Do you remember that one car you owned in your life that took on memorable status? The one that not only revives horrible flop-sweats, but also brings back memories that make you smile? I have one of those. It’s a 1999 Toyota Camry. A white, four-door. The car that if you gave its description to a police officer, they’d say “well that narrows it down to about two million possible matches.” They made a ton of these back in the…
I recently attended my oldest daughter’s graduation from college. It was a special day. A milestone in her life and in ours, and while I couldn’t be any more proud of her completing this chapter of her life, I have to say I was more than a little embarrassed and disappointed at many of the other attendees at the graduation ceremony. Yes, I’m talking to you, friends and family of other graduates. I don’t mean to go off on a…
Ahhh, the dream of the typical, American family. There’s Mom, Dad, the eldest son and the youngest daughter. They get the happy news in April that Dad got that well-deserved promotion at work and to celebrate, this summer they are going to pack up their suitcases and head down to Orlando, Florida for a week of fun and frolic at the most magical place on earth, Walt Disney World. They excitedly talk about it over the dinner table, discussing what…
The news reports and magazine articles are already starting about how this summer’s air travel will see record crowds, higher ticket prices, and staffing shortages (both from the airlines and the airports themselves). All of this means that air travelers can expect more delays, more cancellations, and more frustration as they try to reach their vacation destinations. Hooray. There’s nothing I enjoy more than getting in a TSA line behind someone who acts like they’ve never been inside a lighted…
For someone who has lived in Western Maryland for most of his life, I had never been to the Deep Creek Lake area of Western Maryland – an oversight I happily corrected over the recent Easter weekend. Located in western-most Garrett County, it is Maryland’s largest fresh-water lake (fun fact – all the lakes in Maryland are man-made), covering over 3900 acres and consisting of over 65 miles of shoreline. As one can imagine, it has year-round outdoor opportunities –…
I see a lot of what I would consider “questionable” business ideas around my local area. For example, we’ve got a ‘Bed, Bath, & Beyond’ that seems to be on its last legs in one of our local shopping strip malls, and what did some genius decide to put in just a few storefronts down? A ‘Home Goods’ store. Are their pillows really that much better than the ones at BB&B? Just how many candles holders does one household need,…
While I don’t really understand how the cruise industry survived the recent pandemic (and their consistent bouts in recent years with the Norwalk virus – washy! washy!), there seems to be no stopping the ongoing drive to offer bigger ships, more activities, and just more of everything. Every major line seems to be adding new ships, more amenities (private islands with multiple activities are becoming the norm on Caribbean itineraries), and just “plus-ing” every aspect of their travel offerings. Just…
After being blasted in my rear-view mirror by the headlights of a gargantuan behemoth that was so wide it barely fit in its lane yesterday, I’d like to take a moment to talk about trucks. I’m not talking about 18-wheelers, mind you. I’m talking about all of these Dodge Ram, Chevy Tundra, Ford – whatevers I see more and more of on the road each year. It used to be that a man (or woman) wanted a small truck to…
Hurricanes are back in the news again, as Ian rumbled across the Florida peninsula this past week and we’re smack dab in the middle of the 2022 storm season (hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th). Many folks in the four-state region may think they know what it’s like to “ride out” a storm. This area sometimes gets the remnants of a hurricane that rumbles its way up the Eastern seaboard and into the Chesapeake Bay, or maybe…
Last week I detailed my first two days of my recent California Labor Day adventure, where I got to spend a few busy days visiting my brother on the West Coast. If you missed Part One, I suggest you go take a look. Things will make a little more sense as we dive into the back half of my ‘So Cal’ travels. Let’s get going, shall we? Day 3 I awoke early again (still on East Coast time), and got…