Pearl of Wisdom Of The Day

"No man is above the law and no man is below it. . . ."


Theodore Roosevelt

I Am A Man of A Certain Age

Although I only watched the first season, I like Men of a Certain Age. And I came to a realization in watching the episode where Terry goes after the man who nearly ran him over while he was crossing the street. When he announces to Joe and Owen that he's going to track the man down, Owen asks, "What, are you Mannix?" followed by "Are you going to go all Billy Jack on him." I turned to my wife and commented that the references on the show are dated, to which she replied, "They're showing their age." It was then that I realized that I'm the target audience of the show, which means, yes, I too am a man of a certain age.

Did You Know. . .

John Mellencamp is going to be 60 on October 7th? The Boss passed 60 in 2009?

Yikes! I've been listening to these guys for 30 or so years. What does this make me? Good thing I have my daughters to keep me young. They're always on the go, always wanting me to play with them, sing to them, dance with them, read to them. They're a joy to be around. I guess the adage is true: you're only as old as you feel. And I don't feel particularly old. Nor for that matter am I. Just a man of a certain age.

Please Allow Me To Introduce Myself

I'm not a man of wealth, but I like to think I'm a man of taste. So much so that my wife thinks I'm a Metro-sexual. I disagree because I brush my hair in the morning, put nothing in it, and that's it. I'm not the Fonz. I do not own a comb. I do not brush my hair again, at least almost never. If necessary, I fix it with my hands. My idea of a manicure is to bite my nails nor did I ever do anything with the gift card for a manicure that my wife gave me. I use a day bag, not a man purse, and have never worn cologne. Never. Metro-sexual? I think not.

But I digress. I am a middle-aged man blessed with an amazing wife and twin daughters who just turned two. It took me a long time to find my match - so long that I thought it might never happen - but there she was one Memorial Day weekend. She is my soul mate and the most incredible Mom. Becoming a father is the most miraculous thing to happen to me and the best gift my wife could ever have given me. I cherish every day with my daughters.

We live in New York where I work as a budget manager for a leading public transportation agency. I truly enjoy my job. I went to school to work in public transportation because of my belief that there are too many cars on the road and transit and commuter rail should be better supported and more prevalent. Although I am a manager, I work on projects that are mission critical and that will shape the future of the organization for decades to come. My work is varied, ranging from analysis of fleet procurement options to developing budgets for different initiatives to helping establish the portfolio of IT investments.

I decided to blog for several reasons. The primary is mercenary. I'm launching a freelance writing business - Livingston Creative Services - to bring in more income for my family. Through blogging, I hope to build a following that will yield assignments. (More of a plug will follow in a separate post.) I also want a place where I can voice my opinion on current events and sports, talk about my love for reading and books I'm reading, and share my passion for movies and music. As to why I call this blog "The Livingston Chronicles," my friends and family will know. I hope you will find this blog lively and relevant. Please join me on this adventure.