I am a person who is full of life and love. I have many passions (art, music, books}. I treasure my friends (many) and family. I've always been a hard worker and I play just as hard. I truly enjoy life. I do a lot of traveling whether it's to another country, state or just for a weekend retreat to someplace nearby. I own a vacation time-share and use it several times a year. I enjoy eating at ethnic restaurants (whatever that is,we're all ethnic), going to galleries and museums or just strolling along the beach. I am an avid reader and read on the average a dozen books a year. I'm not much of a TV fan, however I do like PBS and several news and nature programs. I love to listen to NPR. I even occasionally watch a football or baseball game. I am a Giants fan and enjoy going to that lovely stadium a few times per year. I enjoy going out to movies but not alone. I especially like foreign and independent films. Hiking is another favorite past-time of mine and I know a lot of really cool trails around the area. Due to back problems I can't hike the way I used to so I go for shorter distances and less steep inclines. Politically, I am very much a Liberal and I am active in the political process. I am an active environmentalist,active in the political process, especially in my community, champion of women's rights,gay rights and social justice for all people. I feel that we all have an innate responsibility for the welfare of the planet and our fellow beings.

I have my own business, so that takes up a lot of my time. I'm also a professional musician and occasionally appear at some of the local clubs. I've played saxophone professionally since I was fifteen. I'm working on a manuscript for a book of poems and am doing some art work.
I am also focusing on my spirituality, trying to set aside some time each day for meditation. I must admit that I haven't been too successful at it. I really have to work on my discipline.
I've just spent a great deal of my free time answering OKCupid questions. Now that I've answered all 3863, I ask myself, "Do I feel smarter, do I match myself 100%? Well it was a dumb way of spending my time but it was fun and I was anal about completing what I started. Now i'm still wondering, what must I do to be a 100% match with myself? Maybe it's because I'm a man looking for a woman. That might just explain it, but who knows what lurks in the mind of the computer?

Playing the saxophone or so I've been told. I'm also a very good listener. I'm mechanically inclined and am good at fixing things around the house.
I'm good at cooking, Asian, Mediterranian, Soul food, and occasionally baking. I just made some delicious orange marmalade that was a big hit for my friends and neighbors. I used to be good at playing tennis before I injured my back. Now I'm very good at watching a match, especially women's tennis.
I'm good at traveling and keep my passport current. I speak bits and pieces of enough languages that I am at ease in any country. Traveling with a saxophone is also a big help. People tend to walk up to me and want to know what is that instrument and if I'm famous. I say "no I'm not, but you can have my autograph anyway".

My smile, that I'm not very tall, my wit, and upon closer examination, the blue ring around my brown eyes, that I am pretty much laid-back.

The dictionary, biographies, anthropology, some fiction but mainly nonfiction on many different subjects. The most recent titles are: "Under the Tuscan Sun", "Ansel Adams, an Autobiography",and "Southerners, Portrait of a People" by Charles Kuralt, Joseph Campbell's "The Power of Myth", "A Field Guide to America's Houses", "Rumi", "Gilbran", "Langston Hughes", "Gunter Grass". I can't think of a favorite movie (I like indies and foreign films. I usually catch three or four movies a month. I was just reminded about how much I enjoy the movies of Bergman ("The Seventh Seal" and "Wild Strawberries"). My musical tastes are eclectic but mostly jazz in recent years (Miles, Coltrane, Bird, Dizzy, Monk, Brubeck, Sonny Rollins, Wes Montgomery, McCoy). The jazz singers (Ella, Billie, Sarah, Joe Williams, Tony Bennet). I really enjoy reggae, especially the older artists like Bob Marley or Toots and the Maytals. I played Blues and R&B for many years and still listen to those genres (BB, Albert and Freddy King, John Lee Hooker, Howlin Wolf, Ray Charles, The Spinners, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Aretha). I like Rock bands like Yes,Genesis, The Beatles, Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, etc. I opened for the BeeGees in 1971 and enjoyed their music.
Asian and Mediterranean are my favorite foods but I like pretty much anything. I strive to eat healthy but will have the occasional burger. I really love seafood including sushi and sashimi. I put a strict limit on fried foods although anything tastes good fried. I do eat meat, but sparingly. The thought of a 2" slab of steak, I find quite unappealing. I've always had a garden so there's always fresh veggies of some sort.

My musical instruments, my computer, my family, my friends, my health, my kitchen and not in that particular order (sex should be in there some place, too)

The state of the world in general, the environmentand the effect that we have had on it, my mother who is very ill with Alzheimer's, my father who I just found out today has had a stroke, my grandkids, my extended family. I think of words and phrases and how they lend themselves to my poems.
Obama has won the presidency and I am immensely proud. I never thought it possible back in the days when I was demonstrating at White only movie theaters and restaurants. It is indeed, a new day. However, Bush has left this country and the world in such shambles that it's going to be extremely difficult for the new president to accomplish any of his goals. First he has to clean up the mess created by Bush (the war, the economy, the environment, the Supreme Court, our relationships with other countries, etc). Now that Obama is the new president, I think about the possibility of a big change in this country and the world. I think about the struggle that so many of us went through to finally reach this point in history.
I think a lot about my son, who just can't seem to keep out of trouble.

Editors

• a_foxyone

There are no typical Friday nights, if I'm fortunate, I'm out on a date. Some Fridays are spent playing music others are spent at home relaxing.

Don't think that I have anything particularly private. I'm very open. If I did admit something, then it wouldn't be private, would it?

If there is something about me that you find appealing or intriquing.