I got into rowing in 1989 and I am still stoked about the sport. I started at Mendota  Rowing Club replete with experience in racing inland scows, whitewater boating, canoe  tripping and living aboard my own 34 foot sailboat. I loved the skinny boats, the pulsing  catch and flowing run, the swimming-like feeling of connection to the water, and how it  made me physically and mentally stronger. Whether in my single or in the eight, I liken my rowing practice to playing Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier: I strive to play perfectly --  but whether or not I nail it each and every stroke, I enjoy the heck out rehearsing. I’ve  trained and competed nationally and in Canada, with Mendota Rowing Club and  Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Rowing Association, and much as I enjoy working as part of a  team, and pushing my limits, I also delight in just buzzing around in that place between  the water and the sky.  

Since 2002, I've stayed home with and homeschooled my son, Aubrey. He took LTR with me in 2017, but I kept rowing and he went back to soccer. Aside from parenting Aubrey, my mission in life seems to be reading. I go through several novels a week, as well as a decent amount of nonfiction. I also spend a lot of time cooking vegan food. We've been CSA members since 2004, so I have a lot of experience dealing with the weirder vegetables.

Before 2002, I lived in Illinois, California, New Mexico, Florida, and Japan, but mostly Illinois. A lot of my family still lives out west. I studied computer science at the University of Illinois, then came to Madison for graduate school. I'm still interested in online privacy and security issues.