Thursday, September 27, 2018
I'm Not Here...
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Where Do We Start, Where Do We Begin?
Hmmm...
Another place to post my thoughts. Just what I needed...
I guess the first thing to do (as is the custom) is to rattle on about myself, the blog version of "Hello world."
I was born in California and not long afterward experienced the first Man walking on the moon. Not that I remember it, but it gives context on my age and the era that I grew up in.
For my entire life I have bounced around, never living any place more than a couple of years. Five years being the longest when I was in the Seattle area and that was in three different locations. Come to think of it, the address that I've had the longest as an adult is probably where I live now. But that is a little off considering that I've spent over half of the time in Afghanistan (more on that later).
Growing up it I moved because my father was in the US Marine Corps; enlisted, retired as an E-8, Master Sergeant. As an adult (after graduating high school) it has been due to changing schools, changing jobs and life changes.
I've been doing computer-related work in some capacity most of my life although it was never really my intention; I wanted to be USMC pilot. I wrote my first "real" program in 1983 when I was taking an elective class that met before school actually started, that dreaded zero period. It was something to do and "mostly" kept me out of trouble. Yes, my New York classmates (Woodland Jr. HS, East Meadow HS), it was I that had the shaving cream and decided it would be better in someone's locker than the can and got us kicked out of the building. Sorry about that. Shoulda owned up to it.
After another move (my parents' last) I graduated from HS and went off to college. Apparently someone thought I was smart and I attended the US Naval Academy. Nope, not so much. Well, maybe; I was in honors, AP classes and all that so I did have some brain power. I just wasn't in the right mind set to be there (trouble on the home front) and my academics suffered. They could have kept me, but unknown forces swayed that decision. Ok, being of Mexican heritage and an enlisted brat who didn't deal with BS games was not working in my favor. Could have fought it, didn't. Ejected with my DD-214 in hand.
So I went back home. Attended AWC in Yuma, UA in Tucson, back to AWC and finally graduated from UA. Yes, I had a good time in college and was asked to not attend (UA the first time) because of it. After 8 yrs of taking classes, etc. most people are addressed as Doctor. In the end I only got my BS (Major: Mathematics, Minor: Astrophysics). Teaching was an option, but the money wasn't (was married with a child) so I became a computer geek at Ft. Huachuca working for DISA. A couple years there, then off to Microsoft. 5 years later I hit burn-out and headed off to VA. Worked for the US Army for a bit, then a long-term engagement with a good company. With them I traveled to some of the finest destinations: Fort Riley, Fort Stewart, Hattiesburg, Fort Campbell, Kuwait, Shaw AFB. Interesting to say the least.
It was during my stint with 101AA in KY prepping the division G6/S6 sections to deploy that I met Krista (my wife). After about 6 or so weeks I asked her to move to VA with me. She did! 5 weeks later I left her alone in new town away from family so I could go to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Yeah, I'm a heckuva guy. It's worked out though. 5 moves, three states, a number of deployments to Afghanistan and a lot of stress later, we are still married with two beautiful daughters (and 3 dogs).
Now, Krista and my Girls are back at home and I'm working in Kabul for NATO (ISAF Joint Command to be specific). I'm trying to stay sane, but doesn't always work out well. 12+ hour work days, no days off and working on my grad degree. Sleep should be optional, but I tried that for a couple days and the results weren't pretty.
Enough rambling for today. I have a post to do for homework (MIS 587, Business Intelligence).
Obligatory plug: anyone interested in my work history/background can view it on LinkedIn.
Another place to post my thoughts. Just what I needed...
I guess the first thing to do (as is the custom) is to rattle on about myself, the blog version of "Hello world."
I was born in California and not long afterward experienced the first Man walking on the moon. Not that I remember it, but it gives context on my age and the era that I grew up in.
For my entire life I have bounced around, never living any place more than a couple of years. Five years being the longest when I was in the Seattle area and that was in three different locations. Come to think of it, the address that I've had the longest as an adult is probably where I live now. But that is a little off considering that I've spent over half of the time in Afghanistan (more on that later).
Growing up it I moved because my father was in the US Marine Corps; enlisted, retired as an E-8, Master Sergeant. As an adult (after graduating high school) it has been due to changing schools, changing jobs and life changes.
I've been doing computer-related work in some capacity most of my life although it was never really my intention; I wanted to be USMC pilot. I wrote my first "real" program in 1983 when I was taking an elective class that met before school actually started, that dreaded zero period. It was something to do and "mostly" kept me out of trouble. Yes, my New York classmates (Woodland Jr. HS, East Meadow HS), it was I that had the shaving cream and decided it would be better in someone's locker than the can and got us kicked out of the building. Sorry about that. Shoulda owned up to it.
After another move (my parents' last) I graduated from HS and went off to college. Apparently someone thought I was smart and I attended the US Naval Academy. Nope, not so much. Well, maybe; I was in honors, AP classes and all that so I did have some brain power. I just wasn't in the right mind set to be there (trouble on the home front) and my academics suffered. They could have kept me, but unknown forces swayed that decision. Ok, being of Mexican heritage and an enlisted brat who didn't deal with BS games was not working in my favor. Could have fought it, didn't. Ejected with my DD-214 in hand.
So I went back home. Attended AWC in Yuma, UA in Tucson, back to AWC and finally graduated from UA. Yes, I had a good time in college and was asked to not attend (UA the first time) because of it. After 8 yrs of taking classes, etc. most people are addressed as Doctor. In the end I only got my BS (Major: Mathematics, Minor: Astrophysics). Teaching was an option, but the money wasn't (was married with a child) so I became a computer geek at Ft. Huachuca working for DISA. A couple years there, then off to Microsoft. 5 years later I hit burn-out and headed off to VA. Worked for the US Army for a bit, then a long-term engagement with a good company. With them I traveled to some of the finest destinations: Fort Riley, Fort Stewart, Hattiesburg, Fort Campbell, Kuwait, Shaw AFB. Interesting to say the least.
It was during my stint with 101AA in KY prepping the division G6/S6 sections to deploy that I met Krista (my wife). After about 6 or so weeks I asked her to move to VA with me. She did! 5 weeks later I left her alone in new town away from family so I could go to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Yeah, I'm a heckuva guy. It's worked out though. 5 moves, three states, a number of deployments to Afghanistan and a lot of stress later, we are still married with two beautiful daughters (and 3 dogs).
Now, Krista and my Girls are back at home and I'm working in Kabul for NATO (ISAF Joint Command to be specific). I'm trying to stay sane, but doesn't always work out well. 12+ hour work days, no days off and working on my grad degree. Sleep should be optional, but I tried that for a couple days and the results weren't pretty.
Enough rambling for today. I have a post to do for homework (MIS 587, Business Intelligence).
Obligatory plug: anyone interested in my work history/background can view it on LinkedIn.
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