about me

Hi!

This is my first blog. My goal is to become more comfortable with blogging.

I feel as though I am very open about my life; however, my life is not for general public consumption. There's no need for people whom I don't know to have access to information about me. Despite various "privacy" settings and other security measures, there are countless security breaches with many organizations and individuals (medical records, credit card numbers, social security numbers, etc.). I see no need to publish my life.

But enough about that. You want to know me, so here goes:

I am the luckiest person in the world, happily married to a wonderful woman who thinks she is the lucky one. She supports me in many ways--work issues, union activities, hobbies, etc. We have known each other for 22 years, and been together since 1992.

We live in western Massachusetts in a rural area: local farmers grow corn, potatoes, onions, pumpkins and tobacco (yes, tobacco--shade tobacco, used for the outer wrappings of cigars). We have lots of wildlife on our street--black bears, coyotes, bobcats, and even the rare sightings of fisher, a mountain lion, and ermine.

I am a legal aid attorney, working with low-income people in western Massachusetts. My specialty is housing. I help tenants avoid eviction, or at least try to get them a better resolution than merely being kicked out of their home. I also work with tenants who live in homes with poor conditions. As part of my job I spend time on a hotline, advising clients about food stamps/SNAP, custody, divorce, child support, unemployment compensation (a big concern these days), SSI, consumer protection rights, etc.

I realize every day how lucky I am that I am not one of my clients--I have sufficient food, a home that is safe, I can afford my home, and I am not a victim of domestic violence.

I lead a charmed life.