It’s been one of those weeks for the Insider. The heat kept the old guy inside all day on Monday. Feeling a bit guilty about being a hermit, Insider went outside first thing Tuesday morning (11 a.m.), only to turn around immediately after getting hit with a wall of hot and humid air. All the… Read more »

When Insider was young, the preferred place to go was the local pond, at least that what it was called around the neighborhood. The ocean was too far. Pools were unheard of except for the ridiculously rich. There was a lake but only the bravest dared try their luck in there. While Insider’s siblings would… Read more »

The old guy hates funerals and almost never attends them, but he made an exception last week with the passing of a dear friend named Kitty. Like most old-timers, Kitty said it like she saw it. She had no problem saying what she wanted when she wanted and how she wanted. Sure, it ruffled some… Read more »

Insider’s sweet tooth has been getting the best of him of late, and it’s all due to this little place outside Berlin called Chesapeake Bay Farm, home to some of the best cheese and ice cream on the planet. You can’t go wrong with any of the cheeses, and the old guy recommends the chocolate… Read more »

Emotions almost never get the best of the old guy, but this time last year it happened. Insider had noticed a certain Cardinal hard at work building a nest directly out his back door tucked neatly within a large bush. The bird was working hard bringing back branches and leaves to build a nice comfortable… Read more »

Insider is considering busting out of retirement and entering the job market, part-time albeit. For years, the old guy has admired one particular job. It’s got to be the most satisfying. That’s the job of the guy who delivers the flowers to patients in the hospitals and nursing homes and the bouquets of love to… Read more »

Insider was looking through this paper the other day and came across a lot of stuff he had questions about, including something he had never seen before – a Dean’s List for a college somewhere not around here featuring a student who was from here at some point. Who is this Dean guy and why is… Read more »

The old guy is a homeowner and has been since the 1970s. The last time Insider rented he was a teen-ager living in Baltimore. The old guy and a buddy rented a rowhouse in the Hampden area after graduating from high school and before entering the Navy. It was on what is called “The Avenue”… Read more »

Insider tried to watch a professional basketball game the other night and just could not bring himself to get into it. The old guy likes basketball. Always has enjoyed watching it, particularly the college variety. The professional game is just boring. It’s as if the guys are too good for their own good. They easily… Read more »

We are being flooded with fund-raising events for worthwhile causes. Too often these are staged by professional fund raisers who take their cut and whatever is left over goes to the titled charity. A lot of people earn a good living in the name of charity, sometimes too good. We’re asked to walk, jog, golf,… Read more »