Volume 12 Issue 12 December 2014 A social club of mature men and those who enjoy their company President's Message by Neal Clark As we enter this holiday season, many of us reflect back upon Christmases past and how a lifetime of holiday seasons, shapes a person's life from youth to the later years. The joys of being a child and being enfolded in the Christmas aura is usually one's first remembrances of the holidays. Unfortunately, not everyone shares these same memories, I'm sure. But by in large, most have some fond memories of childhood and the holidays. Whether it is receiving a treasured item, or the memories of family and friends gathered for the season, at some point most everyone has a fond tale to be told. Even just Grandpa's stories of the Christmases of his youth, compared to your own life, all have some remembered tale. As time moves on, Christmas memories come in phases as well. The indifference of the teen years and not letting any sentiment show during that time, changes as we pass on to adulthood and for many, marriage and the advent of children, creates many more memories. The wonderment in your child’s eyes when confronted with the trappings of the holiday season and the self reflections of family gathered during that time to celebrate together, holds a warm niche in the storehouse of treasured holiday times. And alas for many the later years have arrived, and many aspects of our lives have changed, but our treasured memories will remain with us forever. The board of directors of the Fort Lauderdale Prime timers would like to extend to all of our members best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and an invitation to be part of our Holiday Dinner at Tropical Acres on December 16 at 6:00pm. Join us for an evening spent with friends and let us create another holiday memory. Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers, PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310 [email protected] www.ftlprimetimers.org Page 1 Mr. December 2014 by Doug Kent Our story begins in Manhattan, New York on November 9 th, 1941, when Mr. December (Mr. D) began his lifelong journey to Florida. His parents lived in the Bronx and Mr. D spent his developmental years there. His father drove a Taxi and was a landlord of a 4 family home. Mr. D spent 10 years in Catholic education, while his mother stayed home with his younger brother and two younger sisters doing all the household chores. He was an average student, and was on the shy side, but did all the normal things kids do in the Bronx like playing stick ball and dodging taxi cabs while playing in the streets. At age 9, between playing and going to school, Mr. D worked with his father on special holidays delivering flowers. After earning $7.00 Mr. D learned quickly from his father to spend $5.00 and save $2.00 - A lesson learned that provided financial security in his retirement years. His father also helped him develop good mechanical skills, which he used all through his career. His final two years of High School were in the N.Y. Public School System and he graduated in 1959. All was normal with Mr. D, except for his occasional encounters with his male friends and older men. His first work experience in a machine shop did not last long, so he spent the next 5 years working in various florist shops in the Bronx. He also spent some time as a private chauffeur, but never completely gave up his floral work. Uncle Sam called in 1964 and Mr. D went into the Army and was assigned to the Crypto School in Fort Gordon, Georgia. He became an excellent typist and worked well with anything mechanical. Upon his release from the Army, Mr. D took a position with the Department of Welfare in the Bronx. He was an outstanding typist and did well in his position there. While working at the Department of Welfare, he met his first wife and they had a son. Mr. D continued having occasional meetings with men while he was married. After being together for 5 years they decided to separate and his wife and son moved out of the household. It was shortly after this divorce that Mr. D secured a position with the N.Y. Telephone Company. Free now and with steady employment, Mr. D continued to have a mixed social life. In 1978, he met and married his second wife. This marriage lasted 5 years and produced no other children for Mr. D. The divorce was finalized in 1982. Mr. D was free again to pursue the social life that he enjoyed and after 23 years with the Telephone Co. Mr. D accepted an early retirement package. He had been snow-birding to Florida for several years and had purchased a condo. He decided to move there full time in 1992.He moved his mother to Florida in 1994 to care for her in her declining years in a retirement home. Mr. D, a declared homebody, was now living in Florida full time and was finding it difficult meeting new gay friends. He was successful with some relationships, but for the most part stayed close to home. He was active in his condo association, was elected to the Board, and still serves in that capacity. He occupied his time with some cabinet making for his condo and for a short time found candle making a relaxing hobby. In 2009, Mr. D discovered the Prime Timers and has been active with the group for about 5 years. He enjoys his cat and various activities like the gym. This quiet and shy Prime Timer is looking for love in all the right places. Can you identify Mr. D with all this information? Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers, PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310 [email protected] www.ftlprimetimers.org Page 2 Oh, I Never a Nice Day by John Siegfried When I lived in suburban Philadelphia, one Sunday morning I picked up a teenager as I headed home from the church I attended in Germantown, a northwest section of the city. He was headed to play baseball at Plymounth-Whitemarsh High School, which was on my route home, so I told him to hop in. He wasn't a communicative kind of kid and for most of the trip I enjoyed humming along with a country western tune popular at the time that was playing on my car radio. Drop kick me Jesus, through the goal posts of life End over end, neither left nor to right Straight through the heart of them righteous uprights Drop kick me Jesus through the goal posts of life Recently, as I read the obituary of Paul Craft who wrote Place Kick Me Jesus, I was reminded of my Sunday morning Good Samaritan gesture. When I dropped my rider off in front of the high school, I was delighted when, after the silence of his ride, as he exited the car he said “Thank you and have a nice day.” Smiling, I responded, “Well, thank you for your good wishes, and you have a nice day too.” “Oh, I never have a nice day,” he responded. Momentarily I was speechless. But as the car door closed I called after him, “Then enjoy not having a nice day, if that's what turns you on.” The concept of a fifteen or sixteen year old feeling he never had a nice day to me was, and is, deeply disturbing. I often think of that incident when I cross paths with individuals who, like my teenage hitchhiker seem to enjoy not having a nice day – the kind of person who's convinced red lights are deliberately set to make them late for an appointment – that the stock market falls because they've recently invested. These people seem to enjoy being a victim and for them a nice day would destroy their self-image. They carry a violin with them and play their sad song at every opportunity. The holiday season must be especially hard on them. They see nothing to be thankful for and feel fulfilled only by loudly proclaiming “Bah, Humbug.” They are mental and spiritual Scrooges. As a kid in a churchgoing family, I was trained to read a Bible passage and say my Now I lay me down to sleep, nightly before going to bed. I modified that custom while enduring the rigors of medical school at Penn and substituted reading a few episodes of Pogo, instead of the Bible. The peripatetic possum from the Okefenokee Swamp put me to sleep with a smile. Then gradually, bedtime prayers were replaced by a pattern of a simple end of the day reflection on the many experiences I had each day to be grateful for and the people I'd met who enriched my life. That’s a night time custom I still enjoy – reflecting on what I have to be thankful for. And there's a lot. As I get older, if all else fails, as a friend reminded me in a recent email, I can be thankful that wrinkles don't hurt. Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers, PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310 [email protected] www.ftlprimetimers.org Page 3 December Luncheon by Doug Kent Inside a hangar on the edge of the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport sits one of the best lunch spots in Fort Lauderdale. The Jet Runway Café (5540 N.W. 21st Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309), is our destination for our Prime Timer Luncheon on Thursday, December 18th, 2014 at 1:00pm,. You get to the restaurant from I-95, by taking Commercial Boulevard West, to NW 21st. Terrace, turn right, go approximately ½ mile and the Café parking lot is on the right. From the parking lot, a nicely landscaped, covered walkway leads you into the Café. This 89-seat restaurant is set with metal and wooden furniture. This place is cool. On one side of the narrow room, a row of windows looking onto the tarmac provides the restaurant an outstanding view of the airport runway. The menu is outstanding. Soup changes daily, and there are eight salads, to which a skewer of wonderful grilled shrimp can be added. Try the mac-n-cheese, which has a little kick of red pepper. There are a dozen sandwiches, seven different burgers, three Mexican-inspired dishes, plus five Jet Features. A favorite from that last category is a sandwich known as the Picnic Basket, in which slices of country white bread hold barbecue-pulled pork, pepper jack cheese, macaroni and cheese, and crispy onion strings. Make sure you save room for one of the incredible desserts like the chocolate fudge cake. The 5-year-old Jet Runway Café is owned by Mitch Amsterdam and Mike Linder. It grew out of their Silver Lining In-flight Catering, which has been servicing the private-aviation industry since 2001. Don’t take off before you make your reservations by calling Doug Kent at 305-495-2978 or e-mailing him at [email protected]. Believe me you will enjoy this high flying luncheon. December Special Event - The Best Cellar by Ted Verdone I have arranged for the Prime Timers to have a wine tasting at the Best Cellar, located at 1408 NE 26th Street in Wilton Manors, in the same plaza as the Old Florida Seafood House. The event will be held on Thursday, December 11, at 6:00 pm. The cost will be $20 per person. We will taste 12 to 15 different wines. Cheese, crackers, & French bread will also be served. We had an event there last April, and by popular demand we are repeating it again in December since we have no other special events planned during that month, and wine tasting seems to go with the season. If you are planning to attend, please send in the flyer on page 7. Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers, PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310 [email protected] www.ftlprimetimers.org Page 4 Mr. December 2014 Gene Bifulco Board Members President Neal Clark (954) 623-7599 [email protected] [email protected] Vice President Buddy Berardi (954) 566-1751 [email protected] Treasurer Mike Trask (954) 771-0436 [email protected] Secretary/Surfer Henry Penas (954) 971-6514 [email protected] Ron Grassullo (516) 670-7799 [email protected] Annual Holiday Dinner The time is drawing near for our Annual Holiday Dinner and White Elephant Exchange. Mark your calendar for December 16th. It will be held at the Tropical Acres Steakhouse. Eddie Green (954) 557-5485 [email protected] Carl Hill (954) 557-7794 [email protected] Richard Lefebvre (401) 474-9242 [email protected] Lou Wangberg (954) 327-9860 [email protected] Board Assistant Membership Secretary Stew Pepper 954-532-5451 [email protected] For those who are new to this tradition, every attendee brings a White Elephant gift and leaves with someone else's. You don't have to spend any money. It could be something you have laying around in a closet or something you received as a gift and have been waiting for just such an occasion to "re-gift" it. In order to take a gift, you have to bring a gift. That's the exchange part of White Elephant Exchange. There will be helpful elves available. Send in the flyer on page 9. Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers, PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310 [email protected] www.ftlprimetimers.org Page 5 Silver Balls by Richard Lefebvre Our next Theater outing will take place on Sunday, December 14 at 5:00 pm at the Empire Stage Theater (1140 N. Flagler Drive). The play is Silver Balls, written by Brooks Braselman (Mommie Queerest, The Facts of Life: The Lost Episode, The Silence of The Clams). Silver Balls tells the story of Francie's life and loves, from her start as a pampered rich girl, to her rise as an NYC cabaret singer, to her adventures on the High Seas. Francie Silver is the highstepping heiress to a sweet candy fortune -- those tiny silver balls they call dragée. Between tales of romance, mystery and scandal, Francie entertains us with favorite holiday songs, and with cookies, gifts and surprises. See it and you'll agree, Francie has a golden voice... and Silver Balls! The special Prime Timer Price is $20. Check must be received no later than December 11. Send your check to P.O. Box 100666, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33310. Make your check payable to FLPT and write Silver Balls on the memo line. As usual there will be free beer and wine available. In Memoriam Bernie Weiser Ken Lowery 3/27/46 -10/18/14 7/25/38-10/24/14 Many of you know Ken from the Senior Advisory Council and the Pride Center. He was an outspoken man who loved his ink (tattoos). He had an encyclopedic knowledge of all thing to do with Hollywood and the movies and the Broadway theater. He had a wonderful sense of the ridiculous. Attendees at Coffee and Conversation will long remember Ken showing up as a sagging Hooter's waitress or the time he arrived dressed as a sixfoot plus Carmen Miranda in real platform shoes made from actual 2 by fours. He will be missed. Bernie Weiser passed away on October 18. Bernie and his husband of 43 years, Kevin Friel, moved to Florida from New York City in 2006. They joined our chapter in May of 2011. Bernie was a decorated Vietnam Veteran, and was awarded the Purple Heart. He retired from banking and the postal service in 2006. He was an active member of the Pantry of Broward , the Sunshine Cathedral, VFW Post 6478, The Stonewall Library and the Rotary. He and Kevin loved to travel, and had visited numerous places in Europe, South America, China, Thailand and Russia. They were especially fond of cruises. He will be missed and remembered by many people throughout Fort Lauderdale and beyond. Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers, PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310 [email protected] www.ftlprimetimers.org Page 6 Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers, PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310 [email protected] www.ftlprimetimers.org Page 7 Photo Gallery of Various Events - October Luncheon Mixer at Tropics November Luncheon Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers, PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310 [email protected] www.ftlprimetimers.org Page 8 Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers, PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310 [email protected] www.ftlprimetimers.org Page 9 Birthdays, Anniversaries & New Members Birthdays Edward Hardek 12/2 Allen Sandler 12/3 Donald Carbon 12/3 Harvey Dagen 12/3 Elliott Schwartz 12/6 Tom Olah 12/6 Howard Paris 12/7 Tom Sluberski 12/7 Mike Golin 12/8 Bob Copping 12/11 Gerry Zaebst 12/11 Lewis Shena 12/14 Joseph Ruggeri 12/14 William Taylor 12/14 Arthur Brown 12/15 Michael Morrow 12/15 Joseph Montrose 12/16 Chuck Wirth 12/17 Frederickk Piaz 12/19 Dan Fountaine 12/19 Gary Payne 12/20 Richard Huitema 12/20 Henry Penas 12/20 Sean Phou 12/21 Len Walker 12/22 Richard McNany 12/23 Leonard Dennick 12/24 Marshall Nanninga 12/25 Kenneth Langbauer 12/27 August Azzarello 12/28 Mark Britton 12/29 Hugh Rance 12/30 New Members John Bourassa Dennis Camara Frank Dorn Jul Edwards Kevin Friel Robert Manne Richard Mariano Thomas Oberly Norman Peters Edward Schumacher Don Squire William Woodward That brings our total membership to 437 Anniversaries Wayne Mitteer & Stephen Cornwall 12/6/1974 40 years Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers, PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310 [email protected] www.ftlprimetimers.org Page 10 Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers — December 2014 Sun Mon 1 Tennis 9:00 am Palm Aire Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2 Card Games 11:30 am Pride Center 3 Bowling 11:00 am Manor Lanes 4 History Group 2:00pm Stonewall Library 5 Bocce Ball 10:00 am Palm Aire 6 10 Bowling 11:00 am Manor Lanes 11 Special Event 6:00 The Best Cellar 12 Bocce Ball 10:00 am Palm Aire 13 17 Bowling 11:00 am Manor Lanes 18 Luncheon 1:00 pm Jet Runway Café 19 Bocce Ball 10:00 am Palm Aire 20 26 Bocce Ball 10:00 am Palm Aire 27 www.ftlprimetimers.org Page 11 Mixer 5:30 pm Tropics 7 Card Games Noon Pride Center 8 Tennis 9:00 am Palm Aire 9 Card Games 11:30 am Pride Center General Meeting 2:00 pm Pride Center Mixer 5:30 pm Tropics Board Meeting 6:00 pm 14 Card Games Noon Pride Center 15 Tennis 9:00 am Palm Aire 16 Card Games 11:30 am Pride Center Ballet Group 12:30 pm Pride Center Mixer 5:30 pm Tropics Holiday Dinner Cash Bar 6:00 Dinner 7:00 Tropical Acres 22 Tennis 9:00 am Palm Aire 23 Card Games 11:30 am Pride Center 24 Bowling 11:00 am Manor Lanes 30 Card Games 11:30 am Pride Center 31 Bowling 11:00 am Manor Lanes History Group 2:00pm Stonewall Library Silver Balls 5:00 pm Empire Stage 21 Card Games Noon Pride Center 25 Mixer 5:30 pm Tropics 28 Haulover Beach 10:00 am Card Games Noon Pride Center Opera Group 12:30 pm Pride Center 29 Tennis 9:00 am Palm Aire Mixer 5:30 pm Tropics Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers, PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310 [email protected] Thanksgiving Dinner at Zuckerello's Pictures throughout the newsletter by Kaz Takahashi Don't See Your Picture? Go to ftlprimetimers.org Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers, PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310 [email protected] www.ftlprimetimers.org Page 12
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