Macgyvering the Menorah

Lighting the Chanukkah candles. It’s one of those time honored traditions that grounds me in my faith. And while I love both giving and receiving presents, my favorite thing is actually lighting the candles, singing the prayers and meditating on the flames as...

Getting back up on the bike: literally and figuratively

Two years ago, when I fell during the 600 mile AIDS lifecycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles, I thought it would be hard to get back on the bike. I was scared, sore and maimed…with 21 stitches stretching from my eye to my cheekbone. But I got back...

Life lessons from Italy #10 – Wine, a lesson in six bottles

Amarone, Barbaresco,  Barbera, Barolo  Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Valpolicella…I tried them all. There was a lot of wine in Italy and I tried them all, often asking waiters for the best local wines they served. I sniffed,...