the f's...friends & family

the f's...family & friends

friends (continued)
24 august, 2005
there are two other friends that i want to mention as i continue to add to the f's section...joseph is a person whom i met some 20 years ago, it seems. if i'm vague on the exact amount of years it's because i feel like i've know him most of "adult" life. if the phrase "heart of gold" had an image, it would certainly be a photo of joseph. he's always been there for me, through the good times and all the bad times. several years ago, after an ugly breakup, i was at the lowest point in my life than i had ever known. i was about to loose my aparment, i was completely broke and i had a really bad drug problem. had it not been for joe, i would probubly not be here today telling you this. it's something i'll never foreget. he's always concerned about my health, my wellness, my happiness and not to mention, my vocabulary ; always in need of refinemnts! i have always tried to expand my vocabulary and joe has this gentle way of telling me i'm incorrect. it's a great combination! joe is currently working as a systems tech at one of our local universitys and enjoys many things (yoga, reading, technology, ti-chi and gardening). kate thinks the world of joe; no other vote matters more to me. you can also visit joe's blog here!

up next...
i had written about my downstairs neighbor ed last month but i left some of you hanging on curiositys string. a few of you even wrote, asking to know more about the mystery guy! here goes....act II opens: my reference to the act II has nothing to do with any acting only the show aspect. for any of you who have had the privlage to spend any amount of time with him, you know ed is a one act show that never ends. he has and endless collection of stories and adventures to tell. most of them are pretty wild and but a few are not even close to being calm. i look forward to them every time because, every time it's a different one. life in the fast lane? i dont think so. ed likes to stay "moving" as apposed to standing still on one particular reason. to me, he's more like a free spirit. the more hours of adventure for ed, the better the time spent. he's one hell of a chess player and the first real "buddy" i've ever had. who said a 20 year difference in age could be a problem? what one lacks, the other gives. i've spent more time these days massageing my face, because i laugh so much when he's around, that it hurts. if nothing less i love him for that alone.

family (this post is incomplete and will be added to on a regular basis)
9 july, 2005
like most american family's, my story isn't very different from anyone eles's. there have been unions and devorces, births and deaths and all the happiness and pain one would anticipate coming from a group of people that arent perfect. for the most part, in our own personal way, we all have survived time. but time has also taken its toll on some of us. as i look back on my life, there are some good memories but they easily get lost in the dark periods that i can vividly recall at any one time. some of you may not like what i have to say about the past. some of you might even dissagree with facts but these are my feelings and my personal experiences and i will not alter any of them just so your comfortable. i choose not to foreget them nore do i want any pitty from any of you. they are what they are and they have made me the person i am today; good or bad. this is a puzzle that i will piece together even though i know the end result will not be some beautifull perfect picture. i bare the scars of my life and celebrate my survival every day. if youre hopeing for a bed of roses, stop reading this and head towards your nearest garden center. if you want to know how i really feel, continue on and you just might have a better understanding of what it is, being ron b...p.s. there are some bright spots because life isnt always tragic.

here are a few things about my family (not listed in any order of preference) : my mom (sandy) graduated from high school and had a variety of jobs that were business accounting/secretarial services related. she currently works as an office assistant for a resturant supply company in berwick, pa. one of the earliest photographs i remember of my was when she was seated at her desk in front of a smith carona at the grants department store more (to come) my sister wendy, whom also happened to marry my best friend from boston david, is a (more to come) they live in wooburn, mass and have two remarkable children, ethan & sarah. my brother in law david is an established and well respected architect dealing with projects all over the eastern coastline. (more to come) my niece sarah is 8 and is surely becoming a talented writer. my nephew ethan is xx and is also equaley talented. (more to come). my brother kennet (aka ben) is a young and gifted man. my grandmother kathern (aka kate) had spent most of her entire life working in a sewing factory to help support her family. after retireing from the mill, she spent the rest of her years caring for our family when ever it was needed. kate has always been there for all of us, putting her needs second. she's an amazing cook (love her corn fritters!) who at any given moment would be more than happy to wip-up a home cooked meal at a minutes notice. while in her late 60's she still continued to make her famous apple pie, completely from scratch! i see so much of myself in kate which i am very greatfull for. she has always been an insperation for me and a good role model.


friends (this post is incomplete and will be added to)
9 july, 2005
pictured here to the right (me, joan & dan) is a snap of what i call my "second family" the fornataro's. before i mention some specifics about any of them i would like to say that here is a "real family", one of which i am very close to and very much apart of. if i were to write a piece on what a family means to me, the fornataro's would be my example. they care about one another, support each other and are some of the kindest folks you would ever want to meet. if you are someone like me, i can only hope someday that you are fortunate enough to meet a family like theres.

i met dan (jr) along time ago in bloomsburg, pa through my friend jeff. if i were to ask dan now for the time and date he would know it; when it comes to numbers, dan has this amazing gift or recall and perhaps that's why he's a math teacher!


11 july, 2005
i've just awoken, it's now 1:oopm monday afternoon. i recently had the opportunity to meet an extrordinary person, who also happens to be a published writer (6 book's!) named john vore. we have had several lite conversations thus far and last night we finally got together at his place for what was to be an intense conversation about his body of work, some of the new projects he is currently working on and a small glimpse into a mind that i could only refer to as a "timex". i remember at one point in the evening, he reminded me of "fox mulder"; he pursues the answers to many things with such drive, commitment and agression. it's the information that is the key which unlocks the doors to further inquires for him. for his sake, i hope he never finds the "key maker". it wasn't that we ran out of things to say, we just ran out of time. i remember leaving at 5:30am just as the new day began to show itself thinking "i'm fortunate to have had those few hours with him". as i think back about all the different subject's we touched upon, it helps me realize that there are still endless possibilities out there waiting to be discovered. finding them isn't always easy and sometimes if your lucky, they somehow seem to find you. life here in northeastern pa isn't very stimulating and somesetimes it's down right depressing. john is a diamond in the rust, who like most of us, are chased by the depressing shadows that linger all around us.