Welcome to Zookbears Webspace!

taken July, 2003

My name is Brian.  I live in Philly with Dennis my other half.  We have been together now for thirteen years.  (wow how the time flies!)  We bought a house in South Philly about a year ago.  We lived for 12 years in a funky apartment on Broad Street close by, but I must say that this place sure is a step up!  I work as an ophthalmic assistant in an eye doctor's office.  It isn't great work, but it sort of pays the bills.  I got Lasik eye surgery in November 2002 and said good bye to contact lenses and glasses. When I'm not working, I'm usually found sleeping, watching TV or cruising the Web.  That is of course if I am not off doing my unusual hobby, more about that later.

I grew up in the middle of nowhere in central Pennsylvania.  I am a Pennsylvanian at heart, though with each move in my life I have moved further East.  My first stop was West Chester, PA where I went to college.  I was in the last graduating class of West Chester State College in the spring of 1983.  Over the summer of 1983 some politicians in Harrisburg figured out if you called it a University, you could charge more to go there.  Next stop on my journey was Darby, PA where I had a lover who was a Methodist Clergy Person.   We were together for four years, till he started going to gay events and introducing us around as the perfect Christian couple. (could you gag!)  After that relationship ended, I moved to University City not far from the University of Pennsylvania, where I worked  in their Dept. of Ophthalmology.   Next move was to South Philly when Dennis and I set up house fourteen years ago on the west side of Broad Street.  Now that they moved the Mummers parade away,  there was no reason to stay anymore, though Dennis hated the Mummers. The next move I figured would be across Broad Street to the East side close to the Delaware River, until we ran out of state and we end up in New Jersey. I was right we bought a house 3 blocks south and 4 blocks east from where we used to live.

I have several areas of interest which are all very strange.   I love classical music, especially classical organ and sacred choral music.  I don't consider myself a strongly religious person, though I was raised in the Lutheran Church and I was very active as a youth, my main attraction to church has been through the music.  I find that the  music is an uplifting and transcendent force in my life.   Therefore, I do attend church pretty regularly.  I am a member of an Anglo-Catholic Church here in Philly.  The choir and organ are top notch and help take me to a plain of spirituality as I worship. 

Speaking of ecclesiastical things, there is a remarkable church just outside Philadelphia.  It is the Bryn Athyn Cathedral.  It was built in the 20th century but looks like something from the Gothic Era.  I have created a website about it.  To see it, click on the picture of the church.

I also have an interest in ocean liners.  This started with my parents taking me to see The Poseidon Adventure  in 1972 when I was eleven.  The movie scared me half to death.  I remember waking up in the middle of the night and I was shaking.   Soon after that I went to the library and read every single book I could find on ocean liners.

I am a member of Independence Squares, a gay and lesbian square dance club.  Though lately I haven't done as much dancing  as I would like to.

Lastly, I am interested in campanology. (No, it doesn't mean I run around with a lace hanky and flounce about, thought I could if I wanted to)  Campanology is the ringing of bells in a bell tower.  This is something I do at my church.  It is a weird hobby.  We do something called English Change Ringing.  If you have ever heard the bells ring at a royal event in England, you  know what I mean.  If you want to hear the bells ring, click on the bell below.   During 1998-1999, I worked on the restoration of the bells at my church.  I have created a very elaborate website about the bells which you can view by clicking on the steeple.  I find that the bells, while not musical in the traditional sense, can hold a person captive and can be quite melodic when  rung correctly.  To learn to ring  takes an enormous amount of practice.  However we spend as much time after practice at the local pub consuming pints of ale.  

To see more pics of me click on the Zookbear pic page link. 

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