We Are Not Alone

We are not alone. A phrase used at Tuesday’s Rally for Israel and Against Antisemitism in Washington DC. Being together in solidarity was like being nestled in the arms of a giant grandma telling us, not that it will be alright, but that we don’t have to deal with this horror by ourselves. In the …

He Fixed the Nose, Now the Mouth Don’t Work

My dad always used to say, “He fixed the nose, now the mouth don’t work.” I never found out where he picked that up. Maybe from an old joke or commercial. But this saying seems to be true more often than not. You go to the mechanic to fix a flat tire and he breaks …

The Perineum and the Bicycle

Trigger warning: Do not read if you feel uncomfortable reading about women’s private parts Why would anyone write about a perineum and a bicycle? Because providing this information is a public service. As the Arlo Guthrie song explains, “…you may know somebody in a similar situation, or you may be in a similar situation, and …

The Case of the Manic Mannequin

While walking down the street in Chiang Mai (pre-COVID), my husband and I came upon the scariest mannequins we had ever seen. Wide, manic looking smiles, closed eyes, most with spiked hair, on heads way too small for their bodies. Like evil clowns. I wondered why a store owner would buy such a thing. Wouldn't …

My Corona

Living in a surreal world. Gazing out the window at this beautiful day, looking as though it is oblivious to the worldwide pandemic and its resulting social distancing and quarantines. People are taking walks, some with dogs, passing by neighbors they haven’t seen since their kids were small and they were waiting at the same …

Fun Facts and Observations about Chiang Mai

Travel blogs abound about the wonderful city of Chiang Mai, Thailand. They describe how people are kind, there's an abundance of diverse activities, prices are reasonable. There's nothing of value that I could add to what's already been written. But for fans of the Bathroom Reader and participants in Trivia Nights at their local bars, …

The Invasion of the Foreign Tourists

Hordes of Americans1 invaded Western Europe in the 1960s and 1970s. Airfare had become affordable to our middle class and thousands of us set out to explore the world. This did not exactly thrill the local population. Our cultural norms were very different. Americans were much less formal, wearing jeans and sneakers in places where …

They Say It’s Nothing Like a Timeshare

“There’s a sucker born every minute”                                                                           - P.T. Barnum Timeshares were popular in the 1970s and 80s. They were generally overpriced, popular locations were difficult to book, and units were almost impossible to resell. So you’d think that they would have gradually disappeared into oblivion. But there’s a sucker born every minute and, with …

Stories

The Speech, June 1999 I didn’t give a speech at my dad’s funeral. I tried to prepare one, but everything I wrote seemed trite or shallow. I couldn’t think of anything to say that everyone didn’t already know. Unsuccessfully, I struggled to find a way to convey the essence of the man and the quality …

If Not Now, When? A Constitutional Convention for NY State

On November 7, 2017, New Yorkers will have an opportunity, which occurs only once every 20 years, to call for a constitutional convention to be convened in 2019 to consider changes to the New York State constitution. I’m in favor of holding a constitutional convention because I think the dysfunction in Albany is a threat …