Lifestyle
Their Interfaith Relationship Turned a Corner on Christmas
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By the point Caressa Gonzalez and Mordechai Miltz met in December 2016, 10 months had handed since they matched on the courting app Bumble.
Although they shortly exchanged cellphone numbers and have become Fb associates after connecting on the app, Mr. Miltz, 37, was then dwelling between his native Lengthy Seaside, N.Y., and Florida, the place Ms. Gonzalez grew up and lived.
For Ms. Gonzalez, 32, their delayed in-person assembly was “simply as effectively as a result of I wasn’t prepared for a relationship after a troublesome breakup,” she stated.
Raised in West Palm Seaside, Ms. Gonzalez graduated from Florida Worldwide College in Miami and runs Manhattan Trophy & Promotion, her household’s enterprise in Lake Price, which sells trophies, medals and different tokens of accomplishment. Mr. Miltz, who goes by Mordy, attended Nassau Neighborhood School and is a dealer with United Yacht Gross sales in Stuart, Fla.
When the couple lastly met for drinks and dinner at Park Tavern in Delray Seaside, Fla., in December 2016, there was an instantaneous chemistry. “We had an incredible dialog,” stated Mr. Miltz, as they talked about work and their totally different households: Ms. Gonzalez was raised Catholic by mother and father who immigrated to this nation from Cuba, and Mr. Miltz, whose mother and father are divorced, was raised Orthodox Jewish.
“We laughed for 2 hours,” Ms. Gonzalez stated. “He was actually good firm.”
Over the following few weeks, they grew inseparable, taking yachts out for lunch (a perk of his job) attending automotive exhibits and sharing meals collectively. Quickly Christmas was upon them. Ms. Gonzalez, who had deliberate to have a good time the vacation along with her household, stated she was “baffled” when Mr. Miltz requested what time may he come over and what he ought to carry.
“Who invitations himself to an intimate household gathering for a vacation he doesn’t even have a good time?” she stated. That night time, he requested her to be his girlfriend and so they formally turned a pair.
However not for lengthy: Proper earlier than Valentine’s Day in February 2017, Ms. Gonzalez broke up with Mr. Miltz. “I had by no means dated anybody as giving or variety as Mordy,” she stated. “I felt smothered.” He was so understanding about her resolution, although, that Ms. Gonzalez shortly regretted it. Days later, they had been again collectively.
“I used to be skeptical however let it play out as a result of Caressa was a very good individual and a lot enjoyable,” Mr. Miltz stated. As they continued to this point, the couple “realized to speak by way of our issues,” Ms. Gonzalez stated. “Our variations have helped us develop collectively and enhanced our relationship.”
In 2020, early within the pandemic, Mr. Miltz completely relocated to Florida, and the couple later purchased a house close to Ms. Gonzalez’s mother and father’ home in West Palm Seaside. Whereas the 2 had mentioned marriage over time, Mr. Miltz’s proposal that Might took Ms. Gonzalez unexpectedly. That they had simply returned from the seashore and she or he was carrying pajamas.
“I don’t even bear in mind his phrases, however I stated sure,” she stated.
On Feb. 14, the couple married on the steps of St. Stanislaus Church in Altos de Chavon, a reproduction Sixteenth-century Mediterranean village inside the Casa de Campo resort in La Romana, Dominican Republic.
Father Brian King, Ms. Gonzalez’ childhood priest, carried out a Catholic ceremony earlier than 53 friends, who had all examined detrimental for Covid the day earlier than the marriage. On the finish of the ceremony, a huppah organized by the couple was introduced out. After two Jewish prayers had been stated for the newlyweds, they smashed the normal glass.
The outside reception that adopted started with a cocktail hour held close to the church on a plaza overlooking the Chavon River. It continued at La Piazzetta, a restaurant inside the resort, the place the couple and their friends loved a flamboyant hora loca, an hour filled with dancing and appearances by costumed performers.
Of her new husband, Ms. Gonzalez stated, “He places everybody above himself. Up to now six years, I’ve watched him develop into a unprecedented individual.”
She added, “I couldn’t look ahead to at the present time to return.”
Lifestyle
Elwood Edwards, the voice of AOL's 'You've got mail' alert, dies at 74
Elwood Edwards — the voice that greeted millions of AOL users with “You’ve got mail!” when they opened their inboxes — died on Tuesday. He was 74.
WKYC Studios in Cleveland, where Edwards spent many years as a graphics guru, camera operator, and “general jack-of-all-trades,” said the long-time employee suffered from a “long illness.” WKYC Studios added that Edwards passed away a day before his birthday.
He died at his home in New Bern, North Carolina, the Associated Press reported.
Although Edwards’ cheerful, warm voice is now synonymous with the AOL alert, the opportunity to lend his voice to the signature phrase came largely by chance.
In 1989, Quantum Computer Services, which would later be known as AOL, was looking for a voice actor to help with the alerts of its new software. Edwards’ wife was working there at the time, which is how Edwards heard about the opportunity. All in the comfort of his living room, Edwards recorded “Welcome,” “You’ve got mail!,” “Files done” and “Goodbye” on a cassette recorder. In return, he received $200.
Edwards’ voice went on to become one of the defining sounds of the internet revolution. He was not only greeting new users to AOL, but often, introducing them to the world of email for the first time.
“Edwards’s voice made AOL feel a little friendlier, a little more welcoming at a time when the internet was a big, new world for most people,” AOL said in a statement.
At the turn of the 21st century, AOL began to falter, partly due to its merger with Time Warner and partly because it failed to adapt quickly enough to the changing internet landscape.
Edwards eventually moved to Ohio, going to work for 3News at the television station WKYC in 2002. He retired in 2016. But his voice continued to be prominent in various sitcoms and films over the years, most notably the 1998 rom-com You’ve Got Mail. In 2015, Edwards appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to read some lines suggested by the audience.
“To prove that it’s really you, can you say the classic ‘You’ve got mail’ line?” Fallon asked.
“Welcome! You’ve got mail!” Edwards replied. He smiled at the crowd as they gave him resounding applause.
Lifestyle
Sally Field Trashes Harris-Walz Signs Shortly After Trump Victory
Sally Field was not having much of a fun birthday on Wednesday … which was on full display when she was snapped trashing her Kamala Harris signs after Donald Trump won reelection.
Looking somewhat dejected, Sally tossed the signs into the trash cans outside her Los Angeles home … clearly showing she was at best, sad — at worst, pissed — over DT’s victory.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Back in August, Sally posted on IG when Harris officially accepted the nomination … “I’ve not been on social media. Not since it became public toilet paper for our former crook of a President. But ‘hope is making a comeback.’ So here I am. This is me. And this is my dog, Dash. Buckle up,”
SF was among the cavalcade of stars who put their full support behind Kamala … endorsements that clearly did nothing to move the needle — as evident in DT also winning the popular vote this time around.
One celeb who backed Trump — Kid Rock — definitely celebrated DT’s win … and made a surprising request to his fans and fellow Trumpers … let’s all just get along now!
In a video he posted to IG … KD dropped the act and appeared as himself, Robert Ritchie … and told his fans it’s time to come together as a country and let go of animosity for one another.
“We must remember that most of our left-leaning friends are good people who want the same things in life as we do, but simply think differently on how to get there,” he implored.
Still … it’s probably not the best time to ask Sally if she got that message.
Lifestyle
ESPN host Kirk Herbstreit's beloved game day-crashing dog, Ben, has died
ESPN host Kirk Herbstreit announced the death of his dog, Ben — a golden retriever who captured the hearts of football fans in appearances alongside ESPN announcers.
“This is really hard to write but so many of you have loved and cared about Ben that I wanted to let you know,” Herbstreit wrote Thursday on X. “We found out today the cancer had spread throughout Ben’s organs and there was nothing left we could do-we had to let him go.”
This is really hard to write but so many of you have loved and cared about Ben that I wanted to let you know. We found out today the cancer had spread throughout Bens organs and there was nothing left we could do-we had to let him go. I’ve had dogs my whole life but Ben was 1 on… pic.twitter.com/jDvPTbNv2M
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 7, 2024
Herbstreit had told fans earlier this year that 10-year-old Ben had been diagnosed with leukemia, requiring chemotherapy treatment and major surgery. In September, Herbstreit said that Ben had had an “incredible recovery” and had been able to resume travel with the College GameDay chief analyst.
But on Monday, Herbstreit told his supporters that Ben, who was a certified emotional support animal, had again fallen ill.
“Ben had a 2nd chemo injection on October 23rd and from that day has been getting worse and worse,” he wrote on X. “He has lost use of his back legs-almost like they’re paralyzed. He can barely walk. He hasn’t eaten in 3 days.”
Herbstreit said at the time that he and Ben were in Pennsylvania seeking treatment from a holistic doctor who was using vitamin C to try to treat the pup.
“I’ve had dogs my whole life but Ben was 1 on 1,” Herbstreit wrote in tribute to Ben. “Always a big smile and a soft tail wag. He and I could communicate…he and I understood each other and had each other’s backs. He was with me more than anyone at home and traveling with me for work. Such an easy going companion. Hard day–but he will live within all of us forever.”
During his time as an honorary sports analyst, Ben picked up fitting titles ranging from “chief happiness officer of football” to “treat analyst.”
Just want to thank the @NFL teams PR depts and college football SID’s that we’ve been with this year for making credentials for Ben every week. It’s been so much fun to see him embraced by so many.
Truly appreciate it!
These 2 were from previous weeks that I just got! pic.twitter.com/22mUrZzgbG— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) October 17, 2024
On Herbstreit’s social media pages, Ben’s fans paid tribute to the dog and praised Herbstreit for returning to work even through his grief.
“We love you, Kirk,” one person wrote on an Instagram post showing a tail-wagging Ben excitedly walking through a hotel. “This man calls a game the day his dog passes. He loves football, but more importantly, he loved Ben. That dog was truly one of a kind.”
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