Art by Wade

Shady visions raced through my head These nightmares of ancient forests flooded my thoughts I gaze upon a solitary weathered soul, but my vision is blurred Is he reaching for me, calling me forward Or guiding the way deeper into the dream forest - Dream Forest, Wade Brooks Something a little different to send you off to bed this evening. Cheers, Wade

I have worked at Cree, Inc (makers of LEDs and SiC devices) for the past 24 years. Over that time, I had many roles, mostly software and database development but also IT Manager, Web Master, and Materials Coordinator to name a few. I truly enjoy solving problems and helping people with their data needs. I was laid off from Cree on May 13, 2019 and was given a very generous severance package. Recently, I have started to become restless and have started looking for a new adventure. I'm not in a hurry to land a new career, so I'll be taking my time to find the right place. Cheers, Wade

  I’ve written two posts about myself (links after), with 15 items in each post, here are some more random things about me: I moved to NC from MN when I was 21 to attend college, I had $60 in my pocket and a car full of clothes. I drove the 21 hours straight with only a 2 hour nap at a rest stop. I can touch my nose with my tongue. I have a smaller than normal gap between my nose and mouth (and maybe a long tongue). I like peanut M&Ms. Country music is my favorite most of the time, but I will go through periods of listening to only rock, then switch back to country. When my kids were teenagers, I listened to all the music they listened to. I would grab their CDs and copy them, then listen to the CDs in my car. I found some new favorites and also encouraged my kids to stop listening to some music. Sandi and I setup a rewards program for school grades for our two children when they started elementary school. For each “A” they would receive whatever grade they were in, so for 3rd ...

Thirteen years ago, I received a Canon DSLR as a birthday gift (I did ask for it). I wanted the camera to capture life moments of our kids participating in sports. I did use the camera for that purpose for the first five years or so. Later, when the kids were grown, I started experimenting with my camera and trying to make art. I liked to draw and paint when I was younger, so I thought this could be something I’d enjoy. At first my shots were more of the “snapshot” variety, you know the pictures I talking about. You see something happening and you take a quick snap. Gradually, I started to learn more about the camera settings and began to see in my mind’s eye what I wanted to capture. Of course, visualizing your shot and actually achieving it are two different things. Over the years, my skill improved and my processing of each photo also improved. One thing that helped me improve was doing a 365 project, which I did back in 2012 (and yes, I should do another one). Having to take a “dec...

  1972 Ford LTD My first car was a  green 1970 Ford LTD, I was 17 and the year was 1983. 1976 AMC Hornet My second car was a brown AMC Hornet. Both of my first two cars were hand me down cars from my father, which I paid for, but got a good deal on. 1980 Dodge Omni My first car purchase from a dealer was a cream Dodge Omni four door hatchback. 1986 Toyota Tercel When I married, I inherited a blue Toyota Tercel. This was one of the best cars I had driven, no problems and it was light and nimble. 1991 Chevy Beretta The first new car we bought as a family starting out was a red Chevy Beretta coupe. 1998 Nissan Truck In 1998, I was looking for a vehicle and Nissan had great lease deals on their pickup trucks so I leased a silver pickup for like $125 a month, with no money down. Crazy right? 2000 Ford Ranger After the lease on the Nissan ran out I switched to Ford and leased a white Ranger for $200 a month. 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser My second new car purchase was a navy blue PT...

  Back in 2012, I created a list of 15 things about me (see link at the end of this post). I thought I would add 15 more things to the list. So here they are 15 More Things About Me, in no particular order: One of my favorite movies is The Matrix. I wake up most days at 6 am. I met my wife, Sandi, while roller skating when I was a teenager. She asked me to couple skate (and I haven’t let go). I spend my working hours, creating software and database programs for a manufacturing company. I love water, kayaking, swimming, and everything related to it. I’m the middle child and also have three step brothers. I ran cross country when I was in middle school (junior high) and still enjoy running. My dad, William W. Brooks, holds several patents (with IBM) related to hard drive construction. Sandi and I will be married for 25 years on May, 25 of this year (2016). We’re planning a trip to Hawaii for later in the year. I’ve paid (with Sandi’s help) for three college educations, plus a Masters...

  Here are 15 random things about me: I married my high school sweetheart (5 years after graduation and after 3 years apart). I am the only child in my family with a four year college degree and both of my kids have finished college and ware working full time. I worked full time while in college (paying my own way) and finished with no loans and no debt. I love to watch animated movies such as The Incredibles and Up! I write software that helps my company’s factories track inventory and gather engineering data. I have worked as a baker’s assistant, stock boy, restaurant host, waiter, bus boy, meat cutter (butcher), frozen food clerk, dairy department manager, cashier, materials coordinator (part buyer), programmer, web master, IT department manager, real estate photographer, software developer and database developer. My first two cars cost less than $600 combined. They were an AMC Hornet and a Ford LTD. I once hid in the back seat of a yellow Ford Gremlin in order to sneak into a d...