Six focus groups, six people in each. While there were often people who agreed with others in their own group, at times my head was spinning from the different perspectives. Sometimes it felt like there were far more than 36 total viewpoints over …

The thing about staying in a high-rise hotel in downtown Chicago is that, without seeming creepy or voyeuristic, you get these interesting glimpses into the lives of others. I took a break from my primping routine this morning and opened my blinds…

I consumed more Cooking Channel goodness on the plane today. En route to Chicago from Orange County, I caught some of chef Michael Symon’s show where he was making a Nutella Espresso Mousse. !!! It looked as good during its preparation as it did w…

A year ago, I was rear-ended by a woman who spoke no English, had an expired license and out-of-date insurance info. My deductible was waived because although I was able to give her info to my insurance company, they had nothing current on her. In…

There’s a house that I like to drive past when I’m on my way home from the grocery store. It’s in a quiet neighborhood, lush with trees and well-established foliage, and it sits on a large corner lot tucked away from the only slightly more busy st…

The funny thing about being under the weather is the bizarre yearning that comes with it. Not just a yearning to feel better, but for me, it’s a yearning to do better. It might be the fuzzy head, the medicated train of thought or the stuffy nose, …

Have you ever experienced a moment in life when scene and song came together in perfect harmony? This afternoon as we were descending into Long Beach, the sky was clear blue with a golden horizon. The sun would be setting in about half an hour, an…

Today was our second day of focus groups here in Westchester County. At the beginning of each group, the moderator asked his series of introductory questions the same way he’d done on the first day. He had the participants pair off and interview e…

One month ago, I was shedding a tear and saying farewell to Christmas. December was in the rear-view mirror and it left me wondering how I’d muster the drive to make it through the majority of 2012 until the next time I’d be able to decorate for t…