Leaving for San Francisco, wardrobe (and all organs) in place.

The evening’s dramatic rain storm, and subsequent drop in the temperature, completely changed my jacket selection(s) for my upcoming visit to San Francisco. The slightly damp, but not too humid, air here in Albany was pretty much what I can anticipate experiencing in SF. I’m going to need a raincoat of sorts for certain - … Continue reading Leaving for San Francisco, wardrobe (and all organs) in place.

Pioneer Valley Peaks

I’m back home again after my repeat pet/housesit in Northampton to share some favorites from this year’s stay. I repeated a couple of spots from 2025, but made an effort to expand my horizons and tried some new things in addition to revisiting some places. There’s a lot to do in the Northampton area, so … Continue reading Pioneer Valley Peaks

Amici in Italia

A few weeks ago, a friend and I were out enjoying drinks and chatting when the topic of travel came up. We quickly realized we were each hoping for an opportunity to take an autumn trip. Amazingly, independently we had each been thinking about visiting Sicily, a place neither of us had ever been before. … Continue reading Amici in Italia

Lake life

For the majority of my childhood I lived downstate in a small village in Orange County. Greenwood Lake, N.Y. is a former resort area that was centered on the recreational opportunities provided by a 9 mile long lake that spans the N.Y./N.J. border. While it was a great place to grow up, there were certain … Continue reading Lake life

Sweet like Colin Farrell’s Sugar

Let me just start with this undeniable fact: Colin Farrell is hot. I’m talking an absolute smoke show of a man. Beyond the admiration I hold for Farrell’s physical appearance, though, lies something even deeper - he’s a hell of an actor. The present vehicle for his talent is Sugar, an Apple TV series currently … Continue reading Sweet like Colin Farrell’s Sugar

Declaring (personal) independence

In 1996, I was settling into the home we had recently purchased, preparing to start a new permanent professional position and getting ready to start a family. Having all three of those major life milestones occur within a six month window of time, reflectively, seems crazy but, at the time, I was completely unfazed to … Continue reading Declaring (personal) independence

Not charmed by BWI, but in ❤️ with Southwest

Last week’s return from Savannah, unfortunately, was not great. The day before my scheduled flight, I received an email offering me the opportunity to change my ticket due to severe storms forecast for the east coast. Not feeling flexible enough to extend my trip due to my restaurant obligations, I decided to just hope for … Continue reading Not charmed by BWI, but in ❤️ with Southwest