How my story begins is rather strange, let me introduce myself. I am Judi and my friend in this story is Dick.
Of course he is not only a friend he means much more than that to me. He is a very kind, gentle, and gracious man and at the same time a very stubborn, opinionated, and extremely bright man. He is quiet and
likes to sit and listen and observe people. He once told me he has learned a lot about mankind by just sitting
back, watching and listening to people.
We actually met for the first time in 1964. He had just went through a divorce and was working a second job as bartender at Slyders Tavern to make extra money for child support. I was bowling with my then
mother in law and sister in law at the Belmont bowling alley across the street from Slyders. We would walk
across the street after bowling to get something to eat and just talk. By the way Slyders had fantastic food then and they still do. Anyway we walk in one night and here is this new bartender behind the bar. Tall, black hair and the bluest eyes you had ever seen, good looking was an understatement. Yes, I was married,
but so was every other female with me and they were all looking harder than I was. You see, I was still a fairly new bride and crazy about my husband. We walked passed the bar to a table and as we did he
looked me right in the eyes and said right to me "Hello Pretty" I was so caught off guard I couldn't speak,
but every female with me answered him.
Enough of our brief introduction, we not to see one another again for five years.
