Posts by year – 1979 and earlier

We bought the house from RCCC (Riverside Cambridgeport Community Corp.), a community based housing agency. Work continued on first and second floor apartments to get tenants in as early as possible. Facsimile. The wine we drank came in these kind of… Continue reading Buy 266 Western Ave – renovations continue……

This snow storm dropped over 27 inches of snow with very high winds. Truly a memorable event. Mark barely made it back to Cambridge from his work out in Acton, MA. Everything was locked down for days and days. Large National Guard bulldozers cleared… Continue reading Blizzard of February 5 – 7, 1978

It was not a long haul move. Just across the street from 249 Western. But, we may have permanently ended some firends’ moving careers.

KCD work – Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School – Voc Ed, Title 1,Math, Newspaper

We invited everyone we knew to come by during the day of the Head of the Charles Regatta. Lots of food and drink. Not many people actually went to the regatta. Too many expensive sweaters and other prep regalia for our tastes.Even when we sent out no… Continue reading 1st Head of the Charles Regatta Party – series runs unbroken until 1995

Phil Pierce visiting with us at 249 Western Ave. In 1976 Karen and I began to talk about buying a house. Since we didn’t really know much about the mechanics we sought out advice from the local organition Riverside Cambridgeport Community Corp. that… Continue reading 266-268 Western Ave. Cambridge MA – 1977-78.

Drives cross country – solo. Arrives on 4th of July.

Move in to first floor. Kids declare “We’ve moved to the suburbs.” Distance as the crow flies between 266 Western and 52 Kinnaird less than 200 yards.

A warren of rooms is reduced to one large open kitchen – dining- living room, a bathroom, and a small (10′ x 8′) room. Two brick chimneys exposed. Structural beams added. New pulse combustion heating system with baseboard radiation replaces old conve… Continue reading 52 Kinnaird St: construction begins on 2nd floor.

Radio Shack TRS80 – aka “Trash 80” – $2,000 with dot matrix printer, floppy drives, 64KB memory. Visicalc (predecessor of Excel spreadsheet) and a word processor software. Causes crisis when Jonathan takes homework to school printed out on printer. D… Continue reading 1st family computer – TRS80 from Radio Shack

My lab was in building 3 off the Infinite Corridor. Staff engineer in biomechanics lab in Building 3. Worked in lab supporting research on artificial hips. Hired to be the interface between the research PhDs and outside vendors.He loved to walk throu… Continue reading Mark begins work at MIT Biomechanics Lab

1st time at 52 Kinnaird.

We start using the 2nd floor with its kitchen, pantry, dining room, living room, extra room and full bathroom. Sleeping quarters are on the first floor along with bathroom, laundry room/study space and entrance hall. 

Design of sensors for Power Generation Oil and Gas Petrochemical Marine Nuclear Manufacturing Facilities OEM Test Facilities HVAC This job only lasted 6 weeks or so. It was a complete mismatch. The Chief Engineer who hired Mark knew the head of the B… Continue reading Mark works at Indikon in Cambridge

On his return Mark was guaranteed that he would work full time as a designer. While working on a design for an ultra-high vacuum ultra-cold Seya Namioka monochromator Mark was baffled by how to design a moveable slit that could not have any lubricati… Continue reading Mark returns to Minuteman Labs