Good morning everyone. In the last few days, several people have reached out asking how they can be included in the Massena Virtual Tipping database for bartenders. The "issue" is they are in a different profession, but still rely on tips to supplement their income. One exception though, and some may argue with this, but I really don't care. If you are a nurse, add yourself. You deserve more than what you are currently receiving, and it's possible people may want to do more t

Friends, I have no idea how I’m doing this. And by this, I mean sitting upright on a couch writing to you all. How the hell am I not lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling? Maybe crying, maybe not. Definitely not feeling at all creative or determined. A miserable, understandably paralyzed lump. As I’ve mentioned in my previous posts, I have a long history of anxiety and catastrophic thinking. Though I couldn’t always control it, it has cost me time, money, friends (perhaps f

I asked the Girl Gone Smart bloggers to recommend their favorite shows for binging. It's quite the mix! Let us know what you're binging! Chrys - Firefly (Hulu) - Deadwood (HBO) - Stumptown (ABC All Access) - See (Apple TV) - The Good Fight (CBS All Access) - Misfits (Hulu) Danny - Bob's Burgers (Hulu) - The Supersizers Go (YouTube - free) - Schitt's Creek (Amazon Prime & Netflix) - Explained (Netflix) - Downton Abbey (Amazon Prime) Heather - The Outsider (HBO) - Tiger King (N

I miss my hometown a lot, and it's with zero shame that I'm "stealing" something I've seen Albany bartenders do with great success. Many of you depend on tips, and since we are no longer able to go sit with you, enjoy a cocktail or beer, or just spend time together, my guess is several of your loyal customers may want to help. You must have been laid off or let go because of COVID-19. The goal is for your customers to be able to virtually tip you during this time, and here is

People who are telling Trump supporters they better not accept any money during this time because socialism. Take care of yourself and your family if you need a hand. #onelove People who are telling Trump haters they better not accept any money during this time because Trump. Take care of yourself and your family if you need a hand. #onelove Bernie bros complaining about the "Democratic establishment" because Bernie has lost. I know it's not a good look to blame Black people,

Some how, some way, that video of the woman wearing the Wookie mask came across my social media account again. I may have laughed harder than most because I actually have one. I fell in love with it the moment I put it on and wore it for about an hour and laughed every time I opened my mouth. (If you haven't seen the video, just google "mom wearing wookie mask" and it'll show up.) This past summer during my annual Girl's Weekend I put it on while they were gathered at the fir

Local author Chuck Miller has penned a book I was hesitant to read and it's titled Collarworld. "Just beyond the mortal barriers of the Living World is a land where our departed pets wait patiently for their reunion with their beloved masters. In this land – Collarworld – dogs and cats play peacefully with each other, birds fly in sky-painting formations, and horses race for the joy of the moment." In the last six years I've lost two of my furry soulmates, Kramer and Ditto, s

Yesterday I wrote a blog about the shocking video being shared on the Betty Boop Diner's Facebook page. The page is currently managed by former employee Donna Doherty Burns. The owner of the establishment, Teresa Soto, does not have access to the page and as such, is unable to remove or respond to any of the accusations presented by Ms. Burns. It's important to note Ms. Burns admittedly has access to all of Betty Boop's social media accounts including Yelp, Trip Advisor, and

If you’ve been reading my blog posts, you know that I recently got married for the second (final) time. I was 28 the first time I got married, and I had just turned 46 when I was married again. When I married my first husband, we had been a couple for almost 8 years. We had been living together for almost 7 of those years. We had two children together. Neither of us had been previously married. I was the one who wanted to get married. When we first moved in together, he

I was scrolling through Facebook on a lazy Sunday afternoon when I received an invitation to like the Betty Boop Diner Facebook page. I had never heard of this local establishment so I went ahead and clicked the invite to check out the business. Shocked, was my first impression. As of this morning, the page and its contents have been shared approximately 16,000 times. Is this rat really from Betty Boop Diner at 115 Phillips Street in Albany? There is an accompanying video as

Updated: June 11 2020 If you're one of those people who believes it's "politics" causing rifts in your friendships and relationships, you may be a bit naïve. You're not losing friends over your choice of political candidate, you're losing friends over your lack of humanity and empathy. And maybe your fear, but I'll get to that in a moment. In 2016, several people claimed they would stand up for their friends and loved ones when or if policies interfered with their well-being.

A few minutes before it was time for our grand entrance, the DJ had us go upstairs so that we could have a few minutes to be alone while the coordinator got the guests situated in the ballroom for dinner. It was nice to have a few moments of quiet. Then, we went back downstairs after the guests were in their seats in the ballroom. The wedding coordinator lined us up, and the DJ started introducing the parents and wedding party to “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. David selecte

February has been an insane month with a lot of personal changes (for the better - and I will dig in soon to fill you in) so I apologize for this list being a little later than it would normally appear. Here, I have gathered just a handful of the MUST READ books for 2020 by black authors. If you're wondering why this is a separate category from your average best sellers list, it's because it is still true that black authors are not as prominently marketed and featured in the

A few minutes before 5:00 p.m., the wedding coordinator told me it was time to get lined up for the processional. My heart started pounding with excitement. My dad and I were at the top of the stairs, and the first processional song started (“A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri; this is the song I selected for the parents, siblings, my BFF, and my closest aunts/uncles). I immediately started tearing up. I was so happy I could barely stand it! We walked down the stairs,

The photographer’s assistant came to get me because David and I were doing a “first look” so that we could take pix before the wedding started. We wanted to be able to enjoy our cocktail hour instead of spending the entire time taking pictures. There was a balcony outside our room that you accessed by walking down the hall between our room and the room my middle son was staying in, and they had David standing on the balcony with the photographer several yards away to get th

I read this book ages ago, 2004 to be precise, and I'm about to read it again. I'm making some pretty big personal decisions in the near future and in all honesty, I could stand to absorb the inspiration the whole experience provided me the fist time around. I want to talk about a book, or more precisely, the author of a book. It’s titled How to Make Love Like A Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale by Jenna Jameson. It’s an autobiography written by the famous porn star and I wasn’t s

This photo is a pretty good representation of my brain when I'm in a flare, and fatigue and brain fog are major symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). But I'm very tired (literally) of the word arthritis being the key takeaway of the disease from those who do not understand the full scope of living with it. February 2nd is Rheumatoid Disease Awareness Day so it's important for me to do my part in putting a face to what people believe is just an 'older person's disease.' It's

Well, I finally did it. I got married to the love of my life! Most everything was incredible, a couple of things sucked, and of course I’m going to write about them all. My middle son and his wife flew in from Missouri on Sunday, December 29, 2019. Their visit is why we got married in a January, even though the weather is typically awful. We wanted them to be there, and they had already announced a December/January visit. My daughter-in-law is a cake decorator by trade, s

How goes it, friends? My name is Lydia. I’m a 30-year old actor, writer, antiques enthusiast, and unashamed cat lady currently living in Clifton Park, NY. I’m excited to write for Girl Gone Smart because I think I can bring a couple of interesting perspectives to the table. One has to do with my academic background. Not like degrees matter, but I’m sorta proud to hold a rather weird combination of them: a Bachelors in Theatre Arts Performance from SUNY New Paltz, and a Master

"We believed in the rumor, in the Underground." I'm not quite sure how to write about this novel in order to do it the justice it deserves, which means you should stop reading now, buy it, and sit down to read immediately. The Water Dancer, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, introduces us to the main character, Hiram Walker. Hiram was born into slavery on a Virginia plantation and is the son of the plantation owner and a slave. His mother was sold and he has no memory of her at all - and t