Wedding on the Beach

Late September, the summertime crowds are gone,  clear bright blue skies with puffy white cumulous clouds, windy cool brisk temperatures; just the time to break out of my cocoon here at Casa Tipton-Kelly and make the ten mile run down Route 1 to Rehoboth Beach.  

This is perhaps my favorite time of the year. While we permanent residents of Slower Lower appreciate our summertime visitors (and all that money they bring to our coffers) it is always nice to get our town back.  Is it ever!

So while Bill mowed the grass at Casa Tipton-Kelly, I slid into my 2010 red Subaru Forester and high tailed it down to Rehoboth for a walk on the boardwalk and maybe a photo opportunity.

Rehoboth Beach boardwalk minus the summer crowds - NICE!

It didn't take too long.  Once I parked by the Cape Henlopen Hotel (parking meters are off!), I walked up to the boardwalk and saw a gathering.  A wedding on the beach!  Very windy but that didn't daunt our wedding party.  Above is the video that I took of the bridesmaids and bride making their entrance to the beach.  I didn't stick around for the wedding, you all know how that goes.  But I did want to give you all a Slice of Life on Rehoboth Beach in the after season.  The hotel where I work in Lewes also had a wedding this weekend.  I'm happy for the bride and groom but glad I wasn't there for the festivities.  Wedding parties are a pain (sorry mom and dad of the bride).  I would just rather miss the whole shindig.

Preparations for a Wedding on the Beach - NICE!

I took a short walk down the boardwalk to Old Time photo.  I had my wedding book with me that Camilla of Old Time Photo had graciously made for me and Bill.  She hadn't seen it. I waited until the summertime crowds were gone before going in to see her.  Unfortunately she wasn't in.  I'll go again.  We have many weeks of beautiful weather in the off season.  In fact even in December and January a day pops up here and there that is in the 60's or 70's and you can bet I'm quick to take advantage my hopping in my car and zooming on down to Rehoboth.

I hope you all had a pleasant Sunday.  The weather has been absolutely gorgeous around here the past two weeks.  Life is good.  

Returning to the Scene of the Crime

Me - bar scene - Philadelphia - 1980

Here I am, sitting at my computer at 9:40 pm this Saturday night.  Back "in the day" when I lived in center city Philadelphia (1969 to 1980) I would be getting ready to hit the bars.  Those days are long gone (thankfully).  I remember the last time I was in a bar (gay).  It was my birthday, November 9th, 1979.  I was still hanging around the bar (no birthday luck that night) at 1:55 am which the bartender flashed the lights on and off and hollered "LAST CALL!"  Hey folks, if you were a regular bar goer like I was in my flaming wasted youth, if you were still in the bar when those lights flashed on and "LAST CALL" rang out, you.were.a.LOSER.  That's when I took stock of myself and said "Self, what are you doing here?"

Me, "slightly" inebriated - on Halloween night 1980 - double exposure (I'm also on the bottom right)

Yes folks, that was the night I decided never again to spend my Saturday nights trolling the gay bars. Oh sure, I had my regular coterie of buddies.  And every now and then I would score (Bill and I had and have an open relationship - get over it) but mostly going "out to the bars" was part of my social life.  But at 38 years old I knew my time was up.  No regrets, no "I'm too old" stuff.  I was just tired of the whole scene, ready to move on to something else. 

Me, always popular with "the ladies" - 1980

That's when I decided to move from center city Philadelphia to the country, our 6.875 wooded paradise four miles outside of Downingtown Pennsylvania.  It took us about a year to sell our house in Philadelphia and move "to the country."  We lived in the country for 26 years until the time came again to make the move which is when I decided to move to Delaware, which is another whole story actually worthy of a book or a small novella but not one blog entry.

Our former home in Pennsylania

So what's my point tonight?  Well, I've decided to celebrate my 72nd birthday by spending the weekend in Philadelphia, PA.  I've already made my reservations at The Latham Hotel on 17th Street.  Oh how many times have I passed that hotel and always wanted to stay there.  Now I'm doing it, albeit with a 15% senior citizen discount (why not?)

The Latham Hotel, Philadelphia, PA

I did some checking around (on the Internet) and found that one of my hangouts, the Bike Stop, is still open so I'll drop in.  God, I remember when I was a youngster and I used to see old gay guys come in the bar and I thought "hope that's never me!"  Well folks, it's going to be me on my birthday weekend but I won't be trolling for a one night stand, that's for sure.  Just not interested.  However it will be nice to see old friends (if they're alive) again.

My old friend Ron Lord, owner of The Bike Stop

Dr. Spo will be in town that weekend.  Hopefully we can meet up and I can show him around some of my old haunts.  Maybe not.  However, I am looking forward to returning to the scene of the crime.  Should be interesting.

I Survived

I survived folks.  I was scheduled for surgery this morning at Milford Hospital at 8:30 am.  Just got home, 4:00 pm.  Long day.  Got up early.  Actual surgery or "shock therapy" only took about an hour.  All the rest was preliminaries.  I do have to say that the staff and Milford Hospital was great.  Just another reason I'm glad I retired to Delaware.  

I need my rest now.  Just wanted to keep you all up to date.  I'm too tired now to go into the details.  I may (or may not) go into details in a future blog post.  For now the photos below will have to do as a narrative of my day.

Ron is back.

Here We Go Again

Me and my brother John in front of Aunt Mary's bathroom - 1948

Just got off the phone with the Bayhealth Medical Center in Milford.  I'm to be at the admissions desk at 8:30 am tomorrow morning.  Here we go again.

Milford Hospital, Milford Delaware

Just to refresh your memory, I am scheduled for  something called extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy which is a technique that uses sound waves (ultra sound) to break up simple stones in the kidney or upper urinary tract.  "Exracorporeal" means "outside the body," and "lithotripsy" means stone-breaking.  I have two .6 millimeter kidney stones lodged above my right kidney.  Hopefully this treatment tomorrow will break up those stones so I can pass them without the pain and trauma that I recent went through passing a .5 mm kidney stone from my left kidney and a .6 mm kidney stone which I had to have surgery to remove on September 3rd.

Folks, this has been some year for me and medical procedures.  First it was being diagnosed with prostate cancer then the procedure to have radioactive seeds implanted in me.  And then the past three weeks, three visits to the emergency room within ten days, the final one resulting in a two day stay in the hospital and surgery to remove a kidney stone that was stuck in my ureter canal.

All told this year I've under went anesthesia five times, which is five times more than I've been under since I was 17 years old

when I had a hernia operation which I acquired a staph infection.  That nightmare scenario resulted in a total of three operations and weeks in the hospital.  All the years since, including the years at the banks where I worked (37 years), never once did I see a doctor.  Now I'm making up for lost time.

So tomorrow I again undergo anesthesia.  Sort of getting used to this folks.  One of my main concerns now is that I have a proper bowel movement before I go under.  When I awoke from my last surgery I did leave a "deposit" on my gurney (TMI?)  Ah well, it is what it is.  I was so pumped up with painkillers I couldn't have a proper movement.  Apparently the anesthesia "relaxed" me.  Yep, that's one of my concerns now.

Of course I also have a concern that I may not come out of anesthesia.  Every time I know I'm going under I think of Kanye West's mom who was undergoing anesthesia for plastic surgery and didn't come out.  Yep folks, I think about things like this.  So if this is my last blog post, nice knowing you.  If not, then I'll be back!  Hopefully minus a couple of kidney stones.

Note:  So what does the header picture have to do with this blog post?  Actually nothing other than it is of my and my youngest brother John.  We were visiting our Aunt Mary at her home in Towerville, PA in 1948.  Aunt Mary's house didn't have electricity, running water or indoor plumbing.  Somethings you never forget.  I've always remembered how icky that one seater outhouse was.  Even then I was much too refined to relieve my self in such a manner.  Not much has changed.

Me at work (with a proper bathroom)

Tipton Family Reunion 2013

Hey folks, it's that time again.  Time for the bi-annual Tipton Family reunion.  My, how fast time flies by.

This year as in 2011, 2010 and 1997 the reunion will be held at the East Brandywine Community Park in Guthriesville, Pennsylvania on Sunday, October 6th from 12 to 5 pm.  And, as always I guarantee PERFECT weather (crossing my fingers and toes - so far I've been right)!

However, this year we will be at the Tara Pavilion which is far away from the sports playing fields.  Remember in 2011, when we had the reunion at a different pavilion which was too close to the sports playing fields, interfering with the dads watching their kids play ball.  The Tara Pavilion is located at the far end of the park.

The Tara pavilion at the 1997 Tipton Family Reunion

Cousin Jeff talking to Uncle Ed and cousin Charles Tipton (all gone now) - 1997

Cousin John Tipton's family - that little girl in the stroller is a grown up beauty now - 1997

This year's reunion will be catered by cousin Richard R.D. Tipton at $10 per adult (no charge for children).  Barbecue pork, fried chicken, try-color salad, Amish tomato and cucumber salad and other goodies.

The Tipton Family Reunion is an old tradition.  All of us are descendants of Fieldon and Hester Tipton (my grandparents who I never met by the way). 

Fieldon and Hester (Lewis) Tipton on their wedding day July 18, 1908

Fieldon and Hester were born in the hills of western North Carolina (yes, that would be hillbilly county - I am a descendant of hillbillies which should explain a lot about me).  They moved to Pennsylvania in 1929 with their nine sons to escape the collapse of the sawmill business and starvation of their family.  My grandfather and his nine sons work as tenant farm laborers on his brother-in-law Don Byrd's farm in southern Chester County.  Two more sons were born in Pennsylvania making for eleven sons (no daughters) for Fieldon and Hester.

My father (Isaac - tall man on the right in back) and his ten brothers at the Tipton Family Reunion 1960

All of the sons eventually married and produced my thirty-six first cousins who descendants now attend the current reunions.

The "Tipton Women" at the 1960 reunion

My Uncle Raymond Tipton was the oldest son of Fieldon and Hester Tipton.  He is the man pictured in the middle of the photo below with his wife Katy.  Their great grandson Richard "R.D." Tipton is catering this year's reunion (at $10 per adult - no charge for children).  The man to the left is my Uncle John Henry Tipton, second oldest son of Fieldon and Hester.

Henry, Ray and Katy Tipton 1958

After 1960 there was a long pause in the Tipton Family reunions until cousin Joy and her three sisters Rita, Darlene and Donna (all daughters of Uncle Luther "Dude" Tipton and his wife Jean) took up the cause and held one in 1994.  I've since picked up the Tipton banner, which was made my cousin John Tipton's sign business.  We Tiptons are a talented bunch.

My Uncle Sam (far left big overhauls), Brude (white cap) and Tip (far right kneeling with dog) at the old Baker Place - Same and Bruce were the last two Tipton boys - both born in Pennsylvania

From left: Donna, Joy, Rita and Darlene - "Dude's Girls" who restarted the reunions (much later of course than when this picture was taken)

Darlene and Rita with my brother Isaac at the 2011 Tipton Family reunion (great photo my Mark!)

The Louise Tipton White Family - 2011

Many new member of the Tipton family every year!  Below was the newest in 2011.  Grandmother Rita (on the right) holds her new grandson Chip Christy while Cousin Barbara Tipton Keehn admires.

Cousin Barbara Tipton admires her new cousin, "Chip" Christy who is held by his grandmother Rita Tipton Buxbaum.  Another fabulous photo by Mark!

Emerson and Ethan Brandt, grandchildren of Barbara Tipton Keehn (above).  And yes, another great photo by Mark.

Me greeting my cousin Tom Tipton.  His son Tom, Jr. is to my right.  I have to wear a different shirt other than my favorite red checked shirt to this year's reunion.  I'm glad I'm posting these photos to remind me.  Damn.

Cousin Beth White Fisher having a good laugh (I hope it wasn't about me).  Folks, this is what reunions are all about, friends and family getting together to share good times.  All too soon they're gone.  Live for now.

An Unavoidable Subject

My friend Tom J. called me last night while I was on FaceTime with my friend Pat.  The time was 10:30 pm.  I thought "That's late for Tom to be calling me, somebody must have died."  Sure enough, after I got off FaceTime with Pat I called Tom and he informed me that his good friend and our former co-worker's (when we both worked at First Fidelity Bank in Philadelphia) husband had died suddenly.  He was understandably upset because this is the seventh person this year in Tom's circle of friends who has died.  

You know folks, I really try not to post "old folks" stuff on this blog and all my and others medical maladies and especially deaths but it's hard not to when I'm approaching 72 years old.  Many bloggers I know are in the prime of their life (late 30's to early 50's).  I don't know of few if any bloggers who are as old as I am who blog daily or even blog at all.  Some read my blog, I know but to be as active as I am, in the daily swim of things so to speak, few if any.  Perhaps if I was in my early 50's I would post about different subject matter but as I get closer and closer to the Final Exit, it is hard to avoid this subject.

My friend Tom was wise in taking early retirement when he was in his late 40's.  He is 54 years old now.  Travels between his homes in Pennsylvania and Florida and visits his friends like me and others.  Of course Tom can afford to live this lifestyle because he was very successful investor in the stock market (unlike yours truly).  Tom stops by Casa Tipton-Kelly once or twice a year in his annual travels.  Bill and I enjoy Tom's visits, he is immensely entertaining and full of life.  However, I sense that he is becoming some dejected because of all the death and illnesses he has witnessed this year (two of his friends were informed they have terminal cancer).

Me showing Tom photos of our time at Fidelity Bank in Philadelphia

A few years ago I happened to see an advertisement in the paper of an open house.  The real estate agent who was holding the open house was a woman who I worked with for several years at Girard Bank in Philadelphia when I was young and pretty (as she was too!)  Our desks actually adjoined each other's.  I was an administrative assistant to an operations vice president and she was the secretary to the trust department president.  Her name was Anne Marie and I liked her a lot.  I sensed that she liked me a lot too.  But of course there came the time (as it always has with me) that I had to "lower the boom" and let her know I wasn't marriage material.  I don't remember exactly what I said but it was something about "my roommate" was the reason I couldn't go to a function with her.  That did it and the word quickly spread that I was gay, which was my intention.  Again, remember back in those years I was considered somewhat attractive by a fair amount of the members of the opposite sex.  I always had to swat them off.  This was the best way I could figure out how to do it.  After I informed her of my "roommate" I could sense that she backed off.  The only downside that I saw was when I brought in my chocolate chip cookies that year for the Christmas party she didn't want any whereas in years past she gobbled them down.  What did she think we did?  Maybe I didn't wash my hands?  Oh well, I was a bit put off by that but I soon got over it.  

Anne Marie, me and Jane "back in the day" at the bank - both gals pregnant and I had NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!
Subtle humor here that we all participated in because they knew I was gay - oh yes, those are my hanging plants - 1980

After her initial shock that I wasn't marriage material she eventually met another guy and got married and had two wonderful sons.  

She eventually left the bank to raise her two sons.  I didn't see her for twenty-six years.  Then I saw ad in the local newspaper when I was trying to see our house in Pennsylvnia.  I showed up at her open house.  Of course she was surprised to see me.  I was delighted to see her.  We had a good visit. We relived old memories, updated each other on gossip about our former co-workers, just like we did when we sat next to each other at the bank.  One story which we relived was the time she and her good friend Jane took a trip to Mexico (Jane is pictured in the photo above).  This was before Anne Marie was married.  They were vacationing in Acapulco.  One sunny day they decided to go scuba diving with a couple of local young Mexican men who worked at the hotel and took guests out on these excursions.  Everything was fine, they scuba dived in the clear blue waters of the Bay of Mexico.  Then came the time they had to get back into the boat.  Anne Marie retold the story with shock that the young Mexican "romeo" who lifted her up out of the water and back into their boat did his hands cupped around both of her breasts!  She was shocked!  She said "He must do that with all the tourists!"  Even now as I type this I can see the shocked expression on Anne Marie's face knowing that that Latin playboy copped a free feel.  Yes, we had many laughs me and Anne Marie.

Back in the day at bank operations where I was the supervisor - Anne Marie used to visit frequently
The Good Old Days - not to be seen in these days of automation and computers

After that visit we kept in contact by an occasional e-mail.  Then I received an e-mail from her where she told me she was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.  She told me "I'm overwhelmed, I don't know what to do."  I answered her back.  I never heard from her again.  About eight months later I heard that she had died.  She was 58 years old.  Too young.  

Me and Anne Marie, our reunion 26 years later - 2006

Anne Marie -----------------, 58, of Glen Mills, a Realtor, died Jan. 28 after a battle with breast cancer.

So folks, remember when those musical chairs are playing, make the most of every day because when the music stops your chair may not be there.  

Live like today is your last day, just don't empty out the bank account.  And don't get too upset if someone cops a free feel.  Just saying. 

Busy Day at Ron's Home Office

Back in my 9 to 5 working days I often entertained this fantasy of working out of my home.  I fantasized that I would win the lottery, quit my job, and never work again for The Man and instead work for myself.  Of course I wouldn't get any pay but I would have the pleasure of working for myself.  I could get up when I wanted to, do what I wanted to, take a break (sleep, pee, eat, nap or afternoon delight) when I wanted to.  Yep folks, that was my fantasy.

You know what?  Sometimes dreams do come true and you don't even know it.  These days that's actually what I'm doing.  By default I converted our home's smallest bedroom into my home office.  This is where my two computers (an iMac and an ancient Gateway which isn't hooked up to the Internet but has a lot of photos, passwords and address info on it) reside.  My filing cabinets (stuffed) also take up residence in this room.  Yes, I now have a home off out of which I work daily.  I love it! 

In my home office I do exactly whatever I feel like doing.  I update my blog.  I read my favorite blogs.  I try to keep up with my ever growing e-mail files. I occasionally make futile attempts at organizing my 80,000 some digital photos on iPhoto (a task I fear I never will complete), I talk to a few of my very favorite people (and you know who you are) on FaceTime, I pay my bills, I shop, I settle my checking accounts, I check my investments (such as they are), and today I make PHONE CALLS.  First up after posting this blog I have to call the VA in Georgetown to get my blood test results from last Thursday.  The Milford Hospital called yesterday.  They need that information before they can perform my kidney stone procedure this Friday. Oh how I would like to go just one week without seeing or contacting a doctor or medical establishment.  

After I herd those cats I take on my next challenge of the morning:  finalizing plans for my bi-annual family reunion on October 6th.  I'm never sure how many of my family are coming (they're notorious for not letting me know and just showing up).  I have engaged a caterer (my cousin Richard R.D. Tipton who has his own catering business).  I sort of would like to get a general idea of how many folks are descending upon the East Brandywine Park in Guthriesville, PA for our hoedown.  And oh yes, this year I'm having entertainment.  At the suggestion of my cousin Melanie, I'm acquired the services of a five man band called "The Hillbilly Jug Band."  Since all of us Tiptons are descendants of hillbillies (not embarrassed to say that), this is very appropriate.  Back in 1997 I engaged the services of Bob Paisley and his Southern Grass Bluegrass Band.  That was a great success.  My last two reunions I didn't have a band and something was missing.  I'll fix that this year.  Damn the cost.  How long will I be around anyway, after the events of this year?  

So there you are folks, just a smidgen of what happening today in Ron's Office this morning.  And oh yes, maybe I'll have time to call my patient and long suffering friend Lar and talk to him on FaceTime.  With a schedule like mine, something has to give and all too often it is my FaceTime with my understanding and patient friend Lar.