Older Folks and Vaping Back Porch - Part Three

[MikeE3]

Hello and welcome to the Older Folks and vaping Back Porch. This thread was originally titled Older People 55 and Up. The original thread was started about 3 years ago and grew to almost 19,000 posts. Then a Part 2 continuation thread was created and has now reached 15,000 posts. So it’s now time for the Back Porch Part Three.

The original thread can be found here:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/lounge/289745-older-people-55-up.html

The 1st continuation thread is: Older Folks & Vaping Back Porch Part 2
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/lounge/520776-older-folks-vaping-back-porch-part-2-a.html

The original thread was started by Txtumbleweed, here’s what he said.

4/21/2012 Txtumbleweed wrote:

I thought I would start a thread mostly for older folks but everyone is welcome.

Us older folks do like to socialize along with our vaping

So with that in mind, come join us on the back porch, bring your favorite PV and beverage, sit down and relax with us. This thread is in the lounge so we are free to talk about vaping and anything else that suits your fancy. Let the good times roll.



We also have a Front Porch in the General Forum where we hang out to share our stories about getting started on our vaping journey and all topics related to vaping. Please feel invited to join us there too. Here’s the link:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...lder-folks-vaping-front-porch-part-three.html

 

[MikeE3]

It seems fitting to open this continuation thread to honor “Txtumbleweed”, who brought us all together and offered so much support and friendship to us. Tex passed away about a year ago. He is missed but not forgotten.

Thanks to Uncle Willie for honoring Randal with the following tribute.

I believe every one should have a lasting Memorial that attempts to capture, in some way, a tiny bit of the essence of a person. So, on the cusp of the passing of our old friend, Randall (txtumbleweed), I have tried to put together a small Tribute to the man that we, for the most part, owe a debt of gratitude for initially bringing us together here. It has been a year now, since TX passed .. many have come to the Thread, many have come and gone, some have stayed .. the landscape changes, much like life itself .. so here we go ..

I always figured Randall used the term "Tumbleweed" because it best described his life. He mentioned in many posts that he always wanted to sit down and write a book about his Forrest Gump like life. I don't know if that book ever got fully written, although he did write .. I hope it did get finished, because Randall had a story to tell. One of the reasons I tried to stay in touch with TX both by email and phone, was because, in a way, we were somehow kindred spirits, since both our lives had taken dramatic turns and twists as the Journey unfolded ..

I'm going to just hit what my memory can bring up, I will be brief and I encourage all of you that remember TX to add to the narrative ..

Born in the California San Joaquin Valley, raised in Texas .. As a young man, Randall and his brother rode the rails of America, as a vagabond, as an adventurerer .. he was a proud Veteran of the US Miltary .. his failure at married life left him a self declared bachelor, although he deeply wished that a Soul Mate could have been found, it was not to be. His free spirit was really not designed for domestic tranquility .. even though he had a bit of the Romantic in him (Randall actually
wrote poetry) .. as a child, he and his Brother were swept out to sea on a raft .. and almost drowned. He loved the Redwoods of Northern California and called it his favorite place on Earth. TX lived in a logging camp for four years back in the early 50's.

Randall dated an original Mouseketeer, her name was Margene .. he worked, primarily as a Lineman, for 30 years. Then, at the age of 50, when most men are beginning to think of retirement, slowing down, settling down, etc .. while living in Seattle, he sold his truck and bought a one way ticket to Alaska. Because the Vagabond was still itching .. all his life, Randall had dreamed of working on a fishing boat. When he got to Alaska, he landed a job on a trawler out of Dutch Harbor and spent 10 (that's ten) years working on the Northern Jaeger fishing all the way from Siberia to Northern California and the Bering Sea .. what man does that at 50 .. ?? And for 10 years, no less ..

And he danced .. a self declared bonafide avid, wood floor, honky tonk line dancer that would tell us about the many pairs of cowboy boots he wore out and the ladies he used to swing around the floor ..

What I remember most, though, about Randall is the fact that he never had a bad word to say .. sure, like all of us, he had his ups and downs, but no one that visited the old threads got anything from TX other than a warm welcome and an encouraging word .. that and his Faith .. you see, when TX initially went in to have a lump on his neck area diagnosed, all of us back then went on the Journey with him .. he kept us updated, but most importantly, he stayed strong, he never let his Faith waver, his optimism was and is an example even to an admitted Faithless man, such as myself. His postings got to be fewer and fewer, yet almost had a palpable feel .. you could sense things were not going well as time passed, yet he believed, to the End, that whatever lay in store for him was just another part of the Story he had lived .. and TX considered us his Friends and Confidants so much so, he brought us with him on the Journey.

So let us rejoice a Life Well Lived, from the man that was instrumental in many of us joining hands here in our small corner of the CyberWorld. The final two slides reflect Randalls posting tag and his favorite saying as he approached the end ..

 

[MikeE3]

.....

Link To Poems Stories and Tales of a Texas Tumbleweed

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...211-poems-stories-tales-texas-tumbleweed.html

A Texas Thing by TxTumbleweed ..

This is a Texas thing so y'all might not understand
But it is about the Republic for which I stand
Now it all started a long time ago at a place called the Alamo
There were Travis, Bowie, Bonham and Crockett too
Now they drew a line in the sand
And said to every man
If y'all would like to step across the line you're free to go
But for those that stay
It looks like we are going to have ourselves a fight with Old Mexico
Now their stand would be their last doncha know
But it would all end on the bank of the San Jaciento
Where General Houston caught Santa Ana by surprise
And said if y'all don't surrender
I'm gonna shoot ya right between the eyes
Well ol Santa Ana surrendered that day doncha know
And gave us our freedom from Old Mexico
That gave us Texas boys the right
to whoop and to holler and bark at the moon
And even until this very very day
When a Texas boy gets in a bad way
Y'all know what he will say?
"Remember The Alamo, Long Live The Republic"
(of Texas that is)

.....

 

[classwife]

Such lovely memories...


dragging some rockers over here

 

[williegntx]

Good Saturday morning everyone...Back Porch wasn't far behind Front Porch for Part 3! Great people here and there (FP), too!
Have a great weekend everyone!

 

[3mg Meniere]

Post to own. Thank you Mike and Classy!!

 

[Flowersoul]

Looking good Mike.......on with the new memories to be made!

 

[MikeE3]

he, he, .... looky what Janet got me to celebrate the new porch. (Indeed they exist, never saw them 'till bigs posted a pic on the old porch)

 

[LittleBird]

Whew! That was fast! The new porch is lookin' grand, though. Just gotta find my rocker ...

Good morning, everyone!

 

[Janet H]

I'm here! Had to make sure we had enough seating...

 

[Cavenerd]

Morning Porchers. I hope everyone is enjoying the new home.

Perfectly appropriate start to the third iteration of the Back porch, I think. Well done, Mike.

In case the harsh weather doesn't break soon, thought some of you could use some heated chairs:

What they lack in comfort, I'm sure they make up for in hot bottoms!

 

[Cavenerd]

Whew! That was fast! The new porch is lookin' grand, though. Just gotta find my rocker ...

Good morning, everyone!

Lovin' your St Pats Avi!

 

[DavidOck]

And a good morning to all!

 

[Cavenerd]

I feel like I've never been at the front of the thread without pages of "future" posts to catch up.

This is so weird.

Hello...? Is there anybody out there? Can anybody hear me?

 

[MattB101]

Hi guys, I made it. It was a rough slog over the mountains but, here I be and here I shall stay. Another new beginning, don't know if I can handle it.
For those who still have snow and ice here is a possible solution... I'll be back in a little bit.



Sent while sitting on my busted ..... Stay off the ice if you can't skate. I can't and didn't.

 

[MattB101]

Morning Porchers. I hope everyone is enjoying the new home.

Perfectly appropriate start to the third iteration of the Back porch, I think. Well done, Mike.

In case the harsh weather doesn't break soon, thought some of you could use some heated chairs:

What they lack in comfort, I'm sure they make up for in hot bottoms!

No kidding, and I suppose he sleeps on the old bed of nails.

Sent while sitting on my busted ..... Stay off the ice if you can't skate. I can't and didn't.

 

[MattB101]

I feel like I've never been at the front of the thread without pages of "future" posts to catch up.

This is so weird.

Hello...? Is there anybody out there? Can anybody hear me?

Well you might really need to jump back to the old thread to catch up. I think you missed the whole LED vs CFL discussion. Seriously there was some good info bandied about. Think you were there but that old thread is so far in the past I can hardly remember it! How you doing partner? Did you you show the young squidlets the error of their ways last week?

Sent while sitting on my busted ..... Stay off the ice if you can't skate. I can't and didn't.

 

[MikeE3]

I feel like I've never been at the front of the thread without pages of "future" posts to catch up.

This is so weird.

Hello...? Is there anybody out there? Can anybody hear me?

Weird? Now this is weird - snow covered palm trees.

 

[Iffy]

Thanx again, Mike! Great grand re-re-openin'...

Hey, who hid my cushions?!?!?!

 

[Cavenerd]

Well you might really need to jump back to the old thread to catch up. I think you missed the whole LED vs CFL discussion. Seriously there was some good info bandied about. Think you were there but that old thread is so far in the past I can hardly remember it! How you doing partner? Did you you show the young squidlets the error of their ways last week?

Sent while sitting on my busted ..... Stay off the ice if you can't skate. I can't and didn't.

I got most of the LED vs CFL discussion. I'm an LED guy from way back.

I put some righteous wrath on the youngsters to have they're "stuff" together after the weekend for next week. No overly specific bad stuff. Just a "be careful" and """you're doing okay, get HOT on being better" stuff. The usual.

What you been up to? How's the ol' keister?