Last week our 9 year old grandson sent home the following letter:Dear Mom, At challenge course I fell on a rock on my hand. At soccer, I got tackled like in tackle football and got kicked in the face. I don't know will happen in the next 3 periods. How are you doing?Perfect!Brilliant!
You can't make this stuff up!A while back I was minding my own business when I received an out of the blue call from someone who claimed his father had died and that he went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to turn in his dad's car plates. He claimed he discovered later that a one digit mistake had been made and that rather than his father's, m …
My full given name is Fred C. Klein and the C. might as well stand for Chip as I am so addicted to them that I well might be made of them. Then, last week I sat next to my fellow Friar and New York Health and Aging GC Gideon Schein and right away I noticed his appreciable weight loss and, of course, always looking for a dieting SECRET, I asked him …
We have all been captive inside a mechanized telephone maze. Nothing infuriates me more than the frustration of the urgent need to get through to the party I've called, but being put in the holding pen. Invariably, the delay becomes interminable as the loop interrupts the cheesy elevator music to proclaim "your call is important to us please stay o …
We were recently winding down our Memorial Day Weekend vacation and starting to experience that all too familiar gnawing feeling of return to the real world anxieties and problems. Just then I spied the words "Harkuna Matata" written under a wooden bridge covering a pool lap lane. I looked up the meaning of those words and what a perfectly timed …
I was taught that little things mean a lot and I respect that verity. I know someone who has 2 friends with whom he makes a point to check in (text) with on a regular basis. One is a high school classmate who is progressing nicely following an "episode" and another is a club friend who is recovering well from abdominal surgery. He feels he is he …
We have a Citi Bank-American Airlines credit card (see photo above) As you may have guessed, we chose it for the "miles" as our favorite destination is on the AA system. We use it frequently enough so that the accumulated miles are not forfeited over time. It works for us, but I wonder...are we missing out? Are there better deals out there? Ar …
Last Saturday we returned to timeless earthly labor and planted our vegetable garden. This was the first time in memory that I participated and, truth be told, 3/4 of the work was done by Joanne. Usually she engages in this annual ritual with our son Alex. However, he was unavailable and I was drafted to substitute. We started with an early mor …
I know some label Mother's Day a "Hallmark Holiday" (does anyone know the first such holiday?), but as the years go by the day becomes more and more poignant to me. On Sunday I posted the above beautiful photo of my mom on fredslist saying "Happy Mother's Day mom. I miss you!"Oh how I wish she was still here and how well I remember her constant a …
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When I was young the following terms and expressions did not exist: World Class Arm candy It is what it is WTF Texting Social Media Hip Hop or Rap Metro sexual Booty (call) Internet Tennis elbow POTUS Jet set iPhone Bottled water LGBTQ Cable On line Red light camera Viagra Hip and knee-replacement Bike helmets Seat belts Hooking up Metal bats Fed …
Jealousy is defined as feeling resentment against someone because of that person's rivalry, success or advantages. I think it's only human to be jealous. And I admit to having harbored that feeling many times over my life. However, for whatever the reason, as I get older I seem to suffer those pangs far less often. Maybe jealousy springs from …
On Sunday we will enjoy our fourth annual Battle of the Bands. Each year this musical competition improves and I am proud to say that Sunday's venue is the iconic Greenwich Village Cafe Wha?. Yes, where Dylan and Jimi had their starts. We owe the honor of playing there to part owner William Skody (Co Chair of our Make A Difference Group). Thank …
It is a simple fact that for a network to work, be it electrical or social, it requires connections, be they mechanical or mental. Gotham is a cornucopia of connections which hum day by day around the clock. Of course, one of the secrets of success is to be a connector or go to guy or gal. The formality of this verity is encapsulated in Got …
On Wednesday I passed another mile marker (see photo taken by Rodger Davis). They say "It's just a number" and "You look good". Well, the number is a very heavy mental weight which hangs over me and is never far from my thoughts. I just can't really believe it. Nor can I believe Joanne and I will be married 50 years in July. I work very hard t …
Fridays With Fred
A perfect way to send you into your weekend