On the summit! This was me back in 1984.

In my spare time, I write short essays, and volunteer as a tour guide at the Oregon History Center. I also enjoy reading, camping, and listening to music; some of my favorite contemporary composers include Cole Porter (for several years I monthly visited his hometown, Peru, Indiana), Glenn Miller, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lennon & McCartney, and Ray Davies.

Though we live in Oregon now, we are not from Oregon. Mandy was born in Nova Scotia and lived in Canada until she was 5. Then she moved to the United Kingdom, where she lived until 1990.

I grew up in Southern California. After high school I went to college. During college, I spent 18 months in Southern Germany – my first overseas experience. After completing my Bachelor of Arts degree, I went to Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. From there, I moved to Rantoul, Illinois where I attended a six-month training course to become an aircraft maintenance officer. Upon completion of that course in 1986, I was assigned to the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Upper Heyford in Oxfordshire, England.

At Upper Heyford, I was involved in the flightline maintenance of a squadron of EF-111A electronic combat aircraft. Later I worked on the F-111E bombers. For 18 months I lived in a small Oxfordshire village by the name of Stonesfield. After that I spent 2½ years in a cottage on the farm which is part of the Rousham House estate. Throughout my time at Upper Heyford, I did a lot of traveling around the UK and Europe, and earned an MBA through a Fairleigh Dickinson University program offered on-base.

Reporting the status of an EF-111A aircraft which had just landed.

On the occasion of hearing of my promotion to captain, I tendered my resignation from the Air Force. It's not that I didn't enjoy the military. Rather, I had accomplished what I had set out to do, and had reached the point where I wanted to try something new.

So I left active duty. Mandy and I with our infant daughter, moved to West Lafayette, Indiana in 1990 to pursue graduate studies in German at Purdue. We financed this through a half-time teaching assistantship which included a tuition stipend with a monthly salary of around $800, GI Bill benefits, and income from a part-time position maintaining air refueling tankers with the Air Force Reserve.

Thus, I was able to attend graduate school and support my family without incurring any debt. It was a splendid arrangement! After completing the masters degree, however, I chose to terminate my studies. That decision was based primarily on the poor job outlook in teaching and writing about German literature.

In 1993, I became self-employed as the owner of a cleaning franchise on the south side of Indianapolis. We specialized in carpet and upholstery cleaning, limited fire and flood restoration, and routine janitorial tasks like toilet cleaning. That venture worked out well, though after a few years I desired more independence, i.e., freedom from franchiser rules and monthly royalty payments.

Fortunately, in 1997 we sold that business, loaded up a 24-foot moving van, and set out on the "Oregon Trail." In Portland, we found a well-established independent carpet and upholstery cleaning business for sale. We purchased it and have been cleaning carpets here ever since.

My views on things have obviously evolved over time, and continue to change. My dad has always said (and I completely agree), "The only ones who die consistent are those who die young." So if you find seeming inconsistencies in my essays, chalk it up to the fact that I'm still alive.

Look to the left for links to all of John's BootsnAll articles. Also feel free to email him at editor@unconventionalideas.com.