Countdown to the Unknown

OK.  Maybe a bit over stated, but I am in my last week of working at a full time job anyway.  It’s hard to believe that I started this career almost 50 years ago, but I left home in August of 1966 for Cedar Rapids IA to start my life as a design engineer for the famous Collins Radio Company.  It was a very good first gig out of college for a boy from a small town (population 2500 or so) in West Virginia.  It’s taken me (and my wife from Iowa) to other jobs and other situations in Pittsburgh PA, El Paso TX, Corpus Christi TX, and wrapping up in the Austin TX area this week.

I’ve met astronauts and space pilots (that you never heard of), worked on major and minor projects in aeerospace, consumer appliances, automotive, communications and computer systems, and military applications.  Most of the time it’s been very rewarding.  I’ve worked with and for a number of great people who helped along the way. And I’ve been privileged to have some great and wonderful colleagues to lead in varioius management positions.  My dear wife has been by my side and supported me in some of my wildest, hair-brained schemes, but made it so that I always wanted to hurry home to her and our two wonderful daughters.  The three of them made it all worth while for me.

So now it’s time to go forth without the constraints of corporate meetings, customer visits, the out of town sea gulls (you know what they do on your head!) swooping in from “corporate” to rain on our parade.  I have lots of plans for the next few months for travel, and for the next couple of weeks finishing up some items on the motor home.  After that, it’s back to central Texas for the year end holidays.  We’ll regroup then and see where we want to be in 2017.

To my past, I say “Thanks for the memories.” And to the future, nice to meet you and let’s be friends.

Somewhere in Texas.

July 26, 2016