PICTURES
5 years old
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Huntsville, Alabama
Elementary - Grade School - Houston
My father had me and my brothers work most weekends at his rental properties, where he purchased older homes and then refurbished them, and rented them. I was paid $5 per day to do plumbing, roofing, sheetrock, electrical, etc. It was hard, sweaty work for someone that was less than a teenager. If you ever worked on a roof during the summer, then you know what I mean...
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Junior High - Houston
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Junior High - Houston
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High School - Houston
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High School - Houston
By 17 years old, I had purchased a Chevy Malibu (1975) and a Suzuki 550 motorcycle. I paid for both of these with my own money. I paid for the gas and insurance. I paid for my flying lessons out of Hobby Airport, starting at 15 years old, and was flying a Grumman TR-2 aircraft, by myself, before I had a driver's license. For 3 months after I turned 16 (before I had a driver's license), I flew an airplane by myself, and paid for the lessons myself, while working for Bay Area Painting - painting apartment complexes and commercial townhomes. I made up to $400 per week during the summer. Not bad for a high school kid at that time. I had a "straight A" average in High School and graduated 3rd in my class out of ~750 students.
My father and mother were workaholics. My father worked long hours at NASA during the Apollo program. My mother worked long hours as an attorney.
I was one of 5 children. I was not given anything. I worked hard and long hours for it, and I earned it.
My father and mother were workaholics. My father worked long hours at NASA during the Apollo program. My mother worked long hours as an attorney.
I was one of 5 children. I was not given anything. I worked hard and long hours for it, and I earned it.
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College - Texas A&M University (TAMU)
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College - Texas A&M University (TAMU)
The Heroes
I learned to play the guitar, and started a band, without any formal lessons. This was my band at Texas A & M University - the Heroes. I formed the band. We were actually quite good. We held weekly band practice in a study room in the dormitory. (I made good grades at Texas A & M in Aerospace Engineering, and eventually got into Stanford.) We played Eagles, Stones, Beatles, America, etc. - "middle of the road," Rock 'n Roll. I became the President of the Musician's Club at TAMU and we held a huge Spring Concert with many bands starting at noon, and ending around midnight - 12 hours of music in one day, at the Grove outdoor ampitheater at Texas A & M, 1982. Many bands, thousands of listeners. It was very successful... I wish we had a recording of the whole concert. It was a good show.
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Playing solo at an outdoor concert in Connecticut, 1982. 21 years old. The stage is an 18-wheeler truckbed. I was told there were about 3000 people in the farmer's field. It was a big crowd for me.
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Grad School - Stanford University
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Grad School - Stanford University
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Rocket Engine development
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Rocket Engine development
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