Random Thoughts

My mom likes to tell a story about my first day at school. Always a Momma’s boy (to this day), I was less than thrilled to enter the hallowed halls of Beth Yeshurun Day School.  As I sobbed uncontrollably and tears poured down my face, Principal Peggy Samet greeted us […]

“How Sweet It Is!!!”  That was the famous catchphrase of legendary announcer Gene Peterson that Houston basketball fans heard through the years during Rockets broadcasts, including the championship seasons of 1994 and 1995. I grew up at the Summit (later Compaq Center) as my family owned Rockets season tickets before […]

My fellow (just under 40% of) Americans, Well, it’s sure been a wild and fun ride for the past 100-plus days (unless, of course, your name is Comey or Schumer or Pelosi or Pocahontas Warren or Maddow or Huffington or Anderson Cooper or Glenn Thrush or all the other freedom […]

I woke up on the morning after (actually the morning after the morning after) and felt the need to write you a note. For the past year or so, you have been a frequent Facebook poster about Donald Trump, and I have respected your passion, enthusiasm and optimism about the […]

Another successful (hopefully) Yom Kippur has passed without much fanfare and only the slightest afternoon headache. For 25+ hours, Jews around the world spend the day in reflection and ask for forgiveness from God for any and all sins committed during the past year. We are so deep in prayer […]

I love the smell of mildewed bath towels in the morning.  And the sight of sweaty gym socks thrown all over the floor.  And the taste of chocolate mint Matzah, considered a delicacy for eight days a year, but inedible for the other 357.  And the sound of children crying […]

A few weeks ago, my family participated in the Run for the Rose, a local fun run benefitting brain cancer research and honoring those “heroes” who have bravely fought (and continue to fight) this debilitating disease.  This year represented the fourth time we have tackled the “treacherous” 1 kilometer course […]

That was Then… It was a simpler time when I was growing up (a half-century ago).  Telephones had rotary dials and did not double as game players.  Kids sat next to the TV because we didn’t have remote controls to change to the other three channels and rabbit ears needed […]

Welcome to the initial entry of Dear Old Dad: the Blog.  Most people who start “blogging” (is that even the proper terminology?) believe they have something meaningful to say and desire a platform to share their voices with the world.  Perhaps they have a keen understanding of relationships and want […]

To put it mildly, I have never been a big fan of New Year’s Eve. As a child, the night meant staying home with a babysitter (and my “annoying” older sister) as my parents painted the town red (well, maybe pink), downed a shooter or two (or a few decafs), […]