Most Recent

Recently, I've gone somewhere, done something, or seen something amazing I've shared in these pages. Here, you'll find my most recent posts, covering a wide range of topics that pique my interest. Whether you're passionate about travel, captivated by photography, enchanted by music, or intrigued by computer programming, there's likely to be something here for everyone!

Dive in and explore the latest insights, stories, and adventures that I have to share. Enjoy your stay!

Eight Months in Blair

By: Paul S Cilwa	Occurred: 9/1/1981 Posted: 8/27/2025		Page Views: 212
Hashtags: #AppliedCommunications #Blair #Nebraska #CorporateInstruction
That time we moved into an ancient house in a small midwestern town...and survived!

So, with a new job title of "corporate instructor" in August, and a continuing, steady and reasonable salary, I decided to move the family out of the little apartment we'd rented in Omaha. In fact, I wanted to move us out of Omaha altogether. There were a number of small towns within commuting distance of work. I decided on Blair, which was only a half-hour's drive away. And, for less money than I had spent on the apartment, in Blair we could rent an entire house!

Adventures in Fresno

By: Paul S Cilwa	Occurred: 7/1/1981 Posted: 8/17/2025		Page Views: 184
Hashtags: #AppliedCommunications #Tandem #TAL #ATMs #AutomatedTellerMachines #WellsFargo #Fresno
That time I programmed the very first ATMs, got drunk, and discovered shrimp.

After working on a few projects, I was assigned to write an error-recovery routine for one of the first automated teller machines, by Diebold, which had been custom-built by them for Wells Fargo Bank.

Going Home Again

By: Paul S Cilwa	Occurred: 8/15/1980 Posted: 8/5/2025		Page Views: 49
That time my buddy Mike accompanied me and my family to my childhood home in Vermont.

And then there was the time I brought Mary, the kids, and my buddy and former roommate, Mike, to see the house I'd grown up in, in Vermont, for the first time in 11 years. The house was in the township of Victory, in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, a mere 12 hour drive from our home in Manassas, Virginia. With three adults taking turns driving, and with the van fixed up so the kids could play or sleep as we drove, we left early in the morning for an evening arrival.

Visiting Omaha's Henry Dorley Zoo with Gramma

By: Paul S. Cilwa	Occurred: 6/14/1981 Posted: 8/5/2025		Page Views: 85
Hashtags: #Cilwas #Omaha #Zoo #HenryDorleyZoo
I paid for my mother-in-law to visit!

One of the hesitations we had about moving to Omaha was that we'd be so much farther from Mary's and my parents. But I was also making enough money to buy people airplane tickets! And so I sent for Agnes, my mother-in-law and the kids' gramma, to visit us for a week.

Great Falls, 1980

By: Paul S Cilwa	Occurred: 5/17/1980 Posted: 8/4/2025		Page Views: 106
Hashtags: #Hiking #GreatFalls #Virginia
A day trip to Great Falls with our friends Mike and Dick.

In May of 1980, our family set out to visit a local scenic spot known as Great Falls. Accompanying us were our friends and my former roommates, Mike Mundell and Richard (Dick) Keminck. This felt like stepping into a rugged slice of untouched wilderness just beyond the hum of Washington, D.C. This is where the Potomac River thunders through the narrow Mather Gorge, its frothy white rapids crashing over jagged rocks with a force that echos through the humid air.

Working for ACI

By: Paul S Cilwa	Occurred: 9/1/1980 Posted: 8/3/2025		Page Views: 78
Hashtags: #Omaha #Nebraska #AppliedCommunications #Tandem #TAL
I moved myself and the whole family to Omaha, Nebraska, for Applied Communications, Inc.

After several months of working short-term contracts, I began to wonder if I shouldn't get a "regular" job. As a contractor, I got paid a lot more than a full-time employee would. On the other hand, the contracts lasted just a few weeks each; and I had to pay for my own health insurance. True, so far I'd been employed every week without fail. But I was responsible for five people in addition to myself, and I really couldn't afford to miss a week of work, should that ever happen. Plus, now that the recruiters knew I existed, they were calling me pretty constantly with feelers for positions into which they wanted to place me. So, I finally agreed to fly out to Omaha, Nebraska, to interview with Jim Cody, the active owner of Applied Communications, Inc., a startup that could leverage my experience with Tandem computers against the new automated teller machines.

Foggy Day on Skyline Drive with Davey

By: Paul S Cilwa	Occurred: 6/7/1980 Posted: 8/3/2025		Page Views: 168
Hashtags: #Hiking #ShenandoahNationalPark #Virginia #SkylineDrive
Hiking Skyline Drive offers a breathtaking journey along Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, even in the fog.

In June of 1980, our family set out for a misty adventure along Skyline Drive, winding through the heart of Virginia's Shenandoah National Park. Accompanying us was Davey, a buddy with whom I worked, and who was waiting to bring his wife and kid up from wherever it is he came from. The morning fog hung low over the Blue Ridge Mountains, softening the landscape into a dreamlike blur as we parked the van and doled out canteens. With each step into the damp woods, the hush of the fog wrapped around us, turning familiar trails into mysterious paths and making the day feel like a quiet escape into another world.

Easter at the Manassas Battlefield

By: Paul S Cilwa	Occurred: 4/6/1980 Posted: 7/28/2025		Page Views: 51
Hashtags: #Easter #ManassasNationalBattlefieldPark #BullRunRegionalPark #CivilWar
Mixing mythology and history.

My new work was much less stressful than my work on Telemail had been, which I was happy for because it meant spending more time with my kids. Specifically, as Easter approached, I wanted to make it a day (and photo op) the kids would remember. And, to that end, I decided to hide eggs at the Manassas Battlefield Park.

A Ribbon of Time

By: Paul S Cilwa	Posted: 7/28/2025		Page Views: 156
Hashtags: #WebsiteDesign #OrganicaWeb #ASP.net #TimeRibbon
How to create a dynamic TimeRibbon feature for your website.

On my About Me page, I have two different ways of going through my posts: Drop-down year tabs is one; and a TimeRibbon is the other. However, the TimeRibbon has been missing since I reworked my site to use asp.net. I finally updated that code, too; so, if you've been wondering how to create a horizontal, sliding ribbon that aligns several unsynchronized events by month and year—here's how to do it!