Post a random fact about yourself....keep it clean(ish)!

[jdsl1998]

Post a random fact about yourself....keep it clean(ish)!

[TheVillageChicken]

I was born with a tooth

[redwitch]

English is my fifth language. Now I speak one and a half (but understand more than I let on).

[jebartle]

I was born at a very young age!

[eweissenbach]

I was all conference and all-district in Basketball and track, and all-state in baseball as a high school senior in Missouri.

[CFrance]

My best friend from the 7th grade lives down the street from me here.

[Blessed2BNTV]

My best friend from the 7th grade lives down the street from me here.

That is so cool!

[villagetinker]

I have a software patent.

[Buffalo Jim]

I started a Charitable activity in Buffalo NY about 25 years ago .
It was in cooperation with the local arm of The Salvation Army and called " The Gift of Warmth ".

I was working for a Bank at the time . We collected winter hats , gloves ,mittens and scarves for needy children . As the Bank I worked for expanded rapidly , I introduced the program into each of our new markets .

Eventually we expanded into Baltimore and the wife of the owner of the Ravens became involved so much so that today it has become a part of " NFL Charities ".

At one home game each year in cold weather NFL cities the Team collects kids mittens etc from the fans on their way into the stadium .

[eweissenbach]

I started a Charitable activity in Buffalo NY about 25 years ago .
It was in cooperation with the local arm of The Salvation Army and called " The Gift of Warmth ".

I was working for a Bank at the time . We collected winter hats , gloves ,mittens and scarves for needy children . As the Bank I worked for expanded rapidly , I introduced the program into each of our new markets .

Eventually we expanded into Baltimore and the wife of the owner of the Ravens became involved so much so that today it has become a part of " NFL Charities ".

At one home game each year in cold weather NFL cities the Team collects kids mittens etc from the fans on their way into the stadium .

Good on ya! :ho:

[folkh]

My best friend from the 7th grade lives down the street from me here.

That is so neat!!! Hope you two are still best friends!!

[missypie]

Ok I do not like to talk about my self, but somebody has to do it.... when I was in middle school I was on stage at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York as an extra with Jerome Hines. It was an Easter Special and I was privileged. My sister was an former opera singer and she got me the extra part. In will never forget it.

[mtdjed]

I was originally a Zygote until I got out of my cell.

[44Ruger]

I've been in love and married to the same lady for 45 years.

[mixsonci]

When I was in my 20's, I won first prize at a professional dance competition in New York for the Fox Trot in the Novice category and second prize for Swing dance, also novice category, but so exciting.

[Lauren Sweeny]

Met Paul Newman,oh ! those blue eyes.......ahhhhhh

[quirky3]

Similar to Missypie, I performed at Carnegie Hall in June 1990 with my Sweet Adelines chorus. It was truly thrilling!

[Pointer]

I spent 9 months tracking down our stolen 1967 Austin Healey and then stood on a street corner in NYC posing as a buyer, while my husband sat in the undercover van with the crime squad.

I also found his friends Healey that had been stolen from his garage on a flat bed a year prier and we got that back too. No I'm not a detective but when I found out that this had been going on for years and how they operated I said no way are they getting away with our car. lol I couldn't even drive the darn thing, it was the principle.:crap2:

[salpal]

I stole a bottle of champagne from the Eiffel Tower (restaurant on second level left it's kitchen back door open)....I was much younger and stupid then. LOL

[Taltarzac725]

I see numbers. Not dead people though. And, I really liked Draft Day and Non-Stop for their numbers as well as their plot, actors, etc. I have liked watching movies carefully since Outbreak at the Petaluma Theater on 3-12-1995.

[Happinow]

I was born at 11:59 PM........and my birthday is 11/15/59.

[Medtrans]

I used to volunteer at a food bank when we lived in Colorado. I helped set up a shopping model for clients rather than being handed a box of food. It was a huge food bank and it brought me such joy. Very physical work. It was such a great place that Lester Holt from NBC did a story there on situational poverty, versus generational poverty. I met him and have a picture with him and the staff at the food bank. Then we moved to the Chicago area. I miss that place.....

[asianthree]

I am not asian...but my three grandchildren are

[CFrance]

That is so neat!!! Hope you two are still best friends!!
Yep! Never lost track of each other.

[Jdmiata]

Played softball in Central Park , NYC with Soupy Sales.

[dancerbill]

I am married to the prettiest woman in the world (to me)!

[graciegirl]

My grandmother was the first woman in her area to drive a car. She was a midwife. She was amazing.

[ladylake1]

I surfed the Bonsai Pipeline.

[TheVillageChicken]

I hiked the entire width of the Appalachian Trail.

[CFrance]

I hiked the entire width of the Appalachian Trail.
Hmm... width of the trail?:shrug:

[TheVillageChicken]

Hmm... width of the trail?:shrug:

All two feet of it. Near the Tennessee/NC border.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v368/allsteel29/aptraile.jpg

[slipcovers]

Both sets of my grandparents had over 40 grandchildren, making me one of 85 first cousins. And, 8 of my aunts and uncles never had any children. It surly could have gone over 100.

[dewilson58]

Speaking of keep it clean.............I'm a neat freak.

[Lovey2]

I am an Army brat, and lived all over with my family. We traveled a lot and my Dad thought it was bad to read in a moving vehicle. To amuse myself, I started reading signs backwards. Subsequently, I can read and pretty much repeat any word you throw at me in reverse. And no, NOT supercalifragilisticexpealidocious....unless I'm looking at it... :). Some smarty pants tried that once...hahaha!!

[ajbrown]

I can wiggle my ears...

[Polar Bear]

Wifey and I camped on the rim of the Grand Canyon, in the morning hiked to the bottom, spent the night at Bright Angel Lodge on the river, and hiked back up the next day. Wonderful experience.

[CFrance]

I am an Army brat, and lived all over with my family. We traveled a lot and my Dad thought it was bad to read in a moving vehicle. To amuse myself, I started reading signs backwards. Subsequently, I can read and pretty much repeat any word you throw at me in reverse. And no, NOT supercalifragilisticexpealidocious....unless I'm looking at it... :). Some smarty pants tried that once...hahaha!!
?suoicorta etiuq gnihtemos si ti fo dnuos eht hguoht neve

[Sable99]

In my former life, I met Presidents from Reagan to Obama and Richard Nixon, Heads of States, many many sports figures and movie stars. And yes, Paul Newman did have very blue eyes!! Charleston Heston had broad shoulders. Christopher Reeves was gorgeous! Tom Cruise was short. Joan Rivers and Nancy Reagan are very tiny.

Two memorable occasions come to mind-

Patrick Ewing was our intern for two summers when he was a student at Georgetown. He used to tease me that I came to his waist. I'lll never forget the day he held a newborn baby in the palm of one of his hands. His hands were huge! Or, the day we walked to the Library of Congress and people kept their cars running in the middle of the road to get his autograph!! Yikes!

On another day a secret service agent came into my office asking for directions. i told him I would have to show him. Hillary Clinton (a Senator then) stood outside the door. I asked her if she was ok!!! What can I say, she looked really tired. If looks could kill, I wouldn't be here!! I told that story to my former boss when I was in TV in May!! Good thing I'm retired!!

[Lovey2]

?suoicorta etiuq gnihtemos si ti fo dnuos eht hguoht neve

I od ti siht yaw...dna , sey, emos sdrow nac be drah ot yas dna dnuos ynnuf!!

[mac9]

The first time that I went sky diving I peed myself!

[skyguy79]

I used to make my mother laugh by simply wiggling my nose like a rabbit... well, at least I did it up until the point where she started keeping me locked in a cage and feeding me nothing but carrots and lettuce!

[rubicon]

I want to hear more about others.

[bwint7]

My husband's name is Jonathon Winters and the minister that married us was named Dean Martin.

[sunglow]

I was once asked by Elvis to watch a movie with him but my dad said no!

[Steve & Deanna]

New people that we meet here in TV and friends up north wonder if we golf here in TV. The best answer we give is 'We own golf clubs !!!'

[manaboutown]

I had never heard of The Villages but had started considering moving to a 55 and over community. I usually read books about a topic as a first step when investigating anything. I read "Early Bird" by Rodney Rothman and then "Leisureville"; the latter convinced me to visit TV.

[dewilson58]

I have the best daughter in the world.

:eclipsee_gold_cup:

[CFrance]

I od ti siht yaw...dna , sey, emos sdrow nac be drah ot yas dna dnuos ynnuf!!
KO, tog ti!

[ajbrown]

I od ti siht yaw...dna , sey, emos sdrow nac be drah ot yas dna dnuos ynnuf!!

You clearly need a backward spell checker... what is 'eb'?

[CFrance]

You clearly need a backward spell checker... what is 'eb'?

tsuJ a opyt.

[John_W]

I was fired from my job by President Reagan.

[casita37]

PLEASE, don't everyone start doing this!!!! My eyes are crossing. LOL

[CFrance]

I was fired from my job by President Reagan.
Were you an air traffic controller?

[casita37]

I've met a lot of famous people, none of whom would remember me, but my favorite experience was a picture taken with Dean Smith. I had it framed on my office wall. People would come in and asked if that was my father, or who is that distinguished man with you, and ocassionally.....how do you know Dean Smith??? That was the best!

[Paulz]

There was a local kids afternoon TV show the Hartford, CT market called Ranger Andy in the mid 60's. At 12 years old was the astronomer guest on a regular basis, presenting various subjects such as red spot of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn and solar flares. One of my goals in TV is to re-kindle my interest in astronomy...as soon as we settle in.

[2BNTV]

My best friend, is the real life Felix Ungar.

His wife was washing a pot out and he said, "you call that clean". He then went to the sink and scrubbed the pot so hard, you could see through it.

You can have a meal on any of his floors and you won't get sick.

BTW - That makes me Oscar Madison by comparison. :D

[Wandatime]

I live in a lightkeeper's house that was built in the mid-1800's; before that I lived on a boat. I also lived in Morocco for awhile and for a very brief period of time was married to a man whose real name was Robin Arthur Hood.

[alemorkam]

I was on a boat that went to both the Arctic Circle and Antarctica.

[kellyjam]

The New York Mets won their first World Series on my 18th Birthday.

[Buffalo Jim]

Around 1988 , I had dinner in Buffalo , NY with the then USSR " Commissar of Sports and Culture " and his Interpreter also from the USSR . [ Long story how it came to be ] .
About 10 days later an FBI Agent appeared at my office door . He had black and white glossy photos of me having dinner with these two guys .
Turned out the " Interpreter " was actually a very senior KGB Officer . The FBI could not figure out how the KGB guy got into the US . I related to the FBI Agent that the Commissar told me that the two had been " college buddies " and he brought his friend along to give him a vacation from his family !

[Taltarzac725]

I drew about 20 patients at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hospital in Reno, Nevada. These were working off photos by a talented photographer. I had been volunteering there for a year of Saturdays to see if I wanted to go into medicine. This was around 1977-1978.

When I left they had to hire a University of Nevada, Reno art student to come and draw the patients because new patients would want their pictures on the wall too.

This was on the intensive care unit so some of the patients I drew during that period died during that 1977-1978 period.

The oldest was from the Spanish-American War and must have been nearing 100. The youngest was a Vietnam War veteran who had played walrus with a pool stick and gotten bumped so that the stick went up his nose into his brain.

I still draw portraits once in a while but am very rusty.

I had had an art show while at Earl Wooster High School in Reno, Nevada in 1976 but the art teacher forced me to put up my drawing of a cactus with cactus spelled out under it. I had misspelled cactus with "cacutus" insisting that the "u" was silent. Nobody said much of anything except that my English teacher Mrs. Barbara Mitchell wanted a drawing of a model I had done--working off a magazine picture-- which she said looked like her recently deceased daughter Michelle Mitchell.

This drawing looked just like a married woman I worked with at Information Access Company (IAC) from 1984-1986. This company was in Belmont, CA about 20 miles south of San Francisco and about 7 miles north of Palo Alto.

I entered law school at the University of Minnesota in 1986 and there was a woman Mary Jane W., in the "C" group of about 50 law students who looked hauntingly like the drawing and like the woman I had worked with at Information Access Company. MJW also seemed smart, funny and kind. The U of MN woman though was much thinner and more elf like than the IAC marketing pro.

I became a little obsessed with this U of MN Law Student MJW but she always treated me nicely and with respect. I made a few passes - some very ungainly and immature-- but we went our separate ways in 1989.

In 1992, in San Francisco at the American Association of Law Libraries convention that summer I went looking for employment in a law library.

The woman from IAC --the married woman-- was pitching their product the Legal Resource Index to law librarians. As I said, she had been in the marketing department at IAC.

One of the law librarians, Suzanne T., from the University of Minnesota Law School approached this IAC woman and asked her what she was doing in San Francisco at a law library convention. She had mistaken these two blonde women-- the IAC marketing lady and the U of MN Law Grad. Michelle Mitchell had been a redhead but the drawing I did was all in pencil so it made her look like she could have been a blonde. Pretty much the whole U of MN Law School body, including Suzanne T., had known I had had a crush on this elfish blonde law student MJW.

I never mentioned the drawing though nor any resemblances until maybe 2002.

We three U of MN law school grads were all Class of 1989 but the Law Librarian Suzanne T., still employed at the U of MN Law Library had mistaken identities and the IAC woman then explained that I had had a crush on yet another blonde Sandy--single though when I was there- at IAC.

It is strange what affects a drawing done in youth can have.

I tried a few times to get the lady lawyer Mary Jane W., who graduated from the U of MN Law School to help with my access to practical information for survivors of crimes project 224 613, but she just would send it back "return to sender" or threaten me with stalking cease and desist orders for no reason so I just gave up. I thought threatening stalking charges was really extreme especially when all I did was write a few letters with copies of letters I had received from various authorities. There was not much of a personal nature in any of them. The picture I did in high school that looked like three women-- Michelle Mitchell, the IAC marketing woman, and Mary Jane W (Class of 1989, U of MN Law School) still haunted me back then and still haunts me now.

I have not seen this picture though since visiting the Mitchell home around May of 1976 to give them it and offer them my condolences for their murdered daughter (killed on 2-24 in 1976) and thank them for a small scholarship they gave me and another Earl Wooster High School student., John P. This Scholarhsip was a Memorial Scholarship in Michelle Mitchell's name. Michelle Mitchell had been murdered on the night of my birthday of 2-24 in 1976 near the University of Nevada, Reno campus. The case was re-opened a few months ago in 2014 as it looks like her murder is related to a series of slayings in the San Francisco Bay area in January-April of 1976 called the Gypsy Hill murders. http://gypsyhillmurders.com/

[Amfunny]

Am actress and a professional clown, writer and artist.

[kfierle]

My father was Leonard and my mother was Elizabeth. I grew up in a house on the corner of Leonard Street and Elizabeth Street.

Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, had lived in the house for several months while her own house was being built.

[lovsthosebigdogs]

My borzoi were onstage with the Philadelphia Ballet in a production of Giselle. We got to hang out backstage with all the ballerinas and ballerinos.

[eweissenbach]

My father was Leonard and my mother was Elizabeth. I grew up in a house on the corner of Leonard Street and Elizabeth Street.

Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, had lived in the house for several months while her own house was being built.

Funny - I had a friend who married a lady named Chavelle, they lived on Malibu St.

[salferg]

We are living in our 40th house and no, my husband was not in the military. He was climbing the ladder with Montgomery Ward in it's hayday.

[Lovey2]

You clearly need a backward spell checker... what is 'eb'?

I never said I could type backwards!! Guess the fingers just did that one right!!:a20:

[Lovey2]

tsuJ a opyt.

aHaHaH! knahT uoY!

[Topspinmo]

At 10 friend of mine went out on frozen pond. I told him the ice was melting and it was too thin. He would not listen and fell through. He wanted me to come out and pull him out. I knew I would also fall through. So I ran for help. Man working on house got big limb and broke the Ice to him while I ran to the highway to flag down someone to call for ambulance. He survived.

Worked since I was 14 to last month. worked 36 hours week going to school for .60 hour. Now days that would be some type of child slave labor law. Getting along with my boring chatter I am Brain tumor survivor. Once beat a guy, that beat that guy that bet John Mac in Juniors in tennis.

My biggest accomplishment was getting my son through College so he could have better life than me. and that IMO is what's it all about. The rest of the stuff don't really matter.

[Barefoot]

Thank you all for sharing your stories.
This is probably the most interesting thread I've ever read!

[mixsonci]

I got married on July 20, 1969 - The first man also walked on the moon that day. I chose that date before NASA, however.

[Bonanza]

My best friend from the 7th grade lives down the street from me here.

My best friend from 3rd grade lives in the next village from me.

In addition, her mother and my mother went all through school together.

[Deseylou]

We've taken our motorcycle on a cruise ship and ridden many islands in the Caribbean
Debbie

[skyguy79]

Growing up, my parents had bread and other baked goods delivered daily by horse drawn delivery wagons like shown below. The two horses that were used to pull the wagon on our route were named Frank & Josephine. Guess what my parent's names were? Right if you said Frank & Josephine. (True Story)

[Nightengale212]

Thank you all for sharing your stories.
This is probably the most interesting thread I've ever read!

I agree Barefoot :)

I come from and still live in the same R.I. hometown as pro golfer Billy Andrade and was his camp couselor when he attended the Y.M.C.A. day camp I worked at.

[Taltarzac725]

My borzoi were onstage with the Philadelphia Ballet in a production of Giselle. We got to hang out backstage with all the ballerinas and ballerinos.

Those are great looking dogs. I hope that they meet the borzoi I have seen walking on Churchill Downs every so often. Have not seen this pooch in a few months.

[Taltarzac725]

I drew about 20 patients at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hospital in Reno, Nevada. These were working off photos by a talented photographer. I had been volunteering there for a year of Saturdays to see if I wanted to go into medicine. This was around 1977-1978.

When I left they had to hire a University of Nevada, Reno art student to come and draw the patients because new patients would want their pictures on the wall too.

This was on the intensive care unit so some of the patients I drew during that period died during that 1977-1978 period.

The oldest was from the Spanish-American War and must have been nearing 100. The youngest was a Vietnam War veteran who had played walrus with a pool stick and gotten bumped so that the stick went up his nose into his brain.

I still draw portraits once in a while but am very rusty.

I had had an art show while at Earl Wooster High School in Reno, Nevada in 1976 but the art teacher forced me to put up my drawing of a cactus with cactus spelled out under it. I had misspelled cactus with "cacutus" insisting that the "u" was silent. Nobody said much of anything except that my English teacher Mrs. Barbara Mitchell wanted a drawing of a model I had done--working off a magazine picture-- which she said looked like her recently deceased daughter Michelle Mitchell.

This drawing looked just like a married woman I worked with at Information Access Company (IAC) from 1984-1986. This company was in Belmont, CA about 20 miles south of San Francisco and about 7 miles north of Palo Alto.

I entered law school at the University of Minnesota in 1986 and there was a woman Mary Jane W., in the "C" group of about 50 law students who looked hauntingly like the drawing and like the woman I had worked with at Information Access Company. MJW also seemed smart, funny and kind. The U of MN woman though was much thinner and more elf like than the IAC marketing pro.

I became a little obsessed with this U of MN Law Student MJW but she always treated me nicely and with respect. I made a few passes - some very ungainly and immature-- but we went our separate ways in 1989.

In 1992, in San Francisco at the American Association of Law Libraries convention that summer I went looking for employment in a law library.

The woman from IAC --the married woman-- was pitching their product the Legal Resource Index to law librarians. As I said, she had been in the marketing department at IAC.

One of the law librarians, Suzanne T., from the University of Minnesota Law School approached this IAC woman and asked her what she was doing in San Francisco at a law library convention. She had mistaken these two blonde women-- the IAC marketing lady and the U of MN Law Grad. Michelle Mitchell had been a redhead but the drawing I did was all in pencil so it made her look like she could have been a blonde. Pretty much the whole U of MN Law School body, including Suzanne T., had known I had had a crush on this elfish blonde law student MJW.

I never mentioned the drawing though nor any resemblances until maybe 2002.

We three U of MN law school grads were all Class of 1989 but the Law Librarian Suzanne T., still employed at the U of MN Law Library had mistaken identities and the IAC woman then explained that I had had a crush on yet another blonde Sandy--single though when I was there- at IAC.

It is strange what affects a drawing done in youth can have.

I tried a few times to get the lady lawyer Mary Jane W., who graduated from the U of MN Law School to help with my access to practical information for survivors of crimes project 224 613, but she just would send it back "return to sender" or threaten me with stalking cease and desist orders for no reason so I just gave up. I thought threatening stalking charges was really extreme especially when all I did was write a few letters with copies of letters I had received from various authorities. There was not much of a personal nature in any of them. The picture I did in high school that looked like three women-- Michelle Mitchell, the IAC marketing woman, and Mary Jane W (Class of 1989, U of MN Law School) still haunted me back then and still haunts me now.

I have not seen this picture though since visiting the Mitchell home around May of 1976 to give them it and offer them my condolences for their murdered daughter (killed on 2-24 in 1976) and thank them for a small scholarship they gave me and another Earl Wooster High School student., John P. This Scholarhsip was a Memorial Scholarship in Michelle Mitchell's name. Michelle Mitchell had been murdered on the night of my birthday of 2-24 in 1976 near the University of Nevada, Reno campus. The case was re-opened a few months ago in 2014 as it looks like her murder is related to a series of slayings in the San Francisco Bay area in January-April of 1976 called the Gypsy Hill murders. Gypsy Hill Murders - Overview (http://gypsyhillmurders.com/)


This is one of the drawings I did of the youngest VFW Hospital Reno patient I did around 1977. He did not like this one evidently as they would have kept it. I believe I had had to draw a few of him before he liked one. I was trying different mediums. This one was black ink. Most of my best art work I gave away like the drawings to patients at the VFW Hospital.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k210/taltarzac725/VFWHospitalDrawing1977001_zps51ef4534.jpg (http://s89.photobucket.com/user/taltarzac725/media/VFWHospitalDrawing1977001_zps51ef4534.jpg.html)

[jim1941]

I graduated Cum Lucky from college!!

[dewilson58]

I graduated Cum Lucky from college!!

I finished just short of that.


:a040::a040:

[tippyclubb]

Years ago Tom bought a Harley Davidson Softail. We rode this bike everywhere and I decided I wanted to learn to ride my own. Huge mistake as my sense of balance must be bad.

I took the class and passed. We bought a old small Honda for me to practice and a few days later I tipped it over and hurt my arm. A few months passed and thought I would try Toms bike without asking him. Yes, I tipped this one over too. The bike was on top of me and broke my foot and a lot of damage was done to the bike. Tom was furious with me and my wanna be HD riding days were over.

After this my friends started calling me Tippy and my last name is Clubb. So now you know how I got my screen name.

[DougB]

I am an Army brat, and lived all over with my family. We traveled a lot and my Dad thought it was bad to read in a moving vehicle. To amuse myself, I started reading signs backwards. Subsequently, I can read and pretty much repeat any word you throw at me in reverse. And no, NOT supercalifragilisticexpealidocious....unless I'm looking at it... :). Some smarty pants tried that once...hahaha!!

ǝʌǝɹ ʇʎdǝ ndsıpǝ poʍu ɐup qɐɔʞʍɐɹps˙

[Lovey2]

ǝʌǝɹ ʇʎdǝ ndsıpǝ poʍu ɐup qɐɔʞʍɐɹps˙

:coolsmiley: CRAZY!! How'd ya do that??

[DougB]

:coolsmiley: CRAZY!! How'd ya do that??

How to Type Upside Down - Make your text upside down! (http://www.typeupsidedown.com)

[DougB]

Post a random fact about yourself....keep it clean(ish)!

I was born a nudist. Hospital quickly put a stop to it.

[Villages PL]

I'm learning how to play the piano.

[TheVillageChicken]

My great aunt, Delphine Ducloux was a medicine woman and the last fluent speaker of Chitimatcha, the language of a Louisiana Indian Tribe.

[Susan G]

My borzoi were onstage with the Philadelphia Ballet in a production of Giselle. We got to hang out backstage with all the ballerinas and ballerinos.

Love this...very cool

[justjim]

Shortly after retirement in 1999 I shot 72 (par) at Monarch Golf Course south of Leesburg. I had a fifteen handicap and had a double bogey on the first hole. You are not suppose to do that---never have done it again.

[Susan G]

You would never guess from my Avatar (Lol) but...I hold 16 IGFA World Records for Saltwater Fly Fishing. Translation for my non-fishing TOTV'ers " I catch BIG fish in the Gulf of Mexico on very light fly tackle."

[duffysmom]

I ran the NYC Marathon to celebrate my 47th birthday. I've been resting on that laurel ever since.:icon_wink:

[Taltarzac725]

I ran the NYC Marathon to celebrate my 47th birthday. I've been resting on that laurel ever since.:icon_wink:

I like how you got that in on 5:47 PM. I pay attention to these kind of things.

[kittygilchrist]

I drove a jet ski for the first time today. Top Three fun things I have ever done: jet ski, helicopter to a glacier, loops and rolls in a homemade plane. Oops, I did too many.

[CFrance]

My great-uncle was Jimmy Doolittle.

[rhsgypsylady]

I've been 4'11" since I was 12 years old. I'm probably 4'10" now and ????? old......

[Taltarzac725]

My great-uncle was Jimmy Doolittle.

That's cool.

My great-uncle was a bus driver in Costa Rica for a time who put himself up for bail when a friend got into trouble. The friend skipped on bail, so my great-uncle Robert Trueblood Steimson had to leave the country.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k210/taltarzac725/RobertTrueblood001_zps6153329d.jpg (http://s89.photobucket.com/user/taltarzac725/media/RobertTrueblood001_zps6153329d.jpg.html)

I believe our name back then was Stimson and my Uncle Robert (Bob) used to tell me quite often that we were related to the Secretary of War during WWII but I am pretty sure that was false. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_L._Stimson

I had to do an extensive search at the U of MN library to find out he was probably pulling my leg but not before I had told several people this buying into my Uncle Bob's claims.

[CFrance]

That's cool.

My great-uncle was a bus driver in Costa Rica for a time who put himself up for bail when a friend got into trouble. The friend skipped on bail, so my great-uncle Robert Trueblood Steimson had to leave the country.

I believe our name back then was Stimson and my Uncle Robert (Bob) used to tell me quite often that we were related to the Secretary of War during WWII but I am pretty sure that was false. Henry L. Stimson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_L._Stimson)

I had to do an extensive search at the U of MN library to find out he was probably pulling my leg but not before I had told several people this buying into my Uncle Bob's claims.
Your great-uncle's story is fascinating! If he didn't leave the country, would they have put him in jail instead of his friend?

[Taltarzac725]

Your great-uncle's story is fascinating! If he didn't leave the country, would they have put him in jail instead of his friend?

That's the impression I got. He was kind of a bad influence on me. When I was about 13 we took a train ride from around Nogales through to Guadalajara.

He introduced me to a friend in Guadalajara with a bachelor pad and I noticed that one of the mirrors to the other rooms looked rather odd. He took me to the other room and I saw that it was a one way window.

I went back to my grandmother and cousin trying to dodge Montezuma's Revenge and buying various souvenirs.

[villagetinker]

About 25 years ago I took up a hobby of rebuilding antique Mustangs. I finished 6 and am working on the 7th. I did all of the work on these myself, welding, body work, painting, suspension, brakes, fuel, interior, etc. Also, over the years, rebuilt 2 V8 engines, 3 manual transmissions, 4-5 differentials. I had to have a professional do the convertible top, I could not understand the instructions that came with the parts for the new top. The cars were, '66 Gold coupe, '66 Bronze coupe, '64 1/2 Blue conv., '67 Red Coupe, '69 Coupe, '66 Blue Coupe, and finally a '66 Fastback that I am currently working on.

[villagetinker]

Here are the rest of the photos, including before and after of the '66 fastback.

[eweissenbach]

About 25 years ago I took up a hobby of rebuilding antique Mustangs. I finished 6 and am working on the 7th. I did all of the work on these myself, welding, body work, painting, suspension, brakes, fuel, interior, etc. Also, over the years, rebuilt 2 V8 engines, 3 manual transmissions, 4-5 differentials. I had to have a professional do the convertible top, I could not understand the instructions that came with the parts for the new top. The cars were, '66 Gold coupe, '66 Bronze coupe, '64 1/2 Blue conv., '67 Red Coupe, '69 Coupe, '66 Blue Coupe, and finally a '66 Fastback that I am currently working on.

That 64 1/2 convertable probably brought big bucks!

[kittygilchrist]

I've been 4'11" since I was 12 years old. I'm probably 4'10" now and ????? old......

I was 5'7" at 14. I could not hear the conversations of my little girlfriends.

[DougB]

My great-uncle was Jimmy Doolittle.

Is that the doctor that talked to animals?

[CFrance]

Is that the doctor that talked to animals?

No, :oops: that was one o.

[Bosoxfan]

I can wiggle my ears...

I can wiggle one at a time!

[Laurie2]

My great-uncle was Jimmy Doolittle.

I would be so wonderfully proud to have Jimmy Doolittle as part of my family. Truly, a great American hero and a leader of great American heroes. (And to think Spencer Tracy played your great-uncle in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.)

A few years ago, I attended a Doolittle Raiders' Reunion. On display, there were those 80 silver goblets, one for each of the Raiders. Each goblet engraved twice with the Raider's name. One engraving right-side up and the other upside-down. When a Raider had died, his goblet was turned upside down.

I cannot remember how many of the Raiders were there. It was a few years ago.

But as you probably know, last year the remaining Raiders decided it was time to open that 1896 bottle of Hennessy cognac and drink the final toast. There were only 3 of the then remaining 4 Raiders in attendance.

That was a private reunion with only family members invited. (Maybe you were there.)

For any readers here who might be interested, I am including a link to an Air Force website. They have made a video of the final reunion and the final toast available on the site. In the middle of the page, you will see where to click to watch it. Just past 30 minutes into that video, the Doolittle Raiders' historian speaks. He tells a good story about a much earlier reunion. :)

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/doolittle.asp

[CFrance]

I would be so wonderfully proud to have Jimmy Doolittle as part of my family. Truly, a great American hero and a leader of great American heroes. (And to think Spencer Tracy played your great-uncle in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.)

A few years ago, I attended a Doolittle Raiders' Reunion. On display, there were those 80 silver goblets, one for each of the Raiders. Each goblet engraved twice with the Raider's name. One engraving right-side up and the other upside-down. When a Raider had died, his goblet was turned upside down.

I cannot remember how many of the Raiders were there. It was a few years ago.

But as you probably know, last year the remaining Raiders decided it was time to open that 1896 bottle of Hennessy cognac and drink the final toast. There were only 3 of the then remaining 4 Raiders in attendance.

That was a private reunion with only family members invited. (Maybe you were there.)

For any readers here who might be interested, I am including a link to an Air Force website. They have made a video of the final reunion and the final toast available on the site. In the middle of the page, you will see where to click to watch it. Just past 30 minutes into that video, the Doolittle Raiders' historian speaks. He tells a good story about a much earlier reunion. :)

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/doolittle.asp

I was not there, but I read about it and saw something on the news. Thanks very much for the link. My brother was named after him. When I was young in the '50s, he was a bit of a recluse in our family--and no wonder. He deserved his time alone.

[robertj1954]

I have a "Blowup" hole in every round of golf I play! :oops:

[Taltarzac725]

I have a "Blowup" hole in every round of golf I play! :oops:

I would probably have only blowup holes if I tried.

[TexaninVA]

I was fired from my job by President Reagan.

Does that mean you were an Air Traffic Controller who went on strike?

[Matzy]

Today I would be 171 years old when I would believe the (accidentally) printed date on my first drivers license in 1961. The administration discovered the mistake and I had to give it back in exchange to a new one 2 weeks later.

[Halibut]

I have six toes on my right foot.

[Taltarzac725]

I have six toes on my right foot.

You are in good company.

11 Famous People With 11 Fingers or Toes - 11 Points (http://www.11points.com/Misc/11_Famous_People_With_11_Fingers_or_Toes)

[Taltarzac725]

I drew about 20 patients at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hospital in Reno, Nevada. These were working off photos by a talented photographer. I had been volunteering there for a year of Saturdays to see if I wanted to go into medicine. This was around 1977-1978.

When I left they had to hire a University of Nevada, Reno art student to come and draw the patients because new patients would want their pictures on the wall too.

This was on the intensive care unit so some of the patients I drew during that period died during that 1977-1978 period.

The oldest was from the Spanish-American War and must have been nearing 100. The youngest was a Vietnam War veteran who had played walrus with a pool stick and gotten bumped so that the stick went up his nose into his brain.

I still draw portraits once in a while but am very rusty.

I had had an art show while at Earl Wooster High School in Reno, Nevada in 1976 but the art teacher forced me to put up my drawing of a cactus with cactus spelled out under it. I had misspelled cactus with "cacutus" insisting that the "u" was silent. Nobody said much of anything except that my English teacher Mrs. Barbara Mitchell wanted a drawing of a model I had done--working off a magazine picture-- which she said looked like her recently deceased daughter Michelle Mitchell.

This drawing looked just like a married woman I worked with at Information Access Company (IAC) from 1984-1986. This company was in Belmont, CA about 20 miles south of San Francisco and about 7 miles north of Palo Alto.

I entered law school at the University of Minnesota in 1986 and there was a woman Mary Jane W., in the "C" group of about 50 law students who looked hauntingly like the drawing and like the woman I had worked with at Information Access Company. MJW also seemed smart, funny and kind. The U of MN woman though was much thinner and more elf like than the IAC marketing pro.

I became a little obsessed with this U of MN Law Student MJW but she always treated me nicely and with respect. I made a few passes - some very ungainly and immature-- but we went our separate ways in 1989.

In 1992, in San Francisco at the American Association of Law Libraries convention that summer I went looking for employment in a law library.

The woman from IAC --the married woman-- was pitching their product the Legal Resource Index to law librarians. As I said, she had been in the marketing department at IAC.

One of the law librarians, Suzanne T., from the University of Minnesota Law School approached this IAC woman and asked her what she was doing in San Francisco at a law library convention. She had mistaken these two blonde women-- the IAC marketing lady and the U of MN Law Grad. Michelle Mitchell had been a redhead but the drawing I did was all in pencil so it made her look like she could have been a blonde. Pretty much the whole U of MN Law School body, including Suzanne T., had known I had had a crush on this elfish blonde law student MJW.

I never mentioned the drawing though nor any resemblances until maybe 2002.

We three U of MN law school grads were all Class of 1989 but the Law Librarian Suzanne T., still employed at the U of MN Law Library had mistaken identities and the IAC woman then explained that I had had a crush on yet another blonde Sandy--single though when I was there- at IAC.

It is strange what affects a drawing done in youth can have.

I tried a few times to get the lady lawyer Mary Jane W., who graduated from the U of MN Law School to help with my access to practical information for survivors of crimes project 224 613, but she just would send it back "return to sender" or threaten me with stalking cease and desist orders for no reason so I just gave up. I thought threatening stalking charges was really extreme especially when all I did was write a few letters with copies of letters I had received from various authorities. There was not much of a personal nature in any of them. The picture I did in high school that looked like three women-- Michelle Mitchell, the IAC marketing woman, and Mary Jane W (Class of 1989, U of MN Law School) still haunted me back then and still haunts me now.

I have not seen this picture though since visiting the Mitchell home around May of 1976 to give them it and offer them my condolences for their murdered daughter (killed on 2-24 in 1976) and thank them for a small scholarship they gave me and another Earl Wooster High School student., John P. This Scholarhsip was a Memorial Scholarship in Michelle Mitchell's name. Michelle Mitchell had been murdered on the night of my birthday of 2-24 in 1976 near the University of Nevada, Reno campus. The case was re-opened a few months ago in 2014 as it looks like her murder is related to a series of slayings in the San Francisco Bay area in January-April of 1976 called the Gypsy Hill murders. Gypsy Hill Murders - Overview (http://gypsyhillmurders.com/)

Jennifer V., my live-in girlfriend from 1989-1990 while I was a law librarian at the University of Minnesota flew to Rohnert Park, CA to meet the parents during the Spring break of 1990. She was a law student who was from the U of MN Law School Class of 1990 and had been one of my students at the Legal Assistance to Minnesota Prisoners legal clinic.

She knew Mary Jane W., (U of MN Class of 1989) as they were both in Legal Assistance to Minnesota Prisoners and Jennifer had even asked Mary Jane W, if she had any interest in me before Jennifer V., asked me to move in with her as she needed a roommate. I thought that was a very strange way to ask for a date but after very little inner debate I said yes. Our romance went pretty well until...

... we were driving near the San Jose, CA area in the Spring of 1990 and got out to look at some kind of fruit stand. There was a very attractive blonde off in the distance walking around and she reminded me of the drawing that I did of the model back around 1975. This was the drawing that Barbara Mitchell thought looked like Michelle Mitchell. Anyway, I stared a little too long at this blonde which seemed to upset Jennifer V., quite a bit. She thought I was thinking about Mary Jane W., as I had never told her the story about the 1975 drawing. She did know about my obsession with a niche in practical information for victims/survivors of crimes but I had not done any research yet about how this problem might be solved. This came from my quest for practical information for survivors of crimes I started on February 28, 1976 at the Washoe County Public Library in Reno, Nevada.

Of course, there must have been other problems in the relationship to cause an overlong look at another woman to bring emotional friction.

I really started to work on addressing the niche in practical information after buying the 1991 Directory of Victim Assistance Programs and Resources from the National Organization for Victim Assistance. This had about 8000 listings of such service providers. I started writing these via snail mail in 1992 asked them what they would like to see in libraries to help survivors/victims of crimes as well as outlining some of the problems I had had being honest about difficulties I had uncovered backing this up with letters from various authorities.

One of these was the Law Librarian of Congress, M. Kathleen Price., who had written me (after I had written the Librarian of Congress James Hadley Billington http://www.loc.gov/about/about-the-librarian/). She had written me probably around August of 1992 that such information is important to make accessible to survivors/victims of crimes BUT that it would take the collective effort of all libraries to do this. I had worked under M. Kathleen Price when she was Director at the University of Minnesota Law School Library. After the Law Library of Congress, she then moved onto NYU Law Library and then the U of Florida, Gainesville Law Library. http://www.aallnet.org/main-menu/Member-Resources/AALLawards/award-hof/Hall-of-Fame-Members/MKPrice.html

My Dad would often joke that I had bitten off way more than I could chew spending so much of my time, money, and energy trying to get libraries all over the world to address this need while I waved this Law Librarian of Congress M. Kathleen Price letter around. I kind of believe that this dish though should be the interest of anyone who might become a survivor/victim of crime or have loved ones that might.

I still feel that so much more could be done by librarians to improve access to information for survivors/victims of crimes. In Florida, a good step I pushed in 2000 was a link to the Florida Victim Services Directory http://myfloridalegal.com/directory from all kinds of libraries. This still seems like a good sign to show that libraries are very cognizant of the needs of survivors/victims of crimes. Lip service is good but actually doing something very concrete is what is still needed.

[LI SNOWBIRD]

Unfortunately, this random fact is not about me personally. It's about a relative Cornelius Melyn who is is my great grandfather nine generations back who came to New Amsterdam. He was the third patroon of Staten Island and owned 90% of it and was quite an adventurer

[CFrance]

I have six toes on my right foot.

Are you a Hemingway cat, Halibut? I thought you were a fish! PS: I miss your fish avatar! It always made me smile.:o

[JC and John]

I attended a Beach Boys (the real) concert, in the courtyard, at FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC. Watched them set-up, sound checks and all. Great concert. Truly cool! Passersby didn't know what to think. JC

[TheVillageChicken]

I attended a Beach Boys (the real) concert, in the courtyard, at FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC. Watched them set-up, sound checks and all. Great concert. Truly cool! Passersby didn't know what to think. JC

My wife turned down an invitation from the White House for us to attend the indoor Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. I concurred.

[perrjojo]

My husbands 11th Great grandfather was Governor William Bradford. His 5th great grandfather was Zadock Woods, one of the original settlers of Texas. He fought for Texas Independence from Mexico and died in battle. One of my ancestress rode with Quantral's raiders and Jessie James. Guess he has the more impressive pedigree. :-)

[Tweety Bird]

10's and 20's.
My birthdate: 6/20
My mothers birthdate: 7/20
Husbands birthdate: 2/10
Step daughter bday: 10/20
Step sons bday: 11/10
Cousins bday: 6/10
Mom and dad's anniversary: 8 /20

[CFrance]

10's and 20's.
My birthdate: 6/20
My mothers birthdate: 7/20
Husbands birthdate: 2/10
Step daughter bday: 10/20
Step sons bday: 11/10
Cousins bday: 6/10
Mom and dad's anniversary: 8 /20
You should play the lottery!:pepper2::pepper2:

[Taltarzac725]

10's and 20's.
My birthdate: 6/20
My mothers birthdate: 7/20
Husbands birthdate: 2/10
Step daughter bday: 10/20
Step sons bday: 11/10
Cousins bday: 6/10
Mom and dad's anniversary: 8 /20

Must make it easy to remember birthdays.

I worked with a girl in Reno, Nevada with the birthday of 12-7. She was probably born in 1965 as she was 18 in 1983. Not sure she really even understood the significance of the date of December 7. She did live next door to my Medieval History professor from the University of Nevada, Reno so maybe she did. I worked with her from when she was about 14 through when she was 18.

You wonder how some of these famous dates affect how people feel about their birthdays like Pam K., felt about hers. 9-11 is another one of these.

[DangeloInspections]

As a devout "Do it Yourselfer" I designed and built my own house in western NY. It was one of a kind, quite nice, and I miss many interesting things about it. The roof rafters were 16" o.c. 2x10's 26 foot long. Big house.

I also delivered all three of my boys. My wife of 35 years was much more comfortable with me at the "business end" instead of some strange doctor. My thinking was that any guy can start the job.....but a real man finishes it. It was not that difficult...my wife seemed to have the more strenuous job.....it was another DIY project.

My job started more after, as she carried the boys for nine months each...I carried them for like 20 years....My wife prayed for girls, but we got 3 boys. I explained to her that it was like baseball....3 strikes and you are OUT. No more "at bats".....so she prayed for granddaughters and now we have 3 of them....all beautiful and precious.

Frank

[mgjim]

I am a former gandy dancer.

[Taltarzac725]

I am a former gandy dancer.

Gandy Dancers - YouTube (http://youtu.be/025QQwTwzdU)

I had to look that up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandy_dancer

[LI SNOWBIRD]

I am a former gandy dancer.

So was my dad-- I haven't heard that expression in quite some time. Thanks

[Taltarzac725]

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k210/taltarzac725/JesseTrueblood001_zpsa3201dfa.jpg (http://s89.photobucket.com/user/taltarzac725/media/JesseTrueblood001_zpsa3201dfa.jpg.html)

This is 1952 when he retired.

[John_W]

As a devout "Do it Yourselfer" I designed and built my own house in western NY. It was one of a kind, quite nice, and I miss many interesting things about it. The roof rafters were 16" o.c. 2x10's 26 foot long. Big house...

I did something similar in Pensacola back in the late 70's. I purchased a new home in 1976 with a VA loan in St. Petersburg. A year later I sold that home and moved to Pensacola and purchased a new home there in 1977. Both times I took notes of every phase of construction and sub-contractor that went into the building. I checked into the law and found that I didn't need a contractors license to build a home if it was for myself and I lived in it for one year.

In 1978 I sold that home in one week and moved into a rental and purchased a lot for $7500. I drew up plans for a 2600 sf rancher with a 2 car garage and had a residential designer make me 7 sets of blueprints, you didn't need an architects seal unless it was commercial property. I went to the nicest subdivision in Pensacola, where at the time they were building homes for $300,000 and above. I ran down framing crews, brick masons, etc. and got estimates for every phase of work. I had a friend who was an outside salesman for a home improvement center, this was before Lowes and Home Depot. He gave me estates for every bit of materials from windows, doors to roofing. I took the deed for my lot and the plans and all the estimates to a bank and got a construction loan for $52,000 paid out in four draws.

All this time I was working a full time job 40 hours a week, I did volunteer for the swing shift so I didn't have to work until 3pm, which gave me the mornings to be at the job site. In 1980 I sold that home and bought a bigger lot for $15,000 in an area of the future 'Parade of Homes' and moved into another rental. I got another construction loan, this time for $70,000 and I even had an 18x36 swimming installed. It turned out to be a beautiful home. Both homes I contracted we used framing with 6" exterior stud walls 16" on center, also every feature I could think of I had installed, central vacuum, fire place, ceiling fans, etc. Only took 11 weeks to finish from the time we broke ground until we moved in. Even though I only lived in both homes for just over a year, I almost doubled the cost when I sold them.

[tedquick]

I was born in the United States, but not in a state. My birth date is 4-5-45. My mother was born on 4-4, my dad on 4-14 and my first wife on 4-23. I have a grandson who was born on 9-9-90 and another one born on 9-9-96. My legal name is actually 3 last names so I've used a nickname my entire life. I have 3 siblings, 3 children, 3 grandsons and 3 granddaughters. I believe in the Triune and I love numbers!!

[getdul981]

I was on stage with Mike Super, a current contestant on America's Got Talent. It was on a Disney Cruise several years ago.

[mixsonci]

My grandson was born on Halloween and they lived in Salem Massachusetts.

[jblum315]

I have read The New York Times every day since 1962 and the New Yorker magazine every week since 1958.

[SALYBOW]

I've worked in three different areas.
1. I treated people with radiation for cancer.....BODY
2. I taught religion to teenagers.....MIND
3. I was a hospital chaplain.....SPIRIT

Body, Mind and Spirit so nothing left.....I retired!!!!

[Taltarzac725]

I have read The New York Times every day since 1962 and the New Yorker magazine every week since 1958.

You must have been one of their quite younger readers?

[NottaVillager]

English is my fifth language. Now I speak one and a half (but understand more than I let on).
What language do you think in?

[NottaVillager]

When I was 14 years old I had my hair cut by the White House barber.

[chuckinca]

When our son was 5 (in 1988) we got him into playing club soccer in our town. My wife became the team mom because she made the team banner and the snack schedules. 12 years later I was on the State of California youth soccer tournament board.

I also became a Stanford University Grad - was at a 4 day Positive Coaching youth sports seminar at Stanford in the summer, stayed in the Stanford dorms, ate in their cafeterias, and attended classes in their classrooms taught by Stanford profs. Still get monthly emails 15 years later.

.

[redwitch]

What language do you think in?

A confused one -- I dream in German; get mad in English, German, Russian and Farsi. Mostly think in English but frequently have to translate a word from German to English before I can say it. Makes for some strange hesitations.

[Pointer]

A confused one -- I dream in German; get mad in English, German, Russian and Farsi. Mostly think in English but frequently have to translate a word from German to English before I can say it. Makes for some strange hesitations.

Wow:loco: I can speak in "toddler" and play like one too :22yikes: and my hesitations are due to, wait what was I typing . . oh yeah I like those icons.

[Taltarzac725]

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k210/taltarzac725/UncleRobertTrueblood001_zps96a009b1.jpg (http://s89.photobucket.com/user/taltarzac725/media/UncleRobertTrueblood001_zps96a009b1.jpg.html)

This is my great uncle Robert Trueblood around 1990. He had been living near the Arizona State University campus in a garage. He had very cheap rent and it was air conditioned and heated.

I remember visiting him from time-to-time in that garage where it reeked like garlic. He was of the philosophy that bathing was unhealthy so he would only bath maybe once a week. He was born around 1920 but seemed to have a lot of the values and outlook of a beatnik from the 1960s. He had claimed that the garlic was good for his pores as was not bathing but once a week.

I had considered going to Arizona State University where I had also been offered a scholarship in 1982-- instead of BYU-- but I had thought that I would have to explain my great Uncle Bob to any friends that I might back then. (I only lasted at BYU for about ten days and then dropped out before taking any tests. I graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1989).

My LSAT scores were in the 90th percentile and I had two BAs with GPAs of 3.71 and 3.73 or around there. So, I got into a number of law schools but only BYU and ASU offered scholarships. ( I could use these same scores in 1986 when I applied to about 12 law schools getting into all of them but Stanford and Marquette).

My great uncle Robert Trueblood for instance once ordered a burger very rare while I was with him at a restaurant near ASU. I also chose a burger but not so rare.

He was paying. He insisted. But when the order came he dug in, decided that the waiter gave him the wrong burger and promptly grabbed mine and devoured that.

We had had a weekly correspondence by mail from around mid 1976 through the day he shot himself near Phoenix in March of 1992.

He had not wanted to bother anyone so he drove his car to the funeral home grounds and shot himself in the parking lot in his car.

He had had some very bad breaks in his life but did go out thinking of others. He had some very painful disease in the last years of his life.

The last month of his life he had visited us in California and I had picked up that something was very wrong -- especially when he asked me if I wanted his car-- but unfortunately I had not followed up on my thoughts about what might happen.

I did remember to keep a close eye on my food though when we both ordered clam strips at the restaurant in Bodega Bay that February of 1992. https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Boat-House-and-Bodega-Bay-Sport-Fishing/192902960723600

[Pointer]

I ran a playgroup in my small town for 19 yrs. One year I was doing circle time and I was singing and none of my parents were singing with me except one and he didn't know the words but at least he tried.
After most of the parents left, one of the parents helping me clean up says "Did you know that was Trey from Phish"? "Who's that" I ask. She says "you know the group . . they just performed for over 100,000 people". So I go home and call my nieces and nephews and say "you are so going to want to know me now". "Why"? they ask. I tell them and they say "no way, you sang with Trey". "WAY" I say, them "No way", me "WAY" after a few more of these, I hear "OMG, what did you sing"? "WHEELS ON THE BUS and OPEN CLOSE THEM"! "No way" they moan. "WAY" I say with glee. After a long pause I hear, "how was it"? "He wasn't that bad" and I hear laughter. Thats right, they know me now.

[Pointer]

As a devout "Do it Yourselfer" I designed and built my own house in western NY. It was one of a kind, quite nice, and I miss many interesting things about it. The roof rafters were 16" o.c. 2x10's 26 foot long. Big house.

I also delivered all three of my boys. My wife of 35 years was much more comfortable with me at the "business end" instead of some strange doctor. My thinking was that any guy can start the job.....but a real man finishes it. It was not that difficult...my wife seemed to have the more strenuous job.....it was another DIY project.

My job started more after, as she carried the boys for nine months each...I carried them for like 20 years....My wife prayed for girls, but we got 3 boys. I explained to her that it was like baseball....3 strikes and you are OUT. No more "at bats".....so she prayed for granddaughters and now we have 3 of them....all beautiful and precious.

Frank

Three of my brothers 5 children were born at home with a midwife after two bad hospital experiences. I delivered my first "by myself" in a hospital, not by choice, and attended the birth of a friends as a support person with a midwife. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I will never forget the miracle of life being born from either side of it.

[Taltarzac725]

I ran a playgroup in my small town for 19 yrs. One year I was doing circle time and I was singing and none of my parents were singing with me except one and he didn't know the words but at least he tried.
After most of the parents left, one of the parents helping me clean up says "Did you know that was Trey from Phish"? "Who's that" I ask. She says "you know the group . . they just performed for over 100,000 people". So I go home and call my nieces and nephews and say "you are so going to want to know me now". "Why"? they ask. I tell them and they say "no way, you sang with Trey". "WAY" I say, them "No way", me "WAY" after a few more of these, I hear "OMG, what did you sing"? "WHEELS ON THE BUS and OPEN CLOSE THEM"! "No way" they moan. "WAY" I say with glee. After a long pause I hear, "how was it"? "He wasn't that bad" and I hear laughter. Thats right, they know me now.

Trey Anastasio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trey_Anastasio)

I had to look him up.

[elizabeth52]

My husband immigrated here from Sicily at age 11 in 1956. His mother and father had booked passage for the family, which included my husband and 4 of his siblings. A couple of days prior to sailing, they were told that my husband's health records had been lost and they would have to wait another two weeks to gather all the appropriate documentation regarding innoculations, etc. His father told his mother to take the other children and go and they would follow two weeks later. His mother said "No! Either we all go together or we don't go." So, the ship sailed without them, AND SANK!! It was the Andrea Doria.

They arrived safely two weeks later.

[Taltarzac725]

My husband immigrated here from Sicily at age 11 in 1956. His mother and father had booked passage for the family, which included my husband and 4 of his siblings. A couple of days prior to sailing, they were told that my husband's health records had been lost and they would have to wait another two weeks to gather all the appropriate documentation regarding innoculations, etc. His father told his mother to take the other children and go and they would follow two weeks later. His mother said "No! Either we all go together or we don't go." So, the ship sailed without them, AND SANK!! It was the Andrea Doria.

They arrived safely two weeks later.

SS Andrea Doria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Andrea_Doria)

That's quite a twist of fate.

[jblum315]

The Andrea Doria didn't sink exactly. It was severely damaged in a collision with another ship and was towed to New York. Lives were lost.

[EnglishJW]

I hiked the entire width of the Appalachian Trail.

Wow - the entire WIDTH! Way to go.

[EnglishJW]

Years ago Tom bought a Harley Davidson Softail. We rode this bike everywhere and I decided I wanted to learn to ride my own. Huge mistake as my sense of balance must be bad.

I took the class and passed. We bought a old small Honda for me to practice and a few days later I tipped it over and hurt my arm. A few months passed and thought I would try Toms bike without asking him. Yes, I tipped this one over too. The bike was on top of me and broke my foot and a lot of damage was done to the bike. Tom was furious with me and my wanna be HD riding days were over.

After this my friends started calling me Tippy and my last name is Clubb. So now you know how I got my screen name.

Nice story.

[EnglishJW]

One item for me - I have never had a drink.

One for my wife - she made two transatlantic crossings on the Leonardo DaVinci before she was a teenager. The Leonardo DaVinci was the sister ship of the Andrea Doria.

[Taltarzac725]

This is a drawing I did which looks quite a lot like a woman I went to see Amadeus with in downtown San Francisco in 1984 and then traveled across the bridge to a Thanksgiving party with the Oakland Chorus. We were the only straight couple in the bunch. She sang with the Oakland Chorus.

She worked with me at Information Access Company in Belmont and had asked me out on a date.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k210/taltarzac725/AmadeusFan2001_zps1c123f00.jpg (http://s89.photobucket.com/user/taltarzac725/media/AmadeusFan2001_zps1c123f00.jpg.html)

[Taltarzac725]

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k210/taltarzac725/MAVictimCompAugust241992001_zps9242ecda.jpg (http://s89.photobucket.com/user/taltarzac725/media/MAVictimCompAugust241992001_zps9242ecda.jpg.html)

I had posted copies of a lot of these letters on Findlaw's boards back in 2001 or so. They attracted rather nasty comments from some lawyers, law students and then a five year cyberstalker/cybersmearer.

But, I hope some of you have seen what I had been trying to do. I contacted victim assistance providers like this one in MA and asked them what they would like to see in law libraries and other types of libraries.

You really have to see the 40 or so other letters I copied and sent to this Victim Assistance provider on July 16, 1992 to get a clear idea of what I wanted to accomplish.

Mainly I wanted to get libraries more involved in the delivery of practical information to victims/survivors of crimes.

This is something taught to me at the University of Denver Graduate School of Librarianship and Information Management. Anticipate a need not being met and fill that need with whatever resources best fit it. I thought victim assistance professionals and not so much law professors would be the best judges of these needs.

I did think what I was doing was very professional in approach even if I was basically doing it on my and my parent's dime.

This kind of approach I hope is why I was nominated to 24 Marquis Who's Who publications from 1992 through 2002.

It probably did make me some enemies though among people who arrogantly insist that they know what is best for a certain group with respect to information needs.

I have a large number of letters like this and will not bore you with posting them.

Basically, I just wanted to show that my approach was well thought out and not based on any kind of emotional re-action to my own experiences related to the murder of Michelle Mitchell in Reno, Nevada on 2-24 in 1976. This is my birthday. The U of MN Law School did teach me how to at least try to be very objective about whatever I was doing. You often cannot pick your clients as a lawyer and if you are in a law library setting you really cannot pick and chose whom you want to help and whom you do not want to aid.

In 1992, I tried to contact 5-10 victim assistance provider in every US state and US territory and asked them what they would like to see in their local and other libraries which would help survivors/victims of crimes cope. As I have said before repeatedly, I had checked libraries in many states for something I would like to help survivors/victims of crimes from February 28, 1976 through when I wrote all these letters in 1992 and I found very little of any practical value.

I looked at libraries abroad too and contacted various victim assistance providers in other countries.

Please look at the letter I put up earlier in this other thread. https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/912621-post11.html It is from that August (August 5, 1992) from the Law Librarian of Congress, M. Kathleen Price.

[TheVillageChicken]

Lance Armstrong and I have the exact same number of Tour de France wins.

[DougB]

Jon,
What's the significance of the dollar bill? If I write them, will they send me one?

[Taltarzac725]

Lance Armstrong and I have the exact same number of Tour de France wins.

What a shame that he had to cheat and then bully so many people to hide his actions. It seems he probably did this by threatening lawsuits, bad press and pulling strings he had as a Tour de France winner.

When he broke up with Sheryl Crow I thought something was a little off with him. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Armstrong

I have made some very bad choices in friends too and did not know how to handle breaking away.

[Taltarzac725]

Jon,
What's the significance of the dollar bill? If I write them, will they send me one?

That's one of the Where's George bills which I usually give out as change in my meanderings around the Villages.

I spent that particular bill yesterday getting some hot dogs. Which I will put some ketchup on!!!! I gave it to a very cute blonde. I mean the dollar bill. LOL

Those two letters are from the 110 or so that I sent the ObamaCare people back in March 2014. I hope that they see the importance of making libraries of all sorts part of the practical delivery of information for survivors/victims of crimes. Of course, most of this delivery is driven by local communities not by the Federal government. I had wanted them to authenticate all the letters I sent them like the one from the MA AG Office and the one from M. Kathleen Price, the Law Librarian of Congress from around 1990 through 1994 .

I had complained to all the US Senators of that Congress and some of the US Representatives back in 1991 about subtle and then not so subtle attacks on my mental health for wanting to be honest about this niche in library services towards survivors/victims of crimes. This was while I was still employed at the University of Minnesota Law Library or after I lost my employment contract around June 1991 and was studying for the Minnesota Bar but also trying to get through all the stress I was under from people pretty much telling me that my law librarianship career was over. I got a 251 out of a needed 260 but did write the Minnesota Bar Examiners about all this induced stress trying to get some leeway. No such luck so I moved from MN to CA around Thanksgiving of 1991. The CA Bar is much harder so I never gave it a try. Sending all those letters probably cost me about $10,000 when figuring in all the copying, postage, labor, and the food and rent to stay near Dinkytown to do it. I was not treated very well while writing all these as word did get around and Dinkytown is very dependent on the U of MN for customers. And, I was being very critical of actions taken by U of MN employees.

What happened from my writing all the US Senators and some of the US Representatives about this rather Machiavellian approach to dealing with do gooders? The Library of Congress made it a policy because they found it so effective. I do not know WHEN they made it a policy but would love to find out its genesis. So did Stalin find this approach extremely useful!! According to a CBS News Report from around July 6, 1996 or maybe it was July 6, 1995??? No good deed goes unpunished. Unfortunately according to the CBS report back then a target of this approach -- a Library of Congress woman employee-- had lost everything trying to fight back but that was the last I heard of this matter. Cannot say that I remember the name of this lady but I sure could relate to what she must have been going through.

I wish it worked that way that you send them a good idea and they send you back money with how to continue fighting the good fight. I did get forgiveness for a loan from the Northern Nevada Office of the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE) around 2000. This was for my MA from the University of Denver Graduate School of Librarianship and Information Management. They helped pay for my education in Colorado. I promised to pay them back or work in Nevada for a certain amount of years. I never could find a job in a library in Nevada but all the work I did pro bono for victims/survivors of crimes from CA, MN, IL and FL helped victims/survivors of crimes in Nevada. I mentioned all the problems I had had to the WICHE Office and backed these up with documents if they had deemed it necessary.

I do hope that if another person seriously affected by some event they had no control over (like me and the 2-24-1976 Reno, Nevada murder of Michelle Mitchell and the subsequent investigation, trial, appeal, etc.) sees some problem with the delivery of services and tries to do something about it that he/she is treated much better than I was.

[DougB]

The Andrea Doria didn't sink exactly. It was severely damaged in a collision with another ship and was towed to New York. Lives were lost.

The Andrea Doria did most certainly sink. The Stockholm was towed to port.

[CFrance]

The Andrea Doria did most certainly sink. The Stockholm was towed to port.
After the captain left the Andrea Doria, it took 24 minutes for the ship to sink.

[ajbrown]

The Andrea Doria did most certainly sink. The Stockholm was towed to port.

This is a great thread with many folks doing some things that are very interesting. Sorry if this looks like a continued hijack, but I found this little take off about the Andrea interesting...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBz7cSxZzOA

When I look at film like this, I ponder what will our "film" look like in 60 years? Not to be discussed on this thread...

[CFrance]

One item for me - I have never had a drink.

One for my wife - she made two transatlantic crossings on the Leonardo DaVinci before she was a teenager. The Leonardo DaVinci was the sister ship of the Andrea Doria.
I wonder if she was on the same crossing as my husband. Their family sailed
on the Leonardo from Italy in 1960.

[EnglishJW]

I wonder if she was on the same crossing as my husband. Their family sailed
on the Leonardo from Italy in 1960.

I believe it was 1963 after her father passed away. She sailed to and from New York with her mother and brother.

[fndrbndr]

I play the bass guitar in a "Trans-Siberian Orchestra" cover band in northern Ohio.

[CFrance]

I play the bass guitar in a "Trans-Siberian Orchestra" cover band in northern Ohio.
Cool!

[Vinny]

I was an alternate UN advisor.

[Deseylou]

I have worked at three different theme parks

[Taltarzac725]

I have worked at three different theme parks

Which ones? I still hav yet to visit Disney World even though we have been in Florida since mid-1996. I did get to Disney Land as a tween.