Iconic partnerships. How about Sonny and Cher? Or peanut butter and jelly? But ice hockey and Los Angeles? Not so much.

Despite the assumed incongruence, I made my way to an LA Kings game last week, defying both traffic and the steamy Southern California temperatures. Not only did the home team get the win, but the contest became a vehicle for some pretty slick marketing. How, you ask, has ice hockey been glammed up for Hollywood consumption? Plastic surgery, that's how.

The story goes something like this. Bailey, the Kings mascot, had been placed on the team's "injured reserve list" earlier in the week. So when he appeared for his pre-game skate with bandages covering much of his head, it was announced he had undergone cosmetic surgery as part of a "makeover." Just when I thought it couldn't get any weirder, during the first intermission the celebrity doctors from the E! series "Botched" appeared at center ice to remove Bailey's dressings with perfunctory flair.

Step aside Wayne Gretzky. Bailey is coming for you...

"Plastic surgery is like a big elephant sitting in Hollywood's living room." - Patricia Heaton

After the death of my father, I stashed all of his military citations in the quiet darkness of my top dresser drawer. The WW II badge, the European Theater Commendation, the Purple Heart, even his vaulted Bronze Star.

But as the years went by, I felt like I needed a more visceral reminder of my Dad. So I dug through my closet, pulled out my Dad's old uniform, and then meticulously re-attached all of his badges and ribbons to the left-breast pocket. Mounted with full regalia, the jacket now hangs on a wall in my home, a drab olive shell revived by a gleaming metal sheen.

Today, on Veterans Day, we recognize those who have served our country as part of the armed services. Today is their day to shine. But perhaps, like my Dad's old uniform, the sacrifices of our veterans should hold a more prominent place in our hearts and minds. Today, tomorrow, always and forever.

"It's about how we treat our veterans every single day of the year. It's about serving all of you as well as you've served the United States of America." - Barack Obama

With holiday travel just around the corner, it felt like a good time to upgrade my luggage.

For the lion's share of trips, I rely only a backpack. Easier to navigate airport security. No waiting at crowded carousels. No muss. No fuss.

But every once in awhile, I need a smidge more space. For years I stuck to basic black when it came to luggage. Occasionally I would attach a colorful piece of fabric to differentiate my bag from its sea of compatriots. But most of the time, I was still left squinting.

This month marks a new era for me. Sure, my luggage is still a solid color. But it's bright, and more importantly, easily recognizable. That's right, orange is the new black!

"The world is waiting for you. Good luck. Travel safe. GO!" - Phil Keoghan, host of The Amazing Race

As a kid, I spent hours and hours on my very nerdy stamp collection.

I loved peering into the glass display case of our local collectible shop, looking for a rare match. I regularly queried the counter help at the town post office, hoping to secure some newly-issued stock. Occasionally I would even peel a postmarked stamp from one of those onionskin envelopes used for airmail, affixed by one of my mother's relatives writing to us from Galway.

Prior to 1900 the majority of stamps, not surprisingly, featured U.S. presidents. George Washington still holds the top spot for most appearances on a stamp. But in 2023, a new face will appear as part of our nation's "Forever" stamp series. Soon enough your stamp collection and mine can include a rendering of former Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Featured in her traditional robe and collar, Ginsburg peers out from behind her glasses with her trademark steely blue eyes. Spending 60 cents never felt so good...

"The most interesting thing about a postage stamp is the persistence with which it sticks to its job." - Napoleon Hill

I have never been much of a fashion maven. I don't keep up with the latest changes in style. Truthfully, I hardly even notice them.

That said, it's hard to remain oblivious to the rampant return of the 1980's that current bathes the streets of Los Angeles. Neon. Fanny packs. Mom jeans. Even the immutable scrunchie.

Patented in 1987, the scrunchie was, in part, inspired by drawstring pajama pants. And if you're looking for some trivia for your next cocktail party, how about this factoid. The original scrunchie prototype, and the sewing machine it was created on, can be found in the Smithsonian. Crazy, right?

While plenty of A-listers have found their way back to this once verboten hair accessory, I don't see any scrunchies in my future. A characteristic I share with famed chef Gordon Ramsey perhaps?

"Chefs don't do ponytails. I guarantee whenever there is a discovery of hair in the food, the chef's ponytail is to blame!" - Gordon Ramsey

It's October, which means back in my hometown of Boston, the hot topic of conversation has to do with smoots.

As in Oliver Smoot, an MIT fraternity pledge who in October of 1958 lay down repeatedly so as to measure the length of one of the bridges that spans the Charles River. Yup, that's how they roll at MIT.

Every October the story of the famed prank is retold. For those of you who are trivia gurus the answer is 364.4 smoots (Oliver was 5' 7", you do the math).

In 2011, the term smoot made its appearance in the American Heritage Dictionary, the same year Google Earth allowed users to measure distances in smoots.

So next time you're in Boston, be sure to include a stroll over this famous landmark. The measurements are still there, blazing their way into infamy.

"The hardest thing in life to learn is which bridge to cross and which bridge to burn." - David Russell

I am a big fan, somewhat surprisingly, of all things HGTV. I just can't seem to help myself.

During my countless hours of viewing, I have seen more than my fair share of custom barn doors, farmhouse sinks, white subway tile, and rain-shower bathroom fixtures. Most of the renovations follow the same predictable pattern. Sunken living rooms, wood paneling, and shag carpeting -- out. Open layout, double ovens, and bronze hardware -- in.

Usually I don't mind seeing the same makeovers duplicated in every neighborhood across America. But in the name of all that is holy, who decided wallpaper needed to make a comeback? Particularly when placed ... ON THE CEILING.

It's bad enough that wallpaper exists at all. Even now, I am haunted by the thousands of small yellow flowers that dotted the wallpaper of my childhood bedroom. But to paste endless strips of whatever pattern above one's head seems like an extra strong dose of ridiculous.

I'm with Mr. Wilde. Stop the wallpaper madness before someone gets hurt......

Oscar Wilde (of the wallpaper in his bedroom): "Either it goes, or I do."

Yesterday was the September equinox, or in plainer speak, the beginning of autumn for those of us residing in the Northern Hemisphere.

The day passed here in Los Angeles without much fanfare. But for a native New Englander like me, I felt the change in my blood.

The switch of seasons triggers a slew of projects for cold weather folk. Fans are cleaned and put away. Window screens are swapped out for glass. Somehow the shovel has disappeared from the garage again and a run to the local hardware store is now in order.

But no one thinks much about the chores or the frigid temperatures to come. Because we are suddenly surrounded by a sea of yellow, red, and orange. Autumn leaves. Everywhere.....

"Autumn leaves don't fall, they fly. They take their time and wander on this their only chance to soar." - Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing

In honor of Ted Walch (1942-2022)

We had one television in my childhood home. It was a big bulky console and functioned more like a piece of furniture than an entertainment hub. Simply adorned it featured two knobs; one to change the channel, one to adjust the volume. Resting precariously atop the faux walnut finish were a set of "rabbit ears," jauntily extended in hopes of capturing the faint signal of some faraway tower.

Every once in awhile, I would ramble down to our downtown movie theater. It had one screen, stale popcorn, and a sticky floor as I remember it. None of that mattered of course. Rows and rows of peering eyes, all glued to the screen, provided a magical camaraderie. In the darkness, our collective imaginations grew.

It wouldn't be until I was an adult that I would attend my first full-blown theater performance. I went to see Les Miz on a bone-chilling January night in NYC. I was gobsmacked.

Today I lift my glass to all the artists in my life. And, most importantly, to those who taught them their craft...

"Movies will make you famous. Television will make you rich. But theater will make you good." - Terrence Mann

Late Monday afternoon I turned the channel to ESPN. It was 7:00 p.m. in New York. And I, like millions of other viewers, watched as Serena Williams entered center court of Arthur Ashe Stadium, perhaps for the final time as a professional tennis player.

Chrissie Evert and Martina Navratilova, the titans of my youth, were both in attendance. Chrissie in the booth. Martina in the stands. Both had long ago passed the torch to Serena. But somehow, inexplicably, the years tumbled by and now she too was on the cusp of calling it a career. Much to my chagrin.

There is no debate. Serena leaves the game as the greatest of all time. But her legacy is far larger than her pile of trophies. She changed the face, the fashion, and the fortune of the game I love.

All hail the queen.

"Since I don't look like every other girl, it takes a while to be okay with that. To be different. But different is good." - Serena Williams

Just before this academic year began, famed novelist and preacher Frederick Buechner died in his sleep while at his farm in Rupert, VT.

I am a self-proclaimed "Buchnerd," one of the legion of admirers who marvel at his piercing insight. A Presbyterian minister by training. Buechner was the "everyday man's" theologian - plainly and poignantly making sense of life's most perplexing questions.

As we take our first nascent steps into this new year, perhaps we can learn from Buechner's example. More introspection. More gratitude. Breathe in the unknown....

"Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is." - Frederick Buechner

With the arrival of Commencement this morning, the revolving door of enrollment takes one final click.

The seniors move on. Some with jubilation. Some with nostalgia. Some, no doubt, with sadness and regret. A new class of entrants has already been selected. They wait patiently for our whirring carousal to make its pirouette, spinning the open wedge of new challenges and opportunities closer and closer to their own eager feet.

The only thing the revolving door can't do is stop. Just like Commencement, both a beginning and an end...

"Whoever said nothing was impossible never tried slamming a revolving door."

For thirty years (1969-99), LA's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion hosted the Academy Awards.

Ducking your head inside, its sleek light-colored wood and swooping curves hint at its early 1960's construction. Massive chandeliers dangle from the ceiling. An olive-green carpet runs up the center staircase. Its 3,197 seats are covered in plush red velvet.

These days the DCP is home to the LA Opera. Verdi's classic "Aida" is currently on the marquee; a story of love, deception, and revenge. You would think, after watching the 3-hour performance last night, I would have had enough. Not so. This morning I woke up thinking about it. Opera has somehow found its way into my heart...

"It is essential to do everything possible to attract young people to the opera so they can see it is not some antiquated art form but a repository of the most glorious music and drama man has ever created." – Bruce Beresford

Yesterday, during a lengthy chat with one of my students, I was told about something called "The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows."

This New York Times bestseller is an odd collection of words gathered under six headings; worldview and desire, selfhood and identity, relationships and intimacy, society and alienation, time and memory, and finally, uncertainty and chaos. Even the table of contents left me feeling dizzy. Which is how I came to choose the following word for today's byte:

etterath

n. the feeling of emptiness after a long and arduous process is finally complete -- having finished school, recovered from surgery, or gone home at the end of your wedding -- leaving you feeling relieved it's over but missing the stress that organized your life's mission.

With Commencement just around the corner, it's no wonder this definition struck a chord with me. That's the thing about endings. Always bittersweet........

"Life is our dictionary." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

In 2022, Bazooka Bubble Gum will mark its 75th anniversary.

This commemoration will include a multi-faceted trip down memory lane for fans of Bazooka Joe and the gang. The brand will bring back vestiges of its prior packaging, a set of original comics, even the return of flavor favorite GRAPE!

When summer rolls around, a short documentary film will be released about the iconic brand. Look for a brief cameo by yours truly. That's right. When it comes to Bazooka, there is no bigger fan.

"Bubble gum connotes three essential things: flavor, repetition, and cheap entertainment." - Brett Emilio