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I was born in Waco, Texas in February 1953 and between that time and August 1969 lived between Fort Worth, Texas (4 years)and the Bay Area in Northern California (12 years). 1969 moved to the San Fernando Valley in Southern California until June 1975 when I joined the U.S. Navy and left the Navy in May 1983. After Boot Camp, I was assistant Company Commander at Recruit Training Center at Great Lakes, IL for six months. I then got orders for USS DULUTH (LPD-6) in San Diego. I met my future wife in January 1977 and went on WESTPAC from September 1977 to May 1978 and visited Hawaii, Okinawa, Subic Bay, Phillipines, Sasebo, Japan, Taiwan, Pusan, South Korea and Hong Kong. Got married in July 1978 and reenlisted in May 1979. Moved to Naples, Italy in July 1979 and lived there till May 1983 working for NATO, Allied Forces Southern Europe. Saw most of the Naples area, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Isle of Capri, Rome, Florence, Venice, Vienna & Salzburg, Austria, Munich, Germany and Geneva, Switzerland. Got out of the Navy and went to work for my father who had an accounting business. He specialized in Income Taxes and I learned how to do the bookkeeping for the small businesses. In May 1990, we were there for our future daughter's birth and took her from the hospital the next day and we adopted her legally in February 1991.
September 14, 2001 I had stroke, fully paralayzed on my right side due to a blood clot on my left side but was given a drug that help me get full motion back and was in ICU for 2 days and regular room for 3 days getting vocational and occupational therapy. It changed my life forever and the way I saw things in my life. In May 2005 I separated from my wife and moved in with Julie and in July 2006 I started the paperwork for a divorce. In April 2006, I quit working for my father completely since he was no longer focusing on the work and doing some very strange things. My father passed on September 1, 2007 while in a nursing home after having a stroke. My mother is also in a nursing home after having a stroke in November 2006.

September 4, 2008 I had Open Heart Surgery (Quadruple ByPass Surgery). The angiogram done on September 2, 2008 showed I has 3 blocked arteries and they took four veins out of my left leg. I was told I was a walking time bomb and could have had a heart attack anytime. I was in ICU for 4 days and spent one week in rehabilitation. I was in the hospital for 3 weeks (August 29-September 18, 2008) and was getting at home occupational therapy.

The reason I call myself LAHorndog, first off I am from the Los Angeles area and second, I played the trumpet from 4th grade to my third year in college. The highlight of my trumpet playing was on January 1, 1970, I marched in the Rose Parade and in the Rose Bowl with the USC Marching Band when I was in the 11th grade! My favorite trumpet players were Doc Seversen of the Tonight Show, Maynard Ferguson, Cat Anderson (Duke Ellington), Bill Chase and his band Chase (4 trumpets), Don Ellis and his Orchestra (4 valve trumpet)and Al Hirt (Green Hornet Theme)

Pictures of my daughter of her growing up. She is now 19 years old and graduated from high school with honors. She is now attending a local community college.