Please allow me to introduce myself...

Thursday, May 25, 2006 | 24 comment(s)

Hi, I’m Kevin.

I used to be a lurker in the Diabetes OC, but now I’m a blogger -- just like you! (unless you’re a lurker in the Diabetes OC (like I used to be), or a random friend or family member I've gotten up the nerve to share this little web page of mine with).

I’ve been reading many of the blogs in the Diabetes OC for many months now and have seen a lot of these Memes, Interviews, and Top 5 Lists out there and I feel like I’ve had a chance to get to know you a lot better than you’ve gotten to know me through my occasional comments. So, I’ll just try to give a brief overview of who I am to kick things off:

I’m a type 1 diabetic. I was diagnosed when I was 5-years old (I think it was in May of 1979 (I was too young to remember such details, and my parents didn’t keep the best records)) and so that makes it 27 years now and therefore makes me just shy of 33 years old. Q.E.D. (I’m a geek).

I’m a programmer/analyst for a government agency (I can’t tell you which, or I’d have to
Not Really
But our media relations folks are pretty strict about us remaining anonymous government employees.
close
kill you). I work on building public policy simulation models and have degrees in demography and economics. So I spend my days writing Fortran and SAS programs (and I must reassert: I’m a dork).

I don’t follow sports in any way, shape, or form really, and I find that this causes conversational difficulties for me at times – particularly when I’m meeting a new group of men at a party, for instance.

I play guitar, though not very well, but it’s certainly something that I can (and do) spend hours on end doing. And if you couldn’t tell from the subject line, music really floats my boat / blows my hair back / rocks my socks / etc. / etc. / etc.

While I’m not a huge Rolling Stones fan per se, I do think "Exile on Main Street" is a truly exceptional album and have been told repeatedly by some friends that I would really love "Beggars Banquet" and "Let it Bleed." I would say my top three bands are the Beatles, Phish, and Wilco. I have been to about 30 Phish shows from say 1992 through 2002, and while I’m kinda sad that they’re no longer together, I have to admit that they were declining.

But I’ve recently become totally hooked on quite a few indie pop bands – There's so much great music out there these days (and surprisingly a lot of it comes from Canada), that it's a little overwhelming.

I wish to learn Spanish.

I've traveled to England, Japan, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, but haven's seen a whole helluva lot of the US.

I have a lovely wife named Megan who is extremely generous and thoughtful and I am not sure what or where I’d be without her (think Beach Boys – at least, that’s what pops into my head). And on the animal front, we have a little Beagle/Basset hound named Jorge that we adore.

We live in a little hippy suburb outside of Washington DC, though we used to live in the greatest neighborhood on the planet: Dupont Circle (don’t you just love biased hyperbole?). The transition to a suburban lifestyle where you have to drive to everything was (and still is) a bit difficult for us to get used to. We didn’t have a car for the past ten years and now we have two(!). Life is truely nicer when you can walk to work, the grocery store, or restaurants with relative ease.

(In case you haven't been able to tell from the blog title and my writing so far, I like parentheses and tangents and
If you like footnotes, too
You should definately check out two of my favorite authors/books:
David Foster Wallace - "Infinite Jest" and
Nicholson Baker - "The Mezzanine"
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footnotes and sidebars (I sometimes like to nest them, too (and although these diversions might be difficult to read or follow at times, I find it’s the best way to express my thoughts (sometimes)))).

I’m kinda out-doorsy. My dad taught me to fly-fish well before "A River Runs Through It" and Brad Pitt made it popular, though I'm lucky if I actually get myself out on a stream more then a handful of times per year. I used to rock climb and mountain bike in high school and college, but now I’ve got a desk job and only get out
aka: Car camping
Tents are literally feet from our cars, meals usually include a large salmon, and there's french press coffee for breakfast (though I'm not a coffee drinker myself).
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Gucci camping with friends a couple times a year as well.

That’s a lot to read, but it paints me fairly accurately in broad strokes: (diabetic; likes music; plays guitar; likes tangential, stream of conscious writing, married and has a dog; tries to learn Spanish; and was totally excited when he stumbled upon the Diabetes OC (and sometimes randomly writes in the third person)).

So… I look forward to continuing to read your blogs and also to sharing my thoughts on life in general and life with diabetes specifically, getting your feedback, writing back to your feedback, and having… like, you know… a conversation…yeah, yeah… and getting to know you better… and you getting to know me better… and, yeah, yeah… that’s the ticket!

24 Comment(s):

Blogger Kerri. said...

Kevin,

I love your blog. Love it. In addition to the professional, unique look (way to mangle the hell out of Blogger!), your writing is so smart and I am so happy you have your own outlet now.

Welcome to the Blogosphere, sir. Finally!

-- Kerri.

Blogger Shannon said...

Kevin,

I caught wind of your blog from Kerri. I'm glad you've become a reformed lurker.

I like parenthesis too and these: ....

I don't know if you've visited my blog, but my son has diabetes....

Blogger Kassie said...

Excellent! So glad to see you blogging. Like Kerri said, very nice template you have there fella.

Sooner or later you're going to have to 'fess up and tell me if you are in a VA suburb or MD. I hear, in DC terms, there's a world of difference.

Blogger LaLa said...

Kevin,

Welcome!!! I really enjoyed your first entry. I, too, was a lurker for a while before I started my own blog (albeit, I don't maintain it like I should, but I have one, nonetheless).

Based on whatyou've written so far, your humor mirrors my own :) I look forward to reading more of your entries!

Take care!
Laura

Blogger Nicole P said...

I'm so glad you started blogging. I look forward to reading more.

Blogger Melissa said...

Welcome Kevin!

Love your blog, the layout rocks, love the sidebars, tangents, parenthesis & your writing.

Can't wait for more!
Melissa

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Greetings Kevin, from a fellow type 1. Kerri sent me over, I will look forward to reading your blog regularly! Hey since you're into music, check out my favorite, Ron LaSalle at ronlasalle.com. He's a brilliant songwriter/singer/musician. Has one amazing cd out called 'Too Angry to Pray' and his new cd will hopefully be out in September. Like one reviewer said, he has the soul of Sunday morning, and the sound of Saturday night. And he supports us too ... check out his links section ... you'll see JDRF there. Be well Kevin, and I look forward to your posts.

take care
Allison

Blogger Scott K. Johnson said...

Hoorah!

Kevin's here!! Kevin's here!!!

Hoorah!

:-)

Blogger Not Your Type 1 said...

Welcome! I look forward to reading your blog. I like your writing style and can't wait to see more. Take care!

Blogger Lyrehca said...

Welcome! I'll be linking to you immediately (just mentioned you in my blog today).

Blogger Michko said...

Welcome Kevin. Thanks for delurking!

Blogger Major Bedhead said...

Welcome to the OC. I like tangential. I'm rather elliptical and hyphenated, so I can relate - to a degree.


(Elipses, Shannon, they're ellipses. Kevin should be elliptical, since he lives in DC, but hey, tengential is ok, too.)

Blogger Kevin said...

Awww, shucks.

Thanks so much for the warm welcome.

This will be fun.

Blogger art-sweet said...

I'm late jumping on the welcome wagon but

(welcome Kevin)

from Art-sweet, another parenthetical diabetical, wanna-be outdoorsy type.

Blogger J said...

WELCLOME to the world or non lurkeing looking forward to reading more :-)

Blogger George said...

Good to see you blogging with us all Kevin. I will be sure and add a link to my blog tonight!

- George

Blogger Allison said...

Sheesh. So much for being head of the curve and leader of the welcoming committee.

Anyway, welcome (officially) the Club, although you have been an Honorary Member for pretty much ever.

Don't forget to send in your bio so we can get you hooked up on the Official site! Take care, see ya 'round...

Blogger Johnboy said...

Kevin, welcome! I see the programming humor in your paranthetical expressions. It must be challenging to count the left and right ones to make sure all the loops are closed.

Anyway, I look forward to reading your posts!

Blogger floreksa said...

Welcome Kevin!

Love your 1st post and so happy to find another paratheses lover!

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Welcome, Kevin! I'm a geek, too. And I love that you don't love sports either.

I'll be adding you to my links, and look forward to mutual visits :)

Cheers,
Amy T

Blogger art-sweet said...

This is clearly a man who could use a good ass-enhancing pair of jeans! And what kind of freak DOESN'T drink coffee?

XO

The Unspeakably Uptight Short Tubed One

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kevin,

Just found your blog! Amazing how you can find people you used to live right down the street from on the Web doing great things. Small world, eh? Hope to hear from you soon to catch up. Congrats on your "Best Male Blogger" nod. Hope you win.

Tracy A. (formerly V.)

Blogger Amy Madsen said...

Kevin,

Read about your spreadsheet on six until me. Just spent an hour reading your blog. :) Would love a copy of the spreadsheet.

Amy
(mom of a type 1)

Blogger Unknown said...

Suffering from a long term disease and can't find a real solution for the disease by using pills or medicines just try some Home Remedies for that disease. Home remedies are the best way to get rid of any disease. Because home remedies have no side effects and you can take them regularly and treat the disease permanently.

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