(Updated 4 April 2026)
Here's a brief summary of what I'm up to:
I got a new job! I start at Leidos next week as a senior aerospace modeling and simulation engineer. The work will be similar to what I was doing at the Navy, but a little more engineering-focused, less pure software development, and I'll be modeling a variety of flight systems rather than staying with one program.
The new job is in Charlottesville (VA), which was an instigator for the move. Where we've been is a little small for me and hard to justify a 45-minute commute from. I think we'll like the new town. They're letting me start remote so Anna can finish the school year (she's a teacher) then we'll move out there in a couple months.
We're hoping to buy a house there right away, so we're just waiting for one to get listed that we like. We've seen two but they went too fast for us to make it there to look at them.
Still planning our wedding for the fall and attending five others this year, so life is pretty busy right now. I haven't been able to play much music recently, but my back pain is improving. I'll take what I can get :)
Goodreads is probably most up to date with my current reading, but here are some of my favorite books I've read (somewhat) recently:
I read Dr. Stuart McGill's Back Mechanic (and Ultimate Back Fitness) and followed his recommended daily regimen of walking and core exercise and more walking for about six months, with slow improvement, until I decided to take more action and found Dr. Clayton Skaggs and Dr. Jim George at CIHP in St. Louis. I went to see them in May 2025 and spent seven hours at the clinic over two days while they evaluated and educated me. They gave me a number of simple exercises to follow ("do these and nothing else") to help strengthen and gain awareness and control of my lower abs and a couple other areas. (My spinal structure is all good; their diagnosis is that I'm under using some muscles, which causes over using other muscles, which results in pain.)
Current Status
I've been very consistent with my exercises since August and my pain is significantly reducing. I'm now only meeting with a strength/conditioning coach at CIHP virtually once per month, likely going off on my own pretty soon. Daily exercises are core work, walking, standing on one leg, and laying on my back with my feet on a bench while belly breathing. I'm in the gym lifting three days a week, and they're letting me get back into a little disc golf! Just some putting and short throwing for now. It feels so good to get back at it and I can now get through most days without significant pain.