After a long respite, I thought I would say hello

[Nitro Dan]

FYI R&R, Princess was the most accommodating cruise line for me. They supplied me 20 days (20 Gallons) of distilled water for drinking and my CPAP for free! I don't normally drink distilled water, (RO usually) but beggars can't be choosey....

[TXKajun]

R&R, welcome back! I've also taken a break from posting, but am back. It was great reading your news. Could you have taken these steps way back when you were pre-CPAP?? Bet not! LOL Congrats!

Great to see all the familiar nicknames!

Sleep well, ya'll!

Kajun

This therapy WORKS! Just ask R&R!

[rock and roll]

I am being blatant here and want to keep this on page one as I am enjoying hearing from old friends. New ones too.

How is the old weight loss club doing now that I can be a member with my loss. I did it by counting carbs, it works! Of course being diagnosed with diabetes gave me the incentive. Still have more to go.

[TXKajun]

Go ahead and blat, R&R (as in being "blatant")! Great to hear from you.

Kajun

[WAFlowers]

Also wondered about Liam (who just recently showed up again), WillSucceed and WAFlowers.

After a long absence I returned. Couldn't reuse the same userid though because that email address went away and the password was locked out by the change in this board. But I'm still alive, well, compliant and busier than ever.

The company I was a partner in sold 2 years ago. Some of the money I got from that was used to buy my wife something very special. I'm not sure whether to call it a 25th anniversary present (the deal closed a week before our anniversary) or a fabulous Valentine's Day present since it was on February 14 I told the bank I was going ahead with the deal. Anyway, to see what I bought her click on this: http://www.thesunflowersbythesea.com

I'm still working for the firm that bought us out however. My wife goes up to Canada to run the place for three months every summer. The long seperation is tough but the reunions are wonderful!

I keep busy between work, Bible study and hobbies. Over the past year I shot video for at least 4 weddings and tonight I should finish editting my latest which is a 2.5 minute teaser for the upcoming Terminator movie. I also remain involved in a local autoCross club although the Miatas I used to drive (I once owned 3 at the same time) have been replaced with an S2000. The last Miata is for sale.

My bride of almost 27 years and I are readying a Bible study we are going to lead based on the book "Marriage Without Regrets" starting April 8. That is our anniversary which seems appropriate.

Anyway, I hope no one is upset by my reviving a couple of old threads where my name had been mentioned.

[rock and roll]

Well, BillFlowers thanks for getting me off my duff and posting again. Good to hear from you. I did retire and am running the travel agency as an online business and just when I felt like I had the time to relax, Hurricane Ike hit and boom, house in shambles. For a good while, had to fight with insurance compant as they are slammed with claims and then getting a good contractor took forever with all the demand. I finally did and now the repairs are being done. The outside is almost done and the inside is almost as well. These guys have been working so long in my home that my guard dog thinks they are family now and pays no attention to them. And she hates everybody but my wife and I. Hopefully it will be done soon as I am going on a two week cruise next month.

[WAFlowers]

I thought retirement (aka career change) might be coming soon after my company sold 2 years ago, but every time I begin to think that something happens. Now I'm just hoping that some year (not this year) I can semi-retire to the point where I can spend a significant portion of the summer at the B&B my wife and I own instead of being almost 2000 miles away from it ... and her.

[dsm]

Some of you won't remember me but I was talking to a long time list member the other day and was told I was missed. So I thought I would let everyone know why I have been gone awhile. Most that know me know that I have been a home furnishings and mattress broker for many years. As everything else, this business has changed and my position with a large company I was employed with for a long time was outsourced to China and then the company went under. So I opened my own brokerage and worked my tail off the last four years getting it profitable. This while fighting health problems such as Crohn's, Diabetes, and RA. Then last year, a Chinese company asked me to take over as manager in the US to turn them around and get them on the map here, which I have done. But it has taken every minute of every day and I just had to give up my life to it. The Chinese are different to work for as well and I have recently decided, I am tired, and not enjoying it and I am going to retire from this business and want to spend time with my wife. We love to cruise more than anything else and as I know I would go stir crazy with no business to run, I am going to combine business with pleasure and am in the process of buying a cruise travel agency and will specialize in putting together great cruise vacations for people.

Anyway, I have been slowly pulling away from my current employment so hopefully I can get back to having time to chatting on forums and reestablishing old relationships with my friends on them. So, I am counting on a few of you old timers to get me up to date with what's going on here and I will try to get back into the rhythm of the list again.

Earl,

Great to hear from you - seems a very long time - I recall you posting about a year to 18 months back then gone again.

I still haven't pinpointed your house on lake Conroe
(Am testing my memory - was sure that was where you said you lived - I figure if I can remember that then my cpap therapy must be working - I honed in on Houston as was sure it was there somewhere & bingo! there was Lake Conroe & it all came back ).

How has the travel business been working out ? -

I guess you have had a few bad spells with the hurricanes over the past 3 years.

Welcome back

DSM