Welcome to My Blog

It's finally happened ... we moved into a real, grownup, civilized NYC apartment. With a doorman! And elevators! And dry cleaning In. The. Building. What's more, now that my neighbor from hell is no more, my home is quiet. Like, really quiet. Like, the first couple nights I kept whispering to my husband because the atmosphere was so library-like. It's also got this wall of windows and wh [...]

I hate my upstairs neighbor. And I mean all four letters of that "very strong word." (Yeah, I really glommed on to that lesson as a kid.) This is the plight of many a New Yorker. You're trying to enjoy a little slice of serenity in your Manhattan-sized apartment, but all you can concentrate on is your upstairs neighbor inexplicably stomping across the floor at 10 o'clock at night on a Wednesday [...]

I've been a short-term foster mom for three rescues from NYC's The Bully Project, and each of the dogs couldn't have been more different from one another. First came Hunny, who I'm sure was part bulldog. She loved nothing more that long, loud naps on the floor. This dog could snore! Then I had Ethel, easily the snuggliest dog I've ever met. Between her love of snoozing on me and her penchant [...]

How one woman fought for a body—and a life—she was never supposed to have. Born with diastrophic dysplasia, a very rare form of dwarfism, Tiffanie DiDonato dreamed of living a normal life—of being able to reach the sink unassisted or even someday driving a car so she could have the independence so many of us take for granted. This courageous young woman underwent a series of radical surgeries tha [...]

Nearly 48 hours after the final Penn State football game of the season, I'm STILL cold. Saturday's game was a huge emotional victory for an awesome group of players and for the Penn State community at large, and nothing would keep J and I away from Beaver Stadium to see it in person. Not even the fact that we had barely any time to spend in Happy Valley or the fact that it was -247 degrees.  [...]

Amtrak is really on to something. As I'm sitting in the blissful quiet car en route to NYC from Virgina, I can't help but think this concept should really go beyond the rails. Hear me out. On the quiet car, cell phone use and any loud talking are strictly prohibited. Those of us who frequent the quiet car are well-versed in self-policing … we'll call out a quiet car rule-breaker in a heartbeat  [...]

It is chilly, clammy and damp in NYC today, which perfectly matches my mood. After an amazing time at the PBR Philly (we sat so close we could practically taste the dirt and came eyeball-to-giant eyeball with an angry bull ... more on this in a future post) I am feeling as blah as can be. A dear friend is getting married this weekend, so that will be lots of fun, but otherwise there's not a who [...]

In 19 days, I will be in my happy place. No, not on Maui, but a happy place that's just an Amtrak ride away. On October 6, I'll be at the PBR Philadelphia Invitational! Those who know me best accept the fact that I have become pretty obsessed with the Professional Bull Riders. (Read my top three reasons why here!) I've always had at least passing interest in the sport—I think it has somethin [...]