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My Buddy, Carl Arther Von Papp

Pals Since Junior High by Don Edrington 1945 Hollywood, California

Carl and I met in the 8th grade at Le Conte Junior High School. We were introduced by a mutual friend, who, like Carl and myself, was an amateur magician. Carl and I quickly discovered that we had many other things in common, including being raised by a divorced mom.

Beyond that, neither of us was the most conscientious student in school, and we needed very little encouragement to skip a class or a whole day. Of course, we always had a legitimate excuse - being sick or having to take care of our moms, or whatever.

Who could have guessed that a half century later we would both be interested in something that had yet to be invented - the computer?

Carl's interest in electronics began when he signed up for Signal Corps training upon entering the army in 1950. Back in civilian life he continued in electronics work at McDonnell-Douglas, and, after retirement, started his own business called Audio-Color in Garden Grove, California.

Carl later moved his family and his business to Bellevue, Washington, where heeventually went to work for Bellevue Community College as a computer technician and instructor - and where he is still teaching to this day.

As for how I came to be interested in computers - I really can't explain it. All I know is that when my local Radio Shack store advertised something called the "TRS80 Model 1" in the newspaper, I couldn't wait to buy one.

Much to my surprise, Carl had also bought one of these things and couldn't wait to tell me about it in a phone call from Bellevue (where he had settled a few years earlier). In fact, most of what I first learned about computers came from Carl, as he passed on to me what he was learning about the TRS80.

Well, unlike Carl, I never became an electronics technician, but I did learn enough about using a computer to begin sharing my experiences with others who wanted to learn. I eventually got a teaching credential (despite the fact I had dropped out of high school) and taught computer applications at Fallbrook High School and some ROP classes in Orange County, California.

I also began writing a computer column for the Fallbrook Enterprise and continued writing it for San Diego's North County Times when they bought the Enterprise.

One of the things I eventually learned to do with a computer was to create a web site (as you can see here). And one of the things I enjoy most about the site is being able to post stories about some of the more amusing things that have happened in my life. And a number of those funny events included Carl. Here are a few of them:

• Carl Got Me My First Job in Gower Gulch Page 353
• Why Carl & I Got Fired from Gower Gulch Page 89
• Carl & Don Doing Magic on Hollywood Blvd Page 352
• Carl & Don + LA's 1st Stereo Radio Broadcast Page 351
• Carl's Mom Banging on my Door with a Crutch Page 89
• Carl Comes to Live at Mrs Glasser's Page 120
• Carl & the Starlight Ballroom Mystery Page 15
• Carl & Don Invited to a Gay Party Page 85
• Carl & Sophia's Honeymoon Page 23
• Carl Chased Out of Our Apt. by my Mom Page 121
• Carl Gets a Visit from the Bellevue PD Page 14

Next Page

Prologue   Ch.1 Alameda - Los Angeles 1939-40   Ch.2 Echo Park 1943   Ch.3 Virgil Jr Hi 1944   Ch.4 Le Conte Jr Hi 1945-46
Ch.5 Gower Gulch 1946   Ch.6 Hollywood Hi 1946-47   Ch.7 Drop Out 1948   Ch 8 Norma Jean Salina 1948   Ch 9 Fort Ord 1949
Ch.10 Fort Belvoir 1950   Ch.11 Korea 1951   Ch.12 Back to Civilian Life 1952   Ch.13 Cornet Stores 1953   Ch.14 Puerto Rico 1955
Ch 15 Signs by George 1956   Ch 16 Mexico 1958   Ch.17 Fullerton 1960   Ch.18 Fallbrook 1973   Ch.19 Strange Cyber Stories