Me
First and foremost, I am a husband. Been married for 20 years. We have five children (yes, I know, thank you, it really wasn’t too hard) and two dogs. Our oldest (child…not dog) is 19, our youngest is 10. The only girl is second-from-the-top: 18 years old.
I was born in Vermont and grew up in New York (no, not the city… Upstate. You know? Cows and grass and rivers with water, not concrete?). In 2002, I dragged my family across the country to move to California. I was pursuing my master’s degree and felt this was a Good Idea at the time. I’m still pursuing my M.S., but the details have changed.
I am a physical education teacher at a middle school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. I love teaching. However the practice in the classroom is unfortunately more like baby-sitting. There are certainly some stand-out students. However, many parents have failed us and their children: they have not taught and passed on basic social skills such as respect for authority, self-reliance, accountability, and respect for others. As teachers, our hands are tied in many ways and so, we become more baby-sitter-ish even though Society tries to hold us responsible for the failings of their sons and daughters.
Lastly, I am a rabid fan of bicycling. To pigeon-hole me, I am a “roadie”–a cyclist who rides on the road (as opposed to off-road, a mountain-biker). I enjoy long, 100+ mile rides. I enjoy short, 25-mile races. I enjoy mostly riding with groups. Fast. It’s almost like flying when you push along down a road at 25+ miles per hour for hours on end.
Cycling is, my addiction of choice.