When it comes to computers and computer systems, I like to think of myself as a "Mr. Fixit." If it is not doing what you want it to do, I will fix it. If it is already working well for you, I will do what needs to be done to insure that it remains healthy (or maybe gets even better!).

My goal is to serve you and treat you the way I want to be treated. That means fairly and honestly. I do not claim to know everything nor do everything, but I strive to be the best at what I do.

In the mid 1980’s, I got my first computer (a Tandy TRS-80 for those who are interested). It was considered quite a speed demon at the time, but I yearned for the day when personal computers would be faster and capable of doing more.

A few short years later, that computer’s time had passed and I acquired a vastly superior one. At first this new toy was thrilling. Soon however, I found myself again wishing the thing could do more. This time, rather than waiting for technology to evolve, I opened the case, breaking the seal that said "Warranty Void If Seal Is Broken," and began playing around. Thus began my long, ongoing (and sometimes frustrating) journey down the path of troubleshooting personal computers.

Many upgrades later (with varying amounts of data loss), an acquaintance told me about a part-time position at the company where he worked. I called and set up an interview for the position of System Operator (in this case, a fancy name for someone who would load and unload magnetic reels of tape onto a backup unit). I got the job.

Soon I was working from 7PM to well past midnight on a mini computer (a Hewlett-Packard 3000, for those still interested). My enthusiasm for computers had grown from a hobby into a career.

As my skills became apparent to my employer, I was given more responsibilities, and eventually offered the position of Jr. System Administrator. Now I was setting up complete systems, and troubleshooting network workstations’ hardware and software. I also learned some programming (some COBOL, C, and a lot Dbase III), and translated an application from English to Spanish, while making logic changes to insure that the program would conform to the business laws of Mexico and Colombia.

Eventually, a lengthy commute motivated me to seek a job closer to home. I found one as a Jack-of-all-trades technician for a company with retail stores throughout Southern California. There I supported multiple users running a very outdated (this was the late 1990’s) but still serviceable program that only worked with MS-DOS (not Microsoft Windows).