I was born at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, Michigan(T.C.) on September 14, 1978. T.C. is located in the northern lower penninsula. Traverse City, for those who don't know, is the "Cherry Capital of the World," i.e. a major tourist town. The joke was always that there were 9 months of winter and 3 months of bad skiing. Before I was born my parents lived in Northern Central Maryland, but my dad had transfered for a job shortly after my older brother was born.
When it came time to go to school, I ended up at Traverse Heights Elementary School, where I did my years in K-6. Since my birthday is in September, they didn't want to accept me 'cause I was only 4. I had to take a test to get in, and I was so shy that I would only take it from the principal of the school, since I'd met her before. My mom loved to remind me of this.
Most of my teachers didn't like me because I didn't like to do work. At times they would get frustrated because I could pass all of their tests without ever touching homework. I hated school, had few friends, got picked on and teased a lot...such is life. I was teachers pet in second grade, and even later on would occasionally visit that teacher. Generally though, they didn't seem to like me...I just didn't fit their "student mold." Yes, I was friends with most of my teachers, another reason that I got teased, but I didn't see the need to do what I was told and made a game of sneaking out of the building when I was told to stay in and do my work.
While I was in school, being the youngest, my mom decided it was time to go to Northwestern Michigan College(NMC) and get am associates degree. I used to go to class with her on snow days, and later when she had graduated, my sister was a student there, so I'd go to class with her. Due to my mom's classes, she bought a IBM PCjr and we all learned to program in BASIC. She even wrote me a typing tutor, which allowed me to learn to type faster than she does! Later when I went to NMC I had one of the same professors she did, in fact, one who's class I attended many times with her.
I was very involved with the Girl Scouts, but didn't really get along with any of the other girls. I remember in second grade I was a brownie and my mom wouldn't let me sell the cookies. In sixth grade there was a class trip to Boblo Island (which the park no longer exists and was around detroit) and I didn't get to go, instead I had to go on the fifth grade trip to the local water park. I almost always felt left out and was considered weird for not going on the trips or not doing fund raising, or whatever. Not that I probably would have had any fun on that trip, since I had maybe one friend at that point in my own class.
And yet my mom always wondered why I never left the house...I mean, I used to bike around the subdivision, and I had a friend that lived in the apartment complex next to our subdivision, but overall I just didn't really get out much. Partially because she didn't even like me biking or walking to the apartments, even though it wasn't far away. T.C. had little crime, but she tried to keep me protected. I mean, it was a big deal for me to bike to the office building on the main road of our subdivision, so of course I did that a lot.
I had my first real "job" the summer after 5th grade, which is when my very long hair got cut off, because I couldn't care for it myself and my mom didn't have time. I started helping out at the garden center she worked at, restocking shelves, potting plants, driving in the display lawn mowers, and picking up lunches for people. It was fun, and I made minimum wage and started a bank account! She used to get upset at me 'cause I could carry 100lbs of grass seed when I was building displays. I wish I still had the strength I had then. I used to lift weights with my older brother in the basement, I thought it was cool when he'd let me hang out with him and his friends.
I also participated in this summer program called "Project Explorer" or something like that. We went up to the Junior High during the week and did basic art, shop, and home economics type classes, as well as taking field trips around the area. I still have the video tape of our groups little dabble in computer animation...it was sad and featured the song "Rock the Cradle of Love" by Billy Idol!
In elementary school I rarely went to church, because my mom didn't like the teachings of the pastor at the time, and though my dad changed his membership, my mom did not want to change her membership from the United Church of Christ church in Maryland. I only have vague memories of sunday school when I was *really* little.
When I started at Traverse City Junior High(the link goes to west, at the time it was the only one), I was scared to death. The people from my Elementary School had hated me, my one really good friend was in 6th grade, so I never saw her. It was hell. Then I started in the Church Youth Group and got a crush on this guy who was my brothers age. When I met his sister during some sort of class activity, and found out that I knew her brother, we hit it off. I still sometimes talk to her too...but not often enough.
So I finally made friends, and didn't feel near as "weird." Still had some teasing, but not near as bad, and mostly from the people who lived around me.
Until they opened the new Traverse City East Junior High School. I had to start all over, all the friends I had made lived on the other side of town and stayed at West. So I spent a year fading into obscurity, occasionally meeting up with my friends at the new mall that had opened a year or so before. Chopped off all my hair and looked like a boy. Painful memories.
But, finally it was time to return to my friends when we all went back together at Traverse City Senior High(now Central). We did all sorts of horrible things, made people scared of us, made people think we were gay, it was so much fun. We used to spend our lunches playing Eucher and trying to frighten our friends and people who weren't our friends. I miss High School sometimes. I finally got to know some teachers, and since we weren't really separated by grade anymore I was able to interact with people older than me. I've always been able to get along better with older than younger people.
In August 1995 I took advantage of a program that allowed High School Seniors to take classes at NMC, and started my college carreer. I had 4 HS classes and 2 college classes both semesters of my senior year. Somehow, even though I generally hid in shadows, I knew almost everyone in my graduating class (of almost 800). I used to be really good with names, then I think I met too many people.
A defining moment was when our chemistry teacher in 11th grade decided we should all get accounts on the Traverse City Freenet (later renamed the Traverse Community Network(TCN), hosted at the Traverse Area District Library, to do research for class online, and I convinced my mom to hook up the 2400 baud modem and took over the phone line. Later she bought me a 14k on sale and installed it for me, then got her own freenet account. That's how I first found out about IRC.
My biggest bit of branching out and trying to meet new people was joining the YMCA Leaders Club and going to Conferences to "become a better leader". Surrounded by all sorts of people my own age at like 5 cons and I still couldn't make any new friends and generally felt left out. I remember sitting at this camp in southern Ohio, completely miserable during a dance, hiding out in the cabin with this other girl. I always had a miserable time, yet I went to them all...I guess I'm a glutton for punishment, or I was trying even then to break my personality and turn it into what I want it to be. I'm a work in progress.
"High points" from my JH and HS years:
Overall I just tried to blend in and stay under the radar, and it worked. I wonder how many people outside of my close friend group will remember me at the 10 year reunion.
After high school I continued at NMC until Fall of 1998. I took all the engineering core classes I could get my hands on (and pass), tried to figure out where I was going to transfer to, took a programming class, and every section of Taekwondo(TKD) offered. I actually started TKD in about 6th grade, then again from 8th-11th or so, and again at the college. By the time I left I was a blue belt, I believe I got my red stripe, but I can't remember. Most of it is gone now and I'm trying to get back into it, but back on topic...
So I did my time at NMC, ended up getting a job at Wal-mart, where I met some interesting characters. Had some weird relationships with some people I met on the freenet. Went to Cleveland Freenet and Denver Freenet when the freenet's IRC got shut down, and ended up meeting my fiance on CFN and someone I later met at Case Western Reserve University(CWRU) on Denver. Meeting that guy online is what prompted my move to Cleveland in April 1999.
I freaked out my mom the day I begged her to let me drive to Cleveland. Shy little me who never barely left the house, let alone the Northern Lower Michigan, decides she wants to take a 400 mile one way road trip. She finally gave in when I convinced her that my friend Mike had to go back to CIA in Cleveland and needed a ride, so why didn't I just drive him down and come back on my own. That weekend was both great and horrible at the same time, 'cause Froggy's parents didn't like me and I drove back in a blizzard!
So, shy little me who barely leaves the house, after making all these Cleveland trips and staying up till the wee hours every night talking on IRC, decides in April to move to Cleveland. I had quit my job at Wal-Mart the weekend before Thanksgiving in 1998 (I worked in the Toy Department...I screwed 'em but good). I had just finished up a temp job doing data entry for a business directory place, and was ready to get the hell out of TC. At this point I had applied to CWRU at least twice and been denied.
I cleaned out the bank account and made plans with Froggy for him to come get me to help me move. He had to buy a new car 'cause his old one was on it's last legs. I get the call that Froggy had just totaled his new car leaving Cleveland, and that night I packed the car and left.
Two days later I do the temp job thing and find myself a job at a building supply wholesaler. Horrible job, horrible pay, barely afforded to live. If it wasn't for the credit card I never would have been able to afford the car repairs I had to have done. I was there for 6 months or so and then started bouncing around to other jobs. My last non-CWRU related temp job ended the day I got into a car accident (pictures of the car after the accident, then after damage). I make it to work late, my car is acting up from the accident, and I find out there's no more work for us there. *suck!*
So I donate my car to a local frat house for a finals event called Damage and
Repair, and get to beat the hell out of it with a sledge hammer. It was a
welcomed release. During the time just before the donation I found myself a job
as a Secretary in the Materials Science and
Engineering Department at CWRU. When I lost that job because a full-time
person was losing their job elsewhere and was being transfered, I moved on to Physical Education for a
couple weeks, but they never had anything to do and blamed me. Then I moved on
to the Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing
for a couple weeks to do receptionist type work for the Dean (I think she was
the dean) while this other guy was on vacation. From there I became the
Administrative Assistant to the Chair in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Department(EECS). That lasted a couple months, till the new Chair was hired,
and I lost my job again.
I did some consultant work for a friend for a publishing company (at least I
think that's what they did, all I did was fix computers and printers), then
finally got my break. In February 2001 I started as the web administrator (now
IT Coordinator) for the Yeager Center for
Electrochemical Sciences(the page is ugly, don't blame me, I just cleaned up
what I was given. I 've got a new one in the works but I haven't been given a go
to make it the main page).
Within that year I got in as a student at CWRU and switched over to work study and that's how it's been since. This year I graduate and I have NO idea if I'm going to be still working here, or trying to find a job elsewhere. The economy sucks.
As a sort of update, I'm still at YCES for the time being. Right now we have a major week long workshop going on, my boss congratulated me on graduating and hasn't told me to leave yet. Today goes attempt number 4 or 5 to get his modem to properly work with AOL (I hate AOL).
My next goals involve finding a "Real Job"™ (no, that's not like a Real Doll you perv), getting back into Internation Federation Taekwondo (not that crappy World Federation stuff), plan a wedding, buy a house, get a new car, a new laptop, a new PDA, and go to as many computer conferences as is humanly possible. Oh, I also want to see the world.
Well, I've got a job, at least for the forseeable future. I now work through the Spherion agency at Case again. Now I work in Chemistry doing web design and brushing up a lot on my HTML while learning more about XHTML, XML, and CSS. So far it's fun, but I haven't had a lot of work yet, just passed my one week mark. The wedding is over, the reception is over, I'm putting off car buying till we can afford it even though my trusty old wagon was damaged from a car accident, I got a new(er) laptop, we're saving for the house, and my PDA is holding up well. Hopefully I can make more steady updates now :P
Still in Chemistry. Most of the time it's not *too* horrible a job. I might have found a home for a pet snake I took in that was abandoned, waiting to hear on that. This weekend I was in a Rocky Horror Picture Show cast for the first time. It was my first year being in Voyeuristic Intentions, but my 6th year at the Case Halloween showing of RHPS. It was fun, I was in the kissing booth, I kissed girls for money. :P I'm still waiting for all the pictures to get online.
Still at the same job. Went to my first Anime con, that was pretty sweet. Not a whole lot has changed since November really, other than planning for NOTACON. I'll try to remember to update this again as that approaches.
Just had surgery number 3 on my left big toe and since this time is supposed to be permanent I had them do the right big toe as well since it was starting to have the same problem. NOTACon went great and you can read writeups and see pictures at that link. My grandfather passed away on April 22nd which caused us to leave the con cleanup and immediately drive to Maryland. I went full time at the Chemistry department on February 16th, which was a big change. Oh, and after notacon but right before the toe surgery I adopted a cat from the Berea Animal Rescue Fund people. I think that's all the updates necessary for now.
HOPE 5 is this week, and I get a 3 day work week because of it! The schedule looks pretty good, so I hope to have a good time. It'll only be my second time in NYC.
In June I went to the first Fanzillacon, which is the first ever fanfilm con...at least they claim so. I got to analyze another first year con and see the similarities to Notacon. I also got to learn the wonders of Worcester, MA...which it took me about a day to realize was pronounced "Woo-stah" (or something close to that, I suck with phonetics).
I bought a new car, since the Camry blew the brakeline right before I was to drive to MA for Fanzillacon, since we'd already piled too much money into a nearly worthless car, and since I have a job now, and since when I tried to jack the side up the frame started collapsing from corrosion, we decided it was time. I still need to get rid of the Camry, and it has tons of new parts in it, so we're either going to donate it to Our Lady of the Wayside, or have a junk yard tow it away. Bye bye old car, hello new hotness! 2004 Chevy Aveo 5-door in Summer Yellow!
We bought a house!! Throughout December 2004 and January 2005 we've been doing paperwork and getting things ready for us to make our move. I'm almost to my 1 year as a full-time staff member at Case. Notanothercon (Notacon2) is gearing up well and should be a great time, hopefully bigger than last year. Life is overall pretty good, but I need to spend more time updating things around here. This time around I am much more involved in Notacon logistics, specifically web development. I might not be the most artistic person, but I like clean and simple design and that seemed to work for us. Maybe next time around we can come up with something a little more eye-catching. Hopefully this year I won't have a funeral to attend immediately after the con either.
I finally decided to take advantage of the tuition benefit afforded me by being a staff member and have signed up for EECS 425: Computer Networks I. I have decided almost definately to pursue a MS degree in Computer Science (assuming I get accepted to do so), and if possible would like to pursue a MS in Psychology as well. I don't forsee both working out, but I'm in the beginning stages of trying to make it a reality!
This has been shaping up to be a rough year full of good and bad all around. I learned during the course of my class that I had a conditional acceptance to the Masters of Computer and Information Sciences Degree program in EECS at Case. Unfortunately I got a bad grade (C) in my first attempt at grad studies (EECS 425), so I'm not entirely sure if I'm accepting the offer. I can't seem to make my mind up about this.
Notacon 2 was a success, and we lost a bit less money than last year. We have plans in place to lose even less money next year. I cemented a few friendships over the course of notacon, and learned a little more about my limits and how I shouldn't let people just buy me drinks. Afterwards a group of my friends, headed up by Jason Scott, chipped in toward a fund and bought me and Froggy a pair of CobaltFlux DDR dance pads. I haven't had as much time as I'd like to play on them, but they are *really* nice.
April and May witnessed the passing of two people that were not family to me, nor was I particularly close to them, but they did touch my life and effected me. Monica Siarny, who was a member of Film Society with me for as long as I can remember, and Dr. Ignacio "Doc Oc" Ocasio, who I worked for in the chemistry department for the past 1.5 years.
Monica was diagnosed with cancer during finals of my graduating year here at Case. She was out approximately a year and a half being treated with radiation and surgeries and having to basically learn how to walk again it effected her body so badly. This fall she had been better enough to come back to campus. She made it through one semester of classes before the cancer came back. It was such an aggressive and hard to treat cancer that there really was nothing they could do for her, especially with all they had put her body through with the chemo. trying to kill it off the first time. Just after easter she passed away. I am still kicking myself because I missed her memorial. I had made a point to try to remember to ask for the time to go over to it, but the next day realized I had forgotten.
Doc Oc, as he was fondly known around campus was a bubbly happy man. He was from Puerto Rico originally, and went home during the breaks, but he hated to fly. He was always smiling and whistling, and even on the worst of days it was hard not to smile when he was around. I am the secretary for 7 faculty members in the Chemistry Department. The main task that was required of me by Doc Oc was copying the tests for his classes which were usually near if not over 200 students each. 2 classes a semester. At the end of the year he would do 2 or 3 different tests with colored cover sheets, which I figured out how to make the new copier do pretty smoothly. If he needed a small thing copied he always did it himself. I also made copies of lab manuals between semesters for the TA's. He was always friendly, always gave plenty of time for me to get the job done. A few times I forgot to run his tests on time, and he was always polite when he'd stop by to remind me, and gave reasonable deadlines. He was a kind gentle man, and will be missed by staff, student, and facutly alike. A week before his unexpected passing from a heart attack, he had been taken out of the building in an ambulance because of vertigo problems. He was back the following monday as happy as ever even though he was explaining his inner ear difficulties that had caused the vertigo. After his death I also learned he was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.
I guess that's enough of an update for now. Other than busy busy busy doing the same old same old and I keep on keepin' on.
Con list:
Computers, in order of when I got them: