We have a next door neighbor, Charlotte (Charlie) Johnson, who we have known for over 6 years and have seen mature into an accomplished young woman. After suffering a number of medical setbacks for over 2 years, surviving a serious bike accident and changing schools, she found herself falling behind, but found her niche in a local high school/col …
There’s an elderly couple in our development. We often see them walking. She with a walker and he cautiously walking beside her.The thing that set them apart was that they never seemed friendly. No smiles. No reciprocal greeting.Recently, there had been activity at their home. Ambulance. And the woman is not around.I met him at the recycling bin an …
My mate and I recently took a 4 week vacation. While I was trepidatious to be away from my practice (and our sweet pup) that long, we were both looking forward to escaping the constant news of the party shenanigans. Well, not so easy. America is, unfortunately, the talk of the world, and not in a good way. We were greeted kindly in all 3 countri …
I'm afraid there seems to be a pattern when we go to the ballpark. My husband is a real Mets fan. So is my son. It is actually more than a little fun to listen to them watch a game together on the phone hundreds of miles away from each other. But I digress. What do you think it means that if/when we leave the ballpark before the end of the g …
I sat in court last week next to a younger colleague who I’ve known professionally for several years. We have never socialized, only speaking to one another when we happen to see one another in court. Sitting in the courtroom, he began to tell me about a personal dilemma he was experiencing. At first I was flattered that he felt he could share th …
Marisa joined me to take in Peter Frampton's "Let's Do It Again" tour at The Capitol Theatre in Portchester last week. Amazing show, especially when we know Peter contemplated retirement a few tours ago -- it was billed as a Farewell. He sang and played as great as ever. His four-piece backing planned played and sang on the money. I enjoyed his …
You might not remember what you had for lunch last Tuesday, but you definitely remember the times you had a great laugh. I'm not referring to Ha Ha moments but laughing so hard your cheeks and belly hurt. I think it's amazing that laughter has a way of freezing those moments in time—like your brain saying, “Save this one!” And let’s be honest— …
My son David gave me a novel birthday present, a Key West treasure hunt, which he planned during a recent visit and shared with his mom Joanne. There was no treasure map, just 5 destinations: Pepe's Cafe, Sloppy Joe's Bar, Hog's Breath Saloon, Saltwater Angler Fishing Store and Salty Dog T-Shirt Factory, which I mapped out in a logical biking loo …
Do you have Real ID?The restrictions on domestic air travel without Real ID are finally going into effect on May 7th.When the topic came up with friends at dinner the other night, I cautiously removed my driver’s license from my wallet. I had no recollection of the last renewal and, in the dim light of the restaurant I couldn’t make out any of its …
My wife and I love exploring the New England area in the Fall for a weekend get away. This year we may switch it up and "Spring" out of town for a few days. We've been fortunate to have visited Bar Harbor, ME [favorite], Portsmouth, NH, Salem, MA, Burlington, VT, Kenoza, NY, Beacon, NY, and Lake George, NY over the years. Looking for a new recommen …
We spent this past weekend in Chicago. The Schess clan converged on the city and spent the weekend celebrating all sorts of wonderful things in our world. But, I digress. I have never spent any time in Chicago, and I am now a fan. We were in a part of town called South Loop, walking distance to the lake, multiple museums, restaurants, bars and …
Lately I have been exploring meditation and yoga. During every session, the instructor asks the participants to set an intention for the day or think of a word that will guide us through our day. Almost every time the word “balance,” comes to my mind. In our hectic, continuously plugged in life finding balance can be an elusive goal. I have been …
Last week we enjoyed two proud parent moments. Both involved my daughter. I posted to X about the first. Marisa authored an op-ed for the American Jewish Committee ("AJC") that appeared in the Albany Times-Union. It was placed there because the target audience serve as members of the New York State Assembly and New York State Senators. The op …
At Gotham Golf this past week it was such a pleasure seeing my networking friends in person; Rosalia, Ray, Brad, Jeff, Rich, Ryan, and Steve. It occurred to me that getting lost in a sea of screens and digital interactions is easy. What's harder is getting out and meeting people face to face. We need to remember the power of human connection. L …
Joanne, Charcoal and I annually "snowbird" in Key West, the southern most point of the continental United States and home of mile marker 0 on the US-1 highway. My birthday is in two days and, as per our 10 year tradition, we memorialized it by photo opping at the appropriate mile marker (Leigh Connell picture). Our friends Leigh and Jim Connell hav …
