Kristin Berkey-Abbott
Yesterday was one of those days when maintenance tasks went more smoothly than anticipated. It's almost August, the time for car safety inspections so that the annual car registration can be paid--in time to do the payments by mail, because the in-person process is a nightmare, only superseded by...
Kristin Berkey-Abbott
Three weeks from today, my onground classes start at Spartanburg Methodist College; it will be both similar and different for me. It will be my 3rd year of full-time work at the college, after 1 year of adjunct work, but the beginning of the tenure track for me. I'll write more about that in a...
Kristin Berkey-Abbott
For the past two weeks, we've had a solitary ant in the kitchen. I've thought it odd--ants don't usually travel alone.This morning, I'm wondering if it was a scout ant, sent ahead to find a good homestead. This morning, we have ants all over the kitchen.We rarely have bug problems in this house...
Kristin Berkey-Abbott
Yesterday we went down to Spartanburg with my mom and dad. They wanted to see our fixer-upper that we bought in May, and while we were there, also see the campus of Spartanburg Methodist College. So that's what we did.My cousin Judy also wanted to see the house and to see Mom and Dad (Judy is...
Thomas Bardenett
We are in a dark place at the start of 2026. There’s no sugar coating the grim view of the world that is currently taking hold as a result of the present federal administration. The administration is creating an era of isolation and demonization, working to “other” people who do not fit within...
Thomas Bardenett
Did you know that Syracuse is the only place in the world that experiences winter? Yeah, me neither. But when you talk about ways to improve the City and create more comfortable places to walk, bike, and take transit, many people like to bring up snowy, cold weather as the reason we can’t do what...
Thomas Bardenett
Some people would be surprised to learn just how many malls the Syracuse area had at one point in time. Not just the recently closed suburban shopping malls like Shoppingtown and Great Northern, but Camillus, Fayetteville, Penn Can, Fairmount Fair, and others, along with the attempt at an urban...
Thomas Bardenett
The Market Commons at the CNY Regional Market. Since 1938, the CNY Regional Market has called the City’s Northside home. Nestled between Park St and Hiawatha Blvd, the Regional Market has easy access to I-81 (soon to be Business Loop...
Thomas Bardenett
Smaller apartment buildings can easily fit into neighborhoods with single family and multi-family homes. Housing continues to be a hot topic, both locally and nationally. The cost of housing, both to rent and to own, continues to...
Thomas Bardenett
The desert - a place we often associate with vast, seemingly empty space. Where animals are often nocturnal to avoid the daytime heat and cacti have adapted to live off the minimal amounts of rain that comes each year. It's more associated with surviving than thriving. And yet, one of the United...
Thomas Bardenett
New York State, along with states around the country, is suffering from a housing crisis. When most people hear this, they immediately think of the high housing costs in New York City and the surrounding areas, where rents are well over $3,000 per month, home ownership is out of reach for many,...
Adrian Crook
Since I sold our minivan in 2015, I’ve rented our condo’s assigned underground parking spot out to a friend for about $150/month. That’s $1800/year in additional income, simply for not having a car. It’s been great. But recently I had to re-list that spot for rent. Our strata council (HOA)...
Adrian Crook
DUDE … after watching @kirstendirksen ‘s Vlog post last night how can you not be the wise choice for a sound and sustainable future for Vancouver. https://t.co/EYPbWniu5l — Chris Istace (@Stasher_BC) April 9, 2018 Those kind words from a Twitter stranger reminded me to let you know I’m seeking a...