Edwin Drood All Over

If we were having a beer, you would be surprised to see my hat.

“I thought you lost that NASA cap.”

“I did. It blew off into St. Augustine Bay, and NASA had discontinued it.”

“And yet, you’re wearing it today.”

“NASA brought it back. I found it in the store of the Kennedy Space Center website.”

“Is that why you changed your profile picture?”

“No, Christine picked that picture for a post she did about me, so I switched to that one.”

“Hey guys, you look like you need something to drink.”

“I do Cheryl, but not the Meiomi. You had some other stuff that I liked once.”

“One Yuengling and one Fourteen Hands. NASA’s buying today?”

“Yes, in honor of the replacement hat.”

“So, the fact that Cheryl knew what I wanted, even though I didn’t, is that one of those paranormal things you wrote about?”

“That’s always kinda weird, but it’s not an example of the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, if that’s what you’re thinking of.”

“Isn’t that a terrorist group?”

“Same name, different phenomenon. Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon is that thing where you don’t know about something and then, all of a sudden, you encounter it multiple times.”

“Still, this was pretty weird.”

“It was. I had something similar but weirder, happen to me earlier this week.”

“How much weirder?”

“You decide. I was telling a coworker a story about a time when my wife asked me what I wanted for dinner. I said: ‘do you have the stuff to make that stuff?’ She said: ‘Yes, I do.’ “

“What’s the stuff?”

“It’s a casserole made with leftover turkey, noodles, some kind of cream soup and corn.”

“Mmmm, comfort food.”

“Yeah, I love that stuff.”

“OK, that story is ‘as’ weird, but I wouldn’t say weirder.”

“You didn’t let me finish. When I got home from work on the day I told that story, my wife was making that stuff for me for dinner.”

“That’s crazy. So, is that an example of the terrorist thing?”

“No, I’m putting this into the pretty weird coincidence category, but it’s not really Baader-Meinhof – the phenomenon, not the militant group – quality. I mean, technically, I already knew about the stuff.”

“So then, the Edwin Drood story is the only time you’ve experienced the German thing?”

“No, actually, I had that experience a few weeks ago.”

“With the hat. I knew it. The woman picks that photo and you find the hat back in the store.”

“No, that was just a happy coincidence. The experience started in Washington, D.C. when I decided to tour The Building Museum.”

“Why am I not surprised? That sounds like your kind of museum.”

“You would think, but not so much. My $10 entrance fee entitled me to see ‘All’ the exhibits on the first three floors – all two of them.”

“Did you at least get some cool door photos?”

“Not really. I mean I’ll share the main entrance with Norm, but nothing too fancy.

“Cheryl, can I get another glass of this stuff? Young Mr. Meinhof is taking a long time to tell this story.”

“Here you go. Maybe I got here just in time for the story to get interesting.”

“Well, I was about to say that, as I was finishing my self-guided tour, I stumbled upon a window full of bricks.”

“OK, I think I have some customers who need me.”

“This better get interesting, or I’m going to join Cheryl’s other table.”

“As I zoomed in to get a picture of the bricks, I noticed that one brick was from the C.P. Mayer Brick Company in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania. I was born in Bridgeville! I grew up there, but I had never heard about this company.”

“OK, so we’ve met the first condition of the German thing.”

“That was the Friday before Father’s Day. Two days later, one of my gifts was a book about the history of Bridgeville. In a section titled: “Prosperity” the author mentioned the C.P. Mayer Brick Company. Apparently, it had been quite successful and its bricks are still coveted by collectors”

“That’s a little disturbing.”

“Yes, but it’s a good example of the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.”

“No, I meant the fact that there are people who collect bricks. That’s disturbing.”

Bricks at the Building Museum

This used to be my favorite park in Bridgeville. Although, it didn’t have a skate park then,

Bridgeville has a lot of hills.

Bridgeville has a lot of hills.

Bridgeville has a lot of hills.

Bridgeville public library. In the old train station.

I’m OK having grown up in a town that now sponsors a Halloween Zombie Shoot

My elementary school was torn down, but at least they made it into a park. That’s Faith trolling for photos at Cook School Park.

Cook School Park

It’s not pretty, but this creek (that’s pronounced crick) ran behind the house I grew up in.

Bridgeville public library. In the old train station. The children’s library is in the caboose.

Do you have a cherished object? Would you like to share its story with your friends? Maybe make some new friends? Consider joining the Cherished Blogfest – July 29 – 31.