Joel Nichols:  

Well I will say its been quite a journey as the path I have walked for the past 28 yrs has taken many turns.I could write a book about it....but I will try to make it brief.I knew & were in classes with some of you going back to the 8th grade accross the street at Teague Middle School.I lived in the neighborhood behind it around the corner from Chris Gens who is a good friend of mine although I have not seen him in a few years.After completing the 10th grade in june of 1980 my parents divorced & I moved up to Ohio as my Father moved there for job reasons.I went to River Valley H.S. there in the 11th grade & also took an electronics class at an affiliated Voc. school.Halfway through the 11th grade in Jan. of 1981 my Father had met & married a woman with 3 kids around my age.During that month we moved back to Orlando as my father decided to go back to work at Martin Marietta..his former employer.This time we were in Edgewater H.S.'s district.Not crazy about that as they were rivals of L.B.H.S. .My first day there my stepsister went rite on to classes while I was stuck in the office.They told me that the credits I had from Ohio could not be accepted there as they did not have the same classes.They told me I would have to start 11th grade from scratch.Felt like half a year had been waisted.I never went back to school & was taking the GED exams two weeks later.In march I recieved my H.S. diploma & a few days later enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17.In september of 1981 I was on my way to Navy boot camp up near Chicago.I was there until Jan of 1982 till I completed boot camp & also a few schools.After taking a months leave I was on my way to my first duty station on the island of Crete,Greece in late Feb. where I stayed for almost two years.I also had duty in Spain,Italy & Sicily.I returned to the states & moved out to Flaggstaff,Az where my brother had moved to & was there for about 8 mos.I then decided to move to where my Mother was living in Atlanta for better job market.I lived there for a couple of years & was on the move again to Port St. Lucie.Fla. where I lived for about 10 mos.In Feb. of 1987 I moved back to Orlando , met my first wife & married not long after.I finally settled down for awhile as we had two beautifull daugters together.In 1994 we moved to Atlanta as my wife was job tranferred.In 1996 she was transferred back to Orlando so we moved again.Shortley thereafter we seperated & I took a job offer in Charlotte,NC. .A few months late...Expand for more