Tuesday marked the start of the tutoring year. Zoey and I had been scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Based on the last two years, I can say she is an eager student and a person who strives to excel academically. I’m happy to push her hard. In these respects, Zoey is different from the […]
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
The first weekend of the professional football season is now complete. As has been the case for far too many seasons, my team melted down just when it mattered most, coming up short against a hated rival. In the immediate aftermath, I halfheartedly listen to the angry, postgame blowback of fans on sports radio, which […]
Step Right This Way
I have been putting together a proposal for a 2-hour tour of one of the world’s coolest neighborhoods. At least that’s how Time Out describes the neighborhood where I live. To me, it is simply the place where I have chosen to spend most of my adult life. Describing it as one of the world’s […]
Dream Kisses and Decorating Tips
Lee still appears in my dreams from time to time, though infrequently. In my favorite and most memorable dream, she tells me that she feels better. Given that she has been sick for so long, I am grateful and happy to get this unexpected, good news, yet secretly I remain nervous pending the results of […]
Why I Strive
I have volunteered to lead occasional tours of my neighborhood for out-of-town visitors. The goal of the not-for-profit organization that is sponsoring these neighborhood tours is to promote understanding among people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. I was required to submit a formal application, which is pending. However, based on my experience as a volunteer […]
No Place Like Home
Lola the Wonder Dog and I departed from home two weeks ago on a Sunday to make the six-hour drive to Craig and Donna’s lakeside place. Lola is a terrific car dog. I occasionally had to glance over my shoulder just to be sure I hadn’t inadvertently left her behind at a gas station. It […]
Gone Fishin’
I am taking this week off to travel with Robyn and visit our families. Be back next week! Gary
A Birthday Surprise
I recently heard from Lee’s nephew, Andy, whom I don’t talk to often. Never have, even when Lee was alive. Don’t get me wrong, Andy is a nice fellow. He is married with two kids, has a career, is much younger than I am, and has his own life. Usually, if we talk, there is […]
A Fiftieth Birthday Milestone
Everybody is familiar with making New Year’s resolutions. I have made – and broken—more than my fair share in seventy-four years of life. Whether these involved joining a gym or losing weight, their enduring role in people’s daily lives prompted researchers to investigate whether temporal landmarks motivate people to tackle their goals. Indeed, they found […]
Walking Through the Mist of Time
I was reading Tuesday’s edition of the New York Times and came across an article entitled, “Lingering Moose Shuts Down Popular Adirondack Trail for a Month,” see https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/nyregion/moose-goodman-mountain-trail.html (7-15-25). Among other bits of information, the article pointed out, “Awesome to behold in the wild, moose are the largest members of the deer family and are […]
My Friend is Okay, and So Am I
If history is any guide, a transient ischemic attack, or TIA, sometimes also referred to as a ministroke, will strike approximately one-quarter million Americans this year. See “A Ministroke Can Have Major Consequences” by Paula Span, found at https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/ministroke-transient-ischemic-attack-tia-major-consequences/ (5/27/25). According to the American Stroke Association, it occurs when blood flow to the brain is […]
Five Years
Yesterday marked the fifth anniversary of Lee’s death. Not a day passes, nor many moments, when she is out of mind. My memories of Lee –even the sad ones- are part of her legacy. I sincerely wish this were not the case because, in an alternative universe, Lee would still be healthy, and happily, we […]