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Glenn Bartley
<br><img src="http://members.aol.com/gbarthgwt/mamaNpapa"><br>
Well at least it is a recent pic from this past Christmas - maybe not the best pic, but it shows me with my better half. That is my wife - Linda, and the other gal is our dog Sprocket. Cut out of the pic were the kids Celina (18) and Brendan (13), and Oma (Louise my mother in law holding our mini-Dachshund – Hexi). I have better pics of the kids for later posing, and who wants to see the mother-in-law anyhow - but yes she is ok in my book!
As you can tell I have been over a hill or three. I'm 47 - born and raised in Brooklyn - then raised more in Glendale, NY (a neighborhood of Queens County in NYC). The wife, a year younger than me, was born in Germany but has lived here most of her life. I was a friend of her brothers and I think they hid her from me, and from their other buddies, for years or I would have married her sooner. We will have been hitched 17 years this April 19. We now live in Mineola, NY (Long Island east of NYC).
In 1979, I went off to work for the Border Patrol in one of the garden spots of the USA - Calexico, CA. After that I returned to NY and started working for the Customs Service back in 1983. I met my wife back then in about 1985. I worked for Customs, as a Special Agent, doing mostly narcotics and money-laundering investigations for many years, but mostly admin duties and firearms instructing in the last year or so. I was with Customs right up until this March 1, 2003. Then – the U.S. Customs Service, the oldest federal agency in the country was abolished without even a simple goodbye ceremony. Customs, Immigration, the Secret Service and the Federal Protective Service were all absorbed into the new Homeland Security mega department. By a decree of the grand poobah: I now work for the Bureau of Immigration & Customs Enforcement of the Department of Homeland Security (what a mouthful) protecting our borders. (I wonder what they thought I had been doing for the last 24 years?) Despite the thrilling new title, I still look forward to being elligible for retirement in 2 1/2 years.
The daughter is in college as a freshman. The son is in seventh grade. The wife works too much at the local middle school and at a restaurant and needs a break. I am into trying to be a better dad and husband lately. I think it is working. I love the wife and kids very much. I am hopeful my son will grow up to like some of the things I have tried to guide him through. I have to get him more into the herps, try to get him more responsible for them (hmm that would make it easier for me). My daughter sure has gone her own way but I see she has some of the better things about her that I tried to instill. I like my herps, my guns, hiking when I can, travel also when I can, hunting and fishing, sci-fi, reading, writing and being lazy while drinking a really finer ale or beer. Out of all that I think my wife likes travel, and reading. Of course she likes polka dancing too – but it has been too long since the last dance. She is also a fitness freak, that shirt hides her youthful figure but I think you can see she is pretty trim and fit – also much better looking than me. I am also back in school majoring in Forensic Psychology toward a Master's degree (I'll need another job after I retire from the G). Of course, I write and talk too much – but you knew that already! Before I go I will say: It has been an interesting life!
Best regards,
Glenn B
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It does a heart good!
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