I recently attended the wedding of one of my brothers up in Washington, Vermont – Population: 1,057. Considering that the town's one general store sells assorted clothing with the slogan, “Where in the World is Washington, Vermont?” (or something to that effect), I wasn't quite sure what to expect on this, my first visit there. 

I was fairly certain it wasn't going to be anything like the traditional weddings we've grown accustomed to here on Long Island. That hunch was confirmed when we received the invitation, requesting us to attend their outdoor ceremony on a hill, followed by a reception in a barn. Yes, that's right - a barn.

I recently took my first vacation in nearly a year, traveling up to beautiful Saratoga Springs with my parents for the annual Jazz Festival held at SPAC (Saratoga Performing Arts Center, for those unfamiliar).

I love music, to be sure, but jazz...not exactly at the top of my hit parade.

Have you ever noticed that any time there's some kind of family gathering, it generally takes the women present approximately three hours to say goodbye? 

Seriously. 

I recently received one of those forwarded e-mails concerning how much easier life is for men than women.  The list must have contained 25-odd examples, but the one that stood above the rest went something like: “Men can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24th in 25 minutes.”  

A truer statement has never been made.