School and I have never been the best of friends. Perhaps the lines from the Beatles' classic, "Getting Better", could apply to me as well: 'Holding me down, turning me round, filling me up with your rules'. After kindergarten, my first school was St. Ann's Elementary School in the Queensboro Hill section of Flushing. I had religious nuns for 7 of the 8 years, and to this day have positive memories of only 2 of the 8 years. By 6th grade, an interest in motor vehicles kept me going. Things there have changed since then, and I think that I have too.
The high school was at St. Francis Preparatory. When I was there it was in the Northside section of Brooklyn, but since 1974 has been in Fresh Meadows on Francis Lewis Boulevard. Perhaps it's me, but the first two years are generally filled with bad memories, but the second two were better. In sophomore year baseball and World War I held my interests. After that it was rock music. Most of the brothers and lay teachers were Irish or Irish American, and unfortunately some believed in favoritism and were outright racists. I guess they were religious but not very Christian.
Like elementary school, the new St. Francis is a great place and I do go back to visit when I can. If I knew then even a small fraction of what I know now, things would have been very different for me.
After St. Francis I went away to college for one year. The lucky school was Marist College, and since I was free from my mom & dad, as well as nasty high school teachers and classmates, I went a bit crazy. My loves were sex, booze, and rock & roll, and I was only lucky with 2 out of 3 (guess which one I missed out on). I have told the story on two Marist websites that I created, so the story is here:
Bill and Marist
Needless to say, I was yanked out after freshman year and ended up in St. John's University. Somehow, I thought that bigger would be better, and that there would be more activities and social opportunities there, but surprise, I was wrong! It was like being back in high school, with Mom & Dad on my back all of the time. The Greek letter fraternities controlled the place, and I could not see spending money and getting humiliated and beaten on to make (or buy) friends. However, in 1971 I was hung up on a certain sorority girl who I thought was the perfect lady for me. Too bad she did not agree. Read all about it here in the year 1971
It got so unbearable that I was looking forward to going into the military, and got my wish in July 1971. There are more links that describe the time at St. John's:
St. John's Journal
and
The Dark Ages.
This paragraph covers the Air Force and the readjustment that followed. I reported to Lackland AFB on July 23, 1971 and 6 weeks later was a full fledged airman. Then it was 28 months at England AFB in Alexandria LA. The place was a bit dead, and the only activity seemed to be going to church. I was happy to go overseas to Guam in 1974. My hitch was up in 1975 and I tried to readjust to civilian life. It actually took a while, but during the 3 1/2 years I met a nice Irish born girlfriend, who sadly went back to Ireland in 1976; discovered the theater, art, and performing arts; went to graduate school, and traveled twice to Europe. During this time I tried to get established in the banking industry, but was not too successful. In October 1978 I started to go out with a young lady from Rockville Centre NY who I first met in July 1976. We eventually got married. The story is here at When Bill Met Ellen
In the last month of the Readjustment I officially began my relationship with my significant other, Ellen. She got me interested in jazz, among other things. Then in April 1979 we got engaged. Since she was from Rockville Centre, I decided to move near her and on September 1 officially became a Nassau County resident, with an apartment in Oceanside. In the meantime, things were getting worse at my job (the Harlem Savings Bank) and I decided to bail out. After Ellen and I got married on November 24 I went on a few interviews but no luck. In 1980 I stepped it up and then on February 14 was fired by Harlem SB. The excuses were bullshit, but I found a new job 10 days later. It was the Capital National Bank in Washington Heights and while there in December John Lennon was murdered. That revived my interest in the Beatles and I started to read about them and listen to them again in earnest. Fool that I was, in January 1981 I left for Bankers Trust Company and while I made some friends, and decided to go into computers, I lacked 2 important skills to stay there: back stabbing and sucking up. So after being told that I was going to get a transfer to data processing, I was told to resign. Still, I found a new job 4 days later. The following month Ellen, her brother, a former Bankers Trust co-worker and I went to a Mets Dodgers game and suddenly I was hooked on baseball again. I would go to Shea Stadium 5 more times in 1983.
While this was going on I was studying at Pace University for a Professional Certificate in Information Systems since I was told at Bankers Trust that I needed that to work in data processing there. Of course the transfer never took place. In 1984 Ellen and I began to look for a house in Suffolk County. Kings Park, where we almost moved to in 1982, was now too pricey. That meant the South Shore and after looking at a few homes in Bay Shore and Deer Park, we came upon a ranch house in Islip. The price and location were right and we have been here since August 10, 1984. It took me a very long time to get used to living out here, but it's now home. During the first 8 months Ellen and I were Confraternity of Christian Doctrine teachers for our new parish, St. Mary's, and the father of one of our students was a member of the Islip Fire Department. I got to talk to him on one occasion and he said that they were looking for new members. Ever eager to try something new, I went down to headquarters in early 1985 and said that I wanted to join. After investigations and a physical, I was sworn in on June 17, 1985. The Department and I have never been the same since. ;-)
Two months after joining the fire department I began to work as a systems auditor at Atlantic Bank of New York. It was probably the best banking job that I ever had. The downer was that in 1987 there was the Long Island Railroad strike, and that put a damper on working in Manhattan. Then came as offer to work on Long Island and be home in 30 minutes. So I grabbed it. At the same time (June 1987) I also got my emergency medical technician card and now I would be soaring. Only it was the wrong way. LISB turned out to be the job from hell, and being an EMT meant more headaches and trouble with other members who sucked up to the chief. Morale plummeted everywhere for me, and by the end of 1988 it looked like the end of the line for me at the Islip FD and also at LISB. I managed to get my average up at the fire department and I am still a member. As for the LISB, it was a lost cause and on January 20, 1989 was let go. The dream job turned into a nightmare. When I went looking for a new job, headhunters would not even talk to me. It was at this time that the banking career was over, as well as data processing and auditing. I was convinced that college and I were never meant for each other.
I managed to get temporary employment for 10 months. In July 1989 Ellen told me that she missed her period and was feeling nauseous frequently. Yes, she was pregnant and our new baby would arrive in March 1990! Now I have a child coming and still do not have a permanent job. Perhaps Ellen would have to go back to work and I would be a house husband, like John Lennon was. Then in October 1989 I started to work on a temporary basis at Shea & Gould, a law firm. On December 4 I was hired and have been in law firms ever since. Suddenly I was optimistic about life and looked forward to our new daughter who would arrive in 3 months.
On March 19, 1990 our new daughter Eileen Theresa arrived, at Central General Hospital in Plainview. She came home on the 24th and we have never been the same since.
1986 Mets Jerseys
Chicken Hawks piss me off to no end
New York Yankees logo
It took some getting used to after 10 years with no children, but Ellen and I managed. Eileen seemed to be a healthy baby but in 1992 we noticed that she was not talking like a 2 year old should. After a few visits to pediatricians and pediatric neurologists, we learned that she had autism (1 in 166!). That kind of put a damper on our dreams for her. Before her 3rd birthday she was in special education, and has been there ever since. She should be going into her senior year at Islip High School in 2007, but that did not happen. Instead, she got home schooled. However, we let her go bowling, play soccer with the West Islip Soccer Club, and when she was 10 years old, play Little League baseball with the Challenger Division of the Sachem Little League. We also took her to family get togethers at my office, and she generally got along well with everyone.
Shea & Gould went out of business in 1994, and I had to scramble for a new job. The consolation was that it was not my fault, and in April was hired by Rogers & Wells, a law firm located at 200 Park Avenue. The partners taught me how to write narrative invoices, and through that my writing skills drastically improved. In February 1999 I suddenly realized that my computer was connected to the Internet, and the first web site that I accessed was for my former favorite radio station, WCBS-FM. After that it was addiction, and am now considered a "mouse potato". I survived a merger in 2000 when R&W merged with London based Clifford Chance. In 2001 I buttered Ellen up a bit and she allowed me to play on the Firm's softball team. We generally played in Central Park, and I mention my playing years on softball and Washington DC
On the fire department front, in August 1997 I switched fire companies. When I was sworn in to the ranks in 1985, I entered the Fire Police Company. No family member ever served in a volunteer or paid fire department, and I did not know what I was getting myself into. I decided to join a support company. However, I got a bit bored after a few years so in 1997 switched to an engine company, Engine Company 2 (the Reds).
Since 1999 I have created several web pages on Geocities, Homestead, and a few other providers. They mainly cover my interests, such as my favorite baseball teams, places that I have visited or would like to visit, hobbies, and how I met Ellen. I have also created blogs on Yahoo and 2 other providers, and also belong to tagged.com, hoverspot.com, multiply.com, and myspace.com.
I stayed with Clifford Chance Rogers & Wells until February 2005 when I became a victim of downsizing. That meant rewriting the resume, and learning how to go on interviews again, both things that I had not done in 11 years. However, on March 3, 2005 I was hired by one employer and was there until December 2007. In February 2008 I began to work at another firm near Grand Central Terminal.
During 2006 I played with a team affiliated with the Island Softball Association. Like the 1962 Mets, we find new ways to lose! My new employer has a team affiliated with the Yorkville Sports Association, and I will start to play with them in Spring 2008.
As I mentioned earlier, I got hooked on baseball again in 1983 when I went to a Mets game. Ellen and I try to go at least once a year to Shea Stadium, and I also get free tickets to 2 Long Island Ducks games each year, thanks to my fire company. I have also seen the Toledo Mudhens, Norwich Navigators, Brooklyn Cyclones, Staten Island Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox at their home parks.
During 2006 the Islip Fire Department celebrated its 125th anniversary. The 3 of us are enjoying the new additions that we put onto the house: 20 years of improvements, all at once.
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in 1935
Mister Met
Since elementary school I have had a wanderlust, but have not traveled as much as I would have liked to. In 2nd grade I went to Florida, and have yet to return to the Sunshine State. In the 6th grade I went to Washington DC, and had a great time. While I was with relatives, my cousins were my age and it was a blast. To this day I always love being in DC. I would return in 1966, 1970, 1988, 2000, 2004, and 2006. Over the Woodstock weekend I was in Nashville to go to the Grand Ole Opry and check out the country music scene. It was my first vacation without relatives in years and fell in love with Music City. While in the USAF from 1971 to 1975 I managed to visit Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Indiana and Guam. New Orleans was a blast, since it reminded me of home. On the way home from the West Coast in 1975, I stopped in Seattle and Spokane to see about relocating there. Nothing came of it and I have been in New York ever since.
I wanted to visit Europe and planned to go there in 1976. But where? Holland was one choice, since it was back to the roots - of New York City, and it was the original home of Vincent Van Gogh. Also London even if Irish people I knew bashed it, and then Ireland since from elementary school I heard how wonderful it was. So off I went on August 13, 1976 and arrived in Amsterdam the next day. I loved Old Amsterdam, and when I got to London I was in heaven. I loved the place and it's my favorite foreign city. Ireland was nice, but I was disappointed, since I expected more. I also learned that my Irish girlfriend who I looked up was not Ms. Right. In 1977 I would return to Europe: London, Paris and Amsterdam. I have not been across the Pond since.
When Ellen and I honeymooned it was Aruba and Curacao. Very pleasant, but I would have preferred London. We would go to New England after that: Mystic, New Bedford, Boston, Maine, and Newport, as well as Quebec City in 1986 (my last time on a plane). All subsequent trips until December 2007 have been by car: Leesburg VA, Cooperstown, Chicago, Lambertville NJ, Williamsburg, the Poconos, New England, and Washington DC. In late 2007 we went by AMTRAK to my cousin's wedding at Notre Dame University in South Bend IN.
Ellen and I have been talking about returning to Europe again. But since poverty sucks, it might not be for a few years.
Ellen and me at the Skytop Lodge in the Poconos, 2002
The 3 of us in Chicago, 2001
The Brooklyn Dodgers
Billy at South Bend's College Football Hall of Fame, December 2007
Ellen and Eileen at a Staten Island Yankees game, August 2007
Sign Guestbook
View Guestbook
Chicken Hawks piss me off to no end
New York Yankees logo
It took some getting used to after 10 years with no children, but Ellen and I managed. Eileen seemed to be a healthy baby but in 1992 we noticed that she was not talking like a 2 year old should. After a few visits to pediatricians and pediatric neurologists, we learned that she had autism (1 in 166!). That kind of put a damper on our dreams for her. Before her 3rd birthday she was in special education, and has been there ever since. She should be going into her senior year at Islip High School in 2007, but that did not happen. Instead, she got home schooled. However, we let her go bowling, play soccer with the West Islip Soccer Club, and when she was 10 years old, play Little League baseball with the Challenger Division of the Sachem Little League. We also took her to family get togethers at my office, and she generally got along well with everyone.
Shea & Gould went out of business in 1994, and I had to scramble for a new job. The consolation was that it was not my fault, and in April was hired by Rogers & Wells, a law firm located at 200 Park Avenue. The partners taught me how to write narrative invoices, and through that my writing skills drastically improved. In February 1999 I suddenly realized that my computer was connected to the Internet, and the first web site that I accessed was for my former favorite radio station, WCBS-FM. After that it was addiction, and am now considered a "mouse potato". I survived a merger in 2000 when R&W merged with London based Clifford Chance. In 2001 I buttered Ellen up a bit and she allowed me to play on the Firm's softball team. We generally played in Central Park, and I mention my playing years on softball and Washington DC
On the fire department front, in August 1997 I switched fire companies. When I was sworn in to the ranks in 1985, I entered the Fire Police Company. No family member ever served in a volunteer or paid fire department, and I did not know what I was getting myself into. I decided to join a support company. However, I got a bit bored after a few years so in 1997 switched to an engine company, Engine Company 2 (the Reds).
Since 1999 I have created several web pages on Geocities, Homestead, and a few other providers. They mainly cover my interests, such as my favorite baseball teams, places that I have visited or would like to visit, hobbies, and how I met Ellen. I have also created blogs on Yahoo and 2 other providers, and also belong to tagged.com, hoverspot.com, multiply.com, and myspace.com.
I stayed with Clifford Chance Rogers & Wells until February 2005 when I became a victim of downsizing. That meant rewriting the resume, and learning how to go on interviews again, both things that I had not done in 11 years. However, on March 3, 2005 I was hired by one employer and was there until December 2007. In February 2008 I began to work at another firm near Grand Central Terminal.
During 2006 I played with a team affiliated with the Island Softball Association. Like the 1962 Mets, we find new ways to lose! My new employer has a team affiliated with the Yorkville Sports Association, and I will start to play with them in Spring 2008.
As I mentioned earlier, I got hooked on baseball again in 1983 when I went to a Mets game. Ellen and I try to go at least once a year to Shea Stadium, and I also get free tickets to 2 Long Island Ducks games each year, thanks to my fire company. I have also seen the Toledo Mudhens, Norwich Navigators, Brooklyn Cyclones, Staten Island Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox at their home parks.
During 2006 the Islip Fire Department celebrated its 125th anniversary. The 3 of us are enjoying the new additions that we put onto the house: 20 years of improvements, all at once.
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in 1935
Mister Met
Since elementary school I have had a wanderlust, but have not traveled as much as I would have liked to. In 2nd grade I went to Florida, and have yet to return to the Sunshine State. In the 6th grade I went to Washington DC, and had a great time. While I was with relatives, my cousins were my age and it was a blast. To this day I always love being in DC. I would return in 1966, 1970, 1988, 2000, 2004, and 2006. Over the Woodstock weekend I was in Nashville to go to the Grand Ole Opry and check out the country music scene. It was my first vacation without relatives in years and fell in love with Music City. While in the USAF from 1971 to 1975 I managed to visit Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Indiana and Guam. New Orleans was a blast, since it reminded me of home. On the way home from the West Coast in 1975, I stopped in Seattle and Spokane to see about relocating there. Nothing came of it and I have been in New York ever since.
I wanted to visit Europe and planned to go there in 1976. But where? Holland was one choice, since it was back to the roots - of New York City, and it was the original home of Vincent Van Gogh. Also London even if Irish people I knew bashed it, and then Ireland since from elementary school I heard how wonderful it was. So off I went on August 13, 1976 and arrived in Amsterdam the next day. I loved Old Amsterdam, and when I got to London I was in heaven. I loved the place and it's my favorite foreign city. Ireland was nice, but I was disappointed, since I expected more. I also learned that my Irish girlfriend who I looked up was not Ms. Right. In 1977 I would return to Europe: London, Paris and Amsterdam. I have not been across the Pond since.
When Ellen and I honeymooned it was Aruba and Curacao. Very pleasant, but I would have preferred London. We would go to New England after that: Mystic, New Bedford, Boston, Maine, and Newport, as well as Quebec City in 1986 (my last time on a plane). All subsequent trips until December 2007 have been by car: Leesburg VA, Cooperstown, Chicago, Lambertville NJ, Williamsburg, the Poconos, New England, and Washington DC. In late 2007 we went by AMTRAK to my cousin's wedding at Notre Dame University in South Bend IN.
Ellen and I have been talking about returning to Europe again. But since poverty sucks, it might not be for a few years.
Ellen and me at the Skytop Lodge in the Poconos, 2002
The 3 of us in Chicago, 2001
The Brooklyn Dodgers
Billy at South Bend's College Football Hall of Fame, December 2007
Ellen and Eileen at a Staten Island Yankees game, August 2007
Sign Guestbook
View Guestbook
New York Yankees logo
It took some getting used to after 10 years with no children, but Ellen and I managed. Eileen seemed to be a healthy baby but in 1992 we noticed that she was not talking like a 2 year old should. After a few visits to pediatricians and pediatric neurologists, we learned that she had autism (1 in 166!). That kind of put a damper on our dreams for her. Before her 3rd birthday she was in special education, and has been there ever since. She should be going into her senior year at Islip High School in 2007, but that did not happen. Instead, she got home schooled. However, we let her go bowling, play soccer with the West Islip Soccer Club, and when she was 10 years old, play Little League baseball with the Challenger Division of the Sachem Little League. We also took her to family get togethers at my office, and she generally got along well with everyone.
Shea & Gould went out of business in 1994, and I had to scramble for a new job. The consolation was that it was not my fault, and in April was hired by Rogers & Wells, a law firm located at 200 Park Avenue. The partners taught me how to write narrative invoices, and through that my writing skills drastically improved. In February 1999 I suddenly realized that my computer was connected to the Internet, and the first web site that I accessed was for my former favorite radio station, WCBS-FM. After that it was addiction, and am now considered a "mouse potato". I survived a merger in 2000 when R&W merged with London based Clifford Chance. In 2001 I buttered Ellen up a bit and she allowed me to play on the Firm's softball team. We generally played in Central Park, and I mention my playing years on softball and Washington DC
On the fire department front, in August 1997 I switched fire companies. When I was sworn in to the ranks in 1985, I entered the Fire Police Company. No family member ever served in a volunteer or paid fire department, and I did not know what I was getting myself into. I decided to join a support company. However, I got a bit bored after a few years so in 1997 switched to an engine company, Engine Company 2 (the Reds).
Since 1999 I have created several web pages on Geocities, Homestead, and a few other providers. They mainly cover my interests, such as my favorite baseball teams, places that I have visited or would like to visit, hobbies, and how I met Ellen. I have also created blogs on Yahoo and 2 other providers, and also belong to tagged.com, hoverspot.com, multiply.com, and myspace.com.
I stayed with Clifford Chance Rogers & Wells until February 2005 when I became a victim of downsizing. That meant rewriting the resume, and learning how to go on interviews again, both things that I had not done in 11 years. However, on March 3, 2005 I was hired by one employer and was there until December 2007. In February 2008 I began to work at another firm near Grand Central Terminal.
During 2006 I played with a team affiliated with the Island Softball Association. Like the 1962 Mets, we find new ways to lose! My new employer has a team affiliated with the Yorkville Sports Association, and I will start to play with them in Spring 2008.
As I mentioned earlier, I got hooked on baseball again in 1983 when I went to a Mets game. Ellen and I try to go at least once a year to Shea Stadium, and I also get free tickets to 2 Long Island Ducks games each year, thanks to my fire company. I have also seen the Toledo Mudhens, Norwich Navigators, Brooklyn Cyclones, Staten Island Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox at their home parks.
During 2006 the Islip Fire Department celebrated its 125th anniversary. The 3 of us are enjoying the new additions that we put onto the house: 20 years of improvements, all at once.
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in 1935
Mister Met
Since elementary school I have had a wanderlust, but have not traveled as much as I would have liked to. In 2nd grade I went to Florida, and have yet to return to the Sunshine State. In the 6th grade I went to Washington DC, and had a great time. While I was with relatives, my cousins were my age and it was a blast. To this day I always love being in DC. I would return in 1966, 1970, 1988, 2000, 2004, and 2006. Over the Woodstock weekend I was in Nashville to go to the Grand Ole Opry and check out the country music scene. It was my first vacation without relatives in years and fell in love with Music City. While in the USAF from 1971 to 1975 I managed to visit Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Indiana and Guam. New Orleans was a blast, since it reminded me of home. On the way home from the West Coast in 1975, I stopped in Seattle and Spokane to see about relocating there. Nothing came of it and I have been in New York ever since.
I wanted to visit Europe and planned to go there in 1976. But where? Holland was one choice, since it was back to the roots - of New York City, and it was the original home of Vincent Van Gogh. Also London even if Irish people I knew bashed it, and then Ireland since from elementary school I heard how wonderful it was. So off I went on August 13, 1976 and arrived in Amsterdam the next day. I loved Old Amsterdam, and when I got to London I was in heaven. I loved the place and it's my favorite foreign city. Ireland was nice, but I was disappointed, since I expected more. I also learned that my Irish girlfriend who I looked up was not Ms. Right. In 1977 I would return to Europe: London, Paris and Amsterdam. I have not been across the Pond since.
When Ellen and I honeymooned it was Aruba and Curacao. Very pleasant, but I would have preferred London. We would go to New England after that: Mystic, New Bedford, Boston, Maine, and Newport, as well as Quebec City in 1986 (my last time on a plane). All subsequent trips until December 2007 have been by car: Leesburg VA, Cooperstown, Chicago, Lambertville NJ, Williamsburg, the Poconos, New England, and Washington DC. In late 2007 we went by AMTRAK to my cousin's wedding at Notre Dame University in South Bend IN.
Ellen and I have been talking about returning to Europe again. But since poverty sucks, it might not be for a few years.
Ellen and me at the Skytop Lodge in the Poconos, 2002
The 3 of us in Chicago, 2001
The Brooklyn Dodgers
Billy at South Bend's College Football Hall of Fame, December 2007
Ellen and Eileen at a Staten Island Yankees game, August 2007
Sign Guestbook
View Guestbook
It took some getting used to after 10 years with no children, but Ellen and I managed. Eileen seemed to be a healthy baby but in 1992 we noticed that she was not talking like a 2 year old should. After a few visits to pediatricians and pediatric neurologists, we learned that she had autism (1 in 166!). That kind of put a damper on our dreams for her. Before her 3rd birthday she was in special education, and has been there ever since. She should be going into her senior year at Islip High School in 2007, but that did not happen. Instead, she got home schooled. However, we let her go bowling, play soccer with the West Islip Soccer Club, and when she was 10 years old, play Little League baseball with the Challenger Division of the Sachem Little League. We also took her to family get togethers at my office, and she generally got along well with everyone.
Shea & Gould went out of business in 1994, and I had to scramble for a new job. The consolation was that it was not my fault, and in April was hired by Rogers & Wells, a law firm located at 200 Park Avenue. The partners taught me how to write narrative invoices, and through that my writing skills drastically improved. In February 1999 I suddenly realized that my computer was connected to the Internet, and the first web site that I accessed was for my former favorite radio station, WCBS-FM. After that it was addiction, and am now considered a "mouse potato". I survived a merger in 2000 when R&W merged with London based Clifford Chance. In 2001 I buttered Ellen up a bit and she allowed me to play on the Firm's softball team. We generally played in Central Park, and I mention my playing years on softball and Washington DC
On the fire department front, in August 1997 I switched fire companies. When I was sworn in to the ranks in 1985, I entered the Fire Police Company. No family member ever served in a volunteer or paid fire department, and I did not know what I was getting myself into. I decided to join a support company. However, I got a bit bored after a few years so in 1997 switched to an engine company, Engine Company 2 (the Reds).
Since 1999 I have created several web pages on Geocities, Homestead, and a few other providers. They mainly cover my interests, such as my favorite baseball teams, places that I have visited or would like to visit, hobbies, and how I met Ellen. I have also created blogs on Yahoo and 2 other providers, and also belong to tagged.com, hoverspot.com, multiply.com, and myspace.com.
I stayed with Clifford Chance Rogers & Wells until February 2005 when I became a victim of downsizing. That meant rewriting the resume, and learning how to go on interviews again, both things that I had not done in 11 years. However, on March 3, 2005 I was hired by one employer and was there until December 2007. In February 2008 I began to work at another firm near Grand Central Terminal.
During 2006 I played with a team affiliated with the Island Softball Association. Like the 1962 Mets, we find new ways to lose! My new employer has a team affiliated with the Yorkville Sports Association, and I will start to play with them in Spring 2008.
As I mentioned earlier, I got hooked on baseball again in 1983 when I went to a Mets game. Ellen and I try to go at least once a year to Shea Stadium, and I also get free tickets to 2 Long Island Ducks games each year, thanks to my fire company. I have also seen the Toledo Mudhens, Norwich Navigators, Brooklyn Cyclones, Staten Island Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox at their home parks.
During 2006 the Islip Fire Department celebrated its 125th anniversary. The 3 of us are enjoying the new additions that we put onto the house: 20 years of improvements, all at once.
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in 1935
Mister Met
Since elementary school I have had a wanderlust, but have not traveled as much as I would have liked to. In 2nd grade I went to Florida, and have yet to return to the Sunshine State. In the 6th grade I went to Washington DC, and had a great time. While I was with relatives, my cousins were my age and it was a blast. To this day I always love being in DC. I would return in 1966, 1970, 1988, 2000, 2004, and 2006. Over the Woodstock weekend I was in Nashville to go to the Grand Ole Opry and check out the country music scene. It was my first vacation without relatives in years and fell in love with Music City. While in the USAF from 1971 to 1975 I managed to visit Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Indiana and Guam. New Orleans was a blast, since it reminded me of home. On the way home from the West Coast in 1975, I stopped in Seattle and Spokane to see about relocating there. Nothing came of it and I have been in New York ever since.
I wanted to visit Europe and planned to go there in 1976. But where? Holland was one choice, since it was back to the roots - of New York City, and it was the original home of Vincent Van Gogh. Also London even if Irish people I knew bashed it, and then Ireland since from elementary school I heard how wonderful it was. So off I went on August 13, 1976 and arrived in Amsterdam the next day. I loved Old Amsterdam, and when I got to London I was in heaven. I loved the place and it's my favorite foreign city. Ireland was nice, but I was disappointed, since I expected more. I also learned that my Irish girlfriend who I looked up was not Ms. Right. In 1977 I would return to Europe: London, Paris and Amsterdam. I have not been across the Pond since.
When Ellen and I honeymooned it was Aruba and Curacao. Very pleasant, but I would have preferred London. We would go to New England after that: Mystic, New Bedford, Boston, Maine, and Newport, as well as Quebec City in 1986 (my last time on a plane). All subsequent trips until December 2007 have been by car: Leesburg VA, Cooperstown, Chicago, Lambertville NJ, Williamsburg, the Poconos, New England, and Washington DC. In late 2007 we went by AMTRAK to my cousin's wedding at Notre Dame University in South Bend IN.
Ellen and I have been talking about returning to Europe again. But since poverty sucks, it might not be for a few years.
Ellen and me at the Skytop Lodge in the Poconos, 2002
The 3 of us in Chicago, 2001
The Brooklyn Dodgers
Billy at South Bend's College Football Hall of Fame, December 2007
Ellen and Eileen at a Staten Island Yankees game, August 2007
Sign Guestbook
View Guestbook
Mister Met
Since elementary school I have had a wanderlust, but have not traveled as much as I would have liked to. In 2nd grade I went to Florida, and have yet to return to the Sunshine State. In the 6th grade I went to Washington DC, and had a great time. While I was with relatives, my cousins were my age and it was a blast. To this day I always love being in DC. I would return in 1966, 1970, 1988, 2000, 2004, and 2006. Over the Woodstock weekend I was in Nashville to go to the Grand Ole Opry and check out the country music scene. It was my first vacation without relatives in years and fell in love with Music City. While in the USAF from 1971 to 1975 I managed to visit Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Indiana and Guam. New Orleans was a blast, since it reminded me of home. On the way home from the West Coast in 1975, I stopped in Seattle and Spokane to see about relocating there. Nothing came of it and I have been in New York ever since.
I wanted to visit Europe and planned to go there in 1976. But where? Holland was one choice, since it was back to the roots - of New York City, and it was the original home of Vincent Van Gogh. Also London even if Irish people I knew bashed it, and then Ireland since from elementary school I heard how wonderful it was. So off I went on August 13, 1976 and arrived in Amsterdam the next day. I loved Old Amsterdam, and when I got to London I was in heaven. I loved the place and it's my favorite foreign city. Ireland was nice, but I was disappointed, since I expected more. I also learned that my Irish girlfriend who I looked up was not Ms. Right. In 1977 I would return to Europe: London, Paris and Amsterdam. I have not been across the Pond since.
When Ellen and I honeymooned it was Aruba and Curacao. Very pleasant, but I would have preferred London. We would go to New England after that: Mystic, New Bedford, Boston, Maine, and Newport, as well as Quebec City in 1986 (my last time on a plane). All subsequent trips until December 2007 have been by car: Leesburg VA, Cooperstown, Chicago, Lambertville NJ, Williamsburg, the Poconos, New England, and Washington DC. In late 2007 we went by AMTRAK to my cousin's wedding at Notre Dame University in South Bend IN.
Ellen and I have been talking about returning to Europe again. But since poverty sucks, it might not be for a few years.
Ellen and me at the Skytop Lodge in the Poconos, 2002
The 3 of us in Chicago, 2001
The Brooklyn Dodgers
Billy at South Bend's College Football Hall of Fame, December 2007
Ellen and Eileen at a Staten Island Yankees game, August 2007
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I wanted to visit Europe and planned to go there in 1976. But where? Holland was one choice, since it was back to the roots - of New York City, and it was the original home of Vincent Van Gogh. Also London even if Irish people I knew bashed it, and then Ireland since from elementary school I heard how wonderful it was. So off I went on August 13, 1976 and arrived in Amsterdam the next day. I loved Old Amsterdam, and when I got to London I was in heaven. I loved the place and it's my favorite foreign city. Ireland was nice, but I was disappointed, since I expected more. I also learned that my Irish girlfriend who I looked up was not Ms. Right. In 1977 I would return to Europe: London, Paris and Amsterdam. I have not been across the Pond since.
When Ellen and I honeymooned it was Aruba and Curacao. Very pleasant, but I would have preferred London. We would go to New England after that: Mystic, New Bedford, Boston, Maine, and Newport, as well as Quebec City in 1986 (my last time on a plane). All subsequent trips until December 2007 have been by car: Leesburg VA, Cooperstown, Chicago, Lambertville NJ, Williamsburg, the Poconos, New England, and Washington DC. In late 2007 we went by AMTRAK to my cousin's wedding at Notre Dame University in South Bend IN.
Ellen and I have been talking about returning to Europe again. But since poverty sucks, it might not be for a few years.
Ellen and Eileen at a Staten Island Yankees game, August 2007
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