Low profile day. Spent most of it reading. When I wasn't, I was playing with this site: http://www.vpike.com/. Type in an address and see what you get. Found the old family home in Everett, Pa., but the closest I could come to The Bare Wall was the 300 block of Forster or North at Second . . .

Temps hardly made it out of the teens today; no wonder everyone hunkered down inside . . . We have lots of new greeting cards of all types, new boxed cards and a new cookbook, One-Pot French . . . Realized too late that I mis-located Clonmacnoise in yesterday's post (since corrected); hope no one got his "Irish" up . . . Lee Spitalny blessed us with a huge bag of "cozy" mysteries--enough to keep us cozy until Spring. Our thanks . . .

Mary Ann Furendi and Rick May are back from a five-day "pub-crawl" in Ireland. After stops in Dublin to see Trinity College and the Book of Kells they moved on to Clonmacnoise in County Offaly. ("It was suitable gray," Mary Ann said.) Most of the time was spent on the west coast in County Clare with visits to the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren. They sampled and enjoyed the local cuisine and especially the "brew." Both agreed that Guinness really does taste better in Erin. Most enjoyable were the musical "sessions" that pop up in pubs unexpectedly. Being there on the off season, the couple and their travel companions got excellent treatment at their b&b . . . If anyone wants to keep up with Irish events, tune in to "The News at One" weekdays at http://www.rte.ie/news/news1pm/ . . . (You can listen anytime.) . . .

Blustery, cold and lonely. So many friends (Steve Patton, Victoria Zellers, Mike Billo, Jon Carfagno) are busy with their gardening in Facebook Farmville that Bob and I are feeling neglected. How many more of you are similarly employed? . . . Compiled statistics for our 2009 card sales today and discovered we sold 13 fewer cards than the year before. This saddens me primarily because the formality of well-wishing via the post is fast disappearing. E-mails and texting have taken place of that. So impersonal . . . Remember the days when greeting cards were proudly displayed on the fireplace mantel or the office desk? Can't do that with cyber greetings. Our Christmas cards were always mounted on a ribbon around the archway between the living and dining rooms while other families had those wire brackets shaped like wreaths or trees with clips for the cards. Bob collects our greetings in a wicker basket that is put out for all to rummage through. It is part of the joy of the season . . . People say they text or e-mail because cards and postage are too expensive but it is really convenience that is the selling point; we don't go out of our way for friends like we used to. (I will admit however that when The Bare Wall opened 38 years ago a 50-cent card was a major extravagance.) . . . Many people still take the time to pen a "thank you" (Bob is a stickler for this) and thankfully most refrain from texting their condolences. I find those "sign the on-line guest book" in some newspaper obituaries downright "creepy." . . .

I AM COLD and no amount of heat or clothing seems to help. Not ill, just cold . . . Have now sold all of my recycled jigsaw puzzles. Guess I should stop reading and start puzzling . . . Bob is selling the last of our chocolate mints for $10 per box. (Ronn is still charging $12 so be forewarned.) . . . JJ declared tonight that the store is "doity" so he armed himself with Windex and made Uncle Bob help clean all the glass cases . . .

Another quiet day. Where is everyone? . . . Ordered greeting cards (our shelves are almost empty) while Bob read another of his mysteries. Everyone seems to be filling his hours with a book these days . . . The rumor that our new mayor might consider a 100% increase in property taxes and 20% increases for water and trash have we old folks wondering if it isn't time to leave the burg. Such levies would be beyond our capabilities while on fixed incomes . . . And greetings to Peter Bower's friends in New Mexico. Former residents, I hear they check in here every so often to see what is happening. Wonder what taxes are like in Santa Fe? . . . The river is predicted to flood tonight or tomorrow so our thoughts are with our Shipoke friends. To see what is coming our way you can check the Sunbury Susquehanna River cam during daylight hours. The link is http://kenguide.camstreams.com/ . . .

A really wicked ten-block trip to the doctor's office this morning to give a blood sample. The city was being terrorized by high winds and torrential rains. The 1700 block of Front Street was barely passable with water more than halfway up the tires. Shrill sirens could be heard all around as trees came down and storm drains clogged. A small stone bridge collapsed somewhere out on the hill . . . didn't have a single customer today and who could blame them for not venturing out . . . New evidence has surfaced and the cold-case mystery is solved. We now know what happened to that donut that JJ was going to bring me from the Farm Show . . .

Spent much of this watery day preparing tax info for our accountant Rick Miller and watching football. Bob did laundry and made us barbecue . . . The Freedom to Marry group is looking for additional volunteers for "Meet the Legislators" Day on Feb. 8. This event will be followed by a parade down State and Front Streets for a rally at the county courthouse. Persons interested in this event can go to the website http://freedomtomarrypa.org/. Those wishing to volunteer can e-mail BoltonKWinpenny@Comcast.net for more details . . .

Slow day but those who came made off with lots of bargains. Keep up the good work . . .

Our friend Jack Brandt blessed us with a Mensa Crosswords book for the holiday and Bob and I have been sharing one puzzle each day--two heads are better than one. There are unfamiliar words on occasion but generally the definition, while legit, is phrased to deceive rather than illuminate. Bob Coldren comes by each afternoon to assist--three heads are better than two--and when all seems impossible we can usually count on "Mr. Google" . . . My Woolrich noir novel Rendezvous in Black is a gem; I'm two-thirds the way through. Highly recommended . . . Alarmed a few people yesterday by extolling JJ's expertise with the computer; didn't mean to imply that he had unlimited access to everything on the Internet with no supervision. He has his favorites; have learned that kids his age love repetition--they can enjoy the same activities over and over . . . Must I take another trip with Kipper to Candy Mountain? . . .

A somewhat disappointing day with only two customers. Yesterday was wild by comparison as everyone was celebrating Bob's birthday . . . Started a new Cornell Woolrich novel (best known, I suppose, for Rear Window, thanks to Hitchcock, Stewart, Kelly, Ritter and Burr). If you are cleaning out your bookshelves and plan to discard any Woolrich titles by all means send them my way . . . Godson JJ, the not-yet-four computer Wiz, was back at the keyboard last night. He has his own folders on the desktop and we're trying to teach him not to nose into other people's files. I have visions of all the store data suddenly becoming a victim of the "delete" button . . . JJ has also discovered the delights of the digital camera. And he is pretty good at it having been more or less "self-taught" by observation . . . Give the kids a button to push and they will re-program everything. Our telephone, radio, TV and short wave set have already felt the touch of inquisitive fingers . . . You hold your breath when JJ says "I can do it" at the computer and then gape in surprise when he can . . .

Our thanks to all of you who helped celebrate Bob's 70th birthday with your cards, e-mails, telephone calls, balloons, goodies and gifts. He was far less gloomy than he usually is on this day and to celebrate he went to the Bon-Ton for their "senior citizens" sale (but didn't buy anything). JJ and I helped ourselves to cupcakes . . . People have been betting on which eatery might be the next to exit Restaurant Row. Well, none has closed yet, but today The Quarter went up for sale. Asking price $2.2 million I am told . . .

Nice visit from Joe Kershner of York who shares his birthday with Bob tomorrow. Any of you who know Joe can send your greetings to his Facebook page. Bob turns 70 and is in a funk about it, so send him an e-mail (address at left). It won't boost his spirits a whole lot; he has hated this day ever since I have known him, though he delights in telling people that every four years they throw a huge parade for him in Washington, D.C. (Presidential inauguration day.) . . . the store is getting some sense of order now that the merchandise stacked for inventory is back on the shelves. Still some bargains to be had, however . . .

Feeling ache-y, probably from inactivity. Puzzle finished, more Christmas decor assigned to attic and basement. My little tree is still up, but since it is green and gold I figure I have until St. Patrick's Day to make it disappear . . . We shortened our hours for the holiday; it was quiet financially with just some brief visits by neighbors . . . Small fire in a room above the St. Moritz about 8:30 a.m. was extinguished quickly but am told there was water damage to the establishment. (I missed the event altogether.) Matt Simmons provided the picture (click to enlarge) . . . CAN will hold a general membership meeting tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in St. Michael's Lutheran Church on State Street. Hopefully someone will ask about the rogue dog-owner roaming the area . . .

Very quiet lazy day. Breakfast with our visitors, catnaps and football, gift exchange and coffee with Ernie Kepner early evening . . . Remember our Monday holiday hours are noon until 5 p.m. . . .

Bob being treated to a pre-birthday dinner by friends Dan and Jon from Fulton County tonight. At Dodge City, of course . . . And happy birthday to Syd Summerhill who is also being treated to a dinner out . . . Cameras are at the ready to catch the person with the dog that has been defiling sidewalks in the Green and Briggs Streets area; hear there are also numerous messes on Susquehanna and North Streets as well. The fine for the disgusting practice of not cleaning up is pretty hefty and I hope someone spots the offender soon. Just watch where you step if you are in this neighborhood after dark . . . I don't believe that I am as good at jigsaw puzzles as I once was; am currently struggling with a snow scene that should be going faster. "Don't cry, Uncle Ronn. I will help," JJ told me yesterday. Well, to be honest, we didn't get a whole lot further along but I will say that he gave it a nice try for a four-year-old. It is heart-warming to know you have a buddy when adversity strikes . . .

Tomorrow, Saturday, is a "bad air quality" day. Stay inside--unless you are planning to shop at The Bare Wall, of course . . . Those planning events for 2010 at Broad Street Market are looking for volunteers to lend a hand. Persons interested can attend a meeting Feb. 4 from 6-7 p.m. in the Stone Building . . . Come see us during Monday's holiday but not before noon. Thought we would relax with a second cup of coffee and surf the web a bit . . .

The sun and warmer weather brought out the bargain hunters today. Think they were very pleased with their "finds." Happy to say that the inventory is now completed and there are even more mark-downs to tempt you . . . Went to the bank for a little borrowing (I was one of those given 'greetings' by the bank that holds my credit card--major interest rate hike) and was sad to see that Robert's Flowers on Second Street is now an empty storefront . . . those responsible for PrideFest want everyone to know that they have a new website: http://www.prideofcentralpa.org/ . . . The Bare Wall will not be participating in "Third Friday" festivities while the evenings are still dark. We may reconsider once Daylight Savings Time rolls around . . . Don't understand the mayor's reluctance to tell us the salaries of her newly-appointed staff; this does not bode well for her future administrative endeavors or the city's well-being. But never fear, we are told, "all will be revealed" on January 26 . . . let us hope that Dan Miller is looking out for our interests . . .

Thought I saw the sun this morning. I was mistaken . . . Caught some of the sheep-to-shawl contest from the Farm Show on PCN this afternoon. Always find it fascinating. Wanted to be a weaver for a few hours back in the '60s. Did about four inches of a narrow belt before I changed my mind. But like almost everyone at the time I did finish a pot holder with those 'noodles' you stretched on a metal square . . . Spent a pleasant afternoon at the Mannings Weaving Barn near East Berlin back then. If it is anything today like it was I certainly recommend it . . . The Farm Show festivities are almost at an end (sob) but I definitely plan to miss the Tractor Square Dance . . .

Post 201 . . . Thanks to Victoria Zellers for the nice sack of Wilbur Buds. Yummy . . . Thanks to Yvonne and Wes Brown for the before-the-freeze oranges from Florida. Haven't had one yet, but Bob says they are wonderful . . . Thanks to Ginger for the donuts; ditto to Sarah and JJ. Of course, JJ had to help me eat some . . . Computer acting crazy so I hope this post makes it into cyberspace. Don't know much about machinery . . . might also mention that the new dishwasher is doing its thing. The capacity is large enough to swallow every dish I own. Still getting used to the gurgles it makes . . . Mentioned some days ago that Ty Cowell has "gone professional" now that he has retired to Florida. This picture of Ty at work appeared (without description) on Facebook today . . . Have often mentioned my fascination with streaming cams. Always thought some smart restaurateurs on Second Street should latch onto this fad and show us what is happening in downtown Harrisburg . . . this pleasant street in a Glasgow suburb is listed among the top twenty-five cam sites worldwide. I check in frequently. Always something going on no matter what the time of day or night. Even has audio so you can listen to the traffic! How can you live without it? . . . http://nairb1.camstreams.com/ . . .

Thanks to all who responded to yesterday's post . . . Bob Coldren reminded me that I forgot to report that a man with a brick tried to smash his way through the door at One Stop Saturday night. He was caught on camera and apprehended . . . The vandalism on North Street was to Don and Bryon's elegant holiday display in the 200 block; the thief or thieves made off with one of the artificial Christmas trees but lost the bottom half en route. The top half with clear and purple lights is missing, and Bryon suspects it is in a garbage can or someone's back yard in the area. If found, it can be left at The Bare Wall if no one is at home . . . The broken window was at the Optemetric Association I was informed by Kathy MacNett . . . Most of us are aware of the ongoing vandalism to the sign on the stoop of Dan Miller's offices which began in July. The repaired sign was vandalized again in November, but Dan reports that the new installation under protective covering has not been tampered with to date . . . John Wesley reports there was a theft at St. Michael's on State Street Dec. 26 while the church was open for services. Someone took money from a tin collection box and helped himself to blankets intended for the needy. A police report was filed . . . I hope everyone will file a report when any such event, no matter how trivial, occurs. New personnel at City Hall should know of and react to all such complaints . . .

CAN AREA NEIGHBORS, READ THIS: When someone attempted to rip the wreath from our courtyard gate a few weeks ago I thought it an isolated incident. Not so. Now that I have been out and about I have learned that our neighborhood is beseiged with vandals and would-be burglars. There was a major incident of vandalism on North Street just last night, so the culprit(s) is still at work. I have been told that St. Pat's Cathedral was entered just a short while back but what theft, if any, was not learned by my informant. There have been several attempted break-ins on North Street recently with grated basement windows the choice of entry. (At least one window was broken.) It is important that everyone in the neighborhood make certain his cellar cannot be entered in this fashion. I would appreciate knowing of other incidents so I can pass them on; apparently this is more serious that I had imagined. (e-mail address at left.) . . . If you had been wondering about Zephyr Express, it has been learned that the restaurant and apartment building next door are now for sale. We can thank Angela Lawson for this link:
http://www.loopnet.com/property/16508518/231-237-North-Street/ . . . I have had time to explore my favorite streaming web cam sites, and I can report that it is snowing everywhere--well, almost. In Florida it is so cold that Pam Cowell's Christmas cactus even burst into bloom . . .

Cold, cold, cold. Time to stay inside and do a jigsaw puzzle. We have filled the front window with them and I have one in progress myself . . . Didn't sell as many decks of playing cards this Christmas as we usually do. Has bridge lost its fascination momentarily? Have lived through several cycles if its popularity in our 38 years . . . Farm Show is in progress. Neither Bob nor I have been there for years, but we watch a lot of the events on PCN. Come to think of it, JJ didn't bring me the donuts I was promised. Bet he ate them all before he got to the car . . .

Last night's big game was a disappointment. The loss of the Texas quarterback early on took away all the fizz. I fell asleep in the third quarter and didn't learn the outcome until this morning . . . Retired teacher Jack Brandt finds retirement boring so he is headed back to college (HAAC) to study Spanish. How do you say "good luck" in Spanish? Judy Robinson would know; she tutors students in the language . . . Made an effort to clean my computer keyboard this afternoon. If you know an easy way to do this, I hope you will share with the rest of us. The monitor screen isn't as bad as it used to be. Bob would ask what all the little "dots" were all over it and I had to admit that I didn't know. We eventually realized they were JJ's fingerprints as he pointed to icons, etc. Now that he uses the mouse the prints have all but disappeared . . . Bob finished storing our Christmas decorations at the house. The place always looks so bare for a few weeks after the holidays . . . Bob turns 70 on January 20th. The closer the date the more depressed he becomes. It happens every birthday. We originally considered a big party but that has been scuttled and Bob plans to hibernate. Perhaps that is not such a bad idea considering the weather . . .

A slight break in the freeze--it got above 32 degrees for a few seconds today . . . Robert Murrary reports that the asking price for his house at 810 Green has been reduced to $164,900 . . . We tried the new dishwasher last night and it will take some getting used to. It is one of those energy efficient gadgets that uses less water but takes almost two hours to complete the cycle; seems to me that means more electricity, but who am I to judge. Anyway, it runs so quietly that we weren't sure it was running at all most of the time. In the end Bob proclaimed the dishes cleaner than they had been in years. I hope he wasn't just trying to justify the expense. Think I will read thru the manual again. I rather liked the old days when the machine chugged and rattled and was finished in half an hour . . .

Continued cold with only three visitors. Can't blame you for not coming although the bargains are piling up. Am doing all the "easy" inventory first, so I appear to be making gigantic strides when, in truth, there is a great deal more to do--the hard parts, so to speak . . . Received an e-mail from Bolton Winpenny outlining plans for Freedom to Marry Week in Pennsylvania. Events run from January 30th till February 16th and I was quite impressed with the scope of the activities. A number of them happen right in our neighborhood. The list is extensive and I will mention the local ones as they occur but that will only scratch the surface. You can find a complete rundown at http://freedomtomarrypa.org/. This is by far the largest event of its kind in recent memory . . .

Brrrrrrrr . . . Tom Leonard was our only customer today and a quick walk to the bank told me why. I can't imagine anyone out for a stroll And it is to get worse we are told . . . This is my 194th post on this site--we started back in June--and apparently quite a number visit this log often. I must also assume that none of us is very observant. Got an e-mail today asking "Where are you located?" Somehow I had forgotten to post the address and no one brought that to my attention until today. Thanks, Tracey . . . The day before Christmas was our busiest of the year and with Mark heading for Texas it was just Bob and me to manage. We have to thank (belatedly, I admit) our neighbors Amy and Doug Hill who took pity on us and came bearing newly-made chowder and bread for a quick lunch. Delicious and much appreciated . . . Everyone asks how our season was this year. Happy to report that it was better than last, but to be perfectly candid, the year was our worst since 1974 . . . Between holidays spent a delightful evening with the newlyweds Eric and Joanne and with Rick and Mary Ann Furedi-May. Rick and Mary Ann gave the rest of us shivers as they recounted their research days in the Florida swamps with alligators nipping at their ankles . . . Floridians Pam and Ty Cowell had a nice old-fashioned Christmas tree loaded with Bare Wall ornaments. No palm for them: "It's a fake fir," Pam said . . .

Cold and blustery; I do not function well in weather like this . . . Happy New Year to all our readers . . . It is that time of year when all my friends desert me; no one wants to get roped into taking inventory, particularly in a store like The Bare Wall where merchandise is scattered round several rooms. But I am piling up the bargains, so drop by as soon as the weather permits . . . Bob spent the day packing up the store holiday decor. But we are leaving the tree until last--all the ornaments are on sale . . .

Have spent the last few days OD-ing on football games. (Most of my teams lost.) . . . Bob and I can remember when the bands were a big part of the show. Today we get a lot of know-it-all talking heads at half-time and just a peak at the bands, if that . . . but then, the bands don't perform like they used to. Can you remember the unique formations they would come up with? Bicycles with rotating wheels, airplanes that flew down the field, tilting pots that filled teacups. I guess the only remaining eye-catcher is the "script Ohio" that Ohio State still performs. Texas did the big moving "block T" but I haven't seen that for a long while . . . Our high school band did similar but less complicated formations for games back in the '50s. We were eager to outdo the other band which was just as intent on out-doing us (and none of us had "band camp" back then) . . . I guess music teachers today are not as accomplished as ours were. Bob and I have seen bands at high school games on PCN and the performances on the field are chaotic . . . sad that such a wonderful tradition has been lost. I don't think our young musicians are being given a proper opportunity to strut their stuff. It diminishes the pride and respect that our bandsmen once enjoyed . . .