Mr. Alberts was a co-founder of the Four Aces, a group who would earn several awards including Academy Awards for Three Coins in a Fountain and Love is a Many Splendored Thing. He also made the song On the Way to Cape May popular.

Later in his Career he hosted his talent show on Channel 6 in Philadelphia. It lasted for over 30 years. I would faithfully watch the show every weekend, wanting to do the same job. I even had a couple of favorites among the talented kids on the show: Andrea McArdle, who would later become the first Annie on Broadway, and Liza Moran (no relation), who seems to have given up on show business and has fallen out of the public eye.

I met Al Alberts during one of his production company’s shows at a mall in the 1980′s. I even shook his hand and asked him if there was a way I could become involve with his company and help out. He told me to talk to his wife, Stella. Unfortunately, my shyness kept me from taking it any further. Who knows where I would be now.

Because he did the things that I would like to do and because I looked up to him, I suppose I would have to say that Al Alberts was one of my heros. I’m sorry to hear that he passed away. I hope someday to have a group of talented young people singing and dancing on stage, and I’ll know that it’s partly due to the influence of “Uncle Al”.

Jeannine Schiller-Lenge
I haven’t seen Jeannine since her wedding in the mid 90′s. Marriage is enough of a reason for a woman to not keep in touch with single male friends, but I really do miss her.

I met Jeannine while doing plays at Little Flower High School. She was beautiful and intelligent, which made me naturally drawn toward her. I asked her to go with me to my Senior Prom, and she did! Over the next several years, we would meet up now and again. We’d even go a couple of years without seeing each other, and then, somehow manage to find each other again. However, this time around, it seems we’ve lost touch forever.

Terri Houser
Speaking of Little Flower High School, the whole reason I started doing plays there was because I met Terri during an event for Saint John Newman. Three boys from Roman were chosen to take part in the procession, and I got to carry our school flag. Three girls from Little Flower were in line behind us, and we had to wait for about an hour before the ceremony began, so we talked the whole time.

It was unusual for me to keep up my end of a conversation, especially in those days, but Terri was very easy to talk to and there was an attraction. She was newly elected head of the Student Council at Little Flower and quite cute.

When I did the first play at LF, Terri signed my program book and gave me her phone number. I called her to go to a party, with the hopes that we might start dating regularly. At the party, she told me that her family was moving to Colorado. I have never heard from her since.

There are a few Little Flowers that I would have like to have gotten to know better or kept in touch with…
Marianne, who called me “Bobby Bear,”
Donna, who became a nun,
Dottsie, who I never really knew but was really cute,
and the teacher who directed “Arsenic and Old Lace.”

John Lund
Joe Bonner
Mike Sexton
Mike Pascarella
Mike Minnick
My high school friends, some of whom I could probably contact via the school website, but don’t because I don’t feel worthy. They’ve gone on to have careers and families. I’ve been trapped in my own world, getting nowhere.

Joe Yukanavitch
Joe was my best friend in my later years as a boy scout. Once I left the scouts, he and I lost touch for a while, until I bumped into him on day. We caught up for a bit, then he took off on his bike, and I haven’t seen or heard from him since.

Amy Kresloff
I met Amy while working at Camp Saginaw in 1979. I do know where Amy is and have contacted her once or twice. She is another friend who married, and she has no real reason to keep in touch with me. I have a few great memories though.

Lisa “Lee” Blender
Lee was another young woman I met at Camp Saginaw. She, Amy, and I hung out together the entire summer. I saw Lee a few times after camp, but lost touch with her after a year or so. I wonder what she is doing now.

Donna Baptista
Donna was my piano instructor at Temple University. It seemed we spent more time talking about my problems than working on the piano. She was married, so I couldn’t get too close to her, but one always wonders about these things.

Albert Lucas
Albert is a world record holding juggler who I worked with at Busch Gardens. While we never were very close friends, I was glad that he considered me someone he could talk to and spend time with after work hours, even if it was just to do some computer work for him.

I’ve tried looking Albert up several times via Google and other search engines, but he seems to be very private and not much information is available. I have always wanted to continue our friendship.

I miss the support and happy times that a group of friends offered.

There are many others I’ve missed over the years. Perhaps I’ll add some to this list later.

Now that Conan O’Brian is the host, I may start watching more. I tuned in for his first show, and I liked it. I’m not watching as much TV as I used to, but it’s nice to know I have another choice other than Dave if the mood strikes me.

While watching Conan, I saw a preview of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. I usually don’t watch his show either, but since one of my favorites, Anne Hathaway, was a guest, I decided to watch.

Miss Hathaway is preforming in New York’s Shakespeare in the Park series this summer. She is playing Viola in Twelfth Night.

When Jimmy asked her how she prepared for a role where she disguises herself as a man, she said she had to admit that she stuffed a rolled up pair of socks down her pants and practiced walking around her apartment.

Anne said it did help her understand men better.

I think that this might be something all women should try. I’m not sure how helpful it really would be, but I have heard a couple of woman wonder what it was like to have something down there.

I believe we all understand that it isn’t the package that makes the man, but trying out the feel of a certain part of male anatomy may be educational for the ladies.

And while I’m more than willing to educate myself on what it must be like to be a woman, just don’t ask me to try to give birth.

I’ll update the list as necessary.

• Blue Lane Photography
  Owned and operated by Zekeshem Parsons, Blue Lane Photography is located in beautiful Tampa, Florida, and serves the entire Tampa Bay area and beyond. Shem also co-owns Room 3307: Modern Boudoir Photography.
• Christmas Wish List
  Share your Christmas Wish List with a designated group or groups of family members and friends.
• Darsville (Darlene Egli)
  The website of my friend, Darlene Egli. View her artwork and learn more about her.
• John Lund
  One of my best friends from high school is now a Senior Vice President in the Disney Organization.
• Knit One, Pearl Onion
  A whimsical and loosely informative culinary and knitting journal from Joann.
• LBI.net (Long Beach Island)
  All about Long Beach Island, NJ. A website owned by my friend, Paul Neal.
• Norman Moran
  My cousin, Norman, is a Coldwell Banker Preferred Real Estate Agent. “Serving Philadelphia and Surrounding Counties Representing Real Estate Consumers Best Interest.”
• Loonstyn Properties
  My cousins, the Loonstyns, not only run a roofing company but also provide superior homes and apartments in the Art Museum and Spring Garden Areas of Philadelphia.
• My Local Stage
  Local community theater information for the Tampa Bay area.
• Shawn Rice
  Ok, Shawn and I are not the closest of friends, but I hope he doesn’t mind that I can say, “I knew him when.” He’s now traveling around the country on tours, becoming famous.
• ShowSys
  ShowSys provides technical management and design services including control, audio and video design to the entertainment and themed markets. Owned in part by my friend Scott Arnold.
• SwankIvy
  A very cool writer, artist, and singer.
• The Tiedeken Family
  A website about my mother’s family.
• Wag Your Tail
  Owned by two sisters, Dawn and Heather, Wag Your Tail specializes in clothing and other products for dog lovers.

Benjamin Franklin

Franklin has been my biggest hero since I can remember.  Growing up in Philadelphia probably had  a lot to do with it.  However, there is no denying that Benjamin Franklin was a genius, a patriot and a success.

There is no one that I can think of that did it all like Franklin did.  He did it to help the entire human race, and many of his inventions and ideas are still used today.  I could only hope to contribute to the world as Franklin did.