This is a bit strange since I've never written in this venue before. But we'll see where it takes me. Sports have been my passion/crutch/outlet/frustration since first memory. I'm fairly sure the athletic world and its cousins will comprise numerous future discourses.
I also love music -- eclectic in my tastes -- ranging from Louis Armstrong to Prince and everything in between. I grew up with Bill Haley, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Fats Domino, and a myriad of teen angst girl groups. I still listen to them from time to time, but my list has vastly expanded.
My political views have run the gamut from left to right and in between. At the moment I'm simply bored with the lack of substance in most public policies. More will be forthcoming as 2008 approaches.
Cooking has recently seeped into my list of favorite activities. I have more recipe books than time to prepare them. If I can read it, I can make it, but epicurean creativity has proven elusive. I'm fairly sure that pasta and chicken would occupy my dinner table most nights if I had to narrow the choices. "Iron Chef America" may be the most fascinating show I've seen in recent years.
I consider myself a voracious reader -- police procedurals, biographies, history, selected fiction, sports (naturally), and mysteries have expanded my library and vastly reduced my living space. Pack rattishness is a disease I've acquired. It's just too difficult to part with anything. Some day....
I'm single (lifetime)and not sure how I feel about that. Some days I'm glad; other days I lament past opportunities to have changed the status quo. Still time, but we shall see.
I am a high school teacher, my second major career. The aforementioned athletic world, including some broadcasting adventures, guided me through the first portion of my working experience.
Gonzaga University, recently famous for basketball prowess, kindly awarded me a B.A. degree in Communication Arts in 1968. The army beckoned 18 days after commencement, and a subsequent 17-month Vietnam excursion followed. No combat, most fortunate, still some ups and downs when I returned.
My parents, phenomenal individuals both, have long since passed. I know I will expound on their contributions in the future. There is one brother, also a teacher and successful coach, who dwarfs any of my meager achievements. I hope he understands how much I love and cherish him. He has been married for 31-years to one of the most intelligent, level-headed, perceptive, and radiant women I have ever met. He would be the first to corroborate that opinion. He realizes his great fortune in wedded bliss. I have one nephew and one niece, both marvelous individuals. My nephew and his exceptional bride are the proud parents of 16-month old quadruplets, a story in itself. He is an executive with a large firm in Sacramento. My niece recently finished her M.A. in education and will embark on her own teaching career this coming year.She also resides in Portland.
I guess this first entry lives up to the "...Ramblings" title. I will add to this, hopefully with some regularity.
RMM
