A Little About Me
I suppose the first thing people wonder when they see me online is why I call myself Squirrel Lord. I have a long history of online aliases that go all the way back to when I was just a little guy. I abandoned them for a more carefree alias that was inspired by an interesting story I read about squirrels having thumbtacks tied to their paws. I'll just leave it at that.
Another thing I imagine might raise the eyebrows of those who visit my website is its URL. What's with "sleepingbag?" Well, when I was not much older than a toddler, I would often give myself seemingly random nicknames. One of them was Sleeping Bag. Needless to say, it has kind of stuck with me.
I live in Utah and currently work for a company called Mortgage Computers located in Ogden. I'm working as a Programming Intern. Before working at MC, I worked as a Senior Technician at Drive Development. I actually made more money there but I chose to leave to work a job more conducive to preparing myself for the future. In the computer industry, experience means a lot and Drive simply wasn't giving it to me.
I attend Weber State University, majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Spanish. I have some experience with the programming languages Assembly, C++, C#, ColdFusion, HTML, Java, and Visual Basic. Of those mentioned, I'm best with Java, although I'm still far from being as experienced as I'd like to be. I've found C# to be very interesting and hope to master that language in the near future.
I learned the majority of my Spanish from living in southern Texas as an LDS Missionary. Knowing the language has been a great help in seeking and obtaining work. Shortly after returning home from my mission, I got my first job simply because I can speak the language fluently. I've found, however, that the less I use it, the less I remember. This is part of the reason for my minoring in Spanish. I love the language and the culture associated with it. I don't want to forget what I've learned.
My experience as an LDS missionary was amazing. For those unfamiliar with my faith, young men are encouraged to prepare to serve a religious service at age nineteen. This service, called a mission, typically lasts two years. I wasn't an ideal candidate for missionary service at age nineteen so I had to make some significant changes if I was to go. Originally, I had decided a mission wasn't for me but I'm happy to say I changed my mind, making the necessary preparations to serve. It was perhaps the best decision I made in my entire life. More information on my mission can be found on my page dedicated to my LDS Mission.
My primary interests consist of computers, Paintballing, racquetball, and role-playing. My older brothers are all nerds so I was doomed to follow in their footsteps. That's where my interest in computers and role-playing comes from. I realize I have the choice to not be a nerd but I don't see it as a problem, so long as I balance it with the the real world.
My less nerdy side of me, strangely also the result of the influence from my brothers, will often see me playing paintball and racquetball. I play on a relatively new paintball team known as the Stonewall Brigade, my primary position being that of a Medium Rifleman (a.k.a. Sabre). I own several paintball markers but my weapon of choice is the Tippmann A-5. With its cyclone feed, a St!ffi barrel, and compressed air, I find it to be a very ideal and reliable choice. As for racquetball, I usually play at least once a week with a few of my friends. Aside from it being fun, we like to use it to get the exercise we need, being that we all have desk jobs.
If it were easier to coordinate, I'd probably also find myself playing a lot of hockey and soccer. Both sports have always been favorites of mine, even if I'm not very good at them. I like a good game that gives me an excuse to exercise. In fact, I often judge the amount of fun I'm having by how badly I'm getting beat up. I love waking up the next morning and being so soar that I can barely get out of bed.
The last little bit about me that I'll mention is my interest in music. I've never formally taken the time to learn an instrument but I find that I can't stand not having it play while I'm engaged in most activities. I wasn't always this way. It took all the way until highschool before I really got into it. I had gotten my hands on a few cassettes and CDs before then but rarely took the time to listen to any of them.
The first CD album I owned was by Savage Garden. I was a big fan of their song "I Want You." I got that CD for my birthday when I was in seventh grade of junior high. Several years later, my tastes branched out to several different styles. I can tolerate just about any form of music, although I'd prefer not to listen to rap or country. My favorite types of music consist of classical and new age. My two favorite bands are Delerium and Evanescence. Being the nerd I am, I also tend to love music from soundtracks and video games.