Bio of "The Pirate Captain T"

Birth to 1959

Most of the things here are not from my actual memory, but stories I was told over the years.

There is one story about when we were in Okinawa we had a maid Flamiko and she called dad Papason and she called me babyson. Said dad could not deny I was his, I looked just like him. My favorite thing when it was dinner time, was that I did not like to feed myself, so I would put my hands behind my back and say no hands. It was not a problem Flamiko would feed me. It was great. Well when time came and dad got transferred back to the USA and we came home to Tomales, California things were not the same. I would say no hands and mom would say then I guess you don't eat.

Dinner time was one thing there was never any question about. You had better be there and not be late.

At times I would ask what was for dinner and mom would say 1000 things. Oh no, not beans again!! If you came to dinner and were not happy with what was there, it was eat it or go to bed hungry. Of course years later with her grandson TJ, if he came to dinner and complained he did not like any of it, then it was "Oh Sweetie, what can I make for you?" So he got pretty much what he wanted.

I was told that I was a biter when I was little and my sister was always crying "Mom he bit me!!" But it was ok I guess. It was my only defense to her dragging me around being her play thing. This went on for some time I guess right up until I bit a neighbor girl. I got a good spanking and the biting stopped.

I am sure I was also a good driver, learning early. Remember the old car seats for kids that were just a seat hung over the back of the front seat? I was always in my seat sitting right next to mom driving. Then one day when we were at a friend's house with a long downhill driveway, mom stepped out of car to get something from the friends front porch and since almost all cars back then, were manual transmissions with the gear shift on the steering column, it was not hard for me to kick on the shifter and the car came out of gear and rolled down the driveway, across a road and end up in a neighbors barnyard. So much fun those first driving experiences.