Cathi's Back Page 1

Originally posted July 21, 2000

WINGÉD THINGS

In this area I will be attempting to create my very own website. I plan to include links to some of the wonderful websites that I enjoy visiting. We both like butterflies. I took this photograph in our front yard on August 5, 1993.

NON-WINGÉD THINGS

I still can't believe that I know as much about the computer as I do. Cobol and Fortran at the local Technical School. Both of those programming languages have long since been obsolete. I guess now would be a good time to mention that I was a fully "licensed professional" keypunch machine operator. By-the-way, the small rectangular squares punched out of IBM cards are officially called "chad." I minored in the 519 Card Sorter. Later when the technology became more modern, I mastered a machine called the Dataspeed 40. The Dataspeed was popular around the time fax machines were the size of a floor model television. From the Dataspeed I moved "up" to an IBM computer that was neither an AT or an XT. Those models came later. The old IBM was so underpowered that I couldn't even load Lotus 1-2-3, an early spreadsheet program. I used a program called Symphony. It was a junior rip-off of Lotus. The last time I saw a copy of Symphony, it was in the "morgue" area of a storage room along with a collection of print balls for the old IBM Selectric typewriters. The first word processing program that I used was WordPerfect. I think it was 1.0, but it might have been 2.0. Later Michael bought WordPerfect 4.1 for me as a birthday gift. (That isn't a misprint [4.1 was the version for our old computer, the legendary Atari ST]).

ARTS +/- CRAFTS

This is a sample of my artwork. I call it "The First Sewing Lesson." I used to be heavily into crafts. I learned to embroider and knit before I started elementary school. Later I progressed to needlepoint, crewel, counted cross-stitch and dressmaking. By the time I was in junior high school I was making all of my own clothes, except footwear and underwear. I had a very original one-of-a-kind prom dress, needless to say.; I was my high school's winner of the Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow Award. My photograph, accepting my award was in the local newspaper. I only signed up for the test to annoy my homeroom teacher. She was one of the Home-Ec teachers. Her daughter had a crush on my brother and the prom was fast approaching and she kept bugging me. I only took cooking as a elective, never sewing. I actually kept trying to take shop, any shop, wood, metal, electric, I didn't care. After I graduated coeds were permitted in shop classes. I also tried to be a member of the Audio/Visual squad in Junior High School. Girls were not welcome there either. In hindsight it's pretty funny. I was taller and more muscular than the little "geeks" that got to do it. C'est la vie!

Later I worked with some friends who had a boutique selling their original fashions. They were both very artistic and creative. I handled the more pedestrian matters like where to put the zippers, buttons and darts. (You know those mundane details that become very important when you actually go to put the dress on.) I accomplished these feats of magic on a 1929 model single treadle (acoustic) Singer sewing machine. I probably should have taken care of their books as well. (They went "mostly" bankrupt.) I gave up my crafty ways awhile back. If you look up carpal tunnel syndrome in the dictionary, you will find a photograph of me. These days it has been upgraded to neuropathy.

UNPARALLEL LINES

This is one of my favorite photographs of myself. Although I am uncertain whether its the actual photograph or the story that goes with it that intrigues me more. According to family legend, my Dad wanted to take a photograph of me and I kept scooting off of the sofa:; (1.) to get to the camera. It was shiny and I wanted to play with it. (2.) Dad was calling my name and smiling at me to get me to smile for the picture and I wanted to play with him. (3). Or maybe I was trying to get off of the sofa, so that the awful 1950's floral print sofa would not give away my age years later when everyone at work was asked to bring in a baby picture of themselves for a "Guess Who I Grew Up To Be Contest." (Yes, I'm sure the fact that the photo is black and white would have fooled people.) Anyway, this is me just add some hair and eyeglasses. I still have the same cheeks, ears and serious lack of eyebrows. The old fashioned border was left on deliberately to add charm. I wanted this section to have a nostalgic family scrapbook look to it. I like a little low tech, now and again.

SPEAKING OF LOW TECH

I took this photograph of a full moon in 1972 with a Kodak X-30 and ASA 80 film. The X-30 has an electronic shutter and yes, I did/do own a minipod (camera stand) and a shutter release cable. The worn look to the photo is from being carried around in my wallet for more than 20 years. I left it that way on purpose! Michael prefers a more professional polished look. I don't see anything evil about a few flaws.

CIRCLES

I like circles. One of my all time favorite songs is "Circle" by Harry Chapin. I really didn't see much point in our having a website.; The purpose of a personal website, as far as I know, is to have a way for people to get to know you. Do I really want that? Sometimes knowing less is better!

It will take me awhile to open up and talk about more recent goings on in my life. I have a large collection of stories, mostly funny, all true, that I may decide to share. I'll have to change the names and places to protect the "guilty." I may even decide to post some of my odd poetry, or not.

I do plan to share some of my more recent photographs, especially the flowers!

csp 7/21/00

Visit Cathi's Back Page 2 or Cathi's Back Page 3. Also, there is a new Cathi's Corner.

Or you can return to the 1002 Home Page.

I've also started to tell the story of our home's history. The first two parts are called as Ten-Oh Two (Before the Early Years) and Ten-Oh Two (Day One). There is a new installment of this saga titled "Here Comes the Bride" in the latest update.