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. …
It's August 1st! The summer and the year seem to be flying by. There was something special about blogging on the first day of the month (and not-so-special about blogging on the last day of the month) but that was when we had the old website and blogs were "up" for the month. With the new website, today's blog is on view on the homepage and tha …
With all of the attention on the other side of the Pond over the birth of George Alexander Louis, aka His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, the new heir to the British throne, I wonder what it would be like to live in a monarchy. My speculation only extends to consideration of a parliamentary monarchy -- where the monarch serves as a figur …
The Art Cliff Diner is a popular breakfast and lunch place in Vineyard Haven on Martha's Vineyard. My Art Cliff cap has "1943" on the back. Inside the diner, it looks like it's been around for as long as the cap claims. Suffice it to say, that it's sometimes hard to get in -- especially if you get there too close to the 2 o'clock closing time. Art …
Sunday morning and Flo was going on a quick errand to the supermarket. Wouldn't be more than ten minutes, she said. Not more than thirty seconds after she left, I heard the beep of the car horn announcing her return. I went out to see if anything was wrong. She had forgotten her cell phone! She realized it as she pulled out and …
We started in the Fourth of July spirit last Saturday night with the concert and fireworks in Point Lookout. Since then, Neil Diamond’s “Coming to America” has been a persistent mental hum. Fireworks and music --- made for each other. Enjoy your holiday and, on this Fourth, let me share with you the lyrics to the song that is still in my mind and …
Although married, Flo and I do not share last names. Among our three married children, one couple shares a last name, one couple has chosen to each retain their surname, and in one, my daughter-in-law has hyphenated her last name. Sometimes the different last names have not gone unnoticed. Once, a passport officer asked Flo why she didn't take my …
Last night at the Cocktail Party, I spent most of my time on the right side --- the Bar Room. It seems that at every event on the second floor of the Friars Club, the crowd prefers one side or the other. Or, maybe it’s just me. Last night seemed to find more people in the Bar Room. One little story captures so much about what Gotham is. Ester Ho …
We were sitting in a small cafe near the Javits Center on a weekend afternoon. About twelve tables. Free Wi-Fi. Around us were at least three people on their computers and next to us was a young man working on his computer. A young woman came in and joined him at the small table. They started talking business and he explained his business …
In an apparent sting operation, one hundred and four men were arrested in the past two months in Nassau County for solicitation of prostitutes. The District Attorney released the names and photographs of the men. Obviously an attempt - successful by all accounts - to embarrass and humiliate those arrested. We know one of the men on the list w …
I heard that the weather was abnormally cool in New York for the Memorial Day weekend. We were in Prague and the weather was about the same --- the coldest weather that they have had at this time of year in fifty years. And it rained. It was fitting weather for our visit to Terezin -- the site of a ghetto and concentration camp near Prague during …
By the time this blog is posted and being read, we will, hopefully, be safe and sound in Prague. We are flying Lufthansa, the German airline. For many years as I grew up, Germany -- and it’s products -- were persona non grata for my family and generally prohibited. As a child, I learned to be sensitive to a product’s country of origin, and “Made …
I have had an occasional interest, but no great and burning desire, to visit Poland to see the cities where my parents lived before the war. I am not sure why. Perhaps the images in my mind from the stories I have been told and pictures that I have seen is sufficient. Perhaps I realize that with the exception of the re-enactment in the movie " …
The weather in Seattle last weekend was spectacular. Cloudless skies. Very un-Seattle-like, especially for early May. Beautiful, memorable sunrises over Mount Rainier were the prominent news stories. So Flo and I decided to view what was being touted as the opportunity of a lifetime. Tuesday was our last morning in Seattle and we were up at …
My daughter, Mea, is getting married on Saturday. The wedding is in Seattle and the weather forecast, at last check, doesn't include rain. A good omen. It's a good thing that the wedding is in Seattle, because I'm going to need a nice long plane flight to think about what to tell my daughter and new son-in-law. What words of advice (dare I say "wis …
