If you made it to this page, I can assume that you want to know a bit about the guy that made the Shoddy Page come to life. The purpose is to give you a snapshot of my life, and an idea of how I came to be a computer nerd when there just doesn't seem to be time to learn! Computers and programming have become the focus of my professional skills, and I'm loving every minute of it!

We'll get to the beginning in a minute, but first a look at where I'm at now. 

We recently moved back to the St. Louis area in a suburb that some people in the area refer to as "the other side of the world", St. Peters Missouri. 
Why do they call it the other side of the world? Because they think that if you have to drive more than 20 minutes to get to work, it's a terrible hardship. My only word of advice to them is to NOT move to the San Francisco Bay Area where some people commute as long as 2 hours one way! When we lived there, we were lucky - my drive to work was about 45 minutes, and my wife's was about an hour! 

After living in a St. Charles apartment for a few months, we found a house in the city of St. Peters.

Our move to the area would have been just as difficult as any other if it were not for the welcome wagon...our friends Lauri, Chris, and Katie.  Actually, they have been better than a welcome wagon. Moving to the area and not having time to check out everything for ourselves, they have been an infinite source of information about doctors, shopping, etc.

So, now the big question: Where was the beginning? A small town in Southern Illinois named Steeleville.

Even a town as small as Steeleville has felt the presence of the Internet...they even have their own provider - Egyptian Communication Services, Inc. - which hosts the Web page of the bank where I had my first savings account - First National Bank of Steeleville.

My time as a child and teen in Steeleville was filled with plenty of good times, but like anyone in their "teens" there was plenty of bad to go along with it as well. I would say that I was not one of the most popular kids in high school, but my senior year I was elected to the student council - I guess there were a few people who liked me. Being "30 something" has allowed me to push popularity down the list of important things in my life, but it has also made me appreciate the challenges of high school. All things considered, I think all the hurdles made me a better person.

After high school, I spent a little time trying to cram more information into this head of mine at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, but unlike my current philosophy (can't learn enough) I was only interested in being away from Steeleville and having a good time. I did have a good time...so they tell me! If I remember correctly, during the 1982 year, SIU was voted as the #2 most "partying" colleges in the United States by Penthouse Magazine, and I was part of it. With a lack of money and interest in studying, so began the next chapter in my life...the United States Army.

The main reason for joining the armed forces was because I was going nowhere and I wanted to find a place where I could learn discipline and get a few bucks to go back to college. At first I thought about joining the Air Force, but I would have had to wait for quite a while before joining. The Navy was definitely out of the running, as I still cannot comprehend those who are able to stay out to sea on ships away from their families for months at a time. Although I still am fascinated my the massive floating cities, it was not the life for me. The Marines???? Are you kidding?

I entered the Army and went to basic training at Ft. Dix, New Jersey. I'm sure that "Jersey" has some fun things to see, but I certainly did not have the opportunity to experience them! After spending the coldest November, December, and January of my life, I headed off to AIT (Advanced Individual Training) at Ft. Eustis, VA (EUSTIS - "Even Uncle Sam Thinks It Sucks") where I learned how to become a helicopter mechanic. It's a good thing that I was one of the few who liked Ft. Eustis, because it was not my last tour at their facilities.

From Ft. Eustis, I headed to the great northwest and spent 1.5 years at Ft. Lewis, Washington. This was quite an experience for a 'redneck' from Southern Illinois, and was one of the most enjoyable times of my life. I bought my first motorcycle (thanks to the help from my Mom) and in the year-and-a-half put over 15,000 miles on it. Two of the most beautiful summers ever in my life were spent rushing to the barracks after work on Friday in order to roll up the sleeping bag, throw it on the back of the bike, and head to the mountains with my bikin' buddies. We'd ride from sun up to sun down, then find a spot to camp out, buy a couple beers, build a camp fire, stay up all night, and tell stories (lies!). Tacoma, Seattle, and Mt. Rainier were places we visited on a regular basis, and I can't tell you how much fun it was to explore the pristine country of the northwest. After doing my "time" in paradise, I had to decide if I wanted to stay in the Army and go to Germany or call it quits. Little did I know that my decision would change my life forever...for the better.

How so? Well, I decided to stay in (the Army), reenlist, and go to Germany. In doing so, I also decided to take 36 days of leave (vacation) and ride my motorcycle from Washington back to Illinois, then get on a plane to Germany. One of my best friends (Beth) was living in Lincoln, Nebraska, so naturally I wanted to stay a couple days and reminisce. Beth was engaged to my best friend (Ward Schirmer) for quite a while, but before I made the trip they had decided that they were not right for each other. Did I see this as an opportunity? No, but there was something there that neither of us could deny. A six-year relationship as friends suddenly took a turn to romance, and the rest is history!

I went to Germany, but in the first year of my three year tour flew back and married Beth. In what can be best described as a two-year honeymoon, she joined me in Nuremberg and we took advantage of what time I did not spend on maneuvers to tour Bavaria, Switzerland, and Austria. What a time it was! LawHog (LawHog@AOL.com) and his wife could not resist visiting us, and we rented a Saab 9000 Turbo to take the 3-country tour at blinding Autobahn speeds. Yes, the rumors are true...on rural "interstates" there were NO SPEED LIMITS! My Mother and Father-in-law also visited and fun was had by all, but I can honestly say that they did not quite enjoy the Autobahn speeds as much as Hog-n-wife did!!!

After leaving Germany, the Army decided that I knew enough about the AH-1 Cobra Helicopters to go back to Ft. Eustis and teach others how to maintain them. This was a bit different because this time I was not considered a "trainee" and was able to enjoy the area a bit more. Beth and I spent time touring the local attractions such as Virginia Beach, but the most fun we had was taking the long drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to get to Assateague Island on the eastern shore. Hog-n-wife made the trip with us a couple of times, where we would take a grill, cook food, swim, and play Frisbee until we couldn't stand it.

Then came my 1-year "vacation" in South Korea. I cannot complain a bit as I was a member of the Army who did my entire year's tour without spending a day in "the field". I worked in an intermediate level aviation unit and spent my time inspecting aircraft and other units. What a shock to go to a country that was so different from ours. Even Germany with the differences could not compare to what Korea had in store for this Southern Illinois native. Perhaps the worst part about my tour was having to deal with the inadequate roads. Korea developed as an industrialized nation quickly and transitioned from one where almost no one could afford a car to one where almost everyone could. The result...massive traffic jams. The key to driving in the cities was to be the person with the most nerve and the bumper inches ahead of the others!  Beware of the Terminators...concrete trucks with the petal on the floor - horns blaring!

After this whirlwind tour of the far east (yea, right!) I was assigned back to Ft. USELESS ....er....um....EUSTIS, and became an instructor oh yet again. (Yawn) Beth was seeking to keep her seniority in the Federal Service ranks, and landed a job at AATD (Aviation Applied Technology Directorate), but bounced to another job in IRAC (Internal Review and Audit Compliance). Just when re-organization and "down-sizing" hit her, she received an invitation to become an intern in U.S. Army Transportation. What an ordeal this was!!!

Imagine this...your wife goes to Transportation Officer's Basic Course (TOBC) and not only KICKS ASS, but ends up being Honor Graduate in a class of 40+ including officers from the Army Reserves and National Guard! Do you think I'm proud? Hell yes!!! Their class motto was, "Get The Truck Out of The Way!"

As a condition of her internship, she had to sign a mobility clause in which she was able to select a few sites that she would like to be transferred to after graduation. We had hoped that she would be assigned to Ft. Eustis where we already had a condo, but just like the Army, they would send her to the farthest point on the continental U.S. that they could...Oakland Army Base. As it turned out, this was also one of the most enjoyable times of our lives.

With Beth heading to California, I had to make a decision...GOODBYE ARMY! If there ever was a "no-brainier" of a decision for us, this would have to be it. The Army had me in a no-win situation.... "We want to get rid of the "Cobra" helicopter because we love the "Apache", but we want to keep you around for a few years without promoting you because the Apache is too expensive." Thanks, but NO THANKS! Off to California we go!

California introduced me to two of my favorite beverages...Red Tail Ale is one of the smoothest amber ale's I've ever tasted...if you love a beer rich and loaded with the flavor of hops, then this is the one for you. Don't look for it in the Midwest though; this delight can only be found on the west coast. My favorite wine is also available at the my favorite winery...V. Sattui in Napa Valley. Yes, I've had better wines than their '89 Preston Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, but at $25/bottle, this is the by far the best wine for the value, and therefore my favorite! My only regret is that I don't have a cellar full of this stuff!

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area was quite an experience. There my be plenty of bad traffic in other metro areas, but this is certainly the worst traffic I've ever had to deal with...unless you include my "vacation" in Korea! What a place to live though. The weather is fantastic, and there is so much to do within a relatively small radius. Reno, Tahoe, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Monterey, Berkley....the list goes on and on. What made us leave such a paradise?  I'll get to that in a minute.

A few of my friends had commented on the seemingly conspicuous lack of mention about Bank of America on previous versions of this page, but I assure you it was not out of hatred.  Oh contraire!  Working for "The Bank" was the turning point in my career course.  As a licensed FAA Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic, my first intention was to seek employment in that field, but to say that the prospects were dismal would be an overstatement.  Not only were there NO jobs, but most of the businesses I called had long-time, trustworthy employees laid off.  Gotta' do something....so I responded to an add in the paper looking for a shipping and receiving clerk working with computer and ATM parts.

My experience with the bank started out slowly as I wrote PO's, boxed up defective hard drives and such, and shipped them to repair vendors. Previous experience with databases provided the insight I needed to realize that there was a better way to do things - what the HELL are we doing writing all of these orders?  Why don't we use our computers?   I provided the solutions, and apparently management liked them.  Within three years I was promoted to Associate Systems Engineer as a Field Services Project Manager.   From Army Sergeant, to parts clerk, to bank officer in three years.

Then came Toni...and the onset of homesickness.  We decided that we had gone "childless" long enough, and without so much as even a couple months of anticipation, Beth was pregnant.   Childbirth is by far the most amazing event I've ever witnessed and made me gain a WHOLE lot (more) respect for my wife.

Well, I NEVER thought I would say that I want to live in the Midwest...heat, humidity, cold, mosquitoes, etc. Ick. However, this is where most of our family lives and after having a child it became more and more important to move back to an area that would make it possible to allow them to spend time with her. I can't say that I've had any complaints about moving back.  Sure, we seem to have a touch of the worst of each season here in the armpit of America, but its home.

Before I even left California I was able to appreciate the advantage that comes with being a computer guy, as I had already been contacted by the company that eventually became my first employer here in the Midwest - Quality Software Engineering, Inc.  I was hired as an on-site Database Consultant at Moog Automotive, Inc. Although I consider myself a better-than-average "shade tree mechanic" it was still a challenge to learn the business of aftermarket auto parts. The people at Moog certainly made me feel welcome, but the relationship with Moog soon came to an end thanks to the buy out by Federal Mogul.   No, I didn't get released, but I sure could see the writing on the wall...did I think they would keep the Special Markets department?  Hell no.  So should I just sit around and wait to see where QSE would place me?  Hell no.

So, I decided it was time for the Shoddy Guy to take a look at the techno-employment scene in the St. Louis area, and was I pleasantly surprised!  It wasn't long before I had simultaneous offers from two companies in the area.  The two offers, although identical in compensation, could not have contrasted more in the scope of their operations.  One was from a small, infant company called Odyssey Software Development and the other from Advanced Resources, Inc. (ARI), a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider.  Each provided me with an attractive scenario for the future, but in the end I opted to go with the company I thought would increase my skills the most...ARI.

So how has it been?  Well, if it were all fun and games, they wouldn't call it work, now would they?  No, it's not all fun and games, but working for ARI has been everything I've expected and more.  Having the opportunity to finally rub elbows with other developers, I've learned more than perhaps all the other years combined.  And the bonus...I love the company.  From the owners, to the admin staff, to my peers...a great company.

And the story continues...when the .com bubble burst, I was laid off by ARI.  I had some great years there, and left with a sad heart.  Oh well.  I always view events like that with the attitude that it just means I have something better waiting for me "out there".  This time it was certainly true!  I soon got a call from a recruiter asking me to work for Boeing!  I'm now on my second assignment there.  I work with some great people at a wonderful company...what more could I ask for? 

Well, this is starting to sound like a BLOG, but I don't want to start one.  That's all for now!