Wow! You've had a hell of a colorful life! That's sad about your friend in the turf wars dying in your arms. Hard to get that sort of thing out of one's mind forever. I know that from seeing so many patients pass away, that I became close to...especially, when I was very young and worked in Peditrics with Children with childhood cancers and the like. Very tough stuff to hold in the mind's eye.

Ah, yeah Pinochle..very, very big in the Upper Countries of New York..my own grandmother was still counting her 'meld' in her head for pinochle right up until the moment she passed away at 88. I kid you not..she didn't drink smoke or wear make-up..(the pure blooded Dane) but she loved her pinochle games on Friday and Sat and any other day she could con us into playing with her, as well.

Pinochle and Bowling..What Upstate New York considers: Good Times, hahaha.

My ex and I used to laugh about that and how we longed to get out of there and live in "The Big City."

Well, we finally both did just that. He's up in Canyon Country,Ca., remarried with a lovely daughter for many years ,now ,but he takes good care of our grown daughter. Gave her his parents home when his mom passed away.

I'm here in Long Beach, still licensed and working, in nusring , with my man of 20 some years to help me when I need him, and our precious teenage son, who tells me he loves living in the center of the entertainment industry. He's a good kid, really getting a good education in this school district he goes to the best High School in The City..had to audition to gte in and made it..so I am very pleased with that.(he's a good writer,among other talents and interests, in history, and music)

We made it out of there okay, after all.

Interesting too, about your being in Buffalo when JFK was shot and how a Good Samaritan gave you fare home. What an amazing story. I was in 4 th grade..and the Sister Superior came in to the class room and had us kneel and say a prayer for The President. Then they sent us home early. It was sad, indeed.

No one ever seems to forget where they were when Kennedy was shot.

;-)