On top of taking profits, the local market followed New York more which was worse as a result of corporate results and at the end because news of rising tensions in the Gulf.

The market was already bad with the persistent fear of the New York open on Monday. Then the S&P statement came out, and that made things even worse.

Things looked better up there (in the United States).

There are too many opportunities in New York. We can't live too far away.

Back then, my air fare on Eastern Airlines to fly from Florida to where Marge was stationed in New York was $16. It was the most important flight I ever made.

I was looking in the back of The New York Times for ads for homes in New Hampshire, and there weren't any, ... but there was this scrunched-up photograph of a supposedly Palladian villa outside of Venice.