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I forgot all about this pic taken just this past May, while on a garden tour with my long-time friend Lily. The name of the tour is called, "Back to the Natives" (referring to California native plants).
I met Lily in a San Francisco Swing dance class in the spring of 1988, back when we were both still in our 30s -- OMG, I was skinny and had a mullet hairstyle back then; but Lily was just plain drop-dead gorgeous (and in my opinion, STILL is drop-dead gorgeous, even 24 years later... how do some people age so well, why I look like hell nowadays? - LOL)....
Sorry guys, she's taken -- married to a Ballroom dancer. But her hubby is kind enough to let me go out with her to dance events and garden tours such as this, my favorite comment from him being that I'm the only guy he allows to be alone with her, because he knows he can trust me because of me being gay.... BUT, if I was a strait guy.... well, let's just say that I've always had a bit of a crush on her; just that my G-rated imagination with women has always kept me out of trouble with a lot of my favorite dance partners and female friendships!
- Ken
Beast? No way Ken. Not you.
Such a wonderful and upbeat photo. Thanks so much for posting.
all the best-
Justin~ :-)
Thanks so much for the kind comments, Justin! But, it is at least somewhat true: standing next to my friend Lily (who is glamorously thin, petite, and extremely "easy on the eye"), I look like "the Beast" standing next to Walt Disney's "Beauty!"
- Ken
What a wonderful photo...Oh yes, she is still drop dead gorgeous...but you are no slouch yourself, ol' fella !!
Thanks for Sharing, Ken
Walter
Thanks for the kind words, Walter! OK, you win: yes, I guess for an overweight, silver-haired, out-of-shape old geezer of 84... I-I-I mean, 59, I don't look half-bad (but it's the "other half" that I'm still hoping to find someday - LOL)!
- Ken
Ken,
Great photo of you and your friend Lily. Can see why you were attracted to her. She has a great smile!
peace,
jonalbear
Hi jonalbear,
Yes, she does indeed have a killer-gorgeous smile!! And the nicest thing about Lily is that she's just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside -- I know it might be a bit "over-used" to say it that way; but it is absolutely true... and she's just as awesome a dance partner as she is a great friend!!!
Later, 'gator!
- Ken
Great friend and dance partner. Double thumbs up!
Hi Ken,
What a nice picture of you and your longtime friend:) I have to admire
your likability factor as you can make friends anywhere.Wish I was more
like that but that's another story;) LoL.Thanks for taking the time to tell us
about your friend Lily and how you met her.Looks like you both are enjoying
the gardens that day.Cheers
Mârk
Hey Mark,
I left a phone message reply on your cell just a few minutes ago, replying to your voice message...
Anyway, regardless of whenever we connect on the phone: thanks for the comments here -- and yes, I forgot to also mention that this is the very same Lily who made that cool outer-space dance shirt for me that I posted a month or more ago here... small longhaired world, isn't it? (LOL)
Later, 'gator!
- Ken
Ken,
Wow! Lily is a talented artist and seamstress as well!
3 Thumbs up!
peace, jonalbear
Yes, a graphic artist by profession; but also quite the seamstress, making all of her own dance outfits, for example.
Quick funny story:
In 1989, there were 6 of us that knew each other from Swing dance classes that put our heads together to come up with a fun group Halloween costume to enter the annual Swing dance club's costume contest that year. We decided to become 6 Crayola crayons, even coming up with a huge cardboard box for us to walk into the dance hall with. Lily offered to come up with the design, as well as did the vast majority of the sewing -- the rest of us just helped out in whatever way she guided us to do, doing a lot of the more menial tasks.
When we walked into the dance that night, the whole Ballroom stopped to watch as we shuffled into the room, opened up the giant Crayola box, and then began dancing with each other as crayons (we looked like giant cone-heads of different colors, with arms & legs sticking out, and a little Zorro-masked face "window" cut-out so we could see.... Needless to say, we won that contest hands-down!
I've won 1st place in a couple of other local Halloween costume and even dance contests over the years; but none were more fun than that year when we entered as a group!!
Great story Ken,
Thanks for sharing!
peace,
jonalbear
Hi Ken,
What a wonderful picture of the two of you, and thank you for sharing. Lily sounds like a genuinely sweet and lovely lady, and I am delighted that you are such good friends.
I should add that it was a real pleasure reading your post today, such nice and uplifting words. You always manage to bring out the best in everyone, and I look forward to that day when I have the chance to meet you personally.
Take care,
David
Thanks so much for the kind words, David! As I mentioned to Mark in my reply to him (or maybe it was in my reply to jonalbear?), Lily is truly just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside -- I feel very blessed to have such a friend like her!!
I also greatly look forward to the day when the two of us can meet each other in-person, too. Since both of us grew up in the era prior to the Internet, it feels probably just as unusual to you as I know it does to me that I feel like I know you already... and yet, we have never met "in the flesh" -- something that 20 - 30 years ago would have been considered the only proper way anybody ever could have gotten acquainted!
In any case, on a completely different topic...
Time-permitting, I might even post a few garden pics from the CA natives tour that Lily & I went on, and/or some rose garden shots of the little deer fenced garden that I maintain at the place where I work as a cook.
Take care, David -- always a pleasure hearing from you!!
- Ken
Very Nice Photo. Here's my Beauty & The Beast photo, my Wife Renee' of 27+ Years & I Last Christmas.
Nice photo, James -- and your wife is simply gorgeous!!!
27 years, WOW, that is one heck of a looooong time!