By Washington Washington
Wasn’t all of that snow great? Yea… It was. Even the shoveling that came with it was a breeze, if you got to it early enough. I began shoveling at 1pm on Saturday, just after the snow stopped falling. It was light and fluffy, not too much trouble at all.
Aside from clearing off my walkways, porch, and steps, I also dug out the car I had parked on the street. This was a bit more of a hassle because the space between the tire and the curb was kinda difficult to access with the shovel, but still it wasn’t a big deal. I shoveled the few feet of snow that were in front of the car, and same deal in the back.
Later Saturday afternoon / early evening, I walked down to Bridge and saw many instances of “parking spot marking” with fold out chairs. I hate this practice… always have. It’s a town-wide epidemic that must stop. In some cities, such as Washington DC, if you get caught marking a parking space you could be slapped with a fine. Does this exist in Phoenixville? If not, it should.
Just because someone clears a parking spot does not mean that person owns the space and has the right to reserve it. This was clearly evident when I glanced out at the parking spot I had cleared only to discover someone else had put a chair there!
So this individual just decided that they would claim the spot I cleared for their own… Was it because I didn’t put a chair there? I don’t know what goes through someone’s head when they are doing that, and I don’t want to know. I don’t want to play the game. I will, however, kick over any chairs that get in my way.
Bottom line, the street is a public place and no portion of it should be reserved for any one indivdual (with the exception of the handicapped).
I’d really like to hear what other people think about this, so please leave comments.
Ahhh…karaoke. It’s a love-it or hate-it kind of activity that can divide families and friends much in the same way that bowling can. Some will embrace these leisure pursuits with reckless abandon and wholesale joy; others turn a disgusted nose up at such low-brow and derivative tomfoolery.
So, what have I learned about karaoke from my years of “gettin’ on the mic”? That there are two elements that separate “fun” karaoke and “mortifying” karaoke: the music selection and the environment. 
This is where Pickering’s karaoke nights become magical. The bar area can only house about 30 to 40, and it’s extremely cozy, so you’re never intimidated. This has been evidenced by the great variety of music that the patrons pick, and everyone else’s willingness to raise their glasses and voices to join in the revelry. In one of my night’s there, the entire colorful cast of drinkers, friends and strangers alike, joined together in renditions of hits by The Doors, Whitney Houston, Guns n’ Roses, Neil Diamond, Snoop Dogg, Credence, a few Latin groups who I’d never heard of, and others. At one point, my cohorts and I found ourselves doing the robot with a complete stranger for no other reason than the music demanded it.
On Sunday, I was making a right onto First Ave off of Starr only to encounter an elderly fella in a Scion blocking both lanes of traffic on the 200 block. I waited patiently until it was obvious that the guy wasn’t skilled enough to pull off such a maneuver… Then I got pissed.
