29 Years Makes A House A Home

If you read my previous post you know my parents recently left their home for a retirement community. This is bitter sweet (like sour patch kids). I am happy for them but that was my house and now someone else is living there. Well I hope they like lead based paint. Just kidding. Anyway I thought I should jot down some memories of 2558 Valley Dr. In no particular order...

Every time the creek flooded out the park.
The Acclaims wild ride.
Ganges eating the ham by herself and keeping it down for 5 minutes.
Ganges running full speed into the sliding glass door.
Getting hosed off after trying to re-enact Peter's walk across the water.
Getting my own room.
Hiding the Christmas sandwich cookies.
Finding Christmas presents in Feb and Easter eggs in Nov.
Walk up and down the steps 10 times.
When Airplane the movie was on TV and my Mom would get no sleep.
Thanksgiving when we watched Hoosiers.
The time my four mice got loose and went missing (don't worry new home owners, we found them...or did we?)
The day Mom locked herself out of the house and I sprayed myself in the face with a fire extinguisher trying to break the glass to get in.
My Dad racing I mean RACING my Grandma's car around the neighborhood while the roads were still dirt.
My Brother's van that was 17 1/2 shades of brown and the horn played La Cucaracha.
Susan and the Desitin go 10 rounds.
The snake that killed the azaleas.
Mowing words in the back yard.
Mom gets us a new garage door.
But one of my all time favorite memories is Ganges eating the VCR tape and then having tape coming out BOTH ENDS! I laugh just thinking about it.

Well that's it maybe in 26 years I will have a list for my house, maybe (hopefully) sooner.

Reflections Of 2010 A Year Gone By

Well here we are. We are in the early days of 2011. We are probably 5 to 6 months away from not writing 2010 on our checks, well if you are anything like me you are. What can I say about 2010. Well I feel I should say something it did give me 365.333 days of its time. Well here goes.

My parents still live in Lancaster. However as of Jan 1st are now living at a new address. After 29 years on Valley Dr they have moved to the much more compact and much closer to a Hosss'; Brethran Village. It is a nice place and I think a good move for them. Plus Valley Dr was getting a little sketchy lately with the DEA showing up from time to time.

My Sister and her husband still live in Florida. That's good because it means I never run into them in the grocery store and we have to fight over the last chocolate cake with lemon icing. But seriously they are happy down south with their jobs that take up most of their time and loving their two dogs. Or is it their dogs that take up most of their time and loving their jobs. I don't know it maybe 50-50.

My beloved (though I'm starting to wonder why) Bengals couldn't get out of their own way in 2010 and had golf times reserved for January back in October. Penn State had an up and down year. They are going through some growing pains but, mark my words, they will be great next year as the Big10 (which is 11 now) expands to 12 teams to include the Cornsuckers of Nebraska. The Penguins had an early exit out of the playoffs in 2010 but are looking very strong right now.

As for me my year could be titled "I got everything I wanted". After 18 months of unemployment and frustration I finally got a full time job. I now work for Horizon Services out of Exton, PA. If you are in that area you probably have seen our big orange trucks. I love being employed, but sometimes a 15 hour day just isn't something I am looking for. And after 37 years of being alone I found perhaps the best girl out there. You may read this and say "NO I HAVE THE BEST GIRL!" Well not to start an argument but I must say "NO YOU DON'T! DON'T MAKE ME COME OVER THERE!!!" She is the best and I'll prove it...she is kind, compassionate, funny, beautiful...and she hangs around with ME! Case closed I win.

Well I'm not sure how 2011 could beat 2010 but I am certainly on pins a nd needles waiting to find out. Happy New Year, Valentines Day, Arbor Day, Tax Day, National Take Your Spam To Work Day, National Weasel Appreciation Day and any other holiday you want to celebrate this year. And in the words of the immortal Bob Barker "Don't forget to spay and neuter your pets."

What I Am Thankful For

Well it is Thanksgiving Eve and if I may I will wax poetic about the good things in my life...
I am thankful for family both by blood and not,
I am thankful for my parents they have helped me out a lot.
I am thankful for my girlfriend Ang,
I am thankful she can put up with me being strange.
I am thankful for where I live,
And I am free because of the sacrifice that some had to give.
I am thankful that next year is another NFL season,
Because the Bengals should be tried for treason.
I am thankful for pizza, cold beer and shoo fly pie,
I hope they have them in heaven when I die.
I am thankful for a good paying job,
It keeps me from being an unemployed slob.
I am thankful for for time to relax with friends,
Hey Cory when are we going to play Smart A@# again?
I am thankful for God's love, mercy and grace,
But I would be grateful for some winning lottery numbers in an easy to find place.
I am thankful for my Jeep and my house,
I am more thankful that it has been a long time since I have been visited by a mouse.
I am thankful for spring, summer, winter and fall,
I am thankful that I live where I can experience them all.
I am thankful for football and hockey to watch on TV,
Throw in some burgers and that would be fine with me.
I am thankful for freedom of speech,
Because without it I wouldn't be able to sit here and spout off nonsense on this blog.

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!!!

Why Am I So Popular In The Pacific Rim?

Recently I have noticed a lot of posts on my blog. This is great my blog is being read and enjoyed, and that is pretty cool. The thing that is confusing is the demographic of the posters. They are mostly Asian. Why am I so popular with them? This has been bugging me for a while. I have thought about it and can't come up with any reason. I don't eat their cuisine. I really like Godzilla movies. I have never traveled to that region. The answer eludes me. If anyone has an answer I am ready to hear it, cause I've got nothing. Maybe when translated my blog entries sound like Confucius. Well maybe not, but it is the best answer I have so far.

My Summer Beat Up Your Summer

Yeah it may be presumptuous but if you read on you will discover that not only did my summer beat up your summer, but it also gave it several nougies, a swirly and one wicked atomic wedgie! To prove it my summer included (not in any particular order)...

• Lunch with my Aunt Pat, my Uncle Burt, my Mom, my Dad and my girlfriend at Tokyo Diner (the first time I went to a hibachi).
• Glow golf on a miniature golf course.
• Packing ducks for Schreiber.
• Painting my girlfriend's house
• The Schreiber duck race that was rained out but got my picture in the paper.
• Riding the OGO ball.
• Riding the IGO ball.
• Going to my first Phillies game a Citizen's Bank Ballpark. And seeing a huge neon sign for my new employer.
• Speaking of employers I had 4 of them this summer.
• The Combine Demolition Derby at The Buck.
• The LCBC picnic for Liberty Place.
• Going to Longwood Gardens.
• A day trip to Washington DC. This included an art museum and the Holocaust Museum

So what can I say...game, set, match...and your summer is down for the count...he shoots he scores...and at the line its my summer by 13 car lengths. Ah yes the only problem is now I have to find a way to top this summer next year. Crud, I think I may have set the bar a little high.