Nana's Communion

I found a certificate that was given to my great great grandparents 100 years ago when their daughter (my Nana) received her First Holy Communion.  She passed away when I was 13 years old.

Let Me See That Kong

This is my Grandpa and Dad standing in front of the Kong ride at Morey's Pier on the Boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ in the mid 1970s.  The ride opened in 1972 and was an iconic part of the landscape for the rest of the decade.  A planned renovation of the ride failed in 1980 when the Kong statue disintegrated as it was being disassembled.

A new Kong ride is returning to Morey's Pier in 2015.

My Day In Court

Luzerne County Courthouse
Wilkes-Barre, PA

My time has finally come.  I was picked to report for jury duty and to spend a fun and exciting day wandering around the Luzerne County Courthouse while the folks in charge make up their minds on which of the lucky contestants will be chosen to serve on an actual jury, while the rest of us are sent home with a copy of the home game.  On the positive side, I got the day off of work with pay, and it was nice to have the opportunity to spend some time here without the pressures of being the defendant.  Plus, there's also the pride of being chosen to do your civic duty.  Just look at how much joy it has brought me on this fine day.  

All kidding aside, it really is a beautiful building, and there's a nice little cafe inside.  I guess it's pretty hard to screw up an egg and cheese sandwich, but it was very tasty and a lot better than anything I was expecting.

Here are some photos I took in and around the courthouse:

The cherry blossom trees are in bloom.

Being here makes me realize that I may have spent too many hours playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater.

This is the inside of the dome ceiling of the courthouse.

I can neither confirm or deny that one Hawaiian Italian juror stepped beyond this point.

Here are the sinks in the men's restroom, surrounded my late 60's tile in all of it's pea green glory.  It's a little less dignified than the marble you find throughout the rest of the courthouse.

I wasn't picked to serve on a jury, so after many hours of wandering around, taking pictures and doing my best to not get in any trouble, I was sent home.  The parking garage was an adventure all of it's own.  It's loaded with hand-written threats of tolls and tickets, but there was no one in sight to accept any money.

 

I was perfectly willing to pay for parking, but according to the sign next to the broken clock and in front of the giant slab of cardboard, the office is closed for the day.  The same sign that informed me that the office is closed also asked that I "exit here to pay 4 parking".  I'm not quite sure how that's supposed to work.  I briefly considered taping a few bucks to the window, but I didn't have the scotch tape or the desire to throw money away, so I just went home.

If it turns out that I did something illegal, I'll guess that I'll be back.  Maybe I can even pick up one of those swell $9 compact umbrellas.