[meteorite-list] Whut I Du 2

From: David Freeman <dfreeman_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:37:39 2004
Message-ID: <3A4EB67A.27FDA492_at_fascination.com>

Oh What the Heck!
I grew up in rural Northern lower Michigan as a backwards woods-hick that
went to a one room school through the fourth grade, I have three younger
brothers and a sister. Nope; the Russians nor Cubans never did blow us up!
We didn't get indoor plumbing until I was ten years old. School bus ride from
fifth grade on was an hour each way. I graduated 230 out of a class of
251...I never dated in school or went to any H.S. sports events. I hung
around with the looser-sub nerdy wrench head car guys who smoked a lot of
cigarettes (but did have hot rod cars). My 30 year class reunion is in July,
and it will be extreme fun for me.
I did hunt deer, trap, fish year round, live in the woods and go barefoot all
summer as we did not wear any shoes in the summer. I studied dirt, trees and
bugs all first hand. I have camped out every month of the year. My first
barber hair cut was when I went in the service at 17 and went off to the asian
conflict. I had never seen a Howard Johnson's or a Peterbuilt truck. I did
not die in Vietnam.
I became a mechanic, and then a earth moving equipment operator later on, an
explosives expert, a driller, welder, plumber, electrician, surveyor, and
ended up in environmental remediation work.
I have related to terra firma from my childhood fossil collection and when my
parents home burned to the ground while I was over seas, the only thing that I
had left was a granite hand carved pig that I bought in Hong Kong. From then
on, my soul has been drawn to rocks as they are mostly indestructible by the
common influences of our lives (fire, wind, water, and small bulldozers).
I now am at the top of the rock pile in Jade and petrified wood in my area of
Wyoming, and near the top in meteorites here as well...now that is scary!
I have methodically prospected for gold, diamonds, rubies, and jade all within
150 miles of where I now sit. I have an extensive collection of wood, jade,
dinosaur bone, fossil algae, artifacts, and petrified oddities. I live in a
great eocene lake bed with a cretaceous uplift and the largest volcano in the
world is four hours away.
I haven't mentioned breaking wild horses, shooting sports, or horse packing
elk and moose in the grizzly bear woods, or mountain climbing the peaks of the
Wind Rivers, or how I just love to play on the computer even though I am
mostly illiterate at it. I have had five years of country dance lessons and
five more years of extensive practice. I was a pot head alcoholic and now, I
haven't drank or smoked for 13 years.
Now, in my mind, I have finally amounted to something...a rock guy, a
meteorite hunter! And the coolest thing of all is that I get to hang out with
great personalities and scientists here on the list that make me feel
important too, even if it is in a weird sort of way!
Thanks for reading this far, there is hope for all of us at the bottom to
improve through living the passions in our lives.
Best New Years, and no regrets,
Dave F.
http://www.wyomingjade.com
http://photos/yahoo.com/happybachlor2000 enjoy

Tracy Latimer wrote:

> I come in from the other end of the spectrum -- as has been previously
> revealed, I work at the Kihei Public Library in Maui, Hawaii. This allows
> me free rein to "feed the Elephant's Child" and read anything that strikes
> my fancy. In the course of handling books for patrons, there is a great
> deal of serendipity; I've been sent off on many a quest by finding a
> chance book for someone. I feel pretty lucky in my avocation.
>
> I did not start off in the library business. It was a long, strange
> drift, starting with mechanical engineering in college, then into
> industrial design when I encountered irreconcilable differences with
> differential equations. Industrial design palled when I found that my
> professors didn't like my designs, and I wound up with a degree in fine
> art (my senior show was called "radical change", appropriately enough.)
> Since then, I've worked in a print shop, a medical supply house, as a
> jewelrysmith (briefly), the perpetual fast food jobs, and a handful of
> other things before settling in Maui. All my various career changes have
> taught me a great respect for almost any job, provided it is done
> competently and with a certain amount of relish.
>
> I still get to go out at night, not always to the beach, and look up at
> the stars, and marvel...
>
> Tracy Latimer
>
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> Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
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Received on Sat 30 Dec 2000 11:30:51 PM PST