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I've been working as a communications professional for more than 25 years. It's said that time flies when you're having fun - and sometimes it feels like I just started in this line of work. Other times, when I'd rather be playing with my dog or blowing my eardrums out at a local metal or punk show, it feels like I've been pecking away at the keyboard for 80 years or more and will never get away. I've interviewed presidents, prisoners, rockstars, and addicts over the years, and have written about the mundane and the bizarre, everything from city council meetings and government spending to alien encounters, man-eating river monsters, and vast, sweeping conspiracy theories. But telling the everyday stories of people who often don't realize they have a story to tell is my favorite thing. In addition to previously mentioned eardrum-damaging music, I enjoy traveling as often and as far as I can looking for whatever adventure remains in this world. I've run with the bulls in Spain (four times), sledded down the side of an active volcano in Nicaragua, caught on fire in a festival in El Salvador, experienced live Black Metal shows in Norway, been chased by the police in Costa Rica (all in good fun), jumped from a ship to swim in the icy cold waters of the Mediterranean Sea near Greece, been tattooed in eight countries (so far), found Bigfoot tracks in Iowa (really), got caught in a forest fire in Wyoming, served in the U.S. Navy, and lived in Volkswagen van while following the Grateful Dead in the early 90s. Hopefully there's a lot more to come. I currently live with two dogs, Bailey and Stella, two cats, Peabody and Boo, and my amazing partner Nancy. She and I also play music around town at various bars and venues in an acoustic duo called Nobody Cares, because, well, nobody does. But we enjoy it. We also enjoy wine and vodka, especially pickle vodka. We plan to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro sometime in the near-ish future and spend more time living out of our camper van and exploring the states. What else? I make things all the time, drawings, sculptures, and such. Maybe it's art, maybe not. I host an Halloween art show every year in Des Moines where a bunch of real artists join me in showing and selling their creepy and off-the-wall creations. I'm writing way too much for this, but I'm pretty sure no one reads these anyway and I have a few minutes to kill while waiting for yet another interview to take place so you'll have to forgive my lack of brevity. Or not. Up to you.