I was born in Kansas City, grew up in Ohio and Kansas, married two wonderful women (not at the same time), and raised four kids who have produced eight of their own. I've traveled the world and written a novel that is right there in the closet and several songs, one of which was sung at my oldest daughter's first wedding. I ran the 1981 Las Vegas marathon in three hours and fifty minutes and once shot 92 in golf, a life well spent. Since Daddy died of a heart attack a month before his fortieth birthday, I've been dubious about my long term prospects. So at twenty-four I made a plan. If still alive, I would drop out of the system before fifty no matter what and spend the remaining years, if any, seeing the world, courting beautiful women, reading (and writing) good books, etc. At forty, Dad's age when he died, I sighed with relief and hurried on, looking over my shoulder, and followed the plan, dropping out at forty-six. At fifty, I was so encouraged I decided to shoot for 2000, the new millennium, when I'd be seventy years old, vowing to ask for nothing more if I achieved that great age. Now here I am at eighty-something, feeling grateful, shooting for one hundred, and writing this book to share the stories and the wonder of it all.