These are some great stories. I'd like to share mine, since I think that it's pretty interesting. I met my husband over the phone. I was working at a new job after being unemployed for 8 months. I worked in the order dept for a very respected publishing company, taking phone orders. Since I was so elated to be working again I tended to be extremely pleasant and helpful in those early days so when I received a call from StonyBrook University's bookstore inquiring about one of their orders instead of transferring the call to customer service ( as we were supposed to do) I checked the status of the order myself & told the guy on the other end of the phone that it had shipped out about a week ago. Since Stony Brook Univ is about an hour away from our distribution center I was a bit baffled as to why they hadn't received the books yet. He asked how the books had been shipped and I replied "by armadillo?". He howled with laughter. We spoke again a few more times in the course of the regular order pool, then he started asking for me exclusiveley and after hours of conversations at work (it's a wonder that my co-workers never ratted me out) we started calling each other at home. Now, these marathon phone calls took place over the course of a year. The subject of appearance never came up, nor did the fact that both of us were currently involved in long term relationships (I was dating the world's biggest loser- gorgeous as anything but the "honey can you bail me out of jail 'cause I've got two simultaneous warrants for my arrest in two different counties" kind of loser.) So after a year and countless hours on the phone I was going out to Stony Brook to visit a dear friend and my phone pal, Bill, suggested that we meet for a drink. I offered to stop by the bookstore to find him. I had a vision of being able to spot him immediately in spite of having no idea what he looked like. I was crazy about this guy already and was convinced that I would just "know. Well. For starters once I arrived on campus I couldn't find the bookstore. Nor could I find anyone that could tell me where the bookstore was. Panicked that the store would close before I could get there, I found a payphone & called. I told Bill where I was, he told me to sit tight & he'd come find me. You need to picture this. It was 1992. I'm sporting an impressive black mohawk, multiply piereced ears, skull buckle boots, head to toe black. In strolls the early 90's equivalent of James Hetfield from Metallica, complete with long hair & impressive fu manchu moustache. SO not my mental image of my phone pal and so, so not my "type". I was devastated. You have to understand that at the time I was very, very superficial & most likely would never even have spoken to my now husband, much less dated him. Still, the evening went well once I got past his looks (I was such an idiot) and I figured that I wouldn't hold that against him (a pompous idiot). We went onward to my friend's house...who had just taken a home pregnancy test & greeted us waving the urine dipped stick. It was positive & she was delighted. Bill never batted an eye at the antics of my delirious friend, just took it all in stride. So I called him about a week later at home. I figured that there was no reason he & I couldn't continue our friendship even though he wasn't my type. He was very odd on the phone, very distracted & almost disinterested and it ocurred to me...much to my horror...that maybe he had a problem with MY appearance! How dare he! I was livid. I found out later that he was so distant over the phone because his GF of a bout 2 years was there, wanting to know who he was talking to, who I was, etc. A couple of months later he calls me at work & we pick up as if we'd never stopped. The marathon phone calls resumed & when I'd go out to visit my now very pregnant friend, he'd stop by her place as well. Still friends, still chatting, nothing else. By this time we had both shed our respective (in)significant others, though. We had our first real "date" in July...a friend's wedding in Buffalo where Bill told me that he never wanted to get married & I said I had no intentions of doing so either... & he asked me to marry him on Christmas eve. We'll have been married 13 years this March and I thank God every day for how lucky I am. The funny thing is that I come from a very, very old country Italian family. My father died when I was very young but my mother is very traditional & old fashioned. She is anti long hair on men, anti tattoo and definitely anti motorcycle but thinks that the sun rises & sets on my husband. After years of her absolutely forbidding me to learn to ride a motorcycle she was delighted when I got my license after Bill & I got married & thinks that it's wonderful how the two of us share that. I'm convinced that after the parade of freaks I brought through her house she was so ecstatic to see me end up marrying someone that was intelligent and respectful she didn't care how long his hair was. But she adores him as he does her and I'm very fortunate for that as well :-). Nina

Hi Lana, yes there is going to be 2 get togethers. The first one will be in Tampa on Feb. 7th. So far there is Mimi Boo, Sharon FL, Dances and myself. I know there are more people than that in the Tampa area but haven't heard anything from them. The second one will be over near Hobe Sound, which is North of Miami. I am hoping I can get in touch with April and Marion who live in that area. I am planning on driving over there for the day and Carol will ride with me. I also had hopes of meeting with Shequit (MK) while in Naples. She posted to one of my threads but I guess the email from the GW wasn't working. Hopefully she will write to me or give me a call on my cell phone which is the number she called me at last year. I didn't know that Summer and McCloud were going to Florida. I know that the temperatures have been down. If I had a bad back I think I would be flying instead of driving.

I just got off the phone with my folks. They are all for our get together at their house. So the date is set for Feb. 10 in Naples. I was thinking about 11AM to start. How about instead of going to a restaurant we get some food from Boston Market. My Dad said they just had a dinner to go for 4 with plenty of food for about $25 so the cost wouldn't be too bad when divided by how many of us are there. Or we could order some pizzas. Just want to keep it simple and no work for anyone. If this is alright with everyone I will get the paper plates and other things that we would need. I will also need to know what everyone likes to drink ahead of time so I can get that also. Joan I asked my Dad about having someone stay in their motorhome in the driveway and he said they can't do that in Naples. He said there is a WalMart not far from his home where folks stay overnight. Hope that would work for you and Kenny if you can come. Gazania, my Dad has Post Polio and understands about the steps. He said he could have a ramp made and was very concerned about your comfort. I am sure everyone will love my folks. They are in their 80's and very outgoing people. You will also get to meet my son, Shannon, as he will be there for my Dad's 87's birthday. I am really looking forward to this and hope you all are too. Please contact me at runvswing@hotmail.com to get directions and also phone numbers you will need. If there are any questions I will be happy to answer them as best as I can.

I am so tired tonight but still want to ask for prayers and hugs. The week before we came down, I had four days of extreme pain with an infected tooth which was removed the day before we flew down. Morning of our departure we had 12 inches of snow and had a difficult time getting out. Wait, you have not heard it all. Got here, happy to be out of the snow belt. Tooth thing really good but get a cough and cold. After two night of not much sleep, go to a doc. He gave me the wonderful codeine cough thing and an antibiotic for the rest. Wake up next morning with my face twice its size. Allergic reaction or drug interaction - I had told the doc down here that I had been off of another antibiotic for only three days. He said not problem. I guess it was. So, off of the new antibiotic (duh!) and onto prednisone and benedryl - I could have done my own diagnose on this one. That was Fri. Sat and Sun were horrible but not nearly as horrible as Monday. Monday am, hubby comes into family room and does not look good. Tells me there is something not right. I have my hand on the phone to 911 - I know he has had a stroke! The paramedics were here within 15 minutes. 6 of them! I will tell you I was so scared for my DH. DH spent almost the entire day in ER, doing tests, being observed. The docs and nurses and assistants were wonderful. Finally saw the neurologist at about 5 in the aft. He had seen all of the immediate test results and had confirmed stroke. It was in the lobe which affect speach and fine motor control - a nasty one for an attorney to have. However, no cognitive harm. He has done remarkably well in the last 24 hours and we are confident that he will continue to improve though it will take work. He has already stared with a speach therapist (I love her) and will have therapy for fine motor control. He has no problem with walking - we walked the entire hospital this aft. so tired tonight - drove home through an amazing storm with close to zero visibility. Amazing to look out the balconey toward Miami at this hour and see the lightning stikes-the entire sky lights up. I am on Marco, BTW and I am going to bed. MK