My Morning Jacket

Good Morning and how about this weather?

I nearly did something yesterday I never do this early in October.
When I woke up, it felt like it was freezing outside. I pulled on a long-sleeve shirt, then opened the coat closet next to the front door.
I stared at my jacket for a few minutes. Thought about it, then left it on the hanger.
Yes, it's much too early (in my mind anyway), to pull that one out.
I realize this is kind of silly. I mean, it's chilly, put on a jacket.
When the boy goes out to the bus stop wearing shorts I half cringe. I mean, it is too cold in the morning for shorts.
His justification: Well, it will be warm when I'm coming home.
So it is.
I left the jacket in the closet and by the time I left work, it was quite warm. I actually felt hot in the car and put on the air conditioning.
So, I feel like I made the right jacket decision.
Now, the heat is definitely not going on for a few weeks no matter how many blankets we need.
Oh year, for those looking for something else this morning, here you go:

Watching TV

Good Morning and start yelling!

I watched the Emmy Awards show last night for the first time in a large number of years.
While some of these shows are fun to watch, the Emmys just never really did it for me. The shows I watched were never nominated and those that won, I had never seen.
Don't know why I tuned in last night. Maybe it's because the Phillies are so boring this year or maybe there was absolutely nothing else on.
I think it was a lost couple of hours.
There were not heart-felt speeches. Everything seemed rushed. The host, Seth Meyers, wasn't funny.
 When the only highlight is Woody Harrelson doing a Matthew McConaughey imitation, well, maybe the 10th rerun of 'Pawn Stars' would have been a better choice.
Actually, I think going to bed early would have been a better choice, but, you know, that's for another time.

Ruining the cool

Good Morning to the Internet!

Let's face it, we really don't need to carry a phone with all the latest technology.
We really don't need to have the ability to play Candy Crush while waiting for the light to change. We don't need to be connected all the time. Sometimes, we don't want to answer the phone.
You can admit it, you see the caller-id and let the phone go to voicemail a lot. You can always claim later you were in the bathroom or cleaning the kitchen or sleeping.
We carry these things around because it makes us feel cool.
Anything we want is right there. Need to cheat at Quizzo? Hold the phone under the bar. Need to win a bet? Quick, check Google.
So, when I was semi-excited when I heard Amazon was putting out something called the Fire phone. Great, I thought, everything from ordering sneakers to watching videos will be right there. I won't need anything else. We've finally reached the top level.
Then, I saw the commercials advertising the Fire phone.
Now, I don't feel so cool. I mean, really, a 9-year old telling me how great the thing is?
When does the iPhone6 come out?

It's all about the service

Good Morning and the Phillies should still move Ryan Howard.

You know, there are a lot of restaurants out there begging for my money. There are those big chains who want to 'See me Tomorrow.' There are others which offer great deals (really, two meals for $20) or e-mail clubs for free stuff.
So, if you want to go out to dinner, there are so many choices you could literally throw darts at a map and hit one.
Most of the places make really good stuff. I can count on one hand the number of times the food was awful. I'd pretty much take my credit card to any place I've tried before.
It really comes down to service.
For instance, a local sandwich place (actually it's a regional chain a certain announcer uses a lot during the broadcast of games), gave me such bad service a few years ago, I vowed to never go back. I ordered a sandwich, then stood there and listened to the workers fight over who was going to make it. Finally, I had to step in and ask about the problem. I mean really, there are plenty of sandwich places. If it's ordered, make it.
So, last night, I tried out a relatively new place in town. I've wanted to for awhile and it seemed like the right time.
The food and the beer selection was great. The service? Uh, let's just say it was below standards.
Look, I won't mention the place because it might have been a bad night, but if I go back and experience the same, well, there are plenty of places.

To read or not to read

Good Morning and how about them Phillies!?!?!

One of my favorite parts of the summer is to fill my glass, grab the radio, my Kindle and head out back in the fading sunlight.
OK, I could put book in there instead of Kindle, but that's what I read these days.
I download books from the library. Then I dive right in.
I've been reading at a pretty good clip. If it's interesting enough, I'll finish the book in a couple of days. Then I'll get another.
Well, in trying to get the group to enjoy the reading time, I suggested turning off the games and coming outside to read.
"Reading is boring," came the retort as the keys kept clicking.
OK, I said, How about just coming outside to watch the birds.
"Birds are boring." Click, clack, click, clack.
Well, how about if I just take the computer away for a few days.
"You're mean!"
I get it. When I was that age, I didn't read as much as I probably should have. Reading was like work. We were told to do it in school. Free time? Forget about it.
Now, of course, I know better. I'll keep trying.
In the meantime, let me finish this chapter.

You can't have any pudding if you don't eat

Good Morning and here we are again!

When the children don't want to do their homework, I like to sing the key verse for Pink Floyd's "The Wall"
Everybody knows it: "We don't need no education."
After a couple of minutes, the homework gets done (or at least restarted).
Sometimes, if it gets so bad, I'll play the whole song at top volume.
The other day, I had to use a different part of the song during dinner.
I try to get everybody to eat a healthy meal, but a lot of times it turns into a battle.
The only chip I have is dessert. Usually, something's ready. Their favorite this time of year (really, any time of the year) is ice cream.
So, the rule is simple, eat your vegetables or no dessert. Lately, I've been grilling the veggies, which gives a great taste to squash, peppers, beets.
Now, I don't overload the plate with the veggies. Just a few, sometimes maybe just one piece.
Half the time, they give up the possibility of dessert because they don't want to eat a small amount.
Makes no sense to me, but, I guess, that's how we keep the ball rolling.

I don't think there are that many choices

Good Morning and the sun is shining bright!

After getting a bunch of things done early yesterday evening, I sat down on the couch and turned on the television.
I searched through the channels and found there was nothing I really wanted to see.
The History Channel was showing some kind of alligator hunting show called Swamp People. Uh, no thanks.
I turned to the Food Network and was bombarded by the annoying Guy Fieri. Really, does anybody not find Guy Fieri very annoying. Is there ever any meal on his show (or any of those kind of shows) where the host doesn't like something?
Going through the menu, there was really nothing worth watching. I had no interest in the news. I didn't care to hear political pundits ramble on and on about the Supreme Court.
The Phillies were off. Of course, that's a good thing these days.
While waiting for Jeopardy, I saw a couple of cable TV commercials.
Both were talking about the upgraded systems they offer. Get this, you can record 12 shows at the same time for a little more money.
Somebody please tell me when there are 12 shows on at the same time you want to watch. When are there two?

Remember what Elvis did to that TV?

Good Morning and welcome summer!

I don't watch TV news. It's most likely because I'm inundated with all the news of the day while sitting here in the office.
I don't listen to news on the radio. I mean, the radio is for music and the Phillies. Besides, I get all the news all the time in the office.
The TV in the office is tuned mostly to news all day. It goes on at 5 a.m. and is turned off sometime after midnight. The cycle starts the next day and so on and so on.
One thing you notice is there are few new stories. The same ones are broadcast over and over again, especially if it rains or (HORRORS) snows.
I know, we do the same thing. I'm not making a judgement here.
One thing, though, don't insult my intelligence.
This morning one of the TV people said they put a call into the office of a government official. It hadn't been returned, the reporter said, and this reporter will stay on the story until there are answers.
It was 5:30 in the morning! Barely anybody is awake. I guarantee there is nobody in this particular government office.
I know we are all trying to get the same chunk of the advertising pie, but, come on. My guess is most viewers just gloss over such hyperbole, but it still goes out there and it hurt my ears.
I guess it's time to turn on soap operas.

It's not even summer and it's a long one

Good Morning and welcome to the last week of Spring!

I'm one of those Phillies fans that looks at (seemingly) bright spots before the start of a new season.
This year, I was talking about health. Ryan Howard was finally healthy. Chase Utley would be back in true form. Jimmy Rollins was playing so well at the end of last season, this one could only get better.
You know, with a fast start and some luck, the Phillies will be right in the playoff hunt. I mean, the Braves lost Brian McCann (to the Yankees no less), so they will be a little short.
The rest of the division has had injuries. Sure, the Nationals would be better than last year, but, I mean, come on, the Mets? The Marlins?
I almost felt young again. It felt like I was talking about how Ricky Otero could be our answer in centerfield (1996. He was not). Ken Howell is healthy and will anchor a great rotation (1990. Somehow, that rotation of Howell, Pat Combs, Jose de Jesus and Jason Grimsley didn't bring a division title). Signing Lance Parrish is going to put the Phillies over the top (1987. Don't remember a parade that year either).
So, this year, bringing in Marlon Byrd will anchor the outfield. Dom Brown and Ben Revere looked like players last year.
We are back, baby.
Yeah, back to those days when it's more entertaining to watch the 100th rerun of "Man vs. Food" than anything the Phillies are doing on the field.

Black & Decker makes more than tools?

Good Morning and here we go with another day for ducks!

I have to get into the office early most days. What that means is pushing the snooze button as many times as possible so I just have enough time to shower and get breakfast.
A few years ago, I found out I could sleep a few more minutes if I just went the smoothie route in the morning.
Somebody gave me an old Vitamix. You know, that high-end blender they like to show off at Whole Foods and on those infomercials.
I loved it from the first day. It was able to grind up everything I needed into a refreshing breakfast drink. I eventually used it to make everything from soup to sauce.
Alas, though, it slowly stopped working. A couple of months ago, the speed control didn't work correctly. It stayed on high speed. It still worked for me in the morning, but I knew the end was near.
It was time to look for a new blender. Sure, I'd like a new Vitamix, but, you know, a $400 blender would be a little out of the budget.
I looked around and stumbled on something called the Black & Decker FusionBlade (OK, I was actually e-mailed by the company, but I still checked it out).
So, for the far more reasonable price of $50, I can now say I don't really miss the Vitamix. Seriously, I know we like to have the top-line gadgets, but I found out I can do just about everything with the FusionBlade.
I even made my first batch of spring gazpacho and didn't miss a beat.
The best part, and I know I can be rather silly about this, is what the company calls a "Personal Jar."
Basically, I can just load everything I need into the cup, screw on the blender part at the bottom, hit the Smoothie button and I'm ready to go.
I don't have to clean anything out after making my breakfast. I just hit the bottom and go.
You know, anything to grab another minute under the covers.

The zoo outside

Good Morning and welcome back to the 'Net!

There have always been rabbits running around the neighborhood.
I noticed them the first day after moving in three years ago. The rabbits would run through the back yard and disappear under a neighbor's shed.
They were kind of cute in a wild rabbit way. I made sure never to feed them. Running through was fine, but I didn't want permanent visitors.
Last year, it seemed like the number of rabbits had increased. I saw them on several front lawns sitting in the sun. I figured, well, you know, rabbits.
I've seen plenty of chipmunks, squirrels and birds as well.
Anyway, while take the trash out one time last summer, there was a new visitor. A skunk was walking through the yard. Not any skunk. To me, in the dark with my imagination running wild, it was about two yards long and was coming right for me.
I ran inside and didn't go out after dark for about a month.
OK, it's nature. We've actually invaded their space. As long as they don't bother me or my tomato plants, we can co-exist.
Sunday night I was standing outside and I heard some soft steps of something running along the curb. It sounded like a cat. I looked closer and it had a long, black & white tail.
This morning, three rabbits were sitting on the front lawn.
When are the bears coming?

Gardening without a green thumb

Good Morning and can you believe it's almost Memorial Day?

So, I got the flowers and tomatoes all planted last week. I even picked up all the right fertilizer and dirt this year.
A week into growing, the plants haven't died yet. I call that a good season.
See, I have the opposite of a green thumb. I could take the heartiest plant and shrink it to nothing in a few weeks.
Heck, I've even had a cactus die on me and you don't have to do anything to a cactus.
This year, though, is going to be different. I'm going to water the plants. I'm going to make sure the rabbits (where did they all come from) don't eat the leaves.
I'm confident in my work.
Now, if only I could get a few tomatoes to actually ripen.

Running? More like walking

Good Morning and welcome to the new day!

For some reason late last year, I thought it would be a good idea to set a goal for myself. So, I thought, wouldn't it be great to train for the Broad Street Run?
I have never done anything like it. I was told by some I would never be able to do it. Of course, that meant I was going to do it come hell or high water.
So, the run (I won't call it a race, because I'm not racing) is Sunday. I have a week left and, as it turns out, a weak right leg.
I was so resolute in my training, I fear I may have overdone it. Last week, I started to get cramps in my calves.
It all came to a head Saturday night when I used the Haverford Twilight 5K as my final training run. Well, OK, it was a training walk. About a mile in, the pain in my legs started. I wasn't going to stop, though, and I still finished in 40 minutes (what I was really shooting for).
Of course, when the 90-year old with the walker passed me on the course, I thought I might be in trouble.
So, I'll use ice, I'll eat a lot of bananas (saw on the Internet) and I'll be ready Sunday.
Well, that's the plan anyway.

Cable TV? Hmmm

Good Morning and, man, it was chilly out there this morning!

I can remember when we first got cable TV in the house way back in 1981.
I remember watching a movie on PRISM just because I could watch a movie on PRISM (it was like a local version of HBO). They also showed Phillies home games, so, you know, so much for listening on the radio.
There was also this little thing called MTV, which showed music videos. So, you know, so much for listening to the radio.
In those heady days, network TV still had a stranglehold on programming. You wanted to watch a new show, you had to be in front of the TV at the right time.
Next came the VCR and, well, you could watch your favorite shows any time as long as you could figure out the damn clock.
We've certainly advanced since then. Now, there are 100s of channels and the networks don't always have the best option.
I think the end of cable is coming sooner than a lot of Comcast executives want to admit. Pretty soon, we'll be able to stream everything right from the Internet onto our TV. Netflix and Amazon are changing the game with movies and TV shows.
Why pay for 100 channels with nothing on when you can pick and choose for much less?
We are close to cutting the cable cord. It will be interesting to see where it goes.

Marathon musings

Good Morning and welcome back to another week!

I've always been impressed with people who can run marathons. Sure, they are crazy and all that, but it takes something deep inside to decide (and train) for running 26 miles.
Heck, I can get tired driving 26 miles, so you can forget about the running part.
Thanks to some sick individuals, we will all have an eye on Boston this morning during the marathon.
Hopefully (most likely with all the security), nothing will happen this year and it will be a big celebration. Those who can cross the finish line should be lauded, whether they be the first or last.
Having never been much of a runner (OK, I have been a beer runner a few times), I decided this year to try it out. I'll be doing the 10 mile Broad Street Run in May (2 WEEKS!!!).
My legs aren't too happy with me. They seem to say after every training run, "You know, we were pretty happy being a part of a couch potato! There's no reason to do this."
I don't think I'll ever understand what it's like to run a marathon. It's not even on my Radar, but I have been getting a taste on what training can be like.
Yes, they are still crazy, but it takes a little crazy once in a while to keep the world spinning.

The Rock

Good Morning and, wait a minute, did the weather guy just say "snow?"

With the great weather this weekend, it was nearly enough to make the winter a distant memory.
Finally, it was time to get outside. Finally, it was time to open the windows. Finally, it was OK to pull out the shorts.
So, Saturday morning, with the soft breeze blowing inside, I made an executive decision.
Turn the games off and let's go for a walk. Yes, the underlings weren't too happy about not getting a vote, but, hey, I run a dictatorship (most of the time).
Now, we could have just walked around the neighborhood, maybe down to the playground. The more I thought (and I had plenty of time to think as everybody else was moving in slow motion), the more I wanted to take in some nature.
Even if the trees aren't in bloom yet, there would be a few flowers or something.
We headed out to Forbidden Drive at the Wissahickon Creek. It's a place we used to walk all the time, but haven't been there for a few years.
If you've never been, there, do yourself a favor and take a ride down the Blue Route. It's a great, flat area with some wonderful scenery.
Without the blooming, we were able to see new waterfalls and fallen trees.
While the complaining didn't really stop until we were heading home, I'm pretty sure if you pressed even the traveling party would admit it's pretty cool.

Citizens Bank Park: A decade of what?

Good Morning and I guess it's time the rain stopped!

So, after they roll the giant flag back up and an acrobat drops the first ball from a helicopter or something, the Phillies will officially start their 10th season in Citizens Bank Park.
Eh, whatever.
Sure fans have been able to enjoy an unprecedented amount of success during the decade. Remember, folks, the Phillies have not had the best of histories.
The 2008 World Series was great. The surrounding seasons were a lot of fun, but, for me, at least, the stadium holds no pull.
Truth be told, I haven't been there too often. The Phillies (Major League Baseball in general) have outpriced a family from going to the games.
With the three baseball fans coming along with me, I'd have to take out a small loan to see a game.
Even without that, there always seemed to be something antiseptic about the stadium. The Park as all the bells and whistles, but, then what?
Winning, of course, makes it all look prettier. Somehow, though, 100 years down the line, I don't think there will be a lot of nostalgia about attending Citizens Bank Park.

Couch potato?

Good Morning and I refuse to look out the window today!

I always thought I was doing pretty good during the day. I try not to sit at this desk for too long, even if it's just to walk to the front of the office. I try not to park in the spot closest to the door. I walk down to Wawa lunch, even if it's just to get out in the air.
Then somebody in the office talked me into getting this FitBit thing. It's like a watch that doesn't tell time, but, to me, it's become even more important.
See, the device measures how much activity you do during the day. Those days I do my training it ends up pretty good. The others? Not so much.
While I'm the only one looking at the stats on the web site, I now recognize how much sitting I do all day and it's embarrassingly high.
Time to get moving.

Pizza, pizza, uh, pizza?

Good Morning and are you getting fired up for the Phillies yet?

I've always kind of wondered if there were more bars or pizza places in Delaware County. Can you really go anywhere around here without running into one or both or, sometimes, both at the same place.
A pizza place went out of business near my house and was replaced, yep, by another pizza place.
Now, for the most part, I think they are all pretty good. Sure, there are subtle differences in the sauce (or gravy, if you prefer). When feeding teens and pre-teens, well, those little things don't really matter.
I have a couple of favorites, but it's mostly out of convenience rather than anything else.
Earlier this week, Pica's Pizza in Upper Darby made a spot appearance on the Tonight Show.
It got a lot of reaction.
It fostered a lot of debate.
So, a thought popped into my head (yeah, it happens every once in a while): Where is the best pizza in Delaware County?
Well, we've taken the nominees and will be breaking them down over the next couple of days. Monday will be the start of Delco Pizza Madness. So, get your taste-buds (and voting fingers) ready.
For now, there's this:

Mr. T? Whatever happened to Mr. T?

Good Morning and welcome back to the 'Net!

Remember that old actor Mr. T? Yeah, the one who was in Rocky III and the only real reason to watch the A-Team every week.
His catch phrase was: "Pain."
Well, as I continue my foray into the running world (OK, it's more like the speed walking world. OK, you got me, walking world), I'm starting to feel that pain.
Woke up today with a dull throbbing in my thigh muscles after probably overdoing it a bit yesterday on the treadmill, elliptical, bike and track.
I want to prove those naysayers out there that his can be done. I want to prove to myself that I can stick with it all. I want a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese.
As I pulled myself out of bed this morning I had a flashback to many a moon ago.
When I was in 8th grade, I decided to join the football team. While the hits took a bit out of me, it was all the other practice stuff that was tough, especially the running.
One night, I could fall asleep as my legs throbbed with pain. I lay there thinking, "What the heck am I doing? This is ridiculous!"
I wasn't going to give up then and I'm not now.
If I see Mr. T at the front door, though, all bets are off.
By the way, help me keep going to the Broad Street Run by 'liking' my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/helpvincerun). I need all the inspiration I can get.