STRANGE SIGHTINGS on the Upper East Side

Welcome to the world of the senior citizens of the Upper East Side. On this rainy day the woman to your right decided that her umbrella had to remain open at the Morton Williams grocery store on 82nd and first. The manager approached her after she knocked several people in the head and pointed out the problem. In response she hit him with a handbag and continued to shop much to the dismayed public.

MY SECRET To PASTA SUCCESS

I've often been asked," how the hell do you make such great pasta?" And here it is my secret finally revealed.
Bertolli Vodka Sauce. This stuff is great. It's the only sauce that I dare pour directly from the jar onto the pasta.
And for a great Chicken Cacciatori, fry chicken, drain it pour over a can of crushed tomatoes, let it stew and when almost ready crack out the Bertoilli Vodka sauce and pour it over the chicken. I promise that it will the best Chicken Cacciatori ever.
.....And modelling the jar is my husband Peter and his cat Luke.

A beauty day at the Carl Schurz Park

There was not a bench to be had in the Carl Schurz Park this weekend. This is the beauty that I wake up to every day. Talk about blessed!

On Sunday the sun was out, the sky blue and the water even bluer. I love the fact that I can sit by the water on any given day and watch the boats chug their way into the NYC harbour. For some reason I need to be around water and in a big city you'd think that would be impossible but somehow, someway I ended up in the best place in the world and I thank god for that everyday.

But in New York there are always "strange sightings. First I saw a lady with at parrot which was really cool. But then it happened as it often does in this city of strangers.

As I sat on the bench with my husband and dogs I spotted a
flash of red out of the corner of my eye. As I focused on red to my horror I saw a middle aged man dressed in red pants, but not red shorts red puffy pants he was in petty coat shorts jogging in between the benches and the guard rails- shirtless and sweaty.

I thought to myself this is why man needs a mate. This man would have never gotten out of the house dressed like that if he had a partner. But there he was running loose in all his glory proudly shaking his junk for all to see.
There is never a dull day in NYC.

Atlanta Housewives Kim Grow UP

On Atlanta Housewives this week Kim the sweet blond to the left has decided to be a Country Music Star. Forget she's never performed or for that matter sung in public. But she actually believes that she can buy herself a place with country greats the like of Dolly Parton.

Yes Kim has money in fact she has a sugar daddy who'll buy her anything or anyone. Lost in this fantasy she has spent thousands of dollars to take a photo shoot for her album and hired some big wig producer....but to produce what? No one knows. Apparently the singing factor had alluded this pretty blond. Baby your sugar daddy can't help. In fact all the money or the tantrums in the world can't help LOL.

But guess what Kim? No one can buy talent and you have none so grow up or get your ass in a booked in a couple of clubs do a cross country tour and then we'll talk.

On the flip side Nene has captured my heart and respect. I met her husband for the first time and the man is all class. He's keeper and if anything the other girls are jealous of the love he has for you so... note to Nene: Don't blow it!

Nene wears her heart on her sleeve and she seems out of place she doesn't have the hard edge and cold heart that some of the other's cultivate. And that came clear when Kim turned on her BFF Nene because Nene can actually sing. I hope Nene gets the knife out of her back and keeps a look out for Kim because she's twisting it.

High Heel Nighmares on Fox Red Eye

Enough already with these crippling contraptions. On Fox Red Eye last night it was brought to my attention that women are electing for toe surgery. That's right toe surgery?

Apparently, the surgeon peels off the skin surrounding your toe, pulls back the sinew and muscle till your toe bone is reveled.

After that the surgeon saws off the bone until your toe reaches the preferred size.

And what's all this for. So women can have pretty toes while wearing heels high heels. That way when they bread their ankle or suffer from back pain they will look pretty. And the best part is that a ten inch heel is being released for the latest summer looks.

Is this sick or what?

And how come we have no equivalent contraption that we strap to our sons feet. Yet our daughters are vulnerable. Come on mom's get this fetish off the streets.

A Halloween Party at the Carl Schurz Park

Every year there is a very special Halloween Party in the Carl Schurz Park called the Halloween Howl. This is a time of years where dogs and their owners dress up in costumes and prance around for prizes, cookies and treats. It has become a neighbourhood tradition in this part of the world.

Upper east side dogs are very savvy and they know their in costume and get into it with their owners ..big time! This event tons of fun, and very kid friendly so bring a camera. And if there is such a thing as reincarnation I'm hoping to reserve a place as an Upper East side dog in Manhattan.

This is a pic of my dog Henry and myself . Henry is in costume as a chicken which he has worn every year for the past ten years.

So you don't miss any more events at the park.

The annual Caroling and Tree Lighting Celebration is coming up on Sunday December 7th between East End and 86th from 5:30 to 6:30.

Their website is http://www.carlschurzpark.org/.

My Investing Tip of the Week

Something to recommend to clients…especially since the market is down!!!


Retirement Planning
If you had purchased $1000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00.

With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1000.00. With WorldCom, you would have had less than $5.00 left.

If you had purchased $1000 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have $49.00 left.

But, if you had purchased $1,000.00 worth of beer/wine one year ago, drank all the beer/wine, then turned in the cans/bottles for the recycling REFUND, you would have had $214.00. Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to Drink heavily and recycle.

The Housewives of Atlanta: You go girls!

Who says money changes people. These housewives are keeping it real. I watched and laughed, I fell in love. These girls own who they are. Money yeah, they have a lot, I mean a lot of money but their fun and wonderful and I love them.

Don't miss this show on Bravo.

Weekend Overtime in Yorkville

This weekend is particularly busy in the hood. It's street fair bonanza. On 84th street between York and First Avenue ( one block from my house ) is a combination Farmer's Market and Church Fair. The Farmer's market brings in the freshest produce from local farms in the area. You can get anything from fresh garden green beans, to apple pies, and local seafood. It feels like you're at a real country fair smack dab in the middle of the city. Not only that when is the last time you've seen someone selling Tupperware? I was surprised to find out it still existed.

I also ran into a very strange man selling his used C.D. collection. He pointed out where the sale bin was and announced the sale price was $4.00. I took a look and finding it mostly classical. I stopped on a C.D. of Evita.

"Good pick!", he announced. He proceeded to tell me that it would cost $6.00 because it contained two C.D.'s. Then he picked up the C.D. and informed me that it would be $8.00 because it had a scratch on it.

I thought to myself , "a scratch? was this guy nuts? Was he really selling C.D.'s or was this a cover for something else?"

Before my writers imagination could get the better of me I cautiously put the C.D. down , very slowly, turned, and walked away.

Piggy- backing on the Farmer's Market this weekend celebrates St. Francis, the patron saint of animals, so the Hungarian Catholic church , Saint Stevens (located on the same block). has included a food court . Is is complete with homemade sauerkraut, cabbage rolls and fresh kobassa and indifferent Hungarian hospitality. They also have lots of donated second hand stuff. The kind of stuff you look at and then decide you don't really want.

By the time I got there I was crudely told there was NO FOOD. So, I proceeded next door to the hamburger and hot dog grills and boy was I glad I did. Never in my life, my whole life have I had a burger that was so amazing. Grilled, crispy on the outside Angus beef.....the BEST.

I recommend you get down there just to try a burger and tell me what you think.

My Bibles and Brewskies Class

Yes, I believe in God and even if I didn't this is a great event to attend if you live on the Upper East Side, or wherever for that matter.
We read passages from the bible and we discuss like rational human beings. We talk, we debate, we throw out ideas and we bond.

You don't even have to worry about religion. This is about discussing a really big book that had influenced our culture for many, many years. Religion is not a requirement and we'd love to hear from anyone who can offer some input.

I suggest that you take the first Wednesday of every month and put it on your calender. That's 7:00 o'clock at the church of the Epiphany on 74th and York.

But the way that's the priest, Jennifer in the middle. You can't get cooler. So do yourself a favour and drop by, bring a beer or some wine, chill, talk, meet someone other then your immediate "group" and enjoy!

By the way... What do you think about the Bible?

Don't Pass this Bill

I really feel that a one family house should not be more that fifty-thousand dollars. We've got to get out heads out of the sand and realize that real estate is NOT a way to make money. Your HOME is a place where you choose to grow yourself and your family. Is should NOT be a place you sell to make money. If your house was only $50,000. you could pay this off and with all that extra money you'd buy stuff, right? You'd buy stuff that gets the economy going. We have been in the noose of paying for where we live paying WAY too much. And we have bought into the idea that where we live is somehow a means to increase our income.

Are you behind in you payments? Maybe one payment from foreclosure? I say RELAX. Let the bank take that house. Just move out for a couple of months. When the bank puts it on the auction block take our your saving in cash, buy it back at a discount rate from the bank free and clear and move into YOUR house.

And don't think for a moment you'll sell it for a profit. This is your HOME. This is where you and your family creates memories, this is a sacred place and that can never be for sale.

Take control. If you've survived and built a family and home you're the smart one. It's time Wall Street figured that one out.