Gotham is a Business-Social Networking group. Or is it a Social-Business Networking group?Which ever it is it sure has a lot of value added Bells and Whistles in its 18th year.  We start with our World Class Fredslist "Magic Wand" list serve which has proven its amazing ability to conjure up just about anything needed or requested.

Yesterday morning I found myself in front of a little outdoor garden sitting area -- four benches in a small circle by the beach overlooking Vineyard Sound. Bricks, many with names and acknowledgements line the floor and the area is enclosed by beach plums. In the center there's a boulder engraved with depictions of a lighthouse, a male and female runner, and a wheelchair athlete and the words “Falmouth Road Race est. 1973 - Finish Line Garden”.

How do you rejuvenate? Restore? Replenish yourself?   We have a little getaway in the woods. I meditate everyday. Taking regular vacations. A walk in Central Park. Good conversations with loving friends.   What's your go-to rest up? Let me know your secrets to revitalization.

  Last year, you all indulged me for months and I was very grateful. You know what I am talking about. Those of you who listened to me obsess about sending my oldest off to college for the first time deserved a special thank you.

  It’s that time of the year; my daughter is heading back to school tomorrow and my step-son goes back next week. So, the conversation in my house has been focused around a very important topic, where will we be taking them out for dinner the night before they leave? This is a very serious discussion as apparently, in Buffalo and Binghamton respectively, you cannot get food that is at all equivalent in quality of the food near home.  

We had a lovely evening last night and then came home. I poured two glasses of bourbon over ice and we sat on the couch for a nightcap.  I picked up my book on The Rules of the Velominati, which I get excited about. Eve took our her iPad to seach for a fireplace vacuum, which she gets excited about. Trying to interest the other, this was our conversation:  

I'm wondering if you've experienced this.   Driving down a street and someone starts to walk across, actually jaywalk, but that doesn't matter right now. They start to either walk really fast or slightly jog until they see the oncoming driver slow down then they walk REALLY slow the rest of the way across the street forcing the driver to slow down even more.   What's up with that? Why didn't they continue to cross the street with the same sense of urgrency?

Three is my lucky number.   They say things happen in threes and in that regard this has been a very fortunate year for me: 1) I was honored by Vincent Russo's Theresa Foundation this Spring, 2) designated as the Friars Club Friar of the Year soon thereafter and 3) I pitched Gotham's Batmen softball team to its first Championship this Summer (It's great to be young and a Batman).   Babe Ruth would be proud.