provide me with joy
and fire my imagination. Even for those of you who know me well will find a surprise
or two in what follows. I won't spend much time describing my founding of FlisKits,
leaving that for the FlisKits section of the About area. Rather I will focus on my
hobbies, interests, family and fun. I hope you enjoy this little preview of what
makes me tick. Within this, and other pages, you will occationally see thumbnail
images that may be of interest. Clicking on the image will bring up a larger version.
Hit your browser BACK button to return to these pages. Born in 1956 in Schenectady, New York. I was "7 of 8", with a
family of siblings that span a full generation. My family wasn't wealthy, rather it
was humble. Our biggest vacation was probably our family excursion to the 1964 New
York Worlds Fair. Other than that, I amused myself in the Adirondack mountains of
New York, hiking and fishing in and around Schroon Lake. My Grandfather, Elmer
Huntley, taught me to fish and respect the outdoors.
In the spring of 1963 I happened to be walking home from
school when I noticed two high school kids in a field near a local cemetery. As I
got closer I noticed a rocket shoot skyward. As I approached them, they were loading
the last model on the launch pad and chatted with me as they launched it. I was
enthralled! I really had little idea of what I had seen. These kids gave me
little information other than to tell me that they were launching model rockets. I
didn't even know where to buy them (having never heard of a hobby-shop). This is how
my interest in model rocketry began. Please follow
this link to get the full story of my almost 40 years of model rocketry experience, fun
and exploration!
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I remember the Apollo 1
fire. I remember crying with my mom when Apollo 11 landed on the moon. I
remember how excited I was when Skylab was launched and how distraught I was when
Challenger crashed. Needless to say, I'm an avid Star Trek fan, as well as a fan of
the Simpson's. I enjoy reading (mainly SF, science fact, poetry and computer books)
as well as writing. I am an avid fisherman, focusing on trout and bass throughout
New Hampshire. I also enjoy carp fishing and surf fishing (striped bass). The
ultimate though is fishing for king salmon on the Kenia river in Soldotna, |
Alaska. Having made 3 trips
there to visit my mom and sister, I've fallen in love with the state and can easily
envision living there. I enjoy woodworking
(helps when turning nosecones), computers, gardening and photography. I love the
landscape of New England and often find myself enjoying the most beautiful sunrises as I
fish from the surf of Plum Island along the coast.
During high school, my family (those who haven't already left
home) moved to Florida. Great place to fish and fly rockets, but the BUGS!
Right after high school I enrolled in DeVry Institute of Technology where I earned my ASET
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degree and went on to work at
Digital Equipment Corp [DEC] (then Compaq Computer Corp and now Hewlett Packard).
After several years of growth from manufacturing through engineering, I went back to
school and earned my BSEE at the University of New Hampshire. My primary involvement
in my first 18 years at DEC was in the area of data communications, having designed many
products for the company from low speed data comm to fiber optic Ethernet devices.
After that, I took a |
job in technical support as a Systems Engineer
for our new call center and from there got into web development and graphic arts, helping
to develop and maintain a very large technical support website as well as teaching and
developing staff within the call center. In October of 2001, 3 months shy of my 25th
anniversary, I was laid off from Compaq Computer corporation. Fortunately for my sanity, it happened right in the middle of pumpkin carving
season, so I had a relaxing activity to keep me occupied as I contemplated my future.
Over the years I've been involved in many |
activities including running for public office and winning
seats on our local School Board and School District Planning and Building Committee.
I've sat on the Budget committee, Library committee, 4th of July committee and many
others, too numerous to list. I am often invited to fly my model rockets at our 4th
of July festivities as well as other celebrations throughout the state |
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of New Hampshire. I am also invited to show/share my
skills as a local artist and Master Pumpkin carver for area pumpkin festivals. I've
also spent many a summer, with my daughter and son, building full sized boats made of
corrugated cardboard for our local library cardboard boat festival (another committee that
I belong too...). |
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I have a wonderful family, having
married my high school sweetheart, Kathy, and raised two wonderful children (Joe and
Jen). Joe is currently enrolled at Clark University and Jennifer is entering her
senior year of high school. Joe is rapidly becoming an accomplished historian and
English major. Jen is the high school newspaper editor and web master and is our
local computer geek (not counting her dad). She is also an accomplished pumpkin
carver herself, |
and will be a master of the art before too long.
Another art form that Jen and I have both explored and enjoyed is Ukrainian egg
decorating. A craft we both learned from my mom, a very accomplished artist in her
own right. Kathy and I enjoy taking road trips around New England looking for remote
areas to get away from it all and enjoy a day or weekend of hiking and off-road fun. |
And that pretty much describes who I am.
You can find out more about me, my interests and hobbies at my personal web site at http://jflis.com/ including many images from my Alaska
visits, model rocketry, pumpkin carving and cardboard boat racing. Much of the site
is yet to be written, but it gives me something to look forward to working on (as if I
don't have enough activities as it is).
Thank you for visiting. |