The Terrible Catsafterme

If I were ever to achieve the office of the President (which most likely isn’t going to be happening), I’m not sure if I’d rather be thought of as one of the most unknown U.S. Presidents, or one of the worst U.S. Presidents. Franklin Pierce has somehow managed to achieve both. Despite his messy haircut and the fact that he wasn’t even considered a candidate for the Presidency during the election of 1852, he was elected to the highest office in the land and remained so for one term from 1853-1857. A Northerner with Southern sympathies, our 14th President entered the Presidency a thoroughly sad and depressed man, after losing his only surviving child during a train accident weeks after he was elected President. Obviously this disturbing event was enough to take Pierce’s mind off his job running the nation. Pierce was eventually abandoned by his own party and wasn’t nominated by the Democratic Party to run in the next election. Read the rest of this entry »

It was a rainy day in Berlin, Germany on Thursday, October 4, 2013, and we were there to enjoy it to the fullest. Mom & Bob, Diana & Tom, Bryan & Erine, and I continued our trek-on-foot through the historic industrial city. As it was now 1pm and we had finished up at Potsdamer Platz without finding anything to eat, the first order of the afternoon was to nourish ourselves. It didn’t take us long at all to find a perfectly acceptable cafe with the unlikely name of Eleven. Diana & Tom treated us to lunch and I had the tasty Spaghetti Carbonara. There was also a bit of drama going on as one of the customers wiped dog poop from their shoes to the entrance mat and was called out on it in German. Eeps! Read the rest of this entry »

When I think of the stereotypical image of New England – the fall leaves, the bright green grass, the serene neighborhoods, the flowing maple syrup – I think of the upper three states: Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. I had never been to any of these so I was quite anxious to get into them. On the other hand, the stereotype of New York is the hustle and bustle of Times Square, which the northern part of New York is really nothing like. On Thursday, July 12, 2012, I got to travel from one area to the other and experience the seamless transition between the states. Of course, this was no simple afternoon drive; it was all part of the quest that my friend Bob and I were on as we wove our way through the New England area. Read the rest of this entry »

You probably only know him as the only President with mutton chops, but those interested in Presidential history would know him as the Vice-President who assumed the office after the untimely death of President James Garfield after he was assassinated. As far as Presidential rankings, he doesn’t exactly wallow at the bottom, but his time in office as the 21st President from 1881-1885 doesn’t appraoch the top tier either. Strongly distrusted when he entered office, he was at least able to overcome the skepticism and performed adequately as he saw the nation through a rather quiet post-Civil War era that was earmarked by civil service reform, strong growth of the Navy, and more favorable treatment of the Indians. Read the rest of this entry »

I had trouble convincing everyone in my family to go to Berlin. Part of the problem was a pesky travel agent who told my Mom and Diana that there was no reason to go there, that only the southern portions of the country were scenic. I knew that it wasn’t going to ‘beautiful’ there, but still was desperate to make the trip (having arrived too late in Germany when I visited in 2008 to see Berlin with the Wileys). Basically, the bulk of what was on my bucket list could be found in Berlin. Admittedly, this had more to do with American history – or at least things that Americans had been involved with. Thankfully, eventually I was able to sway everyone into making the trip, even if it wasn’t scenic and it was roughly six or seven hours away from our home base in Trippstadt. By the time it was over, I think everyone concurred that it was a most important city to tour. Read the rest of this entry »