After six years at St. Joe's and two at St. Pat's I picked up my elementary and secondary teaching credentials at the College of Notre Dame (now University) in Belmont, CA., where I grew up. (A few years later while working on a Masters I actually took a class there taught by Larry Percell--and he was excellent.). In 1970 I married Patricia, and we started raising our family in Redwood City. We still live in that same house, which we added on to several times. I taught mainly at Ralston Middle School in the Belmont School District for 34 years: math, social studies, but for the last 15, journalism, computer literacy, and web page design in my very own Mac lab. It was a dream come true. St. Joe's and St. Pat's prepared me well for my life both in and out of the classroom, where I managed to keep the peace and benefit students and teachers alike.

As fun as teaching was, after 34 years I finally felt myself getting a little bored, and since I was able to, I retired in June of 2004. Retirement is an adjustment, but it's nice and well deserved. Patricia and I have two grown children, David, who is 33 and teaches at a continuation school in LA, and Aimée, who's an actress in LA and is engaged to be married in June. My mother is still alive at 89, and lives in her own home in Belmont. My dad died 10 years ago. My brother and three sisters are all well, and live in California. I still play tennis (almost daily) and golf (less frequently), now more than ever since I am retired, but I am still looking to be marginally involved with teaching, which is still in my blood... just not full time. I've been (volunteer) tutoring 1.5 hours a week at Menlo Atherton High School, and tutor several  students (mainly math) on the side. I also setup web pages for fun and for profit because I think they are a great way of communicating. Working on several other projects, a math workbook, and a journal of assorted poems, letters, stories, and essays. I love the slower pace of life, and am relating well to one of the first philosophy books we ever read, Leisure: the Basis of Culture. Remember that? It's been a trip, now entering into phase three. Best to everyone.

--Joe    jobarlives@gmail.com

UPDATE: 9/10/06 Our daughter was married in June in Baja California, Mexico, near Rosario. It was one of those destination weddings, a three day wedding, family reunion, and vacation all wrapped in one.
UPDATE Dec 2010 in review. see pdf newsletter 
Since 2010: Lois born, and just Tommy in 2016. David telemarketing from Hawaii to LA. All's well with us. Pics to follow.