I hope you enjoyed your long weekend and had a great Memorial Day. To some, it may mean an extra day off or the official start to summer vacation. To all of us, it should be to remember the true meaning of the holiday. I used to have a neighbor who lined up his sidewalk with flags on all of the patriotic holidays (Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Independence Day). Here’s a photo I took Friday at Twin Lakes of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial when I went for my walk.
Sunday, we celebrated Memorial Day at my aunt’s house with some of my cousins from Berlin. Aunt Sue put together a nice spread for her Memorial Day cookout including a Buffalo Chicken Dip my mom put together that was really good. We had some tonight with our dinner along with some burgers and brats. We laughed, we cried, we waxed nostalgic. The little cousins took us on a scavenger hunt around my aunt’s neighborhood. I played a game but got confused so I quit after the first try (in typical James fashion… at least when I was younger). No problem, Brendan and I talked about the Phillies and how good they’ve been playing.
We stayed until 7 and we and the Nicholsons took off at the same time. There are nice drives to and from Somerset for us that don’t involve taking the PA Turnpike. We usually take PA 31 which I feel is more scenic. Sometimes, I’ll take US 30 to Jennerstown or PA 31 to PA 711 to Ligonier. If I’m feeling lucky or have some time, I even stop in my favorite little Hallmark Christmas town.
A few years ago, I really began to get into podcasts. While everyone has their own tastes, I really enjoy the entertainment podcasts. Back in early 2022, I took the time to listen to some Dunder Mifflin-themed podcasts (i.e. they were related to The Office). Off the Beat (Brian Baumgartner’s podcast) and Office Ladies (Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer’s podcast) are two podcasts that are worth a listen if you love The Office.
In July of that year, Brian Baumgartner (Kevin from the Office) had 90’s icon Danielle Fishel (Topanga on Boy Meets World) on his Off the Beat podcast. It was definitely worth the time to listen to as I was on my way to my Laurel Highlands Toastmasters meeting. That interview led me to discover Pod Meets World (a podcast that looks back at iconic TGIF show Boy Meets World ) a few days later when I was on my way to Somerset to visit my aunt on a Friday night. The hosts are Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong (Shawn), and Will Friedle (Eric). I hadn’t listened to that podcast since but finally got around to listening again and this time I think I’ll stay. This podcast and other 90’s related podcasts provide me with a great trip down memory lane, to the greatest decade of my life. Better late than never!
In my search for podcasts, I’ve discovered other ones that look back on these great shows. Thus, I may give them a listen too. I’ll mention them in my next blog post. These stars have also appeared at 90’s related conventions. If these events come to Pittsburgh again, I’d love to check one out.
Finally, what do you think about this one? Should I try my hand at starting a podcast and if so, what do you suggest I talk about? When this blog has its five year anniversary or I publish my 700th blog post, I may start one. It’s too soon to think about it for 600 as that milestone is getting close and I need some time to plan and figure out what I’d need. But it would be a cool new venture for me.
Stylish 🍒 