Journal Entries
Where my heart is
Posted Dec 7, 2010
I pick up my reminiscing a few months later.
My wife and I had decided that the Condominium we shared was ill equipped to hold the family we were planning. So, after much consideration, we decided to look about for upgraded premises. This would have been in the Fall of 2006, and for those unfamiliar with the US at that time; the soap bubble which had artificially inflated many property values was poised to burst.
As an interesting side note, this being the late Fall of 2010; this was the major cause of the Depression the country currently resides in.
Now before I continue, I must first go even farther back. Feel your hair blow as I revert back to the early 90's (this being the 1990's, not the 1890's 
).
I had moved to the state of North Carolina, which was roughly 700 miles from where your intrepid reporter first hatched and spread his wings; and indeed learned to fly, if awkwardly and unprofessionally. There I spent 9yrs, which were for the most part, rather good years. I was out from under the proverbial apron, playing music to rather appreciative audiences, had a series of exciting if ultimately unfulfilling relationships, and just generally had a hell of a good time.
Unfortunately, toward the end of the millennium, I found myself feeling rather different with my situation. The relationships were mere memories, the music had been mostly quieted, and I was cocooned within despite the best efforts of my remaining friends.
I tell you all this to explain why I was again living with my Mother 
in the early part of 2003 when she was diagnosed with the big C.
She fought bravely, and ended up surviving 3 times the maximum length given her by the white-coated mystics and sages; but succumbed to it in the end.
I was left everything, being her only offspring and her unmarried after her divorce from my father some 18yrs earlier.
Jumping forward again to 2006, I was performing a juggling act. The Condo I was left was THE thing which allowed us to look at homes in which to lay down roots. The afore mentioned housing bubble poised to burst, I had to time it just right to get the maximum price for my former dwelling while negotiating the minimum price for my current abode.
We looked at roughly a thousand houses, or at least 60; through the efforts of a truly wonderful Realtor we were lucky enough to procure.
It was ultimately my beloved who chose the winning property. She had visions of our future children growing up while I was concerned with the present.
We ultimately bought a 50yr old home, which had already raised a family. This had been custom built by the current owners in a wonderful neighborhood of about the same age, and was in wonderful condition. It had been meticulously maintained during that time, though it was quited dated. It had not been updated in roughly the entire lifespan. There was shag carpet in the sunroom, in fact carpet throughout the entire house...including the kitchen and all the bathrooms 
.
All that being said, we still live there and have since removed 80% of the carpeting, as well as doing much needed updating. This includes, but isn't limited to, an entire remodel of the main bathroom (the house has 1 full and 2 half baths), and are in the process of raising another 2 boys there.
But that is a different story....
Murray
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Latest reply: Dec 7, 2010
Wedded Bliss
Posted Dec 1, 2010
Well, my good and fluffy gophers, where to pick up the thread. How to start anew while picking up from before.
I suppose it is best to begin in the middle.
When we last left our intrepid and internally irrational icon, I had proposed to my beloved, who graciously accepted, and had spent a lovely Xmas with my little family.
The wedding took place the following April (yes my little lawn ornaments, I do remember my anniversary. In fact I remember when I first met my beloved, she doesn't 
)
The ceremony was held in a restaurant in Duxbery, Ma, we being entirely nonreligious. This is an old establishment with exposed beams and wide panel wood floors, which they graciously allowed us to rent for our purposes and provided the food for the event.
Her gown was custom made from the same lovely people who made one of her Renaissance outfits. and the sweet topping on the creamy nougat of a beautiful dress was that it cost about 1/4 of what I am given to understand what normal wedding attire goes for. There was even enough fabric left over for her (and her artsy craftsy cousin) to create a matching vest for yours truly to wear under my Tux.
An interesting side note, they were apparently unaware that the buttons for male attire are on the opposite side as womens.
We narrowed the guest list down to about 50, much to the chagrin of many an acquaintance; but budgetary and spatial limits applied. So I waited by a picture window, while the selected guests sat patiently; and the first time I actually saw my wifes dress was when she walked down the isle to me.
We wrote our own vows, and mine included my Step-Daughter. I figured that she was as much a part of my life until then, and forward, as my beloved; so I made Promises to her and Vows to my wife.
I wasn't aware of it at the time, being rather caught up in the moment, but I've been told there wasn't a dry eye in the house after I spoke; the JP included 
Vows exchanged, as well as rings, we then sat down for a wonderful meal, while my nephew walked around with a video camera and conducted impromptu interviews from all those attending. We have a DVD of the event, from the same camera, so I was aware of much of this only after the fact. When we were formally announced as a couple, my brother-in-law had the most prideful look, puffed out his chest and introduced Mr and Mrs....well it is his only sister.
I would love to say we were whisked away directly to our Honeymoon, but we left of our own accord later in the evening to go home and sleep in our own bed, which was now OFFICIALLY our marriage bed. The next morning we were away to the ferry, which would bring us to Martha's Vineyard and 4 days of honeymoonal bliss; I had never been there before, so this was entirely new to me all around.
I could go into explicit and excruciating detain of our time there, but there are rules against such explanations here as well as the possibility, indeed probability, of incurring wrath from my wife. So I leave the details to your fertile growing grounds of the imagination....
Murray
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Latest reply: Dec 1, 2010
I have found myself
Posted Nov 29, 2010
Hello again, great walking whelps of wisdom!
As has been said before, I have returned from the 3rd dimention, where I have been intermidably bogged down, to discover my previous journal has been locked away; indeed, vaulted to static eternal.
This won't be news to you hootoo constants, but this being my journal I am compelled to elaborate. There has been a change in the sign in protocol, a new system guards the entryway, and your old faithful bloodhound was unware and indeed uninformed. I am forbidden my musings and now must start anew; be reborn as it were.
Not altogether a bad thing, in my estimation, as I have been away so long that I am but a child given the controls of this perpetual motion device without the slightest recurrence of how to operate it. I will have to re-educate myself on how to program a page, add this, supplement that and come to terms with the fundamental dichotomy of the other.
I have much to report on the doings of the years past, and shall elaborate further in the coming time yet to be forseen, but for now I leave this link to my old homepage....as much for myself as for all, or any, little pink flamingos which care to retread thoughts past: U1479297
Murray (the second)
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Latest reply: Nov 29, 2010
Murray
Researcher U14700060
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