Book of Jamez

55 y/o malcontent, something of a writer

Category: Birthday

  • Sunny, Windy, Fun in Ft Lauderdale for my 41st

    For my 41st I made my usual trip to Ft Lauderdale. I stayed at the Royal Palms Resort,an all male clothing optional resort that I’ve stayed at before. Friday was pretty windy and a bit chilly, I hoped that it was not going to last as I enjoy sitting in the sun by the pool.

    the Royal Palms

    Gary had purchased a massage for me at the spa at the resort, so I had a great 1 1/2 hour massage treatment that made all my achy muscles go away and I really needed that. I had planned to meet a guy at Bill’s Filling Station Friday night, but he bailed so I stayed at the resort, ordered pizza and was in bed early.

    Saturday the wind was still pretty strong and it was a bit chilly, but I was determined to get some sun and swim in the pool (thankfully it’s heated). There are two sections to the resort, one clothing optional and one clothing mandatory, I hang out in the clothing optional part even though my room is on the clothing mandatory area. The first thing I noticed at the resort was that most of the guys looked like they belonged on a promotional photo for Atlantis Cruise, muscular, hairless chested, stereotypical gay men – I was sad about that. But there were three exceptions, one hot Daddy, one hot bear and one hot Brit (who was also bearish). I was very direct with the bear and made my intentions clear – but apparently I scared him away as I never saw him again after that, oh well. The hot Daddy was more open to having fun and we had several trips to his room. I had an enjoyable time with the Brit too, but he was a smoker and that really wasn’t much fun kissing. I didn’t do all of that on Saturday, it was over a period of time.

    Saturday night for dinner I met my friend Hampton and his partner Mark for dinner. I also got a tour of their house and a walk through Wilton Manors. It was nice to see them both and get away from the resort for a while. We ate at a little place off the main road, owned by two lesbians. They even brought me a sparkler on my dessert for my birthday!

    Sunday was still windy, but a bit warmer than it had been. I had a bit of fun with the hot Daddy, swam a bit and tanned. That evening my friend Michael K came to get me and we went out to J Marks for dinner. I only get to see Michael a few times a year, so we got a chance to catch up. We spent a lot of time talking about his dad – who’s recently home from the hospital and not doing well. I like to see Michael, we talk about anything when we talk, it’s a great friendship. Michael paid me a compliment that I kind of liked: “Aging has been good to you”… I think that might be a compliment right?

    Monday the wind finally stopped being nasty and I had a chance to sit in the sun for as long as I wished. I had an established date with a friend of a friend who I’d met up here in DC during a few of his trips so no fun with the hot Daddy. Around 1:30 I went off with Charlie and he took us on a RiverFront Cruise through the canals and into the port where they have the cruise ships, it was nice. Then he and I went back to his condo, which was really nice. We had a bit of fun before dinner at Tropics and then went back to his place for the night. I hadn’t planned that out well and in the morning remembered that I still had my contacts in – ouch, that was fun!

    Tuesday, my birthday, waking up with Charlie was very nice. He took me out to breakfast and then back to the hotel where I attempted to do some office tasks unsuccessfully. Charlie came back to my hotel and we had a relaxing afternoon before he had to leave for Chorus rehearsal. Charlie said I was a “sexy bear”, lol. I had a good time with him and hope to see him again soon.

    That evening I swam in the pool for an hour or so, went tourist shopping for a hat, and was in bed by 11:00. I also managed to start packing. That was my last full day for my annual birthday trip.

  • Happy Birthday Ryan

    My little brother Ryan turns 38 today.. I’m three years older than him.

    When I see him at this age it’s always a little bit of a shock. I have an image of him from when we were kids that always comes to the forefront when I picture him – it’s nothing like he looks now. But if you think about it, we spent a lot of time together in our youth and much less time as adults, so it’s probably the way it’s supposed to be. But it’s still strange to see this grown man where I expect the boy to be.

    Where I was always interested in books, imagination and superheros – Ryan loved engines, muscles and girls. I remember him always being the center of attention for girls, having greasy hands from helping Dad (Step-Dad #1) with a car or some other thing I wanted nothing to do with.

    I could always usually beat him in wrestling by getting him in some hold and not letting go until he said uncle. He could always beat me in arm wrestling though. He’d always be faster then me in tag which frustrated me so much one time I grabbed something close by and pitched it at him as hard as I could – surprisingly my aim was right on – he had to go get stitches. Once, knowing he might win a fight I feigned that his attack had blinded me and got about 5 minute of sympathy before admitting I was just joshing everyone.

    So today he’s 38. A grown man with a grown child of his own. Still the guy that flirts with girls and is up to his elbows in engine grease. To me though, he’ll always be the little kid I couldn’t catch in tag, the little brother that more often than not I shared a room with growing up.

    Happy Birthday Ryan!

    My "Little" Brother

  • Testy

    Yesterday, it was all I could do to not smack the happy couple walking in the middle of the sidewalk in front of me – holding hands, smiling, bumping into one another. I did manage to just walk by them and not smack them with my bag… but I was tempted. It’s not only that they were a happy smiling couple, they were in the middle of the sidewalk and oblivious to other peoples needs to get around them… ok, maybe it was just that they were a happy couple.

    I had my annual physical yesterday as well, all is normal: high cholesterol, old man, lose weight, eat better, exercise and get some sleep. Truthfully I have a great doctor at Kaiser who is easy to talk to and doesn’t rag on me to much. I was tested for everything and I’m negative… so were the tests.

    Today I go into the CVS, and granted I’m not smiling and wearing my Harley Davidson Biker boots and just generally pissed off and a police officer follows me in and stares at me until I’m done. Go figure.

    I can’t find anything in my iTunes Library that I want to listen to. Sigh.

    This weekend I’m heading to the Virginia Beach area to spend time with Zanne, that should be helpful. I’ll go to the gym with her a few times, Body Step and crap, but it should be ok… I don’t mind step classes. And she said we could go see Tron – she meant Thor – so hopefully Tron isn’t playing anywhere…

  • 40th Birthday Trip

    Turning 40 isn’t exactly something I was ever looking forward to, but I did make the best of it that I could. I had a great birthday trip with a great man and will tell you all about it.

    First, let me say really disappointing part of my trip was the service by US Airways. Two canceled flights due to “scheduled maintenance” the day before and the day of travel – if it was scheduled why didn’t they tell us sooner? Poor customer service, bad manners by gate attendants. It was just bad. If I can help it, I will not fly them again, I’ve sent a letter and expect an apology and refunds for some of their errors.

    Bill and I did finally meet, in spite of USELess Airways canceled flights in Maui only 30 minutes later than he should have arrived. The flight to Maui for me was two leg, first stop in Phoenix where a USEless Airways attendant refused to talk to me unless I covered up a word on my shirt. When I landed I also received texts from Bill saying his flight had been canceled and he’d been rerouted through Dallas.

    In Maui I feared the weather might be an issue as it was overcast and windy, but it cleared up and was great the rest of the trip. Bill rented us a convertible which was very nice to ride in, we headed off to our hotel, the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, in Lahaina about a 40 minute drive as it was rush hour. The Hyatt was pristine, just a very lovely huge property. The only issues that I had at the hotel were long lines to check in and just so so food at the restaurants. The staff was very kind and helpful. There happens to be a bunch of stores in the Hyatt (Macys, Sunglass Hut, some flip-flop store, Na Hoku, and some local things). I forgot to pack my shades, so I had to buy new ones, got a great pair from the Sunglass hut and the lady was very friendly and cool. Bill and I found perfect wedding bands at the Na Hoku.

    On our first full day we had scheduled a waterfall tour with Wade and No Ka Oi Adventures. Wade met us on time and greeted me with a hug at the Starbucks. We were soon off on our grand adventure to see secluded waterfalls on Maui. It had been raining and some of the spots we hoped to go were flooded out with very fast-moving current, so Wade opted to take us on more conventional routes. The first more conventional route I slipped and was neck-deep in a fast current before I knew what was happening – some initial panic before I was safe. Then later Bill was trying to reach a cave behind a waterfall and he slipped and hit his side against some rocks, huge bruise and scratch on his ribcage. What we saw with Wade was beautiful and we appreciated all his knowledge of the area, plants and history.

    Saturday night we went to see the Drums of the Pacific Lu’au at the Hyatt. I got up to learn to Hula and we met two wonderful people named Ken and Sue from Phoenix. They were great conversationalist and just wonderful people.

    Monday morning for my birthday we went whale watching with the Pacific Whale Foundation where we saw several whales from afar and a ton of dolphins – it was just what I wanted. That evening Bill had bought a ticket package to see Cirque Polynesia at the Hyatt and Ken and Sue were there too, we had dinner together after the show and closed the restaurant, it was a great evening and I even got a candle on my dessert. I should mention that Bill decorated the hotel room with 40 Year type things, it was sweet of him. It was the best birthday on record because I got to spend it with him.

    Wednesday we flew to Honolulu to see Pearl Harbor where we spent about 4 hours. Then we headed off to The Queens Medical Center where Bill was born and then off to the Palace for a tour. It was nice.

    The best parts of the trip were lying in a hammock with Bill under the stars, waking up with Bill every morning, finding the wedding bands and of course everything we did on my birthday. I love Maui. I probably forgot something important that Bill will give me a hard time about, but I’m ok with that. It was a great birthday trip.

  • Old Age

    This year I became old. Yes, yes, I know what you’re thinking 40 isn’t old… I’d agree with you normally, but this year all kinds of things happened that made me realize that yes, I’m old.

    This is the year that other people told their children or grandchildren that my name was “Mr. Prudlick” which has never happened before. Before it’s always been Jamez, or Uncle Jamez or Jamez and the giant peach, but never Mr Prudlick.

    This was the year when I realized that going barefoot over stones in a creek bed hurts. When I was a kid I couldn’t wait for summer so I could take off my shoes and run around all over the place in just my bare feet. I’d love the sound of them as they slapped the pavement or the feel of the grass as it tickled my soles. This year, pain, and irritation, I miss the old feelings.

    This is the year that I’ve actually gone to bed before 10 on weekends more times than I’d like to admit and when I’ve gotten up before 7 on a Saturday or Sunday because I didn’t want to watch the day slip by without my getting things done.

    This is the year that I came to realize how much other people mean to me. There have always been special people in my life but rarely has it mattered to me if they would be around for me when I needed them or if I would be there for them. This is the year I fell in love and also the year that I almost lost a friend and did lose another.

    I turned 40 yesterday and the world didn’t stop spinning and my hair didn’t all fall out nor did I start to use a walker (although my foot does still kind of hurt from walking in the creek bed). I do think it might be about the best birthday that I can remember. Lots of folks who saw my 40 Tshirt and 40 year old buttons made sure that I knew it was just the beginning and all the fun was just around the corner… lots of younger folks wanted to know if I got any discounts or specials for being 40… well no, but maybe you get a finer appreciation of the things around you then you had before.

  • My Birthday Wish

    This year for my birthday, December 6, 2009, I’m trying to raise cash for the Midnight Mission a non-profit organization in LA that helps the homeless and has a 12 Step approach. If you’re planning to give me a gift this year I would certainly appreciate a small donation to this worthy charity.

    Their mission statement:

    • To offer a bridge to self-sufficiency for homeless people through counseling, education, training and job placement.
    • To make available the necessities of life to homeless people: food, shelter, clothing, personal hygiene needs, and medical care.
    • To offer the 12-step approach to recovery.
    • To serve homeless people with empathy and respect, without sermonizing.
    • To provide for the homeless as an independent social service agency.

    In 1995 and 1996 I had the opportunity to visit the Midnight Mission first hand and see the good work they do. I also know several people who personally got their second chance at the Mission and made the most of it.

    All I want this year for my birthday is second chances for others and you can help me achieve that goal.

    Click here to donate through my birthday wish.

  • Never Quite What I Expected

    This was quite possibly the oddest year I’ve ever had. I started out the year surrounded by a host of friends supporting me during a small crisis and ended up the year with a host of friends surrounding me during a major crisis. I’ve been very fortunate to have such good friends, family and mentors in my life… and this year it paid off.

    First, the list of Favorite Things of 2008
    Movie: The Dark Knight (Heath Ledger was spectacular and it was a great comic book story)
    Album: Evolver (John Legend) – if you buy any album this year, buy this one
    Video Game: World of Warcraft – Wrath of the Litch King (I am getting a bit bored with the game, it’s been my favorite for 4 or 5 years now)
    TV Show: CSI – lots of changes over at CSI this year, not sure if I’ll like it after all the changes are done but I’m trying to remain open minded.
    Airline: Northwest/Delta – the way they helped me in November was just beyond what I expected – Kudos to them
    Coffee Pot: I got a new one, Cuisinart and it’s the best.. I bought one for Lisa it’s that good
    Gadget: Kindle – electronic books I love this thing and I have a ton of books on it.
    Web page: Facebook – dang this thing is addicting and fun

    As per usual, every Sunday morning if we are in DC – Mark, Robert and i have breakfast somewhere before our Sunday meeting. Annie’s changed their menu this fall so we are currently looking for a new place to eat – we may have found one after much searching.

    I started out the year following up on quitting my job, I had made the decision to quit back in November of 07, and events that happened in December just made me want to hurry out that much sooner. I gave notice, a months notice and told them I’d be happy to help them out for a while until my replacement was settled in. Then I was fired the following week (yes Gary fired). They locked me out of my work station and wiped my Blackberry clean. I was resentful for a while, but most of it got out in my blog and I felt better.

    Jim DiLuigi (who was also fired, but in December) and I wasted no time, but started up Access-Ability Consultants, Inc and have been working steadily since. Its a nice arrangement and we have a lot of fun. This year we made a profit, so that’s a very good thing. We have lots of very busy days and lots of days where we have time for Charlie to send jokes or to find cheap things for Jim to buy at Heartland America. Jim is the Treasurer for Historic Takoma which provides plenty of work for both of us, but doesn’t actually pay the bills 😉

    One of the nicer things about working with Jim is his family. As a result of the new company I’ve been fortunate to get to know some very special people better than I had a chance to know them before: Ana Maria, Lisa (and Rankine), David (and Regina), Mark (and Kate) and Jim’s Mom and brother as well. I will let you know that it got a little tense during some of the political circus this year as the DiLuigi family are not all the same political party… it was fun to see some of the back and forth banter.

    I’ve tried dating this year, been on several dates with several men … yes, JUST dates. There have been some promising candidates, but I’m not going to settle for less than I deserve, why would I want to. I’m still looking and its been a lot of fun. wish me luck.

    The cats (Q and Mouse) are fine, though Q has some kind of psychological disorder – or i assume so cause the Xrays found nothing ($338 later) to tell why he wont poop in the box.

    This was a high school year, not just the faux high school reunion, I also spent time with Eric and Kelly here in DC, and then Eric and I had a great weekend at the Renaissance Fair and Baltimore this fall. Ted, Eric, Rick, Jeff, Tim… hell a ton of folks are on Facebook, so I know what’s going on in their daily lives.

    I took several trips this year.

    In April Suzanne and I spent a weekend in NY (NJ and NY really) and besides someone breaking into her car (they didn’t steal anything, and the Ipod I had bought her for Christmas was in the Jeep – we think they were looking for the GPS) we had a great time. I saw my first play on Broadway – Young Frankenstein. I heard alot about Paul (Suzanne’s fiance) this weekend, but I didn’t get a chance to meet him until December. Suzanne’s dog Destiny had been very old at this point and Suzanne had her put to sleep, it was sad.

    In May I took a trip for my AA birthday (14) I went to Ft Lauderdale, but didn’t have quite as much fun as I normally do (read what you want into that).

    In June I took my first trip to Wisconsin for Scooters going away party. He graduated high school and took off for basic training. It’s always nice to spend time with Pat and Brenda and I, of course drove down to see Ma, Pa and Rhonda in Galesville and also visited Jim’s daughter in Nashville – that was very enjoyable it was nice to spend time with Lisa, her husband Rankine and their dogs Daisy and Buddy. so of course I missed gay pride in DC again… nothing new there.

    In July I took another trip to WI, this time for my pseudo 20 year reunion. Just a few of us decided to meet up and reminisce. It was a trip to see Rosy, Ted, Eric and Jen again. I hope we do it often. It was very nice and I stayed at Ma and Pa’s for 4 days I think. I got back and the next night went to see George Michael perform at the Verizon Center with Mark and Robert – I don’t much care for concerts so that’ll likely be my last one.

    In August, Pat, Brenda and Anna (Scooters girlfriend) came to DC to visit Scooter after Basic and then make me play tour guide… they had fun torturing me. In August a friend, John Dunn, died, it was sudden, unexpected and sad. He was one of the nicest people I ever met here in DC, he was mourned by many across the area.

    In October Jim and I finalized plans to take a trip to Cancun in November, I invited my good friend Brenda to go with me and then gave her a hard time every other day. One day I called and told her that the passport number she gave me was listed as invalid… she turned the car around and headed home… then I told her I was fibbin… she swore then. lol

    So of course the day my Pa died in November (15th) I called her as she was about to board the commuter plane to come to DC for the trip to Cancun and at first she didn’t believe me … don’t cry wolf.

    My Pa dying was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to live through. I cried like I had never cried before and I still miss him. I hope that I will always miss him. I get teary and sad off an on since I found out. I don’t really want to talk about it here… again… I miss my Pa. I am trying to be a better son, trying to be a better brother by staying more in touch with Ma and Rhonda… and as a result I’m trying to be a healthier person also. I had so much support from friends when this happened, and I am so very grateful that they were there and I hope I can be there for them if a similar situation occurs.

    In December I spent 5 days for my birthday in San Diego, exploring, playing tourist and relaxing. It was the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to go back.

    The weekend before Christmas I went to Suzanne’s, met her fiance Paul and her new dog Farley. We had a lovely visit.

    That was my year, it went by entirely too fast, but overall it was a good year. The people (salads and dogs) that have moved on this year made me into the person I am today – which is a good thing.

    If you want to know full on details about anything that was written above, try looking at my blog: http://mrjamezq.blogspot.com almost everything that happened this year to me was documented.

    I hope you all have a lovely year and I hope that I may get to share just a tiny fraction of yours with you.

    love

    jamez

  • My San Diego Adventure

    I had a great time.

    Oh, you need more… hmmm.

    The flight was uneventful, I did get to upgrade to first class for a small fee, and afterward I couldn’t tell you that there is a difference on US Airways between First and Coach, perhaps they ignore completely the folks in Coach and only slightly ignore those of us in first class… I’m not sure.

    This was my first trip to San Diego, and flying into the city was a breathtaking experience. As we approached and the outskirts of the city became visible to me, there were about 7 folks parachuting into the mountain area there – as they were there our plane was restricted from being low enough for an approach to land to actually be ok, so we had to fly out over the ocean and come back around – which pleased me as I got to see the city from above twice and just loved it.

    My hotel, The Park Manor Suites, was just a short cab ride from the airport and very inexpensive. I arrived at my hotel around 12:30 p.m., checked in and headed out almost immediately to see what I could find. (I forgot I actually went to the penthouse of the hotel where they have a restaurant, and had a burger quickly.)

    I walked to Balboa Park and just wandered around exploring the area, so much to see there (museums, architecture, views of downtown, muscular men in shorts jogging… ). I discovered that walking to the zoo on Thursday was going to be the cheapest way to go, and I discovered that they have a holiday light event (Balboa Park Holiday Nights) which would mean I had no intention of sifting through crowds of foolish merriment.

    My intention was to go to a meeting on Wednesday night, but I fell asleep in my room around 6 p.m. and woke around 5 a.m. the next morning. Oh well, we all know what the road to hell is paved with.

    Thursday after drinking coffee in my room I went upstairs to the penthouse for a continental breakfast and then headed out to the zoo. The San Diego Zoo was just amazing, and I was there almost as soon as it opened to the public that day. There were not too many screaming children, nor too many people at all, I may have had the best day to go. I immediately found the Pandas and then found my way to the overhead tram…. I quickly discovered that I have a small fear of heights, but I said a quick prayer (“God, please remove the fear.”) and its not like they could have gotten me off the damn thing once it started… To foolishly confront my fear, I went on the tram again later… had to say the same prayer again too. I had a great time at the zoo, it was a spectacular day.

    On my way back from the zoo, I headed to the San Diego Air and Space Museum. I had heard someone (either in the park, the hotel or the zoo) mention something about a Star Trek Exhibit, so I wanted to be sure to check it out. It was very cool, I did simulators of a Starfleet shuttle, got beamed up and just had a very geeky time.

    That evening I had dinner at the hotel. I didn’t really care for it, but I know people that like sauces and weird food probably would enjoy the restaurant there (that would more than likely be the rest of the planet). I just wanted a good steak, and I didn’t find one… (not the whole trip, but I didn’t do a search on the net for one, next visit I’ll do better research).

    Friday I took a trolley tour (no not a real trolley, one of those buses that looks like a trolley) of the city and did a lot of shopping. I loved Sea Port Village, got a close look at some hotels I’ve only ever seen in reports (the Marriott, the Sheraton… ) and just had a pleasant walk. The “boardwalk” stroll was nice on Friday, the weather was very cooperative to my enjoying the sun and calling friends in the midwest where it snowed.

    Friday night at the hotel they have a very popular happy hour on the penthouse. I attended, but soon felt uncomfortable and left. I don’t like bars. So, no I couldn’t tell you how any of the San Diego bars were, as I didn’t go… I had considered going to the Eagle, but soon remembered that I left my boots in DC and didn’t want to go without my boots (I’m weird, yes… we know).

    Saturday (my birthday) I had a few things in mind: facial, shopping, nap… yes, I’m easy to please. I also managed to go to the Balboa Theater to see the San Diego Men’s Chorus do their holiday show. They had a special guest from American Idol, but I didn’t know her, Paris Bennet. 

    Sunday I took a Hornblower Cruise of the San Diego bay. It was great, I spent two hours on a boat touring and loved it. 
    Monday I had breakfast at the Hash House A Go Go, again (I had eaten there almost every day for breakfast – huge portions) and then went off to the air port to go home.  Monday was an uneventful day, but I still relaxed and enjoyed it…
    until, while on the plane, I spilled scalding hot coffee on myself, oh well…

  • Malicious Wounding

    Today, June 20th, I went to the County of Arlington Courthouse to testify in regards to the incident listed here:

    On May 2nd, 2007, at approximately 9:00 a.m. as I descended the Metro Platform escalator to Terminal C at Ronald Reagan National Airport I heard a man say loudly “you don’t know who you messin’ with” I looked down to see a man pounding his fist into another man near the bottom of the escalator. The victim, was curled into a protective stance (almost a fetal position), not fighting, not making any effort to inflict injury yet the man kept hitting him.

    I waved my arm and pointed to the area to try to grab the Metro Attendants attention, but he could not see clearly what I was trying to point out. As I reached the area I told the man to back away and stop hitting the other man. He hit him a few more time before the Metro Attendant arrived and he listened to him. The Metro attendant told the assailant: you need to get out of my station, get out of here. And after hitting the victim several more times he did leave the station.

    There was blood splattered and pooled on the floor and a dumb bell, I only saw him use his fists as a weapon, not the dumb bell. When the victim sat up it was clear he had been hurt, there was blood dripping from his mouth and on his clothes. The Metro attendant, placed a cone at one area to direct people away from the blood, and I placed a similar cone on the opposite side.

    The Metro Attendant then called over the Airport intercom for security to immediately arrive.

    I asked if I should stay for a statement or something, the attendant returned to his booth and grabbed a pad of paper and told me to write my name, address and phone number down. I asked the attendant why he let the assailant go, his answer: he works for the here.

    I was not a witness to what the victim may have said or done to instigate the assailant, but I’m fairly certain there was not excuse to continue hitting him. I am also no expert on security or protocols for WMATA, but I know letting an assailant go because of where he works is wrong.

    The above mentioned statement was sent to Arlington County Police Department, WMATA, Jim Graham and some others. WMATA’s response is that they have spoken with the Metro Attendant and he claims he didn’t know who the assailant was. Today, I was informed that both the assailant and the victim worked at the same restaurant/cafe within the airport. WMATA said they had given descriptions of the assailant to the police and that the Metro attendant followed procedure and did nothing wrong.

    Unfortunately the victim in this matter did not show up, his number has been disconnected and he no longer works where he did work. The prosecuting attorney asked for an extension and this matter may come up again in August or October. I was also informed that he did use the dumb bell to strike the victim, and that he was indeed in jail.

    The saddest part of this entire experience was knowing approximately 10 “human beings” walked right by while this man inflicted injury upon another human being. They did nothing to stop it, nor even help the victim.

  • Six

    I’m 36, and trying to decide if that means anything. I mean sure, 6 * 6 = 36, but that can’t mean anything right? 12/06/2006 lots of sixes in there also… 6*2 =12, 06 (duh), and 2006. 12*3 = 36 and of course 3*2=6. Number, math who needs its. Just one more strange coincidence…

    Of course this year I also turned 12 years sober, there are two more. The Twelve Steps of AA, the Twelve Traditions, Promises, Principles… lots of 12s more so than 6s. Bill Wilson (the founder of AA) thought there were 6 steps in the Oxford groups, and based his 12 on those 6. The Oxford groups dismiss this notion, and say they never had any steps. But, if they did, perhaps the number six has more spiritual meaning than any of us realized.

    Perhaps all those times in Vegas, when you bet on “Lucky Number 7”, had you bet on the real number, 6, you would have won. Cats with 9 lives? Lets claim dyxlexia, say the person to come up with this just saw a 6 and not a 9 at all… dang, are my cats doomed to pass on at any moment?

    36, just another number, just another year surrounded by the best of people. I’ll never be able to find anything clever about 37… next year, we’ll just go off somewhere sunny and relax… oh, wait, I do that already.