What I do in my other life.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

These knives are sold!
Now for more guitar building!!

Kevin

[naccoachbob]

As far as my life outside building, I'm the newly appointed Regional Manager for IT for the Texas Dept of Family and Protective Services. We support the Child/Adult Protective case workers who do so much good for the children and unprotected adults in this state. My regions cover from Beaumont to Texarkana on the Louisiana side out about 100 miles west. There's an office or 2 in each county seat. We support about 800 computers, all the networking things with that and most other technical equipment. Of interest, we've issued tablet computers to field workers along with air cards so that they can respond to serious situations no matter their location. They can then upload critical information and decisions can be made quicker and more effectively. This has resulted in saving lives. I'm proud that our agency leads the nation in technology usage, and other states are modeling after us.
Besides that, I have just "retired" as a youth soccer coach after 15 years of coaching players from 4 yrs old up to NCAA division 1 women at Stephen F Austin State University for 2 years. Soccer has been my passion. I actually played about 10 years ago in the adult "Mexican" league here against Clint Dempsey, who is on the US National Team and hails from Nacogdoches. We've played a number of small sided games with and against each other. What a treat to watch someone with his skills. Jose Torres, also on the National Team played for me briefly as a guest player on my son's soccer team years ago. He was a holy terror in indoor soccer and could beat your team by himself. But we played against his outdoor team often and were able to shut them down - mainly by isolating him with 2 players.
My golf has improved such that I'm a 7 handicap from our "gold" tees - I call them Geritol tees. Previously was a 14 from the White or regular tees.
Also, love college football and Texas Ranger baseball.
My wife is a stock broker who supplements my guitar making efforts and provides much encouragement and help, the love of my life. My 2 children are in college (does that ever end?). And overall, life is good - when the cats aren't around.
Bob

[Ken Hundley]

Interesting, Bob, and what a fantastic place to work. Keep those case workers going and get those kids where they can be healthy and happy. In my other life, I sell air pollution control equipment all over the world. We basically burn all the harmful chemicals in an industrial air stream until there is nothing but air, water vapor and some CO2 in it. Been doing this for two years now, was in plastics prior to that. I have a wife who doesn't understand our passion but enjoys the music when I find time to play and she is awake.....I don't sleep much, and play more often when the house is quiet. I have three young boys, 3, 5, and 7, who love the guitars and always want to lend a hand (for about 7 seconds, anyway). A lot of fun for the family. There are a few in the extended family interested in one of mine, and I am happy to build them. Some time in the next year or two, however, I plan on building a boat, like the old Chris Craft runabouts.

The Monaco (open cockpit design)



or the Key Largo



Ask Bruce Dow for pictures. He built a more common version of the Monaco, and did a stunning job of it.

Anyway, sorry to hijack the thread. THose really are beautiful knives, Kevin, and I would love to learn more about how you make them another time.

[Bruce Dow]

since you asked....





The open "utility" design will be great. I can't wait until Ken starts building to see how that shapes up.

[naccoachbob]

Dang, now you guys are getting me thinking of the same thing. Oh, Honeyyyyyyyyyyyyy, can I have a little money? There's this, uh, um, small boat that I can get for real cheap!!
That was a nice job, Bruce.
And Ken, what a terrific task to undertake.
Bob

[Ken Hundley]

Like I said, stunning. I can't wait to start either. I am going to be talkin to the finance department over thanksgiving and will get a better idea of a start date....it may not be for a couple of years, though. Besides, I have a dozen or so guitars to finish first. I need to quit screwin around and get going on them. Just repainted my office, and am setting it up to do some better work through the winter.