About

About the Blog:

This is my personal blog. I whatever I’m interested in or think might interest someone else.

Some Things You Can Find Here:

I have a lot of interests. I tend to get very obsessive about one thing for a while, then drop it in favor of something else. Some of the things I’ve been obsessed with (or expect to be obsessed with again in the near future) are:

  1. Family History – I’ve been interested in my family tree since I was in grade school. I have a lot of things I’ve collected over the years since then that I’m trying to organize and post online for anyone who may be researching the same people/families. I’ve also got half of my mom’s genealogical records after she died and intend to sort through her things and see if there is anything new or noteworthy and will post those as I come across them.
  2. ASOIAF Fan Fiction – I’ve been a fan since the first book came out in paperback… which means I’ve spent most of the last 20 years waiting for the next one to come out. I got book 2 the day it hit the bookstore. It was my first ever HARDBACK book. Now I’ve got the whole set in hardback, just waiting for the next one to hit the virtual shelves of Amazon. Meanwhile, I’ve discovered something so much more fun than posting theories in online forums: Fan Fiction!! I’m reading and writing stories about what might have been or what might be yet to come.
  3. Online Business I quit my job and started an online business!! (Okay, truth… I created a web page about 8 years ago that has grown into a business that will just about pay my bills every month at this point. Then I had a nice programming job, but got fired. I’m thinking now that I’m just too old for these corporate games and if this business will support me I’d be happier working from home than bringing home a bigger paycheck.) And that’s how I’ve become obsessed lately with copywriting and SEO and other web-related business topics.

About the Author:

Karen Freeman-Smith lives near Portland, OR with her partner, two grown children (in and out of the basement), and a cat named Shiva. Karen maintains a personal website as well as several topical websites about: Programming, Web Development, Foreign Languages, International StudentsFiction Writing, and Typing.

Social Media

Work Background

  • Programming (6 years)
  • Web Development (25 years)
  • Truck Driving (18 years)
  • Various other clerical and unskilled labor jobs (4 years)

Educational Background

  • Data Scientist Certificate, DataCamp (2018)
  • Java/Android Bootcamp, Epicodus (2016)
  • BS Information Technology, University of Phoenix (2003)
  • MCSD Certification, Advanced Technical Institute (2000)
  • AS Computer Science, Certified Careers Institute (1991)
  • AA General Studies, Oregon Institute of Technology (1987)