Ir’s Easter Monday! Just saying those words gives me a warm fuzzy feeling and brings a smile to my face. When I was working at the American Embassy in London, Easter Monday was a holiday, as was Good Friday. Four whole days off. My co-worker Marlene and I went to Brussels for a magical long weekend. We stayed in The Metropole, a magnificent old hotel, dined in French restaurants, and did all the tourist things we could manage. I woke up that particular Easter morning to some kind of indescribable racket — sounded like someone had emptied the entire silverware drawer at the top of the stairs and the knives, forks and spoons were clattering all the way down. It took me a few moments to realize it was church bells! Church bells on Easter morning ringing out the victory of the resurrection. Totally awesome. But that was Easter Sunday. Easter Monday… Read More »
September 11
It’s been two years since I wrote and published this post. This year is the 15th anniversary of the tragedy, and September 11 has become a day of solemn remembrance for our country and a reminder that our freedom cannot be taken for granted. I wanted to once again remember the aftermath of that day. September 11 has a different meaning for me than for a lot of people. It was my dad’s birthday. I’m sure that for many of us 9/11 has a different meaning than the one most people think of. This is somebody’s wedding anniversary, birth of their child, the day they started their first job or some other significant event. Disaster isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to our minds. However, it was and always will be a day of mourning in the minds of most Americans — a day of terrible loss and tragedy.… Read More »
Phyllis Diller and her doctor
One day after I had been working for Phyllis Diller for about a year, she made a very strange remark” “You know I had a doctor’s visit yesterday. I had to wait for over half an hour.” She was making notes in her calendar, and it was clear that she was irritated. “I may have to fire him,” she added. “I beg your pardon?” “The doctor. I might have to fire him.” “You can fire a doctor?” She gave me that look she used when her patience was being sorely tried. “Well, of course I can fire him. I pay him. He’s my employee.” Wow, what a concept: the doctor as an employee. Yes, it sticks in my craw, too, waiting as the humble petitioner to be allowed a few minutes with the All Knowing, All Powerful One whose time was was so much more valuable than mine. It didn’t make… Read More »
the $40,000 bottle of wine
Really? A $40,000 bottle of wine?? And no, I wasn’t the one drinking it! A short time ago a few friends and I got together for a special dinner of home-made mushroom and wild rice soup that was to die for. We brought our favorite Zinfandels from 2007, 2008 and 2009. They were delicious. Some more fruity and some more spicy. Some drier and some smoother, but all rich and well-balanced, at the perfect age to be enjoyed. With each sip, someone was saying, “this is so GOOD!” A few days after that I saw a society bit in the paper talking about celebrity friends who had indulged in a $300,000 (yeah, that’s five zeroes) dinner. Alcohol had to be in there somewhere, ya think? Sure enough: “six bottles of Romanee-Conti France’s Burgundy region were purchased at $40,000 per bottle.” I’m told this retails for $13,000 a bottle, but of… Read More »
The Wrong Wine
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