Choctawhatchee HS Class of 69

In 1975, I went to Europe for a year - I had SO much fun! While working at the Rotterdam Hilton (the best hotel in Rotterdam), I got to go backstage with the Who at their Amsterdam concert, and spent some time with members of Sarah Vaughn’s group. I teamed up with an English girl I met in Paris, and went on a tour of gothic cathedrals of France for a month. I got dysentery in Greece, and found I was good at non-verbal communication; had no trouble explaining my problem to the Greek apothecary. (!) I hitchhiked from Athens to Munich with the nicest (& clumsiest) Irish guy, who protected me from a Greek truck driver that picked us up. Coming back to the States, I smuggled in some film for a National Geographic photographer & cinematographer who had gotten on the US customs hit list; they would have exposed the film just for meanness.

I went back to school in 1979 to get a degree in Chemistry, and met a computer lab tech in ’81. On Halloween, he clubbed me over the head & dragged me home to his cave (we got married). We were the first couple to be married via computer. Six & ½ years later, I escaped (divorced him) on April Fool’s Day. During that time, I began working for General Motors’ computer company, EDS, for 6 years; 3 years handling all GM’s use of computers not owned by the company, then 3 years as an account manager.

After I burned out (60+ hours/week got to be too much for me), I joined the family business for a year in FWB & Destin, then headed for Alaska. I had some adventures along the way (the trip took 2 years), and have been living in Anchorage, Alaska, for 7 years now. It’s the longest I’ve ever lived in one place, and I still love it here.

The wilderness is just outside my window. I’ve been “moosed in” several times (couldn’t get to my vehicle because moose were between it & me). Being moosed in is a valid excuse here for being late for work, and it happens fairly often. We have bear warnings several times a year, and travel armed when hiking anywhere outside the main part of town. Residents on the Hillside (SE section of town) can’t leave their pets outside, ‘cause bears’ll eat ‘em. The northern lights are amazing; one night, the sky was full of green fireworks for hours, with blue, red & purple ribbons undulating through the middle.

I love to show off Alaska, so if you are going to be here, let me know; I’ll show you around.

Jude Patrick

Jude@gci.net