SOTW . . .sotw

We have on this board, posters who are deserving to be named SOTW because of the quality of their work and the contribution
they make to the board . . . Then we have some, who are deserving to be named, because they have a story to tell and the
members of the board wants to know more about them . . . and to know what makes them tick.

I recognize that I am of the latter group and I accept it.


John Nicholas Francis
Born February, 1950 at age 0, Akron, Ohio . . . at home

Earliest remembrance: looking at a dead cat(w/maggots) on the side of a road at age 3

Fondest memories: Family vacations, Dorsey Brother's listening to So Rare, and smelling skunk cabbage as we drove through the night

Colleges: Hocking Technical College(1972-1974) & Kent State University(1974-1976/not degreed)

Military: Air Force(kinda)

Nick names: Johnny Jump up(aged 10), Feather(aged 14), Fish(in college)

Favorite sports: Tennis, Golf, Sailing & fly-fishing(used to tie #28 dry-flies & #14'. . . in hand)

Favorite music: anything but rap and HARD acid-rock

Favorite songs: Rubber Duckie(Soupy Sales), Beatle Um Bum(Jim Kweskin & the Jug Band), Stranger on the Shore(Mr. Acker Bilk),
So Rare(either Dorsey brother), Sophisticated Lady(Hoagy Carmichael), Lizard, Cat-Food & Court of the Crimson King(King Crimson),
On the Threshold of a Dream(Moody Blues), She's Leaving Home(Beatles), The People That You Wanna Phone Ya(The Pipkins),
Where the Boys Are(Connie Francis), I Ran All the Way Home(Pat Boone), A Salty Dog(Procoh Harum), Gentle on my Mind(John Hartford)

Favorite Movies: Captain Ron, Les Miserables, A Tale of Two Cities, Ground Hog Day,, old Ma & Pa Kettle programs,
the Real McCoys and Petticoat Junction

Most favorite time of my life: springtime of 8th grade(nothing special, but I just felt SO SO GOOD in general)

Worst time of my life: My dad's death in 2000

Least liked people: Anyone arrogant mean people(the more arrogant or mean, the less I like)

Most liked people: intelligent people with open minds, compassion and good hearts

Most disliked things: Spiders and quiet/cloudy water

Most prominent fear: falling(I don't fear heights . . . I fear jumping) . . . well, yes, I fear heights too

Dumbest thing I've ever done: (pre-grade school), put my finger in the bathroom light socket . . . often.

Second Dumbest thing: Jumping off the back porch roof, about 8 or so feet to the sidewalk(when I was in grade-school) . . . often.
Actually, the idea was to jump out from the sidewalk, onto the grass.

Third dumbest thing(my brother, the jokester put me up to this when I was about 5) . . . looking directly at the sun, until that
dark disk came and "ate" it. To this day I see a lot more than most people, but only when I actually don't look at what I'm wanting to see.

If I could be anything: I would be a rich philanthropist living in a small trailer, in the woods . . . invisible

Biggest job: Steel mill 140 ac ALTA. 10-24X36 pages of dense data. SOLO/NO DATA COLLECTOR/REFLECTORLESS INSTRUMENT(2000). 475 million-dollar
Deal fell through because of 9-1-1. The plant eventually sold in 2003 for 420 million with an update ALTA.



Family: 4 brothers(2 now), 2 sisters, dad and an at-home mother(both gone now). married in 1994 . . . wife: Charlene

I'm a listener & a watcher and it takes me quite a while to "open" up in conversation.
I never lie, but it's not a moral thing. It's more like "I don't give a holy $hit type thing and it's too complicated.
I have a high pain tolerance, hate all medicines and I am not good at taking them
I strongly dislike injustice
I never speed(on purpose), mainly because I think my fellow motorists have a right to rely on my actions as a driver.
I also don't drive slow(except in parking lots, where I dr

Congratulations, John, enjoy your week in the sun.

Thanks and congrats John. Sorry about Buff looked like a good cat.

Very very good.

In particular:

>> I want the surveyors who follow, after my death, to be glad I was a surveyor.

John,

I'll even hold the dumb end of the tape. But, if I were to do anything with you the boat and/or fishing have much higher priorities.

BTW, can you ties flies faster than I can lose them?

Paul in PA

I stopped in at the Orvis shop in Pa., and looking at the size 16 hooks couldn't beleive how much smaller they are.

I used to have extremely sharp eyes(short range) and extremely nimble fingers.

It's like my high-jumping. I used to jump 6'5"(I was about 5'7-8" tall.

I walk up to a 5'2" bar and the idea is almost scary. I don't mean I can't jump it(which I'm sure I can't), I mean it's "scary".

John,

We have 2 choices in life, get old or not. I don't mind getting old, considering the alternative.

Paul in PA