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*******Last Updated Jan 2003*******
I was born and raised in a small town in Southwest Virginia called Galax (first settled as Cairo in 1903, then named Bonaparte, then renamed Galax in 1905). The name Galax comes from the Galax leaf, a popular plant used in floral arrangements and found in abundance in the area. (Silly name for a town, though, eh?)
I moved to nearby Fancy Gap in 1996. I lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This area is called the Rooftop of Virginia due to its elevation (over 3000 feet). The North Carolina border was about a mile south of me and the town of Mt. Airy, N.C. was about 15 miles below me. (This is the hometown of Andy Griffith and the basis of Mayberry. I have included a photo of my view of Pilot Mountain on my photos page. It was called Mt. Pilot on the show.) In 2001, I moved to Morganton, NC (northwest of Charlotte, NC)for a job promotion, then back to Virginia in 2002 for another promotion; you can read more about that below.
I am 33 years old, served in the Air Force, never finished college, and did run a logging operation for a living for years. It was family owned and I was partners with my dad and my brother. My brother left the business in 1996. I followed about a year later. I started a new job as reporter for The Alleghany News in Sparta, N.C. back in 1997, then returned to logging for a few months. In 1999 I left the business once more. Late in 1999, my brother re-joined the business as an employee; driving a log truck for my dad. On January 16, 2000, my dad was fatally injured at work when he was ran over by a fork lift and died January 30, 2000. Here is the full story. I not only lost my father, but also my best friend that day. I will always miss him.
I'm now employeed with Lowes Home Improvement. It was the wisest decision I ever made. Great benefits and stock and an excellent salary. I joined the company at the new, bigger Galax store in August 2000. I helped set it, all the steel shelves and merchandise, from the ground up. In December 2000, I volunteered to help set up the big new store and help close down the old store in Morganton, NC. I spent the following 3 months living in a hotel in Morganton during the weeks and going home to Galax on the weekends. I fell in love with the city and the people of Morganton. I returned to the Galax store in March, 2001, but I wasn't there long. In April, I volunteered to return to Morganton to help set up their garden center. (The new store was built right beside the old one, and the garden center couldn't be built until the old store was removed.)While there, a management opening came up that I took. So I found a very nice place to live down there and called Morganton home for a year! In 2003, I was promoted and moved back to Galax. If the right package and position catches my eye, I plan to move west to Arizona, Texas, or California.
I've never been married, but have been in two rather long relationships. It seems I run the other way when that evil word is spoken. heh heh heh!
I love playing golf (Skyland Lakes is 2 miles down the Parkway from my home in Fancy Gap),driving my Stealth, riding my motorcycle, reading and watching movies. I read everything: fiction, biographies, history, non-fiction; and I like any kind of movie as long as it has a little intelligent work put into it. My musical tastes range from classical to Metallica with everything in between thrown in! (Told you I have eclectic tastes.)
Last but not least I love hockey and football; ESPECIALLY the best team in NFL history, the Pittsburgh Steelers. They put me through 20 years of grief, but they finally turned it back around - thanks to our savior, Bill Cowher. (Cowher Power!!)
Please sign my guest book!! Be sure to view the guestbook as well and check out the links in it.