Archive | Slice of life RSS feed for this section

Reconnecting with “the boys” — part 2

26 Aug

I never really know when a particular blog will strike a chord with people, and sometimes it really surprises me.

Such is the case with the blog I posted yesterday about “the boys,” the group of guys I would join for coffee some early mornings when my kids were going to Schroeder High School. So many people “liked” and commented on that blog, I thought I’d post a follow-up today. Because I DID meet up with the boys again a few years ago.

So here’s the final installment of the story, which I originally posted on Sept. 20, 2020.

Reconnecting with “the boys”

There’s very little that will get me to set an alarm before 8 a.m. on Sunday morning — or set an alarm at all. But if it meant a chance to reconnect with “the boys,” I was happy to make the sacrifice.

I hadn’t seen the boys in more than ten years. I first met them back in 2008. I had to drive my son to Schroeder very early every Wednesday morning for his chorus practice, and since I didn’t have to be at work that early, I’d stop over to Hegedorn’s and have a cup of coffee.

On those mornings, several guys would be sitting in a nearby booth, drinking coffee and having lively conversations. For a few weeks, I would just sit and listen to their conversations as I read the paper.

In my first blog about “the boys,” on June 6, 2008, I wrote:

The talk bounces from politics to the best hunting and fishing spots, from the weather to the stock market. The conversations are always animated, the opinions always presented with conviction and an “I-don’t-care-if-you-agree-with-me-or-not” attitude. And if I keep my ears open, I occasionally pick up a vital kernel of knowledge such as “Never argue with a proctologist.”

But before long, I started joining in the conversations myself, and unofficially became one of the gang.

I started really looking forward to Wednesday mornings, which turned into Thursday mornings the following year when my daughter entered Schroeder and started chorus.

But early that school year, the boys were displaced when Guida’s Pizza moved into Hegedorn’s. I found them only once or twice after that, hanging out at nearby Bill Gray’s, but soon lost touch.

Until this morning. Thanks to a chance meeting with Tony, one of the original boys, at yesterday’s NEQALS groundbreaking ceremony, I found out that the guys are still meeting every morning, most of the time at Burger King on Hard Rd.

So I got up early and headed on over. I hoped they would remember me.

I shouldn’t have worried. As soon as I walked in I saw the smiles and heard some delighted greetings. The group’s grown a bit — they don’t fit in one, or even two booths anymore — and we’re all ten years older. But the conversations have pretty much remained the same.

And, coincidentally, Doug has a proctologist appointment this week. Hoping he remembers that sage advice from years ago.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 8/26/2023)

Tags: ,

Bygone blog: Wednesday mornings 7 a.m.

25 Aug

I got to thinking about Hegedorn’s recently, and how much I miss it. And THAT got me to thinking about several blogs I wrote over the years about one of my favorite things about Hegedorn’s: “the boys.”

In honor of our hometown grocery store which is no more, and the arrival of the new school year, I pulled out some of those blogs. I present them here as part of my on-again, off-again series of Bygone Blogs, in which I’m re-posting some of my favorite blogs from the last 15 years. This one was originally published on June 4, 2008.

Wednesday mornings 7 a.m.  

One of the things I think I’ll miss most as the school year comes to an end is my Wednesday mornings at Hegedorn’s.

Frequently this year I’ve had to drive my son into school before classes Wednesday mornings for his men’s chorus practice. Early on I decided that just because he had to be at school at 6:45, I didn’t. So I began stopping by Hegedorn’s Cafe for coffee and a paper to fill the time before I had to be at work. That’s how I got to know the boys.

The “boys” are the Wednesday-morning regulars who, like me, make Hegedorn’s their watering hole before heading off to the face their day. They always sit in the same booth, where they proceed to solve the problems of the world.

Settled into a nearby booth, I sip my coffee and read the paper, and occasionally tune into their conversations. The talk bounces from politics to the best hunting and fishing spots, from the weather to the stock market. The conversations are always animated, the opinions always presented with conviction and an “I-don’t-care-if-you-agree-with-me-or-not” attitude. And if I keep my ears open, I occasionally pick up a vital kernel of knowledge such as “Never argue with a proctologist.”

I’ve never really gotten to know my Wednesday morning coffee buddies. The only guy I even know by name is Doug. Even if none of the other boys has yet arrived, I can always count on seeing Doug, sitting in the same spot in the same booth when I walk in. He’s always good for a smile and a wave.

But now that school’s almost over, I won’t need to get up early on Wednesday to drive my son. For that matter, my son’s graduating this year, so there may not be any more early Wednesday mornings for me.

And that makes me sad, because the Hegedorn’s boys always started my day off with a smile. 

* * *

I would write about “the boys” a few more times. The next time was a few weeks later, shortly after the Democrat and Chronicle had published my “Wednesday mornings” blog in the paper...

Last Wednesday morning was fun. The editors at the D&C chose then to re-publish my “Wednesday Mornings 7 a.m.” blog about the “boy’s club” I had gotten to know at Hegedorn’s. I made a point that morning to tuck the paper under my arm and visit Hegedorn’s Cafe one last time before the end of the school year. I wanted to make sure “the boys” saw the paper.

I needn’t have worried. As soon as I walked in I saw that Doug, whom I had mentioned in the blog, had the article spread out on the table, and was calling anyone with earshot to come over and see it. When he saw me, he threw out his arms, gave me a big smile and a bigger hug. He was tickled pink to have seen his name in the paper (although one of Doug’s friends said I should have mentioned that he’s single.) I clearly had made his day. And it was a great way to start mine.

* * *

My daughter entered Schroeder that September and signed up for women’s choir, which meant that I had to drive her to school reallystinkingearly on Monday mornings, which gave me at least another year to visit with the boys before school. But then, in January …

I had a bit of a scare this morning.

I dropped my daughter off early at Schroeder for her a capella group practice as I usually do, and continued to Hegedorn’s to begin the work week with my regular Monday morning cup of coffee and laugh fest with “the Boys.”  But as I drove into the strangely empty parking lot, I saw that the café was dark. The doors were locked.

The Boys were not there.

I had been warned that this day was coming. Plans have been in the works for a while for Guida’s Pizzeria to take over the Bill Gray’s Pizza Café at Hegedorn’s.  Now, the Boys told me they had gotten assurances that the new owners would continue opening early every morning. But who really knew for sure?  

So when I saw the place dark, my heart skipped a beat. “Now wait,” I told myself, “Don’t panic. The Boys said they would leave a note if they were displaced, telling me where they were.”  So I drove by the front door.  Twice.

No note.

So where could they have gone? Starbucks across the street?  Nah, no way. Couldn’t see the Boys at Starbucks.  Maybe Dunkin’ Donuts in the village…that’s a long way to go, and there’s a chance they’re not there, but I could do it and still get to work on time.

Then a flash of brilliance: someone in Hegedorn’s has got to know where they went. Sure enough, I popped into the store, went up to the customer service desk (where they know everything) and was promptly told that the Boys were at Bill Gray’s down the hill.

Sure enough, there they were, packed into two booths like always, solving the problems of the world. My week was saved.

The good news is that Guida’s only needs to close the café for a few weeks for renovations, and then will reopen in the mornings.  So I’m looking at one more morning at Bill Gray’s, then life gets back to normal.

But it really doesn’t matter where the Boys are. (Except maybe Starbucks. I might have to draw the line there.) I’ll always find them, and they will always start my week off with a smile.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 8/25/2023)

Tags: , ,

Streets light up for Fourth of July

5 Jul

If you happened to be driving or walking through the Finchingfield Lane neighborhood on Monday night, you would have seen a Fourth-of-July-inspired light display which you likely didn’t expect.

No, it wasn’t fireworks, although they were very much in evidence that evening. It was, instead, a series of 300 luminaria — little white bags, each with its own tealight candle — lining several of the neighborhood’s streets.

The display, which stretched for an estimated half mile along four streets, was the work of Canoe Birch Lane resident Mike Pauly, his wife, daughters, and several very helpful and enthusiastic young neighbors. It’s a project Mike has been doing every year around the Fourth of July for more than 20 years … but not always here in Webster.

Mike and Rachel Pauly (in back) with most of their young helpers
Dougie Gibson lights one of the luminaria

The tradition actually began when he and his family were making regular summer camping trips to Woodstream Campsite in Gainesville.

Mike remembered that a few other families would put about 20 candles out in front of their campers. His father liked the idea and thought they could do it, too. But they weren’t happy with just putting out a few dozen.

“We expanded on it,” Mike said. “It wasn’t long before we put 500 out and filled up most of the campground.” It became an annual project, with kids from all over the campground helping fill the bags and light the candles. After a while, the campground even started offering wagon rides so everyone could enjoy the spectacle.

They don’t make it down to Woodstream much anymore, so they haven’t put out the luminaria for a few years. But last year Mike’s wife Rachel had a great suggestion: why not continue the tradition in their own neighborhood?

And that’s what happened. Last year they started relatively small, putting out 200 luminaria. This year that number grew to 300. Young neighborhood helpers worked for several hours over a few days to fill the bags with sand and place the candles. Then, at about 7 p.m., Mike, Rachel, their two daughters and their team of helpers started working their way through the neighborhood to place the bags. Another trip through to light all the candles, and the streets were glowing. With everyone working together, the whole process only took about an hour and a half.

The result was beautiful, and the reactions have been very positive. “People have been saying, it looks great, thank you for doing it,” Mike said.

Unfortunately, it’s a short-lived display. The candles only last two to four hours, and Mike went around Tuesday morning to collect all the bags. So if you didn’t see them Monday night, you’ll have to wait until next Fourth of July.

Why does Mike continue to do this every year? I never actually asked him, but I can pretty much guess the answer: to bring joy to his neighbors and strangers who walk or drive by, and to bring a little light into everyone’s lives as we celebrate this important holiday.

What a very community-inspired, Webster-like thing to do.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 7/5/2023)

Tags: ,

Bygone blog — Smelly yellow books

26 Jun

This is the latest in my on-again, off-again series of Bygone Blogs, in which I’m re-posting some of my favorite blogs from the last 15 years. This one was originally published on June 23, 2009, when I was working in the Webster Thomas High School library.

Our set of Encyclopedia Britannicas played a very important part in my young life. I was reminded of them the other day when I was poking through some old books in the attic, and I came across one with a familiar smell.

Smelly Yellow Books

An unfortunate and always difficult job every librarian must face at least once a year is weeding out-of-date and worn books from the collection. No one ever likes to throw out books, but it’s a necessary evil to keep a collection current and make room for new arrivals.

In our library, one thing nearing the end of its lifespan is our World Book encyclopedia set. I’ll be sad when that has to go, because for me it will mean the end of an era.

I remember fondly the Encyclopedia Britannica set we owned when I was a child. It was yellow, had 18 volumes and dark gold-leaf lettering. It resided, very dignified, in the same bookcase in the dining room of every house we lived in. The pages in those volumes guided me through countless school projects and research assignments. Just knowing they were there gave me confidence; I knew I had the resources at my fingertips to get a good grade.

We even used our Britannica to play the “encyclopedia game.” My mother would tell us which volume she had, then start reading the article (saying “blank,” of course, when an obvious word would have given away the answer.) We raced to tell her what the article was about. We loved that game.

And I can still remember how our Britannica set smelled. Robust, and just a little musty. To me, that aroma signified knowledge.

But no one uses encyclopedias anymore, at least ones printed on paper. High schools and public libraries now subscribe to online databases which tap into a thousand times more information than any encyclopedia set could ever offer. Google and Wikipedia are even easier. I think it’s safe to say our library’s World Book set hasn’t seen the light of day in more than a year.

The death of encyclopedia sets is really the end of an era. It’s like another piece of my youth is disappearing. The internet is awesome, and has opened up the world to us. But I hope there will never be a time when our children don’t know what it feels like to turn a page, or hear the snap of the paper…or know the smell of a book.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(Posted 6/26/2023)

Tags: , ,

Spam, spam, spam

24 Jun

I’ve written about this before, but I thought I might revisit this topic again today because it continues to amuse me.

If you’re sitting around the house looking for some cheap entertainment, I recommend you check out your spam folder. Don’t worry, if you don’t actually click on a link, you’re safe. I do this every once in a while when I get bored. I visit my Gmail spam folder and see how many people want to give me money or need help carrying all their money-stuffed suitcases to the United States, or consider me a perfect candidate for a cheap loan. (I don’t get the male enhancement ads very much anymore. Maybe they wised up.)

But it’s the comments I get on my blog that really intrigue me. They’re not only a great mental exercise in decryption, but if I’m having a down day, they really do a nice job making me feel … well, accomplished.

Cases in point (these are copied and pasted without any editing):

* * *

hi!,I ｒeally ⅼike your writung very ѕⲟ muϲһ!
share wе ҝeep in touch extra ɑpproximately уour article οn AOL?
І require ɑ specialist on this space to resolve mү prօblem.
Maybe tһat’ѕ you! Having a ⅼooҝ ahead to ѕee үoᥙ.

* * *

Іtѕ suhch аѕ you leaqrn my thoughtѕ! Ⲩоu seem to ҝnow so muⅽh aρproximately thіs, such aas yoou wrote tһе guide
in іt оr something. I fwel that уou ϳust can dо with a fеѡ p.c.
to pressure the message house ɑ lіttle bit, һowever other than that, thаt
is wonderful blog. Ꭺn excellent rеad. I wіll ԁefinitely bｅ bɑck.

* * *

(And in case I ever doubt my writing ability):

Thаnks for your marvelous posting! I quite enjoyd reading it, ｙoᥙ cɑn be a grеat author.
I wiⅼl bbe sure to bookmark your blog and ԝill evemtually сome baｃk in tthe foreseeable future.
І ԝant to encourage thаt y᧐u continue youг grewat job, hɑvе a nice evening!

Thanks … I guess. I look forward to seeing you come back eventually in the foreseeable future.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 6/24/2023)

Tags:

Our friendly neighborhood ospreys

19 Jun

Next time you’re driving along Hard Rd. by the Webster Highway Department, keep an eye on the sky and you might just catch a glimpse of one of the area’s most graceful residents: an osprey.

Ospreys are large members of the hawk family, with slender bodies measuring up to 24 inches, and long, narrow wings that can reach 71 inches across. They’re brown on top and predominantly grey underneath.

I recently got an email from Anne Clarkson, a school bus driver, who told me that for many years, a pair of ospreys has been nesting on the top of one of the communication towers located on the property line between the bus garage and the Webster Highway Dept.

Anne did such a great job of telling the birds’ story, that I’m reprinting her email pretty much verbatim. She wrote,

They first built their nest probably close to 10 years ago and have raised quite a few chicks over the years.  When the summer ends and the babies are flying, the whole family does what all ospreys in North America do — they fly to South America or the Caribbean for the winter!  Then in late April or so, they return and repair or rebuild their nest.  They are really amazing birds! 

Since they eat only fish, they can be seen diving into the lake and the bay (of course), but also in local ponds such as North Ponds and some of the ponds in local subdivisions.  When they have youngsters, you’ll see them flying back to the tower carrying a fish in their talons.  Unlike eagles who also catch fish that are at the top of the water, ospreys dive right down into the water — beak-and-feet first — and “fly” back up out of the water with their catch to a perch or to their nest.

As for info on our pair, I believe they first appeared in maybe 2013 or so.  I took a brief retirement from driving over parts of 2015-2016 and I know they were there before I left and I was ecstatic to see that they were still there when I returned!  They raised babies every year, but it’s almost impossible to know how many.  That tower is so tall and the babies are only flitting around in the nearby trees for a few days after they leave the nest and before they are out really flying with their parents.

Many of the drivers were concerned last spring when the renovation of our fleet parking lot began. Virtually all of the existing trees were bulldozed and the whole area was paved.  I assured the drivers that the birds would not care. They were very secure up on their tower, and since they don’t hunt in woods (they ONLY eat fish), they would not be affected at all by the noise and activity way down below them. Even the tower guys doing maintenance work on the tower, did not bother the ospreys. They just perched in different areas on the tower and periodically lifted off to circle the tower and/or change perching locations. Later in the year when the guys came along and tore down the massive nest, the birds were already on their way south. And, by the way, the logs used to build that nest looked a whole lot bigger when falling to the ground — especially with average-sized men standing right there tossing them down!

(The tower guys) always seem very careful and respectful of the birds… I would think that having a predatory bird with a wingspan of 5 feet or more quietly circling and watching as you work on ’their’ tower … could be a little intimidating. Or it could be the coolest thing they do all year — who knows?

Nonetheless, I was grateful and relieved when I heard and saw the birds returning this spring!  One interesting note about ospreys is that the older babies that have spent a few years in the southern oceans will accompany their parents back to their birthplace. This year, I saw at least four or five extra ospreys flying around the tower. It looked like a typical family reunion — lots of conversations and what looked like happy greetings before the ‘kids’ started flying off to other destinations.

Once they got settled and the ‘kids’ were off to their own new homes, it took the parents several days to build their new nest. It looks just as big as the last one! It’s pretty cool to watch them building it. They fly through the nearby woods and break off branches as they fly, carrying them back in beaks or talons (depending on size) and weaving them into their gigantic nest.

I would absolutely love it if we could get some entity (DEC?, WWF?, Seneca Park Zoo???) to install a webcam up there at the top of the tower so everyone could see just how cool these birds are. The one thing they do all day long that impresses me is their takeoff from the tower. They do not jump. They do not flap their wings. They simply open their wings and are lifted silently and effortlessly into flight. They also make the sweetest chirping sound when talking to each other. Very different from birds like crows or the typical screechy sounds expected of hawks or eagles.

And don’t get me started on their amazing hunting skills!  You can find lots of videos and still shots of ospreys literally diving underwater to grab a fish.  They are under the water long enough to make the average observer nervous for their well-being!  But these birds are so strong and so efficient they even catch the fish in such a way that it is oriented in line with the bird’s body with the fish facing forward for maximum aerodynamics when flying home.

Even though the tower is technically on the Highway Dept. property, and it’s the cell tower guys who bravely climb up to do maintenance (and every couple of years, remove the nest), we at the bus garage have kind of adopted them as “our ospreys.” 

Thank you, Anne, for this terrific story! (And thank you Jerry Salamone for the photos, from 2019.)

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 6/19/2023)

Tags: , ,

A follow-up on the Hegedorn’s ceiling tiles

10 Jun

Holy cow, have I gotten a huge response from the blog I recently wrote about the Hegedorn’s ceiling tiles.

If you’re not familiar with this story (which is hard to believe), the gist of it is this: 32 years ago, students at Klem North Elementary School painted ceiling tiles which have been hanging above the registers at Hegedorn’s Market since around 1991. But rather than toss them in a dumpster when the store closes at the end of this month, the folks at Hegedorn’s are making an effort to return them to the students who painted them.

The blog has received dozens of comments and hundreds of “likes” and has been shared almost 70 times. I’ve heard from former students all over the state and the country who remember painting tiles, and are interested in getting them back — or at least seeing photos of them.

Hegedorn’s Produce Manager Fred Palmer has been taking the lead in removing the panels, and had originally planned to put them all on display above the produce case so customers would notice them and maybe recognize one.

Well, since the blog has received so much attention, putting them on display has not been necessary. Instead, people are being asked to call Hegedorn’s (585-671-4450), and the service desk is keeping a list of everyone who’s interested in retrieving their tile. Fred is planning to start making phone calls sometime this coming week.

In the meantime, all of the panels have been removed and are being kept in the back room of the store’s produce department. Fred was kind enough to let me spread them all out and take photos of them. It might help even more former students recognize their work, and it might be fun just to remember what all their classmates did.

Click here to see the entire gallery of panels, plus a few miscellaneous photos. I think I was able to photograph them all, but I see that I cut the name off of one of them. If you recognize the one with the Pepsi bottle, corn and carrots, please let me know!

P.S. If you happen to get your panel back, please snap a photo of you with it, so I can feature them in a future follow-up blog. And wouldn’t it be fun to also have your 4th or 5th grade photo along with it …????

P.P.S. Channel 10 and Channel 13 are both planning do stories about the ceiling tiles, so I’ll let you know when I hear more about that.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 6/10/2023)

Tags: , , ,

Paying it forward … with cookies

20 Mar

Here’s a short story about kindness to brighten your day.

It comes to us from our local Troop 60344 Girl Scouts, who a week or so ago had set up a table outside Lowe’s on Five Mile Line Rd. to sell cookies. One of their customers was Cameron Scalzo, the owner of the brand new Nautical Bowls restaurant in Target Plaza. He talked very excitedly about his new place and the fact that he and his wife were expecting their first child at any time. His wife would be very excited, he said, if he brought some cookies home, and chose six boxes from the table.

Another woman happened to be at the table as Cameron was chatting with the Scouts. She overheard Cameron talking excitedly about his new baby and new restaurant, and offered to buy all six boxes of his cookies for him. He tried to decline, but she insisted. She explained that she had misplaced her wallet in the Lowe’s parking lot earlier in the day and was incredibly relieved to find it just under her car. She couldn’t believe no one had taken it, and wanted to pay it forward.

What a wonderful expression of kindness for those young Scouts to witness.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 3/20/2023)

Tags: , ,

Young Webster hero honored with Do the Right Thing Award

5 Mar

Small people can do some really pretty big things.

Case in point: Skylar Jones, a fourth-grader at Webster’s Plank Rd. North Elementary School, who last Thursday morning was presented a Do the Right Thing Award from the Rochester Police Department.

As described in the program from the ceremony,

Skylar was nominated by his grandmother, Judy Nolan, for his calm and brave actions during a family medical emergency that occurred last October. When Skylar got home from school that day, he saw that his grandfather wasn’t feeling well and called his grandmother at work to tell her. After Mrs. Nolan spoke with her husband and realized how sick he sounded, she left work immediately to come home. While enroute, Skyler tried calling his grandmother several times to tell her that Papa fell. When he was unable to reach his grandmother, he called his mother and told her what had happened. One of the women contacted 911, and both were headed to the house. Skylar handled multiple phone calls between the two, and was told that the ambulance was coming. During their conversations, he kept both family members informed of how Papa was doing, assuring them that was conscious and breathing, and encouraging him to talk. He secured the dog, and went to meet the ambulance when it arrived and guided the first responders into the home.

Skylar handled a chaotic emergency at nine years old better than some adults would have. He stayed calm and kept his grandmother and mother informed until medical help arrived. When asked afterward what he would have done if he had been unable to contact either of them, he confidently said that he would have called 911 himself.

Among the half dozen or so relatives and friends who were on hand to watch Skylar receive his award were his grandparents, of course, and Sarah Mossey, one of the EMTs who responded to the house that day, who also happens to be Skylar’s music teacher at Plank North.

Skylar was one of eight students presented with the award at Thursday morning’s ceremony at the City Public Safety Building. They ranged from a Greece Central School District kindergartner who’s doing great things for his community, to a junior at Churchville-Chili High School who called 911 when his two-year old sister was having a seizure. Their individual stories are all very different and all very inspiring.

The Do the Right Thing Program was created in 1990 by the Miami Police Department. Rochester joined the program in 1996, one of 60 chapters in the United States, England and Germany. Its purpose is to foster positive relationships between law enforcement and our community youth by recognizing young people for helping officers and other first responders, performing acts of heroism, displaying leadership, role model behavior, and volunteering in their community. The award distinguishes students who strive to make good choices, do well in school, give back to their communities, or demonstrate a “turn-around” or improved behavior. Any student enrolled in K-12 in Monroe County is eligible, including those home-schooled.

Each award winner receives a trophy, a prize package, a trip to Seabreeze Amusement Park, an invitation to the Camp Good Days Leadership Camp, and the opportunity to apply for a college scholarship when they become high school seniors.

For more information, visit the Do the Right Thing website here and Facebook page here.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 3/5/2023)

Bygone blog — It’s time to update the Wegmans Game

20 Feb

This is the latest in my on-again, off-again series of Bygone Blogs, in which I’m re-posting some of my favorite blogs from the last 15 years. This one was originally published on March 21, 2010.

It’s time to update the Wegmans Game

Chances are good you’ve played the Wegmans Game.

You know what I mean. When you and a companion go to Wegmans, each of you counts how many people you know. Whoever sees the most people wins.  It’s a fun and easy game, since if you hang around Wegmans long enough you’ll see just about everyone in the community walk through the doors.

I’ve been playing this game for years with my kids, and I must say it’s getting a little predictable. So this morning as I shopped at the Holt Rd. Wegmans, I began to think of ways to spice up the game for the next generation of Wegmans shoppers.

Here’s what I came up with.  Feel free to add your own.

The Wegmans Game (21st Century Rules)

  • Wegmans employees are only worth a half point each. They’re required to be there for long hours anyway, so seeing them is not terribly serendipitous.  And you’ll really appreciate this rule if you’re shopping with your high school-aged child, since he or she will know every one of the checkers.
  • Talkers and stalkers can earn bonus points. These are the people who always seem to shop when you do, and assume you want a half-hour description of their gall bladder surgery. One point for seeing them, a bonus point for successfully avoiding them. Five bonus points for being caught and having to listen to the surgery story.
  • One point for a teacher if you have that teacher this year. One additional point for every decade back you had that teacher. (For example, one extra point for the 00s, two points for the 90s, three for the 80s, and so on. So Mom or Dad, if you see your grade school teacher, it’s almost a guaranteed win.)
  • You must know the person’s name to earn a point. Otherwise you don’t really “know” the person, do you? (Whether you need to know both first and last names can be considered a house rule.)
  • If both players know the same person, point goes to the one who sees that person first.  It rewards acute observation skills.
  • If you skunk your opponent, you must spot said opponent three people at the beginning of the next game.

So I think we have a good start here. Anyone else have a suggestion?

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 2/20/2023)

Tags: ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →