Scatterbrained master of extemporaneous creativity, I’ve been leading an occasionally ill-fitting but happy life as a father of five, suburbanite, and putterer. In previous eras, I have created delicious-yet-speedy food at reasonable prices; lived on top of a mountain, while pulling out stuck 4×4s, logging trees, stalking deer and porcupines for my own amusement, and guarding an out-of-operation silver mine; jumped out of airplanes with a rifle, an attitude, an anti-tank missile, a jar of jalapeño slices, and a static-line parachute; run away from home and joined the circus (as a teenage roustabout, natch); reviewed books for the glory (hah) and free books; written poetry and short stories; developed incorporeal structures of vast and intricate nature using powerful and dangerous tools (C++, mostly); and generally followed a long, crooked path to where I am now. I don’t expect it will straighten itself anytime soon.