(10/7/2011)

[Editors note - I asked Becky why she goes by 'Sunny' now. This is her reply and then she goes on with a little more about herself]

The Sunny thing started when I went into the military in '74 and a few months into it, a bunch of half snockered friends went off on the "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" thing and the next day the "Sunny" part stuck. So that's been it ever since.

As noted, I was in the Air Force with 20 years of classified work. It's funny, I had to lie to my family about what I was doing and I would often forget what lie I had told them last, so they thought I was some kind of flake that couldn't hold a position. I only found out about that last year.

I'm working on an invention and I have the initial (provisional) patent on my luggage thing and have applied for the final patent. But my bigger concern is that someone will figure out how to solve the manufacturing problem faster than me and get a modified version out there sooner. Then the market edge is lost. I recently came up with a second idea and thought I might try to do both and release a full line of luggage products all at once. Anyway, we'll see how that goes.

Oh, by the way, remember when we had visiting Foreign Exchange students stay with various families for a couple of days while passing through at the end of their school year ('62-'63)? We had a young man from Linz, Austria stay at our house. He had been a FE student in San Jose for the year. Well, I googled him, found him in Austria, we've emailed and got an update on his life since high school. It was fun seeing a picture of him 45 years later.

In the email I received from Marbod Peuringer, the FE student, I think there was a picture attached. It kinda cracked me up when I saw the picture because I remember him as tall and slender and in the picture he is now more like Santa, beard and all. Looks like the jolly Austrian, just needing a stein in his hand to complete the picture.

If you're ever out my way and want to see the Texas Hill Country/Highland Lakes area, especially in the Spring when we have the Bluebonnet Festivals, give me a holler. I have guest rooms or RVs you can stay in and I'll show you around. Until next time...