Who is Ariphys?

   Actually Ariphys is one of the main characters in my stories; the last of his order, and Grand Father (by default) of the Sodality of the Druids, and bearer of the Staff of the Woodlands. 

    As for me, I grew up on a farm in Northeastern, PA and think that the experience started me out on the right foot in life, since I was able to learn and do a lot without the concerns that are seen in many urban settings. 

    I went to the US Naval Academy in 1988 and majored in Physics, with a minor in German. Since I grew up out in the sticks, USNA provided me with a wealth of new opportunities and I adopted the philosophy of "get what you can while it is free." Over the course of 4 years, I completed 173 credits, earned an Offshore Skipper Qualification (which means I can sign out any size sailboat the Navy owns--for life), was in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program for three years, got scuba qualified (PADI), picked up playing guitar in 1990, built a racing motor for my car (as a three credit project!), and did a few experimental projects (the most interesting of which was a holography project on an acoustic guitar). Overall, I am very intellectually stimulated, and I strive to use both sides of my brain too (writing, drawing, playing music, etc.)

    To continue with my education, I went into the Nuclear Power (Submarines) option upon graduation (above), and from there spent 5 years as an active duty submarine officer. No words can do justice to the experience; but unfortunately for me, I went to a boat which turned around to be the best command in the Atlantic Fleet when I left (of approximately 300 commands). To achieve this, we went to sea an average of 240 days a year, and spent over half the time in port doing 10-12 hour work days to fix the boat so we could go back out. I missed the birth of my first child (due to a deployment) and left on another deployment a week after my second was born. The lifestyle was definitely not good for the family, so I voluntarily departed the service after my active duty requirement, and took with me a lot of fond memories and the privilege of working with a work force that I have yet to see the likes of since.

    This is a picture of my ship returning to port the day before a local air show. The B-17 pictured is one of the last left which can fly. The local newspaper caught the craft flying overhead on film....

    From the Navy I moved to Minnesota and worked for Seagate Technologies as a lead production engineer for production/development of hard disk drives overseas. It was my first opportunity to pursue one of my passions (computers), but being from the east coast it was a bit far from home for all of us. I spent two years there and taught myself C++ programming in my free time. I had the opportunity to work with a number of great folks and it was my first look at US companies which do production overseas. The sites I supported were in Thailand and I was greatly impressed with their culture. Thailand is "The Land of Smiles" and the people there are a wonderful group to work with. I had the opportunity to visit Thailand near the end of my tenure and am very happy that I did!

    From Seagate, I went to work for a credit card company as an internal process optimization consultant. It was the biggest paradigm shift I have ever experienced (which was also compounded by my separation during my employment). For the first time I stepped into a work environment where opinion and perception drove the business rather than fact. Being an engineer at heart and having a background where procedural control and information was paramount, I found myself in an environment that was ripe with opportunity -- but of a mindset that was hard to implement. It was also the first place I had encountered that was segregated into units that did not communicate well with each other. I learned a lot of business techniques, but was not able to achieve much real positive impact there. 

    I enjoy interacting with people, learning new things, and firmly believe in being fair and lending a helping hand where it is needed. I have jumped feet first into pursuing a passion that I have had my entire life, which is to teach. The learning curve for myself is steep, but it is a job that I truly enjoy and wish to pursue further.

    I am also very goal oriented, and have a list of things I would like to do with my life.

    Things that I have done include:

• Seen the world  -- I have sailed to Bermuda (twice); Newport, RI (twice); Portland, ME; Halifax, Nova Scotia. In the Navy, we stopped numerous places: Puerto Rico; Scotland; Norway; Gibraltar; France; Greece; Italy; and Crete. Most recently, I have been to Thailand... the "Land of Smiles."
• Written a novel -- I grew up on the ORIGINAL Conan stories (by Robert E. Howard) which are no longer in print, and a friend of mine and I wrote 800 pages combined on that genre in high school. In addition to fantasy, I also enjoy writing the science-fiction genre. I have been thinking on numerous characters and events I hope to one day get the opportunity to pull together into a larger work and get published.
• Taught myself guitar -- Although I did play other instruments prior, I play guitar "by ear, and feel." I have also fully customized it, using common sense, to include refretting, bridge and body work, adding pick-ups, etc. If you are interested in working on your own guitar, I have probably done what you want to do. I now have a collection of 8 guitars: electric, acoustic, 12-string acoustic, and 4-string bass. I also play keyboard and do home recording. Most recently I have shifted to trying to record on the computer.

• Am a computer fiend -- Since I cannot keep myself from playing with things, I have learned a lot about computers through trial and error. If I do not know something concerning a subject, I usually know where to look. I also began programming C++ without any schooling and have posted some of my programs on this page.
• Fix Cars -- I enjoy working with cars and firmly believe that a good chunk of money saved during life can stem from a basic knowledge of them. Most recently I have begun playing with a 71 Mustang convertible that is in very nice condition to begin with, but which I intend to fully restore.
• Investing/Financial Planning -- My father grew up as dirt poor as one can be, and from early childhood ingrained in me the importance of financial security. To me, financial security is freedom, and it does not necessarily mean that you do not have to work, but can do what you enjoy, which is even more important. There are several things that can be done to work toward this goal, and I enjoy helping people understand what is available for them to achieve their dreams.
• Home Improvements -- I very much enjoy improving homes. Mostly electrical and structural at this point, but there is a great deal of satisfaction from this for me.

    Goal list:

• Publish a novel -- The day before I went to the Academy I wrote the first chapter of a novel much like the "Wheel of Time" series by Robert Jordan.  12 years later I have only 3 more chapters and a pile of notes so thick I cannot sort through them.
• Get a "one hit wonder" -- There have been a lot of songs slowly creating in my head, just never had a full studio to develop them in yet.  Unfortunately I have worked alone mostly, so making them reality is tedious. I think I have an entire album ready to go, but is a job unto itself when tackled in that manner.
• Sail around the World -- This one is an off shoot of my sailing at the Academy. Actually, one boat I sailed at the Academy (American Promise) was donated by Dodge Morgan, who set the around the world solo record in it. He pretty much ended his sailing career after that trip, so I might need to rethink this one!
• Do a "Cannonball Run" -- Would be interesting to do, but probably not feasible. I did average 73.6 mph from Philly to Minneapolis (1250 miles) so could just say I have already done this.
• Travel -- Need to see more of the world! There is too much to see in life to miss it!
• Start a Business -- I have been slowly building a business plan on what makes a business successful or not. I am still looking for a niche that makes me passionate to apply it to. I am also a firm believer that an environment where initiative and motivation drives success is where I fit in best, but one thing I have always been passionate about is helping people.
• "Retire" early -- By this I mean be in a position that if I do not make a lot of income, I am in no position to worry. Will let me write and play music -- and enjoy it.
• Fully restore my mustang -- I purchased a 71 mustang convertible in the spring of 2000. Although it is very nice, it can always be better!
• Enjoy life!! -- There is a lot out there to experience and observe. Sometimes the little things matter most.