alex shepard's photostream  

I'm into bicycling, photography, software, books, languages, travel, drawing and coffee.

I bike around a hundred miles a week, and last September completed a three week bicycling/camping trip from Seattle to San Francisco. Cycling is a great way to explore the Bay Area.

I work for a photography company in Mountain View, CA. I write software.

I read a lot. Inspired by my recent big bike trip, I'm re-reading the Odyssey. I recently read (and loved) Salman Rushdie's newest, The Enchantress of Florence.

I'm seriously in love with the Italian language. I studied it for two years in college, spent a half year in Rome living with an Italian family, and have traveled up and down the peninsula. I take Italian conversation classes at Stanford Extension to keep my skills sharp.

I used to draw a lot, even went to art school for a year, and sporadically get back into it. Some of my old sketches are online here. Recently I've been taking art classes at Academy of Art here in San Francisco. Some of my printmaking work is online here.

Finally, as you might expect from someone who has lived in Seattle and Italy, I'm really into coffee. My regional favorite coffee shops are: Red Rock in Mountain View, Blue Bottle and Ritual Roasters in SF, Stumptown in Portland, and Vivace and Victrola in Seattle.

Up to date babblings can be found on twitter.