My Passion
My passion is technology and especially computer software. I started working on Web
sites back when Microsoft's Active Server Pages (ASP Classic) was in the beta stage
and known as Denali. Keeping up with the latest tools and technologies makes for
a fun ride when you enjoy it so much.
Although I have no formal training in programming, building Web applications comes
easily to me. It's truly a pleasure to create an interactive site hooked up to a
database. When you love what you do, the day flies by.
My first computer was a Commodore 64. I learned to write little programs in
Commodore Basic. After moving to the IBM platform, I created and sold multi-user
games in a dBase dialect called TDBS for a bulletin board (BBS) software called
TBBS.
Snowbirds
We have two home-bases. In the spring, summer and early fall, we live in the Township of Nipissing
in Ontario, Canada. We have a large home in a forested area, overlooking Ruth Lake.
The area is known as "The Near North" because it's the gateway to the vast northern
regions of the province of Ontario. The region is known for excellent recreational
activities such as swimming, boating and fishing.
In the winter, you'll find us in
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. This beautiful provincial capital provides
the benefits of an urban area and an escape from the worst of Ontario's winter.
Other Stuff I've Done
Although there's a lot in my resume, there's much more to tell. For example, I
worked as a radio producer and recording engineer. I have an album credit on
"Live at Massey Hall" by the World's Greatest Jazz Band. (If you ever run across
a CD version, I want to buy it! I only have the LP version.)
I have a certificate in small engine mechanics and once rebuilt an old Ski-Doo in
the basement of our Toronto home. I reassembled the motor, track, and chassis in the garage because
the sled was too big to move up the basement stairs.
As a teenager, I spent summers pumping gas north of Huntsville, Ontario at a
place called Curv Inn, not far from Algonquin park. I'd get a two-week break for
the family's traditional summer holiday in Powassan, at Ruth Haven on Ruth
Lake - where we now live.
After finishing high school, I took a year off to work. I was a technician in
Seagram's distillery in Waterloo, Ontario where I tested the raw materials in
the lab. I was responsible for measuring and preparing the ingredients to make
gin; including the juniper berries, orange peel, and cinnamon bark. I was the youngest worker in the plant and
still under-age (the age of majority was 21 back then). At Christmas, the
company gave everyone else a bottle of liquor, produced at the plant. I got a
big package of mixed nuts. That suited me fine, because I never liked the taste
of whiskey
even though I was learning the art and science of taste-testing Seagram's
brands.