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
The title of this post comes from the way I misremembered the title of an essay in Rebecca Solnit’s book No Straight Road Takes You There. For the record, the actual title of the short work is “On Not Meeting Nazis Halfway.” Similar things, negotiating and meeting halfway, n’est pas? Now, I haven’t yet read … Continue reading Upon not negotiating with Nazis
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
May’s trip to Maine gave me a new and sincere appreciation for Maine, a state I had previously considered to be too far, for too little. Additionally, I received a more tangible item from our quickish stop in the outlets in Freeport: a new pair of Levi’s. This new edition of a classic cut, the … Continue reading The genes of my current favorite jeans
One of the highlights of last month’s visit to Ireland was a Sunday afternoon gathering of family in Dublin. If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know the story of my making contact with my father’s family for the first time in 1989 when I was 22 years old. If you … Continue reading Descended from a king, traveling with a prince
I kind of pride myself on having my shit together. From my earliest days, I was trained to be responsible and self sufficient, lessons I internalized and incorporated into my everyday life. Keeping my space tidy, paying my bills on time and being aware of the location of important items are ingrained in me. Which … Continue reading Losing it
…there's always a chance that you'll find the way." — Seamus Heaney Before I went to Ireland for the first time in 1990, the wife of the chef I had worked with prior to my move to Albany strongly recommended that I read the novel, Trinity, by Leon Uris. It was a must. I remember nothing about … Continue reading “If you have the words,…
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