In Wednesday’s blog, I remembered a couple of Pittsburgh personalities who recently passed away. Elvis left the building for the last time on February 19 when former Pittsburgh Penguins announcer Mike Lange died. “Scratch my back with a hacksaw” was one of his many catchphrases every time the Penguins scored a goal. Last Thursday, former KDKA personality Jon Burnett passed away. He had been diagnosed with CTE in early 2024. He was a man of many hats at Channel 2, as a host of newsmagazine shows and as a weatherman. If you’re from Pittsburgh, you know who I’m talking about.
Today, we’re looking ahead to March and springing ahead. We turn the clocks ahead next weekend so while it’ll still be dark when you’re waiting for the bus, you’ll get that extra hour of daylight in the evening.
Next weekend begins the division leg of the speech contests in our Toastmasters district. The area contests are like the wild card playoffs in the NFL. You sometimes have your surprises and that change the whole narrative. Barring any schedule changes, I’ll be in Oakdale next Saturday to attend the Division Awesome contest. On the 22nd, our division will have its speech contest. Next week, I might have to do a Market District run afterwards at the Robinson location unless I find a good place to eat, or I’ll do both. I may channel my inner Ana_Eats_PGH. #James_Eats_PGH
Needless to say, my Spirit of Toastmasters fire will be burning in March with visits to Western Maryland and Allegheny Mountains coming. Next month, Indiana and Johnstown visits are in the cards. All of these visits will be done online. In my Toastmasters Monday blog, I’ll highlight the final area contests as divisional contest season draws near.
Rewatch podcasts and mental health podcasts won it for me in February. Pod Meets World and Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown got my attention the most with a little Keanan and Lakin Give You Deja Vu, and YaJagoff sprinkled in for good measure. But it was the pod swap of classic ’90s rewatch pods that reeled me in. It was like reuniting with old friends after 25 or 30 years.
On Mayim’s podcast, I’m learning that I can identify with some of these ‘90s child stars in terms of mental health. I have a few Breakdowns on my list next month including her interviews with her co stars from the Big Bang Theory.
As we turn the calendar to March, I’m making plans for what to drink at my favorite coffee place. One thing I didn’t do in February was take a lot of coffee or outfit pictures. I saw this on Instagram stories yesterday and thought it was cool. I didn’t have six pictures, but two and they were both from Cutie’s.
The Lucky Charms and Over the Rainbow lattes are on my radar as is the Lucky Girl Latte and the Pistachio Coffee. The Spring menu launches on April 5 along with a market in the lot across from Cutie’s. In the picture are the Samoa Cookie Latte and the Thin Mint Latte. The fish sandwich tour kicks off soon and Eat’n Park is on my radar for their Whale of a Cod sandwich.
Finally, I’ve graduated in my book about John Hughes and his classic ’80s movies. I finished the chapter on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, thus moving on from the high school movies and into films like Some Kind of Wonderful and Say Anything, as well as Uncle Buck. Some of these films I’ve never seen to this day but I’ve enjoyed this look back at a great decade and Brat Pack films which some are still relevant to this day. It’s hard to believe that The Breakfast Club turned 40 a few weeks ago.
Stay warm as March comes roaring in like a lion.
Stylish 🍒 