Hobbies

Kayaking on the Grand River after a major flood.

I work a lot. I spend time with my beloved. I take care of animals, and I read and write. But those aren't the only things that keep me busy.

Backcountry Hiking and Adventure Travel

My brother and I love backcountry hiking and camping. We've gone on many adventures together in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. Sometimes we backpack; sometimes we truck camp. But it's always a great time.

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My favorite trip was an early-season solo to Isle Royale National Park. Just me, five days, four nights, and an entire national park that was almost entirely deserted. Spending the night at Lane Cove, listening to the loons, was magical. Finding a ginormous spider in my boot the next morning -- not so much.

In 2018 I earned Wilderness First Responder certification in Quebec and had been active in the Fortune Bay Expedition Team.

My brother and I are planning a thru-hike of the entire Michigan segment of the North Country National Scenic Trail sometime soon, as well as a return visit to Isle Royale National Park. Until then, I content myself with occasional hikes along the NCNST in Newaygo County (mostly) and walks at the Kent Trails near Millennium Park in Kent County.

From top left: Relaxing at a campsite. Warming by a fire. Getting ready for evening whiskey and cigars. That one time we flooded but had hammocks. Tent camping. On the trail. On the trail again but looking artistically pensive. A marsh along a journey.

Flying

Juuuuust before the pandemic, I started progress on a private pilot's license. A one-two combination of Covid and shifting instructors made that more difficult. I got up to nine logged landings. I'll finish the license at some point; one of my goals is to become a certified flight instructor so I'll have something to do in my golden years.

Cosplay

My dearly beloved, Cade, and I enjoy couples cosplay. We think we would enjoy LARP; my business partner has been inviting us to her LARP for a while now and perhaps some day we will join. For now, we've been doing occasional renaissance fairs and dressing up for Halloween and going to cons.

From top left: Mill Creek Days (mini ren faire), Michigan Renaissance Festival, Variant Loki and Mobius at G.R. Comic Con, and Halloween 2024.

Leatherworking

A recent hobby, I have decided to take up leatherworking because (a) it seems fun, and (b) I know a lot of crafters, so having a craft seems like a crafty way to have fun. One thing I've done, though – restored an antique leather saddle that, I hope, will fit either Tyr or Macey or both.

My saddle, after initial cleaning. Some of my tools. My leather boots had been scuffed, dried out, and caked with mud over a summer season until I rehabbed them.

Martial Arts

I have studied Uechi-Ryu karate in two phases. The first saw me get to the mid kyu ranks. Then I departed, around 2008. When I rejoined the fledging, post-pandemic dojo in late 2020, I stuck with it. I now teach a class and will be testing for sandan (third-degree black belt) at the end of February 2026.

Serious pose, after earning shodan (first-degree black belt).

Photography

With either my iPhone or my trusty Nikon D7200 camera – and a mix of a macro lens, a standard lens, and a 55-300 lens – I'm an avid taker of nature photography. I love bringing the rig to a county park to snap pictures of flowers, scenic vistas, or wildlife. And sometimes, cemeteries.

From top left -- The Denton County (TX) courthouse. Tracks to nowhere in northern Michigan. The Grand River flood of 2013. A flower at Frederick Meijer Gardens. A blue heron at Ludington State Park. A beetle on a flower at Millennium Park. The weathervane at Grand Ravines Park. A tern in flight over Lake Michigan. "A.S.," an unknown child at Maplewood Cemetery in Lamont, MI.

Amateur Radio

I hold an FCC license for amateur radio (technician class) and for the General Mobile Radio Service. Although I don't do a ton of radio work, maintaining licensure – and owning radios, both handheld and truck-mounted – are quite useful for travel in places where cell signals are non-existent. My brother and I often communicate by radio when we're planning campsites in a state forest, for example.

Kayaking

I love to kayak. A small group of friends and I enjoy occasional trips on mid-Michigan rivers, including the Grand and the Flat.

Row, row, rowing my little boat, gently down the Flat River.

Scuba Diving

I'm an open-water diver with certifications for Nitrox and buoyancy. Most of my diving has been in inland lakes across mid-Michigan, but I was delighted to journey to Bonaire in February 2020, just as the opening days of the pandemic was kicking international air travel in the nuts.

Under da sea. The Caribbean Sea, that is.

"The Manly Vices"

For many years, my friend Tony and I ran a podcast called Vice Lounge Online – "where casino gaming, premium cigars, and fine adult beverages genuinely equal bliss" – that over nearly 500 weekly episodes helped us to meet a lot of fascinating people who enjoy the gentlemanly vices.

So, yes, I can help you discover cigars or bourbon or cocktails or wine. And if you need a sherpa for Las Vegas, count me in.