Today was a sad day in the snack cake world. The Hostess company (probably best known for Twinkies, Ho Hos, and Ding Dongs but also the home of other well-known brands) shut down after a union strike prevented the company from baking their various food products. The company had threatened to close down if the employees didn’t return to work by yesterday afternoon and ended up having to make good on its promise: it couldn’t financially handle another day of being in limbo. Of course, the worst news is the laying off of 18,500 workers. The second worst news is that, unless another company buys the Hostess brands and resumes…
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How Overnight Camp Is Two Degrees From Bacon
Back in the spring of 1979, I was a fifth grader seeking redemption. The temple to which my family belonged was holding its annual contest through which three lucky Sunday School students would win a two-week scholarship to Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI), the Oconomowoc, Wisconsin overnight camp for Reform Jewish youngsters. The contest consisted of an essay written during religious school from a pre-selected prompt and then, if advanced to the final round, an interview with members of the temple Board of Directors to determine the winners. The prior year I was a much less mature fourth grader who wrote in freeflow. That’s why, when given the prompt…
- Best Thing Ever, Childhood Memories, Music, My Sister Has Mad Skillz, Something That Could Change Your Life, Uncategorized
Totally Worth The 30-Year Wait.
Something incredible happened this weekend. I don’t even feel like I can put a proper post together, partly because I only got five hours of sleep and partly because I still can’t believe it. My sister and I saw Adam Ant live last night. If you don’t know me well, you might think, “Oh, cool…I guess.” It was beyond cool. Trust me. You may recall that Adam Ant was my Numero Uno back in the 80s. I wrote about my obsession here, in a post that even includes a picture of me dressed up as Adam Ant for Halloween 1983. I never saw him in a live concert, though. Back…
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Happy Retirement Birthday, Dad!
My Dad, as I’m sure you’re smart enough to figure out from my post title, is celebrating his birthday AND retirement today. This is a huge milestone for him, and he’s been counting the days until his retirement for months now. (Although he’s “retiring” from his job as a full-time hotel manager, he will still be working, exact job TBD. He has a couple of irons in the fire!) He has been in the hotel business for more than thirty-five years, but did lots of things before that, from serving in the U.S. Army (Vietnam) to delivering mail for the U.S. Post Office to making balloon animals (pretty sure that…
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Xanadu At Drury Lane: Magic!
Back in August of 1980 I was eleven years old and really excited to see a new movie starring Olivia Newton John, “Xanadu”. I had enjoyed her music for a long time but after seeing her in “Grease”, I was a Superfan. Perhaps my Superfan status is the reason why, when most of the general public thought that “Xanadu” was one of the worst movies ever*, I (and my sister, too) fell head over heels in love with it. I loved the plot, the Greek mythology elements, the music, the wardrobe (even the legwarmers), all of it. I mean, come ON. Look at this and tell me that you aren’t…