ABOUT ME

I have always hated the term "journey" when used to describe life-altering circumstances. The term itself is not irritating, but rather the personalities that have adopted this expression. It never fails, usually when I'm late for a flight, that some panflute will dance over to me eager to discuss his or her "journey" with me. These are the thoughts that give me pause when trying to label and convey the 25+ year relationship I've had with technology. And while my "journey" with technology sounds too cliche and corny, my "technology timeline" sounds too robotic and rigid. Still, labels aside, I have to start somewhere. I sat down in front of my first Gateway 2000 tower back in 1992 and have been captivated by computers ever since. Sure, I had been in front of computers before in Junior High, but never a computer that connected to the Internet. I can still remember the lovely music of the modem... "Bwaaaaaa, mphhhhhhhhh, BA-DONG BA-DONG, bing, mphhhhhhh... click!"... running at 28.8 thank you very much. Those were the days when one had to prep everyone in the house that, "I'm getting on the computer so don't pick up the phone or you might disconnect me."

Fast forward a few years and I'm in my first computer graphics class in college, fast forward a few more and I'm using Photoshop fluently at a newspaper as an Ad and Layout Artist, fast forward a few more years and I'm in Branson, MO building websites. By the time I was ready to leave Branson I knew that my career would likely always revolve around computers and so it has. I have always been a "play with it until you learn it" type of person, and thus most of my skills have been acquired through hard-earned trial-and-error and an obsessive compulsive attention to detail. For instance, I said "Hello World" long before I took the class that would teach me to speak. My eagerness to learn, coupled with a strict eye for detail, obsession with organization, and strong work ethic has carried me - and the working environments and relationships I've been in - very far indeed. Technology is an ever-changing and dynamic field to be in, so the skills you see featured to the right of the page are always being updated to fit the technology of the day.

HOBBIES

I suppose one could label me a "nerd," but I've never considered myself one. I have always considered myself a fairly average person that just happens to enjoy certain "nerdy" things on occasion. For instance, I was in the band in high school, but played - and still do - the drums, which has to be one of the most un-nerd-like instruments one can play. Un-nerd-like, is that a word? I am also a huge film fan and am an entertainment writer for EntertainmentBuddha.com, our local newspaper, and Geek Magazine. There's that "nerd" thing again, but I do DVD and Blu-ray reviews and everyone loves movies right? So again, not really nerdy.

WITH THAT SAID...

I love creating graphics, and would welcome the opportunity to incorporate those skills into any position. My dream job has always been to work for the Lego Group, but the more I researched it the more I began to realize that I would probably have to move to Denmark for that opportunity. In light of that fact, my alternate dream job would be any that allows me to collaborate with those who share my passions for computers, code, and creativity.