LJ Idol 0: Introduction
Sep. 20th, 2008 03:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alexpgpHi, my name is Alex, and I've got a compulsion to write.
Mostly, it's hidden behind what I do for a living, which is translating technical documents from Russian into English. From time to time, I also work as an interpreter, which doesn't leave me any time or energy to write, really. Any residual cravings are addressed by posting to my LiveJournal, which was created back when membership numbers were four digits long.
It's been quite a road getting here. I was educated in the New York City school system, graduating from SUNY at Stony Brook with degrees in engineering and Russian. (Why that combination? I needed humanities credit to get my engineering degree, and ... well ... I got carried away, okay?)
After graduation, I worked briefly at odd jobs, and as a stage and close-up magician, then as a freelance tour escort for just over two years in the USSR. After meeting and marrying my wife in Moscow, I finally settled down, landing a position as an editor for a New York publisher of English translations of Russian scientific journals.
Eventually, I got an opportunity to move to Florida, to resume - start, actually - an engineering career. Between the job and a growing family, there was little time to write. My compulsion became acute. Translating on the side helped scratch the itch, but it wasn't The Real Thing™. Eventually, I leveraged what I did at work into a series of articles for computer magazines, including BYTE and Dr. Dobb's Journal, and two books on programming.
The writing eventually landed me a job with Borland near Santa Cruz, California. Two years later, while on vacation after having been laid off from Borland, I established a new base of operations in Colorado to become a full-time freelance translator and writer.
I was located in one of the prettiest spots around, nestled in the San Juan mountains just down the road from natural hot springs and within eyeshot of the Continental Divide. I was living the good life, in the clean, crisp mountain air, and doing what I loved. Then I was offered a chance to move to Houston and work with the space program. As an incurable romantic, I viewed this as an opportunity to help humankind take its first baby steps to the stars, so how could I refuse?
The Houston years were good to me. I got to work with an incredible assortment of intelligent, competent people. Among other assignments, I helped train astronauts and cosmonauts for space flight. I learned a tremendous amount. After five years, though, I decided it was time to take my leave.
Since returning to Colorado... well, that would require quite a bit of space to describe, which I've been doing in increments (I'll let you guess where :^). The short version is this: The Road Still Rises Ahead.
Hey! I've got a small mountain of work left to complete this assignment I want to kick out the door Monday morning! Daylight is burning!
Good luck to everyone!
Cheers...
Mostly, it's hidden behind what I do for a living, which is translating technical documents from Russian into English. From time to time, I also work as an interpreter, which doesn't leave me any time or energy to write, really. Any residual cravings are addressed by posting to my LiveJournal, which was created back when membership numbers were four digits long.
It's been quite a road getting here. I was educated in the New York City school system, graduating from SUNY at Stony Brook with degrees in engineering and Russian. (Why that combination? I needed humanities credit to get my engineering degree, and ... well ... I got carried away, okay?)
After graduation, I worked briefly at odd jobs, and as a stage and close-up magician, then as a freelance tour escort for just over two years in the USSR. After meeting and marrying my wife in Moscow, I finally settled down, landing a position as an editor for a New York publisher of English translations of Russian scientific journals.
Eventually, I got an opportunity to move to Florida, to resume - start, actually - an engineering career. Between the job and a growing family, there was little time to write. My compulsion became acute. Translating on the side helped scratch the itch, but it wasn't The Real Thing™. Eventually, I leveraged what I did at work into a series of articles for computer magazines, including BYTE and Dr. Dobb's Journal, and two books on programming.
The writing eventually landed me a job with Borland near Santa Cruz, California. Two years later, while on vacation after having been laid off from Borland, I established a new base of operations in Colorado to become a full-time freelance translator and writer.
I was located in one of the prettiest spots around, nestled in the San Juan mountains just down the road from natural hot springs and within eyeshot of the Continental Divide. I was living the good life, in the clean, crisp mountain air, and doing what I loved. Then I was offered a chance to move to Houston and work with the space program. As an incurable romantic, I viewed this as an opportunity to help humankind take its first baby steps to the stars, so how could I refuse?
The Houston years were good to me. I got to work with an incredible assortment of intelligent, competent people. Among other assignments, I helped train astronauts and cosmonauts for space flight. I learned a tremendous amount. After five years, though, I decided it was time to take my leave.
Since returning to Colorado... well, that would require quite a bit of space to describe, which I've been doing in increments (I'll let you guess where :^). The short version is this: The Road Still Rises Ahead.
Hey! I've got a small mountain of work left to complete this assignment I want to kick out the door Monday morning! Daylight is burning!
Good luck to everyone!
Cheers...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-09-20 11:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-21 01:35 am (UTC)I happened to catch the announcement for this round and decided to throw my hat in.
Cheers...
no subject
Date: 2008-09-21 02:44 am (UTC)But surely you are not tempted by the grand prize of the shiny icon and banner, are you?
Really... just being nosy. Feel free to ignore and look at this pretty picture instead!
[desc: This is an old oil painting of three red ribbons cross a black background and hold in an assortment of small items including a comb, feather, a bit of jewelry, a hat pin, some papers, a pair of scissors, and so on. Text at the top reads "Thank you for sharing." Text at the bottom reads "Spydie Lives"]
no subject
Date: 2008-09-21 04:27 am (UTC)Why? Well, I followed the trials and tribulations of a couple of people on my friends list who've gone through a cycle and - though I'm tempted to crack wise and add "decided to do it anyway" - I'll just say the prospect of participating may pay a dividend in learning something new.
If nothing else, left to my own devices, I probably never would have gotten around to writing this introduction.
Cheers...
no subject
Date: 2008-09-21 02:14 pm (UTC)Ah... an answer I can believe in. Thank you!
I truly look forward to reading your future entries.
Best wishes.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-21 03:20 pm (UTC)I hope you have fun with the LJ Idol-ness. You have one of those unique, fascinating voices.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-21 03:58 pm (UTC)I've touched on my "career" as a magician only a handful of times over the years here on LJ (here (http://alexpgp.livejournal.com/297688.html) and here (http://alexpgp.livejournal.com/627270.html), for example, if you're interested).
Cheers...
no subject
Date: 2008-09-22 02:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-22 04:56 am (UTC)Cheers...
no subject
Date: 2008-09-22 05:58 pm (UTC)I'm a fellow compulsive writer. I have dry erase boards and post-its and other surfaces suitable for writing (and some not so suitable, luckily grease pencil comes off the walls) all over the house, most of them covered with story or poetry or essay notes.
Pleased to meet you and good luck!
no subject
Date: 2008-09-22 10:56 pm (UTC)I'm not too far away from your hometown, all things considered. (We're in Pagosa Springs.)
Cheers...
no subject
Date: 2008-09-23 01:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-23 01:26 am (UTC)