Well, after what I believe is 18+ years of working for ALNC computers, I have given my notice and as of Thursday June 30th, I have officially retired.
I met Randy and Lynda back when I was buying my first computer. I was 16 or so at the time and this is in the days when computers were in the +3000$ range. Most shops looked at me like a dumb kid and shrugged me off assuming I had no money. Truth was I had a pre-approved loan to buy a computer. Randy didn’t care how old I was. My money was as good as anyones and we worked out a deal on my very first PC. A DataTrain 460-T. It was a blazing fast intel 486DX4-100mhz, 8mb RAM, 1mb Video, 850MB Maxtor HDD, SoundBlaster 16, and a USR 14.4modem. I was in heaven. I debated if a modem was needed at the time, but Randy assured me that it was a good thing to have. He was right.
I spent every waking moment on this machine. That modem Randy recommended got me into BBS’es (think text-only internet, without the internet). I played online games and chatted with people from all over the 905 area. Eventually even started my own BBS called Bugs Palace. I learned to survive on 2-3 hours of sleep per night.
With my addiction for computers being strong, I found myself in and out of ALNC a bunch of times over the next 1-2 years getting help from Lynda over something I screwed up, buying upgrades, adding more space etc. The day I went to buy my DVD burner (Hp 9200i for the curious geeks); Randy caught me off guard and asked if I wanted to try working there. I was accepted as a Networking and Hardware student at Mohawk starting that September but really didn’t know much other then my tinkering on my trusty pc I bought from ALNC. I figured I want to be in computers, what better place to go!
I worked ‘part time’ (35-45 hours per week around my college schedule) my first three semesters of Mohawk and eventually did a full-time stint for 8 months for my co-op. I found my calling. I’m not one to brag, but I’m pretty good at this computer troubleshooting and hardware thing. After college I got a job working at a software company (I was ‘head-hunted’ by another ALNC employee to work with him). I was reluctant to go elsewhere, but did and learned a great deal there as well. I still couldn’t give up my time at ALNC so I dropped back to “part time”. So from 1998 until now I have worked a regular shift at ALNC without ever stepping away fully. Part time, full time, back to 2-4 nights a week. You name the schedule I’ve done it and I am the tech I am now because of it.
I learned more in the first 2 months at ALNC from Lynda/Randy than I learned during my entire time in college. The shifts I have spent working along side them have taught me skills in both computers and also how to deal with customers from every walk of life. They have been some of the best, most educational, challenging – yet entertaining times I’ve ever had. I will forever be thankful for the chance they took giving a green kid a job in their family store and helping me learn as I went. I know I wouldn’t be the tech I am now without their direction and patience. They treated me as family from day one. I have gotten to know nearly their entire family over the years and have stayed good friends with their children Katie, Cheri and Albert (and now grand-kid(s) too!)
I will always have a warm spot in my heart thinking about disk-copying shareware, eating panzerottis, listening to Boston far too loud after the mall had closed, re-arranging the store when Randy was away, and simply knowing I always have another family I can consider my own.
So Randy, Lynda and the rest of the Chapple crew, I love you guys! Thanks for everything!
Jamie