Denver, Colorado                             By the time I started working for Texaco, my focus to reach the U.S. Geological Survey was underway.  Applying to the U.S. government has always been a cumbersome and time-consuming process, a task requiring patience and persistence.  I was warned by others it would take time.  Of course I was “using” Big Oil, … Continue reading GRAD SCHOOL PART 3

My 1968 Chevelle suffered a setback in 1972.  It needed a valve job and I didn’t want to pay for the work.  I had driven it more than 100,000 miles in three years but wasn’t exactly sure because the odometer cable broke after the first year (36,000 miles).  I was too cheap or too broke … Continue reading GRAD SCHOOL PART 2

Friends have told me they wasted their high school years.  Due to a lack of motivation they remained undecided or uninterested in a career path and didn’t learn much. Alternatively, I was a model student in high school but lost it in college, especially the three years at Mines.  I sowed my oats later than … Continue reading GRAD SCHOOL PART 1

Rapid City, South Dakota My father preferred Chevys and bought his first one after the war, a green 1948 Fleetline.  He owned several and always bought new Chevys after five or six years, except for the 1963 Dodge station wagon in the middle somewhere, a slant six gutless wonder, the car I had occasional access … Continue reading UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL

Geneva, Illinois My clearest memory as a six year old has me sprinting through a grassy pasture on my grandparents’ farm in Illinois.  I was pretending to be Superman.  I practiced my flying skills after the popular show was over each week.  I ran as fast as I could with my arms outstretched, like a … Continue reading MY FIRST RECOLLECTION