Why we like our neighborhood walks

As Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle were completing a big loop around our street in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood the other day, we encountered a project obviously completed just moments prior. In fact, the gentleman who’d done the grunt work was still putting away his spade, his wheelbarrow, the tools of his good…

Ellie B got the skunk shot right between the eyes

I relaxed for a moment too long after dusk fell last night, typing on the recliner my weekly film news blog that will be posted a bit later this morning on syracusenewtimes.com as my dear wife Karen relaxed with a bit of TV. Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle came inside from out back at a…

Don’t you hate when people say there’s nothing to do?

Over at my weekly community blog for Syracuse Public Media site waer.org, I decided to voice a bit of dismay at the folks who like to say there’s nothing to do. This was a good week for me to take my stance because … Well, Friday through Monday carried a stupendous schedule. My dullest day…

There was a whole new world waiting out there

When my dear wife Karen came back to her seat in the Carrier Dome after halftime Friday night, she reported an extraordinary planet sighting when she’d gone outside for a breath of cool air. After the Orange’s 27-26 double-overtime victory over Villanova, I discovered how right she’d been. I didn’t have to look skwyard. A…

Great anticipation, big celebration, but the football in between …

A lively late August feeling filled the Syracuse air Friday night around the Carrier Dome as fans filled the streets on the hill, counting down the minutes until the Orange would open the 2014 season against the Villanova Wildcats. A bunch of bikers had selected half a lot halfway down the hill to park their…

Keep the walk to the street, please

I was working on my film blog as the sun fell Wednesday night, and Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle starting bouncing around the living room with her mean bark on. Up she leapt on my recliner, practically knocking me off my half as she woofed out the front window. Off she bounced to the couch…

Oh, how we enjoyed our Sunday drive … and putting

We hadn’t been out on the course together in more than a month, me and my boys, so we were definitely ready to get together for our Sunday round at the Links at Erie Village. KP called on Wednesday and found plenty of morning tee times, took a straw poll on the greens fee-and-cart cost…

Another formidable building in downtown Syracuse

With a paycheck in the account from my two freelance stories for the September issue of the glossy magazine, I took a quick stroll to part with it after lunch the other day. No, there was not fair at a castle in downtown Syracuse to sign up for a quick joust. Look closely. No moat.…

A stomach turner at the food court

After eating Chinese takeout in the food court of Destiny USA the other day before taking in the movie for my weekly film review blog for the Syracuse New Times site, an odd new addition to the space caught my eye. What might be that big ball over there, wondered I? I had to take…

A different place to put the front garden

I’ve noticed an interesting little garden one block over in our Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood. As I walk with Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle, I try to keep her away from this one particular front yard garden, because it’s the only one of its type I’ve seen in these parts. This particular neighbor has…