1. For a large part of my life, running was everything…
From sophomore year of high school to late college, running took up a large part of my life. In both college and high school, I ran cross country and track. While I enjoyed the grueling practices and sport camaraderie, cross country was my least favorite of the two; as an ex-baseball player (quit after Little League–I didn’t want to get caught up in the steroid scandal) , I never really had the body frame for hills and hills. Track was the center of my day for a long time, mainly the 800-meter and the mile. It’s been five years, thirty-plus pounds, and a lot less miles since my last collegiate race. Nevertheless, I still enjoy running four or five times a week, and manage to sneak in a race or two every now and then.
2. Ale.
Since my 21st birthday at a small, dimly-lit bar in Queens, beer has been an integral part of my life. While my sister tended bar at this place, she was not the one to teach me about the ancient drink. Rather, her boss and friend, Dan spent a lot of time telling me about the brewing process, different styles, and the language behind the taste–I was hooked. While I’m still not much of a brewer, I travel to several breweries each year, collect and cellar lambic -a distant cousin to wine- bottles, and take part in a local tasting group. My family also sells kettle corn to a number of breweries in the area, which I mention below. In addition, I continue to read and dissect the writings of Michael Jackson (not the entertainer), the pioneer of the current craft beer movement, and a model for informative, yet cheeky, beer writing. My fiancée, after giving a long eye-roll, would call it my “number-one hobby.”
3.Writing is a pretty interesting way to communicate, dontcha think?
If you were to tell the fifteen-year-old “me” that I would later be a teacher, I would’ve laughed in your face and given a snarky remark, something like, “I don’t even plan on finishing high school, weirdo.” My writing journey started early in college when I transferred into the The Lilly Lieb Port Program at SUNY Purchase. Months earlier, I started to dabble in poetry and short fiction, mainly because, being an art school, everyone was doing something creative, and I wanted to join in the mix. Back in 7th grade, I received a C- in Art, so I knew painting and drawing weren’t for me. Instead, I started to attend poetry readings and writing circles, where I fell in love with the form. My journey continued when I transferred to SUNY New Paltz to become a teacher of writing. Today, I continue to write, teach writing at the middle school level, and work with The Hudson Valley Writing Project as much as possible!
4. Kettle corn is the family business.
Back in 2013, my dad, after retiring from IBM, opened up a food truck –Ma & Pa Kettle Corn– on The Walkway Over the Hudson (west side). Ever since then, it’s been a family effort. We have a number of flavors: sriracha, pumpkin (a seasonal favorite), and chocolate, to name a few. We also sell our kettle corn at a few local breweries. Aside from kettle corn, we sell the traditional concession items–ice cream, drinks, pretzels, hot dogs;etc. Though I can’t help as much as I used to, I try to get there as much as possible, especially on The Fourth of July, our busiest day of the year. It’s a small space, so tensions do run high at times, but we do our best to stay pleasant…
5.I’ve recently become a fan of soccer.
Back in high school, there was a bitter rivalry between the soccer team and the track/XC teams. I don’t know what it stemmed from exactly, but it was apparent in the back-and-forth hallway banter. In addition, the track team wore shirts that read, “friends don’t let friends play soccer,” which definitely fueled the fire. Because of this animosity, I never thought to watch or play soccer. My roommate is a soccer fanatic, and, after much pestering, I started to watch Premier League games with him. I was hooked and wanted to not only watch all the time, but learn how to play. Today, I play local pick-up games. I hope to find a league this year. I still haven’t picked a Premier team to root for–I’m thinking Everton…?
6. I was born in Highland, but Beacon is my current home.
A couple years ago, I moved to Beacon, mainly because of the Metro North, as my fiancée was commuting up here from Queens, and vice versa. While it’s not NYC, Beacon definitely has a lot to offer. If you take a stroll down Main Street, you’ll find farm-to-table restaurants, craft cocktail bars, coffee shops, clothing stores, even a glass-blowing company. Don’t forget to look up at the massive mountain! Like New Paltz, Beacon has the perfect blend of country, small-city/town, and community. I plan on living here for a long, long time.
This is our neighborhood cat, Zipper. From time to time, he likes to drop in, have a snack, and a play a tune.
