Eric Conner:  

ctivities. Couldn't wait to get back to school after summer break to see everyone again. I remember painful crushes and fleeting infatuations while being awkward and inarticulate and blushing bright red. I still remember school fondly. College Two years at the gorgeous jr campus of Ambassador College, a small private christian school in Texas was such a wonderful developmental experience. Great place to learn about a much bigger world than Alaska. All the speach classes were so nerve wracking and scarey. There's nothing better for overcoming selfconciousness though. Finished up two more years in the Sr campus of Ambassador College in Pasadena. Wasn't crazy about California and all the smog and concrete, but I loved the school and made many good friends that have lasted a life time. Returned to Alaska after graduation in 1988 and have built a life with roots that will keep us here. Favorite Teachers: Richard Paige, Fred Stevens, Dick Thompson, Don Ward, Larry Salyer, David Albert, Jim Kissee, Carn Catherwood and Larry Hayworth come to mind. Good buds: Roman Borek, Mike Belloni, Troy Todd, Chan Lipscomb, Joe Youngblood, Ronnie Gunnoe, Steve Ellison, Randy Orell, Scott Hughes, Rob Berkowski. Very good guys all. There were a lot of very classy ladies who will remain nameless. A couple years ago I rode my bike cross country and went through Pasadena and Big Sandy, stopping by the old campuses. Things have changed a bit, haven't they. A lot of good memories walking the campuses. Workplace I've never really had a job working for someone else. We started a couple businesses here in Soldotna that have had varying degrees of success. Its kind of funny because everyone says that business owners have so much more control over their life and have free time whenever they want it. Hah! The truth is business owners get paid last, if ever. Where else can you work 12 to 16 hours a day and maybe not get paid? Free time has to actually be scheduled in or our entire life is spent working! I work in the winter, spring and summer 12-14 hours a day as an independent tax accountant (350 bosses), landlord (16 more bosses), and commercial fisherman (ahh no bosses). In the Fall it all slows down to about 20 hours a week which can be done with a cell phone, a fax machine, laptop, FedEx and via Email. About the time the bills start stacking up winter arrives and it's back to full bore and wide open again. A stack of bills is very motivating. Work to live, don't live to work. We keep trying to remember that. As we seek to lower our cost of living but not our standard of living we wish for more time to spend living as we want to than working. Balance is so hard to find. The question is, how much of our life are we willing to sell for money? In the beginning the answer was pretty much all of it. Now we are looking up, watching our life zoom by and wanting to buy some free time for our family.