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Category: Local Interest

Items of local interest to the four-state area (Western Md, Southern PA, Northern VA, and Eastern WV).

College Football is Back!  Let’s Go (Insert Favorite Team Name Here)!

College Football is Back!  Let’s Go (Insert Favorite Team Name Here)!

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The beginning of September marks the start of college football season, and I spent a lot of time this past weekend channel surfing between YouTube channels watching various games (this week’s million dollar business idea – NFL RedZone [where only the scoring or big play highlights for all games are screened in one place live], but for college football.  Someone can thank me later). So, who am I watching?  Well, that all depends.  I generally will watch a good Top…

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It’s “Back To School” Time – Even for Me!

It’s “Back To School” Time – Even for Me!

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The end of August signals the annual trek back to school for students all over the country.  My youngest has started her fall semester at college, and I now get to navigate all of the daily school bus traffic on the local roads twice a day (be careful out there). My youngest is taking a Microeconomics course this semester, and I thought it would be interesting to follow along.  So, while she attends her classes in person down south this…

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Craft Beer:  OK, I Think I’ve Seen Enough

Craft Beer:  OK, I Think I’ve Seen Enough

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The craft beer industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the past ten years.  Now, in the beginning, that was a good thing.  We were becoming more like Europe, where in countries such as Germany, it seems like every small town has their own brewery, and the beers there are generally good, unique, and flavorful. The first brew pubs were packed here in the U.S., and for connoisseurs of that wonderful, malty beverage, it was a golden age.  Beer…

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It’s Carnival Week!  The Annual Tradition Continues

It’s Carnival Week!  The Annual Tradition Continues

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The first week of August means only one thing in my small town. It’s carnival week! Yes, that cavalcade of carnies, questionably-maintenanced rides, deep fried food, inflatable trinkets, and colorful, live entertainment descends once again on my little town, offering a week of summertime entertainment to young and old alike. The carnival marks the wind-down of the summer season, when kids know school is just around the corner and older folks know another summer is almost gone, soon making way…

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The Summer Vegetable Stand:  Buying Local Never Tasted So Good

The Summer Vegetable Stand:  Buying Local Never Tasted So Good

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Living in a rural area in the summer is a magical time.  Gardens are in full bloom, and all over the countryside, local fruit and vegetable stands are busy, presenting fresh and just-picked produce used in our favorite summer recipes.  They may be a formal market, a lean-to on the side of the road, or even just a small table at the end of a driveway (where payment is made on the honor system), but no matter where you find…

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Parenting:  A Job That Never Ends

Parenting:  A Job That Never Ends

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I have some friends who recently became grandparents, and they have been proudly showing my wife and I pictures of their new grandson (who, truth be told, is a cute little fart).  As I look at the pictures, I can’t help but reflect on my own kids, and the job my wife and I have done as parents. We raised our girls to be smart, independent young women, and now that they are both young adults, they are out in…

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Casual Dining Chains:  What, You Don’t Want Our Business Anymore?

Casual Dining Chains:  What, You Don’t Want Our Business Anymore?

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I don’t know how long it’s been since the last time you went out to eat at a casual dining chain, but the landscape sure has changed – and not for the better. First off, I’m going to do my “old man” rant on QR codes.  Now, I do technology as a profession, so I understand that it does help in some cases.  I also understand that the younger generation has no problem adapting to these advances, but I’d like…

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I’m On The Verge of Retirement:  So Why Now?

I’m On The Verge of Retirement:  So Why Now?

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As of today, I’ve only got 176 days left of work until I pull the plug and retire from the normal 9-to-5 of the world of work.  I’m walking away after 35 years of regular employment, at the rather young age of 57. I get lots of comments from friends and co-workers when I share this information.  After the formal “congratulations”, there’s always the upturned eyebrow, along with the slew of questions. “Aren’t you a little young to retire?” “What…

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The 4th of July – Not Just Independence Day

The 4th of July – Not Just Independence Day

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This week marks the 248th anniversary of the Continental Congress adopting the Declaration of Independence in 1776.  It’s a big day in our nation’s history. But it’s not the only significant event in our nation’s history that has happened on that day. If you’re really in the mood to celebrate (or somberly remember), here are some other things that also happened on that day (all of these events are listed on the history.com and Britannica.com websites, in case you’re wondering):…

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It’s Not The Heat, It’s the Hu – – Who Am I Kidding?  It’s The Heat

It’s Not The Heat, It’s the Hu – – Who Am I Kidding?  It’s The Heat

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Well, I hope all of you summer fans out there are happy.  It’s not even July yet and we’ve already hit the mid-90’s on several days here in June, the corn is already rolling up from heat stress, and as usual, there’s hardly a drop of rain in sight.  July and August haven’t even reared their ugly heads yet. It’s shaping up to be a brutal summer. Welcome to the new normal. This past week, the thermometer touched 95 degrees…

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