About Me
I don’t know how the heck you found this place. I mean, this is my own blog, and I rarely think about it except for once a year. So either… you’re me. You’re stalking me. Or you found this place through a pages deep Google search about Deal or No Deal being rigged, Mario Kart 64, or El Monterrey Burrito scams. At any rate, here’s a little bit about me.
This site is 20 years old. When I started it this blogging thing was all the rage. And the internet was a very different place than it is today. Nowadays people don’t even go to websites. Again… how did you find this place? And I was a pretty different person. But everything you’ll read here is a mile marker along my journey. I still journal a lot privately, but so much of what I’ve shared here is dear to me, and so much has brought me joy.
I’m a husband. I’m married to a wonderful woman named Katie. We met on Bumble. I’d never used a dating app in my life, but I was looking for someone to share the fun stuff with. As fun as it is to type here into the void, there’s just something about sharing an experience with someone, and when Katie said she was a hockey fan, I was instantly interested. Then I learned how passionate she is about her work. When we met, I could tell she had a plan, and knew what she wanted. That was so hot! And I’ve been so lucky to watch her work hard and achieve those goals for herself. Nobody gave it to her, she had to put in the hard work, stand out from the crowd, and she has made her dream real. I swear so many people seem like they want to complain their way to the top. Like if they bitch about something long enough, or hard enough, that someone will give them a shot. But not Katie, I’m excited to be married to her, and I’m excited to cheer her on, through all of life’s adventures.
I’m a dad. I have two amazing kids, Lucas and Emma. All I ever wanted was a boy and a girl. I wanted to do all the boy stuff. Play with Hot Wheels and play video games together. And I wanted to do all the girl stuff. Have the tea parties, and paint rainbows, unicorns and princesses. My dream came true. And these kids are just some of the most fun, joyful, curious kids I could have ever asked for. I remember when Luke was born, that I told myself, (or rather everybody told me), “enjoy it while it lasts”. It goes fast. I made up my mind early on and I remind myself all the time. That I want to enjoy every phase, every change, all the moments. To be present. And I feel like I have done that. Now that they are getting older, I won’t lie. I do have some heartache at times for days gone by. But they still have so many adventures ahead of them that I can’t wait to watch them take on. They are getting more independent every day. And I’m excited for the life they will make for themselves.
I’m a radio guy. This year marks 23 years in radio. We do so much more these days. When I started we had three radio stations. Now I work with 28 radio stations, multiple news websites, streaming stations, translators, digital marketing campaigns, a board member, and a bunch of things that I’m probably forgetting. Man… when I put it that way, it’s no wonder I barely play games anymore. Radio and the media world is changing a lot, but I still love the intimacy, and opportunity that radio has brought to my life. I’ve worked with some truly life changing personalities. I’ve talked to people I’d never get the chance to talk to otherwise. And I’ve made a difference in communities that I never thought a solid B student from Southwest Kansas would ever have the chance to do.
I’m a gamer. And if any part of my life seems out of balance, this is probably it. I always joke now that gaming is my retirement plan. Some people want to retire and travel, or semi-retire and start their dream business. When I’m done, I just finally want to beat Wind Waker. Ha! When I was a teenager, I told myself, that no matter where life takes me, I’m always going to make gaming a priority. And that’s not untrue. I have found time in recent years to play games. Gone are the days of sitting down and playing something for 6 hours straight. But I still will wake up early before the family on the weekends and get in a couple hours of Guild Wars. Or play some Final Fantasy X on the couch while Katie is watching TV. And those moments keep me in touch with this part of my soul. Every year, on New Year’s Eve since 2009 I have spent the countdown in Animal Crossing. I will keep finding ways to make it a priority in my life.
I am a DIY weirdo. I change my own oil. I own old cars and fix them when they break. I do my own remodeling. Part of that is from my Dad. Dad was always working on some project when I was a kid. We never called a plumber. Dad tore up the house and fixed whatever was broken. We hauled a literal I-beam into the attic of my childhood home to fix a sagging roof. Then we re-roofed the house ourselves. So that’s sure where I learned it. But now that I’m here, I really value the independence that comes from being able to do things myself. I mean it saves money, sure. But now that my time is limited, the time it takes really hits hard. I would have so many more things done if I had more time. I mean, hell I’ve been re-doing the trim on my house for a year now. And it’s just hard to get to those things. But the work I see from paid places, I mean, am I worse. Sure. Am I $10,000 worse? No way. For as long as I have my health, I’ll always be looking to fix the things we have and make them work.
So there you go. That’s the guy behind the blog here. Me. I really can’t even imagine what the next 20 years are going to bring. Will this blog still be functional? I can self host it if I really need to. I might be a grandpa in 20 years. What joy and hardship awaits? I hope I can write about some of it here.
If you’re looking for some more timely updates, you can always look me up on Facebook. Or I’m on twitter @kartmaster. Thanks for stopping by. Even if it’s just to lurk. And if you want to say “Hi” I won’t judge you.
¡Hasta la proxima!