High School Story/Reflections/Memories:
I worked 11 years as an electronic technician in Salt Lake for Evans and Sutherland building, installing, and troubleshooting pilot training flight simulators for military jets like the F-15 Eagle, F-18 Hornet, and commercial aircraft including the big jumbo jets. My favorite project was the shuttle pilot trainer for NASA. I spent 3 months in Houston at Johnson Space Center installing our simulator that trained the shuttle pilots how to dock with the orbiting Space Station.
I worked as a field engineer in New Hampshire a few years before coming back to SLC to take care of dad. After he passed, I moved back to Massachusetts to work for Raytheon Defense Systems, which is where I am currently employed.
I have been teaching fitness classes off & on since age 26. I am currently teaching core strength, yoga, and indoor cycling/spinning every week...keeps me healthy! Of course Ann & I are away every weekend rain or shine, winter or summer, hiking, kayaking, or biking around the New England states!
I went from Highland High right to Westminster College for jazz performance. One of the highlights was playing at Donta's Jazz club in Hollywood. After two years I transferred to the U of U to the music department while considering enrolling in the electrical engineering program. There is nothing quite like standing on the 50 yard line at halftime soloing my guts out to a crowd of 30,000 football fans.
I quit playing the trumpet after college and got serious about a career and earning an income. 20 years passed with life experiences like being laid off (several times!), the birth of my beautiful daughter Katie, divorce, etc. and I suddenly found myself somehow hollow. I "came back" in 2003 and now play jazz better than ever before!
UPDATE November 2016:
I just read Marc James update regarding his retirement, having more time to restore Ford Mustangs, be with kids & grand kids, etc. and reread his original comments about all the good times in high school playing jazz together. Happy retirement my friend. Enjoy the next phase of this gift called life!
UPDATE June 2022: After 14 years as a senior mfg engineer at Raytheon, I retired in April 2022. I have time now to play in 4 jazz bands AND create a garden paradise in our backyard where we live now in Concord NH.