RoBeastRo

Greetings!

My name is Kurtis and I was born and raised around the Twin Cities in Minnesota. In 2011 I moved to Lincoln, Nebraska and have been here since. I have a teenage child and a cat named Rigby. I graduated with a degree in PC and Web Development in December 2019 and have been working as a web developer for the State of Nebraska.Prior to going back to school I worked as a cook for nearly 20 years. .I've cooked all kinds of food from the local bar and grill, to corporate chains and onto fine dining. I still work in a kitchen part time at an upscale Italian place nearby. Restaurant work is something I have a lot of respect for and it's an environment that has made me feel at home.

I joined swap-bot back in 2007 as a joke with my (ex) wife at first, but then I found the postcard swaps and discovered that I really enjoy sending and receiving postcards. My activity on here has been on and off over all these years, however the pandemic found me rediscovering this site and getting into swapping again.

Some other random things about me:

I am into politics and following current events, kayaking, being outdoors and getting exercise when I can. Recently completed my first half marathon and am poised to do another next year.

I send swaps on time or will contact you if there are any delays. I try to rate as soon as possible. If you haven't received something from me, please let me know so I can make the necessary corrections.

I enjoy making postcards and typically join/host handmade postcard swaps. For the last year or two I have been hosting the Quick Handmade Postcard (QHPC) swaps and have played around with other themed ones, though I prefer the 'anything goes' where I don't feel limited to stay within a certain lane.

Last spring I got into soap making and enjoyed learning about that process while trying to improve my technique. Soap making also lead me to make my own shampoo and bath bombs. I'd like to get into candle making, but I am not quite ready to go down that rabbit hole yet, I'd like to perfect my soaps first.

I also enjoy making collages, painting, photography, and have wanted to try my hand at stencils/street art but that has still remained on the back burner for now.

A few I really like:

• Locked, Stocked and Two Smoking barrels
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
• Annie Hall
• Love and Death
• Manhattan
• Hedwig & The Angry Inch
• Mushrooms
• Big Lebowski
• Royal Tenenbaums
• SLC Punk

Never was much of a reader. Always felt like I didn’t have the attention span or was intimidated by having to read. Guess I was used to having due dates, papers to write and being tested on the materials. Made it seem like a big task. Then I signed up for an audiobook app (scribd) and started listening to audiobooks while taking walks, runs and such. Then there were some books I really wanted to listen to, but weren’t on the site, so I had to read them. From there, I started reading a lot more. Usually I have an audiobook going and one that I am reading. I am a big fan of Charles Bukowski and Hunter S Thompson. I am more drawn to reading the beat writers and the counterculture/hippie writers. Some other writers I have enjoyed are Bret Easton Ellisand Anthony Bourdain. Usually I stick to fiction or some horror (Creepypastas). I am not a huge fan of Fantasy/Science Fiction.

Some Favorites:

• Bongwater

• Michael Hornburg

• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas / Hell's Angels - Hunter S. Thompson

• Tortilla Flat - John Steinbeck

• Inherent Vice - Thomas Pynchon

• Snuff - Chuck Palahniuk

• The Rules of Attraction - Bret Easton Ellis

• Bright Lights, Big City - Jay McInerney

• On the Road / The Subterraneans - Jack Kerouac

• Kitchen Confidential / Medium Raw - Anthony Bourdain

I watch a lot of news, these are some of my favs:

• Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar
• Jimmy Dore Show
• Moment of Clarity
• Get Your News on with Ron
• The Zero Hour

Outside of news..

• Modern Family
• Quantum Leap
• Home Movies
• The Wonder Years (Original)
• American Dad / Family Guy
• The X-Files
• Walking Dead
• Rick and Morty
• Portlandia
• Freaks and Geeks
• Cowboy Bebop

My music taste is rather eclectic. Just not a huge fan of death metal or country music. Not to say I won’t listen to those if someone suggested a song on a postcard or wanted me to listen. I can dig the older metal or older country/folk music a little more.

Recently purchased and old Zenith record player and have been diving into the wonderful world of vinyl! It has been a pleasure digging through old dusty records in dank record stores and taking a chance on random LPs. One of the best things about having a record player is that I’m actually listening to music again and it also keeps me less occupied with politics. So, overall, good for my health!

Been listening to a lot of jazz since getting the record player (Vince Guaraldi, Dave Brubeck, Sonny Rollins, Bossa Nova compilations..)

I am a huge fan of The Smiths! I also like Talking Heads, The Police, Elliot Smith, Miami Horror, Stark Reality, Jamiroquai. Two of my favorite (Pandora) stations to play, especially while getting crafty, are Thievery Corporation and Pete Rock. Both of those stations are pretty chill and great for zoning into craft projects. Jamiroquai radio and English Beat radio are also pretty good. A little more upbeat and have wide ranges.

• Bicycles
• Coffee
• Tea
• Handmade things
• Running
• Politics
• Psychedelic Art
• Puzzles
• Postcards
• Mushrooms
• Beer
• Cannabis culture
• 1960's / 70's / 80's / 90's
• Beatniks
• Photography
• Philosophy
• Painting
• Art Museums
• Cities
• Nature
• Snowy days
• rainy days
• Sunshine
• Stars / Planets / Space
• Bars
• Wind chimes
• Autumn
• Books
• Cooking

If you are having trouble what to send, checkout my likes, though I will be fine with whatever you send. If you have some kind of inappropriate postcard you, perhaps, are too afraid to send to someone, I am your person. In fact, I do enjoy postcards like that, so please don't be afraid to send it my way.