Yesterday while heading to the Saratoga Visitors’ Center to scope out some info for Jen, fellow Steeplechaser Alysa cruised by.
Then it was off to my meeting with Mayor Valerie Keehn — to discuss the controversial charter reform that would Move Saratoga Forward from the antiquated commissioner form of government (we’re one of only about 60 cities out of 20,000 or so in America that still use it), which is more like governance by committee and consensus than one of checks and balances, to the more accepted mayor-council form of government, which would be more akin to a president-congress or governor-legislature model.
While leaving City Hall and walking to the parking lot with the mayor, Niki drove by, honking and waving at us.
Later, when Jen got home from work, we were walking the dogs and ran into Dana, who was walking home from work at Skidmore. While waiting to cross an intersection, Alysa drove by again and waved to all of us. Then we walked with Dana back to her house and said hi to (UPH Managing Director) Matt, too.
Living in a small city really brings a smile to my face, especially when I do things like spend an afternoon chatting informally with the mayor and run into friends all around town — within the span of about an hour. An afternoon like yesterday is not at all uncommon here.
In other news, I was delighted to see in the paper this morning that New York City has proposed a ban on trans fat. If you’re not already familiar with trans fat, learn about it and then never eat it again. It’s in a lot of packaged goods, but our bodies cannot digest it. It’s really, really bad for you, and there’s no health benefit. Do your body a favor and avoid it at all costs. Jen and I have started reading the label of everything we buy, looking specifically for this bad fat.
