• BACK TO SLOAN — Evidently, I just can’t get enough of Sloan.

After spending quite a bit of time in the village during the entire dissolution saga, I thought the Aug. 17 vote would free up my schedule to spend more time in other parts of the town.

Alas, I found myself back in Sloan this past weekend. And, boy, am I glad I went.

To celebrate our first wedding anniversary, my wife, Kerri, and I decided to prepare a special dinner at home, watch our wedding video and share our wedding cake topper. It was just the two of us, which was a deliberate left turn from our 200-guest wedding.

We weren’t sure what to do for dinner, so I offered the idea of checking the Sloan market. Let’s just say that was a good call. We found bacon-wrapped filet mignon and lobster tails that were pretty inexpensive. And everything was delicious.

We get our Valentine’s Day dinner from the Sloan market each year, and the food has never failed us. Maybe I’ll start heading out to Sloan a little more often now.

• ANOTHER ANNIVERSARY — While my wedding anniversary marks one of the best days of my life, this week also reflects one of the worst.

On Sept. 2, 2008, I was diagnosed with cancer. I had surgery to remove a tumor the next day.

The lesson taught to me through that ordeal is one I want to pass along to all of the residents in Cheektowaga. And I’ll use a baseball metaphor. Life is always waiting to throw you a wicked curve ball. When that happens, don’t fight it. Take it. Then drill the next offering for a home run.

• ALL THE BEST — The worst part of being an editor is losing a trusted reporter. That’s why when my managing editor dropped the note on my desk that Samantha Robinson had been promoted to Special Sections Editor, I let the entire newsroom know my disapproval with my very loud “No!”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not unhappy with Sam getting a promotion. I’m upset that I’ll need to break in a new reporter. Sam has covered the Cleveland Hill and Cheektowaga-Sloan School Board meetings for me the past six months and volunteered to get the police blotter and fire report whenever I was out of the office.

She has been invaluable in helping me provide the Cheektowaga residents with all the news going on in the town.

So I wish Sam all the best in her new position and hope we can find another highly capable reporter to fill her old beat.

• COINCIDENCE? — This spindle column seems to be the most-read section of the Cheektowaga Bee each week, as evidenced by how many people approach me and ask me about something I recently wrote here.

The person who talks to me the most is Cheektowaga resident Richard Lunghino, a friend from the Buffalo Fencing Academy. Apparently, Rich and I have much in common.

We both lost our fathers, survived cancer, and our birthdays are one day apart. Anything else?

• JUST BECAUSE I CAN — Happy birthday to me.