Thoughts, experiences and adventures from a resident of DelSo aka Delaware Avenue South in Albany, N.Y.
The relationship I have with my mother has been problematic for as long as I can remember. While she generally met my most basic needs of shelter, clothing and food, very little beyond that was available or offered to me. Affection, emotional or financial support, and intimacy were never part of the package. I’ve worked … Continue reading That’s not my name
I know I’m very late to the game on this book, but I recently listened to the Michelle Obama memoir, Becoming, and am completely obsessed anew with her. Damn - how far we have fallen in terms of the quality of FLOTUS… The book, originally published in 2018 with the audio released that same year, … Continue reading Becoming friends with Miche
I often complain that I hate owning a house because of the unpredictable responsibilities that come with a 115 year-old property. I imagine the freedom I’d feel without the constant worrying about the correct prioritizing of maintenance and improvements and try to decide where else I might live… But, for now (and the last 30+ … Continue reading Leaving the nest
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
Yesterday was my youngest son’s 21st birthday, a milestone that came with no small sense of satisfaction. Parenting this kid, the family baby, had not been without its challenges. There had been numerous early miscarriages, (something I’ll forever attribute to the aggressively high radioactive iodine dose I received and my managed state of hyperthyroidism), before … Continue reading QPL XXI
If I were in charge of the world, on October 7th, 2023, my response to the atrocities committed against Israeli concert goers and, by extension, their families, their loved ones and all Jewish people, I would have locked Netanyahu, Yahya Sinwar and Mahmoud Abbas* in a room until they figured it the fuck out. Outside … Continue reading Mom (self)discipline
Ever since Barbra Streisand introduced me to the pleasures of listening to audiobooks, I’ve been hooked. Generally, I seek out and borrow specific books, like my comprehensive read through/listen to all available books by Barbara Kingsolver or my recent focus upon Ann Patchett’s work. Sometimes, though, my searches are more broad. I set the filters … Continue reading Ann Petry’s The Street
