Interviewing Me

A while back, I gave readers a chance to interview me by sending in questions. The questions are in, and here's the moment you've been waiting for. Thanks for the thought-provoking queries.

*What have you done with yourself since high school?
Joined the Marine Corps, traveled the world. Got married. Had a kid. (She was born on the day I got out of the Marine Corps.) Spent some time as a stay-at-home dad. Moved back home to Iowa. Went to school for a while. Moved from my hometown to another city in Iowa. Had another kid. Became a computer geek. Went back to school for a while. Bought a house. Got divorced. Dated. Got married again.

*Tell me about your job history. What were some of your favorite jobs and why? Least favorite?
I've had several jobs in my day, but fewer than most people I know. I tend to find jobs I like and stick with them for a while... sometimes longer than is really good for my career growth. I started with a paper route when I was in seventh grade, and I delivered newspapers until after I graduated high school. Other high school jobs were detassling and building a nature trail in my home town. After high school, I spent six years in the Marine Corps. I've also managed managed a pizza joint, done telemarketing, worked as a debt collector, and my current job -- System and Network administration/engineering. I enjoyed my time as a Marine. The Corps gave me the opportunity to see the world -- an opportunity that I wouldn't trade for anything, and I got some valuable training. If I hadn't gone into Avionics, I wouldn't have learned the troubleshooting and design skills that led to my IT job. I also enjoyed building the nature trail, and believe it or not, I kind of liked being a debt collector. One aspect about the Corps that bugged me was the promotion system. As for jobs that I disliked overall, I wasn't wild about detassling, and I hated the telemarketing job.

*Tell us about your time in the Marine Corps
I worked as an Aviation Electronics Technician. I fixed the navigational systems on helicopters. The Marine Corps also gave me a love for traveling and experiencing foreign cultures, and an associated appreciation for how easy we've got it in America. And I met the mother of my children. If I hadn't joined the Corps, I wouldn't have my awesome kids. During my hitch, I was deployed to the Persian Gulf twice... once in 1988 during the Iran/Iraq war, where the mission was to escort civilian ships through mine-infested waters, and again for Desert Shield/Storm. In fact, I've got more sea time than many sailors.


*What's your view on education? Does everyone need a college degree in order to succeed?
I think that we have a lot of room for improvement in our school system. I think that our high schools spend too much time "teaching to the test," as opposed to helping young people learn how to learn, and teaching kids how to think for themselves. I believe that college is certainly helpful for a lot of people, but the cost-benefit ratio is nowhere near what it used to be. If you don't have a love of learning for its own sake, then I believe that learning a trade... one that can't be shipped overseas, like plumbing, automotive repair and IT, is a completely viable alternative to college.

*What would you like to do in life that you haven't done yet?
I've kind of alluded to it before... I'd love to travel. And despite the answer to my last question, I'd like to go back to school someday. (Yeah, I know that I've already done that.) But my goal would not necessarily be a degree... it would be broadening my horizons.

*What are your professional long-term aspirations? Personal?
Professional aspirations are tough for me to quantify and qualify. I'm happy with my current career. I wouldn't mind writing a book someday, but that's more personal. I'd like to build something... maybe a car or a house... completely by myself, from the ground up... something that I could pass to my descendants. The thing is, all of these goals require a greater commitment of time and money than I'm currently willing to give.

*What have you done in your life that you're really proud of?
I'm very proud of my parenting. Don't get me wrong, I've certainly made mistakes, and I know I'll make more, but overall I'm satisfied with that. This also applies to my marriage. As for personal achievements, I'm kind of proud that I wrote, composed and recorded a song. I did everything except for the drums.


*What's your basic philosophy in life?
Everything's great... in moderation. In life, you have to suffer a bit in order to appreciate the good times.

*How do you feel about your ex wife?
I wasted a lot of time feeling angry, bitter and betrayed. That's all passed, and I harbor no ill will toward her. I feel like I'm providing for the kids to a greater extent than she is, but I also tend to think that she's giving them all that she's capable of giving. (I wouldn't be surprised if she thinks that she's providing to a greater extent than I am, but that's a different story.) I want to clarify though, I cannot and will not have a friendly relationship with her. I can be cordial, and again, there are no more hard feelings, but I will never allow myself to trust her again. That lack of trust precludes any possibility of friendship in the future.


*You seem to enjoy playing the guitar, but I never hear much about that. What gives?
There's not really much to hear. I enjoy playing the guitar, but I'm not that skilled. There are probably a dozen people that have heard me play live, and maybe another dozen who have heard the song I wrote and recorded. I've only played with other people once or twice. The reason that people don't hear more about it is because I'm realistic in my self-assessment of my guitar playing skills. I may start playing soon in my church band though.

*If you could have anything that you don't currently possess, what would it be?
I'm not a huge fan of owning things just for the sake of owning something. An overabundance of material possessions usually goes hand-in-hand with a lot of debt, and what you own eventually ends up owning you. Furthermore, it's a little tough for me to continually want more when I already realize I'm incredibly fortunate to have what I've already got. Life is about experiences, not about possessions. So the short answer is that I've already got enough.

*What's with the hair and beard? It's always changing!
Yeah, I'm not really sure what's up with that. I guess it boils down to laziness. Too lazy to get a haircut, so I let it grow out. Eventually, the long hair becomes too much of a hassle to maintain, or I get tired of it constantly flying into my face, so I cut it all off. Too lazy to shave, so I let it grow. When it's a full beard, I get tired of maintaining it, so I shave it all off again. Repeat ad nauseum, and in overlapping cycles.


*What's your favorite sport? What's your favorite baseball/football/basketball team?
I'm not much of a sports fan. I have a difficult time sitting still long enough to watch a full game, much less for long enough to really follow a specific team. That said though, I kind of like the Royals and Dodgers for baseball, the Steelers for football, and the Celtics and Lakers for basketball. Take that with a grain of salt though, because I really don't watch sports.


*Where did you come up with the questions you asked YOUR interview subjects?
I came up with the questions for each person based on things I wanted to know about that individual. There wasn't much of a rhyme or reason to it. I had a few initial questions, and their answers let to a few more questions. That resulted in each person's interview.


*We know from reading your blog that you are very happily married to a wonderful woman. What's the biggest challenge, so far, when it comes to having a "Blended" family?
I think it's always a little awkward when we are all together at the same time, such as birthdays and school functions.


*Have you always lived in the state you live in now? Have you ever had a hankering to try someplace else? If so- where? And if not- what makes your town so special to you?
I haven't always lived here. I was born in Kansas and moved to Iowa when I was 12. When I was in the Marine Corps, I was stationed in Tennessee and in Orange County, California. And, as I mentioned, I saw a LOT of the world during my enlistment. I've seen enough of the world to appreciate where I grew up. The things I like about where I live now... it's a large enough city to provide a variety of activities; it's just a few hours from Chicago, St. Louis and Minneapolis; it's a small enough community that I don't feel the need to arm myself just to go to the grocery store... in fact, people frequently leave their car engines running during the winter while they run into the corner store. We're in the city, but less than 15 minutes from the country. People are friendly and genuine. And it's a great place to raise a family. In fact, Cedar Rapids was recently recognized as one of the top ten places in the nation to raise children.

* You go on an awesome Boy's Trip every year. How does the little Missus feel about your yearly hiatus and does she have something along those lines that she does too?
She's a little envious, but understanding. She understands the importance of my male bonding time. I suspect that she'd be a lot less understanding if I was a sports nut on top of it. She doesn't have anything like my trip. In fact, I know very few people -- male or female who do.

*We know you have a motorcycle. Do you get to ride as much as you would like? Is it your main transportation when you go places alone- or do you still tend to take the auto? Do you ever see yourself giving up your bike permanently? What kind of bike is it? What's your Dream Ride and why?
My motorcycle habits depend a lot on circumstances. The seat isn't very comfortable for long-distance riding, so I don't do that a lot. The winters are cold here, so I go three to five months without any time in the saddle. During the spring, summer and fall, I ride as much as I can... it's usually about 3000 miles per year, which is about equally balanced between commuting to and from work, and short pleasure cruises with the kids. Mrs. Evan won't ride. I wouldn't mind getting a bike that's better suited for cruising, but since the wife isn't into riding, that's not a high priority.

*Are you happy being a part-time/work at home Dad?
I usually refer to myself as semi-retired. Seriously though, I'm happy that I've got ANY job in our current economy. That aside though, there are benefits and drawbacks to my current employment, as there are with any other job. You may recall from an earlier question that I've spent time as a stay-at-home dad. I loved it, and have repeatedly said throughout the years that I'd do that if the opportunity allowed. Working part-time is the next best thing. I kind of like seeing the kids off to school and finding out about their day as soon as they get back. I like the flexibility allowed by working part time. My boss treats me very well. I kind of enjoy the opportunity to pursue my own hobbies when everyone's gone. I don't like the fact that the job's not really steady. I make good money on a per-hour basis, but I've got no retirement plan and have to rely on the wife for all of my benefits. I don't always like that I can get called in at the drop of a hat. I don't like the pay fluctuations. I don't like that being a house husband is a thankless job that's never quite done. If you're asking a yes or no question though, I'd say yes.


*Do you game as much as you want, or like the rest of us,are there just not enough hours in the day? Does your family participate in Rock band with you? If so, did you have to "persuade" them to play or were they enthusiastic without that?
Gaming is one of many hobbies, and I tend to play in bursts. On the rare occasion that I find a game that REALLY catches my interest, I play it obsessively for a month or so, then I burn out and move to something else. Rock Band is a game that we bought as a family game or group activity when the kids have friends over, and it's worked well. Believe it or not, it's usually the kids that suggest a session of Rock Band. They like Halo 3 too. I hope that sufficiently answers this question.


* We know you have/had a project building a boat. Is that project finished yet or is it still a work in progress? We also know you have done some major remodeling jobs on your home. Do you have any more "projects" you would like to undergo in the near(or far) future?
The boat project has been shelved for a while. Greg moved a couple of months ago, and has been busy turning his new house into his new home. He's been hinting that he's about ready to start back up, and I've nagged him a bit, but nothing's happened on it for around a year. As for other projects, I'm going to build a bookshelf in the near future.

*What are some of your hobbies we haven't previously heard about? Anything you would LIKE to take up that you haven't?
I think you've heard about most of my hobbies. I like puttering around my house, playing my guitar, playing with my dogs and my family, kayaking and canoeing, camping, riding my motorcycle and occasionally tinkering with cars. Basically I like to build, maintain and improve things. I like working with my hands. I've dabbled in painting, and I like blogging. About the only hobby I haven't taken up that interests me is woodworking. I haven't taken that up primarily because of space and money concerns.



*What's the craziest thing you have ever done? (I realize this may be one you might not answer because then the Young Evans might have ammo to use against you when they do something wild and crazy and it backfires on them. I totally understand.) I've done a lot of crazy stupid things in my younger days. I consumed a lot of recreational pharmaceuticals in my youth, surfed on top of cars while going down the highway, Chinese fire drills in a moving van. Stupid kid stuff. I've given my guardian angels a lot of gray hairs, and sometimes I'm surprised that I'm still alive.

* We know you like to cook and do it often. Do you prefer stove cooking or outside grilling? Do you have a "signature dish" of your own? What's your very favorite dessert? I like both types of cooking equally, though I generally prefer the taste of grilled meat. I don't cook by recipe, so each meal I prepare is unique. I think of cooking as an art, not a science. This should lead you to the conclusion that I don't really have a signature dish. But when my non-cooking friends ask me for easy ideas, I tell them to cook a pork roast in a crock pot, and throw in a couple of cans of chicken noodle soup for additional flavoring. My cooking style is moderately healthy, country-style cooking. Think Spaghetti, fajitas, stir-fry. Lots of meat and lots of fresh veggies. I've never been a big dessert person, but I love flan and creme bruille. And white chocolate.

*We know you and RayRay have been friends since "forever". Is there any other friends you have kept up a long-time friendship with?
Yeah. I've been friends with my canoe trip buddies for ages. I've known two of them (Greg and Darin) for almost thirty years, and the other (Sonny) for about twenty-five. Greg and Darin have known each other since they were five or so.

If there are any other questions, please feel free to post them in the comments section.