Who Am I?

Life and Work

I was born in Zanesville, OH, and, needless to say, don't remember much from that time. I remember living in Sheridan, IN when I was around 2, but the next significant memory or where we lived is of Indianapolis. My dad worked for Grocers' Supply, near where the Convention Center and RCA Dome are now, we lived on West 61st Street, and I went to Grandview Elementary for Kindergarten and 1st grades. Dad bought a grocery store in Lafayette, IN, around 1962, and we moved there. In the next few years, he bought 2 smaller ones, and I began working as a stock-clerk in one when I was 11, then as the sole stock clerk in the other by 12. By the time I was 15, I had moved into managing at least one of the meat departments.

I graduated from Lafayette Jefferson High in 1973, and from Purdue University in December of 1978, with a degree in Mass Communications-Radio/TV. (At this point, I like to say, "and that's why I'm a programmer.") I spent a few months sending resumes to Indiana TV stations, and got a lot of "ding" letters back. I had also taken some computer courses at Purdue (three semesters: one in BASIC, one in FORTRAN, and one in PASCAL), and enjoyed them. So, in April of 1979, I answered an ad in the local paper for a BASIC programmer, and was hired at Accra-Data Services, where I wrote programs and functions for a well-known mental health center in the area. Within the year, the owners had sold more than 51% of their shares, and in 1981, I was "permanently laid off" (so I could still collect unemployment - nice of them!)

The next couple of years, I did non-computer-related work, like being a debit-route insurance salesman, meeting my future wife, being a motel night auditor/desk clerk and bartender, a custodian, and a security guard, at times, at the same time. I got married, and our son, Christopher Michael was born on July 3, 1983. About that time, the man who originally had hired me at Accra-data Services, had started another computer consulting company, and asked me to work for him. Matthew Steven was born on October 8th, 1984. Then we figured out what caused them, and began being more careful. (That's my joke to friends I have that tell me they have a significant number of kids: "They know what causes that, now!") The consulting business began to fail, and I took a couple of COBOL courses at Ivy Tech.

Jo Ann, my then-wife, got a job in Indianapolis. Within a month or so, I did, too. We moved here shortly afterwards. My job was with Melvin Simon and Associates, Inc. (MSA), the mall developers and managers. Before my first year was done, I had already helped develop and write the "Standards and Guidelines for COBOL" manual, and a couple of applications. Over the next few years I became the resident expert in SmartStar, a fourth-generation language based on SQL, BASIC or COBOL, and DCL, the command language. A few years later, MSA changed their name to Simon Property Group. About that time, they also got their AS400s, and I began learning RPG and the AS400 from a Simon-hired consultant. We wrote the standards and guidelines for MSA-developed applications. Around 1996, Simon acquired DeBartolo, and became Simon DeBartolo Group. Management of Information Services (the computer department) again changed, and recruiters began calling, again. (Seems to happen any time there's a major upheaval, huh?) After a while, I started responding, one of them sent me to Monroe Guaranty and, one month short of my 11th year at Simon (1998) I started at Monroe. I wrote a number of programs in AS400 COBOL, QUERY and CL, some using SQL and OPNQRY, and developed four (4) "Programmer Aids" documents containing "How To"s, "Where to Finds", and a "Trouble-Shooting Guide" for common routines and problems. A couple of years after I was hired, Monroe was sold to FCCI out of Florida. One of the things I was responsible for after that was distilling our old (static) data for Policies and Claims into some cross-reference and summary files, that I believe, was going to be used on a web-site. On Feb 7, 2003, my position was eliminated. The rest is (future) history.

Around 1992, we bought a house and moved to Lebanon. Then, at about the same time that SPG was becoming SDG (1996), my wife and I divorced. My kids went to live with her on the East side of Indianapolis. I met a lady online in October, 2000 and after many online discussions, calls and visits from her (she could travel easier than I could with foot problems, etc.) in July of 2001, she moved from Fort Branch (Evansville area). On Oct 28, 2002, I surprised her with an engagement ring. Then Dec. 24, 2004, we were married at my parents' house in Lafayette. We still live in Lebanon.

In 1997, I had developed a web-site for my dad's appraisal business in Lafayette. It was fun and an experience. Since then, I've developed a number of websites, with a few "on the 'net". You can find more about them at OFP Websites in the Main Section of this site.

Kids (as of 05/2007)

Mine

Christopher (the older son) graduated from Lincoln Technical Institute (Automotive) in Indianapolis, after years of being our family's computer, technical and gaming expert. He's now (05/18/2007) working at O'Reilly's Auto Parts in Indy, hopefully, learning management.

Matthew (the younger) graduated from Purdue with a degree in Computer Graphics. His  online portfolio is at www.lonewolfmodeling.com. He'd like to work in the computer game or animated movie industry. He's currently working the office at Pay-Less in Lafayette.

My Wife, Chris'

Amy, her oldest daughter, works at a Toyota vehicle seat supplier in the Princeton, Indiana area. She's also going to school.

Brian, her son, is going to school at Ivy Tech, Evansville, for some type of HVAC, and works at Wabash, a plastics plant in Evansville.

Jamie, her youngest, is a single mother, and going to school to learn medical transcription.

See my Family Pages for more, including pictures.

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Ok. That's enough about my life and work. Now for the other Fun Stuff:

Playing Guitar

When I was about 12, my dad gave me an old Hawaiian slide guitar. We "retuned" it to "normal" tuning, and shortly thereafter, I was taking lessons. This lasted for about two years, then I began learning on my own. I consider myself a respectable rhythm acoustic 12-string player. For some time, I was the guitar-player for our church choir and some choirs at Lafayette (IN) Jefferson High School (see below). When the kids were young, I stopped playing as much at home, because they would climb into the case, and, in general, made it difficult to play. I still have three (3) guitars - two acoustic and one electric - and can still play, but haven't for some time. (Spend WAY too much time on my computer!)

Working with a Band

A friend of mine became involved with a band, and asked if I would run sound. (I had done it before, for another band he was in, shortly after I graduated from Purdue.) I began adding harmonizing vocals from the board, and helping them learn the songs. Some time after that band broke up, my friend started up with another band. Jo Ann (my ex) and I went to see them one night, and I began working as a roadie, then running sound and lights. They needed more harmonies, so I began adding them from the soundboard. At one point, they even tried an acoustic set, and I went up on stage and played. I even sang lead on The Doobie Brothers' "Black Water". The lost a couple of key players, and disbanded, Later, they reformed with new members, and it turns out, thought it "unprofessional" to have a background singer singing from off-stage, and apparently, didn't think I'd take that well, and never called me back. Then they broke up "for good". Since then, I've been called by my friend, a couple of times, to run sound for church concerts, but not for some time.

Bands I've Worked with:

• "Push"
  • Based out of Attica, IN
  • Specialty: Southern Rock/Rock
  • My job: Roadie, Ran sound and lights
  •  
• "Territory"
  • Based out of Lafayette, IN
  • Specialty: Rock
  • My job: Roadie, Ran sound and lights, harmonies from soundboard
  •  
• "Nothin' Fancy"
  • Based out of Lafayette and Fowler, IN
  • Specialty: Originally Country and Rock; At end: Rock
  • My job: Roadie, Ran sound and lights, harmonies from soundboard, played guitar and sang on-stage during acoustic set
  • Designed the band's logo
  •  
• Church Group Concerts
  • In Lafayette
  • Specialty: Religious (of course)
  • My job: Roadie, Ran sound

Songwriting

When I was in 8th grade, my English teacher asked us to write a poem for class. I began writing poems and songs in 9th grade. I have written about 120 songs, and a number of poems. My mother has used all of my Christmas songs/poems on her Christmas newsletters. Various choirs in church have also sung a few of them. However, most of my songs tend to be more "love songs". Since I write them for me, basically, the style tends toward what I call "cross-over country/pop", though from what I've heard, "New Country" might also apply.

Singing

While my voice isn't anything to write home about (to me), others have said that I have (had?) a good one. I sang whatever's necessary, with my strong suit being more in the baritone and bass range. I was in the "Youth Choir" at church, playing guitar, singing tenor or baritone; I sang (and played) solo and paired with my father at church a couple of times; I've played at a few family weddings, a couple of receptions; I was in the top (at that time) "large" choir and the "show" choir (back then we didn't dance!) at high school; I was the "entertainment" for a few of my parents' fraternity and sorority meetings/suppers. I haven't sung for some time, either, but would relish the chance to get back into playing, singing, and writing. (Might take the singing a while!)

Bob and Tom/Q95

I am a major Bob and Tom/Q95 fan, as anyone who walked into my cube at work could see. Shortly before I went to work at Monroe, I won one of the slots for the Bob and Tom/Village Pantry/Coca-Cola Spring Break Trip to Orlando. I asked a friend I had met on the Internet (not the one I married) a couple of months before, and we had a great time. We stayed at the Dolphin Resort Hotel in Disney, and saw the MGM, Animal Kingdom and Epcot parks. We also were on-hand for Bob and Tom's Monday and Tuesday shows. It was great fun.

Pets

We currently have three black-lab-mix female dogs, a female cat and a rat-terrier mix male dog. Well, actually, all but the male dog are "its", now. We also have an "outdoor" cat. My ex moved to a house, and he wanted to be outside, so she let him and he loved it. Then she moved to an apartment where she couldn't keep him, and gave me the choice of either taking him as an outdoor cat or putting him down. I chose the former. He lives outside and has a lot of "friends" over for supper, including other "outdoor" cats, raccoons and possums (at times). He's amazingly in shape and active out there, considering he's declawed and over 15 years old! The older female lab is the mother of the other two. We got her from the Humane Society in Lafayette, took her to a vet who told us she was fixed, and a few months later... SURPRISE! Jake, the male dog is the "son" of my wife's old dog (she was 12 when she had a litter of three!) in Fort Branch. When he came, it looked like none of the others would accept him, but now he "rules" the roost. I keep trying to tell him that my wife is MY bit... uh... mine, but he just won't listen!

LYAO

Since 1997 or so, I have been collecting jokes, interesting and funny stories, and humorous lists, etc., that I receive in email, clean them up (grammar-wise, anyway), and send them to a number of family and friends under the name LYAO (Laff Your A-- Off). My joke criteria doesn't include political correctness, but I DO remove those jokes that I deem are malicious. After years of trying to come up with a good way to split out all the items into an LYAO database, and have finally decided that the best way would be to just create an "archive" of all of the emails that I have sent out over the years. When I have time (or need a break from Genealogy (see below) or working on this site), I've been re-converting the old joke-letters and putting them online at LYAO-Online Subweb New Window, a subweb of OFP.

Genealogy

Since my job was eliminated, I spent days looking for a job and evenings working on my family's genealogy. The beginning of November 2003, I tore up my knee, and didn't have surgery on it until January 2004. After about five weeks (first, in the hospital, then in a "health center") with a "towel-rack" ("external fixator"), it was replaced with a splint set to keep my knee straight for another six weeks or so. During that time, I kept busy by retyping my grand-aunt's family history book from the '70s. When I got home, I entered all the names and most of the info into my database. I also kept searching for family online. In mid-2004, I was (finally) designated 100% disabled by Social Security, and have spent most of my time at home, working on websites and genealogy. Between February, 2003, and mid-May, 2007, I have found over 10,500 individuals related to my family, and produced two CDs and (12/2005) a DVD with the family "website", photo albums, and bookoo (I checked the variation's spelling at The Free Dictionary - Beaucoup Off Site New Window) images and files I used for research on it. (For family only)