I was born in 1974 in Ketchikan, Alaska, raised by both of my parents, with one older brother, in Southeast Alaska. My memories start when we were living in a small logging camp called Fresh Water Bay. My parents taught school to all ages there.

This period of five years, from kindergarten through fourth grade were my magic years. Childhood. And in what many would think of as "real" Alaska. Driving a skiff long before I'd ever dream of learning to drive a car. Freezers full of salmon and halibut. Bears walking through my front yard. A couple deer hanging in the back room.

From there we settled in Haines, where we stayed through my highschool career. My parents moved around a little more once my brother and I graduated, but have since retired, living on 44 acres 37 miles outside of Haines, three miles from Canada. An amazing spot where I've spent a few winters. My brother is also a school teacher, married and teaching music in Craig, Alaska.

I've been tinkering on computers since I was six; then on an original black Apple II. It was the beginning of a fascination that has only grown. Perhaps better defined as an addiction. I've used about a dozen operating systems, and prefer Linux above all others.

After college I had a few jobs. I managed a store in Haines for a year. I told tourists stories about dogsledding and took them rafting on several small rivers in Skagway. I worked as a kindergarten aide for a year - teaching three little boys how to read and write. Another year I worked as a special education aide working one on one with an autistic boy - one of the hardest and most rewarding experiences I've had to date. Through all of that, I worked as a computer consultant, fixing computers to help put food in the fridge.

In late 1999 I decided I was ready for a change, and moved from Alaska, my home for 25 years, down to South Florida. Complete culture shock! I've grown to like it, and currently work for a small telecommunications company down here.

When not at work or on my computer, I spend time reading (anything and everything - I try to stay away from computer books in personal time, though my shelves overflow with them), writing (short stories, poems, maybe one day a novel), listening to music, watching movies (my DVD collection continues to grow - I really should stop supporting that industry), learning about plants & herbs (especially in relation to health and healing), and cooking (I'm vaguely vegan, though not really. A long story.)

In line with my computer interests is my web site, KernelTrap. Keeping these pages up-to-date keeps my knowledge up-to-date.

Thanks for stopping by. Comments are welcome. I intend to fancy this up shortly, adding pictures and links and such. I'll update with my adventures from time to time.