RJN: ABOUT ME

Thanks for visiting my website. Hopefully it will give you a good idea as to what kind of person I am. Creating something like this can be quite daunting, but with the help and encouragement of my partner in life, Mark, it has turned out to be a lot of fun. What I hope to accomplish is to tell the world a little about myself, share my interests (and hopefully hear from those with similar inclinations), acquaint you with all the great people in my life and generally just have some fun. So instead of writing a lengthy biographical essay, I figure it would be better to just throw some pictures and descriptive statistics at you, which should, in the end, give you an idea about what makes me, well, me. With that in mind, come and explore:

The happy couple on the beach at Waikiki, May 1998.

Mark and me at my office Christmas party, December 1995.

Our child, a beautiful calico named Trixie.

This is one of my favorite family pictures. Taken in the basement of my maternal grandmother's house in September 1965, I am the little blond boy being held in the back left. I am surrounded by various relatives, including my paternal grandmother holding my month-old sister and my totally hip Aunt Carol with her great 'do and cat's eye glasses. Everytime I see this picture I think that we all could be the cast of a John Waters movie.

STATISTICS, ETC.

AGE	41

BEGINNING	March 10,1964 - A few days shy of the Ides of March. According to The Birthday Book, I was born on the "Day of the Soul Searchers." As a Pisces, my strengths are my "sensitivity, empathy and soulfulness." On the downside, I can be "long-suffering and withdrawn." Very perceptive.

HOMETOWN	East Brunswick, New Jersey

CURRENT RESIDENCE	San Francisco, California

PHYSICAL	Height: 6'1" Weight: 180 Eyes: Blue Hair: Dark Blond Pierced: Two ears

MARITAL STATUS	Partnered for 17 years (December 10) with Mark. Married since February 2004 (thanks, Gavin). The marriage is still valid in our eyes, even without the blessing of the California Supreme Court. But I predict the gay marriages performed in San Francisco will be valid again - I'm very optimistic. Thankfully, this is NOT Kansas.

CHILDREN	1 cat (Trixie)

EDUCATION	BA in History Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ Class of 1988

RESUME	I currently make my living by working for one of the world's largest and most respected architectural and interior design firms. Based in the San Francisco office, I work in the Risk Management Department. During college I worked as a sales person and expediter (evening department manager) for five years at Bamberger's (later to become Macy's) in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Since graduating from college in 1988, I have also worked for Edwin Schlossberg Design, Saks Fifth Avenue and Gay Men's Health Crisis, all in New York City.

POLITICS	Democrat. I really hate George W. Bush. If you would like to know the extent of that hatred, my views mirror Mark Morford, a local hero of mine who has a column in the San Francisco Chronicle. Oh yeah - at the top of my list for presidential contenders in 2008 - Hillary.

PASTIMES	Traveling, day trips, reading, spending way too much time on-line, movies, theater, dining out, going to the gym, and being domestic with Mark and Trixie.

TRAVEL	Most of the US (including a cross-country drive, which you can read about on my Archive page), Canada, France, England, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Netherlands, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

A FEW FAVORITES	Here's a list of what I like. It includes people, movies, food and other things that make me happy. It's a random list (ok, not so random - it's in alphabetical order - I can't help myself, I'm anal retentive) that is only a brief reflection of my interests as a whole. It may change (additions/deletions) depending on my whims and moods.

	(The) Amazing Race	This is hands down the best reality show out there. We have been fans since the very first episode in 2001 and the Race was actually responsible for our decision to visit South Africa in 2002.

	Animals	I absolutely love all animals and fervently believe in animal rights. This is most likely no surprise to you if you've already seen the pages on this site dedicated to my cat.

	Bauhaus	Not the architectural school, the band. You know, the godfathers of Goth. I was a fanatic during the '80's. Please don't tell me you're too young to remember...

	Blood Oranges	I'm a sucker for anything citrus and colorful. And that tastes good.

	Cirque du Soleil	If you haven't seen Cirque, you don't know what you're missing. A surreal world that I'm always eager to visit.

	Dark Chocolate	Smooth, bittersweet, dark. I can think of only one thing I like better. And because my family has access to this page, you can just use your imagination.

	Gladiator	The 2000 Best Picture of the Year Oscar went to my favorite movie. I loved everything about it - the story, the cinematography, the score, the great acting...all of it. OK, and Russell Crowe.

	Green	My favorite color. You know you were dying to find out.

	Madonna	I admit it. I like Madonna and almost anything she does. A lot. Though the Kaballah thing has me scratching my head at times.

	The Mary Tyler Moore Show	The best TV show. Ever. If you have any doubts about my devotion to Mary and the gang in Minneapolis, click on Mary's picture to be transported to the page where I have the ultimate MTM Show trivia questions.

	Personal Services	A 1987 movie about England's most notorious madam. One of my absolute favorites. It is hard to find now (not released on DVD) but definitely worth watching if you can find a VHS copy.

	David Sedaris	The man is a genius. Rush out and buy his books, Barrel Fever and Naked.

	Showgirls	The movie. Unrated version. Heinous acting, laugh-out-loud dialogue, ludicrously slutty dancing, Gina Gershon...what's NOT to love?

	Sonoma Valley	What a great place to go when you just want to relax, drink some wine and take in beautiful scenery. And I live only an hour away. Jealous?

	South Africa	We visited South Africa in November 2002 and it ranks as one of the great travel experiences of my life. Truly spectacular. Check out some pictures here.

	Tazo	This tea tastes so damn good. I'm also a sucker for really cool packaging.