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Most of you only know of me as being a hiker. In this area, I would like to share other aspects of my life outside of the hiking arena.

I was born in central Georgia, and lived there until 2001. My parents still live there, as do both of my sisters. My only brother, Barry, passed away in November of 2004 at the age of 39.

I moved to New Tazewell, Tennessee in June of 2001. We lived on Oxford Hollow Road until 2003, at which time we bought a larger home in Washburn, Tennessee, some 35 miles away. The area we live in is barely a dot on the map. Rutledge, Tennessee is the county seat for Grainger County, our county of residence. Washburn and Rutledge are seperated by the Clinch Mountain, elevation >3,000'.

Outside of hiking, I enjoy fishing, tinkering around in my garage, surfing EBay for good deals on cars(I am notorious for buying dirt-cheap cars on EBay), and spending quality time with my family. I am not an outgoing person; when I am not at church or out looking for a job, I stay at home and don't go anywhere.

I also have a passion for aviation.  In 2003, I began training for Aviation Maintenance Technology at Tennessee Technology Center in Morristown.  I quit the program in December of 2003 in order to devote more time in preparing for the upcoming A.T. hike.  I will return one day to complete my training in A.M.T., but will not return to TTC. I don't have a lot of good things to say about that particular program, the people who run it, or how it's operated. I came away witha grade of 92, so I did benefit from the program, just not the people.

At present, I am trying to get a job with the National Park Service in Gatlinburg, and am very hopeful that a job will come through very soon. I have submitted an application & resume for a postion that I want very badly, and am waiting to hear something regarding that.