It was a few hours before Passover and we were on our way to the family Seder. One of our many traditions is to call relatives who we will not be seeing and wishing them a “Sweet Passover”. Flo called her Aunt Lillie who lives in Florida. After exchanging holiday greetings, Lillie mentioned to Flo that it was a significant day for her and her s …
Fred keeps a diary and has for many, many years. I know this because Fred has shared some of his entries from years ago with me. Here is one that he shared and I must share. “4/9/80 - Had a life experience tonight running across 59th Street Bridge with Benj in near hail torrent getting soaked and running on water and splashing through streams.. …
It was in the personal section of yesterday's Wall Street Journal -- carrying two cell phones. For me, it started rather innocently. When Flo upgraded to a newer iPhone, her iPhone became available. I have always had a Blackberry (perhaps the subject of a another blog) which had increasingly become more of an office number. Our grandson had just …
I reached across the desk for the stapler, carefully positioned the papers, and squeezed. Nothing. The stapler was empty. So I reached into the drawer and took out the plastic box of staples. I was amazed that there were only five strips left. I checked the drawer. No strips had fallen out. There are 5,000 staples to a box. 210 staples to a …
I like to vacation in familiar places. We have a time share in Aruba and, at last count, have been back seven times (plus a few times before we got the time share). Our son and daughter-in-law, Jason and Alyssa have been with us seven times -- and their son, our grandson, Jackson, was with us for the first time (but certainly not last) two week …
Last week Fred blogged about "Menu Management" -- managing the food that his wife Joanne orders. If it turns out that she doesn't like what she ordered, Fred (gladly) switches plates. Flo and I have a similar arrangement at theaters. With few exceptions, Flo usually finds the tallest person in the theater to sit in front of her. And once that pe …
It was time for our grandson, Jackson, to take his nap. Our daughter-in-law picked him up saying “It’s time for me to put Jackson down.” A strange choice of words. While in context they made sense, they still struck me as odd. In veterinary circles, the words “put down” certainly convey a very different message. In social settings “putting …
As I write this, I am on vacation; albeit “turning the corner” on this vacation. As much behind as lies ahead. 13.1 miles into the marathon. It occurs to me that there is always a “turning the corner”. In everything we do, there’s a point at which we’re half-way through. Midway. Something behind us and something ahead. Sometimes turning the corn …
It seemed that everyone was doing it, so we gave it a try. Netflix that is. First “Breaking Bad”, then “House of Cards.” As late comers, we're still catching up with the old seasons. I can get as addicted as the next person. I was completely in to “24” and Monday nights were off-base for anything except watching the show. We were in Seattle for …
I was so relieved when Nancy blogged last week about enough snow for this season. I figured that, with the well-respected Power of Gotham, we would be free of the white stuff for the rest of the winter. I won't lose faith in the Power of Gotham. I must accept the fact that there are forces at work with the weather that even Gotham's might can't …
Recently, I've seen an increasing number of articles about minimizing one's life. Just yesterday there was a piece online about a man who, as director of operations for a telecom company in Ohio, was asked to submit a plan to close stores and terminate 41 employees. He submitted the plan, with his name of the top of the list. He left his job and st …
We were in Florida last weekend visiting my Mom in Delray. Every morning we took a walk along the beach and enjoyed the 50 degree temperature difference from home. (I understand how the happiness of New Yorkers in Florida is tied to the difference in the weather.) While walking I couldn't help but think of the dog walking blogs --- Fred's and D …
I often wonder about the "personalities" of machines and other inanimate objects. We have a Keurig coffee maker at home. A few weeks after we bought it, it started acting funny. By "funny" I mean that it never gave you the amount of coffee that you asked for. Regardless of the button you pushed -- for a small, medium, or large cup of coffee, i …
I don't know whether he told them to do it or whether he knew. The answer to the popular question of the last few days -- "Do you think he knew?” -- largely depends on what you thought of him in the first place. What's ironic is that, by most accounts, he's been doing a pretty good job. And don't hold the fact that he has political ambitions ag …
It has become an all-too-frequent scene. I notice across the restaurant a couple enjoying a nice quiet dinner. Then I see the smart phones, either on the table or in the hands of one (or both) of the diners. “What could possibly be so important?” I wonder. And then the lyrics of Stephen Stills flow melodically through my mind. “...and if you ca …
