Conference Championship Preview

Top draft pick Jayden Daniels has been a major factor for Washington’s success in 2024.

The weekend started out with a quick thaw, and eight teams battling to play next week in the conference championship game. Then, the snow came, the temperatures fell, and there were four teams left.

As we enter this cold week ahead and look forward to and enjoy the NFL’s Final Four, let’s look back at the weekend action. There were expected outcomes and big surprises. There were repeat performances and more of the same. Either way you looked at it, you were not to be disappointed, unless your team lost.

Kansas City returns to its seventh consecutive AFC Championship game with a 23-14 win over the Houston Texans. It’s funny that their run began at the end of the Patriots’ eight year run. Therefore, there hasn’t been a conference title game without Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady since 2010. That was the expected outcome.

Washington pulled the biggest shocker of the weekend, coming into Detroit and outlasting the heavily favored Lions. In my opinion, they came out cold after running through the regular season, taking teams like the upstart Commanders for granted. Detroit’s injuries finally caught up to them. Plus, you won’t win when you lose the turnover battle. Also, for the first time since 1991, Washington will be playing in the NFC Championship Game

History repeated itself in Philadelphia as Saquon Barkley put up another 200 yards against the Rams’ defense (205 to be exact) as the Eagles won on a snowy day at Lincoln Financial Field. In just a few hours, the weather really changed and that’s one thing to truly enjoy about football. Barkley’s 460 yards vs. the Rams this season are the most since Jamal Lewis put up 500 vs. Cleveland in 2003. Those two games were in the regular season though.

History repeated itself in Buffalo as once again, Lamar Jackson came up short in a loss to the Bills. I’m happy to see Buffalo back in the AFC Championship game and against a familiar opponent. But, Baltimore had their chances to win here. Lamar made mistakes, and Mark Andrews dropped a two point conversion that could have tied this game. At least Josh Allen advances and next week, we get yet another exciting Bills vs. Chiefs matchup.

Washington at Philadelphia, 3:00 ET, FOX

We’re all impressed with how far Washington has come this year. It’s the first time they’ve won a playoff game since 2005, and their first trip to the NFC Championship game since 1991. Part of the reason for that is how well Jayden Daniels has played and the supporting cast he’s had in Washington. 32 years of frustration has been erased and the Commanders could reach the Super Bowl with a win Sunday. They’re on a seven game winning streak but Philadelphia will provide a strict test.

The reason for Philadelphia’s resurgence has been a much improved defense. That was the culprit in the Eagles’ late season slump that cost them the division and led to a one and done exit in the Wild Card game. While I can excuse the 49ers, Cowboys, and Seahawks losses, the Cardinals and Giants meltdowns were unacceptable. Adding Saquon Barkley obviously boosted the running game. Jalen Hurts ca put up average numbers in the passing game and Philly can still win.

Don’t turn over the ball like Detroit did, don’t take Washington for granted and you’ll be fine. The clock strikes Midnight in Washington but you can’t argue that this season was the best in a long time. Sometime a change of ownership can make all the difference too.

Buffalo at Kansas City, 6:30 ET FOX

Where have we seen this matchup before? Oh right, eight times they’ve met in the last five years. Each team winning four. Buffalo dominates the regular season but Josh Allen can’t win when it counts. Patrick Mahomes is quickly becoming the new GOAT of the NFL. It’s like Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady all over again. Sunday’s matchup at Arrowhead will be no different.

It’s the Super Bowl before the Super Bowl, and like the 90s, Buffalo is trailing in this tuneup to the big game vs. their biggest rival, not including a loss to Cincinnati in the 2022 Divisional Playoff game. The Bills capitalized on mistakes by the Ravens and great play by the offensive line to edge Baltimore and advance to the AFC title game. Buffalo is 0-3 vs. KC, surely they can’t lose a fourth game to the Chiefs, can they?

Kansas City has had another successful season. Not even going on the road last year for the most of the playoffs stopped the Chiefs from winning back to back Super Bowls. They won very close games and got off to a fast start, with their only losses coming at Buffalo and Denver. The latter game was meaningless as the Chiefs rested their starters in Week 18. All they have standing in their way is a Buffalo team that has already bested them, but it’s in KC this Sunday.

It’s hard to three-peat in this league but the last time we were at this crossroads was January 1991, when San Francisco had their opportunity but lost to the New York Giants at home. I want to say history will repeat itself on Sunday and I’m going with the Buffalo Bills in a close one.

It will be Buffalo Wings vs. Cheesesteaks in Super Bowl LIX on February 9.

NFL Divisional Playoff Preview

Good morning. I didn’t do a preview for last week‘s Wild Card Weekend, but all the games were good with a few surprises. Here’s a quick recap of all six games.

I did not expect Houston to beat the Chargers they way they did. Justin Herbert was that bad in defeat and it ruined a good game by Ladd McConkey.

Pittsburgh’s loss was well deserved and the perfect ending to a season that saw the Steelers finish with five straight losses. Derrick Henry is a beast and Buffalo will have its hands full Sunday.

Even in defeat, Denver had a great season and Bo Nix had a great rookie year. Philly can win around Jalen Hurts but it helped that Jordan Love looked bad. Washington’s great season continued with a last season field goal. They’ll have their hands full in Detroit Saturday though.

Minnesota looked lost on Monday night. Two decisive losses at the end ruined a great season for the Vikings. Now, the question going into the offseason is, what to do with Sam Darnold and do they start JJ McCarthy in 2025?

Now here’s my take on this weekend’s divisional playoff action.

Houston at Kansas City, 4:30pm, ABC/ESPN, Saturday

During the summer, this was my pick for the AFC Championship game. After a great rookie year, CJ Stroud regressed in 2024 and injuries to top receivers didn’t help either. The defense kept them in most games and the Texans played good when it counted. While I doubt that Patrick Mahomes will throw four picks and have a subpar performance, I don’t see Houston repeating its performance that it did in the wild card matchup vs. the Chargers. The Chiefs played a lot of close games and had a few blowout wins (Christmas Day at Pittsburgh being one of them). The pressure is on both teams here; Kansas City is trying to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls, and Houston is trying to advance to its first AFC Championship game. I think the streak that continues will be that of the Houston Texans as KC advances to its seventh straight conference title game.

Washington at Detroit, 8:00pm, FOX, Saturday

The comeback team of the year saw their season continue on a last second field goal as Washington ended its playoff drought. Winning their first postseason game since 2005 and having their best season since 1991, the Commanders will be facing a bigger challenge Saturday night in Detroit. I’d love to see Washington’s season continue with an upset win in the Motor City. They beat an average Bucs team Sunday night that didn’t even play well in their regular season finale against New Orleans. Jayden Daniels will make his case for Offensive Rookie of the Year along with Bo Nix. Does Detroit take Washington for granted and lose this game? I have to go with the points and pick Detroit.

L.A. Rams at Philadelphia, 3:00pm, NBC, Sunday

Other than my hometown Pittsburgh Steelers, the Philadelphia Eagles are my other favorite team. They’ll take the field against the Los Angeles Rams, who made quick work of the Vikings on Monday Night in the Wild Card finale. If the Eagles can muster another average performance from Jalen Hurts and get great numbers from Saquon Barkley, they should dispose of the Rams. The weather will be in their favor with game time temperatures in the 30s and snow expected as the afternoon rolls on. Remember the last time these two met? The Rams don’t want a repeat performance of that when Saquon ran for 255 yards and Eagles cruised to their seventh straight victory. They must contain #26 if they want to win this game. I look for Philly to take this one at home. Cheesesteaks for everyone.

Baltimore at Buffalo, 6:30pm ET, CBS

I’ll be tuned into the Eagles game for sure on Sunday, but this game right here might just be the best out of the four. Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen come in as the top two in the MVP race. Both came off great regular seasons. Derrick Henry has been a great addition to the Ravens, finishing second to Saquon Barkley in yards. Baltimore contained the Bills in September in the worst loss of the year for Buffalo. The pressure is on for these two MVP candidates as Josh Allen is trying to lead the Bills to the Super Bowl, but has dealt with obstacles including the Chiefs. Lamar Jackson’s playoff record is subpar and a Super Bowl win would help exorcise those playoff demons. Allen and Jackson both coming up short brings to mind Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. Both were great regular season quarterbacks but when it mattered in the playoffs, they came up short. The Ravens are a one point favorite and I think this game could come down to a one yard run by Jackson or Henry or a field goal by Justin Tucker. I like Buffalo and what Allen has done this year but Baltimore will advance to the AFC Championship.

In conclusion, my picks for next week are:

Philadelphia at Detroit, 3PM, FOX

Baltimore at Kansas City, 6:30PM, CBS

Remembering my Firsts

On Wednesday night at our Greensburg Toastmasters meeting, the theme for our Table Topics session was firsts. Our Table Topics master asked us what some of our first things in life were. We all gave great answers to the questions being asked. This table topics session also inspired me to write this next blog coming up. Today, I’ll be highlighting some of the firsts in my life.

What was the first podcast I listened to? 

I started listening to podcasts regularly in 2022, and the first one that I listened to was the Office Deep Dive (later known as Off the Beat). It’s not a rewatch podcast, but it has featured stars from The Office and other celebrities as well. The show is hosted by Green Bay Packers fan, chili magnate, and lover of M&M’s, Brian Baumgartner. Fun fact: Brian has written two cookbooks, one on chili and one on barbecue. He also played Kevin Malone on The Office.

Who was the first person I met in college and how did he help me adjust?

It was at HGA in August of 2000. I was greeted by one of the resident assistants and he would get me checked in. We took care of the paperwork and then I was moved in to my first dorm room. Jason helped me feel less homesick and he was there to answer any questions and listen to whatever concerns I had. He really moved up the ranks after I left the school in 2003.

When was the first time I experienced the World Wide Web?  

My family got its first computer in the Fall of 1996, a Packard Bell from Montgomery Ward at the long defunct Greengate Mall. Not too long after we got it, we signed on to the internet on America Online. We had a funny way of logging in those early days of having internet, and it was through a Wishbone CD-Rom. The Generation Y kids will remember that show. Nowadays, you have your smartphone to log in to the internet, but back then it was all dial-up. Good luck if someone was on the phone.

Where was my first Toastmasters District Conference? 

It was November 2011, a week before Thanksgiving. The conference was at the Doubletree Hotel in Monroeville, located next to the Monroeville Convention Center (also known as the Expo Mart). It soon became a regular attended event for me up through 2019. I had dreams of attending conferences in other states (example, Virginia and North Carolina), that was dashed due to COVID but it’s still possible.

What (and when) was my first real social experience with friends?

After I became manager of the high school swimming team during my sophomore year, I got to attend an invitational at Carnegie Mellon with other members of the team. That evening, we ate dinner at Spaghetti Warehouse in the Strip District. As for my experience, it went very well. Joining the swim team really helped me become less of a wallflower.

What was the first show I binged on either Netflix or Hulu?

On Hulu, I binged Bob’s Burgers up to season 7 or 8, so I haven’t watched the whole series. I’ve also seen a few seasons of Brooklyn Nine Nine on that service On Netflix, the first series I watched all the way through was Gilmore Girls. This was at the end of 2019, so it predated the pandemic. I finished the series in the summer and then watched the four part series based on the show soon after.

I Found a Mental Health Podcast!

My fabulous sis and I at Christmastime. Credit goes to her for this and other pictures that day.

This week has not been the greatest weather wise as winter is really here and there’s no more colorful Christmas lights to accentuate the snow. It made me feel a little bit burned out as well and it seems like Spring isn’t getting here any time soon. I was going to do an NFL review blog for the 2024 season as it concluded, but decided to put that off and talk about other things. I’m a day late but that means I have other interesting things to talk about.

I found a mental health podcast on Thursday and it’s a really popular one. The name of it is “Mayim Bialik Breakdown” and on her podcast, she interviews experts in that field as well as actors. This was my first time so I’ll know more about it after a few listens. You’ll remember her as Blossom from the 90s show of the same name, or Amy Farrah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory. More recently, she was a substitute host on Jeopardy! when the show was looking for its permanent replacement for the recently departed Alex Trebek (RIP). Mayim and her co-host interviewed former child star, actor, and singer-songwriter Drake Bell. He talked about his time as a Nickelodeon child star and his experiences on Drake and Josh, which ran from 2004 to 2007. Drake also talked about the documentary “Quiet on Set” and walking away from Hollywood. At the end, he interviewed Mayim about what it was like being the host of Jeopardy!

I’m trying to enrich myself with podcasts, and not just enjoy the rewatch podcasts for shows like the Office and Boy Meets World and other shows. This mental health podcast I found is good and Mayim does well though I’ll have to give her a few more listens before I really know what I think of her. At some point this weekend, I’ll be tuning into the Pittsburgh based podcast Ya Jagoff!

The algorithm on social media can sometimes be a fickle mystery, and I don’t always get the best suggestions. However, the universe can work in your favor. This week on Instagram, I found a girls who’s my age, with no family of her own, a cool aunt to her sister’s kids, who lives in a big city. I’m not a fan of too many influencers most of the time, but this one is pretty laid back. She also does Pilates and owns a Nespresso machine. No, this isn’t a crush nor is it a prospective relationship but a look into someone else’s life. That someone who isn’t over the top on social media while living her life.

I’ve been disputing with myself when to spend my Old Navy gift cards. Do I spend them all at once or do I use them one at a time? I already shopped on Amazon and have some sleepwear on the way. As for my fashion wear, I think I just answered the question. I plan to use my Old Navy gift cards every month. That gives me time to think about what I want to get instead of doing a big shopping spree. That way, if something catches my interest for Spring or Summer, I can wait to buy it in March or April. I don’t mind spending money on top of gift cards, as long as I’m getting good deals. Plus this gives me time to get rid of the old stuff and make room for the new stuff. If I’m lucky, maybe a shopping trip with my fashionable sister is in the works sometime later this Winter or early in Spring.

Finally, it’s important to love yourself and not apologize for being you. Both things seem to be a recurring issue for me, and it’s gone on longer than 2021. This is a lifelong problem I’ve always had.

Recently, I got a compliment on my socks. I have a lot of cozy socks that are perfect for chilly days. If it was the buffalo plaid socks or any other pair, I wouldn’t have had this issue. It was the pink Valentine’s Day socks. I took the compliment as sarcastic and apologized, for being me.

Most everyone gets my “journey” and encourages me to be me but it has its set of challenges brought on myself. As much as I love to play the blame game, it’s that and an issue of self-love. That needs to change, and that begins with me.

Making Changes in 2025!

Christmas 2024 is officially in the rear view mirror. Time to look ahead to winter and chilly days, said no one ever. 

After a record setting year, I’m ready to take it a little easier this year, at least in the early months. Not sure what’s planned for the Summer and Fall months yet. I am proud of myself for writing and publishing 200 blog posts on this platform during the year, though. 

Starting today, I’ll jump on to Google Docs and get some ideas for the blogs coming up in the week ahead. I’ll take two of those to post on there and, I’ll highlight one thing looking ahead to the blog after the next one (that post which will be up this Friday). 

Over the years, I’ve been involved in activities to stay busy and find something in my life besides work to show for my life. Working late hours at the job I have sometimes presents me with other challenges. These make it difficult to do the things that I want to do, not to mention it’s sometimes hard to slee p during the day. So, in 2025, once it’s safe to get off the New Year’s Resolutions you were going to make for yourself, I will take time to make some changes of my own.

In my opinion, New Year’s Resolutions are overrated in my opinion, but still it doesn’t hurt to offer solutions to longstanding problems. In the days after Christmas, while I was still off, I went for walks and got a couple of miles in. I thought about some changes I’m going to tackle in 2025. One of them is being more physically active, whether it involves walking or doing cardio at Planet Purple. That will lead to making sacrifices and even, cooking for myself more.

Going down to one club next year is something that I have in mind. That will open the door to focus on newer hobbies. One thing that I’m expressing interest in getting back to in 2025: photography. I was big on picture taking in my 20s and I follow people who have made it their livelihood. Just some food for thought.

In 2025, I want to make it a habit to listen to more podcasts. Back in 2022, I listened to two Office podcasts. Off the Beat was hosted by Brian Baumgartner and it was more him interviewing stars from the show or other actors. Office Ladies is the rewatch podcast hosted by Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer. They just wrapped up all nine seasons but are keeping the podcast going. It was through Brian’s podcast that I learned about Pod Meets World.

Jaleel White was interviewed on the Boy Meets World rewatch podcast, Pod Meets World.

He was interviewing Danielle Fishel, who played Topanga on Boy Meets World about the new podcast back in July of 2022. Since then, the PMW podcast has interviewed countless stars from the ’90s era as well as producers and behind the scenes people. The show was a big part of ABC’s TGIF lineup during the 1990’s. Today they interviewed Jaleel White on their podcast and it was worth the listen. Family Matters was one of the best shows on that block and a big part of my childhood viewing. Though more family friendly, TGIF was every bit as good as Must See TV Thursdays on NBC.

When I say I want to listen to more podcasts, I want to make sure they’re not all ’90s rewatch podcasts. I want to make sure the experience is enriching too. That’s why I will listen to a mental health podcast this week as well as a food podcast (which I haven’t found yet). Some takeaways from today’s PMW podcast include hearing the classic catchphrase (“Did I Do That?”) from Steve Urkel himself, as well as Will Friedle’s “Feeny” catchphrase which he made famous as the show went on. Also, I learned why Jaleel turned down a Family Matters reboot, and all of the work that goes into making a TV show.

Follow Pod Meets World on Instagram and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

On Friday’s blog, I’m going to talk about my online shopping trip as I use my gift cards on Thursday. My Amazon gift card is always good for a book. Plus, I’m getting my ideas together for what I want to buy at Old Navy with all my gift cards. More amazing fashion wear is coming, that’s for sure.

We will be hybrid for our Greensburg Toastmasters meeting Wednesday night and I’ll have a recap in Friday’s blog.

It’s Time to Put Christmas Behind!

What a difference a week makes! A week ago this house was colored in Christmas and our yard was sparkling with all of the holiday lights. The cookies are still here, though they’re starting to dwindle. The turkey balls sit in our upstairs freezer, the rest being put away until another cold winter’s day. We’ll eat them before the Super Bowl in February.

The lights going upstairs began to burn out this week. That meant that the decorations would soon be going in boxes and put in the attic until late November. I turned on my tree one last time on Wednesday before Mom put it away along with the other decorations. It’s time to put Christmas behind us and look ahead to 2025.

I covered the events of this past Christmas in my most recent blog. That was my milestone 200th blog to close out 2024. Since then, I started breaking in some of my winter clothes, went back to work, and gone back to being sick with a cold. It’s all but disappeared, and the ball has dropped. But, it’s a long winter and, anything can happen. Though as we look ahead to the fun things that we have planned for this year, let’s not forget what happened five years ago.

My cousin recently posted a blog on her page about her Christmas experience this holiday. It’s definitely worth a read. She may have some more to add as they did some more traveling in the days following Christmas. On Thursday, I added a lot of Christmas photos to my frame. That makes it over a year’s worth of pictures on my frame that I bought last January.

On Monday, I finished my Christmas movie viewing when I checked out 8-bit Christmas. This movie stars Neil Patrick Harris and is set in the late 1980’s. The most popular gaming system at the time was the Nintendo Entertainment System. This movie covers the early days and even mentions some of the accessories that Nintendo came out with. Other events get referenced as well, like the Cabbage Patch Kids craze of 1983. I’m too young to remember that. Also, the soundtrack features some great hits from the 1980’s that got great airplay.

A couple of times last week, the weather was nice enough to warrant going out for a walk. I walked twice, two miles a day. The first day (the day after Christmas) I walked at Twin Lakes and stopped at Barnes and Noble afterwards to get some ideas for what to read next. On Friday morning, I braved the morning chill and walked around Lincoln Heights. I will walking around there more as my parents had done it a few times this Summer. I can devote more time to my health now that we are past Christmas. Just like football teams have a run-pass ratio, I want to do the same when it comes to my physical fitness. I want to have an equal amount of gym time to outside time. It all depends on the weather, at least right now, as we are entering a more seasonal weather pattern. The next two weeks look frigid too.

I’m into the new season of Queer Eye and will devote more time to watching the Fab Five now that the holidays are in our rear view mirror. In terms of reading, I had a good thing going with Proverbs last summer and got untracked. I have more of a handle on things now. While I was at Barnes and Noble last week, I came upon Wicked? Is this my next series? Not sure yet.

I’ve read Spiritual and Inspirational themed books and I’m into “The God Who Saves” by CCM artist Matthew West. K-Love books has published some good reads as well, including one written by the mother of Luke and Joel Smallbone (For King and Country) and Rebecca St. James. Not just limited to inspirational reading, I’m also interested in Double Yoi, which is about the life of the late Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope.

In Tuesday’s blog, I’ll be talking about some changes that I want to make in the new year. I‘d like to highlight my future Old Navy haul as I am looking for some new outfits to slay. Plus, I’ll do a quick review for one of the rewatch podcasts I listen to.

A Cute Cardigan Christmas! *200th Blog of 2024*

Tuesday was our annual Christmas Eve party that just like previous years was at our house. Unlike past years, we had more people coming and we would hold it earlier than we usually would. 2020 and 2021 we had very few at the house and the same was said about 2022. ’20 and ’21 were due to COVID and ’22 was due to the extreme cold. We had a few more in 2023 and we would capitalize from there in 2024. This was a more fitting schedule for those who had other parties or wanted to go to church. That’s something I want to get back to next year.

We had 18 people in attendance for Christmas Eve, the most we’ve had our place in the post-COVID 19 era. It was the most people since my graduation party in 2000. Unlike other years, we held our Christmas Eve party in the afternoon this year. We were going to start at 3, but people started to arrive at 2. It was Christmas like no other for us, and a Cute Cardigan Christmas for me that would continue into Christmas Day.

Our smorgasbord was our cup runneth over. From turkey balls to chicken to meatballs, there was something for everyone. I missed out on the shrimp but made up for it with plenty of our traditional turkey balls. I miss our parties but I understand that they were a lot of work for my Mom. Christmas Eve was no exception, but Mom outdid herself like she used to in the good old days.

We ate well on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas Day and the days following. Mom made plenty of food and so did Momma P when I ate over there. I slayed on Christmas Eve with this cute striped sweater and green sweater tank top you’re seeing up top and in the thumbnail. I’ve worn this at other holiday gatherings in 2022 (Thanksgiving) and 2023 (Christmas Eve). I got a lot of my praise on my outfit at TLI. It almost resembled a black jumpsuit in a way. I think I know what I want to buy next. Just like that day, I wore my cheetah sweater which I did when I went to Momma P’s for Christmas. I’m just living in the moment here, folks.

I slept much better on Christmas morning than I did Christmas Eve morning. It was a little more quiet and a little less chaotic. I woke up at 7:30 AM, ate a bagel with cream cheese and had a cup of coffee. We opened presents at 9:00 AM before I got ready to go to Momma P’s a little later.

We had a great visit together. We sat in the living room and opened presents. I walked in the door and showed off my Michael Kors purse and my ‘fit which included my cheetah sweater. My South Side siblings and my brodog got me gifts, and from my Momma I got cash. Some of them were from Sephora, as well as Bath and Body Works. I also got some Office playing cards. I’ll be watching that show to combat my seasonal depression come January, as well as listening to ’90s rewatch podcasts. At home, I got some clothes and gift cards. I have a lot of Old Navy gift cards on hand so a nice haul is coming. I’ll be getting back to going outside walking and getting serious about exercise in 2025.

While my Somerset family was visiting, I was enjoying turkey and stuffing with my second family and celebrating English tradition by pulling apart crackers. We got a nice family picture around the imaginary Festivus pole, airing all of our grievances. All of us parted ways by 2:30, leaving Momma and my brodog to themselves and her to relax after a busy Christmas morning for her. I took in a nice long winter’s nap this evening and ate that plate of turkey and stuffing that I got from Momma. I watched the Christmas Story sequel and tried to explain it to my aunt. Before the holiday is done, I will consider watching 8-bit Christmas.

Finally, we got out and saw some Christmas lights in the days before Christmas. My parents got to enjoy Larry’s Lights in Youngwood on Sunday night. For me, this was my third time seeing the iconic display. I went in 2020 and again in 2021, both in the height of COVID. It’s just as great in 2024. Monday night, we drove around Manor to look at an amazing light display that has a lot of yard ornaments. We didn’t check out the houses in Penn Township this time but I’m sure they all looked very decorated.

Happy Holidays and I will see you in 2025!

Happy with my Top Ten *STYLISH UPDATE*

The results are in from the 2024 Top Ten, and I am happy with the results. Toastmasters and Fun Fall Activities made the top five events of the year. Plus, I’m pretty happy with the lower half of the top ten. In fact, I’m enjoying my last Christmas coffee at Cutie’s before Christmas. Finding this cute gem of a coffee shop made #6 on my Top Ten countdown. They even held a Bible study on Monday nights.

Looking ahead to 2025, I want to be serious about getting back to church after dipping my toes in the water this Fall. I don’t care if my political views or fashion offend people. That’s not what it should have been about. I also want to enjoy more podcasts including great rewatch podcasts of all the ’90s shows I enjoyed, as well as The Office. Maybe I’ll go to Dunder Mifflin to beat my seasonal depression and listen to the Office Ladies podcast again. Also, that might be something I could look into is starting a podcast. What I would talk about is up in the air for now, pardon the pun.

Having two weeks off this year was my #7 moment of 2024. After about 15 years without a paid vacation, I was able to enjoy two weeks off in 2024. In the summer, I took day trips to The Rock, Indiana, Kennywood, and Tanger. I explored the Jimmy Stewart Museum and bought a new purse at Tanger during the summer. I went Christmas Shopping and celebrated 100 years of Toastmasters in my December vacation. Next year, I’ll still have my summer week off but I’ll be off in the Fall too. Maybe I can take a trip to SRU for Homecoming and do some leaf peeping in the Laurel Highlands. I just checked and I am off that Saturday so I might just do that. This year marks 20

Kicking off my countdown was a trip to Eat’n Park that saw me pick up a book on the history of the chain. In 2024, Eat’n Park celebrated its 75th Anniversary and released a book that covered the iconic Pittsburgh institution from its humble beginnings in 1949. It was worth the $20 when I purchased it after my meal. I started it in August and finished it right before Halloween. It sits on our bookshelf now with my other books on Kennywood. My cousin works for Eat’n Park in marketing and she made it into the book a few times. I even saw her in a commercial promoting the strawberry 🍓 desserts Eat’n Park comes out with in May.

Looking ahead to 2025, I won’t blog as much as least into Spring. That makes more time for reading which I was doing before I took on this challenge to post more blogs than I ever have. I finished all the Harry Potter books by August and then read a little about Kamala Harris and even got back into Barack Obama’s memoir before this writing season got crazy for me. I’m still not sure what series I’ll start next and we’re a week away from the new year.

My last post of the year will be #200 for 2024 and for that achievement I’m very proud.

Finally, it’s Christmas. All the gifts are bought and the presents are wrapped. You’ll have family visiting. First of all, I know that Christmas may be hard for those of you who have lost loved ones so it may be painful. I’ll go easy on you.

But, if you have a grudge against someone or even against yourself, end it or get over yourself. I had a couple of Christmases where I’ve been mad at someone for the way they treated me and carrying that burden into the holidays soured my mood. Put your differences aside and enjoy whatever it is that you celebrate. It’s a lot better when you’re not carrying whatever that burden may be.

Time for me to be that bigger person and end it.

Top Ten of 2024 in Pictures!

With the year 2024 set to draw to a close in ten days, here’s my top ten countdown for the year. Most of these are my own experiences with some events that made news locally and nationally.

#10-August 16, 2024—I bought a book after having breakfast at Eat’n Park. This book covers the story of Eat’n Park as it celebrated 75 years in 2024. I enjoyed it immensely.

#9- Spring 2024–Crazy weather in our area with floods in April, tornadoes in May, and excessive heat in June that welcomed Summer 2024. Two devastating hurricanes that caused damage in Western NC and Florida. 

Finleyville, PA tornado, May 11, 2024
Tropicana Field, Tampa, FL, after winds from Hurricane Milton, tore off the roof.

#8–Dinner with Mr. Clougherty. We continued our yearly tradition of eating out starting in the Spring (we had our first dinner May 2 and ended in October). Pictures are from my birthday dinner in June at the Olive Garden and September at Eat’n Park.

#7-June 2024–My first of two vacations this year took me on some fun day trips including Slippery Rock and Indiana. Here are pictures from my visit to the Jimmy Stewart Museum and my purchase from the Michael Kors outlet in Tanger Outlets in Washington.

December 2024-It was much colder when I took my second week off. I went Christmas shopping in South Hills Village and attended club officer training at WCCC in Youngwood.

#6-In 2024, Cutie’s Coffee Company in downtown Greensburg became my go-to place for great coffee. Their seasonal menus have been great too and every other week through October, they held a Bible study in their small parking lot. Just bring a chair and a heart for Godly worship. 

#5-May 2024–I attended my first in person Toastmasters District Conference in five years at the DoubleTree Hotel in Washington PA. The keynote speaker were excellent and our guest speaker listened to me as I connected with her about my “journey.” I was inspired after she told us a similar story. Here are the winners from the two speech contests.

#4-April 2024–Toastmasters International celebrated its 100th anniversary. We celebrated the crowning achievement at Winter TLI on December 7. Johnstown Toastmasters celebrates its 70th birthday at Hoss’s in Richland Twp. I visited Indiana and Johnstown clubs early in the month. In December, Pittsburgh Toastmasters celebrated its 85th birthday. Oh, and don’t forget, Greensburg Toastmasters celebrated its 45th year in July.

Pittsburgh Toastmasters Club 144 celebrating its 85th birthday on December 11 at the Galleria of Mt. Lebanon.

#3-June 2024-District 13 finished the 2023-24 Toastmasters year with the highest honor, Smedley Distinguished. Fittingly enough, our District was the 13th to achieve Distinguished honors. Greensburg Toastmasters finished Select Distinguished with seven goals met during the 23-24 TM year.

#2-November 2024–The week before Thanksgiving, we took a trip to Hershey where we saw Trans Siberian Orchestra at the Giant Center. We also saw lights near Hersheypark, enjoyed great Italian food, and we wrapped up the trip at Chocolate World where we shopped before heading home. 

#1-October 2024–We held our annual Gaffron Family reunion on Columbus Day weekend. My uncle played a slideshow consisting of old Gaffron memories. The weather was perfect with sunshine and readings around 70 degrees. We also celebrated Annabelle’s birthday by taking her to dinner at EDO Hibachi and she had a Karate party with her friends and cousins at the studio where they practice.  

I think I found my outfit for Christmas Day when I go to Paula and celebrate Christmas with my second family.

Finally, I continue to live my best life with my fashion journey, as hard as it can be to stay loyal to it. It can be lonely at times, but I’m trying my best to ignore the voices telling me to give it up. No matter how compliments I receive for my outfits, they will mean nothing unless I compliment myself. 

The Final Toastmaster Meeting of the Year!

Wednesday night was our last Greensburg Toastmasters meeting of 2024. In our club, we’ve seen plenty of changes over the past year. Members have come and gone. Our main tech gurus moved early in the fall, but they still attend via Zoom. I completed the path that I began during COVID and started the new one in October. This week, I learned what it means to be “zoom-bombed” and, no, it’s not a good thing. Sweeping changes to our links are coming as well. This put things into perspective as we begin the new year.

As for the meeting, nothing out of the ordinary, as we stand a week before Christmas. We had two great speeches, one by yours truly about his personal blog. The first speaker is one who meets via Zoom and his speech was about his recent medical missions trip to Puerto Rico. With no easy way to use the projector (thus, dispensing with it for the night), we all gathered around our club president’s tablet to look at some of the photos he provided along with his speech. He’s a doctor of anesthesiology in Detroit, Michigan, but he has worked at other PA hospitals including in Altoona.

My speech was a rehash of one that I gave back in November. Originally, I was going to give it at the prior meeting. However, I was getting over a cold at Thanksgiving and, I wasn’t sure my voice would hold up. This speech on Wednesday showed major improvement over the last one that I gave just before the holiday. I even included my trip to Hershey and everything we did in the speech. I was going to include part of Winter TLI. In my evaluation, one of the suggestions for making the speech better was to have included more analysis on one or two of the posts.

Table Topics centered around holiday traditions. My question was about New Year’s traditions and I brought some of our past traditions. We played dominoes at Gram’s, watched the neighbors shoot off fireworks, and went to Borders in Monroeville on New Year’s Day. We got some Pokemon gifts from one of our members in the design of Mew and Mewtwo. Our first Toastmasters meeting for the new year will be on January 8. With the first Wednesday falling on New Year’s Day, we will have meetings on the second and fourth Wednesday in January.

Last night, I caught the finale of the Holiday Baking Championship on Food Network. The five bakers left standing after the others were eliminated couldn’t have been more suited to win the prize. My favorite baker was slipping after a hot start. Her and another top baker faced elimination but survived. It was like they had cooled off and lost that chance to get home field advantage. One never faced getting knocked off and was the favorite to win. The fourth baker didn’t really attract attention until late but started to get on a roll.

The task that the bakers were faced with was making cakes in the form of gingerbread houses. The twist was that the houses had to look like something that would sell on the real estate market. Talk about a challenge.

The commentary provided by the host was spot on when he was analyzing the bakers’ roads to the championship. In the end, it was that sleeper pick who took home the grand prize of $25,000 and the title of Holiday Baking Champion. It’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish. He got hot at the right time and rose to the challenge. As I finish my fourth season of this show, I’ve been very impressed with how talented the bakers and the host, Jesse Palmer, and the judges (Carla Hall, Duff Goldman, and Nancy Fuller), all know their stuff.