I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, in an Italian-American home. We have no immediate ties to the Mothers And Fathers Italian Association. I am, ever so thankfully, out of the house, and in a new neck of the woods, the next leg of the path that is my life. It has been dubbed (by me) as The Best Idea I Ever Had, which I love to see and have yet to be proven wrong. I also love to say that I escaped from New York, and that I am the Jewel of Brooklyn (now set in New England).

My mother is a bureaucrat/administrator of a high school that's technically on its way out; if she can't turn it around within the confines of the current system, no one can. She has some clout with the New York Board of Education, but I don't have a specific clout value. My father is a laid off mainframe programmer, who was able to go to cooking school (and loved it) due to qualifying for this program that extended his unemployment so that he can get trained in some skill, vocation, insert favorite resume filler here.

I have one (1) younger brother, approximately 3.333 years younger than I. To truly know him is to experience him. I have not yet explored the studies on sibling dynamics, so cannot comment on it. Yet. He's a freelance photographer (take yer pic as quick as he'd shag ya), specializing in skateboarding (which is not a crime) and other extreme sports. He's recently landed himself a staff position for Zoo York and now he's really kickin ass and takin' names.

I have a significant other, half-Portuguese, who, for all intents and purposes, is The One. Our origin isn't so remarkable: we met in RL, made a go of LD, and have moved onward to a more localized environment. Since the last writing of the About, we have joined forces in what I call the Great Confluence, the next step of our lives.

I have a few friends, my tribe, my circle of non-blood relations. They are quite varied in background and geography, and will not be listed directly. They have been there through the thick and thin, here and there, on and on. They inspire me, nudge me, console me as I hope I do the same for them. Well, maybe not the nudging. I nudge like a nudge demon from the blackest pits of hell.

My employ was technical writer (yes technically I write) at Integrated Technologies, but due to mismanagement had to lay everyone off, despite knowing it was coming. Now, I'm a "Computer Operator" for ASFT under a contract with the DoD. It's really boring, but really stable.

It's a wonder I majored in Math in the first place. Among other things, I have a variety of internally grown experience. I have to admit, it was the best job I've ever had, but it was more so when i was on an assignment with GTECH. While I'm not an independent freelancer (or contractor or consultant), or an author (so goes the dream; it still stands, but not in a direct line of sight), it's certainly better than being a pencil pushing actuarial assistant. I mean I might not always be writing from scratch, and more likely than not will have some manual or user guide to update. My hands tied at some varying level, bound by some understanding on how conservative my updating must conform to. Which is a lot better than barely knowing what you are doing, nervous every goddamn day five days a week for two years, because everyone else thinks it's the job for you.

All I know is that I've never been happier, from where the path I travel has put me, to whom I travel with, to what I want to do with my life. There are many doors around me, with many doors continually opening. I look forward to trying as many doors as I can get around to.

In October 1994, I was diagnosed with crohns disease. I have had my ups and downs with this disease, and am recently on an upswing. I finally got the right doctors looking into my care, or more specifically, inspiring me to take care of myself. Without getting into it, I am not too keen on doctors, but that is a different ball of wax.

I compare this disease to the curse placed on the main character in Richard Bachman's (aka Stephen King) Thinner. I am wasting away from the inside out. As I understand it, my body is attacking itself because what should be there to be attacked is no longer there, many thanks to the miracle of modern medicine.

Recent developments now include osteopenia, which is very close to osteoporosis. To reverse this, along with removing unwnated flesh, I am in the process of Weight Watching and going to the gym, but my ulterior motive is to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a superhero.