I Don't Always Drink Beer

I heard a line in a song on the computer that other day that pretty much described me and Valdez back in the day: "... running full throttle, with a long-neck bottle, and a black hearse following me ...". I sometimes wonder how we became old men at all.

As Arnold said ... I'm Ba-a-a-ack!

      Here I am again ... I've been gone for a year and a month. A lot has changed in a year, nothing really important ... but a lot of daily things. I am still happily with the ever fetching Ms. Hilda, but our lifestyles have altered somewhat. I write "Sunday Letters" every week, but I hate clogging up people's in-boxes. I have to write ... 'furor scribindi ' as they say in Latin. Here ... I can write and if no one reads it, Oh Well!!. I don't write for others as much as because I have to.
     A year ago ... last July, when I last posted ... I was the immediate Past Commander of  American Legion Post 36, and now ... I haven't really been there in 8-10 months. Hilda's endocrinologist asked her to stay away from 2nd hand smoke and Post 36 is a "smoking" Post. In early December, we started going to VFW Post 549 (I am a Life Member of the VFW). Now, Ms. Hilda (who joined the Auxiliary in December) is the Auxiliary President and I am the Jr. Vice Commander of the VFW. We have met a lot of people that we are very close to and have good times with. Life is full I guess. Not too bad for poor folks. I really do not miss the 'cliques' at Post 36 or the constant politicking (sp). I am now working (part-time) for AMS Retail Services as the Tucson Account Representative. I have 29 stores and set my own schedule, which allows me time to take care of Hilda and get off for Doctor's appointments and the like. I work 12-14 hours a week and it's a good gig.
    Hilda and I had a portrait taken ... that is funny since I am a photographer. But ... she will not smile for me. I mean, she smiles at me/with me/for me a lot ... but not when a camera is in my hands. I don't understand it, but that's life with Hilda. I think it has to do with her weight. A couple of years ago, her doctor put her on Prednizone (sp) to try and control her blood sugars. She went from 138 to 215 in 90 days and, although she stopped taking the medication, has never been able to remove the weight. She is still beautiful to me (and always will be).

     Her hypoglycemia unawareness is still giving her (and me) fits. Blood sugars going crazy all times of the day and night.

    I am getting back to my photography, as time permits.

  

 

    I hope to post more soon ... again, as time permits.

L.F.T.D.

Around the Apartments

     It is the latter part of July and we are getting monsoons that remind me of when I first got here 42 years ago. Yesterday we had a 1/2 hour rain about 1800 hrs (6 PM) and another hard rain (about an hour's worth) around 2000-2200 (8-10 PM) and again a rain about 0300 (3 AM).
    Yesterday (here at the Apartment complex) we had a Luau with food furnished by the managers, et al and some oldies music and Karaoke ... and we all had a pretty good time.


Me and Hilda in our south seas (Hawaiian) attire.
I am in shorts, but they don't show in the picture,
they look like slacks.



Jack (of Jack & Jill) Williamson



Jay (Jose) and Norma Cardenas



Getting some food

     Today we have a going away party for a lady that is moving to Phoenix (WHY Phoenix ??? ... I have no idea!). Before that we may play some Wii bowling with Norma and Jay. Last evening we watched a movie that got really panned by the critics ... 'John Carter of Mars' ... , but we found it very entertaining. we then started watching a movie called 'Chronicle' but had trouble with our old DVD player. It is about 12 years old. Today, I bought a new one ... about $40... (and half the size of the old one). We will continue watching that movie, among others, today. I would imagine that we have run thousands of movies through the old DVD player in the last 12 years or more.

    

A weekend in Tucson

Norma and Jay checking out an old Studebaker Commander

Hilda's hair getting windblown as she checks out the older cars

Hello once again ... things here in the desert are pretty much the same. Norma and Jay Cardenas and the ever lovely Ms Hilda and I went to the Mariachi Festival at the Gaslight the other week and to the Car Show the week before that.

We played WII (bowling) on the 4th of July with Jay and Norma and watched it rain in our beloved desert.

I made a "Independance Day" cake (pics below)

                                                          My Strawberry/Blueberry cake

4th of July Rain

We have been baby sitting 'Gus' the dog from next door ... while Mike and Jini and family are in Hawaii

He is a trip. He never gets enough loving or rubbing.