Russ
Known Since: 1991
Resides In: San Diego, CA
I met Russ through Aaron. Aaron (and Russ) were living in San Diego, and I was still in Sacramento. I was down for our annual (and only the second annual) San Diego gathering, and Aaron brought Russ along for the festivities. Our first real hanging out was when he, Aaron, Tim and I were all getting stupid drunk in our hotel...Russ was tending bar for the occasion. I'd see Russ once a year after that, and he came to Sacramento to see us a couple of times (this after Aaron moved to Sacramento. Following all this?), but then Aaron and I moved down here to San Diego (still confused, aren't you?), and the three of us started hanging out pretty much every weekend, and usually at Russ's house (which is much nicer than our apartment, and he has a bigger TV).
Russ works for...well, in case he doesn't want to be stalked, let's just say a major internet company that deals in music. His official title is "Project Czar". Russ is pretty much the master of all things tech, from computers to networking to...well, pretty much you name it. Every component in his house is networked together, and he's always adding something new. He's built a couple of computers for me along the way, too. Russ is well known for driving...well, you and I might call it "like a maniac", but he'd prefer to think of it as making good time. He can often be found roaring up on people's tails, weaving in an out of traffic, and yelling driving advice at others (most often with his window up, to his credit).
Like myself, Russ is a movie freak and DVD snob, and he has an extensive film collection, ranging from man movies to World War II flicks. He's a TiVo havin' TV freak, too, like Aaron and myself, and we have a lot of the same shows that we share a love of and discuss and debate a lot. He's a big fan of music (kind of an occupational hazard) and doesn't stay stuck to the music of his high school years like some do (though he'll never say good-bye to his favorite band of all time, Oingo Boingo)...he's always got something new dialed into his MP3 player (which runs though his computer into his networked X-Box into his TV and stereo...see what I mean?). A big fan of Ronald Reagan, Russ has his spare bedroom decorated up with mementos of the former President (we refer to it as the Reagan Bedroom).
He has strong opinions on...well, okay, just about everything, but politics is a big one, and he's extremely well versed in political news and theory. He's a beer connoisseur, and wouldn't be caught dead drinking a Bud or Coors, opting instead for ales and imports. Russ loves to cook and is great at it, which works out great for me since I tend to end up eating at least one meal a week over there. He's also a big cigar guy, and he, Aaron, our friend Tony and I can often be found sitting on his back porch smoking some H. Upmann's and discussing upcoming films or new consumer tech. Russ's greatest love is probably dogs, and he has two--Wile E. and Anna--that are a big part of his life. We always plan our activities around his needing to take them to the park, and are quite used to them roaming around the house and pouncing on each other (never underestimate the entertainment value of a good canine throwdown when there's nothing good on TV...).
In March of 2003, Russ and I took a big trip to Ireland together and had the time of our lives, the fulfillment of a lifelong dream of mine, and it was great to have a good friend along to share it with (also having someone along who can drive a rental car...). Russ is boisterous, loves a good laugh, loves a good debate, and puts a lot of value on his friends. Which works out well, because friends of Russ feel the same way.
Random Me and Russ Memory: Trying to hit on three different girls at one table in a pub in Ireland who each spoke a different language, and none of them English. Hey, we're good, but we're not THAT good...
Russ's dogs--Wile E. and Anna