Thoughts, experiences and adventures from a resident of DelSo aka Delaware Avenue South in Albany, N.Y.
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
If you could have anything, what would you want? Since making the decision to retire I’ve had some intense moments of panic. How do I walk away from a career that brought me much professional satisfaction and a strong sense of belonging to a community? Will the absence of students and colleagues from my everyday … Continue reading “Lost time is never found again” – Benjamin Franklin
This week, as I always try to do prior to flying, I had dinner with all three of my sons. This most recent gathering was at a couple of favorite neighborhood spots. N and I started at Nicole’s for wine, taking advantage of their excellent Wine Down Wednesday special with a bottle of tasty Montepulciano … Continue reading Traditional dinner
DelSo 