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Cake day: June 5th, 2025

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  • I lived in a triple decker back when I was in college and those featured sleeping porches for the summer time. We would drag a futon out there and sleep in the open air with the cool night breezes. Worked well most of the summer (except for rainy/stormy nights and the dog days of August). We did not have AC, just fans. (there were some people who had window AC units in their bedrooms in some of the units). But we lived in a city so our jobs mostly had AC and we would go to the pub, mall/stores, movies, library after work and just hang outside at weekend festivals etc… all AC or uneeded AC places. Frankly, it was just not hot enough here in the summer long enough to warrant a unit and the increased power bill. Once Labor Day came around it was Fall. In the winter we used electric blankets, long underwear, sweaters etc.












  • In order to sign up at the SS website on my laptop so I could get an updated statement, I had to use my phone to take pictures of my ID and myself. It kept failing/dropping. It was a giant PIA. Finally got it to work but I had to attempt a couple different days. I don’t know how someone who has no experience with a smart phone and laptop or tablet manages. I think I heard that about 25% SS employees were DOGE’d as well as many field offices closed and it can be incredibly difficult to get an appointment (some are just not staffed), especially if you reside in a rural county. I have to help my husband get signed up on the website and I dread it. He has a very thin frustration threshold with tech he can’t get to work. I foresee his phone flying across the room.





  • My grandparents never lived rich… my grandfather’s father did build a fortune in Long Island but most of it was lost during the 1929 crash and subsequent Depression. However, what they did do was save and invest and land values were inexpensive in the late 30s so they bought a house for $3K a few blocks from the bay. They always lived really modestly and volunteered, worked civil service type jobs, required all their kids to work after school and really just socked away and invested every dime they could. When my grandmother retired, they bought a condo in Florida and became snowbirds. Our family still has that condo. After my uncle died (he was left the house for his lifetime), his brother sold it for over $600K. The rest of the Trust after my grandparents died was divided among the brothers and survivors of the ones that were already gone. They were never Hamptons rich though.