A little over a year ago I wrote a blog about the conflict in my town concerning the opening of Costco. Approximately eighteen months later, all the struggles have quieted down and Costco has become a way of life.     We find ourselves going to Costco about once a week. I have, essentially, stopped making roasted chicken or homemade chicken soup because I cannot make either less expensive than it is to purchase it ready made in Costco. We even bought a new couch, as wel...

It’s a secret!   Not the event. It appears on a couple of calendars found on line – at the New York Grand Lodge Knights of Pythias website’s “Pythian Events” link and on the host FDR Lodge 613 website calendar.   But telling what happens remains a no go. All I can share about the event is I organized it so friends I play basketball with in Floral Park, Queens can fulfill their obligation to “take the ranks” as members in our Lodge that covers their twice weekly basketball.   ...

My dry cleaner is open till 7p. I get there at 6:45...half of the lights are out but the door is open. No worries...at least I think so.   I walk in and the owner comes up front and says we are closed. I tell her the sign says 7P and point to the door which, BTW, says 7p. She points to a small statement in red letters about the white times that states "Open till sundown."   Really? That means that she will close earlier and earlier till the winter soltice (which is December ...

Earlier this week I ventured forth to the dreaded Department of Motor Vehicles. My quest was to secure one of the fancy new Enhanced Licenses. Armed with my expiring license, passport, tax forms, Vision Test Report, Birth Certificate (with raised seal), Notary Public Identification Card, Medicare card, bank statement, Social Security and Draft cards I showed up at 8:00 and lined up in cold rain (see Photo) for the scheduled 8:30 opening (they opened late to enhance the trying...

We’re lucky to live where we can enjoy the colors of autumn.Last weekend, we enjoyed the fall foliage in the Berkshires. During the drive north, we saw the gradual differentiation in the colors of the leaves and wondered what colors awaited us at our destination.It’s still shy of peak.Another weekend and a little further north. The colors await....

  Bill just had his high school reunion. I won’t disclose which one – that’s up to him. But I will say that he was really looking forward to it. For weeks, he studied his high school yearbook, connected with friends on Facebook, and strolled down memory lane. It was fun to watch. And it was a fun night too. Lots of reminiscing and connecting. I truly don’t remember my high school class having a reunion although Facebook has been great for me to connect with some hig...

  How good are you at saying good-bye?     This week my stepson moved out of our house and into an apartment in Manhattan. He’s starting work in two weeks in a large law firm in the city so he wanted to move in before work began. This is all good. We are incredibly proud of his hard work in law school that culminated in him being hired as a first year attorney. And, given the extensive  hours he will probably be working, moving into the city is, no doubt, the best move for...

I do not recall feeling like this last fall. Perhaps because I had most of the summer 2018 to ease into things. All I know is some sort of void exists. My team plays no longer. The only recent event involved a firing of the manager. On the other hand Friday's blogger’s team still plays. I find I really miss watching my team and attending the games.   While I plan to be there Opening Day 2020 and already took 145 RSVPs between Gotham City Networking and my FDR Lodge 613 Knight...

I teach entrepreneurship at Hofstra in the evenings and just started another class last week. Each class is filled with a variety of individuals from diverse backgrounds from matriculated students to single working Moms. As I start every semester, every student stands and describes their business idea and what they would like to get out of the class.   While listening to each person's dream, I am always inspired. Most individuals in the class have worked a full day, taken ca...

The expression is “Let a smile be your umbrella” and it is profound. To smile is to appear pleasant and agreeable.  That’s a powerful social tool. A smile conveys feelings of happiness, hope and positivity to anyone who sees it. When you smile, you are sending a nonverbal message to those around you that they are accepted,  welcome and that all is well. Have you ever noticed that some people lead there way with a smile?  It usually works too. Studies show that the best nonver...

What goes around comes around — whether you know it or not. A few years ago I assisted a client of mine in resolving and terminating a long-standing business relationship. The attorney on the other side was a bit more aggressive than may have beennecessary under the circumstances — a point that was not lost on my client. A few weeks ago that same attorney called me asking that I reach out to my former client to assist the attorney in a call to a regulatory agency to cle...

There is nothing like a hardy, breathless bout of laughter to reset life. Sometimes we get caught up in the seriousness of life; our duty to family, our commitment to professional obligations and making smart choices that we miss the opportunity to laugh our butts off. Whenever I’m in need of a good belly laugh, I call my mom. We have code words and catchy phrases that produce instant giggle fits; the kind that make your eyes water and have you gasping for breath. I nee...

  One of my favorite observances during the holidays is a ceremony called Tashlich, the ceremonial casting of the sins. For this ceremony, we gather together at a body of water to throw away our sins of the past year and make some commitments for the new year. Part of the tradition is to throw old bread in the water. The type of bread you choose to throw has its own significance. For example, for complex sins we throw multi gran bread; for tasteless sins – rice cakes; for ...

  I often find it interesting as to where the comments on my blog will take the discussion. Recently, the comments to a blog I wrote about fast food centered on the merits of coffee in the morning. While the topics may be somewhat related, it is not the direction I expected the discussion to go.     Nancy recently wrote a blog attesting to her admiration of teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg. That blog resulted in an, off the blog, email conversation between myse...

The Jewish New Year starts this eve. Looking forward to gathering with close family at “Grand Junction” for dinner. It follows another eventful week. Marisa and I saw the deGrominator lock in a second straight Cy Young Award with his performance last Wednesday at Citifield where the polar bar hit #51 (on the way to tying Aaron Judge Friday and surpassing his rookie record HR record last night). We took in The Zombies reprising their classic Odessey and Oracle LP at The Beacon...