It is a rarity that I get to spend quality, together time with my daughters. It seems like there is always something on the schedule, a lacrosse game, schoolwork or housework. Going, going, going, full speed ahead. So it was an absolute treat to be 2,500 miles away from all obligations and enjoy the company […]
Archives for August 2012
Eric D. Lehman on Travel and Adventure
In the 56th episode of the Real Life Survival Guide we discussed travel primarily as it pertains to “vacations” and not “adventure travel.” It’s difficult to have physically active adventures as parents of small children, as many of our panelists are. Or rather, we could say that even the simplest vacations become “adventures” when small […]
Kelly Monaghan: Are You Making These Common Vacation Mistakes?
As a travel writer and home-based travel agent, I see people make the same mistakes over and over again. Here then are my top suggestions for your next vacation trip. 1. Use A Travel Agent Let me slay two myths: “Everyone books on the Internet” and “You always get the lowest fare online.” Neither are […]
Episode 56: Vacations
The goal of the Real Life Survival Guide is to explore common mistakes by sharing advice and expertise, and this week I decided to to focus our conversation on the summer ritual known as “the vacation”. I invited Sarah Kyrcz, who’s just back from Martha’s Vineyard, daddy and serial entrepreneur Ryan Duques, broadcaster and devoted single […]
Gumfellas
After listening to Episode 55 of the Real Life Survival Guide I started to think about entrepreneurship, its challenges and its perks. During the episode, the guest editors all talked about how they had given up working for “the man” and decided to do their own thing. (Except of course for Duo, who is; The […]
Work
“Work” is more than a two-edged sword – it’s almost like a ball of razor blades, with a cutting edge at each possible point of contact. “Work” for most people is an activity they would never engage in except that it pays for you to do the things you actually “like” to do. But the […]
Confessions of a Franken-Foodie
“Eat this apple,” she said, and Adam did, and you know the rest. But still they say “An apple a day” like it’s God’s gift even though Eve, the First Foodie, cursed her husband and children and their children’s children when she offered Adam a bite. Despite its reputation, we see that damning apple everywhere […]
Episode 55: Working
This week we gathered at The Rib House in East Haven Connecticut, to brainstorm ideas for the chapter on “working”, and in keeping with my self-congratulatory nature, I’m proud to report that I was able to feature several musical interludes in the episode, none of which is a far-too-obvious choice by Huey Lewis and the […]
Fear and Loathing in Las Kitchen
There are two types of people; those who cook and those who do not cook. I am one who cooks; my wife, Karen, is one who does not. I blame my wife’s lack of culinary skills on the most likely transgressor; her mother. My Mother-in-law never learned how to cook so she never passed the […]
Cindy Papish Gerber: Noshin’ in New Haven
A few weeks late, I present my 2-cents worth on “Relationships” and “Etiquette”. Chapters; expertly dissected by our guest editors in Episodes 52, and 53. Where to begin? In 28ish minutes of radio air time, we barely scratched the surface of these multifaceted, mega-layered themes. The fact that our gifted writers (thank you VERY much, […]
Food AND Etiquette
The last 2 RSLG efforts dealt with 2 basic human necessities: Eating and Living Together. Obviously food is essential, and is the focus of our most basic survival. instincts as well as being a social binder, and often a personal obsession for many – but it’s also becoming clearer that human interaction is becoming more and more of a […]
Episode 54: Food and Cooking
Having spent an afternoon with some of New Haven’s most notable chefs, I got sense that the biggest mistake we make when selecting our food is a lack of mindfulness. Jason Sobocinski of Caseus (and of host restaurant Park Central Tavern) spoke about moderation – and the need to “…be focused on what you’re putting […]
Episode 53 – The Manners Manifesto
Oh, the fertile grousing ground that is etiquette. Who doesn’t like complaining about how rude people can be? Everyone has their etiquette pet peeves. Some people don’t like hearing cell phone conversations; others don’t like shoppers who leave their carts in the middle of the isle. And then– there are people who blast awful music […]
Episode 53: Etiquette
Just before our brainstorming session on etiquette, Guest Editor Joanne Kahan sent me an email that read “Pretty sure etiquette is dying a slow death. Perhaps, we should do a Memorial”. That’s when I realized we were in for an interesting afternoon! Joining Joanne at The Winchester, a great new spot in Woodbridge, were our “Memorial” participants: architect (and […]
Summer-Loved and Lost
Friends we’ve lost: What about the ones we’ve fallen out of touch with, the ones we’ve let go? This conversation came up on Real Life Survival Guide’s Episode 52: “Redefining Friendship.” Some friends were particularly important, inspired us, listened, consoled, brought insight to our lives just when we needed awakening, stole our hearts, broke our […]
Episode 52 – The Relationship Archipelago
Sometimes when I have trouble sleeping I do a mental exercise. I lie in bed and pretend that I am stuck on a deserted island. I take every survival tip that I’ve learned from watching shows like Survivorman and Man vs. Wild and plan out everything I would need to do in order to live. I […]