I experienced something unusual last Saturday at my monthly sojourn to Costco. My purchases did not exceed $200. I don't think I've ever done that before and I suspect many others haven't either. I noticed this because when I stood there with the electronic pen ready to sign on the electronic pad for the sale, nothing came up. The cashier looked at me and said, "You don't have to sign for purchases under $200." mmmph. I believe any other store the minimum is $50.  

It's true... having a puppy is like having a new baby and in our case "a late in life" one.  We did have dogs in the past.. but then they ran free and no one worried about what they ate.  I certainly never learned how to walk a dog on a leash...

Three of our four children live on the fourth floor of their respective buildings. The two in Brooklyn are walk-ups, while one in Seattle has an elevator  I think walk-ups are healthy. Flo had a Great Aunt Anna who lived in a fifth floor walk up in the Bronx. She lived into her nineties. I bet the walk-up had something to do with her longevity.  So I am favorable to Mayor Bloomberg's recently announced initiative that new architecture in New York City be sensitive to, and encourage, stairs.

Perhaps you have felt it in the past, but just not realized what it was or how severely it has affected you and the others around you.   NASA has determined that within the next several months, the Sun's magnetic field will 'flip'.  In fact, the process has already begun as the North Pole of the Sun flipped pre-maturely last year, leaving the Sun's magnetic field in a state of flux and imbalance (Please note that the North Pole swears that this has never happened before, EVER).  

I was brought up with the work ethic that success requires dedication and hard work. The concept of “luck” was for winning the lottery (although even there, you have to buy a ticket). With that in mind, I have worked hard and succeeded at just about every job and career I’ve chosen. When I haven’t succeeded, I’ve been able to look back and see where more effort would have produced a different outcome.  

I was brought up with the work ethic that success requires dedication and hard work. The concept of “luck” was for winning the lottery (although even there, you have to buy a ticket). With that in mind, I have worked hard and succeeded at just about every job and career I’ve chosen. When I haven’t succeeded, I’ve been able to look back and see where more effort would have produced a different outcome.

Every time I go on my Facebook page there’s a new notification waiting for me; will I give a life to a friend or relative playing Candy Crush? There is also usually a notification that a friend has surpassed a certain level in the game.  

Bob has been one of my best friends since we met during our first year of college in 1972.  When I moved to Chicago after we graduated, where he is from, we became even closer.  We married within a year of each other, took vacations together, moved to the same suburb, and our first borns are less than a year apart. Then in 1982 I moved back to New York.