About Me

So, if you're a curious soul like me, and you want to know more about me (something I still have not figured out entirely - if only brains could be disassembled like computer programs ... alas), then this is where you might want to be.

First and foremost, my name is Cody. I do have some pictures of me, but I'm actually quite camera shy, and in fact the only picture of me I like, is, not surprisingly my face covered by my hand. Otherwise, let's just say I 'accidentally' deleted them. Okay, I didn't, but I'm not sharing to everyone (which could be good or bad I suppose)! Now, then. If you actually are curious about me, see below. Otherwise, maybe you're interested in my photo gallery, or blog or something else. Feel free to go wherever on my site.

I have had several nick names, perhaps my favourite: coderjunkie (hence the domain). As noted on my main page, a coderjunkie is basically a code/programming addict. And how I got this nick name, is the simple fact of a friend actually noted that I do feel better after I get a 'fix' of programming/coding, and when I don't code for some while (i.e. withdrawal symptoms) I don't do as well. How true is that today, I don't know, but it was quite true at the time (ca 2003 or 2004).

I have had before other nick names up here, but no longer here, since they're irrelevant here.

I was born February of 1982 (I'll give you 28 guesses to figure out what day), in Los Angeles, California. Lived in southern California all my life. I do like it here, but I have to admit that sometimes the desert heat gets to me. But nevertheless, I have family here, and pretty much everything I need is here. So, California is where I am, though I won't say where exactly except to say I've not lived in Los Angeles in a very long time.

Some of the things which have in different ways impacted my life for the better include:

• My friends and my family. Some of them mean as much to me as my mother, which is very, very special, because quite simply, my mother is the one who always tried to help, always cared, and basically kept me from destroying myself, in whatever shape or form it would have been. In the case of my lovely girlfriend who means the absolute world to me, there is a bond which goes well beyond my mother and I cherish her like nothing (and no one) else.
• Music was especially important to me in the darker chapters of my life but I've found it isn't all that important to me in recent years (in 2016 I don't listen to music much at all; I enjoy it but that is the extent of it). That isn't to say I don't still have a collection of music but it's not as important to me nowadays. And that's fine for it helped me where it could when it could. But that isn't to say I don't have fond memories.
• Computers (and of course computer programming and I do not exactly equate 'coding' to 'programming' but that is another topic entirely and not even relevant to the nickname I was given). I would be lost without my computer; it's my connection to the world and they're something I really enjoy - be it learning what makes them tick, playing games on them, chatting and everything else I might do through their use. Without computers I would be lost.

And then there's something I actually do not generally tolerate. At all. It's something that most actually treasure, but I know I'm not alone with my disliking of it, though far more rare. That is: touch. Yes, I hate being touched. If it's a doctor needing to examine, or someone super special, it's usually okay, but even then it's sometimes hard and/or seriously disliked.

I have a lot of memories. A lot of them I don't care to remember (childhood memories in particular), but there are also - as I recently realized - a lot of cherished memories. Most importantly: spending time with my friends and family. I also really enjoy concerts, but of course I don't get to do that more than a few times every ~5 years. I'll mention a few very special moments. When I became friends with someone I actually was hoping to get to know better for some while. Surprised to say the least it happened, but when I met Emelie, well let's just say - it was a very important moment in my life, because she has been a great friend. Others have too, of course, but this is one of my longest standing friends. Another treasured memory was on the 6th of March in 2004 at around midnight (one of the few times I would be awake at this hour). Metallica was just finishing up their performance. Or that is to say, they just finished their last song, and were now throwing out picks and drumsticks. But what happened next, blew me away. I am fast with catching things, say if a cup is falling, it will most likely be caught if I am there. However, after standing all night long at the front row on the pit, I felt very tired and weak. So, thankfully the drumstick actually was thrown just to the right of me. And the person who happened to be at the right of me, was my brother, Jesse. And he caught it. Someone tried to get it from him, but he grinned at him, and said he had it and wasn't going to let it go. And he indeed had a death grip on it. Next thing I know, he hands it to me. It was the nicest thing he could have ever done for me, and I think it in some ways made me realize he does care.

As for the person who tried to get it from my brother, he had good news too: the next time they played in the area, this time in Anaheim, California, my brother saw him. What was his surprise ? He actually caught a drumstick from Godsmack (who puts on a killer performance too). And, that wasn't all! Lars of Metallica, walked off the stage and handed this guy a drumstick. Or so that's what my brother remembers (I don't remember the second part as far as Lars handing it to him - just that he had two drumsticks). And for my brother and myself, I got two guitar picks, and I have this vague memory that he got one or two too. I cannot even begin to explain the other concerts I went to as each and every one of them was special. The most special - and perhaps the only time I ever knew true happiness, was when I was fortunate enough to be at the Metallica 30 Year Anniversary Concert, Night 1. It is something that will always be an important part of me. It was also - interestingly enough - the first time a concert photo had me in it (and to make it more interesting, since it was a club member show only - though you were allowed to bring one person and my brother was the lucky person - is that it was a photo only for club members).

Obviously, I love music. Indeed, music has been a huge part of my life. It literally made me realize that I wasn't alone, and that others did have issues too. It probably saved me. And Metallica was the first band I really listened to. My father has actually played guitar (and other instruments too at times) since 1958 or so. And his brother plays piano. So I was naturally listening to music at an early age and at 3 I did play guitar for a very short while. But it wasn't until I was probably 9 that I truly got to hear music I loved then and still love to this day: Metallica. My father mostly plays bluegrass, and obviously my uncle - piano player - plays classical. And I appreciate it. It's just my first choice.

There are a few other things I really do enjoy, but don't get a chance or don't have the motivation, to do as much of, as I used to. Despite the fact I haven't read a book in full for some while (to be honest, the last book I read as of 13 of August 2009 - was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). But I do enjoy pretty much every book I read. And I used to read a lot. I do love fantasy. Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Harry Potter, and indeed the first fantasy series I was introduced to: The Chronicles of Narnia. Fantasy, as amusing as this may sound to the witty, has actually changed my life. Had it not been for me becoming a fan of fantasy, I would not have wanted to be part of Imagica, which would have meant some of my closest and dearest friends, I probably would not know. And they have actually changed who I am, for the better - I'm generally far happier nowadays.

I also enjoy other kinds of books, of course:

I absolutely loved The Mysterious Island (and other books by the same author - Jules Verne). I really enjoyed Mark Twain's work, as well as the Doctor Dolittle books by Hugh Lofting (the original novels, especially), and Jack London, even things by Shakespeare and Charles Dickens! As of 2014/11/16 and more specifically as of the middle of this year (perhaps the first or second quarter is more accurate), I have read additional books. The most recent one was indeed by Jules Verne and in particular I finally got around to reading The Journey to the Centre of the Earth (an absolutely amazing story!). There are many others of course and it can be said always that I have read more since this page was last updated (which is to say the last date I noted which is 2014/11/16); I'd rather read than update this regularly even if there was concious thought about the website.

One other author of significance, I have already mentioned. Though unpublished, the stories and indeed novels I have read by her, are outstanding: my dear friend Emelie.

There are other things, including movies, but these are the significant things about me. I used to take vacations/holidays, but not so much nowadays. I do have pictures, including some that probably shouldn't have been taken in Yosemite (or rather: I shouldn't have been in the area there - it was after the rock slide there of the previous year, of which I wrote about here on this site before), and other places, as well as my animals, and indeed my Metallica collection, and other things.

That's about all I have for about section, for now.