A bit about me...
I go by Scotty or Scott, though I've answered to a variety of things over the years. I like puppies and sunsets, a slice of cake with a good book, and pictures of half-dressed lumberjacks. I dislike mean people, olives of all kinds, and preachers on the radio.
I was born on the 21st of June, 1969 in Fullerton, CA, way down south behind the Orange Curtain. Back then, there were actually still orange groves in Orange County. Can you believe it? On a clear summer's night we could see the fireworks at Disneyland.
For the past ten years or so, I made my home in San Jose, CA, about 45 minutes south of San Francisco. That's behind the Silicon Curtain. On a clear summer's night, I had a good view of the rush-hour traffic on Hwy 880 and the scent of car exhaust wafted through the window.
But these days, home is in Underhill, VT, at the foot of Mt. Mansfield about 40 minutes east of Burlington. That's behind the Maple Curtain. On a clear night, we can see more stars than I ever thought existed, and depending on the time of year we are serenaded by bullfrogs, coyotes, migrating geese, or the donkey from across the road. We love it here.
In between Fullerton and Underhill, there have been a lot of other places I've called home: Phoenix, Denver, Indonesia, Houston, Singapore, Indiana.... Not necessarily in that order. Oh, and Oklahoma. Can't forget Oklahoma. We moved frequently enough growing up that my brother and I were rarely at the same school for more than a year or two. When I count them up, there were 10 schools in 12 years. Memorable highlights include Lois Lenski Elementary in Littleton, CO, the Singapore American School, and a couple of very small K-8 schools in the middle of the Sumatran jungle (on a clear summer's night, we could hear monkeys playing in the trees across the street).
I did my undergraduate studies at Valparaiso University, in aptly named Valparaiso, IN. It's a small liberal arts college in a small not-so-liberal town, where I spent 5 years hopping between majors. After trying out Mathematics, Secondary Ed, and Spanish linguistics, I settled on Applied Physics and Geography, neither of which I use today in any significant way. But education is never a waste! I ended up with two degrees, mononucleosis, a fondness for Velveeta Shells & Cheese, and a nearly rabid aversion to sparkling wine. And I had a great time with some truly wonderful people.
And Valparaiso wasn't a bad place to be, considering I'd come from Oklahoma. The school was well known for its nuclear reactor, its terrible sports record, and its enormous chapel. And then there was the annual popcorn festival. No kidding, Orville's popcorn factory was on the edge of town, and most every year he'd show up, accompanied by his saucy young nurse and his grandson, Gary, to ride in the parade, right there next to the Shriners and the popcorn queen. It was a sad day when Orville left us.
After that, it was 4 years or so of graduate work at Arizona State, in the Dept of Geology. But that's another story.
My folks have settled back in Wisconsin, very near the towns where they grew up. My little brother Todd is in Albany, NY, surgeoning away and making a home with his lovely bride Erica and their daughters Lucy and Isabel.