My presence was requested for some business purposes last week in Conshohocken, so I drove in on the 30 bypass, Route 202 and the Expressway (no traffic lights all the way from Coatesville to Conshy!). It's only a 45-minute trip from Unionville, but I felt like I was in an exotic foreign country, in a fancy office building with revolving doors, elevators and an extremely polite doorman. The inhabitants wore natty business suits and polished shoes; one sported not only cufflinks, but bull-and-bear cufflinks!
And they definitely spoke a foreign language, with phrases like "closed-end bonds" and "universe comparison" and (my favorite) "zombie banks." My wonderful financial advisor dude was very patient with me, but I was definitely pushing the limits of "there's no such thing as a stupid question."
But I had a great time -- it's novel to be in an environment where Wellies, gym socks and grubby fingernails would be out of place. I stretched my mind, learned a few things about investments and even left with a pair of Phillies tickets. With reserved parking!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Rebuilding bridges
The iron-truss bridge on Allerton Road, crossing the east branch of the Brandywine Creek, has been closed since May 17 for repairs and repaving. The work was supposed to take only a month, but I stopped by to check on June 15 and I don't think it'll be ready on schedule. According to East Bradford Township's website, Jefferis Bridge is owned and maintained by Chester County and was originally a covered bridge but burned down in the early 1900s.
(By the way, I love Allerton Road: it's fun to drive and there are beautiful farms and a charming fairy-tale cottage set in the woods.)
The same evening, I stopped by the Northbrook bridge over the Brandywine, and I didn't realize the project was so extensive. The workers have installed low concrete curbs and have filled in the metal grating on the deck of the bridge. They've completely removed the steep north approach to the bridge and are rebuilding it from the ground up (see photo). I predict there is no way they will meet their June deadline.
(By the way, I love Allerton Road: it's fun to drive and there are beautiful farms and a charming fairy-tale cottage set in the woods.)
Wisdom from 1930
"Why a man, because he has millions, should assume that they confer omniscience in all branches of knowledge is something which may be left to the psychologist to answer, but most of those thrown much in contact with millionaires will agree that an attitude of infallibility is typical of a fair majority. ... He seems to think that because he can pay for anything he fancies, he is accredited expert as well as potential owner."
(Emily Post, "Etiquette," 1930)
(Emily Post, "Etiquette," 1930)
Name that stream!
Here's your chance! The Newlin Township supervisors are soliciting names for 13 currently nameless streams in the township. Send suggestions to the township office at info@newlintownship.org. Members of the stream-naming committee are Supervisor Bill Kelsall, Lindsay Scott, Janet Sidewater, Bill Steuteville and Harriet Tupitza.
Among other suggestions, the supervisors recommend that stream namers "use imaginative, distinctive names suggested by local history, folklore, topography, natural life." Alas, you're not allowed to name a stream after a living person or even to honor a recently deceased person.
A map showing the innominate streams is available in the May issue of the "Newlin News": http://mysite.verizon.net/bullaughey/NewlinNews/2011-05.pdf
The new names will be announced at the end of the summer.
Among other suggestions, the supervisors recommend that stream namers "use imaginative, distinctive names suggested by local history, folklore, topography, natural life." Alas, you're not allowed to name a stream after a living person or even to honor a recently deceased person.
A map showing the innominate streams is available in the May issue of the "Newlin News": http://mysite.verizon.net/bullaughey/NewlinNews/2011-05.pdf
The new names will be announced at the end of the summer.
Sign of the times
Along with the wonderful absence of stink bugs, I've noticed that the walnuts are falling off the big tree next to my house, very prematurely. Usually they start dropping at the end of the summer, but smaller, sticky ones, the size of ping-pong balls rather than racquetballs, have been banging down on the roof and the deck for the past few weeks. I'm not sure if this reflects the weather conditions of the past month or season or is an indicator of future weather, in a "Farmer's Almanac" sort of way.
The orange daylilies along the roadsides are starting to bloom, and I think the wild thistles are especially pretty this year. Their flowers are like a cloud of lavender atop the fields; the leaves, of course, are another story.
The orange daylilies along the roadsides are starting to bloom, and I think the wild thistles are especially pretty this year. Their flowers are like a cloud of lavender atop the fields; the leaves, of course, are another story.
Mustang
Who knew?
The Ford Mustang was named not after the wild horse, but after the P-51 bomber, the World War II fighter aircraft. This despite the presence of the famous galloping horse logo on the car's grille!
My pal Susan has developed a fascination with the P-51 after seeing -- and hearing -- it at the New Garden Air Show and passed this tidbit along to Tilda.
Susan also suggested a plug for http://www.fullerfillies.com/, a UK-based company that sells clothes for riders who aren't 12-year-old girls built like praying mantises. Says their website: "With ladies the world over increasing in size year on year, it is staggering to conceive, but Fuller Fillies is the world's only fully-coordinated Collection dedicated to lady riders between sizes 16 – 24 (14-22 in the USA)." (Of course, gentlemen can wear some of their plus-sized togs, too.)
The Ford Mustang was named not after the wild horse, but after the P-51 bomber, the World War II fighter aircraft. This despite the presence of the famous galloping horse logo on the car's grille!
Susan also suggested a plug for http://www.fullerfillies.com/, a UK-based company that sells clothes for riders who aren't 12-year-old girls built like praying mantises. Says their website: "With ladies the world over increasing in size year on year, it is staggering to conceive, but Fuller Fillies is the world's only fully-coordinated Collection dedicated to lady riders between sizes 16 – 24 (14-22 in the USA)." (Of course, gentlemen can wear some of their plus-sized togs, too.)
A little change
I'm a loyal Giant shopper, and about a month ago I noticed that a new peacock-ish logo had appeared on their store-brand products. I was pleased to see that there wasn't a huge splashy expensive PR campaign in place to inform shoppers about the new logo, as usually companies make a big deal out of something like this that we consumers really don't care much about. Good for the Carlisle-based grocery chain!
Here's the old logo and the new. And please don't give me grief about buying plastic bottles; I re-use them.
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