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The Nice Way of Saying "All
About Moia"
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My name is Philip Pfanstiel and this is my website. Knowing this
helps to explain why most of the articles are by me and why all
the pictures are of my children, wife and self. This also helps
to explain the title of the web site, which is a play on my name.
Duh.
Brief Bio: We live in Arlington, Texas and I teach 6th grade social
studies in Mansfield ISD. Tamara is a nurse in a Mother/Baby department
at a local hospital.
We met as freshmen in college at Oral Roberts University and dated
for 3 1/2 years. We married shortly after I graduated (BS in Journalism)
and stayed in Tulsa for one more year so she could graduate (BS
in Nursing). When she reads this she'll want me to add that the
reason it took five years is because she got sick and not because
she crammed the four years into five. But since this is my website
I won't add it.
Upon her graduation we moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia so she
could take up surfing and become professional shark bait. Upon recalling
her unreasonable fear of sharks in swimming pools we decided to
have me go to film school at Regent University. I then finished
my graduate course work in two years and we moved to Texas. Notice
how I didn't say I got my degree... Hopefully you didn't. Anyway,
I finally did get my masters (2 years later) so no more nagging.
While in Virginia, Tamara gave birth to Nathaniel who is 4 1/2
years old. Shortly after moving to Texas we gave birth (okay Tamara
gave birth) to Susannah (2) and Abigail (7 months). Being very honest
and objective parents we must add that our children are the silliest,
wiggliest, funnest and best behaved kids in the whole world. I could
write much more but I'm afraid I would start to let my personal
bias in. If you want any parenting advice talk to Tamara, she's
the one that has gotten all the kids onto schedule (like it or not
"Baby Wise" has allowed me to keep what's left of my sanity
and hair - Abigail should also be thankful, judging from horror
stories of other parents Abby would never have been conceived or
even perceived if we didn't use the principles in Baby Wise).
As far as my childhood goes... I was born at a very young age
in a hospital so I could be near my mother...
I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina and moved with my parents
and five siblings (four older, one younger) to Tulsa, Oklahoma when
I was six. I grew up in Tulsa where I love to visit family and friends,
but don't ever want to live. I'm afraid of getting caught in the
hometown vertex, and as someone who likes to experience different
cultures, places and people this was a very frightening prospect.
This is why Tamara and I moved five times in the first five years
of our marriage. We are now settled down in Arlington, Texas for
the moment. We are open to moving but only for an immense amount
of money or flattery (okay, only I can be bought with kind words
- Tamara deals only in greenbacks). Eventually I want to write and
produce films. For now I'm writing them at night and producing short
films with my friend John Strong. Time will tell where that takes
me.
Tamara was born in Nebraska (which makes for any game between
Nebraska and an Oklahoma football team a precarious time in our
house) and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. She has a higher IQ
then mine but compensates by being the absent-minded genius, so
I can feel useful and wise. She is so thoughtful that way.
The only other question I can think of answering that relates
to this website is why I write. Part of this is answered in my "philosophy"
page, but another part goes back to when I was a young impressionable
lad. I am by nature very analytical, sensitive, observant and somewhat
melancholy. Seeing how fashionable these traits are in school and
not wanting to be a loner forever I decided to become a comedian.
I quickly compromised and became what I call a "self-sufficient
comedian". This will hit you sometime tomorrow. Anyway, I write
things now, so I can read them later and laugh and think myself
so wise and funny. I'm hoping someday that it will work.
I began writing in an effort to woo a girl I had a crush on in
a different state. She made the mistake of responding in a positive
manner, which as all my psychotherapists have told me only serves
to encourage the behavior. Having nothing better to do in 7 through
9th grade I developed a writing addiction. Sad really, but the high
from writing and receiving positive feedback (especially from an
actual audience) can become quite addictive. Now I feed my habit
with this placebo of a website.
In the summer between my 9th and 10th grade year I went on a missions
trip to Indonesia that changed my life. I'm planning on writing
a "coming of age" script about it someday, but for now
should probably finish the three other scripts I'm in the middle
of. That trip and watching the film "The Mission" in the
6th grade, both profoundly impacted me and led me to travel on a
few other trips to Indonesia (where I expanded the long distance
relationship scenario to its earthly max), Russia, England and Turkey.
Tamara meanwhile visited Venezuela, Kazakhastan, The Philippines
and Turkey.
We would love to someday travel and live overseas together but
we feel we should get some maturity into our relationship before
we try this. After watching all the "The Amazing Race's"
we know we would probably end up killing each other and a jury would
find Tamara's actions justifiable homicide.
And since my goal in life is not to end up as some lame question
noone knows the answer to in Trivial Pursuit, I shall seek my actual
goal: "To know Christ and make Him know."
- updated March 27, 2005
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