On Sunday I watched American runner Galen Rupp win a Bronze medal in the Olympic 26.2 mile Marathon race with special empathetic interest. Some may know that Gotham General Counsel Ben Geizhals was my marathon running partner. We lived by the mantra of "Miles of trials and trials of miles" for a 10 year period in which we devoted ourselves to man …
Last Sunday I had the best turkey sandwich I've ever tasted in my life. The fresh turkey was moist and it had (our) garden fresh tomatoes, spicy Dijon mustard and crispy lettuce blanketing it on a seeded soft roll. See photo. It was having a party in my mouth! Yum! Thanks and props to the maker (Jo) from the eater!
Tonight is A Rod's last game. Or is it?After 22 Big League seasons during which he struck 696 home runs while failing two performance enhancing drug tests Alex Rodriguez is a complicated, untruthful tarnished star with a still huge Yankee contract guaranteed through 2017. In an emotional press conference last Sunday A Rod spoke the Yankee party li …
I was recently sitting with a young man who is just starting out in the business world. Nearby were a bunch of DJs wearing colorful foot gear. In an attempt to be cool and with it, I called his attention to their "Kicks". I was amazed, if not deflated and put off, when he shot back "They are Jordans, Kicks is old fashioned".I let it go and chalk …
Tomorrow will be the 50th anniversary of my marriage to my high school sweet heart, Joanne Carol Davidson. When we got married the war in Vietnam was raging and we did not have a clue. At best, we had a no plan plan. Yes, we had our ups and downs, but somehow we did the right thing, got the breaks, seized opportunities, lived within our means, h …
Whether it's the classic: Summertime, and the livin' is easyFish are jumpin' and the cotton is highOh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin'So hush little baby, Don't you cry One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singingAnd you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the skyBut 'til that morning, there ain't nothin' can harm youWith Da …
For more years than I am willing to admit I have gone to my local hardware store to buy a dozen outdoor spotlight bulbs for a 10% volume discount (buy local). At first I didn't notice, but after the passage of time I realized that the bulbs were blowing with cash register regularity. Being somewhat thrifty or penurious, I eschewed local loyalty and …
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 …
Fridays With Fred
A perfect way to send you into your weekend