Good morning!

I took a few days off from creating content to focus on learning the ropes of our new webpage and figuring out what we want to accomplish with it. It�s going to be a constant work in progress, but as I get back into it, things are coming together faster. I used to know how to do all this really well the old-school way, but some of this new �easier� technology is way more complicated and honestly confusing. My brain hurts, but it�s recovering.

I actually built my first web page before the internet even existed�back when we used bulletin boards. I had a dedicated phone line, and other computers would dial into mine to download files, communicate on the message board, or ask me questions. I was 12, so of course, I was the authority on all things computers.

Computers have always been part of my life. I started learning programming when I was six by reading every book that came with my first computer back in 1985. Even at that young age, I knew these machines were going to change the world. I wasn�t as convinced by the computer we had before that�a cassette tape-based ColecoVision computer�but it still taught me the basics. I learned that I could make it do things by inputting a series of commands, even if it was just scrolling text or bouncing a shape across the screen. That was all it took�I was hooked on creating.

I always enjoyed building something tangible, seeing the end product, much more than playing games. I went on to graduate from a vocational high school with a certification in computer programming alongside my regular diploma. I actually had enough college credits from grade school and junior high to qualify for early graduation. I could�ve skipped my last two years entirely, but at that point in life, I cared more about socializing than academics.

Looking back, I�m glad I racked up those credits, because I barely made it to graduation�I got out of jail just in time to walk across that stage. But that�s a story for another day. All those life experiences shape who we become. But this was supposed to be a Misty Chicken story, and I haven�t even started that part yet. So, this is going to have to be a two-parter.

To be continued�