How does your garden grow?

Good Morning and I hear summer might make a visit this week!

So, once again this year, I dutifully worked my garden.
I got a few tomato plants, a couple of peppers and a couple of bags of organic dirt.
I pulled the weeds, watered the plants and made sure the squirrels stayed away.
I have tons of green tomatoes all over the vines.
I have scant few that have ripened.
Now, I've been told it's because of all the rain we had this year.
"All my plants are slow this year," said one fellow backyard gardener. "I think it's one of those slow years."
Yeah, right.
I'm going to be stuck with a thousand green tomatoes again this year. 
I'm going to have to go to my green tomato cookbook.
Hey, maybe there's a deal there. I could write the Frustrated Gardener's Guide to Green Tomatoes.

You want an actual book?

Good Morning and, come on, who's really loving this humidity?

About a year ago, I purchased a Kindle. It's not one of those fancy ones with games and videos and more games. It's just a basic Kindle.
I found out I could 'rent' books through the library web site. Since I never remembered to bring books back to the library on time (I seriously had a $10 fine once) this was a great solution.
I've probably read more books in the last year than I had in the previous decade, so the Kindle has proved to be a wise investment.
Of course, when I first got it, the group at home was enamored with it. They all wanted to read books on the Kindle. It got to the point where I had schedule times each could use it. Once again, not a bad thing. They were reading, but it felt somehow different.
For Christmas, somebody was getting rid of a basic Nook for cheap. OK, I thought, perfect. I can keep my Kindle and they could use the Nook.
Worked great. We were reading. We were talking about the stories.
So, of course, I figured it would be easy to get through the school's summer reading lists.
"Hey guys," I said, "I downloaded some of your summer reading on the Nook."
"I want a real book or I'm not reading," said the 8-year old.
"I thought you liked reading on the touch screen."
"It's not the same," she said. "I want a real book or I'm not reading."
I thought those days were gone.

Speed

Good Morning and I think the summer is going too fast!!

I just glanced at the date in the lower right of my laptop and (WHAT!!) it's already August 12.
Where did the summer go? What happened to July? I still have too much I want to do this year!!
I've seen the commercials and the ads pushing 'Back to School.' I've been to Target and I get the feeling they hope to clear out the pencils and crayons so the Christmas decorations can be displayed.
I know time moves on. I know it. I can feel it. Doesn't mean I have to like it.
I'm not one of those parents who looks forward to the school days with glee. Sure, it will be good to get everybody back into a structured environment, but I like the free-form of summer.
I like waking up late and saying, "Hey, lets drive down the shore."
I like waking up late and asking, "Who wants to go swimming?"
I like waking up late and hearing the snores from the next room.
OK, mostly I like waking up late, but that's another story.

Blueberries? Who doesn't like blueberries?

Good Morning and are those aliens flying around in the sky?

OK, first of all, I wan to get this out of the way. I never, ever, used PEDs while writing this blog. I've never met Tony Bosch. Up until a few months ago, I thought Biogenesis was some new way of explaining Darwin.
Thanks. I feel like a burden has been lifted off my shoulders.
Now, to the nonsense...
Every Sunday morning I make fresh waffles, but I mix up the ingredients. Some Sundays we may have a maple/walnut waffle. The next week it will be banana/chocolate chip or maybe oatmeal/raisin.
After they are made and put on the table we play a little Guess the Ingredient game. Mostly by the second waffle, the gang has all the mix-ins down.
This weekend, I decided to add blueberries. I mean, who doesn't like blueberry waffles?
Well, I found them. Two of my diners all of a sudden announced they hated blueberries. One toasted himself a bagel.
The other? Well, she still wanted the waffles, but decided to pick out the blueberries. By the time she was done, there was probably at least another waffle on the plate attached to blueberries.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"You know I don't eat blueberries," the 8-year old said. "I picked them out. And Dad, don't ever put them in again."
I'll teach them. Next Sunday it will be spinach waffles. Then we'll see how fast they beg for blueberries.

Bases and balls

Good Morning all you gentle readers!

When did summer end? I woke up this morning and could have sworn it was September. Well, except for the lack of buses and such.
So, today's the day that Major League Baseball cracks down on about 12 players as it continues to try to 'clean up the game.'
Whenever I hear these stories, I hasten back to years of yesteryear. During the last big steroid controversy (I think it was Barry Bonds chasing the home run record), Daily Times columnist Jack McCaffery was asked what he thought about drugs in sports.
To paraphrase (OK, to clean up the language), Jack said something like, "I don't care what they do to their bodies, I just want to see long home runs."
Now, that might be a simplistic argument, but the question remains, why does anybody care? If these highly-paid people feel they need to put their health in danger to win a few awards, so be it. If the leagues (any league) wants to kick them out, so be it.
In the end, it does nothing for me. I'll watch the games if there's nothing better on TV. I'll sleep OK.
I guess there's a need to talk about something in the middle of summer and this is probably as good as anything.
I think the over-riding feeling, though, is we like to see the privileged fail. Especially, if they cheated.

Time for videos

Good Morning and welcome back to the Internet!!

Know how there are mornings when your brain just doesn't want to work? Yeah, that's today...

Kids Hate Smurfs 2 - watch more funny videos

Tom Brady's Best Friend from Tom Brady

Darn alarm

Good Morning and, my, it's nice out there today!

I know I'm going to be behind all day today. I know it already. I've known it since I woke up.
How?
Well, instead of hitting the snooze button on the alarm this morning, I must have turned the thing off. I don't even remember doing it. For the most part (unless some idiot is beeping his horn outside at 3:15 in the morning), I rarely remember hitting that first snooze.
Sometimes I guess your brain just says, "No. You need sleep. I don't care if you're a little late for work."
When I looked at the clock and it said 6:15, I knew I was going to have a behind-the-horse kind of day.
Oh well. Doesn't happen that often, so I better just enjoy the sun.

Phillies stink. Let's read

Good Morning and who wears a watch?

One thing I've found this summer is now that we can finally agree the Phillies stink, there is suddenly a lot more time to do other things.
Like read.
I must admit that over the last year or so, I've been a little lax in my reading. I used to go through a few books a summer. As the Phillies got better, though, I found myself doing less reading and more watching in the summer.
I would usually put the game on the radio or TV and then that would be it for the night. I guess I could have done both, but these were exciting times for us baseball fans. Gone were the years of ugly losses after ugly losses. We were contenders every year.
This year? Yeah, these are the Phillies I remember. I only wish there were a few ugly losses. Now, it's laughable.
On the bright side, though, I've rediscovered reading. I've gone through a new book about every two weeks (that's how long the library lets you keep them on the Kindle).
I've delved into a couple of different worlds. I've solved mysteries along with the police. I've learned about Darwin.
Sure, I've done other things. I check e-mail for special messages. I listen to music. I watch the birds and butterflies.
I also get caught up in spirited battles on Words With Friends.
OK, maybe it's not all productive.

Funny thing happened on the way

Good Morning and this is a break from the humidity?

So, right before I was to leave for vacation last week, I received an e-mail: "Congratulations, you have won two tickets to see Flock of Seagulls."
After I stopped laughing and realized this was a real message, well, OK, I laughed a lot more.
I asked if Flock of Seagulls had more than one song. Uh, never heard any more, but they probably had a few more.
So, figuring this had to be one of those experiences that will never be repeated, I went downtown to actually watch a Flock of Seagulls concert (Hey, it was free!!).
What I found was a bunch of people like myself who had memories from the 1980s. Maybe we were just trying to see something like an old movie or whatever.
I did reconfirm my suspicions that the music of the 80s still stinks and Flock of Seagulls, well, with the exception of that one song, are awful.
Still, where else can you relive your youth for a few hours? OK, maybe my head wouldn't have hurt so much if I watched the 'Breakfast Club' instead.

Post-vacation blues

Good Morning and how about that Prince?

Yeah, I don't care much about the new Royal either. Unless he's going to bring Kansas City back to the glory years (boom, boom, boom).
Ever have one of those vacations where everything went better than planned and you hoped it could never end? OK, OK, we always say vacations are too short, but on the other side a week off with the kids sometimes makes work look pretty good (Yes, "sometimes" is the key word).
Last week, I took my group to Williamsburg, Va. The first thought I had before leaving last Tuesday was: "Are you insane? Driving three children for seven hours?"
After getting a supportive e-mail, I went full-speed ahead. Well, I did have to drive down 95 around Washington, so full-speed may not be the optimum word.
We did all the history stuff, went to Busch Gardens, sweated with the rest of the world.
 Amazing to me anyway was, despite the overwhelming heat, there was very little arguing and a whole lot of smiles. At one point, my daughter said, "Dad, this is the best vacation ever!"

On the last day there, we were walking around Colonial Williamsburg when somebody noticed my son's Phillies shirt.
"Hey, some friendly faces from Philly," a man said. "Good to see somebody from home."
After some pleasantries it got around to home towns.
"We're from Chadds Ford, but we've lived everywhere, Haverford, Upper Darby."
You know, throw a stone...

Rise and Shine --- WAKE UP

Good Morning to all you loyal readers (I know you are both out there)!

Ever have one of those mornings where you are so tired you want to just stay in bed, but you know you wouldn't fall back asleep anyway so might as well get up.
Yeah, those days. Like today.
I swear I hit the snooze about 10 times this morning. I knew I had to get up and get to work, but it felt so much better just to stay under the covers. Somehow, maybe because this seems to happen more and more, I know I wouldn't have fallen back asleep. At least if I had fallen asleep, I just knew it wouldn't have been restful.
I'd want to check my e-mail to see if I have any cool messages. I'd want to see if it really is that hot outside or is the air conditioner just set too high. I'd want to eat my breakfast.
So, yeah, I curse that guy who invented the snooze button, but I also honor him (apparently it was an unknown worker in 1959 who came up the idea).
Now, where's my pillow?

Rise and Shine --- Electronics

Good Morning and laugh it up!

It's amazing how things can change so quickly.
I look forward to checking my e-mail throughout the day (and having a good laugh or a smile when they arrive). A couple of months ago, all I did was clear out junk mail (it's amazing how much of that slips through the various security measures).
About 10 years ago, even a cell phone was a bit foreign. OK, it was good for emergencies and ordering pizza while out of the house, but that was about it. Back in the old days (and I'm talking those heady 90s), if somebody needed to get me and I wasn't home, there was an answering machine.
My phone doesn't ring any more often now (actually, probably less. I don't remember getting a phone call that wasn't bill-related). Still, I have it with me. Wait, is that a beep?
It's not that I don't think it's better now, it's just different.
When I was 14, I saved my birthday money and walked up to the local Sears to get an electronic football game. I was so happy I finally had it (I was the last of my friends to get one) that I played for hours. Picked it up the next day and played a little less. Finally, it was relegated to that spot under the bed where toys went to die.
Yesterday, I was watching a 14-year old play a game on his phone. OK, it wasn't so much a game as an excuse to send texts. I have to sometimes force him to put the thing away during the day. Somehow, I don't think it will end up under the bed (actually, it seriously better not).

Rise and Shine --- Old humor

Good Morning and please tell me why my e-mail is not updating!?!?

You know, it is July here in Pennsylvania so I, for one at least, am not too surprised it's pretty hot. Those TV news stations last night made it seem like that episode in the Twilight Zone where the woman is dreaming the sun is moving closer to earth and frying everything (SPOILER ALERT: Earth is actually moving away from the sun and it's getting colder).
Anyway, there are certainly 100s of ways to beat the heat, so to speak.
Saturday, I decided to use the Marx Brothers.
The Bryn Mawr Film Institute was showing the movie 'Animal Crackers' and, well, everybody can use a little comedy once in a while.
So, my crew made it through the movie which led to the following exchange with an 11-year old:
"Dad, was that a comedy?"
Come on, man, it was hilarious.
"I didn't get the jokes."
OK, some have may been dated, but wasn't it funny when they broke the table.
"I guess. I don't get why the one guy didn't talk."
It's just part of the fun.
"Yeah, and they didn't look like brothers."
That's what makes it so funny.
"Sure. Can we see a real movie next time? Something that's in color?"
Here we go again...

Rise and Shine --- Words

Good Morning and welcome back to the only place on the Internet you can find this!

I've always been fascinated by words. Which, I guess, is why I am still in this business.
It amazes me how people can put words together and have a profound impact on your day, week, month, year.
For instance, you can hear or read a message that simply says 'Cut the grass.' Depending from where the message originates can make a difference between a laugh and a scowl. If your boss says it, well, it's just another annoyance (and if my boss says it, I'd have to raise my eyebrows). If it comes from a different person, it brings a smile (especially if it's at the end of a bunch of messages that make you smile).
I've listened to press conferences by Barack Obama and Tiger Woods recently. One knows how to make somebody listen, the other forces everybody to tune out.
We've recently been hearing a lot in the news about words that have hurt. About words that have caused havoc in the streets.
I've been lucky enough to read words that have made a big difference, that can only be described as, OK, epic (like the kid's say).
Of course, I've also heard other words lately, like 'Dad, can we play the computer' or 'Dad, can I watch TV' or 'Dad, I don't like this food' or 'Don't mix the colors with the whites.'
Can't do anything but listen.

Rise and Shine --- Water. It's always water

Good Morning and I don't care if it's raining, the sun is shining!

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. A nice breeze was blowing. Everybody was having a good time.
Then the water guns came out and everything changed.
Sure, the girls of the Pink Ladies softball team were laughing and chasing each other around, but the water was getting perilously close to the parents.
Watching the water being sprayed (and dumped) on and between screaming children is one thing. It's entirely another thing to get it on the table, because then you'll be in trouble.
Well, fun trouble, anyway. In previous parties, once the adults started getting sprayed, the hose came out. Think you're wet now? Oh, you don't know wet.
This time, the water stayed on the children (for the most part). I guess there is a certain age where walking around in wet clothes is fun.
For some reason, though, no matter the temperature or the sun, the water makes an appearance.
Oh, well, I guess it could be worse.

Rise and Shine: What's next?

Good Morning and it always seems odd when the Phillies are playing on the West Coast!

The question came moments after the everybody was in the house: "What are we going to do today?"
Uh, we were at the beach all weekend, how about a rest day?
"Yeah, but I'm bored. What are we going to do today?"
OK, we'll go see a movie. It's pretty darn hot out anyway, so how about that?
"Sure. At the theater?"
So, we trekked out to the Regal Cinema in Marple. Saw 'Monsters University' and started to go home.
(First, here's a quick review of 'Monsters University:' Kind of cute in a Pixar way. Kind of odd in a cartoon way. I kept being asked if that was what college was really like. 'Monsters Inc.' was much better, but Billy Crystal is still funny, so the movie works).
No sooner did the air conditioner go on in the car when I heard: "What are we going to do the rest of the day?"
Yes, summer is here. Yes, it is!

Rise and Shine --- Feet in the water

Good Morning and the sun is shining brighter these days (along with the moon)!

So, got to the beach for the first time this summer and, man, the water was cold. Well, it was at least cold to me. I set up the chairs, the umbrella and the towels, then raced the brood to the ocean.
Let's all jump in.
Ever see the scene in 'Vacation' when Chevy Chase jumps into the motel pool with Christie Brinkley? Aaahhh! It was cold.
A couple of days before, my brother had told me the water was warm. "It's like 69 degrees," he said. "Usually don't see that until July."
Yeah, that's the last time I trust his knowledge of the ocean.
Still, there was something magical about the beach. I was able to tune out the 100s of other people who had the same idea and just breath in the air.
Now, if I could only figure out how the sand got, uh, there.

Rise and Shine -- To Rain

Good Morning and welcome to U.S. Open week!

Not a very good start to things this morning. Noboby made it out to for an early practice round. Want to know why? Check this out

Or how about this:

Rise and Shine --- End of Days

Good Morning and why would I possibly need a jacket this morning?

In honor of school ending, there's this:

Letters to teachers from students

Rise and Shine --- Guess it's not like the movies

Good Morning and welcome to a few degrees cooler!

So, I guess it's not like the movie: