46 Years of Marriage

As we were driving to get some snacks ....... I mentioned can you believe that we've been together for 46 years?......... You said having 40 come out is un real......... it's not like 5, 10 even 20........ but 40 we've been married for 46 years and we haven't killed each other. 

I came back with the fact that I never had a relationship that last more that 3 months until you. You said you were pretty much the same.......... you dated alot.......... your serious relationships weren't ment to be........... When I mentioned the married affair ........ that it was longer but that didn't count because , how could it.......... you said we won't go there since we both made mistakes. 

I know I 've slacked off and I haven't written meaningful words to you in a long time, but it doesn't mean I haven't thought of them or that I don't appreciate every minute we've been together.......... Even after 46  years your still the prettiest, the sexiest and the only woman I ever wanted to be with. 

Though my mind would still love to make love to you, my body just won't do what I want it to....... but I can still remember each time we have. 

Know this I've loved you for 46 years , I will continue to love you for however many years we have left. Our actions speak for themselves............. we instinctively hold hands whenever we walk together, we have developed almost mind reading tendencies since many times we think the same thoughts whenever we see something that gets our attention. though we're different we're still the same. 

Happy 46 sweetie, I love you.

My Brother's Journey in Life

 Today Michelle called filled with tears and a voice crackling with sadness as she brought herself to say  "Uncle Nick........ Dad passed away"

Though this was expected since she was forced to put him in hospice to keep him as comfortable as possible after his stroke it still doesn't make it any easier  to accept what we all will have to face one day. 

My brother's journey began on August 3, 1942 in the little house in Montelongo Italy.......... He was named Celestino Ialenti in honor of our father's father, however everyone called him Tino. Our mother Angelina would often lament that he was a sickly child due to the circumstances of the war and that there wasn't much food to provide the proper nutrients for a growing baby but he managed to grow in spite of it. One could say that his love for food was probably a result  of being deprived of it in his early years. Our mother would often scold him for he always sticking his hands and arms into the oil filled jars that had the dried sausages that were meant to last during the winter months. Throughout his life he always loved his dried sausage. 

Even though he was a mischievous little boy he had a mind that could be said to be smarter than most. He  came in first place when the Catholic Church held a contest in all the surrounding provinces  of Campobasso to see who understood the theology of the church so that they could become the next priests. He further showed his mental prowess after we arrived in the United States and we had to learn the english language........... Though we arrived in April  1954 we both were speaking fluent English by the time we entered school that September........... School councilors were using him as a translator for other Italian kids that had immigrated. When it was time to graduate from the eight grade of Immaculate Conception Grade School he was evaluated to be smarter than his peers so he entered Ursuline High School as a sophomore skipping his freshman year. He graduated from Ursuline High School in three years. 

His acedemic achievements took a detour once he graduated ........girls , cars and jobs took over his priorities. Parties and having a good time was all that was on his mind until he entered the service. His time in the service brought a change in him, since he was fortunate enough to avoid going to the Viet Nam War which was esculating ......... he was fortunate enough to have met Bernice who loved him enough to put up with all his shenanigans and they got married. 

She loved calling him Chuck and that nickname has stuck with him........... One nickname however that still puzzles me to this day is the one that he was called by his co workers at General Motors and that was "Cherokee" .......... god only knows how he got that name. 

A year after they were married Angela was born and it was a good thing that I left for Ohio State because I no longer had a place to sleep . The next four years brought the arrival of Michelle and Ceci and his new name became daddy. 

Nanna and Tatta realized that this growing family needed their own space and the house that became 677 Wesley Ave came to be. This arraignment became somewhat of a mixed blessing......... the strain of having in laws so close turned Bernice into a Saint yet the security and the loving attachment that they provided did manage to allow the granddaughters achieve their own individual goals. It turned into a Win Win situation. 

Though we were brothers we were as different as night and day but one thing that never changed was the bond that was formed between us......... he was my brother as I was his ......... the love that we shared can't be explained in simple words ......... the journey that started in a distant land shaped and formulated us into being who we became. 

To My Brother Charlie ......... though you are no longer of this earthly world ......... your legacy won't be forgotten

To Angela, Michelle and Ceci.......... Your parents are now looking at you to carry on what started long ago......... your children and their children have a foundation that most can't comprehend .......... it was built on love and scarifice. 

Charlie My final words to You " You did Good ......... I love you" 

Retirement

December 17, 2019 is the day that ended my working life, after 51 years and an array of different jobs I was able to say I no long need to work and I no longer want to work. For me who has been a workaholic since I first started to work , no longer wanting to work was an achievement in itself. 

Work has always been my sense of direction and my way of seeing who I really am. In work I could display the element that was inside of me to others. My natural talents of creativity and my sense of direction were easily projected. Because of this work was not easy for me to let go of.

Once I let go , I haven't looked back nor do I miss that need that consumed my days. One year into retirement....... I have found a sense of peace and tranquility that the sacrifices of those 51 years of work will afford me the time to do things that I never imagined doing........ like writing and allowing my mind to drift to places I never had time to drift to. 

Retirement is good...... 

A Love Story Like No Other

Recently I found myself interested in finishing scripts to TV shows that got canceled without finishing the storyline. One such series has been The Baker and The Beauty which ABC canceled just after 9 episodes. My imagination took over and I ended writing 10 episodes and provided the necessary conclusion but also a potential storyline for future stories. If anyone is interested I published those 10 episodes on Fan fiction. Simply google The Baker and The Beauty Season 2 - Fan Fiction and Read.

The fact that I liked doing this , inspired me to write about a Love Story Like No Other, that has been 41 years in the making especially since the Fourth of July is our 41st Anniversary. Our love Story will feature key blocks in time

Our First Four Months

Scene One- Our first contact

My first day on a new job had me walking through the Accounting office when my eyes glanced over and saw this beautiful girl looking at me with a closed smile which I would soon  realize that she was trying to hide her braces. Her eyes and her smile just captivated me and I knew that I had to get to know her.

Scene Two - Our First Date

Though I can't remember  exactly how I asked her out, but when I did I asked if she wanted to go out or if she would like for me to cook for her at my new apartment. As I cooked and we ate , I found that she was so easy to talk to. We talked and talked came to realize that she had moved to Phoenix, the year before from East Liverpool,  Ohio which happened to be only a half hour drive from Youngstown , Where I was raised. The irony of this is that I would have never met her if we had remained in Ohio. I didn't even know where East Liverpool was. As I kept looking at her eyes and her beautiful face the attraction we had for each other was overwhelming. Once we kissed nature took over and we made love and she spent the night with me. I was hooked and I knew that I wanted more of her. The next two weeks we were together every night and we talked about everything. We shared everything about each other, all our highs and all our lows. I loved her and wanted to marry her and she felt the same way.

Scene Three- The Fourth of July, Our Wedding Day

Though we worked together  in the same office , we managed to keep our living together. and our engagement very secret only her closest friends knew. I once again asked her if she wanted a big wedding or a simple one in that the money saved we could buy a house. As practical as she has always been the simple wedding is what she chose. I made arrangement to have my mother and father   along with my brother and also her mother and stepfather fly to phoenix for our Fourth of July Wedding. We chose the fourth of July because it was the first long weekend we could get to make this happen. We got married at St Maria Goretti Catholic Church in a very simple ceremony and then had a pool side party for twelve  at the apartment complex. Our Honeymoon consisted of taking the two families to the Grand Canyon and our life as a married couple was official.

Now that we were married we had to go into our boss's office to inform them of that change in status, of which a new change had to occur. We were not allowed to be married and work in the same office. They found her a job in another corporate company in another building.

The First 10 years

Scene Four - Changes

Our first Anniversary brought about a change that would have lingering effects. To earn extra money since we had bought our first house , I took an assignment to go to Saudi Arabia for several months. Thus causing me  to miss our first anniversary. Our second wedding anniversary I was in Glacier National Park. Then I took a job as District Manager for Truck Stops and for the next 6 years I would leave on Monday mornings and return on Friday nights. This absence starting to take its toll on both of us especially in having a child.

Scene Five - The birth of Our Child

Six years had passed and even with the constant traveling we were finally able to conceive a baby which brought about even greater changes in thinking. The night of our daughters birth I stood watching her for hours upon hours wondering how she was going to be taken care of. The one fact that my beautiful wife never wanted to do was raise a child alone . With me being gone 5 days week every week this child was place on her shoulders while she also worked. We were fortunate enough to  have a loving grandmother figure take care of her during the day but we now we were working just to pay someone else to take care of our daughter.

Scene Six - Loss of Job and Start of a Business

Losing a job turned into a blessing in that what we both hated in me being gone so much allowed us the opportunity to say that if I was  to put this much effort in working for someone else why not do it for ourselves. I'm so thankful that I was fortunate enough in marrying a woman that had complete confidence in my abilities to allow us to risk everything we had on a business start up which lasted 30 years.

The next 30 years though very difficult when it came to work , Our Love Story managed to survive every peak and valley and that now after 41 years we can both say the Best is Yet Come

Happy Anniversary Sweet Heart

I wouldn't  change this life we have had for anything.

I love you more today !

My 35th Father's Day

Reflecting the 35 Father's Days that are now like a blink of an eye, I'm drawn to one point in my life that being a father was put in the for front of a public gathering. During a company meeting with employees nationwide the company had hired the Great Kreskin to provide entertainment. Kreskin whose act was reading minds or seeing the future had everyone in the audience write down on slip of paper their name and their question. From the hundred or so slips of paper he pick mine and his answer was " Yes, and soon". I was then questioned by those that knew me " what was your question?"The question was " Are we going to have a baby and when?"

Five years of a very happy marriage but one of hope that the psychics predictions actually happened the following April 28,1985.

Fatherhood, has always been an unexplainable desire and need but unquestionably a fulfillment and joy in nurturing that life. The night of my beautiful daughters birth, I spent the night and early morning hours just staring into the nursery and watching this little girl with one thought, My life was no longer mine. I was responsible for this little girls future and what was I willing to do to secure it.

After 35 years , I'll  say thank you to my beautiful wife and now my grown up daughter for allowing you to be born and giving me the greatest gift , being a Father.

The Great Fake Pandemic - Covid -19

My life of 72 years started  after World War II and encompassed Korean War, the  Viet Nam War, the Assassinations of  the Kennedy's John and Bobby, Martin Luther King and the civil unrest of the 60's and that was just in my youth. My adult years were filled with never ending wars of the Middle East, The Real Estate collapse of the 1980's  and 2008 Financial collapses of the world banking systems but nothing could match the instant world economic collapse of the strongest economy ever seen by a Chinese Flu known as Covid -19.

Economic declines of 11,000 points in the Dow, Unemployment reaching 33 million and the forced closing of almost all private sector businesses never been seen before was culminated with city , state and federal governments dictating what people were allowed to do whether , sick nor not sick. CDC guidelines became the new normal whereby social distancing of 6' is required along , with wearing surgical masks, washing your hands repeatedly, no congregation of more than 10 people and most importantly stay at home.

The fear and hysteria Covid -19 was all predicated by scientific health models that pre determined that hundred of millions of infections with the probability of over 2 million deaths just in the United States. News Media reporting death totals hourly enhanced the fears but never questioned actual clerical data that was telling a different story. The news outlets continued to report that those infected were almost assured a death sentence even though the actual deaths were those in the 80's with pre existing conditions that got triggered by the Covid 19 virus. Many people infected had no idea they were infected and those that were and took action  recovered in 14 days.

 Everyone is different and everyone reacts different especially to viruses , flu, common cold or even allergies. The current flu deaths exceeded those of Covid- 19 yet the CDC health experts put out an edict that during this time frame all deaths resembling Covid 19 symptoms be classified Covid- 19 deaths. Even with that assumption the death totals were a small  fraction of the CDC model projections.

So why the catastrophic reactions and destruction of peoples everyday lives and livelihoods for a mistake of epic proportions? Was this a social engineering experiment of the highest order? Was this an assault on peoples freedoms to determine breaking points? Was this simply bio warfare by Communist country to take advantage of political chaos?

What is certain the people need to hold their governments, city, state and federal accountable for what  has transpired in the first half of 2020. This craziness can never happen again or we are the biggest pasties the world has ever seen. 

A Life With Cars

How can anyone's life not include the cars that were part of it?
My particular journey with began at the age of 16 with my beige ford falcon, though I had many strings attached , Driving my mother and Father to work, doing everything that they needed a car , which I did , but I had the distinction of all my friends that I had that car at16.

Next up I became obsessed with upgrading to a newer more stylish 1967 Mercury Monterey , with it's midnight Blue finish 

Entering college and working full time working in the catering business my tastes started to increase with the ability to earn money, how could I not go for the distinction of not having a Cadillac, a Dark Blue Coupe Deville . The interesting story with this car was the way I bought it. I'm a 21 and I called the used car dealer and requested that I wanted to buy that particular car . He called the owner of the catering business that I was managing to see if I was for real. The owner, John Valley told the dealership that if I said I could afford it then they should give me the car because I would buy it one way or another.

  Now I was on a role, since John Valley acquired the catering rights to the Pick Ohio Hotel and I was the Catering Manager , I had to look the part so I set my sights on  Yellow with tan leather interior, Eldorado Convertible

As the Catering Manager , I convinced John Valley to allow me to open an unused reception room in the basement of the hotel and turn it into a Disco.  I was able to park my Yellow Convertible at the front door of the hotel thinking that the car made the boy man. My euphoria of a mega opening night didn't last but a few hours in that I received word that would change my life and How look at things. My rebound from a disastrous 4 months of being married divorced and loosing the job I went into a low point taking minial job assembling file cabinets and thinking I was now at the lowest point in my life. As my job fortunes changed and I got a job as the assistant cafeteria  manager at the Lordstown plant, I was once again being recognized for my ability to achieve goals and a promotion to Cafeteria Manager at the Coit Road Fisher Body plant in Cleveland , Ohio came to be. Being single and making rather decent money , I let my ego take over and I made one of the biggest mistake with cars that wold last the rest of my life. The three months that I owned the English Racing Green Jaguar XKE convertible, I probably walked more than I drove since that car was in the shop every week that I had it. Yes it was a chick magnate, but a terrible mistake

After getting frost bitten ears walking to work, because the jaguar wouldn't start, enough was enough and after I got it started I drove back to Youngstown and immediately traded in for a new two tone beige Grand Prix

The Grand Prix went with me to Toledo Ohio , where I was promoted to Cafeteria Manager of the Toledo Cheverlot Cafeteria, Athen the the District Office where I was the Assistant to the VP and finally drove me across country to arrive in Phoenix, where once again my life changed and stabilized   

with the meeting and falling in love with Jill. The next 40 years would be more reserved especially when it came to cars. My dependable Grand Prix showed the wear and tear especially one very hot summer day as I was changing a tire and the luggage nuts on the wheel turned into candy kisses as with each turn the lug nuts twisted off looking like candy kisses. Since this car was so dependable , Jill and I made the decision to by another Grand Prix only a newer Version

Though it was new the first night Jill and I were driving from our new house all the lights on the car went out. this was the first sign that this car wouldn't live up to our expectations. Next up was the little car that Jill absolutely loved  but became impractical when Jaclyn was born. The Little Red Honda prelude was a very dependable and a lot of fun to drive

With Jaclyn we had to become more practicle  and the fact that I had started our new Business we bought the White Toyota Previa to achieve two purposes. 

That Previa became my main  advertising venue when I first placed the Fast Frame logo and then shortly there after the Nick's Frame Shop. I was putting over 25,000 miles per year so every 5 years I was forced to get new vans like the Blue Purple Dodge Caravan 

The Nick's Frame Shop logo stood out on that Blue Purple Finish. 135,000 later I wanted something more of a car but still the ability to pick up moulding and deliver picture frames

The Chrysler Pacifica was exactly what I was looking for because the car looked so nice I decided not to put logos on it. After 125,000 this was the first car that left me stranded as the transmission failed at the intersection of the 101 and 59th Ave. I had a pizza that I was bringing home for dinner and the tow truck driver said good the pizza smelled. 

During this period we also had two other cars that Jill had been driving

the Toyota Camry that we eventually gave to Jaclyn to drive herself to Xavier the second was the Honda Accord that Jill still drives

Now that the Previa failed I once again wanted a car that could be used for the store but was more of a car  and the Honda Crosstour fit the bill. Within a week of having it Craig was driving it doing pick ups he got a rock going through the grill whereby the air conditioning failed. I had to argue with Bell Honda stating that they created a poor design to the grill and they were trying to make me pay for it. After they replaced the air-conditioning they informed me that this was a one time and if a rock were to do that again It would be on me. I immediately ordered custom grills for both Honda;s so that particular problem wouldn't happen again

Now that I have decided to retire and my needs are no longer for the business but rather for the comfort leasing has become the way for Jill and I to pursue our retirement way of life and  the Genesis G90 ultimate fits the bill 

Only time will tell what other cars our in our future but I can say I along with Jill have had a very good run when it comes to cars