Category Archives: General

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The Odyssey, Part 8 – Flew the Cooperstown

We woke up the morning of Aug 18 to some down-home Holiday Inn, egg-in-a-carton, conveyor-belt-toaster, do-it-yourself-waffle, gourmet breakfast spread. Ready to hit the road once again, we jumped back on the I-90 for a three hour eastward stretch.

We had been fortunate with the driving weather; other than encountering torrential rains along the Lake Erie stretch, the roads were dry and visibility was excellent. This day was a bit grey, but the route itself was relatively uneventful:

  • I-90 North for about 2-3 minutes towards Williamsville.
  • Continue to the east on I-90 for 203 miles (327 km), passing outside such hockey hotbeds as Rochester to our north, Syracuse to our south, and the smaller town of Utica, NY. Continue to Herkimer / Mohawk, and exit on NY-28.
  • Travel due south for 40 minutes through Dennison Corners, South Columbia, along the shores of Canadarago Lake, the community of Schuyler Lake, Cattown (two ‘T’s), Fly Creek, Index (yes…the hamlet of Index), and finally reaching our destination in Hartwick Seminary.

I have just listed a bunch of town names that I find amusing for one reason or another. Since I’ve long broken my ‘unnecessary tangents’ rule, here are some random thoughts I had whilst driving through this part of the country:

  • When mapping out the route, I was recognizing the names of cities along the way without ever having been there. I trace it back to my high school days in Halifax, NS in the early 1990’s. At that time, the city had a professional minor league hockey team called the Halifax Citadels, the Quebec Nordique’s affiliate from 1988-1993. I was a hockey and baseball nut then, trying my hand as a skating-challenged goaltender in various recreational leagues during the winter, and avoiding ground balls to the face playing third base during the summer. Two of the Citadels’ opponents were the Rochester Americans (or Amerks), the affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres, and the Utica Devils, the New Jersey Devils affiliate from 1987-1993. As for Syracuse, the Chiefs / SkyChiefs were the AAA affiliate of my beloved Toronto Blue Jays until as recently as 2018.
  • The village of Mohawk was a stopping place for General George Washington during tours of the region in 1783. The Valley Tavern on Main St, known in Washington’s time as the Shoemaker Tavern, burned down in 1973. I personally found Mohawk to be somewhat bleak and dilapidated, a vestige of once-vibrant rural towns that dotted our journey.
  • Canadarago Lake, although not named after my home country, does seem rooted in the same Huron-Iroquois word for village or settlement. It means ‘the lake that lies alongside the village’.
  • Schuyler Lake is a community name but there is no matching body of water on the map. As it turns out, Canadarago Lake was historically known as Schuyler Lake. Isn’t history fun…and weird?

You are probably wondering why our destination was Hartwick Seminary. In fact, even I didn’t know that was our destination until I was researching for this post; our hotel was the ‘Holiday Inn Cooperstown’, but the civic address was in a hamlet about 8 km south.

Cooperstown is a village within the town of Otsego, a Mohawk or Oneida word meaning ‘place of the rock’. It refers to Council Rock, a prominent rock partially submerged off the shore of Lake Otsego. It is home to around 1800 people and for a number of years, was famously known as the birthplace of baseball. If you recall the term ‘sister city’ from an earlier post, Cooperstown is twinned with Windsor, Nova Scotia, due to the latter’s claims of being the birthplace of hockey. The village attracts 260,000 tourists each year to the Baseball Hall of Fame, featured downtown on Main St. Founded by William Cooper in 1786, the village of Otsego was renamed in 1812 after he became a county judge and state congressman.

Notable year-round or summer residents of Cooperstown include:

  • James Fenimore Cooper (left) – William’s son was an accomplished author, writing historical fiction during the frontier period. His masterpiece is the romantic novel, The Last of the Mohicans.
  • Samuel F.B. Morse – A friend of James, he was a portrait painter before helping invent a single-wire telegraph and co-developing Morse code.
  • Abner Doubleday – Civil War officer and supposed inventor of baseball (since discredited).
  • Erastus Flavel Beadle – Pioneer of pulp fiction publishing and creator of the dime novel (included mainly because of the awesome name 🙂 ).

You generally approach the town from the south. During peak times of year when parking is at a premium, it is recommended that you park on the hill above and take the Cooperstown Trolley about 2 km. We decided to chance it and managed to find a meter close to town hall. As you can imagine, baseball is everywhere; all gifts shops and restaurants have baseball-themed items adorned on walls and displays. In the photo below left, we see yet another obstacle smack in the middle of an intersection blocking our view of Mickey’s Place, a clothing store named after Mickey Mantle, a Yankee Hall of Famer. Below right, residing in the old Augur’s Books location, is the Cooperstown Beverage Exchange and Tasting bar. We had a couple of drams of their whiskey lineup, with the Cooperstown Select Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel being the favourite. Naturally, they too have jumped on the baseball train, with a series of exclusive decanters!

We had a late breakfast so it wasn’t until early afternoon when we decided to have an appetizer snack somewhere. I shall not name the establishment but will say that it was off a side street not too far from the main drag. We ordered nachos, and we all had an expectation of nachos. Preferably these nachos would have a combo of cheese, veggies, and protein baked and served with sour cream and salsa. I think they managed to get the salsa right; we received a plate of corn chips with a warmish, cheese-like sauce poured over the top. There may have been flecks of jalapeno in the sauce, but he disappointment was palpable. It tasted okay but certainly not worth the money. To add insult to injury, the bottled beers were warm.

After what amounted to our lunch, we made our way to the hallowed Hall of Fame:

Forgive me as I nerd out for a moment: I’ve been an avid ball fan since the late ’80’s and have always been fascinated my the stories, the players, and the statistics. I have memorized most of the individual seasonal and all-time records and can rhyme off a good share of the players enshrined in the hall. I really didn’t know what to expect, but naturally didn’t budget enough time to soak it all in. After watching the introductory film that ran in the theatre every 15 minutes, we spent a good two hours browsing, but easily could have extended the visit by at least two more. Usually, my parents and fiancée would patiently wait for me to pore over the placards and displays before moving on. Below is a very small sample of the pictures taken that day. I have at least seventy from inside and couldn’t resist shooting anything that caught my eye.

We begin with the placard that hangs to the right of the first door pictured above. It is to commemorate the first inductees. I have included ‘The First Class’ panel that sits at the far end of the actual hall that is attached to the museum. Of the class, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb and Walter Johnson were in attendance. The missing member is Christy Mathewson, a pitcher who played until 1916 and won 373 major league games. Sadly, after serving in WW1, he passed in 1925 from tuberculosis at age 45.

Below left: An entire section devoted to the legend that was George Herman ‘Babe’ Ruth.

Below Centre: Every major league team has it’s own locker with game-used equipment from historical moments in their history. The most recent addition to the Toronto Blue Jays locker is the “AL” batting helmet worn by current star Vladimir Guerrero Jr during the 2021 All-Star Game. He homered and was the game’s MVP.

Below Right: Norman Rockwell’s Tough Call

The next three shots pay homage to the “Man of Steal”, Rickey Henderson. Somewhat of a showboat, Rickey was known for speaking in the third person and tormenting pitchers both in the batter’s box and on the bases. Sadly, he passed away from pneumonia on Dec 20, five days short of his 66th birthday. He played 44 games for my beloved Jays in 1993, helping them to a second World Series title. Below is 1) artwork of Rickey early in his career (number 35, he switched to his famous 24 in 1985) with his customary head-down takeoff for second base, 2) his HoF plaque, and 3) a dedicated display of Rickey’s stolen base records. All time, his total of 1406 is 468 more than second place, and the active major league leader has a whopping 354, so his record is safe for awhile.

Finally, the plaque of one of my favourite Jays, Roy Halladay. Unfortunately, he also left us way too soon, losing his life at age 40 in a plane crash over the Gulf of Mexico.

My prize from the visit was a pair of Vladdy Guerrero Jr. rookie cards snagged from the gift-shop. There is plenty of unique swag available for my fellow baseball lovers. One can do plenty of damage to the wallet roaming around in there too long.

It was nearing suppertime, and thanks to Dr. Bob’s strong recommendation, we descended on Brewery Ommegang. Tracing it’s roots back to 1549 when King Charles V visited Brussels, the resulting celebratory parade became know as the Ommegang, loosely meaning coming together and walking about. To present day, the tradition continues in the Belgian capital.

This brewery however is not so old; established in 1997, it has grown enormously and has begun exporting its Belgian ales to almost every state, Canada, and overseas. The complex is sprawling. I have included some pictures and an accompanying birds-eye view with numbered vantage points for each. The large purple dot is the outdoor dining area off the taproom. The field out back has a disc-golf course, and during the summers, will offer camping and live concerts.

The taproom and outdoor settings were lovely. It was misty and damp on this occasion, but neither quelled our good spirits. The menu is limited but tasty. We munched on some brussel sprouts followed by the OMG burger and a side of macaroni salad. Unable to choose a brew, we opted for a flight that included a Witte, a wheat ale, Rare VOS, an amber with citrus notes, their flagship Three Philosophers, a Belgian quadrupel ale (9.7% abv!), and something called Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Keep It Crunchy, a granola stout aged for 11 months (10.3%!!).

After a full day, we made our way back to the hotel to debrief on the days events and fight with the smart TV remote.

Only one more full day in the US before crossing the border to home soil. In our next installment, I recount a regrettable pharmacy experience on our way out of NY state, a crossing of Vermont to the New Hampshire border, and one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever tasted!

See you then!

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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The Odyssey, Part 6 – Legends of the Fallingwater

We’ve all been there. You travel to a fascinating place that invigorates the senses, re-affirms your belief of magic in the world, and leaves you gobsmacked. Excited to tell all your friends and family of the experience, you bring up the pictures and recount the stories, but there is something missing…the words and 2-D imaging never seem to serve justice to the sheer depth and breadth of such an adventure. I’ve been thinking on how best to present this chapter and suspect it will feel more like a tease; there is no possible way to properly capture the sights, sounds, and company in a second-hand account. If you have an interest in engineering and environmental design, a short drive southeast of Pittsburgh would be well worth the time!

The culmination of our travels thus far have us on the literal doorstep of one of THE pre-eminent architectural marvels of modern times. Fallingwater is not just a private residence, but the grounds that surround, the materials and the integration of nature all contribute strongly into the design and flow of the house.

We arrived at 8:30 am for a guided tour starting at ten to the hour. The pavilion had central welcome desk with four branches: one for washrooms, a café, an art gallery / museum featuring Frank Lloyd Wright building projects, and a gift shop. Groups of 10 were slated to leave every ten minutes or so, winding down the path from the tourist center to the driveway leading to the entrance. Believe it or not, the main entrance is in the large picture below, located just past the tree at the end of the wall. Wright tended to hide the entrances to his homes. They were very nondescript; if you were invited to the home, you would be told where to enter.

The first thing you notice is the stonework, uneven blocks of various widths but layered perfectly. This serves as the fulcrum of the cantilever, with the weight of the structure balancing the various terraces that extend over the brook below. This allows for some interesting design quirks. One of which is the series of horizontal windows that rise three full stories. They form a corner, but since they do not support any weight, they may all be opened outward to the open air without a brace or frame.

Moving through the house and the grounds, there are many examples of the natural rock cliffs invading the living space. In the second picture below, our tour guide explained that water would naturally run inside the house over the rock face. Instead of sealing the cracks, Wright would typically install a drainage system to allow the free flow.

Inside the premises, the furniture and wall fixtures were all custom. The horizontal lines are bold and found throughout the rooms. The pictures below were all intriguing in some way:

  • The furniture is very low to the ground. Great for me with my short, stumpy legs, but I expect it would be challenging for those with limited mobility to get up and down.
  • The lines in the windows continue into the room along the stone where shelves were created. The visuals are quite striking and appealing.
  • The rose-coloured bulb by the main fireplace is suspended on a metal frame. There is a hemispherical shaped recess in the stone wall that allows it to rest flush when not in use. The frame has a hinge that allows the ball to swing over into the fire, presumably to heat soups or stews.
  • There is plenty of natural light in the common areas. The large windows may indicate a reason for the low furniture, as the pieces block less of the view outdoors. The use of skylights and clerestory windows (high sections of walls that contain windows above eye level) make for some interesting features in the roof lines of the house.
  • The flagstone used for the flooring really ties together the indoor and outdoor areas.
  • Stairwells and hallways were purposely narrow and dimly lit. Those areas were meant to be unappealing and only for transit to other areas of the home.
  • The portrait hanging in the main living space is that of the owner, Edgar J. Kaufmann, a very successful businessman in the Pittsburgh area. Fallingwater was originally meant to be a summer retreat for the family, but the scope and budget for the project kept expanding. His son, Edgar Jr. was an architect himself who had apprenticed under Frank Lloyd Wright in the mid-1930s. He inherited the property when his father passed in 1955 and donated the entire plot, including structures and acreage in the Laurel Highlands, to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963. He continued to be a regular fixture at the property until his own death in 1989.
  • Fine art is found throughout the home, including works by renowned Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The statue and the unique fireplace are found in Liliane’s bedroom. She was Edgar’s wife and first cousin; because of this, they had to be married in New York state instead of Pennsylvania.

Below is our view from the famed lookout spot. You will see variations of this image on postcards and other various media. Of note, the cantilevered terraces tended to be larger than the rooms in the house interior. The point was to be outside and enjoying nature as much as possible.

After leaving the lookout, a series of groomed trails led us back to the pavilion, but we could have walked the expansive grounds for hours had the threat of rain abated. The gift shop was loaded with apparel, calendars, home decor, puzzles, models, and plenty of art, both framed and in an array of books. The model itself was very cool, consisting of a lego-style brick, it is built in layers that may be removed to reveal the floor below. It’s a bit pricey, but would be a definite conversation piece.

It was now time to grab some lunch. Mill Run is a fairly desolate area so we decided to follow PA-381 a bit further to Ohiopyle, a borough in Fayette County on the banks of the Youghiogheny River (pronounced yawki-gay-nee). The colourful image below is the walking bridge abutment that spans the river. We ate at the Falls Market, basically a series of windows for patrons to order hotdogs, fries and pizza. We didn’t stay long, but for a village of about 40 people, they are deserving of a plug due to the surrounding Ohiopyle State Park, attracting millions per year to hike, fish, and whitewater raft…and for letting me type ‘Youghiogheny’ multiple times in the same paragraph 🙂

With a free afternoon to debrief our Fallingwater visit, and potentially research other sites designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, we traveled north back towards our hotel and beyond; the drive was about 40 minutes to Acme (if you pictured Wile E. Coyote just now, we did too), home of Stone Villa Wine Cellars. This gem was a pleasure to visit, with beautiful masonry and complimentary tastings.

Outside on the stone patio, we enjoyed a bottle of Vintner’s Select, a medium-bodied red with a robust finish. Mere steps away there was a huge pond where we fed the koi fish with snacks that were provided.

From there, we decided to avoid heading into Kecksburg for fear of alien lifeforms (home of the UFO Store, check this link) and took a 15 minute run through some back roads passing Carpentertown and the community of Standard Shaft (or just Shaft as the locals refer…can you dig it?).

We arrived in a subdivision on the outskirts of Mt Pleasant searching for Helltown Brewing, the “craft beer with a rebellious attitude”. After driving up a normal, middle class street, the GPS led us to turn left between two homes. No signage on the main road would indicate there was a barn and field in behind. I’ll blow up the bottom left of the map above:

If you like porters, I would suggest the Hellfire Alchemist, a Baltic porter brewed with Grim Wizard cold brew coffee. Or perhaps the barrel-aged Sanctuary Russian Imperial Stout excites the palate. My personal favourite is the triple hazy IPA, Interdimensional Pterodactyl. At 10.0%, it won’t matter how smooth-drinking it claims to be; be sure to reserve a DD when sampling these beer flights.

It was nearing suppertime, so we took a route through downtown Mt Pleasant to reach an Applebee’s a few miles away. A simple chain restaurant with a massive menu and a surprisingly varied cocktail list, I had to share my selection below along with the menu promo:

The Breaking Rock Rita was quite tasty, thought the rock candy garnish was probably over the top. I also learned that Dos Hombres mezcal is owned by none other than Walt and Jesse from Breaking Bad, one of my all time favourite crime drama series.

After such an eventful day, we slinked back to the hotel to unwind and fight with the smart TV. Tomorrow we are started back towards home. First stop, Cheektowaga!

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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The Odyssey, Part 5 – From Dusk till Donegal

So we have finally reached our final destination before working our way back home. Now that we have expended half the fun by getting here, we decided to pause for a couple of nights to take it all in. Tomorrow we have an early appointment at Fallingwater so we wanted to be well-rested and relatively close. This plan allowed us to take our time doing ‘touristy’ things and not worry about road construction or highway traffic jams.

Donegal is a borough within the Donegal Township. Both are named after the County of Donegal, the northernmost county in Ireland and the largest in the province of Ulster. The name Donegal is derived from the Irish Dun na nGall, which translates to ‘fort of the foreigners’, which as I write this, makes more sense now than when we were actually there. You see, Donegal the borough is only 0.3 square miles (sorry….0.78 sq. km) and sits right on an exit off the PA turnpike. It is a tiny swatch of land that has all the amenities a foreigner would need: Hotels, restaurants, convenience stores, and gas bars. The Township completely surrounds the borough but is completely distinct as a municipality. Don’t worry, we were also very confused.

After checking in, we decided to take a run down PA-31 into what we thought was ‘town’ but was actually just a street with businesses interspersed with family homes. There was a legion, a few ski-rental shops, a pie shoppe (not just a shop, but the quaint and boutique-style ‘shoppe’), a physical therapist’s office shingle, an independent pharmacy, a yoga studio, and TWO dollar stores (because they’re everywhere). The Old General Store caught our eyes, so we trundled in to hear a little bell ring above the door to signal our patronage. Right away, this was no ordinary gift shop; the first corner led me to a wire rack with rows and rows of local hot sauce varieties. The names of said sauces are not fit to print unless you have the potty humour of a delinquent 12-year old, so naturally we all took turns reading labels and appropriately laughing our keisters off.

Wandering to the next section, and keeping with the theme, behold the lavatory mists! Many of us have seen these novelty items in stores back home, but as a tip of the cap to some fresh new pun creations, I will share my top 5 from this location:

  • Beethoven’s Symphony No.2
  • Vladimir Pootin
  • Abe Lincoln’s Log
  • Jack the Ripper
  • Fifty Shades of Brown

The next section was kitchen and housewares. We particularly liked the arrangement of kitchen towels. See if you notice the common thread between all the products in the picture below:

By this time, the employees in the store were beginning to worry about us. The giddy fairy had us cornered and triumphantly cast their spell. Now absolutely everywhere we looked, everything we touched or wore was downright hilarious, and we hadn’t yet reached the greeting cards…

Note to self – if a card or napkin makes you cry with laughter, just buy it as an impulse. You just never know when you’ll have the chance to spring such silliness on an unsuspecting victim. In the months since the trip, my fiancée and I are kicking ourselves because some of those passages would have been perfect for special occasions or gifts for family and friends.

Somewhat out of embarrassment, we each bought a small knick-knack before leaving. Rest assured, the cashier had guessed that we were definitely ‘from away’, but seemed to enjoy the entertainment nonetheless. Across the street, we found another interesting store to visit, replete with driftwood and antlers:

I don’t have a cabin myself, but walking into this place, you could almost smell the smoke from the fireplace and feel a dry, cozy warmth permeating throughout the living space. The Rustic Lodge has a distinct stone and timber style that caters to folks that love spending time in the outdoors. Similar to the hotel décor in the last post, taxidermy is pervasive and almost every piece of furniture: night stand, mantel-piece, chandelier, and wine rack was unique. Need a lighting fixture made of antlers? A bed made of polished logs? A full-size barrel with ‘Jack Daniel’s’ emblazoned on the front? This is the store for you!

Our next stop took us to the corner of PA-31 and PA-711, which would be the route to Fallingwater the next morning. We discovered Sarnelli’s Market, A standalone building that housed an Italian market on the main level, but the parking lot wound down around the back to find a cold beer store, a separate unit with local wines, and a third for local spirits. After splurging on a can of Arnold Palmer’s Spiked Half & Half (iced tea, lemonade, and weirdly, the alcohol was unspecified on the label), we popped in to sample some wines. The lady serving us was quite jovial and informative, pointing out the most popular grape varieties for the region. She asked if we were interested in trying some spirits, and led us out, locking the door behind us and proceeded to unlock the next unit to the right. Ridge Runner Distillery, from nearby Chalkhill to the south, featured an array of moonshines and young-tasting rums. Some of the lineup had potential with a bit more aging, but most tasted like flavored rubbing alcohol.

We were beginning to get a wee bit famished. Thankfully every drive we made so far was only a few minutes in either direction so we had a few choices that were very close. Pulling off the highway earlier, we had noticed a very prominent road sign and decided to get a closer look. I’ll leave this here:

Talk about owning it! For some reason, I had always thought the term ‘hillbilly’ was more on the derogatory side, used to poke fun with the Beverly Hillbillies being an example. As it turns out, the term actually originated in Appalachia. Although there is debate regarding the origin of the term, I’ll share the one I find the most interesting and fun.

The Appalachian Mountains were settled in the 18th century by the English, the Scottish lowlands and northern Ireland. Many were followers of the protestant king William III (William of Orange). In Ireland during the Williamite War, supporters of ‘King Billy’ were known as ‘Billy’s Boys’. Over time, settlers in the rural, mountainous areas of the original 13 British colonies became known as hillbillies. Nowadays, the term is used both with pride, and in other settings, as parody. At HillBilly’s Grub-N-Pub, we sensed a bit of both.

Switching things up a bit, I ordered Mimi’s Meatloaf with a side of gouda mashed potatoes. The menu had a few different cocktails. I honed in on a ‘Stubborn Mule’, a concoction featuring a locally distilled cherry vodka and ginger beer. During the course of the meal, a news report popped on the telly behind our table. There was a piece on a recent republican campaign event, and the spin was not too kind to the former American president. As non-Americans, we certainly don’t have a right to judge political views, but we watch the news like everyone else. In most cases, we don’t hold a glowing view of Donald Trump, and this particular dinner conversation swayed into that territory. Almost immediately, the spidey senses began to tingle. There weren’t too many full tables in our vicinity, but some ears started to perk up when his name was mentioned. We were in a very purple state, with much at stake in the upcoming November election. Needless to say, we clammed up before dessert was served, making an educated guess that given the day’s events, we may have arrived in a part of the state that leans right rather heavily.

Nestled back in our rooms, we tried to get an early night after fighting with the apps on the smartTV. Tomorrow was going to be epic.

Join us next time where in part 6, we will have a brief Fallingwater walkthrough followed by a cruise through the illustrious locations of Mill Run, Ohiopyle, Acme and Mount Pleasant!

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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The Odyssey, Part 4 – Dorneyville Horrors

And we’re living here in Allentown
But the restlessness was handed down
And it’s getting very hard to stay

From the iconic song written and performed by Billy Joel, this passage refers to the decline of the manufacturing sector during the 1980’s. Bethlehem Steel, the second largest steel manufacturer in the US for most of the 20th century, was falling on hard times and the future was uncertain. The mill eventually shut down for good in 1995. Although the lyrics strike a negative tone, it still spoke to the resilience of Allentown; unemployed steel-workers toughing it out and refusing to quit making a life there.

We were only there for an evening, but we were also restless to reach out final destination. It was also getting hard to stay due to the incessant screaming.

Say that again?

Yes, from the moment we arrived at our Holiday Inn parking lot, we could hear periodic screams and shrieks from across the road. Little did I realize when booking these accommodations, that we wouldn’t be in a sleepy part of town off the interstate, but rather on the border of one of the largest theme parks we have ever seen: 200 acres of Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom. Opened in 1884, this place is a monster, and the screaming was coming from one of the 8 roller coasters in the park. In fact, when it opened in May 2001, it was touted as the largest inverted roller coaster in the northeastern United States. One where you stand and are suspended below the rails, this thrill-ride will take you 14 storeys into to air, invert you 4 separate times and reach speeds of 58 mph (ahem…93 km/h). For those you want the thrill of a lifetime, or simply enjoy vomiting their oversized park-bought hotdogs, the Talon: Grip of Fear will not disappoint!

Just to get an idea of where we were situated, the image below from google maps shows our hotel in the lower right in the red circle. The place where they skin the cats is ringed in yellow. Did I mention this place is LARGE?!

At any rate, we discovered that our rooms were not yet ready so we asked for a recommendation for lunch. Seeing how we wound up in tourist-central, I reckon the hotel hosts receive this question almost as much as requests for extra towels. Without missing a beat, he directed us a few short minutes up the road to Carrabba’s Italian Grill. This is a restaurant chain we were not familiar. I can’t recall much other than thinking that it was our second day in a row having Italian, so I opted for a dish called the Pollo Rosa Maria, a chicken breast stuffed with Fontina cheese and prosciutto. The menu picture was amazing. The taste? It would rank it slightly above average, (3 out of 5 sundried tomatoes) with good preparation, appealing presentation but more bland than expected.

Before heading back at the hotel, I decided to refresh my ibuprofen stocks, so we found a pharmacy in a Weis Market that was two buildings away. With my keen sense of navigation, I managed to turn the commute into an unintentional 15 minute tour of Cedar Creek Park. Since I’m having entirely too much fun doodling on Google maps, here’s another image for reference:

Here’s the thing: Hamilton Blvd is a strange drive for non-locals. It is a main thoroughfare, and is a standard two-lane highway with a concrete divider. When we exited our hotel, we could only turn right and would have to switchback by Dorneyville Dental on the bottom left. From that point, Hamilton splits into two one-way stretches that envelop 5 or 6 city blocks. For my pharmacist readers, it’s like a nodule formed in the middle of the highway and separated the two sides of the street to the point you could fit a small community inside. After confidently turning left past the Wendy’s, we drove past the top of your screen before everything looked completely wrong and we started looking for the way back around.

Ibuprofen in hand we trekked back to the hotel for a bit of downtime. My headache abated over the next hour and we were off again, this time to explore a local winery or brewery for a late afternoon flight before dinner. Firing up the nav system in Dad’s Genesis, we found Vynecrest Winery in nearby Brenigsville, about 15 minutes away.

We arrived at approximately 5:07pm. I remember thinking the parking lot was rather empty this time of day. The flag outside read open to we headed into the shop. After a few beats a woman appeared to say that they closed at 5 and had not removed the open sign from outside and neglected to lock the door.

“You can try Clover Hill up the road. They close at 5:30pm”

Off we go, arriving at Clover Hill at 5:17pm.

“I’m sorry. We’ve already had last call and are no longer offering tastings. Feel free to peruse the shop.”

We were getting restless and annoyed. The next option was Rising River Brewing, located in the borough of Macungie, which took us through Trexlertown and East Texas (yes, it is a suburb of Allentown). A couple quick things:

  1. Macungie is derived from “Maguntsche”, a Lenape word, meaning either “bear swamp” or “feeding place of the bears”. Sounds like a lovely place to settle and raise a family.
  2. The community of East Texas is named after the state of course, but the ‘East’ prefix is to distinguish it from another Texas in Pennsylvania. It is also the global headquarters for Day-Timer, the company that brings you all kinds of paper-based calendars and weekly organizers. To wit, I will visit Staples every November to buy my Day-Timer as preparation for the following year.

Rising River is nestled in a residential area. When we arrived, it looked packed. There were two parking lots, a large main building, and a massive deck in the back. It appeared there were lawn games, a foot bridge and gazebo further down on the property. There were lineups to be seated outside. We sauntered into the main building to ask the barkeep if there were restaurant services. She said that wine and mixed drinks were available in the main building, which reminded me of a legion hall, and draught beer on tap was out on the patio. A food truck was conveniently parked alongside the deck serving a massive sprawl of people looking for fish, chips and hotdogs. A bit disappointed but looking to make the most of the situation, we sat close to the tiki bar outside and were ignored by the servers for about a half-hour. We finally approached the bar and were told to get in line on the other side. Folks had drink tickets, so we were confused; did we miss a sign or crash a private event? Then a voice came over the PA system and everything made sense: this was Wednesday night Bingo at the Rising River Brewery and seemingly ALL of Macungie were armed with dabbers and were fueling up prior to the first round.

We managed to order beers from a gentleman who looked entirely overwhelmed, but in good spirits. We took off shortly after a lady came around to display what an ‘X’ looks like on a bingo card, quietly exiting between shouts of “B13”. We headed back the hotel with a bottle of blackberry brandy to munch on leftover cheese and crackers from our grocery trip a couple days earlier and to fight with apps on the smartTV.

Below left: Vynecrest Winery shop before they told us they were closed. Bottom right: Rising River, featuring everything you need to get through a weeknight in Macungie 🙂

We arose on Thursday morning, Aug 15. Another fine weather day for our drive west through the state. After a quick bagel, we proceeded to turn right so we could turn left. Stupid Hamilton Blvd.

Allentown (PA) –> Donegal (PA)

Since I have largely ignored my own advice on straying off on unnecessary tangents, the route summary will be brief, as it was largely a straight line for about three-and-a-half hours through the Appalachian Mountains.

  • Leave hotel, jump on the I-78 due west at Wescoville.
  • Merge into the I-81 near West Jonestown.
  • Cross the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg.
  • At Middlesex, merge onto I-76, the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
  • Drive through a series of Appalachian mountains. These tunnels are two lanes each way and span 2-3km. If you have semi-trailer trucks around you, it certainly adds to the claustrophobia:
    • Kittatinny Mountain Tunnel (fun fact: the western portal is featured on the first postcard during the opening sequence of National Lampoon’s Vacation)
    • Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel
    • Allegheny Mountain Tunnel
  • Continue straight to Donegal, a borough in Westmoreland County roughly 80 clicks southeast from downtown Pittsburgh.

Reaching our destination at the customary mid-afternoon tick of the clock, we were greeted in the hotel lobby by some furry friends:

I do not come from a family of hunters. The only taxidermy I tend to see are in museum exhibits. The rustic log cabin feel of this place was rather fascinating. Not wanting to wade into Pennsylvania politics, I was getting the feeling that 2nd amendment rights are a hot-button issue in this part of the state, but more on that later.

Join us next time, when in Part 5 we spend the first of our two days touring the Donegal township and surrounding areas, shopping in the general store, sampling some local spirits and preparing ourselves for Friday’s visit to Fallingwater!

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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The Odyssey, Part 3 – Wound Up in Windham

When we last left our intrepid adventurers, they had just arrived in the Catskill Mountains and checked in to their accommodations at Hotel Vienna, a 2-storey chalet with exposed beams and cabin feel. At the foot of Windham Mountain, there is the requisite ski resort and a local golf course. The video in the above link has some aerial shots that are quite lovely.

As it turns out, Windham is a very common name in these parts. Not to be confused with Windham, NH, or Windham, Connecticut, or Wyndham Resort and Hotels (spelled with a ‘y’), the town of Windham, NY is located in Greene County, on the northern boundary of the Catskills Mountain range. It is a town of about 1,700 people but is a popular vacation spot for New Yorkers and other areas in the northeast. Fun Fact: Scott Adams*, the creator of the Dilbert cartoon series, grew up in Windham and was valedictorian of his high school.

*I should note that although I am a huge Dilbert fan and have referred to his comic strips in previous work presentations, I am not a Scott Adams fan for his views and the controversy he generates.

Like anyone who has traveled the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia, we are spoiled by fairly frequent look-off points to grab pictures and feel infinitesimally small as we gaze across wide valley expanses between the mountains. The route to Windham certainly teased those views, but with very few parking opportunities and overgrown look-off points, my pictures from the car are woefully underwhelming and are not worthy to be shared. Further along, you can find the Five-State Lookout but you will need clear skies and a sense of what you are viewing; there are no directions or reference guides available, only a parking lot and the stunning horizon in the distance.

Like a nesting doll, the images below depict the Windham town limits within Greene County, and the county within New York state. The famous Hudson river is the bluish boundary to the right.

After that preamble, it shouldn’t surprise you that Windham was in fact, NOT our actual destination. That honour would go to a little hamlet called Round Top, within the neighbouring town of Cairo (pronounced ‘Care-oh’ because America dares to be different on occasion).

My mother had picked this location to visit a university friend she had met almost 50 years ago in Laval, QC. My parents had kept in touch with this gentleman over the years via email (and before that, the archaic rotary phone, and before that, presumably telegraph or carrier pigeons). He was gracious enough to welcome us into their home below the peak of Blackhead Mountain, where the roads are quiet but full of wildlife; there are many opportunities to encounter deer or bears, especially as streetlamps are minimal and the roadways are narrow.

My parents has last visited several decades prior. At that time, their friends had lived in a large house further upstate. On the windy road leading to the house, we weren’t sure what to expect. We were met with rock walls on either side, and the entrance to the property has an incredible stone bridge over a brook that babbles or rushes depending on the rains.

The house was beautiful. A 2-storey farmhouse style home with a full length porch across the front, was surrounded by curved stone walls to form terraces. There was only one problem. The master of the house was not there as he had left to pick up dinner. We were told the front door was unlocked and to make ourselves at home. I should emphasize that we had not been there before, so little voices cautioned us that there was a slight chance we were unknowingly breaking in unannounced to a stranger’s abode.

Inside there was plenty of artwork and interesting conversation pieces on the mantle and window ledges. I had to include a couple of pictures: one of the monkey lamps in the living room and a little parrot friend that welcomed the four of us.

When our host arrived, we were treated to some of the best chicken parmigiana we’ve ever tasted. There was a version of Melanzane (eggplant) alla Parmigiana that was just as tasty. We all had seconds and there were tons left over. They also treated us to a fine bottle of California red to wash it down. You may ask where a fine Italian meal is procured in ‘Care-O’. I shall not leave you in suspense: it was from Two Brothers Pizza off of country Route 84.

After looking through old pictures and reminiscing about what amounted to mischief in the 70s (wading around in the fountain at the newly opened MicMac Mall anyone?), we bid our adieus and trundled back to the hotel to fight with the apps on the SmartTV.

The morning of Wednesday, Aug 14, was now upon us. We ducked into the continental breakfast offered in the common room and piled back into the car around 9:30 for more highway hijinks.

Windham (NY) –> Allentown (PA)

This was a much shorter drive than the previous legs, but probably one of the most stressful. I have never seen more trucks on a stretch of highway in my life. Our route on this day was as follows:

  • Leaving Windham, we traveled East on NY-23 back to Cairo, then veered south on NY-32.
  • After about 40 minutes, we reached Saugerties and headed due south on I-87 to certain doom.
    • I should probably explain. As you can see from the map above, the I-87 runs straight along the Hudson across the New Jersey line, when it merges to I-287 around Suffern, NY. This route continues further south and at the nearest point, comes within 20km of Newark, and about 30km from Manhattan. There happens to be a wee bit of commerce in this area and as you could imagine, rigs of every shape, size, colour, with trailers hauling logs, building materials, animals, mini-homes, heavy equipment, and tankers, were all wanting to race to their respective destinations. Sprinkle in some traffic snarls that slowed their progress, and you have all the ingredients of the next screenplay in the Mad Max film series.
  • Not realizing we were bisecting New Jersey state to this extent, we passed some fun city names along the way: Mahwah, Crystal Lake (for slasher horror fans who grew up with the Friday the 13th movie franchise), Pompton Lakes, Riverdale (possible hometown of Archie and friends?), Parsippany, and Basking Ridge, which sounds like the name of a relaxing day spa. We didn’t actually see much from the highway as most of it was spent surrounded by high-sided 53-foot trailers swerving between four lanes. We continued to the fun-to-say Pluckemin, NJ, and jumped onto the I-78 due west.
  • After about 25 minutes, we made a semi-circle around the borough of Alpha, NJ to reach the Pennsylvania border. Our destination was getting close!
  • As we approached Allentown, we momentarily suffered an existential crisis when we passed the following road-sign:

Turn right to Bethlehem or left to Hellertown? I swear I am not making this up.

Pulling off the highway around 2pm we proceeded to the Holiday Inn on Hamilton Rd in Dorneyville, which is not a ville at all, but described as a ‘census-designated place’ in Lehigh County. With our room not quite ready, we set out to find some lunch and check our surroundings.

Please join me for our next installment when we embark on a winery hunt that eventually landed us in East Texas, a pharmacy visit to snoop pain relievers, and a lovely drive around (and through!) the Allegheny Mountains.

Until next time…

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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The Odyssey, Part 2 – All’s Well That Ends (in) Well(s)

Wells, Maine.

An interesting choice of townships to be sure. A resort town of just over 11,000 people, Wikipedia reports that is is the 3rd oldest town in Maine. Travel southward just a short 21 mile jaunt (sorry…34 km) on the I-95 and you arrive at the popular shopping mecca of Kittery / Portsmouth on the Maine-New Hampshire border. Follow the coast to the north for about 10 km and you land in Kennebunkport. If that sounds familiar, it might be because the Bush family has a retreat there. Their compound has hosted a number of world leaders though the years, including Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, Vladimir Putin and Nicolas Sarkozy during the presidencies of H.W and W. respectively.

Wells Beach is a popular destination spot, so here it is in all it’s splendor:

On the left, our position on the beach looking southward towards Ogunquit*. Bald Head is the point waaaay off in the distance. This area is lined with vistas, with proper two and three-story chalets overlooking the water, not any hardscrabble, clapboard cottages or nondescript bunkhouses to be found. A large number of the beachgoers spoke French, as evidenced by the succession of Quebec license-plates we passed as we walked along the strip.

*The purple blob pictured above is not to scale

So why Wells, you ask? This first leg was one of the easiest to identify as my father has an aunt and cousins in the area. I recall being here twice before: once when I was barely school age and again in my mid-twenties when we visited Loudon, New Hamphire to see a Nascar race. On the first trip, I have still images in my mind of a car museum (no longer in operation) and mini-golf (we saw a course, but not sure if it was the same one). The second trip stands out for two things:

  • 1) Mom wanted to hit every antique store along the old highway. Usually we had already passed them, so a-backtracking we would go! I’m exaggerating of course, but it seemed like more than a few. I think I may have even bought a diecast model at one, so we were all complicit to a degree.
  • 2) Locks! They lived in a different house back then, but when we had visited Dad’s aunt, her husband had a collection of locks. Old, new, large, tiny, combination, keyed, you name it. This was both eccentric and fascinating, with each show-and-tell explaining the craftmanship, location and practical purpose of various locking mechanisms.

Our visit this time was a short one. We arrived Sunday evening, had dinner at Batson River, conveniently located on Mile Rd leading to the beach. It was a very busy spot with a bit of a wait, but the pizza was quite tasty. On Monday, we spent the majority catching up with family at their home on the outskirts of town. It is a beautiful spot with ample privacy, mature trees and a pool. I also got to visit my first Hannaford’s supermarket for food and libations. They had a pharmacy, so like a moth to a flame, I flew too close and therefore had to inspect their fascia and fixtures, check for product ‘holes’ in the displays and look at foreign packaging of familiar cough and cold products. It was in the front left corner of the store and appeared closed off, with a drop off at one end and pick up at the other. We grabbed some Neosporin off the top shelf directly in front of the dispensary, but didn’t catch anyone within view behind the glass. After cruising the aisles to accidentally find an amazing red blend from California, we headed back for a evening BBQ featuring cheesesteaks and salads.

As a sidenote, watching one of these monsters in action is a treat:

Apparently you can cook anything on a Blackstone. If you have a hankering for omelets or just want to show off your Teppanyaki skills, this is the griddle for you!

One more TripAdvisor review if you’re interested: should you visit Wells, check out the Bitter End restaurant. I can let the website pictures speak for themselves, but if you are looking for an atmosphere that includes dory boats mounted in the yard, a bathroom covered wall-to-wall with pop-culture icons, and a fun cocktail list, you will not be disappointed.

Tuesday, Aug 13 arrived. We had bought breakfast supplies and enjoyed some toasted ham and egg sandwiches to start the morning. We checked out of the AirBnB shortly before 10am and began our next segment of the tour.

Wells (ME) –> Windham (NY)

For those who enjoy following along on real paper maps, like 5-year-old me for instance, I’ll give a quick synopsis of the route.

  • This journey took us further down the I-95, spending about 15 minutes crossing the corner of New Hampshire before entering Massachusetts.
  • Jumped on the 495 at Amesbury to venture southwest across the state. Thankfully, the main highways were mostly free of construction and road rage incidents. I learned fairly quickly that with any decent volume of traffic on the road, adaptive cruise control was not my friend. If we were stuck in the middle of three or four lanes, it was a constant speed up/slow down as cars and SUVs flew by on either side.
  • Next onto the 290 at Marlborough. We passed through Worcester and once we hit Auburn, merged back to a highway with an ‘I’ in front.
  • Other than driving through Springfield, a city of over 150,000 people, the I-90 wasn’t too interesting to drive. It was hilly and forested but the US does do a great job at rest stops; they are never too far apart and provided all the conveniences of gas, snacks, coffee and restroom facilities.
  • We crossed the NY border at Stockbridge and across the Hudson River to begin heading south on the I-87 until we reached Climax, NY (no really 🙂
  • Another 40 minutes west into the mountains and we arrived in Windham, the ‘Gem of the Catskills.’

It was now mid-afternoon and we were ready for a bit of reprieve from the car. It’s also a good time to pause the narrative and invite you back for part 3, where our story takes us to visit family friends, eat some amazing Italian takeout, white-knuckle through New Jersey, and watch tourists scream on the Talon: Grip of Fear!

Stay tuned…

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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Letter To Me

Dear Devin,

The year is 1998. It’s December, and we have just learned that we failed the physiology final midway through second year. We are despondent and openly wonder if pharmacy is the right fit as a career.

Mom and Dad tried to guide us in high school; there was no plan for university other than wanting to stay in a science-related field. Mom’s background is child-development, so she always seemed to know what her kids would do or experience before we did. Dad’s training was in the fields of architecture and environmental design, requiring spatial orientation and extreme precision. Neither knew much about pharmacy other than they had a pleasant family pharmacist and were impressed by his combination of social skills and pharmacology knowledge. Sounded like it could be a viable option.

After 2 years of a chemistry degree, acceptance into the pharmacy program was an enormous source of pride. Eager to learn about a different kind of chemistry, there was another wrinkle to consider: the advent of problem-based learning (PBL). This style of learning is quite self-directed with minimal didactic lectures. Relying on peers to help educate and problem-solve was a dramatic departure from previous university experience. Accreditation for this new program was conditional, so that added to the nerves. As an aural/visual learner, frustrations began to mount with the lack of direction. Building a house without a foundation and having to craft all the pieces from scratch was proving to be a tall order.

Rest assured, we ARE on the right track. Waiting to re-write the exam at the end of the academic year was a struggle, but you’ll earn your pass and shall soon forget how close you came to moving in a different direction.

Pharmacy has been THE perfect fit for you and your personality. The highlights are numerous, but I shall attempt to preview a few of them:

  1. Benefits of Problem-Based Learning – Stay with me here. The method that almost broke our spirit ended up providing valuable tools for your journey. We will earn the ability to work collaboratively as a clinician, vetting good evidence from the poor, and learning how to own therapeutic decisions.
  2. The pharmacy community – From our time in class or tutorial, to our clinical rotations, to our first solo shift behind the counter, to our first medication error, there will be a sense of belonging from countless professors, preceptors, mentors and confidants along the way. As an older and wiser you, I am excited to say that many of your classmates still hold special places in your life 25 years later.
  3. A wealth of opportunity – This doesn’t just refer to roles of employment with escalating responsibility. It also includes contributions to continuing education, advisory/steering committees, regulatory projects, advocacy events with government representatives, and the chance to specialize in special populations or disease states.
  4. Continuing Care – This segment of pharmacy will prove to be one of the most rewarding in our career, both as a facility consultant and later as an operations manager. Working with the frail elderly will provide a rich appreciation of the delicate balance between therapeutic outcomes and quality of life.
  5. Coaching – Watching people grow their skills and thrive along their chosen paths will become our main fount of purpose, streaming with pride. You never know when someone you introduce to the profession of pharmacy will choose it as their own career path.

In addition, there will be a few items that with the benefit of hindsight, are now a source of amusement:

  1. Carbon Paper – It shouldn’t come as any surprise that dot matrix printer ribbons were past their prime from the time we accepted that first pharmacy job. Filling out manual claims on carbon copies and mailing them to insurance plans will seem ridiculous almost immediately. Enjoy the ‘zip-zip’ sounds and the tearing of those perforated strips while you can.
  2. Sleuthing – On occasion we might feel like a big deal when reading a prescription with terrible handwriting for a drug name that hasn’t existed in two decades from an out-of-town doctor who graduated med school in the sixties. It may impress the new interns, but we have to acknowledge just how terribly unsafe many of those orders will be.
  3. Compounding – Taking out the hotplate and magnetic stirrer to melt some soft paraffin is surprisingly satisfying, that is until the the cap is removed from the bottle of LCD that remains to be added. That dark brown liquid with an unmistakable scent lingered like no other. It managed to stain everything and seemed to splash by itself no matter how careful we tried to be. Take home point: always take advantage of our yearly quota of lab-coat purchases!
  4. Errors happen – The goal of perfection is noble, but impossible. Enter each day with the mindset to help as many people as you can safely and conscientiously. We will own our mistakes and do our best to learn from them. Do not allow a singular negative patient experience to detract from hundreds and thousands of positive interactions. Our intention is to help people, and we certainly will.

To sum up, please stick with this gift of a career and keep an open mind about what kind of pharmacist…check that…person you want to be. Be thankful for the journey and the people that make it meaningful. Use your lessons to inspire others to grow within the profession. Stay curious. Stay grounded. We may never fully appreciate the impact we will have but down the road a little ways, those fingerprints will be recognizable.

Can’t wait for you to venture out into young adulthood and make some marks! Best of luck on our chosen path.

Sincerely,

You/Me #stillaworkinprogress

PS – Hashtags (#) will make more sense in about 10-15 years 😉

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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Interactive Reflections

While packing for a holiday recently, I found myself debating two choices of reading material for the plane. One was a pseudo-textbook on sociology. I only say ‘pseudo’ because it essentially contains the highlights of influential works and events through recorded history without going into too much detail. Figuring a sociology book would be way too much science and philosophy to cope with on vacation, I opted for my second selection, Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy (2015) . This was a book by Judd Apatow, esteemed writer/director of such memorable Hollywood films such as “The 40 Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up.”

At least, I thought it was a comedy book.

As it turns out, the actual content was a series of interviews Mr Apatow held with famous comedians dating to his high school days in radio prior to national acclaim. Some of these comedians were not house-hold names in the early ’80’s, and were just getting their start on the club circuit. As the interviewer progressed through the industry, he kept transcripts of these interactions in order to tell a fascinating story. Coming from a broken home, he decided at the age of 15 that he wanted a career in comedy, partly to escape the trauma of real life issues and partly to gain acceptance into the burgeoning comedy fraternity in Long Island.

The interviews have plenty of humorous parts depending on the interviewee. Be it Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, or Adam Sandler, their wry wit is unavoidable, as is their unique view of the world around them. However, the meat of the conversations is delving into the psyche of uber-successful talents. What got them started? What drives them? How do they produce material and be prolific? How do they deal with failure?

The last question there is telling, mainly because that theme is pervasive in almost every interview. The late-night bomb sessions. The hecklers. The sets that get no reaction one way or another. All could have given up at many points, but they managed to overcome to achieve commercial success. The really weird thing to me is how many of them still seek out dive bars with jaded audiences to perform unannounced. The point is to risk failing again whilst working out new material and just ‘playing’. They had reached a point of popularity where they weren’t sure if they were still actually funny, and needed a reality check every once and awhile.

Judd is extremely self-deprecating. He worked hard at his craft, but not with the thought of being the best; he never expected that he could hold a candle to the comics he interviewed, but wanted to feel like he wouldn’t be out of place in the same room with his heroes. In fact, the reason he interviewed Jerry Seinfeld in 1983 was the hope that Jerry would help teach him how to become a comedian.

SO…what does all of this have to do with a pharmacy blog?

Well, as I was reading these stories, it occurred to me that the pharmacy profession has blessed me in so many ways: the opportunities I’ve enjoyed, the projects to which I’ve contributed, and the challenges I’ve tackled have made for a satisfying career thus far. The root of my successes have always been, and will continue to be, my interactions with people. I learn so much about myself by living through others. Speaking with a mother who lost a son to an overdose before the age of 25. Hearing about the sheer joy from a pharmacist colleague when they resolved a life-altering drug-related problem. Having a mentor recount difficult business decisions they had to make early in their careers. A manager friend describes HR missteps and how they learned from them. The technician student describes being fearful of their entry to practice. In all cases, my life experiences are enhanced by those of the people in my life. There is a burning need to reflect and wonder how I would behave myself in similar situations. I often marvel at the behaviour of others and how their instincts seem much more appropriate and effective than mine. What would you do if a customer had a seizure in the front of the store? How would you react if someone falsely accused you of a breach of conduct? What changes would you make when work/life balance is taking a toll on your mental health? If it hasn’t happened yet, then the only way to prepare yourself is to rely on the experience of others.

Like reaching through a mirror, I grab that person in the reflection and put them in unfamiliar circumstances of joy, pain, pride, and failure. I can’t take for granted any of the meaningful interactions I have in my daily life. When someone asks me for advice, or simply wants to catch up, they may not realize they may be helping me a lot more than I am helping them.

 

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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Drive for 5

Where were you on Mar 28, 2013? It was a Thursday. Here on the Atlantic coast, it was overcast with a midday high of 5 degrees Celsius.

A quick skim of notable events occurring in March of 2013 from http://www.onthisday.com may help send you back in time to when we were still mourning the loss of Stompin’ Tom Connors at age 77, and Cyprus was the recipient of a 10 billion Euro bailout deal that allowed their banks to reopen. Mars rover Curiosity found more evidence of water-bearing minerals and tensions were mounting between North and South Korea.

As for me? I was wrapping up a term position in a busy retail pharmacy and unsure what the future may bring.

I also happened to be pushing the publish button in the upper right-hand corner of this page for the very first time.

Every year around this time, I grow nostalgic for the places I have traveled and the people I have met through writing on these pages. I’ve shared a lot of my history, and my thoughts on current events. I’ve tried to celebrate wins big and small, and share experiences that have had profound impacts on me personally and professionally. My passion is as strong now as it ever was- to see my colleagues thrive, and feel in control of their individual contributions to the massive evolution of pharmacy makes me proud.

It’s been quite the journey since the blueprint of pharmacy was developed by the CPhA way back in 2005. I was rereading the portion on ‘The Vision of Pharmacy,’  developed in June 2008, almost 10 years ago. On page 5/16, the first page of the document body features a quote:

The demands on the health care system and the changes in the delivery of health care require pharmacists to focus more attention on patient-centred, outcomes-focused care to optimize the safe and effective use of medications.

I would welcome all pharmacists to reacquaint themselves with the Blueprint. It really was ahead of it’s time in the sense that the pieces we need to succeed were already recognized and outlined then. The five key areas of focus were:

  1. Pharmacy Human Resources
  2. Education and Continuing Professional Development 
  3. Information and Communication Technology
  4. Financial Viability and Sustainability
  5. Legislation, Regulation and Liability

For proper execution, coordinating all of these elements is vital to success. Not all 5 are completely in our control, but I feel we have made significant gains in the first three through advocacy activities and continue to work to align the last two to the needs of the healthcare system. That said, having all of the legislation, education and IT tools in the world won’t have an impact if there are no avenues to pay for these enhancements or the pharmacy teams needed to deliver the new services. Having balanced teams in place without proper training or education programs may lead to unnecessary trial and error causing disruption and uncertainty. Lastly, having excellent, highly-skilled people with robust education can not be effective if government legislation does not allow expanded scope activities. Differences between provinces may cause confusion for practitioners and members of the public.

So on the 5th anniversary of PharmAspire, it’s back to the Blueprint for inspiration and the 5 key strategic actions. Rekindle the conversation with your peers, reflect on those blueprints and how far we’ve come and how the environment has changed. There is still plenty of work to do, but we’re ready.

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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That’s No Exaggeration

Every time. All the time. Never.

How often to we utter words like this in our everyday speech? Just how large was that fish you caught? How high were the snowbanks in your driveway after the storm? How long was the lineup at the theatre on opening night?

Although I’d be remiss to criticize our neighbours to the south, their choice of president certainly provides ample fodder for pointed criticism. According to Mr. Trump, everything he touches is the most successful, tremendous, the greatest, and the best. These are ambitious goals that we all wish for ourselves, however understanding our imperfections are the key to continuous improvement. Case in point, most folks would not dare make a quote such as this:

“My IQ is one of the highest — and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure; it’s not your fault.” – CBS News report

In pharmacy, we exaggerate quite a bit when blowing off steam or emphasizing a point. No, not EVERY patient on a benzodiazepine accidentally dumps their prescription down the sink and needs a fill seven days early.

Unfortunately, that kind of rhetoric in the dispensary, or business in general makes it difficult to make educated decisions. Defining the frequency and severity of an event (or competing events) will determine our priorities for quality improvement. If a change in process affects every single transaction at the cash register, it may carry more weight than a computer setting that only affects new prescription processing 50% of the time. The same logic applies to the prevention of errors; sometimes we introduce steps on all workflows in an attempt to prevent a very small overall incidence of error. The intentions are always towards enhancing safety, but occasionally, the extra steps and extra stress to complete the process actually leads to an increase in errors. Finding that balance is very difficult, as a 3-step process with gaps can become an 8-step process if different mistakes happen. Now there are 8 steps to remember and track, and training is somewhat more arduous. If the original 3 steps were considered major checkpoints, the chances that mistakes could be made on one of those goes up significantly with every added step.

Personally, I do try to stop myself before using language that overreaches the point I’m trying to make. In this regard, I fail regularly. My love for analytics makes it imperative that only the best data and evidence be used to identify and solve problems. If it takes a stopwatch to measure time, or an engineer to develop a model, or raw numbers on a spreadsheet crunched in myriad ways, we need to use any and all tools available to us. The best way to plan can’t rely on gut instinct alone.

So the next time it feels like you NEVER seem to catch that green light, or that a drug plan ALWAYS gives you billing issues, I challenge you to attempt a quick measure. It may really surprise you how much or how little an event actually occurs. Thankfully I’m surrounded by people who have the discipline to remain objective in every project they tackle. I’m always learning new techniques, and strategies to improve.

That’s no exaggeration.

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.