Where have I lived? Do those places even exist anymore? In October 2006 I took a ride with my dad to visit those places where we used to live. It was interesting to drive by our old haunts and try to remember just which house we lived in. Then I was in SLO and snapped some shots of where I lived there. It took me two more years to drive by the old places in San Jose. Then finally in January 2010 I finished the project by hunting down the place I rented in the late 70's. Here are the results.
Kaiser Hospital on Geary, San Francisco
April 3, 1957 I was born here. In this picture, the building in front is new. I was born in the older part that can be seen peeking out in the upper right of the photo.
Next to this was a Sears store where we later spent a lot of time shopping. I have memories of we four kids cooped up in the Greenbrier van while the folks did a bit of shopping. I'd sit in the driver's seat and put my hand on the brake. "Don't touch that!!!" they'd all scream.
April 3, 1957 I was born here. In this picture, the building in front is new. I was born in the older part that can be seen peeking out in the upper right of the photo.
Next to this was a Sears store where we later spent a lot of time shopping. I have memories of we four kids cooped up in the Greenbrier van while the folks did a bit of shopping. I'd sit in the driver's seat and put my hand on the brake. "Don't touch that!!!" they'd all scream.
715 Brazil in San Francisco
(1956 - 1957)
We moved here when mom was about 7 months pregnant with me and stayed until just after I was born. We lived in the middle floor apartment, which you enter by the door facing the street. An older couple lived upstairs. In the unit below lived the Tahaney family; they had two kids. They were to appear later in Daly City.
(1956 - 1957)
We moved here when mom was about 7 months pregnant with me and stayed until just after I was born. We lived in the middle floor apartment, which you enter by the door facing the street. An older couple lived upstairs. In the unit below lived the Tahaney family; they had two kids. They were to appear later in Daly City.
32 Prague in San Francisco
(1957 - 1958)
We moved here shortly after I was born. Dad remembers getting a big bonus where he worked and that allowed us to move into the cream colored place on the left.
These three houses are sandwiched between two older homes. I think Mike was born while we lived here.
(1957 - 1958)
We moved here shortly after I was born. Dad remembers getting a big bonus where he worked and that allowed us to move into the cream colored place on the left.
These three houses are sandwiched between two older homes. I think Mike was born while we lived here.
The View
This is the view down Prague from the dead end. Our house is the fourth down on the right. Behind the camera is McLaren park.
This is the view down Prague from the dead end. Our house is the fourth down on the right. Behind the camera is McLaren park.
72 Highland in Daly City
We lived in this three bedroom one bath house for several years. I remember a large ceanothis in the small back yard that was often covered with big black bumble bees. We used to catch a batch of them in a gallon pickle jar and then roll them around until we were brave enough to open the top and let them go. I also remember the first time I found snail eggs in the ground - that was quite a find!
The fog here could be so thick that we'd play hide and seek in the street. I lived here when the kids at school were all talking about seeing the Beatles premier on The Ed Sullivan show.
Sadly, my Dad's father had a fatal heart attack one day while visiting us here. It was a scary time for little kids like us.
Across the street the Tahaneys, from below our place on Brazil, owned a house. Dad says he did very fancy paint jobs on cars and was also a marble polisher.
We lived in this three bedroom one bath house for several years. I remember a large ceanothis in the small back yard that was often covered with big black bumble bees. We used to catch a batch of them in a gallon pickle jar and then roll them around until we were brave enough to open the top and let them go. I also remember the first time I found snail eggs in the ground - that was quite a find!
The fog here could be so thick that we'd play hide and seek in the street. I lived here when the kids at school were all talking about seeing the Beatles premier on The Ed Sullivan show.
Sadly, my Dad's father had a fatal heart attack one day while visiting us here. It was a scary time for little kids like us.
Across the street the Tahaneys, from below our place on Brazil, owned a house. Dad says he did very fancy paint jobs on cars and was also a marble polisher.
1287 Lerida in Pacifica
(1965 - August 1975)
We moved here when I was in third grade. This was the last house up the hill then. We got to watch the rest of the street built out; it was fun to explore the skeltons. We used to drag a magnet through the construction debris to bring unused nails back to Dad. We planted seedling pine trees up the hill in the back - a penny each; as of 2006 they are about 60 feet tall.
At first Nancy and Bob shared the room in the corner and Mike and I shared the other room. Bob's oldest memory is visiting this house just before it was finished and taking a nap in what was to be his room. Eventually we finished the interior of the downstairs room and put up dividers; each of us boys got our own area to live in. At first I was closest to the street. I painted my area a royal blue. In the back Mike's was solid green. In the middle, Bob's was red. Eventually Mike and I switched for some reason and I spent my high school years laying on my bed in the green area with the black light on my spiral posters and In-a-Gada-Da-Vida playing on my little record player. To this day I can quickly go into a trance listening to that song.
While living here I went to Odstad Elementary school; Crespi intermediate; Terra Nova High School.
(1965 - August 1975)
We moved here when I was in third grade. This was the last house up the hill then. We got to watch the rest of the street built out; it was fun to explore the skeltons. We used to drag a magnet through the construction debris to bring unused nails back to Dad. We planted seedling pine trees up the hill in the back - a penny each; as of 2006 they are about 60 feet tall.
At first Nancy and Bob shared the room in the corner and Mike and I shared the other room. Bob's oldest memory is visiting this house just before it was finished and taking a nap in what was to be his room. Eventually we finished the interior of the downstairs room and put up dividers; each of us boys got our own area to live in. At first I was closest to the street. I painted my area a royal blue. In the back Mike's was solid green. In the middle, Bob's was red. Eventually Mike and I switched for some reason and I spent my high school years laying on my bed in the green area with the black light on my spiral posters and In-a-Gada-Da-Vida playing on my little record player. To this day I can quickly go into a trance listening to that song.
While living here I went to Odstad Elementary school; Crespi intermediate; Terra Nova High School.
Yosemite Dorm, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
(Sept 1975 - June 1976)
It was September 1975 and I was 18. My family drove down with all my worldly possessions in the Dodge van. We hiked my stuff up to the cement dorm room that I'd share with Jeff Frye. 12F I believe.
I stood in the street in front of the dorm as my folks drove off. I looked back up the hill to Tower 8 and thought, "well, this is it", and I walked into college.
Here's a link to other Cal Poly notes.
(Sept 1975 - June 1976)
It was September 1975 and I was 18. My family drove down with all my worldly possessions in the Dodge van. We hiked my stuff up to the cement dorm room that I'd share with Jeff Frye. 12F I believe.
I stood in the street in front of the dorm as my folks drove off. I looked back up the hill to Tower 8 and thought, "well, this is it", and I walked into college.
Here's a link to other Cal Poly notes.
607 Grand, SLO
(July 1976)
I went back home in June 1976 but I couldn't find a summer job easily. When the A/V department at Poly said they could give me 30 hours a week, I was back to SLO.
Lance Caples, a friend from the dorms, was living at Kris Kar apartments and he let me live on his couch for a week or two while I found something else.
(July 1976)
I went back home in June 1976 but I couldn't find a summer job easily. When the A/V department at Poly said they could give me 30 hours a week, I was back to SLO.
Lance Caples, a friend from the dorms, was living at Kris Kar apartments and he let me live on his couch for a week or two while I found something else.
1239B Bond Street
(July 1976 - December 1978)
The second unit in from the street. I moved into a room with Ed Hawkes. Rusty Meyers had the other room to himself. It was a small place and I think we each paid $200 a month. Rusty was artistic and painted a huge smiling sun on the wall in his room. I responded with Donald Duck in an apron on the kitchen wall.
Rick Raives, Dave Ravizza, Tom Schaffer, and Ron Olivas all moved to a place in Morro Bay. I spent the summer of 1977 here.
In September of 1977 Rusty moved out and two dorm friends, Pat Draeger and Jim Merrit moved into his room.
(July 1976 - December 1978)
The second unit in from the street. I moved into a room with Ed Hawkes. Rusty Meyers had the other room to himself. It was a small place and I think we each paid $200 a month. Rusty was artistic and painted a huge smiling sun on the wall in his room. I responded with Donald Duck in an apron on the kitchen wall.
Rick Raives, Dave Ravizza, Tom Schaffer, and Ron Olivas all moved to a place in Morro Bay. I spent the summer of 1977 here.
In September of 1977 Rusty moved out and two dorm friends, Pat Draeger and Jim Merrit moved into his room.
5535 Don Octavio Court, San Jose
(January 1978 - June 1978)
It's the third one from the street. A friend of Rick's dad got me an internship at IBM Cottle Road. My grandparents drove me around to find this place. I lived here with Jason Balaban (a medical intern at Kaiser), Dan ?? (another IBM intern in the chemical engineering lab working with Marcel Vogel) and Ed ?? (a young vacuum cleaner salesman). We hosted a couple of fun parties.
I worked for Phil Root - a great guy. Keith Bello was on the way back to school and taught me the ropes. We became good friends. We all went on a lot of hikes and backpacking in the Sierras several times.
I was writing assembler patches for disk drive online tests (OLTs). We used to reboot the 370 by hand! One time two older engineers from Florida (I think) came in to work nights testing a new OLT they'd written. I was their native guide and gopher. I remember reading their code an pointing out a few problems - they didn't think I could do it. After that I was part of the team. When I came home I'd lay in the sun on top of the carport and sleep. It was a great time.
(January 1978 - June 1978)
It's the third one from the street. A friend of Rick's dad got me an internship at IBM Cottle Road. My grandparents drove me around to find this place. I lived here with Jason Balaban (a medical intern at Kaiser), Dan ?? (another IBM intern in the chemical engineering lab working with Marcel Vogel) and Ed ?? (a young vacuum cleaner salesman). We hosted a couple of fun parties.
I worked for Phil Root - a great guy. Keith Bello was on the way back to school and taught me the ropes. We became good friends. We all went on a lot of hikes and backpacking in the Sierras several times.
I was writing assembler patches for disk drive online tests (OLTs). We used to reboot the 370 by hand! One time two older engineers from Florida (I think) came in to work nights testing a new OLT they'd written. I was their native guide and gopher. I remember reading their code an pointing out a few problems - they didn't think I could do it. After that I was part of the team. When I came home I'd lay in the sun on top of the carport and sleep. It was a great time.
1239B Bond Street, again
(July 1978 - June 1979)
I came back from my IBM sojourn ready to get a degree and get a real job. No more taking every class that I thought I'd like - I was tired of having to save up $3.00 to take a date to a movie on campus. I moved into Bond B. This summer Rick shared a room here with Dan while working for CalTrans.
When school started Ron, Tom, Rick, and Dave moved in to the C unit. We put a gate in the fence between our backyards so that we could have larger parties.
During that school year I shared the place with Craig Harries and Randy the hang glider. Randy took a fall of about 400 feet and was in intensive care for months. Eventually he came back to school - thank God. I bought my very first car, a lightly used blue 1961 Chevy Bel Air for $250. Jeff Frye helped me fix it up.
Cathy Hart, Lori, Maggie and Nancy Norman all lived in unit D.
Our Halloween parties were huge. We held a lot of parties at this place.
(July 1978 - June 1979)
I came back from my IBM sojourn ready to get a degree and get a real job. No more taking every class that I thought I'd like - I was tired of having to save up $3.00 to take a date to a movie on campus. I moved into Bond B. This summer Rick shared a room here with Dan while working for CalTrans.
When school started Ron, Tom, Rick, and Dave moved in to the C unit. We put a gate in the fence between our backyards so that we could have larger parties.
During that school year I shared the place with Craig Harries and Randy the hang glider. Randy took a fall of about 400 feet and was in intensive care for months. Eventually he came back to school - thank God. I bought my very first car, a lightly used blue 1961 Chevy Bel Air for $250. Jeff Frye helped me fix it up.
Cathy Hart, Lori, Maggie and Nancy Norman all lived in unit D.
Our Halloween parties were huge. We held a lot of parties at this place.
Santa Rosa Street, SLO
(June 1979 - November 1979)
I moved into a house with Jeff Vance, an ME. A great guy who's senior project was a blood pressure meter that you stuck in your nose.
Jeff was just a temporary sub-renter and in September Lee Cyr, an architecture student and confirmed deadhead, moved back in. He introduced me to Jeff Thornton.
A disastrous party at the place next door led our common landlord to raise our rent. After some folderol of our own, we moved out in December and I went back to Bond street.
(June 1979 - November 1979)
I moved into a house with Jeff Vance, an ME. A great guy who's senior project was a blood pressure meter that you stuck in your nose.
Jeff was just a temporary sub-renter and in September Lee Cyr, an architecture student and confirmed deadhead, moved back in. He introduced me to Jeff Thornton.
A disastrous party at the place next door led our common landlord to raise our rent. After some folderol of our own, we moved out in December and I went back to Bond street.
Bond Street A, yet again
(December 1979 - March 1980)
I lived with two brothers and I shared a room with Jeff, a guy who liked to watch TV news on all three networks every evening - "they're all different" he'd say.
One day in December 1979 I looked at the course catalog for the next quarter and realized that I'd be done in April, just four months away. Shit, I needed to find a real job! Rick loaned me $200 to buy my first suit - thanks Rick. It did the trick and I got my first job at HP.
(December 1979 - March 1980)
I lived with two brothers and I shared a room with Jeff, a guy who liked to watch TV news on all three networks every evening - "they're all different" he'd say.
One day in December 1979 I looked at the course catalog for the next quarter and realized that I'd be done in April, just four months away. Shit, I needed to find a real job! Rick loaned me $200 to buy my first suit - thanks Rick. It did the trick and I got my first job at HP.
575 Remmington,
Remmington Grove Apartments, Sunnyvale
(April 1980 - )
My first place as an employed college graduate. Dave Goodreau hired me into HP Data Terminals Division. Brian Hintergardt was also a Cal Poly grad (ET) from Coalinga. I think he was working at National Semiconductor.
I took Brian to San Francisco and drove up El Camino so he could see the peninsula. Around San Mateo Brian commented, "wow, Sunnyvale is huge!" I was puzzled. He was expecting to see great open spaces between cities and thought we hadn't left Sunnyvale. Welcome to the big city.
I don't remember how we found each other but we had a great time living there together. For Superbowl weekend we had a cold cracked crab and fresh asparagus party. Many times my grandparents came over from Aptos for a BBQ on the big deck.
Remmington Grove Apartments, Sunnyvale
(April 1980 - )
My first place as an employed college graduate. Dave Goodreau hired me into HP Data Terminals Division. Brian Hintergardt was also a Cal Poly grad (ET) from Coalinga. I think he was working at National Semiconductor.
I took Brian to San Francisco and drove up El Camino so he could see the peninsula. Around San Mateo Brian commented, "wow, Sunnyvale is huge!" I was puzzled. He was expecting to see great open spaces between cities and thought we hadn't left Sunnyvale. Welcome to the big city.
I don't remember how we found each other but we had a great time living there together. For Superbowl weekend we had a cold cracked crab and fresh asparagus party. Many times my grandparents came over from Aptos for a BBQ on the big deck.
5988 Rainbow, San Jose
(1981 - )
Brian bought a house with Paul Draper and I moved into this four bedroom house with a giant fig tree in the back. I lived there with Tony Arrendondo and Bob, both HP engineers and both referrals from my brother Mike. Steve Stormo was good friend of Tony and came to party a lot.
I was working for Eric Hill in support at HP/DTD. When living here I wrecked my first new car, a Mazda GLC and bought a second one. We certainly drank a lot of beer in those days.
(1981 - )
Brian bought a house with Paul Draper and I moved into this four bedroom house with a giant fig tree in the back. I lived there with Tony Arrendondo and Bob, both HP engineers and both referrals from my brother Mike. Steve Stormo was good friend of Tony and came to party a lot.
I was working for Eric Hill in support at HP/DTD. When living here I wrecked my first new car, a Mazda GLC and bought a second one. We certainly drank a lot of beer in those days.
962 Leighton, Sunnyvale
(1982 - )
Mike and I bought this, our first house, for $149,000. It seemed like a fortune. It took all our savings and a promise to live poor. We put in a hot tub, a pool table, and built a small redwood deck in the back. When we put in the cement foundation for the deck piers we wrote "who is john galt?" in one and "what happened to the deck" on another.
With a pool table and hot tub we were ready to rock. We held a lot of parties at this house. And I mean a lot. Guohu from China did his cooking demo here. Mike and Amy staged a surprise 30th birthday for me. We had a lot of dinner parties with Jackie, Kinch, Karl, and Carol.
When I moved out Mike stayed and I rented my half to Rob Fisher.
(1982 - )
Mike and I bought this, our first house, for $149,000. It seemed like a fortune. It took all our savings and a promise to live poor. We put in a hot tub, a pool table, and built a small redwood deck in the back. When we put in the cement foundation for the deck piers we wrote "who is john galt?" in one and "what happened to the deck" on another.
With a pool table and hot tub we were ready to rock. We held a lot of parties at this house. And I mean a lot. Guohu from China did his cooking demo here. Mike and Amy staged a surprise 30th birthday for me. We had a lot of dinner parties with Jackie, Kinch, Karl, and Carol.
When I moved out Mike stayed and I rented my half to Rob Fisher.
1249 Runnymede, San Jose
( - 1999)
Amy Yu and I bought this four bedroom place. It sits on a wedge shaped lot so the backyard is enormous. We put in a hot tub and fruit trees. Amy and I wrote our own graphical interface to a cribbage game while living here.
Eventually we split up and I bought her share. After living with two closed rooms I rented to Aaron Katzman. He was a UC Berkeley band member and very active in all kinds of volunteer work. Tragically, he slipped and fell to his death while hiking in Bryce Canyon.
My brother Bob recommended Tom Gonzales, a fellow Cal Poly grad working at HP. He moved in to two rooms and we shared the house well.
For many of these years I was at Kae Masegian's a lot and so Tom often had the place to himself.
I lived there until 1999.
( - 1999)
Amy Yu and I bought this four bedroom place. It sits on a wedge shaped lot so the backyard is enormous. We put in a hot tub and fruit trees. Amy and I wrote our own graphical interface to a cribbage game while living here.
Eventually we split up and I bought her share. After living with two closed rooms I rented to Aaron Katzman. He was a UC Berkeley band member and very active in all kinds of volunteer work. Tragically, he slipped and fell to his death while hiking in Bryce Canyon.
My brother Bob recommended Tom Gonzales, a fellow Cal Poly grad working at HP. He moved in to two rooms and we shared the house well.
For many of these years I was at Kae Masegian's a lot and so Tom often had the place to himself.
I lived there until 1999.
14587 Oak Street, Saratoga
(1999 - now)
I moved into my current townhouse the same year that I left HP to found Audible Magic.
My folks lived in a very small one bedroom apartment after they were married in 1956. This is in the fog belt, just six blocks or so to the beach. My dad used to walk from here to Stow lake.
Mom remembered that the bed was more than just a Murphy bed; it would both fold up and then rotate into the closet. Mom said the refrigerator was the size of a small box.
After they moved in, they ran into dad's uncle Louis Dudak who lived down the hall! My folks lived here for just a few months.