Robert (Bob, Bobby) Peterson:  

Life - as of Oct 9th, 2018: After college, spent 5 active duty years in Air Force, mostly as a Space Surveillance Officer in ADC, finishing my final tour of duty in 1974 at Colorado Springs, CO.; high up and deep inside the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. Now married 51 + yrs. to former Kay Byrd, we have lived in San Jose, CA since '74. We raised a son, David, born Oct '75. While living in Everett WA, David's wife, Elizabeth, passed away of congestive heart failure in May 26th, 2016 - much too young & far too early. We've also raised cats, mostly in male-female pairs since 1967 - currently now with only one, as 15 yr. old female Maine Coon, Sheena, "took her final nap" about 2 months ago (her brother, Simba died in early May, 2016) . Like Simba, she had severe hip arthritis and was almost immobile. Flying solo now is our 1 converted Feral - Sissy (what a doll - and she's crazy about me, as I am of her !). After 3+ years of extensive skin allergy problems, Sissy is now essentially well and able to lead a normal feline life, Dimples, our resident nurse, is an amazingly, gifted & knowledgeable care-giver to all our animal "friends" Spent the final years of my Independent Contractor / small business ownership career as a National Sales Trainer and then VP Sales for a firm that installs solar electric PV systems in homes and business to run their utility electric meter backwards. Came out of semi-retirement in early 2014, at request of former peer (he installed FIRST CA solar PV system in 1976 !), to return to Solar PV sales; where 5 out of my first 6 proposals resulted in folks deciding to "go solar" PV with me (1 of the 5 is an Auburn Alum !). We also have a 8.88 KW DC solar PV system on our home since Sep 2004 (added another 6.27 KW of Solar PV in April 2016) which saves us nearly $5,000 per year ! Kay (she's Dimples to me) and I are avid dancers to the music of the '20-'60's (have showcased our dancing and actually won a couple of dance contests). I'm still a serious, competitive bowler, ~200 avg. & a couple of PERFECT 300 games (at age 62 & 63) with a USBC, 14 caret gold ring to celebrate the fact. Dimples (Sec-Treasurer) & I (League Liaison) manage a 14 to 20 team, Doubles bowling league that my small firm, Dimplete3 Solutions helps sponsor. I developed & maintain software that keeps all our bowling league stats, awards programs, and prints out all requirements for the League. I do enjoy developing software for personal use in trading the Commodities / Futures markets, as well as our retirement investments assets / liabilities / budget planning. While it's a little time consuming; but also definitely re-assuring to do so, our household is financially run like a business, with daily tracking of expenditures vs. income, as well as Assets vs. Liabilities. As a lifelong avocation, I consider myself an amateur Cosmologist / Physicist and write White Papers on these subjects, especially on Intelligent Life possibilities outside of our home planet. As a top producer in several of my sales positions, especially solar PV, where I've written over $10 million in business in just over 6 years of field work, I've used my experience as a sales trainer for a national solar PV firm to develop - and can offer, under the auspices of Dimplete3 Solutions - a unique sales / negotiating training course called E.T.C.C. ("et cetera c") to firms and individuals seeking to radically improve their effectiveness in across the table, as well as over the phone, negotiating environments. Current project is partnering with & teaching E.T.C. "C" technique to a retired Vietnam Combat Veteran in dire need of acquiring 100% disability coverage for Agent Orange exposure. Also working with our gardener (Vietnam, Purple Heart Bronze Star recipient what a great guy with a fantastic work ethic) in getting new Hearing aids & significant personal challenges in his life. (VA is very challenging to work with) Now fully retired as of April, 2016, I am an active member of local, Berryessa District of San Jose, American Legion Post 858 & Sunnyvale Moose Lodge 2049, where we dine and dance very "cheaply, as well as sing karaoke (Dimples is good - VERY GOOD!). We're at local venues for Piano bars and Karaoke sessions multiple times per week, especially the ones that also sport a dance floor, however rudimentary. I'm currently serving at Moose Lodge 2049 as their Patriotic Chairman and as their Endowment Chairman. Dimples and I just completed a "Wall of Honor" for our Valued Veterans with 45 Veteran names initially listed on the first plaque. I, as Patriotic Chairman, will coordinate and produce a "Valued Veterans" wall Dedication Dinner on Nov 9th for those Veterans and their families. We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary at the Lodge on Sep 16th, 2017; where a crowd of over 90 friends / family joined us for an evening of fun, food, song & dance. I did a guitar solo to her (Johnny Cash version with my own lyrics); and authored, for presentation there, 8 full pages of Cowboy Poetry to honor my Mom & especially my "young bride". Crowd went wild over my 32" high, vocally active, rolling, rocking horse (Jr. version of Topper, Hopalong Cassidy's. stead); which I "rope-led" onto the stage for my guitar solo of "You are my Sunshine" and my 11 minutes of Cowboy Poetry - "A Wealthy Cowboys Philosophy" (included below). As I dress in western cowboy attire to almost all of our dating venues, I introduced myself officially as "Cowboy Pete" for the first time here. Later in the evening, I shared with the crowd our "R" rated SECRET of what's really happening when Kay and I dance - a totally different and unique philosophy of dance!. This one got the most laughter and feedback. All in all, a memorable evening - a once in a lifetime occurrence - sharing & embellishing the richness of our relationship. Still very much enjoy playing Chess - special thanks to Jimmy Sexton for teaching me the game in High School - and go weekly to Campbell Kolty Chess Club for fun & tournaments. I call it my "night out drinking"; as for about 4 hours, all the rest of the world does exist, &ust all thought is consumed by the "Game of Chess". When health issues allow, I run up to 75 minutes (2.25 + miles) in an even depth pool, 5 times a week, in very early AM, at a Fitness Club 7 miles from home. Have now logged 258 + hours and 431 + miles in 245 pool sessions (really helps in weight maintenance and flexibility), training with my own, self developed exercise. I am a supplement / vitamin "freak"; and take a daily arsenal from 41 different supplement / vitamin containers in my "life's dance" with "Father Time". Realized this Summer that I was losing the waistline / weight / belly organ health battle to "Father Time", & initiated a medically supervised, low caloric, liquid protein, restricted diet program and have lost the initial, easiest 40 lbs in my first 9 weeks. This leaves only about 20 lbs & likely several weeks more to go. Cowboy wardrobe is now too big ! Local seamstress says I will likely just need to buy a new wardrobe, rather than alter pants. Raised as a poor boy, from the other side of the tracks; at full retirement in April, 2016, I started fulfilling my lifelong "Dream / Bucket List" of learning the piano, guitar and voice via individual Instructor lessons. My new (Oct 2016) Voice / Piano (Sept 2018) teacher is a BRILLIANT, somewhat gruff, retired Russian Symphony Conductor /Choir Director, who prefers that students call him "Maestro". Quite an Informative, enjoyable "blast" to WORK with him for 45 minutes twice weekly! To spend more time on piano, we are splitting off Piano into a separate weekly session, starting in September. Guitar is going a little "slower" (fingers too thick) ; though perhaps my "rudimentary" guitar solo at our 50th Celebration & recent 40 lb loss may have gotten me "over the hump". Recently bought another beautiful guitar for me, allowing a new "left handed" one to be gotten, partially via a trade-in, for Dimples. She is now fully recovered from her gall bladder surgery of July 27th, & started her guitar lessons in mid August.. It will give us another shared activity to be able to "jam" together in our newly redone Music / Karaoke room... as well as on our 51st Anniversary, long Labor Day weekend trip to our favorite, secluded beach resort, located on the, relatively close by, Monterrey Peninsula.. This was so much fun, we are likely to now make it an annual Anniversary trip ! Much of the above, PLUS MORE, is now highlighted under my firm's website, Dimplete3 Solutions. School Attended Auburn University, School of Engineering; on W. O. Palmer Scholarship from Sep '64 till graduation in Mar '69; earning a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, with a 2.21 GPA on 3.0 scale, Top 10% Freshman Engineering Class, Officer and active member of Sigma Gamma Tau (A E Honor Society). Granted an Air Force ROTC scholarship and served active duty; '66-'69 at Auburn U., where I also worked in A E Machine shop as well as at a Malt Shake / Grease Pit joint. Then obtained a Graduate School Fellowship, (at this point, I was actually making money while going to school !!) where I taught Meteorology to undergraduates. But alas, Father Time intervened & sent me off to my Air Force commitment before I could obtain a Master's degree. Think I was just all "schooled" out <<grin>>. Worked, STUDIED!!, dated, and then, after a 2 + year engagement, married my life's partner, Kay (Byrd) of Greenville, in Sep '67 while at Auburn - where upon she then became my "Dimples". Fondest memories are of 1 room cabin at 233 1/2 West Glenn Ave., where I lived solo from Sep '64 to Sep '67 - attending Auburn football, basketball, and wrestling events with Dimples - STUDY dates with Dimples - and an incredibly intelligent, muscular, truly masculine Feline, Dimples brought, as a kitten, from a Georgiana f...Expand for more