Category: Life & Times
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The Bubble Mentality
As a youngster, playing with soap bubbles in the backyard, I would try to blow the biggest bubble, just short of making it burst. I would eye up the bubble and ease off when it looked like it was ready to pop. It worked, most of the time. Back to the present. Most folks that…
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Of Emergency Rooms and Stressful Work Environments
Going into a Hospital ER is a bit like a meeting with your boss and an HR person. You are never quite sure how it is going to go. I had just driven someone, who unexpectedly needed some medical attention, to the ER at the Credit Valley Hospital. It was early afternoon. Hospitals intimidate me.…
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Musings From a Massage Parlour
It started with a Matt Damon film that was being screened at the Toronto International Films Festival (TIFF). The movie was scheduled for noon at Roy Thompson Hall. My wife and I had joined our daughter and son-in-law who were in town to binge-watch movies at the TIFF. The movie, about miniaturizing human beings to…
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I think I know what Mayim Bialik meant
By now, most of you know who Harvey Weinstein is. Or, more appropriately, who he was. But, do you know who Mayim Bialik is? She is the popular star of the TV sitcom “The Big Bang Theory”, former child star “Blossom”, and a Ph.D. neuroscientist who wrote a controversial opinion piece on Weinstein in the…
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Google Home: Walls have ears!
“I am sorry, can you repeat that?” I looked at my wife. I hadn’t asked her anything. She was watching “Love it or list it” on TV and not paying any attention to me. I wanted to ask her if she was hearing voices but thought better of it. That wouldn’t sit well. It took…
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An Expensive Date Night in New York City
“Excellent choice,” the server, who introduced himself as Victor, appeared impressed with my choice of wine. As someone who is not opposed to picking a wine from the right side of the menu – based on price – I was quite pleased with myself. My wife and I were at an upscale Thai restaurant in…
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A scary encounter with allergies
For a few minutes there I wondered if I was going to make it. Funny, the kind of thoughts that cross your mind when you see your own mortality staring you in the face. A couple of TV police dramas I had recently watched flashed through my mind. They always started with people meeting untimely…
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A dozen things I like about apartment living
When it comes to living in an apartment versus a house, most of the people I know lean towards a house. I get their pro-house arguments – larger spaces, more privacy, potential equity growth, and other such benefits. Apartment living is not for everyone. But, if you have considered rightsizing or see yourself living in…
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If it weren’t for the money…
I am beginning to wonder if I am a boring person. It’s the kind of stuff that no one will tell to your face. I read posts about people giving up lucrative jobs to pursue their passion. People seem to quit jobs to pursue trekking, photography, dancing, travel, yoga, and baking – the kind of…
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No touch. No talk. No eye contact!
I wouldn’t have noticed the dog if my wife hadn’t stepped into Sephora. I chose to wait outside. I figured people-watching on Union Square would be more interesting than helping her pick out lipstick and nail polish shades. Plus, the last time I tried to guess the ones that worked best with her skin, I…