I am 45 years old and was born and raised in Des Moines, IA. I spent my childhood messing with piano, clarinet, and electic guitar in school as well as garage bands. My stereos until my mid teens were all good hand me downs. I later became fond of Dynaco and McIntosh tube gear. I moved to LA in 1977 and attempted a career as a musician but due to an extreme lack of talent I failed horribly. Disenchanted with music in general, I stopped listening from around 1985 until just recently. I worked in the interior design industry from 1979 (part time for 4 years) through 1990. In 1990 I resigned from my company and did occasional consulting work to pay the bills. I met my wife in 1991 and married in 1992 still a man with no career. In 1993 I went into the specialty food and wine business which I truely enjoyed having been a wine collector for years and a sous chef at a much younger age. Things were going well until I was injured during an armed robbery in 1998 (I was not the perpetrator). I have been off work for the past year due to headaches and visual problems that stem from the head injury that I sustained. I am told that I will most likely not be able to work at a physical profession again. The TV gives me a headache and so does reading at times. So here I am listening to music once again and experimenting with new gear including the mind boggling and plentiful interconnects and speaker cables. My wife and myself are both avid collectors of Haitian and other art, books, "old" Russian nesting dolls (300+), French advertising barware, free standing Eiffel towers (200+), plastic souvenir snowdomes from the 60's and 70's (3000+), souvenir table cloths, souvenir spoons (must have a 3D depiction of a known architectural monument or building on the top), well you get the picture. My wife also sells some of our mistakes (carnival chalkware, souvenir ashtrays and shotglasses etc.) on Ebay. Since we have been somewhat financialy stretched the past year my wife did not welcome my renewed interest in this hobby with open arms - at the start. I realy enjoy music now, all kinds. I just located a pair of Musical Fidelity X gear mono amps, to bi-amp our modest system, that will cost around $800.00. My wife just offered to sell her silk scarf from the 1948 olympics to offset the expense. I love my wife. She pretends not to hear a difference in sound, but on the other hand sits "quietly" and listens everytime I add another cheap tweak like Vibrapods, new stands etc.. I have even caught her eyes bugging on a few occasions, she gets it. I intend to continue this hobby once again and without fail. I am now looking into future administrative work with the city of West Hollywood, which is where we live, once the headaches resolve themselves a bit more. I also enjoy these forums which without I would have been completely lost a few months ago. The banter is also a hoot. Best regards. David Keil,DeKay
Who R U?
A while back Garfish mentioned he lked the idea of getting to know some of us better.As no one has started a thread like this before I will take the plunge.I have been involved in and read many heated exchanges here in AudioGon.I hope no one attacks me for this thread saying "who cares about you,this is audio" Anyway,Im 45 and live in W.N.Y.I have never been married but have a music loving 11 year old daughter who lives with me.I have been a nurse for 20 years.Before that I was a Navy Corpsman for several years.I recently became engaged (first time) to a beautiful 30 year old music loving woman.At my age a 30 year old is a keeper and I have never been happier!! My other interests??Im into vinyl,who has time for anything else??