Homes, Part 2:

When Jean and I got married, we bought a raised ranch in Hopatcong, a lake community at the fringes of Morris County, where houses were considerably cheaper than in the rest of the area. Andy (1983) and Mark (1985) were born there, and we became friendly with our neighbors Alan and Denise, with whom we have stayed very friendly ever since.

We both started teaching in public high schools immediately before getting married, although after Andy was born Jean taught at the local county college for two decades before returning to high school recently. During my first half-year in public school I taught only “regular” level classes such as Algebra 1 and Geometry. That changed immediately my second year since the school needed somebody qualified to teach computer programming, which I was not, but I learned programming during the summer. Then the Honors Precalculus teacher left mid-year, and no other teachers were willing to undertake so much work, so I have been teaching honors and AP courses ever since. I also switched high schools a few years later to become department head, which I have been for the past 23 years, enjoying every minute of it. I have taught a lot of wonderful students during those years, many of whom I have stayed in touch with via computer, and a few who have become close friends. Other than being home with my family, spending time in the Math Lab with students has been the most joyous part of the past twenty-five years for me.

Jean and I moved to Budd Lake when the boys started elementary school, which was a good decision since we really love our neighborhood. We’ve actually lived in two different houses here, spending 6 years in another raised ranch before moving to a center-hall colonial which is so spacious we could not resist when its owner went bankrupt and had to sell it at a relatively reasonable price.

The boys enjoyed Budd Lake, having done well both in school and making friends. Andy ran both cross-country and track in high school, ultimately getting recruited by several colleges before selecting East Stroudsburg University. Mark graduated #3 in his class and went to TCNJ where, among other things, he met his soon-to-be wife.

Jean and I were very busy teaching and raising the two boys the past 25 years, so my writing pace decreased considerably (also affected by my publishing a regular magazine the past 20 years and blogging the past half-dozen), although I did manage to publish two books in the past ten years. While we both love this house, eventually we will retire and “downsize,” since this house is really too big for two people alone. But I have fallen in love with my office and its “wall of books,” none of which I plan to get rid of as long as I am alive. So while there might be a sixth house in my future, I doubt if it will be one of those “cookie-cutter” little houses where most seniors live. I have enjoyed lots of space for 40 years now, and I have worked hard enough to enjoy a bit of luxury, so I am not giving that up.

Check back with me in another decade for another possible update of my “home” life!