About Don and Christine

Christine:

Things I like and do

o Dog-related things and activities: I show my three Golden Retrievers in agility and tracking. I also enjoy showing dogs in conformation, and currently show a Golden, "Finn", who I co-own with Suzanne Bria. Here's his website: Hyegold Midsumr Knights Dream TD

o Jazz! Love big band music, contemporary jazz, Spyro Gyra, Al Jarreau...

I played alto saxophone for a year but stopped for a while and am trying to get back into it. I also played the piano for a few years. Now I'd like to learn the electric bass guitar and the conga drums. Yes, I will know a little about a lot of instruments-- If I could have one major talent I would love to sing (which will likely never happen in this lifetime). In Dec, 1997 I tried to do a You-Sing-It Messiah with the San Jose Symphony and San Jose Symphonic Choir but it was HARD!!!!

o Gardening

o Reading (favorite book: Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay)

I usually tend to read sci-fi/fantasy, but have been gravitating to regular fiction and some non-fiction lately. I've run out of books to read! Can anyone suggest some good books?!?

o Ballroom dancing

o Star Trek!! I love any of the newer ones-- TNG, DS9, Voyager... Babylon 5, too!!

o Dog-related Activities/Rollerblading/Hiking/Water sports (except scuba diving)

Good places I've rollerbladed:

  • Coyote Creek (~16 miles round trip)
  • Coyote Hills (~6 miles)
  • Vasona Park (Los Gatos Creek Trail)
  • Shoreline Park (2? mile trail)

Good places I've hiked with the dogs:

  • Sunol Regional park (off-leash)
  • Carmel City Beach (off-leash)
  • Mount Madonna (near Gilroy/Watsonville)
  • Uvas Creek park (San Jose?)
  • Los Gatos Creek Trail
  • Arastradero Preserve (Palo Alto)
  • Limantour Beach (Marin area)

o Food!!

o Digital photography!!

Professionally, I work at Netflix as a senior software engineer. Netflix is an on-line DVD rental company, meaning you choose your movies on the website and receive them in the mail. It's the ultimate in convenience.

Other places I've worked:

  • Shutterfly as a senior Java software engineer
    Shuttefly prints 35mm quality prints from digital photos, and you can also send in your negatives to be developed. It's cool because Shutterfly also happens to be one of my favorite web sites!! If you like photography, you absolutely must check it out.
  • Calico Commerce as a software engineer
  • Live Picture (now Roxio formerly MGI ) as a Professional Services engineer
  • Hewlett-Packard for quite a few years.

I graduated from Cal (Go Bears!) [University of California, Berkeley] with a degree in Computer Science.

o I'm currently the Webmaster and treasurer for the NORCAL Golden Retriever Club
as well as managing the website for the Animal Fitness Center (swimming therapy for dogs)

Don:

[written by Christine] Don works at Hewlett-Packard as a Senior Software Engineer, and he likes woodworking, motorcycles (particularly Harley's - he got me to learn to ride. He rides a 1997 Harley Sportster Sport (red), enjoys Shotokan karate, hiking, and is a fixed-wing pilot. His favorite place in the world is Croft Lake in Bandon, where he has visited almost every year of his life.