Thoughts, experiences and adventures from a resident of DelSo aka Delaware Avenue South in Albany, N.Y.
The news of Dolly Parton’s death arrived as I left my hair in a pile on the floor of a salon in San Francisco. It was surprising news to hear, but not completely unexpected. She was 80 and had lived a remarkable and full life. We should all be so fortunate. I would never claim … Continue reading I will always love you
Last month, as the Knicks raced towards their first NBA Championship in 53 years, they hit only one major bump, an orange one in fact - Donald J Trump. His presence at Game 3 at Madison Square Garden created an unwelcome distraction and, as I imagine it, a wave of negativity. He shifted the energy … Continue reading Unsporting
You know how summers sometimes get dubbed with a name, “hot girl summer” or “brat summer?” Well, as far as I’m concerned, Summer 2026 is Mermaid Summer. And I’m here for it. Last weekend’s adventures were Brooklyn-centric but, for my second Mermaid event in a week, the destination was northeast - North Adams, MA and … Continue reading Mermaid Parade ➡️ Mermaid Avenue
Considered by some to be the official start of the summer season, the Mermaid Parade has been drawing crowds to Comey Island for decades. Since I first heard about it from a former student, I’ve wanted to attend this annual Coney Island event and Saturday, I finally got there. I left Albany on the 8:15 … Continue reading Weekend in Brooklyn and, at last, the Mermaid Parade!
It stands to reason that someone I first met on an unforgettable day, (9/11/2001), should pass, after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s, on a date as distinctive as 6/16/26. We met in the library. It was my first week working in a district where I would eventually spend three years as the high school librarian. … Continue reading 6/16/26
As I’ve learned to do when I travel, I checked the entertainment listings for the dates I’d be in Savannah to see what I might catch. I didn’t really see much that was appealing, with one significant exception - Brandi Carlile would be performing for two nights of my three night stay. That was a … Continue reading Humans in Savannah – a field report
While I found the reports I had read over the years about Virginia Giuffre tragic, I didn’t have a particular interest in reading more about her or the horrible things which she survived. There are enough horrors to be witnessed in the world without my needing to seek out more. Despite my distance from the … Continue reading Nobody’s Girl
