Tipton Family Reunion 2013

Me and my cousin Darlene Ford Tipton

Yesterday I attended my bi-annual Tipton Family Reunion in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.  While there weren't as many folks there this year, those of us who were there had a great time!

The weather was perfect (as it always is for my family reunion - I guarantee it) and the food was fabulous (catered by my cousin Dick Tipton and his wife Linda from their son's R.D. American grill).  And as at my last reunion I asked my friend Mark H. of "Our Simple Lives" to take photos.  Mark is a superbly talented photographer who has yet to be discovered.  I was wondering what I was going to post about my reunion and I decided to post this series of photos of my friend Mark herding cats gathering a family group together to take a photo.  

Enjoy!

Mark on his knees!  

The Frederick White (and Louise Tipton) Family - 2013

Thanks for the great job Mark.

"It Hurt Like Hell!"

Filling out the old questionnaire at the doctor' office this morning 

Okay folks, I just got my stent out about an hour ago and IT HURT LIKE HELL!  So to all you folks who said "Oh, it only takes a second or two and feels funny" Oh no it didn't.  

The tools at the ready

In fact I just called my friend Bill B. this morning before I left for my 11 am appointment and asked him how his stent removal went.  He had it done about a month ago.  He said "Oh, it wasn't too bad."  Well, good for him.  Mine was the exception.  Of course I was the exception.

Even the video I posted on my previous blog was better than what I just went through.  At least that guy's pain was really on a "second or two."

So here is what happened to me folks.  My doctor's assistant (female of course, why aren't there any males in the nursing field?) gets my penis ready by applying an application on the tip that "numbs it."  And oh yes, I'm in the stirrups again (unlike my friend who just was on the hobby horse).  

Then I await my doctors, in the stirrups, with a numb penis. I'm not complaining about my doctor, he's one of the best in Delaware but I was waiting in those stirrups, pantless, with a numbed penis for about 15 minutes.  Fun times in Delaware.

My pants on the chair after I followed the instructions ("take everything off below the waist")

Then they come in.  My doctor and his assistant.  He inserts a device in my penis.  That wasn't too bad.  The bad part came when he hooked it to the stent and started to pull it out.  OUCH!  DAMN THAT HURT!

Then he did it again.....and again.....and again.....and again.  Yes folks, he was having a problem pulling the stent out and every time he pulled I felt like I was going through the ceiling from the pain.  So much for the "oh, it only takes a few seconds and feels funny."  Bull shit, it hurt like Hell.

The stent it out! That's lubricant on the hobby horse - my lubricant

I figure I have a pretty high pain thresh hold.  I'm not one of those screamers but when I'm in that kind of pain I do grunt.  And I mean GRUNT BIG TIME.

I was doing a lot of grunting.  My doctor explained to me "You have a lot of protein on your stent, that is why it is hard to pull it out."  He said it was slippery like ice.  

I could tell both of them were feeling bad for me every time they tried to get a grip on the stent and pull it out and I GRUNT and grip the paper sides of the hobby horse I'm holding onto.  I'm telling you folks, I was half tempted to just get off that table, stent in or not just to put an end to that torture.  And yes, that's what it felt like....torture.

The hobby horse after the deed was done - yes, that's my mess and sneakers (you think I was going to keep them on without my pants and underwear?)

I guess I'm bitching and complaining here but this year has been one hell of a year for me with these procedures.  First it was the prostate cancer with a staple gun stuck my my ass to get twelve biopsies. Then the volume check (of my prostate) to make sure it was the right size for the seed implant.  Then the seed implant itself.

Then, as a bonus I had three episodes of kidney stones.  One on my left side, which passed.  Then one on my right side which got stuck.  I endured that pain for eight days before they admitted me to the hospital and surgery.  Then they found two more kidney stones and that's why they put the stent in to prevent them from entering my ureter canal.  Then I had a procedure (surgery) to blast those two kidney stones (which apparently was successful).  Then living three weeks with this stent which made peeing uncomfortable if not unbearable.  Now today.  Damn.  I've had enough procedures this year to last me a lifetime.  

Now my penis is sore, I'm dizzy, and I still have more test to take.  Monday I have to pee in a container for 24 hours, refrigerate it and then take it in to my urologist.  Then a blood test.  Then do the whole thing over again.  

Hey, ain't getting old a blast?

So take a look at my "souvenir."  That's what was in me.  Fun times.  And don't let anyone tell you that the stent removal is "nothing."  At least in my case it wasn't "nothing."  Damn, it hurt.  

You know what I was thinking folks?  I think every one of those a-hole Republican who precipitated this government shutdown should have to go through what I went through this morning as a prerequisite to shutting down the government again or failing to raise the debt ceiling.  I'm pretty sure they would have second thoughts about their reckless actions.

There it is folks, that's what was in my ureter canal - now my very own personal souvenir.  Hey, I just thought of a very unique, PERSONAL, Christmas present.  Or maybe a Bloggerpalooza surprise gift.

So if anyone has a stent removal coming up in their future, please be aware that not all procedures take "only a second or two."  I hope yours does and you don't have to go through what I went through this morning because if you do, you won't long forget it. 

Have a great day!

Share the Pain

No folks, I'm not talking about the Republican hate of Obama fueled government shutdown (although I could write about this absolute stupidity but what difference would it make?), I'm talking about what's going to happen to me tomorrow morning at my appointment with my urologist.

Yes Virginia, I'm going to get my stent removed.  Remember about three weeks ago when I had a procedure to blast out my two remaining kidney stones in my right kidney?  Well, they left the stent in my ureter canal just to make sure neither one of those extra large (.6 mm) kidney stones got stuck in my ureter canal.  By the way, the ureter canal is the small tube leading from the kidney to your bladder and then to your penis (guys) so you can urinate.  The past three weeks have been very uncomfortable (but not unduly painful) for me.  I will very glad to get this stent out so I can go back to peeing normally.  

The stent - not pretty and I do feel it  but it doesn't hurt - just feels like "something" is in there that shouldn't be

I think I'm getting my stent removed. I believe my urologist will first take an X-ray to make sure the kidney stones are gone.  That was the reason he put the stent in the first place, so I would have to go through that eight day Hell I went though over Labor Day weekend when he advised me to "wait" for my other .6 mm kidney stone to pass.  As you all know it didn't pass and I had to have surgery to blast it out.  

Where my stent is (right side from kidney to penis)

So here I go again tomorrow having my private parts invaded again.  I thought I would "share the pain" and post a You Tube video of a fellow male who went through the same procedure of having his stent removed.  Oh sure, I've heard all the stories that "not every stent removal is the same." Uh huh, well why don't you try it then?  All I can say is that I am NOT LOOKING FORWARD to this but I will get through it.  What choice do I have?  

My final "home."  Yep, I have already purchased my "lot."  Nice "view" of the valley of my old hometown of Downingtown.  This is where I will end up some day.  All visitors are welcome!

Me standing on my plot - I haven't bought a headstone yet.  Something I probably should do this year.  I'm not getting any younger.......or healthier.  I'm open for suggestions for headstones.  I have them narrowed down to about six different styles but being the gay man that I am, I just can't make up my mind.  I do lean towards the tan one that glitters when the sun shines on it (of course I do).

One of the "finalist" headstones for Ron but leave out the "father" and substitute "lover"

This has been some year folks, what with my prostate cancer, biopsy, volume check, seed implants and the resulting side effects which I am still suffering (I will spare you the details but I do have to change underwear more frequently).  But then I am consoled that my situation could be a lot worse.  I consider myself fortunate that I will only have to undergo some momentary discomfort and pain tomorrow.  Then I should be good to go.....for a while anyway until the next piece falls off this old jalopy.

Where I will be for eternity when I'm done this present Journey - on a hill overlooking Downingtown, Pennsylvania, in the sun just on the edge of the woods - perfect for my final rest

A View of the City

My niece Karen Tipton on our Philadelphia roof deck January 1979

Bill and I lived in Center City Philadelphia from 1969 to 1980.  We lived in a row house at 2409 Naudain Street, one block away from the famous South Street of the Motown hit song.  Those eleven years were some of the best years of our lives, especially my life.

Me working on my future skin cancer tan on our roof deck

I was able to walk to work. I was also about to walk to my favorite gay bars watering holes. It was all good.  However, the one thing we were missing in our 16 foot wide, 50 feet deep, three story town house was a sun deck. So what did Bill do?  He built one.  

Our Naudain Street Philadelphia home with room on roof 

Oh how well I remember helping him carry up about hundred cement cinder blocks up three stories to the roof.  A LOT OF WORK, but well worth it.  

Bill on our roof deck

Once the job was completed, we had a beautiful, free view of the Philadelphia skyline.  The photo at the beginning of this blog shows my niece Karen Tipton posing with the Philly skyline behind her.  The view was just as outstanding at night.  

The other view of Philadelphia from our roof deck

That little row house, which we bought for $27,000 in 1968 sold for $592,000 in July of 2009!  Who would've thunk?  

TV in the Fifties

These days the only shows I watch on TV are on MSNBC.  Mostly political discussion (liberal) shows that I use as background while I'm at my computer or eating a meal.  The only shows I watch on regular TV are "Judge Judy" (which I DVR) and "Greed" which is on CNNC. I never watch anything on the commercial TV.  Some years ago I used to watch "American Idol" and "Dancing With the Stars" but I've fallen away from watching those shows too.  

I like comedy.  To me, the situation comedy shows on regular TV are asinine and juvenile.  I just don't see the humor.  Almost always there are smart assed kids who are smarter than their parents.  And always the "dumb white guy" stereotype, perpetually horny, ogling after some buxom female.  I as a gay man got tired of substituting my likes for the straight world.  Then TV got "with it" and started having gay characters.  But alas, I have yet to find a realistic gay character.  To me, these shows just aren't funny.  Maybe it's me.  Maybes I've turned into an Old Grump.  I don't know but what I do know is that I have better things to do with my time than to watch these lame attempts at humor burdened down with too many commercials.  My brain turns to mush when I even attempt to get through a half an hour of one of these shows.

Two and a Half Men - a horny, whore mongering drug addict - funny? I don't think so

Now growing up in the Fifties, TV comedy was a whole different thing.  In the early Fifties we didn't even have a TV.  I remember the first TV on our block (Washington Avenue in Downingtown, Pennsylvania) was owned by my friend Eddie Rose up the street. I used to go up to his house every evening at 6:00 pm to watch "Frontier Playhouse" which played old western movies.  If I got up there early enough I could watch "Kukla, Fran and Ollie", a puppet show.  We even had a local puppet show called "Willie the Worm."  I know, I know, sounds stupid but to this 10 year old, gangly kid living in the poor white section of town, TV was a treat.  

Me with my cat "Bobby" in front of our old black and white TV - I still have that "deer lamp" - cat is long gone as is that innocent boy looking at you through the past - 1958

One of our family's favorite shows was "You Bet Your Life" with Groucho Marx.  Looking back on those shows now I realize how sophisticated his comedy was.  All Groucho had to do was pause and give a look and you "got"the humor.  

Groucho with a young Marilyn Monroe (before her nose job)

You know folks, the best humor is when folks are just themselves.  No script, no outrageous situations like cruel mad chef cooking shows or "The Biggest Loser" but just regular, ordinary folks like you and me being ourselves.  Oh where is a show like that today?

This monster is entertainment?

More like The Biggest Loser

I guess the closest we can come to something like that is a talk show like David Letterman or Jay Leno.  Jon Stewart of Comedy Central and Stephen Colbert occasionally have some good interviews but they are lost among the late hour and the barrage of so many late night shows.

The "beav" and (hunky) Wally - oh yes!
(by the way, what happened to Tony Dow in his later years, OMG!)

Am I the only one who longs for those innocent days of shows like "Your Bet Your Life" and other shows like "Father Knows Best", "Leave it to Beaver and the "I Love Lucy" show? 

Oh God, my favorite all time show every Monday night at 9:00 pm - everything stopped while our family gathered together in front of our 15 inch black and white Philco TV to watch Lucy and her latest antics

Yes folks, I am forever thankful for the era in which I grew up.   

The way I thought our family should be, dad dressed in a suit at the dinner table.  My dad wore a sweaty, greasy tank top much to my everlasting chagrin - yes, I know this family was only a fantasy but what a nice fantasy for this kid growing up in the Fifties

Found Treasures

My good-looking and positive influence friend Pat from Toronto, Canada taking his first "selfie" with his new iPhone which I suggested that he buy - I'm having a positive influence on him too!

Because of the very positive influence of my new minimalist BF Pat of Toronto, Canada; I continue to clean out my accumulation of 72 years of "stuff."  Everyday I'm finding new treasures!

Me cutting my birthday cake celebrating my 38th birthday - 1979

During my clean out this morning I finally came across one of my favorite photos of me.  It was taken at a surprise birthday party for me on my 38th birthday on November 9th, 1979 at my friend Bob McCamley's "Ranch" outside Georgetown, Delaware.  Prior to finding this 8" X 10" enlargement of that festive occasion, the only photo I had was a small pixel photo that I had transferred from my old Gateway computer.  I still don't know here my original photo is but no matter, I have this one which I scanned into my computer this morning.  Regular followers of my blog have seen this photo several times before but I post it again, because this is a better version.  More pixels.  And yes, I have framed the 8" X 10".  No place to hang it though!  Oh well.

During my digging in the many boxes in my basement storage room this morning I came across a tablet in which I had written down notes to myself.  I don't know when or why I wrote the notes but what I find interesting is that I don't remember much of them.  This is why I like saving things, especially something I've written.  When I read them years later it's almost like someone else wrote them.  

So, without further ado, here is a transcript of what I wrote.  

Things I need to spend more time on in my life:

1. Researching my family genealogy
2. Getting rid of a lifetime of accumulating "things
3. Catching up on my e-mails
4. Writing my autobiography
5. Selling my more valuable "things" on eBay

Things that I need to spend less time on in my life:

1. Working at the hotel
2. Trying to please everybody
3. Arguing religion
4. Arguing politics

Things I wish I could spend more time on in my life:

1. Researching my family genealogy
2. Organizing my photos and videos
3. Downsizing
4. Staying in touch with far away friends and family

Things I love about myself:

1. The ability to cut through the lies and distortions and see the truth read people.
2. My love of animals
3. My work ethic
4. My honesty

Things I hate about myself:

1. My reluctance to hurt people's feelings
2. Low self-confidence
3. My fear of driving on crowded highways and at night.
4. My naïveté.

Things I look forward to:

1. Getting older Dining out with friends.
2. Getting a cat (or cats)
3. Watching my garden grow
4. Summertime and walking on the boardwalk Making new friends.

Things I dread:

1. Preparing my taxes
2. Colonoscopy preparation
3. Confrontations
4. Driving at night in the rain or fog.

Things I once believed but no longer do:

1. Religion (Christianity)
2. Authority figures
3. That evil does not succeed
4. Good deeds and people are rewarded recognized and rewarded.

Things I love to do despite being bad at it:

1. Dance
2. Talk
3. Paint pictures
4. Play sports

Things that I hate to do but I do anyway (and quite well):

1. Run a household
2. Call a Help line to resolve a problem
3. Clean out a drawer or closet
4. Work full time at the hotel

Things I did of which I am ashamed:

1. Failed to return a call to a good friend shortly before she committed suicide.
2. Stood up my date to her Senior Prom.
3. Stood up a former boss for a lunch (see a pattern here?)
4. Lost my temper with a former boss which resulted (I didn't finish this sentence on the original form but I did lose my job, he fired me)

Things I did for which I am proud:

1. Voluntarily joined the Army for three years right out of high school.
2. Gave jobs and provided leads for jobs for unemployed friends.
3. Kept my Mother out of a nursing home (promise kept Mom)
4. Built two dream homes Stayed in a committed relationship with my life partner for 46 years (now 49 years - I obviously wrote these notes three years ago)

Things I didn't do which I regret:

1. Have children
2. Visit a foreign country (Canada not included)
3. Become a commercial artist professional photographer.
4. Floss my teeth regularly (which I do now with great results)

Things I want to do before I die:

1. Write my autobiography
2. Sell all my valuable collectable on eBay.
3. See Visit England Have a cat.
4. Have a Pomeranian dog
   

So there you go folks.  Ron's mind at work some three years ago, surmising his accomplishments and failures during the previous seven decades of his life.  

Well folks, I have a few more years (I hope) left.  Let's see what I can do with them.

Note:  Photo shoot compliments of my (former) friend Bob Adams who took these photos with his new camera in 1999 - I didn't break his camera.