(Continued from previous message)

some days, they aren't even a needed diversion.

There are times I've been angry and depressed. My luck is so bad, it's
like the song from Hee Haw (if it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck
at all)...but if I called the suicide, urinary or anal incontinence
hotline numbers, I'd be asked "Can you hold, please??". :P

I get absolute love from my kids all the time. That's the best investment I M>ever made.

My late wife and I never had kids. I contracted chicken pox from my
brother 40 years ago, who got it from his first wife's kids. His case
was mild...mine was so severe, that it put me in the hospital for a
week, and out of work at Burger King, and out of college at the
University Of Arkansas At Little Rock for 2 months, by order from the
Arkansas Health Department.

It was as if someone put me in a barrel of itching powder, and closed
the lid...even the WaterPik shower massage didn't provide relief. Not
one part of my body went unscathed...even my genitals and buttocks were covered!! I had to take those nasty oatmeal baths, and it nearly went
into encephalitis...so, they put me into isolation.

Then, I worked in Silkscreen printing for 18 years, and absorbed the
nasty solvent of Methyl-Ethyl-Ketone (very flammable). So, with concern
about possibly having a child with birth defects...as my late wife so eloquently put it..."they wouldn't spay me, so he volunteered to get
neutered". <G>

Ironically, I met her on a BBS run by the local college (the college
is still there, but the BBS is long gone), and she became my Co-Sysop
and my wife. In the doorgames, she was a great winner, but she was a
sore loser!! <G> Her eyesight may have been poor, but she'd find errors
in the bulletins that I never saw.

She also had a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Psychology (she said "I
like a challenge" <G>), and I should've known better than to "mess with
her". One night, I was being a smart-@$$, and said "My head is so far up
my butt, that I can see my throat!!". Without missing a beat, grinning
wryly, she said "That's why your eyes are brown!!" -- <ZING!!> <BG>

While I have all the wonderful memories that no one can take away, I'm
so glad that she's not here to see me suffer. I never did remarry, as at
this stage of life, folks "have too much baggage"...physically,
mentally, emotionally, financially, etc. If they or their kids are in
trouble with the law, want someone else to fight their battles, not
showing the kids "tough love" (the kids cuss their parents out
repeatedly), and are financially irresponsible, I do NOT want or NEED
that "drama" in my life.

To quote the title of a TV show that ran on Animal Planet awhile back,
now you have seen "The Most Extreme". :P

Daryl

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Well Daryl, that's a lot of unfortunate stuff that happened to you all in a short period of time.

Let all those difficult memories get clouded-up by any positive things that happened during those times. Obviously it will be hard to outweigh all the
sad stuff, but those few nice things that happened (you didn't mention any
but there has to be some) are the things you should focus on a bit more.

I used to work at a casino with a bunch of tough-guy asses, and everyone treated me like garbage there, but there's this xmas ornament I have in my
car - I keep it there to remember this 1 nice lady from the casino who gave
it to me as a xmas gift one year - that cheap, modest little xmas ornament makes all the difference when I look back at those memories of when I worked
at that place. People were asses - but not that sweet lady who gave me the ornament. See how that helps me find comfort after an ordeal? (a smaller
ordeal than yours - but this is my experience.)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Castle Rock BBS - bbs.castlerockbbs.com

(Continued from previous message)

raucous laughter and smart-@$$ remarks. <G>

Tom gets back to his seat, and Wayne (making like nothing had even
happened), said "In keeping with the seriousness of the evening"...it
was interrupted by a shout from Tom...."IT FITS!!" (we got the size
right). At the end of the evening, they had given Clive this clock,
noting "NUMA, BEER, AND ALE...AND GOOD BEER"...Clive, grinning wryly,
pointed to Tom, and said "Why don't you give it to him?? He needs a
watch!!" <BG>.

After the dinner meeting, there was the book signing, and Tom was
trying to find out who did it. He finally came to my Mom and I, and we confessed. <G>

Well, I had taken a picture of my Mom and Clive, and Tom took that
picture (unknown to us), and enlarged it...then had everyone at the next
years convention, sign it. At that event, Wayne unrolls this thing,
looking directly at my Mom, "stupidly" asks "Does anyone know who I'm
supposed to give this to??". My mouth, and my Mom's just dropped in
surprise!! She was crying tears of joy, and saying "ME!! ME!! ME!!" <G>

She always treasured that, and I had it on display at her funeral 8
months ago. Sadly, while typing this, I got teary eyed...the same way
when I think of so many memories with my late wife. I guess the tears
are a combination of the loss of them, but also the wonderful memories
that no one can take away.

Daryl

---
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