PREPARING FOR REAL CHANGE....OR, HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT?

OK, OK...We all know the answer to 'how do you eat an elephant' is 'one bite at a time...but it is going to take a lot of changing and a lot of 'bites' for Allen and I to eat the elephant we've created for the past eighteen years! Unfortunately, our elephant has to do with our 'health'.

So far, Allen is not as 'keen' or committed as I am (at the moment) to begin the long journey into major personal changes for the future, but my turning '60' recently resulted in my own inner 'rumbling of discontent' and 'moments of clarity'... I think most human beings experience when a change in their lives or lifestyles is upon them.

A new door appears on the horizon and it becomes incumbent on us to pass through it. I find myself peering into the keyhole as I write this, and have been preparing myself to walk through it for a few weeks now.

Not everyone has to read "dieting for Dummy's" to get a grasp on what is healthy as opposed to unhealthy when providing fuel for the body, but I needed that book. I spent so much time in my youth looking into a mirror and loathing everything I saw, I would experience horrible dreams if I gained a few pounds over the holidays. Until I was 43 years old (and thought life itself not worth the living) my life was lived pretty much in reaction to 'what everyone else' around me thought....and worse, trying to please everyone into being happy. What a losing concept that was. To compensate for all those feelings of 'less than' so were so generously heaped on me since childhood...I learned to (not eat), drink and be merry...sort of.

Considering that 'perfectionism' I always failed to meet, it should come at no surprise that when I finally found relief from the terror of someone finding out I was ultimately some sort of failure and loser dressed in clothing of success...when I entered therapy and discovered that it was my "whole way of thinking" that haunted me...rather than any perception based in reality. As I worked to mend systemic emotional abuse (first by others, and then to myself) and find my own spirit...the rush of freedom was almost intoxicating. I embraced my new found freedom with the zeal of a crusader and the gusto of a soprano performing America the Beautiful at Madison Square Garden.

At the same time, life around me was crazy...friends were crazy...and I was crazy...so I got married to a therapist to 'fix it'... which led to another whole set of anguish, laughter, folly and comedy in life I'll save for another novel. I was also sick with a serious blood disease that was depriving my body of oxygen...so it screamed out for food 24/7 and I fed it. I was free to eat whatever my heart desired without suffering deep self loathing later, and I was encouraged not to worry about gaining weight by my husband...so my 124 frame started increasing the load at 5 pounds a month until I actually realized that 'chub muffin' looking back at me from the mirror actually was me...and we were 100 extra pounds down the road!

"Denial' is a handy thing to have in life, but sometimes it can cause more trouble than it's worth.
After two years, I finally put the breaks on and managed only to lather on about 20 more extra pounds over the next seventeen years. I was fat...but I was holding. Looking back at my life before 43, I really don't know how I managed to do all I did without being on some sort of speed...but I did. "Perfectionism", or more aptly, (the pursuit and perception of it) is a relentless driving force only those so afflicted with it can truly understand. Some would call such people 'tightly wound', but that wasn't the half of it.

Is it any wonder that when the 'spring sprung' a reckless abandon took over and continued on course until that '60' year old doomsday that almost knocked me out with the realization that I have been dancing on quicksand for a long time now...and time was running out on any expection for the 'dumb luck' I've had to continue on relatively 'healthy' in spite of my own efforts which were all pointing at an early grave.

Allen's recent experience, and watching him 'fall apart' at the seams almost overnight... was the final veil lifting that I needed to finally take a real gander at the 'elephant' standing right in front of me I was now going to be charged with turning into a 'senior citizen' of somewhere near average stature, which I know is a long term committment to 'change'.

"Change" is not something most human beings embrace with vigor. Oh sure, we can all walk a marathon or chase a piece of lettuce around the plate, or eat only bacon and steak, or measure every morsel, or buy some ready made cocktail...for about two weeks without much fanfare...but for most of America...(who's citizens suffer obesity of varying degrees)...such miracle 'cures' elicit such a sense of 'deprivation' we give up in sheer desperation!

Then we run for the bag of potatoe chips or cookies or lasagne with such a fervor we end up even fatter than we were when we started that whole 'dieting' thing. So, I know that in spite of the zillions of dollars my fat friends have spent (including me now and then over the years) that 'diets' don't work for 99.99 per cent of us.

Cause it's an elephant to be eaten, not a flea.

I'm walking around my 'elephant' right now, much like a prize fighter sizing up his opponent.
I'm looking at my elephant's strong points and weakness so I can prepare the best defense I can when the elephant doesn't want to be eaten. I'm of the opinion that many of us allow ourselves to become fat because we need that fat for some reason.

For me, it was probably because people don't 'expect' as much from fat people as they do thin people...and for me, that provided great respite from the overwhelming 'expectations' others had of me, and I had of myself 'back in the day'. It's a little like going into hiding in some ways.

There's payoffs and price tags for everything we do in life...and until now, the price tag wasn't high enough to elicit the 'coming out' party I was terrified to face ever again. 'Expectations' almost killed me once, and I have learned to love life and strangely enough, my genuine self by carrying this girth for many years. Walking around the elephant means that I have to look at the pay offs and price tags from several angles...before really attempting to 'bite off' something I may not have what it takes to actually 'chew'.

There's a sort of 'catch 22' I've had to acknowledge and evaluate as well. I have bad knees and an ankle that didn't heal properly after an untreated break a few years ago...so jumping jacks carrying my 100 pound back pack just isn't going to work. Now, if I could just take the back-pack off overnight...I'm pretty sure the knees would respond in gratitude, and the ankle wouldn't squawk as much going up and down stairs, but the back pack is coming off one thread at a time...so the process itself calls for consideration.

So, I've been trying out "walking" for the past week and a half...and experimenting a little about a month before that. First I walked a little more that I 'had to' at the store or anywhere I went so I could build up a little stamina and endurance before dining on the elephant for real. Recently I found out that we have a natural 'track' here at the ranch of 'one quarter mile', so quietly and without fanfare I would take a walk now and then around the track and tried to rachet it up some without causing my knee or ankle to 'quit' on me in the middle of the upper road where my screams for help would go unheard and I would have to crawl back to the house on my belly dragging my leg along like some useless appendage.

I tried a mile and a half finally and that is a little much for me right now, but one mile seems about right because I don't wake up screaming with leg cramps and feeling like someone stabbed me in the knee with a hot poker. So while walking around the elephant, I found a starting endurance level I can live with, and since learning the 'joys' of owning and operating an ipod...can enjoy beyond measure. Even better, as I walk around the 'track' listening to all of the great songs Allen has downloaded from his collection...I often break out 'dancing' to the music...and there is no one there to witness such acts of such comedic value...except the family of course...and their smiles are those of support and amusement rather than of ridicule, and that makes a difference to me.

Another part of that 'getting ready to eat an elephant' is about accountability (remember all that therapy back in the day and all those lessons I learned to 'simply notice' for awhile and then proceed ardously applying in an emotional and spiritual sense for the past 18 years?), and when making life changes and committments, it is helpful if we establish some measure of accountability. In otherwords, we have to let others know what we have committed to...because 'that alone' often keeps us 'on track' when we really would 'rather not' follow through on a committment when it gets 'hard' to do what we know is right for us. I'm sharing this journey through this blog with all the good, bad and ugly I know will go with it.

For some of you, who's 'elephant' is the size of a grapefruit...all of this must seem 'much ado about nothing', but for those who have walked in these shoes awhile it is something entirely different. It is the natural human being who seeks the 'softer, easier way' only to find the results far less gratifying and successful than those who attempt to actually push rocks uphill because it is the only way to get them over the mountain, eventually.

I've shed seven pounds just walking around the elephant (although it doesn't make a dent in a physical sense yet) and my method is the old 'tried and true' counting of and awareness of calorie intake and expenditure as demonstrated in my little new book, "Dieting for Dummies".

It's a small bite I know, but it reminds me that change...lasting change...never comes like a theif in the night. It happens in increments, sometimes so tedious it hardly seems worth it...but as I look at my husband I know that love really means having 'his best interests at heart' and without my leadership toward healthful living...his road will be far more difficult. When I look at pictures of my youngest grandchildren I think, "I really want to be around for their graduations and marriages' and maybe even some 'great' grandchildren too...so I can watch my own kids enjoy their 'grandparenthood' as much as I do.

Every journey begins with a 'single step', and this is mine. I'll always warn you when I am going to write about this particular part of my journey, so if your day is busy and filled with events more entertaining...you can change the channel for that post.

So, here's to 'seeing less of me' in the days to come.

MOTHER'S DAY...REVISITED!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOM'S...GREAT AND SMALL.

I haven't had a chance to post this before because we have been screaming through life lately, but wanted to have some fun when I did. I'm having all my Grandchildren 'say things' they haven't said, just for laughs...and to let their own Mom's know that the 'best is yet to come' in child rearing.

" You probably can't tell by looking at my 'angelic face' that I will be dating in a few years.
No one I date will meet your expectations of who I 'should' date, so I've decided I'm not even going to 'try' to meet those expectations. I'm going to date 'interesting' boys.

Happy Mother's Day!" Ashleigh

"Yeah Mom, I'm cute and sweet and agreeable now, but in just another year I'll be just like my big brother Ean...only more active, louder, and just a tad more stubborn. I'll be tougher too because Ean is going to treat me like a baby brother. Get ready, cause here I come!"

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Benjamin

"Hi Mom...and Good bye Mom, I'm ready to move out of California and head to Oregon where the trees are definitely 'greener'. You can have my room for an office or for one of the little guys, but it comes with a price. I'll be in college soon, so just send the rent check for using my room to Gramma's house. That's the California 'green' I like."

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Tom

"You think I am head strong now? Oh Mom...have you got a surprise coming! I'll be 15 in a few weeks now...and then it's just twelve more months to 'driving time'...and I can't wait to get behind the wheel of a powerful machine and do all the things that you did in your car...at my age!"

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Jordan

"Hello Mommy, By now you have noticed that I am very bright, articulate and determined. You and Daddy have encouraged my 'competitive' spirit, and have provided me with a secure self-esteem. Therefore, in just a few years I will be far advanced in every way over you and Daddy. It would be best if you just stepped aside and acknowledged me as the boss, peacefully."

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Sierra

"Here's the deal Mom. I'm two and it's my job to disagree with everything you want me to do. I'm cute and smart and stubborn (just like you Mom), and I'm charming and funny (just like my Dad). I didn't pick my genes, but there ya go. If I can't charm you into doing whatever I want...I will make your life a living hell. It's the price you pay for picking my Dad as my Dad. I don't mean to scare you or anything...but Ben is the second 'apple' under that tree."

Happy Mother's Day! EAN

"Hi Mom, I know it impresses you now that I can do this, but I wonder how you are going to feel if I get into exotic dancing (and if I want to, you KNOW I will) I like Boys, attention, and music already...so ya just never know. It's hard to believe that my sweet, soft spoken and shy nature (ha ha..just kidding...) might change in the future...but I guarantee that I've got both you and Dad's 'smarts'...so outwitting both of you will be relatively easy, I think."

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! Emily

Being a parent never ends, but when the kids grow up and have their own nuclear families, there's a great sense of relief. You're not 'responsible' anymore...and if you're lucky like us, you get to become a 'grand parent' which is God's reward following a lot of years of 'parenting' I think. There is no comparison between being a parent and a grand parent, but you have to become a grand parent to really appreciate 'the difference'.

I had a great Mother's Day because I was able to talk with each of my four children on my 'special' day...and it always delights me to hear that they are all moving forward and doing good in life...and to notice that they are all light years ahead of where I was at their age in many ways....so they are pretty amazing individuals...and three of the four are also pretty amazing 'parents', and two of the four are 'Mothers'.

Wendy, Will and I were able to sneak off for a little R & R down at the Bay Front in Newport on Mother's Day...where Will picked us out some fresh fish right off the fishing boats following a delicious lunch at "Ocean's Bounty" (or something like that...anyway, it's a new place on the Bay Front) and the weather was perfect, (and has been perfect for the last three weeks).

But, I am in one of those 'moods' again...following a high energy and high pressure week of what Rosanna Danna called "one thing after another"...so I break out in 'silly' whenever that happens...so thought I would do a little 'take off' using some of my favorite photos of my grandkids to show the potential JOYS of Motherhood that could be in store for my kids.

Hopefully, with all the trials and tribulations being a Mom brings in life, they will get a smile from reading these sayings...right after they recover from the fear that goes with it.

FIFTY FIVE AND STILL ALIVE...HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA

PAPA AND TOLEDO CITY POLICE CHIEF DON DENISON ON WILL'S NEW BACK DECK...IF WE CAN KEEP PAPA OUT OF 'TROUBLE' ....HE'LL PROBABLY LIVE TO BE AN OLD GUY, SO HERE'S A GUY WHO CAN HELP ME DO JUST THAT ...DON'T YA THINK?


As most of you know, it's been a harrowing couple of weeks around here.

It started when the kids were up and Papa was playing "paintball" with them. He complained of "chest pains" and the next day he spent the day in the emergency room hooked up to the machines to read his heart...then spent the night in ICU so they could closely monitor him. The next day it appeared that he had torn something in his chest wall and they sent him home with directions to rest and relax and take it easy until he had a heart "stress test" which was slated for Last Monday.

He went in to take the stress test alone as I was trying to catch up on my books for a lot of things...and close the sale on the Lot at Nye Beach. In the afternoon I received a phone call from his Doctor (Harris) saying that Allen had been getting 'set up' for the stress test when he 'flatlined' several times. I think the Doctor called it 'an event'. The Doctor said that he wanted Allen to see a Heart Specialist in Corvallis.

At first I didn't 'get it' and asked the Doctor if I should make an appointment to go over there and should I make it for tomorrow or what? Anyway, the Doctor then explained that Allen's heart stopped beating for a 3.5 second interval, then a 6.50 second interval and then beat once in 10 seconds...so he was calling for an Ambulance right then to take Allen to the Samaritan Hospital in Corvallis on an emergency basis and that he would be leaving as soon as an ambulance could be arranged to take him the 50 miles to Corvallis to see the Heart Specialist waiting there for him.

With Allen's truck in the shop...awaiting the decision to fix it or total it...the only other car we have (the Hummer) was sitting in the parking lot at the Doctor's office...so our friend Rhonda (who takes care of Faye two afternoons a week) drove me into Newport to get my car so I could follow the ambulance to Corvallis which would be carrying Allen.

I was pretty shook up and shocked at this sudden turn of events, and my barely functioning brain went into 'high gear' to plan all the logistics this new 'happening' in our lives would call for.

Wendy volunteered to take Aunt Faye to her sister Opals for a week or so I could concentrate on Allen's needs without being worried about Aunt Faye's needs...so shortly after they loaded Allen into the ambulance and took off for a world unknown, I was in pursuit to see what the Specialist would say we needed to do to fix this problem...or maybe worse...that the problem could not be fixed?

MUCH THANKS FOR WENDY AND WILLIAM FOR ALL THE

'EXTRA MILE' RUNNING FOR US!

Just knowing that Wendy and William would help us carry whatever load was coming our way really helped to make things a lot less stressful...

Anyway, by the time I got to the Hospital, Allen was already comfy cozy into ICU with several outstanding nurses and the Doctor at hand...he had a temporary pace maker hooked up through a small operation in the groin area...and was scheduled for emergency surgery the next morning. The good news is that his arteries are clear, and his blood pressure awesome...and except for his heart 'stopping' when it wanted to..his heart is in pretty good shape.

The Doctor felt that this stoppage might have been going on for a long time, and then Allen and I recalled all the 'passing out' incidents and near misses he experienced over the years and nodded in agreement. The Doctor explained that in these cases, and before pacemakers, someone would just go out to work in the garden and the heart would stop beating and they would pass out...and die. He said that as long as the heart 'started itself back up' then there was no problem, but sooner or later...it wouldn't kick itself in gear and that would be sudden death...so a pace maker is the answer to the problem Allen has.

It was hard to take for both of us, but also a relief because at least now we knew what was 'wrong' and how to fix it. The Doctor said that once Allen recovers from the surgery and gets used to working with his 'pacemaker', he is going to feel a lot better than he has for a long time. That will be great...and it was just a 'fluke' that his heart acted up when it did under controlled conditions...in a medical setting...so when they say, "Thank the Lord for small Blessings", we think this is a small blessing that has turned into a 'really big one'.

After surgery, he was allowed to come home the next day provided he didn't move his left arm to the side or above his shoulder, so he's been wearing a 'sling' to keep the arm in place. This gives the two feeds from his pacemaker a chance to heal into the heart muscle and for the pacemaker itself to heal into it's little holding pouch inside his chest. Being 'one armed' is not to Allen's liking since he can't drive, can't pick up anything, and pretty much is handicapped at the moment. It will take about six weeks for him to fully recover, and knowing my husband...that is going to be a LONG SIX WEEKS...for BOTH OF US.

Today, he goes to see the Specialist for a follow up appointment...but some things play havoc with a pacemaker...like using a chain saw (one of Allen's favorite toys around the ranch)...and bending over running engines (as in car or motorcycle)...and certain other restraints...so Allen will be asking about these things today.

It was nice to get a call from my cousin Sharon's husband, John, yesterday as he has a pacemaker himself, and just had a replacement put in after ten years of service! Talking to John was pretty encouraging and reassuring...and I didn't even know John had a pace maker all these years...so his sharing information with us about the long term effects of this protocol was a God send. It looks like once Allen recovers, he will begin feeling better than ever...and the color in his face is already better.

I know that about six months Allen irritates me so much...I would just like to kill him (figure of speech only), but thinking about losing him is just a thought I can't entertain without starting to bawl at just the thought of it. I guess we just don't realize how important someone is to us until we face the inevitable fact that sooner or later...one of us is going to check out of here and the other one will have to go on alone.

That concept makes me shudder since we have been through thick and thin for almost 18 years now...and he is my best friend in the whole world...with some good close seconds...and we know each other better than anyone on earth. So while I want to 'kill him' here and there during this journey, I surely don't want God 'taking' him from me anytime soon. It looks like the pacemaker is going to do the trick on that score...but Allen just turned "55" yesterday (May 8th) and that seems awfully young to me to to be falling apart...especially since I have recently turned 60 and have had no major problems at all. Then again, he's a man and they aren't expected to weather life as well as women anyway.

WHEN YOU HAVE A HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST

LIKE THIS TO ENTERTAIN YOU, 'CHECKING OUT' IS

NOT AN OPTION!

We had a small birthday celebration at Will and Wendy's last night with a barbeque and our friends the Denison's...who are pretty much like family since Rhonda works with Aunt Faye and Carson works with Allen and William.

Currently, Allen and Carson were working on a little 'sow's ear' house we are 'fixing up' to sell...and now Will and Carson are working on it alone because Allen can't...to get it finished and ready for show and sell. It's a starter house or entry investment property, so it will market a lot faster than some of our other real estate inventory.

WE CALL HIM 'PIGLET', BUT HE'S REALLY 'CARSON' AND THANKS TO HIS HELP...AND WILLIAMS HELP...OUR PROJECTS AND RANCH CAN GO ON EVEN WITH SOME 'BUMPS' IN THE ROAD WE'VE HAD RECENTLY...THANKS!

The kids called to wish Allen happy birthday, along with 'red' Aunt Faye...and lot's of people have given well wishes and concern for his recent troubles as well. I appreciate all that show of caring because it is easy for Allen to think of himself as a burden and worth-less when he finds some physical limitation in himself. He's gone into pretty deep depressions at times when he is helpless...like when he 'passed out' and shattered his leg...so the calls and encouragement always works
wonders for his self esteem during these tough times.

Thanks for your caring and concerns, cards and calls...and I am glad that Allen has made it to FIFTY FIVE and is STILL ALIVE! I hear that if we make it past the 50's we are pretty good to go until our 80's...so I am hoping that is true for us..as long as we are perking around and the brain works relatively well.

EMILY IS LEADING THE BAND TO SING...

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA", AND MANY, MANY MORE!

100TH POST - TOM'S PROM...NEW JOB...AND GRAMMIE'S BRAGGING RIGHTS CLAIMED HERE

This post is special because it is a milestone post...in many ways. It is the 100th post on this Blog...posted on Papa's Birthday....about my Grandson, Tom...so there ya go!

In less than a month, our Grandson Tom will be graduating from Mt. Whitney High School where his excellent GPA, involvement in his Business Club and "never once in trouble" for anything...has made everyone very proud of him.



In addition to school, he works a lot of hours for McDonald's and is very involved in his church...even doing some youth ministry for his congregation.

About a day after graduation, he'll have his new Saturn loaded with his 'stuff' and with his Dad's help, he'll make his first long 'driving' trip to Oregon, where he will stay with Grammie and Papa while working this summer and going to college in the fall.

Tom doesn't even know this yet, but today his Gramma and Papa had lunch with the new to be next month (now the manager) "owners" of "Gracie's Sea Hag in Depoe Bay, and with a few good words placed in Tom's direction, he has the promise of a "j-o-b" for a high end restaurant, starting as a bus boy (who gets tipped out by the waitresses) and with a good record there (as he has at McDonalds now), will be trained as a waiter as soon as he turns 18!

The new "Owners" love to have fun, and the Sea Hag is one of the best known, and loved restaurants around...so congratulations Tom...for doing everything in your life so far, "the right way". They also love to hire college students who come back year after year for the summer tourist season because it is a great place to work...so he'll be meeting new people and making new friends, right out of the gate! Too cool!

Check out the Restaurant at http://www.theseahag.com/ and give your Granny a big hug when ya get here OK? Minimum wage in Oregon is $7.50 an hour I believe, so plus tips...and several nights a week of work...you'll still be hearing the jingle of money in that pocket without much interruption at all!

Now, with Tom's amazingly 'busy' schedule he seldom finds time for social activities outside of work and school and church, so it was with some surprise his parents learned that he was going to "Prom" this past weekend.

When he showed up for the usual 'prom photo opportunity', he didn't have one date for the Prom, but TWO good looking young ladies on his arm. His Dad Jim, and my Daughter Lindsay, his step Mom...were somewhat shocked. Tom made no mention to them of even going to Prom until just a few days before the event...as he is rarely "home" these days, and Jim and Lindsay (with two year old and 8 month old Ean and Ben,...are rarely anywhere else but home after working all day) so their paths with Tom's cross infrequently these days.




Tom plans on majoring in 'business' and has an interest in the Restaurant Business as well, and armed with a handsome face, a ready smile, a willingness to work hard on the job, and that famous "Moore Boy Charm"...I do believe he could be President of the United States if he wants to someday...oh and did I say he was a little 'anal' about the very things that make a good businessperson?

If he can get it cheaper, he will...if he can get someone else to pay for it, he does...if he can make money doing it, he will, and he can charm the coat off a cat without asking for it...so stuff just 'happens' for this kid. ...and did I tell you he is also a lot of fun to joke with, now that he has developed a good sense of humor after years of being so serious about everything? He cares about world events, and get this: here is a kid who gets up in the morning and checks out the 'business news' on his computer..just to stay informed? It's 'fascinating' to him!

Like I said, the doors are always going to be open for this kid...for zero bad habits and no baggage or wreckage of the past either. Yowzies! If a Grammie can't claim 'bragging rights' on a kid like this, then there just isn't any 'bragging rights' available to anyone.

Lindsay and Jim were a little surprised when Tom showed up after Prom at about 4:00 am and let them know that even though he didn't know how to 'dance', he got up there and 'danced anyway' and had a great time! So go ahead and add 'guts' to that list of attributes as well.

I gotta tell ya, I just love this kid...and we'll have lots of fun this summer and during the school year too...since there is "always something" interesting going on in this neck of the woods...even if not always 'a rose garden' we're walking through.

A day or two 'after' Tom and Jim get here in June, another 'do it all the right way' guy is going to be here for about a week, and that would be our son Joey!

We'll be picking up Joey at the Portland Airport on the 10th and going to a Comedy Club show, and about five or six of his College Pals are taking a Road Trip to Portland for the Comedy Show, and then will head on down to our Ranch to have a great time for a couple of days before returning to the LA area and their new 'jobs' following College....and they will be bringing their 'paintball' equipment with them when they come.

I've got some of the "Local Kids" lined up to field a team...including Carson and Savannah (who is graduating in June as well from Toledo High School...and manages the Newport Rec Center Pool now) and some of her friends...guys and gals...

...and we'll have a 'Paintball" tournament here right out of the gate (hope Tom remembers to bring his Christmas Paintball stuff...and that his Dad is game to play too...THIS time...) so we can have the "Locals" against the "City Boys" at least for a couple of games.

I may even be able to learn to work my new 'video' camera to record the event for Joey and his pals to create a movie with...

I think we'll have the basketball hoop up by then, and Will is going to get the 'track done' for the Trail Bikes and Quads and the Go Kart and BMX bikes, so with the Pool table, a Poker Tournament, Air Hockey, Darts, Chess and some wide open spaces...I think the "crew" coming here in June will have a pretty rocking time...and we haven't even hit the beach yet...

Joey doesn't even know this, but Papa talked to his sister Karen today...and she might be able to make the trip here as well at the same time with Elizabeth for a little R & R (I would hardly call coming here 'rest and relaxation' though) away from her job and City life as well.

So, there ya go...Tom...how's that for a good season 'starter'? I gotcha 'covered' already....and ya know what? You earned it, and you deserve it!

Job Well Done!