Ohh, the Water: Saratoga's Allure pg.26
Crowdsource Your Life pg.62
A TIMES UNION PUBLICATION
Summer
Sports Tips: Horse Betting 101 pg.31 Avoiding the Slice pg.67 JULY 2014
Food Ă la Truck The Capital Region joins the gourmet food truck craze
pg.54
By Steve Barnes
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So Many Sandwiches, e SoLittle Time. e That sandwich you can’t stop thinking about? We’ve got it at Market Bistro, along with a whole bunch of others you’re going to crave. In fact, you’ll find more than 75 different kinds of delicious sandwiches to tempt your palate. Try Ben & Bill’s Deli for a blissfully overstuffed pastrami sandwich. Or head over to Subtown for a hearty sub made to order on warm, freshly baked Tuscan Sesame bread. For a creamy, tantalizing lobster roll, there’s Back Bay Fish Fry. And don’t forget the juicy, hand-breaded chicken sandwich at The Plump Hen. For a sandwich you won’t forget, come to a place you won’t believe – Market Bistro.
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Get Ready for Weddings, Reunions, Graduations and Summer Publisher
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Editorial
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518Life is published monthly. If you are interested in receiving home delivery of 518Life magazine, please call (518) 454-5768 or e-mail magcirculation@timesunion.com. For advertising information, please call (518) 454-5358. 518Life is published by Capital Newspapers and Times Union 645 Albany Shaker Rd., Albany, NY 12212 518.454.5694 The entire contents of this magazine are copyright 2014 by Capital Newspapers. No portion may be reproduced in any means without written permission of the publisher. Capital Newspapers is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hearst Corporation.
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CONTENTS 518 LIFE MAGAZINE | JULY 2014
12 14
What’s Online Editor’s Note
Up Front 16 20 24 82
Trending Where & When In Other Words FYI with Nick Zito
Features 34
The Best and the Brightest
42
DIY Diva
46 pg. 54 Eating deluxe at the food trucks
54 62
My Crowdsourced Life We asked Kristi Barlette to turn to her social media followers for advice for a week. Here’s how it went.
ALL ABOUT SARATOGA 26
DRINK UP!
31
Betting 101
Leanne Goldberg transforms her home, one project at a time
Bring on the Parade Barbara and Fred Nuffer’s love affair with color
52
The Secret Garden
60
Drink Pink
Food à la Truck The Capital Region joins the gourmet food truck craze
Lighting trends, inside and out of your home
67 69
Plants to capture your child’s interest in gardening And a new grape from Greece — Agiorgitiko
Trainer Tip Avoid the slice!
Giving Props Their Props With yoga, it pays to accessorize
73
You Are What You Eat
78
Happy Trails
How intuitive eating can help you feel better and drop pounds Want a good family vacation? Be realistic and plan
The water at the Spa City is just fine How to go to the track and win — maybe On the Cover Cover design and illustration by Colleen Ingerto
10 518 LIFE
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What’s
ONLINE 518LIFEMAGAZINE.COM
GALLERIES more
ONLINE On the Edge blog.timesunion. com/ontheedge What we’re talking about in the 518.
YouTube youtube.com/ TimesUnionMagazines Watch our video supplements to this issue’s stories!
Twitter @518LifeMag
Garden of Gardens
Did It Herself
The best tweets this side of the Hudson. (Either side, really.)
Want to see more spectacular photos of the Nuffers’ garden (pg 46)? Head online!
See all the cool things Leanne Goldberg built herself on pg 42, then go online to see even more cool things.
Facebook facebook.com/ 518Life
VIDEOS
Pictures and events and videos and more!
On your Smartphone m.timesunion. com/518life Flip through our online extras from your cell phone!
Do the Right Swing
Propping Up
Want some more tips for avoiding a slice? Check out our story on pg 67, then watch our video.
Accessories can really bump up your yoga routine (pg 69). Watch our video to learn more!
12 518 LIFE
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Editor’s Note
Crowdsourced Living I
’m a Kristi Barlette follower. I see what she’s up to on Facebook and Twitter (@justkristi) and on her blog, justkristi.com, and I see her periodic posts on On the Edge (blog. timesunion.com/ontheedge. With a list of followers on social media that most businesses would kill for, Kristi seemed the perfect reporter to assign our story on crowdsourcing a life. What exactly would it be like to ask her social network for advice for a whole week — and then perhaps even follow it? You can read what Kristi discovered on page 62. I assigned it in part because I think social media users fall into two camps: those who do ask for advice and those who don’t — ever —
ask for advice. I wanted to see if we could figure out why. I fall into the latter camp. It’s not that I don’t share on social media. If you follow me at all you know I have a granddaughter and a black Lab puppy and that I have serious feelings about chocolate and ice cream. But asking the world at large for advice? Not gonna happen. Sure, I’ll ask friends and family privately for their thoughts on something I’m pondering. But on social media, my questions are about Orange Is the New Black rather than whether I should wear black.
Three things you’ll learn in this issue: 1. The mineral water that comes out of the tap at the Roosevelt Baths is 55 degrees. 2. Most of us are a 70:1 shot when it comes to being big winners at the track. 3. Seventy-three percent of adults use social media.
JANET REYNOLDS jreynolds@timesunion.com
(Back L-R): Bruce F. Sowalskie-SVP & Credit Officer, Jeffrey D. Stone-SVP Retail & Business Development, Thomas H. Signor-SVP Operations, Lee R. Carman-SVP Lending, and John A. Balli-CEO (Front)
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TRENDING #518
Salt (2010) | The Other Guys (2010) | The Way We Were (1973) War of the Worlds (2005) | Ironweed (1987)
The Time Machine (2002) | Ghost Story (1981) | Scent of a Woman (1992) The Emperor’s Club (2002) | Seabiscuit (2003)
Are We Sinking? Last May, a sinkhole opened up around a utility pole in Delmar. A couple of months before that, another sinkhole on Delaware Avenue in Albany caught a garbage truck’s wheel, disrupting traffic. OK, we’re not saying we’re totally terrified of sinkholes, but we’re not saying we haven’t had nightmares about our house being swallowed whole by one in the mid-
dle of the night either. But because we know you might be concerned, we researched it and it turns out the Capital Region may be prone to sinkholes, which are caused by dissolving underlying rocks and minerals. They can be caused just by the natural geographical movements of the Earth or they can result from heavy rains. Because the Cap Reg is a little vulnerable to sinkholes, we should go over a few precautions in the event of one (courtesy of sinkholeguide.com): • If you see a sinkhole, report it immediately to the police and move away from it.
Bad News for Vets Turns out the state of New York isn’t the best place for a retiring veteran. In fact, New York ranks nearly last — 50th out of 51 — on a list of best states for military retirees. The study was done by Wallethub.com, a personal finance blog, and looked at contributing quality-of-life factors such as access to health care, local tax policy and the general population makeup. (Vets commonly retire in their 40s, so they look to live among other populations in that age group.) Notably, New York has the fewest number of veterans per 100 residents (4.54) — fewer than any other state in the country. We also have one of the highest percentages of homeless veterans (0.526 percent) and New York places on the list of five states with the fewest veteran-owned businesses (6.52 per 1,000 people). Compare that with Montana, which has the most vet-owned businesses in the country, at 12.17 per 1,000 residents.
IN NEW YORK STATE … THERE ARE APPROX. FIVE VETERANS PER 100 RESIDENTS AROUND 0.5% OF VETERANS ARE HOMELESS
• Sinkholes are not predictable. So be ready at all times.
• Signs a sinkhole may be forming underneath your house include cracks in the exterior walls (specifically a “stair-step pattern”) and separation of the foundation from the soil. Check several times a day if necessary.
• If you’re having trouble sleeping at night for fear of sinkholes, move to North Dakota, which, according to the map, appears to be the only state in the country not at risk for these horrible death traps. Delmar sink hole
16 518 LIFE
Source:http://tinyurl.com/518Life-sinkholes
ABOUT 7 OF EVERY 1,000 BUSINESSES ARE OWNED BY VETERANS
Photos: Movies, Wikimedia Commons, Veteran; Illustrations by Emily Jahn; Sinkhole, Photo courtesy @DeLap_spotlight.
Movies filmed in the Capital Region (besides The Place Beyond the Pines)
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TRENDING #518 THINGS restaurant customers hate to hear from servers: 5 “Is everything OK?” before anyone has had a chance to take a bite.
Have you ever been slathering sunscreen all over your body and thought, “I wish I could just eat this”? Yeah, us neither, but someone invented edible sunscreen anyway, though we’re not really confident it’s super effective. The product, made by Osmosis Skincare, is called Harmonised H20 UV. It
claims to provide sun protection up to SPF 50. According to the experts at Spa One in Albany — a skin-care and plastic surgery business — you should probably stick with tried-and-true sunscreens, such as the ones they recommend on their site (some listed below).
Daily Sun Defense SPF 20 Daily sunscreen formula in a lightweight base. Ideal for normal to dry skin. Ultimate UV SPF 30 Daily
4 “Do you need change?” Subtext: “Are you too cheap to leave me all of the change as my tip?”
3 “Table for just one this evening?” Translation: “You must be really lonely.”
2 “That’s a really good dish!” Would you say if it weren’t?
1 “Are you still working on that?” It’s food, not drywall. — Steve Barnes
18 518 LIFE
Daily sunscreen formula with broadspectrum coverage. Ideal for normal to oily skin, as well as problematic skin.
Obagi-C Rx System C-SunGuard SPF 30 Prevents premature aging from UVA/UVB radiation.
Obagi Rosaclear System Skin Balancing Sun Protection SPF 30 Helps to reduce redness and blotchiness. Obagi Nu-Derm Sun Shield SPF 50 Non-whitening, PABA-free and fragrance-free for all skin types.
I
Summertime Sipping
t’s not as if a pint is hard to come by in Troy, but we’re always on the lookout for a new place to wine and dine or, in this case, brew and chew. Check out Rare Form Brewing Company, the newest addition to Troy’s Congress Street, to try an eclectic range of brews for the beer nut in your crew. Rare Form, opened in May of this year, is a small fivebarrel brewery devoted to the craft of making fine beer. While the brewery doesn’t have a kitchen, they do have selected local and regional goods. While you’re there make sure to poke your head into the nearby gallery, Collar Works — a non-profit art space that displays a new exhibition every few months and often features local artists. — Katie Pratt
Checking Up Health care is already confusing enough, thanks to the many changes put in place by the Affordable Care Act. But for decades, one thing has always eluded us: When you go to a doctor and someone comes in to check your symptoms — well, is she a doctor? If so, is she a Ph.D. or an M.D. or a nurse practitioner or a nurse? Does it matter? It might,
and it definitely helps to know. That’s why the Medical Society of New York (MSSNY) has lent their support to two bills that would require health care professionals to display which license they hold on their name tags or I.D.s. The legislation would also ban misleading information in advertisements. MSSNY has launched the hashtag #MakeItClear to help spread awareness of the bills and gather support.
MD, O DDS, D, DO, FNP-B DPM or Au C, D? ? ? ?
Photos: Sunscreen, Photos courtesy Amazon.com; Rare Form, Emily Jahn; Checking up, Stígur Karlsson/GettyImages.
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COMPILED BY BRIANNA SNYDER Photos: Haunted Tour, Paul Buckowski / Times Union Archives; Fourth of July, Phillip Kamrass; Villago Pizzeria & Ristorante, Paul Buckowski /Times Union Archives; Hudson Project courtesy of Hudson Project.
WHERE & WHEN #518
Celebrate America here Saratoga’s got it all set for you this Fourth of July: Head to Congress Park for a huge barbecue, live music, a car show, a dessert festival and, of course, fireworks. Grab a blanket and a cooler and your Uncle Sam hat. SARATOGA’S ALL AMERICAN CELEBRATION, Congress Park, July 4, Saratoga, saratogajuly4th.com
Walk this If you’ve ever been looking for ghosts and thought, “This is kind of boring,” we’ve found the solution for you: Hops and Haunts is an Albany ghost tour that takes you on a tour of the eerie places in Albany, as well as a few bars along the way. Think of it as a scary bar crawl. HOPS AND HAUNTS, Albany Pump Station, July 9 (and other dates), Albany, dutchapplecruises.com
Bite this
What’s better than going to a restaurant? Going to 10 restaurants! OK, maybe not really, but we do like to get our samples on. For just $15, the Taste of Malta will feature food you can taste and snack on from Panza’s Restaurant, Lake Ridge Restaurant, Villago Pizzeria & Ristorante, Pellegrino Imports of Malta, Sunset Café, KonaIce, Lily and the Rose Catering and many more. TASTE OF MALTA, Hudson Valley Community College, July 15, saratoga. com/event/taste-of-malta-62576
20 518 LIFE
Hear this It’s music-festival season. We’re psyched. And we’ve got our eye on The Hudson Project in Saugerties because look at this lineup: Modest Mouse, Kendrick Lamar, the Flaming Lips, Twin Shadow and about 25 more. Book a spot on the campgrounds and start making your schedule. You’ve got a lot of fun work to do. THE HUDSON PROJECT, Saugerties, July 11-13, hudsonmusicproject.com
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WHERE & WHEN #518 Catskill Cr eek | Judy Alderfer-A
son Pink Hat | Gay le John
Ride this
Do you own a two-wheeled motorbike? You might already be signed up for the 5th annual A-Town Rumble rally. Mopeders, Scooterers and motorcyclists are all getting together this year on July 12 at the Troy Farmers Market to embark on a little motorized tour of the Capital Region. Afterward, return to the market for snacks and get to know your biker buddies. A-TOWN RUMBLE, Troy Farmers Market, July 12, facebook.com/ATownRumble
Garden In Lu cca | Pe ter Ta
Joyce Carol Oates is a living literary legend. Her work is dark, complex and beautiful. We’re still trying to get over her memoir about the death of her husband, A Widow’s Story. Her most recent novel, Carthage, came out this year. Many more writers are reading this year at the New York State Writers Institute, so do yourself a favor and check the schedule. Get literary. JOYCE CAROL OATES, Skidmore College, July 11, Saratoga Springs, skidmore.edu
ylor
Get your monocle for this
Look at this
Small and Seductive is an exhibit highlighting the contemporary work at the Albany Institute of History and Art. See more than 30 paintings and sculptures by Upper Hudson Valley artists. The exhibit plays with space by limiting the installations to a specific, small dimension. SMALL AND SEDUCTIVE, through Sept. 28, Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, albanyinstitute.org
22 518 LIFE
Watch this
Grab a blanket and a cooler and head over to Schenectady’s Perreca’s Bakery in Little Italy for an Italian-movie festival. The fest starts on July 25 and continues for five more consecutive Fridays. Perreca’s will be selling its yummy treats, plus all of the Schenectady Little Italy restaurants will have a special film-fest menu to complement the screenings. The first night is Moonstruck, and look for Big Night, 8 1/2 , Roman Holiday and My Cousin Vinny in the weeks following. ITALIAN-MOVIE FESTIVAL, Parking lot behind Perreca’s Bakery, Fridays, July 25Aug. 29, Schenectady, perrecasbakery.com
Photos: Small and Seductive, Courtesy Albany Institute of History and Art; A-Town Rumble, Cindy Schultz/Times Union Archives; My Cousin Vinny, Courtesy Wikipedia.
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In Other Words
BY AKUM NORDER
Banishing Apathy… Porch by Porch
T
AKUM NORDER Akum Norder is an Albany writer.
his is my favorite time of year in the Capital Region: free concerts and theater in the parks, ball games at the Joe, festivals and fireworks at the Plaza. But the best part of all: It’s porch season. Porches were the first local thing I fell in love with when I moved here in the 1990s. I was living in Albany’s Helderberg neighborhood, off New Scotland Avenue, a mix of single-family bungalows and two-family flats. It’s a neighborhood that’s tidy, comfortable, walkable, and family friendly. But the porch culture is what hooked me. Come early summer, residents set them up as second living rooms, with chairs, tables, sometimes a rug or a lantern. Maybe even a porch swing. And then there are the flowers: trailing from boxes and hanging baskets, marching down
the stoop in a row of terracotta pots. It was cheerful and I loved it. I imagined that neighbor had inspired neighbor, the way some homeowners nudge each other to ever-larger Christmas light displays. I’d walk the neighborhood at twilight, when the inside lights were on but the curtains not yet closed, the glow spilling out onto the porch like a welcome mat. A veteran of a half-dozen 1970s ranch houses, I’d never lived in a house with a porch before. During the mid-twentieth century, homes turned inward; back decks and television rooms replaced front porches as elements of house design. I loved how the porches on these older Albany homes made a bridge between public and private space. They suggested a feeling of trust, too, a declaration: “I refuse to wonder if someone’s plot-
ting to swipe my Adirondack chairs.” They sent a message that people cared about where they lived. And they were lovely — that was the best part of all, because it was a gift to the rest of us. It wasn’t activism, but nonetheless the residents had bettered their neighborhood, one flowerpot at a time. So it’s in the spirit of porch season that I’m listing 10 steps we can take to improve our communities for basically nothing. They’re not much. But then again it doesn’t have to take much to nudge our neighborhoods in a good direction. We get the community we work for. At least, we don’t get the community we don’t work for. That’s worth much more than a few hanging baskets to me.
1. Talk to your neighbors.
5. Visit the playground. Walk by the neighborhood elementary school at dismissal time. Grab a hot dog and warm a bleacher at a Little League game. Take note of the web of lives being lived around you.
about upcoming projects that affect your community.
2. Take a walk. Several. Maybe even make a habit out of it. 3. Read about your town. Learn something new about its history. Borrow William Kennedy’s O Albany! from the library — or maybe one of those collections of old community photographs. Heck, read the Wikipedia page if nothing else. Get a longer view: What was here before? Why are things the way they are? 4. Pick up litter along your street or in the local park. Yeah, it’s not your responsibility. Do it anyway. Invest in a few pairs of rubber gloves and recruit some kids. They’ll feel as if they’re accomplishing something important — because they are.
24 518 LIFE
6. Donate goods. If you thinned your closets in spring cleaning, pass on worthy items. Homeless shelters and domestic violence centers often welcome donations of bedsheets, towels, and other home goods. Or contact the RISSE Center of Albany, which assists refugee and immigrant families. 7. Refresh your memory on the names of your representatives on your local council, in state government, in Washington. Look for them in the newspaper and notice what they do. Reach out to them on an issue you care about. Ask questions
8. Push for better code enforcement. You know the trouble spots in your neighborhood better than anyone else. If there’s a chronic problem, one that talking neighbor-to-neighbor hasn’t been able to solve, seek action on it. 9. Free up an evening per week. Turn off the television, skip the gym or even, heaven forgive me, cut back on one of the kids’ extracurricular activities. Use the time to walk, work in your garden, or get a latte at the nearest coffee house. Slow down and enjoy the neighborhood around you. 10. And, yes, put a flowerpot on your porch or front steps. Maybe even sit out front to drink that latte.
Senior Services of Albany Presents
16th Annual Travers Wine Tasting Celebration Join us at Fasig Tipton
Friday, August 22 • 7:00 - 10:00 PM Held the night before the 144th Travers Stakes Race, the Oldest Stakes Race for Thoroughbreds Title Sponsor
Special VIP Guest Wine Celebrity – Joseph Carr Eclipse Award Winning Trainer – Dale L. Romans
Trainer Extraordinaire whose horse Medal Count came in third at this year’s Belmont Stakes
A Grand Food, Wine and Craft Beer Tasting Like No Other! Enjoy Fine Wines and Craft Beers From Around the Globe Complimented with International Cuisine by Mazzone Hospitality.
Live music throughout the evening performed by New York Players Jazz Ensemble Cigars, Live and Silent Auction and Much More. Make this an evening you won’t soon forget! — Our Sponsors for The Evening — Trifecta -
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Drink Up! The mineral baths and waters BY STACEY MORRIS
T
"The Governor" spring, named after Governor Charles Evans Hughes, was drilled in 1908. — Photo by Colleen Ingerto
26 518 LIFE
he Saratoga Spa State Park qualifies as one of the most elegant parks in the United States, and it’s easy to see why. Within the enchanting confines of the park are treasures that include the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Hall of Springs, the Victoria Swimming Pool, the Spa Little Theater, the Saratoga Automobile Museum, Gideon Putnam Hotel, and at the very edge of the 2,700-acre property, the Roosevelt Baths and Spa. Built in 1935, the sparkling, mineral-enriched waters of the baths have lured locals and tourists alike. Over the decades, they’ve come to “take the cure,” as it was known in the pre-war era. And what a cure it is: a placid, 40-minute immersion into deep, pre-World War II bathtubs filled with mineral-enriched water piped in from the park’s subterranean springs. Spa Director Kimberly Rossi says that once the restorative properties of the water were discovered by tourists in the early part of the 20th century, bathing in the mineral waters became as much a Saratoga pastime as horse racing. Prior to that, Native Americans had used the mineral-enriched waters for centuries, drinking it, bathing in the fizzy waters, and even treating wounds with it. The springs were later discovered by Europeans when Sir William Johnson made the trek from Johnstown to the waters at High Rock Spring after being injured
in the French and Indian War. With the advent of horse racing in Saratoga in 1863, “taking the cure” at the springs became all the rage for wealthy tourists. In the early 1900s, those seeking to soak in the famous mineral water had their choice of the Washington Baths (now the National Museum of Dance), the Lincoln Baths (now office space for the New York State Court System and Saratoga Park Police), and the Roosevelt Baths, which opened in 1935 as part of the Saratoga Spa Complex that included the Gideon Putnam Hotel, Hall of Springs, Recreation Center, and Little Theatre. “In those days, the Washington was the budget bath house, Lincoln was the middle and both Roosevelt bath houses were luxury,” says Rossi. “Even though each bath at The Roosevelt has its own suite, we don’t use the word ‘luxury’ in our marketing,” she explains. “Instead, we use nature-inspired therapies, authentic healing waters, and expert care. We’re on the national registry of historic places; there are things we can’t change and that guests don’t want us to change, and it keeps us very natural.” Until 10 years ago, the more austere Lincoln Baths operated year-round. But when the Roosevelt Baths reopened in 2004 after a nearly $4 million renovation project, the Lincoln Baths closed its doors. The state owns the Roosevelt Baths’ building, and Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts, which also
Jump In! at the Spa City are just fine
operates the Gideon Putnam Hotel, runs the business. The Roosevelt Baths contain 42 private bathing rooms, each with its own sunken tub, massage table, and bathroom. The mineral water comes out of the tap at 55 degrees and is mixed with hot tap water to approximate body temperature. “We do it for comfort, not to skimp,” explains Rossi. “If someone wants to take a bath in 100 percent mineral water, they’re certainly welcome to.” Rossi praises the mineral water’s properties as a health elixir, saying that it improves digestion and metabolism and boosts the
immune system. “Doctors like Dr. Simon Baruch studied the effects of the mineral waters back in the days when all three baths were open,” she says. “They found it had a number of benefits including increased blood circulation and cell oxygenation. They also found that regular bathing could balance the endocrine and nervous systems, relieve skin irritations, and help the body eliminate toxins more efficiently.” Aime “Trent” Millet, head of Water Information Services at the Roosevelt Baths and Spa, says doctors prescribed upward of 150,000 treatments in the waters of Saratoga Springs. “The
Historic Roosevelt Baths and Spa, circa late 1930s.
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The Old Red Spring was discovered in 1784. The spring was known as the "bathing" or "beauty" spring because of its reputation for curing skin ailments. It is low in minerals and relatively high in iron. — Photo by Colleen Ingerto.
Lincoln Baths could provide up to 4,500 baths a day,” he says. “The highest count I’ve found in a day was 3,760 in 1948. The world’s doctors declared Saratoga the ‘greatest health resort on earth,’ and it still is.” He conducts Saratoga Mineral Water Tours, which begin at the Roosevelt Baths, last about 90 minutes, and include the visitation of seven of the park’s most popular fountains. “Each fountain has waters with unique properties and benefits,” he says. Millet says he was healed from life-long eczema and digestive problems after drinking from the Saratoga State Park fountains. “Many countries, including Japan, France, Germany, Russia, Korea, and Romania, have state-run spas; doctors prescribe spa visits for a number of ailments ranging from back pain and colitis to high blood pressure,” he says. “Until the ’60s, nurses were on duty at the Lincoln Baths, and you could consult with a doctor as to what type of water you needed for treatments.” 28 518 LIFE
Millet says people flock to Saratoga Springs from around the country and world because it’s one of only two naturally carbonated springs in the nation (the other is in Vichy, California.) “Japanese scientists have come here three times in the past 20 years to study our waters. They’d love to be able to replicate it because they send 6 million people a year to their spas.” He maintains that the benefits of soaking in or drinking the mineral water extend beyond relaxation. “I’ve seen healing after healing here and it amazes me that more isn’t being done to make Saratoga a major wellness destination. There are records of doctors from the ’50s and ’60s citing significant improvements in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis,” he says. “I’ve had people stop me on Broadway telling me how their acne has cleared or their cousin now has range of motion in her neck after a serious car accident. I see more healing in a month than most doctors see in a year. And if you talk to bath attendants, you’ll hear story after story.” A second Roosevelt bath house sits vacant across the park from the Roosevelt Baths and Spa, and Millet would love to see it revived into a wellness center. “It’s completely renovated, but with no tubs,” he says. “A wellness clinic could make Saratoga so much more than a casino.” Rossi, who has been the spa’s director for three years, agrees. Since it reopened a decade ago, The Roosevelt has contained a fullservice hair salon, steam rooms and sauna, a relaxation room, and treatment rooms for services such as facials, waxing, and body wraps. Two years ago, she decided to put an even greater holistic spin on the menu and
began offering acupuncture, fertility and life coaches, private yoga and meditation classes, Ayurvedic consultations, Bach Flower Essence consultations, and even a shamanic practitioner who does energy work related to clearing past traumas and energy blockages. “The idea was that guests have a bit more time and money when they’re on vacation,” she says. “We want to offer them things they don’t have time for at home … things that benefit their health and well being,” says Rossi. Saratoga Springs resident Shari Parslow has been a shamanic practitioner for more than a decade. Using methods she learned from the Andean Shaman Alberto Villoldo, Parslow works with a client’s luminous body or aura, also called “the egg of light” in the Andean tradition. “I work with the body’s energy field to clear trauma that may have happened physically or through beliefs and thought forms,” she explains. “This allows them to deconstruct or reorganize energetically so they can move forward.” She says the mineral baths are the perfect complement to energy work. “A bath continues to cleanse the energy field. For years I told clients to follow a session with a baking soda and Epsom salt bath,” says Parslow. “The mineral waters are perfect for releasing emotions and tensions, which allows for a reconnection to the energy field.” Parslow says the history of the park’s land is the perfect setting for healing. “It’s always been sacred ground,” she says. “I grew up going to the ballet and to concerts at SPAC, but whenever I’m there, I can also feel the ancient spirit of that land. It has an energy that is very receptive to assist people in their healing.”
Roosevelt Baths and Spa. — Photo by Scott Bergmann Photography.
boston symphony orchestra summer 2014
shed highlights 888-266-1200 • tanglewood.org
between lenox and stockbridge
july 11 friday
july 20 sunday
august 2 saturday
august 16 saturday
8:30pm, Shed
The Linde Family Concert Boston Symphony Orchestra Andris Nelsons, conductor Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin ALL-DVOŘÁK PROGRAM The Noonday Witch Violin Concerto Symphony No. 8
2:30pm, Shed The Stephen and Dorothy Weber Concert Boston Symphony Orchestra Andris Nelsons, conductor Joshua Bell, violin ROUSE Rapture LALO Symphonie espagnole, for violin and orchestra BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5
8:30pm, Shed
8:30pm, Shed
july 25 friday
8:30pm, Shed Boston Symphony Orchestra Bramwell Tovey, conductor Nicholas Phan, tenor (Candide) Anna Christy, soprano (Cunegonde) Kathryn Leemhuis, mezzo-soprano (Paquette) Frederica von Stade, mezzo-soprano (Old Lady) Beau Gibson, tenor (Governor, Vanderdendur, Ragotski) Paul LaRosa, baritone (Maximilian, Captain) Richard Suart, baritone (Voltaire, Pangloss, Martin, Cacambo) TMC Vocal Soloists Tanglewood Festival Chorus, John Oliver, conductor BERNSTEIN Candide Concert performance sung in English.
july 12 saturday
Tanglewood Gala
The Caroline and James Taylor Concert Boston Symphony Orchestra Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra (Strauss) Andris Nelsons, conductor Sophie Bevan, soprano (Sophie) Angela Denoke, soprano (Marschallin) Isabel Leonard, mezzo-soprano (Octavian) STRAUSS Excerpts from Der Rosenkavalier RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances RAVEL Bolero
july 13 sunday
2:30pm, Shed
The Canyon Ranch Concert Boston Pops Orchestra Keith Lockhart, conductor Jason Alexander, vocalist Singer, dancer, and master of comedic timing, Jason Alexander is bestknown for his appearances on television (as George Costanza in Seinfeld) and in film. A Broadway veteran and Tony Award-winner, with the Boston Pops he will perform selections from The Music Man, Pippin, and Merrily We Roll Along, plus a few surprises.
july 18 friday
8:30pm, Shed UnderScore Friday* Boston Symphony Orchestra Christoph von Dohnányi, conductor Thomas Hampson, baritone STRAUSS Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks COPLAND Selection of Old American Songs BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7 Date Night package available, see tanglewood.org
july 19 saturday
8:30pm, Shed
Berkshire Night,
Introducing Andris Nelsons The Jenkins Family Concert Boston Symphony Orchestra Andris Nelsons, conductor Håkan Hardenberger, trumpet BRAHMS Symphony No. 3 MARTINSSON Bridge,Trumpet Concerto No. 1 TCHAIKOVSKY Capriccio italien
shed prices
Lawn: $10–$27.50
8:30pm, Shed
The Joseph C. McNay/New England Foundation Concert Boston Symphony Orchestra Christoph von Dohnányi, conductor Paul Lewis, piano BEETHOVEN Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus MOZART Piano Concerto No. 12 in A, K.414 MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 4, Italian
Date Night package available, see tanglewood.org
july 27 sunday 2:30pm, Shed The Boston Symphony Association of Volunteers Concert Boston Symphony Orchestra Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, conductor Gabriela Montero, piano Marjorie Owens, soprano (Aida); Elizabeth Bishop, mezzo-soprano (Amneris); Issachah Savage, tenor (Radames); Stephen Powell, baritone (Amonasro); Morris Robinson, bass (Ramfis); Julien Robbins, bass (The King) Tanglewood Festival Chorus, John Oliver, conductor RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2 VERDI Overture to Nabucco VERDI “Va, pensiero” (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from Nabucco VERDI Finale of Aida, Act II Family Day at Tanglewood, see tanglewood.org
august 1 friday 8:30pm, Shed UnderScore Friday* The Serge and Olga Koussevitzky Memorial Concert Boston Symphony Orchestra Marcelo Lehninger, conductor Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano Thomas Rolfs, trumpet (Shostakovich) TCHAIKOVSKY Serenade for Strings SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Concerto No. 1 SCHUMANN Symphony No. 4
John Williams’ Film Night
The George and Roberta Berry Supporting Organization Concert Boston Pops Orchestra John Williams, conductor BUTI Young Artists Chorus Boston Children’s Chorus John Williams’ Film Night has become one of the most eagerly anticipated evenings of the Tanglewood season. Join Mr. Williams, the Boston Pops, and special guests for a celebration of the music of the silver screen.
august 3 sunday
2:30pm, Shed Boston Symphony Orchestra Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, conductor Augustin Hadelich, violin HAYDN Symphony No. 6, Le Matin MOZART Violin Concerto No. 4 in D, K.218 BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 2
Sponsored by EMC Corporation Chocolate Dessert Brunch, see tanglewood.org
august 5 tuesday
8:30pm, Shed
Tanglewood on Parade
The Gregory E. Bulger Foundation Concert Boston Symphony Orchestra Boston Pops Orchestra Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra Stéphane Denève, Keith Lockhart, Andris Poga, Leonard Slatkin, and John Williams, conductors SHOSTAKOVICH Festive Overture GERSHWIN (arr. BENNETT) Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture GLINKA Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla BRUBECK Blue Rondo à la Turk Arr. SEBESKY The ’20s Roar WILLIAMS The Book Thief WILLIAMS “Swing, Swing, Swing!” from 1941 TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture Fireworks to follow the concert.
tanglewood wine & food classic august 7 – august 10
The Tanglewood Wine & Food Classic features wines from around the world, East Coast chefs, and locally sourced foods, enjoyed in an incomparable setting on the Tanglewood grounds.
grand tasting sat, august 9 12noon–3pm, Hawthorne Tent, $90
Sponsored by Cranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club
For full details visit tanglewoodwineandfoodclassic.com.
For special prices visit tanglewood.org/capitalregion
*UnderScore Friday Series At these performances, patrons will hear comments about the program directly from an onstage BSO musician.
Capital Region Night
tanglewood.org • 888-266-1200
Inside Shed: $15–$121
Visit tanglewood.org for full season schedule.
august 22 friday
8:30pm, Shed The Carol and Joe Reich Concert Boston Pops Orchestra Keith Lockhart, conductor “Oz with Orchestra” The Wizard of Oz was a technical marvel for the MGM studio in the late 1930s. MGM has stunningly re-mastered this timeless classic, and in this version, produced by John Goberman, the brilliantly restored images are accompanied by the Boston Pops playing entirely new transcriptions of Harold Arlen’s brilliant lost scores. Hearing Judy Garland’s original 1939 vocals backed by lush, live orchestration will transport children and adults alike. With this presentation of The Wizard of Oz on the big screen, moviegoers will be treated to the Oscar-winning film as it has never been experienced before.
august 29 friday
7pm, Shed Train Join this Grammy Awardwinning band as they play all of their hits in their return to Tanglewood. VIP Passes available for this concert. Priority parking passes also available for $25.
august 31 sunday 2:30pm, Shed Tony Bennett with very special guest Antonia Bennett Not to be missed, the incomparable Tony Bennett returns to Tanglewood for one concert only, bringing over five decades of entertainment to the Shed. VIP Passes available for this concert. Priority parking passes also available for $25. official chauffeured transportation of the boston symphony orchestra
Newcomb, New York has all of your vacation favorites! Paddling, camping,bike trails, fishing, hiking and more. It’s only missing one thing: the crowds. Plan a trip to the ‘heart of the park’ and see for yourself. Enjoy all that the great outdoors has to offer, without waiting in line. Visit newcombny.com and contact the Chamber of Commerce at discovernewcomb.com or email info@discovernewcomb.com
Gabe looks forward to going to the Double H Ranch every summer, Gabe says, “Buzz Light Year said to ‘infinity and beyond', I say Double H is better than infinity and beyond.”
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Photos: Betting slip, Skip Dickinson/times Union Archives; Betting winnder, Mike Dabell/GettyImages.
Up Your Odds
BY JENNIFER GISH
G
o to Saratoga Race Course for the history. Drag a packed cooler behind you and set up your picnic spread in the backyard. Take in all the sounds — the bugler’s call to the post, the cheers of the crowd along the rail, the percussion of hoofbeats as thoroughbreds clack across pavement on the way to the paddock. But don’t count on your visit to feed your retirement fund. Most of us are a 70:1 shot when it comes to being big winners at the track. Even the pros don’t get it right the majority of the time.
How to go to the track and win — maybe “Some people go up to the track thinking they’re going to walk out of there with fistfuls of money, and it doesn’t happen that way,” says Tim Wilkin, horseracing writer and handicapper for the Times Union. “You can go study a racing form for hours. ...You’re dealing with animals. You don’t know if they’re going to wake up that morning and not want to run.” And if they don’t run the way you expect, the track runs away with your fistfuls of cash. You could become a student of the racing program, but it can be a complicated maze
of numbers, and that’s an awful lot of trouble for a little summer recreation. Instead, the pros have some tips for being a betterinformed bettor, and maybe you’ll leave the gates of Saratoga Race Course with a little beer money for the next visit.
Back a winner (of a trainer) “I always like to look at the connection. I’m big on trainers who have high [winning] percentages,” says Maggie Wolfendale, New York Racing Association paddock analyst. “One of the things l like to do a lot of times is a high518LIFEMAGAZINE.COM 31
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Mistakes to Avoid You may be a horseracing novice, but you don’t need to act like one. Tim Wilkin, Times Union horse racing writer and handicapper and Maggie Wolfendale, New York Racing Association paddock analyst, explain the most common rookie mistakes. • If you think you’ve got a winner stick with that winner, Wilkin says. “Never bet on more than one horse in the same race to win,” he says, “because you’re betting against yourself.”
percentage trainer has maybe a long shot in a race — between 5:1 and 15:1 — those kinds of horses are worth $10 across the board.” Wilkin says big-name trainers such as Todd Pletcher are always a good bet, no matter what the odds are on their horse. Top trainers’ horses are often the favorites, which means they won’t pay big, so when a top trainer has a long-odds horse running, it’s a rare opportunity that could mean eye-popping dividends. Wilkin points to a Pletchertrained horse named Danza who won the Arkansas Derby this year at 40:1 odds, paying out $84.60 (to win), $28.40 (to place) and $11 (to show) on a $2 bet.
Photos in Times Union Archives. Placing bets, Skip Dickinson; Saratoga sign, John Carl D’Annibale.
Look for jockey changes The racing form will show who was on board the horse in its previous races. If a jockey whose name you don’t recognize is listed in the race history, but the jockey for the upcoming race is a jockey whose name is so famous it rings familiar with even a racing novice like yourself, it may be a smart bet, Wilkin says. A great jockey wouldn’t be wasting his time with bad mounts. “It’s a signal that the jockey thinks the horse can run,” Wilkin says.
Check the track conditions Each entry on the racing form will tell you what distances the horse raced at before, what the track conditions were (fast or sloppy) and what type of track it was (turf or dirt). If that day’s race matches up with the type of race the horse has won before, it may help you at the betting window. “Look at the conditions of the race — a mile and a sixteenth on turf or a sprint on the dirt,” Wolfendale says. “I think that’s a really easy thing for people who are novices to look
at: What is it doing today?” And some horses have a history of running well at certain race tracks, Wilkin says. If the horse has had strong past performances at Saratoga, it may be worth giving them a look.
Scope out the paddock Head over to where the horses are saddled before a race to get your own look at the competition. “For me, because my job is to look at horses physically in the paddock, I would suggest that people go to the paddock. And if there’s a horse that catches their eye, especially the women because women can look at a horse and get more of a feeling than men, if you like one of them, why not put a couple of dollars on them?” Wolfendale says. “I always like to say [look for] the quiet confidence in a horse, one that’s not too excited, one that’s not too washy or shaking ... they’re kind of tugging along at their groom, their head is down, they’re alert, ears up, and just a very healthy horse carrying good weight and muscle mass as well.”
• Know what you’re doing when you get to the window, Wilkin says. There’s an order to how you place your bet, and if you don’t say it correctly, you’ll either end up picking a horse you didn’t want or the people behind you in line will be huffing like an antsy thoroughbred. What’s the secret formula? Say the race number, track the race is being run at, amount you want to bet, type of wager and program number of the horse you’re betting on. So it should sound like this: “Fourth race, Saratoga, $2 to win on 5.” • Put some limits on your wallet. A rookie can often get carried away with the excitement of winning or the frustration of losing and want to gamble harder as the day goes on. “This goes for gambling in all respects: Just because you win doesn’t mean you have to play all that money back,” Wolfendale says. “I always say, ‘Go out a winner.’”
Bet smart Leave exotic bets that are complicated and mean picking multiple horses to the experienced handicappers. Those bets can get expensive if you don’t know what you’re doing, Wilkin says. Wolfendale suggests very simple bets, and in Saratoga, known as the “graveyard of favorites,” a horse with longer odds can pay even with a straightforward bet. “If there’s a horse sitting at 10:1 that somebody likes, I always say put $10, $20 across the board (meaning you’re making three bets at once — for the horse to win, to place and to show — or $10 to win or something like that,” she says. 518LIFEMAGAZINE.COM 33
Lighting trends, inside and out of your home BY LAURIE LYNN FISCHER
A
34 518 LIFE
INSTEON Hub is an app that controls your lighting from anywhere.
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lit bulb over a cartoon character’s head has long signified a brainstorm. These days, that bulb is apt to spiral like the top of a soft ice cream cone, thanks to compact fluorescent technology. Even newer are LEDs (light emitting diodes), which lend themselves to all manner of configurations. What are the newest developments in interior and exterior lighting? Here’s what Capital Region lighting professionals say. “LED is probably the biggest thing that’s happening right now,” says Gail Beatty, a salesperson with Wolberg Electric in Saratoga. “It’s a trend that will get more and more pronounced in coming years. As a result, light fixtures are going to become smaller. LEDs are so tiny — like a little dot on a piece of paper — you can make a fixture in almost every size or shape you can imagine, so it’s pretty cool.” Beatty describes one showroom piece that looks a little like a diamond encrusted wedding band. It hangs from the ceiling with three very thin wires. “Ten years down the road,” he says, “you may have little pendants the size of Easter eggs that give as much light as 60-watt bulbs.” Professor Patricia Rizzo has what she calls “lightmares” when she dreams about her LED design work at RPI’s Lighting Research Center. “Lighting has become much more interesting,” she says. “It’s not as simple as it was; 100-, 75- and 60-watt incandescents are being phased out.” LEDs have great potential “if they can be integrated into architecture and room surfaces so they’re seamless,” Rizzo says, envisioning “little luminous panels or larger surfaces like windows or tiles that move in and out” and even “light showers” coming from the ceiling that vary in color and intensity throughout the day. The future healthy home, she says, “will be responsive to your personal lighting needs. There will be devices that interact and tell the home, ‘I need this dose of light at this time of day and this color.’ It could be individualized according to the schedule of who lives there.” Susan Ungerman, owner of Ungerman Electric in Albany, also notes the trend in lighting versatility. “One trend is wall sconces under your kitchen cabinets with extension arms so they can be moved,” she says. “The lighting apparatus is at the end so you can direct them.”
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Outdoor path lighting has come a long way from the tiki torch or a floodlight in a tree.
come a long way from the tiki torch or a floodlight in a tree. “You can get path lighting with animals on it, such as squirrels or birds,” says Ken Welch, sales associate with SHE Lighting in Clifton Park. “Some is decorative with copper. They are doing some different landscape lighting in LED. They do use it for security purposes. You can get it with timers, so it comes on at a certain time. You can also get it with photo sensors, so it comes on when daylight fades.” Outdoor illumination also has become safer in the past few years, Welch says. “They used to do landscape lighting in regular 110 volt,” he says. “They’ve done away with a lot of it so
people wouldn’t get shocked if they hit it with a shovel or lawn mower. Pretty much, standard current outside lighting for path lighting is gone. A transformer steps it down to 12 volts.” Coach lights are the most common choice for illuminating the outside of houses, Soroko says. “Another option is to put recessed lights in your soffits,” he says. “It gives you some accent lighting on the side of the house and general lighting for the area. You really don’t see the light source; you just get the light from it.” Lamps on posts should be larger the farther from the house they are, he says. Otherwise, he warns, they’ll “look dwarfed compared to the length of the pole.” Continue on to read about the evolution of lighting
Photos: Coutesy Hinkley Lighting.
Other fixtures adjust vertically, using pulleys. “You can change the height,” Ungerman says. “I love that.” It’s also easy to fine tune the amount of light, she says. “I have everything on dimmers,” she says. “I love my dimmers. There’s bright light for when I’m working. If I want to sit and relax with a cup of tea, I can have gentle lighting.” During one song in The Book of Mormon, the stage goes completely dark whenever one of the characters claps. And who can forget the commercials for sound activated light switch known as The Clapper? Today more sophisticated remote control mechanisms are available. The upstairs of our circa-1830 house lacked overhead lights, so we turned to wireless switches as a quick fix. Plug your lamp into the device and then plug the device into the wall outlet. This communicates via radio frequency with the switch. You can holster the switch on the wall or carry it around. Whether you’re home or away, you can manage the lights inside and outside your residence using an automated application. All you need is a wireless computer system or data connection and an electronic device that acts as an interface between the WiFi signal and the light bulb. If you’re traveling, you can program lights to go on and off to dissuade would-be burglars and control the lights back home using mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. In the style arena, lighting offers a dizzying array of options, everything from a hypermodern Jetsons look to something that seems as if it would look more comfortable on the set of This Old House, says Woldberg Electric salesman Paul Soroko. “The Restoration Hardware look is the most popular right now, with plain, simple lines,” Soroko says. Homeowners typically select looks that are traditional or transitional — which is “contemporary with a traditional feel to it, so it kind of blends with everything,” he says. In terms of exterior finishes, Soroko says, “Bronze is definitely the most popular right now.” Lighting backyards and patios has
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Lighting: From Sun to CFL
Fire catches on
Oily birds and fish are threaded with a wick to make animal lamps. (Yuck.)
Natural oil lamps are created from small open bowls with a spout to hold the wick
Oil reservoir lamps feature covers to avoid earlier problems of spills and infestation by mice, rats or insects
Beeswax candles are used in church rituals
The “betty lamp” uses twisted cloth for a wick and burns fat trimmings
400,000 BCE
5,000 BCE
3,000 BCE
500 BCE
400 CE
1700s
The birth of the sun 4.5 billion BCE
5,000 BCE
600 BCE
100 CE
1792
Primitive lamps are filled with animal or vegetable fats and lit by a fiber wick
Edible oils used in lamps include olive oil, sesame oil, nut oil, fish oil, castor oil and other plant oils
Early Greek pottery oil lamps become a cheap and practical sources of light
Horn lanterns, made by working cattle horns become portable lamps
Gas lighting makes its entrance
Photos courtesy Wikipedia.
13,000 BCE
Sources: “A History of Light and Lighting” (http://www.mts.net/~william5/history/hol.htm) and Wikipedia
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The electric filament (incandescent) lamp is first patented
Neon is discovered!
Tungsten filament lamps take indandescent bulbs to the next level
1840s
1898
1900s
Gas-filled lamps allow for better light at higher efficiency and come in different wattages
The fluorescent lamp hits the market
1910s
1930s
The efficient light-emitting diode (LED) has a very long life and operates at a low-operating current 1960s
1840s
1900s
1932
1955
1980s
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The first High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamp is invented: the mercury lamp
Low-pressure sodium lamps are recognizable from their deep amber color
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The compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) uses one-fifth of the electricity used by incandescent bulbs
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eanne Goldberg always knew she was going to be a stay-at-home mom. Her two sons — Caleb, 9, and Shane, 7 — are now in school and out of the house during the day, so Goldberg started to explore ways to improve her home without spending a lot of money (She and her husband bought the house in 2005.) “Obviously, being a stay-at-home mom doesn’t provide you with a lot of resources, so you have to find ways to get what you want on a budget,” Goldberg says. She discovered the DIY site annawhite.com and
42 518 LIFE
Leanne Goldberg tranforms her home, one project at a time BY BRIANNA SNYDER PHOTOS BY VINCENT GIORDANO
fell in love immediately. “She basically tells women how to build things. She made it sound like there’s no reason you can’t do these things, and I tried and realized there is no reason I can’t do this, as long as you can make the effort.” Golberg has learned to lay flooring, build shelves, desks and beds, use any tool in the shed and do it all on her own — although her husband and kids do help, if they’re around. “I’ve always been a DIY type of girl,” Goldberg says, laughing. “I’m never without a project.”
BEFORE SHE BECAME A FULL-TIME MOM, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects. She built this treehouse for her sons almost totally by herself. “Most of it I made with salvaged material,” she says. “Again — staying in budget.”
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Goldberg saw an outside table at Restoration Hardware that she loved. But it cost $4,000, “which nobody can afford,” she says. “So I just made it.”
Goldberg build the bed and headboard in the master bedroom. The cabinets were store-bought, however, but they were unfinished — so Goldberg finished them.
That’s not wallpaper. That’s stenciling, which Goldberg painstakingly did a little bit every day. “That took me forever,” she says. “But when you’re a stay-athome mom, you have no money but you certainly have time.”
This shelf, in the home office, is one of the first things Goldberg built, which is impressive for a first-timer. The shelf is an interesting and complex arrangement of geometric shapes. When asked why she went so big for her first project, she says, “Why not, right?”
518LIFEMAGAZINE.COM 45
Bring on the
Parade BY BRIANNA SNYDER | PHOTOS BY COLLEEN INGERTO
46 518 LIFE
Barbara and Fred Nuffer’s love affair with color Story begins on page 49.
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At Right: This tubby little statue adds character and texture to an already vibrant garden.
F
or more than 30 years, Barbara Nuffer worked for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. She’s a biologist and a devoted gardener. Nuffer and her husband Fred have built their Averill Park garden to work as a kind of color wave. That means that as one section blooms and wilts, the next section is just starting its time to bloom. “It’s parade-ready,” Nuffer says. “As they go out, these come in.” “I’m very interested in color,” Nuffer continues. “I’m also a little bit of a collector. … I tend to have a lot of Japanese plants.” The Nuffers also have water features and a greenhouse. She loves when the petals begin to fall from the flowers and trees. The Japanese celebrate this time. “Americans are like, ‘Oh, no, it’s falling!’ and Japanese are like, ‘That’s the most wonderful time because you’re covered in petals.’”
At left: The Nuffers have a greenhouse and a couple of sheds, which Fred built himself. “I grow my tomatoes, peppers, basil and eggplant in the ungrateful greenhouse,” Nuffer says.
518LIFEMAGAZINE.COM 49
The garden is “parade-ready,” Nuffer says. Above: “The fountain drips water off the moss and lots of frogs hang out there,” Nuffer says. Her husband built this water feature based on her design for a circular garden.
50 518 LIFE
Gardening Simplified
BY KERRY ANN MENDEZ
The Secret Garden
Plants to capture your child’s interest in gardening
52 518 LIFE
dren to grow are bush sugar snap peas such as Cascadia; cherry tomatoes; pumpkins; cucumbers; and carrots. Especially festive are Rainbow Blend carrots that offer a dazzling mix of purple, red, yellow and white taproots. Moonflowers are magical, both in their appearance and for setting the garden hook. Simply put these large, fun-looking seeds in your little one’s palm and let the games begin. The seed coats are especially hard — a nifty adaption to the fact that Moonflower seeds are dispersed by drifting in water (including oceans) in their native environment. Have your budding gardener first nick the shells with a file, nail clipper or sandpaper before putting seeds in warm water to soak for 24 to 48 hours. By creating an opening in the shell, seeds germinate a week earlier than if only placed in water. After a warm soak, plant the seeds in 3-inch peat pots filled with a soilless potting mix, water, set the pots in a sunny
window, and get ready to celebrate little green shoots that should appear in 4 to 14 days. Once the seedlings have started to outgrow their pots, plant them outside in a sunny location. Make sure to give these annual vining beauties something to climb on (trellis, wire, twine) and they will quickly reach for the sky. The large, creamy white buds are an exciting tease before 4-6 inches wide, highly fragrant white flowers unfold. Moonflower’s name should be a tipoff that these are evening blooming plants. Lovely night moths, Moonflower’s primary pollinator, find the fragrance irresistible, thereby insuring more delightful seeds for the following year’s enjoyment. Funky plants with strange looks or habits also intrigue kids. Bee Balm (Monarda) has a spiky “hair-do”; balloon flower (Platycodon) looks like a balloon until it pops open into a disc-shaped flower; bleeding heart (Dicentra) resembles a lady taking a bath if you gently
Photos by Perennialresource.com
I
t takes a lot to grab the interest of kids today, given the competition from electronic gizmos and television. Successful “bait” to lure a child into the garden varies. Sometimes it’s a breathtaking moment such as watching a butterfly sipping nectar from a bright orange butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), or enjoying handfuls of freshly picked blueberries, or, in the case of my son, bribery to earn money for a brand new pair of shoes he didn’t need. A child’s introduction to gardening should be sensory-loaded and exciting, laying the foundation for a lifelong hobby. In many cases, the way to a child’s heart is through his mouth. Edible gardening is the rage. Backyard vegetable gardens are becoming the norm; community gardens are flourishing in urban and suburban settings, and schools are sprouting teaching gardens that also provide produce for the school’s cafeteria. Some of the easiest vegetables for chil-
FUN FOR KIDS: This Bergeni plant sounds like a pig squealing when you rub the wet leaves.
pull back the pink petals on each side of the white center; and globe thistle (Echinops) has spiky blue balls that offer a feast for wild birds in the winter. The leaves of Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) emit a disgusting odor that smells like rotten meat, a dinner bell for insects drawn to carrion. The insects enjoy a nice snack while the flowers are happily pollinated. All of the above plants are perennials for our region. Most kids love touching things and most moms like saying “Don’t touch that.” But some plants simply beg to be touched and admired! Lamb’s ears (Stachys) and Salvia argentea have leaves that feel like soft, velvety lambs’ ears. Years ago these leaves were used for bandaging wounds. Lamb’s ear is also said to reduce the pain of bee stings. Blue-leaved hosta play the game “now you see it, now you don’t.” You can rub the frosty blue foliage and the leaves turn shiny green. The blue is actually caused by a waxy coating. Hens and Chicks resemble miniature cactus but are soft to the touch. Rub the wet leaves of Pig Squeak (Bergenia) and chuckle at the sound of a squealing pig (some imagination required). The houseplant, sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica), has delicate looking leaves that close up and droop when touched. In addition to the above tickle-your-senses plants, introduce
children to flowers that attract wildlife, especially hummingbirds and butterflies. Hummingbirds are glorious creatures that are art in motion. Some hummingbird magnets are bee balm, rose mallow (Hibiscus), bellflowers (Campanula), coral bells, and trumpet vine. Bring on butterflies with asters, yarrow, butterfly weed, butterfly bush, coneflowers, phlox, and sedums. Flower color also plays a role in attracting pollinators. Hummingbirds are attracted to reds and bright pinks while many butterflies swarm to purples and yellows. By nurturing a love of flower or vegetable gardening early in your child’s life, everyone wins. You’ll enjoy seeing your child learn a new skill, work with her hands, and spend more time outdoors (away from the television, computer and electronic games). Your child will benefit from the sense of personal accomplishment and pride as he watches his garden evolve. She will also experience the rewards of physical work and hone a sense of responsibility, diminishing character traits in today’s culture. Not only will their gardens be beautiful, but so will their bodies and souls. Kerry Ann Mendez is a passionate gardener, designer and author of three gardening books. For more info visit pyours.com.
Butterflies tend to sip sweet nectar from the Ascllepias flower.
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F
a l T à r d u o ck o The Capital Region joins the gourmet food truck craze
BY STEVE BARNES | ILLUSTRATIONS BY EMILY JAHN | PHOTOS BY PAUL BARRETT
BATTERIE DE CUISINE
COLD STORAGE
BACK OF THE HOUSE
HEATING ELEMENT MIREPOIX
CRUDITÉS
THE LINE
MISE EN PLACE
CULINARY DELIVERY SYSTEM
FRONT OF THE HOUSE
Story begins on page 56.
Lenox, MA
Packer Playhouse June 21 – August 30
Bernstein Theatre May 24 – August 24
directed by Tony Simotes
directed by Daniela Varon
Aby William MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Shakespeare
SHAKESPEARE’S WILL by Vern Thiessen
Kristin Wold. Photo by Kevin Sprague.
Annie Considine, Johnny Lee Davenport, Kelly Galvin. Photo by Kevin Sprague.
Packer Playhouse July 4 – August 24
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, Jess Winfield directed by Jonathan Croy
Bernstein Theatre June 27 – August 30
JULIUS CAESAR by William Shakespeare directed by Tina Packer
Nigel Gore. Photo by Kevin Sprague.
David Joseph, Ryan Winkles, Josh Aaron McCabe. Photo by Kevin Sprague.
Bernstein Theatre August 6 – September 14 Packer Playhouse August 2 – August 31
HENRY IV, PARTS I & II by William Shakespeare
adapted and directed by Jonathan EpsteinReid White, Henry Clarke, Malcolm Ingram.
VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE by Christopher Durang directed by Matthew Penn
Photo by Kevin Sprague.
Rose Footprint June 25 – August 23
THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS by Carlo Goldoni directed by Jenna Ware songs by Luke Reed
Tod Randolph, Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Edmund Donovan, Jim Frangione. Photo by Kevin Sprague.
The Dell at The Mount July 17 – August 23
ROMEO AND JULIET by William Shakespeare directed by Jonathan Croy
Sean Kazarian, Max Dakin, Marcus Kearns, Joseph Ahmed, Justin Weaks. Photo by Enrico Spada.
70 Kemble Street, Lenox, MA · 413-637-3353
SHAKESPEARE.ORG Tony Simotes, Artistic Director
Caroline Calkins, Marcus Kearns. Photo by Kevin Sprague.
T
he Capital Region is finally catching up on the trend of gourmet food trucks, which first exploded in West Coast cities in the early 2000s. Stories out of Los Angeles and Seattle described cult followings for trucks broadcasting locations on websites and, later, Facebook and Twitter, that changed daily or even hourly. Long lines of hipsters, foodies and bar-hoppers sought Korean barbecue, strange culinary fusions sandwiched between buns and melty, gooey fare that soaked up alcohol and tasted revelatory at 2 a.m. Meanwhile, in the Capital Region, sturdy old trucks parked near the state Capitol in Albany were serving the same carnival-midway fare they had been for decades, including sausage and peppers and fried dough. A few local forerunners saw the demand for something more. Five years ago, the veteran Saratoga chef David Britton, who ran the fine-dining Springwater Bistro from 2001 to 2009, launched Pies on Wheels, which makes gourmet pizzas and more from a wood-fired oven on the back of a truck. A year later, Sean Custer, owner of Capital Q Smokehouse in Albany, began serving his award-winning barbecue fare from a food truck, which soon enough also won an award for its splashy graphics. They were joined over the past two years by at least 10 more food trucks vending gourmet fare locally. One of the most successful, Slidin’ Dirty, serves slider burgers embellished with toppings like prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula and fried green tomato (The Dirty Soprano) and bok choy, shiitake mushroom and Asian mustard (The Dirty Ninja). They cooked the latter when they were chosen among the top-10 finalists in the Truckin’ Amazing Cook-Off, sponsored by the daytime talk show Live with Kelly & Michael, in summer 2013. “We’ve certainly far exceeded our expectations,” says Tim Taney, who quit a job in corporate food service to launch the Slidin’ Dirty truck with his wife, Brooke, two years ago. Besides the festivals and curbside lunch service they expected would be their core business, Slidin’ Dirty and other local gourmet food trucks have benefitted from a national trend toward wedding receptions being more casual. Slidin’ Dirty did 20 weddings in its first full season, in 2013, and already has half a dozen booked for 2015; Pies on Wheels appears at wedding events several times a month from spring through fall, sometimes as the main part of the meal and others as latenight food for party-weary attendees at the very end of the reception.
56 518 LIFE
Slidin’ Dirty
BY THE NUMBERS 1: Approximate price,
in dollars, of each avocado used to make Slidin’ Dirty’s signature avocado fries — about five times more expensive to make than french fries.
8:
Miles per gallon averaged by the truck.
800: Most sliders sold in one day, during a 2013 food festival.
5:
Average number of days per week serving during the outdoor season.
4:
Number of hotwater heaters replaced in first two years on truck.
3: Number of kitchenpowering generators replaced in first two years on truck.
6:
Number of 2015 weddings already booked.
8:
Number of city vending permit and county health permits required to operate in the Capital Region’s four core counties.
200: Price, in dollars,
per month to keep the truck’s propane tanks filled.
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“We’ve got 13 weddings booked so far this year, and more come in every week,” says Brandon Snooks, who with his partner, Andrea Loguidice, founded the barbecuefocused Wandering Dago truck in fall 2012. He says, “The business model is turning out to be a little different for us than we thought it would be, but it’s really working for us. We never thought the wedding part would get such traction.” Pies on Wheels, Capital Q and Slidin’ Dirty were three of nine food trucks that in May collaborated to establish the Food Truck Showcase, which they hope will become a recurring event. Held on private property, at the Saratoga Eagles club, the showcase was a response to exasperating regulations, permits and fees that are the bane of food-truck owners’ existence. “Local residents have certainly gotten onboard with the food-truck trend,” says Taney. “The same cannot be said for city council and administrators. A lot of them continue to make it hard to do business.” He adds, “It’s sad but true: I’ve read a lot more city codes than I ever thought I would. We didn’t know trying to [vend in cities] would be twice as difficult as catering events.”
A fresh-made sandwich from the Sliding Dirty truck at the Food Truck Showcase in Saratoga.
“
Local residents have certainly gotten onboard with the food-truck trend ... The same cannot be said for city council and administrators.
”
— Tim Taney, Sliding Dirty Owner
It costs $125 annually for a food-truck permit in the city of Schenectady, twice that in Saratoga, $500 in Troy and more than $2,000 in Albany. Each county requires a different health inspection, and most municipalities have strict rules about where trucks may park to vend. And when a commercial organizer or city throws a festival, the registration cost can be steep enough to disincline trucks from showing up. “We wanted to start [the showcase] among ourselves so we wouldn’t be exploited and at the mercy of such high fees,” says Britton. While most in the restaurant field describe their relationship with fellow operators as no more oppositional than friendly rivalries, food-truck owners say they have a collegiality
The Capital Q Smokehouse truck is on hand for the weekly Empire State Plaza Farmers Market.
that is unusual in business. “We know when we all get together in one place, it’s good for all of us,” says Britton. Since founding Pies on Wheels, he has partnered in a bricks-and-mortar restaurant featuring his acclaimed pizza, the DownTown City Tavern in Glens Falls, as well as added a second food truck and a trailer equipped with a Brazilian-style churrasco grill for serving flame-seared meats.
“We’re not inviting one another to dinner all the time,” says Snooks, of Wandering Dago, “but everybody helps everybody.” For instance, owners frequently refer potential clients to another local truck if they’re already booked for a certain date. Like many an underdog, “We band together,” says Taney. “The way we help each other out is one of the reasons the industry is growing in the area.”
518LIFEMAGAZINE.COM 59
Sporting Wines
STORY AND PHOTO BY ALISTAIR HIGHET
Drink Pink
N
And a new grape from Greece — Agiorgitiko
othing is as exciting as finding a new grape, particularly when it produces a wine that is also a discovery, and so I give you the Skouras “Zoe” Rosé, ($10) a really unusual, bracing rosé from the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. The Peloponnese is basically the cradle of civilization as we know it. The Mycenaean civilization formed here in the Bronze Age, and thrived until the second millennium, BC — a very long time ago — and then things went quiet in this mountainous area until around 776 BC when the first Olympic Games were held at Olympia. It really thrived when the cities of Sparta, Corinth and Argo were at their height, and the area became the battleground of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) between Athens and the cities of the peninsula, led by Sparta. The resulting destruction to the fabric of society marks the end of the Golden Age of Greek civilization. Oh, well. Wine got made anyway, and the varietals that were native to this region either became obscure and local, or were spread and cultivated by the Romans to become the backbone of the wine catalog that we enjoy today. Homer referred to this part of Greece as Ampeloessa, meaning “full of vines,” and so if they don’t know what they are doing when they make wine here, nobody does. This Zoe rosé is made with two grapes that I had never heard of — Aghiorghitiko, literally meaning St. George’s grape, a red grape that grows in tight clusters, and is the most widely cultivated grape in the region — and Moschofilero — an almost gray-colored white grape, aromatic, crisp and herbal. One theory suggests the first is called St. George’s grape because it is harvested near the feast of St. George, which is
in the late fall in the Orthodox Church. The wine itself is a stunning cranberry color, but the taste is deeply unusual at first. There is slight effervescence, then austerity — arugula, unsweetened lemon — but also then a delightful nose of roses, wild flowers, and pleasing tart berry fruit. It is as restrained and herbal as any rosé I have tasted. The world’s most influential wine critic Robert Parker reviewed the 2011 vintage and said: “It should make a crowd pleasing picnic wine … it will not make much of an impression beyond that.” I don’t know. I served it at a dinner party recently with cilantro barbecued chicken and an arugula salad with goat cheese and it was perfect — the wine’s own reserved, astringent character complementing the goat cheese and seeming to make the cilantro sing. The acidity of the grapes and the corresponding snap of the wine seem unique to the growing territory. The days are very hot, but the vines are grown high in the mountains and moderated by breezes from the Aegean Sea. This results in a balance of acidity and fruitfulness that is distinct. I know people still don’t drink rosé, but let me again — as I do every year — make an argument for them. They are excellent wines to serve with light dinner and summer lunches. The best of them are refreshing, but also minerally enough to complement food. They also are beautiful to look at in a wine glass on a summer afternoon, and that is no small thing. The wine experience is in the mind and the eye, as well as in the mouth. Below are a few others to try.
Cantina Zaccagnini, Tralcetto Cerasuolo, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, 2013 ($15)
Caves D’esclans, Whispering Angel, Provence, 2013, $22
I loved this, from a very classy Italian producer using Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grapes, the must in short contact with the skins producing the strawberry color. Really quaffable, with lemon rind, honey, cranberry flavors, and an elegant, balanced finish.
A blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah, this is a Provençal rosé with pale, salmon color, with the taste of white peach, a bouquet of a cultivated garden, and a dry, lemon finish. The name, incidentally, is inspired by a local chapel — I don’t like the name but the wine is good.
60 518 LIFE
Alistair Highet is a former editor, restaurant manager, and vine dresser, and has written about wine for over 20 years.
Domaine de Gournier, Rhone, 2013, $11 Another wonderful bargain. A blend that contains Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot as well as Syrah and other grapes. Lively, fresh and bright, with melon, lime, tart cherry and honey notes, with a refreshing finish.
My Crowdsourced Life ?
We asked Kristi Barlette to turn to her social media followers for advice for a week. Here’s how it went. BY KRISTI BARLETTE
I
as “what to have t’s how Janet Jackson decided which for dinner tonight cities she’d hit on her tour. Kesha opted for it when she got a puppy and …” Within seconds, you’ll Mark Zuckerberg got in on it, too, literally, have so many when he needed help identifying the spider fantastic suggestions you’ll have to be in his house. careful not to short out your laptop or We’re talking crowdsourcing — asking smartphone from the drool. You may friends and followers on social media for even get a dinner invitation (yes, I’ve advice on everything from what to wear to seen this happen). a dinner party to which movie to see to the I’ve been using social media since my best television to buy or which gym to join. 20s, starting with MySpace, then foraying Since 73 percent of adults now use into Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ social media, according to a recent Pew study, turning to those on your Twitter, and Instagram. Over the years, I’ve dabFacebook or Instagram feed makes sense, bled in some, and hit a few hard, learning really. It’s like getting advice from a trust- various platforms are better suited for one thing over the other. ed friend — or tens of thousands of friends When it comes to asking for advice, you kind of trust. Plus, just about everyone is an expert Twitter and Facebook dominate. (I have on something, and few people aren’t ea- about 5,000 followers in each.) I’ve often asked for feedback casually — for things ger to offer their thoughts. Mixed in amid like band versus DJ when planning our the ridiculous is usually some very useful wedding, or a recommendation for a killer information. brunch when a college friend was coming Need proof? Post something as simple
? ?
?
into town. While sarcasm and off-topic responses seep in (Ex: whatever you do don’t use/go to/think about so-and-so), there’s always been value. As social media becomes more and more pervasive, allowing us to basically let others think for us, or do our “research,” I decided to turn to social media to see how I’d do letting others make my choices — or, at least, help me make choices — and used the hashtag #crowdsourcedlife. Nearly every update got at least a half-dozen responses. A couple approached nearly 100 comments.
?
Here are some of the questions I asked and the advice I got. QUESTION: I’m a new (first-time) mom of a soonto-be crawler, so I started with:
“Parents, thoughts on play yards? Necessary? Nice to have? Waste of money?” Since few things bring out the Judgy McJudgersons quite like parenting, this one exploded.
one from time-totime (my bladder can only last so long) — and then digested some of the other responses. The parents who loved them really loved them, saying they used the play yards to corral the kids inside and out. They were also great as Christmas tree/fireplace/dining room/end-of-the-
Parents, thoughts on play yards? Necessary? Nice to have? Waste of money?
Waste. Are you seriously going to drop her at this age to play and walk away? One of the first comments? “Waste. Are you seriously going to drop her at this age to play and walk away? And next year she’ll be old enough to listen. But if using it to block off rooms, that’s a good reason to get it... Or if you’re getting a puppy.” I told her, yes, I was going to leave the little
driveway-blockers. Those who didn’t think they were a total and unnecessary waste advised I look on Craigslist, or at yard sales, since these bad boys don’t come cheap. A few shared a photo swimming around the ’Net of a parent who used a giant, blow-up pool in his or her living room. One even sent me a heads up when she saw a play yard for half-off online. CONSENSUS: I’ll be getting a yard (and skipping the pool), but will go with one of the cheaper routes recommended.
QUESTION:
“Debating how many days one can go without a shampoo. #threedaysisprobablythemax” People agreed that, yes, three days was the maximum, although two was preferable. If I’d been blessed with curls, rather than waves, I could go longer. A few suggested dry shampoo; one told me it was plain gross to go more than a day. I told her if I had a play yard, I’d have time to shampoo every day. CONSENSUS: I’m sticking with every other day. If three days is necessary, I’ll wear a hat, and not get too close to anyone. QUESTION: All that party planning made me hungry, so:
“Is lemongrass a fairly standard item in grocery stores? Re: likely to be found in @Hannaford?” Turns out, some of my friends and followers are grocery employees, which made this one easy. Not only did several respond they had lemongrass at their store,
Desperate for good (great) sheets that can accommodate an extra-deep king mattress. Custom may be necessary. but one comment happened to come from a staffer at the location I frequent. CONSENSUS: My lemongrass pork with vermicelli was what my husband refers to as a “make again” — and now I can do just that since I know where to get the herb. QUESTION:
“If you were renting an outdoor/party tent in the Capital Region, where would you go?” The good thing: the same five places kept appearing in the responses. The bad part: I need the tent in June and several companies are booked due to graduation parties, etc.
CONSENSUS: Numerous people responded they were also looking for a tent and were using this status for advice. That could have contributed to my “no availability” problem. One of the businesses mentioned did have availability, and the price was acceptable.
sheets (available at Kohls) were mentioned repeatedly, as were the Hotel Collection from Macy’s and Wamsutta (available at Bed Bath and Beyond).
QUESTION: The calls and cooking had me ready for bed, so I ended with:
“Desperate for good (great) sheets that can accommodate an extra-deep king mattress. Custom may be necessary.” This one was as popular as the play yard post, but was free of contention. Vera Wang
Debating how many days one can go without a shampoo. #threedaysisprobablythemax
It’s plain gross to go more than a day.
CONSENSUS: I went with the Wamsutta, thanks to a commenter who said “The only ones I’ve purchased that don’t slip, slide; on our bed (we have a double sided mattress plus a 3-inch foam topper, etc. Our Wamsutta sheets from BB&B. I can tuck them in with significant overhang on each side. I ADORE them... Best purchase ever. And ours is 15in + 3in foam, plus an additional thinner waterproof topper on that.” I felt like she was here, watching me tug on the sheets in exasperation as I made the bed each morning. She was speaking to me and my needs in a way you can get when you crowdsource your life.
518LIFEMAGAZINE.COM 63
WHAT CROWDSOURCING SAYS ABOUT US We’re obsessed with instant gratification. We want answers and we want them now (or, ideally, five minutes ago). So we turn to crowdsourcing because it’s a quick, easy way to get results. But reaching out to your social media network via a status update or Tweet may not be the smartest or healthiest approach, according to Frank Doberman, a psychologist and owner of Karner Psychological Associates in Guilderland. Doberman equates asking “friends” and commenters for advice on everything from whether to call the doctor about your child’s high fever or if you should complain to the drycleaner about your lost or damaged pants to using Wikipedia as a guaranteed, trusted source when working on a project. “If we begin to use social media as an alternative for thinking, it leads us down a very scary path for those decisions that require thought,” says Doberman. “If I’m lazy doing
research, I go to Wikipedia rather than going to the right source.” Laziness isn’t the only problem. Crowdsourcing via social media absolves people of personal responsibility, says Doberman — or so they think. We’re taught as children that decisions have consequences and we must accept those consequences when we make a choice. But, by expressing our indecisiveness and asking others to, essentially, choose our adventure we are separating ourselves from the outcome. Say, for example, you “crowdsource” your friends online to determine if you should ask your funny, attractive coworker on a date. They say “go for it,” so you do. She not only says no, but shares the text you sent asking her with everyone in the office.
But you shouldn’t. “The taking of responsibility for the choices and outcomes of those choices is a huge obligation if we’re going to generate an effective society,” says Doberman. By turning to others — especially a group as large as many have access to online — to help with your choices you’re avoiding judgment calls and delaying the foray into adulthood. “This is a way of remaining tentative beyond useful time.” A better approach to crowdsourcing? You can say “I’m up for Zuppa Di Pesce tonight somewhere in Albany. Where do you recommend?” This is better than “What should I do for dinner” because you, not your network, chose the cuisine and general areas.
You’ve now become office gossip.
Another method? “I saw my son had a 104 fever so we went to the doctor. Turns out he was bitten by a tick.”
and are holding your actions up to public scrutiny. This shows you’re confident, comfortable with asserting yourself and unafraid of potential criticism.
Rather than saying “oh, crap, I messed up,” you blame your friends.
In these two cases, you’ve made a decision — or a partial decision —
And that, says Doberman, is the way you crowdsource.
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Trainer Tips
BY BRIANNA SNYDER | PHOTOS BY PAUL BARRETT
Avoid the
Slice with
Jeff Grayson Miller
1
KEEP YOUR SHOULDER STILL. “A good golfer initiates the golf swing with the lower half of the body first while the upper body stands still,” Miller says. From the waist up, your arms, shoulders and club are still “while the lower half of your body moves first.” The swing starts in the hips and legs and ends with the arms and shoulders.
2
FOCUS ON THE CORE. “You need mobility and stability of the hip, which is your core,” he says. “If you have no mobility and stability of the hips, you’re just going to swing with your arms and come over the top, which will lead to a slice.” Make sure your stance is sturdy and steady. Miller says using your arms and not your hips will “re-route the path of the swing,” making you slice.
WANT TO LEARN MORE? See our instructional video online at YouTube.com/ TimesUnion Magazines.
3
FOLLOW THROUGH. Shift your weight properly. “When you’re in back swing, most of your weight is on your right side,” Miller says (assuming you’re a right-handed golfer; if you’re a lefty, reverse this and keep your weight on your left side in the back swing). As you start to follow through on the swing, push your weight into your left leg. “Some people keep their weight on the righthand side [and don’t shift],” he says. “That’s called ‘hanging back,’ which will lead to a slice. … Visualize this: When you’re in your back swing and you’re going into your down swing your weight from your right leg transfers to your left leg.”
Jeff Grayson Miller is the owner and founder of Function Fitness, a training program that helps people overcome functional limitations. Miller is also a certified Titleist Performance Institute Golf Fitness Instructor, so he knows golf inside and out. (Find more about Miller at functionfitness.com or call him at 518-281-3772.)
TOP TIPS DO use your hips to start your backswing and shoulders for the downswing. DON’T come into the downswing without the lower body. If you use just the upper half of your body, you’ll re-route the club and slice the ball.
518LIFEMAGAZINE.COM 67
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Giving Props Their Props With yoga, it pays to accessorize
BY LAURIE LYNN FISCHER | PHOTOS BY COLLEEN INGERTO
Using yoga straps: The Supta Utthita Hasta Padangustasana, or extended hand to big toe pose, is shown here.
A
nything from a chair to a bookshelf was fair game for yoga pioneer B.K.S. Iyengar in the 1940s. “He was the great innovator with the use of props,” says Gerry McDonald, cofounder of The Yoga Loft in Albany. “He would use bricks, planters — anything that was at hand — to achieve what he was striving for.” Today, all sorts of specialized props are available, making it easier for people with physical limitations to benefit from yoga, McDonald says. Without props, most Americans would have trouble safely accomplishing many postures, she says. Some positions, especially restorative ones, use several props simultaneously, she says. Here are some favorites among Capital Region yogis.
poles for postures such as the tree (Vriksasana) and half-moon pose (Arda Chandrasana). “They allow us to do stretches in ways that we would not be able to do otherwise,” he says. “They help people balance, instead of using walls or posts or even other people.”
POLE STAR Bruce Hilliger, who teaches yoga at the SRV retreat center in South Westerlo, values adjustable hiking
Just a few of the specialized props, including bolsters, blocks and straps.
BLANKET STATEMENT Folded Mexican blankets are “versatile,” says Sarah Nelson Weiss, founder of Sanna Yoga in Rensselaerville. She uses them mostly as an aid to seated postures. “Unless someone has open hips, and a strong, supple back, when sitting, she or he will tend to tuck the tailbone and slump forward, mimicking the kyphosis that daily life encourages, which constricts the chest and restricts breathing,” she explains. “Sitting on a firm, folded blanket allows the spine to lift and acquire its natural curves, good posture, and the ability to breathe. “It also can be used to lift the heels so that squatting or halfsquatting can be done in the proper alignment, with less stress on the knees and more benefit for the hips and spine; also if someone’s back is uncomfortable when lying supine, as in final relaxation (Savasana or Yoga Nidra), a rolled blanket under 518LIFEMAGAZINE.COM 69
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The Supta Baddha Konasana, or lying cobbler’s pose, can be done using a bolster, blocks and strap.
the knees can relieve lower back strain. And of course, the body cools quickly during relaxation, so having a blanket to rest under is great.”
BOLSTER UP Bolsters are firm rectangular or cylindrical pillows, explains Pam Lunz Medina, owner of The Yoga Lily in Clifton Park. “Bolsters are extremely versatile and very useful especially when trying to teach a more advanced posture to a student who is learning it for the first time,” she says. “When I’m teaching pigeon pose [Eka Pada Rajakapotasana], for instance, we’ll set the bolster lengthwise in front of us. They lie down with their torso on it and turn their cheek to one side.” Placed lengthwise, about a foot from your body, a bolster can help you relax into a wide leg forward fold (Upavistha Konasana), she adds. “You’d spread your legs nice and wide, getting high in your sit bones,” she says. “Take a deep breath and fold from your hips, resting your torso or forearms — whatever you can reach — on that bolster.” Bolsters also can support the lower back during deep relaxation (Savasana or Yoga Nidra), she says. “I almost always recommend to my students to try at least one a bolster under their knees, especially if they have lower back problems,” she says.
STRAP IN Made of strong mesh, straps come in different lengths and typically have adjustable closing mechanisms, says Krista Spohr, proprietor of the Breathing Room in Delmar. “Straps are my favorite props for opening up the shoulders and legs,” she says, listing some contexts where they’re useful: n “In extended hand to big toe pose [Supta Utthita Hasta Padangustasana], a student holds one end of the strap, wraps the other end around one foot and moves the strapped foot toward the face to stretch the hamstrings.” n “Students put a looped strap around their arms, right below the elbows, so that when they come into downward dog [Adho Mukha Svanasana], they can feel tension. As they press outward into the
strap, they’re engaging their back lateral muscles and they’re engaging the correct muscles in their shoulders.” n “Tie your feet together for a lying cobbler’s pose [Supta Baddha Konasana], so your hips can open up slowly with support.” n “Make a loop with one of the big long straps and attach one end to the doorknob. The other end is around your hips, so it’s pulling your hips up in a better alignment.”
ON THE BLOCK Blocks are “useful for beginners who may still be a little unsteady with the poses, and or for people who are working on their flexibility and balance,” says Jessica Lubin of the Good Karma Studio in Albany. “Blocks are great in helping with one’s alignment while providing stability and support as well as allowing a student to maintain the pose longer.” Yoga blocks come in various shapes and sizes, says Sat Kriya Kaur, owner of Kundalini Yoga in Albany. “There are different dimensions — three, four or five inches high,” she says. “They now make blocks in the shape of an egg to conform to the shape of your spine if you put it under your back.” Blocks can give the arms and wrists extra support in a standing forward bend (Uttanasana), says Kriya Kaur. “People who do have flexibility — their hands are on the floor,” she says. “If your arms aren’t long enough, the blocks will give you extra height. It’s not forcing your body to do anything that you don’t have the flexibility to do. If a person is very tall and they have very little flexibility, you
could stack two blocks as an extension. I’ve seen one student put two blocks on top of one another to have that reach.”
PILLOW TALK A meditation cushion called a zabu helps less flexible people comfortably remain crosslegged (Siddhasana) Kriya Kaur says. “We meditate for 11 minutes or more,” she says. “It conforms to the shape of your body. It gives you a very comfortable, solid foundation, which is really important.”
Want to know more? See more ways to use yoga props with Krista Spohr of the Breathing Room. Check out our video online at YouTube.com/TimesUnionMagazines.
518LIFEMAGAZINE.COM 71
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You Are What You Eat
How intuitive eating can help you feel better and drop pounds
Illustration: FrankRamspott/GettyImages.
I
n 2012, Susan (who asked to stay anonymous to protect her privacy) suddenly and unexpectedly lost her husband of 25 years. At 54, she found herself living alone for the first time in her life, which was hard for all kinds of reasons. Cooking and food happened to be one of them. “My husband had been the primary cook in our home so it was either learn how to cook or spend the rest of my life eating at restaurants or ordering takeout,” Susan, who lives in Poestenkill, says in an email. Her friends encouraged her to take cooking classes at A Different Drummer’s Kitchen, where Susan met Tamara Flanders. Flanders, of Make Peace with Food, helps people figure out what foods are best for their
bodies. She practices and teaches something called intuitive eating (sometimes called conscious eating or mindful eating). “[Intuitive Eating] is really a philosophy that establishes a new relationship with food and it allows the person to become their own expert for their own body,” Flanders says. “It’s stepping away from prescribed diet plans. It’s learning to honor your hunger and your fullness and finding out which foods make you feel good, which ones don’t. It’s figuring out how to stop eating when you’re full and really recreating your habits with food.” Most people have really complicated relationships with the way they eat. Diets have screwed up our ability to really listen and understand the signals our bodies send us about
BY BRIANNA SNYDER
TOP TIPS FOR INTUITIVE EATING • Love and honor yourself. Give yourself the time and place to enjoy a meal. • Stay away from packaged and processed foods. Whole foods are best. • Pay a lot of attention to how your food makes you feel throughout your day. Tired? Energized? Keep a diary if it helps you track your feelings. • Don’t eat in front of the TV or the computer. Focus on your food and what it feels like to eat it. Take some time to really savor it. 518LIFEMAGAZINE.COM 73
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food. Diets put the focus on the food itself, rather than what the body needs and wants. They don’t take into account whether we’re hungry, what we’re hungry for, or how that food makes us feel. Flanders helps people read those subtle bodily cues. This sounds potentially dangerous to lifelong dieters. Under this scenario it sounds as if your body tells you it wants a tray of brownies … that you’re supposed to eat a tray of brownies. How is that healthy? Flanders says sure, go ahead. “Sure, you can go do that. But you need to look at how that made you feel,” she says. “Is that what you want for yourself? Chances are you’re going to be tired, you might have a stomachache, you might not have a lot of energy. So what’s your goal? Do you want to learn to eat brownies or be healthier?” In fact, the reason you might want to eat five brownies is likely more complicated than just a chocolate craving. If you’re halfway through a pan of brownies, it’s worth it to stop and ask yourself some questions. You may find other contributing factors here: stress, frustration, sadness, fear. Most of us strive to be healthier. And so many of us have issues with food. Susan says her relationship with food was a little fraught. “I would classify myself as a ‘compulsive eater,’” she says. “If I was sitting around the house watching TV, and a commercial came on, that was time to get up and head to the kitchen. I didn’t stop to check if I was actually hungry or what I was hungry for — there was no thinking involved. Get up, head to the kitchen, poke head in the fridge, and grab whatever caught my eye. I was also an ‘emotional eater.’ You know how some people get upset and cannot eat a thing? I never understood that. When I was upset, I had the opposite reaction. And with my newly empty house, the situation deteriorated. I chose the former.” Now, Susan says her pantry is full of natural, unprocessed foods. She makes grocery lists and menus, spending time thinking about what foods are going to satisfy her and make her feel good. Sixty-two-year-old Jo Anne Assini, of Niskayuna, was a takeout lady. She worked a high-stress job as a prosecutor and judge before she retired. She says she carried about 40
Assini says. “There’s no ‘this food is off limits.’ There’s nothing like that. It’s just letting yourself be quiet for at least 15 minutes a day.” Flanders says Intuitive Eating is not about weight loss, though many of her clients find the weight coming off as they start to tune into their bodies’ natural desires for proper sustenance. She says, ideally, she’d like to see us all return to the way we ate when we were little kids. “if you want to look at intuitive eating, look at a toddler,” Flanders says. “They stop eating when they’re full. And they eat what their body is craving.” “A lot of this is about learning to stop being afraid and worrying and counting calories and micromanaging,” she continues. “Your body has to be able to get those messages out in order for you to be able to embrace the intuitive eating piece. Your body is naturally going to settle into something that’s going to be healthful for it.”
excess pounds she never seemed able to lose. “I want to emphasize since I’ve been on so many quote-unquote diets,” Assini says. But: “When you get to 60, it’s not about the size you’re wearing. It’s about how you feel inside.” She determined never to weigh herself again and went to Flanders for nutritional counseling. Assini found CRAVE new recipes for soups and hearty FRIES? Give vegetables and whole grains. Since in to yourself. she started eating this way, her Balance with cholesterol has dropped and so has her blood pressure. She no longer something needs to take Tums before bed. And healthy later. her weight has dropped to a healthy BMI, despite abandoning any notions of “dieting.” “There’s no blame [in intuitive eating],”
Where to get more info about intuitive eating Tamara Flanders yourbodyawake.com
Pamela Malo/ Yoga for Peaceful Eating pamelamalo.com
The Anti-Diet Project refinery29.com/ anti-diet-project
Resources, facts, tips and more intuitiveeating.com
518LIFEMAGAZINE.COM 75
A DV E R T I S E M E N T
Have you heard about this new technology that is FDA cleared, and non-surgical treatment for back and neck pain?
Herniated Disc?
Non-surgical spinal decompression may be the last back or neck pain treatment you will ever need. And you may be able to forget the pills, getting endless shots, struggling through exercise programs...and...risky surgery...because with this amazing new technology...if you are a candidate... they may be a thing of the past. You’re about to discover a powerful state-of-the-art technology available for: Back pain, Sciatica, Neck pain, Arm pain, Herniated and/or Bulging discs (single or multiple), Degenerative Disc Disease, a relapse or failure following surgery or Facet syndromes. Best of all -- you can check it out yourself for FREE! CALL 518-300-1212
I
magine how your life would change if you discovered the solution to your back or neck pain. In this article you’ll discover powerful new back or neck pain technology that has the potential to be that solution for you. This incredible technology is Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and the DRX 9000. Here’s the amazing story how it was discovered and why it has a chance to help YOUR back pain...
How Science Helps Back and Neck Pain The lower back and neck is a series of bones separated by shock absorbers called “discs”. When these discs go bad because of age or injury you can have pain. For some the pain is just annoying, but for others it can be life changing...and not in a good way. It has long been thought that if these discs could be helped in a natural and non-invasive way, lots of people with back and leg or neck and arm pain could lower the amount of pain medication they take, be given fewer epidural injections for the pain and have less surgery.
Recent medical breakthroughs have led to the development of advanced technologies to help back and leg pain and neck and arm pain suffers!
Through the work of a specialized team of physicians and medical engineers, a medical manufacturing company, now offers this space age technology in its incredible DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression equipment.
The DRX 9000 is FDA cleared to use with the pain and symptoms associated with herniated and/or bulging discs. . . even after failed surgery. What Conditions Has The DRX 9000 Successfully Treated And Will It Help YOU? The main conditions the DRX 9000 has success with are: • • • • • •
Back pain Sciatica Neck pain Arm pain Spinal Stenosis Herniated and/or bulging discs (single or multiple) • Degenerative disc disease • A relapse or failure following surgery • Facet syndromes A very important note: The DRX 9000 has been successful even when NOTHING else has worked. Even after failed surgery. What Are Treatments On The DRX 9000 Like?
After being fitted with an automatic shoulder support system, you simply lie face up on the DRX 9000’s comfortable bed and the advanced computer system does the rest. Patients describe the treatment as a gentle, soothing, intermittent pulling of your back. Many patients actually fall asleep during treatment. The really good news IS... this is not something you have to continue to do for the rest of your life. So it is not a big commitment. Since offering the DRX 9000 in my Colonie office, I have seen nothing short of miracles for back and neck pain sufferers who had tried everything else. . . with little or no result. Many had lost all hope. Had herniated disk operation 8 years ago another disc became herniated. Doctor wanted to operate have arthritis from 1st one (did not want to go under knife again) very grateful to DRX9000 (thank you Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC) Very happy camper. Raymond F Niskayuna, NY Age 55 This treatment was a miracle for my cervical disk herniations. Only other alternative was surgery, which I no longer have to face. William I Schenectady, NY Age 63
I was told by a doctor I wouldn’t be able to work. I cannot afford to not work so I tried Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC, and not only did the pain go away but I never missed a day at work. Rick S Clifton Park, NY Age 42 I would love to shake the hand of the person who invented this machine. It was a life saver for me and a lot better than going under the knife. I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone with chronic back pain. Dawn H Colonie, NY Age 49 Before the DRX 9000 treatment. I had no quality of life. Couldn’t do anything for myself. Thank God for Dr. and the DRX machine. I can live again. Yvette K Schenectady, NY Age 47 I suffered for three years, before I received treatment on the DRX 9000. Today, I can sleep and get out of bed like a normal human being. Before, I couldn’t even drive my car because the pain in my hips, legs and feet were so bad from the sciatica nerve being pinched by my Herniated Disc L4 and L5, which also prevented me from sitting in a chair or even using my computer lap top at any time. Today things have changed due to advance technology therapy on the DRX 9000. They always try
A DV E R T I S E M E N T
to regulate the treatments that work. What is up with this taught process???? The world is changing and so have I. Frank A Troy, NY Age 52 Before receiving the DRX treatments, my quality of life was very poor. I could hardly do anything other than going to work and going to bed. After the DRX treatments my quality of life has improved 90% which has resulted in me being able to go for long walks without a cane and go shopping. Anne P Burnt Hills, NY Age 70 I am so appreciative of this method of therapy because when I came to the office I had to use a cane and had muscle pain in walking. After 2nd treatment sciatica nerve pain was gone in my left leg. Judith W Albany, NY Age 64 Prior to this treatment my only options appeared to be invasive pain management, or surgery. After receiving 24 sessions on the DRX, I am markedly improved, relatively pain free and am able to function as I had in previous years. Highly recommend to anyone with disc issues. Alan P Scotia, NY Age 53 I would choose this therapy again! Painless treatment that gets your life back to
normal. Stick with it-it works! Linda G Broadalben, NY Age 53 I am so happy I came to Dr. Guerra. I was in a lot of pain and after being on the DRX I tell you I do not have pain. I feel wonderful and the staff are very nice. Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC is wonderful. If you are in pain try the DRX it really helps. Edith C Schenectady, NY Age 71 I think more people should know about this procedure before considering any surgery. Medications help the pain but they don’t cure the cause. I am back to my old self again. Lorraine B Scotia, NY Age 78 I highly recommend this machine. I had my doubts but it really and truly works. Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC is a wonderful doctor and his staff is great too. Linda D Clifton Park, NY Age 46 I was extremely skeptical at the beginning of treatments - Progress was slow in coming - But... then it worked! What a relief!!! Joan K Delmar, NY Age 71 I had no where else to go with this problem. The DRX 9000 was just what I needed. Many thanks! Burton S Mechanicville, NY Age 50
I would definitely refer people to your office. Dr. Guerra and his staff have made this experience a pleasure. Ed H Hoosick Falls, NY Age 70
ification consultation. It’s absolutely free with no strings attached. There is nothing to pay for and you will NOT be pressured to become a patient.
Pain free, numbness in the left foot is gone. DRX 9000 is GREAT and does work. Sal L Niskayuna, NY Age 50
Here is what you will receive:
I’m able to go on long walks and get all night sleep (I’ve had 3 surgeries since 2006) Without the DRX I would be in for a 4th back surgery. I’m getting back to doing activities with my 10 year old son. Lisa V Catskill, NY Age 45 I wish to thank you very much for all the help I received with the spinal decompression therapy. Your entire office was very helpful and compassionate. No longer do I sit at night with my heating pads, moving them from sore spot to sore spot. My knees are no longer on fire and I’m able to go up and down the stairs much easier than before. Mable D Ballston Lake, NY Age 68
SPECIAL OFFER Call Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC’s office at 518-300-1212 and mention to my assistants that you want a FREE back or neck pain/DRX9000 qual-
• A consultation with me, Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC to discuss your problem and answer the questions you may have about back pain or neck and the DRX9000 • A DRX9000 demonstration so you see for yourself how it works! Due to current demand for this technology, I suggest calling today to make your appointment. The consultation is free. We are staffed 24-hoursa-day, 7-days-a-week. Call 518-300-1212 right now!
It’s absolutely FREE with no strings attached. There is ONE Big Problem: My busy office schedule will limit how many people I’m able to personally meet with...so you will need to act fast. Call 518-300-1212 right now...to be sure you are among the first callers and we will set up your free consultation today. We have the phones answered 7 days a week 24 hours a day so call now... 518-300-1212. (Free consultation is good for 45 days) 2016 Central Ave., Colonie www.albanyDRX.com Like us on Facebook: Healthsource of Albany North
Happy Trails
Want a good family vacation? Be realistic and plan
BY TRACI NEAL
78 518 LIFE
after the excitement wears off and the reality of being cooped up in a car or airplane and waiting in hour-long theme park lines sets in? “The truth is, anywhere away from home feels like a vacation for kids,” says Adler, who says she likes to wrap a vacation around an event, like a car show or festival — and a cool place to stay. “A lot of times the fun for kids is the hotel,” she says. “My nephew remembers one trip we took because the hotel had an arcade — it was his favorite part of the trip; that, and making smoothies in the kitchenette, ordering in food, and jumping up and down on the bed!” Adults often think a vacation has to involve airplanes and heavy bags, says Adler. “But sometimes [a park like Disney] is too stimulating and for kids a long plane ride can be just too much.” Linda M. gave an example of a simpler — but memorable— family vacation. on time-
sunion.com’s blog, On The Edge. “My dreamboat vacation was nine years ago,” she writes. “My family got together for a family reunion — the first in too many years.” She and her siblings came from all over the world to a rental house in Bolton Landing. “Swimming, boating, parasailing, barbeques around the camp fire, sharing memories until near daylight. All the joys of summer,” she writes. “We laughed until we cried, and our children and grandchildren got to hear stories of a time gone by. It was our very own Norman Rockwell vacation and it is a memory I will cherish forever.”
T
aking into account different vacation styles and needs can help raise the satisfaction factor for everyone, says Donna Lochner, a licensed mental health counselor in private practice in Albany. “Some people like to sight-see, others like to be active, others just
Photo: Thomas Barwick/GettyImages
P
hyllis Adler’s young nephew, with whom she often vacations, really wants to take a trip to Florida. Not the theme parks, mind you. Just Florida. “He’s never been there,” says Adler, a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Albany. “He has this vision of what it’ll be like, and he has no idea. I tell him, ‘They have trees and roads and cities. It’s going to look just like Albany.’” One summer, she took him for a train ride and after about 10 minutes aboard, “sure enough, he was done,” recalls Adler. “And then he was annoyed, like, ‘Is this it?’” Fortunately for them, it was a short ride. “What if we’d decided to take a trip across three states?” she says. “He would’ve been miserable.” As families pack for summer vacations or plan stay-cations and day trips, how can they get the most out of their time together even
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Keeping Peace on the Road • Avoid pre-vacation sleepdeprivation, says Pertchik. “A lot of people stay up really late packing or preparing the night or two before a vacation and that lowers their resistance to stress,” he says. “To be up a couple late nights and then be trapped in the car with some kids is kind of a recipe for disaster.” • Know what your kids will need and give yourself permission to over-pack. For instance, for long car trips, bring a small potty chair for little kids who might have to make a sudden pit stop, recommends Adler. • Plan your route and budget in scheduled stops along the way, recommends Pertchik. Be sure to have clear directions and a GPS. • Bring along coloring books, snacks, drinks, and keep them nicely organized, says Pertchik. “Don’t give them out all at once,” he says. “Maybe every hour, surprise them with something.” • Rent online movies in advance and break one out when the noise level in the backseat exceeds the patience level in the front. “Give them what they need,” says Lochner. “Also let them bring with them things that tend to take their attention. I never thought I’d be advising using video games but a lot of times they really suck kids in and they’re very focused on them” when they just need some “alone time” in a crowded car or hotel room.
• Plan travel games such as License Plate Bingo (divide up nearby states and check them off each time a license plate from that state is spotted); I Spy (“I spy with my little eye something that is…”); Red Car-Blue Car (assign everyone a color and track how many cars you can spot); storytelling (start a story and let the family take turns adding details); Mad Libs (available online or in paper). • Trade off the shotgun seat. “If you know the kids are particularly vulnerable to fighting in the car I’d separate them and not put them into that position,” says Adler.
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• Go over safety rules — remind kids and adults about strangers, says Lochner. “Teach them to stick together and if someone looks scary to them, they should duck into a shop. If someone tries to take them, tell the kids to yell ‘Fire!’ because most of the time when someone yells ‘Fire!’ people pay attention. Even more so than ‘Stranger!’” • While it’s unrealistic to leave your cell phones at home, set boundaries regarding work and social media and stick to them while on vacation, says Pertchik. • Take the day before vacation off to complete the packing and relax a little, says Pertchik. “That way by the time you’re on vacation you’re already in vacation mode.” Services paid for by Medicare, Medicaid and most insurance plans
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want to lay out on a beach with a book.” Before booking a trip, Lochner advises, “let the kids participate in planning and have a pre-trip conversation with your family about how you want to spend your time.” When everyone helps plan the itinerary, says Lochner, “they also have more ownership so they’re more likely to be cooperative and participate in all of the activities and side trips than if they didn’t help with the planning.” And, when things go wrong, they’re less likely to blame the planner. “I like the idea of people sitting down and talking about what they’re expecting from their trip, what they’re hoping to do — and what they might do if something doesn’t go the way they wanted it to go.” While kids — and parents — often envision themselves as the smiling, happy family holding hands in the vacation brochures, they should also plan for the inevitable bumps in the road — the delays, meltdowns, bad weather or annoying relatives. “They’ve been looking forward to this; they can’t wait. It’s going to be wonderful,” says Lochner. “Their expectations are way too high, especially because most families only do this once a year.” But it’s not realistic Allow the kids to be kids. Allow them to have pillow fights and jump to feel happy every moment, says Pertchik, Kevon the bed ... These are the types of things that they’ll remember. in Pertchik, a licensed clinical psychologist the next day, had another long, arduous trek portant for the adults to keep themselves in with Saratoga Psychocheck, says Adler. “First of all, know your logical Associates, especially when families home where Dad was sick again! Never could who are used to having their own space are figure out why Dad, who could not tolerate kids’ capacity for the things that will set them off,” she says. “How much can a kid handle long-distance driving, put himself through then, for days on end, sharing a car and a hobefore they lose it?” tel room, a single bathroom, all of their meals, such torture! Still can’t!” Plan ahead for those moments, she says. It’s these expectations — and realities — and every waking moment together. “Some families think they need to be to- that can make family vacations “the best of “When you get annoyed, frustrated or angry because the child is losing it, you can’t offer anygether 24/7,” says Pertchik. “That’s a recipe times and the worst of times all wrapped up thing to the child,” she says. “You always have into one,” says Pertchik. for disaster.” to be one step ahead of the child’s [moods].” Overall, says Adler, vacations are a great Pertchik recommends scheduling some Plan well, Adler advises, but when there are alone time for naps or lounging by the pool. time for families to rejuvenate their curiosity delays or long lines “your coping skills will in each other — to relax and give each other “Some individuals need that nap or ‘chill time,’” Pertchik says. “It can really make a a break. “If it’s more of the same — ‘Sit up be put to the test.” Have a plan — snacks, difference and kind of makes the interactions straight!’ ‘Do this!’ ‘Don’t do that!’ — the va- drinks, activities you can do — and model ways to calm yourself, she says. cation can be sabotaged,” she says. “You’re more memorable.” With a little careful planning, the journey not going to fix things if you use the three days P.K. Miller recalls a family “vacation from can be the best part of the trip, says Adler. you’re on vacation to address family issues.” hell” that involved an eight-hour car ride to “Be flexible,” says Pertchik. “Some of the best Instead, she advises, put those things aside see the Mayflower. times for people are going to be the spontaneous, “Dad, who never liked to drive long dis- and “be curious, be relaxed, use the time to just tances was sick all night. We got on the May- reconnect, because connection is really power- the unplanned — like checking out a sunset. “Allow the kids to be kids. Allow them to flower [and] I was sick all over the Mayflow- ful for families, and hands down what kids rehave pillow fights and jump on the bed,” he er deck,” writes Miller, on On The Edge. “The ally want is their parents’ time and attention.” But when the inevitable does happen — continues. “These are the types of things that next day it poured and poured, like sheets of someone blows up or melts down — it’s im- they’ll remember.” water. …We finally gave up when it rained
Photo: Uwe Krjici/GettyImages
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518LIFEMAGAZINE.COM 81
FYI with
Nick Zito
The famous trainer wants you to know horses have feelings
BY BRIANNA SNYDER | PHOTO BY COLLEEN INGERTO
N
ick Zito has loved horses since he was 6 years old and went with his dad to the track. “For some crazy reason it got in my blood,” he says. As he got older he worked all kinds of different jobs but found himself coming back to horses. He met the famous trainer Woods Garth, who brought him to the Kentucky Derby. By the time Zito was in his 20s, he was doing hands-on work in the stables — grooming, riding and working on getting his training license. He’s now been a trainer for 40 years, and trains in Saratoga seven months out of the year. Zito deeply loves his work. “I’m blessed,” he says. “I love my job.” We asked him some serious questions — and some unserious ones. What are some common misconceptions about what you do? It’s basically a 7-day-a-week job and you basically supervise a lot of people. A lot of horses. You have a lot of responsibilities. It’s a very unique job. It’s not so glamorous as what people see from the outside. It’s very hard work, Nick’s hung out very demanding, takes with horses since a lot of your time and he was 6 years old. you have to work with the right people. What’s the biggest challenge of your job? There are so many owners and trainers who are very competitive, so you have to kind of stay on top. It’s funny because when you have a reputation of winning big races and then for a year or two you don’t, you lose your rep a little bit. That’s challenging. What’s your favorite thing about your job? Believe it or not, it’s the horses. You get close to them. They get close to you, especially if you have them for a couple years and you love them all like children. It’s kind of like something spiritual that goes on, which i’m happy about. What are your favorite qualities in a horse? Oh, boy. It’s if they’re intelligent. One of your readers
82 518 LIFE
might say, “Do you want a horse to spell?” [Laughs.] But I just want a horse to not hurt himself. I want him to gallop the right way, train the right way, work out the right way. They have to look the part, too. Training is like coaching or managing: you want to get a good player in your barn. What’s one thing about yourself you’d change if you could? That’s kind of a very good question. Nobody’s ever asked me that question. You really can’t change too much about anybody’s life. You either try to be a certain way and that’s about it, I guess. What’s one thing about yourself you’d never ever change? Never to lose the competitive edge, the competitive fire we have. You have to thank God all the time that he keeps it in you. I think that’s the thing I’d hate to lose. What’s your idea of happiness? When you get older, you hear all these, you know, expressions, like ‘What’s a happy life?’ And then they always tell you a happy life is happy moments but some people are always so busy trying to get a happy life that they don’t have the happy moments. Sounds like you’re a happy guy. Yeah. I like to be happy. Negative energy is no good. And believe it or not horses pick up on that. Who’s your favorite author? I honestly think that the Bible is a very special book. It’s a complicated book to read. What’s your favorite food? I think I like basically anything plain that’s fresh. There’s an Italian place I like. I like the way [the chefs] cook. They don’t use sugar in the tomato sauce and I like that. That’s my favorite food. Tell us one thing every horse wishes we knew. Everything that breathes has feelings. I think they would want you to know that.
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