CURRENT MISSION

looking to flickering optimism in spite of it all

ABOUT ME

All about me? Pshyah, like anyone would read that, even in paperback.

I am the product of a dysfunctional English family with parents who, even after nearly four decades in the US, cling to the perception of a public safety net which just does not exist here.

I'm good with circuitry and handy enough with mechanical things. Unfortunately the only aspect of our current society where that's a pliable trade is car maintenance and car guts just don't do it for me as much as working out how to make some board work again or how to make thing A talk with thing B.

I've had good jobs and bad. Haven't we all? Yeah, yeah, even those ones you delete from a resume.

When I signed on with Couchsurfing in 2011 I was pretty much taking whatever came up in the way of odd-jobs requests online. I'd hang people's pictures, do laundry, bring groceries, load their furniture into a moving truck, wear the theatre tech hat, connect ceiling lights, whatever.

Staying active in the odd jobs market was supposed to fund my job search but every time it started to look promising Something Came Up. Usually something expensive, often recurring. Sometimes just crushing, like death, invalidation or betrayal. Sometimes just annoying like a surprise banking fee or a 25 percent rent increase or a parking ticket during a job.

Most of those odd jobs came through TaskRabbit, which was fun until its pivot.

Now [Feb 2017] I'm mostly helping people move and cleaning houses while looking for something else.

[May 2017] March 2017 brought another expensive betrayal complete with new recurring monthly costs. I am so done with the Bay Area. Still helping people move and most of them are moving away.

PHILOSOPHY

Life is a puzzle, a giant game of Memory.

Those who see novel ways to put the pieces together can improve the lives of those they contact.

Pieces, in context, can be physical things, people, abilities, protocols, systems, services, sounds, ideas.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm new here. I don't yet participate, though I'd like to.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

No experience yet through this site, of course, but I've been a houseguest several times these past few years.

I spent several weekends in Santa Maria with a friend from a theatrical group we shared, several nights in San Luis Obispo with a college friend, more than a week in Seattle with a high school friend and a few lovely days in Eugene with a new friend. I've also done pet-sitting stints in Berkeley and Concord.

My host in Eugene was the one who mentioned this site.

Interests

computer networking, especially mesh routing and wireless compatibility.
singing, from karaoke to chamber.
capturing amusing details with a still camera. evaluating durability and protecting equipment and goods from their environment.

• books
• singing
• environment
• running
• working out
• flying
• remote control
• technology
• karaoke

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I think the most amazing experience has to be flying a small plane over parts of New Mexico with my employers at the time. Three dimensional driving is fun. Performing east of the iron curtain with the San Francisco Boys Chorus was pretty amazing too.

Teach, Learn, Share

Most of my skills don't transfer well. I could show you how to use an oscilloscope, for instance, but if you wanted one enough to have it you already know how to use it. I could explain why, with a modern video recorder, the audio input is the best suited for capturing a remote control's signal pattern or why something from the 80s could do it even better but in practice you'd just find an app for that.

Countries I’ve Visited

Hungary, Poland, Russian Federation, Singapore

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, United States