I’m not normally a jealous person. I’ve learned, over the years, that jealousy is a pretty fruitless emotion, and it makes you feel bad, too, which is never good. But yesterday I stood in the sweltering heat (86 degrees! It’s October, remember?) at the walk-up line at L.’s school. My shoes were too hot, my pants too hot, my shirt too hot, my hair too hot. Leaves trickled down from the trees above but they were dry, pathetic-looking leaves, not the crisp bright colors you get with a good fall. [more]

My business partner’s extended family is in the midst of a hurricane of crisis. It seems his 13-year-old niece (on his wife’s side) has “opted out” of her Bat Mitzvah. Just six weeks to the glorious (according to the family) event that marks her entry into womanhood (according to the traditions), she decided it wasn’t for her. Chaos has ensued. [more]