Ahhh, the family reunion. An annual rite of passage for most families, you’ll often find the summer months as the “high season” for this type of extended family gathering. Reunions are done in a number of ways, whether it be meeting up at a relative’s house for a picnic/barbeque or gathering everyone together for a big trip somewhere – say Disney World or getting a cabin together in the Great Smoky Mountains. There tend to be two camps when it…
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…
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…
One of the drawbacks of all this readily available connectivity, communication, and technology in our modern era is the loss of regional food and cuisine. Go anywhere in America these days and if you’re in a decent sized-town or city, you’ll find a ‘Starbucks’, ‘Chick-fil-A’, or ‘Olive Garden’ – all serving their dishes to exacting standards, so that your dining experience is the same no matter where you visit in the United States (or in some cases, the world). What…
My youngest daughter is experiencing a whole lot of “firsts” in her life this week. She’s on fall break from her college, and she decided to fly down to see her grandmother, extended family, and a few friends in Florida. So naturally, there was some planning to do. Some “adult” things to take care of – as with any journey – but in the past these things were always handled by myself or her mother. This time, she is the…
I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to September 22, 2021 (precisely at 3:20 PM, to be exact). For those of you not in the know, that was the date and time of the annual Autumnal Equinox, better known as the first day of fall. Sure, others may have their favorites. I know folks who can’t get enough of summer. Some folks love the long cold, winter – while others love the rebirth of spring. For me,…
As school is back in session all over the local area, this time of year is also marked by the return of public education’s transportation workhorse – the school bus. Gone once again are the days when I could whisk down the roads into work on my early morning drive. I now have to time my morning commute with the precision of a federal bank heist, where one minute out of-sync will mean the difference between an effortless drive or…
The ongoing pandemic has hurt many sectors of our economy, but without a doubt, one of the worst to feel its crippling economic effects is the travel and tourism industry. Beach towns were empty and pristine this past summer season. Hotel occupancy was at record lows. Industry giants like Disney lost billions each quarter due to the shuttering of its theme parks and other resort offerings (I can’t even begin to imagine what the local economy is like in Orlando). …
I’ve had the good fortune recently to be able to reconnect with my younger brother and his wife (who live on the West Coast). He and I have shared some good conversations, and one of the topics that has come up is future plans and what we think the next five, ten, or even twenty years will bring to our lives. We’re both at the age where friends in both of our personal circles have unfortunately started to pass away,…