A lot of information about me is on my CV and in the other pages on this site, but I got tired of having this page remain blank.

Therefore, here are some interesting fun-facts about myself...

I was born in a place that is called "Balmer-Merlin" in the local dialect and spent my teenage years in NJ and much of my adult life in Maine before embarking on a long (long) career in graduate school.

I was a pioneer on the Internet, creating the first OLD FRENCH WEBPAGE, in early 1997.

I am an avid vinyl record collector and have a collection of about 1,000 records - mostly classical and some popular music, and YES, they are heavy. I have some rare and unusual albums, such as this one.

I studied at the Université d'Angers in 1991-1992. If you were there, let me know.

I once wanted to be an archeologist and started at the University of Maine with this as my prospective major.

 

I am fascinated by regional varieties of French; in particular, little-known dialects of French spoken in France and North American French in general. I am especially interested in New England French and the Acadian varieties of the Maritime Provinces of Canada and the culture of these speech communities. I once met the legendary Acadian author Antonine Maillet.

In Grad School, I spent 4 summers working as a cook in the kitchen of a chamber music school (Kneisel Hall, in Blue Hill, Maine) and lived one summer in a lighthouse in Castine, ME.

I play classical piano, and having been working on the same piece (Fantaisie Impromptu) since about 1985.

I went to Boppard, Germany for four weeks in the Summer of 1995 on a Goethe-Institut Stipendium. Es war toll! If you were there, let me know.
 

I am a real fan of all kinds of music, but I believe that western music reached its apex twice:

The first time was during the High Baroque and early Rococo periods, roughly between the years 1687 and 1748. The second time was the year 1974.

In June 2003, I tried to become a paraglider pilot and took a few weekends of lessons in Kentucky. Here are some pictures. I'm still hoping to get my license...

I am a real genealogy fanatic and have traced my family history back just about as far as possible (on this continent as least). I have family origins in Essex County, NJ; Port Jervis, NY; Wayne and Pike Counties, PA; Baltimore County and City, MD; and eventually: Ireland. Alsace-Lorraine and Prussia. I love helping people try to find out about their own family history.

More to come...