More Behind Moon Than Meets the Eye

Okay...so you all think you know me. I was Belushi's counterpart in crime. The brains behind the legend. The straight man or the crooked man? The President of the most f 'd up fraternity house this side of Greece, right? Well sort of right.

I was all of those things. But like you, I grew up. I am funny, but no longer crazy. I drink more than I did in college now. More water, more milk and more Gatorade.

I never did drugs, but I still experiment...In the human spirit. I see how many souls I can touch in a day.

I like me. I'm pretty cool. And humble despite this public service announcement I know you don't do good deeds and tell about them but lately it seems like people think I'm just a clown. I am, but not just that.

Today...I spoke Spanish to a Wal-mart employee from Colombia. She smiled and talked broken English back to me. Prior to being laid off in November I had employees from Colombia, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Germany, Liberia, Brazil, Ghana, Vietnam and Korea. When I walked into work each day I said hello to each person in their Native tongue. They appreciated that. I went to a Liberian Independence Day party last year and also did a clothing drive for Liberian refugees because one of my employees came to work wearing a women's purple winter coat. He didn't look very nice in it. I collected enough clothes to clothe the Liberian employees....And the employees from Colombia, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Germany, Brazil, Ghana, Vietnam and Korea...The employees who were American born took some, too.

I've been married thrice...the first one bore my three children so she'll always have a great spot in my heart. We're friends now...She found a man that she liked more than me. I've become okay with that. Life's short. The second one abused my son so we left after three months..TOGETHER...I'll never be okay with that. Life isn't that short. The third one is still my wife...So far, so good...Most days...Her name is Kate. She'll be thrilled I mentioned her in the Blog...She's like that.

I have three awesome kids who love me. Corey is 22 and a senior at Umass. He has lived with me since he was 10. He is in Israel now and spent this summer in Spain. He is going to the DC this month by bus to see OBAMA get sworn in and to Honduras to help build a house during his spring break. His apple hasn't fallen far from the tree. I'm glad. After he graduates he may backpack throughout Europe. I wish I could go. Hmmmm?

My daughter, Erika, is the artist in the family. She also works as a deli clerk in a supermarket. Her customer's love her because she knows them by name and knows exactly what they order each week. She always smiles....At last she has found a man-love that is deserving of her. I am very proud of everything she does.

My daughter, Julia, is a dancer and a senior in the excellerated program at her high school. She is applying to colleges as we speak. I just read her essay. It is about how her life changed on 9/11. It is her birthday on 9/11. She says it will always feel different than it used to. I can understand.

I have two cool step kids..They call me their Escalator Dad cuz they don't like the sound of Step Dad. I love this. They have great potential to be awesome human beings. I think they will become that..Awesome Human Beings...Kaitlyn is 14 and acts 18. Dakota is 10 and acts 21. Dakota means Friend in the native tongue of the Sioux Indian. He is my Dakota. Kaitlyn means Kaitlyn in the tongue of the Sioux Indian. She is my Dakota also.

Last year, I parachute jumped for the first time. The year before I went hang gliding. The year before para sailing. And snorkeling. I order off menus by telling the waitress to decide. I like to try everything I can at least one time.

I ran the Boston Marathon in '01 and up Mtn Washington twice even though I'm fat. I didn't care where I finished I just wanted to do it. One lady who had a stroke did all three races too and came in last in each race. I think she won.

I've walked 60 miles for Breast Cancer for 4 years in a row. I slept on a scaffolding outside a Service Merchandise store for three nights to raise $25,000 for Muscular Dystrophy. I did a drive to replace all the Christmas presents for a battered mother and her 2 kids because the father stole all there Xmas presents. I donate sox and underwear every year to a friend of my parents who collects for the homeless.

I've been to Jamaica twice. Last year, I tried to bring a mother and her daughter from Jamaica to the US because they lived in a one room shack with no plumbing. It was the right thing to do.

I gave a mom and her two kids chocolate covered cherries this Christmas at Catholic Mass because the mother was crying. I asked another lady to sit with my family because she was by herself. She seemed very grateful. She cried too.

I have been to Dominican Republic. The people at the resort seemed to like me because I attempted to speak Spanish to the employees. I was bad at it, but I made them laugh. I love to make people laugh. It makes their pain hurt less.

I have friends of all shapes, sizes, colors, races, nationalities and sexual orientation. I'm proud of that.

I like me..A lot...

I once read Chicken Soup for the Soul to a man who was beating his wife. I made him stop..I had to use force. Then I read Chicken Soup for the Soul to him. I hoped he would change.

I've also played backgammon with some old Italian guys in little Italy in NYC in a abandoned store front. That same trip, I sold umbrellas in Chinatown, watched the Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson fight in a fire house in Soho where some guys had lost their brothers during the bombing of WTC. They showed me the door from their lost fire engine. I also sat in Central Park that trip with a wizard who had a web site.

I've been to about 50 Red Sox games..including spring training in Florida, been to Yankee Stadium, Camden Yards, Veterans Stadium in Philly, and the Baseball Hall of Fame with my son. Once Ron Darling, who went on to play for the Mets and A's hit a triple over my head in a Little League All- star game. It was the highlight of my career, but not his. I've been to England twice and met the Lord Mayor of Manchester. I've been to Ireland once and got pissah in a pub in Dublin. I've been to Jerusalem and Costa Rica. I've lived in Indiana, Kentucky, NY, NH and MA. I've had many stories published on http://www.bleacherreport.com/, http://www.tripadvisor.com/, The Boston Globe, the Worcester Telegram and several local papers. I also published my own monthly magazine for three years. People loved it!! I've done a lot of stuff in my 47 years. I hope to do more in the next 47 years. Oh yeah...in college, I slept with the homeless alcoholics at a rescue mission and ate in a soup kitchen. Belushi joined me. We did it to learn how less fortunate people live. That's when you guys knew me.....I haven't changed much.......... but I am really different.