After a six-year stint in the Navy, ultimately as a cryptologic maintenance technician, Jay stayed adrift, living on his sailboat in the Bahamas at first and then working in the merchant marines for a few years. During that time he was a search and rescue swimmer and held the somewhat dubious title of “Able Seaman”. An electronics junkie from a young age, Jay eventually decided to pursue electrical engineering as a career and enrolled in SUNY Maritime in New York. He currently lives with his blessedly patient girlfriend Hilary in Colorado Springs, along with their disinterested cats, Izzy & Colonel, and scrappy dog, Lexi.