Pennsylvania-Ohio Border

This past weekend, we traveled to Western Pennsylvania along Interstate 80. After a long road trip from New Jersey, we stopped in Hermitage, PA and picked some pears and pumpkins.

While in Hermitage, we stopped at Kraynak's Flower Boutique. Don’t let the name fool you--it’s filled with all kinds of cool toys and stuff. There's all kinds of retro games, toys, and model trains. It is also home of Santa's Christmasland, which opens in just a few days.

Heading west, we stopped at Daffin’s in Sharon, PA. The Chocolate Kingdom is a realm that is inhabited by a 400-pound chocolate turtle, a 125-pound chocolate reindeer and 75-pound chocolate frog. There are also chocolate castles, a train, a village, and a Ferris wheel which brings this whimsical land to life.

After traveling almost the entire width of Pennsylvania (310 miles), we might as well visit Ohio. 

On the Penn-Ohio border, we stopped at the Penn Ohio Lottery and Deli. Most of the store is in Pennsylvania, but a corner of the store is located in Ohio.

A little further in Ohio, we had brunch at the Brookfield Family Diner.

Antique Stores, Thrift Stores, and Yard Sales

Now that the weather is (finally) getting warmer, it’s time to hit the antique stores, thrift stores, and yard sales. Here’s a collection of pictures that I took last month while strolling around antique and thrift stores. It’s exciting to find something that you remember from your youth—especially if you’ve forgotten all about it.

February 2013 Snow Storm--East Coast

Last week (February 8, 2013), North Jersey and New York received at least 12 inches of snow--Eastern Long Island and New England got a lot more, however. I took some pictures while the snow was falling on Friday and then some more pictures on Saturday.

On Sunday, I visited The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY (just north of Poughkeepsie). The pictures that I took there are of the Hudson River, which is behind the school.

The Rhythm of the East

On Saturday evening (February 2, 2012), I attended the opening reception of an art exhibition—The Rhythm of the East—by Mr. Zhiyuan Cong at the Riverside Gallery in Hackensack, NJ. The ink paintings exhibition runs from January 29 to February 18, 2013. The closing reception will be held on February 15, 2013.

Zhiyuan Cong has taught at William Paterson University since 1994. Professor Cong earned an MFA in printmaking from Indiana University in 1994. In the United States, a Master of Fine Arts is considered to be the highest degree in its field. Prior to his arrival in the United States, he earned a BFA (1980) and MFA (1986) in Chinese Painting from the Nanjing Arts Institute, China.

Top 13 Favorite Comic Books

Comic books have been an American cultural icon for many youths. Today, many adults read comic books. Maybe it’s because of the nostalgia or maybe because of cool characters, interesting stories, or great art. Or, maybe it’s because of our inner geek.

It’s difficult to come up with a Top 13 List of my favorite comic books. My interests in hobbies and comic books tend to go through cycles. Over the years, the entire comic book industry has changed. Of course, my favorite comics are ones that I had when I was young (Silver Age Comics of the 1960s and early 1970s).  So here’s my list—basically organized in reverse chronological order.

Deadpool (Marvel Comics). I don’t know how (or why) I didn’t catch on to this character earlier. Now, I can’t get enough of Wade Wilson, the talkative mercenary or merc with the mouth.

Madman (Dark Horse Comics/Image Comics). I’ve always enjoyed the artwork and character created by Mike Allred back in the early 1990s. It’s very cool and retro looking.

Spawn (Image). This comic by Todd McFarlane was very popular when it came out in the early 1990s and was supported by lots of cool action figures.

The Tick (New England Comics). I prefer the color editions of the comic book. “Spoon!”

Judge Dredd (Eagle Comics). When I think of the comic book, I also think about the Anthrax song, “I am the Law.”

Power Pack (Marvel Comics). I started reading this when it first came out in 1984 about four siblings who gain superhero powers who work with a race of horse like people to battle against a race of lizard like people.

Blue Devil (DC Comics). Another comic from 1984 in which a stuntman, Daniel Cassidy, gets fused into his Blue Devil superhero costume.

The Uncanny X-Men (Marvel Comic). The series and characters have always been pretty cool. When I started reading this comic, it was in the 1980s—when Storm had the Mohawk.

Archie/Betty and Veronica/Sabrina/Josie and the Pussycats (Archie Comics). All the comics from the Archie series from the 1960s and 1970s are classic.

Dennis the Menace (Fawcett Comics). I still remember the story in which Dennis and his family go to Washington D.C. and Dennis’s dad tells Dennis that the discoloration half-way up the Washington Monument was caused by a flood.

Casper/Richie Rich/Sad Sack/Hot Stuff/Little Dot (Harvey Comics). All the Harvey Comics series from the 1960s and 1970s are classic.

Silver Age Comics—Spiderman, Fantastic Four, Avengers, Thor, Iron Man. X-Men (Marvel Comics). All the comics from Marvel during the 1960s and early 1970s are classic.

Silver Age Comics—Batman, Superman, Flash, Teen Titans, Metal Men (DC Comics). All the comics from DC during the 1960s and early 1970s are classic especially the ones with the Go-Go Checks.