I am not quite sure what this blog is to be about so I’ll write about the book, Three Cups of Tea.  Believe it or not, I finished the book weeks ago and don’t fully remember it all but what I can say is that while reading it, I couldn’t finish it fast enough.  It held my interest and I found it helpful in putting into place the events that happened. It clarified Russia’s involvement and also spelled out the player in the region.  What I found interesting was the politics of everything, even in the small villages that were vying for the schools.  I envy him for having such passion about doing something in these countries and trying to help educate the children, especially the girls.  The struggles, the patience needed, and just the environment he worked in are things I know I would never have been able to deal with.

When most people think about hitting the jackpot, they think of money.  Whether it’s playing lotto, or maybe the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes, it’s all about the green.  I too used to think like that.  I have only played the lottery a handful of times in my lifetime, usually when the jackpot is at an all time record.  When I play, I only buy one ticket.  If I’m going to be lucky, then one ticket should do.  But as time went on without a call from the lottery commission, I knew it wasn’t meant to be.  So for me, hitting the jackpot has a different meaning.  I believe I have hit the jackpot because I couldn’t ask for anything more out of life.  I worked hard for 30 years in the financial industry and saved my money.  I saved like crazy, even when it meant giving up luxuries which were never that important to me in the first place.  I married, raised two children, and now, after all this time, left my career of over 30 years and pursued some of the things I wanted to do.  I now work in a profession that I truly enjoy, I travel, I am able to provide for my family, and I have some very good friends.  What more can someone ask for. While winning millions of dollars would be nice, I don’t think it would alter my life one bit.  Sure I’d have more money for my family, but I really don’t think it would give me any more pleasure than I have today.

Balancing work and family is something I have been doing for over 25 years.  It was especially important once I had children.  My business was in Manhattan so everyday, like so many others, I would take a 6:00am train to get to work and take a 6:00pm train home.  That worked fine as my wife was also working at the time.  Like many newly married couples, we each had our careers.  But as soon as I had my first child, I made the decision to move the business to Long Island, about five minutes from my home. I did this because I wanted to make sure I was around as much as possible to be with my kids. Being self emplyoyed, I had the flexibility to make sure I was available, no matter what.  I became very active in the PTA, thereby allowing me to be with my children when they were in elementary and middle school, the most important years for children.  I never missed a game, a show, a recital, etc…  I was lucky.  Most people wouldn’t have the opportunity to be there for everything but we made the decision that our family came first, not matter what.  To this day, we still make sure that no matter what is going on in our professional lives, our family is first.  Whether it’s taking a trip or vacation, or just spending a holiday together, they are our priority.  I’m not saying that it was always easy but choices have to be made and ours was our family

One of my “elusive goals” was to become a real estate mogul.  I have always been involved in real estate and dreamed of buying houses or condos all over and renting them out for income. I have had the opportunity to try my hand and have had mixed results.  When I graduated from college, I bought my first condo in a beach town called Avalon.  It was about 30 miles south of Atlantic city and I spent many summers down their with my family.  I then purchased a 5 unit building with other partners in the same town.  This property turned out to be profitable and was rented for the entire summer.  We flipped this into a single family house and lived their with my parents during the summer months.  We sold it when the market was at it’s peak back in 2000.  I then moved onto a condo in playa del ray in California.  My brother was living there at the time and needed a place to live.  I bought it, he fixed it up, and we eventually sold it at a profit and split the proceeds  We then bought two townhouses in the Pocono’s.  We lived in one and rented the other.  We were lucky enough to sell them both, bought a piece of land, and built our own house.  After a few years, we decided to rent it out and for the past six years, did very well.  We recently decided to no longer rent it and begin to use it for ourselves and our family.  I next moved onto two condo’s in Florida, purchasing them in 2005.  Shortly thereafter, the real estate market took a hit and I lost money on both. After all is said and done,  we now are left with our primary house in NY and our pocono house.  I think I realized the commitment and stress involved in owning rental real estate.  When you have good tenants, it’s great and when you don’t, it’s hell.  While I’ll never be a Donald Trump, I value the experiences I have had and look forward to one final move, out west.

the house that I grew up in in Philadelphia.  I was raised in Mt. Airy, a section of the city. I lived in a small row home with my parents and two brothers.  A small front yard and no back yard.  A corner house in a long row or homes. From what I can remember, it was a 3 bedroom house and I shared a bedroom with one of my brothers.  I remember there used to be tons of kids and we hung out all day and night.  Back then, you would go out to play and your mom would say, “be back before dark”.  No cell phones, no checking in.  Just come home when the sun went down.  I lived there from 1961 until 1971.  The neighborhood started to change and my parents felt it would be best if we left so we moved into a 3 bedroom apartment and stayed there until I turned 16.  I often wonder what became of the house and the neighborhood.  I can still remember playing out front and in the school yard across the street.  I know that the neighborhood went through some bad times but like most of Philadelphia, I hope that it recovered and rejuvinated itself.  While the house was small. it was a great place to grow up.  I don’t get back to Philadelphia that often but one of these days, I will take the trip back to Mt. Airy to visit 8501 Michener Street.

I have many memorable teachers, unfortunately, many bad.  So I will be positive and focus on one that I remember all the way back from my junior high years. (1973).  His name was Mr. Coletta and he was a science teacher.  Now science and I never really got along but I needed an elective and somehow took a class known as “Bacteriololgy”. By its name it was the study of bacteria.  Sounds awful but he made it so much fun and interesting.  I’ll never forget one experiement where we all had petri dishes and got to go around the school and swab different things to grow in the dishes.  We then had to do certain tests using various chemicals to try and determine what the bacteria was.  He was always pleasant and fun.  The interesting thing is I use a similar lab in my foods class when talking about foodborne illnesses.  I have the kids go around the classroom and swab everything.  The bacteria grows over a few days and it gets the point across to the kids that bacteria is all around, even if we think we are clean.  The kids in my high school class enjoyed it as much as I did back then.

would be a picture book.  I don’t enjoy writing and would much rather look at pictures on a subject.  I find books with extraordinary pictures or artwork much more enjoyable to look at than to read text.  For example, I have a book on some of the most beautiful places on the earth. I have “read” that book numerous times even though it is made up of only pictures.

One of my hobbies is collecting animation art. We have pieces that were used in the original Disney movies when each cel was hand painted.  I would make a book by going around the country and photographing the rarest pieces. There is something about this art that for me, is mesmerizing. If you were to look at an original cel of Cinderella or the Wicked Queen from Snow White, you would be amazed at the technique of the Disney Artists who hand painted each and every detail.  Just beautiful. For me, looking at pictures says more than reading words.

Jeffrey Lewis from Bravo’s “Flipping Out”.  This is a show about a guy who buys, fixes up, and then usually resells homes, typically in the California area.  Aside from the fact that they portray him as extremely neurotic and anal, with a sever case of OCD, he is brilliant when it comes to interior design.  I have been involved in real estate from a landlords point of view but have always wanted to flip houses.  The thought of finding a home, demolishing the insides and then totally redoing it with my vision is something I think would be very exciting. Unfortunately, flipping houses in New York is problematic because even the houses that need a lot of work are costly and to flip a house out of state is not feasible.  So, for now, I’ll have to live vicariously through Jeff Lewis until it’s my turn.

I can’t honestly say I have any passions but I have a lot of likes.  I enjoy cooking and being in the kitchen.  I enjoy experimenting and making different foods for my friends and family.  I enjoy going away on vacation, especially when it’s just my family.  The time we are all able to get together is limited so when we do go away, we make the best of it.  I enjoy being outside.  Especially at the beach, out at our pool, and up in the mountains.  There is something about feeling the sun on your skin or breathing in that clean mountain air.  I like just sitting by the fire and watching TV. I probably do that way too much but I can’t change now.  I should probably pick up a book instead but I find watching TV very relaxing.  I’m not sure I was ever passionate about anything but I sure have a lot of likes.

I would probably be in the music or theatre industry in some capacity.  While I played many instruments growing up, I don’t think I mastered any of them enough to be a pit musician so that’s out.  I went to the theatre growing up with my mom and have such great memories.  The shows we saw together over 30 years ago still stick with me as do the songs from those shows.  A Chorus Line, Fiddler on the Roof, Les Mis, and Phantom.  I know ever word to every song and it drives my family crazy when I listen to these songs in the car.  They don’t understand what these songs mean to me.  They are not just songs from Broadway musicals, they are my memories from time spent with my mom.