Today is the last day of the month and naturally, the last day of 2007. At least two things will happen tomorrow: we will ring in 2008 while this blog entry disappears.

So while I have your attention, at least until our Webmaster quietly moves this entry into the archives, I’d like to tell you about something very exciting that recently occurred.

When I was writing an article for a loca... More >>

To those who care, sorry for the delay today. I just got back from vacation a few hours ago. For some reason the computers in Mexico have no "@" on the keyboard and I could not log onto the Gotham page to type in my blog.

I had a chance to go scuba diving during my trip this past week. I am certified, but not terribly experienced, and am literally a fair weather diver. The other day Josh a... More >>

Ever since I can remember, the dinner table was were my family always talked about important issues. I grew up around that table. It was the conduit were we broke bread, talked seriously, laughed, cried, loved and learned. I even learned a very special skill, eating everything on my plate.

My Mother would serve me a huge plate of food and I would tell her, in no uncertain terms, that I'm not ... More >>

As you can see by my attached photo, I am an on again off again beard wearer. I hate shaving and love the 6 months when I am "furry". What's more my wife much prefers me with a beard (as do Latinas). Another thing is that I noticed that when I have my beard people give me more space on the subway and in dark alleys.

Then why do I shave it off (the day of the Gotham Golf Outing)? Maybe it has ... More >>

It’s only a few days until the New Year and my thoughts turn to resolutions for the New Year. Frankly, I have never been a fan of New Year’s resolutions. I am rather skeptical about their effectiveness. I generally don’t make New Year’s resolutions and of the few that I have made over the years, I don’t recall that any really amounted to anything, let alone had a significant impact in ... More >>

Tomorrow, on December 27th, between Christmas and New Year’s, my husband, David, and I will celebrate our 27th anniversary. I think we are still the same people who met at JFK airport on December 27, 1978, two years to the day before we got married. Maybe, I hope, we are more mature, but we are basically the same - what you saw was what you got. I never claimed that I could cook. Well, there ... More >>

I am the luckiest blogger. Not only does my blogging day fall on Christmas this year, but I am also your New Year’s Day blogger. The stars were clearly aligned for me.

Here are my thoughts about Christmas. Christmas is not officially my holiday but we appreciate it more and more every year. Over the years, my family has developed a Christmas tradition. On Christmas Eve, we go out for dinn... More >>

After reading Don’s blog and Fred’s comment, “I love family: your family, the Gotham family, but most of all my family!” I am moved to write about my family at Christmastime.

This year, my younger sister will be celebrating the holiday in France with her new boyfriend, and his family, I suppose. This will be the very first Christmas in my entire life that I will not be seeing her. We ... More >>

My list for today, Saturday includes all the errands I must finish before we start our family vacation tomorrow morning. By the time you read this, I am in the air or on the beach.

I make a list of the things I must do and have to pack, like remembering to cancel the newspaper and throw away the yogurt in the refrigerator that probably is already turning. And I have to remember to pick my son... More >>

We all have to make them. Sometimes they are hard. For instance my son had a track meet and a band/symphony concert on the same night. My wife said he could not miss band, and he did not want to miss the meet. The meet is part of the Friendship Games, a series of three meets to determine the best in each event. If you miss one, you won't make it to the finals.

Band on the other hand is part of... More >>

On behalf of all Gotham I wish you Happy Holidays (whichever you celebrate). First of all, I want to thank you with a group "Renatto" for all that you did and do. We had a wonderful giving and bountiful year together as a family or tribe, as the case may be. We collectively can do amazing, creative, fruitful "magic wand" things. We will continue to do so while still enjoying ourselves in the pr... More >>

My office is in a complex on Roosevelt Field -- the shopping mall in Garden City. I am reminded of the season because of the dramatic increase in traffic around the mall (although this year has not been as bad as others -- perhaps a reflection of the economy?). I consider the extra traffic to be an unwelcome intrusion which I tolerate simply to avoid being called a scrooge.
Within... More >>

I am happy and grateful that you are reading this blog. Those of you who have read “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne may recognize this wording from the popular self help book. I recently read a copy from the library and then picked up my own book at Costco (not so secret – a great place to purchase books for almost half price). I am not alone in my interest. “The Secret” has been on t... More >>

Last Tuesday, we started construction in my house. As the soffets were being pulled down from the kitchen, the construction workers came to us with a discovery, a carefully folded package of yellowed and fraying papers that had been neatly tucked away for years. The papers date back, we assume, to the original owners of our house in approximately 1950 and tell pieces of a heart wrenching story of... More >>

It’s not Christmas until there is an argument (and maybe even some cursing) over setting up the Christmas tree. We sent David out in the rain and wind yesterday afternoon to get us a tree. The kids have been waiting patiently for it and I really needed to check it off my list of things to do this holiday season.

David brought home a very tall, beautiful tree. But when we tried to put it ... More >>

It being the holiday season, I am reminded of Ernesto Che Guevara. I have some El Che paraphanelia, including a coffee mug on my desk, a t-shirt, and a revolutionary figure finger puppet my kids bought me.

Why do you like Che so much? Eve has asked me, perplexed. It's not that I like him so much, or that I dislike him. I just find him to be an interesting fellow. And I always liked the bere... More >>

We pass by them everyday, step over them, avert our eyes when they speak to us and avoid giving them money. Homeless people are fact of life. I encounter them just about everyday. There is a nice gentlemen who hangs out by my CVS opening the door for people. I give him a buck most times. However, when I get into the city I very rarely give them anything. Maybe its because they are more aggressive ... More >>

I'm afraid that the age old tradition of sending (hard copy) holiday cards (by snail mail) is becoming a historical anachronism. I still do it and really enjoy personalizing and signing each one (I hate receiving unsigned impersonal cards). However, as I get older, as with everything else, it gets harder.

First there is the gnawing guilt that I have not purchased the cards in time to send the... More >>

I recently learned that I had to have a tooth extracted.
The discomfort led me to my dentist who sent me to an endodontist to see if the tooth could be saved. During the middle of the second visit, the endodontist abruptly stopped, removed all of the paraphernalia from my mouth and said “It’s got to come out, I’ll give you the name of an oral surgeon.” That was it. When I questioned hi... More >>

In searching for a blog topic, it occurred to me that it might be interesting to interview Gotham’s own Fred Klein. So I did.

EB: “Fred, I think of you as the ‘King of Gotham’ – could you comment?”
FK: “Don’t say “King,” say “Father,” groaned Fred. “Seriously,” he said, “I was there at the inception and I have a paternal feeling of pride as to Gotham’s gro... More >>

Following Julie's suggestion last week to have our kids make a blog entry, I asked my 6th grader's permission to reprint her poem. "A Piece of Paper" (full text below) will appear in the middle school magazine in an upcoming edition.

A PIECE OF PAPER

Once written on
A piece of paper will stay a strong
Tall building,
Holding its text official.

But that same piece of paper
Can be ripp... More >>

A friend of mine told me about a FOUR year-old birthday party invitation that she had received. Aside from the fact that the celebration was to start at 6:00 p.m. on a Saturday night, the birthday child’s parents put an interesting note in the invitation: “Mary is registered at Pottery Barn.”

If that isn’t strange enough, when the guests visited the registry online, they were doubly-... More >>

Having been engaged now for a number of months, it seems it is about time to figure out exactly when I am going to get married. There have been some necessary technical delays, but we have now started the conceptual planning stages, which is good because everyone keeps asking "when, when."

We have explored a few options, like having a somewhat traditional sit down wedding dinner party. But th... More >>

Yesterday morning a great friend of mine died. Although 69 he had the spirit of an 18 year old. He enjoyed every minute of life. I can truly say he did not let life pass him by but attacked it and squeezed the most out of it.

If you can judge a person by the amount of people he touched, this man was beyond reproach. Since I had to call a bunch of people to let them know, I've felt their shock ... More >>

The word "World" is defined as "earth, globe, universe or realm" and has many uses as in: "Post 9/11, the world as we know it will never be the same", World Class, World Series, worldly, etc.

Well Gotham has two new initiatives that may someday be added to the parlance or vernacular. Al Fecci (Bandit Group) has stepped up and is striving to get our "Facing the World Group" off the ground (no... More >>

I rode the LIRR yesterday morning for a meeting in the City. As the train pulled into Penn Station, commuters put on their coats and scarves.
Until a few years ago I was not a fan of scarves. I am not sure why - but they never appealed to me - perhaps some submerged memory of being strangled as my mother wrapped me in a constricting knit.
But as I've matured--and perhaps become... More >>

My husband, David, asked what I’d like as a gift for our upcoming anniversary (27 years on December 27th). I told him that if possible, I’d choose a new mattress. I may be wrong, as my memory isn’t perfect, but I think we’re still sleeping on the mattress we purchased when we got married. So I’d like to replace the formerly wonderful, now lumpy and uneven slab of I don’t know what ... More >>

As some of you know, I have the flu. It hit me like a truck last Wednesday morning and I have not been back to work since. As a result, I was forced to miss the Gotham Trifecta, our biggest day of the year -- our lunchtime Summit Meeting, afternoon New Member Orientation and evening Cocktail Party. [Although I did attend Summit by telephone, it just wasn’t the same.]

The Trifecta is my favo... More >>

When my daughter came down the steps this morning, she did not even consider hiding her disappointment over the disappearing snow and winter wonderland that existed outside our kitchen window just hours ago.

But a moment later the expression on her face was transformed with a joyful smile as she mentioned a “hilarious” dream she had during the night. Eager to share in her good mood, I as... More >>

Now here is something that makes me happy and warms my heat. Snow. Last night before I went to bed I switched on the news and heard that the snow was coming today. Last year, the first snow did not come until mid-January, way too late for me.

This morning, at about 6, I peeked through the blinds, and there it was, a light white blanket outside. I could not fall back asleep, so went downstai... More >>

Last Wednesday's cocktail party I filled in for Debbie at the check in table. What an interesting perspective. As people came in, I had the official duty of keeping count of every person. When someone behind the table handed out a name tag I checked it off on the list. I met more people, although briefly, than I met in other events even though I had my head down checking off names.

At one poi... More >>