On the Saturday night before the Super Bowl, my family and I were invited to a sporting event.  No, it wasn’t the big game in Indianapolis; it was a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden.   Due to the fact that most of the “big shots” were out of town, the friend who was hosting us got to use his company’s luxury box, sharing it with several families. I must confess that out of all the professional sports, basketball is my fifth favorite -- right behind dodgeball. But due to my passion for the New York Times sports section, I am always able to hold a relatively knowledgeable conversation about…

An old friend of mine was recently arrested.  His offense was ridiculous, and the best the local authorities could do was accusing him of a thinly veiled 5th degree misdemeanor. However, in this day and age, his exclusive address combined with his professional success made him an easy lightning rod, and the media had a field day at his expense.     After reading some of the articles about what had happened to him -- and even worse, the venomous anonymous comments that people were leaving about him online -- I picked up the phone and reached out to him. The funny thing is, I didn’t even …

Every now and then, the planets align and all the members of my family find themselves at home with nothing to do. There are no good films in the theaters, and it is too darn cold to do anything outside. Dare I suggest it? Ah, what the heck. Let's go to the mall!  There are several malls in and around the county, but only one of them is “The Westchester,” so that’s where we are heading. This high-end assembly of shops has something for everyone, as long as you aren’t looking for books or toys.  That’s right, our largest mall has long lost its bookstore, and worse -- there isn’t even a toy …

At a recent school function, I ran into one of those seldom-seen mothers. She was wearing a suit, a Metro-North schedule was peeking out of her briefcase and her hair was perfect. She looked at me and whispered that she’d like to be here more, but her work schedule was hectic—oh, and she hated the other mothers. I actually understood what she was saying. I know that the stay-at-home moms can really make working mothers feel insignificant and out of place, even sometimes bullying them to an extent. I know that Westchester is filled with women who “until recently” used to do something grand, or…

I had a long talk the other day with a woman who had just moved with her family to New York. Her husband had been relocated here for his job. After considerable thought, the family chose to live in Westchester. The main reason for their decision was the fact that so many of the towns have schools with great reputations. But since the beginning of the academic year, she has only found disappointment.  Her main source of displeasure wasn’t the teachers or class sizes, but rather the way that the other students acted during the day. Her children had been in a private school abroad, and the main …

Before retailers caught on about Black Friday (and now Black Thursday evening), Thanksgiving Day was a time set aside for family gatherings. Although different people may observe the holiday in their own ways, it usually focuses on things that you and your loved ones are thankful for. You get to reflect over copious amounts of food, and then if you can get up from the table, you waddle your freshly-stuffed body over to the couch to watch some football. Professional football has evolved into a sport of giants, with almost half of the players now tipping the scales at over 300 pounds -- and …

Let’s face it, there are people who cheat on their spouses, and if there weren’t, what kind of boring magazines would we have at the checkout stand? This kind of behavior has been around forever, and monogamy is something that seldom exists in the animal kingdom.   Since I have been both a full-time commuter as well as a stay-at-home dad, I can illuminate you on some of the "where’s" and "how’s" that infidelity may creep into one’s life.   First, it takes two to tango. Aside from feeling lecherous, someone has to actively be looking for a tryst, as these things never just fall into one's lap…

Well, it’s that time of year again. The Jewish holidays are upon us, and in case you were unaware, it is probably the reason why you can’t find a roasting chicken or a nice cut of brisket anywhere within a 20-mile radius of Westchester County. In past columns, I have explored the impact that the holidays have on our town, as well as my own memories of family meals. But this year, I am going to share some survival tips on getting you through your family's get-togethers.  First, if you are not hosting the meal, stay the hell out of the kitchen. If the host wants help, they will ask for it. But …

Anyone who used to fly a lot prior to 2001 knows the truth: the terrorists really won. Air travel used to be something grand and airports were like their own little vacation destinations. Now, a trip to the airport just means long lines, long waits and a good chance that you are going to be either groped or embarrassed -- or if you are like me, both.  Recently, my 12-year-old son was traveling on his own. Since the airline allowed him to travel as an adult, I figured that I would as well.  As we drove to LaGuardia, the light on my fuel gauge went on, and as I have learned the hard way, the …

Just like a lecturer may ask "Is this thing on?” to a bored audience while tapping on the microphone, I sometimes wonder the same thing about my speaking voice while sitting on the sidelines at my kids' youth sporting events. I often try to start or even join conversations, only to be met with deafening silence. It leads me to wonder whether it's that these people don’t want to talk, or whether it's that they just don’t want to talk to me.  Its not like I am prying, or god forbid, getting too deep, but from the reaction that some folks have towards the mere prospect of conversing with …

There are a few days in my life that I can play back minute by minute. I can recall the smallest details of the days that both of my sons were born.  I remember specific conversations that I had on my wedding day, most fondly when my mother came up to tell me “the band was too darn loud” and I yelled back that I couldn’t hear her because the band was too loud. Sadly, I too can also replay my entire day on Sept. 11, 2001.   It was a very clear day in that period between summer and fall, and I was commuting to my office in midtown via Metro North from Scarsdale. My wife was home on maternity …

As I may have maxed out my credit cards while doing the children’s back to school shopping, I started a small tally in my head: how much have I spent on my kids? Then, a thought entered my mind: "What could I get my offspring to do to make money for me?" They are still pretty young, so hard labor won't do. I need to be pretty creative. My youngest, who really enjoys giving my wife and me foot rubs for a buck, has amassed a small fortune. Maybe I could expand on that.  Maybe I could send him to a school that teaches massage therapy, and after he has mastered his craft, we could book him …

We certainly do get a lot of junk mail living here in Scarsdale. There is the Penny Saver, the discount books, fundraising mailers and countless circulars that seem to show up in my mailbox daily. Most of the time a majority of this stuff goes straight from the mail carrier to my recycling bin. It may be easier if I just changed my mailing address to the dump! I really don’t like mail that is disguised to look important. Things that come resembling an international letter turn out to just be coupons to get your carpet steam cleaned…by Moonies. I especially don’t like the ones that look like …

Let’s face it, whether I’m planning something, doing it, or recovering from it, I am a busy guy. Juggling my real estate career, the kids’ schedules and procrastinating from doing things around the house, I have a lot of oars in the water. Unfortunately, sometimes all of them are on one side of the boat, and I am stuck tirelessly going around in circles. I’m a pretty resilient fellow, but occasionally if life doesn’t work out to my liking I may show a lapse in judgment and something may slip out from between my lips. Yes, even I may let out a vulgarity…or three. It’s a little strange, as I …

Not to sound cliché, but I watched a great documentary on HBO last night. The network has come a long way since its infancy, when HBO stood for “Hey, Beastmaster’s On." It now boasts original programming, relatively new movies and a Mobile Ap called HBO Go.  This awesome feature lets you watch any of their content on your mobile phone or tablet device. Unfortunately, it isn’t supported by Cablevision, so most of the people in Westchester can only dream about it. Where was I? Oh yeah, this documentary was about a growing trend of people all around our country deciding to don costumes (…

When I used to commute into the city, I was always amazed at the daily cosmic ballet. Spotting the same people on the train platform and along my daily 10-block walk, I egocentrically wondered what happened to everyone on the occasions that I didn't go to work.  I pictured the bulldog on his stoop at 48th and Lexington Avenue patiently waiting for me to pat him on his head. I also thought about the last everything bagel at Ess-A-Bagel sitting in the bin and going uneaten because of my absence. Sadly, the truth was anything but — with or without me, the world kept spinning. Being an “at home” …

A friend of mine sent me a copy of an article that appeared in the New York Times last weekend about the growing number of parents using private jets to get their kids to and from summer camp.  Coincidentally, this mode of transportation also works for the obligatory visiting day drive-by. What he didn’t know was that I had already read it with some moral indignation, and was already jotting down notes for this post. In the Times article, there was an unnamed parent whose daughters attend Tripp Lake Camp, a Scarsdale staple.  She is quoted as saying, “A large part of the parents at my kid’s …

The book on my wife’s nightstand has a picture of a little boy on the cover. It boasts to have sold over 3 million copies, and has commandeered a spot atop the New York Times Bestsellers list the way my sadistic cousin Jeffrey used to dominate a spirited game of King Of The Mountain. Upon closer inspection, it is about a preacher’s son who briefly dies during an operation and then returns to his family with an incredible story of the afterlife. Not that I am such a cynical person, but it got me to thinking: what if the same fate befell a rotten kid? I don’t want to start with the argument …

My wife came home from a spa experience last week. She seemed so blissed-out that the next time she goes, I may have to follow her to make sure that she isn’t fooling around behind my back. I occasionally get a massage, but have never really delved into the skin services that so many spas offer. In case you haven’t noticed, and it would be hard not to, spas and manicure salons are everywhere here in Westchester. I think that Scarsdale has close to 18,000 residents, and seemingly, there are just as many places to get your blackheads squeezed.   Not only is there an abundance of places, but …

I remember when a good friend of mine was trying to get into one of Westchester’s premier country clubs. He and his family had to repeatedly host all these old fuddy-duddies at their home. The members of the selection committee would come for tea and end up leaving with cocktails. All this was to appraise, uh, I mean make sure that they were upstanding people whose character would fit in with the existing membership.   Although I think he mentioned that he caught one of the old codgers looking at the bottom of an antique silver candlestick. There are clubs for everyone here. Yacht clubs, …