On Tuesday I had an errand to run in West Chester and some spare time, so I decided to take Strasburg Road all the way into town, because for the first time in seemingly ages there are no road closures.
So I took Route 82 to the Triple Fresh Market (spiffy new signs), made a right and just kept going.
There were so many interesting sights along the way that next time I'm going to have somebody else drive so I can just goggle. I crossed the new Mortonville bridge and passed through Mortonville, the former home of Dugal's Inn (only the sign remains) and a long-closed bar on Creek Road that's now completely overgrown with vines. I saw one property where the homeowners apparently got fed up with mowing and replaced their entire lawn with dark-brown stones. A church's sign said it was offering a "backpack blessing" to mark the beginning of the school year. The abandoned brick buildings of the former Embreeville Hospital are boarded up and crumbling.
For once you can drive all the way through Marshallton, though the road improvements still aren't completed. At least I hope they're not, because the rumble strip that's supposed to run down the middle of the road is, instead, right where your driver's side tire is.
I spotted a couple of beautifully maintained old houses, right on the road, and I saw a few historical markers along the way but didn't get out and read them because it was pouring. Next time, definitely.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
How true!
A local gentleman told me that while on vacation, he was offered the chance to take several "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"-type tours, but he declined.
"If I'd wanted to see that," he said, "I'd've stayed home."
"If I'd wanted to see that," he said, "I'd've stayed home."
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Open space
I received a flier urging residents to attend the next meeting of the Newlin Township supervisors, which will be held at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12, in the hall behind the Unionville Post Office. The topic, once again, is the township's proposed purchase of a lot on Stargazers Road adjoining the historic Star Gazer's Stone. The township will buy the lot only if it receives a state grant to do so, and will keep it as open space, but apparently at least one neighbor objects to the idea.
The August meeting at which the controversy was aired drew a packed house; one resident told me he had never seen so many cars in Unionville.
According to Wikipedia, the stone "marks the site of a temporary observatory established in January 1764 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon which they used in their survey of the Mason-Dixon line."
The August meeting at which the controversy was aired drew a packed house; one resident told me he had never seen so many cars in Unionville.
According to Wikipedia, the stone "marks the site of a temporary observatory established in January 1764 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon which they used in their survey of the Mason-Dixon line."
Friday, September 2, 2011
Dollars and nonsense
I serve on the board of a local nonprofit organization, and back in June we had to make some changes to our bank account. The board president and I stopped by a local branch, and our experience could have been a case study of how not to treat customers.
One worker admitted that the bank had changed hands so many times that she wasn't sure of the correct procedure anymore. A boss cheerfully told one of her employees, in our earshot, that she could use us for practice, as she had never performed that specific transaction before. At one point I had to tell an employee how to do a computer search (the software wasn't DOS-based, but it was pretty close).
So far, so bad, but the worst was yet to come: we found out that the bank had never updated its list of authorized check-signers for our account. There were one guy listed who had not been a board member for years. Despite this, our checks were still being cashed.
We left the bank feeling queasy, and several more problems that cropped up over the next few months were the final nails in the coffin.
So the same woman and I returned to the bank to close our account. We had our game plan all ready, but much to our surprise they closed our account with no questions asked and simply handed over a cashier's check. No expressions of regret, no inquiries about why we were closing the account or what they could do to keep us as customers.
Something's wrong when it's much easier and more pleasant to close an account than to open one.
One worker admitted that the bank had changed hands so many times that she wasn't sure of the correct procedure anymore. A boss cheerfully told one of her employees, in our earshot, that she could use us for practice, as she had never performed that specific transaction before. At one point I had to tell an employee how to do a computer search (the software wasn't DOS-based, but it was pretty close).
So far, so bad, but the worst was yet to come: we found out that the bank had never updated its list of authorized check-signers for our account. There were one guy listed who had not been a board member for years. Despite this, our checks were still being cashed.
We left the bank feeling queasy, and several more problems that cropped up over the next few months were the final nails in the coffin.
So the same woman and I returned to the bank to close our account. We had our game plan all ready, but much to our surprise they closed our account with no questions asked and simply handed over a cashier's check. No expressions of regret, no inquiries about why we were closing the account or what they could do to keep us as customers.
Something's wrong when it's much easier and more pleasant to close an account than to open one.
Immoderate rain and waters
Saturday morning, pre-Irene, a friend was telling me about a lecture she's organizing on Civil War surgery, complete with a demonstration. From there we started talking about how risky childbirth was back then, and how common it was for both the baby and the mother to die.
At that point I realized that in comparison to what our ancestors went through on a daily basis, the lengthy power outage that was almost certain to start that evening would be a painless and very minor hassle. And I vowed to remain cheerful throughout.
I think I did -- but only thanks to some awesome friends and neighbors who let me use their showers, e-mail access and electrical outlets and kept me wonderfully amused.
Herewith, some anecdotes.
At that point I realized that in comparison to what our ancestors went through on a daily basis, the lengthy power outage that was almost certain to start that evening would be a painless and very minor hassle. And I vowed to remain cheerful throughout.
I think I did -- but only thanks to some awesome friends and neighbors who let me use their showers, e-mail access and electrical outlets and kept me wonderfully amused.
Herewith, some anecdotes.
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