December 2024

He would have been the first to describe himself as a nerd. In fact, he probably included that in his response to my Craig’s List post decades ago for the spare room I was renting in my Chinatown loft. Looking at his LinkedIn profile now, it’s full of things I don’t completely understa...

Usually, when I leave Vlad at home and head out for something less dog-friendly—whether it’s live theater or a posh restaurant—I feel a twinge of guilt. Vlad’s mastered a look that telegraphs, “Yes, leave me behind if you must but know that I would never do that to you.” Last Saturday,...

At first, it was easy to dismiss, particularly since he’s so vocal in general. You see, for the past two weeks, I’ve noticed Vlad letting out a little yelp or two whenever his hindquarters were bumped. As a devoted Swiftie, though, he always follows her advice to “Shake It Off,&#...

I’m not sure how often rock and roll legends, toddlers at Christmastime, and I see completely eye to eye, but in this case, we do.As Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers sang: “The Waiting is the Hardest Part” Furthering its rock and roll lineage, Petty said he drew inspiration for his...

While there really is no accounting for taste, unfortunately when someone describes something as “magical”—unless I really trust them—I often worry it will turn out to be cringe-worthy. I’m afraid that the “magical” phenomenon—whether it’s a movie, anecdote, season, or theme park—will be ...