There was a time in my life when I didn’t miss an episode of Cheers . Not because of the plot, which was usually secondary, but because of a central character named Norm Peterson. Norm was my alter ego before I even knew I needed one. He would walk through that barroom door, and before he could make it two steps, the room would sound off in a chorus of “Norm!” I remember watching that entrance and thinking, not about the beer or the bar, but about the feeling. The idea that s

One of the quiet milestones of life is the day your kids stop asking for advice. It sneaks up on you like a thief in the night. For years, you were the designated problem solver. The one with the answers, or at least a valued (and sometimes unsolicited) opinion. The person who helped narrow down the decision on which college to attend. A trusted advisor on how to set up a monthly budget. The one they called when the faucet was leaking (in truth, that was never me). And the on

Most afternoons, I take a walk with our dog, Rigby. Depending on which direction he decides to explore that day, we end up passing through the local park or along the quiet streets of our small village. In the fall and spring, those walks almost always take us past youth sports fields. Little League baseball. Lacrosse practice. A girls’ high school softball game. Parents line the sidelines, leaning forward in folding chairs or pacing along the fence line. They shout encourage

What is it about the ocean and the waves on the beach that speaks so clearly about the relentless march of time, and how our lives are little more than momentary footprints in the sand? We are here for only a moment, until the waves, arriving with the steady beat of a metronome, wash away our presence and return the sand to its natural state. As if we were never there at all. And yet, we were, if only for a moment. The snow is piling up outside my window here in Central New Y

This past week, the last of 2025, found me coming back to a familiar set of images. Once again, twenty-foot waves are pounding the eastern shores of Lake Ontario. Gray skies, a staple here in Central New York, and wind howling with gusts exceeding 60 mph. Water smashing into the rock and concrete of the Oswego Harbor Lighthouse with zero interest in whatever is standing in its way. And like it always does this time of year, my mind goes to Gordon Lightfoot and his haunting so

I have always believed that life gives us little nudges when we need them. Sometimes they show up as a gentle whisper in the breeze as I walk Rigby in the park. And sometimes it's a mishap so ridiculous you can’t help but laugh. Like showing up for pickleball league last night, pulling off my sweatpants, only to realize I forgot to put on my shorts. Lately, as I’ve been working through the first full edit of my retirement book, I’ve realized that most of the wisdom I have col

For me, fall is a season of reflection. Maybe it’s the falling leaves that signal the end of a cycle. Perhaps it’s the subtle hint of cooler air settling over Central New York. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the road I’m traveling on now. The distant shimmer of red and gold on the hillsides feels familiar, like a favorite song I’ve heard a thousand times before but still don’t skip. This past week, I found myself on Interstate 81, somewhere between Binghamton, NY, and Scranton, P

The calendar has turned to fall here in Central New York, and that means only one thing. Pasta. Well, two things. Pasta and friendship. Every September, when the evenings turn cool and crisp and the orchards fill with families chasing apples and cider, I wait for a familiar text from my long-time friend Mike. It always reads the same way: “Check your calendars, boys. It’s time to get AlfredoFest booked.” Almost forty years ago, Mike invited a couple of us over for his homemad

Yesterday morning, I turned on the radio and listened to my funeral. Not really a funeral, of course. It was a retirement announcement. But as the words came out of my car stereo, a part of me felt like it had died. If you’ve spent more than a few minutes driving the highways of Upstate New York over the last four decades, you know the name Brother Wease . A radio legend, a member of the National Radio Hall of Fame, he’s been the voice in my ears and my head for most of my ad

I remember visiting my mother in her final years and thinking that her world was shrinking. My father, her husband and lifetime companion...

It’s been a little quiet around here at The Sunny Side of 57 . Seven months since my last post (but who's counting). And no, I haven’t retired from retirement. I’ve just been busy doing something I never expected to be doing in this chapter of life: writing a book. What started as a few reflections on this blog has grown into something bigger, more structured (well, mostly), and more personal. It’s still me, still sunny-side-up, but with a deeper dive into what life after car

This past October, in Cleveland, the record was (finally) set straight. Lou Gramm and Foreigner were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall...

Earlier this past winter, I found myself on a planned four-hour layover at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. As I casually walked...

It's the month of December, and we are deep into the season of giving. This phrase is often used to describe the period around the end of...

Imagine that you are a professional baseball pitcher. You have spent your entire career pitching right-handed. Your dream has always been...

If I am being honest, the news this past week of Jimmy Buffett's passing hit me right where it hurts. Maybe it was a sense of my own...

In the past two months this summer (July and August) there have been two lottery jackpots each eclipsing $1B in pre-tax payout. The...

For years I have used the phrase “time is flying by” to describe my feelings about various activities. My kids growing up, heading to...

Everyone loves recognition. Whether it is a simple pat on the back, acknowledgment for a job well done, a plaque for your office wall, or...

One of my mother's favorite stories (and believe me, she had many) centered around a family gathering when I was about four. The adults...