Alrighty...so I got tagged by JP Boodhoo so here's my 5 things you probably don't (want to) know about me :)
1. I have my master's in music on percussion and played professionally up until about 6 years ago (I'm 36). From age 16 I was playing jazz gigs in DC up until I toured for a couple of years, played tons of stuff locally, a fair amount of studio stuff and taught at James Madison University (in Virginia) and Arizona State University. Drumset and concert marimba are my specialty, though I started and continue on piano.
2. Jesus gave me my wife Natasha, a lovely study in humility raised in Brasil (though she is American) and we got to fly 300 miles into the heart of the Amazon in North Brasil to see where she grew up about 3 years ago. Since then, we have had two amazing children, Chaya Faye and Joshua Avidor.
3. I'm green at development (you've noticed :) ) and have been thankful to have discovered so many gracious developers who share their wisdom via this medium. I never had school for development stuff and really don't have many (I can think of one) local folks to share or work with or mentor me (I'd like to change that this year)...but I have discovered the mindset akin to music arrangement and composition.
4. I live in Phoenix, Arizona and love this state since we go backpacking/hiking/camping as much as possible with two children. Before kids my wife and I were avid hikers and I have hiked every trail in the Western Superstition Mountains and have been stuck in sand in my truck in some of the loneliest places in the country.
5. I have another blog for our family set up at http://blogs.chayachronicles.com/nichols (shameless plug) where we log current happenings with our family and especially things I am being taught in the Bible.
Okey doke...so it seems like tagging has made its rounds...so I want to pass it on to Bill Pierce, Billy McCafferty, Fredrik Gheysels, and Martin Fowler (that last one was a joke...wouldn't it be funny if he read my blog though????!)
One last thing...has anyone thought of how we can play 'kick the can' over the internet?
Ok...you can wake up now
MIKE