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NEW!! August 02, 2008 I went to see Air Supply! I got my albums, from when I was 14, autographed!
See pix here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulastout/sets/72157606522109393/

Who knows why people like me choose to spill their guts on the Internet?

I guess I both feel the need to be open and honest with everyone in the world as well as the need to write down things about myself so I can get to know myself better.

My computer obsession began in January 1995 with my first BBS (Bulletin Board System) experience on a borrowed computer. Within a month I had purchased that computer and found 3 more BBSes to join. I would post discussions in the newsgroups and I had set up a character in each game available on each board. I would check my newsgroups every few minutes. I quit watching TV. I would stay up past midnight so I could dial in and do the next day's battle with my characters (characters rejuvenated after midnight if they had expended all their energy).

Eventually, I got into chatting with the SYSOPS (owners) of the BBSes. At that time, this was the only live chat available online. After a few weeks of chatting, I met one of the SYSOPS, TransDerm Nitro. He was a pilot and we were bored on a Friday night. He came to my house and picked me up and we went flying. Yes, I am a trusting soul but we are still friends today.

"My great fear is that there is no PMS and this is my personality." -unknown

Later, that summer, I got my first taste of the Internet. A friend gave me some computer major's username and password (computer majors were the only ones allowed to have Internet access through our university) and I dialed in and discovered IRC. I would chat through a DOS prompt like window, but soon found it to be incredibly addictive. I was chatting with people all over the world! One day while chatting with these people all over the world, the actual owner of the account I was using came online and started telling me to get off of his account etc... I lost my access that day. I guess he shut the account down or changed his password.

I went back to BBSing for a while. Besides the university, we had no local Internet access. I did find a free BBS that allowed real e-mail. I set up an account. My address was about 734 characters long but I had e-mail. :)

College - My sister and I went to college at the same time. Here is a photo of us together. (I am the one on the right) :)

I graduated in May 1996 from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Since then I have moved to Kansas and have gotten a few incredible jobs.

My first job out of college was as a photographer for KU Medical School. After a year at this job I was still blissfully happy with my work, but really wanted to get into web development and get away from the photography. I have always wanted to keep photography as a hobby.   The day before my birthday in 1997, I was offered a promotion at work. I accepted and moved up from Photographer I to Information Specialist I. I specialized in web development and more specifically, finding solutions for putting medical instruction online.

In April of 2000 I started working for an advertising agency. I learned a lot in the 7 months I was there but my former boss from KU asked me to apply for a position working with her at her new job. I was flattered that she would want to work with me again after having worked with me for four years... I applied for the position and began working for LSI Logic Storage Systems in December 2000.

LSI builds storage systems for mass computer storage. Some of their customers include Disney, Lucas Arts and Cisco. "Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones" used no film and was completely done on the computer.. they need someplace to store all of that data and our storage systems will provide that place. A few years back our storage systems were used by Disney to produce "A Bug's Life". Through our OEM model of selling (our name doesn't go on our products, other companies put their names on them) our products are installed at Walmart, eBay, Hotmail, XM Radio and many other great companies.

LSI changed its name to Engenio Information Technologies in the Spring of 2004. In 2006 our parent company, LSI, decided to roll us back under their company so our name changed back to LSI (without Storage Systems on it). My role at LSI is to design and build online classes (both Web based and CD based) for our sales force. I have a lot to learn but am having a lot of fun. In January 2003 we had our sales kickoff on the island of Coronado, California. We stayed at the historic Hotel Del Coronado. I only got about 2 hours of sleep per night, but did manage to take a few photos. We have a kickoff every year, but 2003 was the best for taking photos so far.

Photography has been a hobby/interest of mine for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up our family would take trips or go camping. I was always given the camera to shoot our memories. The photography section of my site includes a variety of photos I have taken. Most are from the local area Kansas and Oklahoma; but I also include photos of some places I have traveled and some famous people I have seen.

Genealogy is another hobby of mine, though it has been on the back burner for a while. When I had time I enjoyed spending every spare moment working and re working those wonderful puzzle pieces we call our ancestors and trying to find answers to the riddles they called life. Tracing back the names I am researching are:

STOUT	BATEMAN	EATON	JOHNSON	JACKSON
BISHOP	JUDKINS	REYNOLDS	BLAZE	HANAWAY
ROBBINS	MOUNT	CHAMBERLAIN	DEY

I collect Peanuts toys, books and memorabilia. I used to enjoy drawing Snoopy when I was a lot younger. Now, I especially enjoy finding the old comic books and looking at the way he was drawn back then. All of the characters really do look younger. It seems that they were drawn a little smaller and more pudgy.
Snoopy is my favorite character, but I have formed a love/hate relationship with Lucy. I have often been (affectionately, I hope) compared to her character. :)

 

SchoolHouse Rock
Thanks to the Schoolhouse Rock cartoons and to my little sister who insisted on blaring the Saturday morning cartoons, I was able to recite the Preamble on demand in history class. You can down load a .wav of your favorite SchoolHouse Rock song from this site.

 

Virgo Characteristics
Virgo likes to attack back when confronted. Virgos need to receive a lot attention, adoration and gratitude. Virgos are accurate, competent and effective. They like rationality. Virgos like to help and solve problems quickly. They do not do it for compliments. Virgos are not wasteful. Being perfectionists, they like order and cleanness in their home. Virgos change friends often. They have only a few real friends because they give very special values to friendship to which other people cannot commit. Virgo is ruled by Mercury. Virgos are very bright and educated. They are good scientists, teachers, analysts and planners.