Ellie darling, it’s been a long, cold lonely winter

Three days ’til spring. I can’t tell who’s getting more antsy for winter to leave, Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle or this guy on the holding end of the leash. With the temperature creeping up — I can’t believe weather sites say it’s 31 degrees right now in Syracuse, N.Y., because it feels at least…

Going green just because she can

Sometimes you’ve got to search long and hard to find somebody you think is fully intoxicated by the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day without being fully … well, without being drunk. Yesterday in Syracuse, all I had to do was drive to the neighborhood Rite Aide drug store. My mission was to buy a bottle…

Tyler Perry champions empowerment for single moms

There’s a lot of good work that went into “The Single Moms Club.” Tyler Perry pushed hard as writer and director to show the world that women can find strength, power and great relationships if they open the door to some unlikely friends. Diversity is good in the world of this movie. Five very different…

Miranda Sings promotes a beautiful comedy hook

The poster for Miranda Sings literally stopped me dead. I had to gawk. I had to circle. I had to snap the picture outside the Funny Bone comedy club in Syracuse’s mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex Destiny USA. Nobody said standup comics have to be among the most gorgeous among us, right, Roseanne? But,…

Loud people who don’t care can ruin a meal

A loud guy has everybody in the restaurant wincing and making eye contact. What do you do? My good blogging friend Ann Koplow brought up that scenario yesterday in her wonderful post on Years of Living Non-Judgmentally. You can check it out here. In her sticky wicket, everybody else in the restaurant just toughed it…

A powerful Polish meal, cooked by me

Back in November, I wrote a foodie post about my night of cooking a Polish meal for my dear wife Karen and myself. But not being a frequent chef nor food writer, I forgot to take a picture of it before I dug in. Readers got a photo of my empty plate instead. Well, I…

Welcome to March at the Syracuse St. Patrick’s Parade

The happy times will roll down Syracuse’s Salina Street this afternoon. The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is a really big deal. For hours and hours, bands will march, floats will be pulled, vintage cars will roll slowly so dignitaries can wave from inside, fire companies will show off their shiniest truck. Dance schools will…

Knock down, stay up

If I don’t get out there with the shovel right quick, my dear wife Karen will have to bob and weave when she walks out to her car a few minutes from now. Yes, this time I’m talking using the shovel reaching up. On the roof of our side porch right this 7:53 a.m. second…

For those who like to go fast and those who like to join clubs

Can a movie trailer get you car sick? I felt somewhat on the verge watching the cut-cut-cut to the chases in the preview for the racy “Need for Speed.” But I did feel assured by the fact that never have a had to race myself for the big bucket at a theater, not even during…

I’m tired of the red truck and the unleashed black dog

This is our beloved rescue mutt Ellie B, aka Dogamous Pyle. Isn’t she a beauty? It is my responsibility to keep her safe and sound, and I take that job seriously. In the winter, she tends to love sprawling in the living room. I know, though, that a daily walk is good for both of…