"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."
- Voltaire
Well, what’s there to say about me?
I was born in 1965 in Toul, France. The youngest of three children. My father was stationed there with the US Air Force. We moved from France when I was 2 years old to Tampa, Florida, where I lived until I was 6. At that time, my father had retired from the Air Force (a medical retirement thanks to a little known disease called “Schmahl’s Disease”, but that’s the subject for another web page), we traveled to Colorado Springs, Colorado. I spent my formative years growing up in the bustling metropolis that is Colo Spgs. I graduated from General William “Billy” Mitchell High School in 1983.
While in High School I spent most of my time working with a group called the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (www.seacadets.org). Yes, I was a geek, but I did have a lot of fun. I spent time training in San Diego, and Gulfport, Mississippi including training with Marine Corps instructor’s and learning how to sail, fire weapons, and oddly enough, working construction equitpment (Gulfport is home of the Navy’s Construction battalion, the “Fighting Seebees”, for “C”(onstruction) “B”(attalion).
After college I went to Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin on a US Army ROTC scholarship. Yes, Army, not Navy, that would take yet another web page to explain. Suffice it to say that it does all work out in the end!
I graduated from Ripon with a AB (something in Latin for a BA) in Politics and Government and a commission as a 2nd lieutenant in 1987. After that, I spent time training with the Army and Army Reserve in various posts around the country. I was briefly called up for action during Operation just Cause (the invasion of Panama) but only got as far as packing before everything ended. Then, I was fortunate enough to go to the MOUT school in Ft Hood, TX. The MOUT School (“M”ilitary “O”perations in “U”rbanized “T”errain, yes, the army has never found a phrase or word they can’t turn into an acronym), was the most demanding training I had and the most fun. If you want, I’ll tell you sometime the story about the guy who hit the wall and slid down it and about the dent in my forehead !
In 1991 I was called up as part of Desert Shield/Desert Storm. No, I didn't see any sand. I ended up in Germany running a small MOUT school for NATO troops and patrolling US and NATO facilities against possible terrorist attacks. The result of my years of training, expertise and specialized knowledge of Urban warfare, 6 captured Japanese tourists! Yet another web page!
After the Army/Army reserve, I found myself working in Denver, CO, for a Cable TV company. I started as a security guard, worked in the mailroom for a bit and then was hired by an education arm of the company called Mind Extension University (MEU, yes another acronym but not an Army group this time).
While at MEU I was able to complete my Masters in Education from the George Washington University and shortly after got a job working for the Colorado Community College System (CCCS, but it wasn’t called that then, and yes, yet another acronym, seeing a pattern in my life?) I was hired to manage and small distance education program that was grant funded for one year. Needless to say, I spent most of that year trying to convert the job into a full time, salaried position. Thankfully, I succeeded! Working with 13 colleges of CCCS, we created Colorado Community Colleges Online (CCCOnline, tired of acronyms yet?) CCCnline manages the internet delivered courses for the colleges of CCCS. We started with 84 students our first semester, currently, we have over 7,000. I like to think that I had something to do with that success and it wasn’t just the general growth and acceptance of online education. Well, for more info on CCCOnline, go here, ccconline.org.
Two years ago I met Dell. And, what else can I say, I feel head over heels. Our story together is told elsewhere on this site, but let me say that the pictures and stories here don’t begin to say how much I care for this man and how much I love him. He is in every thought I have and every beat of my heart. I can easily fill several web pages with how he makes me feel and how happy I’ve been since meeting him (and some of those pages would even be “G” rated).
Well, what else is there to say about me. I am most proud professionally of what I have accomplished at CCCOnline. While I enjoyed my time in the Army and have some great memories, I feel like I am making a difference where I am now.
Personally, I am most proud of my family and my life with Dell. No, my family wasn’t perfect. I’m sure I had somewhat crazy parents and probably nutty siblings, but my father was a veteran of WW2, Korea and even served during Vietnam. My mother somehow raised three kids without all of the tricks and tips available today.
My older Sister, who just turned 50!!, has a wonderful career with a health insurance company and spent her 50th birthday in Hawaii, how cool is that! Now she lives in Seattle on a lake, imagine that, living near water in Seattle!
For my older brother, he passed away in 1997 from complications from AIDS. He was a typical older brother, meaning he hit me and tormented me relentlessly, but he is always with me. He came out shortly after high school, in the early 80’s, and I have always been proud of the courage that took and the fact that he lived his life as he wanted. I can only hope that I do the same. All in all, my parents raised some terrific kids. We’re not without our problems, but anything wrong with us now, is all our own doing!
My parents passed away shortly after my brother’s passing and my only regret is that they can’t see how happy my sister and I are now. Great job Mom and Dad!
I guess I should say something about my hobbies. Well, I love to read, mostly military history. If you ever want to read about any battle of war in history, feel free to ask me and I’ll point you to some good sources. I have a small collection of about 1,000 books, some rare, mostly available no on Amazon (I love Amazon!!).
I also enjoy Conflict Simulation, Wargaming. This is a science built during the 19th century as a way of modeling warfare and training leaders. Today, there is a small, niche hobby built around the field. Most of the game are printed in small numbers, usually around 1,000 copies or so and can be pricey, but they give me a great insight into the great battles of history. Think of it as the old game “Risk” but with more detail. If you’re interested in learning more, go here, www.consimworld.com.
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