Politics? I need an aspirin

Good Morning and here we are again!

Yes, we have reached that season again. No, not the one you are thinking about (although, I did see an unnamed local store putting up Christmas lights last week).
We have reached the never-ending political season.
I see Tom Wolf attacking Tom Corbett. I see Tom Corbett attacking Tom Wolf.
I get e-mails from Republicans attacking President Obama. I get e-mails from President Obama (well, not really it's some kind of auto-bot) attacking the Republicans.
I get phone calls. I get candidates knocking on my door. I get things in the mail (people still send things through the mail?).
AHHHH. Enough already.
All of this information just turns me off. By the time November comes along, I'll be ready to move to Sweden. (Do they have elections in Sweden?)
Just like I don't want to see Halloween stores popping up in August, I don't want to hear from political candidates until, well, how about late September.
It's all spin anyway.
Yes, we know you hate the other side. You will never work together. Blah, blah, blah.
I'll make my decision on your record, not on your rhetoric.

Time to get the candy

Good Morning and welcome back to the Internet!

I was flipping through the TV last night, hoping to find a decent horror movie in honor of Halloween. Since last week I watched 'Halloween,' I was looking for something different. My choices were 'Nightmare on Elm Street 3' and 'House of 1,000 corpses.'
I, for some reason, settled on the latter. Guess I should have just gone to bed early. That was 2 hours, I'll never get back.
By the way, why do TV stations have to talk about healthy Halloween? There's nothing healthy about Halloween and, really, there doesn't have to be.
For the most part we eat healthy, but there are a couple of days better to have at it.
Halloween is one of those days.
So, bring out the pizza and don't get between me and the bag of Reese's.

Movies and such

Good Morning and I liked it better when the sun came up earlier.

Anyway, so I was flipping around the TV channels last night around 8 and stumbled upon the original 'Halloween' just as it was starting.
So, of course, that meant I was stuck. Even though there were commercials on the AMC showing, I kept coming back to the movie.
Now, it's obviously one of the best scary movies of all time. Those seeing it for the first time even 35 years after its release (Yes, it came out in 1978) will be screaming and hiding their eyes. The amazing thing is the movie still holds up after all this time.
Sure, the teens are using landlines instead of cell phones and they are watching black&white movies, but it's still pretty shocking with Michael Myers sits back up.
Sure, there questions we ask now that probably wouldn't have been asked in 1978.
Like, wouldn't anybody notice a guy in a mask following teenage girls in a brown station wagon? Wouldn't the Myers' house have been torn down by now and replaced by a Wawa? How did it get so dark so quickly? Why was Dr. Loomis driving up in the rain? Where the heck are everybody's parents?
Doesn't take away from the movie. Actually, I think it adds a little bit.
It's too bad the dumb sequels and remakes kind of taint the original. Do yourself a favor this Halloween and check it out again or for the first time.

For everything, a season

Good Morning and how about them Eagles?!?!

I'm one who likes everything in its own time.
For instance, I won't do any Christmas shopping until after Thanksgiving (usually not until the last week, but that's another story). I cringe when I see those Halloween stores cropping up Sept. 1. Don't even talk to me about the Valentine's candy that shows up just after the New Year or the Easter stuff that hits the same time as the Super Bowl.
There's enough rushing in this world. I don't need to hear 'Jingle Bells' before Santa drives his sleigh in front of Macy's. (Yeah, I know those lights and trees are already up in most stores. I'm just going to ignore them for a few months).
So, when I saw Pumpkinland was opening at Linvilla Orchards, my first thought was "isn't it still summer?"
That's usually a Saturday in October trip for us. Get pumpkins, take a hay ride, stock up on apples.
Still, for some reason, the pull was too much for me to ignore and we were there Saturday afternoon.
Guess what? It was a fun time even though we were only in the last weekend of September.
We picked out pumpkins (really, 20 pounds each?) and were there until it closed.
Now, I'm ready for what fall has to offer.
Just don't start singing 'White Christmas' until November please.

Rise and Shine --- Fall

Good Morning and wouldn't it be nice to have a week without rain?

While we could skip winter and it would be OK with me, I really do look forward to the changing of the seasons.
It's tough to give up the summer and all that comes with it (trips to the beach, swimming), there is something special about the Fall.
The vibrant colors of the leaves as you drive from here to there are very cool. The temperatures isn't so bad as long as you can convince everybody to wear a jacket.
On Saturday, we (along with seemingly the rest of Delaware County) decided to take a ride up to Linvilla Orchards for our annual pumpkin-hunting quest.
Each one is put under scrutiny. OK, this one is a little flat on the back, but it's perfectly round on the front. Perfect for a Jack O'Lantern. Wait, that one over there is pretty good too. Hey, can't we all get a pumpkin.
Getting caught up in the season, well, of course.
So, this year, we ended up with a record-breaking 81 pounds of pumpkins (breaking the old record of 72 set in 2009).
Now, who's going to start cutting?

Rise and Shine --- It's not cold. It's Halloween.

Good Morning and welcome to November!

Yes, it's November. Yes, the year is going too quickly. Yes, it's getting chilly outside.
Last night, it was downright cold. For some reason, though, the cold didn't seem to matter to some. It could have been blowing snow and sleet, but, on Halloween anyway, the cold was just a minor nusience.

So, after opening the door for the first trick-or-treater, it became obvious I had to pull on the jacket and the sweater.
Then, I looked over to the Spider Princess and said, "It's cold outside. You might want to put some long pants on under your dress."
"Daddy," the princess, ruffling her nose, said. "It's not cold. It's Halloween."
Knowing it was a battle I wasn't going to win at that moment, I retreated.
"OK, sweetie. But if you get cold while walking around, remember I told you to put long pants on."
The princess didn't care. So, along with a detective, a Clone Trooper and a techno rocker, the search for candy was on. After the second stop at home to clear the bags, it was time to take a break.
Taking a break on Halloween meant eating some of the candy while trying to get trick-or-treaters to come over.
About an hour later, I figured I would ask the question. "Hey, ready to put on some long pants? The dress is nice, but you must be getting cold."
In a voice only a 5-year old going on 13 can muster came the replay.
"Daddy. I told you. It's not cold, it's Halloween. Can we go walk around again?"

Rise and Shine --- October

Good Morning and welcome to the cold, rain and clouds!

So, when October hit Friday, I started thinking about the upcoming winter, how much the heat is going to cost and if the Phillies can make it back to the World Series.
Saturday, though, I was bombarded with other thoughts.
"Daddy, it's the first day of Halloween," said a 5-year old I know.
Well, OK, it's getting closer, but we have a whole month to go.
"Can we go on a hayride?"
Sure, but let's wait until maybe next week.
"But I love hayrides."
Yeah, they are fun, but you just went on one, let's figure something else to do.
"Hayride, hayride, hayride!"
Hey, wait, there's an art festival we can check out. You can make your own Halloween costume.
"OK, but then we can go on a hayride?"
We'll see.
"That means No!"
No, that means we'll see how the day goes on. Let's get started and we'll figure it out.
"OK."
So, I was able to push off the hayride for at least week, but it's not going to last.
Sunday morning, the question came again: "Daddy, it's a nice day, can we go on a hayride."
Having to work Sunday (thanks to the Eagles) made it impossible to do Sunday, but I know the requests will come all week.
I also know Saturday night I'll be picking hay out of my shoes.

Rise and Shine --- Oh well

Good Morning and here we are back writing!

Oh well, did anybody really believe the Phillies were going to win the World Series again this year. They had too many pitching problems and couldn't get those key hits in big situations.
The Yankees are a better team right now. The Phillies are right there, but don't have that extra push like last year. By the way, winning one World Series means anything else for the next five years is just gravy. Enjoy the ride, now move on.
Speaking of moving on, less than a week after Halloween, it's already Christmas season.
Yeah, I know, for may shops and stuff, Christmas season started last February. At least it's November and seeing the lights does add a warm feeling. It might seem a little early (and I'm still holding out for a few more warm days), but time does move quicker now.
Or something like that.

Rise and Shine --- Costume War

Good Morning as we get ready to party!

This should be a pretty exciting weekend. Mom returns home after her 'adventure,' the Phillies are playing in the World Series and it's Halloween.
Which, of course, means a busy couple of days. Unlike work, though, these busy days are fun. There's (hopefully) a lot of laughing and a lot of good times.
First, though, we have to get there.
While the homecoming and the Phillies are set, it's the other one that's causing some consternation.
Last year, the boys wanted to be Star Wars characters on Halloween. So, having not purchased a costume in years, we gave them the option to get one. They, of course, jumped at the chance.
So, we have a couple of Clone Troopers running around the neighborhood. (OK, thanks to the George Lucas merchandising magic, there were more than a few).
Now, those costumes apparently are out of fashion. This year, the Star Wars machine added a few different colors to the 'uniform.' So, naturally, that means it's time to buy a new costume.
Uh, not quite. At 30 bucks, a costume for one night doesn't seem to be the best idea.
So, the battle has been ranging.
'But I don't have Commander Fox. I need a Commander Fox suit!'
Who? Why don't you just be a Hobo (I know, politically incorect, but it's better than bum).
'I need to be Commander Fox.'
How about if I get a magic marker and fix last year's costume.
'NOOOOOO! Then I will only have one. I need two.'
You need .... nevermind. How about this cool Superman suit we have from a couple of years ago.
'I'm not being Superman. I'm not being Batman. I'm not being a hobo. I want to be Commander Fox!!!!'
How about a ketchup bottle?
'You don't understand anything! I'll ask Grandmom!'
So, if you see an outdated Star Wars costume this Halloween, don't laugh.

Rise and Shine --- Jumping ahead

Good Morning and welcome back to the World Series!

The only bad thing about the Phillies being in the World Series, starting tonight in New York, is we have to sit and listen to Joe Buck and Tim McCarver call the game. A lot of people think Buck is a decent play-by-play announcer. I find him grating and his voice annoying. Maybe Fox should try one of those no-announcer games NBC tried in the 1980s. Then again, it might cut into the Advil bottom line.
As we get ready for the World Series (and our smaller world gets close to getting back to normal), it's time to look around.
Now, it's understood that retail stores are going to push their Christmas items starting Labor Day these days. One store I saw completely ended all Halloween item sales before Oct. 1 and replaced it with Christmas trees and lights.
Still, it is pretty annoying.
Case in point, Tuesday night.
After settling down to catch the annual rite of October, 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,' it quickly became evident this was going to be about anything but Halloween.
From the first 'My Little Pony' commercial to the plug for some new ABC Christmas show, we were inundated with gift-giving, snow and Santa Claus.
Living with a 4-year old, 7-year old and 10-year old (and, believe it or not, being a child once myself), I understand the allure of Christmas. Heck, I get fired up about it as much as anybody.
October, though, is stretching the 'season' a bit too far. Look, children start Christmas wish lists in January, so they don't need to innundated with toy-after-toy, commercial-after-commercial.
All that does is lead to confusion.
'Dad, I need a Transformers race track!'
Why? You didn't need it a week ago. Last week you needed a star wars lightsaber.
'But it looks cool! I NEED it! I also need the lightsaber!'
Ask Grandmom.
Let's enjoy Halloween first:

Rise and Shine --- Excuses, excuses

Good morning and today we are all seeing things in red colored glasses!

The Phillies exciting weekend was topped off Sunday night with a show of power that means Tampa Bay would be better served just leaving now than being embarrassed in Game 5 tonight.
So, since we now know the World Series title is going to be the Phillies this week (most likely tonight, but, if not, than later this week), that means there's going to be a Philadelphia parade not scene since the sock-hop 80s.
To enjoy said parade is going to take a little planning. For instance, since we've had to wait 28 years for another baseball title, history says we have to enjoy this one to the fullest.
Also, since all schools now require parents to call in when their children will be absent, there has to be some good excuses.
So, here's a few helpful hints. One word of caution, this is for fun only, don't even try to use these for school (work?) the day of the parade. They won't work and, well, just don't do it.
Anyway, here's the script:
1. Sorry, my child has red fever and can't make school today.
2. Um, I have to take my student to the city for some college prep.
3. Hello, my student was up all night and needs today to rest.
4. Good morning, that Rise and Shine column is so good I need to keep my student home to read it a couple of times.
5. Hello. We are having car trouble and can't get our student to school on time. He/she may miss the day.
6. Yes. Um. My student ... OK, we are going to the parade. YEAH PHILLIES! (Well, honesty counts for something, right).
So, there are a few to mull over.
With a couple of days before Halloween, here are a few more:


Can't stop tapping your feet? This will do it:


If you have any cool links or photos, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com

Rise and Shine --- Retiring to Florida

Good Morning and welcome to winter!

Well, OK, it only feels like winter. Still, don't try to tell me there's nothing wrong with our weather pattern when last Thursday it was 80 degrees and this morning there was frost on the windows.
Meanwhile, the Phillies get to play the Tampa Bay Rays (leave out the Devil) for the World Series title. So, the season started in Clearwater, Fla., and will most likely end in Tampa, which is right over the bridge from Clearwater.
Now, there's a rivalry our retirees can believe in. Maybe it's just me, but I would have rather seen the Phillies play Boston in the Series. That would have an old-time baseball feel. Then again, what is the difference if the Phillies can pull out the wins.
Meanwhile, this chill in the air and some cool looking Halloween decorations got me thinking about a couple of things (Yeah, that's the burning smell).
So, each day between now and Oct. 31 we'll have a Halloween song and movie of the day.
Since there may be a stretch at some point, if you know any cool Halloween movies or songs, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com.
So, here we go with the first two. Listen to the song first, then go out and find the movie. Who says I don't provide a public service?


Now, stop tapping your feet. Make some popcorn and enjoy: