My full name is Allan E. Sota Jr. Obviously being named after my dad I'm a junior. My mother would not call me Junior as she hated the sound of it. Therefore I was called Eddy in my early years so my dad and I wouldn't both run away when she called our name. Since Eddy sounded juvenile to me, I call myself Ed. You can too.
I was born in Cloquet, MN way back when and grew up in Esko, MN. We lived there until I was 15 and then my parents sold our small farm and moved us to New Port Richey, FL. I later moved to Lake Worth, FL before I moved here to Sturgeon Bay, WI where I've lived most of my life.
My school years were horrific to say the least. I didn't apply myself much, I'll admit that. But after my tour in the Army, and then after I started raising a family, I went to work and got the continuing education I needed to be somewhat successful. I became skilled in carpentry, electrical and drafting. I always loved doing all three.
I joined the Army when I turned 18. I served in Ft. Benning, GA, Ft. Lee, VA and Ft. Hood, TX before deploying to Vietnam in April of '68. When I returned to the states after a year, I finished my three years in the Army at Ft. Knox, KY.
I was married a bunch of years until my wife decided to go her own way. I have two wonderful daughters, who make me very proud of them. The older is almost finished getting her PhD in instructional design from FSU. She lives in Seattle and my younger daughter lives in Chicago's Hyde Park and manages a bookstore.
After years of working in the shipbuilding industry, I became disabled with PLS (Primary Lateral Sclerosis). I have some other things going on too health wise. They amounted to me being granted service connected disability from the VA. They take care of me completely now. I'm thankful for that.
I now live alone in a one bedroom apartment in town and am cared for by my girls, my friends, two of the best Personal Care Workers I could ever have.
For something to do, I write my blogs and wheel around in my power chair visiting my friends and neighbors.
Now you know a little about me. Maybe more than you wanted to know. In any event, I hope you enjoy reading my blogs.
Happy Reading,
-Ed
