I Learned the Hard Way — On a fluke, I placed my order for a Tesla. I followed Tesla closely, and it was announced that the full self-driving mode would increase in price. I love Tesla. I think all-electric vehicles are where the automotive industry is heading in the next ten years. However, I also heard…

No, They Are Not For You To Play With — Six months ago, my friend Brad called me out of the blue and wanted us to catch up. I thought that was weird. Brad and I grew more and more apart once he got married. Don't get me wrong, we were still friends, but as college roommates, we were best…

The Rules have Changed…Again — When you have figured out how to get the most out of travel, a monkey wrench is thrown at it. Now the journey is more complicated, longer, and more complex. What to do? Heaven, please help us. First, being creative in the past would have saved you lots of money…

Frequent Flyer Miles; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly — Reward Miles sounds tremendous and enticing. But the experienced traveler knows that reward travel is becoming the carrot dangled in front of the horse. Reward travel is obtainable but may involve significant planning and runaround. So, reward travelers, be prepared before you get burned by the airlines. …

The Son He Wished He Had Arrived to Pay His Respects The wake was scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Our whole household was frantically getting ready. My sister-in-law had a wardrobe emergency. …

Pack Your Bags, We Don't Want To Miss Our Funeral Pappou Yianni had to stop at the nearest Greek Embassy before returning home. The funeral home in Chicago would process all the paperwork between the Greek Embassy and the airline. She placed her pencil in her mouth and began dialing…

Are Destination Funerals the Next Big Trend? — In the beginning of the end, there was a lot of hope. Pappou was rushed to the hospital on a cold January morning. For my superstitious audience, it was Friday the 13th. The nurses, doctors, and hospital staff did their best to keep Pappou Yianni with us. From every face…

And Every New Owner Can Claim It…No Strings Attached I'm happy that we found our tax accountant. Jim is very sharp and stays current on the latest tax rules. But new E.V. owners must remember to claim one little tax credit: their home charger and installation expense. …

What Happens Next is Worthy of A Movie. Stay Tune. My father-in-law was itching to go back to Greece. He had booked his airline ticket in advance. He enthusiastically prepaid all his credit cards and utility bills and packed his carry-on suitcase. He bragged that he traveled light, and checking…