Introductions: Me

This first post is intended as an introduction of me. That way you'll get an idea of what my background is, what my skill sets are, and how I ended up in this remodeling project.

 I was born in 1977, in Waukegan, IL. I moved to WI when I was 19, and have been here ever since. I went to college at the University of WI, Parkside, where I graduated in May of 2000 with a B.S. in Computer Science. I got a job shortly after at an insurance company in Stevens Point, WI, as a Programmer. I still work there to this day, as a Senior Programmer Analyst/Team Lead. I also have a side job as a web developer/designer.

I've always been really handy. From fixing my own bikes and skateboards as kid, to doing my own car maintenance when older (brakes, oil, and such). I definitely got that gene from my dad. He was always working on things around the house, fixing the cars, finishing the basement, and so on. For some reason I always feel the need to be working on something or another.

I bought the house this blog will be about in November of 2009 (see pic below). It is the third house that I have owned, and was the first one that wasn't brand new when I moved in. It appealed to me because the price was at the low end of what I wanted to spend, the location and yard were great, the previous owners had (mostly) remodeled the kitchen, and because there were so many interesting projects to work on. These days I frequently feel overwhelmed by all those projects, but that feeling didn't set in until a year or so into the remodeling.

The purpose of this blog is two-fold; first, it's to share information; second, it's to help me stay motivated on the remodeling tasks. My theory is that if people start paying attention, I'll better stay on task. Also, perhaps someone else out there is doing something similar, and could use the motivation/inspiration.

I have many other interests, that don't involve home remodeling. They include music, art (drawing and digital), tattoos, wargaming, building models, and web page design among others. These things frequently distract me from the house projects, but I've more than happy to have other things to do. These days I work on the house an average of 9 hours a week.

Hopefully I'll get as much out of doing this blog as people get reading it. Feel free to comment if you have questions about any specific posts along the way!