I lost a good friend today

There are no icons of TV or the movies that I can say I have a real connection with except for two people. Leonard Maltin is one (My animation guy) and Joel Segal was the second. Joel passed today I am sad to say. His taste was my taste and I followed his movie advice for 30 years. I am a movie buff and I spent a long time looking for someone who's taste matched mine. He was funny, witty and charming. Joel was no blue eyed handsome man he was just a guy, like me, who had a vast knowledge of movies. A everyday guy I like to call them. When the cancer really attacked him earlier this year my heart broke to see him so frail and sick but he hung in and tried to continue his work, I admire him for that. He even left his young son a book to cherish even though he would be gone, I respect him for that. Every time he did a review he was honest and fun to see, especially with Charlie, I loved him for that. Now it's his time to rest and put his worries behind him. I will miss this man but he truly earned a place in my heart and a seat upstairs.

Stareing into the abyss

I had the opportunity to present ideas to a non profit group that is looking to fund programs which nuture the spirit and the mind. I wrote a lengthy letter explaining my desire to present slavery education in NJ schools. This is a dream I have had for a long time. Some of you out there are aware of my desire. I never committed those ideas to paper before and I most admit I impressed my own self with such bright eyed ambitions. I have participated with other performers in programs and find this very satisfying work. Since it has only been two years that I came out and started speaking publicly I still feel so green some days. Now I see that Crossroads in front of me, you know the one, Clapton and King keep singing about? This group contacted me and told me I needed to be a tax exempt group. Now that gets me thinking of a few people who support me in what I do and maybe I need to look into doing that. JEAN(wink) DOT (wink) CHARLEEN (wink) I need to research what it takes. Why do I keep sticking my hands into these big projects? This one will have a big payoff if I can make it happen. Everything I do, the lectures, the research, the dedication, seems to pump me up to take a bigger challenge my instincts have been good since the start so follow them I must!

New job fits me well

I am now on week two of the new job in Plainsboro. I can go home or to a local place for dinner. Takes me no time to get in and back home. The loss of a 50 minute commute is sweetness. I can feel the difference in stress everyday. I used to get home around 7PM exhausted. I get home at 11:45 feeling fine. Having a bit of trouble getting settled for bed actually. I have not felt this good in a long time. Stress should get more credit for making our lives difficult. I feel like a new man.

When will man learn?

I'm 48 years old and I have seen a lot of things, many I wish I had not. Today I read that Chris Benoit smothered his 7 year old, killed his wife and hung himself. For those who don't know he was a WWE wrestling star. Evidently it seems to have stemmed from steroid use. Which seems to be OK in the wrestling world. Guess it is not ok anymore. Now we will hear all the reasons why this is bad and basically the same crap we have heard for years except most of the people who will use it are not listening. I am sick and tired of men using this stuff and committing horrible acts. It's harmful, dangerous and anyone caught with it needs to be treated as any other drug possession. I am a father, husband and hopefully a good dad it hurts me to see men behaving in such horrible ways as Mr. Cutts or Mr. Benoit or Mr. Peterson or any man who needs to savagely kill his family. There is a door just walk away and move on, let them be, way is this so hard for men to do, it's easier to kill them?

Since I can't find Sarah, I'll visit Elsie

Headed out for Plainsboro today in search of Sarah Titus, Tommy is looking for the wife of Thomas Titus burial spot, so I went looking. Not a surprise I did not find anything on Sarah and the Historical Society was closed so I took a minute to find a old friend. Since I was right on Plainsboro Rd I headed down to the development called Walker Gordon Farms. I quickly had a nightmare in my mind of Van Dyke farm looking like this. Beautiful townhouses with open fields between, a playground and several balls fields for the kids. Very lovely bike and walking paths throughout the community. Every thing was there except Walker Gordon farms. The cows and pastures, the testing facilities all gone. No milk, no cows, no pastures nothing but townhouses. Just another famous farming facility wiped clean from the map. Except for one small thing. Elsie is still there. Come on you remember, Borden cheese and dairy products, the 1939 World's Fair, the introduction of the new face of Borden, Elsie the Cow. I have fonds memories of her commercials in the 60's. Further back she made appearances and become one of the first real corporate symbols. I remember her being animated but I always loved that cow. So here she lies 5 miles from my home. Right outside a townhouse windowsill wonder if the owner got a break for the view of the dead commercial cow?

I found my "Laughing Place"

I took time this week to enjoy articles that had some of my work in them. I have saved newspapers from late 2004 till the present most talk about slavery in South Brunswick, Titus or Van Dyke farms. It seems so much longer ago that I met Debbie from the Home News or Chris at The Sentinel to talk about slavery and cemeteries. Chris has been my favorite from the start. His writings seem to bring my passion across and that is always most important to me next to preservation. Last week I took time to pick my favorite three articles from 2007, 2006 and 2005 and have them matted and framed. I plan to do my first from 2004 soon. 2005 Debbie wrote the article on the headstone in the broom closet. I so love that one because the title is so powerful, no one wants to see a headstone in a broom closet. 2006 I took Chris on a tour of six cemeteries in the town and he wrote a article chronicling my efforts at these cemeteries which was so much fun for us both. He really enjoyed seeing what he had already heard so much about. Finally in 2007 I used the Titus dedication article with 91 year old Tommy and his niece clutching a family member portrait. As I looked back at these articles it became clear how much time and effort I have used on this project. Well not really a project more of a work in progress. I truly hope to continue with this long into my golden years come on, how many of you have found your "Laughing Place"?

Holy cow i'm back...

Been a long while but I am now back. The Titus Farm dedication was a success. I have a new job just ten minutes from my home and it's 2ND shift 2:30 till 11:30 which means I can get back to research in the morning!!! My son has graduated 8Th grade and is off to the high school. My daughter has her own cell phone account (OOO YES!) My dog has colitis (?) and he's on a special diet. (Yorkie) The SB skate park opens Saturday and my son is ready and able and registered. Spent a evening with my man Bill and his wife's co workers last week. Jean has mentioned my daughter to her church and she's ready to sing on July 1st. As you can tell life has been full in June. I have much more to say but this is enough for tonight enough to say my life is full and I feel very blessed today.
TTFN