AS I LIVE AND BREATHE, I MOVED TO PHOENIX!!!

[PaulinNJ]

I know it's been a while since I even logged in here....did ANYONE miss me? *sniff*

I made it to Phoenix a month ago -- arrived here October 17th after a hellbent ride with Pooh and Piglet, my two "babies" (orange tabby brothers). Piglet escaped from the truck the first night on an off ramp of the PA Turnpike.

Ever seen a grown man sobbing after bleeding half to death from crawling through briar patches at night? That, my pals, was me. Big ol' 6'1" broad shouldered man that I am...I think they heard me sobbin' in Florida. BUT...just as the flashlight was blinking it's last, I crawled into the briar patch (I saw Brer' Rabbit too!) and there was Piglet....shivering in fear. I reached down, put him inside my sweatshirt, and I think we both had a good cry. Now if I leave the room, he's right there with me - cute lil' bugger!

Pooh, on the other hand, is now listed in The Guinness Book of World Records. He holds the title for "Cat who meowed constantly for eight hours, thirty two minutes"!!! And LOUDLY into my right ear...

But we're here...one big happy!

I am living in central Phoenix for anyone familiar with the lay of the land...or should i re-phrase that? LOL

I'm still "purging" a lot of my stuff that I've collected over the years...my comic collection (mostly DC from late 60's to early 90's- anyone in my area interested?) --- for one reason, no room, for another, why do we attach ourselves to so much "stuff"? Memories? Yes...and I'm not throwing out the baby with the bathwater here but it's even helping me financially as the move tossed me a few surprises....uh, over $1,200 in gas alone? I HAD to buy premium as my 97 truck just did better on the road...especially when I threw caution to the wind andwas SO anxious to get the hell here, I was going 100-110 through the Texas panhandle and NM. Hauled ass? Yep!

So, to all my old and newer pals on here, I am sorry I've been out of touch...sincerely...everyone I've had contact with on this site is just amazing to me. When I felt I had no family to speak of, you gave me hope that I could MAKE my own. Thanks.

So, I'm baaaaaaaaaack!!!

Big lug hugs,
Paul

[Jeffreyj]

Welcome to the "Hood" there Paul. Sounds like quit a move. I guess one of you first chores is is get a new name... PaulinNJ is not gonna cut it in these parts. Here's a few:

Kitty Cactus, No Virus Load cactus, or PaulinAZ

A few to chomp on. I wish you great luck in you new move.
Welcome to Arizona!
Jeff in Phoenix

[weasel]

hey Paul ,

                 Glad you and the kitty's  made it safely !

                 I LOVE  the South West part of the Country !

                wishing you and the family the best of happiness !

               I would stick with PaulinNJ , cause nobody would know the real you
               if you change it ,wait a while 


               Goog luck  with your purging of stuff !
               I myself never have done that . ( excluding smash attacks )    LOL


                                                                best to you , karl

               P.S. I have every " Special Interest Auto " magazine from it's introduction
                      to it's new format as " classic Car "

                     Waiting to get old to reread them all              LOL

[BT65]

Hey Paul,

I'll be out in Phoenix the latter part of December to spend X-mas with my sister there.  Maybe we could meet up somewhere.  PM me if that's an idea.

And congrats on the move and getting there in one pieces (well, three pieces if you include the cats).
   Luv,
Betty

[Ann]

Hi Paul, I remember you!

My heart was in my mouth when I read the first bit about Piglet - I'm so glad it had a happy ending! I know how devastating it would have been had you not found him.

And you have my sympathy about the meowing. What is it with cats in cars? Hope your ear has recovered.

Have you thought about selling your comic collection on eBay? Ones in good condition can fetch a handsome price these days. I've got loads of books I'm thinking of selling there - far better to make a few quid off them instead of tripping over them all the time. I ran out of shelf space about a year ago.

Good luck in Phoenix. Colour me jealous! While I'd never leave the Rock (and the NHS!) I'd sure like to have me some Phoenix weather.

Take care and don't be such a stranger. If you want to change your username in honour of your move, give me a shout via PM.

Hugs to you and Pooh and Piglet,
Ann
xxx

[denb45]

Hey Paul..........welcomed to the southwest, loved your story about your kitties, I have 2 boys Orange Tabbys I would have cried over my cat too  , and I'm a big guy like you...........anyway, I'm not in AZ, but I'm in ABQ, NM , yep that's right the good ole shouthwest, hope you enjoy AZ 

[Moffie65]

Paul, Welcome to Arizona.  I am down in the Southeast Corner, only about 17 miles from Tombstone. 

A couple of thoughts.  You simply MUST get in touch with Jeffery, he is also well above the 6' mark, and gives some of the best hugs on the planet.  Besides he is a wonderful teddybear of astonishing good looks. 

Secondly, you guys have to get together and come on down here for a weekend sometiime and we can show you GAY Bisbee.  Maybe Bisbee Pride weekend would be something you two could focus on for next year on fathers' day.  OOOO doggie, this is fun.

Shit, while we're all at it, we need to get all the "Southwesterners", both from Arizona and New Mexico to "come" together and have a pow-wow for a weekend somewhere.  A Southwestern AMG, Who Knew?   JefferyJ, Paulnj, Mark/Aztecan, Denb, Tim/Moffie and several more come to mind.

[HIV+Me]

Welcome to the "Hood" there Paul. Sounds like quit a move. I guess one of you first chores is is get a new name... PaulinNJ is not gonna cut it in these parts.

I could suggest Paul's "alias" as a new screen name here, but we're too good of friends for that sort of betrayal.  (We are, aren't we, hon?)

Chris

[Texan38]

Glad to hear everything turned out well with Piglet. Lots of luck and sending good vibes to you and your 'kids' in you new home!

CHEERS! 

[denb45]

Shit, while we're all at it, we need to get all the "Southwesterners", both from Arizona and New Mexico to "come" together and have a pow-wow for a weekend somewhere.  A Southwestern AMG, Who Knew?   JefferyJ, Paulnj, Mark/Aztecan, Denb, Tim/Moffie and several more come to mind.

That sounds like a lotta fun Moffie........being that were all not that far away  I'm only 419 miles form  Albuquerque to Phoenix.............in 2003 my partner Bob & I drove down to Bisbe, Sierra Vista & Tombstone AZ, was kinda a short Vacation trip, was really inexpensive, and only took about 2 or 3 days 

[PaulinNJ]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY <Kermit The Frog's voice>

LET'S DO IT!!!!

And Betty - hell, yeah! I'll PM you later ...I am crunched liike a question mark --- triying to get a good chro or masseuse who is gratis for us hivers as $ went in the gas tank....my bacchusacihenme!!! Hey, maybe that's my new name...

And do I hear someone playing Yenta on here???

More later...gotta get outa this mouse house!

Big lug hugs,
Paul

[aztecan]

Shit, while we're all at it, we need to get all the "Southwesterners", both from Arizona and New Mexico to "come" together and have a pow-wow for a weekend somewhere.  A Southwestern AMG, Who Knew?   JefferyJ, Paulnj, Mark/Aztecan, Denb, Tim/Moffie and several more come to mind.

Sounds like a winner to me! 

Welcome to the Great Southwest Paul!

There's no place like it on the planet.

HUGS,

Mark

[GSOgymrat]

Welcome back! I'm glad you and the kitties made it safely across the country. I'm a Marvel man myself.

[PaulinNJ]

A young an trampled to death in NY on Black Friday....sad. Is THIS what CHRISTmas is about???

So, the time for roo-who's amd roast beast is here....

But we should perhaps begin to picjk a date and somewhat central location (MARCH???) for alll of us to meet for a fun time. HIVAIDSAPALOOZA 1 - 2009!!!

Anyone wish to cross post to New Mexicans, Nevadans (anyone else?) so we can get the ball slowly rolling before the holidays. March will be here before you can say,,,,,POOF!!!

XXX
Paul

[Moffie65]

Well Paul, seems like it might be time to start this plan, so in good tradition, I think we should move the discussion to the AMG GAtherings Forum, where others we might not suspect interested, will see the discussion.  (breath)

I'll go ahead and start it with a bit of a proposal. 

[PaulinNJ]

I would like to start with an apology:

I have been out of touch...and with my "family" no less...since I moved here to Phoenix. For that I sincerely apologize. It was never my intention. After Pooh, Piglet, and Paul's Big Adventure driving from NJ to AZ, I thought I had had enough. Piglet escaped from my truck along the PA Turnpike the first night. Strapping 6'1" man bawling on the off ramp? ME! It was night time and just as the flashlight blinked its last, I found him...I was scratched to hell from sticker bushes but I got my baby back. Now he cannot love on me enough.

Coming thru OK I stopped at a rest area and what pops out of the bushes and sits in front of me? An orange tabby! For the life of me I could not take him (he reminded me of my late Cosmo) - if he had feline HIV or Leukemia, one scratch to Pooh or Piglet...I posted to craigslist asking/begging anyone who lived near there to go find him...no one replied so I truly believe someone with a good heart took him in. One lady wrote to me twice and all she said was, "I can't believe you left him there to die!" Ick. After the second time, I responded politely that if she could read my post on craigslist, I could not take him and chance any infection with my two.

So, I arrived here on October 17th (a Friday) and as I chose to live on the third floor (no upstairs noise), it was then I realized...OOPS! No ellevators! I hoisted almost everything up three flights. Two weeks later as I bent down to pick up my keys in the supermarket parking lot, I froze in that position.  A crooked man...

One friend asked me what I did. Smamry me...I said,"You know me. Make the best of a bad situation! I yanked my shorts down and stuck a sign on my a** that said '$5' and I made a dollar!" Hey, ya gotta laugh.

So, lessons learned: we attach so much "stuff" to our lives. Moving into a small one bedroom, I have had to purge myself of "stuff". Toss, give, and in some cases sell. I need the cash after spending $4 a gallon driving 2500 miles!

As of today, I am still getting through the process of getting rif of etc. but I am finally at a place hwere I can relax - and today was my first "me" day in a long time. Well, there was the two weeks flat on my back on muscle relaxers drooling...I sent an email to a friend in NYC and he called me minutes later and told me to read what I had written. NONSENSE! I could not make out a word of it! *drool* - but I DID finally find a wonderful chiropractor who spent an hour and a half on me and while i have yet to get back to see him due to distance, I will be back. When I left hiis office I was in tears...of joy...I had not been pain-free for months.

I am so good at not taking my own advice. Be kind to yourselves.

I have missed you all.

An d March sound good to me for a SW meeting...the weekend of 3/10 I am committed to a friend's 50th in Palm Springs so...

Love,
Paul

[BT65]

Paul, good to hear from you and thanks for the pm.