Hi there!

I'm Ben Kimball, and I'd like to tell you a little about myself.

Physical Manifestation

I've recently moved to Redmond, Washington, after over three decades in Austin, Texas. It feels nice to be back in the pacific northwest area of the United States, where I was born and raised.

Occupational Particularity

By day, I'm a mild-mannered software developer at Xplore, a Bellevue-based space startup. I've been doing this kind of work for 29 years now, which is an awfully long time in web years. If you're curious how that happened, feel free to peruse my résumé.

Extracurricular Stimuli

But by night (and weekends), I transform into... well, actually I kind of remain a mild-mannered software developer. (That's my secret... I'm always mild-mannered.) But I have many other interests and hobbies.

LEGO AFOL

As a child I was obsessed with LEGO™ elements. After my own personal Dark Ages, I returned to the hobby as an Adult Fan of LEGO™ (AFOL). I've been active in TEXLUG and SEALUG, and I was fortunate enough to participate in the LEGO™ Inside Tour in 2021. I've exhibited a few small creations of my own design at LEGO™ conventions and in the LEGO™ retail store in Austin, TX.

Flight

In 2010 I obtained a student pilot's license and began learning to fly. I began in the Piper Archer II, transitioning into a Tecnam Bravo, one of the new breed of Light Sport category aircraft, or "LSA". By January 2011 I made my first solo flight in the Bravo, doing three takeoffs and landings to full stops at 50R in Lockhart, Texas. I've experienced no other feeling in the world quite like what I felt during that successful solo, and I highly recommend it. I'm currently building a Van's RV-12iS light sport aircraft for personal use.

Music

I'm a percussionist and pianist, and I occasionally fiddle with a bass guitar. I'm learning about transcription and arrangement. I also enjoy electronic music composition.

Craft

I enjoy learning new skills, and over the years I have picked up a weird collection of them: I can sew, work with wood, rivet aircraft aluminum, perform basic soldering, sculpt 3D models for prototyping or rendering, and solve the Rubik's cube in a few minutes. I also paint very very small miniature figures, which I use in my next passion:

Gaming

I will play nearly any kind of game, from my all-time favorite, go, to Settlers of Catan™ to Dungeons and Dragons™ to Bridge, and I can talk your ear off about game design, game theory, and game... what, sociology? psychology? Let's say community. Most of my very best friends were made at a gaming table. It's been an excellent place to meet people with similiar qualities and interests: curiosity, intellect, imagination, and humor.

Welcome!

Would you like to say hello? You can find me on Bluesky LinkedIn, GitHub, and of course ye olde electronic mail, iam@benkimball.com.