Proud of these:............
Born in the depression era (April 1932)
Starting working part time at the age of 12.
Worked full time every summer vacation from 1946 through 1954.
After college graduation (Jan 1955), worked continously till Jan 1994.
Retired at 62 AND (
really proud of this)....
MARRIED to the same lady FOR
51 YEARS..lost her 6 years ago.
Used to "hitch-hike" 6 miles to grade school (after 4th grade) and High school (till I bought a beat up '40 Merc at age 15). Thank God--"no more hitch-hikin' " in those northern Illinois winters of the 1940s
Worked my way(3 part time jobs) through college in 4 1/2 yrs. (the extra 1/2 yr due to (8) months of Physical Therapy and Rehab) resulting from being a front seat passenger, in a convertible -- hit a tree @ very high speed-- killed the (2) on my left--Aug 1951... Coma 14 days; 13 major fractures; Oxygen Tent 6 weeks; 7 whole blood transfusions; Full Body Cast 4 1/2 months and etc,etc,etc................... Yea...........I'm damned proud to have survived and walked out of the hospital (on crutches & 50 pounds lighter) after 7 months.
Fathered the world's greatest daughter (only child) & helped my wife (mentally and physically) through (9) Miscarriages after daughters birth.
Have survived (4) major Surgeries (--includung Cancer Surgery at age 70).
Hunted (w/some limitations) and fished my entire life (as time, work schedule and finances would allow).
Highlight: Harvested a Kodiak Brown Bear (aka:Grizzly) on Kodiak Island in November snow storm at age 60!!! Hunt-of-a-Lifetime!!!!!
Drove 3500 miles round trip this past fall back to my
60th High School Reunion. Had great time and lookin' forward to the
65th!!.....(NOTE: You'd be amazed "how old some of those class mates act!!
)
(NOTE)>>And last:...........(4) years ago for my 75th Birthday,....I bought myself (you know "old Fogeys" are entitled to "one crazy, impulsive unjustified action").....a 15 years old (mint- 44000 miles) XJS 2+2 Convertible..
<L<<...."Hey, in this economy it's a better investment that an IRA!!"..............
AND, on Sunday after Church, it's great for "trollin' down main street...for Chicks"!!
........Ya know, I thought I;d get a little razzing about acquiring that Jag Convert,,,,....It is a good investment being a 1996 with only 47,000 miles on it now and in perfect contition. .
.....EDIT:>>>>> Some crazy stupid, teen-age stunts:
......at age 15 (winter of 1947), several of us kids decided that since there was about 16 inches of ice on Diamond Lake.....it surely could support the weight of several cars (spread out by due to the fact that they'ed be "racing around a circular course) --about 1/4 mile in dia-- laid out by 15 empty 55 gallon drums properly place to form a circular track"....yea, ........we had fun....and no mishaps....but we sure could have. About 30 minutes after we started racing the Lake County sheriff came out on the ice and stopped our "racing" with a few threats and a lecture.
The other "stunt" , that was "never solved" by the "powers that be": The night before graduation (high school), some how some "Limberger Cheese" ended up inside the "air-ventalation-system" main "intake duct". And the next morning (the day of graduation) when the school janitor turned on the system..........the smell would "stop a train"!!!! He figured it out by noon and got enough "pine-scented-stuff" into the system that it over-powered the cheese smell, and the evening graduation in the auditorium didn't have to be held outside!!..
...........Other occasions.....some sad...some just happened....and some.........?
Lost my dad when I was 13.
Lost my mom to 8 years of Alzheimers.
Only child (daughter) and I both diagnosed with Cancer in 2002.
.....We both had surgery (daughter: 2 operations/removed 15 Lymph Nodes) & Prostate Cancer Surgery for me----both of us are doing OK!!
Lost my wife to Cancer in 2005 after 14 months. .....Sad day....
Summary:.............I have NO complaints.....I have been blessed......I have been DAMN Lucky.........and I'd do it ALL over again!!!....
"CARPE DIEM my friends, CARPE DIEM!!!!
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
(Their Palm Beach home at 720 Ocean)
The original owner left the country. Boy, talk about scrambling to find a place in 30 days. We did, but that was so disappointing, that house was indeed my 'dream' house. 
