About the Author
I was born in Massachusetts and grew up in a medium sized border town in southern New Hampshire. Our claim to fame was our town was the first place after leaving Massachusetts where you could legally get a tattoo. Come to think of it, cigarettes and beer were also cheaper where I lived. Maybe that is why our town’s motto was “The Gateway to New Hampshire.”
I then attended the University of New Hampshire and graduated with a B.A. in both history and political science. The two areas of study overlapped so much in my mind that it was the natural thing to do. Following graduation I worked in New Hampshire politics on a congressional campaign as a “field representative”. I later learned that term is code for working long hours, making almost no money while having a great time. It was one of the best jobs I ever had.
After my brief stint in politics I jetted off to graduate school at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Living and going to school in London was an amazing experience and one I am glad I took advantage of. I was able to meet people from around the world and vigorously debate various issues in a competitive academic setting. The interactions I had in London allowed me to better understand opposing world views, and also allowed me to strengthen my own beliefs .
Leaving London was hard and I made every attempt to try and find a job in the U.K. and Ireland. I was unsuccessful in my job search and headed back to the States just in time for the 2002 election season. I again got another job in New Hampshire politics, this time on a well funded Gubernatorial campaign as Field Director. This job was even more fun than my first one in politics, but in the back of my mind I always had a desire to go to law school.
On the week that applications were due I mailed mine out to several schools. The only thing I did not like about living in New Hampshire were the winters, and I vowed to go to law school in a warmer climate. I was accepted at the Florida State University College of Law and moved to Tallahassee, Florida in the autumn of 2002. I passed the Florida Bar in the September of 2005 and the Georgia Bar in October of 2007.
Currently I am a 31 year old attorney who lives in a small North Florida town with my wife, Becky, my son, Mason, two dogs (Jackson and Molly) and one cat (Sadie Mae) in our 1927 Bungalow. After growing up outside of Boston and living in London I never thought I could be happy living in a place with a population of under 5,000 people, but I am.
I tend to be interested by a lot of things and this blog will not really focus on one topic, such as politics or food or sports, but rather will touch on my various interest. Leave a comment to let me know you’ve stopped by, and I hope you enjoy my blog!
I also thought the Georgia bar exam was a little weird– from facts that were not familiar to laypersons, to questions that were obscure at best–I too left the test feeling extremely uneasy about my performance. I am no neophyte to bar exam, having successfully taken NY, NJ and Florida. But Georgia surprised me the most in its “curveballs.” Oh well, lets just wait it out. Feel free to write me to commiserate!
Nice to meet you! We like oatmeal too!
Thanks for checking out our blog. Enjoy the Florida sunshine.
Thanks for the comment- I am very proud of those pictures!
And totally soak up compliments. Thanks for stopping by the blog! Also, I am very jealous about the time you spent in London! I have always wanted to go there. Maybe one day!
I really enjoy your blog! Thank you so much for commenting on mine because I really would have missed out on reading yours.
I’ll be back to read this blog often.
Thanks again for stopping by and reading mine!
Thanks for returning the favor! Glad you enjoyed my blog!
Hey I stopped by, and I loved your informative bio
.
PS: how much do you rock for having 5 pets? Awesomeness
romi41: Thanks for checking out my blog! Having 5 pets is a lot of fun (and work) but I love all of them!
Do you know about a cruise with Paula Deen; I had heard she was doing another one this August to Alaska?
@ Mary: I heard something about that but am not sure about the details. If I run across anything concrete I will post it. Thanks for stopping by!
Hey, thanks for the comment. Actually that picture was taken at Cheaha Resort State Park in Alabama.
Thank you for the comments lately! You’re a great friend!
Thanks for stopping by on my blog
I liked your blog, its pretty interesting…will keep coming back at it for more..take care
I noticed that you are a fan of classic movies. I’d like to invite you to a social network I started just for classic movie fans. It’s similar to MySpace but is exclusive to classic movie fans. I think you would really enjoy it. Here is the link:
http://goldenageofhollywood.ning.com/
Hope to see you there!
Kevin
aka Ktrek
Good luck with the motley crew of lawyers in Jefferson County. How’s that walking corpse Reichman!?
was looking for that shrimp and grits recipe and found it. I like coffee and burbon too. No contradictions there!
Hey man,
thanks for the comment on our blog about stroud! I’m optomistic too, hopefully now we won’t get as destroyed in JAX this year…
I had to “insult” the jags in a post today (as part of an insult series), so please take no offense!
come back and check us out again!
No offense taken, thanks for the comment!
Saw your blog looking to see if the GA Bar Exam results for February 2008 might be posted early. Alas, no such luck. Anyway, I too am unwilling to think that I passed, but who knows. I have also passed Florida, July 2004, and Louisiana, July 2000, so I am no stranger to this feeling, it’s just that I didn’t study that much this time (way too much work to do), so I am hopeful because not passing means I have to take the whole thing, instead of just the one-day’s attorney’s exam.
Anyway, congrats on passing the GA Bar, hope you enjoy living in North Florida, I live in Gainesville and love it here.
North Florida is a great place, and I love living here! Avoiding the two day examination was also my goal when I took the GA Bar. Thanks for the comment, and I hope that you get some good news when the post the bar results!
Hi, I am 59 years old and still waiting for a reply from the Calabrian municipalities after writing the same letters as you wrote (10 years or more now). LOL Did you get a reply to your queries sent with 90 cents of postage?!? I hope so!!!
By the way, my mom’s folks hail from Catania, Sicily and were named Pappalardo also. I also have lots of pets here in Whitestone, New York — 3 dogs, 4 cats and a bird!!!!!!!!!
I did get a reply on just 90 cents of postage! I need to follow-up with the other two. Pappalardo and from Catania? Maybe we’re distant relatives.
Thanks for the comment!
Just curious,
The photo that you have for your banner – - – is that of / on the Blue Mountains in Jamaica? Cause it looks like it.
Nope, the picture above is of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina.
I have never been to Jamaica!
Hey, Rome fan here living in Dallas, just made my first comment on your site about 10 minutes ago….See that you live in the Big Bend area of Florida. I am a Florida State grad and a Tallahassee native ( I had to get out after that long ), however, nice pictures on your flickr site…reminds me of home…Franklin county and such..anyway…cool deal rock on…
Good Night NOW!
Glad to have a fellow ‘Nole visit my blog. You have a good eye as the latest pictures on my flickr site were taken in Franklin County! I can understand why if you grew up here and went to college here you’d want to move (I’ve wandered quite a bit myself).
Thanks for the comment on the McCain-Palin announcement, feel free to comment any time and I will be adding you to my blog roll…once again, thank you.
D.A.
Thank you!
I stumbled upon your blog on a general search on wordpress and then our little banter battle started! I came to read your about page and found out a few things we have in common (what a small world) – I grew up in South Africa and studied Political Science Honours there. I lived in the UK (Oxford) for four years and I now live outside Boston, MA. Okay, granted, I do NOT have a law degree and neither have I passed two bar exams, so you have that. Just found it interesting that the world can actually be that small! We might differ but I still found your blog interesting and will pop in again!
It is interesting how small the world can be! You live outside of Boston? I am jealous as Boston is one of my favorite places! And yes, despite our political differences there are still many interesting things we have in common. I hope you keep popping in from time to time!
I started out in politics before going to law school. Practiced law for seven year before giving it up to move to the UK. Sometimes I miss breaking up families and putting criminals on the street. Sometimes I don’t.
Thanks for the comment! I think I’d rather be in the UK than breaking up families and putting criminals back on the streets!
Hey there! Let’s just say I know you as Norm and live in AK. You posted your blog link, so I checked I checked it out. Never read a blog before. This is a whole different side of you! (in a good way, not that the other side is bad). The blog really differentiated the you of SHS and the you now. Very interesting. I am curious about something. Romi said something about you having 5 pets. I only saw mention of 2 dogs and 2 cats-which I’m pretty sure is 4, though my math never was super awesomely great. Am I missing one?
On another note, maybe it’s sappy or uber girlie, but I just love how excited you are about Mason!! Becks is a lucky lady! OH! Bad news-they seem to have disconinued the ‘Nooks T’s for babies.
I’ll keep looking. They have some quasi-touristy stuff for babies which I’m considering but not sure of. I’ll send regular baby stuff, too. Would you and Becks like some Alaskan themed baby books for Mason’s library? ~MD
Just discovered your blog; very cool! I’m bookmarking it! (I am strict with bookmarks — so this is a compliment, by the way.)
Thanks for the compliment and I am glad you enjoy reading my blog!
Hey, I stumbled across your blog while trying to prove to a friend that I wasn’t the only person who drank his coffee black and with bourbon. Great read, you’re a talented writer. I’ll keep it bookmarked.
Ha! Glad to see there are two of us in this world who enjoy those fine beverages either alone or mixed. Thanks for the complient!
Hello! I enjoy your writing and your openness. It seems that you are well adjusted, self sufficient and take good care of your sweet wife. You don’t happen to have a single brother do you?
Keep up the good work!
I am glad that you found my blog and left a comment but sadly I do not have any single brothers. There are only two of us and both are now married!
Good stuff! Thought you might like our blog,
sardinesociety.com
Thanks for the comment! Your blog is pretty interesting, who knew there were so many brands of sardines?
I love your site. Keep it up !
Looking for this recipe, a favorite of my Mom. I came across yours and enjoyed it very much!
p.s. I am old enough to have had them live at Jordan Marsh!
Regards, Julieta
Thanks for the kind words and I am glad that you liked the recipe for the Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins!
Thanks for sharing your Uncle’s pancake recipe, and the revised version. I’m looking forward to trying it. John is forever making sourdough pancakes, which are delicious, but sometimes I just want a good old fashioned pancake.
Your pictures are great, too. As I’ve said, I just love Mason’s flirty little picture; so cute!