A caveat, this does not in any way express my personal feelings so I hope no one is offended, I just thought it was too good not to share.

   This past Sunday I spent the day in CT at a friend’s beautiful home. Every summer she graciously invites a few of us to come for a day of relaxation and pampering. The invitation includes lunch, swimming & exercising in her pool, cocktails, dinner and watching the sun set over the gorge below on one of her exquisite terraces. The only sounds ever disturbing this idyllic scene are those of happy chatter and bursts of laughter. Tough right?!

   As we were sitting on lounge chairs admiring the view we started to discuss travel.  One friend is going to Southeast Asia for Christmas and I asked her if she’d ever been to Nepal.

   “No” she replied “I could never go because of the altitude”. “Well” another friend quipped immediately “I have my limits too, I never go to the East Side because of the attitude”!  This remark struck me as hysterically funny and I’d only had a few sips of wine.

    I repeat maybe you had to be there so no groaning please, 🙂

Not the announcement anyone wants to hear at any time but especially not when your international flight from Mexico City to New York has just reached cruising altitude over the Pacific Ocean.

This however is exactly what happened as my granddaughter Rian and her new husband Adam were flying home from their delayed honeymoon this past Memorial Day. They were comfortably settled in their seats, ear buds in place anticipating long naps when their audio was suddenly interrupted by that electrifying announcement. 

In an amazing series of events Adam had not only just graduated medical school, one week and five days ago to be exact, but had also packed his stethoscope and pen light in his backpack! 

Barely missing a beat, he was instantly out of his seat and sprinting towards the source of the alarming screams. First he had to assure the distressed passenger’s partner that he was a Doctor so she would stop terrifying the entire plane, next he had to quickly assess whether the disoriented man was experiencing a life threatening event, in which case the pilot would have to turn the plane around and make an emergency landing.

  Fortunately for everyone on board, passengers and crew alike, as unnerving as this crisis was, it was no match for Adam’s skill, training and overall natural cool! He was quickly able to determine the disoriented, semi- conscious passenger was not suffering a life threatening event but instead was extremely dehydrated and there was no need to return to Mexico City. 

Having turned around to see where her husband was heading Rian noticed that the three guys in the row directly behind theirs looked vaguely familiar. They were busily texting about the crazy incident occurring on their plane when she asked if by any chance they knew her brother Eli. In the category of amazing coincidences, almost equal to that of having a newly minted Doctor traveling with his stethoscope and pen light on board a flight during a medical emergency, it turns out the three guys did know Eli and quickly, through the wonders of 21^st century technology, added him to their group text!

When the situation was under control and Dr. Adam returned to his seat, in addition to the obvious pride of his new bride, he received accolades from his fellow passengers and a bucket of champagne from an extremely grateful crew.

After all the time and money he saved the airlines I think, in addition to champagne he should have been given two free first class tickets to anywhere the airline flies-just sayin’!

NYC knows how to celebrate and who could resist this invitation in the West Side Rag, especially since this was happening in my backyard! Snippets of videos of joyful NYers attached (they do play I promise, some have to be clicked twice)

“The Young People’s Chorus of New York City headlines this joyous outdoor performance and singalong, kicking off Summer for the City,” Lincoln Center’s three-month summer program, presenting 300+ free performances, a press release announced. “We offer this warm welcome to come together after so much time apart,” said Shanta Thake, chief artistic officer.

Remember Moonstruck? Parts were filmed right here

Saw this on my Facebook page and needed to share

Maple R., an absolutely adorable puppy lives with my very good friend in an apartment building not too far from me and Blue Handler is my very handsome granddog who recently moved to Detroit. Coincidentally they both introduced me to a new concept on the same day- doggy report cards! I found this idea to be hilariously funny but quickly adjusted my attitude when I realized how seriously they both take this;-)

I received “written” permission (via email) to share even more reasons for their humans to brag. Keep in mind Maple’s report card is from her very first experience with a dog walker and Blue’s is from Canine to Five (get it?!)a new-to-him doggy day care in a new-to-him city.

Now for the two report cards (spoiler alert, both are stars)