Zoomdoggies

Born and raised in Southern California, I arrived in Seattle in 1995, via Portland, Oregon and Lansing, Michigan. After a short and totally unremarkable career as a zoologist, I spent most of the next couple of decades writing technical documentation for various network software companies.

I used to like dancing (contra, Morris, clogging), playing old-timey music (banjo and mandolin-family, and classical guitar; all with more enthusiasm than skill), planting things, old houses, quilting, and reading.

I retired on disability in 2009. If you're interested in MS-related stuff (although I can't imagine why you would be), it starts here:

     In the beginning…
     MS Story – Years 0 - 14
     MS Story – Years 15 - 16
     MS Story – Years 17 - whenever

This leaves off a couple of years ago. I'm currently quadriplegic – my hands and arms and legs are pretty much just for decoration, although I never thought they were all that decorative to begin with. To get around, I use a head array to control a power wheelchair. I use voice recognition software (Dragon NaturallySpeaking) and head tracking (eViacam) to work the computer. Not as easy as it used to be, but hey, it's better than nothing and it's certainly never boring.

Since I now have more free time than I know quite what to do with, I've developed an obsession with family history. My daughter calls it "stalking dead people." To avoid the glazed look that most people get when I go off on the subject but still allow myself a place to blather, I'm trying to keep most of that kind of thing Out on a Limb.

I live with my partner (Scarecrow), who does everything for me that I can't do for myself. I don't know how, or why, he does it, but I am grateful that he does. Our daughter (Tuffy) is currently in Korea, teaching English to Korean middle school students. Our pack also comprises two whippets, and a variable number of retired racing greyhounds.