Another Delco Guy In South Jersey

Friday Fantastic Four

I've been traveling a bit this week, but I am home now.  So we've got a travel-themed Fantastic Four this week:

What are the first four things you do when you get home from a trip?

1. Kiss the kids.  Even if they are asleep.  It's hard to believe how much you can miss them in just a few days.
2. Go through the mail. Email keeps you up on just about everything, but there is somehting satisfying about seeing what has accumulated on the counter while you were away.
3. Use the bathroom.  I know - TMI - but it's just better at home.
4. Put the suitcases away.  Otherwise they will be there 2 weeks from now.

How about you?  What's your get home ritual?

Have a great weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

It's a Phillies Phriday in the cold and rain of October, but we've got bigger things in mind here at Another Delco Guy.

Thirty years ago, my dear brother came into this world.  One might say it's never been quite the same as it was before his birth. 

That's right, Matt is 30!

He's grown up from the little guy pictured above with his glow worm to graduate from college, travel the world, establish himself as a noted sports blogger and become a most favored Uncle. 

I won't go into all the gory details about how he used to keep me up all night rocking in his sleep, or how I taught him to throw that nasty Wiffle Ball curve he still breaks out now and then, but I will say this.  There are few people in the world whose advice and counsel means more to me that my brother's.  

But he's growing old now.  He has left his youth behind and bought the family's ancestral home.  He's begun to worry about things like his grass and new siding and the darn fool kids who blare their music until all hours. I'm sure he's got a bucket list somewhere that he's looking at and wondering how he will ever get to all these things in his waning years.  

Thus we're going to do a Friday Fantastic Four that is focused on growing old and what you have left to do. you might have done them before and need another taste, or they may be things that you just feel like you must do to fulfill your destiny (or density).

What four things do you most want to do before you can't do them anymore?

1. Visit Ireland and Poland.  They are pretty different laces, but they are part of me and I want to get there.  Sooner rather than later if possible.
2. Write that book.  I still feel like it's in there somewhere, but has lost its way.
3. Own a vacation home. Been there once, but it seems to be the quintessential mark of having 'made it' as an American.  I'd like to get back there.
4. See John and Emma become successes on their own.  It's a very fatherly thing, but nothing would please me more.  I'd give up the other three easily to see this one.

Happy 30th Birthday Little Brother!

Friday Fantastic Four

I took this photo a few days ago on one of my nightly trips to some home improvement mega warehouse outlet. It covers one of my points for today very nicely.

What four things don't you get?

1. Why the October magazines come in September. Similarly, why are Christmas decorations up and all the fall decorations gone in the stores while leaves are still green on the trees?
2. Why President Obama got a Nobel Peace Prize when seemingly nothing has been done to secure worldwide peace.
3. Why the F$@+ the Phils used 3 starters in yesterday's game.  I mean why are the bullpen guys on the roster if Charlie doesn't trust them???
4. Why I can't get Java on my Blackberry.  The Tour is a nice peice of technology, but this is pure silliness!

Have a great weekend!
 

Friday Fantastic Four

Well we all have moments that throw us for a loop.  I’ve had a few in my life, and each time they make me realize just what an unpredictable species we are.  Sometimes that makes life just a bit harder.  At the same time, it’s also one of the things that make the world a funny place.

What four things have surprised you most in your life?

1. That I would see the federalization of the American economy – and that a Republican would have gotten the ball rolling on the project.
2. That it’s so easy to get married and so hard to get divorced.
3. That concrete floats.
4. That we had a parade on Broad Street that did not involve cross-dressing union members and banjos.

Have a great weekend and GO PHILS!

Friday Fantastic Four

Earlier this week you might have seen the post I had about the display celebrating the coming of Autumn in front of Marc Vetri's restaurant on Spruce Street.  There was an array of flowers, a dozen or more pumpkins and a box of apples for passers by to sample.  Sadly some cretins smashed the pumpkins and stole the apples and we are left with only the flowers.

This pisses me off.  You've got a guy trying to do something nice for his neighbors and the community and some clueless jerk shows us his true colors by destroying it.  Classy!

So this leads me to this week's Fantastic Four:

What four things piss you off the most?

1. Senseless destruction - this one tops it all for me
2. People who spoil secrets. - just plain old mean
3. People who don't clean up after their dogs.  How about I come over and take a dump on YOUR lawn?
4. Littering - you can't wait until you get home to toss your Big Gulp cup? You gotta throw it out the window?

A bit of a downer way to start the weekend, but please go forth and enjoy!

Friday Fantastic Four

There's no looking back.  The window has slammed shut on summer and we're in full-on fall mode here in the Philadelphia Region.

I will admit I was hoping for a few more days of warm weather, but we will just have to wait until our annual late October Indian Summer.

It's time for an Autumn-themed Fantastic Four:

What are the four things you most like about fall?

1. Not sweating.  I like the warmer temperatures of summer in some ways, but there is nothing better than an afternoon drive with the sunroof open without having to worry about melting because of the heat and humidity.
2. Fall colors.  From the clear blue skies to leaves changing to the yellows and red and oranges of the mums to the incredible Halloween displays that will be going up on lawns across the nation, fall is the prettiest time of year.  I used to make sure I drove to fall conferences just to see all the colors.  With the kids it's harder these days, but I still want to get out and shoot some foliage this fall.
3. Fest beers.  While you seem to be able to get them earlier and earlier every year, my favorite style of brew is a malty, almost sweet fest style.  I've had two good ones this year so far and am looking forward to finding a few more.  Maybe at Blue Monkey's Oktoberfest.
4. Planting. I don't know how a kid from suburban Philly got it in his blood, but I love to plant and grow things.  It's said that Fall is for planting, and I have been trying.  I have some mums and pansies in the ground and some grass seed spread too.  Maybe a few shrubs next ...

So what do you love about the fall?

Have a great weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

Loyal readers will know that my student worker Isaac has been helping out with the Fantastic Four this summer because I have been slacking.

Today, it's his turn to slack, so it's my turn again.  This week's list is inspired by the news that Josh Duhamel will headline NBC's remake of the classic 1970s TV series The Rockford Files.  I'm sure if you already know TRF is my favorite TV show ever, so #1 on the list comes as no surprise.

What are your four favorite TV Show Theme Songs?

1. The Rockford Files - They're updating the show to the present day, so the theme might not survive, but I sure hope it does
2. Cheers - who doesn't love the feeling of walking into you favorite bar or restaurant and having everyone say hello?
3. Hill Street Blues - the sad piano repetitions and jazzy guitar matched the show perfectly
4. The Dukes of Hazzard - Waylon Jennings was the narrator for the show and sang the theme for the show we all watched in

Everyone have a great weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

Things are a little crazy here lately, so this post had to wait until Monday at lunchtime.  Sorry for all the folks who stopped by over the weekend looking, but here ya go.  With GI Joe over $150 million worldwide in box office reciepts, it begs the question:

What are the four best action movies of all time?

1. Die Hard
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
3. The Great Escape
4. Braveheart

Die Hard defined big budget action for the late 20th century.  Raiders had it all, funny, smart, action scenes and a beautiful girl.  The Great Escape is the best story of the four and Braveheart is both beautiful and gut-wrenching to watch. 

I am a big fan of action movies, but not the mindless ones.  Let me know what's on your list!

Friday Fantastic Four

I'd like to thank my work study student Isaac for his contribution to this week's Friday Fantastic Four.  His somewhat edited narrative follows.  It should be noted that Issac is not an English major, but rather does something related to clay.  Or paint.  Or something visual.

Dear friends ,

It has come to my attention that a certain someone has neglected to notice our need for humor, sincerity, and above all else, sarcasm.  I know we all used to look forward to our Friday Fantastic Four, but due to the intense volume of work, crazy people and the absence of Chris, we no longer have anything to look forward to on Fridays except own own intense urges to leave work early and do whatever it is we do when we're not there (which is probably still "look at funny pictures of cats" for most of us).

I have decided to take it upon myself to re-instate the necessary venting and intense blathering we all used to love so much on Fridays.  Please don't thank me too much.  I'm just a patriot.

Isaac

What are the top four things you do when you get home from work?

1. Get a full run down on the kid's day at camp
2. Ferry John to practice
3. Eat a bigger dinner than I should and try to avoid looking at the Wii Fit
4. Try to identify to which of my rude neighbors the new dog poop on the lawn belongs

Anyway - thanks to Issac for the jump start.  Y'all have a great weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four - Slightly Delayed

Ok, I know, I am late, but whew!  What a week!!!

I work in an office where most of the folks eat breakfast at their desk.  Some because it's all they can do to make it to work by 9 fully clothed, let alone having fed themselves.  Some because they spend the morning racing around getting kids to school or taking care of the animals, etc.  Some of us are just gluttons and eat at home and then again at work.

So let's do a breakfast-related theme for the week. 

What are your four favorite breakfast foods?

1. Breakfast pizza - with scrambled eggs, cheese, Bob Evans sausage mmmm!
2. Cap'n Crunch Crunchberries - I know, I know, but how great is this cereal????
3. Waffles - With real fruit on top and some hand-whipped cream - perfect
4. Cold Pizza - ok this is more of a 'back in the day' selection, but it;s perfect on a Saturday morning!

How about you?  What are your faves?

Friday Fantastic Four

We all know that the Internet can be a bit addictive.  Between micro-blogging sites, personal web sites and all of the places to get current news and sports, it's amazing anyone gets anything done at work.  So today's topic is about your personal net habits.

What four sites are you most likely to visit each day?

1. Facebook - Ok - I'm pretty much over the Twitter thing, but FB has me
2. The700Level - site run by my brother and his buddy Enrico.  It's the best Philly sports website out there.  Try it.  you'll agree!
3. Flickr - I take a lot of photos and I post them here.  It's great to see the work that others are doing too!
4. IMDB - I can't watch a movie anymore without using IMDB to see where a scene was shot or what else that guy in the background was in.

So what sites are you likely to be on when I walk by your cube?

Friday Fantastic Four

Back from a long Spring Break, the fantastic Four is ready for the Memorial Day weekend!

Ok – there are a scant 145 work minutes left before the beginning of summer.  Thus, we need a summer themed list.  Drinks?  Nah.  Been there done that.  At this point anything will do thank you.  Beach memories?  Not appropriate for the family blog.  Soooooo…

Name the Four Best Summer-Themed Movies:

1.  Summer School – Mark Harmon can act.  Who knew?  Kirstie Alley 200 pounds ago and  woooo-wee - Courtney Thorne Smith

2.  Meatballs – the best summer camp movie ever.  The stereotypical cast is perfect and Bill Murray is INSANE!!!

3.  Do The Right Thing – Spike Lee’s best.

4.  Stand by Me – beautifully shot, both touching and funny.  Crosses a ton of genres, and is still simply wonderful.

Have a great weekend and a wonderful summer!!

Friday Fantastic Four

It's Friday and it's the first day of my spring vac(stay)ation, so we've got a vacation-themed Fantastic Four.

What four things would you do for a non-travel vacation?

1. Plant flowers
2. Play with the kids in the yard
3. Sleep past 6:30
4. Catch up on some writing

What would you do with a week off and nowhere to go?

Friday Fantastic Four

My friend and co-worker Joe Manning is ... well I guess the best word is stoked ... for tonight's reunion show of Phish at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia.  He's hanging out with 75,000 of his brethren neo-hippies drinking beer and doing god knows what else down there.  He'll probably make it back to work by Tuesday.  He was so thrilled about the approach of this concert that we needed to tie him to his chair to keep him from floating away.  It's his 57th Phish show and he's been waiting nearly five years for the reunion.

Which got me to thinking ...

What Four Things Do you Most Wish Would Come Back?

1. The West Wing - great show that had rejuvenated itself only to wrap
2. Harrison Ford's acting ability - He just growls his way tough the parts these days.  remember when he was witty and charming?
3. Villanova playing its Big 5 games at The Palestra - 'nuff said
4. The inch or so of hairline I seem to be missing - I got it in the back, but the front is lacking a bit

Have a great weekend and enjoy the spring-like weather

Friday Fantastic Four

Well the Oscars are Sunday night.  I'll admit I watch the pre-show, but I am long in bed by they time they do the Best Picture award sometime after 3am in the East.  The pre-show's got it all from famous celebs dissing the host, to people you have never heard of, to Isaac Mizrahi feelin up Scarlett.  You have to wait for the actual show to start to see major stars slurring their way through speeches and the more banal and mundane remarks interspersed with interminable montages of people who we thought had died years ago.

But I digress - what we're really here for today is to ...

Name Your Four Favorite 1980s Movies:

1. Hoosiers - Wonderful story, beautifully shot, good sports sequences and Gene Hackman actually acts rather than just shouting
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark - Plenty of action, tons of humor and a pretty girl.
3. Some Kind of Wonderful - Mary Stuart Masterson AND Lea Thomspson in the SAME movie.  What could be better?
4. Stand By Me - How good were Wil Wheaton and River Phoenix in this?

See that wasn't that hard, was it?  Enjoy the show

Friday Fantastic Four

It's Friday the 13th.  Some folks have an unreasonable fear of this day.  It doesn't bother me, but I do have some odd fears of my own.

What four things are you afraid of?

1. I am terrified of water.  I can't swim and my nickname at the pool as a kid was 'leadbutt.'  Thus, there are some issues.
2. I am afraid of dentists.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they use pliers and flames and things.  In your mouth.  Barbarians!
3. Heights and I - Uhh not so much.  I want to not be afraid, but my body just isn't willing.
4. I am afraid of dementia.  I have spent all this time honing my brain into the incredible tool that it is and I don't want it dissolving into mush.

So what things scare you?

Friday Fantastic Four

All the Facebookers out there know there is a 25 Things fad flying around right now.  Basically you tell the world 25 random things about yourself and tag 25 friends to do the same thing.

Problem is my attention span is way shorter than 25 items.

So I'm putting the 25 Things About Me on a bit of a diet and making it into a Fantastic Four.

What Are Four Things That Most People Don't Know About You?

1. I hate Christmas ending. My lights are still up outside.
2. I had to take Spanish three times in college before I passed it.
3. I sometimes wish I had gone into a profession where I could get rich.
4. I go weeks at a time without getting a good night's sleep.

All right folks - let it all out!

Friday Fantastic Four

It's the new year and we've had a few days to break our new year's resolutions, so I thought I would do a Fan 4 based on the hopes we all have:

What four things are you most hoping for in 2009?

1. Another parade on Broad Street
2. Spending more time with the kids
3. Getting better at taking photos of people
4. The end of the economic mess

How about you?  What are you hoping for? 

Have a great weekend!!!

Friday Fantastic Four

I love massive projects.  The Big Dig?  Incredible!  I can watch shows about it all day long.  Well.  Unless the show is about this.  I also think that big public works projects, when well-planned and not subject to political whim are generally good for society.  This country has a history of doing it BIG.  But recently, many of the world's massive projects are being done overseas.  Some of that is the NIMBY nature of folks here in the US.  Some of it has to do with ill-informed media naysayers.

I think what our economic crisis needs is some massive construction projects.  Thus, this week's Fantastic Four:

What four BIG projects would you like to see completed?

1. The American Commerce Center in Center City Philadelphia.
2. A Big Dig-style project that would bury I-95 though Philadelphia and re-connect the city with its river.
3. A network of off-shore wind turbines for clean, safe power
4. The soccer stadium in Chester

How about you?  What would you build?

Friday Fantastic Four

A regular reader has reminded me that it is Friday and thus there should be a Fantastic Four post.  I considered taking the day off.  Based on the roads in South Jersey, everyone else did.  But my duty to my hundreds - err uhh - dozens umm more like several loyal readers has won out.

Since many of us are now sitting on the couch recovering from Thanksgiving, or like me, recovering from collateral effects of living near a mall, I will go with a Thanksgiving theme today.

What are your four favorite things about Thanksgiving?

1. That it's a non-religious, or at least a-religious holiday.  No pressure to get up early and get to church or anything.
2. That it's entirely permissible to say "I'm gonna get me some dark meat today!"
3. That I've got Friday off!
4. That America has turned yet another holiday into an orgy of gluttony, televised sports and shopping.

Go have a turkey sandwich!  And get me one while you're at it

Friday Fantastic Four

First Snow!
Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

While you can't really see it in the photo, there IS snow falling in the Philadelphia region today, causing slick roads and as much as 3 inches in some of the western suburbs.  It's been a wild weather week for me, from a record high temperature of 93 in Los Angeles on Saturday to snow and biting wind today.

So today's Friday Fantastic Four will be weather related:

What are your favorite things about the weather where you live?

1. Leaves turning
2. The first snowfall
3. Indian Summer
4. The earthy dampness that you can smell after spring rainstorms

Everybody have a great weekend and enjoy the snow!!!!

Friday Fantastic Four

Lots of folks are saying that Tuesday's election was a seminal moment in history.  I understand why some would say that electing a black man president is historic, and on one hand it is, but on the other hand, the economy is still a disaster, partisan politics still reigns (Rham Emmanuel?) and the globe is still warming.

It is indeed an interesting time we live in.

What are the four most interesting or historic moments in your lifetime?

1. 9-11.  I drove north on I-95 two days prior and had an odd feeling looking at the skyline.  I know - that sounds weird.
2. John Lennon killed. 
3. Katrina.  It's still shocking we let this happen to a major American city.
4. The fall of apartheid. 

Think about it for a bit. 

Have a great weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

Hello y'all and Happy Phreakin Phriday!

In case you are one of my visitors checking in from around the globe looking for the Kyla Ebbert photos, I need to tell you that this has been a momentous week here at Another Delco Guy.  The Phils won the National League pennant for the first time in 15 years setting up just their fifth trip to the Fall Classic.  If you don't know what that means, visit our friends at The700Level for a full array of coverage.

In honor of this incredible week, We have a sports-themed Fantastic Four this week.

Who are your four favorite athletes?

You can take this one any way you want, from your favorite current Phils, to your favorite athletes from back in the day, to the four hottest athletes, the four best humanitarian athletes, whatever you want.

1. Steve Carlton - the quirky, dominant lefty brought the city its only World Series win
   
2. Cal Ripken - just kept playing and playing and playing
3. Chase Utley - he's old school
4. Ron Jaworski - I remember my dad taking me to Eagles training camp at Widener when i was a kid and this guy was just as affable and approachable then as he seems today on TV

These are the guys that made me the sports fanatic I am today.  Have a great weekend and Go Phils!

Friday Fantastic Four

We're coming off a great night in South Philly, but the economy is tanking, vapid idiots are on the presidential ticket.  Thus ...

What four things scare you about the future?

1. Sarah Palin as President
2. That the Phils will screw this up
3. That I won’t be able to afford to move
4. That something will happen to John or Emma

(they’re kinda in reverse order)

Friday Fantastic Four

Sorry this is a day late, but things were CRAZY yesterday.

I'm taking a break from cutting the grass right now and then I need to do some house cleaning.  I took inventory of cleaning products earlier and I know I need to do a bit of product selection later.

That got me to thinking about how particular I am about what I clean with.  Are you this way?

What are your four favorite cleaning products?

1. Clorox Clean Up Cleaner with Bleach - good in the kitchen and in the bathroom
2. Pine-Sol - love the old-fashioned smell and the shine on wood
3. Top Job - this stuff is hard to find anymore, but it cuts though grease really well
4. Febreze - The kids love to spray this stuff all the time.  I'm a big fan of the citrus and vanilla scents

It's a beautiful day here in Moorestown, get out and enjoy it!

Friday Fantastic Four

Ok - so many of you already know that I am not a good driver.  Some of you may have experienced it first hand.  For that I am, as the Catholic in me recalls, 'heartily sorry.' 

I get distracted too easily and I am just generally bored with the whole thing.  Nevertheless, since I drive about 10 hours a week with commuting and kid stuff, I have some coping mechanisms.

Sooo ...

What are four things you like to do while you drive?

1. Listen to audio books.  Right now as an homage to Matt's trip to Vegas, I am listening to Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.  It's a classic and Ron McLarty is a great voice for Thompson and Oscar Acosta.
2. Talk on the phone.  Yah I know I shouldn't but I most DO use my Bluetooth headset, so it's not SO bad.
3. Look for photo opportunities.  That CR-V swerving to the side of the road ahead of you might just be me reaching for my camera to shoot a sunset.
4. Listen to sports talk or NPR.  I don't have an iPod or iPhone and I have given up on commercial radio for the most part, so this is my last resort.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

Today is the last Friday of summer and I'm looking back at the most relaxing 3 months of the year - NOT - and seeing a few things I didn't do.  I'll bet you have a few things that were on the summer list that you have not crossed off yet.

Soooo ....

What are four things that you wanted to do this summer that you just didn't get to?

1. Do some real writing.  I always tell myself this is the year that I finally stop playing with characters and scenes in my head and start really writing again.  I said it about this summer and once again I have nothing written as the leaves begin to fall.
2. Get the bike out and get back into shape.  Yeah.  Still need to get that tire fixed.
3. Go to LBI for some chowder from The Gateway.  In fact, this is the first summer since I have been going there that I didn't set foot on LBI at all.  This year I think I'll go to Chowderfest.
4. Take the kids to the Safari at Great Adventure.  We dis lots of great stuff this summer, but somehow didn't make it here again.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

I cut the grass yesterday after work and chopped up the leaves that had already fallen.  It was another  one of those activities that reminded me that fall is here and the fun of summer is gone for another year.

Thus, we have an autumnal Friday Fantastic Four.

What are four things you like to do each fall?

1. Go pumpkin picking
2. Sleep with the windows open
3. Shoot pictures of fall foliage
4. Watch playoff baseball

So what things do you like about fall?  I've got plenty of honorable mentions - let's see how many you come up with.

Have a great weekend and GO PHILS!

Friday Fantastic Four

It's back to school time again so we've got a stuck behind a yellow school bus belching soot theme today.

What are your four favorite memories of school?

1. Sneaking girls into St. James
2. Lock-Ins
3. Creating a 'club' in disused vestibule at Walden
4. Creative writing class

So think back and come up with those moments you really liked out of yourdozen or so years in school

Have a great weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

I got out of the city early today and we made it to Cape May Point before the traffic got crazy.
Soooo -

What four things do you want to do before summer ends?

1. Get away one more time. Check!
2. Teach the kids to fish. Check!
3. Have a glass of wine on the beach. Check!
4. Get through a few more books. Working on it.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

The kids and i are home today being lazy and enjoying a leisurely breakfast.

Sooo....

What are your four favorite breakfasts?

1. A bowl of cereal with lots of fruit and some cold milk
2. Some hearty bread, toasted medium covered with a bit of butter and some good blackberry jam
3. Manhattan Bagel ham, egg and cheese on cheddar
4. Pecan-encrusted Jack Daniels French Toast - with good Madagascar vanilla

Ok - so what's on your favorite morning meal plate?

Friday Fantastic Four

My birthday is coming up in a few weeks and I want to give everyone a chance to get out and pick me out something nice.

Thus this week's Friday Fantastic Four:

What Four Things Do You Most Want for Your Birthday?

1. A Kodak Easyshare EX-101 digital picture frame - I've got a million photos and only so much space to show them in my office.  This solves that problem, holding thousands of images and featuring wireless upload!
2. My own waterfront peninsula.  I saw this place listed on my recent vacation in Maine.  The house would have to be torn down, but 8.9 acres right in Kennebunkport is a STEAL at just over $5 mil.  Don't worry.  I'll share with the family and friends!
3. I'd like a hybrid.  And not a hybrid car, but a hybrid scooter.  For just zipping around town and such.  And being cool.
4. I'd really like to see Alaska's Inside Passage.  7 days from Seattle with a balcony ought to do it for me!  Glaciers, mountains and a nearby bar sound perfect!

Only 19 shopping days left!  Hurry!!!!

So what do YOU want for your birthday

Friday Fantastic Four

Hey everybody - simple one today!

What are your four favorite phrases?

1. I love you, daddy
2. Open bar, free buffet
3. Delaware County School 522 is closed - from back in the day when you listened to the radio on snow mornings
4. Work harder!!!!

Honorable mention:

Wow!

Friday Fantastic Four

You may have heard that the US Supreme Court struck down Washington, DC's handgun ban in a decision issued yesterday. In that vein, here is today's Friday Fantastic Four.

What are your four most controversial positions/viewpoints?

1. Handguns should be banned
2. The first two years of public college should be free
3. The use of the death penalty should be expanded
4. Pay for the military should be doubled and the GI Bill restored.

Ok - what's on YOUR mind?

Friday Fantastic Four

Well everybody I am sure you could see this one coming. While it's 53 degrees as the sun comes up here in South Jersey, it IS the first day of summer. So let's go with a summer theme today!

What are your four favorite things about summer?

1. Longer days
2. Summer Beers
3. Bikinis
4. VACATIONS!!!!!!

Have a great day and a great summer!

Friday Fantastic Four

Krispy Kreme DOUGHNUTS \\ have a bite
Originally uploaded by QaTaRiYa m9aRg3a // HAPPY BIRTHDAY 7s7s

Hello all - it is reported to me by my crack staff that today is National Doughnut Day. So good to know things are slow enough that they have time to keep track of such things. In honor of this august holiday, we have a sweet Fantastic Four today.

What are your four favorite snack or junk foods?

1. Doughnuts - a big weakness
2. Soft Pretzels - it's a Philly thing
3. Brownies - god, I love a good brownie!
4. Salt water taffy - especially banana

Try to stay cool this weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

What are the four things GUARANTEED to make you smile?

1. The tenor sax solos in the original "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"
2. Emma dancing (happy feet!)
3. John bringing me my baseball glove
4. My GF after 2 glasses of champagne

Everybody have a great weekend and find a reason to smile!

Friday Fantastic Four

You could see this one coming I am sure.

What are the four best things about Memorial Day Weekend?

1. Backyard Bar-B-Ques
2. Bar bands at the Shore
3. Coca-Cola 600
4. Monday Off!!!!!!!!!

Everybody have a great weekend!  Enjoy and be safe.

Friday Fantastic Four

Ok - I stayed the night in Harrisburg, PA last night after some meetings yesterday.

It's umm a bit umm dead.

Soooo...

What are the four WORST towns you have ever stayed in?

1. Frostburg, Maryland - not sure why people ever settled here
2. Harrisburg, PA - Great conversation at dinner, but nothing to do afterward
3. Syracuse, NY - Cold, gray, nasty.  In July.
4. Detroit, MI - Almost too easy - Crime, drugs, trash all on the walk to the stadium from the parking lot

Have a great weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

Ok - it's Friday and I am in desperate need of some fun, so this week's Fan Four is a fun one!

What were your four favorite childhood games?

You are free to go with any game you liked, from board games, to video games, to outdoor games.  The sky is the limit!

1. Wiffle Ball - In Greg Feld's front yard, I was an All-Star!!!!!!!!
2. Capture the Flag -We played this game endlessly all summer long, running all over trying to steathily capture the other troop's flag
3. Oregon Trail - this video game was very hard and super cool.  You can play it now on Facebook.
4. APBA Baseball - When it rained you could still play baseball with the cards and dice!!!

You all have a great weekend.

Friday Fantastic Four

We all wish we somehow were better or more complete people. Given that,

What four skills do you wish you had?

1. I wanna sing.  All my life I've hummed along, or mumbled softly, or occasionally sang badly out loud.  i just wish I had pipes.
2. I wanna dance, Dance DANCE!!!  My GF can dance.  Really dance. Well.  And umm I can't.  People tend to stare or occasionally laugh out loud when I dance.  I've taken lessons.  They went badly.  I need ability!
3. I wish I could speak Spanish.  After English, more people speak Spanish in this hemisphere than any other language.  It would be cool to communicate with them.  Once again, I took Spanish in high school.  It went badly.
4. I wish I could sit still. I know I annoy people in meetings.  I am horrible to sit next to on a plane.  I need to get up and walk around every 20 minutes or so.  How can I fix this????

Have a great weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

Today is a rather busy one for me.  I have a funeral this morning, the UArts Presidential Inauguration, followed by a university-wide celebration.  Then I have some work to do before having to shoot over to a hotel to get changed for tonight's Gala. 

Following what I am sure will be a late night, I'm off to Phoenix tomorrow morning.

I'm feeling a bit frazzled.

In that spirit, here's today's Fantastic Four:

What were the Four Busiest Days of Your Life?

1. Graduation from Cabrini - it wasn't enough that I had to struggle through a hangover in the sun, then pose for a million pictures, I then had to move out of my home for the previous 2 years and move into new digs.
2. John's Opening Day 2007 - We went from baseball opening day to UArts Open House to a friend's child's birthday.  With 2 kids in tow!
3. Today - It would be way better if I wasn't headed out tomorrow and could rest.
4. Interview Day for BCC - 2001 - I started the day harvesting cranberries, interviewed for 3 hours in the middle of the day, harvested more berries in the afternoon and had to go to Cabrini for an alumni event that evening.  And get up the next day and harvest more berries.

Hope your day is good and that you enjoy the weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

I spent some time at home yesterday and thought about all the things that make it 'my' space.  In that vein, a home-based Fantastic Four for this week:

What are your four favorite things about where you live?

1. The location - I love Moorestown.  I like the downtown area, I like the proximity to the kid's schools and to Philly.  It's just plain beautiful at times.  While I am looking for a new place and want to stay I know I may need to give this up to get something larger.  That's kind of hard to deal with.
2. The back yard.  Almost 1/3 of an acre of grass and trees for the kids to play and me to relax.
3. Big windows - looking out on the back yard!
4. The patio - it's old and cracked and broken, but it's a great place to grill or picnic, or just to enjoy a book and the nice weather!

So what's great about the place you call home?

Everybody have a great weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

Ok all - today is a typical early spring weather pattern for the Philadelphia region, thus a rain-related Fan 4 today.

What are your four favorite things to do when it rains?

1. Read
2. Watch sports from areas of the country where it isn't raining.
3. Do a little work in the bedroom.  Ahem!
4. Surfin

Everybody have a great weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

Another Delco Guy is still on Spring Break with the little ones, but it's time for the Friday Fantastic Four to come back from vacation.

Todays list is a bit off the beaten path, but you can take it any way you want.

What are the four best four letter words?

1. Kids - simply the best!!!
2. Beer - For when the kids are sleeping
3. Love - It had to be here didn't it?
4. The F word - It's so versatile!

Ok - what are yours???

Friday Fantastic Four

Mr. George, the janitor at John's school is retiring today after many years of work in the hallways and bathrooms of an elementary school with 500 kids.  He's a cool guy, always good for a laugh and has an easy-going manner with the kids.  He knows them all by name and always has a question or joke for them.  i see him all the time in the office and i have to say that I'll miss it.

So to honor Mr. George and his many years of tolerant work with school children, here is today's Friday Fantastic Four:

What four people do you wish you still saw on a regular basis?

1. My Grandfather - He died in 1995, but I still think of him every day.
2. Coach Dzik - The Big Dog - He's down in Demorest now, but might be headed to Del Val soon!
3. John and Emma - My angels - whenever they are with their mom, it's a rough day.
4. Lou Monaco - My first RA in college, the best sports fan ever, hilarious to be around and a true buddy, even if he is a Mets fan.

I'm very happy for some of my life changes over the last few years that have gotten me back in regular contact with my old buddies.  Seeing Carlo, Danny, Bobby, Bryen, Chicken and Burnsie all the time has been the best.  Gotta figure a way to get back to Delco more to see the Hannigan and Ranson clans a bit more. 

Everybody have a great weekend!

Friday Fantastic Four

Let's say you had an iPod that only held four songs.  What would they be?

1. Take it Easy - The Eagles - at different times we've all had a mess on our hands
2. Miami 2017 - Billy Joel - some of his best writing and a wonderful arrangement
3. You Shook Me - AC/DC - classic 80s rock.  Maybe the best latter-day rock song of all time
4. Sitting on the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding  - I've always loved it and it gets better every time I hear it.

If it held five, I'd have to have the best grunge ever:
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana - remember mosh pits?

Friday Fantastic Four

Ok ladies - it's your turn.  This week we're looking for the four sexiest male celebrities RIGHT NOW.

I know you've been thinking about it all week, waiting patiently, so here you go.

In my book it's all about the classics:

1. George Clooney - I just wish I looked this good in a tuxedo!  And he dates all kinds of hot women!
2. Brad Pitt - as my girlfriend cooed "He's just HOT."  So is his wife!
3. Harrison Ford - the guy is Indiana friggin' Jones for christ's sake! Yup - hot girlfrfiend too!
4. Jon Bon Jovi - owns a sports team, can still pull off 80s hair, and married to his hottie high school sweetheart

Four hot guys and four hot women too!  Not a bad way to start a snowy weekend!

Fantastic Four

  Scarlett Johansson beautiful 
  Originally uploaded by San *)

Well we made it six weeks into 2008 before this topic came up.

It's simple.  The 4 hottest celebrity women right now.  Not when you were 17.  Not 'back in the day,' not in your dreams.  RIGHT NOW!

1. Scarlett - drop-dead gorgeous and can act ... and sing
2. Eva Mendes - Rehab or not
3. Heidi Klum - mmmmmm-yeah!
4. Charlize Theron - dropping on the list, but still there!

Links all SFW guys.

And for you?

Friday Fantastic Four

So much has changed in the aftermath of the first round of primaries.  Rudy went from front-runner to also-ran.  Mitt said he was in it for the long haul and pulled out the next day.  Joe Biden never got things rolling ... oh no change there really.

So in the spirit of change, here's today's Fantastic Four:

What four changes are you most looking forward to this year?

1. Electing a new president
2. Getting crime under control in Philadelphia
3. Getting more writing done
4. A championship for Philadelphia fans

What changes are you all looking for?