Chicken wings. These days almost as American as apple pie, the humble chicken wing has come a long way in the past thirty years. Believe it or not, there was a time when butcher shops couldn’t give these things away, but those days are long gone. Today, the price of wings is more expensive per pound than boneless, skinless chicken thighs – and about three times the price of bone-in, chicken leg quarters. Amazing. Every restaurant I visit seems to…
Well, the ball has dropped (or if you were in Hagerstown on New Year’s Eve, the doughnut was dunked), the Christmas clutter is slowly finding its way back into the attic, and the long (and recently quite cold) winter nights have me in deep thought about the New Year. As you may know, I turned fifty this past October, so that means that I probably have fewer years ahead of me than behind me (statistically speaking), so I find myself…
Since my holiday preparations are woefully behind this year, this past weekend I was forced to wade into the sea of humanity that is the holiday shopping crowd. In my trip to the local mall – between a line at ‘Old Navy’ that literally snaked through the store and proof that yes, sometimes ‘Bath and Bodyworks’ is crowded – I took a few minutes to observe families take part in an annual holiday tradition that has been going on for…
This past Saturday night, a special celebration was held in the town where I live. Called “Christmas in Clear Spring”, it was an evening of old-fashioned, small-town, holiday events (the town has population of only 399 people) that is held once every three years and put on by the local Garden Club. All of the local residents took special care putting up their Christmas lights this year (to help decorate for the event – plus there were prizes for the…
As loyal readers may know, I now spend my days working in the retail business – specifically – in the home improvement retail business, grinding out shifts at one of those big-box stores (the blue one, not the orange one). After finishing out the summer season (affectionately known as the “100 days of hell”) in the Inside Seasonal/Outdoor Power Equipment department, I took a chance at some better hours and less customer interaction by applying to work on the Receiving…
It’s time for the final installment, recapping my recent “bucket list” vacation to the Tuscan region of Italy. I hope you’ve enjoyed the sights and sounds of Italy as I relayed them to you each week throughout this series. If you missed a week, check the archives to get caught up! Wrapping it Up – A Last Day of Shopping, a Final Dinner, and Time to Come Home After the previous night’s revelries, we had the chance to sleep in…
It’s time for “Day 6” of a recap of my recent “bucket list” vacation to the Tuscan region of Italy. We’re nearing the end of the journey, and I hope you’re enjoying the sights and sounds of Italy as I relay them to you each week. Let’s get back to our Tuscan adventure! Day 6: It’s My Birthday! An Unbelievable Wine Tour, Pasta Making, and a Communal Meal for the Ages Today I turned 50! What a way to celebrate! …
It’s time for “Day 5” of a recap of my recent “bucket list” vacation to the Tuscan region of Italy. I hope you’re enjoying the sights and sounds of Italy as I relay them to you each week. We’re more than halfway through the trip, and I hope you’ll stay until the end. Let’s get back to our Tuscan adventure! Day 5: Sights of Pienza, an Olive Oil Tasting, and Roof-Top Cocktails in Castelmuzio The sun was gently warming the…
Welcome back for “Day 4” of a recap of my recent “bucket list” vacation to the Tuscan region of Italy. I hope you’re enjoying the sights and sounds of Italy as I relay them to you each week. We’re halfway through the trip, and I hope you’ll stay until the end. Let’s get back to our Tuscan adventure! Day 4: A Tour of Siena and a Glimpse of Italian TV We awoke to another picture-perfect Italian morning. Not a cloud…
Welcome back for “Day 3” of a recap of my recent “bucket list” vacation to the Tuscan region of Italy. The memories flow back to me as I write this column each week, and I hope you are enjoying the trip so far. I hope you’ll stick around each week until we reach the end. Let’s get started on another day in the Tuscan countryside! Day 3: A Farm Tour, “Light Lunch”, and Our First Dinner in a “Real” Italian…