No Common Cents
A Pennsylvania bank made a critical error 25 years ago this summer. I want to peg Mellon Bank as the culprit since I lived in Western PA at the time,…
The Right Fit
When I first saw the message, I felt a rush of excitement. A college friend contacted a few of us to make sure we would help with our reunion next…
Feeling Quite at Home
I felt right at home inside the bar. Now that might sound like old news to people who know me well, but this situation had a different element.
The bar in question was in Cambridge, Mass., and I had never visited the place before. When I exited the subway station, I had to walk down the block a bit to make sure I was in the right place. But things felt familiar once I stepped inside.
This had nothing to do with the décor or the beer selection, although I found the latter quite impressive. I felt at home because I hadn’t seen the bartender in close to 20 years.
Post Office Memories
I loved my college years for many reasons. I didn’t have a lot of responsibility, I learned a ton of things, plus I made some of the best friends you could ever imagine.
But one benefit of those four years at Allegheny College which I don’t always appreciate is my familiarity. This came back to me recently when the alumni office reached out to people like me.
The building which housed the campus post office underwent renovations in recent years to become a new alumni center. We recently received an e-mail giving us the opportunity to win the door to the post office box we had in college.
The Great Hamloaf Rebellion
Due to circumstances out of my control, I will be attending a meal at a friend's house this weekend where the main course will be hamloaf. To say I'm not…
Costume Conundrum
When I saw the kids in the costumes on Trick or Treat night last week, I felt a little envious. Not of the candy because I knew I would dip into my daughter’s stash when she got home. I envied the costumes.
I don’t get much of a chance to celebrate Halloween anymore. We’re really not the “dress up in a couples costume” kind of folks. We do have a party at work, but I just don’t have the energy to go all out for that.
That hasn’t always been the case. I did have some fun costumes at my old job, but once the person who lived to organize Halloween parties got a new job, the excitement kind of wore off.
The reality is that I don’t remember ever really having an outstanding costume. I probably had some cool ones as a kid, but nothing really stands out in my memory.
I do remember going as “The Unknown Comic” to a school event in sixth or seventh grade, but apparently no one else watched “the Gong Show.” I spent the whole night trying to explain why I had a bag on my head and why people should find it so funny.
Maybe that influences my current attitude on Halloween costumes. I wouldn’t mind dressing up, but don’t know if it’s worth the hassle. My favorite idea would take way too much time to explain.
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Back in 1986, I returned home from working on a Friday night in the spring to news I had hoped I wouldn't get. My first-choice college, William and Mary, had…
April Fool’s Fun
You don't see too many good April Fool's pranks. You really need good timing, the right people and a believable story line to pull it off. My sophomore or junior…
Yahtzee!
I learned a lot of things at college.
My academic program prepared me for a career as a writer. Playing a varsity sport provided many lessons about hard work and dedication. My social and leadership activities helped me learn how to work effectively with many different kinds of people.
But in my free time, I learned one other valuable lesson. I learned the importance of strategy in the game of Yahtzee.
Look at That Body!
Once upon a time, I had motivation that went beyond trying to win football games on the Playstation and staying up later than was reasonable for someone my age. I…