Ron On The Roof

 

Me dead heading flowers a the top of our roof garden when we lived in Center City Philadelphia July of 1976

These days I can hardly stand on a three step ladder. 

Yesterday I came across a still of an 8mm film of me on the roof of our big house in Pennsylvania. I wanted to post that picture today but I can't find it now. I'll find it eventually. 

I found them! 

Bill worked at the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago. I can't quite match his feat. I just get dizzy seeing videos of people atop high buildings. 

Philadelphia 1976

 

Me and Bill at our home on Naudain Street, Philadelphia, PA 1976.

A few days ago I posted this picture of me and Bill on Threads on the top of our roof deck when we lived in center city Philadelphia. The year was 1976, the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.  Much to my surprise my posting has received over thirty-three thousand "likes" on Threads which is the social media arm of Instagram via Facebook. 

Almost all of the comments are favorable, some comparing this iconic photo to an album cover. In fact one commenter insisted that he has seen that album cover. Sorry, this wasn't an album cover. Now here is an album cover.

Pat and his band which they are still playing today! In fact they're rehearsing this weekend.

It is of Pat (the dirty faced guy on the forefront) and his band at that time. Of course I didn't know Pat at that time (if I did I would have been all over him because he is definitely my type). 

I was quite surprised by the response I got from my posting of my picture to Threads. Gives me a good feeling that I'm leaving a legacy behind when I check out this year or next year. 

Almost all of the comments I received were favorable. Of course there are always those few comments which are meant to hurt but I've developed a pretty thick skin over the years and let those hateful comments roll off of me. 

Many commented on what a great picture this is of two gay pioneers of the gay movement. Well, I don't know about that. We certainly have many stories to tell of that time. One thing though, this picture wasn't posed. I was testing out my timer on my SLR camera which I had put on a tripod. The timer was set to go off in ten seconds. Bill was skeptical that it would work. I was confident it would (look at the way I'm standing, my "Ron Tipton stance" as Pat calls it).  Turns out sometimes the most iconic pictures are the ones that aren't posed but in the moment. 

This was the second shot. The timer worked!

Flashback 1964

 

Me, 1964 Pennsauken, New Jersey

Oh those days of yesteryear!

This is a photograph of me that Bill took of me at his apartment in Pennsauken New Jersey. The year was 1964. I had just met Bill in July. 

I used to spend my weekends with him at his apartment, which was much nicer than my two room efficiency apartment in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

I came across this picture while I was scrolling through my thousands of photos and videos I have on my iMac. Just think, all of these photos and videos will disappear once I am gone from the scene.

Another time, another place. I was another person too at that time. 

Sixty Years

Ron 1960

Ron 2020

 Good morning folks!

A beautiful sunny day here in southern coastal Delaware! 

Finally we're going to get above freezing today. Not much (35 degrees) but at least it's ABOVE freezing. First time in about three weeks. Perhaps now some of this snow will melt. God, I hope so!

I spent most of this morning reviewing some of my pictures on my computer. I came across these two photos, taken SIXTY years apart. Lots of water over the dam in my life since the first picture was taken. 

That picture was taken when I was stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland. Me and some of my Army buddies visited the White House in nearby Washington D.C. 

The next picture was taken the last time I was in Palm Springs in 2020. Oh how I do like bling! 

I'm going back to Palm Springs next month folks and I'm wearing those glasses! 

Ron Over The Years

A change up in my blog posting folks. Yes, I continue to grieve for my loss of Bill but I have to move forward with my new life.

This morning I noticed I have a load of Memory photos automatically created by my Mac computer. I've decided to share all these videos of my photos and videos with my You Tube account and in turn my blog. This is for posterity folks. At eighty-two years old, I won't be around much longer so I better get with it and post all these videos. I also have many old 8MM films that I converted to videos that up until now I have in a private You Tube account. I will gradually also make all those video public.

When I die I doubt that whoever goes through my possessions will find them of any importance or interest. My old photos and videos will probably end up on the curb on a rainy Spring Saturday morning after a failed garage sale. Believe me folks, I've seen those image before. I even rescued old photos and was able to find a home for them with a distant relative of those photos even though she was reluctant to accept them. I have to face the facts that when I'm gone, I may be missed by a handful of people but none of them will be interested in my thousands of photos and videos of my life. Not even Pat, being the minimalist that he is. So be it. So I will post my old photos and videos in the off chance that someone, perhaps some distant relative in the future (one hundred to five hundred years) will find the life of this one individual interesting and a bit of history to save and contribute to the history of the twentieth and twenty-first century. I may not be famous, rich or a person of incredible talent but I did live and exist in this time period and I think that is well worth preserving for posterity. 

Organizing My Memories

Some of the pictures I'm organizing, finally

For long time now I've had organizing my photos and videos hanging over my head. 

Just when I have figured out how to navigate the latest version of my computer's photo software, Apple comes up with a new version. Then I'm on a whole new learning curve. And you know how that goes. At this time in my life I'm trying to minimize learning new procedures. My brain just isn't as agile as it once was (or ever).  

I have 89,731 photos and 4,544 videos on my iMac. Yes folks, that's how many I have. 

More than a few are duplicates but most of them are originals. 

I still have hundreds if not thousands of old photos to scan to my computer.  

And why do I do this? At one time I thought I would leave a history behind me when I depart this dear earth.  But I now realize that nobody in my family (that I know of) cares. I'm just old "Uncle Ronnie", the gay guy who lives in Delaware.  

The last year or so I've come to realize I have these photos and videos for me to enjoy while I'm alive. I also like to select some and send them some friends who I know would appreciate them.  This year I sent several photo books to my former high school classmate who appreciated them greatly. And that's all I need folks, some appreciation. I know I would LOVE to have someone send me some old photos.  Alas that will never happen but that's human nature. I understand that now.  

I've come to terms with that reality.

At first I felt saddened but not now. One of the truly wonderful things about aging is that things I used to care about, things that upset me, no longer do.  Why worry about things I can't change?  

Now I have good news.  My new friend (and Apple computer specialist) Mike W. has helped me to understand how Photo works on my iMac. 

The last week I've been spending an average of about three hours a day organizing my photos and videos into folders. I'm on a roll folks!  What a good feeling!

A few months ago I got all my VHS videos tapes transferred to flash drives at a cost of over $1000.  A big bite to be sure but well worth it. I will transfer all those videos to YouTube.  Who knows?  There may be a future relative of mine who will find them of interest. At least those memories will be there after I'm gone.  That was a big relief when I completed that task.

Once I get these photos and videos organized my next big task will be to clean out my media room in the basement where I have many more "things" to sort. I know there are some treasures just waiting for to be discovered. 

Yes folks, this is what I was going to do when I retired.  I'm so glad I'm finally doing it.

VHS Tape Transfers

My old VHS tapes to be transferred to a digital format - finally

Today I finally addressed a lurking concern that I've had for many years. 

As regular followers of my blog here know, I am an inveterate photo taker.  I've also taken many videos. I started taking videos in the late 80's. 

I had one of those huge VHS cameras.  You know the type, the ones that you put on your shoulder. The ones that often intimated the subject of my videos just because of the size of my camera.

Me in my videotaping days - location my father's roots Pigeon Roost, North Carolina - 1994

Since the onset of the ability to take videos with smaller cameras and now an iPhone, I long abandoned taking videos with that huge video camera.

Me preparing to go to the top of Green Mountain Cemetery to video tape my great grandfather Isaac Lewis's grave in Pigeon Roost North Carolina 1994 - this was before my distant relatives knew I was gay and banned from ever returning to this sight because I "practiced the gay lifestye". Good old homophobia alive and well in those beautiful mountains of North Carolina.

There were many drawbacks to taking videos in the old VHS format. Not only was the camera bulky and intimidating, the cost of the VHS tapes and storage was a problem. Also the length, since the tapes were two hours long. One tended to take videos that were too long and boring.  Hence, I tended not to look at the videos once I took them because they were to much trouble to pull out and then look for the part of the tape that I wanted to see.

Then came the digitized videos from a much smaller camera (Cannon) and now my iPhone.  I take much shorter videos, averaging 30 seconds to two minutes. A three minute video is unusual. 

Thus the last several years I've been very happy accumulating many short term videos, which I store on my computer, thus eating up a lot of hard drive space, a new drawback. But one that isn't as onerous as all those old VHS tapes that are just getting old and slowly deteriorating. 

A few years ago I checked into the feasibility of transferring my old VHS tapes to CD's.  I purchased one of those machines that do that.  Only problem there is that the procedure is complicate and very time consuming.  For instance, a two hour tape takes two hours to copy to a CD.  And, there is also the possibility that I can accidentally erase my original VHS tapes, which I did a few times.  Thus, I've been putting off transferring my many old VHS tapes until I "had time."  Like the wintertime.  But wintertime comes and goes and I still haven't done it. 

I checked for services to transfer my old VHS tapes. There is a facility in Rehoboth Beach that will take my old tapes and transfer them, at $25 each.  That's too much money. I have at least forty-old of the old VHS tapes.  Also, I don't know where they send the VHS tapes.  I suspect they send them to India.  That's where they send old negatives to be processed.  And you don't get the negatives back. Don't believe me?  Try telling the Walmart photo center you want your negatives back.  They don't send them back.  Those negatives go to India and God knows what they do with them.  I ruled out that option.  Thus my old VHS tapes sat, patiently waiting to be transferred to a digital format all the while slowly deteriorating. 

Last Monday, during a slow period at work I searched the Internet again for a solution. Through Amazon.com I found a service that was receiving excellent reviews. And they were only charging $10 a tape!  Even better, they will transfer my VHS tapes to my flash drive.  Super!

I called "Kirk", the guy who runs that business out of his office in Washington state today. He spoke English without an accent. He was nice and very helpful, even suggesting that I send my tapes by UPS, media rate, because it would be cheaper.  

So folks, that was my big project today. Sorting out my forty-one VHS tapes today. Rewinding the tapes, which seems like it takes forever. Brings back bad memories of why I don't like VHS tapes. 

I have the tapes sorted out. I number them  and I'll take them down to the UPS store in Rehoboth Beach tomorrow.

This is going to be great folks! Not only can I easily access all my old videos, I can upload them to my You Tube account so future generations can enjoy them long after I'm gone from this earth. Also, I can freeze frame those videos and take individual pictures and bore you, my faithful blog readers with those images during one of my "Down Memory Lane" blog posts.

Why I Can't Get Good Photos Of Me Anymore

Me with my Heavy Metal Detox juice drink at the Nectar Cafe in Lewes, DE

Regular readers of this blog know that I like to take photos.  I like to take a LOT of photos. 

I have over 84,000 photos on my computer and more to scan. 

I started taking photos Christmas Day 1954 when I was twelve years old.  My Mother had given me a Kodak Brownie camera for Christmas.  

My younger brothers John and Isaac with their 1954 Christmas presents, matching bikes! They were the willing subjects of my first picture taking session, eight images on a black and white Kodak roll of film

Back in those black and white days, I rarely had photos taken of myself.  I remember a trip I won to New York City as a paperboy, I don't have one picture of me.  I just have pictures of the New York skyline. 

My photo of the New York City skyline 1955 - I wish now that I would have asked one of my fellow paper boy contest winners to take a picture of me with the skyline behind me - too late now

Back in those days there was no such thing as a selfie.  And if I did ask someone to "take a picture of me please?", that would be considered a social faux pas, one must be modest.

The General Motors building in New York City 1955 - is it still there?

However, in this day and age, selfies are the norm, and one isn't considered a narcissist if one asks someone else to take a picture of him or her.

Lady Liberty, New York City 1955 - she didn't mind me taking her picture

Oh how often I wish I had taken more pictures back in those pre-terrorism days when the only thing we had to worry about was the Soviet Union dropping an A-bomb on us.

"What? We have to hid under our desks when The Bomb drops?"

(me in the back of my father's pickup truck - not at all happy about this embarrassing mode of transportation during my sensitive teenage years - my Father loved humiliating and degrading me - and one of my brothers caught me on camera during my funk

 

Well, these days I have plenty of opportunity to have my picture taken as well as taking selfies.  However, there is one thing I've noticed.  It's getting harder and harder to get a good picture of me.  Then I remember something my Mother told me a long time ago.  She said "Ronnie, as you get older you'll find you'll have a harder time getting that 'good picture' of yourself."  Of course I didn't pay much attention to her wise advice (was was young and full of myself back then) but you know what?  She was right!

Yesterday I wanted to put a new profile picture on my Facebook account.  Usually there is no difficulty selecting a picture of myself from the many that I have had taken. That has changed.  Now most of my pictures are of an old, wrinkled, grizzled man.  Wow.  "Is that me?" I ask myself.  And no, I'm not going to post even one of those pictures now.  Use your imagination but trust me, I'm starting to deteriorate.  I'm going downhill . . . FAST. 

Gone are those days of the past when every picture showed a young, fresh faced and wimpy kid with a FULL head of hair.

Yep!  That's me.  Was I EVER that young and innocent?  Well, I was believe it or not. 

One consolation I have is that my friends and peers (the ones still alive anyway) are aging has well and keeping pace with me.  Some solace (I guess).

Bill and Pat during Pat's annual visit to Delaware this past spring

But all is not lost.  I have found that when I'm happy, my smile still shines through and you can still see a hint of my youth.  

Me and Pat on the Rehoboth Boardwalk this past spring (and me with my Spo Shirt)

So the trick is to keep smiling.  I'm working on it folks!

Throwback Thursday - Summer 1954

12 year old me on the steps up to our 2nd floor apartment - 1954

The summer of 1954 I was twelve years old.  

We lived in a second floor apartment on Boot Road in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

Gindy Trailer Manufacturing Co. offices (first floor) - our family lived on the second floor - manufacturing plant is to the left (men on the ladders painting the building)

I shared a bedroom with my two younger brothers. 

Me with a headlock on my younger brother John - Gindy's in background

My brother Isaac with our Mom - Gindy's plant behind them

We lived rent free in the building because we (our family) was the "watchmen" for the Gindy Trailer Manufacturing Company, the plant of which was right next to the two story brick building we lived in.

Brother John with one of the Gindy's trucks - our "backyard"

The first floor of the building were the offices of Gindy's.

My Mom taking a break from her office cleaning duties at the Gindy offices (she didn't have far to travel for her job - when she got a job at Pepperridge Farm up the road I took over her office cleaning job at .55 cents an hour - she got paid .45 cents an hour because "she was a woman" - this is the way businesses operated in the Fifties

My youth may look spartan but folks, I'll take my experience as a teenager over growing up in a place like Grosse Pointe, Michigan or any other frou frou place.  

I grew up poor and have been poor most of my life, occasionally reaching the lower middle class for brief periods but only to fall back in upper lower class.  

That's probably why I'm not as polished as others and perhaps a bit more needy and insecure but folks, I like me just the way I am. 

A recently departed friend with unexpected bitterness, ranted that "I lived in the past."  Well, all I can say, guilty as charged.  I have my memories, my very fond memories and folks, I'm making new memories every day and I will continue to do so until I no longer am able to take a breath or see the light of the dawn of a new morning. 

I have a rich past, having a great time now and have a lot to look forward too.  

Me and our first dog, "Sam", a Chesapeak Bay Retriever mix mongrel - 1954

Throwback Thursday - Pennsauken, New Jersey 1964

Me at Bill's apartment in Pennsauken, New Jersey - 1964

This week's walk down Memory Lane via Throwback Thursday is of me in 1964.

The location is 3732 A Herbert Avenue, Penn Manor Apartments, Pennsauken, New Jersey.

This is my Bill's apartment.  Note the iconic mid-sixties furniture.  Right out of "Mad Men."  Bill had a nice sense of style before I came into his life and started to place all my mother's doilies around.

Note the painting on the wall, that's was by Bill too. Looks like a paint drop cloth but then "art" is in the eye of the beholder isn't it?  Bill tossed this painting when we moved in an apartment together.

When I met Bill in July of 1964, I lived in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.  Coatesville was 51 miles away from Pennsauken.  After our first meeting, in which I went home with him after meeting him at the Westbury Bar in Philadelphia, Bill would pick me up every weekend.  Yep, he would drive the 51 miles one way to Coatesville, PA and pick me up and drive me to his apartment in Pennsauken, NJ.  Then Sunday he would drive me back to my apartment in Coatesville.  He did this every weekend from July 1964 to February 1965.  Every weekend folks.  Hey, I think he liked me.  And I knew that no one else would ever do that for me.

The weekly commute to Bill's apartment

So that's my Throwback Thursday this week folks!

Me - Bill's apartment Pennsauken New Jersey - 1964

Throwback Thursday - My First Home

My Mom pregnant with me at our first home in Mineral Springs, PA - 1941

Haven't done a "Throwback Thursday" for a while.  What with posting photos and videos of my trip to California and my leg injury, I thought posting a Throwback Thursday would be a welcome diversion.

This week's "Throwback Thursday" features me (of course) in about the earliest photo I could find of me.  Specifically the summer of 1941. I was born in November of 1941.  Looking at this picture of my Mother pregnant with me and the leaves on the trees behind her and the size of her belly, I estimate she was at least seven months pregnant.

My Mom was 17 years old when I was born.  She ran off with my dad, a 21 year old North Carolina hillbilly transplanted to Pennsylvania when he was 10 years old, to get married.  

Ike Tipton (my father)

Their first home did not have indoor plumbing, running water nor electricity.  My father worked at a local steel mill. They didn't have any money. But they did have me, their first born. Lucky them, lucky me.

And that was the start of the saga of my life folks.  Some life. And it's not over yet.

Throwback Thursday

Me and my cousin Edward "Bud" Tipton - 1951

This week's Throwback Thursday is 1951, when I was ten years old.

I'm pictured with my cousin Edward "Bud" Tipton (same age).  

The place was the West Chester Fishing Rodeo, West Chester Pennsylvania.

Believe it or not, I won first prize for catching the biggest fish of the day.  I caught a 13 inch trout.  My picture was taken and published in the local newspaper.  

Now here is the irony:  I wasn't a fisherman. I had only fished a few time before, for a fish called "Sunnies".  The fisherman was my cousin Bud.  So who wins the fishing rodeo contest?  Me.  

Another irony, I've never fished since.  I figured I quit while I was ahead.

Throwback Thursday

My trip to New York City 1958

Thank  you folks!  I finally achieved my goal of 100 followers.  I was stuck on 99 for so long I was beginning to wonder if I was actually getting "out there."  And yes, I do need to have verification that you all are reading my blog.  I appreciate all of you!

Well, this morning has been rather busy.  I just got off the phone with Apple Support.  My iMac has been getting hung up the past week or so.  This morning while I was patiently waiting for the rainbow spinning wheel to finish doing it's thing, I got the Blue Screen of Death.  Hey, what's that?  I thought the Blue Screen of Death only showed up on Windows based computers.  So I put a call into Apple Support.  Since my maintenance contract is up with Apple, I now pay $19.00 per incident charge, good for thirty days, which is a good deal for me.  I get to talk to someone who speaks English as his (or her) first language and actually listens to me instead of reading from a script.  Without boring you with the details, I think we solved the problem.  It was an errant 2.4 GB disk that was hanging in iPhoto waiting to be copied to a DVD.  Some long ago DVD copying of an old family reunion that I was doing for my relatives.  I'm not copying any more reunion DVD's because of all the ones I copies, not once did I receive a "thank you".  A little "thank you" goes a long way. All too often one is taken for granted and rarely receives a "thank you."  What's with that anyway?

The Photo of the Day at the top of this posting (which has nothing to do with this posting) is one I took of New York City.  I won a free trip to New York when I was fifteen years old.  I was a paper boy and the Philadelphia Bulletin had a contest to see who could get the most new subscriptions.  Born salesman that I am (not), I won.  I took my Kodak Brownie camera with me and took a roll (eight photos) of New York.  I never thought to have a picture taken of myself or the other paper boys who won the contest.  What was I thinking?  I'll tell you what I was thinking, I was just too damn shy to ask.  Not now though.  If you know me I'm always asking "Here, take a photo of ME!" 

Time to end this rambling missive that I'm going to pass off as a thoughtful blog post and get ready for work at the hotel.  Lunch, nap, shower and then off to Expensive Botique Hotel in Lower Slower.  Tomorrow at 8:15 AM I have my stress test.  I think everyday I have a stress test.  

The photo below?  Taken of me when I was 16 years old by one of my brothers.  I wanted some photos to share with my 67 pen pals.  Pen pals, how I stayed in contact with my world wide fan club before the Internet and blogging.  

It's all good folks!  Have a great day!

My "Pen Pal" photo - 1958 

Throwback Thursday

Can you spot me I'm the slim (skinny) guy with my hand on my chest.  Long time ago.

Today's photo for "Throwback Thursday" was one of me never seen before on this blog.  Oh yes, I still have many photos of myself not seen, believe it or not.

This photo was taken at Ft. George G. Meade, Maryland in July of 1962.  I was 20 years old.  It was taken at the post swimming pool with my Army buddies Ron, Sal, Dick, and Doug.  

Believe it or not this was the first time I ever used a swimming pool.  I had yet to swim in the ocean or even see the ocean.  That wouldn't happen for two more years when Bill took me to Atlantic City, New Jersey.  Of course I had swam before but when I was growing up, we swam in the local swimming hole.  Perhaps I'll post that photo in the future.  

Check out my cool crew cut.  Loved it!

Throwback Thursday

Yours truly July 24, 1976

Okay, okay.  So I'm a day late and a dollar short on this week's Throwback Thursday submission.  

I'm a busy guy, what can I tell you?

Today's gem of a photo is of me (of course) taken July 24th, 1976 at our newly acquired property in East Brandywine Township, Chester County (Downingtown) Pennsylvania.

Bill and I purchased 6.875 acres of heavily wooded land from a Mr. Ted Johnson, who had subdivided his property.  He was asking $30,000 for the acreage, I offered $25,000 which he accepted, much to my surprise.  Why? I thought he would refuse but I had to borrow the money from my Mother. She said "Offer him $25,000, all he can say is 'No'".  That was the condition of her loan.  So, somewhat sheepishly I offered Mr. Johnson $25,000 and he accepted immediately! Big "Whoop!"  I just save us $5,000.  Thanks Mom!

Thus began Bill and I adventure of building our dream house at 161 Crawford Road, Downingtown, Pennsylvania.  Thirty years later we sold the property and house and moved to Delaware where we reside now.  

Life is just one big adventure.  My only question is:

What happened to that hunky guy sitting on the fence?  That was me? ! ?

Throwback Thursday July 10, 1976

"Who dat?" July 10, 1976

Oh how well I remember this time.  The year was 1976, the 200th year of the Declaration of Independence and the first year of our ownership of our "country property" in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

We had purchased 7.8675 acres of wooded property outside of Downingtown, Pennsylvania for $25,000, at that time an astronomical sum of money.  I was tired of living in the city (Philadelphia) and wanted to move out in the country, away from the ever present police sirens of center city Philly, the crowds, the taxes, et al.

We looked at several properties but this was the ideal one, only one road away from where my parents lived on Hopewell Road.  

We would visit the property, which we called "The Props" almost every weekend.  Bill would clear out more of the heavy undergrowth.  We would take out two Pomeranian dogs with us (Sparky and Hamburger) for a jaunt in the country. 

Four years later we built our house "in the country" and lived there for the next twenty-five years until we moved to Delaware in 2007.  

Those twenty-five years "in the country" were some of the best of my life.  We were family.  But then came time for another change and here we are in Delaware, going on seven years.  Maybe in another eighteen years I can post a photo of me on this "property" and recall again some of the best years of my life as I while away my time in a condo or assisted living care facilities.  Who knows?  I'm just thankful I'm still around to recall those wonderful times.  

Me with Sparky - July 10, 1976

Bill

Bill Kelly May 1974

More old photos folks!  This continues my series of photos that I recently found after not looking at them for forty years.  Someone (literally "Someone" of Dr. Spo's world) mentioned that I've rarely posted early photos of my other half, my spouse, my husband, my partner of the last fifty years (this July), Bill Kelly.  Well folks, here it is.  This is my handsome Bill, photo taken September 1974 at our center city Philadelphia townhouse.  Bill had discovered a baby bird and he thought I was taking a picture of the bird.

Bill doesn't like his picture taken.  Yep, Bill is on of THOSE people which has always been a source of great frustration to me.  I had always imagined myself with a Prince Charming life partner that I could photograph endlessly.  Not so with Bill, most of the pictures I have of Bill he has his arm in front of his face.  The latest such episode was last night while we were sitting on the back deck.  I thought he looked cute with the setting sun behind him.  Bill realized that I was going to take a picture of him with my iPhone and immediately said "Oh no, you're not taking a picture of me!" and proceeded to place his arm in front of his face.  

But as you can see Bill was (and still is) quite the handsome dude.  Ironically, Bill's look was never my type.  I was never attracted to the conventionally handsome man or the "All American type" as Bill calls them.  I've always found the guys with the slightly offbeat or unconventional look more sexually attractive.  Don't look for me to go into orgasmic paroxysms over the likes of a Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise.  They leave me flat; zero sex appeal. But Bill has more going for him than his looks, he has always treated me like a prince.  Always, except when he gets mad at me for some insignificant domestic misdemeanor but that's a subject for another blog post.  Maybe not but the majority of the time Bill has always treated me better than anyone.  Bill puts up with me, who else is going to do that?  

So here he is folks, the man I've been sharing a life with for the past half century.  And we have a few more years to go.

Me (center as if you didn't know already) with my brother Isaac (on my right) and Bill (on my left) - 2012

Why I Like the Internet and Blogging

Me, June 1974 (40 years ago!)

The Internet and blogging often get a bad rap these days.  All the moaning and groaning about loss of privacy, you have to get over it folks.  Just assume that everything you do is monitored by the government and recorded.  This is a fact that was brought out in the open by Edward Snowden.  Is it any wonder that the government is in such hysterics about condemning Snowden and tossing him in a jail cell, naked, with a light on for 24/7 for the rest of his life?  We have to get past out loss of privacy folks, it's a way of life in the Big Brother world.

Now, here is why I like the Internet and blogging. A few days ago a former co-worker of mine read an old blog posting of mine about where I used to work in Philadelphia, Girard Trust Bank.  She commented on my blog and new we're in touch again.  I love this!  So many folks from my Previous Life are gone, it is so nice to hear from someone who is still alive and well even though it is hard for me to imagine that my young and beautiful co-worker is now a 67 year old grandmother.  

I told her that I had old photos of her taken at work.  She asked if I could post them.  So, I went digging through the boxes that I have yet to unpack in my basement storage room from our move to Delaware in November of 2006.  Yes, I am ashamed to admit I still have boxes (I'm not telling you how many) that are still unpacked.  Well folks, digging through those boxes I came across about a dozen photo albums that I haven't looked at in over 30 years!  You know what I'm going to do with those photos, scan them to my computer and share them with you all. Another Big Project that I will happily undertake.

Yes, I love the Internet and blogging.  Through my blogging I have met and am now friends with my Brother From Another Mother, my soulmate and good friend Pat from Toronto, Canada.  Pat and I are so much alike.  He's the friend I've been looking for my whole life.  Cute, handsome, sexy, smart, and we have so much in common. I've never had a friend in my life that has had all these attributes.  I've spent a lifetime looking for him but through  the Internet and my blog I found him.  I won the lottery with this guy!

I have also made other friends through my blogging and the Internet.  You all know who you are and I appreciate every one of you.  

I was wondering what I was going to blog about today.  Lately I've been leaning towards a rant but I didn't really want to take my faithful blog followers on another one of my political rants or the "poor me" rants.  So here is something positive that I'm writing about today.  Yes folks, today is a good day.  When I feel myself slipping into depression, despair and hopelessness something wonderful happens like it did this past week to remind me of how good my life is.  

Was I really that hot? What happened?