Bob's Interests

SPORTS

Played hockey and baseball for strong teams in rural Manitoba, then in Northern Manitoba. Played my last hockey in Peoria and Springfield while attending university in Illinois. It provided me with some welcome travel throughout the Midwest.

On moving East to Yarmouth NS, took up golf and curling seriously, golf with considerably less success (best handicap was a 12). On moving to Dartmouth, joined the Dartmouth Curling Club, quickly formed competitive teams, and within 3 years represented the club at the then British Consols, finishing in the provincial semi-finals in 1975. After 7 years at Dartmouth, representing the club another 3 times, joined the Halifax Curling Club in 1980 and took a new team to the the Labatt Tankard final (3 way final under that format). Ceased competitive curling around 1988.

VOLUNTEER

Led an active life in clubs. Was an active contributor to the Yarmouth Rotary Club, leading them in a successful fund raising effort. Concurrently had several positions in Yarmouth Golf and Country Club, revamped their competitive programs, and was Director of Curling (Curling Club President) in 1971. Was instrumental in creating the first Moosehead Cashspiels at Dartmouth CC and served on other comittees (Match and Ice). Revamped their playoff structure to determine club reps at provincials, quickly producing much stronger teams. Quickly did the same at Halifax CC, served on the Match Committee, also revised their playoff system, and created the very successful Members' Cashpiel near the end of the competitive season. Served as Director in charge of Ice, made several changes and in 1981? 1982? created the best ice HCC had ever seen. I understand it has since degenerated... Also served as United Way Exibit chairman for the annual kickoff at Metro Centre.

Although active in competitive cashspiel curling I also coached several minor hockey teams in which my sons were involved.

COMPUTERS

Am an avid computer buff. Our first was a TI99 (about 1980) that my sons used as a launching pad to computer careers. We deliberately bought no games. They created and programmed their own. One became a software engineer with a major mainframe manufacturer and software developer, and now is a software engineer with a satellite imaging firm. The other is a computer graphics artist, who spent 3 years in London with a major games developer, and is now a computer artist and webmaster with a software company.. While not active in computing at an early age, a daughter has become a successful recruiter of computer talent in Europe for placement in US firms.

Work provided me with opportunities to learn business computing, working from CPM to DOS to windows applications. I became quite expert in spreadsheet, financial modelling packages, and word processing, and for several years was the guru in a couple of firms for training others and for developing macro based applications.

With opportunities to develop a video marketing function, I ventured into Amiga computer graphics for video.

I currently maintain a number of web pages on the interent, (see Resume).

GAMES

Regular crossword puzzle solver. Play kitchen bridge (rarely) and study bridge columns daily. At times brush up on my skills with Auto Bridge. When younger, I played checkers. My family (ancestors) were checker players of note. My father and an uncle were a scourge coming out of WWI, good enough that they could seldom find opponents. A great uncle was for 22 consecutive years Draughts Champion of Canada, never losing a competition game during that period. Currently looking for a good computer checker game that provides serious play. Am an avid backgammon fan, but have never competed for big bucks.

OUTDOORS

Am an avid outdoorsman, grew up fishing and duck and partridge hunting in Manitoba. Began canoeing while in Northern Manitoba, and regularly canoe in Nova Scotia, mainly on the Dartmouth Lakes and Shubie Canal, and an annual vacation at Milford House near Annapolis.

Also cycle (mountain Bike) and especially enjoy cycling the country roads around my daughter's former home in Surrey, England. It isn't for the faint-of-heart. They come close. I have actually had a rear view mirror touch my hand as someone crowded by. Love fly fishing, actually mainly the casting, for I catch few fish and don't actively seek them. I just go to any water, even if there are no fish, just for the pleasue of casting.

FIXING AND MAKING THINGS

With training in Industrial Arts I have a lot of skills for repairing and fabricating things. Am a quasi inventor, having developed a few useful products that were never patented or marketed.

My training included Pattern Making and Jigs and Fixtures, so I have always been able to develop quick homemade solutions for improving the quality of work, and for doing repetitive steps easily. I tend to do much of my own household and auto repairs in do-it-yourself fashion.

GRAPHIC ARTS

Have always done posters and sketches as a volunteer for agencies, and have continued to experiment with computer graphics for software and videos. I like keeping things simple, preferring a black-and-white poster that works to a pretty multi-colour one that lacks a clear message. Much of this was done as a volunteer, although some was used in real estate marketing.