The warmer weather brings many seasonal changes to the local landscape. The hum of lawnmower engines can be heard every weekend, kids is baseball uniforms toddle down the street towards the local ball fields, the ice cream shop lines get longer, and it’s the season for my least favorite warm weather phenomenon – the yard sale. Now don’t get me wrong, if you have things gathering dust in your basement or attic that you want to get rid of and…
There are seven days within each week And folks may have their favorite, But find a fan of Mondays, And I’ll say that soul’s unfortunate. For who could love a Monday It’s the start of a work week. The alarm is buzzing early, Five more minutes do I seek. Drink the coffee, get behind the wheel Into traffic I do battle As I follow others heading in Like a guided herd of cattle. Read the email, is it lunchtime yet?…
As you may know, I have recently started a new job with a national manufacturing firm. I’m still new to my work group, so when a few teammates asked if I’d be willing to participate in the “Meat Mountain” challenge for lunch the following day, I said “sure” without really thinking about it. Now, for those of you who are unaware, the Arby’s chain of fast food restaurants (“they have the meats!”) has a specialty sandwich they call “The Meat…
OK, I’ll admit it. I’m not a big “adopter” of technology as it’s used in our everyday lives. That doesn’t mean I don’t use it, mind you, it’s just that I’m not someone who could be called “cutting edge”. For instance, I have a cellphone, but use it for little more than actually making phone calls. I don’t text all that much, I’m not tuned in to all of the latest apps and functionality of the device, and I could…
Springtime in the four-state region means plenty of weekend festivals and outdoor events that take advantage of the area’s warmer weather. Here is just a sampling of some of the featured activities, but make sure to check your local paper or internet for other celebrations and happenings throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Fort Frederick 18th Century Market Fair Now in its 25th year, the 18th Century Market Fair at Fort Frederick is a unique and immersive look at…
Yes, it’s time for our annual review of the Oriental Trading Company’s latest catalog, full of all kinds of toys, games, and tchotchkes for your party planning needs. Spring means Easter, and Easter means some of the looniest, strangest, and just plain weird gift ideas for your holiday celebrations. Here’s my pick for this year’s favorites: Easter Bowling Game Yes, in these days of cell phones and internet, we need our kids to be more active, but I’m not…
One of the wonderful things about living in my area is that we get to experience all four seasons. If you’re a fan of the heat, you’ll get your time in the summer months. Love the cold? Well, there’s a three-month season for you as well. Autumn also has its fans (me being one of them), and the fall months bring a smile to my face. That being said, there’s lots to like about spring, and the weather has finally…
Since the start of my new job (two weeks ago), I have once again returned to the often stressful and unavoidable companion of working at a non-local job – the daily highway commute. My previous employment was accessible via back roads and local routes, allowing me to skip the daily grind of interstate highway traffic, but alas – those “salad days” are over. I must now commute along one of the more notorious local interstate highways, I-81. For those of…
Well, the weather is FINALLY starting to turn here locally. I’m not saying every day is mild and wonderful, but following the vernal equinox (the first day of spring), the mechanisms of the natural world are in place to bring life and renewal to the winter landscape. The daffodils and tulips are beginning to break through the soil, trees are beginning to show their first buds, and the spring rains are soaking the ground and awakening the plant life beneath….
As many of you who read my blog know, I was employed at a large home improvement chain store (the blue one), working as an RTM (Return to Manufacturer) Clerk. My days were filled with contacting various vendors and obtaining credit for returned or damaged items, sending out appliances, mowers, and power washers for repairs, or taking care of the cataloging and proper disposal of any HAZMAT items we had on premises (to name just a few of my many…