I Know we have not "encountered" Christmas and Chanukah yet but one tradition I follow is to post on the Sunday before Christmas eve and earlier if Chanukah which starts this year the eve of Christmas Day, falls sooner, my verified (meaning all the links work) Songs to Ring In The New Year 

Ralph Waldo Emerson is quoted as saying, "The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be."    These words remind me that destiny is not a prewritten script, like some believe, but a path shaped by our choices, actions, and resolve.  

With Christmas days away, I would like to share my most poignant Christmas memory.  I was about 3 or 4 years old and I vividly recall opening presents with my mom and dad under our Christmas tree.

At a recent Gotham in person meeting a guest circulated a flyer promoting an upcoming holiday charity event. Only one flyer to go around. And so the phone cameras came out and the image of the flyer was preserved.A few days later, i was checking in to a hotel and valet parked my car.

So last week I had the pleasure of traveling to NY to attend the Gotham Holiday Party as well as my work holiday gathering and seeing a few close friends for dinner. Of course, I also got to visit several customers and prospects, since the bills aren’t disappearing by themselves.

We are headed towards those few weeks a year when the world actually does slow down.  This year, we have vowed to really take advantage of at least a few days.   

I shared one of my favorite Gotham experiences at a Gotham meeting this past week. Fred urged me to share it in a blog.  And, after some thought, I agreed.   Several years ago, I was hired to represent a woman in a divorce action who owned a second home in a secluded county in North Carolina. She wanted to buy out her husband’s interest in the home. To do so, we had to find a certified appraiser to provide a neutral valuation of the home.  

Most folk know this commentator’s affinity for live music.  I enjoy attending concerts – immensely.  I was viewing a YouTube video and I saw a few links to top 10 live albums.  Both I checked out involved vinyl.  I had a few on each list.  While I like such lists, I never thought to list a top ten of my live LPs.