What A Long Strange Trip...

[davidschroth]

It was thirty years ago, today, that I drove into the Twin Cities for the first time.

I'd started the day in Montana, and finally pulled into town well after dark. Oddly enough, the freeway was torn up/under construction. Who knew that would be a constant for the next thirty years?

I had been hired by the Los Angeles branch office of Sperry Univac (or was it Sperry Rand? There's been so many names over the years), and sent to classes in Bloomington without ever setting foot in the office. The classes were an interesting attempt - take a bunch of new hires, and spend six months turning them into competent OS internalists. Overall, I think it was a success, although it probably worked better with me than it did with some of my classmates.

I had only the vaguest idea where in Bloomington training would be, so I ended up in a cheap hotel on the strip - the Excel Inn (it, like so many things on the strip at that time, is no longer there). I went for inexpensive, which I expect my bosses appreciated. I think most of my classmates were in pricier digs. I eventually ended up living in an apartment in Burnsville.

I remember the "thrill" of driving regularly over the Cedar Avenue bridge (the remains of which can still be seen to the west of the current Cedar Avenue Bridge). I also remember my astonishment at the design skills of MnDOT. While California has/had its share of poorly designed roads, their accomplishments pale in comparison to MnDOT. I'm unaware of any other place that routinely places ninety degree turns in its major freeways.

After six months, I went back to California. After another six years, I found myself working for a nice man who was driving me crazy. Around this time, one of my classmates called and offered me a job back in Minnesota. He offered, I accepted, and I came back to Minnesota to work for an entirely different person than the person who hired me (That worked out ok - Stan was by far the best manager I was ever fortunate enough to work for). So I left Minnesota in December of 1978, and returned in February of 1985.

And I've been here since.

Comments

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

I believe it was Sperry Univac at that point. I started working for them about a year before you did. I only lasted 6 years though, and that includes nine months off after I had my first child.

[davidschroth.livejournal.com]

I suspect that it was actually Sperry Rand at that point, and soon thereafter became Sperry Univac, a division of Sperry Corp.