Hi! My name is Steve, I'm 45, married with 2 boys ages 15 and 11 living in Cool California (yes Cool is a real town and actually spelled that way too After having spent 15 years in the music business I decided to get a real job and started a manufacturing company. We produce the Petrogen oxy-gasoline cutting torch system which is used by firefighters and our military around the world. Last year I got a chance to relive my career as a rock star and recorded a new heavy metal record with my bros from Dublin California. The band is Dublin Death Patrol and the record is DDP 4 Life! We did some huge shows in Europe last summer and starting next year we will be in cities around the world. Hope to see you at a show!!
Hobbies include music (of course) astronomy, brewing beer (let's swap some recipies brewmaster15!) and a few years ago I discovered falconry. It's impossible to describe the thrill of watching birds of prey that you've trained, hunting wild game and letting you be part of the hunt. The birds pictured in my avatar are Corey and Syd. They are my harris hawk team and during the hunting season, falconry is about all I do.
My aquarium experience goes back over 20 years. There was a time when I tried my hand at breeding discus. At one point I had as many as 15 tanks going but for the last 5 years or so it's been reef keeping. My show tank is (was) a 300 gallon in wall display and by the time I tore it down last year it was nothing short of spectacular. I don't know if it was boredom or the 400 dollar a month utility bill but I decided to switch over and do a high tech planted discus tank. Obviously going from reef I have overkill equipment for a planted tank, but it's a challenge changing the thought process from a nutrient poor environment with MASSIVE lighting and water flow to what is necessary to keep discus in a planted tank. As it stands my project is just underway. I have florite in the bottom and water in the tank awaiting my first delivery of plants. I'll be sure to post some pics as I go.
I want to thank everyone on this forum and the planted tank forum for helping me with this new project.
Steve
After posting this I noticed I was remiss in not including a picture of the boy's. Derek and Edward are great kids, polite and respectfull. Also pictured is Rochelle with my dog Polar Bear. No that's not photoshopped he really is that big! We are huge animal lovers. Our current count is 4 dogs 5 cats 11 goats and my birds (discus soon
Rochelle is my wife, my business partner and the love of my life. We've been in business together for the last 12 years. We're together sometimes 24/7 and we almost never fight. Truly magical. I couldn't imagine life without her. The concert photo is me on stage last June in the Netherlands in front of 30,000 crazy metal fans. One of my best days ever.