Coming late to this discussion; for some reason I wasn't getting any e-mail notifications of the new posts I had been subscribed to on this site...
By trade I'm an aerospace engineer; I work in a niche of the field called flight testing. Basically, I'm one of the people that makes sure airplanes don't fall out of the sky; I do this while babysitting test pilots (and if you think that's an exaggeration, you don't know test pilots...!
) I have always had an interest in aviation and own my own airplane; I at one point or another I have flown myself all the way to both coasts and back again while visiting various places in between.
My first love in sports is baseball. Life-long Pittsburgh Pirates fan; I grew up in the city during the days of Clemente and Stargell -- back when the team was a yearly contender for the pennant. When I got laid off from my job in 2018 which resulted in a lengthy period of unemployment, and then the world came to a screeching halt with COVID, I managed to parlay some of that interest into a little side business of scouring the thrift stores for authentic baseball jerseys and caps and flipping them on a well-known auction site. Not even close to making a living at it -- but I'm successful enough that other people are paying for the jerseys and caps I keep for myself... Sports-wise, I also enjoy playing volleyball, snow skiing, and found that I had a talent for goal tending in soccer. I also enjoy target shooting.
Artistically, I have a couple of interests, some more developed than others. I like to think I'm better than a snapshot photographer -- but am a long way from an artist with the camera. I seem to have a talent for creative writing; I keep meaning to pursue it more closely, and develop some of the story ideas I have, but never seem to devote the time necessary to do so. I have written a couple of short stories and tried my hand at parody lyrics (a la "Weird Al" Yankovic). Got back into musical interests about 10 years ago with guitar and keyboard; basically self-taught at both, although I would be the first to admit that any skills I display are far more the result of repetition than innate talent... Whenever asked to self-rate my musical skills, I often respond, "Well, no one's offered to pay to hear me play -- but no one's offered to pay to make me stop either...!"
I have an interest in classic automobiles, mainly Corvettes (I own a 1998 coupe in a rare factory color called Aztec Gold Metallic -- one of only 15 built). I've also tinkered with older cars, mainly in keeping alive the 1989 Pontiac Firebird Formula that I have owned since new. It's not even close to the fastest car on the roads any more (many 4-door family sedans have more horsepower than it does); but it's probably one of the most original examples of an '89 Firebird Formula you'll ever find! But if the truth be told, I'd rather drive them than work on them...!
In addition to within the U.S., I've traveled to many places around the world: Canada, France, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Ireland. Some places I just did sightseeing; others I expressly visited to do some SCUBA diving (like Australia's Great Barrier Reef and Fiji). One of my goals in traveling has been to set foot on every continent. In retirement, one of my goals will be to catch the Pirates at every MLB ballpark.
