OK. I'll share.
48 yrs old, closing in on 49. Avatar picture is recent, but the goggles are just that - OLD safety goggles. Still don't wear real glasses, but am realizing that I have occasion to need them. Was married for 8 1/2 years (divorced in 1994), and have been with someone who also divorced around the same time - 14 years beats the record for either of our previous relationships.
My "GF" has Multiple Sclerosis, and it was this that brought me to e-biking. By motorizing her ride, I was able to do what I enjoyed and not have to leave her behind... The problem, though, was that she was leaving ME behind... So I got hooked, too.
I've worked in "Information Technology" for my entire working life (almost 30 years) which has included business computing and industrial automation - but have a plethora of other interests. Notwithstanding the IT connection (I ran a multi-line BBS, the software for which I wrote, for more than a decade before the internet came along), I've had a life-long interest in photography. I still maintain a full darkroom, as silly as that is in this digital age, and more cameras than you can shake a stick at. (Well, you *can* shake a stick at them, but nothing happens. I've tried). I also have a long, but compartively casual, history with electronics - the fascination started with HAM and CB radios when I was a kid, but turned digital the instant I bought my first TRS-80 Model I computer from Radio Shack back in 1978.
My biggest passion in the last 5 years has been luthiery - making stringed instruments (guitars, in particular). But I find that my sleepless nights have me staring at the ceiling, thinking up new things to build that are relevant to e-bikes. I built a thing that is very similar to a Cycle-Analyst, using TWO PIC16F690s. The one "in the back" monitors the controller, and sends data (serially) to the "one in the front", which is simply a display unit/user interface. It was THIS project that brought me to this forum, and introduced me to Justin Lemire-Elmore (who I was lucky enough to have stay with me on his trip across Canada).
There's other shit, too, but my daily focus is food and drink
Obviously, we have no kids - but we have a great cat. She's a Calico who we call "Doots". Makes me think she should meet Dale's cat. What a combo.
Oh yeah. That's another pastime. Singing stupid songs about my cat...
"Doot Doot Doot, lookin' out my back door" (CCR)
"You are so Dooti-ful - to me" (Joe Cocker)
"Feeling Dooty" (Simon and Garfunkel)
"I'm just doin' my rock-n-roll Dooti... Creating some fuzz fuzz fuzz" (Kim Mitchell)
and many more...
You all get the picture.
And, although my entire family are British-born, I am the first in the very long chain to be born elsewhere. I was born in Vancouver, BC and am proud to be Canadian. And I can say that - even my GF was born just outside of Manchester (UK), and feels the same about Canada!
And (again), lastly (CRAP!), I've just re-read what I have just written and have tried to see it from the perspective of a reader who doesn't know me... Am I in any way "proud" or otherwise full of myself? NO WAY. You have to meet me to "get" me. I'm just happy as a pig in shit to share my enthusiasm for what I enjoy. No posturing. No politics. That's how I try to live...
