No matter where you go, it's all people want to talk about. Well, actually, there are two topics: the weather and the flu. I'll start with the weather, and I'll close with the passing of a Wilkes-Barre legend.
The average high for this time of year is 34, so I consider anything above freezing to be a bonus. Dry and above freezing is a gift from heaven. Sorry skiers, but last year was a fantastic winter. Snow is dangerous. I won't complain if we have another below normal precipitation season. Yes, I realize I live in northeastern Pennsylvania. Moving is not an option.
This week will see a warming trend. I didn't do research. My evidence is anecdotal. After chatting with people at the gym, Walmart and a drug store, most people are happy with this little taste of spring time.
Now, on to the flu. I received my shot in September. I take my vitamins and wash my hands all the time. There's always a bottle of hand sanitizer close by. It seems to be a reasonable course of prevention.. Several people at the office are down with the illness. I can't shutter myself in the house. I have to be out. There is a disgusting thought at the back of my head that somewhere out there is bacteria with my name on it.
There's an old saying-- expect the worst, hope for the best.
Former Wilkes-Barre councilman and bar owner Jim McCarthy has passed away. He was on council while I was on the radio. McCarthy was in radio for a long time, most notably CBS in Washington, DC. He always had an interest in it, so he unfailingly managed to find a few minutes to answer my questions, and he liked to talk. Let me correct that. Jim McCarthy LOVED to talk. McCarthy answered the questions on Wilkes-Barre government, and he'd always toss in a tale or two about his time covering Washington. It was tough to get a short answer out of him on anything, but you really didn't mind because it was an opportunity to hear his wonderful voice. Jim McCarthy was 77.