I was born in Salem, Oregon in 1959--and though I'm a native from there, I've only ever spent my first year of life living in that state.  My parents moved to California, and I lived there for 29-years; grew up there--and so, I consider California my home state. 

And, I've lived all over California:  the Bay Area, Round Mountain and Redding, Sacramento, Palm Springs, Banning, Hemet, San Diego.  I've lived on the coast, in the mountains and in the desert. 

When I left California to live in Arizona in 1989, it took a little adjusting--but I thought Arizona was a neat state too--has a wide variety of things to explore!  I had pride in being a Calfornian, but I found that I could take pride in living elsewhere, as well.  Besides California and Arizona, I've lived in Texas, Louisiana, and now, New Mexico--and each has provided new and unique experiences which I feel have benefitted me greatly in life. 

Yes, my parents bounced around the state a lot, but it wasn't like I was starting a new school every year.  In fact, I stayed at Alvarado Elementary School for almost four years, attending kindergarten through 3rd grade; I spent two years in Redding (though I went from elementary to junior high during that time, I stayed with the same friends and group of students); and I spent five years in the Palm Springs area--going to Nellie N Coffman Junior High for two years and Palm Springs High School for three.  I was in the Class of 1977--in fact, our class had a 32-year reunion on October 24, 2009 at the Zoso Hotel in Palm Springs (it was a gathering in which most of the classmates had turned age 50--and for me, it was the very first time I had ever been notified of a high school reunion; I didn't want to pass up the opportunity!).   

My Senior Year

Picture in the

 year book. 

At age 15 I decided I wanted to become a radio disc jockey; fortunately, Palm Springs High School had the Riverside Occupational Program for Radio Broadcasting--what luck!  However, you had to be 16 to be in the program; somebody overlooked this prerequisite and I was in.  During the summer before my senior year, I was working as a parttimer and weekender at KPSI, 1450 AM and continued to do so when school started.  After graduation, I started attending Mt. San Jacinto Community College in San Jacinto, CA--however, by then I was working full-time and decided that I was already in the career of my choice and was learning everything from the inside, and so I dropped out of college. 

I worked in radio for 22-years--mostly in small markets (which really, were the most fun--you did everything--but there was little money to be made); the best radio position I ever landed was at KXAM 1310 AM in Phoenix--I got paid an obscene amount of money for doing almost nothing--working less than 36 hours a week!  Thinking back to that time ... those were the "good ol' days"!    It was at about this time I began to make the switch over to a news reporter--and the last few radio jobs I enjoyed were either as a news reporter or as a new director.  My last radio job ended on Mardi Gras in 1998 while living in Morgan City; the owner and I had a disagreement and I walked out--never to return to radio again. 

Here I am at the control console of KXAM AM1310 in Phoenix, AZ in 1991. 

I loved the cypress swamps, the bayous and the Cajuns!  For awhile, I found myself in paradise.  Within a month after leaving Texas, I had another radio job in Morgan City (KFXY "Foxy 96" 96.7 FM) and we lived there for a little over six years.  When I got out of radio (working then at KBZE 105.9 FM), I turned to security guard work as a temporary job--which ended up lasting seven years!

Finally, after moving to New Mexico in 2002, I was able to get out of security guard work and was hired by the Human Services Dept. of the State of New Mexico--and that's where I've been ever since.

I had never lived in New Mexico, but after having lived in the South for so long, it felt like I was coming home!  The Western mentality is a bit more liberal than the Southern.

In the News Room at KIKO 1340 AM in Globe, AZ in early 1996.

My first grandchild, Lauren, was born in September 2008; she is Krystal's daughter.  I thought I'd resist the idea of becoming a grandparent--the thought of becoming old--but, I think I adjusted to it quite quickly--it isn't an issue at all.  

I love to watch movies; in fact, you will probably notice a lot of references to various films on this website while looking at the photographs.  Currently, I have a movie collection that is well over a thousand DVDs and a much more modest Blu-ray library.

For many years, I studied the Bible and philosophical writings; my favorite philosophers are Friedrich Nietzsche and Marcus Aurelius; I'm also quite fond of the writings and ideas of C.G. Jung.  I've also studied a number of religious writings besides the Bible, such as the Tao Te Ching, the Bhagavad Gita, the Koran, the Nag Hammadi, the Jewish and Christian Apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Upanishads, and others. 

Other things I enjoy include walking and hiking.  My son, Vernon, has an interest in hiking the Appalachian Trail some day--when I was 40, I had the same desire hit me!   The longest hike I've ever made is from the Palm Springs Tram to the top of Mt. San Jacinto, so hiking 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine would be quite an experience!   If I did something like that, however, it would have to wait until I'm retired; it would also take a lot of preparation.

One of the things I enjoy the most, however, is driving ... going to see places.  I have to get out of town fairly often--whether I'm driving to Las Vegas, NV, or just driving to check out something close by here in our state, I think I'm the happiest when I'm driving and watching the countryside go by!