Howdy, my name is Mick. Welcome to my personal contribution to cyberspace. You can learn a bit more about me by wandering around this website. That's me on the left with my Sweetie, Susan. And that's also me below on both the right and the left of this page.
I am now (as of Septempber 2009) an MCTS (MS Certified Techonolgy Specialist in Server 2008. I'm also A+, Network+ and Security+ certified by CompTIA. The other certification which I was glad to be able to get was CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker).
I recently finished retraining after a shoulder injury in January 0f 2007 and then a couple years of vocational as well as physical rehab. The physical rehab on the shoulder was all but finished when I lost my left leg, above knee, (November 2007) due to plaque buildup from smoking for 30 years. I got back on my foot (pun intended) and had started retraining at New Horizons Computer Learning Center in Reno when I had more issues, this time with the right leg which was also amputated above the knee. Same issue as before, blocked arteries from plaque buildup and blod clots.
My hobbies range from computers and reading to motor racing of almost any kind. However, my heart is set on 2 wheeled racing, anything more than 2 wheels is redundant. MotoGP and WSBK are definitely the top series in the world with the various national series feeding those two top series in roadracing.
In 1988 I started working corners with my riding partner, Don. Our first event was with the local motorcycle roadracing club in northern CA, the AFM. We were soon quite hooked, addicted, etc. and both of us were working many events each year. Everything from International Motorcycle racing such as MotoGP and WSBK to small local car clubs and pretty much everything in between. USARM was the name of the group with which we worked the various 4 wheeled racing events. The 2 wheeled pro action was either USARM or the AFM, depending on what track had the event, Laguna Seca or Sears Point. Yeah, I know that it's called Infineon Raceway now. It is and always be SPIR - Sears Point International Raceway.
My favorite turn at a track is the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca. One of the main reasons for that is due to leaping towards the track on numerous consecutive laps during a test back in January of 1991 when Wayne Rainey would turn left at the top, pop the front tire in the air and ride his 500cc two stroke on the rear tire down through the top of the 'screw, just to let the front tire find the track and thus traction, at the apex of the right hander at the bottom. The bike would flick quickly right and he'd be gone. Leaving me to put the microphone back down and take my finger off the button, suddenly not needing to make that "bike down" call to race contral that I was about to announce. Very simply put "It was poetry on 2 wheels" and I was allowed to watch the ballet.
Several people have commented to me that they admire my positive outlook and that I atribute a lot of that to Wayne Rainey. I remember talking with Wayne for a few minutes on the morning that he had me leaping to my feet in the above chase scene. We had talked about a variety of things in our lives while waiting for the fog to lift but one thing he said to me was "We have to be true to ourselves in order to be true and available for others". When he got hurt at Italy the week before the GP here in the states I remember asking KR Sr. how Wayne was doing. He told me that Wayne was doing great, it was everybody else that was struggling with all that had happened. Wayne was being strong and true so that others could lean on him. Helluva man. Thanks Wayne, you've been a huge influence on my life, even though you don't know it. You showed me what strength and fortitude are all about. I owe ya.
Updated on October 14, 2009 at 11:15 pm