Happy New Year 2019!

Good evening folks! I'm at work now. I just produced this short video wishing every one a happy new year. I think I'll start this as a new tradition, doing a personal video each year. This way you can watch me age.

Happy new year to every one!

The Eve of New Year's Eve

Here we are folks, at the end of yet another year. Tomorrow I will be working at the hotel on New Year's Eve.  I don't mind. During the holidays like Christmas and New Year's Eve, nice folks. It's the weddings that are a trial that make me wonder why I chose hotel work as a second occupation.  

Today was a quiet day. I accomplished a bit more on cleaning out my life long accumulation of things in the basement.  Now that we have emptied the media room of all my stuff, I have no excuse not to go through and make hard choices.  
Today I choose several pictures that I like but have no space to hang.  I hope they find a happy home and are on loving display for many more years. More years than I will be alive.  I also dispensed with my Sirius satellite radio and components, all gone.  I listen to Pandora satellite radio on my Bose Wave radio.  Much less expensive and I can program my own songs and not listen to inane chatter that is now the norm on Sirius radio stations. I also got rid of all my reunion material.  Paper plates, table clothes, utensils, etc.  I won't be holding any more family reunions after my last reunion was so poorly attended.  A lot of expense for those reunions which few appreciated. Let someone else hold the reunions. I've done with them. 

We still have a slight leak in the basement wall. Bill finally acquiesced and consented that I can call in the professionals to fix it. We can't have a leak in the basement wall.  Once we get that fixed then I'll have a new wall to wall carpet installed in the media room and get that 75" TV with Bose surround sound.  After thirteen years we'll have a real media room.  Our very own movie theater.

I usually don't do New Year's Eve resolutions but I will this year, to finally get rid of a lot of my storage things.  Some I will keep, just for sentimental reasons. But others, I will send to the thrift shop. Hopefully they will find new happy homes and live on long after we're gone.

Note: the video at the beginning of this post is of Bill at BJ's yesterday. We were checking out the big flat screen TV's.  It's amazing how much the prices have dropped on those TV's. Our first "big" (40 inch) TV was an RCA which we purchased in 2007 for (are you sitting down?) $4,000!  We don't even use it now.  Sits in the basement unused. Someday I'll put it in the guest room.  We're going big time for the next TV. By the way, you can view the video I posted full screen.  Just click on the icon at the bottom of the video for full screen. I've decided to post some of my videos directly to Blogger instead of going through YouTube with all those ads. 

Thoughts Approaching the End of Another Year

A fish eye view of where this blog emanates from - fish eye lens a Christmas gift from Pat to me for my iPhone

Another year is almost gone. Is it me or do the years seem to fly by like those calendar pages from old Forties movies that show the passage of time? 

Each year that passes I am reminded that I am still here.  Back in 1965 when I moved in with Bill and began my new career at Girard Bank in Philadelphia, I looked at my retirement date of 2006 and thought that was so far in the future. I remember seeing "2001 - A Space Odyssey" with my friend Rich Ware and thinking "that's so far in the future."  It was almost impossible for me to imagine that far in the future.  Well folks, here I am in the future.  In fact I am way past the future as 2019 approaches.  

I continue to be surprised that I have survived this long. I have surpassed so many of my friends, family, former co-workers and former classmates. Just this week I got news that the husband of another former classmate has passed on.  Next year in June I will attend my 60th high school class reunion. Our class reunions have always been joyous occasions but this year so many will no longer be attending. Just last night I was wondering who will be the last classmate standing. Would it be me?  Do I want it to be me?

I realize I am more fortunate than most of my peers that Bill and I are still together. But I have to face the fact that Bill is ninety years old and he probably won't be around for another twenty years. But then again, he just might.  

I am doubly fortunate that I met Pat and we are so close. In many ways Pat was always that person I was looking for all those years when I was trolling the gay bars in my prime. How ironic that I met him when I was seventy-two years old. Talk about a long wait.  But folks, it was worth it. I couldn't have meet a better person than that delightful Canadian. 

Presently I am reading a biography of Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the 80's rock group. Freddie, like so many celebrities who seem to have it all, struggled to have and maintain a long term, loving relationship with someone who they cared for and who cared for them. Even the ultimate sex symbol Marilyn Monroe struggled to have such a relationship. And here I am, a cipher in the billions of people in this world and I have the best of both worlds.  I have both Bill and Pat in my life. 

For so many years I thought I wasn't good enough. If only I could look like that guy.  If only I could have that kind of life. If only I could have a lot of money. Then I would be truly happy.  Turns our all along I had the best life. 

Now as I approach the end of another year I thank my lucky stars for this wonderful life that I have had and continue to have. Even in spite of my failing body and my failing looks, I am one happy bear.  

DNA Test In!

Pat's DNA test results

This year I gave Pat a DNA test for a Christmas present. Pat claims he is a "mutt."  Well, who isn't?  
The results of his DNA test came in on Christmas Eve. Good timing!

What we knew about Pat's ancestry (Flynn) before the DNA test was that his father was of Irish ancestry. His maternal ancestry is French. In fact his maternal ancestors (Nicolas Pelletier) colonized Quebec in the middle 1600's!  Thus it came somewhat as a surprise that Pat's DNA test results show his ancestry is 60% Ireland & Scotland. The balance of his ancestry is 33% England, Wales and Northwestern Europe.  His French ancestry is only 4%. Another surprise is that he has 3% Norwegian ancestry. Pat says his Scandinavian ancestry accounts for his love of the clean lines of Scandinavian furniture. Every one of our quarterly vacations includes visits to furniture stores checking out the latest clean Scandinavian furniture. IKEA is Pat's absolute favorite destination.

What I find very interesting with these DNA tests is the accuracy of the migration information. Pat's is absolutely accurate in that his ancestral migration was the Saint Lawrence River French Settlers.

Ron's DNA test results

My ancestry was no surprise for me. I knew from my family research history that my paternal line came from England via Jamaica.  My nine times grandfather Jonathan Tipton emigrated to Baltimore County Maryland in 1692 after the Great Earthquake of Port Royale in Jamaica. What was he doing in Jamaica?  He was one of the English colonists, probably by way of indentured servant, of Jamaica.  He was originally from Shropshire, England.

On my maternal side of my family my great-great grandfather Thomas Hadfield emigrated to America via way of New York with his young wife and two young children.  They had lived in Glossop, England. I have the ship manifest to prove that fact. I also have the record of the Baltimore Gazette that proves Jonathan Tipton emigrated to Baltimore County Maryland, his obituary. 

One of the great joys in my life was discovering my family roots. If a genie in a bottle popped up one day and gave me a wish, I would wish that I could visit back in time my ancestors. Wouldn't that be fascinating?  

Christmas Day 2018

Merry Christmas to everyone! 

This Christmas Day is a different one for me. I can't remember the last time I didn't work Christmas Day. I have to tell you, this is a special treat for me, not working this Christmas Day.

Bill and I don't have anything special planned for today. Just another quiet day at home. Which at our age is what we like and prefer.  

There was a time many years ago when I was all into Christmas with the presents and visits. That drifted off years ago.  No hard feelings for "Bah humbug!" to anyone, just that we didn't need to guy anything for each other.  My nieces and nephew grew up and had children of their own. Some of those children even have children of their own now, which makes me really old. Those grand nephews and nieces will receive a final gift from me when I depart this earthly life.  

One of the special things I really like about the Christmas season is Christmas Eve.  This year I spent it at work, which was really quiet.  And I mean QUIET.  I spoke to one ninety-one year old lady guest for a brief time but other than that, my eight hour shift last night was very quiet.  I like to watch the old TV movie "A Christmas Carol", the 1951 version with Alastair Sim.  I checked last night on Turner Classics and they were only showing the 1938 Christmas Carol with Reginald Owen. I had never seen this version of this movie before.  Not as good as the 1951 version but interesting, mainly for the 1938 production values which were, uh, "quaint."  Still, I liked it. This is my Christmas tradition, alone, peaceful and enjoying he silent night. 

I'm not particularly religious.  In fact I'm not religious at all but I do believe in goodwill towards all and that to me is what Christmas represents.  

Merry Christmas to all and a happy and healthy new year to all!!!!

Christmas Eve 2018

Christmas 1984 with the pups - Horace (far right, the father,) "T" (middle, the Mother) and their puppy Babydoll

Here we are folks, another Christmas Eve.

For the first time in more years that I can remember I will not be working Christmas Day. I have to tell you I was a bit at loose ends not having to work Christmas Day because I am so used to working Christmas Day. 

Bill and I don't do anything different on Christmas Day than we do other days. We stopped exchanging gifts years ago. We do exchange Christmas cards in person. 

Working at the hotel on Christmas is actually very nice. The guests all are in good spirits. I can never remember a time when I had any difficulty with guests during Christmas Day. Getting paid double time is also helpful.  I need that extra money to help fund my quarterly trips with Pat. 

I have to tell you folks, I am now looking forward to spending a relaxing day at home with Bill this Christmas. I think it will be nice.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

The Eve of Christmas Eve Musings

Here we are folks! Another Christmas is almost upon us.  Have you all done your Christmas shopping?  I haven't.  I don't Christmas shop anymore. Gave that up years ago when I became a distant Uncle Ronnie to my nephew and nieces.  Now I have a passel of grand nieces and nephews and even two grand grand nieces!  Imagine, if I was straight and had children I would be a great grandfather now.  

This year for the first time in more years than I can remember I won't be working Christmas Day. I'm sort of at loose ends with this quirk of the calendar.  I'm so used to working Christmas Day I'm at a loss.  I'll probably spend Christmas Day the way I spend most of my days.  Take Bill for a ride, update my eight Scrabble games I play online with Pat, and update my blog.  Maybe I'll take a walk outside through out development if the weather isn't too cold or windy.

Our government continues to be shut down, compliments of Donald Trump and the Republican controlled Congress.  The clock is ticking on the criminal Trump.  The Democrats will be in power in a little over a week and then all Hell will break loose on Trump and his lifetime of criminal activity. The revelation of Trump's criminality makes Hillary's e-mail fake controversy look quaint by comparison doesn't it? No more ranting about this subject in this posting folks.

Last night while I was in the Tipton Cinema, I experienced something very unusual, I taught out loud at a scene in a movie. I rarely laugh out loud while watching a movie. I enjoy many comedies but usually just smile contentedly, never a LOL (Laugh Out Loud).  But I did last night while watching "Game Night" with Jason Bateman.  Man did that feel good, especially in light of all the recent depressing activity.  My E*Trade account has taken a major hit because of the cratering stock market, thanks to Trump (yes, I BLAME him).  I continue to have my creeping physical ailments, arthritis being the main one. I frequently lose my balance and almost fall. I have trouble lifting my feet.  I drop things. These days what I really appreciate to alleviate these problems are my trips with Pat, playing on-line Scrabble, blogging, and watching a good movie or TV series. Thus that out loud laugh last night was the best medicine I could have asked for. Thank you Jason Bateman. Who would have ever thought you would cause me to give such a hearty laugh and give me a temporary reprieve from all my worries.