We have to remember many, many dates. Birthdays, anniversaries, and others. I sometimes test myself with the birthdays of our seven grandchildren.There is a new date that must be stored in our memory bank: the date of your second Covid vaccination (or the single dose of Johnson). It’s the date that is needed, along with other information, to confirm and download the New York State Excelsior Pass - a convenient way to prove vaccination status.

My wife and I saw West Side Story (with only 1 other person in the theater) at a Monday matinee on a big screen with great sound, lounging on recliners.   

This is about masks.  I wear my mask on the LIRR and subway as I am supposed to.    The LIRR was crowded this morning.  Not shoulder to shoulder, but no excess of empty seats.  So, I sat down.   

I am extremely lucky to have a very close “office family,” which includes Gotham adoption attorney extraordinaire Faith Getz Rousso. We genuinely all enjoy one another’s company, help one another,  and look out for one another.   We do have a prankster in our midst. While I was a way on vacation in October an elaborate prank was concocted against me. After I returned from vacation and finally realized what was done, I had to laugh. I took the joke on me in the nature it was played; out of love and friendship.

Yesterday, the City (of New York) was to collect fallen leaves put out for collection in Paper Leaf Bags or open containers from residential.  Originally there were two dates for collection but the one for the weekend after Thanksgiving got nixed with little fanfare.  So I fulfilled my "obligation" to gather the leaves not yet bagged to put out for collection.  It was a lot and unfortunately the rain-dampened leaves prove heavier to heave into the collection trucks.

I'm not one to self promote. Growing up, our house was about doing the right thing all of the time, laugh, be humble and respect all who live. So it's a bit out of character for me to write this.   Today is an unusual day. I'm not even sure if this has happened before. I looked and didn't find an instance but logic tells me it did - today is my birthday and my blog day.  

Nothing personifies our Gotham mantra more than our Season of Giving initiative.   It is truly Better to give than receive, but what goes around comes around and it did last night at our Holiday Party! 

Last week, our grand-dog, Tonka, died.I think about his life. His adoption by Mea and Charles in Seattle twelve years ago. He watched as our children’s relationship flourished to marriage. The moves in Seattle, the move to Washington D.C.