SpeakEasy
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•November 1, 2017
Opening an Aspirin Bottle Can Give You a Headache
OK, so we’ve all learned that an 8-by-11-inch box of cereal is definitely not filled to the brim: “This product is sold by weight, not volume.” Prior to this disclaimer, I experienced one…
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•November 1, 2017
Big Box Birds
Preface: It’s hard not to notice that natural patterns are changing in our world – fast. We find seagulls in our parking lots and pigeons on our beaches. We’re losing species. New species might be…
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•October 25, 2017
Claustrophobic Complex
“Turn-of-the-Century Charm With Modern Amenities,” read one of the headlinesin The SandPaper for a new condo complex. I was fascinated and read on. The photo or facsimile showeda four-story behemoth…
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•October 18, 2017
Farewell, My Friend, Mentor and Vietnam Veteran
I found out recently Jimmy had died. We have been out of touch for unknown reasons, as old friends can be, for more years than I like to think of.
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•October 11, 2017
Lost in the Hills of Assisi
A few months back a colleague sent me a notice for a fabulous psych conference in Assisi, Italy, home of St. Francis, patron saint of animals and ecology. I sighed because I really wanted to attend.…
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September 27, 2017
Runtley’s Date With Irma
My name is Runtley. I am a tall, thin black cat, age 9. White whiskers and a really long tail keep me from looking like other black cats. I, along with five relatives, hail from Harvey Cedars, N.J.…
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•September 13, 2017
Of Mom and Memories: A Dog Day Comeback for the Ages
I’ve run the Dog Day 5-miler in Harvey Cedars almost every August for the past 25 years or more. Despite the pain, it’s one of my favorite races. It’s a summer tradition on a gorgeous course, draws…
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•September 6, 2017
Imagining My Very Own LBI Mansion
I should be grateful to live onbeautiful Long Beach Island. I truly am, but I admit to feeling pangs of envy when I pass by houses that could be featured on “Homes of the Rich and Famous.”I like to…
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•August 30, 2017
Life in the Back Nine
Like a child clinging to his mother’s side, I find myself on this mid-August morning gripping ever-so-tightly to summer’s waning days.
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•August 23, 2017
Sunny Memories of LBI on a Cloudy Day
As anyone who has followed some of my summer columns in The SandPaper might recall, I enjoy coming with my daughter, Claire, now Mrs. Wildman, to Long Beach Island every year in August on my wedding…
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•August 9, 2017
Hi From LBI: My Newfound Postcard Obsession
Prior to this summer, I mailed out fewer than 10 postcards in my 41-year-old life. This summer to date, I have mailed over 50. Recipients have included friends, family, coworkers and neighbors. I’ve…
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•August 2, 2017
No Snoozing While Cruising: How to Improve the Trip
I recently finished a cruise to the Caribbean. Afterward, I started thinking about some hints and suggestions for future passengers and some enhancements for the cruise line to consider.
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•July 26, 2017
Better Thank Grandma!
OK, I’ve had it! My suppressed anger is starting to boil. For many years I’ve complained to friends and anyone who would listen about the lost art of correspondence. No one sends thank-you notes.…
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•July 19, 2017
Noah and the Harvey Cedars Seaweed Monster
This is a true story. It’s about little Noah, a 3-foot, 2-inch-tall, 27-pound boy, and the “Harvey Cedars Seaweed Monster.” I think it took place in July or August 2016.
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•July 12, 2017
It Takes a Team to Rescue a Terrapin
On July 4, the wind was blowing from the north. It was perfect weather on LBI for a swim in the bay. I was sitting on the deck with my daughter Alex, reading and listening to sea gulls and the sounds…
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•July 5, 2017
Island Time
There are certain things I’ve just come to count on LBI for: the smell of the marsh air when you hit the Causeway, the loud crash of the surf turning over and over on the beach, the 5 o’clock whistle…
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•June 28, 2017
Beach Game On – With Challenges
After a grueling week at work, I finally was preparing to get to LBI. That was when everything seemed to go south for me. I soooo needed to get my beach game on, and it was quite apparent to all who…
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•June 21, 2017
Talk About a Room With a View!
Our recent, first trip to San Francisco lavished beautiful vistas upon us like sprinkles on ice cream. The view from our ninth-floor hotel room was spectacular in the brilliant sunshine, and in the…
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•June 14, 2017
Grandpa Is a Problem
I’m blessed to be called Grandma by three beautiful grandchildren. It’s a mighty title of distinction. Seriously, these kids have validated the reason I believe in all things funny. They are also my…
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•June 7, 2017
Facts of Island Life: Rust and Rough Roads
This is really a story about nothing. It’s kind of the Seinfeld of stories. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
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•May 31, 2017
Moonshade and Other Summer Surprises
Got a minute? How about 1,440 of them? That may seem like a lot, but when you add them all up they equal a single day. This summer there is a day that may have you questioning time itself.
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•May 24, 2017
Beach Haven Memories With My Twin Brother
My twin brother, Daniel Joseph Cipollini, and I were born in Philadelphia at the Methodist Hospital on Oct. 22, 1940, a year before Pearl Harbor. That was when my name was Gloria Virginia Cipollini.…
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•May 17, 2017
Consumer Consumed by Modern Marketing
It’s a rare day when my mailbox isn’t stuffed with catalogs and solicitations. I sort through them quickly, placing most in a recycling bin. I feel guilty about the myriad of magazines and brochures…
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•May 10, 2017
Pro-Life Initiatives Overshadow Trump Stumbles
It seems like I’ve been hearing about “Trump’s first 100 days” since the day after “Trump’s first 50 days.” But now that it’s actually arrived, I decided to give it some thought. As one who voted on…
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•May 3, 2017
How I Got My First Dishwasher Sixty Years Ago
One day some60 years ago, when I was young and had three little boys ages 5, 3, and 1 and a husband who commuted to his job in New York City every day, I casually said, “Honey, I would like to have a…
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•April 26, 2017
Surflight Theatre – Behind the Curtain
Now that it looks like Surflight Theatre will really be back, I would like to shed a little light on some of the behind-the-scenes action that occurred before the theater’s bankruptcy.
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•April 19, 2017
Freckle Face Summer
“Look what I found at the grocery store!” I called out to Steven as I walked into the kitchen and placed the small green pot on the counter.
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•April 12, 2017
The Easter Story: Reasonable Doubt, Logical Belief
U.S. state nicknames, such as those in our tri-state region comprised of The Empire State, The Keystone State and The Garden State, are not likely high on the average Joe’s list of facts and trivia.…
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•April 5, 2017
Passing the Word, Among Friends: LBI Is the Best
Though it was a mild winter, we were still in search for warmer weather. So, this year we decided to take a longer than usual, 3½-month winter break and headed south to Charleston, S.C., to get away…
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•March 29, 2017
Getting Out of a Tight Spot in the Fitting Room
I came into the house, tossed my shopping bag on the couch and plopped down next to it. “Worst shopping trip ever!” I cried as Steven came into the room.
