The Magic Has Returned

Posted inBaltimore, Baseball, Columns

As I got ready for work the other day, I spotted something hidden behind a chair in our computer. Once I realized what it was, I knew I had to make a change.

So I found an empty nail in the wall and hung the frame which held some special memories for me. I figured with the Baltimore Orioles actually in the hunt for the playoffs, I could return the tickets for the final three games at Memorial Stadium, the first game at Oriole Park and the 1993 All-Star Game back to a place of prominence.

A Day at the Beach

Posted inBeach, Columns, Travel

My big mouth gets me in trouble sometimes. That should not shock anyone. I have learned over the years, however, to not promise things I might not do.

I did not follow that guideline earlier this summer during a conversation with my daughter. She loves our family’s annual beach week as much as I do, so I told her we could make plans to head down to the beach for a day trip sometime.

I didn’t regret things at that point. When I saw a free Saturday on our schedule and proposed the trip, I felt a little guilty, but not enough to worry.

At that point, I felt fully confident I could get organized and pull off the trip. My only concerns at that point were ones out of my hands, specifically bad weather or rough surf which would keep us from enjoying the actual ocean.

Stop Bugging Me

Posted inColumns

We visited my wife’s mother recently and spent our usual amount of time sitting outside and talking. They have some really nice shaded areas around the house, and we had a really nice day.

At one point, a solitary bug was, well, bugging me. I could see him very clearly fly a few feet away when I swatted at him before returning to hover around my leg again.

Normally, this would not bother me that much, but I really wanted to get rid of this little bugger. He was quick, however, and I never really got him. I did manage to squash one critter who landed on my wife’s leg.

In the end, I didn’t worry too much about it because I have a special superpower which comes in handy during the summer months. Bugs don’t bite me.

Where’s My Midlife Crisis?

Posted inColumns

Someone I know showed off a restoration project he has recently undertaken. As he told me about his plans, he mentioned that someone called the enterprise his “mid-life crisis.”

I had to laugh because he’s a little older than I am. Since I don’t think I have officially had a mid-life crisis, either I’m off on life expectancy or I need to play catch-up on this concept.

This whole idea really only comes to mind because I turn 44 today. I have no problem admitting that in public because I don’t get too worried about my chronological age. After all, my maturity has steadily floated between 13 and 19 for decades.

Not a Hoarder

Posted inColumns
Like many people, I look at those TV shows which focus on hoarders and laugh. I wonder how anyone could live like that. Then I head into our basement and…

Taco Time

Posted inAmerica, Columns, Food

Sometimes I have trouble focusing. I may have an important problem and can’t figure out the proper solution. I might have a number of projects due at the same time. I also might have friends who disparage foods I like and need to focus on setting them straight.

I don’t know how all of these really started. From my best recollection and sleuthing through my online interactions, it seems as if someone I know posted an article which criticized hard tacos. Someone else agreed. That’s where I had to step in.

I could not stand by and let someone say that hard tacos did not really count as tacos. Why would anyone say something like that?

Olympic Obsession

Posted inColumns, Olympics, Sports, TV

I think my obsession started with the “Guinness Book of World Records.” We always had one lying around the house when I was a kid so you could check the distance of the longest grape toss which someone caught in their mouth.

The book also had lists of Olympic medalists in every sport. I used to study those lists and dream of my own Olympic glory. That’s how I ended up writing a sixth-grade essay about how I would defeat Roman Dmitriev, the Russian lightweight wrestler, to win my first gold medal in 1984.

Instead, I ended up in the seats at those Olympics watching with my two brothers. Dmitriev didn’t make it either because of the Soviet boycott, so I guess he gets half the blame for me not having my Olympic moment at 16. He had also retired at that point, but that’s extraneous to my fantasies.

I bring all this up because the 2012 Summer Olympics start this weekend. That means I feel a little distracted pretty much all the time. I don’t just get obsessed with who will win the wrestling competition. I get into pretty much everything.

Better Red Than Dead

Posted inBeach, Columns, Family

We have certain traditions on my family’s annual beach vacation. We always have a cornhole tournament. One night features a crab feast. In recent years, we have added a scavenger hunt for the children in the family.

This year, one of the irregular traditions I observe has returned. I got sunburn really bad, really fast.

As one of true Irish blood, I don’t really tan. I can get a darker tint to my skin, but you would never mistake me for one of the “jersey Shore” characters.

That crew tans so much, they almost turn orange. I get red after just a few hours in the sun.

Give the Kids a Chance

Posted inColumns, Hanover
This is my weekly column, but I have been writing on this issue for a few days over at www.livinginhanover.com.  I remember going to see the musical during my sophomore…

Another Wedding Miscue

Posted inColumns, Family
Some recent weddings in my family produced some embarassment for me. I'm not talking about making a fool out of myself on the dance floor because I have enough company…