An Obscure Letter to a Cousin

Dear Paternal First Cousin GW,
You're going to have to give me a bit more than "Hello" to tell everyone. The next questions are always: "How's he doing?", "What's he doing?" and "What's new with him and his family?"

My answer to the first question is, I'm in good health and so is Host. I have no regrets about leaving Kmart in Nov 2004. Before I left Kmart I knew that there were no jobs with corporate retail pharmacies, hospital pharmacies or long-term care facility pharmacy providers that I wanted. After I left, I explored some other areas that require a pharmacy license. I considered marketing my services such as consulting for retail stores that had insufficient resources to provide medicinal therapy management, disease state management, or to make sure that they are complying with addiction treatment protocols. After I wrote business plans for those ideas, I found enough flaws not to pursue them. I have a background in pharmacy with current licenses to practice in OH and IN, with the emphasis on the word, background. My status as a retired person will be "official" when I receive my first defined-benefit pension check from Kmart.

Host works at an independent pharmacy in County Seat and he likes the work environment. He works shifts that are no longer than eight hours; he can take his lunch-time out of the store; he works only one weekend out of four; and he works with sufficient professional staff at that store (five pharmacists and eight certified technicians).

I'm exploring opportunities for a change of career to a freelance writer and as my own investment portfolio manager. I'm in the process of building a portfolio of my published writing.

Traveling is something we both enjoy. Together we travel during HostÂ’s vacation times. In April 2006, we traveled to Hispaniola, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Mexico on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Frequent trips to Indianapolis and Cincinnati often involve exploring those communities. Our next destination vacation will be in Chicago for a few days in early Fall. We plan to stay a few days to visit some of my favorite museums and some other museums to which I have not been. Chicago is a great city for Host to photograph.

We went to a surprise party hosted by Second Cousin Julie and her husband to celebrate the40thh wedding anniversary of her parents. They were shocked. Barbara kept saying, "Wow!" and First-Cousin-Once-Removed Jim kept telling us that we were all a bunch of liars to keep this a secret from him. FC1R Bill and wife L showed pictures of their new grandson, Lance(SC1R), who is SC Andy's only child. FC1R Don and wife N brought a granddaughter who is about the same age as the older of SCJulieÂ’s daughters. FC1R Nancy showed pictures of her wedding on May 25 to Bob B. FC1RNancy W.B. is expecting her first grandchild who will be a girl named Grace when SC Michelle delivers in early September.

The news from graduation parties starts with Nephew Taylor. He plans to attend the Hamilton branch of Miami University because he will be a commuting freshman. After his freshman or even sophomore years, he can commute to the Oxford campus. Nephew T's summer job is working at P's Pizza. When Brother P came back from CA in Nov 2005, P bought the pizza business from Brother E. P had to clean the equipment, paint the walls, replace a cement floor and put new tile over that new cement floor before he could open the business. (E previously leased the business and equipment to someone who could not keep up the payments.)

P finally has visiting rights with his younger son, Nephew DA, that are honored by DA's mother. P rents an apartment in the same community..

Brother E and S are separated since 2005. They are in the process of dissolution of their marriage. Niece L spends most of the time with E. He home-schools her. S lives in a house she inherited after the deaths of her parents (less than two years apart).

Brother D, D and Niece D attended a family reunion on her side of the family. I picked them up at Indianapolis airport because I stayed overnight with Daughter. Daughter and I went to Indianapolis Museum of Art on that Thursday. The drive to former hometown gave me a chance to talk with them since I had not seen them since March 2005. Brother D closed his video store after that March 05 visit. He is currently working as a general contractor on a project to build a boardwalk in some recreational wetlands. Sister-in-law D is the office staff for a lawyer whose office is five-minutes from their house. Brother D coaches Niece D's baseball team year-round.

FC1R Megan was the honored guest at the next graduation party. She will attend Morehead State University. Her plans are to major in graphic design. I visited with First Cousin Christy who I don't often see on the 4th of July because she has some health concerns, asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), that make a hot July picnic uncomfortable for her. I knew that Christy was going to Edison State College but I did not know what her major was. She is taking classes for a degree in medical code billing. She won't be done before August. She currently works at a local school district as an aide for handicapped students.
Her boyfriend, Ed , recently had been told that his employer, A.O.Smith, will be closing the operation at which he worked for thirty-four years. Uncle Jim was there with his friend, Polly. Uncle Jim provides a lot of her healthcare since her stroke.
FC1R Sean may complete is undergraduate work at University of Toledo next year, and he is considering UTÂ’s Law School. Cousin Mike is a district manager for Jackson-Hewitt but I think his job title and area of responsibility changed since he began working there. His wife T works as a social worker/counselor for troubled teenagers .

Will you please get me current with your story?