[PRCo] Re: Welcome Phil.

[Boris Cefer]

Fred, I felt something because your contributions were being sent from the 
comcast web and not from your e-mail program (was it Outlook?). Tell us 
about your plans for the future! What about moving closer to PTM?

B

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <fwschneider at comcast.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007 5:50 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Welcome Phil.


> Phil and the rest of you:
> Fred isn't gun shy about the list.   Some of you know what has happened to 
> Fred and some don't.  Fred was evicted from his home two weeks ago  by his 
> wife of 37 years under court order.   He is now living in an apartment and 
> finding out who his friends and enemies are.  He just can't routinely 
> participate.   He is trying to buy furniture, pots, pans, got to court 
> appointments, the normal routine doctors appointments, and try to keep a 
> decent mental outlook.
>
> Some of you guys like Bob and Mark and Rich Allman and Ken and Herb knew 
> about it off list.
>
> So far he has found some wonderful friends.   His heartfelt thanks go out 
> to his long time friend Ed Lybarger who drove from Pittsburgh dragged most 
> of his clothes and computers out of the house last weekend.   I expect to 
> have the computer on line Monday afternoon.   In the meantime, the manager 
> at the Travelodge where I stayed for two weeks is generous enough to allow 
> me to pop in from time to time and check my e-mails.  There are also some 
> wonderful people in my church and some great people on my high school 50th 
> class reunion committee who have been very non judgemental.
>
> But Fred doesn't have access to the route cards, his photo files or 
> anything else.   However, his bride did tell Ed that she understands that 
> I wanted everything to eventually go to the PTM library and she doesn't 
> plan to make that an issue.   But there are psychological issues ... when 
> you can't use the files, have no cable connected, etc., etc., etc. ... 
> it's hard to do much in the evening except curl up and go to sleep.
>
> More often than not I find myself at a local Chinese restaurant that I'm 
> been patronizing for more than 20 years because I have always felt like 
> part of the family ... a place where I don't sit with the regular 
> customers but with the owners and the waiters.   I remember the day when I 
> ordered something totally off the wall and the owner came out of the 
> kitchen to find out who ordered it before wasting stock making it, his 
> wife pointed to me, and he muttered, "Oh, he's half Chinese anyway."   I 
> took it as a compliment.   They help to keep my spirits up.   Mama called 
> me Pop the last night.   Smiled.  Said I'm her family.     The people at 
> the local Indian restaurant are just as nice.
>
> OK guys.   I always said we were friends on this list.   So this blather 
> has nothing to do with Pittsburgh Railways.   It just has to do with one 
> of us on a downer.
>
> Life will get better.   It always does.   And it's a lot better today than 
> it was two weeks ago.   This is really an after the fact explanation of 
> why I haven't been as active on the list.
>
> Now, Phil, tell us about yourself.
>
> Fred Schneider