Why I joined GeekDad: Blogging is a compulsion I think. Those inclined to bloviate on what interests them will find a way and that is just what happened to me. Add a bit of serendipity, and you end up writing for GeekDad. I had already been blogging internally behind company firewalls as well as espousing on all things Highland bagpipes on The Voicelog, the blog for my bagpiping and drumming magazine, The Voice. In August 2006, I was downsized from a major publishing company. After some months of job hunting, circumstances evolved to have me home full time with my then 9 year old daughter and 4 year old son. Being a full-time Dad allowed me to "get my geek on" as never before. Projects with the kids were planned and indulged. I also added many "Dad blogs" to my already overloaded RSS feed list. One of those was GeekDad, and I had no sooner begun reading the thing when Chris Anderson’s "GeekDads Wanted" post hit my feeds. A Dad blog of my own was in the design and planning stages where projects would be extensively documented and many of those were the subject of my note to Chris. Lo and behold, a blog on which to bloviate to my heart’s content was provided for me. Personal circumstances have softened my kid-project planning over the
Fall and Winter and have gotten more complicated of late. The "GeekDad Puzzle of the Week" has been a great way to stay active though. I am thrilled and overjoyed to contribute to
GeekDad. The different voices and topics reflects the varied nature of
"geekery" and it is a true pleasure to be a part of it.
My favorite post: There are definitely more tech-centered Dads in the group than me, and I love the toys too, but I prefer the basics. Our house is one full of the natural sciences and nature plays a big part of projects together with the kids. My favorite post is a split between "Swamp + Jar = Nature Lesson," one of my first, and "Projects for the Nature Geek: Build a Tipi" from last summer. Both have made a pretty big mark on my kids: the tadpoles with my son, and the tipi with daughter. They still talk about the experiences and having GeekDad as an excuse to document these moments has made them all the more memorable for me as well.
