|
Norwegians seem to be born with some kind
of innate ability to bait a hook. In the photo to the right, I was
fishing for the big one near Alaska in the summer of '99. Sailing
and fishing are what I enjoy the most here in the Northwest. The
endless grey clouds and showers is something I put up with while
waiting for our two weeks of summer sunshine. Come to think of it,
if I have a fish on, even the rain isn't so bad. Norwegians also
have some innate ability to naturally do good woodworking. My grandfather
spent a lot of time with his lathe making all kinds of furniture.
After being raised in Seattle and going to
Juilliard in New York at the age of eighteen, my cello playing career
started in the New Jersey Symphony while still attending Juilliard.
After graduating, my next move was to Switzerland, where I played
cello in an orchestra for another 3 years.
I still love playing the cello, even though I have a lot less hair
now than when that picture was taken in Belgium back in the early
70's. I am currently accepting students for weekly lessons, vist
Seattle Cellist for more
information.
The Bunk Bed business started many years
ago in a tiny basement with a dirt floor. The saw blades kicked
backed more often than not, nearly taking off my head, and I kept
on buying more machines and tools. My friends thought I was nuts
when I walked away from my day job to become a Bunk Bed Maker. I
burnt the bridges with flames back in 1986, and haven't looked back
too many times. Being a cellist means I am sensitive, and being
a Norwegian means I have a stubborn side. Add it up and you get
someone who does not take criticism too well. However, over the
years I kept improving the design of the beds and the finishing
procedures. Hey! I still have 10 fingers. I have nailed them together,
sanded them, and routed them a few times, too.
Sailing north each summer gives me a chance
to spend time with my wife and two sons, who have helped greatly
with my business over the years. The testing grounds of my sons'
bedrooms has shown me why lag screws don't work and why triangular
shapes are used in structures like bridges, airplane wings, and
endless other applications where stress requires extra support beyond
the square box approach. This is why my beds have been purchased
for adult use by a local police department, the Catholic Community
Services, Youth hostels in Idaho, fish processing boats in Alaska,
and ski lodges in Aspen and Idaho. My design has evolved over the
years. Rounder edges on the wood, lacquer finish, triangular supports,
optional headboards, optional footboards, more space between the
upper and lower bunk, and so on. Over the years I have gained a
lot of opinions on Bunk Beds. I have kept on working to perfect
my beds, which is how I was taught to play the cello.
That is my history in a nutshell...now, for a quick look inside
the Stubborn Norwegian Brain itself:
|
