W9MNC
MIKE CONDON
It’s All About Me
My Trip To Alaska
In August 2011 I went to Alaska to see my son. He is in the Air Force and is being transferred to the lower 48. I flew up to see him and the area before we left on the trip down the Alaskan Highway. If you are interested in photo’s of my trip click on the down arrow next to IT’S ABOUT ME for the Photo’s.
THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE: My wife is from the Philippines. We were married in 1972. We have three children, 2 male’s and 1 female. I have one male and two female’s from my first marriage. I have thirteen grandchildren and one great grand child currently.
THE SECOND HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE: I was planning on retiring in 2015. I had a big surprise in 2004 when I found out that I had a medical condition. I had to take a disability leave from work. That year and a half was no fun at all. I was forced to retire and do the put your feet up and relax thing. I am still suffering from it and probable will be the rest of my life. At least I am still alive.
My Extra Jobs
OFFICIATING: While I was in the Air Force I started my officiating. I started with the sport of the season which was basketball. I started with youth games. Next I did softball fast and slow. I was doing adult games at first and then went to youth games. When I went back to the Philippines I was doing softball (youth & adults), basketball (youth & adults), succor (youth & adults) and football with youth. I was also officiating games off base for a bar adult games.
TEACHING: I was teaching motorcycle safety in the Philippines and Madison Wisconsin. I was on loan to ground safety holding class for those that wanted a drivers license, both autos and motorcycle. I had to test the ones that wanted a motorcycle license. In 1982 we started holding classes for MSF. After I retired I started teaching the same classes at the local collage. We were teaching people of all ages how to ride a motorcycle. It was fun and very stressful at times. I liked teaching. I retired from teaching in 2012.
COMPUTERS: While I was in the Air Force I started working with computers. It was nothing like what we have today. We had a keyboard and monitor. Anything to be added to the files had to be done by IBM punch cards. I estimated that I probably punched over 100,000 cards in 3 years. When Atari and Commadore came out with their game/computer I got one of each. I still have two Commadore computer’s, keyboards and monitor. After retiring from the Air Force I tried to get into computer school. I was told that there was a long waiting list. I went to barbering school and after graduation I worked to about 10 months. That was long enough for me to know that barbering was not going to work for me. Again I tried to get into programming school and was told that I had to have a C or better to get into the class. Being that I had algebra 20 some years before then I could not prove what I had for a grade. So I took algebra and got and “A”. I finely got into programming school. I worked as a programmer on main frame computers for 20 years before I had to retire. I am still working on programming when I get a chance. While I was in my first company I got a computer to use with my job. It was a Commadore PC. I asked if it could be upgraded and was told it was. I upgraded the memory and when I wanted to upgrade the hard drive I was told that I couldn’t. After that I put my first real computer together and I have been putting my computers together ever sense.
STILL SERVING MY COUNTRY: After I had cancer and retired I wanted to do something besides watching the soaps all day. That is when I decided to get into being a HAM. After getting my license I became involved with a club in Madison that was weather spotters. I also joined the ARES/RACES. In Florida I became involved with the Marian County Emergency Management Team, ARES and trained for CERT. I am also a member on one of the area HAM clubs. That’s where I am at this time.
W9MNC WEB SITE / WEBMASTER MIKE CONDON
Updated: 10/3/21