For some reason, Paragraphs don't show up once submitted: The following is Tim’s story in his own words. He had been asked to write it as part of our parent’s 50th anniversary present. At the time, 1995, he was stationed in Saudi Arabia. My Life My earliest memories are of sitting in a stroller and watching the world go by. I am not sure if I was at Six Flags in Dallas. I distinctly remember the “log ride” with the people off to the side sawing logs and , thanks to whomever was taking me, the large saw blade at the top of the ride. My next memory is of a swimming pool in Florida. I remember somebody trying to coax me into the water and that it tasted very salty, so maybe it was the ocean. I was pretty young and I remember it as a swimming pool in Uncle Don’s back yard. There are a lot of things I still remember from when I was very young, like Jeremiah 17:9, “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” Or my address “123 Hillside Drive, Marshall Wisconsin 53559.” I’m not sure about the zip though. I know these things, but I don’t remember learning them. While living in Wisconsin there are several events that will always remain clearly in my mind. I remember Jim telling me that the yolk of a boiled egg was where the feathers of the little baby chick came from. I almost got sick, and I still don’t like the yolk to this day, even though I know better. That dry texture is just too much. Jim is also responsible for getting me hooked on Carmex lip balm. I remember sitting on the counter in the kitchen with chapped lips and Jim putting Carmex on them. Now I don’t go anywhere without it. I hardly even use the stuff. A jar can last over a year, but as soon as I leave it behind, my lips start to dry out, especially if it’s cold outside. I never liked the cold. I don’t know if it was Jim or Dave that taught me to make a snow cave, but I got pretty good at it. When Mom would finally get tired of having me in the house and make me go outside, I would usually go around the back of the house and build a snow cave so I could stay warm. When I thought Mom might let me back in, I would go back to the house. Overall, it worked pretty well. Then there is Kelly Pierce and Dave's camera. All I have to say is that Dave had to pay good money for those pictures. The real story was Tommy’s sister and me. Speaking of Tommy, I remember his dad was deaf, but just vaguely. What I remember most is the dart board downstairs, and all the trophies. I also remember throwing darts with Tommy. I was sitting at a barstool, waiting for my turn. tommy was throwing, and one of the darts went a little left and hit me in the chest. It just kind of hung there. I also remember Tommy’s mom and Mom being overly concerned, Tommy and I had both already learned our lesson, and we were both scared out of our wits. Mostly about getting a spanking for playing with the darts when we knew better. My trip on an airplane to Texas is pretty memorable too. I remember my ears popping and not being able to hear very well. I remember the plastic glasses filled with hot water and cotton balls or maybe napkins and holding them over my ears. I also remember opening and closing the window shade at the terminal because the people in the terminal couldn’t see you wave from the plane. More on the trip later. Tornadoes were another event that stuck in my mind. I remember everyone out on the front lawn looking at a very dark sky, an may times when everyone was in the basement because it was too dangerous to be upstairs. Tornadoes scared me because I had no idea what one was. Kind of like firecrackers. I remember the dreaded Fourth of July trip down to the end of the block to watch the fireworks at the lake. They scared me because all of the sudden the sky would just explode. I didn’t care how they looked, they were just loud and I didn’t know how they worked or what they were, and I didn’t like them. I remember Mikey Pache but not Debbie. The biggest reason I remember Mike was his radio controlled boat. I used to wonder how you could put it in the water without shocking everyone who was swimming because it was electric. Steve and Lisa Weorpel are most memorable to me because of their dog. I remember walking down the hill to their house and the dog latching on to my finger hard enough that when I pulled away, I lifted the whole dog off the ground. I remember my bicycle and my tractor and trailer. Trying to convince Dad to take the training wheels off, and towing Missy in the trailer behind my tractor. My fascination with science started early. In kindergarten we built a paper mache’ triceratops and painted it. I remember painting the belly using a creeper. It was a lot of fun, but pretty messy too, I guess. I also remember my ABC’s book and starting to learn how to read. Trips to the chiropractor are another thing I remember. I was always afraid he would push too hard and break something. I didn’t realize how much I would miss everything until one evening while I was sitting on the tailgate of the U-HAUL trailer the night before we left for Texas. I realized that I probably wouldn’t see my friends again and I sat back there and cried. I wanted to move, but I wanted to take everyone with me. On the way down, I remember the car seat and peeing in a bottle because we didn’t need to stop for gas yet. It was a long trip and I was glad when we finally got there and I could get out of the car and run around. I was pretty sure I was going to be happy here. Getting mail became an adventure all in itself. The sand was deep, hot and loaded with my newest nemesis, the sticker burr. Then there was the outdoor shower-pretty ingenious I thought. I remember sleeping in the little house on foam rubber. Pretty comfy. The heat was something else. As long as I was playing in the woods it was cool enough, but the trips to the mailbox were like trips through a desert. The bulldozer coming in and clearing the trees where we started building the house was impressive to watch. I remember almost everything about building the house, knowledge that I will one day put to good use when I build my own. Fire ants were a new problem, and gasoline seemed to be the cure. For Mom’s sake, I won’t go into my many experiments with a container of gasoline in my hand and matches in my pocket, on the hunt for fresh fire ant mounds. suffice it to say that surprise followed loosely be fear accompanied several of these excursions. Another new item was the jalapeno pepper. Jim’s feeble attempts at convincing me it was a pickle didn’t work, so we teamed up on Kevin. He was so overcome that he ran all the way home to get a drink when there was a faucet about three feet away. I couldn’t help but to laugh. Speaking of Kevin, the first time I came to Texas we ended up staying overnight at someone else’s house. I remember whoever it was asking us what we thought about Santa Claus. I explained my point of view and debated with Kevin and this other person about the existence of this icon. I guess I won because the rest of the kids that were in the house didn’t believe in Santa when I left. I remember Mom scolding me for telling everyone, but it was their fault for asking as far as I was concerned. Some of the biggest influences were subtle ones. Watching the evening news was one that I still do to this day. In fact, I feel out of touch if I can’t flip on CNN and check out what is happening at least a couple times a day. I like the news, but I totally disagree with their politics. The first president I can remember is President Ford. Things seemed all right while he was in the office. At least from my perspective. Then came Carter. The price of almost everything went way up. They called it “inflation”. There were lines to get gas. We had hostages everywhere and the military took some big hits with the failed rescue attempt of the hostages. In general, the world seemed pretty scary. Then came Reagan. We got our hostages back, the military regained its strength, and we didn’t let other countries walk all over us anymore. We became a superpower again and I felt safe. The Bush stepped in and did just fine. The Cold War ended and the economy was pretty stable. I have learned over time that I am about as conservative as they come politically. It isn’t that I adopted their views or anything, it is that the beliefs I developed throughout my life just happen to match the conservative point of view. Clinton has served to cement my views politically. I think I have always been fascinated with speed and flight. I remember building my CO-s car and having everyone tell me it wouldn’t be able to take the stress and break. It didn’t, and it taught me that what everyone else thinks doesn’t matter. Then there were model rockets to build and launch. I don’t know which was more fun, building them or launching them. Launching them was definitely more nerve-racking because I never knew if I would find it again. This taught me that no matter how much work you put into something, and no matter how proud you are of it when it’s done, if you aren’t willing to take a chance at losing it all, it will never reach its full potential.. It also taught me that you can always start over, and since you have already done it once, it will be easier next time. Another of my favorites was balsa airplanes, preferable with the props driven by rubber bands. Paper airplanes were good too. especially the ones made from the instructions in the books I sometimes got. From there, I progressed to the old control line plane we had. It was fine for a shot time, but standing in the middle of the yard and spinning around in circles trying to control it made me dizzy after awhile. Then I went for a ride in Jeff Johnson’s airplane. Wow! It was great to be able to look down at the world as it went by. I have been hooked ever since. Jim’s RC helicopter was another impressive experience. It seemed to be a fairly inexpensive way to enjoy flight. But I ended up getting an RC plane years late,which, due to radio problems and lack of money, never made it past a high speed taxi before I sold it. Now there are flight simulators that are much less expensive. There are three different ones on the computer I am typing this on. They don’t completely satisfy my urge to fly, but they are a lot less expensive. Motorcycles are another means of partially satisfying my desires. What I really want is a so called “Supercar” like an Acura NSX or a Ferrari F-40, but unless I hit the lottery or get a really, really good job, I’ll never be able to afford one. I can get the same performance from a motorcycle for a lot less money. I just get wet when it rains. It’s not that I ride everywhere at 155 mph plus. It’s just nice to know it’s there if I want it. When I was in Germany on the Autobahn, I definitely wanted it! I would have gotten run over at anything under 130. I’ve thought about going into racing but I don’t think I could afford it. A lot of my time, and money, has been spent on cars. Starting with my first car, the Ford Maverick. More time than money was spent on this car. Changing the transmission and trying to keep it running, and the addition of a stereo, taught me a lot about automobiles and electronics. But my heart was set on something else. I just wasn’t sure what. While I was dating Marilee, her best friend Alicia and I talked about what kind of car I should get. She had always liked Bugs, and I had always thought pretty highly of them myself because there was always one in Grandma and Grandpa Hoecherl’s garages. we decided that a red convertible with a black tope was the way to go. I, however, had to have something unique. When I saw the ’66 in the parking lot off Highway 135 I had to have it. I remembered when I first started driving, had seen a a “For Sale” sign in the window and stopped to have a look. The asking price was $4000, which was way out of my price range, but that had been a year and a half ago. I pulled in and got out to take a look at the car and didn’t see a “For Sale” sign anymore, until I looked inside. It was lying on the seat and the price said $1500. that was still a little high for me, but I thought maybe Mom and Dad might help me. I wanted that car so bad. I was sure Mom and Dad were going to say, “No,” but they didn’t. I became the proud owner of a Volkswagen Beetle. I learned a lot about how engines work, the importance of keeping the engine components clean, and what happens when you jump in over your head. Mom and Dad were going to Wisconsin, and I had to stay because of work. I had recently purchased a set of pistons and jugs from the guy at the junk yard. He told me, “These will put some fire under her.” He was right, but not like I thought. I took the engine out and went to work putting the new jugs on. a lot of stuff was really dirty, so I cleaned it up a little and started re-assembling the engine. Several gaskets were cracked or torn but I put them back on because I didn’t have the cash for new ones. Kevin and I put the engine back in the car and I took off for Diane’s house. About 40 miles later the engine started to smoke. Five miles later it started to really lose power. Six miles from Diane’s house it completely died. It was smoking very heavily and the metal in the engine was pinging. I had no sooner raised the very hot deck lid than Diane and her Mom came over the top of the hill in their pickup. They towed me back to their house where I ended up staying until Mom and dad got back. Volkswagen Beetles are a special breed of car. You have to learn the rules according to VW. If you absolutely have to get somewhere, like California, it’s perfectly safe to get in and go. However, if you merely want to go to the corner video store to browse you are really tempting disaster. Of course, how well you take care of it determines how far from home you will get before disaster strikes. If you take really good care of it, it will die right in the driveway, assuming it starts. If you have been neglecting it, you could find yourself walking a long way. My latest Beetle is a beautiful 1956 model. It is Porsche Indian Red and Mobile Home white, with a white rag-top. It’s very pretty, but it’s also very fast. It also sucks up money like an industrial vacuum cleaner. I have learned that money is not nearly as important as most people seem to think it is. It is only paper with a lot of ink. It doesn’t represent anything tangible, only an idea. You work. You get paid. You exchange the paper for things you need. In other words, as long as you are a productive member of society, you are given the means to survive. I learned the value of being a productive member of society early. It started with doing chores for an allowance, but that wasn’t where I really learned the lesson. Working weekends at Pine Cove really taught me the value of work. There was more to it than getting paid. there was the feeling of doing something useful and helping others. that’s the main reason I volunteered to work on the Tim Team, and I think that was one o the best learning experiences of my life. The biggest lesson I learned was that if you were doing something you really enjoyed, the pay didn’t matter. McDonald’s was an entirely different story. When I first started, it was fun because all my friends were there, but that all changed when we got a new owner. Almost everyone left and the job satisfaction started on a downward spiral. The end of school was coming up, and college was looming. I had been bored with school for the last few years because nothing new was being taught, only a rehash of what we had already been taught but a few had not learned. I needed a break from the mundane existence of the student, but I had no idea what I was going to do. The Air Force started to look like a pretty good option. Dave and I talked it over, and he hooked me up with a good electronics specialty and off I went to basics. I have been doing something I really enjoy ever since. And though the pay is not what it would be in the civilian world, it is sufficient. The retirement, however, is not even close to sufficient. so I guess that once again I am wasting time and putting off the inevitable step toward doing something with my life. The insurance settlement I received recently gave me a taste of what is it like to have money, and it isn’t bad. I really want to buy some land and build a house. I can get the loan to do just that, but I don’t know where I want to live just yet, and I want to pay cash for at least half of it. Northern California is really expensive, and I don’t know how long I will be here. I am not prepared to go into debt on a house and then have to sell it because I have to move. Stability will be an important factor in whatever I end up doing. Debt is something else I have learned to avoid. Credit cards and loans are all too easy to get, and the interest on them can keep you in the hole for a long time. Especially when you are always on the move and mail is delayed. Many milestones have occurred in my life. Our pig, and it’s subsequent sale to someone else because we couldn’t butcher it. The Mighty Mites football team, the lack of knowledge of the game of football, and the missed plays caused by this deficiency. Mr. Bailey’s automobile accident and Paul Kinney’s scaffolding accident. The near miss in the station wagon when the two girls crashed into the car in front of us and then into the telephone pole. Mom and the ambulance in the middle of the night. Dad’s heart attack. These have been the subject of a lot of thought and the source of many lessons throughout my life. Other memorable events include Dad chasing the three wheeler up the hill after it fell off the blocks. Having a knife pulled on my in the fourth grade. Moving to a new school in the fifth grade, the oil tank explosion while we were visiting the middle school, and the TV cameras. Honors classes in middle school, and the change in who i was expected to be friends with. The Challenger explosion and its effect on NASA. Being an usher at Dave’s wedding. going on several canoe trips, especially the long overnight one with the church group. The few trips to Broken Bow Lake, Oklahoma and the experience of white water rafting. Caddo Lake and the green swampy water that you could get lost in , and how the people in the other boat thought that Pat and Jim were my parents. Upstate New York and more whit water adventures. What I think are most important though are the influences I had in my life. These would include Reagan in the area of my political views. Weeding the garden taught me two lessons. First, that nothing was easy and everything requires a little looking after. Second was that sometimes you had to do things you didn’t like. The car situation, with insurance and everything, caused me to be more independent and taught me that freedom isn’t free. Dad’s stubbornness showed me that sometimes doing things your way was really the best way. Mom’s open mindedness taught me that you can learn a lot from someone by keeping an open mind. The trick is to know when to be stubborn and when to be open minded. Mom and Dad’s relationship has demonstrated to me what marriage is really about. And the family has really epitomized how a family should be. Yes we have our differences, but we are family, and in the end, that is what is truly important. This Christmas, I would like to say thanks Mom and Dad for the best gift of all, your love and guidance throughout my life. And thanks to Kathy, David, Jim, Pat and Barb for their help along the way. Merry Christmas to all of you! I miss you all! Hope to see you soon. Love, Tim