A Pitch Perfect Holiday Weekend

A little of this and a little of that following what was for me a 4-day weekend which is more like a mini-vacation. You start to get into that lifestyle where you can stay up late because the alarm clock doesn’t go off at 2:45 the following morning.

Just when your body is starting to like the extra sleep the long weekend is over and reality has returned. However it was a terrific holiday weekend weather-wise and a real shot in the arm for local businesses that depend on visitors and their dollars.

Speaking of the holiday it appears some are offended when they hear “Happy Memorial Day” because in truth the day itself is a somber one in which our nation remembers those who have died while serving in the armed forces. However it is also the unofficial start to summer and especially here at the shore greeting someone with “Happy Memorial Day” is not in any way meant as a sign of dis-respect to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

My wife Jane and I attended the annual Memorial Day Parade in Toms River yesterday and it was nice to see so many waving flags from the sidewalks, especially the young children with many of them dressed in red, white and blue. We were talking afterwards about watching parades like this when we were young when you would have veterans going back to World War I marching.

Now it’s a rare site to see a World War II veteran and before long even those who served in Korea will be a distant memory. Hard to imagine but before too long the old guys in parade will be from the Vietnam era.

The high school sports season is winding down with a handful of Ocean County teams left in the baseball and softball tournaments. State tournament action resumes today with sectional semifinals involving the baseball teams from Jackson Memorial, Toms River North and Toms River South along with the Donovan Catholic and Pinelands Regional softball teams.

I know I’m not the prime demographic but I did enjoy Pitch Perfect 2 which we saw over the weekend. The story might be weak but the music and dancing is fun and sometimes that’s all you want from a movie: fun. By the way the announcers steal the show. Hilarious!