I went to bed last night happy that I was going to be able to sleep a little later, have a good breakfast, write my blog and then go throw some snow around. My neighbor Al, a nice guy, had a different plan. I awoke this morning at about 6 AM to the sounds of his Toro straining against the weight of over a foot of snow as he was clearing his driv …
My father in law is a 92 year old WW II veteran and was my surrogate father when it mattered. To look at him you would never know. He has his hair and it is still mostly naturally brown. He has lost much of his belly, but his cheeks are full and he could be an ARRP poster boy. However, as it must for all of us, his body and mind are failing him. An …
A few days ago, after a morning workout at the gym, I went to the snack bar for my "regular". The woman behind the counter greeted me with a smile and asked "The Regular?" A nod. Another nod and the breakfast smoothie with pineapple, mango, in orange juice, with a vanilla protein shot was under way. It's amazing how my "Regular" has morphed ove …
My 11 year-old son recently got accepted into the SOAR program at school, which is an after school group that focuses on engineering, flight and space. We were both thrilled. I was reminded of a conversation a couple of weeks earlier that we had in the car. Out of nowhere on the way to a hockey game, he says, "You know dad, when they invent a t …
No, I don't have any tips. I am looking for some. About to embark on what I am told is going to be quite the adventure, I am looking for any -- and all -- input from my Gotham family about what to expect and how to approach the process. My 11th grader has a very significant list of schools she is interested in that would have us traveling all ove …
Anyone who knows me knows I am not a sports fan. I do, however, look forward to the Super Bowl. I enjoy having friends and family over and sharing the evening with them. Mostly, though, I enjoy the hype of the commercials. I look forward to how the sponsors are going to top the productions of the prior years. And while I am sure most people will be …
That phrase is forever linked to Ed Koch, the former mayor of New York, who passed away yesterday. He was a fiesty guy who never shied away from a camera or a question from the media. In fact, he sought out the media and would often follow them around. In this day and age when politicians are often unavailable and carefully presented to the pres …
As many who know me have experienced, I am addicted to photography (it is amazing how fine the "in the moment" Blackberry snap shots can be). Most of all, I am hooked on shots of sunrise and sunsets. No doubt, the celebration and lamentation of the sun's eternal rise and fall is embedded in our primeval DNA. We are wired to worship the sun, the sou …
I don't remember many telephone numbers anymore. I don't think it is a result of not being able to remember them (although others may question that) but I simply don't have to remember the numbers. For the numbers I call most frequently, I have to remember the speed dials -- what character I assigned to which person. Otherwise, the number is ri …
If you partake in the Facebook Phenomenon, you've undoubtedly stumbled across those participating in the gun control exchange. I have no interest in propogating that debate in this forum, but what I would like to engaeg in is how some on Facebook react to such discussions with anger and contempt. I have heard people literally say (more often to o …
Really? Still? I have an unofficial deadline of January 31. After that date, I will no longer wish someone I haven’t seen a happy new year. I have to say though, somewhere around the middle of the month, it starts to feel awkward -- as if the well wishes are just too late and need to wait another whole year before they are expressed again. …
Today all I am thinking about is sleep. It’s probably because I didn’t get much sleep last night; I didn’t close my eyes until after 4:30 a.m. My theory as to the cause of my restlessness is that, perhaps, the decaffeinated cappuccino I ordered with dinner last night was, actually, caffeinated. Whatever the cause of my restlessness, I know that I …
"This Negro player may be a Communist," the director continued, sitting in the car. "And I suspect your brother too. Both of them. You know how I feel about that." "I don't know about those sorts of things," Johnny answered. "I don't pay much attention to politics." Mr. Hoover remarked that Johnny looked tense and nervous, not relaxed as he had …
Johnny stepped off the plane and a shot of cold air hit his face and entered his lungs. He looked around and everything was coated in white dust. It was so quiet you could hear the snow fall...too quiet he thought. As he walked down the stairs to the tarmac, his mind was swirling with the story Eddie told him. It seemed so unbelievable. He tried …
As they awaited take off Eddie leaned forward and asked Johnny "I know the Needle and you had something going on and we're going back to the city because of it, but more than that I don't know. What's going on?". In response, Johnny asked Eddie to change seats so he could fill him in during the flight. It was a long and winding story. Johnny s …
