Which decade do you identify with?

I was born in the 1950s.
I started high school in the 1960s.
I graduated college and got my first real job in the 1970s.
I met and married my wife and we had our first three (of four) children -- David, Katie and Danny in the 1980s.
In the 1990s, I really came into my own in my career, becoming top editor of two papers and winning president's rings as one of my company's top editors. We also had our fourth child - Megan.
This decade, I've made it to USA TODAY, seen two kids graduate college, sent two others on their way to college and survived -- so far -- in the struggling newspaper industry.
The other day I read a piece asking about which decade you felt was really yours.
Yes, it said, you've lived in all of them. but which one shaped you, had the biggest impact, influenced who you are?
For me, I think I did most of the defining of who I would become in the 1970s.
I love 60s music and the 69 Mets
I love my wife and kids.
I hate the fact that I most came of age in the days of disco
But that's the fact.
That's when I went from a naive, shy kid to almost and adult who could take care of himself.
That's when I started the career that has helped pay for those kids to go to college.
That's when I went on my first dates, kissed my first girl,. had my first girlfriend, had my first part-time job and met the most people I am still friends with today.
That's when I went to my first concert, my first car and my first job in the media.
Lots of stuff has happened all the other decades...hard to believe this first one of the new millennium is almost done.
But the 70s' made me who I am...Stayin' Alive.
Later.

This and that about that and this

It's October 1, so here's a few ups and downs from the past month...

UP: The Jets are 3-0 (who would have thought?) and the William & Mary football team is 4-0 (for the first time since 1994. The Tribe has am awfully tough game at Villanova this weekend. I credit the fast start, in some part, to daughter Megan and the very peppy pep band for their tireless inspiration.

DOWN: The Mets have been absolutely decimated by injury and absolutely awful since August. The regular season cannot end soon enough. They announced they will lower ticket prices for next season. Good idea. Paying me to watch would be a better one if they are anywhere nears as bad next year as they have been this one.

UP: Son Dan is doing great as a walk-on for the George Mason University baseball team. Off of what he's accomplished since he transferred and tried out in August, it's looking like he might end up on this Division I team with a chance to play.

DOWN: It's October and we're still nowhere near health care reform. It has to happen. We can't have people without access to health care losing everything when they fall seriously ill.

UP: Gannett stock -- over $12 a share at this writing.

DOWN: Gannett stock -- I still have shares obtained at over $80 a share. Sigh.

UP: Mary and I saw Bill Crystal at the National Theater in D.C. on Sept. 13 in his "700 Sundays" Show. Absolutely fabulous.

DOWN: We were supposed to see Peter, Paul & Mary at Wolf Trap, but sadly Mary Travers became gravely ill and passed away.

UP: Peter, Paul & Mary's music will live forever.

DOWN: Saw a really, really bad Adam Sandler movie titled "Funny People." None of the people in it were.

UP: Saw a funny movie with Sandra Bullock -- "The Proposal." Wasn't the chick flick I thought it was going to be. It was laugh out loud funny.

DOWN: Have seen several bad new TV shows I will not be seeing again, including "Cougar Town," "Hank" and the new Jay Leno Show.

UP: Saw three good new ones I'll watch again -- Modern Family. Flash Forward and The Good Wife.

DOWN: Hate having to wait till January for "24" to come back.

UP: "24" comes back in January.

DOWN: Looks like this will be the last season for "24."

UP: It definitely will be the final season for "Lost" I like the show, but it's becoming too much like homework now. Time to wrap it up.

DOWN: My weight -- 12 pounds total so far.

UP: Oldest son Dave has a great new apartment in Hoboken, which I got to see the weekend of Sept. 19-20 when I started helping him move. His sister Katie and her husband Nick came the following weekend to help with the heavy lifting.

DOWN: He lives a little further away now and we don't see him often enough.


Later.