Tagged …

For Christmas this year, Gary Angel from SEMphonic got me … work! Gary tagged me as part of a blogger’s chain letter that has been going around, kindly noting that he thinks of me as a “kindred spirit” which I take as a great compliment.

Not wanting to be “that guy” who gets a nice compliment and then fails to respond, here are five things you may not know about me:

1. I have two beautiful children, one girl, one boy, for whom I would do anything. I consider myself incredibly lucky to work for a company that is supportive of my need to work from home and actively participate in my kid’s lives, especially when they’re this young.
2. I hold a Masters Degree in Botany & Plant Pathology from Oregon State University (GO BEAVS!) My Master’s thesis was titled “Systematics of the genus Otidea in the Pacific Northwest” Don’t know the ascomycete genus Otidea? You’re kidding me. Really!?
3. For most of my college years I played drums in a “psychedelic bluegrass” band called The Sugar Beets. We played throughout the Northwest, often at large festivals, which contributed to my willingness to present to large audiences. I mean hey, after you’ve dropped a drum stick in front of 5,000 people, talking about web analytics is a piece of cake!
4. To get around in Portland, I drive one of these, except when the weather is really nice (three days a year in Oregon) when I ride one of these. I owe my small vehicle collection entirely to 1) a very understanding wife and 2) all the nice folks who bought copies of Analytics Demystified in 2004 and 2005. THANKS!
5. After high school I wasn’t as focused as many of my friends so instead of going straight to college I followed the Grateful Dead around the country on-and-off for two years. You really learn something about yourself when you have to sell organic bagels with cream cheese and sprouts to afford gas to get to the next town … What a long, strange trip that was!

There you have it! Per the rules of the “game”, I now tag five other bloggers that I enjoy:

1. Xavier Casanova, former co-founder of Fireclick and current CEO at Perenety. Xavier was an inspiration to me as I wrote Analytics Demystified, he shares my taste in cars, and he is one of the brightest guys I know.
2. Ian Thomas from Microsoft, who I share an interest in cookie deletion and who turned me on to the comics of Jessica Hagy.
3. A. Clinton Ivy, a co-worker of mine and someone who never hesitates to tell me I’m wrong, regardless of whether I’m wrong or not.
4. Eric Butler from WebTrends, a former co-worker of mine and a great advocate for both his company’s technology and the web analytics space in general.
5. Chris Boring, a friend from waaaaaaay back in the day who has always been one of the strongest people I know. Chris is currently fighting Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and has been blogging about his and his partner Beth’s experience.

Finally, I want to wish everyone who reads my weblog the happiest of holidays. Regardless of what you celebrate or where you are in the world, I sincerely hope that your year ends in a relaxing and enjoyable fashion and you’re charged and ready to go in 2007!