June is fast approaching, and that means that thousands of local high school seniors (including my youngest daughter) will soon be completing their studies and walking the stage to receive their hard-earned diplomas. It’s been quite a journey for these young men and women, but has it been a memorable one – or one that they’d just as soon forget? It’s been a very unique time for the class of 2021 (and for that matter, the class of 2020 as…
I was forced into town this past weekend to pick up the final touches to complete my Christmas shopping for this year. While I bought most of my gifts online (an absolute joy at this time of year), there were some stocking stuffers and other knick-knacks that had me out and about among the masses to complete my Christmas lists. And oh, what masses there were. The parking lots were full, the mall was crowded, and I had to wait…
Apparently, I shouldn’t have raised a hand against the year 2020, else – like a woman scorned, she hammers back with a vengeance. I should probably explain. Last week, I wrote a brief article on how 2020 basically sucked in a number of ways, but the fickle hands of fate must have read my blog and thought “who is this clown?” and “how may I now reap misfortune upon him?” Let me give you a brief summary of my past…
Nothing beats being able to combine two good things and turning them into one great thing. Chocolate and peanut butter, Crown Apple and ginger ale, or Steve Martin and Martin Short are fine examples. For me, that means cool, autumn evenings and watching classic movies. Since movie theaters are still mostly closed due to the pandemic (or just starting to reopen at limited capacity) and drive-ins are all but extinct (but making a comeback in some areas), the next best…
I’ll admit, due to the pandemic, it’s been a summer to remember (or forget, depending on your point of view). With all of the social distancing, rules, and just plain fear of catching the COVID-19 virus keeping customers away, running a business during the past six months has been anything but easy. Today, I’ll focus on restaurants and other food eateries, one of the hardest hit sectors in the recent economic downturn. ‘Business Insider’ recently reported that as many as…
Following on the heels of last year’s school calendar ending with a rushed and emergency distance learning set-up (locally, our kids were forced to online learning in March to finish out the school year), this year school officials (in Maryland) have already announced that the upcoming school year will start out (on August 31st, 2020) with distance learning (no onsite presence) until the COVID-19 situation can be assessed and reviewed. This, of course, has received mixed reviews from local parents…
I’m sitting here in my back room, watching the multitude of birds flitting in and out of my bird feeder, thinking about the lessons I’ve learned from the ongoing pandemic. It’s been a long couple of months in isolation from friends, family, and the normal daily routine of what I call “life” (and it looks like we may be in for an up and down summer as infection rates rise and fall), but I have a few takeaways. I Used…
Many states are beginning to slowly ease back on restrictions and business closures they imposed as a result of the coronavirus and pandemic mitigation efforts. Here in Maryland, we’ve just entered the beginning of “Phase Two” of the economic “reopening” plan, which allows most retail locations, restaurants, and other businesses to resume operations (albeit with several caveats and restrictions). As the recent lock-downs as a result of COVID-19 start to expire, what exactly does that mean for our future experiences…