Old, balding, chemo poisoned, over radiated, surgically repaired, natural born male, husband, father, grandfather and Army vet who is the luckiest and most grateful man alive. I love life, my beautiful wife and my great friends and family. I love to get together with with friends and familty to laugh, eat, drink, listen to music or watch sports and maybe share a drink or cigar.
A native Texan, born and raised in Big D. Retired from the corporate world in 2001, after 23 years in medical X-Ray sales and a couple of years as a broker with Merrill Lynch. Got bored with retirement real quick and went to work as a financial manager at a Dallas College.
Grew up in Dallas, but now live in Coppell just north of DFW airport and 5 minutes from the Dallas Cowboy's in Valley Ranch. In August 1969, while all my hippie friends (you know who you are) were partying in the mud at Woodstock and listening to Country Joe and the Fish, I was getting married to Barbara, the most beautiful girl in the world. She's managed to tolerate me for 40 years. We have two daughters, three grandsons, a rescued Golden Retriever (we think, maybe, could be, looks like) named Tumbles and a spoiled rotten cat named Cody. Our oldest grandson, Chase just finished his first year of college. He and his brother Preston love to play hockey. Chase, was a high school all star player for Coppell and Preston is playing for the Northwest Texans. Our youngest grandson Cameron loves baseball and is the first baseman for a U10 AA travel baseball team, the Coppell Colts.In 1970, after four years of college (primarily majoring in draft evasion) I won the lottery and was drafted into the Army. Like many of my friends, I received a letter from Pres. Richard Nixon personally inviting me to join the party. Not all bad, in fact at times it was an amazing rush. Served in an Assault Helicopter unit, did what I was told and served my country proudly. I was a damn good mechanic, crew chief and door gunner on UH-1H's "Huey's". I was later transferred to an Assault Support Helicopter Company of CH47A "Chinook's" and somehow lived to tell about it. Cheated death and defied the laws of physics one circle red X flight at a time. The mission came first so we lit the fires and turned blades, prayed hard and did our job.
In 2007, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Stage 3 prostate cancer. After surgery, radiation therapy and some really nasty drugs I might just beat it. My message is to men over 50: Get checked!!! The only thing that sucks worse than Cancer is the treatment to fix it. So get checked early!!
One good thing: The experience has taught me to take it easy and enjoy the really important things in life. Family, friends, good food and good music and occasionally a good cigar and an adult beverage. In the face of serious adversity, you will find that only a few things in your life are really important. Focus on them and let the rest of the stuff take care of itself. Life is wonderful, enjoy every minute you have.
