Blog
"Life is a curious mix of fantasy, experienceand interpretation."
Note to readers: After a three-year hiatus, my blog has relaunched in a new home — on this website. You can subscribe to future posts via RSS feed, or by using the sign-up box below.
Pandemic Drunken Noodles Take Edge Off Sobering News
Perfecting our recipe for a favorite Thai street food became a welcome distraction during the Covid-19 crisis.
Mail-Ordered French Balms Take the Sting Off Travel Limits
Travelers from the U.S. can’t enter France right now, but they can still shop at a French parapharmacie.
A Garden of Hope Grows in Brooklyn
Grounded by the pandemic, an avid traveler tries to replicate the experience of living in France.
My First Plane Trip Amid the Coronavirus
An avid traveler develops fear of flying — with good reason.
How One Couple Makes Harmony in the Time of Covid
While some feel paralyzed by the pandemic, others are spurred to creativity.
How to Get Your Stimulus Payment More Quickly (In Theory)
A new IRS app lets you track stimulus payments and request direct deposit. I took it for a test drive.
DIY Face Masks Divert Friends from Covid-19 Horrors
As word circulated that cloth face coverings can slow the spread of the coronavirus, my weekend turned into a virtual sewing bee.
How to Lead a Paperless Financial Life
From stimulus payments to monthly bills, Covid-19 stay-at-home guidelines are one more reason to bank online. A guide to maximizing the conveniences and minimizing the risks.
How to Borrow E-books and Audiobooks from the Library
An avid reader plots a germ-free escape from coronavirus news.
With Borders Closed to Contain Covid-19, Some Folks Can’t Go Home Again
Stranded in heaven or in Hell, travelers, nomads and expats wait out the crisis in foreign lands.
In Phu Quoc, Vietnam, a Fragile Piece of Paradise
The coronavirus has hurt hotels and left some visitors, Casablanca-style, stranded.
Travel in Asia as the Coronavirus Story Swirls
What’s so difficult to explain to folks back home is how the virus seems to have brought people together, in the face of a remote, but worldwide, threat.