I was born in southern Ohio in 1972 and adopted by two amazing parents who have provided me with opportunities, direction and challenges throughout my childhood. Growing up, my fondest memories were neighborhood pick-up games that went until the street lights came on. Throughout school, I excelled academically and enjoyed playing sports, especially baseball. Throughout my early teens until my late 20’s I raced sailboats competitively on Lake Michigan occasionally Lake Erie.
In 1998 I met Miki-Kay through mutual friends and we were married in the suburbs of Chicago in 2001. She has been my best friend and my confidant. In 2004 we were blessed with our son Joseph (aka: MinMe) who has brought us a tremendous amount of joy in life.
Visiting with friends, traveling and attending sporting events are central to our family life. Many will say that we are rarely home and that is pretty accurate. From our monthly bowling league in Milwaukee to our annual Caribbean trip with the Kernsley group we log the miles, the experiences and the laughs.
When we aren’t wandering from home, you’ll find my wife and I out on our deck, listening to music, watching a sporting event, partaking in a cigar and at times an adult beverage. When we open the deck, it’s an open invitation for friends to stop by. Some nights we sit alone and other nights we find ourselves firing up the grill and eating/drinking with a dozen people, some who’d never met each other before.
I’ve found riding motorcycles to be a great stress relief for me. It started as a hobby, worked into my career as a motor officer for a few years and now is a great way to spend time with friends, family and see sights that you simply miss while in a vehicle. In addition to spontaneous trips with the guys, I usually spend a lot of time with MiniMe on my 2015 Harley Davidson Ultra Limited. From ice cream runs to charity rides to mini vacations, we log several thousand miles each year together. A few summers ago, we spent 5 days and logged 1500 miles across the country encountering some vicious storms and excessive heat. Those stories we tell will make us smile and laugh for decades.
My life is my family, my job and my friends. Over the years, I’ve found a good mix and enjoy every single day!
