Meet Patch Blogger Mike Ripinski

Do you read the blogs on your local Patch? Blogging is fun, easy, free and open to everyone. Royal Oak Patch wants readers to get to know our local bloggers. This week we are featuring

Mike Ripinski has lived in Royal Oak for over 35 years. His passions include volunteering with the Optimist Club and serving on three different City of Royal Oak volunteer committees. 

When he is not volunteering, or selling residential real estate with his wife Dawne, you will find him on a golf course or here on Royal Oak Patch blogging about the may great things happening in our community.

Ripinski also just , a sleuthing tale set in south Oakland County that revolves around a murder and a real estate deal on a well-traveled road in Troy.

Here is some information Ripinski shared with us in an email interview:

Tell us a little about yourself, your interests, your accomplishments, what's important to you.

My main interest is caring for and insuring the well-being of my family. I have had many other interests and accomplishments in my almost 62 years on this planet but family will always be number one.

Some of my varied interests over the years include local and national politics, social causes, American history and travel. I am an avid reader with mystery and suspense being my favorite genres but I enjoy a well done biography now and then. My favorite authors are Elmore Leonard and David Baldacci.

I am a hopeless, hapless golfer who shoots in the mid 80s on very good day but more often I am happy to break 100.

In April of this year I published my first novel -  - with 2 Moon Press out of Marshall MI and I have had a lot of fun promoting and sharing stories about my book.

I like to think that my greatest accomplishment (shared with my wife Dawne) is seeing our twin daughters grow into mature, successful young ladies and they continue to amaze and impress us everyday. We are also very proud of our new granddaughter – Madeleine Rose Mugler.

What do you do for a living?

I have had varied careers in business starting in retail with JC Penney, with whom I spent 21 years in merchandise management and human resources. I have also had my own consulting business for a short time and was employed in property management for 12 years before retiring for exactly one day. Since November 2010, I have thoroughly enjoyed selling residential real estate full-time with Dawne at in Royal Oak.

Why do you like to blog and what subjects are your favorites to write about?

My favorite blog subjects are local charities and clubs as well as the individuals who make a difference with their contributions to our community.

Do you have a favorite quotation?

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." -Winston Churchill

“ They call it golf because all the other four letter words were taken.” -Raymond Floyd ( pro golfer)

Do you have a favorite Royal Oak hangout?

I am an unabashed fan of Downtown Royal Oak and we like to dine at just about any of the great restaurants. Our favorites are , , and . You can find us at one of thoseplaces just about any Friday or Saturday night.

Did you know that anyone can blog on his or her local Patch? You might choose to blog for personal, educational or informational reasons or perhaps your business would like to create a blog about their services. Bloggers are always welcome, so feel free to speak out on issues both large and small. Blogging on Patch is fun and can be done on your schedule with no deadlines. You can post multiple entries per day or just a few times a month. Patch blogs were created to be a forum of free expression for everyone. Ready to get started? Visit the "Blog on Patch" page and get started now!