HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN

John and Robert - 1987

It has been said that the old geezer does not smile.  Rubbish.  Look at the smile on me face.

Truth be told, John has a smile that could light up a room. I remember the taking of this snap well.  It was Christmas time and I was happy to be celebrating the season and to be sharing time with John.  That smile on me face says it all.

John would have been 68 today.

MEMORIES SHARED

DISCLAIMER: Having been asked multiple time to tell stories from my life and giving the requests much thought, the old geezer has given in and provides a glimpse behind the veil. As with any life, it is the parts of, rather than the whole, that give the best understanding of should think. At least that is the belief of this old geezer. There are defining moments that allow folks to reference in trying to decide what to make of us. What will follow may be more than some will want to know, and they can stop reading. As to the dear reader who continues to read, what will follow will tell on a part of life lived that meant much to MOI and is believed to have shaped the course of his life. Having stated that, pray do not judge what you read until you get to the end and then decide if it gave a better understanding of MOI. Can ask for no more than that.

My dears, MOI sits at machine and quakes at the thought of revealing so much. However outgoing you may think MOI is, to be true, there is a most private person unknown to you. Right, MOI bangs out endless stories of life lived on road to the whole world and HE is 'private'. Bit of a dichotomy that and will leave it to you to sort it all out.

MOI is desperate to not come off as pompous and making every effort to qualify what will follow. Should think that this quote from 'Diary of A Nobody' does that nicely:

"Why should I not publish my diary? I have often seen reminiscences of people I have never even heard of, and I fail to see — because I do not happen to be a 'Somebody' — why my diary should not be interesting. George Grossmith

"Get on with it!" and so MOI shall.

It is convenient for many who have come upon MOI at this point in life to assume that his present visage is one that has always been one presented to the world. Old, fat and sinking into decrepitude. Hair much gone and eyes in need of glasses. No one knows better than MOI that what was once 'golden youth' has long since departed. Trust me my dears, there was a day that MOI was thought of as 'the cat's meow', quite a figure he cut, slim and handsome, even 'dashing'............. That was then and this is now, and the bath mirror tells daily what MOI looks like.

Many, many moons ago, long before the INTERNET, MOI met a chap that was to change his life forever. Did not know at the time, but it is surely how it turned out.

Now, MOI knows full well that for as many who are 'au fait' with, there will be many giving a read that have missed a few chapters here and will be clueless to some things about MOI. MOI is 'bent' as in not straight. 'Gay' if you prefer, although MOI has always been curious as to the popular use of the word to label followers of 'the love that dare not speak it's name'. To be sure, MOI has met many a 'unhappy' homosexual. Yes Virginia, MOI is a 'nancy boy', 'light in the loafers' and would never be thought of as a 'bit of rough'.........you get the picture..........

MOI was sitting at a luncheon counter in a city not unlike one now lived in, when the love of his life entered. Unknown to MOI, this young chap had seen MOI on many different occasions and was hellbent on making himself known to MOI. MOI was reading a book and trying to block out what was going on round and was not happy about being put upon by this chap. Had never paid any attention to in the past and was clueless as to why he would want to introduce self to(not really, but was trying to be coy).

'My name is John, and I have seen you around' he said. Not the most original of lines but it will have to do. He WAS easy on the eye and did have a pleasant manner, so MOI bought into the meet and agreed to go to see a film with. 'The trap was set' and MOI walked right into it. John agreed to see a foreign film(learned later he loathed sub-title films) and a good time was had by both. We agreed to meet again.

A chance meeting turned into a marathon of meeting over the following 7 days and at the end, John took to dinner and came right out with his purpose. Sitting cross from, he set a pair of keys on the table and said: 'I have decided that we are meant for each other and here are the keys to my home, you are to move in!' MOI had never had a real live-in relationship up to that point and was gobsmacked at how firm his belief was that MOI was THE one. To be true, MOI had taken a shine to John and it was not hard to buy into the offer. Kindred souls we were, or so MOI thought at the time, and that was to be more so as time went by.

Will not bore the dear reader with the mundane details of daily life between us. To be true, one does not remember these as clearly as the snapshots of a life shared that spring forward that become the high lights of. And there are so many of these to cling to.

What is remembered on this day are these:

First trip to Lake Tahoe. Driving through the snow in the mountains and chatting all the way. Checking in at the hotel(a rather grand one), taking silver dollars and placing into a massive fruit machine next to check-in, losing $5.00 with first pull and placing the next bet and pulling handle(they still had at that time) turning round and telling that we had just lost $10.00 and had not even made to room or got to eat yet. The massive machine started ringing loudly, with lights flashing. MOI had won the 'JACKPOT', all of the sultans had lined up and $5,000 was won. No fool was John and he quickly told MOI to take the cash and run. We canceled our rooms(they now were offered for FREE), collected winnings in CASH and got back into motor and were headed home. My dears, it had been a long drive there and tired as we had been, we not were quite giddy at having so much cash that we laughed and laughed all the way home. Tired was not even thought of.

Buying our first house. Wondering how we were going to pay the $286.46 mortgage. Tight we were with a quid, we were. There would be many homes to follow but one always remembers the first.

Doing a make-over on John's wardrobe. John was a 'trust fund' baby. Came from 'old money' and had never had to worry about the whole of life. Right odd how the truly rich never think of selves as 'wealthy'. John thought a perfect wardrobe could be had at JCPenney, right off the rack his clothes came and it showed. Out went the old and in came the 'designer look'. From shirts to trousers to under pants and shoes even, John was made over. To be true, John did not put up a fight and loved the 'new' look.

Walking through Macy's one afternoon and John spotting a 'Calvin Klein' leather jacket and wishing he could afford it. My dears, he could, just too bloody tight with cash to part with. MOI went back and bought it and John was gobsmacked at the extravagance. Mind, it soon became his most favourite jacket.

The many holidays taken together in Hawaii. Walking the beaches, dining well, staying at a posh hotel, planning on retiring there one day.

Taking John to his first play and having John take MOI to his first Bette Midler concert.

John standing up for MOI when the newspapers carried stories of the horrid businessman he was. Making money was not something folks thought kindly about, more so when it meant buying run down hotels in rough section of city and moving the old and the poor out. MOI never broke any laws, it was all perfectly legal, but MOI and his partners in business, were not 'social workers' and never gave a thought to the human cost of displacement. It was all about making money. Not nice to see self in the newspaper and called "Tarzan of the Tenderloin". Have a clever columnist write about and liken one to 'what the evil dentist in a film was to dentistry, is DeFrees to hotel industry'. Dark days but John never left side and brushed off the countless newspapers dropped on his desk to draw attention to the horrid creature he lived with. Not once.

Throwing a birthday bash and having all stay away due to the notoriety of MOI. ALL, my dears, personal friends and folks known in local government. John lighting the candles on cake and giving presents to MOI as he cried and cried.

Sitting here, so many memories come flooding back, it is hard to know which to tell. They come back out of order, some stronger than others, but they are quite vivid. It was a life lived, charmed to be sure but it came with a price.

Many sad partings as MOI went off to far away places to do business. Long periods apart in cities across the pond. Missed birthdays and holidays and daily events not shared. There were the telephone calls and the letters and cards. Many, many cards, with messages of longing sent and received. A collection of T-Shirts sent to John from every place visited.

Then came AIDS.

No one who was not there will ever know how horrid that period of time was in the beginning. Stories were told of a strange new illness that was striking down countless homosexual men. 'The Gay Plague' it was wrongly thought of. It got that due to so many homosexuals being among the first brought down by it. MOI read all on the subject he could find. MOI heard it was spread by sexual contact.

MOI had always been told by mates that he was a prude, that he was missing out on the greater ride to be ad by the 'sexual revolution' taking place. The 'candy store' was open for business and all one had to do was enter and feed on all of the delights to be had. Sample away, what is the harm and you might even like it. The problem with 'FREE LOVE' is that it is not entirely free. There has to be some guilt attached to all of that pleasure, and what about STD's. MOI missed the boat and all let him know.

When they came out with a test for risk to AIDS, MOI was one of the first to take. Dragged John with. At the time, the 'Lavender Elite' was not big on it, even suggested that it had no value and could be used to round up folks in the future. Nothing like spreading a few lies to scare folks. In the beginning, one was given the test and a number was handed to, all very private and without identity attached to. No one wanted anyone to know HIV status.

Together, John and MOI got the test, TOGETHER, and his number was exchange with mine so that we would know the true status of the other. A week passed, and the day of the results came. To be true, MOI had bought into the myth and felt that since he had been a life long homosexual, he would have a positive result. My number told John that MOI was negative, and John's number told MOI that he was positive.

The clock was ticking. MOI had done his homework and believe that it was 'infected' with and not 'exposed to' that was the true meaning of the test results. Many did not feel that way. No one wanted to believe that death was coming.

With the support of John, MOI set about trying to help in any way possible. If you think that writing letters to folks is something new, you should have seen in earlier times. MOI was pedantic. Sitting at dining room table, MOI wrote in long hand, one letter after another to any and all one could thing of to help with this growing plague. There were letters to the White House, Senators, Congressmen, health officials, hospitals, newspapers, television and folks known all over the country. Trips were made to Washington and other places to beg for help. Fundraisers were held in home. jumbos put together to raise even more cash. No stone was left upturned. Along the way, MOI lost mates, people one knew stopped come by the house. A congressman likened MOI to a zealot. Doors were slammed shut and telephone calls not returned.

Through it all was John.

When a costume was used to march in front of businesses that were not being morally responsible, John sat in vehicle and watched over. Helped wipe off the spit hurled at MOI. Drove to hospitals to deliver reading material. Picked up from homes of dying men, after a long night of Hospice care.

Throughout 1986, John had many health problems, it was clear that something was coming. Christmas 1986 was a blowout. Vans from every store like delivered present after present for John to have under the tree that year. It was a Christmas to remember.

Through all of the years together, we had never invited workmates of John to our home. We did that year, along with a collection of others special to us. MOI hired caterers, had so much food that tables groaned under the weight of it all. Bartenders mixed drinks. The front of the home had fake snow on the garden, and there were so many lights on the house one almost was blinded by them. Every single room had Christmas in it, and the tree that year never looked better.

Santa even came(with a little help from MOI) and had small presents for each and every one there. MOI gathered all round tree and had Christmas Carols sung, with the voice of MOI being the loudest. It truly was a night to remember.

Just after the holidays, the shoe long waited for, dropped. John was rushed to hospital with 'PCP' a definitive marker for full blown AIDS. John had gone from 'infected' to 'victim'.

My dears, MOI is not going to bore you with horrid details, that is not the point of this story. Quite sure that you know that it was not an easy time. What will be told is the story of how this dark hour turned MOI into what he is today.

John faced his illness with courage and humour. The man had CLASS, buckets of it.

He told the whole world of his illness. No easy thing to do at that time, there was much fear. John told all of his workmates and the company he had worked for all of his life. We told all we knew of his illness. He made a special effort to tell his closest mates.

We went about living, knowing full well that these days remaining were numbered.

Every time John was well enough to travel we boarded a plane and went to Hawaii. These trips gave John so much and there were times we stayed but a day or two, having to return due to his condition.

We planned his funeral, every detail of it. And there were some giggle had in doing that. Sitting at dining room table stuffing Mass cards into envelopes, John remarked how cruel MOI was having him glue his snap on and pass to MOI. He helped pick out the quote used on and even helped decide which music to play for mates at memorial service to be held. We did all of this together, side by side.

John was thrilled when President Ronald Reagan sent MOI a personal letter tell that he, the President and Nancy, were sorry to hear of his illness and that he was in their prayers.

He allowed the local newspaper take his picture along side MOI with a massive bottled water container filled with years of collected pennies, to be donated to an AIDS cause, the bottle had close to $400.00 in pennies.

On the last trip to Hawaii, MOI shared a walk on the beach with John. It was important to know if John felt happy, felt pleased with how life had gone between us. John told MOI that he had no regrets and was proud that MOI was not going to die in the same way. He also told that he felt that he had lived a life most excellent and much of that was due to being a part of MOI's journey. Felt that stories told of far off places visited by MOI made him feel as if he was on every trip taken. He loved all of the people he met through MOI. "Rob, who else do we know that has the Mayor of San Francisco ring up?" Bit of a snob my John was..........John told that he would always be with me and hoped that MOI would never forget how much he loved him.

They say that folks who are soon to die, hang on for special moments. John did that. He wanted to be alive for my 40th birthday. That was the one day he did not want to miss. John had arranged for flowers to be delivered and a massive balloon bouquet. There was also a small box given to MOI. It contained the antique silver ring with stone that MOI wears to this day.

On the day John died, MOI was there. Sitting by his side, holding his hand, MOI watched him depart this life. There was no struggle to hold on, John was a peace and his face showed it.

Many years have passed since John died. MOI has grown old, wiser even. John has never been far from his mind, he is with each and every day, would have it no other way. The many gifts received from John have never been forgot, or the lesson learned from him.

My dears, my life has a few defining moments, but the time blessed to have shared with John is the strongest example of how MOI grew as a person. John taught MOI that money is not the end all in life. There is no coffin built that allows you to shovel it into along with the things one collects. We enter this world with nothing and we leave with nothing. John taught MOI to give to others, to try and treat each and every person met with honour. John taught MOI to believe in self, to fight for that was right, even if others did not agree with. To be true to one's self. John taught MOI to love GOD, and to follow his faith. John made MOI promise to LIVE, to get over grief and go about building a life without him. There was so very much John gave and one wonders if he truly knew how MOI felt of him.

To my mind, John was the best of people. He never harmed anyone, tried to not think ill of anyone, and forgave everyone. Some might be tempted to feel that John wore rose-coloured- glasses. Trust me John knew, he just wanted not going to let the dirt in life land on him. On a visit to the home of one of his closest mates, MOI had to use the loo, and MOI being MOI, opened the medicine cabinet to peek inside. There on the shelf were bottles of medicine folks took to fight AIDS. MOI told John of this. John got very quiet, and his face showed the pain he felt at hearing this news. This person was the closest friend to and John had thought that they were so close that they would share everything with each other. John was gutted. We never went to visit this person again, and John refused all calls from, so hurt was he that his very best friend did not feel comfy enough to tell that they both were in the same boat. John could have used that support. Hurt as John was, he made MOI promise that if this person came to his memorial service, he would have a place of honour and MOI was to tell him that John loved him and was waiting to meet again.

John gave MOI the courage to keep going. There were a few mis-steps but in the end, firm footing was found and MOI lives on. There is not a day that MOI looks to memory of John and hopes that he continues to be proud of MOI. John made MOI a better person for having known him and in no small measure is John responsible for leading to the light and never, ever, losing sight of what is truly important.

In a diary kept from those days, MOI found this item he wrote:


...............have no idea what to do, everything has turned to shit. What about ME!!!!! Who is going to be there for me............it hurts so bad that I just want to die....get it over with.........there is no point............fuck you, John............you left me like everybody else........

Loss made MOI mad, grief was so much to bear. Poor MOI! Funny, however hateful that entry was, none of it was true. Time has healed MOI and he has come to see that John had it right all along. MOI will never be alone.

Folks who asked MOI to peel back the onion may well rue having made the request. Does MOI care if folks get a different view of MOI? Only to the degree that it might allow folks see how MOI came to be MOI. Coming to the end of the post, MOI is pleased to have shared John with you..............think he would be pleased as well.

DIET AND EXERCISE

‘If I had known I looked that big before I may have done something sooner.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2633675/Man-loses-19-stone-called-Jabba-Hutt-wife.html#ixzz32GE6LEnv
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

MEMORIAL DAY 2012

Who we are, what we are, what we hope to be, is all owed to the few who gave their all to keep us free.  To allow this country to grow.

Their sacrifice allowed the country to 'be a more perfect union'.

The old geezer has mates who died in war.  Mostly from Vietnam.  They were so very young.  I will remember Dan and Ski this weekend.

MOI IS RENAMED - "AGEUSIA"

Robert, the New "Ageusia"

Leave it to an avid reader of me blog to find the name for what is going on with loss sense of taste.  The clever clog believes that MOI has Dysgeusia but further reading by MOI suggests it may well be Ageusia.  Truth be told, since last time looked neither of us has a degree in medicine, and MOI is the one with the first hand experience, am inclined to go with the first.  That being Ageusia or a combination of both...

Ageusia  is the loss of taste functions of the tongue, particularly the inability to detect sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and umami (meaning "pleasant/savory taste").

Dysgeusia  is the distortion of the sense of taste. 

Ear infections, hypothyroidism, age, medications for Asthma and allergies, have all played a part in what the old geezer is now dealing with.  When the good doctor cut the nerve during the surgery to remove disease in ear, he just brought down the last part that was holding 'taste' together. 

Another, avid reader, struck a cord with the old geezer as they went through exactly what is happening to MOI.  The reader went on to tell that the loss revealed some interesting things.

After surgery, the very same as MOI, all of my experiences befell.  Being overweight, OK obese, like MOI, the reader wondered if the not wanting to eat was going to cause problems with recovery or worse.  During 4 months of not eating a great deal, the pounds flew off, 90 plus to be exact.  It was discovered that the 'normal' amount thought needed to be healthy was not the norm for them.  For years, amount of calories to control weight was much lower than believed.  With the complete turn off to food, the push back from the table was much easier.  The sense of being 'full' happened much sooner than before.  Whilst the taste of food is completely gone, so is the revulsion to the sight of food.  Meals are on the very small side and need to eat has replaced the want to eat.

Two weeks on from surgery, the old geezer has to struggle to eat.  Some things are more repulsive than others.  Seems, soups go down well.  Round 2pm is when the attempt is made to eat.  There are a few cups of coffee and juice is drunk throughout the day.   Tons and tons of water are had.  What is with the dry mouth?

I have sat at table whilst house mates tuck into plates of food and it does not bother.  Even have helped out with preparation of.  I feel fine.  I have no hunger.  My healing seems to not be affected.  Can feel the ear getting better and the scar behind ear is doing nicely.

Truth be told, MOI has more than a little fat that can be lost.  It was thought that the large of amount lost over the last two years was pretty much the limit.  The scales seemed to not want to go much lower.

That may not be the case any longer.  The old geezer refuses to weigh in until the day before return to see doctor.  But, HE knows that the pounds are coming off.  Can feel it.  May well be massive amount of water at first, but then that was the case in first attempt to lose weight, the real weight dropped off as well.

As always, much of this post may be of no interest to some.  Readers of me blog are not plagued by extra weight and seem to possess perfect bodies........and pigs fly.....

POST OP DIET CHANGES

Truth be told, it was not until the sense of taste went, that the old geezer gave the roll of smell in how one views food much thought.

Got me to thinking it did.  Found me self trying to remember the last time I actually smelled what was on the dinner plate.  It has been ages since the smell of food got me to salivate or proclaim how deliciously it was going to be going into me gob hole.  That lead me to really give the matter a think on.

I remember quite clearly loving the smells of fresh baked bread.  The different aromas of cheese, wickedly rich smell of good chocolate.  The mouth watering smell of french fries.

It would seem that me sense of smell has been way off for ages and just did not know it.  That was driven home hard, when the operation took the sense of taste as well.

 Contrary to popular belief, the map of taste, is not as clear cut as thought.  The map is all wrong.  Seems that the sense of taste is in degrees and it can vary greatly.

I remember vividly, tearing open a 'family' sized 2 pound bag of M&M's placing in a bowl and feeding them into gob hole.  Remember feeling the chocolate melt and roll over tongue  waves of pleasure through me transport sized body.  The pleasure was so intense that I did not stop until the whole 2 pounds was gone and I was in a sugar stupor.

Last night, having nothing better to do, I went to the kitchen and did some testing.

There was a half full glass of wine.  A lovely Merlot.  I put the glass under me ample nose and smelled nothing.  Mind, it did not smell earlier, but the effect was same, I felt more than tasted the wine.

Next, I opened the ice box and pulled out different items known to have different tastes.

Sweet was easy, placing sweet on all parts of tongue produced no taste.  That was followed by sour, same results as was bitter and salty.  Not one area of the tongue responded with a response that I expected.

One week on, since the surgery, and meal times are not looked forward to with undiluted pleasure.  There is the horrid metallic sensation to begin with, and then there is the right nasty sense that most enjoyed foods now come off as if one is eating saw dust.

There is no snacking of any kind.  Rather think that my intake is off by 60% or better.  Because food holds no enjoyment, I find me self masticating each and every bite, very slowly.  That means that I fill up with so much less than before and do not want to linger at the table.  I have to force me self to eat.

The above snap is of the old geezer, on holiday, in Hawaii, 2009.  As you can see, it is a close race between the statue and self, as to who is largest.  Look at that massive face, the belly, below waist pouch of hanging fat, the legs.  Arms are huge as well.  Had almost reached the high point of FAT, which was just a tad over 400 pounds.  Remember I am but 5'8" and I was wearing a 4x t-shirt and shorts that were over 50 inches.  Even after being on a diet for two years, the loss of 170 pounds, the old geezer was still fat.

I was massive in size because I took delight in food.  There was comfort in every bit of fat that went into me gob hole.  Truth be told, fat tastes bloody good.  You crave it, lust after it , die for it.  At least that is what I did.

To my credit, I got religion and went on a diet, lost loads of fat.  BUT, I still craved the pleasure of food.  In times of stress or depression, a carton of chocolate ice cream was not safe in the same room as I.  Crisps were another comfort food and endless bags were consumed. Then I  would fast and get under control and wait for the next binge.

The minute I discovered that food had no appeal, the craving went away.  I mean completely.  Not having any taste, it was too much of a chore to be bothered with something that had no enjoyment. It is as if a switch has been thrown.  Know now why sick people drop massive amounts of weight.

The mystery of weight control had finally been revealed.  Take away the main attraction of food, its taste, and pleasure derived from, and it becomes a simple act of eating to stay alive.  How simple.

While it is not something I would wish on anyone, the loss of taste has not been a total loss.  They say that it brings with it a dramatic change in how one views food.  You think?  One week on, and the scales tell that 7 pounds are gone.  Why eat if groceries do not call to? 

The experts tell one that some of the delight might return, months down the road.  Mind, taste is gone, will never return to what it was before the operation.  I rather think I am in the group that will have a complete dietary change.  I must tell true, I am not hungry, when I feel the need to eat, I do.  Just require so much less to fill up and walk away from table.  That is not entirely a bad thing.

I return to see the doctor in one month and rather think he will see a whole different person.  I may never weigh 144 pounds again in me life, but think it will be so much lower than am at present.  I will have to let you know in one month when I do another weight check.

This old geezer can travel the chat show circuit and tell one and all the real secret to dramatic weight loss.  Might make a fortune...

TEN YEARS ON AND STILL FRESHLY REMEMBERED

Fireman Mike Kehoe

The featured snap of Fireman Mike Kehoe will forever be my most vivid image of September 11th.

I had always assumed that Fireman Kehoe had died that day in the Tower.  He did not.  His company was pulled out when he was on the 28th floor and he and they survived, alond with the folks they helped get out of harm's way.  While he did not die, I have no doubt that he would have have he continued up the tower.  He did his job and was prepared to do it at the cost of his life.  Truth be told, that makes Frireman Kehoe in my book, even if he did not forfiet his life.  Truth be told, I am ever so glad that he lived and his doing so does not take away the image of bravery on the part of men and women that tragic day.

Every single time I journey by airline, I am reminded of how life changed that day in September.  I have a metal rod in my leg that requires me to subject self to the horrid pat down at the airport.  I rather think that will be the case for rest of my days.  It will always remind me of September 11th.