In addition to writing, I have a variety of other hobbies & interests to occupy my free time. Here's a few of them:

Model Building: Model building is something I’ve been doing for years, and over the years, I’ve pretty much built a little bit of everything; airplanes, spaceships (I just recently built a 1:144 scale Saturn V model rocket & I’ve already started working on the Space Shuttle), cars, boats, tanks & monsters (one of the earliest models I remember building is the old Aurora 'Godzilla' model, the one with the optional glow-in-the-dark pieces). The most recent model I completed was a Vampirella model I bought on ebay back in 2001. One of these days, I’m going to have to build a display case or some shelves to put all the models I still have & plan to build in.

Model Railroading: Model railroading is something else I’ve been doing for a while, ever since my parents got me a Tyco set for Christmas back in the 70’s. One of these days, I plan to build a layout, but that won’t be until I get a place of my own. I’m currently interested in N Scale model railroading (my Tyco set was HO scale, which was 1:87 scale. N Scale is 1:160, which is roughly half that size), & I’ve got a couple of locomotives, several pieces of rolling stock & some buildings to go on the layout when I get it started.

Astronomy: This is actually something I’ve had an interest in since I was kid, but only just recently decided to get back into. Until recently, the best equipment I had was a Baytronix 50x600 telescope I got off of ebay, & a pair of 10x50WA binoculars I bought at a sporting goods store, but not too long ago, I picked up a pretty good Meade 60x900 telescope with an equatorial mount at a garage sale. I am currently in the process of buying new equipment for it, although I did cannibalizing the Baytronix for a few pieces I needed to make the Meade fully functional.

Photography: Photography is something I’ve been interested in for a while, but I never really viewed it as a serious hobby. After all, is there anyone out there who doesn’t own a camera of some kind? Most of the time, I just take a few snapshots of things that catch my interest while I'm at work or on vacation (as can be seen in the Photo Gallery of the website), but it's not that often. One of these days, I'll get around to devoting more time to it. I currently have two cameras that I use for a majority of my picture taking. I have a Nikon Zoom Touch 400 that I bought on ebay a few years ago (I had one exactly like it when I was in the Army until someone stole it after I got out), & just recently my mom bought me a Kodak EasyShare Z612 digital that I have yet to do any serious picture-taking with, but I am in the process of buying accessories for.

Cycling: For a while now, riding a bicycle has been more of a way of getting around than a recreational activity. Whether it's been going to & from work or taking a trip to the store to pick up some groceries, I usually don't hop on my bike unless I actually have some place to go. That will change eventually, once I get my life straightened out & have some free time on my hands. I currently have a 26-inch, 18-speed mountain bike that I use to get around, & once I get it outfitted the way I want & have a few days to get away, I plan to just hit the road & pedal.

Fishing: Fishing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My father introduced me to fishing when I was a child, & to this day, I’ve always owned at least one rod & reel (I currently own 2 regular rod & reel sets, a Pocket Fisherman & a Coleman Deluxe Fish Pen that I bought for myself for Christmas). Due to my work schedule, I don’t get a lot of chances to go fishing as often as I’d like, though.

Shooting: Shooting is something I’ve gotten into just recently. I’ve always been fascinated with firearms, but it wasn’t until I joined the Army & got my hands on some real hardware that I learned to appreciate them. I currently own 2 rifles; a vintage WWII-era 91/30 Mosin Nagant bolt action rifle, & a bolt action .22 that I outfitted with a scope for varmint hunting (which I actually haven’t done yet, but will someday). I also own an old .32 short revolver, which I got from my sister’s ex, and a .380 automatic that I bought for personal protection. I plan to purchase a few more firearms in the future, I just need to save up enough to afford them. Shooting may be a fun hobby, but it also tends to be an expensive one as well.

Archery: Archery is another hobby that I was always fascinated in as a child, but didn’t really get into until recently. My first real exposure to it was the old classic movie 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' (with Errol Flynn), & I've been hooked ever since. I finally managed to buy my own bow not too long ago (a nice one-piece fibreglass recurve bow), but I won't know how good I am until I can get to the archery range & try it out.

Scuba Diving: I’m a certified recreational diver. I learned to scuba dive while I was in the Army (though not as part of any official training), but I haven’t strapped on a tank since I got out. One of these days, I plan to, if only to refresh my training. I also plan to buy my own equipment, but that could be a few years down the road.

Music: I’ve always enjoyed listening to music, & my interests tend to run the gamut from classical to country to rock. I could be listening to Mozart for a while & switch to Rolling Stones just as easily as I could switch to Alabama, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters or Weird Al. I can’t stand rap, though (one comedian commented that they left the ‘c’ off the beginning of rap & I agree with him). I also shy away from acid rock & most heavy metal, although I do enjoy certain songs by Twisted Sister & Pink Floyd. My interests tend to vary depending on my mood & what I happen to be doing at the time. If I'm relaxing, I might listen to something light (easy listening: Carpenters, Abba, Simon & Garfunkel) or Classical (Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Litsz. No 1812 or William Tell Overtures though. That's not the kind of music you want to listen to if you're trying to relax). If I'm writing, I'll likely be listening to a movie soundtrack (Star Wars or Star Trek). If I'm in a goofy mood, it's comedy all the way (Tom Lehrer, Steven Wright, 'Weird' Al & Dr. Demento).

Reading: Because I have such a passion for writing, it should come as no surprise that I also enjoy reading. And I do like to read, a lot. Reading is actually one of those things I could do to the exclusion of everything else if I thought I could get away with it. It would be impossible to estimate how many books I've read in my lifetime, but it's safe to say that the number could easily run into the hundreds. And I'm not one of those people who will read a book only once & never pick it up again. I have books that I've read at least five times or more (I actually read the first paperback edition of 'Star Wars' so many time I eventually wore out the spine). Like music, my tastes in reading also vary. I've always been big on Science Fiction, but I won't turn down a good fantasy or horror book if it catches my attention (one of my most recent purchases was 'Cell' by Stephen King). I'm also a sucker for a good comedy. For me, reading & writing go hand-in-hand. If I enjoy reading something, odds are I'll try my hand at writing something along those same lines someday.

That’s all I can think of to say right now. If I think of anything else, I’ll be sure to update this page.