Now 87% More Downloadable Personality
Well, look who stumbled into my little obligatory about me page! Welcome, make yourself at home, grab a chair, kick off your shoes, and enjoy your favorite beverage. Ready? Awesome! OK, let's get this thing started.
Fashionably Late
I‘m a Brooklyn-born Yankee who‘s now happily rooted in South Carolina, Yep I swapped the skyscrapers for Spanish moss and the roar of the subway for the gentle hum of cicadas. I wonder if I can claim an east-coast/dirty south connection now? Yes, no, maybe? Anyway, let us start from the very beginnning - I made my grand entrance into the world five days past due on December 4th, yes I'm a Sagittarius and, yes, I absolutely live up to the stereotype! I was born the youngest of three in a classic Italian American family—the kind where Sunday dinner is less meal and more full-contact sport and what must have sounded like shouting and arguing to our non-Italian neighbors was just our average evening meal conversations - Maddone! Picture mountains of pasta, the faint scent of garlic in the air, and enough stories to fill a dozen memoirs. Back in those days, my mom was a housewife and factory worker for a Brooklyn-based audio manufacturer, while my dad worked as a machinist for an envelope factory. Yep, blue collar working class all the way and proud!
From Crayons to Figuring It All Out... Sorta
I had a very happy childhood and yes, being the youngest, I was spoiled—those early years were equal parts laughter and learning, with just enough drama to keep things interesting. I spent my teenage years headbanging to metal, rolling my eyes at authority, and stockpiled enough angst and existential dread to start my own moody museum. Then—bam!—I blinked, and suddenly I was in the land of adulthood with a sudden and suspicious interest in ergonomic chairs. "Wait a damn minute... who hit fast-forward on my life?!?" Along the way, I’ve gathered some incredible memories (plus a few embarrassing ones I’d happily erase), hard-earned wisdom, and those cringe-worthy facepalm moments—the kind that make you wish the ground would just open up and swallow you whole. I’ve had my fair share of belly laughs, disappointments, ugly cries, and unexpected delights... yada-yada-yada, and now—here I am, typing out this virtual intro!
Yep, I know I‘m skipping over a whole mess of plot twists, side quests, and emotional montages—but I‘ll spare you the extended edition with commentary track and deleted scenes.
Life's Labels Unboxed
I like to think of myself as a somewhat clever blogger and memoirist, I try my best to wrangle life‘s chaos into coherent and semi-interesting stories. I don't write with paper and pen or pencil, I prefer my laptop's keyboard - the click, click, clicking is basically my version of meditation. I’m also a pop culture geek, zinester, animal rights advocate, bookworm, anti-speciesist, amateur musician, proud music nerd, and a novice coffee enthusiast—still fumbling my way through the mysterious ritual of the perfect pour-over. I’m also a textbook introvert who’s perfected the art of looking totally composed while secretly mapping out the fastest escape route from any social gathering. Yep, I’m that odd cocktail of chill and intense—mostly intense, occasionally chill, and entirely unpredictable once someone dares to poke my inner sass monster. I’m also a creature of habit—change and I have a very complicated relationship. When it shows up uninvited, my first instinct is to dive headfirst into my trusty blanket fort and pretend it doesn’t exist. But I’m slowly learning to treat it as an opportunity to grow... and not just a cue to panic like a squirrel in traffic. In the grand mythology of family and friends lore, I’m both the black sheep and the cautionary tale—yet somehow, still the one who's always up for a deep conversation or a bit of existential rambling.
I embrace all those labels—and a rotating cast of others—depending on my mood. I’m the kind of person who alphabetizes their bookshelf but lives in a tornado of laundry. I’ll cry over a dog in a movie but not blink during a horror film. I collect obscure trivia like it’s currency, and I have strong opinions about which M&M color tastes best (it’s blue, obviously). I overthink text messages, and occasionally narrate my life like it’s a mockumentary. Also: I once tried to become a minimalist but got emotionally attached to a mug shaped like a cat.
Hmm, What Else?
When not tinkering with this site, odds are you‘ll find me doodling, getting lost in the labyrinth of my own maze designs (yes, it‘s a thing), or playing the ukulele, guitar, or bass. I‘m also a Lego MOC builder, and I have an ever-expanding collection of Funko Pops and vintage Fisher-Price Little People figures—yes, with accessories, and yes, they are my kryptonite! My taste in entertainment runs a little offbeat: if it‘s subversive, clever, or just a little bit weird, I‘m in. That means a healthy diet of podcasts, talk radio, indie films, and documentaries. I gravitate toward fantasy, surreal comedy, classic horror, psychological thrillers, science fiction, and dark comedy. Blockbusters? Sure, once in a while, as long as no one tries to drag me to a cookie-cutter action flick or formulaic rom-com. I also love classic TV sitcoms, animation, and shopping - yes, I am a shopaholic. That last part is the reason I‘m forever broke! Online, I geek out over web design, web development, typography, and archiving the lost treasures of the early web. Nothing gets me happier than stumbling across a forgotten GeoCities page or a perfectly kerned font.
So, that‘s me—a patchwork of passions, quirks, and contradictions. If you‘re looking for someone to swap stories with, nerd out over obscure music trivia, or just chat about why nostalgia is the best (and worst) feeling - feel free to compose an email and send it my way. I can be reached at mysterymeatball404@proton.me