Skippy123
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Who ROD, please tell us more!!!!
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Linda W
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coatimundi_org
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Skippy123
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Oh my........A thread about me? I don''t feel worthy of my own thread, but am indeed honored anyone could find anything I have to say interesting. I''ll try to keep this brief, though as many of you know, I''m not the briefest of fellows. So, here goes:
I was born on January 6, 1955, in Southern Maryland. Even though we are Jewish, my mother still calls me her Epiphany child, which is kind of amusing coming from a Jewish mother, but then my mother we never very Jewish. I think she wanted to be Episcopal, so I''ve always thought we were Jewcopalians. We never had Chanukah, we always had Christmas. Can you say, religously confused? We could. Anyway, I grew up in a small Naval town, though my father was not military. I was a hefty child. Food was center of our universe and while there was just me, my brother and my parents, we had meals large enough for a a whole tribe. I wore husky pants to first grade. Sad, but true. I had an uneventful childhood. I certainly wasn''t into sports or athletics. I was a good student and read more than anything. In the sixth grade my father took me to hear the National Symphony Orchestra and that single event changed the course of my existance through college. I was fascinated with the Orchestra and decided I wanted to learn to play the clarinet. So, my parents who didn''t have much money, bought me a beginner''s clarinet and I became obsessed with music. By the time I hit the 7th grade, I had become pretty good and was first chair in band.
Throught my Middle School years, I devoted all of my time to my music and continued to progress. My parents sacrificed a lot for me to have a private instructor who helped me continue to get better. By the time I hit High School, I was the first freshman to be first chair and make all state band, something I''m still proud of to this day. I was a good student in High School and continued to devote my life to the clarinet. During these years, my parents opened a Mister Donut and a Baskin Robbins across the street from each other. Being skinny was never going to be as I had the ability to take a fresh donut from one store, and walk across the street and put a couple scoops of ice-cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry from the other store. Plus I worked at the ice cream store throughouthigh school. I played the clarinet and scooped ice cream at night. I didn''t have a very big social life, but I did have good friends.
This is simply TMI (Too Much Information)?? I''ll try to shorten this a bit.
I wound up attending the West Virginia University school of Creative Arts (a really good school, btw) and spent 4 more years working on becoming a symphonic clarinetist. I graduated with honors and was accepted into the Eastman School of Music to get my Master''s degree when all of the sudden, something changed in me. I had also auditioned for a spot to play in the President''s Band (can you imagine Rod in the Marines?? I sure couldn''t) and came in 6th out of several hundred who auditioned and actually lost the position to someone who had just received their master''s from the Paris Conservatory and that''s when it hit me. I didn''t want to live a paupers life as a lowly paid, overworked musician and I decided (much to my parents consternation) to put the clarinet away and chart another course in life.
This is the period of my life I call the "Find Rod" phase. I started as an intern with the American Symphony Orchestra League (a very lowly paid position), then one day, I fould myself interviewing to be a salesman at one of the best audio stores in the country and I wound up spending the next few years selling audio equipment. This is where I learned I was a very good salesman as I was number 1 in our store for my entire time there. I also met Charlie during this time and while I hadn''t really dated anyone much in my life, I knew the moment I met Charlie that he was the person I wanted to be with, and as many of you know, we''re still together 28.5 years later.
In 1985, I changed directions career-wise. I found myself applying for and being accepted into a small executive search firm who specialized in defense electronics. Not that I knew diddly squat about technical people, but I was determined to learn. I actually struggled at first and found that selling people was an odd thing to do. Afterall, I had sold products that once they''d been sold, couldn''t pick themselves up and decide to go someplace else, but people can get up and do whatever they want, so selling people is an odd thing to learn how to do. A person may tell you he or she is turning left at the next intersection, but they don''t have to do what they said they''d do and often don''t.
In 1987, after two back to back 3 foot snow falls in the DC., area and after two of our best friends had moved to Venice, FL., we sold our home on a whim and just moved to Venice, FL., bought a new house and we didn''t even have jobs. Our first week in Florida, a hurricane was supposed to make a direct hit, and we had to learn what to buy in preparation for a storm, which, BTW, never hit. Still we wondered what on earth we had done to ourselves. I wound up working for a major staffing firm in Sarasota, FL, which led me accepting a recruiting position with a firm in Orlando, and we wound up moving there. At first things were good, but then I realized I was working for the son of Satan and the next thing I knew, I was recruited by the firm I would spend the next 16 years with as would Charlie. Only our first three years required that we sell our home in Orlando and move to Lexington, KY.
Kentucky was not a long term place for us. To live in KY, you either have to love Horses or Basketball. I''m afraid neither was of particular interest to us. So, when we told our company president, we couldn''t stay in KY, the company offered to move us back to Florida and in 1995, we moved to Tampa, where we''ve been ever since.
TMI again........I am getting to present times, honest!
Tampa''s been a good place for us. We worked for the same company until just recently. Everyone on the Healthy Lifestyle Thread, got to suffer through my layoff twice, a move to Raleigh, for a few months, returning home, being rehired by our company, only to have us both laid off this past January, when the company, which is in poor shape these days closed many offices including all of the Florida offices. I''m now working for one of the nations largest and most respected executive search firms and I''m learning all over what it''s all about placing technical people again as a recruiter. So far so good. Charlie is working part time as a sales person at Restoration Hardware. It''s funny what life brings, but we''re healthy and doing well.
So, how did I find PS? When we were about to celebrate our 25th year together and my 50th Birthday was on the horizon, I decided we needed diamond rings to celebrate. I did everything I could to learn as much as I could about diamonds and started on another diamond forum, where I wound up being accused by one of the forum founders of being in the "trade" when I dared to offer advice to a person who wanted to know if the stone they selected was any good. He blasted me so hard, that I vowed to never return to that forum (I think there are other refugee''s from that forum who found PS too) and just happened onto PS. Here I found a completely different and wonderful place to learn, make friends and help others who also needed some education and help. What a difference. Here the experts are here to offer education, but they welcome the novice and encourage our participation. It was incredible the first time I saw all these people offering their personal knowledge and time to help newbies select a diamond for that "special" occassion.
We did get our diamonds and I''m grateful for the knowledge and help I got on the diamond side. It was about this time, it dawned on me that smoking, and eating pizza everyday and never exercising was not going to lead me into a healthy old age. So, I quit smoking and joined a gym and called this phase of my life "Rebuild Rod." That''s when I discovered the Healthy Lifestyle Thread, which is lovingly opened weekly by our dear Lorelei and we have this terrific family of people who all want to live longer healthier lives. It''s this side of PS that I go to every day. Over the last 3 years, I''ve undergone such a remarkable transformation that people who haven''t seen me in a few years, simply don''t recognize me. I went from a 42" waisted, 240 pound overweight, out of shape man who had a body fat percentage of 34% to a man who weighs in the low 170s, with a waist soze of 32"/33" and a body fat percentage of 14%. My gym, even made me a Success Story poster to celebrate what I did to transform myself. Charlie has worked out right with me and we''ve completely reengineered our lives.
So, this is the Rod story. If you''re asleep, I''m sorry for boring you. Like I said, I don''t do short too well. And, I likely gave way too much information.
PS has offered me friendship, knowledge, support and a place where I feel so comfortable being me. I''m so glad I found you all and am so very honored anyone would find anything about me to be of interest in any way..............
You are now welcome to return to your regular programming!!
I was born on January 6, 1955, in Southern Maryland. Even though we are Jewish, my mother still calls me her Epiphany child, which is kind of amusing coming from a Jewish mother, but then my mother we never very Jewish. I think she wanted to be Episcopal, so I''ve always thought we were Jewcopalians. We never had Chanukah, we always had Christmas. Can you say, religously confused? We could. Anyway, I grew up in a small Naval town, though my father was not military. I was a hefty child. Food was center of our universe and while there was just me, my brother and my parents, we had meals large enough for a a whole tribe. I wore husky pants to first grade. Sad, but true. I had an uneventful childhood. I certainly wasn''t into sports or athletics. I was a good student and read more than anything. In the sixth grade my father took me to hear the National Symphony Orchestra and that single event changed the course of my existance through college. I was fascinated with the Orchestra and decided I wanted to learn to play the clarinet. So, my parents who didn''t have much money, bought me a beginner''s clarinet and I became obsessed with music. By the time I hit the 7th grade, I had become pretty good and was first chair in band.
Throught my Middle School years, I devoted all of my time to my music and continued to progress. My parents sacrificed a lot for me to have a private instructor who helped me continue to get better. By the time I hit High School, I was the first freshman to be first chair and make all state band, something I''m still proud of to this day. I was a good student in High School and continued to devote my life to the clarinet. During these years, my parents opened a Mister Donut and a Baskin Robbins across the street from each other. Being skinny was never going to be as I had the ability to take a fresh donut from one store, and walk across the street and put a couple scoops of ice-cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry from the other store. Plus I worked at the ice cream store throughouthigh school. I played the clarinet and scooped ice cream at night. I didn''t have a very big social life, but I did have good friends.
This is simply TMI (Too Much Information)?? I''ll try to shorten this a bit.
I wound up attending the West Virginia University school of Creative Arts (a really good school, btw) and spent 4 more years working on becoming a symphonic clarinetist. I graduated with honors and was accepted into the Eastman School of Music to get my Master''s degree when all of the sudden, something changed in me. I had also auditioned for a spot to play in the President''s Band (can you imagine Rod in the Marines?? I sure couldn''t) and came in 6th out of several hundred who auditioned and actually lost the position to someone who had just received their master''s from the Paris Conservatory and that''s when it hit me. I didn''t want to live a paupers life as a lowly paid, overworked musician and I decided (much to my parents consternation) to put the clarinet away and chart another course in life.
This is the period of my life I call the "Find Rod" phase. I started as an intern with the American Symphony Orchestra League (a very lowly paid position), then one day, I fould myself interviewing to be a salesman at one of the best audio stores in the country and I wound up spending the next few years selling audio equipment. This is where I learned I was a very good salesman as I was number 1 in our store for my entire time there. I also met Charlie during this time and while I hadn''t really dated anyone much in my life, I knew the moment I met Charlie that he was the person I wanted to be with, and as many of you know, we''re still together 28.5 years later.
In 1985, I changed directions career-wise. I found myself applying for and being accepted into a small executive search firm who specialized in defense electronics. Not that I knew diddly squat about technical people, but I was determined to learn. I actually struggled at first and found that selling people was an odd thing to do. Afterall, I had sold products that once they''d been sold, couldn''t pick themselves up and decide to go someplace else, but people can get up and do whatever they want, so selling people is an odd thing to learn how to do. A person may tell you he or she is turning left at the next intersection, but they don''t have to do what they said they''d do and often don''t.
In 1987, after two back to back 3 foot snow falls in the DC., area and after two of our best friends had moved to Venice, FL., we sold our home on a whim and just moved to Venice, FL., bought a new house and we didn''t even have jobs. Our first week in Florida, a hurricane was supposed to make a direct hit, and we had to learn what to buy in preparation for a storm, which, BTW, never hit. Still we wondered what on earth we had done to ourselves. I wound up working for a major staffing firm in Sarasota, FL, which led me accepting a recruiting position with a firm in Orlando, and we wound up moving there. At first things were good, but then I realized I was working for the son of Satan and the next thing I knew, I was recruited by the firm I would spend the next 16 years with as would Charlie. Only our first three years required that we sell our home in Orlando and move to Lexington, KY.
Kentucky was not a long term place for us. To live in KY, you either have to love Horses or Basketball. I''m afraid neither was of particular interest to us. So, when we told our company president, we couldn''t stay in KY, the company offered to move us back to Florida and in 1995, we moved to Tampa, where we''ve been ever since.
TMI again........I am getting to present times, honest!
Tampa''s been a good place for us. We worked for the same company until just recently. Everyone on the Healthy Lifestyle Thread, got to suffer through my layoff twice, a move to Raleigh, for a few months, returning home, being rehired by our company, only to have us both laid off this past January, when the company, which is in poor shape these days closed many offices including all of the Florida offices. I''m now working for one of the nations largest and most respected executive search firms and I''m learning all over what it''s all about placing technical people again as a recruiter. So far so good. Charlie is working part time as a sales person at Restoration Hardware. It''s funny what life brings, but we''re healthy and doing well.
So, how did I find PS? When we were about to celebrate our 25th year together and my 50th Birthday was on the horizon, I decided we needed diamond rings to celebrate. I did everything I could to learn as much as I could about diamonds and started on another diamond forum, where I wound up being accused by one of the forum founders of being in the "trade" when I dared to offer advice to a person who wanted to know if the stone they selected was any good. He blasted me so hard, that I vowed to never return to that forum (I think there are other refugee''s from that forum who found PS too) and just happened onto PS. Here I found a completely different and wonderful place to learn, make friends and help others who also needed some education and help. What a difference. Here the experts are here to offer education, but they welcome the novice and encourage our participation. It was incredible the first time I saw all these people offering their personal knowledge and time to help newbies select a diamond for that "special" occassion.
We did get our diamonds and I''m grateful for the knowledge and help I got on the diamond side. It was about this time, it dawned on me that smoking, and eating pizza everyday and never exercising was not going to lead me into a healthy old age. So, I quit smoking and joined a gym and called this phase of my life "Rebuild Rod." That''s when I discovered the Healthy Lifestyle Thread, which is lovingly opened weekly by our dear Lorelei and we have this terrific family of people who all want to live longer healthier lives. It''s this side of PS that I go to every day. Over the last 3 years, I''ve undergone such a remarkable transformation that people who haven''t seen me in a few years, simply don''t recognize me. I went from a 42" waisted, 240 pound overweight, out of shape man who had a body fat percentage of 34% to a man who weighs in the low 170s, with a waist soze of 32"/33" and a body fat percentage of 14%. My gym, even made me a Success Story poster to celebrate what I did to transform myself. Charlie has worked out right with me and we''ve completely reengineered our lives.
So, this is the Rod story. If you''re asleep, I''m sorry for boring you. Like I said, I don''t do short too well. And, I likely gave way too much information.
PS has offered me friendship, knowledge, support and a place where I feel so comfortable being me. I''m so glad I found you all and am so very honored anyone would find anything about me to be of interest in any way..............
You are now welcome to return to your regular programming!!
Skippy123
Super_Ideal_Rock
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Rod, it was great reading about you; thank you for sharing! Awesome you played the clarinet! Do you still play? When did you first start liking sushi? Wow, I a donut shop and ice cream shop; I would have loved that. hehe Ah, I love DC but all that snow would have scared me too! Glad you love Florida; it sounds beautiful!!!
kelpie
Ideal_Rock
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Linda W
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Oh Rod, I LOVED reading your story. What an amazing life you had. I loved that you played the clarinet!!!
Believe me, if my parents owned a donut shop and an ice cream shop.. oh my... I would be a balloon too.
Your story is an inspiration to everyone, I just adore you and hearing all about Charlie.
I am with Skippy, do you still play the clarinet, I sure hope you do!!!
Believe me, if my parents owned a donut shop and an ice cream shop.. oh my... I would be a balloon too.
Your story is an inspiration to everyone, I just adore you and hearing all about Charlie.
I am with Skippy, do you still play the clarinet, I sure hope you do!!!
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Skippy, I''m afraid I haven''t played the clarinet in many years now. It''s an instrument you have to devote much time to. To be good required plaing 10 - 12 hours a day. That doesn''t leave much time for anything else in life, that''s for sure. So, I put it away long ago and don''t regret my decision to be honest.
On the Sushi front, it''s only been since Rebuild Rod that we''ve become totally hooked on Sushi. It happened quite accidentally too. We were at the mall one Saturday night soon after joining the gym and changing out diet so much and we were hungry, but we couldn''t go agree on any of the options, so we just kind of wandered into a sushi bar and decided to give it a try. I don''t know what happened as we had tried Sushi before and didn''t care for it, but this time, it was like a light bulb went off and we just loved what we had. That chance visit to that sushi bar changed our eating out habits considerably as you''re well aware. We now have sushi more than anything and we go at least twice a week.
I do love my life in Florida. Aside from the heat an humidity of summer and oh sure, those little hurricanes we have to be prepared for, the rest of year is just sublime.
Thanks again for starting this thread Skippy. You know you are and always will be a special friend!
Well hey kelpie. Lexington Park!! Are you from there as well. My parents still live in Hollywood, on a beautiful creek off the Patuxent River.
On the Sushi front, it''s only been since Rebuild Rod that we''ve become totally hooked on Sushi. It happened quite accidentally too. We were at the mall one Saturday night soon after joining the gym and changing out diet so much and we were hungry, but we couldn''t go agree on any of the options, so we just kind of wandered into a sushi bar and decided to give it a try. I don''t know what happened as we had tried Sushi before and didn''t care for it, but this time, it was like a light bulb went off and we just loved what we had. That chance visit to that sushi bar changed our eating out habits considerably as you''re well aware. We now have sushi more than anything and we go at least twice a week.
I do love my life in Florida. Aside from the heat an humidity of summer and oh sure, those little hurricanes we have to be prepared for, the rest of year is just sublime.
Thanks again for starting this thread Skippy. You know you are and always will be a special friend!
Well hey kelpie. Lexington Park!! Are you from there as well. My parents still live in Hollywood, on a beautiful creek off the Patuxent River.
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You are too sweet Linda. Did you have to prop your eyes open to get through it all........LOL No, I don''t play anymore. It''s just not something one can do casually and the time I''d have to invest in being good again, just isn''t available. It doesn''t disappoint me. It was a great part of my life and helped to define me. But I''ve also enjoyed the other parts of my life as all the parts are what makes us all who we are. So, no regrets on this side.
kelpie
Ideal_Rock
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Rod, I loved readying your life story.I like how you name the phases of your live.How wonderful you knew Charlie was your guy when you first met him.I was the same way with Marty.That is great you went so far with the clarinet but it’s not something that will generally pay the bills, eh?Congratulations for the amazing transformation you accomplished in your Rebuild Rod Phase.You should be so proud of yourself and of course we are proud of you and know you deserve to be a featured success story at your gym, in your community and among those who know you.You are certainly one of my favorite PS and HLT members and are definitely a hero of mine.
geckodani
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dragonfly411
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Rod - what a wonderful story and what a great life you have lived so far! It''s always fun for me to read about a fellow Floridian too. 90%of those storms just like to scare us. You''ll have to share your workout motivations with me sometime, I gotta keep myself on the ball and here lately I just suck at doing so
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kelpie, Accokket is a beautiful place. I loved growing in Maryland and you''re right, if you live in MD., you''re likely close to water. In addtion to being my mother''s Epiphany child, I was without her Crab Baby. The absolute first food and still my favorite on this planet (well lobster is pretty darn close) are Maryland Blue Crabs. Whe I was kid we used to bait the crab traps every morning and when we came home, we just walked down to our dock and had a crab feast almost every night. There''s just nothing like Old Bay and cracked red paper steamed crabs.
Where in WV, do you live now. As you saw I graduated from WVU, though that was like a million years ago...........
Thanks Marcy. You know you''re hero to so many of us with you beyond amazing transformation my dear! And when you write about Marty, you can always see the love in everything you have to say about him. I hope one day the four of us will have the opportunity to meet in person!
Thanks so much gecko!!
Harriet, I guess every now and then I wonder how my life might have changed had I gone through with getting my masters, but then I think how I would have missed what I already have and I realize what a sublimely lucky person I am indeed!
Thanks dragon!! On the storms, I guess they do like to scare us. Afterall, for the most part the weather is either sunny, sunny with a chance of thunderstorms, or sunny most of the year......LOL On the workout motivation, I think I realize I made a lot of bad health and food decisions for so many years that I know I have to continue working out and eating healthy so I can live a really long life. My father''s parents lived amazingly long lives and they ate fatty/fried foods, they both smoked and my grandfather was diabetic, yet he lived to be 98 and my grandmother lived to be 102. I''m hoping that I can at least live into my 90s. So, that''s what keeps me going. Fear of not working out is poretty motivating. I''ve seen so many people come an go at the gym. There was a couple who started at about the same time we did and for about a year they had gotten to be in really good shape. Then one day they just stopped coming and not too long ago they showed up after being out of the gym for at least a year. What I saw was just too frightening. They had both returned to what they were before joining the gym. And after about 5 minutes on the elliptical, it was clear they lost all the aerobic benefit they had developed while working out and you could see them huffing and puffing and then they just got off, left the gym and they haven''t been back since. I''ve worked so hard to "Rebuild Rod" and I just can''t risk lsoing all the good things I''ve done for me.
Hey, I meant to say hello to Jeff. Where have you been? You never pop into the HLT anymore. Are you still doing Jujitsu and taking care of yourself??
Also, hey Coati. I hope you''re well too! Com eon back to HLT, OK??!
Thanks everyone!
Where in WV, do you live now. As you saw I graduated from WVU, though that was like a million years ago...........
Thanks Marcy. You know you''re hero to so many of us with you beyond amazing transformation my dear! And when you write about Marty, you can always see the love in everything you have to say about him. I hope one day the four of us will have the opportunity to meet in person!
Thanks so much gecko!!
Harriet, I guess every now and then I wonder how my life might have changed had I gone through with getting my masters, but then I think how I would have missed what I already have and I realize what a sublimely lucky person I am indeed!
Thanks dragon!! On the storms, I guess they do like to scare us. Afterall, for the most part the weather is either sunny, sunny with a chance of thunderstorms, or sunny most of the year......LOL On the workout motivation, I think I realize I made a lot of bad health and food decisions for so many years that I know I have to continue working out and eating healthy so I can live a really long life. My father''s parents lived amazingly long lives and they ate fatty/fried foods, they both smoked and my grandfather was diabetic, yet he lived to be 98 and my grandmother lived to be 102. I''m hoping that I can at least live into my 90s. So, that''s what keeps me going. Fear of not working out is poretty motivating. I''ve seen so many people come an go at the gym. There was a couple who started at about the same time we did and for about a year they had gotten to be in really good shape. Then one day they just stopped coming and not too long ago they showed up after being out of the gym for at least a year. What I saw was just too frightening. They had both returned to what they were before joining the gym. And after about 5 minutes on the elliptical, it was clear they lost all the aerobic benefit they had developed while working out and you could see them huffing and puffing and then they just got off, left the gym and they haven''t been back since. I''ve worked so hard to "Rebuild Rod" and I just can''t risk lsoing all the good things I''ve done for me.
Hey, I meant to say hello to Jeff. Where have you been? You never pop into the HLT anymore. Are you still doing Jujitsu and taking care of yourself??
Also, hey Coati. I hope you''re well too! Com eon back to HLT, OK??!
Thanks everyone!
somethingshiny
Ideal_Rock
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Wow, Rod! I''m glad to see a thread about you! I had no idea that you played the clarinet or that you and Charlie have been together for so long! You appear to be a jack of all trades, too.
Thanks for sharing.
So, do you have a great story about how you and Charlie met, or the first time you met the other''s family?
Thanks for sharing.
So, do you have a great story about how you and Charlie met, or the first time you met the other''s family?
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SS, I''m not sure I''ll go into many details about how we met. Plus meeting the families was not too cool. To be honest, I think Charlie and I were meant to be together. We were introduced at a party in Washington D.C., and over the next three weeks we ran into each other in different parts of the city under different circumstances completely by accident. Washington D.C., is a large town, so to run into him over a span of many many miles so often was to me a sign (not that I''m supersticious mind you). We decided to have a "date" after we ran into each other the 3rd time and we''ve been together ever since. Now, since everyone know''s we''re a male couple and we got together in 1980, it was a different time, so let''s just say, neither set of parents was jumping with joy over this and we''ve often laughed that our parents both had hoped for a daughter in law, not a son in law. But over the years, both families grew to admire and love us for who we are and we''ve been very fortunate to have been loved so unconditionally by our families. Charlies parents passed away about 6 years ago. I loved them both very much. We even lived with them at one point and I remember that time fondly. My parents are both still alive and to honest there are times I think they love Charlie or at least like him more than me......LOL My brother definitely feels that way!
Skippy123
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Linda W
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Rod, I love your story and can tell you are very happy. I would love for the 4 of us to get together someday. Of course I know it will be in Florida because you''d HATE the snow and wind here - tee hee. I tell you, it''s not totally impossible we might take a trip to your part of the country. Yes, I adore Marty and so does my mom but I don''t think my dad cares for him too much but as long as I am happy he doesn''t say anything.
somethingshiny
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2007
- Messages
- 6,746
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2005
- Messages
- 4,101
Thanks Skippy. I don''t know about how "cute" we are, but I''ll take the compliment for sure!! LOL And you know I adore you too!!
Oh thank you Linda!! It''s funny to put our lives so out there and it''s so terrific that my PS family is so supportive. If only the world could be so loving and understanding. We have a referendum on the ballot next Tuesday that was engineered by some "Family Values" organization. Of course the entire purpose of the referendum is to amend the state constitution making marriage only between a man and a woman. It would also basically nullify domestic partnerships of not only same sex, but opposite sex. It could prevent partners from visiting each other in the hospital and it''s just so heinous. The sad part, is it will likely pass and that''s a very frightening thing to us. To think that our 28.5 years together of committment and fidelity could be worth so little is sad. Even if this doesn''t pass, if I died tomorrow, Charlie would not be entitled to one penny of my Social Security. But, I could go out tomorrow and marry some girl and die tomorrow night, and she would be entitled to my SS benefits. Aren''t we a messed up society? Sorry for the Rod rant.......all I wanted to do was thank you.........
And as always, thanks Marcy! I can''t imagine your father not loving the man who has made his daughter a a truly happy, fulfilled and loving person, partner and wife.
SS, I''m glad you asked. I am proud of our story and the life we''ve built together. Thanks for being interested enough to ask for your friendship and support!
Oh thank you Linda!! It''s funny to put our lives so out there and it''s so terrific that my PS family is so supportive. If only the world could be so loving and understanding. We have a referendum on the ballot next Tuesday that was engineered by some "Family Values" organization. Of course the entire purpose of the referendum is to amend the state constitution making marriage only between a man and a woman. It would also basically nullify domestic partnerships of not only same sex, but opposite sex. It could prevent partners from visiting each other in the hospital and it''s just so heinous. The sad part, is it will likely pass and that''s a very frightening thing to us. To think that our 28.5 years together of committment and fidelity could be worth so little is sad. Even if this doesn''t pass, if I died tomorrow, Charlie would not be entitled to one penny of my Social Security. But, I could go out tomorrow and marry some girl and die tomorrow night, and she would be entitled to my SS benefits. Aren''t we a messed up society? Sorry for the Rod rant.......all I wanted to do was thank you.........
And as always, thanks Marcy! I can''t imagine your father not loving the man who has made his daughter a a truly happy, fulfilled and loving person, partner and wife.
SS, I''m glad you asked. I am proud of our story and the life we''ve built together. Thanks for being interested enough to ask for your friendship and support!
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2007
- Messages
- 26,664
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