Last night Gotham held its first Virtual Gotham Battle of the Bands (BOTB) competition sponsored by Jason Greenberg and The Phoenix Adjusters Group, Inc. and the Winners were: Tara O’Grady-First Prize($2000 and Show Case at Cafe Wha?), Parkway South-Second Prize ($1000) and Sound Judgment-Third Prize ($500). It was the first Virtual BOTB and ho …
For many, many years I had a black Fischer space pen. The black matt was chipped - a respectable sign of its being well utilized over so many years.Last February, I lost it.I replaced it a few weeks later. New black matt finish.Last weekend, we were sitting outside in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts having an iced coffee. I heard the clink of the p …
Yet another shift in our evolving society with the sunsetting pandemic. Recently, I've had numerous conversations with professional colleagues about business and the state of affairs. Consistantly reported, is this zeal for face to face encounters. With the resurgence of in-person meetings, most are redefining productivity. The 'new normal" is in d …
I’m afraid I might be single handedly supporting the rejuvenation of the New York economy. It occurred to me recently that I have been out shopping more over the last three weeks than in the last 15 months combined. Restaurants, clothing, gifts, you name it. Although I’m still not comfortable in a mall, I have been able to get comfortable i …
I am turning 60 this summer, as are many of my longtime friends. Given that we are still in a pandemic, we are all finding creative ways to celebrate. For my husband’s 60th birthday, this past October, I had friends and family from near and far submit a short video, and pictures if they had, to wish him a happy birthday. My daughter put it all t …
Some people tell this commentator that I Live for the Music. I concede I missed live music. Last night with our friends Eric and Jar we checked out a band called Rock Steady outdoors at Lamotta’s in Port Washington. It’s drummer, Andy Lavin, is a member of this tribe that hosts this commentary. And this coming Thursday, at 6:00 p.m., everyone can e …
I know there's an election when I start seeing ads trying to get you to vote for a specific candidate. Right now, they are at a fever pitch because we have one starting today. (The primary Election day is Tuesday, June 22, 2021 but there's an early voting period which is June 12, 2021 — June 20, 2021.) No surprise I'm fascintated by the strategie …
Last night the North of 25A Book Group hosted a Zoom discussion with Pulitzer Prize winning author Dave Barry. Our group had read his wonderful, humorous and poignant 2019 book, Lessons From Lucy. Lucy is his dog :) Having been turned around/converted about dogs 8 years ago by the advent of my beloved Charcoal, the book resonated especial …
We were on Zoom waiting for the other members of New York Health and Longevity to join the meeting. I asked fellow Gothamite Janet Sullivan how she was doing.She answered that she was okay but with the reservation that she was doing as well as could be expected given the stress that we have all been under for over a year. (My apologies to Janet for …
Every year, the lady crew heads out for a golf trip down the shore. We select a few courses we don’t play often and set up a scramble, or a shamble. Usually teams with the highest index and the lowest are mixed together, along with the oldest and the youngest. It makes for a great time, good conversation, and learning new approach shots. With COVI …
We are beach people. Just getting to the beach and spending a few hours listening to the soft sounds of the water makes a world of difference. A few years ago, we found a quiet beach just north of where we live. Until then we had been driving to the south shore of Long Island which we quickly learned was an investment of an entire day. Don’t g …
Last week I took a day to work from home in the morning as I had my annual check-up scheduled in the early afternoon. After my check-up (which went fine), I took some time to do some local errands. It was a rainy day and I was in really a blah mood. I rushed into Costco with a frown on my face and my head down. Suddenly a woman stopped me, whic …
My wife “retired” just before the winter. Around that same time my work schedule, pandemic and all, picked up and I found a need for some assistance. I often could not get away to check my box at the post office, get to the bank or even during my afternoon, address some of the yard work. I cannot complain about being busy. My mantra remains to help …
(Yes, this is a true story) In a neighborhood in Jackson, Mississippi, people are finding bowls of mashed potatoes on their cars, porches and mailboxes. It was reported that some residents fear there's a more sinister message behind the potatoes. "Some people were thinking maybe the mashed potatoes were poisoned to kill animals," a local reside …
As I continue to keep on living my Forever Young fantasy, I realize that, however I may really look, my countenance is naturally masked by my beard. Quite an advantage males have in this respect!Is my face sagging, do I have aged lines? I have no idea, as my face is grown over. What’s more, a smile is quite an umbrella :)Yes my mask is silver, bu …
