It would be great if we all knew about each other rather than a cryptic name from a cryptic place so I'm gonna start. I dare you all to do the same...

I'm around 60 but never grew up for some reason and don't want to, too old to change now anyway. Live in the North Valley of Albuquerque, NM and wouldn't move for anything.

My sign ..... keep left or soft shoulder, depends.

My bio.....

Born in Austin, Texas and hated every minute of it, couldn't wait to leave. It was a backwater swamp back in the '60s and worse now. I'm a Texan by birth but a New Mexican by choice.

Youngest professional fireman in Austin, TX at 18. Lasted only a year. Great stories but mostly boring, nothing burned! The Southern Baptists running Texas wouldn't allow anything fun so we studied, pitched washers, played badminten and some kicka** ping pong..

Moved to the big city, Dallas and decided to make my fortune in the insurance business selling $1 a week cancer policies not worth a dime in the worst part of town at night. Carried a .38 special in a shoulder holster and almost pulled it once. Made me realize how valuable life is and that getting one's butt whipped isn't worth killing somebody. It worked out well, my butt and the perp were just fine.

Spent years in the electronics business and was a millionaire on paper in '74 'til the great CMOS/Caps crash. Saw the light and sold my third of an electronic distributership for $6K, bought a motor home and guided canoe trips and did car shuttles down the Rio Grande in Big Bend NP for a year. Loved it but was dying for a fresh steak. Made a two week, 250 mile trip down an unexplored part of the Rio Grande, almost died but wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

Worked for Xerox sales and service from '75 to '86 covering all of west Texas from Odessa to El Paso, Mexico to New Mexico, driving about 110,000 miles a year. Could read the paper and do the crossword puzzle while driving 80 MPH. Got lots of tickets but had a great lawyer.

A friend invited me to New Mexico and after a 500 mile trip and two hours sleep, found myself in a hot air balloon at 5am. Bought one two weeks later and was a pilot in 6 weeks. Quit Xerox and moved to NM, making a living off ballooning 'til '90. Tried to start a balloon business in Puerto Rico and made a bad, bad mistake. Lost everything and came back home with nothing.

Started a computer business and did well from '91 til '95 when I invested and lost everything in a gold mine. Worked freelance then got a cushy job at Intel until they outsourced us to CA. Diddled around a few years, had three back surgeries, a fake knee, three heart attacks and decided it was time to quit. Then lost everything again in another gold mine scheme. It's still there, by God, I've seen it and had it assayed myself! I lived my life knowing I'd be dead by 50. It didn't work out and I've fallen apart the last ten years.

Now I've met the lady of my life after three marirages and a raft of girlfriends and we compliment each other perfectly. I'm a redneck Texan and she's a San Franciso Berkleyite, what a combination We're not rich but comfortable and have no bills beyond utilities and taxes so I spend most my time geocaching, bitching and griping.

Now, what's your story???? Hmmmm............??