Tag Archives: Life
Juvenile Great Black-Backed Gull? Dunno, But He’s Purty
He was flying above our boat, which was toodling around New York Harbor, searching for harbor seals (more on that soon).
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For Just $2,300 (!) a Month, a Luxury ‘Fart Fan’ Apartment in Astoria
It’s no secret that new apartment developments in Astoria and greater Queens are often lessons in poor design, high rent, and extreme-amenity hyperbole, especially those labeled “luxury.” In fact, we have several blogs dedicated to these sad facts, among them Astoria … Continue reading
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Who Made Chiles en Nogada? I Did! I Did!
I did it. I successfully replicated my favorite Mexican dish, chiles en nogada. For those of you unfortunate to have never sampled the glory, it’s a poblano pepper stuffed with ground pork, onions, dried apricots, walnuts, raisins, apples, tomatoes, garlic, … Continue reading
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Joy’s Review of ‘A Visit from the Goon Squad’
Taking inspiration from one of the final chapters of Jennifer Egan‘s A Visit from the Goon Squad, here’s my take. Click to embiggen.
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Sex Offenders and the Swamp
Florida has been called America’s heart of darkness, a descriptor mentioned in a book I just finished, The Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks. The comparison with Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad’s novel chronicling a journey in the uncivilized Congo, is … Continue reading
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The Slow Reveal – I Spy the National Bird
Yesterday Brendan and I did a small hike at the Basha Kill Wildlife Management Area. We didn’t see much wildlife beyond squirrels, but we did have one great sighting that made up for weeks of nature-less existence in Queens (readers, … Continue reading
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You Know You Live in Queens When…
…you see signs like this. My friend Adam posted this photo on Facebook after spotting it at a car repair shop in our neighborhood of Astoria, Queens. It’s brilliant on so many levels. First the Queens accent I hear in my … Continue reading
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Surviving the Zombie Plague. Is There an App for That?
Colson Whitehead’s Zone One consistently has been described as a “smart zombie thriller.” Having recently become a fan of zombie scenarios (via, AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” of course), and possessing a desire to read something that would take the sticky, boring … Continue reading
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The Girl Who Loves White Pines and Hemlocks
A year ago, if you asked me to identify white pine and hemlock trees, I’d be all, huh? So much has changed since then, now that we’re rural NY property owners. I’ve grown deeply in love with our trees, and … Continue reading
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A Special Thanksgiving Day Visitor
to the compost bin. We’ve put plywood in there so he can crawl out. Fingers crossed. If not, we’re naming him Donald.
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Yes, Yes, OK Fine: Autumn Is Pretty
To me, the arrival of fall weather — which every New Yorker and their grandmother just raves about: oh, oh, apples, pumpkins, sweaters, crisp weather! — simply means the trees are dying and soon I’ll be cold. All. The. Time. … Continue reading
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Twilight Glow of Home
Tonight, while I roasted a chicken and a whole slew of veggies, I stepped outside, and looked in at home. My parents and brother just visited, catching the tailwinds of summer. Soon, my in-laws and sister-in-law will visit, at the … Continue reading
A Minor Kitchen Transformation
Along with the gorgeous new cabinet/closet my father built us, he also helped us make new kitchen shelves. Using some extra wood we had, and some little shelf pieces that go below the wood (yeah, I don’t know the proper … Continue reading
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Teensy Tiny Froglet
There are only 11 known species of frogs in New York state, and I researched all of them in an effort to identify this one. I think this little dude might be a Northern Cricket Frog, but really I have … Continue reading
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