Welcome. I am a recently
separated father with two children. Last April I moved into
an old victorian house in Novato, CA. Near our home is a
derelict train station built in 1917. The Depot Dad blog is
intended to document this changing phase of my life,
reflect on the challenges of being a single parent, and to
fill my time until the next train comes along.
I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska where I cultivated a love of
cottonwood trees, big skies, summer thunderstorms and long
walks where I didn't have to talk to anyone. I then went to
art school in Kansas City. After delaying my graduation
there so I could keep working on Macs (newly introduced
then), I ran away to San Francisco to be a part of the
software industry. I didn't know anyone in town, had no
money, and had no job. That ended up being the smartest
move I ever made. Within two weeks of arriving in San
Francisco, I got a job at Broderbund software as a computer
animator. I ended up staying there for 7 years and got to
lead several teams making educational software like "Where
in the World is Carmen Sandiego?"
After Broderbund, I fumbled around looking for the next big
thing for me. I worked at several internet startups but
ended up working for myself as an independent Mac
consultant. I've done this since 2001, about the same time
I got married and started a family. The marriage ended in
early 2008, and I moved to Novato, CA. And here my blog
begins....
Some arbitrary facts about me.
I despair at the current state of children's literature.
I like almost any kind of cold cereal.
I think it is important to find the things that make you
happy.
Here is one thing that makes me happy.
Holy Smokes, Ray on sax! WIll the wonders of YouTube never
cease?
That little riff he does at 1:48 makes me weep with joy.
I sometimes make comics for my children.
I have been told, by various members of my family and
friends that my physical appearance can be described as
nothing more or less than the illegitimate love child of
Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. This means that I am in the
unique position of being able to perform all 23 episodes of
Jeeves and Wooster by myself.