Texas & Melvyn McIntyre, family friends.

Melvyn with Sons: Emil & Melvyn Jr

Melvin Jr and wife Priscilla

Emil and wife Indira

Am in Sacramento, visiting with my brother Jack and his family. Exercise, zip, nada, I will get the recumbent out today for a 30 miler. One week without riding in this good weather here in Sacramento is not my way for good living.

In this blog, will feature my friends. Aside from my siblings, and a hand full of cousins, there is one person I have known the longest, at least 53 yrs., that would be Melvyn McIntyre, in the old country, Venezuela. His mother, Sra Rita, and my mother enjoyed being "comadres". For my siblings, who should remember Melvyn are probably from sister 4, Joyce, and older. Though the younger ones might have met him when he and his mom visited the family in Florida. I for one, have not personally seen Melvyn for 46 yrs. However, have seen him in old family photos taken in Florida from his many visits with the family. And here are recent photos of Melvyn and his family for my siblings, so that they should get to know him. As a family friend, we should know him and his family and future generations. That would be cool, so my siblings, drop him an e-mail with a photo of you and your family. Hey, send me the photos too, what do you look like? I may not recognize you, OK, that will be day when I will have one brain cell left, and I would need it for something else :)  Let me know if you need his e-mail address.

As for my cousins, have met Leo in Holland back around 1984, and Francisco, not seen him for about 20 yrs. and some of the rest of the cousins not since 1962 (we arrived in the USA). Don't remember cousin Leo when I was a child in the old country, am sure he remembers me since he was older.

Next would be high school friends, my best friend then (and now, one of many), Bob Gomes, known him and his immediate family for about 43 yrs. We lost track of one another after graduation in 1968, and re-acquainted during our 30 yr high school reunion. Now we are getting ready for our 40th high school reunion this July in Florida. I will make Bob, "almost world famous", because Bob has been blogging since before blogging was invented and called blogging. But he will not get the credit for inventing blogs, except from his blogged friends. Bob has been faithfully blogging once a week usually on Sunday mornings, for at least 10 years, though he does not publish on the web, he e-mails his blog to about 56 of his friends.

Then there are the college days friends from Cal State LA, about 32 yrs, they are: Jim & Roberta Estrada, John & Iko Olea, Steve & Florence Lopez, John & Kathy Irwin, Erma Benitez, and one of my best friends since then Nancy Schilling. Nancy and I have kept in touch about once a year usually on our birthdays. Nancy has even camped in the "Bigffoot" last summer in San Diego. These set of friends, though have not seen them much, e-mails go around and not often enough. I would make this friends "the beginning of the great years". We had some good old times, and should plan a reunion soon. Of course am the only one retired, so should visit with each of them. The couples above, have kids and probably are not anywhere from being capable of retiring soon, bummer, and maybe not. Nancy, the Irwin's and the Olea's should expect my presence in a few days as I trek thru LA in my great adventure "Circumferencing the USA". Will post photos from them as I visit with each.

And then, there are recent friends: Don and Louise Kinell, Sandra & Robert Duncan, Vickie & Scott Chegwidden with baby Alice, Cindy Osmon, Elaine Roberts, Jenna Noe, Sean & Laure Wright, Dean & Anne, Thomas Lee, Cristine & Randy Shen, Monica Moore, Larry & Venessa, Jayshree Kansara. Most of this friends go back about 17 years, and a hand full about 5 years. We have in common the addiction of cycling and each other. Most of us have done many, many week long cycling vacation tours together. And countless rides every weekend during the biking seasons, Jan thru Oct, for 17 yrs. And we celebrate all birthdays, with dinners and parties. I will makes this set of friends as "My Family Friends". You can see their photos through my (previous and future) blogs.

So many friends, I like it. I will make this "Happiness".

If I left anyone out, my apologies, let me know ASAP. The excuse, being of advanced age, have only three brian cells left, one is a backup, an one is saved to remember my way home from the Great Adventure. The other is for everything else. What else do I need !