My meaningless life story.

First, my parents.
My dad was born April 17, 1935 in Ashland, NH. He grew up as an only son with 3 older sisters in a farm outside of town. He became quite athletic, especially in basketball. Graduated in 1953, and just recently went to his 50th reunion. Showed an interest in theatre and went to Plymouth Teachers College in Plymouth, NH (now Plymouth State U).
My mom was born August 31, 1937 in Boston, MA and first lived in Newton. Moved to Wellsley Hills, then Brookline (Hey H2 and Pete! ). Showed an interest in classical music, toys (especially dolls), theatre, and German (I have inherited some of these traits). Moved to Exeter, NH for her senior year (1954-55) at the defunct Robinson Seminary. She went to Bates College for 2 years, then settling in at Plymouth Teachers College in 1957. My mom and dad had met there (obviously), dated starting in 1958 at several mountain resorts (even working at Palm Beach, FL for a summer), and got married June 18, 1960 in Ashland. Moved north to Lincoln, NH.
The first child was born prematurely on September 16, 1961, a son named Raymond Joseph (after my dad's dad). Everyone called him "R.J.". He now works construction and machinery jobs in the Central New Hampshire area, and lives with a girlfriend.
Next came a daughter, Kim, on October 25, 1962. She lived in Lynn, MA for 17 years before relocating to Burlington, VT in the summer 2003. Her house burned down in June 2004, not long after Mom and myself visited. Anyway, she runs a daycare business, also working as a nanny on the side, and has a daughter, Savannah Leigh (named after Jimmy Buffett's daughter), and is "legally separated".
My dad did geology work in Montana and Colorado for a few years, eventually going to Indiana State in Bloomington, IN, where he would get his Master's Degree in Science in 1967. Just beforehand, another son was born, Christopher Jefferson (aka Christoph, Jeff, CJ, or just simply Chris) on March 2, 1967. He's lived in Nevada since 1986, going to UNLV for many years, then moving to Reno. He's in the computer business, living with a friend, a "long-term relationship".
My dad got several acceptances to Science teacher's jobs all over the country, including Simi Valley, CA! But the field was soon narrowed down to 2: Nyack, NY or Fayetteville, NY. He chose the latter (possibly less urban!), and was teaching 9th grade Earth Science (had the job for 23 years, I even had HIM as a teacher in 1984-85!
Well, before the 60's were over, another of God's miracles happened. I couldn't thank my mom enough. I was born in the Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse NY, on Monday, September 29, 1969 at 10:23 pm. So I've been told.
I took an immediate interest in hand gadgets, especially play-musical instruments!
Mom would take us 4 kids to virtually every Disney animated and family movie of the time such as the AristoCats, Willie Wonka, and reisuues of Pinocchio and Alice in Wonderland. Thus, my interest in Disney!
By age 3, I was diagnosed as an autistic, but not the kind you'd expect. I talked out loud to myself a lot, showed an interest in picture books and reading the words (but not getting the gist of the story!) I absolutely loved the 4 PBS shows of the time (Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, Electric Company, Zoom), and enjoyed reading the words, and watching the pictures (except that weird witch Wanda washing her wigs on Wednesday!).

Going through school wasn't that easy, yet I showed an eager interest in spelling, math, and geography. During all this time, I loved the record players both in grade school and at home.

Being teachers, my mom and dad would have the summers off and take us kids to wherever we wanted! This included NINE Europe trips! I especially liked England, Germany, Italy, and the Scandanavian countries. Later, Mom and myself would do several roller-coaster trips, and I vowed never to belong to the coaster club again after June 2003, because my music interest just drove my coaster interest to the ground. Moreover, I became homesick from my beloved computer!

Back to my prime love! I enjoyed the AM radio that my mom or sister would play. Loved listening to the more upbeat tunes like Andy Gibb, KC & the Sunshine Band, the BeeGees, and Donna Summer! I thought disco would never die. By early 1980, I discovered American Top 40 and listened to it religiously up till around 1990. I wrote down every list starting from 1983. I always let music get in the way of school, especially from 8th grade on. Also got into album rock, especially Queen, ZZ Top, Van Halen, as well as Foreigner and Cheap Trick.
I DJ'd at both colleges I attended: Ashland in Ohio (1988-89), and Onondaga Community College (1989-94). Rather uneventful, never having a paying job.

After graduation, it was hard for me to find work. I eventually settled with the bottom of the barrel: McDonald's and Burger King. I always dazzled co-workers by my musical knowledge and my telling of their #1 songs on their birthdate. Moved with my parents between "this ole house" and a winter home in Lakeland, FL for 5 years initially.

I tried living year-round in upstate NY for 3 years, but there came a point I just couldn't handle it. So starting in the fall of 2002, I did the "Winter in Florida" thing again, and I liked it, even without a job.

Much this decade so far, personal panic has overcome me, and I've only been working sporadically. In the last 7 years, I've been fascinated with computers and the web, hoping to make friends online with music and nostalgic interests, as well as getting in touch with old school friends.

I should mention another interest of mine is game shows! I've been fascinated by them since Concentration at age 5. Only recently did I get tired of Wheel & Jeopardy, but after 4 years, I'm still a diehard "Millionaire" fan. Even was on the show February 16th, 2004! It will probably repeat on GSN eventually. Wished I won more, hah...

Presently, I most enjoy disco (especially Chic and Tavares), much pop and rock (ok, several album cuts) that hit the charts during 1940-1997 (especially more obscure hits not played enough), Gary Wright, Alan Parsons Project, the Doors, Foreigner, Cheap Trick, Abba, Steely Dan, Dinah Shore, Doris Day, and a galaxy of other music artists. I especially have grown into softer rock primarily from the 70's, such as Firefall, Bread, James Taylor... My favorites from 1983-1997, most notably Michael Jackson, have taken a back seat to more classic music artists in my likes. Life absolutely SUCKED when I was pretty much computerless at home from November 2003-March 2004. Well, I'm happy just to be alive, even with getting and losing a job in the summer 2004.

And as many of you know, my love of lists and music is so great, I have created all-time fave music lists over the years. I had top 100 or 200 all-time fave lists in the early 80's, then grew to top 1000 lists for several Memorial Day weekends in the 80's, and then...a top 10,000+ incepted in November 1987, and finished December 1988. Then came a top 21,000 update that began December 1994, and finished July 1996. I tried to make a gargantuan list of 70,000 songs recently, but the info fell into the memory hole, leaving me with only a printed list or 5975 songs, which I have started to post in stages. Summer 2007 update: I am now in the swing of working on a top 100,000 song list, hopefully due Xmas 2007.

My current life is not entirely about music, actually. I am (to coin a phrase?) crazy for nostalgia, especially 70's and 80's pop culture. The best TV shows, pop music (well maybe more 60's than 80's leaning)and some Disney movies were made in these 2 decades, as well as the best LEGO, which I am a proud recipient of well over 700 sets, all in their original boxes (but a few pieces are missing).
Some of my all-time fave TV shows include the Electric Company, Disney's Gummi Bears, many game shows, as aforementioned, actual (sometimes sensational) shot-video shows (but NOT Funniest Home Videows) like Police Videos, and OLD school Sesame Street (remember the yellow dots and Roosevelt Franklin?). Oh yeah, to repeat myself, I still love most Disney animated movies today, especially Pocahontas (1 and 2), Snow White, Pinocchio and Jungle Book (1 and 2). Practically most family movies of today and yesterday agree with me, even if today's family movies lack originality.

Yeah, I lead a highly industrious life...:/

Stay tuned for more, maybe...