Page 1 of Dave Potchak's writing

1. Hitchin’ a Ride, Hitchin’ a Ride “A thumb goes up, a car goes by Oh, won't somebody stop and help a guy? Hitchin' a ride, hitchin' a ride…” ( Vanity Fair, 1970) “Some stories might be better left untold” is a rough quote of an old... (posted by Dave Potchak 309 days 21 hours ago.)

2. Double Payback Time – A Generation Later For nearly 30 years our family has been rehashing an incident that took place during my daughter Amy’s kindergarten year in school. All families have similar stories and ours is not unique in any way except that her innocent comments as a... (posted by Dave Potchak 318 days 13 hours ago.)

3. Here's to You, Mrs. Openheimer Here's to You, Mrs. Openheimer Without a doubt, I owe much about my character and how I act today to Mrs. Openheimer, who lived in my home town of Beaverdale, PA. Please don’t bother trying to do a genealogy hunt for her because I’m... (posted by Dave Potchak 343 days 21 hours ago.)

4. Shocking New Research Involving Marital Bliss The last thing a married person needs in life is to read more clichés concerning the differences between males and females. We’ve heard them before. Men are from different planets; they use their brains rarely, if at all; and at times... (posted by Dave Potchak 364 days 22 hours ago.)

5. Anastasia - Life Goes Full Circle According to the old writing in an even older family Bible, Anastasia Makar was born at the turn of the twentieth century in Eastern Europe. The cursive patchy notes were written with a fountain pen, dipped in ink from an old-fashioned bottle.... (posted by Dave Potchak 1 year 49 days ago.)

6. Where Have All the Normal People Gone? Take a good look at the people around you, anytime, anyplace. Include those that make the news, your neighbors, your friends, and those you may not care for. Include those you see at Wal-Mart and include your family too – yes, especially... (posted by Dave Potchak 1 year 61 days ago.)

7. My Encounter with a Mean Mother Mallard With so little light in the morning sky, I really shouldn’t have been jogging down our lane. I could barely see the rocks and potholes in my path, but knew the street lights in town would give me the necessary illumination needed to complete... (posted by Dave Potchak 1 year 123 days ago.)

8. A Little Selfishness at Christmas Can you remember the times in your youth when you needed a simple reassurance, a hug or a little word of encouragement? I'm sure we can all relate to similar circumstances. Most likely it was a parent and in particular your mom who fulfilled... (posted by Dave Potchak 1 year 177 days ago.)

9. A Lesson in Murality Artists can express their creativity in a myriad of ways. Whether they choose poetry, song, painting, sculpting, or writing, the options are virtually endless. Regardless of the art form favored by the artist, we often hear a couple adages... (posted by Dave Potchak 1 year 246 days ago.)

10. My Name is Dave and I’m a Worryholic Mom was a worryholic . Grandma was, too. The fact that most of my siblings and I inherited this affliction should not surprise anyone. The Urban Dictionary online accepts and also defines this condition. I can't argue with its existence; yet I... (posted by Dave Potchak 1 year 266 days ago.)

11. A League of Their Own There she was, Monica Anne Leskonoski, walking my way. She was smiling as always, her white teeth twinkling in the dim lit hallway. Her eyes sparkled like LED lights in the dark, but neither white teeth technology nor those lights would be... (posted by Dave Potchak 1 year 271 days ago.)

12. Mom's Mission: Making A Difference I'm not sure what worried me more, the terrifying screams of my daughter or the forthcoming tirade from my wife after she learned of the ordeal that had just taken place in her absence. On a late fall Saturday afternoon I was babysitting all... (posted by Dave Potchak 1 year 331 days ago.)

13. Ichthyology 101 - A Favorite Undergrad Course Offering I'm not certain that it was Shippensburg's first-ever course offering in the area of Fisheries Biology, but I am certain that no course before it came close to meeting Ichthyology 101's objectives. The class rolls and attendance sheets have long... (posted by Dave Potchak 1 year 346 days ago.)

14. The Belt Buckle Derringer by Mattel I have no idea what the developers at Mattel Toy Corporation were thinking in the early sixties, but by today's standards, they may have been begging for a lawsuit of some sort. The toy derringer, pictured below, was similar in size to an... (posted by Dave Potchak 1 year 352 days ago.)

15. A Minuscule Gift – A Monumental Memory The spirit of St. Nicholas and the gratifying act of giving acquired yet another form while growing up in the Johnstown, PA area in the late fifties and early sixties. If you are a baby boomer and your father worked for US Steel in the city, you... (posted by Dave Potchak 2 years 158 days ago.)

16. Willie Stargell and Savoring Summer The Pittsburgh Pirates meant everything to me while growing up in central Pennsylvania in the late fifties and early sixties. I knew the team, inside and out the lineup, the coaches, announcers, even the advertisers on the TV and radio... (posted by Dave Potchak 2 years 298 days ago.)

17. When Perception Fails, Learn to Laugh From The Amazing Kreskin and Jeane Dixon to CBS's The Mentalist , we have all been drawn into the realm of ESP (extra-sensory perception). But how many of you are familiar with its counterpart, FSP (faulty-sensory perception)? Is it possible that... (posted by Dave Potchak 2 years 343 days ago.)

18. The Tale of the Troll The troll sightings took place along I 99 in Bedford County Pennsylvania in the summer of 1986. A rather portly troll approximately 33 years old and rumored to weigh over 175 lbs was spotted (as expected) waiting patiently under a bridge that... (posted by Dave Potchak 2 years 345 days ago.)

19. Aunt Bee and Deputy Dawg The summer of '68 should be just a dim memory in my mind. However, although it was forty-one years ago, our family has recalled this incident so many times that I remember it as if it took place yesterday. The cast of characters (and I do mean... (posted by Dave Potchak 2 years 359 days ago.)

20. A Connoisseur of Fine Wines I never gave a second thought to my purchase as I checked out of the state store (Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Retail Store) recently one Friday evening. It was my usual purchase and the items I was about to buy never really gathered any... (posted by Dave Potchak 3 years 114 days ago.)

21. The Lone Wiseman Unlike the Lone Ranger , who first emerged in disguise after surviving a wild shootout with the Cavendish Gang, a Lone Wiseman appeared peacefully at Christmas time a half century ago in our home. The Wiseman's emergence was neither miraculous nor... (posted by Dave Potchak 3 years 170 days ago.)

22. Swimming to a Better G.P.A. When you're eighteen, know everything, listen to no one, and have twelve weeks of college under your belt, you are invincible. The only personal characteristic larger than your ego is the massive chip you wear on your shoulder. In the fall of 1970... (posted by Dave Potchak 3 years 300 days ago.)

23. Vacationing Grandparents – Evolving Through Time Spending time with my kids and grandkids was both entertaining and eye-opening during our annual vacation in North Carolina's Outer Banks this summer. I also had the chance to relax and reflect back on a few things that had taken place in my... (posted by Dave Potchak 3 years 333 days ago.)

24. Graduation Advice from an “Old School” Educator The last of my nieces and nephews will be graduating from high school this June and he'll be heading off to college in the fall. I doubt he or his parents will seek any advice from his Uncle Dave. But, if any of them should ask, I'm prepared to... (posted by Dave Potchak 4 years 14 days ago.)

25. Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? - Part 3 If you are over forty, and have not realized that your mind is leaving you, perhaps the circumstances or situations have not been favorable to cause you to notice this phenomena. For me, a ride on a barren interstate, car set in cruise and the... (posted by Dave Potchak 4 years 81 days ago.)