My name is Dave Butte. I currently live in beautiful Cache Valley, Utah. It is a great place for me, because it offers a solution to everything I love to do. There are several canyons up here that I can hike or mountain-bike up. Fishing is wonderful. The weather is nice for the times of the year. And the people are awesome!
Since high school, I’ve been back to school twice, once where I earned a degree in Computer Science, and several years after that where I graduated with a degree in Information Technology. This, to me, is funny, because I never considered myself a ‘Computer Geek’. I’ve always loved being outdoors — away from things like the TV and computer (yes, we had computers when I was but a youngster). During one year in high school, a friend of mine and I even decided we were going to live in the mountains for the summer! Few things in life do I like better than being outdoors, except maybe cooking.
My grandma was always cooking, baking, sewing, or knitting something. She was (no lie) the Martha Stewart of her time (except she was better and she didn’t get involved with insider trading). As early as I can remember, I was always in the kitchen with her, and, as a result of my shadowing her, learned to love cooking — and food! I’m definitely not a gourmet, but I do love to create things in the kitchen.
Seeing as how my interests in life were far from the computer, I think it is very ironic that my life turned out the way it has. For some unknown reason, I’ve always understood computers — how they work, what makes them do what you want them to do, etc.. At the tender age of ten, my dad bought a brand-new TI 99/4A (does anyone remember those?). BASIC came as part of it’s OS, and I was able to write programs in that in no time at all. Within one year, I had written a game that resembled Defender. In high school I took a few computer classes. Who would have thought I would major in some kind of computer field in college (this is a really stupid question)? I wanted to major in something like forestry or ecology and be a forest ranger or something!
I decided to start my own company, Trouter Development, in 2002. It was an experience for me. Then, in the summer of 2008, I pretty much cast that aside to start another company with two friends – BlueLeaf Web Development. I am still holding on to TDev (Trouter Development), and am working on changing it from a company offering services, into a tumblog.
Later in 2008, I started a new job with Utah State University. With all this, I am busier than ever. I don’t have the time in a day to do what I need to. But, I still manage to find time to strap on the old mountain bike to the back of the car and head to the canyon, or go fishing when I want to.
Update:
I am no longer a part of BlueLeaf Web Development. My friends have left for a better life in Arizona, and we decided it would be too hard to run the business together with such a distance between us. I let them take BlueLeaf, as it started to take a turn in a direction I really didn’t envision when I decided to start it.We are still good friends, and I wish them the best in their endeavors.
