cometman

This is a good song for this thread.

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now. A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult.. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. 'We must do something about father,' said the son. 'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.' So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded, 'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. ' The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks.. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.. On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day,the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a 'life.' I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands.You need to be able to throw something back sometimes. I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

Hope you had a great birthday, bud.

I haven't had many encounters, but the ones I have had have been superb- simply awesome. One of the reasons I say awesome is because I am in awe of these ladies. They have to overcome fear with every new encounter because they have no idea who or what they are about to meet. I know I'm a nice guy, I know I'm respectful, I know I'm harmless.......they don't. Maybe they see my interactions on here, perhaps my polite emails and text messages impress.....I dunno how they do it......I would crap my drawers if the positions were reversed. It may be the oldest profession in the world, but the world has changed. To me, these women on here are goddesses and I worship their bravery and trusting souls. It's a privilege getting to know them and one of the best parts of any encounter is the interaction leading up to anything that may happen...especially the first minutes of the actual face-face. Not following their instructions or directions is something that would never occur to me. I honestly feel like they're doing ME a favor- not the other way around.

Holy crap, Lee....you're a man after my own heart! I do love a bbq.....all year round. I just loaded up two deep freezers with beef....LOTS of beef......over 1000 pounds of patties, steaks, roasts......and whatever else you get, lol. So what does my SO do last night? Ordered pizza, of course. Gawd......gimme steak....liver and onions, burgers......but not pizza. I like a nice big steak- medium well done-, with a few trimmings, but not many. Oh, yeah......and beer. Cristy, as far as man vs. food.......30 years ago I could eat like that, but now, I could put on 20 pounds just from watching that show! Great food on there, but have you seen the difference in his physique since he started the show? LOL I think he's chunked up a bit, but I may be wrong.

Best news article I've read in a long time.

Opened up just fine.

Just curious......how do they practice? I think the best flight would be the second one. The first one would be sheer terror. Additional Comments: Watch this one. It freaked me out just watching it.

http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/flying.html

Way to go, bud! Congrats.

Congrats, Castle! Keeerist...getting to be fewer of us mortals on here all the time, lol.

There are some gut-wrenching stories here and I commend everyone for sharing. These things that bother us and shape us are what separate us from other species. The number of nominations and people commenting and empathizing speaks volumes as to the caliber of members on here. I have shared my story with some friends, but it's tough to do without getting emotional..easier to share with you people- my "bartenders". However, I find myself grieving for others on here as much as I did for myself a few months ago.

Couldn't give any more rep, so let me just say.......that's friggin' hilarious!

For me, it was a late night phone call from Ottawa last June telling me my sister was placed on life support due to cancer and would likely not last the night.We knew she had cancer ( ), but assumed she had a few months to go and we had the summer to visit together. I made it to Ottawa the next night, she was still alive, but never emerged from the coma. She heard me talk to her, reacted to me so much they had to increase the sedative, and I spent six days with her. The most difficult thing I ever had to do in my life was leave Ottawa to return home without seeing her wake up. They took her off life support Canada Day, she woke up long enough to squeeze hands and hear people, and passed four hours later. She and I had a very close bond and it changed my life when I said goodbye. Thanks for the thread....it's good therapy to talk about these things.

Way to go, Dorinda! Class all the way!

Dutigaf.......meaning Do You Think I Give A F*#k. However, being a nice guy in real life, this name would be in a red, glass-covered case..to be used only in case of emergency.

I'm not sure where "here" is, but if you go to the index, go down to the red section, then go to the city section where you reside, and check out the SP schedules and announcements, you'll feel like a kid in a candy store. Once you find some ads that tickle your fancy, check out the recommendation threads for those ladies. In addition to local ladies, there are also touring ladies that visit your city from time to time on a regular basis. There are some awesome ladies in each locale that are definitely world class.

Awwwwwwwww......happy birthday to our Maritime treasure.

Have a great trip and wish I could join you. but we'd never return, lol. I used to go south and will again, but business keeps me fairly tied down. I also like the heat and Florida used to be mt favorite destination....not the touristy Florida, but the off the beaten path Florida. There's a lot to be said for sun, sand, and palm trees.

Bah, humbug. My job has me outside all day, every day, so winter is not my favorite season. Give me the heat and sunshine to get back out on my motorbike and my blood pressure will go back to normal.

I did the DNC thing awhile back and still get telemarketers calling. I'm not entirely convinced that new telemarketers or scammers abide by the list. If I'm in my office and a strange number comes up, I Google it to see who it is before I answer.....and it's usually a call I don't want to take. If a strange number comes up on my cell phone, that's what voicemail is for. I don't feel like spending all day trying to be nice to people I don't want to talk to and sometimes I think the DNC list is sold to marketers, lol.

Way to go, Penelope!!!!

I spent a few years on the cutting edge of the latest and greatest technology, but now am almost a recluse from it, lol. I got tired of the dependency, the cost, and the distractions. My phone bill in 1995 was $750 a year. Now, with cell phones, internet, etc., it's over 7 grand per year...........WTF? When the kids are gone, the cell phones are theirs and I'll stick to my basic phone as long as possible. I don't want to surf the net from my phone, do FB, and so on. I'm the only one in this household that doesn't. I don't use my cell phone to talk or text while driving, either.......I pull over. A good day is when I forget my phone in the house while outside working and, I'll be damned, the world doesn't stop. As we become more dependent on mobile technology, I'll enjoy watching more videos like this one.........

I concur, Pen. I read both articles and they are compelling and thought provoking. When people in positions of power mis-use that power against innocents, they are the scourge of the earth and the worst of the worst. Fuck him and people like him. Unfortunately, there are more of them out there that we likely would ever suspect. Silence is not an option.

Now THAT'S how the easterners do it, lol. Way to go, hun!!!!