There are a lot of people looking forward to the opening of the new development, nook. Drake Campbell, Bluestone’s newest Senior Tech, is one of them. 

Drake is originally from Thurman, Iowa, “where everybody knew everybody, so everybody was in everybody's business.” With a population of about 200, Thurman didn’t offer much in the way of entertainment or economic opportunity. When he was 21, he lit out for the bright lights, landed in Council Bluffs, and eventually bought a house in Carter Lake.

Some years ago, Drake found himself falling for his best work friend; luckily, the feelings were mutual. Because the company discouraged dating among employees, they tried to keep it a secret, but when that failed, they left the company. Despite a supervisor’s warning that it wouldn’t last, they have been married for 4 years, and happily.

Drake and his wife have two dogs, 7-year-old Brindled Mountain Cur Lemmy (“Sixty pounds of pure athlete,” named after Lemmy Kilmister from Motorhead) and a nine-year-old Corgi mix named Bindi. To add to the fun, in August they welcomed their first child, Mina. “She's still squishy, but she's growing like a weed.” Mina was named after the heroine in Bram Stoker's Dracula. Drake's interest in classical horror movies (yes to Godzilla, no to Freddy Krueger) also influences his taste in television (Penny Dreadful, Gordon Ramsay).

With a new job, a new baby, and a happy marriage, Drake doesn't have much in the way of spare time. “Right now, that's the case. But previous to that I enjoyed riding my custom-built Harley. In the evenings, I usually hung out, watched TV with the wife, or I’d go out to my buddy's house to play Magic: The Gathering. It's a card game, it's like poker night for us.”

Before you start thinking that once a little spare time opens up, Drake will be off on his bike and his wife will be stuck at home or, if she’s lucky, straddling the back of the Harley—well, think again. She's got her own bike, a Honda Navi 110.

“When I was working at Edwards Motorsports, I was a PDI tech. We got the new machines and helped prep them and build them. That was actually the second one sold at our dealership. . . I unloaded it off the truck, I uncrated it, I built it, and I bought it, all within one day. Serial number 80, one of the first ones in the country.”

If Drake had one regret, it would probably be that he gave up the dream of being a professional rock musician. He still has all of his guitars, but he hasn’t played in a long time. Maybe Mina will pick them up someday? “I hope so. We had music playing in the delivery room to help with the labor. The very first song that played after she was born was ‘Hellraiser’ by Ozzie Osborne and Lemmy Kilmister.” Something tells us Mina is going to be a very interesting child. Good luck, Drake, and rock on, Mina!