Dr. Steven Salberg looks pleasant enough, but he admits to being the terror of supermarket owners.
Salberg is a juggler, you see.
"Jugglers are notorious for being thrown out of the produce section of supermarkets," he said. "I mean, what could be more perfect than an apple, a pear, and an orange?"
Perfect for a little impromptu juggling, that is.
Has Salberg ever been thrown out of a grocery store for such antics?
"I'll plead the Fifth," he said, clearing his throat loudly.
Every Tuesday, Salberg, a 30-year-old chiropractor, makes the one-hour driver from his Hopatcong home to Hackensack to be with kindred spirits: the New Jersey chapter of the International Jugglers Association.
"It's my getaway from the real world, a tension reliever," says Salberg, who admits he is "an addict" after just two years of juggling, much to his family's chagrin. Nights spent watching videotapes of jugglers and countless hours of practice at home have sorely tried the family's patience, Salberg said. "They put up with things that go thunk in the night," he laughed.
"It's a mental and physical addiction," Salberg said. "It's a real feeling of conquering and control. It's the accomplishment of training my body to do these seemingly impossible tricks."