I was born in Germany in the early 1970's. My parents were living in Pirmasens at the time, located in the Rheinland-Phalz area. My father was stationed at an Army base in what was then West Germany. My parents were married a year earlier stateside, and my mother accompanied my father overseas.
They returned to the United States, with me in tow, when I was about a year old. We lived in Maryland for a short time, as my father was stationed there. My first sister was born in Maryland just before I turned two, making me a big brother for the first time.
We came to the greater Grand Rapids area of Michigan shortly after my sister was born. We lost my sister to SIDS, when she was nearly five months. Even after all these years, her passing has never become acceptable, easier, or less painful...just different.
I became a big brother again less than a year later. This time I had a brother. He's always been the overachiever in the family. The girls always said he was the cute one, too. I still have my doubts about the latter part though. ~:) He was the best man at my wedding. Thanks man. He and his wife have a beatiful baby now.
A couple of years later my kid brother was born. He has given me a real run for my money as the "black sheep" of the family on occasion, but he's still a good kid. No matter how old we get I guess he'll always be my kid brother. He married shortly before we did, and has four kids now.
My second sister was born two years after my kid brother. She has tried to take on the "black sheep" title a couple of times herself, but I don't think she was really cut out for it. Besides Mom and Dad were getting pretty wise to our crap by the time she was old enough anyway. She has been out of high school for a couple of years now, but I'm never sure what she's up to. She is now married, has three kids and is all grown up.
The last of my siblings was due around Christmas. She was born nearly three months premature, and right on time for my parents' tenth wedding anniversary. I guess even then that she was too head strong to do what she was supposed to do. She has earned academic scholarships, and thankfully is following the path of her "overachieving" brother.
I graduated from Allendale High School in 1990. They have built a new high school since then. I am a few classes short of a Computer Science degree from Grand Valley State University.
For those who are wondering what the heck TikkiGod refers to, follow this link.
My interests include computer programming, hockey, and first person shooter video games. My interest in programming tends to carry over into more of my life than my wife would probably like at times. I have a spent a good amount of time programming in Modula-2, C, Visual C++, Visual Basic, and Basic. I have also spent a bit of time working with assembly language, and COBOL, not to mention a passing familiarity with Fortran (a very quick pass). I have built many databases for my current job. Hockey is something my wife and I both enjoy. (We're Red Wings fans all the way.) Perhaps my most guilty of pleasures however is playing first person shooters. I am currently hooked on Half-Life 2. (Like I was on DOOM, DOOM II, Quake, Quake II and Duke Nukem 3D before it.)
My wife and I live in a beautiful tri-level home with a two stall attached garage. It has 1830 square feet of living space, a nice yard, and all the appliances we need.
Our son was born in Spring 2002.