Douglassville, PA

Active Rain is a real estate social network...I am a career Title Person...most people reading this are career agents, loan officers, appraisers, etc...all of whom are members of families...large or small or somewhere in between...

I believe in a holistic approach to life...that is, I don't like dividing life into convenient little categories like the stores at the mall...compartmentalizing and categorizing and isolating are foreign to me when it comes to family...FAMILY FIRST...

I try to learn how to be a better father and person by watching sports, and I try to learn something about playing sports by being a good father...the synergy of the two is the important dynamic which promotes growth and disallows regression...it's a win win situation win or lose...!

So today, Joshua, my 14 year old son, will be starting his first football game on the offensive line of his middle school football team...with only two games left in the season, he has been patiently awaiting his shot...and because of injuries and school grades he will get it this afternoon...

Of course, we'll be there rooting him on...there is no doubt he will give his best...he may not exhibit the best skills, but it won't be for lack of trying...He's big enough, strong enough, smart enough, and anxious enough to do well...FRUSTRATION is to be avoided...FUN and HUSTLE is paramount...

Now let me tell you what I've seen this year from observing his team play that would help improve performance...

1) Football is a team sport...each member must help to foster this awareness among other team members...

2) Football requires discipline...not only listening to coaches, but self discipline...knowing when to be quiet and listen...

3) Good sportsmanship is essential...you give it your best, and leave nothing in the locker room...then walk away without pointing fingers at refs, other players, etc...

4) Every player on the team should have an ample opportunity to play in each game...coaches must prepare the team for this dynamic to work optimally...

5) Each player should ask, "Is football making me a better person, a better brother, a better student, a better citizen, a better son"...?

6) Going through this time in a boys life has its challenges...rally around each other, supporting each other, not forming cliques and elitist clans or groups...that polarize...

7) Have fun...don't tell me you can't have a winning attitude, play seriously and intensely, but still have fun...you only pass this way once...

There you have it, my contribution, my two cents, on how to improve the game of football...at least for middle school athletes...and at least for middle school coaches...and at least for middle school parents...HAVE FUN...!!!

***UPDATE*** Josh played a great game...Blazers won 14-0...!!!

Does government operate to benefit people and serve the needs of taxpayers, or do they get strangled by power and bureaucracy and fail the people miserably...

That may be perhaps what the upcoming election is all about...!

On July 1, 2008, my sister and her husband purchased a property from a bank who had foreclosed on the prior owner...the taxes on this property, which sold effectively for $204,000.00, were in excess of $11,000 dollars, and settlement was scheduled for early September...well after the August 15th deadline for appealing taxes for the next fiscal tax year!

Under the Berks County provisions for tax appeal, exists a right, that the 'equitable owner' may begin this appeal process as long as the appeal is filed by August 15th...

We filed such an appeal in a timely manner along with record evidence to support the appeal...

It has come to our attention that our appeal was denied since we didn't respond by appearing at a scheduled hearing...we were never notified of said hearing...the record owner's law office was notified, and of course that notice was never forwarded to my sister and brother in law...but...

It was the EQUITABLE OWNER, not the record owner, who filed the appeal request...shouldn't they be notified or contacted to establish a hearing date...FOUL BALL...

This is a great example...not an isolated incident, I might add, of how inefficient 'government' is at assisting the taxpayers they're sworn to serve!!!

I have a call into the Solicitors office for The Board Of Assessment Appeals to complain about the Board's failure to notify us of the hearing...keep in mind, we're only talking about a hearing here, not the results of our actual appeal to reduce taxes!!!

UNREASONABLE...Definitely! Is this how public servants are expected to carry out their duties and responsibilities...NOT ACCEPTABLE...

In the meantime...money is wasted, time is wasted, energies are wasted, taxpayer's dollars are wasted, and people are aggravated and put under undue stress...all because of the lack of common sense and courtesy on behalf of a government bureaucracy...sworn to serve the people...!!!

Not only is there noncompliance of the law by the government itself, but more importantly, non compliance with the SPIRIT OF THE LAW...!!!

This is the time of year that makes Pennsylvanians glad they live here! Beautiful clear fresh air with just a touch of a cool autumn breeze...

And this is also the time of year you notice those hot air balloons...no, this is not a ReMax ad post...It's just that those of us in the Amity Township area of Berks County are afforded the additional pleasure of 'Hot Air Balloon' watching...a great fall pastime for NCAA football halftimes...that's right...what better way to get some fresh air than to get outdoors and breathe in some of that rejuvenating autumn fresh air and watch the flight of those colorfully decorated hot air balloons...

You see, we're smack in the flight path of those balloons which are launched west of here and travel between the beautiful rolling hills that surround us and that border our neighbor, the vast French Creek State Park...and wind up landing close by...sometimes in our very back yards...what a sight!

On the other hand, you could be watching one of those cable TV channels...you know...the ones who feature those political talking heads who predict the catastrophic future of our country so that you can stay tuned or tune in often for updates...Hot Air Buffoons...!

So have a wonderful autumn...get outside and enjoy the cool fresh air of fall...and get away from those talking head hot air buffoons...they will soon be selling their crystal balls at yard sales to be used by bargain hunters for paper weights!

So Saturday evening we headed to the Texas baseball field in neighbor Birdsboro, PA for a 6:00PM baseball game...we got there about 5:15PM...

Guess what...we saw no familiar faces, no other team members or coaches, and moreover there was already a game going that was only in the third inning...!

Oops! We messed up! The game was actually scheduled to start at 7:00PM, not 6:00PM as we thought...now what do we do?

We didn't want to pack up and drive back home, it was too humid to stick around and wait (all of us had a rough day on Saturday), so we decided to grab a quick pizza at someplace close so we wouldn't have to eat our dinner after the game, then drive back to the field to arrive at just the perfect time. Great game plan, don't you think...yeah, except for two things...we had to eat quickly, but more importantly we only had about 25 dollars between us...

No problem...Lubrano's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant to the rescue...and only 5 minutes from the baseball field...

We pull into the parking lot hoping they weren't overly busy...good so far...and they had two tables available...just enough for the 7 of us (they specialize in takeout and home delivery)...We find a special that seemed like it would work for us...A large pizza (huge), A large cheesesteak stromboli, and a 2 liter bottle of your favorite beverage for under 20 dollars...perfect! Now if they could only accommodate our time schedule...!

Not only did they come through with flying colors, but the food was superb, tastefully prepared by what looked like close Italian family members, cordial service, clean facilities, and a great menu to boot...! And very competitive prices!

I'm telling you, if you live in the Douglassville/Birdsboro area of Berks County Pennsylvania and don't try Lubranos, you're missing the boat...and by the way, we took a good portion of our order home for later enjoyment and left an appreciative tip, and still got out of there at less than 25 dollars...and we made it to the game in plenty of time and no one was rushed!!!

Try Lubrano's...they're diagonally opposite another famous pizza venue in the area!!!

Lubrano's Pizzeria
300 Ben Franklin Highway /Route 422
Douglassville, PA 19518
610-404-2600

We're hunkered in as a family riding out the remnants of Hurricane Hanna...Not our usual Saturday afternoon activity...!

You sit in your favorite chair, watch the weather channel, peek outside occasionally to see if it's still raining, listen to the kids getting on each others nerves, try to write your next post, and think of all the things you could be doing...and THEN...

You begin to think of all the wonderful things you enjoyed this past week...delicious sweet seedless chilled watermelon...locally grown Pennsylvania sweet corn on the cob (the best in the world)...so sweet you eat it plain, with no sugar in the boiling water, no salt, no butter...all those tastes are built right into that PA sweet corn...why ruin it...the first middle school scrimmage, fall ball, blogging on Active Rain, fixing things, tomorrows first mites football game, and the Phillies shutout win over the Mets last night...

It just doesn't get much better than this folks!!! Life is Great!

And oh yes, my new hero...Governor Sarah Palin...!!!