My old friend from high school called this evening. He is the only one of the many I knew back then who has kept in touch; he is a true friend. He remained in Chicago all these years, but visited us numerous times after we left there. One of the first times was only about a year after we left. He came out to our place in Laveen, AZ, with the specific aim of taking a tour of the continuous copper rod plant in Globe, AZ, where the copper is mined and processed. Charlie, after all, has vested interest: Masters Degree, Metallurgical Engineering. We had a great time. About 1980. Then, I was married to my 2nd. wife, the Hoosier from Churubusco, IN. Backtrack, 1974, he flew out to our place in Vegas, me & my first wife. We three took a wonderful trip up into Utah, stopping at the major parks, Zion, Arches, Capitol Reef. Charlie had always been a single man. My ex kind of resented his presence, but she, too, had endured incredibly worse misery, some of you know. Curious? Ask. Charlie will arrive here in Bullhead City (AZ) in 13 days, on a charter flight from South Bend, IN, subsidized by the Riverside Hotel. Almost all big airliners in and out of here are non-commercial flights, like his. Quarter million folks a year, all non-scheduled air flights! Strangely enough, our old friend Vonda, from N.E. IN, will be on that same flight. Her husband chooses to not partake in this nonsense, and will remain at home. Vonda met Charlie & Sandy here in 2011, while we were "Snowbirding" here. We love them all, and welcome their friendship and dedicatedness to us as old friends, despite the "draw" of the casinos and night life. We happen to have chosen to live in an area where many folks act strangely, succumbing to the casino atmosphere, sky's the limit, nightime means stay up till dawn, "spend money we ain't earned yet" philosophy. But we love it here. The open spaces, the Desert, the lakes and river, the WINTERS! We pick oranges in December! Rambling on here, my wife gone "up", (Hoosier for "to sleep"), afflicted with extreme back pain last several days. I think she's asleep; last night I crashed on my recliner, and learned this morning she was up and about with back pain, unable to fall asleep until 2AM. Me, I realize how fortunate I am. Lucky old bastard, which I KNOW to be fact! Frank