Born in Alaska and raised in Nebraska, I have since lived in various
places on the east coast, west coast, and states in between.
I lived out of my car, a 2005 Honda Element
that I bought off eBay with only 4,700 miles on it; since September 2005 I
have been staying with friends and family, or car camping, while
I work on my nonprofit endeavors and trek around the US (twice).
All the while, pursuing work in the nonprofit world.
Most everyone understands this as my
"pursuit of a dream", while a few snub it as "quitting a good job". So be it;
it is my life and I'm here to live it thoroughly doing what feels right.
For those whose curiosity is piqued, read
this article
which I came across, well after I started my wandering lifestyle
as I mentioned earlier, I left my job in September 2005 (this article is dated 2007).
Travels
I have traveled a lot, as you may have guessed: all 50 states,
6 Canadian provinces, well over a dozen countries on six continents,
and have made friends everywhere I go.
To mix things up a bit, I have done a skydive in all 50 states,
5 Canadian provinces, and 12 countries on six continents.
Nearly all of my trips have been solo, in the US and overseas.
After I started living out of my car, beginning in late 2005, I have
traveled well over 50,000 miles and my butt is feeling it!
Having driven over 98% of it solo, as with my other travels,
I saw things differently; as I encountered new people and places.
To begin. . . there is an awful lot of trash laying around out there everywhere.
About This Website
Launched in October 2002, this site has come a long way.
It's a lot easier to edit something that exists
than it it to create something from scratch.
So, I downloaded a free template,
named Enlighten1, from
Zeroweb.org
which hosted a link to the designer
styleshout.com;
then I found some cool animation tricks from
CSSplay.
I took the source codes and tweaked everything, with the added help of
www.w3schools.com
and the internet code-checking tools for
CSS and
XHTML, creating what
you see now. My code is clean!
After I uploaded everything, I had to re-direct the old pages to the new ones,
with the instructions from
here,
here,
and here.
My personality temperament varies, depending on the test and my
particular mood at the time I take the test. Here is one of the
test results from the
Keirsey-Temperament Sorter and
the Jung Typology Test:
ESFJ, aka "Guardian-Provider."
I have taken this at a different time, and got a slightly different
answer of an ENTJ, aka "Rational-Fieldmarshal."
and ENFJ "The Idealist Teacher". Hmmm...
E = Extrovert
S = Sensing
F = Feeling
J = Judgement
E = Extrovert
N = Intuitive
T = Thinker
J = Judgement
E = Extrovert (22%)
N = Intuitive (62%)
F = Feeling (38%)
J = Judgement (11%)
This is a fun thing to do for parties. Have everyone do the test
beforehand, then mix-n-match at the party.
Here is another test result:
ENFJ - "Persuader". Outstanding leader of groups. Can be aggressive at helping others to be the best that they can be. 2.5% of total population.
"
The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good
men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep
from meddling with them while they do it.
"
T. Roosevelt
My Sign
For you astologists out there, I'm an
Aries on the greek calendar and a
Rooster on the Chinese calendar.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Be Proactive
Begin With The End In Mind
Put First Things First
Think Win-Win
Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood
Synergize
Sharpen The Saw
S. Covey
My Political Stances
I am a conservative liberal, or a liberal conservative.
I like forming my own truths, regardless of any one particular
voting party. If it makes sense to me, then that is my political
stance. You have your opinions, I have mine. It's a free country, right?
Semantics
"
If con is the opposite of pro, then what's the opposite of progress?
"
Anon
Pet Peeve #1
The misuse of the pronoun "I".
C'mon folks, it is okay to use the pronoun
"me". Honest! Check it out, and see why it sounds so awful
when someone says,
"Robert gave that to Jacquelyn and I." (argh!)
It should be,
"Robert gave that to Jacquelyn and me."
When you take out Jacquelyn, and it would then be,
"Robert gave that to me." (correct)
But, when using "I" (incorrectly, like too many people do),
the sentence would then be,
"Robert gave that to I."
Now, does THAT
sound correct to you? I think not.
Learn more about this (and more about the English language)
online, at any number of grammar sites. For starters, do a search on "pronoun use."
Management Principle
"
If the test is going well, change the test flow to a more complicated approach.
"
A. Speicher
Pet Peeve #2
People mindlessly driving in the left lane, or middle lane, and
refusing to move over to the right allowing others to pass on
their left (safely). I have seen this from coast to coast, regardless of
the driver's age, gender, nationality, etc. It is my personal quest
to spread this word, to remind people that this is a driving
hazard and it slows down traffic; I know that no one likes that to happen.
If you find yourself in the left
lane, with someone behind you, get over to the right. If the
person behind you is flashing their high beams, it means,
"Hey, you're going too slow, move over and let me pass you,
safely on your left, please."
If you find people passing you on the right and left sides of
your car - then get out of the middle lane, because you're still
causing a driving hazard.
When people are forced to pass you on
the right, they run the risk of driving into someone who's passing
someone else on the left. The roads become a free for all
driving pattern, and people get hurt. So, please do as the the
signs say, "Slower Traffic - Keep Right". . .
"Keep Right Except To Pass", yada, yada.
Don't forget to read the road signs. . .
Notes from "Shackleton: Leading at the Edge"
Vision & quick victories:
Never lose sight of the ultimate goal, and focus energy on short-term objectives.
Symbolism & personal example:
Set a personal example with visible, memorable symbols and behaviors.
Optimism and reality:
Instill optimism and self-confidence, but stay grounded in reality.
Stamina:
Take care of yourself: Maintain your stamina and let go of guilt.
The team message:
Reinforce the team message constantly: "We are one we live or die together"
Core team values:
Minimize status differences and insist on courtesy and mutual respect.
Conflict:
Master conflict - deal with anger in small doses, engage dissidents, and avoid needless power struggles.
Lighten up!
Find something to celebrate and something to laugh about.
Risk:
Be willing to take the Big Risk.
Tenacious creativity:
Never give up there's always another move.
D. Perkins
Persistence
"
Regardless of any other principal that is presented here for your consideration,
the practice of persistence will prevail when other strategies have failed.
Once committed to a focus and goals; a continual, grinding, grudging, sweating,
and diligent effort is necessary to accomplish the end outcome objective. . .
excellence. Little has ever been gained by half-hearted or sporadic attempts at
anything.
Persistence is difficult, and it's easy to become discouraged and quit.
Those that have prevailed in almost every field of endeavor, however, have shown
a common trait. . . that of persistence.
"
C. Staten
5 Steps to Success
Vision
Leaders imagine what they would like to have happen in the future.
Goals
Leaders identify specific goals that must be achieved to make the vision a reality.
A Goal is. . . SMART Specific
Measurable
Action-oriented
Realistic
Time-bound
Build & Motivate a Team
People must want to make the vision and goals a reality.
Monitor Progress
Track progress. Revise plans and goals as necessary.
Achieve
Follow the first 4 steps and achievement naturally happens.
L. Hauser
Wear Sunscreen
Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on come idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.
M. Schmich
Enjoy your time here
If you're in a hurry, just click on this link to downoad my
Resume/CV.
Otherwise, read on and be sure to check out the section titled
"What's on This Page",
in the right column. Also, check out my LinkedIn profile.
Here you will find many things regarding my experiences, in the office and on the road.
Having traveled extensively and met people around the world, I gained an appreciation
for many things, tangible and otherwise unforgettable.
I hope you will find what I have provided here to be informative and transformative.
Every year I post and send out a
"Year-In-Review" letter
(aka "YIR").
They're a fun read and sum up each year nicely, with pictures even! Of course, for
more detailed stories and a wider selection of (downloadable) pictures, head on over
to my
Pictures page.
I'm fortunate enough to even have some videos, with me in them to boot! There's
one on this page, in the Volunteer Work section; you can
also see my collection ov videos on
YouTube. Plus, there's an MP3
interview I did with Skydive Radio, which is linked on my News page.
Last, but certainly not least, there is my collection of
Writings page; where, one day,
hope to have more creative-writings to share.
In short, you can read what I've written, hear what I've said,
and see what I've done. . . all right here on my website. Short of
meeting me in person, you know the scoop!
Don't forget to check out what else is in the right column.
I think everyone will find something of interest, not to mention
a little entertaining too!
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
Anon
Getting to Know Me
Summary
I am both engineer and artist; by nature and by nurture. Having chosen
engineering as my professional pursuit, my artistic skills have not been
fully developed. On the other hand, I do view science as an art form in itself;
especially when you go beyond the top veneer of perceived complexity in science and
perceived simplicity of art.
My skills in art have helped me understand science, and my understanding of
science has helped my artistic skills; the two worlds are more alike
than often believed to be.
I possess a wide variety of skills and interests, both technical
and non-technical; this includes strong communication, organization,
and creative skills, in order to better manage and explain the
technical and non-technical problems with which I am tasked.
Additionally, I am fluent in French and have experience in
disaster-relief and humanitarian-aid work in the US and abroad.
I have had several articles published, online and in print, relating to:
travel, parachuting, and volunteer work. Public presentations and public
relations are another set of skills I often exercise.
I am self-motivated in troubleshooting problems individually,
as a team leader, or team participant. I am always searching for
smarter ways to get the job done. After nine rewarding years,
I resigned from Lockheed Martin in 2005, in order to pursue my
interest in humanitarian-aid based work. Since then, I have created
a nonprofit organization, named
Airdrop Assist,
which is continuing
to grow as we prepare volunteers for entering highly remote areas by
airdrop. In general, I seek to creatively apply and expand my skills
in project management, foreign languages, computers, and engineering.
You can also download my
one-page resume/CV,
for a concise summary of my skills and objectives.
More Information
Leadership
I do a lot of different things and the variety helps keep me aware
of the "big picture", while adapting to any given situation. Leadership
is a role I am continually developing and, with each opportunity, I
learn through doing; this is an ongoing education, for which I work
hard at doing my best and learning from my mistakes.
Engineering
With my career at Lockheed Martin, I had an ongoing exposure to
systems engineering, which included all aspects of mechanical engineering,
as well as computer programming/hardware, and telecommunication technology.
I have had a great number of assignments, throughout Lockheed Martin,
which has augmented my awareness of the overall operations for this large corporation.
Languages and Travel
My foreign language skills are primarily a personal pursuit, but
have also aided in many aspects of my interactions at work, with
my colleagues as well as with the diverse range of clients to this
company. This also underscores my travels, which have taken me around the world.
Resourcefulness
In order to feel confident about traveling solo, and as part of my pursuits with Airdrop Assist,
I sought additional training in emergency medicine and ropes. I first sought an EMT-Basic
certification and later certififed in Wilderness First Responder. Additionally, the Rope Technician Level I,
from OnRope One proved to be very enjoyable as well.
All of these certs are expired, mainly due to the cost of renewal.
I'd gladly refresh my skills in these areas, should the need arise, but the essential skills remain (with or without the card).
We must be the change we wish to see in the world.
M. Gandhi
Volunteer Work
Summary
In early 2004, I became a volunteer for
Remote Area Medical,
which provides no-cost health care around the world but primarily in
Guyana and Tennessee. It all started with
this article.
As an engineer, I offer non-medical skills,
which has, in turn, helped me further develop my engineering skills
through real-life applications of solar power and any other basic or
non-basic mechanical needs, in remote areas.
Over time, I became
increasingly responsible for organizing volunteers who were to enter
highly remote areas by airdrop, now known as their RAM Airborne Project.
In May 2006, after coordinating the re-design of the RAM website, I
became the RAM Airborne Project Director, along with the creation of
a new nonprofit school,
Airdrop Assist,
in order to ensure the quality of volunteer for these unique expeditions.
By mid-2008, it was no longer possible to continue operations, due to a
variety of circumstances revolving around foreign-based, federal-level approvals for our work,
so I closed up the nonprofit and only regret that we were not allowed to continue our work.
I then decided to pursue a personal interest of my own, without the need to establish
a nonprofit, and called it Trash Trip. The goal was
to start at the top of North America and travel to the bottom of South America.
I made it to the top of Alaska and drove as far south as Tijuana, Mexico. Along the way,
I volunteered on a one-month trip to the middle of the Pacific Ocean, on a 151-foot Brigantine
for Project Kaisei, where scientists
took samples of the local environment; to investigate the impact of trash on the marine life there.
Later, I was invited to assist one of the crew from Kaisei, in his work with Whoel Systems Foundation.
I crewed and arranged interviews over the course of nearly 80 days, as we island hopped from the Bahamas to Trinidad.
In total, I recorded around 140 interviews, with a range of people from various countries, regarding their
views on waste and waste management.
More Information
Trash Trip Engineer and Explorer
Trash Trip was not a sponsored effort, despite having it suggested to me many, many times. As I tell people, I don't
want my perspective and opinions to be skewed or viewed as being tainted by a for-profit entity. My views, as expressed on my website,
are solely my own. This is a double-edged sword too, because it is more difficult to run the whole show, while traveling non-stop from
one end of a continent to the other. I made it on my own, as far as Mexico, by land, and to the Pacific and through the Caribbean Islands by boat.
I was able to collecte around 140 interviews, recorded in audio files (I wanted to shoot video but, as a solo-journalist, this became impractical.)
The interviews were largely a success and I made many good acquaintances, along with many new friends, along the road.
Before making it to the bottom of South America, I needed to return to a "real job"; even though, the work I was doing was very fulfilling and
non-traditional, it was what felt right to do and I feel fortunate to have been able to have pursued what I did! When I have the time, I plan to write up
a summary of what I learned, from the people I met, their stories, and my personal experiences.
Airdrop Assist Nonprofit School Founder
Airdrop Assist was created after working working with RAM, and
realizing that there needed to be a screening and training program for
volunteers who wished to airdrop into a remote location. Having learned
things the hard way, and with the help of two other skilled volunteers, the school
core curriculum was created and the first test-course occurred in
March 2006. By June 2007, the nonprofit school was awarded
tax-exempt status by the federal government. In total, four
successful courses were held and much was learned. However, the
complexity of coordinating airdrops in foreign countries,
coupled with supply and scheduling obstacle back home, it was no
longer feasible to continue operations. We gave it our best attempt,
at making better volunteers, and do not regret anything we did!
Remote Area Medical Volunteer Work
With Remote Area Medical, RAM, I have worked in all possible roles available:
engineer, scrub nurse, paper-pusher, crowd control, document control, laborer,
project management, and even website design.
Prior to RAM, I have spent my
time volunteering for other organizations: Red Cross, Junior Achievement,
Volunteers of Outdoor Colorado, and I've even been a judge at
the Delaware Valley Science Fair. It is with great personal satisfaction that
I am able to bring my skills to help other people. Nowadays, I am putting
my efforts into creating venues for more people to volunteer, with the
information (and inspiration) provided with the training at Airdrop Assist.
Money may be the husk of many things, but not the kernel.
It buys you food, but not appetite; medicine, but not health;
acquaintances, but not friends; servants, but not loyalty;
days of joy, but not peace or happiness.
H. Ibsen
Employment History
Summary
June 2011 March 2012
LOCKHEED MARTIN, Afghanistan
Persistent-Threat Detection System
Senior Field Engineer
January May 2011: Invited to re-join fellow Kaisei crew member, Norton Smith, aboard the boat Imagine
to explore waste management The Bahamas and the Caribbean islands, as part of
Whole Systems (continued trip from Antigua to Trinidad, then went to Guyana alone.)
May December 2010: Traveled from California to Connecticut,
before heading to Omaha, NE in order to prepare for a return to the
Caribbean and a continuation of the work started in January 2010
January to March 2010: Invited to join fellow Kaisei crew member, Norton Smith, aboard the boat Imagine
to explore waste management The Bahamas and the Caribbean islands, as part of
Whole Systems (visited 21 islands as far south as Bequia)
November 2009: Arrived at Tijuana, Mexico, where I toured their first sanitary landfill
October 2009: Invited to crew aboard the boat Imagine, traveling through The Bahamas and Caribbean in early 2010
August 2009: Volunteered as medic, website assistant,
and able-bodied seaman aboard the ship Kaisei, in order to eplore the North Pacific Gyre with
Project Kaisei
June 2009: Arrived at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to begin south-bound trek
May 2009: Completed first draft of the website, while traveling to Alaska
October 2006: Conceived the idea, of traveling from the top of
North America to the bottom of South America, to explore the ways waste is handled and viewed
August 2005 2008
AIRDROP ASSIST, Eloy, AZ
Headquarters
Founder and President
June 2008: Commenced dissolution proceedings which were completed by December 2008
April 2008: Canceled clinic due to scheduling and bureaucratic issues
February 2008: Canceled upcoming course due to lack of enrollment
br>Resided in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico to develop plans for San Bernardo clinic to be held in May 2008
December 2007: Awarded tax-exempt status under Federal Revenue Code 501c3
br>
Went to San Bernardo, Sonora, Mexico,
to assess a potential site for holding an airdrop and medical clinic
br>
Held fourth AiA course
June 2007: Awarded tax-exempt status under Federal Revenue Code 501c3
Assisted in setting up and maintaining durability tests for the chassis lab
Oversaw inspection of approximately 100 field-cars in Montreal, Canada
More Information
Lockheed Martin Leadership Development Program
This program was implemented in 1999 at the Denver, CO operations, and I
was selected as one of the first 11 people to participate. This is part of
a heritage GE professional-development program, in order to meet the
near-future demands of managerial skills, as the work force approaches a
dramatic shift in demographics. Included in this program, the participants
attend three week-long seminars, involving various aspects of "soft-skills"
and "hard-skills". Additionally, the pursuit of a technical master's degree
is required, which I successfully completed in May of 2002, while working
full-time and taking the maximum number of courses under the corporate policy,
in order to graduate within my goal of less than 3 years. I "graduated" from the
"LDP" program in December 2001.
Lockheed Martin Letters of Commendation
Receiving my first commendation in 1997, resulting from my work
during my first six months of service at an offsite activity,
I had since received additional praise for my committment at work;
including my professionalism in working with my colleagues
and the site representatives. My annual performance reviews
remained high and contributed to my election into the Lockheed Martin
"High Potential" and
"Engineering Leadership Development" programs.
I saved two additional letters, one from the
Atlas
program in Colorado (which was in the year 2000) and another while I was working at
the EPI Center in New Jersey.
Single-Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) Security Clearance
Valid from 1996 to 2005, my clearance was last updated in 2002 and the next
scheduled revision was to be in 2007. Due to my resignment from Lockheed Martin,
this security clearance expired in early 2006 (six months after leaving work).
Fluent in French since 1991
My studies in French began in high school and continued in college.
After 2 years of studies at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln,
I applied for studying abroad for one semester. Upon returning,
I was able to continue using French as a second language and have
since maintained my level of fluency. As time allows, I will also
study Spanish as a third language, to further develop my basic
skills in this language.
EMT-Basic Certification
Completed in August 2005, and now expired, I received the National Registry
certification for Emergency Medical Technician - Basic level. This was
in pursuit of my remote-area volunteer work. This also includes
pediatric and geriatric pre-hospital care and adult/child CPR and AED.
WFR Certification Completed in August 2006, and valid until August 2008, I
received the Wilderness Medical Institute certification for
Wilderness First Responder. This was also in pursuit of my
remote-area volunteer work. This includes adult CPR and airway
management certification.
Rope Technician Basic and Level I Training Completed in May 2006, I completed over 24 hours of Basic
Vertical Rope training, with a 200-foot cave descent/ascent,
and over 30 hours of Rope Tech I training, with a 150-foot-drop
waterfall traverse via a highline rope with an English Reeve system, from On Rope 1.
This was in pursuit of my remote-area volunteer work.
Engineer In Training "EIT" Exam
In 1995 I successfully completed the EIT exam with an above-average score.
I will need to find the test results to post them here.
Where to start, where to end, how to fill in the space between? Well, I'll
give you the rundown here; there's certainly more to discover about
me, on this page and others in this website.
I enjoy doing many things and have met many interesting people in pursuit of these
interests: skydiving, scuba diving, motorcycling, sailing, skiing, snowboarding,
art, photography, guitar, juggling, home repair
"DIY" projects, computers, gadgets, and cooking.
There simply are not enough hours in the day, dollars in the bank, or days to live, to
learn and enjoy everything I'd like to learn and do! But, that is often the case so we
all have to figure out which we want to do, and let the rest slide.
More Information
I started skydiving in 1999 and
have since traveled and done at least one skydive
in all 50 states and in over a dozen countries on six continents; yes, Antarctica
eludes me. I ran for the 2005-2006 USPA Board of Directors,
to be one of the eight National Directors; I received 688 votes putting me in 10th place
not too bad for the first time!
In addition to the sky, there's the water; where I can enjoy some scuba diving.
In my few dives, I've been on both coasts of the US, off the east coast of Brazil,
the southeast shore of Oahu, and the northeast shore of Bali. I'd rather be taking
pictures or, better yet, hunting for fish and "bugs" than meandering around just
looking at things.
I have two sisters and a brother; we "three sisters" all have
art in our blood. I've
never understood how people couldn't draw, until I realized that I couldn't do certain things
that others could; for them, it was easy to do whatever it was I couldn't, while
they stood in equal awe at how easy it was for me to draw their portrait. That's
why there are "natural talents" and "learned talents". My medium-of-choice
has been more in the 3-D world, such as working with woods and metals;
but in recent years my interests have been drawn towards the digital-medium of
image and video manipulation.
I like to build and repair things too. In the past, I worked at a bicycle shop;
I spent five summers working in the shop, doing
everything but balancing the books (they didn't want a teenager to handle the bookeeping).
When I owned a home, I put my heart into it and tricked it out completely; doing all of the
wiring, some carpentry (I skipped on drywalling, for a good reason), a little plumbing,
and landscaping.
I love to cook yes,
I'm a foodie. I enjoy the sensual nature of cooking and the
social celebration of food. Entertaining is the stuff of life and food is the
centerpiece of most social events for good reasons.
In 2005, I learned how to sail and ride a motorcycle. I hope to spend more time
doing both. For now, I take up any opportunities to ride and sail; that's one advantage
of living on the coast you can do both in one day.
I dabble in many other things, like skiing and snowboarding (I am an amateur at both);
juggling and poi juggling were a phase that I always hope to re-learn as well. I'm
sometimes called "Gadget Girl" because I tinker with gadgets and find them fun and
easy to explore and exploit for good uses. If I had to pick one instrument to learn,
it would be the guitar; unfortunately, after years of trying, I found that my
moving around all the time simply made it too difficult. So, I hum and sing to songs
(in tune, but hardly worth a performance).
The secret of health, of mind and body,
is not to mourn for the past,
worry about the future, or anticipate troubles
but to live in the present moment wisely and honestly.
Buddah
Additional Information
Summary
I enjoy writing, which may sound unnatural for an engineer; I think
that this misperception is often justified, but not always.
For a complete list of what I've written, please view a list of my
writings and my annual
Year-In-Review letters (
aka "YIR"); don't forget to check out my stories, written about my collection of
pictures.
After completing my master's degree in Interdisciplinary Telecommunications and having
relevant experience in the field of astronautics, involving various
aspects of rockets and satellites, I applied to the NASA Shuttle Program in 2003;
for the position of Mission Specialist in the Shuttle Program.
I enjoy programming but I haven't done much in years. The closest I get
anymore is in website coding in XHTML but I am an amateur at best in this
skill. In October 2002, I launched my personal website, which you are viewing now;
it looked completely different from what you see here, but it was effective.
By 2005 it was receiving over
100,000 hits
per month from nearly 1,000 unique referrers.
The current data for site activity is being populated, starting in late November 2007.
In late 2005, early 2006, I began efforts to re-design the
RAM website. With the help of other
volunteers, the new website layout was launched in July 2006.
More Information
Published Writer
Contrary to the "norm", as an engineer I enjoy writing a lot and I've
found that I'm pretty good at it. One day, I hope to write more creative
stories, but in the meantime I am working on the skill in general; through more
modest efforts. After all, practice does make perfect. Perhaps this
is because I love languages, in all forms of expression, and find the
written word to be most rewarding; especially in knowing how it will
outlast me, once I am gone. This is the power of words, so I try to use them wisely.
Beginning with a published article in 2002, in Parachutist Magazine,
I continued with more frequent publications within the skydiving community.
I am continuing to develop my skills in writing, which can be enjoyed
through my annual YIR letters and other personal pursuits reflected
in this website and elsewhere.
Application to NASA Shuttle Program
Two of my co-workers/mentors suggested this idea to me in 2001, as something
to consider upon completion of my masters. In addition to my degree, I
underwent scuba training, knowing it is expected of any participant in the program.
Upon review of my application, I was denied due to having had
LASIK eye surgery (the application only mentioned RK surgery as
unallowable). I had to call them to find this out, because my
letter of rejection
was mailed to my Colorado address, while I
was working in California. Of course, knowing the caliber
and life-long dedication which most mission specialists have,
as compared to my experience which was not as committed to this goal, I feel
fortunate to have even been suggested the idea of applying.
"Pro-Amateur" Webmaster
From suggestions by friends, and searching for an easier way to share my pictures and
stories (among other interesting information), I started out using basic html code;
limiting it to text and links to pictures, my personal website grew quickly.
Hosted by a friend who is a Network Administer, my website's content has
grown into a virtual library of information and entertainment for many around the world.
In late 2007, I re-designed the layout of this website, using a variety of free sources
on the internet and through self-teaching methods of coding in XHTML and CSS.
The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it.
Chinese proverb
The End. . . and the Future
If you've gotten this far, congratulations! I hope you enjoyed my
information and perhaps you have found something that I may be able
to do for or with you.
My current passion is in developing an awareness campaign. . .
about trash (and all of the issues that surround it). When I talk
about it with people, everyone is fascinated and they see trash in a different light.
I hope to spread that light, to as many people as possible, and make our
world a more beautiful place to live. Who'd have thought that
trash could be interesting and that people can get excited about it!
This project is totally
new and under heavy construction; the idea came to me over time and
after many miles of travel. In October 2006, I struck an "Aha!" moment and
have been working away at it since. Of course, when I'm ready to reveal it,
I will post it on my website. Wish me luck and stay tuned for more!
I'm always open to suggestions and offers,
so please feel free to contact me.
In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.