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Today's Featured Biography

Kees Talen

It's been fun so far although body parts work a little differently beyond 70. It's not for sissies.

In 1962 I received a scholarship to Rice, but wanted to go to UT.....which really pissed off my dad. Had a GREAT time at UT, cars, motorcycles, beer joints .....too great, too much fun being out of the house, not much fun being in the Army in 1966, and finally obtained a BSEE, which I always wanted/needed. Glad my parents put up with all my shenanigans (most of the time).

Good moves:

Signed on with IBM in 1966 as a Co-Op student and installed Engineering Changes around Houston and NASA. When I graduated in 1969, went to work full time at IBM. All of my time with IBM was spent in Development. Great job, satisfying, lots of fun too.

Got married in 1969 and we had Lisa in 1970........great kid.

Moved to Austin with IBM in 1976, and retired in 1998. I wanted to do volunteer work and something in electronics, so I started providing ham radio related kits to people who want to build things at cost. This has worked out very well with over 3000 kits sold worldwide. Technology today is fantastic, expanding, and everything is microcontroller based. Some of the other retirees write the code and I do the hardware .....what to build, design, board layout, parts ordering, kitting and shipping. Great fun. Search on "K5BCQ" if you want more detail.

Bad moves:

I am basically a nerd, and girls really were scary to me..... in case you had not picked that up at SHHS. Some of the things I look back on and regret are:

1) Sweating all over a very nice Beverly Jordan, my date to the SHJrHS prom. I think I also sweated on Harriet Durr at the same dance. I was so ill at ease that I didn't go the the SHHS prom. Stupid me.
2) One time when the family was at Lake Buchannan during the weekend, I was walking down the pier with some little sunfish I had caught and spotted the SHHS "foursome" of Sandra Pace, Pam Boggs, Harriet Durr, and Etta Ashby. I remember that I walked right past them without a word or hint of recognition. My heart was beating pretty fast, but I totally ignored them. Very stupid me.
3) Didn't really start dating until my sister came to UT in 1964 and could find me dates. Dumb....but not many girls in Engineering.

I ran into Sandra Pace at a burger place on Nasa Road 1 once but that was the only time I saw someone from SHHS. I don't believe she spoke to me other than "Hi".....maybe payback for Lake Buchannan.

Kees

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