About

My name is Kevin. I am a 59 year old guy living in the Midwest of the USA. I am retired, married to a wonderfully lovely and understanding woman who works part-time (her blog is HERE ). I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 30, and control it with an insulin pump. Over the years I have been physically active in all manner of activities and sports. These days I walk with The Mrs, do some running, sail, kayak, garden, work in the yard, do some leatherworking…. and read.

I am an historian by education and interest. I have worked since I was 13 years old, starting out back then washing windows. I have pushed a broom & emptied trash for Spiegel and a Chevrolet dealership; I was a news reporter and later disk jockey for a couple different radio stations in Illinois; I worked for JCPenney for a few years as a stockboy, then in shoes/suits sales; I was a paid Youth Minister and Director of Religious Education for a church in the Catholic Diocese of Chicago for a couple years; I worked as a clerk at a university library for a couple years; then started a career as a state employee.

I am a certified Level 1 US Olympic Foil Fencing Coach. I am a Certified Physical Fitness Trainer. I was an EMT, EMT-Instructor, and EMT-Instructor Trainer. I was a volunteer firefighter. I was a Life Scout, member of the OA, an Explorer Scout, and an Assistant Scoutmaster. I have run half-marathons, biked centuries,  and participated in triathlons. I studied ballet and modern dance for a number of years. I have competed in shooting competitions using authentic Civil War rifles/carbines.

The Mrs and I have bicycled along the Danube from Passau, Germany to Vienna, Austria. We have bicycled around a number of lochs in Scotland. And in September 2015 we hiked part of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path in Wales and in the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland.