11 years with my wife - 10.5 with my computer

Every August 6th my wife and I celebrate our anniversary. Marriage certainly has its benefits.

We have four wonderful kids. We each have great jobs that allow us to spend time together as a family.

But, I have to admit that I got the better end of the deal. Every skill I have that makes me worth anything is a skill I have because of her. That is a total of one skill. I make no secret of the fact that I am not a carpenter, mechanic or plumber.

I know about computers and movies. As it turns out, my knowledge and love of movies is not a very lucrative interest, although it is the only skill I brought to the relationship. About six months after we were married, my wife and I made the trip to Denver to buy a computer. Denver had an Incredible Universe (think Fry's mixed with a roller disco atmosphere) and there weren't many places in Junction to get a good computer deal. I had no idea what to look for.

I had read PCs for Dummies and found it helpful in understanding what the various terms meant but I had no real understanding of what a computer could do.

I only knew that I needed one for school. While picking it out, I kept asking my wife, "Are you sure we can hook this up?" I had no idea how to use a computer, not to mention hook it up.

My wife had used one in college for a few years. I had used early Macs on the High School paper but that was about it.

We brought the new AST computer home. It has a 1.6GB hard drive, 24MB of RAM a 14" monitor and a 33.6 modem. We only spent $2200 on the whole package including the Deskjet 700 printer. My wife hooked it up and showed me how it worked.

From time to time she would show me how to do something when I got lost. I used that computer for about four years. I did what most males tend to do and I learned a few lessons about what not to delete. I made hundreds of mistakes tinkering with the system. I discovered how to log into the colleges Internet through my phone line. Once I was online there was no holding me back. I went through all of the phases that most geeks go  through. I bought scanners, CDRW drives, and RAM. Eventually I killed that computer off.

I built my second computer. This taught me what a joke it is to think you can save money by building your own computer. I spent less than $2200 but that computer didn't last as long as my first computer.

Today, I make my living helping basic users who have no interest in computers get by in the digital world. I never had any interest in computers until I got married. Even today, I consider my understanding of computers to me more of an aptitude than an interest.

If my wife hadn't helped me through my initial fear of the computer, I have no idea where I would be right now.

I used to clean toilets at Sam's Club until they discovered how much I knew about computers. After helping a new manager pickout the right computer for his needs, he asked me, "Why do we have you cleaning toilets?"

By the end of the day I was in the computer department.

A few of the folks who bought computers from me at Sam's became my first clients.

While running a register at Sam's I heard a guy talking about Photoshop 3.0. I asked him more questions and he later brought me his old copy of Photoshop 2.0. Soon after, I declared my major in Graphic Arts.

The Graphic Art program required many classes that were offered at times that conflicted with other required classes. Whenever I couldn't get into a Graphic Art class, I would take a Mass Comm class. Eventually, I had everything I needed for a Mass Comm degree - except for an internship.

I heard Castellini on Computers one Saturday and later told a friend who worked at KNZZ to let me know if Rick Castsellini might want an intern for the show. She told Rick, Rick called me and now almsot 8 years later we have an Internet show and website that specializes in helping people through their own transitions into geekdom.

So, four kids, three houses, six computers and a pretty good career later, I  look back to where it all started 11 years ago. I have to wonder if  I would still be cleaning toilets if things had worked out differently.

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