Category Archives: General

The legendary Coco Chanel had a sage pearl of dressing wisdom: take off the last thing you put on. When heading out for a dressy event, I follow this advice faithfully. In my case, most of my last-minute additions are made in a final moment of insecurity, when in the doubt and excitement of that moment I scramble for one extra bit of sparkle. Taking off that final piece has saved me countless embarrassing get-ups.

For instance, the silly necklace seen here, in all its frivolous glory, was a last-minute addition to a floral suit jacket that was, in itself, more than enough. (Some would consider it too much.) I clasped it, felt the heaviness around my neck, and on the way out heard the voice of Ms. Chanel whispering her words of wisdom. I quickly removed it and hung it around a doorknob for another day. And it worked out splendidly. The jacket was enough.

As in so many other aspects of life, sometimes less is more; elegance is a result of discerned and disciplined editing. Knowing when to stop is an art form of its own.

The unofficial start of the summer season is upon us, and with it the pleasures of the pool extend to the blog. As a Korean lilac spreads its sweet perfume poolside, and a single Rosa rugosa bloom draws focus among the fresh green, I paddle peacefully and pause in the day. A look back at the week that came before…

It began with my review of ‘Dear Even Hansen’ – a show you must see. 

Sky, moon and star.

Praying she makes it…

There is beauty in downtown Albany. 

I caught this Lyft driver texting while driving. 

A little bauble can make a big difference.

Who wants a break this summer?

Zac Efron filling out a patriotic Speedo. 

Virtual Ogunquit. 

I had a dream about Cher.

Hunks of the Day included Ben Platt, Josh Brolin, Troy Pes and Lachlan Carter.

Who doesn’t love Cher? At one point or another we have all enjoyed one of her songs, one of her movies, or one of her scathing tweets. Personally, I’ve done all three, multiple times. She’s one of those pop culture constants that has nothing left to prove but still manages to make a splash or marker in each of the last five decades. Pretty impressive body of work.

As much as I adore her, I’ve never dreamt about her until last week. It was a remarkably happy dream (most of mine are not). We were in the audience watching Bette Midler in ‘Hello Dolly!’ – don’t ask how we got tickets, or how I happened to be seated next to Cher, but there we were. Strangely, it was Cher who donned the traditional Dolly Levi garb – big feathered hat, tight bodice, flaming red velvet dress – and I was so star-struck by her and her proximity to me that I babbled some nonsense on how big an inspiration she has always been. She seemed touched by my genuine fandom, and grabbed my arm, pulling me through time and space as can only happen in a dream, and suddenly we were inside her beach-house.

A couple of younger guys, who seemed to be transient son figures with their own rooms and section of the house, looked at me warily, annoyed that I had come. Cher was suddenly missing, so I walked around alone, looking out all the windows at where the house was situated on the beach so I could locate it the next day and tell all my friends I had been in Cher’s house.

Eventually she came back, in more casual garb, her dark hair down in loose waves, running a little longer than shoulder-length. A good look for her. I told her how beautiful her house was and she beamed, joining me in looking out at the beach. It was night, but we knew the ocean was there. All we could see was the sand in the immediate house light. What was beyond extended into darkness. It would be brilliant during the day.

She took me on a quick tour of other rooms, but my eyes stayed on the windows, fixated on the beach. I tried voicing my lifelong adoration for her, which I was certain she’d heard a million times before. Still, we each want to connect to our celebrities, to make it known how much they really meant to us, how long and how hard we have loved them. She was gracious, and seemed genuinely touched. I want to believe that. And I wanted to believe the dream.

A fallen bottle of Tylenol in the kitchen woke me to Andy’s late-night maneuvers, and the dream dissipated into darkness.

In anticipation of summer and patriotism, here is Zac Efron in his Freedom Speedo. Mr. Efron is no stranger to being an American hero, as evidenced by similar Speedo posts here and here. And then there’s the All-American act of getting totally starkers for the pleasure of his fans, as he did here and here. 

Last summer I took my first break from daily blogging in over a dozen years.

It was heaven, even it wasn’t for forever.

I’m doing the same thing this year, extending it from June 20 (or so) into September. That means we’re less than a month away from our big summer break! I don’t use exclamation points lightly around here, so you know this is exciting for me.

It is my intention to do a few sporadic update posts this summer, particularly when whispers of a new Madonna song carry on the wind. I also like the random surprise nature of such a thing, when there’s the likelihood that only a few people will happen upon these unplanned posts. There’s a pleasant aspect of whimsy in the unexpected.

When we return in September, there will hopefully be a reenergized vibe, as there often is upon getting back into the groove after time away. I’m also working on a new project that should be ready for unveiling by late fall (and simultaneously eyeing the project after that, which is how I work best). All in all, this is a time of anticipation – the greatest time of all.

There are a few summer highlights to which I’m looking forward: the world premiere of the ‘Moulin Rouge’ musical in Boston, and my annual BroSox adventure with Skip, also in Boston. In addition, Andy and I celebrate our 18^thanniversary in July, and I’ll have yet another birthday in August (already lost track of which one…)

The rest is happily unplanned and unplotted, as befits the season of lounging.

Sometimes accessorizing is the only thing that gets one though the day.

This little bauble was a keychain I found on clearance at Neiman Marcus while visiting Chicago last year. I attached it to a navy Ted Baker messenger bag because it brought out the aquamarine accents.

Plus it sparkled.

Everything is better with a bit of sparkle.

I am not someone who is afflicted with road rage. Thus far, I’ve managed to avoid it as successfully as I’ve avoided poison ivy. Mostly due to circumstances and safety (Andy is usually driving me in Albany, and when I go to Boston I tend to zen out at the wheel or channel my inner Broadway diva.) But sometimes, like on Wolf Road when someone is trying to make a left out of Trader Joe’s, or when someone is texting, I find myself veering into rageful territory.

Such was the case when I was following this car the other day. It was going somewhat slow, but, not being in a rush, I stayed behind it. (It’s such a chore to change lanes sometimes.) Anyway, we reached a stop light and came to a halt. When it turned green all the other lanes were moving except ours. Now, I’m honestly not someone who beeps the moment the light turns green. I know people like that. I am not one of them, I promise you. But this was excessive, and after the slow driving I was starting to think the person had fallen asleep. So I beeped. He didn’t jump. He merely looked up from his phone and started driving again, slowly, and going back to, you guessed it, texting.

Some of us pride ourselves on being rebels. God knows I try to be. But there are certain things, laws mostly, that I don’t rebel against. When it comes to safety and driving, I’ve reached the age where it’s not funny. I’ve had my share of speeding tickets, but that’s it, and I haven’t had one of those in about ten years, knock on wood. When it comes to texting while driving, I am adamantly opposed. It’s as dangerous as drunk driving, and just as stupid. So when I see someone doing it (there are tons on the Mass Pike) it truly bothers me. When I see someone do it on Wolf Road, when a car can sneak into your lane without a moment’s notice, I get really irked. When I see someone do it who is driving a Lyft car, well, you get a blog post like this which I’ll tweet out while tagging the Lyft twitter account.

PS – Is that a Fraternity in Christ license frame?

You cannot see it from the crappy phone grab, but this is a crescent moon in the sky at dusk, along with a single star in the lower right of the frame. It floated above me while I floated in the pool for the first time this year. How many chances do we each get to swim below a crescent moon? I’m taking each and every one I can get.

Who knew the world needed a royal wedding to remind us of all the happiness that’s still out there? I suppose when you think about the happiness and love between a Prince of Wales and a biracial American woman, that’s more powerful and unifying than anything either of the leaders of our respective nations can currently muster. Love will conquer all, even the darkest news we’ve had of late. Besides, we could always use another reason to don a fascinator… on with the recap. 

The larch that weeps brings beauty that laughs. 

Narcissus in the sun.

Fern love. 

Lilac love. 

Cherry love. 

Mother’s Day weekend with Mom kicked off with a train ride to New York City. 

Our first show was ‘The Boys in the Band’, and then our first full day was spent shopping and dining before a gorgeous production of ‘Once On This Island.’

A matinee of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ and some evening cocktails at the Taj Pierre concluded the long weekend, with a breakfast coda that found us looking forward to next year. 

A Broadway performer was our sole Hunk of the Day: Isaac Powell. 

Happy flower faces. 

It feels like spring hasn’t even been here, and yet the first steps of its departure are already being taken. This past weekend, with the rain and wind and decidedly dreary weather, we saw the magnificent showing of the Kwanzan cherry blooms come to a gorgeously dramatic end. After a soaking rain all of Saturday, weighting the blooms with wetness, Sunday’s strong breezes brought them all down – mostly into the pool. Andy did his best to stay on top of them, but as this was the most floriferous our cherry has ever been, it proved a daunting task. 

As sad as it was to see the petals go, it was also quite beautiful, which is often the way with nature. It’s a lesson that we need to learn and accept. We stood outside and watched the cherry blossoms leave their branches, fluttering down like a steady parade of pink snow, preparing the way for the end of spring.

The only good thing about the end of spring is the start of summer…

It’s my favorite time of the year, and my favorite month. That said, most of life is taking place off-screen and off-line. If you’ll excuse me, check out the last week and come back for the New York adventures with my Mom over Mother’s Day weekend…

It began with a look back at the Ilagan twins and their recent 8th birthday dinner. They are growing up way too fast, so it’s helpful to pause and freeze the frame. 

The rest of the week was mostly concerned with our wedding anniversary weekend in Boston. 

Andy’s favorite cocktail.

A solitary walk.

The traditional washing of the rings. 

Boston was beautiful and in bloom. 

Dinner and a show.

A happy finish to the weekend.

In case you want to do it all over again.

Missing hunks.

Our lone Hunk of the Day this week: Sam Morris. 

Make way for Skip.

If there’s anyone who should have his own blog/podcast/documentary/Lifetime-movie, it’s my friend Skip. He’s made a number of splashes in this space, notably in the first Straight Ally Profile and later in this epic Guest Blog post. For the past decade or so, he’s been my main movie man-date, and with some upcoming projects in the works, he’ll hopefully be returning to this site before we break for the summer. (Let this be a gentle nudge for that long-awaited post, in my gently demanding way.) There’s also our fourth annual BroSox adventure coming up, and we’ll be brainstorming ideas on how to harness that fun for this place… Stay tuned. 

We spent the weekend in Boston celebrating our anniversary, so today, the actual date of our wedding ceremony, will be rather quiet. I’ll be back at work, and Andy has a doctor’s appointment, so everything’s as if we never said good-bye. Some anniversary years are like that. We’re gearing up for our tenth in 2020, so this year and next can be on the quieter side. But not even I am ready to start planning that far ahead, so let’s take a look at the last week instead.

It began, as it ends, in Albany, NY. Whether we like it or not. 

As of yet, there are no suggestions for a local Hunk of the Day. Are there no local Hunks in the Capital Region?

Shorts for a BroSox adventure later this summer. 

Gearing up for this year’s Broadway crop.

It begins with a stay at the Warwick Hotel. 

The night I robbed a Wal-Mart and felt no remorse whatsoever. 

The screech of the azaleas. 

There were just a pair of Hunks this week: Mike Thalassitis and Diego Barros.

In case you need some home renovations of your own, here’s who we used for our kitchen: Skylands Services, Inc. 

Jonquils. 

There are too few supportive posts on the internet, and on this website, so in an effort to spark some joy and support local businesses I’m going to try to do better in highlighting what’s good in this world, and in particular what’s good in the Capital Region. To that end, there’s Skylands Services, Inc., the guys who did our kitchen remodel a few years ago. We were thrilled with what they did with the space, transforming our divided dining room and kitchen area into an open-space concept, and turning a terribly outdated kitchen into a usable and enjoyable place of function and fun. The proper set-up works wonders for those of us still learning how to cook. (Our granite peninsula is also the ideal meeting place for every type of party one can throw.) A look at the before and after of the rooms can be seen fully here, and ever since then I’ve been meaning to write a post extolling the virtues of Skylands Services. When I received an e-mail alerting me to their revamped website, it seemed the perfect time for this belated post. 

While attending Ithaca College in the late 1990s, two friends Gregg Pidgeon and John Walston, shared a passion for home improvements.  They both spent summers during high school and college working on separate construction crews and in customer’s homes performing home improvements.  Together, they had a vision that home improvements were about experiences and relationships instead of mere projects.  They were driven to offer a customer experience unique to the home improvement industry.  In 2004, they established Skylands Services, Inc.

Gregg and John believed that the industry was flooded with bad reputations and known for such things as poor communication, poor or inadequate craftsmanship and sloppy work spaces.  They created Skylands Services, Inc. to pursue their passion in a way that would buck the negative industry trends.  They believed that a home improvement project should be a pleasurable experience for customers and not a nightmare.  Over a decade later, their vision remains the same and they have a strong reputation built on delivering customer satisfaction. 

​​Our Philosophy

Skylands Services, Inc. focuses on putting the customer first.  We believe you should always feel at home in your home, even during a home improvement project.  This philosophy drives our company and allows us to provide high quality services with lasting customer relationships.  We understand that your project may be a disruption in your home and lifestyle, so we go out of our way to work efficiently without intruding on adjacent spaces. 

We employ a skilled and presentable labor force with years of experience in the construction trades.  All of our employees are trained on the principles and beliefs that have built the foundation for customer satisfaction for over fourteen years.  We would love the opportunity to provide you with your next home improvement experience.   

In our personal experience, the employees were all wonderful, and either Gregg or John was usually on-site – a refreshing change of pace when certain companies are out of contact or touch once a project begins. Estimates were accurate, time-frames were kept, and communication was always open. While renovations can be stressful, painful events, Skylands made it almost enjoyable. If you have any sort of renovation project in mind, check them out.