Focused at Fifty

Old Main, Penn State This past Sunday I traveled up to the Penn State Main Campus in State College, PA.  John had some business up there and I tagged along to keep him company on the 3 hour drive up and back. While he was doing his stuff, I spent the morning and early afternoon wandering the campus reliving college memories from my own alma mater, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.   Old college campuses are very similar in that they all seem to have that large stately main building on campus where it all began. There is a cupola on top and two wings of classrooms. Old Main at Penn State brought back memories of the Old Queens building on the Rutgers College campus in New Brunswick.  Friends and I would hang out in front of or behind it on the Voorhees Mall studying for our classes or just relaxing in the sun. Today at Old Main, students were doing the very same thing. Some guys were playing Frisbee, a couple here and there being romant...

These are mostly everyday occurrences which I come across and either roll my eyes at, sigh loudly, or exclaim “UGH!” in disgust. Now before, my friendly reader, you tell me to get over it, I do recognize that these are pretty minor. Just chalk it up that I’m on my way to becoming a crotchety old man. Some of these are car related as my commute really sucks. I was commuting last week on busy Route 78  and next to me was an older man drinking coffee out of a white ceramic kitchen mug. Ugh! It’s 2013, drive immediately to Dunkin Donuts and buy yourself a metal or plastic travel mug. I hate it when the first clam in a heaping steaming bowl is the filled with grit! I get annoyed by having to line up with others at the Southwest airline gates in the A, B, and C lines like we are cattle. I am usually in line C so that means I am a member of the lower class cattle. I had brunch with John this morning at a diner in downtown State College, PA. They put out glass k...

The video link for the AOL video " The 'Mole Hole': Price of Living Alone? The Worst Apartment Ever": http://realestate.aol.com/ blog/on/cheap-rental-became- worst-apartment-ever/ A couple months ago, I was fortunate enough to receive an email out of the blue from an AOL producer concerning one of my blog articles that I posted, “The Mole Hole”. Annie Carroll was interested in filming a video interview of it for an AOL series on bad real estate experiences called "My Next Move." It would document the horrible experience and what you learned from it. How excited was I! After “checking out” the producer (of course from the advice of my big sister Sheryl), I determined she was legit and I emailed Annie back saying I was very much interested in it. For those that don’t remember or haven't read my blog post, “The Mole Hole,” it is about my worst apartment experience. It was such an odd little trashy studio that my sister Sheryl openly sobbed about it ...

For some reason, I have had a case of writer's block the last couple weeks. I have started 4 separate blog articles but haven't seemed to take them to completion. They will remain as drafts for now, until I get the urge to finish them up. In the meantime, I passed one of my clients in the hallway at work and something green caught my eye. He was a big burly dude and had these two tattoos on his calves: The first, New Jersey, is not that bad. I hail from South Jersey and love the Garden State. I am very proud to be from Jersey although I would never have thought to get a tattoo of my state across my calf. The second tattoo is a little more disturbing. It is the logo from Monster Energy drinks. Are ya kidding me? You would really mark yourself permanently (let me repeat PERMANENTLY) with a corporate logo?!  There was no mistaking it is the Monster Energy logo and get this, even crazier … it is upside down so that when he looks behind at his calf, it would appear right side ...

My faithful readers, I wanted to introduce you to two blogs that I highly recommend.  The first is a blog by a well established blogger who has been blogging for many years, since 2005.  The second, by a young travel blogger who also happens to be a good friend and family member.  Her excitement and thirst for travel writing leaves me inspired for my own blog. The first is written by a friend and former classmate Thomas Lobascio. Tom's blog is "The Last Reel,"   http://thelastreel.blogspot.com/  .   Tom blogs, as he puts it perfectly "about movies so that you don't have to. I will post industry news and opinion."  Tom writes reviews and posts trailers for the hottest up coming movies that you have heard about and a lot that you have not heard about but will be happy you now know.  Tom is an incredible blogger. I wish I posted as many articles as he does!  The information, posters, and trailers show an impressive up to date knowledge of...