"Not a Second Time"

 The second cycle of 17 is where a lot of significant things happened to me. I graduated High School in the first year, graduated college in the fifth year and then moved to Florida to join my parents for a short period since I only had $11 left in my bank account. I sent out my resume to almost a 100 companies, many of them in the Northeast. But no luck on the job search.

Here are some pictures from the second cycle of 17, some might call it 18 through 34, but not me!

Visiting Florida in the first year continued as my parents took me and my great friend Rene Paquette, to visit my Dad's parents, Albia and Lois, in Daytona. We actually stayed at a cheap motel on the famous (and drivable) Daytona Beach.

Harold and Stella with Albia, Rene and I behind them, at the pool of our motel.

The first year was also my Senior year at MUHS. Being so young, I agreed to host a talent show with my pitching (baseball) buddy and classmate Steve Corbett. We were billed as the Coroncha Brothers. Steve would become my roommate at UVM in my second year.

Gunilla Holma of Sweden agreed to be my Prom date. Gunilla was the AFS student who visited for our Senior year, and I was the one to teach her dirty words and slang. She would visit me later with her sister Birgitta. I had to tell them, sadly, that they could not take their tops off on Cocoa Beach.

In my second thru fourth year I was a resident at Coolidge Hall. For half that time I was dating a girl from the Baltimore area. Her name is Wendy Greenberg and we split before we graduated, but I learned a lot about life from her. Here we are in front of the dorm in Year three.

In Year five, I graduated from UVM with a BS degree in Mathematics. Here I am with my mom.

The keynote speaker was George Plimpton (on the left) sitting at the fountain on the Main campus. That is Old Mill in the background. Dad always liked to take photos of any one he saw, sometimes it was someone famous.

Dad got me, my niece Lori, and my Mom to participate in a stunt called "Reach on the Beach" in 1979. We were trying to set some kind of Guinness World Record. I don't think we succeeded.

In 1980, in my sixth year, I started a job at ENSCO Inc. Our offices (behind my coworkers) were in Shopper's World, located in Indian Harbour Beach. In the photo are Meteorologist Al Siegel, Physicist Fred Riewe, System Analyst Mike Shannon, and Meteorologist Kevin Atchison. The site we are standing in would now be inside Lowes...

In my eighth year I went to Dodgertown with my parents. This is Manager Tommy Lasorda with pitcher Mike Marshall (or maybe someone else). At this time I was already playing baseball in a Stan Musial League for players 18 and older.

Also in 1982, I started to volunteer with the Florida Institute of Technology's rowing team. I am still doing their annual money maker called the Southern Sprints.

Relatives often visited my parents. Here are the Shacketts and cousin Mary Provoncha.

I made my second visit to Hawaii in 1982. Here I am with my sister Pat and niece Lori. Travelling by myself in year eight.

In 1983, I went on my first cruise. Back then we had to drive to Miami to catch the cruise ships. This trip was short and only went to Nassau in the Bahamas.

Another activity was watching Shuttle launches up close and personal. I had connections to get either a NASA pass or a USAF pass, both were in view of the launch pad.

Another visit by relatives including brother Tom, Susie, Brandon and Josh. We went for a picnic and swimming at Wickham Park.

I mentioned I was playing baseball. By this time I was also managing the team. Here I am with nephews Brandon and Josh at the field in Palm Bay.

We also did some Beach cookouts. We get a permit from Satellite Beach and then have a big fire with maybe some beer and lots of food. Here is my Mom talking with Nancy. That is my friend Teresa on the right.

In my tenth year, I married Nancy from the previous picture...

We even went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans in 1985.

Just up the road is a place called Daytona Beach Speedway. Even Richard Petty got a flat sometimes.

As I reached year 13, I went on my first ski trip out West. Here is brother Tom, who would join us on many future trips, at Breckinridge in Colorado.

At 14, I was skiing at Park City Utah.

In 1988, Dad was working on his garden behind the trailer in Melbourne.

Dad and his brother Ken were still going to Dodgertown for Spring Training.

Going to the races in Daytona started to become a family affair.

At 15, we skied at Alta Utah. Our group was typically between 8 and 12 people.

Tom and I at the top of Snowbird in Utah...

Similarities to my dad, here he is with Ralph Foote at his 50th High Scholl reunion from MHS, I should have been at my 50th this year. Dick Foote was there and we could have duplicated this photo.

In my 16th year, my dad was the Santa Claus at my company's holiday party. I was celebrating my tenth year with ENSCO.

In my 17th year, at the end of cycle two, I have this picture of my Dad Harold at Johnny's bar with his wife Stella, and his childhood friend Paul Cassarino.  The bartender is my Aunt Peasoup, sister to my Mom.

Sad to say, but my Dad would die within two months after the above photo was taken. It was just a month before I would end my second cycle. Dad was at the age I am now. I was at half his age which means I have spent the next two cycles without my dad, half of my life.

So what does the third cycle of 17 hold? That will be a future post.

About Title

Not A Second Time

"Not a Second Time" is a song by English rock band the Beatles. It was written by John Lennon, though credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It was first released on the Beatles second British album, With the Beatles, and their second American album Meet the Beatles!. Lennon said he was "trying to write a Smokey Robinson or something at the time." The song was recorded in nine takes on 11 September 1963 at EMI Studios.