As many know, I left IBM in early 1975. After bumming around for 5 years and a failed marriage, I wound up working for the County of Westchester as a range officer at Blue Mountain Sportsman Center.

As the years went by, I started working on PC's for the county and was encouraged by my boss.

In 1992, I was literally sitting in the right chair. I was originally asked to help in installing photoid systems at the golf courses. This lead to working on the newly installed tee time reservation system. Talk about a quantum leap. From cutting grass to managing a Unix system.

Later, we added point of sales system to the works, in all 5 golf courses.

My how my little empire grew.

By late 1995, I picked up a boss and the 2 of us supported the systems. A few months later, early 1996 we installed point of sale systems at 5 parks and upgraded the point of sale systems at Playland Amusement Park.

Due to all the OT, spelled big pay checks, I renewed my interest in getting my private pilots license. In August 1998, I finally realized my dream.

However, the excitement turns to boredom from too many flights alone. You run out of friends acquaintances and such to go flying with.

Near the end of September, I was yakking with Judi via e-mail about the ibmers reunion the following year.

To this day I cannot explain why I suddenly just asked her "You wanna go flying?"

We finally got together in October and I took her for the royal tour. From Danbury, CT to the Croton Point Park down to Manhattan via the river. Due to flight restrictions I have to fly below 500 ft just as we came over the George Washington Bridge.

Due to the excellent weather, the view of NYC was spectacular. We felt that we were flying over a giant model of the city.

Its hard to believe, that people in the taller buildings were looking down on us. We circled the Statue of Liberty a few times then headed back up the river. About 5 miles south of the Tappan Zee Bridge, we hung a left into New Jersey and Caldwell Airport. Just a stones throw from the parking spot, is an excellent restaurant fashioned after a WWII English Inn.

After a really great dinner, and chatting about every thing under the sun, we became very comfortable with each other. Neither one of us felt this was like a first date but just old friends out for a night. Little did I know what the future would bring.

We continued to see each other more regularly and finally I moved in.

Neither one of us wanted to even discuss the "M" word, but it started creeping into our conversations. One night in May 1998, we were just talking when I realized we had actualy proposed to each other, in a crazy sort of way.

The following July we tied the knot and I've never regretted it. We sometimes wonder what would have happened had this been years ago. So much for spilled milk.

In late 2000, one of the houses owned by the parks department became available. Judi fell in love with it first sight. We moved in the following September and its been a gas since then.