a splint on it, give me a shot and pain pills and tell me to go home. I returned the next day to school and greeted my class as they entered with, "Remember not to do what I did yesterday. Doesn't work too well. Makes your finger look like this," as I hold up my bandaged right hand. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - photo of LDub with student John L. by the infamous ATF Chief Press.

The "Stupid Garage Door Mishap" Story

It was an ordinary day. We were getting ready to visit with our daughter Brynn, our son-in-law Dave and our granddaughters Courtney and Camille in Maryland. Takes about two hours to get there. We like to get an early start so we have a few more hours for our visit. Almost 8:00 AM and we have our suitcases packed for the weekend and loaded in the car. Carol is saying goodbye to the cats while I head for the garage. I hit the button to raise the garage door and walk around the car and hop in the driver's set. Start the car, hit #1 on the seat adjustment panel and wait for the final adjustments to take place, then start the car. Carol's just coming through the door from the family room as I put the car in reverse and start backing out the door. BAM!! What the ???? was that? I look through my rear view mirror and realize that the garage door is still in my rear view mirror. Not good! And I just had the door replaced a few months ago. I pull front a little bit, get out and examine the damage to the door and the car. Car seems fine but the door.......seems that the door only elevated part way and my SUV tried to help it some more. Now, I have had neighbors who have run into the center post of their two, single door garage and knocked the middle brick post down and other neighbors who have gotten to close to their car mirrors when entering and broken them off and I always think how can anyone be that stupid. It's easy, I found out! I ASSUMED that the door went up, but never checked to make sure. It only went 2/3 of the way up. Now what do I do. The bottom panel of the door has come out of the track and the door won't move. OK, fix it! I must have spent at least two hours taking the rollers off the door, bending the track on the sides back into place, putting sheet metal screws in the bottom of the door panels to reattach it and twisting the door with a digging iron to get it back into position. Didn't look bad, really. Next week I can get the paint out which matches the door color and touch up some scrapes and paint all the sheet metal screws and no one will know what happened ........ except Carol. "Glad that wasn't me that did that. I'd never hear the end of it," she says as we get back in the car to try again. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Lobster Bisque Explosion" Story

It was an ordinary day. We are walking the streets of Grand Case in St. Martin after having an interesting meal at La California Restaurant. A very interesting meal!! Grand Case is a very small town on the French side of the island. The street through the town is only wide enough for one car to travel on it, but at one end of the town the street is two-way. An almost impossible task to travel through the town without pulling over several times to let the traffic by you. Grand Case is also know as the gourmet capital of the island. Foods of all types and prices from the lolos (locally owned and operated and very inexpensive) to the high class restaurants can be found in the one mile stretch. California offers meals that fall in the middle of the two extremes. They also offer 1 Euro=1 Dollar which is a great buy for American tourists since the exchange rate is about 1 Euro=1.46 dollars at the present time. We were seated at the water's edge in the restaurant and given the menu to inspect. I thought I would have the Lobster Bisque as an appetizer since the description sounded so good. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure what Carol had for her appetizer. The appetizer was also accompanied with a warm French baguette and great tasting olive oil. As I was eating my bisque I noticed an unusual flavor that I couldn't decide what it was. A spice, maybe! A seasoning, maybe! But it was something that tasted....well, different, but I assumed it was OK. Our meals arrived and consisted of salmon and rice with a vegetable. We were too full for dessert, so after our complimentary shot of flavored Ma DouDou rum we asked for the check. Partway through my meal my stomach started to churn and I wondered what was causing it. As I was finishing the meal the churning got stronger. Carol suggested it may have been the lobster bisque. Then, after the rum, it really struck me. "I need to use the toilet before we start walking around the town," I told Carol. "OK, I'll wait for you out front," she replied. I searched for the restroom and found it right next to the kitchen, inside the entrance of the restaurant. Very small with just enough room for the toilet and a bowl. A large person would struggle to sit on the toilet seat. Top of the restroom was open to the restaurant which naturally meant......NO EXHAUST FAN! Smells of the food cooking drifted into the small space and smells of the small space naturally drifted into the kitchen and seating area. Well, I just made it into the bathroom in time. Lucky I didn't have to wait in line. Dropped my pants, sat down and it just exploded out of me. What a noise! But, the smell was even worst. Smells from everything I had from supper and maybe even lunch. Really gross smells! I almost asphyxiated myself. Those poor people in the kitchen right next me.......and the people eating dinner nearby. And the bad part was there was NO EXHAUST FAN, and no ceiling. I flushed, quickly washed my hands, opened the door and beat it out of the bathroom. I passed another patron waiting for the bathroom and told her she may need a gas mask. And....don't buy the lobster bisque! Didn't understand! Must have been French. She'll understand when she closes the door. I grabbed Carol's hand and said, "I think it was the lobster bisque. Let's get out of here before the place blows up!!" Last time I ever ate lobster bisque. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Pixs from top: Main street in Grand Case showing the outdoor seating at a lolo, La California Restaurant and Carol waiting, sitting at our waterfront table.

The "LDub Family Travels to Cheers" Story

It was an ordinary day. We were in Boston. Carol and I took our son Tad and our daughter Brynn with us to visit Boston so Brynn could receive her award for a Gold Key in the Scholastic Art and Photography Contest. She is one of the few Middle School Gold Key winners in the USA. All High School and Middle School winners from across the US were invited to Boston to view the opening of the show. The local winners were announced in March and they were sent to New York for the National judging. Exciting news followed and Brynn won one of the top awards in Photography. We left last Thursday and drove for about sevenhours to reach Boston. A little worn our after the drive, so after checking in at our hotel we decided to do some exploring. We decided to give the Bull and Finch Pub, famous for being featured on TV's show Cheers with Ted Danson, a try. We searched for Beacon street and with a little bit of help from locals found the restaurant. Followed the steps down from street level into the restaurant. Didn't look like the restaurant we were used to seeing on TV though. Walls loaded with photos from the show. Looked for Cliff and Norm, but didn't see either one. Enjoyed our meal and headed back to the hotel to turn in for the evening. Next morning we headed to Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Great for shopping and dining. Had breakfast there and enjoyed the street vendors and performers. Took a self-guided walking tour of the area and saw the waterfront, Paul Revere's House, Old North Church and Fenway Park. Game tonight, but sold out as usual. At 1:00 PM we made our way to the Museum of Fine Arts where the show was displayed and where they made the presentations. Byrnn's photo was an altered polaroid of the cemetery in the southern part of town. All the soldier's crosses were lined up in the photo. After receiving the award we walked around the museum and headed back toward's our hotel for supper. Following morning we ate and hopped in the car for the seven hour trip back to Lancaster. If only we had flown or taken the train! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Top to bottom pix are: Street performer at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Brynn and Tad in front of Bull and Finch Pub, Eating at "Cheers" and Brynn looking at her prize winning entry.

The "Barbados Tattoo Parlour??" Story

It was an ordinary day. It's Saturday and we're walking the streets of Bridgetown, Barbados. Carol and I are joined by Jerry and Just Sue as we explore the many shops and historical places in the capital of the country. Barbados is located in the southern Caribbean, near St. Vincent, the Grenadines, Tobago and Trinidad. It is also very close to the top of South America. Weather is beautiful and today is a hot, humid and sunny day. Perfect for a walk around town. Carol and I split from Jerry and JS and visit the Parliament buildings, Queen's Park and St. Mary's Church which is an Anglican/Episcopal Church consecrated in July of 1827. Beautiful place with reminders of our own St. James Episcopal in Lancaster. We walked the cemetery looking at the tombstones and the surrounding streets before we decided to head back to the waterfront to visit the T-shirt and tourist's stores for souvenirs for ourselves and the grand kids. Along the way we see a Tattoo Parlour. Our youngest son, Paul who we call Tad, has made his body a living and working artist's palette. Colorful tattoos adorn his arm, back and legs. One on his arm is a living tribute to his Grandfather who is his namesake and died a few years ago. Whenever we travel we try to find a shirt from a local tattoo parlour as a gift for Tad for taking care of our two cats while we are basking on a beach somewhere. Well, we found one! "Tattoos Upstairs" the sign proclaims! Now to see if they have any T-shirts. I open the door and we travel up a flight of steps through another door that leads into a commons area. Sign again says "Tattoos - Upstairs." OK, up we go, again. At the top of this flight of steps is a small room occupied with desks and people working. I ask where the tattoo place is and they look mysteriously at me and point up. I turn around and see Carol heading back down the steps. Oh well, I'll go up by myself and see if I can find what we came after. At the top of the next level I pass through a heavy wooden door and there are a few beauty parlour chairs with people getting their hair done. I ask the girl closest to the door where the tattoo place is and after looking me over pretty good, points to a door to the left at the corner of the room. Off I go. "Knock" is on a piece of paper in magic marker. So I knock. The door opens about six inches and I see an eye of a young girl looking through the opening. I can see inside and the reflection from a mirror on the far wall tells me she isn't giving the guy on the table a tattoo. "Do you sell T-shirts?" I ask her. Yea, right! And the door closes again. All of a sudden a light goes off in my head and the word "tattoo" has taken on a new meaning!!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Crummy Fantaseas Flipper" Story

It was an ordinary day. Carol and I were on our way from St. Martin to Anguilla by ferryboat for the day. We signed up for tour which included the ferryboat ride, an island tour, lunch at Gwen's Raggae Beach bar, a trip to Shoal Beach, snorkeling on a deserted beach and a swim with the dolphins. Carol had wanted to swim with dolphins for many years now, and we were finally going to get our chance. We had made arrangements a few years earlier to swim with dolphins in Tortola, which is located in the British Virgin Islands, but at the last minute they closed the program due to poor sanitation conditions and handling of the dolphins. Now's our chance. We were up at 6:45 AM for breakfast at the resort then off to the capital of French St. Martin, Marigot, to meet our tour and for our ferry ride. We boarded the ferry and after arriving at Anguilla and going through customs, we toured the island and headed to Dolphin Fantaseas. We put our suits on and were given life vests and then we entered the water. We were in an enclosed area so the dolphins couldn't escape. The dolphins naturally had names which were Papa Al, Mama Ayla and Baby Coby. We kinda expected to have them tow us around with their top fin and go under us and lift us up out of the water, but no, we got to touch them as they swam next to us, feed them and have our photo taken with them. Big whoop!! And what made it even worse was it rained the entire 45 minutes we were in the water. We did get a neat pix out of it though. At least the lunch, snorkeling and tanning were great. We got to see Shoal Bay Beach which is rated by many magazines as the best beach in the world! The beach certainly didn't disappoint us as did the dolphin experience. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Beach pix is from Shoal Bay Beach, considered to be #1 in the world by many.

The "Best Lei in Hawaii" Story

It was an ordinary day. We are landing in Honolulu for our second trip to Oahu, Hawaii. We traveled to Hawaii five years ago and had such a great time that we had to give it one more try. The "We" for the trip is Jerry and Just Sue as well as Carol and I. The flight is a killer with a two hour flight to Chicago and then a seven hour flight to Hawaii. It feels longer than it sounds. I got air sickness the first time we came, so I drugged myself pretty good for this flight. Don't remember much of what happened. I do remember the really neat Lei that was placed around my neck as I got off the plane by a beautiful native girl. They refer to them as "The Best Lei on the Island." Our hotel is right down the street from Waikiki Beach at the Ohana Resort. Headed to the beach as soon as we could get into our suits. After we returned to the hotel we gave Gary, Carol's cousin who lives in Honolulu, a call to make arrangements to meet him and his girlfriend the next evening for dinner. Carol's mother and Gary's mother were sisters. Gary came here years ago to do his residency for his Doctor's Degree and never left. He set up practice in Honolulu. Gary is very well known and respected Doctor on the island. He is one of eight Doctors in the State of Hawaii who have over 100 patients who receive medicinal marijuana for treatment. I need to talk to him about my return flight! I had Gary as a student years ago in a shop class at MTHS. Little did I know that he would be the cousin of my lovely wife. After the phone call we dressed and headed out for supper and then to bed. Jet lag is starting to kick in right now. The next day we have an early breakfast then off to climb Diamond Head to the summit. This is the inactive volcano that you see in all the photos of Waikiki Beach. We start our climb towards the top. We travel up 74 stairs, through a 225' narrow tunnel, up another 99 steps to the first observation deck. We then hit the spiral walkway that leads to another staircase of 54 steps to the top. We are at an elevation of 761 feet above sea level and the view is amazing. And then........ we go back down. Much easier! After returning to our hotel we shower and head out to dinner with cousin Gary. Gary has made arrangements for us to eat at Duke's Canoe Club. This is the restaurant that is featured in one of Jimmy Buffett's songs and sits right on Waikiki Beach. Great views of the ocean. We had an excellent supper and then the best part, the Hula Pie for dessert. Oh my is that good! Five years ago Gary treated us to dinner and he insisted that he do it again. Told me his favorite teacher shouldn't have to pay for dinner in Hawaii. Gee, thanks Gary!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Pixs from top are: The travelers on the observation deck, view from 761', poster for Duke's Waikiki and shot of Carol and her cousin Gary.

The "81 Survival Reasons" Story

It was an ordinary day. I just got my AARP magazine and have read it from cover to cover. For those of you who are younger than 50, AARP stands for American Association of Retired People and is the World's largest circulation magazine. Printed by the company that my son Derek works for, RR Donnelley. Saw a neat ad on the inside of the back cover where some guy gives his 81 reasons why he takes an 81mg aspirin daily. Thought is was so neat I'm doing a list of my own, since I take a daily dose of 81mg each day. Try it yourself. Here goes:

1. time with my wife Carol

2. oyster pie

3. feeding the birds

4. drinking Ting

5. visiting Pinel Island

6. soaking in the air-jet tub

7. riding my mower in the summer

8. orange creamsicles

9. Woody's crab cakes

10. trips to Chesapeake City

11. train station and airport visits with my grandson Caden

12. selling my photography

13. The Phillies

14. OCNJ with the family

15. working at the frame shop

16. picture search with my granddaughter Courtney

17. banana split dessert

18. visits with Mom

19. birthday parties

20. staying healthy

21. trips to St. Martin

22. trips to Urbana to see Brynn and Dave

23. playing Wii with granddaughter Camille

24. Brown's Donuts

25. watching planes at Sunset Bar and Grill

26. Hawaiian shirts

27. applesauce

28. sea shells and palm trees

29. making people laugh

30. air conditioning in summer

31. getting up early

32. movies

33. chicken pot pie

34. Christmas gifts

35. House Hunters International

36. breakfast with friends

37. long walks

38. cats

39. lobster at Cape May

40. yellow umbrellas on the beach

41. old jeans

42. trips to Happy Bay

43. friends on the deck in summer

45. Seinfield

46. meal at le Piment

47. holding hands with my wife

48. collecting sand

49. peanut butter twirl ice cream

50. trips to State College

51. taking photos

52. warm fire in winter

53. dropping in at Derek and Barb's house

54. cream of crab soup

55. Dancing with the Stars

56. walking the Jersey boardwalk

57. nude sunbathing at Orient

58. holidays

59. reading Patterson and Woods

60. ravioli

61. sunsets

62. Jimmy Buffett songs

63. our beach house

64. silkscreened summer T-shirts

65. son Tad's tattoos

66. afternoon naps

67. tropical drinks melting in your hand

68. my Macintosh

69. chocolate

70. seeing friends and former students

71. pain free days

72. morning good-bye kisses

73. spreading insight and wisdom

74. classic rock and roll

75. Caribbean colors

76. Thanksgiving dinner

78. turquoise blue water

79. American Idol

80. art galleries

81. writing my daily blog

Well, now it's your chance. Email them to me if you want at larcar1949@gmail.com. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Photo of LDub with wife and best friend

The "Orioles Treat" Story

It was another ordinary day. We were on our way to Baltimore to see the Orioles play in Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The ballpark is located along the waterfront in Baltimore near Inner Harbor. Jim G. and I are taking the yearbook staff of MTHS to visit Inner Harbor and see the game. I was yearbook advisor for 31 years and Jim helped me for most of those years. We tried to schedule a trip to Baltimore every year in April or May as a reward for the staff for all their hard work on the school yearbook. Most years we were able to take a day off school and leave early on the bus so we could visit Inner Harbor first, have lunch and head to the ballpark for an afternoon game. I had to prove to the Principal that the trip was necessary in order to have free use of the bus and the day off school. He appreciated all the extras I did for the school, so it was always easy to convince him we needed to go. Worked for many years until the budget got tight and then our trip came to a halt. But, today we will see Camden Yards for the first time. It was recently finished and the Orioles are playing in the stadium for the first time this year. Today's game is against the Cleveland Indians. We have seats along the left field foul line, near the foul pole. Most seats in this park are turned toward the infield, so every seat has a great view. Jim and I have 12 girls and 3 boys with us today. My daughter is the Editor of the book this year. Sounds kinda fishy, doesn't it, that she would be the editor, but she was on the staff for four years and deserved the job. Never regretted I put her in charge. Probably was one of the best books the school every produced. The bus drops us off at Inner Harbor and I give the students a lecture on responsibility and the time that we will meet for lunch at Phillips Seafood Restaurant. Everyone must be with someone else for the morning. Back then you could trust the students to do what you asked of them. Had lunch at noon and headed over to the game. We had a great time, as we usually do! For years we went to the old Memorial Stadium at the north end of Baltimore to watch the game. We would try to get there early for batting practice, because they would let the kids sit in the first couple rows of seats in left field and talk with the players. Now that was a thrill for the high school kids. Since I had primarily all girls on the yearbook staff, the baseball players were very responsive to them calling out their names and yelling for them to come over to visit and.......the girls would toss them a pen and ask them to grab a ball and autograph it for them. They always obliged. How could you say "NO" to a bunch of good looking high school girls? It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Pixs are from top: Inner Harbor area, Camden Yards and front of the old Memorial Stadium.