Oh. It's you.
Who I am and why I keep this page up:
Ok. I confess that there isn't really a reason. It's been ages since anyone really looked at this place, and I don't suppose there's a whole lot of reason for anyone to be poking around here. Since you stopped by, maybe I owe you an explanation of a few things.
I live in Arizona, a small town just south of Phoenix called Laveen. There's not a lot to say about Laveen other than one of the town mottos is: "Come to Laveen and smell our Dairy Air."
Arizona wasn't always home. (And I'm actually begining to doubt that there are any natives here at all) I grew up in southern Ohio, in a somewhat small city called Cincinnati. After 34 years of living there, it was time for a change. I packed my Subaru up on a trailer and towed it to Phoenix on nothing more than a flight of fancy and a desperate need for a break from all things familiar.
After a few years of living in various areas of Phoenix, I've finally gotten used to life in an enormous metropolitan city. I've made a number of good friends and have experienced a rather impressive spiritual re-awakening. Parts of myself that I'd thought long dead have awoken and led me into many new adventures and experiences which I write about somewhat frequently in my blog. (found at the "Words" link above.)
Anyway. I work with computer systems for a living, more specifically Operating Systems. More specifically than that, UNIX and UNIX-Like operating systems such as Linux and Haiku. What? You've never heard of Haiku? Follow the link to the left if you're curious.
In my spare time I enjoy a variety of pursuits such as piano playing, reading books about history, science, archaeology, anthropology, philosophy, mythology, politics, religion, and occasionally sci-fi/fantasy. I've been known to play PC video games like City of Heroes, World of Warcraft, and Battlefield 2/2142. I love to go biking, hiking occasionally, geocaching, fishing, camping, and I'm a member of the SCA. I take pictures frequently, and sometimes I even take the time to upload them to my gallery, which you can access by finding the link that says 'Imagry'. I used to work at a coffee shop on weekends so I can make all those fluffy neat coffee drinks in my kitchen and I'm part owner of a metal fabrication shop located in southern Phoenix, though there isn't much going on there these days.
I've had a number of ups and downs in my life, and to be honest I'm probably still recovering from some of the downs. In fact, my doctor says I have a severe case of PTSD, but I try not to let it bother me. If it's had an effect on my ability to enjoy life I'd say it's only made me thankful for the things I DO have that much more. I can recognize a beautiful moment in life now, and before I usually let them slip by me unnoticed. I wish I could have those days back now. The ones that slipped away while I watched...half awake, but still half asleep.
Tom and I share our house with three felines named Hiro, Bean, and Lucy. I won't bore you with cat stories, but I'll tell you that Lucy is a good friend of mine and I am seriously attached to her. I drive the same old Subaru I've had for the last 7 years, and I don't plan on giving it up any time soon. I also have an old 1986 Nissan pickup truck that's seen better days. As far as spirituality is concerned, I believe in a higher "order" if you like, but I don't think of it as a God or a religion. Maybe you could say that science and order are my gods, but they're just a part of the consciousness. The official name for this is Panthiesm, but not many people know what that means right away so just giving a brief explanation of what I think is generally better than the name.
Anyway, there isn't much to say about the place except it's got some links that you might find interesting. There's pictures to see, recipes to check out, computer junk to peruse, and the occasional entertaining story in a blog. Take a look around and drop me a line if you have anything in particular you'd like to say. kate{at}loux.Oh Are Gee.