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An old friend of mine just died. It was completely out of the blue. He was 67 and mostly healthy, very physically active. It was a gut punch. I’ve known him for decades. He came to Echo, a social network I started in 1989, and he basically helped Echo in a million ways ever since. He was very tech and software savvy so he was always fixing something. I’ve been going through a hard time recently and he invited me out to his home in Caumsett Park, a nature preserve out on Long Island, to take a break in a beautiful spot. He offered to pick me up at the train station, drive me around. We’d go swimming and kayaking, two things he knew I loved to do. I’ve been holding onto that invitation, thinking of taking him up on it this spring.

He was always doing something nice for me (and for Echo). A few weeks ago I posted that I was having trouble sleeping and he sent me a couple of boxes of tea that he said helped him. And it helped! I have that tea whenever I am anxious and need something soothing.

I’m sure a lot of people are missing him now. I can’t believe he’s gone. Weirdly, I have almost no pictures of him. I don’t know why that is. But here are a couple of pictures from 2009 and 2006, at lunches with Sue and Josh, (and one also with Andi) who used to work for Echo. We’d get together from time to time for mini-reunions.

This just sucks. I don’t know how else to put it. It just sucks.

It breaks my heart that it looks like I won’t get back to see this show again before it closes. It was so crowded I spent little time there. It took forever to get a spot in front of one painting, and I couldn’t wait that much time for each one!

I actually almost left after only a few minutes, but I made myself return and spend time with a small number of paintings. But there was so much there that I wanted take time to revel in, but it just wasn’t possible. There were so many painting and even more drawings I’d never seen before. Here are a few of my favorites. Each are cropped a little (one a lot, the guy in the window).

I’m listening to the last Christmas Carols I will listen to this season, and today is the last day I will have Christmas lights. For reasons unbeknownst to me, I hardly take pictures anymore. It’s so not like me. My picture for today is from Halloween, but it looks kinda Christmas-y, doesn’t it? Happy holidays, everyone. The world is a mess, but, well, if you’re reading this you’re not dead yet. There’s that. Thinking of reasons to remain positive … the first thing that came to mind was Volodymyr Zelenskyy. I listened to his speech to congress, and I just can’t get over how impressive he is. Ukraine is lucky to have him right now.

Oh. Just thought of a personal reason to remain positive. Scroll down …

I have a new book coming out! The announcement from Publisher’s Lunch (that is not the title, it’s more of a place-holder title until we come up with something better):

I took these on Thursday, November 3rd. Why was the Empire State Building this particular shade of blue? I should have asked sooner. It’s probably too far away for anyone to remember now. Another building was lit up with the same shade.

I think I’ve posted this before (old person alert) but I was permanently influenced by the song about feeding birds in the movie Mary Poppins. This woman in a saint. With a sweet dog, too.