Member Profile

It all began one cold and windy day in Saskatchewan. In fact it was so windy it was the reason for my first name. My childhood days were probably typical of a normal but ugly kid on the prairies. How ugly was I? I was so ugly my mom would have to tie a steak bone to my neck before the dog would play with me.

When I was 16, we got our first television set complete with two channels. Television seemed to be magic even though it looked like it was snowing everywhere in the world. Two years later I decided that it was time to go forth and seek my fortune (read debts).

In my search for the wheel of life I spent a couple of years in university, a number of years in the RCAF, and am presently designing instrument approaches (TERPS).

It was at university that my interest in computers began. The languages of the day were FORTRAN and COBOL. I learned the hard way the cold logic of flowcharting by retyping thousands of Hollerith punch cards for the ever insulting IBM 360.

Even though I had guessed that one day there would be a computer in every home, I was amazed when the Apple computer was introduced in 1977. The costs for a computer were prohibitive for me, until 1982 when an add in an electronics magazine said…”Introducing the Sinclair ZX 81, only $149.95″. So at Christmas my children had a computer. The kids were not impressed with the plastic membrane keyboard and limited RAM. So the following Christmas Santa left a Vic 20 and I got the T/S 1000 by default. The rest as they say is history. Today my computer selection includes several T/S 1000s, a Micro-Professor, Vic 20, TI 99, PC 8300, T/S 1500, and a QL.

About five years ago I joined TSUG of Vancouver. This club has greatly enriched my knowledge on computers in general and is responsible for my fascination with the T/S 1000. I will be forever indebted to all the club’s past and present executive, to the Hardware Group, and to all the members who have added so much to the club. I literally cherish our monthly ZX-Appeal magazines. All this for only $15.00 a year, what a deal!

So when I am not playing aeroplane, sailor, lover, or attack dog, I am playing computer.

With all the new hardware and great Hi-Res programs it probably goes without saying that the only computer on my desk is the “One Thousand”.