The Old Fart

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My Hobbies!

Wado-Ryu Karate

In 1960, I was living at Fairchild A.F.B., near Spokane, Washington. At the time, the Air Force was teaching Judo to all of its security personnel. The instructor, MSgt Di Francisco decided that he would offer classes for the kids on the base. I took advantage of the opportunity and studied for 5 years until my dad was transferred to Louisiana in 1965. I reached the rank of Brown belt.

In 1969, when I came back from Japan, I missed the Japanese culture. At the U, Toshio Osaka was teaching Wado-Ryu Karate. I signed up and began studying with him. I studied with him until I was drafted in 1973. By that time I was a Brown Belt.

While in the Air Force, I studied several different styles, depending upon where I was stationed. In 1975, the Air Force sent me back to Salt Lake to attend the U of Utah. I started studying with Sensei Osaka again until I was sent back to Arizona. I studied Shoto-kan for 6 months in Arizona, before being sent to Alaska.

While in Alaska, I started just working out by myself. One day, another GI came in and asked if he could work with me. He had studied Ishin-Ryu. We worked together for 11 months before I got out and returned to Salt Lake.

Once I got back to Salt Lake, I started studying with Sensei Osaka, eventually achieving the rank of Sho-dan. When I finished school, I started a new job as a teacher in Sandy, Utah. I continued working with Sensei Osaka.

One day, the counselor at the school approached me and asked if I could teach Karate at the school. I told him that I didn't feel qualified but that I knew someone who could get a teacher for the school. I approached Sensei Osaka the getting a teacher. I wondered if Randy Oyama or one of Sensei's other black belts could do it. Sensei surprised me when he told me to teach. I began teaching under sensei's supervision. I continued teaching at the school for about 7 years, before opening my own dojo in Sandy.

Eventually, family problems demanded more of my time and I closed my dojo. I practiced by my self for a while, before being approached by Toshio Takahashi. He asked me to help him teach. He had been one of Osaka Sensei's friends and I said sure. I helped him teach for a while. While working with him, I tested for Yon-dan.

Eventually, time committments with other things pulled me away. I still enjoy putting my Gi on and working on my katas. It helps me relax and feel good.

Guitar

When I was living in Japan, a friend and I began playing guitar together. We were into folk music, playing Dilan, Baez, etc. I continued playing as a private endeavor. When I was in the Air Force, playing guitar helped my relax after a long shift.

When I got married, in 1975, Joyce bought me a new guitar for our first Christmas together. I've played that guitar for 40 years. Its been fun and entertained me for hours at a time. I still love to play Peter, Paul and Mary, Simon and Garfunkle, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez or Pete Seager.

I just bought a new guitar. My daughter Jonna claimed my old one and I love to hear her play it.

Computer Programming

In 1982, I bought my first computer. I wrote my first computer program as a gradebook to help me learn to program and to make my job easier. Over the years, computer programming has entertained me, motivated me, and helped me with my job. I've programmed in BASIC, Pascal, Comal, Lisp, Fortran, C, C++, Java, C#, and HTML. I've written 1 book and taught computer programming in both middle and high school.

Gaming

While I was in the Air Force, we used simulators to train. Simulators are simply computer games designed to help develop a skill. I fell in love with playing computer games. I've written games myself and used to teach programming by having the students write games.

In 2004, I found World Of Warcraft. I found it engaging, but mostly I was amazed at the 3d graphics. Trying to understand how it work was consuming. I began writing LUA addons to help me play better. I even taught a class in WoW LUA addons programming to my students in an after school program.

Genealogy

I'm LDS. Part of our religion is trying to connect with our ancestors. Over the years I've enjoyed digging into the past trying to find my ancestorsj, learn their life stories, and understand why I'm who I am. Part of this is creating this web page. It's my way of sharing part of me with my kids, grandkids, nephews, nieces, and other extended family members.

Photography

I got my first camera in the 60's. It was a Kodak Brownie. I enjoyed taking pictures of events like the Seattle Worlds Fair, Scouting, places I've lived, and people I've known.

While in Japan, I got my first SLR, a Minolta. My friend Greg and I took lots of pictures and learned to use the photo lab at the base hobby shop to develop our pictures.

While I was at the University of Utah, I took some photography classes so that I could learn to develop color film and compose better pictures.

When I got married, I didn't have time anymore. I took lots of pictures of the kids, but never really did anything with them. Finally, when I retired, I decided that it was time to take up the camera again. I signed up for a class at the U and have been having a blast this year.