This is going to be more of a mini-memoir, just some place to think out loud. I've forgotten so much, and haven't led a very exciting life, so don't worry, if you're silly enough to read this, it shouldn't be too long.

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I was born in Modesto, California September 7, 1951. My dad had been married twice before and had a 12-year-old son with him, Richard Trent Blake. Dick and Dad had been on their own in SF when Dad met and married Mom and then had 4 more children (I was the oldest). Dick was NOT happy but we all admired him as being something near god-like.

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We didn't have money. At one point there were 8 of us in a very small 2-bedroom house. Dad always had big ideas and we moved several times (once in the middle of the night which, after I grew up realized it meant we hadn't paid our rent). When Dad took his check-book to the grocery store, it meant we'd been out of food for a couple of days - and the check was going to bounce. I hated that checkbook. 

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We moved to Pacifica when I was 8, San Jose when I was 10, Concord when I was 12, and Benicia I was 13. I remembering having good friends in San Jose and Concord but by the time we were in Benicia, I stayed away from people.

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The school in San Jose had been great and I'd had algebra in 7th grade. The school in Concord was almost as good and I had algebra in 8th. The school in Benicia was further behind and wanted me to take algebra again in 9th, but I convinced them to let me test out. Benicia was a small town at the time. In my junior year, there were 5 of us in the class: 4 senior boys and me. In my senior year, I was the only one in the class.

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Because I did well in math, it was clear I'd continue in college. But all assumed that, since I was a girl, I'd teach math. Being much more a nerd than a girl, and unable to talk to anyone, I knew better than to think I'd be a good teacher.

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I studied math at UC Berkeley, with a scholarship my first year and working close to full time the rest of the time. I did well in my math classes, rarely but occasionally the best in my class. But math seemed like a religious experience to most in my class and I'd given up on religion when I was about 8. So I turned to economics as a possibly more functional option. In the first year, they preach the supply/demand curve like an exact science. In the second year, they start adjusting it, again as though this was the truth. Third year, it's adjusted more. Fourth year we're into multi-dimensional math, preaching as this one is the truth. Sill, I was going to go to grad school and continue with econ. Until I decided it was time to get a job.

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I'd taken two programming classes in college, as easy classes to ease my days (I was also working then). They were fun. My first job taught me programming! I worked very long hours and worked my way up. My second job, I started out as a programmer and worked my way up to Project Manager and Product Manager.