Happy Thanksgiving!

The first Thanksgiving was a simple affair. I find the simplicity of this holiday as the reason why it is my favorite. You give thanks. You visit some friends or relatives. You get stuffed. Unlike Christmas, there's very little pressure. It's a one day thing before we plunge directly into the fray that is the holiday season. I hope people use the occasion to think about what's really important in these troubled times when it's not about having it all. It's about appreciating what's really important.

National Geography Awareness Week

Last week was National Geography Awareness Week. Maybe you weren't aware of that. Finding out about places on this planet - and the people who live there - has always been a fascination for this self-admitted geo-geek. Some listeners managed to stump me when I issued the geography challenge. That's OK, since some people think I need to get taken down a peg or two when I claim some absolute expertise on the subject. Ever since I got a state capitals game in second grade, big and small geography facts have stuck like glue to me. That never made me the most popular kid in class, or out of it for that matter, but it did give me an appreciation of an often misunderstood subject. Americans are a small minority of the world's population, yet people in most other developed countries have a much greater awareness of us than we have of them. That may explain why so many Americans are at a loss to know, understand or care about the perception the rest of the world has about the U.S.A. Knowing the capital of Michigan (Lansing!) may not be the key to success in your day to day life, but a majority of citizens lacking the most basic information about geography - and social studies in general - can spell a disadvantage as we compete in a world market. On a lighter note, it can be fun. I figure if some people can fill their brains with baseball players' batting averages and the plots of every primetime "reality" TV show, then I can cram a few "where in the world" facts into my head. So I'll take State Capitals for $2000, Alex!

Riding the Ferry

Last weekend I visited a couple of friends in Riverhead, Long Island. I've taken the ferry from New London to Orient Point many times, since it beats the drive via New York City. This past time, the ride home was an unexpected adventure. It was a sunny but very windy Sunday afternoon. The whitecaps in the race between Orient Point and Plum Island were very impressive. Coming back on the New London - one of the smaller car ferries, shown here - made the waves and the resulting bumpy ride even more unsettling. I didn't see anyone get sick, and the chances of being ditched on Gilligan's Island were remote (thanks to the courage of the fearless crew). Even so, every conversation I overheard was about the rocky ride. Thankfully, the rolling waves died down a bit during the second half of the trip. I suppose it still beats the long drive around, the visit was great and any thoughts of a career as a fisherman in the seas off Alaska have been permanently put aside.

Gas War!

Colchester is a great town, but it has seldom been known for low prices. Now my town can boast the lowest gas prices in the state. With the reopening of the Sunoco station on Route 85, the Citgo and Phillips 66 at the same intersection had to meet the new guy's cheaper prices - and they did. I never thought I'd see prices like $1.79 for regular again. I hope these lower prices don't lull us back into our old gas guzzling ways, but any relief for the budget today is very welcome.

Update: Just a couple of days later, the price dropped again to $1.75 per gallon and it was a mob scene.

Veterans Day

John from Montville, a 26-year military veteran, was kind enough to share his thoughts on Veterans Day. He wanted us to remind everyone what Veteran's Day is all about. It has NOTHING to do with furniture or car sales. It has EVERYTHING to do with Honor, Duty, and Courage under fire. It is all about doing what is right because it IS right, not because it is "politically correct" to do so. He also passed along these thoughts from Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC:

The Soldier
It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves under the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.

End of the Line

Even in bad economic times, people still have to eat. That doesn't make a supermarket recession-proof. Montville - already hit by the Rand Whitney judgment and the suspension of the Mohegan Sun expansion - got a rude awakening a week ago with the announcement by Beit Bros. that the family will be closing their supermarket in the Uncasville section of town. This brings an end to a 100 year-old family tradition. The Beit Bros. Dayville store had just closed in July. Sure, there's still Stop & Shop or Shop-Rite a few miles away, but Beit Bros. was a unique landmark that helped define what the town was all about. Its loss will leave a distinct void, but perhaps another independent grocer can try and fill the anchor spot for the Midway Plaza. For now, it'll mean one less discount card on my overloaded keychain and one less place to pick up a decent apple pie.