Monthly Archives: January 2010

And Baby Makes Three

January 29, 2010

Babies are miraculous and wonderful things. Those tiny little bundles that fill your heart and home with an unexplainable love and joy before they are even aware of where they are. Often that love and joy overshadows, at least at first, the more stressful aspects of parenting; especially for first time parents. Once the shock [...]

Saint Christopher and Motorcycle Manual Leftovers

January 28, 2010

I had a neighbor with a huge stack of repair manuals in her garage from his ex girlfriend. She was a mechanic at the local repair shop. He kept them she had written in them along with thoughts about the manuals and what to remember for subsequent repairs little thoughts about him that he still [...]

On Her Way to Carnegie Hall

January 26, 2010

Even the most cynical-minded music lovers, or struggling musicians, would have to admit that the ones who do make it to Carnegie Hall have practiced.  The game might be unfair, and the dice loaded, but some of the cream of the crop ends up playing here.  New York may have lost some of its edge [...]

Apes, Monkeys and Dragons at the Phoenix Zoo

January 25, 2010

When I was a kid one of my favorite places to go was the Phoenix Zoo, and, as it turns out, a recent poll has suggested that the Phoenix Zoo is one of the top five zoos for kids in the United States.  This fact is emblazoned on the Phoenix Zoo website here, and I’m [...]

New York’s Security is Tight

January 18, 2010

I flew, via London, where I almost got my special made umbrella confiscated by security, because it was too big to fit in my bag. I told them that Amsterdam let me through with it on-board, which I believe made them want to not be out-done, so they let me take it to New York, [...]

Portland, Oregon: Then and Now

January 18, 2010

Many people travel each year to visit the Oregon city of Portland, and history repeats itself time and again, as many of those who visit, decide almost instantaneously, to move there.  Not only is the city extremely progressive in their politics and their stance on the protection of the environment, it is just simply, a [...]

Haunted Brooklyn Cafes

January 16, 2010

New York is full of ghosts, and there are ghosts of all kinds.  Some are simply memories attached to complicated histories, in a city where millions of people pass through on their way to somewhere else, and where millions come to stay.  There are multiple cultures living in any given block, in any given building, [...]

Virginia on a Whim

January 12, 2010

We left DC much later than we planned and headed to Mount Vernon in Virgina. Leaving as late as we did, we’ll probably have to stay over night at one of the hotels. When we arrived in Virgina, our first stop was the home of George Washington, Mount Vernon. The tour starts off in the [...]