Re: Back in the RPG Saddle, Post-stroke

Bob,

I'll give you access to my machine over the internet, if you need a sandbox
to play in. Contact me off-line for the details.
Paul Nelson
Office 512-392-2577
Cell 708-670-6978
nelsonp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


-----Original Message-----
From: consult400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:consult400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of rslancastr@xxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2010 8:11 PM
To: consult400@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Consult400] Back in the RPG Saddle, Post-stroke

Hello all.

My name is Robert (Bob) Lancaster

I was an RPG programmer for more than thirty years.

I started with RPG II on a Sys/32 back in 1976. I went from there to a
Sys/34, many Sys38s, then AS/400s & iSeries boxes. I wrote in RPGII,
III, IV, ILE and Free. Most of this was as an independant contractor
in the Los Angeles area.

Then, in August of 2008, I suffered a massive stroke to the right side
of my brain, paralyzing much of the left half of my body.

I was hospitalized for eleven months following the stroke, during which
time my employer let me go.

Luckily, my cognitive skills are still pretty intact. I have
occasional memory issues, but nothing major, and they might be just
"senior moments" (I am 52 years old) rather than stroke-related. A
recent Neuro-Psych exam (a glorified IQ test) had me scoring
High/Exceptional in most categories.

To my questions: I am anxious to find out how much of my programming
knowledge and skills are stil in my head and accessible. I hope in the
coming few months to get back into the workforce, but want to do what I
can to kickstart the RPG coder in me.

To that end, I would appreciate any and all suggestions related to
getting me back up to speed. I think that my old-school RPG skills are
still pretty intact, but the newer stuff (ILE, Free-format and such) is
probably a bit iffy. Any recommendations of ways I can get those
skills back and solidified would be greatly appreciated.

Any tutorial web sites, books, etcetera, which you think would be
helpful?

And, since I hope to be going on interviews in the next few months, I
would like to see some of the lists of technical interview questions
that used to float around. You know, the kind with questions such as
"what is the difference between a Do Until and a Do While?" I think
that a list of such questions (and the answers) will help me to better
assess where I am, and might keep me from embarrassing myself too badly
in an interview.

Any and all suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Robert "Bob" Lancaster
Salem, Oregon

PS: And please, PLEASE, everyone: watch your blood pressure and your
weight. thirty years' worth of a "programmer's diet" (fast food, soda,
pizza) landed me in this wheel chair, asking strangers for help getting
my brain back in order. Learn how to recognize the signs of a stroke
(in yourself or a friend/loved one. Luckily for me, my wife knew I was
having a stroke (I had no clue), and called 911 immediately, probably
saving my life, and definitely preventing further brain damage. As
they say, when it comes to strokes, Time = Brain. I made my living
with my logic and reasoning skills. I can't tell you how strange and
frightening it was to have them damaged, even temporarily. The damage
to my body didn't bother me half as much.