Items of local interest to the four-state area (Western Md, Southern PA, Northern VA, and Eastern WV).
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…
My, my – how the time has flown. Yes, this coming week – I will celebrate 50 years on this planet (as the helpful people from AARP have already reminded me with their recent large-font mailings). What does it feel like to be a half-century old? Well, truth be told – it doesn’t feel any different from turning 49, or 37 for that matter. In my head, I’m still the same person who it seems just graduated from high school…
Now that my youngest daughter is a proud member of the high school band, I recently got my first taste of that fall tradition that is celebrated in towns all over America – the Friday night high school football game. Now, you must understand that the town I live in has a population of about 400 people, and the high school itself also has a student body of around 400 (basically doubling the size of town on any given school…
Halloween is in full swing at the big-box home improvement store (the blue one) where I work as a Customer Service Associate (actually, we’ve had merchandise in for over a month now, but it came out in earnest over the past week). Yes, in addition to selling my normal inventory of grills, air conditioners, trimmers, and dehumidifiers – I now have to look at pumpkins, goblins and skeletons throughout my shift. If you know anything about me, you probably know…
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past month, by now you’ve no doubt heard about the total eclipse of the sun that is upcoming this Monday, August 21st, 2017. The eclipse event won’t be a “total eclipse” here in the four-state area (we’ll get about 84% coverage), but that hasn’t stopped everyone locally from going off the deep end trying to get ready for it. Honestly, a month ago these yokels couldn’t tell you what an eclipse…
Wow, the summer is really flying by this year. It’s already August, and even though the school year doesn’t start until September in Maryland this year (it was pushed back to a “post-Labor Day” start by state government decree last year), things are already starting to gear up on the education front – specifically, extra-curricular activities. Yes, band and sports parents know well the pull of the school campus come August. Daily fall sports practices (for things like football and…
Yes, it’s time once again for the annual Clear Spring Volunteer Fire Company’s annual summer carnival, taking place this week (7/31-17 – 8/5/17) at the carnival grounds just outside of Clear Spring, Maryland. In what’s become a sort of tradition at the Snyder household, we have driven by the grounds on several occasions on Sunday to see what sort of thrill rides and other delights the amusement company in charge of this year’s rides has brought to town for the…
The dog days of summer are here, my friends. Yes, it’s hot out, but there are still some days where a cool morning or evening breeze makes me close my eyes, take a deep breath, and be thankful to be a resident on this big, blue planet we call home. I have several summertime traditions, built over a lifetime of experiences. These are “highlights” that I like to enjoy each year, and the list is ever-changing and growing. To me,…