Updated 4/29/2004
So... you wanted to know a little about me (who would have thought)! Well ok, here it goes...
Well, I graduated from The University Of Oklahoma with a Zoology degree in 1997 (And before you even think it... no... this is not so I can work at a zoo! Basically it offers the same courses required by medical schools. :P ). My how time has passed so quickly! I had previously thought that I would go to Physiology graduate school and then on to medical school, but I wasn't able to get in to medical school after years of trying. It's just too competetive around here. They receive about 2000+ applicants and accept 80 students (and supposedly you have the advantage if you're from the state, but I haven't found that to be the case). So, after putting my life on hold for several years, I realized that I had to get start living my life... and get a real job! So what now you ask? Well, I am now a computer programmer (User Interface/Design specifically). I program in HTML, DHTML, ASP, Javascript, VBScript, XML, Flash/Actionscript just to name a few. I really enjoy the challenge and I've used my knowledge to build this site... so I hope you like it!!
I have a lot of hobbies and interests that I'd like to share with you. One of the most important things in my life is music. I'd have to say that it consumes a lot of my time, but when you love music as much as I do, it doesn't really seem like my time is being wasted, instead music fills me up and gives me some sense of purpose. Of all of the music I listen to (which ranges from Jazz to Alternative, but DEFINITELY excluding Country), there is one band that is a favorite of mine, and that is The Cure. I think there are so many reasons why I'm drawn to listen to their music. Maybe it's the wonderfully clever use of words in the songs or the many layers of melodic sounds. One thing that I always found appealing was that I could listen to their music in whatever mood I was in, whether it be happy or sad. Some of the songs hold a special meaning for me, while others are completely danceable and let me cut loose! I've developed a deep love for their music over several years and I've started yet another hobby of collecting cure recordings, whether it be official/bootlegs/demos/whatever! I guess by collecting, I get to go to all of the shows that I never could go to and relive the ones that I have been to (Which for me is the next best thing to being there!). I also collect other items from Cure shows... such as tour posters, handbills, ticket stubs, and advertisements for the shows. I have met so many wonderful people through collecting, the Cure mailing lists... now deceased, and by going to the shows (maybe you were one of them!). It is my belief that Cure fans are among the greatest in the world!
If you're interested in what non-Cure music I like, click here!
When I was 15, I started another hobby, scuba diving. Scuba diving is wonderful. It makes me feel as if I'm flying... weightless... above the coral heads and reefs. I was so incredibly nervous when I first started (I had a fear of sharks and the "What if my air shuts off while I'm down there!" fear). After I went on my first ocean dive, all of that anxiety and fear just melted away. I was just taken aback with the beauty I was seeing right before my eyes. There were so many beautiful tropical fish swimming all around me. It seemed as if I could see for miles in that crystal clear water. I try and scuba dive whenever I get the opportunity, however, since I live in Oklahoma (which is pretty inland :P), I don't get to go very often. I try and keep my memories of all of my diving experiences alive through some of my artwork (Picture#1, Picture #2, Picture #3, a piece I'm working on at the moment: Picture#4, a poster that I made myself, and a tattoo of a fish that I drew the design for (ok, call me crazy). It is located on my right, lower hip/abdomenal area. You can see a picture of me when I got my tattoo at the Crimson Dragon Tattoo Parlor in Austin, Texas (and I got it the day after my seeing my second Cure concert!)). I'll never forget how beautiful scuba diving can be and what wonderful experiences I've had doing it.
The last opportunity I had to go diving was in Cozumel, Mexico in 2002. Cozumel is known for its pristine water and current diving (...which can be quite swift at times. It's the currents that keep the water so clear. Water is constantly being circulated through the Yucatan Peninsula so nutrients and waste are circulated in and out. Ocean life really thrives here.). While I was there I was able to get my Advanced Scuba Diver certification. I did a dive to 100ft which was quite an experience (very dark as I remember!). I highly recommend that if you're a scuba diver you go to Cozumel. The water was incredible... it was so clear. There are crevises to swim through, sheer drop off walls, and abundant ocean life. It was an amazing trip!! I was able to take some underwater pictures while diving. Maybe one of these days if I get some spare time I'll put them up for all to see!
Here are a few links to scuba diving web pages that I enjoy:
Scuba Central
Rodale's Scuba Diving
Sea And Sea