I'm following Microsoft TechEd 2014 by video. Here's the keynote address.

Peggy Hironimus greets The Beatles as they arrive in America (Feb. 7, 1964)

Prank pays off for small-town girl in the Big Apple

New York City, Feb. 7, 1964. -- Centre County, Pennsylvania, resident Peggy Hironimus greeted English rock band The Beatles today, when they stepped off Pan Am flight 101 at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City.

Standing in front of the Boeing 707, surrounded by John, Paul, George and Ringo, Ms. Hironimus seemed to be having the time of her life as she posed for photos with the Liverpool boys.  As the camera flash-bulbs ignited, John put his hand on Ms. Hironimus' shoulder and the pair grinned for the photographers while Paul, George and Ringo waved to the large crowd.

More than 3,000 fans were awaiting the group at JFK Airport, according to a spokesperson from Capitol Records, the recording label promoting The Beatles' visit to the States.

"I just can't believe I was able to sneak onto the tarmac and get to the front of the crowd," said Ms. Hironimus, who had made her own long trip from Centre County, Pennsylvania, to see the English band touch down on American soil for the first time. "I kept telling the airport security guards that I was a Capitol Records promoter, and I guess they believed me, because they let me right through."

Peggy Hironimus, of Centre County, Pennsylvania, greets The Beatles at Kennedy Airport, apparently fooling airport security and the Liverpool rock band, at least long enough to pose for some photos.

The ruse worked even better than Ms. Hironimus had planned when The Beatles stepped from the 707.

"Just as they got off the stairway, Paul looked at me and asked 'Are you the girl they sent from The Ed Sullivan Show?'," Ms. Hironimus explained. "Of course, I said 'Yes, that's me.'"

"Who would've thought a girl from a small town in Pennsylvania would be rubbing elbows with The Beatles in New York?"

[Source: Centre Daily Times. Feb. 8, 1964.]

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EDITOR'S NOTE (2013): Peggy Hironimus is now Peggy Barger and resides in Florida.

Lunch with Rupert

The high point of my recent trip to NYC was lunch at Rupert Jee's Hello Deli. If you don't know Rupert Jee, set your Tivo to record Letterman every night. Eventually, he'll pop up in a cameo or a guest will drop by the deli or they'll have Rupert round up people off the street for a sketch on the show.

Rupert seemed like a very nice, cordial guy. He is so patient with people constantly asking to take their picture with him. He has several photos of celebrities on the wall. While I was eating my excellent sandwich, another Letterman celeb came in -- Tony Mendez ("the cue card guy"), who has his own very funny show on the Web -- The Tony Mendez Show.

Ruby and Me on a snowy day

Have you seen this great photo?

Ruby and me at the Wyndmoor train statin (SEPTA) in Chestnut Hill.

End of winter update

The Barger family had a great time in the record-breaking snowstorms this winter in Philly. This week, as winter is turning to spring, we headed out to Hershey on a family road trip. We had a great time. The kids loved the Chocolate World tour ride (see photo).

Fall 2009 update

I haven't had much time for blog updates, so here's a quick summary of what's up. My summer job at a mass torts firm provided some great insight into the practice of law and some great practical experience.

Now, I'm in my third year of law school (a.k.a. 3L). I'm taking the following courses: Taxation, Bankruptcy, Criminal Procedure, Cyberspace Law, and a clinical program at SEPTA's Tort Litigation department.

In the SEPTA clinical, I've been representing SEPTA in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, in arbitration proceedings. I won my first case last week. It's a great experience, because they let fill the entire lawyer role at the arbitration, including the opening statement, calling witnesses, questioning, cross-examination, raising and defending objections, and closing arguments.

Charline, Jude, and Ruby are doing fine.

Ruby's getting better and better at communicating. She loves to open books and "read" them aloud, making up cute stories about the pictures. She's also great at making up stories while she's lying in bed, just before falling asleep. One recent story was about a family of dogs who find and befriend a baby dragon. Great stuff.

Jude has developed some strong martial arts skills, especially his roundhouse kick, which he figured out on his own. He and Ruby still like Scooby Doo more than anything else, but Jude is getting more interested in super heros every day. He has some Spiderman and Batman and Superman books. He wants some Flash and Red Tornado (an obscure DC character) comics next. Jude's still going to pre-school at the co-op, which he loves.

Charline has been doing some work as a board member for the Maternal Wellness Center, which she really enjoys. Of course, she always has her hands full at home, with Ruby and Jude. She continues to manage the www.GermantownAvenueParents.com blog also.

Call me through Google?

Let's see if this works... you should be able to call me through Google Voice... You will be asked for your phone number. You type it in, and Google will call your phone and connect you to me (it'll call me for you). Try it out.