The Haasienda on Shroyer…

After my 5:00 PM shift ended, I was waiting outside the Carillon Brewery for No. 18 when some longtime members of Carillon Historical Park stopped to chat. They were waiting for the start of this evening’s Tavern Dinner at The Park.

We chatted about several interesting topics and then we turned to genealogy. I explained I had worked on mine since the age of twelve, now for forty-six years.

The gentleman asked, “Do you have anyone to carry on your work so that the following generations keep it alive?”

I don’t know. Many relatives are interested but I am not certain if there are any heirs apparent to assume the continuity and sharing of our genealogy through several different lines. I hope, that before my life’s chapter is complete, there will be some kind of book to pass along.

After the couple aimed toward the front entrance to enjoy their Tavern Dinner experience, I began thinking through the opportunities to keep our family stories and genealogy alive for future generations.

From the musical HAMILTON, the haunting refrain, “who lives, who dies, who tells your story?” played over and over in my mind.

I would hate to think these remarkable stories might fade out; however, it seems the further removed we are from events and people of the past, the less interest it is. I was quite unusual than many of my friends and classmates by wanting to learn and invest in my family history. US History and my family history has always fascinated me.

At 7:45 AM, when I completed Zooming with my London-based son, I decided to take advantage of the terrific morning weather with a hike through Woodland Cemetery & Arboretum. Tomorrow is to be rainy and the rest of the week in the 50s, twenty-degrees below today.

The cemetery was a wonderful respite and the colors, though still not in their fullness, kept my camera shutter quite busy. I also collected 6,370 steps.

The weather front began moving in and I lost my energy. I canceled going to taco Tuesday lunch with Mama Kay and the gang and took the opportunity to nap until it was time to teach. The nap was much needed.

Lessons rocked tonight. I had a surprise break and ordered a Grubhub delivery which was to arrive by 7:35 PM; however, it was delayed until 8:25 PM and I was already back into teaching. I am thinking I have come to an end with this service as my past deliveries have been delayed 45+ minutes, and long past the time frame of being able to eat when the food arrived. Naturally, tonight, my order was not mine but someone else’s. I did get a refund.

Oh, well… on with life…

Photographs from my Woodland Cemetery hike:

Woodland Cemetery | October 2022

Bailey & Harrigan, born 25 October 2013.

Bailey is nine, today, but remains very much a nine month old puppy. She’s always excited, eager to play or snuggle, and she wiggles when I look at her. But at night, she lays her head on my pillow, back, or neck and snuggles close to me. I adore this sweet, feisty, smiling little gal.

Happy 9th birthday, Bailey, my Baby Girl!

Bailey & Harrigan, born 25 October 2013.

Eight weeks before I received the double blessing of adopting The Sisters, Harrigan and Bailey, from a litter of ten puppies, which were born on 25 October 2013.

Christmas night, I drove down to the Lasourdesville Lake area near Mason, Ohio, to retrieve one puppy courtesy of a student who had set up a meeting without my knowing. The reason? Four days before Christmas, Chief’s litter-mate and sister, Navi, 3, had to be put down after suffering life-threatening injuries from being by a car. I drove to the puppy home with the intention of bringing home one puppy. Just one. However, there were two remaining by the time I arrived.

I left with both. I am so grateful I did.

Happy 9th birthday, Sisters!

Bailey & Harrigan, born 25 October 2013.

I’ve never had a serious dog but Harrigan is that dog. If pets can be old souls, I would guess Harrigan to be one. She’s intelligent, protective, skilled in many areas, obedient, and extremely devoted to me. At night, if my legs have spasms, Harrigan, who sleeps at my knees, will lay her head across my legs. There are times when the dogs will be in another room… except Harrigan. She’s almost always at my side or laying on my pillow. I love this girl.

Happy 9th birthday, Harrigan, my Girl!

I never got to meet my grandmother’s brother, Ronald, who died 27 years before my birth.

Today, Ronald Monroe Clary would have turned 101 years old. He was born 22 October 1921 and died 20 June 1937 following a fall while riding a horse.

Here is an earlier blog I wrote on Ronald:

Cold outside with a dull sky is the only way to describe the morning. I returned to bed for another two hours of sleep, with the hopes of combatting the sinus pressure. The day looks sluggish, and I am feeling sluggish.

Last night, one of my students brought me a gift from his mom, Kim Lade, that she purchased for me while on a train excursion in Cuyahoga County. It’s the book, CANAL FEVER: THE OHIO & ERIE CANAL FROM WATERWAY TO CANALWAY, and it looks terrific. Thank you, Kim!

Tuesday was Taco Tuesday with Mama Kay and the Girls. Great food, tons of laughs, and time with dear friends.

It’s time to begin getting ready for my afternoon shift at The Park. With the lousy weather, I doubt we shall see many visitors, today, but I am usually proved wrong on attendance for days such as this.

Hopefully, my arrival at The Park will embrace a more positive attitude and kick me into a higher gear so I can make it a great day!

Yesterday, I wore long pants. I detest wearing long pants and am always more comfortable when I am wearing shorts. At The Park, we are required to wear blue or tan pants or shorts and I have tons of blue and tan shorts. Tons! We have been projected to have an elevated temperature of 67 degrees tomorrow, followed by low to mid-seventies until next Wednesday when it drops to 63 degrees. That is perfect. Normally, if it is above 50 degrees, I will wear shorts. During the pandemic when I remained secluded for two years, I was in heaven since I never needed to go out.

I really didn’t mind the two years of quarantine. By nature, I am very much a loner and it suited me. I had been using Instacart for over a year before the need to quarantine began, and I had ordered most things online to be delivered for many years. I detest shopping and those services have always suited me. I really did enjoy spending time at home, writing, and enjoying the dogs. The one thing I missed was seeing my students and their families. Other than that, every day was like a skip down Main Street USA in Disney World.

Going out in the colder weather while wearing shorts is comfortable for me. The cold weather does not bother me in the least. As I have grown older, it has become more of a constant to see other men wearing shorts. I never understood why it was acceptable for women to wear dresses or skirts during fall and winter but frowned upon for men to wear shorts. As I got past college, I cared less about these matters and did what I pleased. I always have folks, especially women, ask if I am cold or the similar phrase, “You’re freezing me to death.”

I am comfortable. I don’t need others to tell me I need to not wear shorts when it’s cold. It’s my body; my legs.

A week ago, when we had temperatures in the sixties throughout the Miami Valley, I was still wearing shorts and several of the female Volunteers at The Park were worried I was cold. I assured them I was just fine and plenty comfortable but they still worried. So, yesterday, despite it being quite comfortable in the fifties, I wore long pants.

Today, I will wear them again. But, tomorrow, when it hits the sixties, I will be busting out the shorts, again, for at least another week and I will be delighted.

Even while wearing long pants, I will make it a great day!

I worked a full day at The Park and had the best time all day. From the minute I set foot on The Park’s campus and until I left at the end of the day, there was just an electrifying feeling of excitement.

We had Guests visiting us from Colorado, Maine, Pennsylvania, San Diego, Washington, Vermont, Michigan, Santa Fe, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Indiana, Chicago, and Cynthiana, Kentucky – the second set of Guests in several weeks. We also had a gentleman from France, a lady from Sweden, and three men from Dublin, Ireland. It’s enough to make me want to belt out several rounds of “It’s A Small World!”

There was a group of panelists from the Erma Bombeck Writers Conference and they were lovely. In fact, the one writer requested I share my Erma Bombeck stories with her for the Erma Bombeck website. I promised I’d have her a story before they left The Park. Ninety minutes and eight long legal pad pages later, I handed her my story.

Almost every full day, I eat lunch with Deanna, more famously known as the school teacher in the pioneer school house. We laugh, discuss our families, growing up years, and Disney, and an array of topics. Deanna loves baking and often shares delicious baked goods. Plus, we both are devotees of all kinds of history which makes it fun.

I’m on No. 17, aimed southward toward The Haasienda. One of my Canine Crew team members let me know they had forgotten to let the pooches out at 2:30 PM. These things happen. I’m more concerned about their discomfort since they’re seniors and they last went out at 7:30 AM. I’m sure they’re miserable unless they’ve left deposits.

I return to The Park for the afternoon shifts on Friday and Saturday and hope to accomplish some household tasks and writing the next two mornings.

I am hoping I sleep as well as I did last night. I climbed into bed around 8:15 PM with the intent of reading. I woke at 11:00 PM and let the dogs out. I only woke once more during the night for a nature break. It was such a rejuvenating feeling to wake so refreshed and energized.

I arrived home to four happy dogs but anxious to potty before eating. All was well and there were no indoor accidents.

I am considering a Chinese buffet for dinner. I really don’t want to leave the dogs, again, and head out into the chilly weather, but I also want some good food that I’ve not prepared. I may even do Door Dash.

It’s 6:35 PM and my gears are running a bit slower and my eye lids are becoming a nuisance with the gradual weight added to them. It may be a Door Dash evening, after all.

This morning, a batch of Facebook photos from 2009 memories showed up on my feed. They were photos taken on the back deck with my cat, Logan (1994-2011), and my dog, Flyer (2000-2013).

These were two incredible pets and I do still miss them. Chief and Navi arrived as 10 week old puppies in February 2011 and got to know Logan for about 9 months and Flyer for 3 years.

Now, I have four senior dogs. Chief will be 12 in November; Erma is now 13 and will turn 14 next July; and The Sisters, Bailey and Harrigan, will turn 9 this next Tuesday, October 25th. They are aging. Fast.

Chief struggles with his hips and joints and getting to his feet is a struggle. His devotion to me, and The Pack, is unwavering. Erma appears healthy but her heart condition is always hanging hauntingly in the background. The Sisters, while appearing youthful, are greying in the face.

Today, thanks to Facebook memories surfacing, I am remembering with great fondness, Logan and Flyer, my first two pets of my adult years.

Make it a great day!

PHOTOS: Logan and Flyer. The last photo of Flyer was taken at Wilbur Wright’s grave one month before she passed.

This morning’s Zoom chat with Josh was festive with birthday joy but down to our usual business of chatting about history, politics, and dogs.

It’s about 35 degrees and Chief is still lingering on the deck in his sphinx pose, watching over his backyard domain.

Last night was another terrific night of lessons and I’m certain tonight’s lineup will be no different than the previous two teaching days.

Yesterday, I picked up my library book, Allan W. Eckert’s A TIME OF TERROR: THE GREAT DAYTON FLOOD before heading over to Grieve Hardware for batteries where I got to see my long time friend, Bob Koogler. When I first moved to Dayton in 1990, Bob’s wife, Sarah, was the first person I met. Six years later I was working with Bob and Sarah on a number of music productions and choirs at Normandy United Methodist Church. It was so good to see Bob. After that brief meetings, I went over to St. Albert The Great to meet Mama Kay and Father David and left for a lunch at Subway.

This morning I’ll putter away at some household items, start my new book for research, and then join Mama Kay and the Tuesday gals for Taco Tuesday.

And, now, I am off to make it a great day.

Sunday was a productively long day. Leaves were blown. Lunches were prepped. A kitchen was cleaned… somewhat. Music was prepped for the week’s lessons.

We were needing to make a slight adjustment to the times for next Sunday’s lessons. My first two Sunday students thought it was for yesterday and completely missed their lesson. Fortunately, we headed the others off at the pass before they missed last evening’s lessons for next week’s adjusted lesson times. Then, the Door Dash delivery of my hot and sour soup, which I use as a soup base, was screwed up on delivery time, arriving an hour late and into my lesson. One student came an hour early which actually worked to both our advantages as my 7:30 PM Zoom lesson was canceled at the very last minute. During a ten-minute break, I attempted to order tickets online for Laura and me to see The Dayton Theatre Guild’s BROADWAY BOUND and I mistakenly ordered for the wrong day. That was fixed.

So, at 11:30 PM and my wonky day was done. While it was still productive, I was dodging curve balls and resetting the schedule as it developed.

I return to The Park on Wednesday but will be teaching from 4:00 PM to 11:30ish PM today and Tuesday.

Today, I am hoping to get a few items completed around the house, which includes bringing in the umbrellas from the deck.

It is on the upward swing to 8:00 AM and I want to get started on the day so I can rest up a bit before teaching.

Make it a great day!

PHOTOS: Erma adores Patrick Comunale and always stays right by his side during his lessons; Erma and Chief

It’s a chilly overcast day with a few peeks from the sun. Tomorrow is expected to get to 68 degrees with the 40s and 50s following until Saturday with 71 degrees topping the day.

I woke at 7:00 AM to feed and potty the dogs before hopping on Zoom for our weekly gathering of Kettering, Boston, and London. At 8:00 AM I rolled over and returned to sleep until 10:00 AM.

Last evening, I went to dinner at Marion’s Pizza with the Kress family, our second annual dining before going to see the Sarah perform with Centerville High School marching band for community night. It was good to spend time with both sets of her grandparents, Ron & Judy Kress, and Rick & Jane Schwartz. And, Katie was home from Denison University for fall break. The band looked great and it was a wonderful evening.

And, the sun has burst through the clouds to brighten the world, bringing the multiple fall palette to an even intensity.

With that, I’m heading out to blow leaves, brush Chief and Erma, and tidy up some things before teaching commences at 4:00 PM.

Make it a great day!

PHOTOS FROM SATURDAY: Carillon Historical Park; some cars displayed outside Carillon Historical Park; Rick & Jane Schwartz, myself, Judy Kress, Brady Kress, Ron Kress, Katie Kress; Katie & me.

Its already a beautiful Saturday morning but not very sunny. I believe that will come later in the day. We are only supposed to get up to 59° but even in the upper 30s, I’m finding it quite comfortable wearing my shorts. I know that in a week or so, wearing shorts will need to stop, especially on the days where I am at The Park. The Volunteer “bonus moms” and “bonus aunts” worry I will catch my death from pneumonia because I’m always wearing shorts.

Friday morning was smooth running, even with my tardy No. 17 bus driver being 9 minutes late. We barely made it to the terminal before my connecting No. 18 arrived. I made that bus but two blocks away from the terminal, No. 18 broke down at the corner of Main & 5th streets. I called a Lyft driver, who was in no hurry, whatsoever, and made it to The Park at 9:07 AM, seven minutes after my shift began but twenty-three minutes before our Guests began arriving for the day. I managed to maintain a cheerful disposition.

Yesterday’s adventures at The Park could not have been more extraordinary with some of the phenomenal gas that visited us. we had three sets of visitors from Utah, alone as well as from the states of Idaho, New York, Virginia, Oregon, Texas, Colorado, Alaska, and Florida. One gentleman from Pennsylvania had heard about us from some friends who had visited. He decided to wait until his cousin from Athens Greece came over to the states for her vacation before he visited us.

Another highlight was having an Air Force ROTC high school class visit us from Tampa Florida. It is a part of the curriculum, every four years, to come visit Dayton Ohio’s The Museum of the United States Air Force, The Aviation Trail, and Carillon Historical Park. These young adults were outstanding in their behavior, personalities, and death outstanding maturity. I praised these young folks to their two leaders who were grateful and proud. I also added an additional to the curriculum for their Dayton visit, yesterday, and for the future; a visit to Woodland Cemetery to visit the Wright Brothers graves.

I am at The Park all day and will hurry home to join friends for dinner and then on to watch my student, Sarah, with the Centerville High School marching band for a preview performance.

My original post for today fouled up and I’m just now completing this as I near downtown. It’s so refreshing to have a different driver that is on time and not driving my anxiety to a high level due to connecting to No. 18 on time.

And, here we go! Make it a great day!

Finally, a full night’s sleep, and I am happy and energized.

I arrived home by 6:15 PM, Friday evening, fed and pottied the dogs, and finished the remainder of my Marion’s Pizza from Thursday evening. At 6:50 PM, I crawled into bed with Bailey and Harrigan snuggled by me and fell asleep. I woke around 10:30 PM, let the dogs out, and went right back to sleep.

Friday’s Guests were exciting, and I met so many folks from Nevada, New York, Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, Maryland, Alabama, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and London, England. While there were four school groups visiting, most of the Dayton area school children had the day off while teachers remained at their schools to accomplish things for a work day.

One third-grade boy came in with his grandparents and he was wearing his special “investigation cap” because he was eager to investigate history. Later, a young girl came through and she was wearing her favorite clothing item – a pinafore that her great-grandmother wore in the 1930s. It was adorable and the little lady was so proud of her pinafore.

There is not much to report this cold morning. Fifty-eight is our expected high for today but tomorrow begins a more comfortable rise through all of next week when we bounce between the upper 60s and mid 70s.

And with that, I am off to make it a great day!

From September 1979 through August 1983, I worked at The Elwood Public Library and it has always remained one of the greatest experiences of my young adult years.

The library had been lovingly maintained and I am thrilled it was not greeted by a wrecking ball and bulldozer as have so many of Elwood’s former, stately buildings.

https://www.wrtv.com/lifestyle/community/a-real-labor-of-love-developers-restoring-elwood-carnegie-library-to-maintain-its-rich-history

Friday seemed to travel at the speed of light this week. Weekends don’t hold as much for me as they once did the way my teaching and Park schedule works but I still think of Friday as a turning point in the schedule.

Yesterday, at The Park, I was fortunate to meet Guests from Kansas, Iowa, San Diego, Delaware, Virginia, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Indiana, Michigan, Oregon, Alaska, Pennsylvania, and AUSTRALIA! I have met several Guests from Australia and it always amazes me. Most of them are visiting family stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

This got me thinking of how many Guests I’ve met from all over the world who have spent time visiting Carillion Historical Park. I have met Guests from Australia, England, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Mexico, Japan, Canada, India, Africa, and Argentina. It’s not unusual to have folks from these countries coming to Dayton, Ohio, but I am super excited when they find their way to Carillon Historical Park to learn more and engage with Dayton’s rich history and all it has offered to the world.

Today is the official end of The Spirit Chain campaign between Centerville High School and Kettering Fairmont High School. At tonight’s football game the results of all funds donated to each school and who has won this year’s Spirit Chain. I am so damned proud of my student, CHS class president, and senior, Sam McLain. He has shared his adventures with this particular project and he has, as he always does, given it 200%. However, Spirit Chain is such a monumental event known throughout the Miami Valley that it is an extra special feather in Sam’s cap.

My friend, Chuck Johnson’s wife, Teresa, is improving from her bout with Covid. I was concerned all day until I response from Chuck describing her improvement and overall health. Such good news!

We are promised a high temperature of 62 degrees by this afternoon. Right now, it is 38 degrees but doesn’t feel cold. Next week, we shall bounce around in the 40s and 50s.

It’s time to head across the hall to shave, shower, dress, and then pack my already-prepped lunch for the long day ahead. Hopefully, it is another day of meeting some fantastic, interesting folks from all over the country.

Make it a great day!

PHOTO: Stepping off the bus last evening and seeing the beautiful colors.

It’s a somewhat chilly, damp morning with some wind making it a bit yucky. Last evening, we finally received the rain that was projected throughout the day, always leaving me worried for our Guests at The Park, or those who wanted to visit. The rain held off and provided everyone a beautiful mildly warm day. The storm commenced about 8:00 PM last night and the few thunder booms had Erma near my side.

We have some rain coming in this morning and it looks like it will be here as I am heading across the street to the bus.

The same No. 17 driver is exasperating by his tardiness. Yesterday, I left for The Park, scheduled to leave from across the street at 11:31 AM but he didn’t arrive until 11:43 AM. I hopped off at another location to wait on No. 18 to The Park. This driver is consistently 8-12 minutes late and shows absolutely no concern about it. He’s such a dear soul and always kind but the lateness always leaves me with a good deal of anxiety as I calculate my connections.

I have received a number of texts and emails from former students who are away at college, hoping to connect with me over Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. It’s always refreshing to hear from former students no matter how old they are!

I am concerned for my friend, Chuck Johnson, whose wife has taken ill. When I saw Chuck at The Park yesterday, he was quite concerned. I will check in on him in a bit. And we discovered that we are birthday buddies by about two weeks!

It is time to get ready for a full day at The Park and I hope the dreariness doesn’t hold potential Guests at bay.

Make it a great day!

I can do the basics with electronics, especially computers and laptops. I am horribly handicapped by the heavy-duty computer maintenance and have always been blessed with students or friends, nearby, who have attended to computer hardware needs.

Yesterday at The Park, my new Lenovo laptop became a screen of death: a black screen with only the white arrow cursor moveable. I asked a fellow staff member that I thought was a techie guru but it turned out he was not. Back at home, I emailed computer tech wizard Brian Gugala from north of Chicago and explained what I had researched but could not figure out where things were. Brian replied and carefully wrote out a detailed email to guide me.

I figured it was something beyond my capabilities and set the laptop aside. This morning, since I begin my shift at The Park at 1:00 PM, I had some time to blow leaves, and attend to some other household items, and when I walked into my study, there it was: my Lenovo laptop beckoning me to come over and do what Brian described. Posturing myself with newfound courage, I dove into the project at hand and within ten minutes, I had the problem solved and the laptop happily greeted me without a black screen!

First, I appreciate Brian’s assistance and “let me know if you need anything else.”

Second, I feel proud of myself for not giving in to fear of tackling a computer technical issue that involved removing the battery, etc.. Whew! I feel a bit more empowered by the effort.

President Franklin Roosevelt’s admonition about fear is a reminder of just how much and often we allow ourselves to allow the unknown or something that seems out of our realm to blast us back a few steps.

Make it a great day!

It’s a rather quiet morning. I woke at 7:00 AM just in time to start the weekly Sunday ZoomFest with Josh, Dave, Ann, and Phil while juggling the feeding and pottying of dogs. Now, I am dressed so I can catch the bus for a breakfast out.

Yesterday, at The Park, we had Guests from all over the country: Indiana, Michigan, New York, Colorado, Oregon, Texas (a cute couple who arrived via way of the USAF and are expecting their first child on January 3rd), Iowa (three sets!), Kansas, Missouri, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.

My favorite moment was looking up to see this young boy leaning on the rail, listening very intently to the animatronic of Mrs. Deeds who is just about thirty feet from my station. The father and older brother were in the Museum Store and the father called out to his son. “Not now! Can’t you see I am trying to learn some history?”

I loved it!

While I was scanning their tickets, the boy asked if I loved history. Of course! Then he asked if I still liked learning things now that I was no longer a boy – note, he did not ask “now that you’re an old man?” I explained my daily goal was to learn a minimum of three new facts or things each day. He said he believed that was a “fantastic plan” and that he would start doing the same. His older brother chimed in with, “I think all three of us should do this!”

And before the trio left, the young boy reported, per my request three special things he learned about his adventures in The Park.

After leaving The Park, Laura and I went to dinner at La Pinata in Centerville and had a wonderful chat about life adventures at fifty-eight.

And, now, as I embark on my journey to breakfast, I invite everyone to learn a minimum of three new things each day, and to make it a great day!

It feels mild outside this morning, so I feel better about wearing shorts for my shift at The Park. It’s 47 degrees and we have an expected 73 degrees.

I have had two wonderful days of students meeting goals and making some fantastic advancements. After tonight’s round of thirteen lessons, I am done teaching students until next Sunday.

I am trying to decide if I want to go to the Fairmont-Centerville game this Friday night. It’s Spirit Chain week and my student, Sam McClain, is Centerville High School’s class president and has been leading CHS’s Spirit Chain effort this year. Spirit Chain is a huge fundraising event where Centerville and Fairmont compete for the most funds raised. The funds from each school have designated recipients for their monies to be donated. The monetary results each year are astoundingly impressive, as are the organizations that receive the donations. I have been terribly impressed with and proud of Sam’s monumental and professional efforts as he’s led this year’s campaign.

The school buses are almost finished passing through and have poured out the students. It’s time to shower, dress, and prep for my shift at The Park.

Make it a great day!

PHOTO: Centerville HS class president and my student, Sam McLain

I have always been a planner. I love calendars and schedules as they not only keep me on target with needs and plans but there’s security, as well. I never realized how much being organized and having a clear plan set would be until I adopted my sons and brought in foster sons who were all very absorbed with the need to know things ahead of time due to their backgrounds of too many life surprises.

Currently, I am planning out several different things, as well as my research, writing, and personal needs. For some reason, I keep thinking October 7th is an anniversary of some sort, but for the life of me, I cannot pin anything memorable on the date. It could even be a date from a historical occurrence tucked away in the back of my brain that I have not yet recovered but will do so by morning’s end.

I can hear a strong breeze moving about outside in the 50-degree weather. A promise of only eight more degrees will be added by afternoon, so there will be no eating my lunch outside at The Park, nor for Saturday. But, with the approaching Monday through Thursday, we’ll be hovering in the mid to upper 70s and even hopefully hitting a high of 80 on Wednesday.

As I stepped off of No. 18 last evening, my southbound No. 17 came roaring by on downtown Main Street. I caught No. 14 to Kettering and decided to pick up northbound No. 17 at Far Hills Avenue and Shroyer Road. Before pulling the cord to secure my stop, I could see No. 17 pushing four minutes ahead of its schedule. I got off No. 14, called ahead to Marion’s Pizza to order my 13″ deluxe, and then after reaching the restaurant, called Lyft for the short hop home. I was a bit exasperated but still managed to reach my house before 7:00 PM rather than my intended 6:15 PM. My morning commute downtown on No. 17 always has been anxious because the same driver is always 8-10 minutes late to pick me up and I am forced to keep a keen eye on No. 18 should I need to get off No. 17 earlier, or prep myself for a Lyft or Uber ride. But, at least I am prepared in knowing this particular driver will not be on the appointed schedule.

Leaving an hour prior to my shifts and arriving home from shifts lengthens my day to ten hours instead of eight, but I know there are folks who have long daily commutes. My only concern is my dogs. I do have a high school student who swings in between his Sinclair Community College and high school classes around 1:00 PM to let the dogs potty. By the time I get home after six o’clock, the dogs have not eaten for eleven hours, save for their potty treats. They’ve not complained about the two-hour meal delay, but I suspect they’re more than eager for their evening meal. When the Carillon Christmas event begins November 22nd through December 31st, with Wednesdays and Thursdays keeping me at The Park until 9:00 PM and until 10:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, I hope to already have something in place with the evening schedule and my Canine Crew.

Thursday’s collection of visitors was from all over the country, eleven states in all, plus a couple visiting from Belgium. I explained they had much in common with Mrs. Edith Deeds who drew her inspiration for a carillon tower from her trip through Bruge, Belgium. The husband and wife immediately launched into the beauty of Bruge, “the Venice of Belgium” and a short tribute to their native land. I loved it!

So, on with my morning plan of showering, dressing, and packing my prepped lunch.

Make it a great day.

The predicted 47 degrees feels as though it is more in the low to mid-60s. It is wonderfully comfortable outside this morning. I had turned off the thermostat yesterday morning and by evening there was still no need to have it on. It got a bit warm during the night. I turned on the window fan which made for a more restful sleep.

I only have very minor soreness in my right leg and the gouge on my wrist looks worse than it feels. Only when I turn my wrist inward do I even feel a little twinge of “ouch” which is mild.

I spent Wednesday resting, and rest I did. The day was near perfection and the back door to the deck remained open for the pooches to enjoy coming and going. At 4:30 PM, I joined Mama Kay and our friend, Mary, for a Mexican dinner and we enjoyed a fun conversation throughout.

Back at home, I accomplished a few items such as watering the flowers in the front, prepping my lunches for the next three days, and tidying up the kitchen. By 8:30 PM, I was lounging in bed with four dogs close by. I fell asleep at some point, shortly thereafter, and woke around 10:30 PM. I let the dogs out and had no issue returning to sleep which I continued throughout the remainder of the night.

I am at The Park all day for the next three days. I am hoping to catch some of the newly arrived seasonal colors as it will only be there that I will enjoy these changes.

It’s time to shower, dress, pack my lunch, and meet No. 17.

Make it a great day!

Every day I see upcoming events posted.

Great!

But they’ve just been posted by the hosting organization for that same evening or the next night.

Folks need to know a little more in advance if you want guests other than those associated with the event or program. I had to ask some families about a yearly marching band competition last week, thinking it might have been canceled. No, it is for this weekend and today, I finally saw a post for the event.

“Come eat at this restaurant to support our cause” – almost always posted on the day of the event. No! No! No!

I see high schoolers posting that they are in a show or have a big concert. “Come see me perform in my school’s musical.” No further details.

When I’ve commented to folks hosting or associated with poorly advertised events, I receive responses such as, “I’ve been so busy,” “my friends posted it and I just copied and pasted,” or “if we post too early people will forget.”

If you’re too busy, hand your marketing off to someone else to accomplish.

If you copied and pasted from a friend’s post, at least take a second to locate the needed information.

Too early? Well, first, you can never be TOO early with letting folks know. Then, post regular reminders that occur more frequently as you get closer to your event.

One theatre company posted its show’s information on July 5th. I wanted to see the show at the end of July or early August but could find nothing. I went to their Facebook site and needed to scroll all the way back to July 5th and it was the week of the show – nearly a month later.

Ironically, I often run across posts saying there are many seats remaining for shows or later comments about how poorly attended their production or concert was. Hmmm… the marketing math to figure this out is pretty simple.

There is often a part of me that wants to boycott an event that is not marketed in a timely manner; however, it usually boils down to what I did not know in advance. I am also connected via social media to many of the organizations, events, and personnel who are lazy with their communication.

Alter High School does a fantastic job of alerting its audiences to the upcoming start of the ticket sales for a show, and they always include all the information needed for the production itself.

Today, Beavercreek Community Theatre announced its season which begins in the fall of 2023. Yes, it is a long way off but I am confident they will continue to masterfully handle their communications and marketing as they have done so for many years.

It’s very simple to plan and organize a marketing strategy.

Congratulations and THANK YOU to those organizations that communicate! I appreciate you and I am sure others do as well.