THE HOLIDAY PARTY I DIDN'T ATTEND!

          SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2024

THE HOLIDAY PARTY I DIDN'T ATTEND!

    As we welcome December a host of
holiday memories begin to fill our minds.
Most are pleasant although, perhaps,
sentimental.
    That first visit with Santa. Maybe yours.
Maybe your kids or grandkids. That
Christmas wish list. Christmas shopping.
     I've got a host of them too. Today
though I thinking back to December of
1959 and a very important office Christmas
party!
     Before you get the wrong idea that
often gets associated with office parties
allow me to point out this was a party I
did not attend! And that's what made it
so special to me!
      I was an Errand Boy at my local
radio station, WAZL in Hazleton.
Most everyone at the station was invited
to attend the Christmas party. The DJ's
pre-recorded their shows that evening
so the music would go on.
      But somebody had to play those
tapes! And, once each half hour, somebody
had to go on-the-air with the station
identification! And that December evening
(the exact date escapes me) I was the guy
who got to do that! It was my first time on
the air!
       Between radio, and television, and 
my video blogs I'm going on about 65 years! 
       Kind of a Christmas memory that keeps
on giving! Hope you're heard or seen me
somewhere along the way and that all your
NEWS is good!
       

     
   

YES, I PAINTED HOUSES!

  SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2024

       YES, I PAINTED HOUSES!

   Confession time! Yes. There was a time
I painted houses!
   Now before you get all shocked, or offer
me work, or tell my wife, I'm referring to
actually using a paint brush to apply fresh
paint to the inside walls of houses. Not the
mafia's definition. And only one house.
     Back in my High School days a classmate
friend offered me a chance to spend a couple
days in Wildwood painting a couple rooms
in an apartment building owned by his uncle.
     I've always loved the shore so I quickly
accepted the invitation even though my
knowledge in the field of  home repairs or
improvements was, and is, about the same as
my expertise in nuclear fission.
     I was given a brush, a can of paint ,and a
couple walls.  The task was actually pretty easy,
though time consuming,  I pretty much
killed it  There wasn't much to do wrong!
      The shore, however, turned out to be a
little disappointing as it was slightly off
season. The water was too cold and the
Boardwalk was pretty much closed.
        I came home and, as you know, got into
broadcasting. Painting houses just wasn't
for me. It still isn't so don't tell my wife!!!
        Hope all your NEWS is good!

SPEEDY DELIVERY!

 

   FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH., 2024
              SPEEDY DELIVERY!

      For years I have labored under the
illusion that Mr. McFeely, of "Mr. Rogers
Neighborhood," was a Postal worker. A
Mailman!
      I just learned that the man
known for his "Speedy Delivery line"
was, in fact, the primary employee
(probably the only employee) of the
"Speedy Delivery Service."
      I'm remembering that character
today as I think about Christmas
shopping.
     Look, I go back to the days when
you went shopping in your hometown
downtown. You saw what they had and
bought what you wanted then carried
it home.
      Rarely there was something not
offered locally that you found in a
catalog, probably Sears, that you had
to order by mail. Then you'd wait,
fingers crossed, hoping that order
would actually arrive in time for
Christmas.
      I needed a special battery for my
still camera last year. There was a time
I would have gone to Radio Shack to
find one. Since that chain has all but
disappeared I went to Best Buy. The
folks there didn't have what I needed.
But, like the Santa at Macy's who sent
customers to Gimbles, a friendly clerk
directed me to WalMart.
       That big box store didn't have my
battery either. But the clerk said I could
get it on line. Reluctantly I searched
the internet and found my battery and
a charger at an Electronics site that
promised "Speedy Delivery."
       I placed my order on a Friday
and was shocked to see my order show
up in a UPS truck on Tuesday! (I wonder
if Mr. McFeely was driving?)
       I still prefer buying locally whenever
I can but my experience has me a little
more confident in turning to the modern
version of the Sears catalog that's available
on my laptop if that's what it takes to get
what I need!
       Hope Santa's still on his Speedy
Delivery schedule and that all your NEWS
is good!  

ARE THEY CELEBRATING THERE?

   THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2028

   ARE THEY CELEBRATING THERE?

   It's November 28th. It's Thanksgiving 

Day. But the holiday falls late in the month

this year consequently another unofficial

holiday sort of gets lost in the shuffle. You

see November 28th is also "Red Planet Day."

It was so designated in honor of Mariner 4,

the first spacecraft to fly by Mars in 1965!

Mars is know as the "Red Planet" because

of the rust-iron color of its soil. Of course

the question everyone always asks is

"Is their life on Mars?"  I can't answer that

but just in case there is I'd like to wish

everyone (or thing) there, and here, a

very Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you're

well, where ever you are, and that all

your NEWS is good! 

TURKEY DAYS OF OLD!

     WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2024

        TURKEY DAYS OF OLD!

   The Thanksgiving holiday is filled

with traditions, The turkey dinner. Shopping

on Black Friday, left overs, more shopping

on Cyber Monday, and holiday parades. But

there's one Thanksgiving tradition that is now

pretty much limited to our memories. It was

the annual High School Thanksgiving Day

Football game. Every town had its own

High School back in the day and usually

it played its game with its biggest rival

on Thanksgiving Day. In my case it was

Hazleton vs. West Hazleton. Those Turkey

Day games started to disappear as school

district mergers brought the traditional

opponents under the same roof at a new

High School. I was only on the field for

one of those Thanksgiving Day games.

Actually I was on the sideline for the

most part. I was a Manager for the Football

team. One of those guys who took water

to the players during time outs. And on more

than one occasion I was one of those guys

to carried an injured player off the field

on a stretcher. One "tradition" I truly

don't miss. Hope you've got some good

Thanksgiving holiday tradition memories and

that all your NEWS is good!  

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW!

   TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2024

    IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW

  Of all the unusual "holidays" I tell

you about this one may be the least

needed. November 26th is "Shopping

Reminder Day!" Some on line sites

list it as November 25th but the

majority use the 26th so I'll go with

that. We're already being bombarded

with Christmas ads on TV, radio,

newspaper, and social media since

Christmas is just one month away.

We're also facing "Black Friday,"

Cyber Monday, and Small Business

Shopping Day so I'm not sure who

decided a reminder was needed,

That said, there are a couple things

I wouldn't mind having as gifts

this year so I'll observe the day by

reminding my wife about those!

Hope you'll get all your shopping

done and that all your NEWS is

good. 

SO WHAT?

   MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2024

                  SO WHAT?

   When I tell you this is November 25th

it may not matter to you at all. And that's

OK because this is "Blase' Day!"  Blase'

is a French word that, generally, means

who cares?! Many of us are so impressed

with art or music or whatever that we

become overwhelmed! Well it's time

to relax and take a break. It's a day to

be unimpressed! Be blase!  Just take

the day and whatever comes with it

a grain of salt. Don't be impressed

with anything! (Except, maybe, my

BLOG!) Hope you're blase' and

that all your NEWS is good!