One
thing you can be certain of in life is that along with the bad there is
a lot of good and looking over my 78 years (okay 77 and a half or 19
and a quarter) there has been at least 87% good and that ain't bad!

In just the past 8 years, not in any particular order and not including theatre or movies, some of the good have been;

I
learned about being eligible for medical surveys. The first one I went
to I got paid $100 and since it was so close went to Jaxson's for ice
cream afterwards. Without having a car it is more difficult to get to
them but every once in awhile I do.

I
have met some pretty fabulous people on the Internet and most have
surprised me in various ways. I met AJ and he introduced me to  the Jean
M. Auel book series which starting with the "Clan of the Cave Bear"
kept me mesmerised (though as hard as he would try he couldn't get me
into "Star Trek"!) Through him I learned about his partner Ray and I am
so proud of them being the first couple in Rhode Island to have a civil
union and it looks like they will be the first same sex marriage in that
State!!

I
met Tim, who sent me a gift card to The Cheesecake Factory for my
birthday and made it extra special. I am still waiting for him to get
some of his fantastic poetry published! Talking about The Cheesecake
Factory Chris (then known as The Pirate, I believe) also treated me
giving me a gift card and though I pick on him (I want him around for
his daughter's wedding!!) I am still waiting for him to stop by one of
these days.

On
February 18, 2009, Michael and Alfredo came down from New Hampshire for
a week and we went to see the Broadway touring company in "A Chorus
Line" during mu 'unbirthday'.

Maria
and Mary have been more than generous with their outpouring of love to
and for me not to forget their gifts. Donna was the first person to ever
send me a restaurant.com gift and due to that I learned about Groupon
and I have had some fabulous meals at very low prices.

Big
Louie's got damaged by a double whammy of a hurricane and a car
crashing into thier glass front. On December 16, 2005 Allen and I went
to the 'new' Big Louie's--a little more expensive and without that homey
neighborhood feeling they use to have but the food as good as ever. It
is always a must stop when Chuck and Terry come down! And Sheila still
asks me to work a couple of nights a week!

In
May of 2011 Suzanne, the administrator of Gateway, approached me about
publishing/editing the Gateway Gazette and for 6 months I had a ball but
then it became a job.

Talking
about Gateway I met so many great people over the years, losing a few.
The names Little Flo, Emily, Francis, Larry, Carol, Jean, Angelina,
Cookie, Norman may not mean anything to you but they mean a lot to me!

I've
won at Play 4, Fantasy 5, got a bonus with Obama's stimulus package,
holiday gelt from Larry, was able to buy a new 3 in 1 printer that 7
years later is still working. I bought a new DVD/VHS player and haven't
used it in a couple of years. I've learned how to work with the Internet
to get many free gifts and was given my first digital camera and have
been taking pictures ever since.

Over
the past couple of years I have been transferring loads and loads of
pictures to a  thigamiig UBS that Chuck gave me. For 8 years I have kept
my 'diary' on the Internet--not that I have given up making notes in
notebooks but they aren't as big or as many as there were years before
the Internet came along.

I've
been very lucky to make a friend in Allen who goes above and beyond to
help me out when needed and just to be a friend the rest of the time.

Five
years ago I bought this Emachine desk top computer and there is the
possibility I may get a new one but right now I am  saving my pennies
for my 20th Leap Year birthday on February 29, 2016. There is nothing in
life I lack (except a darn car and the insurance for it) but I am sure
over the next 3 years I'll manage to come up with a list.

I want for nothing, certainly don't need anything and as the old Berlin Song goes, "I've Got The Sun In The Morning"