Like
most of my life the past 8 years have had its ups and downs but mostly
ups and even the downs turned into something positive!

On
July 20, 2008, I went into the hospital to have an aorta valve
replacement operation and when I came out I unexpectedly had a 3-4 month
spell of depression which I had never experienced before--the doctor,
knowing it could happen to all heart operation patients, never warned
me--won't go into it because during that period I posted a few blogs so
that in the future if anyone wanted to know about it I could refer them
to my experience before, during and after. As I said even the downs
turned into something positive--on July 21, an hour before I was rolled
into the operating room I had my last cigarette and after about 60 years
of smoking 2-3 packs a day I stopped and have not had a cigarette for 5
years and have not missed it once and have no problem being with
smokers!

On January 17, 2007, Robert Iguizi  died. I have written about him in a previous chapter--we had worked together at the Crabhouse and he decided to move back to New Jersey and would come down a couple
of times a year. Robert was a big gambler and we would go to the Hard
Rock Casino and he would use my machine card  so I would get thousands
of credits, consequently I would get complimentary tickets to many
concerts that continued for almost two years after his death. I got to see: Joan Rivers, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Steely Dan and Michael McDonald, a Doo Wop concert, Rick Springfield, Eddie Money, Loverboy and Scandal, Commodores, O'Jays, Robert Klein and Pat Cooper just to name a few.

Chuck
and Terry came down on August 12, 2006, December 18, 2010 and for my
Leap Year birthday in February, 2008. They missed my 19th Leap Year
birthday but they better start saving their pennies for my 20th in 2016.

I was getting royalty checks for my books plus I was getting 'help' from various sources such as winning  $400 from Play4
in June, 2006,  and then again in August not to forget 2 years later
also in August the 'stimulus check' plus another Play4, this time for
$200 but then I had a dry spell until November 14, 2011 when I won
another $400 and some royalties started drifting in again. I finally
made some money with the Fantasy5 on January 9, 2012 winning $555.

The
main thing about money was that I finally, after 70 years (?) learned
how to live within my income which still amazes me! I don't use a credit
card unless I know I can pay it in full at the end of the month which is a strange feeling. I cut back when I have to but my biggest
saving is not having a car which I will get into during the next, and
hopefully last, chapter. I do have to start rewriting, editing and
adding the X rated material!! :O) And loving to eat out I always look
for and clip 2-4-1 meal coupons plus Groupons. If you had told me 30 years ago I would be clipping coupons I would have laughed for hours!

Sadly
as one gets older one loses old friends and that was/is happening to
me. After the death of Flo in the early 1980s and then the deaths
associated with the AIDS crisis I decided not to go to funerals again
and I haven't. I really prefer thinking of people being alive and being
who they are/were. Anita died on March 23, 2010, Robert Schink, my
longest friend in Fort Lauderdale died March 16, 2010, Bernie, who I had
so much history with and was a major part of my life, died February 26,
2012, and was buried on my birthday February 29.  I could list a lot of
people who I miss like Emily who made me special cakes and pies and
always said she wish I had been her son--she was about 10 years older
than me--and living at Gateway made up mostly of people in their 80s and
90s, death is always around. Some time when I was young I was told that
people you love who die become your guardian angels, always hovering
around to see how you aredoingandgiving you a slap on the head when you
are about to do something stupid! I haven't gotten too many slaps lately
so I must be doing a lot of smart things or, at least, not getting into
trouble or caught!