STAYCATION!

Despite my morning doctor's appointment (a check-up) being cancelled - and I didn't know until I got there - today was a good day.

We took our fourteen (almost fifteen) year old niece for lunch at Thai Thai in Wilkes-Barre and she enjoyed it. Then, went over to the Blue Chip Cafe where she got Dennis Bonvie's autograph and some cookies for dessert.

While my wife then took our niece shopping for a birthday present (jewelry store - no thanks - "have fun girls"), I played 18 holes at Four Seasons in Exeter with a good friend (the course and staff are recovering from a burglary and a chase last night. They caught the suspects). Finally found my swing for the back nine and had a good dinner at the Avenue Diner in Wyoming (The Thanksgiving Sandwich - with turkey, stuffing and cranberry mayo).

Still had enough time to get home and water in the Turf Builder in the backyard before sunset. Maybe we'll now pop in a movie - or whatever. Who cares because IT'S STAYCATION!

Sometimes it's good to just stay around home and do the things you usually don't have the time to do.

Rain likely tomorrow - and we have some cleaning to do --but yes, today was a good day.

News in the Neighborhood

Times Leader Photo



"Did you hear it? It felt like an earthquake." My dad called me just after 2pm yesterday. The house on Penn Ave. next to the school blew up".

My parents live half a block away. They have since 1969. Fortunately, their home doesn't have any damage - but others more distant do. I saw dozens of houses with broken windows, bucked porches/frames. It's a major mess. I know this neighborhood well. These are good people who really shouldn't have to deal with something like this.

Invesigators say this was deliberate - and stories were buzzing around the neighborhood as to how and why. Update 8/3: While I hate gossip, this story is developing many more twist and turns than originally thought. I'm eliminating a few words from my original post because I am no longer comfortable with them.

Thank God this happened during Summer Break - as the John F. Kennedy Elementary School is next door. The windows in the cafeteria were shattered. School resumes at the end of the month - and it's unsure whether they'll be able to open on time. This is my old school and bus stop. I've walked past the home tens of thousands of times. My mom walks her dog around that corner twice every day. Thank God she wasn't out. Thank God more people weren't outside at the time of the blast - and those that were had a good inkling to get back in or drive away.