Since we moved to our new home in Old Northeast, a persistent discussion between my wife Ellen and me has involved the inadequacies of our little kitchen here. We should have seen this problem coming. Our Long Island home in New York had a great kitchen. It was big enough to have couches and a television along with a nice fireplace. There was no better place to be snuggled up looking out through the French doors at the winter snow, a fall sunset, or to watch the spring cherry blossoms wafting down onto the deck. When we entertained, the kitchen was where everyone would hang out.… Read More

Tucked between the Coast Guard Station on one side and the Army Reserve Training Center on the other, the Polish-American Society of St. Petersburg is a throwback to a different era. Monika Smolarczyk, the club’s secretary, tells me that at one time, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Italian, Hungarian, and Polish clubs were all located within a few blocks of each other on Beach Drive SE in St. Petersburg’s charming and eclectic Old Southeast neighborhood. That was back in the 1950s and ’60s, when from January through April, St. Petersburg was a mecca for snowbirds escaping the cold. The private social clubs offered camaraderie, networking, music, dancing, and great food.… Read More

Can I do this? The thoughts of self-doubt crept into my mind as I pulled up to take my first boot camp class. I’ve always considered myself to be in good shape. Nearly a decade of working outside in the resort industry, teaching sailing, doing waterski shows, and being on my feet six days a week kept me pretty lean. But then again that was nearly eight years ago, in my twenties, my “former” self if you will. The current version is less lean, more tied to a desk job… and the joys of a few beers and too much barbeque.… Read More

Thursday, February 19th, was a busy day for Jerry Robinson. After provisioning his 40-foot-long, 50,000-pound, 8-wheeler bus for a week, he and his wife, MJ, hit the road in the stainless steel vintage WanderLodge for a rally in Fort Meade, Florida.

“It’s not an RV,” Robinson is quick to specify. “It’s a bus. It’s the same kind of bus that rock bands used in the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and early 2000s to crisscross the country. They’re built so durably that that’s what they all used.”

Robinson’s vintage restored bus is indeed a relic from the late 1980s. The bus itself was made in 1988, and has since been retrofitted inside to mirror a luxury late ’70s interior, complete with marble tile in the kitchen suite, vivid colors, double closets, a full bedroom with a queen-size bed, a full bathroom, and three AC/heating units.… Read More

We’ve gotten that first nip in the air! And it’s all we can do to get out of our air-conditioned caves. With all those September rains and warm October days, the flowers and greenery abound. The hues of nature make an eclectic backdrop for entertaining in our backyards.

Most of us have odd-shaped backyards thanks to the diversity of the neighborhood. And if you have a small backyard to boot, count your blessings. It’s less work in the summer and creates a better sense of intimacy with your guests. So those of you sandwiched between a back alley and your neighbor’s garage really have the best location.… Read More