I love majestic mountains because they remind me of the wonders of this world. I feel at peace in them, and I feel insignificant, which gives me a healthy perspective when I get too worried about my work or other "human" concerns.

I enjoy reading books because they can take me to wonderful places in my imagination. I enjoy holding books, turning pages, even the smell of them. But, most of all, I enjoy the way books engage my mind.

I relish tasty food because I am adventurous when it comes to trying new and different things. Food is a way to take part in other cultures, so I look for ethnic restaurants when I am away from Boone.

I adore music because it touches my spirit; it makes me smile. You might say that I am eclectic in my music taste because I listen to all varieties of music: blues, jazz, rock, folk, country, hip hop, classical, and so on.

I fancy spending time with family because that is truly one of the most important parts of living a good life. I gain confidence from my brother and sister and amazement from my daughter who surprises me every day with her wisdom and beautiful spirit. I am a better person because of those relationships.

I hike in the mountains as often as I can. I take my two dogs to places around Boone to exercise them and me. I often go to the trails by the Broyhill Conference Center. When in Utah, I hike Zion, Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands Parks, among others.

I read several books at a time, usually a good children's book and an adult book. I consume the fantasy genre and well crafted picture books. I visit Amazon.com all the time and probably spend too much money on books.  

I cook when I have the time. Often I will try my hand at a new recipe, always adding my own twist. Recently I learned how to make a great sauce from onions--takes about an hour and a half. It has become one of my favorites. Oh, I like to eat too.

When friends visit my house, my stereo often is blasting away. If not, then my iPod might be on (absolutely if I am in my car) or I might be on my MAC computer downloading songs from iTunes. Music is very important to me.

I try every year to visit my brother (who lives in Southern Utah) and my sister (who lives in Park City, Utah). The time I spend with them rejuvenates my soul. My daughter makes me smile, and worry at times. I find myself marveling at how much better she is negotiating the world than I was at 17.

I detest parsnips and turnips; they make me gag.

I abhor those times when I do not have enough money in my account to pay all my bills. This seems to be a common problem for people I know, and one I have struggled to overcome my entire life.

I hate conflict and confrontation because it makes me uncomfortable. But, as I have gotten older I have come to understand that this is a part of engaging in life. If you want to stand up for your beliefs, then there will be a degree of confrontation that you must endure.

I loathe people who are negative all the time about everything because they slowly stomp the joy out of life. Time on this planet is short, too short to waste on complaining and worrying. Besides, I think we construct our experiences, so negativity breeds the same.

I am an average looking guy, I think. My ears are not too big (and I have 2 of them), I have a medium sized nose (centered on my face), and my eyes are not askew.

The hair: lost the top when I was 22. No big deal to me; I've been cutting it myself for 10 years now. You can do wonders with an electric clipper and one hand.

My eyes are brown and these days have glasses on them when I read. They work well though. I catch all spelling and grammar errors that come before them.

I am very comfortable with myself, and I think that is reflected in how I carry myself. I prefer to be casual rather than formal, in dress and in interactions. I will always try to be honest and sincere in how I respond to you.