I’m a married gay man with 2 adorable beasts, Sir Luca Lickalot (a mutt who looks like he could be a Brittany spaniel /Great Pyrenees mix) and Cannonball Bailey (an Aussie). My husband and I have lived in Albuquerque since 2023, relocating from Florida for the dry climate. I have previously lived in San Diego, Palm Springs, and southern Georgia.

I work for a poverty law firm, transitioning there after managing mortgage litigation for 20 years while caretaking for family members.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I want to meet other interesting people from other parts of the world or the US who have open minds and hearts.

Interests

• arts
• culture
• writing
• dancing
• meditation
• gardening
• painting
• jazz
• hiking
• kayaking
• law
• food
• nature
• reading books
• france
• italy
• sculpture
• ecstatic dance
• plant medicine
• 5rhythms
• gays
• gay bars

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I love jazz, funk, soulful lyrics, some pop. René Marie & Stacey Kent are divine singer songwriters. Cyndi Lauper. Madonna. The Hot Sardines. Pink Martini. Hil St. Soul. India Arie. CHAKA KHAN. Melissa Etheridge. The Indigo Girls. Cimafunk. The list goes on…

Movies: Terms of Endearment. Enchanted April. The Color Purple (original). Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (& some other stuff by Pedro Almodóvar). Little Miss Sunshine. Moonlight. My Octopus Teacher. Milk. A Star is Born. Most good dramas nominated for Oscar’s.

Lately, I’ve been watching shows & movies to gain a better understanding of Native American history, and learned a lot from Sugar Cane (Netflix). Reservation Dogs was humorous & also poignant.

Books: I enjoy reading a mix of historical non-fiction, memoirs, and fiction. Lately, I’ve been reading fiction & nonfiction about Native American history and culture. An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States is a real eye opener that breaks apart most Americans’ myths about our history. I enjoyed reading Tommy Orange’s 2nd novel, Wandering Stars, and then his 1st, There There. I also learned a lot from A Queer History of the United States.

Great fiction is a gift to humanity. Toni Morrison’s “Beloved.” “The Beekeeper of Aleppo.”

David Sedaris rocks.

My friend’s Greg Wrenn’s eco-memoir, Mothership: a Memoir of Wonder & Crisis, is a good read about one man’s journey to healing through psychedelic therapy & connection to nature. Plus, he mentions me & my husband.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I went to the top round of the Toastmasters humorous speech contests for the district covering central & northern FL just 4 months after joining Toastmasters. It was a speech about the humor & tragedy of caretaking for parents with dementia, and I had to deliver it in a contest just 2 days before my mother died from the disease. Many fellow caregivers who have heard my speeches have expressed gratitude for the chance to laugh.

Teach, Learn, Share

I enjoy mentoring others in public speaking through Toastmasters International.

I also enjoy working on a memoir about caretaking for parents with dementia.

What I Can Share with Hosts

A love of travel, literature, arts, culture, humanity (mostly), and nature. Though I do think most, if not all, humans on the planet need to stop breeding if we are ever going to save other species(& ourselves) from extinction.

Countries I’ve Visited

Aruba, Austria, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Panama, Puerto Rico, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States