Hi, I’m Jim. I am a lifelong learner, optimist and planner.
I prefer outdoors to crowds, quiet to noisy, savory to sweet, nuance to generalized. I savor meaningful connection, but am reserved until I get to know someone better. I’ve been blogging since 2003, but that dropped off with the ascension of social media. I no longer have accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit. (I am on Mastodon, however, which feels more like USENET of the late 80s, in a good way .) Apparently when relaxed, I have “resting bitch face,” where it looks like I am angry or menacing. I am not trying to be.
My fashion style would best be described as “nonexistent” in that I prefer practical comfort over flair. I’m often wearing casual layers apropos of the weather. I love having lots of pockets. While I’m not color-blind by any definition, I don’t perceive subtle differences in colors very well. All of the HOA-approved paint colors look beige to me.
As one who is endlessly curious, I tend to pick odd hobbies with a deep potential for learning and the opportunity to collect data and enjoy mapping places I’ve been. For example, I’ve earned my pilot’s license, added instrument and commercial ratings, then a float plane endorsement. For a while, I owned a share of an airplane and really learnt how they fly. I’ve made landings in 15 states, three countries and on two continents. It was very expensive to maintain currency so I …
Sold the plane and bought a bicycle. I’ve ridden across Washington state multiple times, around western Canada, Idaho, Oregon and Pennsylvania. In my peak year (2008), I logged just over 5,000 miles, most of it from commuting to work. Life interrupted that and I’ve mostly off the bike, except for occasional volunteering as a trail medic for Eastside Fire and Rescue during the many marathons that start in Hyak (near Snoqualmie Pass) down to North Bend.
I geocache a lot. Initially, I made a lot of side trips on the way to work, eventually clearing out the City of Bellevue (some 200+ geocaches). It was a great way to spend time when we were touring colleges or I was visiting my kids at college. I’ve also taken some vacations, using high-favorite geocaches as a guideline for stops. This lead me to the highest point in Kansas, national parks in Utah, the shores of Michigan, and random counties on the drive back from college. The large, western counties make it look like a lot more than it really is.
My interest in amateur radio started in 4th grade but, again, life happened and it wasn’t until 2015 that I finally earned my license. Shortly thereafter, I switched call signs to WT8P. I dabbled until 2017, when FT8 made it possible for me to make contacts on a modest radio in a small yard. I learned CW in 2019 and later enjoyed advising a few classes for CW Academy. As of July 2023, I’ve logged over 22,000 contacts, including over 8,000 CW. I’ve earned the ARRL Triple Play and am now working on my CW DX (15 more to go). SSB is… a lot of effort for me because I am reserved with strangers. I find the nonstandard phonetics operators use painful. I dabble in Parks on the Air and am hoping to bring my radio to Iceland. Amateur radio needs more diversity.
Although I am omnivorous, most of what I eat (and cook) is vegetarian. I have recently been making more effort to incorporate legumes and mushrooms into my repertoire. I am, at best, a very mediocre baker; thus, I am in awe of the successful candidates of The Great British Bake-off.
All of my heroes are women. Not all of them have internet presences.
