_1. How did you end up working in whateverthehellyoudo that is (i think) related to computers, network admin, IT support, etc? What led you into that field, and do you wish you could be doing anything else career-wise at this point in your life?
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Interestingly enough, I just itemized this history for another friend, so I have it readily accessible:
I didn’t touch PC’s or Windows until 1996. All my experience up until then was with Solaris and Mac. I got a job at an Apple service center that was also an ISP, so I learned HTML there. I moved from that job to a job as a webmaster at an online retailer (CDW competitor at the time). After working there for a few months, I was “promoted” to the head of IT (which means I did *all* the IT; nobody worked for me). So I had to learn how to troubleshoot PC’s and Windows 95, as well as Novell. After that job, I worked as a field engineer for a company that did service for prepress shops (more Mac service), but I learned NT because all those shops had NT for file servers and RIP stations. Based on that, I got a job for a small consultancy/ISP doing NT deployments – this was a real “learn on the job” job, because my boss would promise clients that I would deploy things I had never heard of, and I had to figure it out the day before. At that job I got my MCP (in NT Server) and moved to CSC. At CSC they paid for me to take my MCSE exams, and once I did that, I moved on from desktop tech to server engineer. After that point, my career hasn’t really “developed” much as I pretty much have been doing the same job since 1998, just for different companies.
_2. Do you have an ideal age that you want to see yourself married/kids/family? If so, when is it and where do you see all of this taking place (Chicago, NYC, Brazil, India… etc.)?
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If it hasn’t happened by the time I’m 40, I’m gonna go soooo gay. Honestly, when I’m ready to settle down, I want to do it in Southern California though (this was my decision even *before* Teh Partay). I almost moved to San Diego a few years ago for work, but then backed out because I was still way too in love with Chicago.
3. How the hell did you get involved in the swing scene?
It’s dorky. My friends Clint and Jason and I were renting a movie one night. I said “Hey, I saw a little clip the other day about this Swingers movie.” We rented it, and laughed so hard we watched it twice in a row. (Amusing sidenote – that year, for Christmas, each of us gave the other two a copy of Swingers on video. It was kind of like “The Gift of the Magi”.) A few months later, the three of us started taking lessons. We weren’t really “in the scene” for about a year; we three went dancing all the time, but didn’t know anyone. Then, the website that had been a list of Chicago dance events went defunct, so Jason and I started an online community/calendar called SwingHomeChicago.com. Since nobody knew us, we were afraid that nobody would use the site if it was run by “nobodys”, so we did it anonymously, as “Mugsy” and “Punches” for a few months, and then eventually met everyone.
4. Name your favourite band in 1985. Hopefully you had one.
“Weird Al” Yankovic. Not really a band, but he was my favorite then :)
_5. If you could have one talent or skill that you don’t currently possess, what is it? Why?
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I wish I could draw. I am really REALLY bad at it, and I want to be able to do it. It just seems so very useful, and creative.