And that's when things got weird

Today is National Cat Day -- established 10 years ago to encourage the rescue and adoption of shelter cats. While I didn’t realize it at the time, it’s probably no coincidence that the holiday also falls on the eighth anniversary of my becoming a cat owner. This week eight years ago I received an email from a colleague who knew just enough about me for her to know that I’d be a prime target for her message’s contents. It was a photo of a cardboard box filled with tiny black and white kittens. Under the photo in an oversized, bold font it read: “If these kittens are not adopted before Friday, they will be killed.” Instructions on how to go about adopting them followed. It was aggressive, harsh and extremely effective. I was guilt-ridden and within 24 hours I was online filling out adoption forms.  After enduring a rigorous screening process that included a personality quiz, reference checks, and a responsible co-signer (it was much simpler to obtain a mortgage), I was deeme...

Posted: Thursday, October 15, 2015  I always looked forward to Columbus Day as a kid. It reminded me of the year, 1984 to be exact, that I won first prize in the citywide poster contest. I drew a pretty impressive rendition of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. I was so proud of the blue ribbon that was tacked onto the poster and that it was displayed along with other winning drawings in the foyer of Lynn City Hall. But, I was even prouder that I was able to draw a small picture of my cat Fifi on the deck of one of the boats (I believe it was the Pinta) without anyone noticing. As I grew older, I simply looked forward to the day off from school and the adventures the long weekend would bring — a trip to the Topsfield Fair or a final trip of the season to Cape Cod. And as an adult, my outlook on the holiday changed because it marked a somber occasion — the passing of my grandfather Jeremiah. Today, Oct. 15, marks the 13th anniversary of his death. For the first 10 year...

If you logged onto any social media site, or tuned into the local news over the past few weeks, you’ve likely come across some chatter about the two Malden fisherman who encountered what they coined a “sea monstah” in Boston Harbor (and if you haven’t, you’re extremely fortunate).  The five minute-long, obscenity-laced video which was posted to YouTube, captured Michael “Mikey” Bergin and Jason “Jay” Foster’s reaction to hooking what appeared to be a young relative of Moby Dick while out on a fishing expedition. It has received over 3.2 million views thus far and has catapulted the duo into viral video stardom, spurring a flurry of local and national media interviews including an appearance last week on late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”  There was no need to call the aquarium, bro. It turns out that the mysterious sea creature was not a baby whale, it was actually a salt water sunfish. And, it also turns out that “Mikey” and “Jay” are not just amateur fisherman spittin...