My Life Story (Infancy)
After a traumatic beginning, the family and I settled down in my grandparent's house. This would have been January 2nd or 3rd, 1964.
Infancy
My grandparents had a modest brick house on E. 21st street in Tucson. When they purchased the house, it was in an area that was considered to be the eastern limit of the city. As I recall, there were three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room/dining room, kitchen, carport, front yard full of cacti, and a back yard full of nothing (that I can recall). I seem to remember a crib and play pen being setup in the dining room. There was a black-and-white television in one corner of the living room. The dining room had a sliding glass door that lead out to the back yard. The kitchen was square shaped with a table in the middle and was always in a state of constant activity, as my grandmother loved to cook.
My mom's family consisted of her father, mother, and younger brother. The younger brother was 14 when I was born. Of course, there were friends of the family who visited quite often. One of them gave me the nickname "Chip". As a side note, I didn't know my "real" name until I was in Kindergarten. It was quite a shock to have my teacher insist that my name was "Todd". I don't think I ever recovered from it. Well, as for my extended family, I always felt loved and cared for. In addition to her love of cooking, my grandmother loved to dote on me. In my own way, I doted on her as well. More on that later.
My father had enlisted in the Navy prior to my birth. Sometime in March or April 1964, we moved into housing just outside the Alameda Naval Air Station. Dad was taking classes in nearby Treasure Island to become and electronics technician. Fortunately, we had good neighbors. The kids next door loved playing with me because I was a "cute little baby". The few surviving photographs from that time show me in a red "snow suit" surrounded by some adorable-looking kids in mid-60's attire.
By about April 1965, Mom and I moved back into grandma's house. Dad had to fly east for his post on a guided missile destroyer. By November 1965, he moved us to the San Diego Naval Base. By early-1966, we were back north on Treasure Island, and then the base on Hunter's Point. Somewhere around mid-1966, Mom and I moved back to Tucson. Dad was going to be gone again, and the separation was too much to bear. They divorced after only three years of marriage. I was two and a half and had no clue what was going on. I can only remember the joy of being at grandma's house. Given all the moves we made, it felt like the only stable home I ever knew up to that point.
Next chapter: Early Childhood
Infancy
My grandparents had a modest brick house on E. 21st street in Tucson. When they purchased the house, it was in an area that was considered to be the eastern limit of the city. As I recall, there were three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room/dining room, kitchen, carport, front yard full of cacti, and a back yard full of nothing (that I can recall). I seem to remember a crib and play pen being setup in the dining room. There was a black-and-white television in one corner of the living room. The dining room had a sliding glass door that lead out to the back yard. The kitchen was square shaped with a table in the middle and was always in a state of constant activity, as my grandmother loved to cook.
My mom's family consisted of her father, mother, and younger brother. The younger brother was 14 when I was born. Of course, there were friends of the family who visited quite often. One of them gave me the nickname "Chip". As a side note, I didn't know my "real" name until I was in Kindergarten. It was quite a shock to have my teacher insist that my name was "Todd". I don't think I ever recovered from it. Well, as for my extended family, I always felt loved and cared for. In addition to her love of cooking, my grandmother loved to dote on me. In my own way, I doted on her as well. More on that later.
My father had enlisted in the Navy prior to my birth. Sometime in March or April 1964, we moved into housing just outside the Alameda Naval Air Station. Dad was taking classes in nearby Treasure Island to become and electronics technician. Fortunately, we had good neighbors. The kids next door loved playing with me because I was a "cute little baby". The few surviving photographs from that time show me in a red "snow suit" surrounded by some adorable-looking kids in mid-60's attire.
By about April 1965, Mom and I moved back into grandma's house. Dad had to fly east for his post on a guided missile destroyer. By November 1965, he moved us to the San Diego Naval Base. By early-1966, we were back north on Treasure Island, and then the base on Hunter's Point. Somewhere around mid-1966, Mom and I moved back to Tucson. Dad was going to be gone again, and the separation was too much to bear. They divorced after only three years of marriage. I was two and a half and had no clue what was going on. I can only remember the joy of being at grandma's house. Given all the moves we made, it felt like the only stable home I ever knew up to that point.
Next chapter: Early Childhood