The CaNerdIan

About The Nerd

Disclaimers:

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Where possible, electrons, bits, brain cells, and pixels are cruelty-free, free-range and 100% recycled, and delivered using locally derived energy sources from within our solar system.

Contact Information:

Social:

Who I Am:

By day, I work from my home office on the eastern side of the Flint Hills of Kansas, in the heart of Jayhawk country. I am a wireless network engineer for a San Diego-based consulting firm and spend about half of my work time on the road at client sites.

I previously worked as technologist for the inflight Wi-Fi and satellite connectivity at a large US airline. Before that I was in the professional services division of a large Silicon Valley networking vendor where I focused on wireless networks for enterprise, maritime/cruise, large public venue, as well as wireless location technologies and services. I have also specialized at one point or another in the areas of cloud services, streaming media, and technology strategy for houses of worship, education, business, and agriculture.

In the past, I’ve been a professional geek for industry titans such as IBM, Sun, GE, MCI, and industry nobodies whose names have been long forgotten (and some who are long gone, but their technology legacy pervades our daily digital lives). I’ve also been a satellite and FM broadcast techie, done a stint in the US Air Force, as well as spending a summer in college being an infantryman disguised as a tourist attraction in Ottawa with the Canadian Grenadier Guards.

Alphabet Soup:

I am certifiable! From Aruba, I am a Certified Edge Associate (Mobility, Switching, ClearPass), Edge Professional (Design, Mobility, ClearPass), Product Specialist (Central, Location Services), and have passed the written portions of the soon-to-be-retired Aruba Certified Mobility Expert and Design Expert. From CWNP, I am a Certified Wireless Network Expert (#273), certified Wireless IOT Professional (Design, Integration). I am also a CBRS Certified Professional Installer. Previous certifications that have lapsed include AirMagnet design and troubleshooting, IBWave Wi-Fi design, Cisco CCNA (2004) and Ekahau ECSE-D (2017, 2019) certifications.

I maintain a pretty sweet home lab, (which deserves its own page).

What I Do For Fun

By night, I am Husband and Dad to two adult children, with an unhealthy appreciation for board and card games and tinkering with electronics. I spend a ridiculous amount of volunteer time with my family doing technical theatre things for both Theatre Lawrence, our local community theatre and the local high school where I train up young skulls full of mush in the ways of theatrical magic and wizardry. I also like food.. Growing it, making it, looking at it, eating it…

As you may have guessed by now, I was born and raised in Canada (it’s like a whole different country up there!), but have dual citizenship, and I came to the US in 1993 to join the Air Force and serve my other country.

For fun, I was a practitioner (with a major emphasis on practice) of WT-style (Olympic) Taekwondo, and earned my 1st Dan black belt. Much like my CWNE (which I was awarded on the same day as my 1 Dan) it was a big hairy ambitious multi-year goal that culminated in only the beginning of the journey. Unfortunately, a lingering shoulder injury from the military and moving away from any readily available dojangs meant that my martial arts journey ended shortly thereafter.

I am also an unrepentant aviation geek (and was once paid to be one!) and have a fascination with aircraft rivaled only by Sheldon Cooper’s fascination for trains (I think trains and cruise ships and rockets other large things that move are pretty neat too!)

Aircraft bingo card

(as passenger unless otherwise noted):

Airliners:

Military:

General Aviation:

Rotorcraft:

LTA:

Ship Bingo Card:

Spacecraft Bingo Card:

I’m Going Places!

I also volunteer with Team Rubicon (where I was once part of the technology leadership team), IT Disaster Resource Center, and the United Methodist Church, where I chase disasters and punch them in the face.

I volunteered with my airline to provide air logistics to the Cat Distribution System

I also like to take the occasional picture and post to Instagram.

One of the fun things about my work and volunteer activities is getting to go to neat places.

Travel Bingo Card: