What makes me… me!
Writing a bio can be a little bit daunting. I’m not sure what I really want to say here. I guess the best thing I can do is share a lit about what makes me who I am. I think it is sorta like a recipe – a little of this, some of that, stir and serve.
So… my main ingredients include: family, work, and my passions – cycling, live music, gym, exploring, food, etc.
My family
Of course, family is hugely important with me and that starts with my wife, Liv, and my son, Rio – both pictured here. It doesn’t stop there. My life was shaped immensely by my late mom and dad. My brothers all live in North Carolina, but they each had an influence on me.
And besides my given family, I like to say I also have a chosen family – those friends that are more than just friends. I’m lucky to have a network of chosen family that I’m connected to because of common interest in music, politics, creativity, and more.
My work
I’m an IT guy and always have been. My first experience with computers came in the late 70s when my dad brought home a TRS-80 computer from work. I loved learning about how it worked and trying to program it in BASIC. One of my favorite computers was a Commodore Amiga that I got when I was in high school. It introduced me to multimedia and the creative side of tech.
After high school, I joined the Air Force and was trained to be a computer systems specialist. I worked in communications and space operations. Yep, space operations – I was lucky enough to work in the AF equivalent of NASA’s Mission Control complex. It was pretty exciting and I ended up working many satellite launches and 33 Space Shuttle missions.
My tech career continued after my 10 years in the Air Force. I worked in Silicon Valley for a couple of large technology hedge funds before switching over to government work as a contractor. Eventually, I landed a federal job for the Federal Highway Administration where I currently work.
I also love tech outside of work, too. I like investigating and testing out all sorts of new gadgetry like home automation, wearables, and the latest mobile technologies. And I have also built many websites over the years including this one.
Cycling
I only got involved with cycling a few, short years ago in 2011. I signed up with Team in Training to do a 100 mile charity bike ride in Moab, Utah. That got me hooked, and since then I have completed about a dozen more cycling events.
I love going on group rides, but I also like just biking with Liv to go to brunch or coffee. Although I have owned mountain bikes, right now, I only own a couple of road bikes.
Check out my cycling blog section for my own tips, route suggestions, and videos from my cycling.