SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF MY LIFE (AND SOME ORDINARY DATES)

1941  I was born in Michigan
1944  My only-sibling sister was born
1945  Moved to Austin, TX
1947  Moved to the Harold-school teacherage in NW Florida, but I
  "   skipped the entire 1st grade because I had Rheumatic Fever
1948  Entered the 2nd grade in now-gone 4-room/8-grade Harold school
1949  Lived in the teacherage at Chumuckla, FL, school and I
  "   entered the 3rd grade, where I was
  "   Halloween "King" (I think my father put $5 in the "vote" jar!-)
1950  Lived in an apartment while attending Miramar school in Miami, FL, then
  "   Entered the 4th grade at Sylvania Heights school in Miami, FL, then
  "   Moved to Glen Oaks Farm about 13 miles north of Milton, FL
1951  Entered the 5th grade at Allentown (now Central) School, FL
1953  Hospital stay because Calcium carbide + water = highly-explosive acetylene
1955  Entered the 9th grade at Milton (FL) High School
1956  Won Florida State 4-H Club Public-Speaking Contest
1958  Attended Florida Boys' State
1959  National Merit Scholarship Finalist
  "   Graduated MHS as Valedictorian and 
  "   entered Graceland College (now University), Lamoni, IA
1960  Earned a Novice-class amateur-radio (HAM) license (KN0BCC) and
  "   met Nancy Borland, my (future) wife, in Calculus class;
  "   (She changed -- and is still changing -- my whole life!)
1961  Received AA degree Summa Cum Laude (earned 78 hours in 4 semesters!)
  "   Earned a General-class amateur-radio license (W4WKV)
  "   Attended Troy State University to earn a few more semester hours
  "   Entered the University of Kansas (Harvard on the Kaw?), Lawrence, KS
  "   Received small (it bought my books) Boeing Scholarship while at KU
1962  Received small (it bought my books) RCA Scholarship while at KU
1963  Received BSEE degree "with Highest Distinction" (KU-speak for Summa Cum Laude)
  "   MTS @ Bell Telephone Laboratory (a TERRIFIC place to work!)
  "   Entered Colorado State University (on an NSF Graduate Fellowship)
  "   Proposed to Nancy on 22 Nov. (JFK had his problems, I had mine)
1964  Learned to program an IBM 1620 computer; changed my whole life!
  "   Received MS degree in Electrical Engineering from CSU
  "   Married Nancy Jane Borland; "Until death do us part"
      http://mcalhoun.sdf.org/GiveMeYourHand.jpg
      http://mcalhoun.sdf.org/GiveMeYourHand.mp3
      http://mcalhoun.sdf.org/GiveMeYourHand.mp4
  "   Entered Arizona State University (on a three-year NASA Fellowship)
1965  My only daughter was born in Phoenix, AZ, hospital
1966  Engineer @ EG&G (Las Vegas/Jackass Flats; "Q" clearance; don't ask!)
1967  Received PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from ASU
  "   Joined Fairchild Semiconductor R&D Lab (SYMBOL computer)
1968  My first son was born in Stanford, CA, hospital
1969  Certified for Life to teach in California Adult-Education Program
1970  My second son was born in Stanford, CA, hospital
1971  Moved to Kansas (and have never regretted it!-) and became an
  "   Assistant Professor in CS & EE Depts at Kansas State University
1973  Consultant, DIT-MCO (8008 microcomputer-based cable testing)
1974  Consultant for Unified Industries; Alexandria, VA; also
  "   Consultant/Reviewer for Science Research Associates; Palo Alto, CA
1975  Pastor'd a small (and almost "dead") church in Blue Rapids, KS
  "   Officiated my first baptism ceremony
1976  Associate Professor, now just in KSU's Computer Science Dept.
1977  Joined SPEBSQSA (Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of
  "                    Barber Shop Quarted Singing in America)
  "   Officiated my first funeral service and
  "   Ran for Riley County School-board (I came in fifth in a field of five!-(
1978  Consultant, National Semiconductor Corp; Sunnyvale, CA
  "   Consultant, Irons & Sears (Patent Counsel); Washington, DC
1979  Consultant/Reviewer, Reston Pub. Co. (Prentice-Hall); Reston, VA
1980  "Dr. Calhoun is a son of a bitch, but he's good and he's fair."
  "   (a student statement in a Deans-and-students-only meeting.)
1984  Eglin Air Force Base (Florida) (8086 micro-computer software)
1985  Earned an Advanced-class amateur-radio license (now W0PBV)
  "   Became a father-in-law for the first time
1986  Micro-Electronics & Computer-Technology Corporation (MCC)
  "   Fulbright Professor, University of Benin, Nigeria, Africa
1987  Weeklong "detention" in Nigeria (someone thought I was a spy!)
  "   Back at Kansas State University
1988  Replaced the Tenor in my SPEBSQSA's "Apple Core [pause] Tet" quartet
  "   Someone once said "we got a LOT of requests, but we usually sang anyway!"
  "   Awarded my SPEBSQSA chapter's BOTY (Barbershopper of the year) award
1989  President of my local SPEBSQSA chapter
1990  Became Assistant Music Director of my SPEBSQSA chapter
  "   Officiated my first wedding ceremony; also (and UNrelated!-)
  "   Received the KSU William Stamey Teaching Award and spent the summer at
  "   Argonne National Laboratory (more atomic stuff; you may ask)
1992  Became a KPBS (Konza Prairie Biological Station) docent
  "   My first grandson was born
1994  Awarded my SPEBSQSA chapter's BOTY (Barbershopper of the year) award
  "   Master of Ceremonies for the Spring Show of my local SPEBSWSA chapter
1995  My second grandson was born
  "   My first Granddaughter (different parents!-) was born
  "   Master of Ceremonies for the 2nd half of my SPEBSWSA Spring Show
1996  Master of Ceremonies for the 2nd half of my SPEBSWSA Spring Show
1997  Retired from KSU (I got tired of the "Mickey Mouse")
  "   Became a USD-383 school-bus driver (mornings-only; kids are asleep then!)
  "   Volunteered at both NRA Whittington Adventure two-week camps
  "   Master of Ceremonies for part of my SPEBSWSA Spring Show
1998  My third grandson was born
  "   Master of Ceremonies for the 2nd half of my SPEBSWSA Spring Show
1999  Started helping with planned burns of KPBS watersheds
  "   Master of Ceremonies for the 2nd half of my SPEBSWSA Spring Show
2000  My fourth grandson was born
  "   Served on a Federal-court civil-case jury for 9 days; "acquitted"
  "   Master of Ceremonies for my SPEBSWSA Spring Show
2001  Taught Electronics at Manhattan Area Technical College
  "   PIT (Passport In Time) archaeological survey in west-central New Mexico
  "   Visiting Professor at Graceland University (my 1st Alma Mater!)
2003  Turned 62 and started receiving Social (in)Security payments; and
  "   all you still-working people have my heartfelt thanks!
  "   Master of Ceremonies for my SPEBSWSA Spring Show
2004  Became a father-in-law for the second time
2005  Wife Nancy (finally) retired!
  "   Master of Ceremonies for my SPEBSWSA Spring Show
2006  Turned 65 and became eligible for Medicare (Thanks again!)
  "   Retired again (after driving a school-bus for nine years)
  "   Became a Kansas CCH (Concealed-Carry Handgun) Law Instructor
2007  Took my first (and last!) Caribbean cruise
2009  Tried to remove my left index finger (see my home webpage)
2011  Visited a 16-year-old grandson I had not seen in 13 years!
2013  Got first great-granddaughter via a grandson's marriage (she was 3)
2014  Graduated my 39th/last CCH class and certified my 293rd trainee
2015  Suffered an "eye stroke" (CRAO); my right eye is now blind
2017  First great-grandSon was born
2020  Left eye is going blind (glaucoma); getting old "sucks" big time!
2021  Received 1st Covid-19 vaccination (and regular boosters thereafter)
2022  Caught Covid-19 anyway and slept almost 24/7 for two weeks!
2023  My second great-grandSon was born
2024  My second great-granddaughter was born
2026  I am still married to Nancy (now over 61 years!), and while
  "   I am still above the daisies, I'm beginning to dig ....