Tom Shinault:  

Life Born in Marion, Iowa 02/10/1944. Dad was a mailman, Mom was a housewife and my brother John was born right after WWII 09/16/1946. We all moved to Cal in 1956 to get dad out of snow carrying mail--he transferred and got a route in Piedmont. John and I started school at PHES on Oak Park Blvd. where I fought Dick Benson my first day at school and shockingly--he cheated and we both got kicked out of school--he ran away--another shock. Kids in Iowa don't run away and fighting the baddest guy in school is what is expected of a red blooded American boy. So began my real education in Mr. Allens' 6th grade class. Had a heavy crush on Diana Kientz but some skinny greasy haired slick kid named Bryan Tomlinson got her...I dropped into nerdsville and hung with Timmy Scully and discovered chemistry and math. In Intermediate school, I switched from nerdish to Elvis wannabe so waterfall haircut with sides, lowered levis with no belt loops , and mousetrap shoes were my artillary to snag and hold a bobby sox poodle skirt, white bucks girl with a pony tail--ahangin down--wiggle when she walk--giggle when she talked---didn't work--not old enuff'. Highschool was my coming out time tho'--grew a foot, lost weight and got built at local gym-Vic Tanny's--hung with old Mr. America--Jimmy Payne..snagged job at new local library--won chemistry in the space age contest over all schools in Bay Area..Got new car and girls, girls, girls. (Got Clue--girls don't like boys-they like cars and money)Got out of PHHS and went directly to SF State and Hippiedom. Nancy Murray broke my heart. Found my best friend(almost) Scheid hooked with her in my absence after torrid summer before college..So-- I discovered drugs and booze like never before. I met Merry Pranksters, Steve Lambrecht, Ken Kesey, Angels, psychedelia, and after brief skirmish with the stock market, Started the Wicked Eye in San Ramon (Fireplug #1) and did 14 more before mgmnt' gang I hired bankrupt it. Meanwhile I had a wife and little girl who had left me because of the bars to get back and back to school I went. That bankruptcy at 25 damn near killed me so when Chevron hired me a...Expand for more