James the Lifestyle Writer

Remembering A Pittsburgh Icon

Last week, Pittsburgh lost a legend in the restaurant business. Hartley King, founder of Kings Family Restaurants, has passed away at the age of 91. King opened his first restaurant in 1967 in North Versailles (under the name Kings Country Shoppes). His restaurant chain grew to over 30 locations, many of them located in the Pittsburgh area with a few locations up north (Meadville, New Castle, and Franklin) and east (Somerset and two in Altoona). Past locations included the PA Turnpike and Moon Township. Both of these restaurants closed in the mid-2000’s.

The first locations were North Versailles, Monroeville, Plum, and Upper St. Clair. In Westmoreland County, Delmont opened in 1980, Willow Crossing in 1989, and Hempfield Pointe in 1998.

I worked for Kings in the late 2000’s (upon graduating from college) at the Delmont location. While there, I built good relationships with my coworkers and higher ups. I also took part in some of their corporate functions including the company picnic at Kennywood and a junior golf tournament at Nemacolin Woodlands.

I had the opportunity to see Hartley in person at these events during the summer of 2008. I was the Frownie for both of these events as well. I also wish I would have had the chance to introduce myself.

When the Frownie came out in 2005, that helped their sales and it gave the iconic Smiley Cookie some competition.

Pittsburghers will remember King as the man they’d see in King’s television commercials enticing you to come by for a meal and some ice cream afterward. Their specialty was their breakfast menu, ice cream, desserts and homemade pies. After growing to over 30 locations at one point, only four restaurants stay open, including the location in Hempfield Pointe across from Home Depot. On the front of the restaurants was a sign that read “Fine Food and Ice Cream”.

When ownership changed in the mid-2010’s, that was when the restaurant went downhill. The five locations that closed in the Spring of 2017 signaled the beginning of the chain’s demise. Redoing the logo and the exterior was also a sign that things weren’t changing for the better, either.

The Delmont location, where I was employed, closed in the Spring of 2021, and I posted a blog about the closure of that restaurant.

I worked at Kings when the company celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007 and saw a feature inside the menu with old pictures of Hartley. One of the promos on the actual day of their anniversary (September 25) was 45 cent Apple Pie with Cinnamon Ice Cream. These were probably from commercials and billboards back in the day. Our District Manager found some old menus dated from 1994 that also served as placemats. I was shocked by the both the prices and the dessert items. The Tons of Fun for Everyone really got me. I think that was 24 scoops of ice cream. They also had a smaller version of that called The King’s Castle. While I wasn’t around for those, I did enjoy The Angry Mob (which was a dessert that consisted of ice cream and mini-Frownies.

What Lou Pappan was to Beaver County, Hartley King was to Allegheny County. Both were icons in the restaurant business and the communities they served, and now both are gone.

I read a book on the history of Eat’n Park last year as Pittsburgh’s other iconic chain which celebrated 75 years in business. Kings will always be the little brother to Eat’n Park even as only four stores remain open, including Canonsburg and Kittanning. Maybe one day a book about Kings will be out. If and when it is, I will definitely purchase a copy.

Coach C and I will kick off our 2025 dinner series at Kings in remembrance of Hartley.

Looking Back In Time

We’re now into February, and it’s hard to believe it’s already the fourth day of the month. January lasted about a whole year and I never thought we’d thaw out from that extreme cold. At least I had football to keep me occupied this month.

One of the few pages on IG
that I don’t need to scroll through.
Retro Blast From The Past.

I don’t find too many interesting pages on Instagram and the algorithm drives me completely insane. But being the TV buff that I am, I discovered a nostalgic page called “Retro Blast From The Past”. It’s mainly reels with this person who tells the viewer what they’d be watching on a given night and network during a given year. For example, Tuesday night on ABC in 1986. He’s evolved a lot since I started watching his channel on IG, as he is now including Saturday morning cartoons. Retro Blast From the Past would also give the ratings for the shows from the year, and there were some real clunkers amid the great shows that finished in the top 10 or 20. You weren’t beating NBC Must See TV Thursday in the 1980’s or 1990’s, or ABC’s Tuesday Night lineup (except for 1984-85).

Like most channels, this one has gotten some criticism because the content isn’t interesting. Maybe some people don’t give a shit about the show’s ratings. In the beginning, it was confusing the give the #1 show even if it wasn’t on that network. If you don’t like it, scroll on. Another complaint was that you always see the guy’s face on there, and some didn’t like that. Oh well, haters gonna hate.

When CBS used to carry the NFC games, usually towards the end of the game they’d announce the Sunday night lineup. I always loved the way Pat Summerall said “Murder, She Wrote”. He’d say Murder and then pause and say the rest of the title. The things you remember from watching YouTube (which is where I discovered this).

In my Facebook memories on Tuesday, I was reminded of a blog that I posted five years ago just after the Chiefs won their first Super Bowl in 50 years. Did this post age badly after that? Ever since, Kansas City has become what New England used to be, and that’s a successful team that’s hated by the rest of the league. I am happy for Andy Reid because he never did get the opportunity to win a Super Bowl in Philadelphia, and he did come close in 2004. Little did I know at the time that a new dynasty was beginning and this was the beginning of multiple Super Bowl appearances by the Chiefs. They’d lose to Tom Brady the next year and fall to Cincinnati in the AFC Championship game in 2021.

My niece is a Kansas City fan mainly because of Taylor Swift, her favorite singer. She’s hoping the Chiefs three-peat on Sunday. Since the Steelers let me down every year, I’m rooting for my second favorite team, the Eagles, to spoil that historic moment.

Finally, 15 years ago tonight, one of our biggest snowstorms that I can remember was just beginning. The forecast was calling for a lot of snow in SWPA, and this one was close to what meteorologists were predicting. When it was all said and done, we ended up with over 21 inches of snow, behind the Blizzard of ’93 and the big Thanksgiving storm of 1950. We ended up with the third snowiest winter on record, and our snowiest February with over 41 inches of snow. At WIS, we were affected as events were canceled and had to be rescheduled. We weren’t done yet as another one pushed through the next week. As bad as that month was, we recovered nicely that Spring and had a nice summer.

Emotionally, that year for me was a struggle as I was going through growing pains at WIS and dealing with some other problems that I seemed to bring on myself. Plus, I was still having regrets about my college years that lingered for a long time after graduation.

Ah, the pre-Toastmaster days.

Podcasts and Cutie’s win January. The Weather? Not so Much!

Today, we say goodbye to January 2025 and tomorrow, we turn the calendar to February. It couldn’t come at a better time as does this milder weather. We saw more than our fair share of snow, extreme cold, and it just seemed to drag on. While the weather is the biggest loser for the month, there have been parts of the month that have been good.

I cut back on the content this month after completing a record setting 2024 by publishing over 200 blogs. I did this last year as well and look how the year ended. Case in point? You’re just getting started and the year is young.

While the snow and extreme cold didn’t do me any favors last month, I still made the most of January. I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions but I’ve begun to listen to podcasts more this month. I’ve listened to rewatch podcasts before, related to the Office. It was on Brian Baumgartner’s podcast that he interviewed Danielle Fishel from Boy Meets World. She talked about her new rewatch podcast for the show, Pod Meets World. The pod has now covered five seasons of the show and they interview other actors and producers. While I do enjoy rewatch podcasts from 90s TV shows, I’m also trying to branch out and find other ones to listen to as well. Enter Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown and YaJagoff!.

I picked a book back up that I got on Amazon during the pandemic. Three things in the book are John Hughes, the Brat Pack, and his work and impact on that generation that grew up with his movies. I’ll start a new chapter tomorrow morning and very soon, I’ll be learning about Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Aside from the Brat Pack movies, this was another classic from the decade.

Towards the end, Christmas Vacation and Home Alone will get a mention as well. Hughes didn’t want to known for just high school age movies, so that’s why he would branch out with more comedies like Uncle Buck, and holiday films like Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. I will have to check out Say Anything and Some Kind of Wonderful at some point.

The NFL postseason began on January 11 with the Wild Card Playoffs and boy were all the games good? The Steelers ended the season on a disappointing note, so yeah we won’t discuss that. But that doesn’t mean there were good games elsewhere. Denver was happy to be back in the playoffs despite getting blown out at Buffalo, and Philadelphia has cruised through the playoffs with a great defense and effective ground game led by rushing champion Saquon Barkley. I’m hoping the Eagles spoil the three-peat for Kansas City. However, this will be a Super Bowl that no one wants to see a winner. I’m at a crossroads on how much longer this game will pique my interest and may be done with it for good after the Super Bowl. Never say never though.

With the end of the NFL season comes college basketball and golf to keep me occupied, sports wise. I’m not a NASCAR or NBA All-Star game fan and I wait until the playoffs to get excited about hockey.

Coming in February will also be area speech contests in my Toastmasters district. The 18th will be our area contest in Monroeville, and Area 21 will be February 21 in Johnstown. Our division contest will be March 22 in Blairsville. All of these I plan on attending. The contests are International Speech and Tall Tales.

As I said earlier, the biggest loser for last month was the weather. We were below average for the month despite getting to 50 degrees on Friday. We fell below zero for the first time in ten years and had our coldest morning since 1994, when we dropped to minus-22. To say I’m happy to see February is an understatement. Winter’s not over but if it’s not frigid, I’m OK with that.

Finally, another winner for the month of January was the new Valentine’s Day menu at Cutie’s Coffee Company. I’ve gotten three drinks so far and uploaded the pics to my frame, which I’ve had for over a year now. They’ve all been really good. My first drink of February will hopefully be the Teddy Graham Latte but it’s only there for a limited time.

Conference Championship Recap

For some people, this Super Bowl is going to be a boring one and there will be rumblings that it was fixed. We shall see.

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles did their part, and then some, on Sunday. The Washington Commanders were trying to continue the amazing season that they’d been having. Early on it looked like another upset was going to happen. Washington had dominated time of possession but couldn’t capitalize and only scored a field goal. Philadelphia’s ground game was phenomenal as Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley scored three touchdowns each. Washington tried to keep it close but the floodgates opened by the fourth quarter and the Commanders’ Super Bowl chances were sunk. For the second time in three seasons, Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles are going to the Super Bowl. The 55 points scored by the Eagles is a Conference Championship record. I was hoping they’d face Buffalo but I doubt that. My AFC Championship recap will be later on in the blog. Now, let’s talk about the thaw that’s coming this week.

This week will not feel as cold as last week did, that’s for sure. The January thaw is on as we could see a few 40 degree days coming up to cap off the month and kick off February. But the warmup won’t come without the threat of rain or snow. There will be some dry days. Monday was sunny but at least it felt like January should be in SW PA. Thursday will see a mix of clouds and sun during the day. We have definitely made up for the weather this month with frigid temperatures and snow, compared to the last two Januarys. We’re not done with winter yet this week as we have multiple chances for snow showers Tuesday and Wednesday. After the extreme cold we experienced this month, 30s and snow showers won’t be too bad as long as it’s light.

The second game of the day was one we’re all used to now, as the Bills and Chiefs did battle to see who would represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIX. Unless you’re a Chiefs fan, you were pulling for Buffalo. I remember Indianapolis and New England in the Manning and Brady eras, as well as Dallas and San Francisco and all their superstars in the 1990s. This rivalry is just as intense. Buffalo dominates the regular season while Kansas City does the same in the playoffs. The Bills had the upper hand in November and I just hoped that they would pull that magic again. The Bills beat themselves, not being able to stop Mahomes. The Chiefs pulled out all the stops and got to Josh Allen. There were times when Buffalo kept it close, but in the end a Harrison Butker field goal decided it. It will be the Andy Reid Bowl, part two. Like the matchup or hate it, that’s what you’re getting.

The Chiefs have become what the Patriots used to be. They have to chance to pull off what the Steelers of the 70’s and the 49ers and Cowboys of the 90’s couldn’t, and that’s win three straight Super Bowls. For Buffalo, history repeats itself with another postseason loss to the Chiefs, making it 0-4 vs. the Mahomes-led Chiefs. It’s akin to their Super Bowl record in the 1990’s, and this hurts just as much.

You Couldn’t Ignore Me if you Tried

This week I began a new reading project on a book that I bought and partially read during the pandemic in 2020. I lost track of time and lost track of reading the book, and five years later I’m back at it again.

“You Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried” was a quote from the iconic Brat Pack movie The Breakfast Club. It was from Judd Nelson’s character. The book cover the work of 80’s filmmaker and producer John Hughes, his life, as well as the Brat Pack and other actors who starred in some of the biggest movies of the decade. We’ve all seen the movies, we know the actors, and we can quote all the films. We argue which member of the Brat Pack is the best and have called Bueller’s name at least once. Hughes has produced, written for, or directed a lot of great ’80s movies from Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club to Christmas Vacation and Home Alone. If you have a weekend with nothing to do, having a John Hughes movie marathon would be really cool.

John Candy was a name that really stood out in all these John Hughes films. He starred in some of the funniest films of the ’80’s and early ’90’s before succumbing to a heart attack at age 44. Of course, his small role in Home Alone towards the end when Mrs. McAllister is just trying to get home is one of my favorites from him. Also, his starring role in 1989’s Uncle Buck as the titular character never fails to make me laugh. That movie had a young Macaulay Culkin in one of his first roles.

I’m looking forward to getting through Winter with this book and learning more about classic movies from this classic decade.

This week was one of the coldest that we experienced in a long time. Wednesday morning, the thermometer read minus-9. Some of the valley locations read minus-15. Due to the cold weather, our Greensburg Toastmasters meeting was 100% remote. It was a great meeting and I led an amazing Table Topics session. The extreme cold this month inspired me to come up with the theme, which centered around the weather. We had nine in attendance and I had eight questions so everyone could join. Our next meeting is February 5 and I’m one of the three who signed up to speak. We’re back to meeting on the first and third Wednesday again.

Contest season is heating up in February and so are nominations for District Leaders. I’m planning on coming for the Area 24 Speech Contest on February 18 (even if for a short time) and going to Area 21’s contest a few days later in Johnstown. In March, I’m looking to go to the Division C International Speech and Tall Tales contest. Just like last year, it will be held in Blairsville.

I took the time this morning to organize my clothes better. It was much needed and it was therapeutic. I put some of my tops with some of my pants and jeans, and I made room for my latest outfits that I purchased, including my jumpsuits (let’s hope these ones fit). Now the next question is, what to do with my bookshelf and some of my books that I don’t read anymore. I want to organize my accessories better and I want to give my scarves and purses some love.

I continued to enjoy great Valentine’s Day coffee when I tried the White Chocolate Truffle Latte yesterday at Cutie’s. The pink chocolate curls gave me serious chipped ham vibes. If you’re from Pittsburgh, you know what I’m talking about. Next week I have my sights set on the Cutie Cherry Latte. I have two days off in a row next week, so I am looking for ways to make the most of them.

Next week, I’ll be recapping Sunday’s Conference Championship action as the Commanders look to continue their surprise season, and the Bills look to beat their biggest rival. Or, will the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes try to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls? Can Saquon Barkley cap off his amazing season with a Super Bowl trip and victory?

I’m rocking my faux leather and my jumpsuits in my try-on blog this week. Next month I focus on outerwear as I up my fitness game come February.

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.