About Me

This little corner of the World Wide Web is my tangle — a place to share thoughts, hobbies, memories, and whatever else rises to the surface. It’s a bit about who I am, why I started writing, and what I hope to build here.

I grew up as an Air Force brat, living in places like Turkey and Germany. In Germany I was a Boy Scout, and scouting carried me all over the countryside. Paired with my family’s wanderings across Europe, those years gave me a wealth of historical and cultural experiences. From the salt mines of Salzburg to learning to ski in the Bavarian Alps, from wandering old cities to eating pizza in Italy — the real stuff, nothing like what we call pizza here — I couldn’t have asked for a richer childhood.

Coming back to the States as a teenager was a shock. My memory of “home” didn’t quite match the reality I returned to. Like many of us, I leaned into rebellion during those busboy and cook years, and even into my Army days. But everything shifted during my Forest Service years — the place where I met the love of my life. Adulthood arrived, education became a priority, and, as it does for many of us, the arc of life expanded to include children.

I’ve been around a while. Not a man of wealth, but I like to think I’ve gathered a bit of taste along the way — a little like what Mick sang. I’ve worn many hats: busboy, cook, soldier, USFS firefighter battling wildland fires. I’ve built and maintained trails in the Sierra, along the Pacific Crest Trail, through the Redwoods’ Lady Bird Johnson Grove, and among the mighty Sequoias — paths some of you may have walked without knowing who carved them.

My early “professional” life took me into precious metals exploration across the Americas, working for a mining company that owned the business John Prine once sang about — Peabody’s Coal Company. I drew geologic maps with ink and mylar, then helped usher in new technology for mapping and data processing. Later came phone banking, desktop support, server builds, and a long list of other roles that eventually led me to where I am today: not yet retired, still having fun enabling success for others in my technology work.

I’ve been fortunate to visit remarkable places and meet incredible people — their cultures, their beliefs, their landscapes preserved or exploited. I hope to share some of those experiences here.

Like many of you, my life arc has shaped who I am. I’ll muse about the past and present, and maybe you’ll laugh at me, laugh with me, cry with me, or yell alongside me. This site is my attempt to inspire others through my arc — and to be inspired by yours, wherever you are on your curve. I love wine, food, the outdoors, family, people, and yes, even work. This memorialization may not end up being mine alone; it can become a collective tangle of arcs.

Dining experiences, movies, concerts, wine, travel, and the beauty of America through photography — these are my centerpieces. There’s no strict theme here. I write about whatever I’m reflecting on in the moment. I claim no special talent in writing, photography, cooking, or anything else you’ll find here. What I can promise is honesty — open opinions, real experiences, and thoughts shared in good faith. And maybe, just maybe, something here will spark your own reflections.

I’m grateful for the foundation life has given me — the diversity of people I’ve met, the cultures I’ve explored, the lessons learned along the way. These experiences have taught me to love people no matter how different we may seem. 

There are similarities in all of us. 

Find them. 

Celebrate them.

As a visitor here, I hope you’ll become part of this community I’m trying to build. I’d love to hear your arc, or how something here nudged your own story. 

I hope your stroll through this community piques your interest enough to return now and then — to muse, to share, to connect.