Introduction

Greetings gentle folk,  I am brand new to the blog world so bear with me as muddle through this.  I am a 45 year old man, with three children from two different women, twice divorced.  I am an alcoholic who is in AA and working the program.  My life is a contorted, twisted, convoluted path that wanders across the country and planet. Many failures and many success, not that I am any better or any worse that the rest of humanity.  These days, I just try to be the best I can be and stay out of my own way.  I love my children and would do anything for them. I also am deeply in love with a  woman from my early high school years. She returns my love, although I drive her nuts at times.

I guess I will begin by telling you about myself and my past.  I was adopted at the age of 4 along with my older sister by a family in 1971.  We know very little about our natural parents, except names and places of birth.  My adopted parents (John and Caroline, she passed away in Sept 2007) were good people. They just had a strange way of expressing love in any form.  Hugs are and always will be an important thing for me, yes I am the touchy feely type. I can not for the life of me EVER remember being hugged or told "I love you" by either parent.  Kinda gives one a twisted outlook on life.  While we were not abused on a regular basis, I got my share of ass whippings.  From belts, brushes, frying pans, wooden spoons, and the occasional switch. For the most part I learned what not to do, to avoid the whippings. 

In 1976 the family moved onto the family farm, and life changed in a major way.  Give any 9 year old boy access to almost 200 acres and watch the fun. We raised cattle mainly, and on occasion, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, peacocks, and a goat. Along with the livestock went the chores.  Summer time was very busy, normal chores along with gathering hay made for long days. Winter time was almost as busy, as the primary heat for the house was wood.  I learned early to never say "I am board".