President`s Message by Henry Penas

Volume 12 Issue 12
December 2015
A social club of mature men and those who enjoy their company
President's Message by Henry Penas
The other day I made a fascinating discovery. Since the Mr. Prime Timer article first appeared in
the Surfer in December 2009, there have been 67 Mr. Prime Timers. Of those 67 only 3 have
passed away. The unscientific conclusion I drew from this is that there is a strong correlation between being Mr. Prime Timer and longevity.
I had been looking at newsletters of other chapters and noticed that one of them featured a different member each month. I decided to do the same thing. The first Mr. PT was Jimmy Wood. His
partner, Doug Kent, wrote the article and has been doing it ever since.
Here’s how it works. I find someone to agree to be Mr. PT and Doug interviews the candidate. It
takes about an hour or so. Doug chats with you and takes copious notes. A very enjoyable experience. He then transcribes his notes into the wonderful articles that appear in the Surfer.
After a year or more Doug said, “Don’t you think it’s about time you did it?” I couldn’t really say
no. The interview was a lot of fun and he did an amazing job. I had to find a picture of myself at a
younger age and have a photo shoot with our resident photographer, Kaz Takahashi.
If it’s your turn in the barrel you will meet with Doug and submit a photo of a younger you and a
current photo. If you want your “Now” photo to look great you should contact Kaz for a photo
shoot. He takes dozens of photos and you instantly get to pick the one you like the best. He then
will Photoshop that photo so you’ll look even more handsome. If you purchase an 8 X 10 print (at
the incredibly low cost of $10), he will submit the digital version to the newsletter editor, Buddy
Berardi. All of our former Mr. Prime Timers, with pictures and their story, are featured on the Hall of
Fame page of our web site.
At this point Doug and I have Mr. Prime Timer booked until July of 2016. If you are interested in
being Mr. Prime Timer , let Doug or me know. If you do it you will be in fine company. Who knows?
You might even live longer!
Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers Inc. PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310
ftlprimetimers@gmail.com
www.ftlprimetimers.org © 2003 Page 1
Salt Lake City, Utah is known for many things. One little know fact is that it
was the birthplace of our Mr. December (Mr. D) on November 20, 1949. Mr. D
was born with only 10% of his vision. This fact , however, did not interfere with
his upbringing or childhood. Mr. D attended public schools in Salt Lake City and
was an average student despite his vision problems. He was assigned a Vision
Specialist in elementary and junior high to assist with his education. He was involved in youth activities with the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO) and
was on the regional and district boards. At age 12, Mr. D and his father traveled
to New York City to visit a famous Ophthalmologist who had developed a special
optic for persons with severe vision difficulties. This ground breaking device
allowed persons to see both distances and close work with a single device. Mr. D
traveled several times to New York as improvements were made to the device.
With little fanfare Mr. D graduated high school in 1968. That summer he spent 8
weeks traveling in Israel.
Upon his return to Salt Lake City he entered the University of Utah and studied business administration. He also worked part time in the office of the family business. After two years at
the University, Mr. D decided to work full time with the family business and remained there until 1973. Mr.
D moved to Scottsdale, Arizona and began work in a scrap metal salvage yard, the same type of business that
his father owned. That August he was married and moved back to Salt Lake City to continue his work in the
family business. In 1976 his father passed away at the age of 57. He and his wife adopted two boys in 1977
and 1979. With the passing of his father and with the complications surrounding the estate of the family
business, Mr. D took his family and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where he partnered with a friend and
started a travel business. Their third son was born in July of 1982.
That same year, the family moved back to Scottsdale, Arizona and started another small travel business.
It was in 1987 that they sold the business to allow Mr. D to pursue various entrepreneurial projects. However in 1988, Mr. D undewrwent open heart surgery. It was not until 1993 that he was well enough to began working full time once again. He secured a position with a telecom company. When their third child
turned 18 years of age, Mr. D and his wife decided to call off the marriage and amicably split up their assets.
This freedom was the opportunity Mr. D had been waiting for his entire adult life.
In 1999, Mr. D moved to Phoenix and in December met his partner. In 2001 he began work with Cigna
Healthcare as a project manager. After a second open heart surgery in 2005, Mr. D took disability
insurance with Cigna at the tender age of 57. This was the same age as his father was when he passed away.
Life continued and in 2010 Mr. D’s partner’s job was eliminated and with that they decided to move to
South Florida for a completely new experience. Here Mr. D remained semi-retired where they both run two
small businesses together.
Mr. D has been a Prime Timer for the last two years. He is a very active member among the group. He is
politically active in the Dolphin Democrats and with the LGBTA State Democratic Caucus. He is on his
condo board; he and his partner enjoy travel, particularly cruises. He enjoys his kids, grandson, and his siblings, and all family functions. Outgoing and professional, you would never know when you meet this person
that he had only10% of his vision. I now know who Mr. D is, can you identify him with all this information?
(The answer is on Page 5)
Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers Inc. PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310
ftlprimetimers@gmail.com
www.ftlprimetimers.org © 2003 Page 2
Say I Was Human by John D. Siegfried
As a kid, I was always eager to get the morning paper so that I could read the comics. Now,
it's the obituaries. I eagerly scan the S section to see if my name's in there.
As Woody Allen said, “It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens.” My father, who in his retirement years, attended funerals as a way of seeing his old work force
buddies, would have paraphrased Woody Allen and said, “I enjoy going to funerals, as long as they're
not mine.”
But truthfully, funerals aren't high on my priority list.
Which is why I was surprised when I got a call a while back from a Sun-Sentinel staff writer who
was doing an article on writing your own obituary. At first I thought it was a very early, or very late
April Fool's joke. Or possibly, a not too subtle suggestion that I should start working on my own obit.
But he was serious and asked 1) had I known anyone who had written their own obituary, 2) had this
ever been discussed in any of the writing groups I've attended, and 3) whether I'd written my own
obituary. My answer was yes to question one and no to questions two and three.
Immediately, he asked for the name, address and phone number of the person I knew who had
written their own obit so that he could contact them. I couldn't supply a phone number but I could
provide his name and his current address, which was Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia. I encouraged the writer by saying, “If you can contact him, you really will have a story. My friend died more
than twenty years ago.”
A man of some prominence in the Philadelphia educational scene, he kept a copy of the obituary he wanted published with his lawyer/executor because he didn't want to have the facts of his life
screwed up when he wouldn't be around to correct them. I've been impressed over the years with the
similarity of all the obituaries I've seen. Universally they are for “loving” fathers, mothers, sons and
daughters. I have yet to see an obit saying thank god the SOB is finally gone.
Coincidentally, while trying to assist the Sun-Sentinel writer, I went to my two drawer Pendaflex
file cabinet and found my files were neither pending nor flexing. They had slipped from their metal
brace holders and were in disarray at the bottom of the drawer. This forced me into a major clean up
of my files. Out went dental receipts from 1989, rabies vaccination paper for a cat that died in 2005
and drafts of manuscripts I'd written in the last century which I'd saved to fortify my fantasy that the
Pulitzer Prize Committee might want them.
But among the folders was one marked Personal/ Miscellaneous. It wasn't clear until I reviewed
the contents whether I, as a person, was miscellaneous, or the content was miscellaneous. What it
contained was college and medical school transcripts, my discharge papers from the United States
Public Health Service (yes, it was an honorable discourage and I wasn't considered a threat to the
public's health) and various commendations and citations I received in my forty plus year medical career.
Aha, I thought, this is what should go into a self-aggrandizing obituary. Don't provide the
newspaper with a list of projects failed, or a list of family and friends injured and alienated along the
way by my insensitivity and inadequacy. Just list the good stuff, the prizes and promotions that came
my way – along with a picture of me smiling and youthful at age thirty.
But while cleaning my files, I realized there was no need for me to write an obituary. It has perceptively been written for me by Jane Ellen Glasser, a friend and poet extraordinaire. Her poem, Last
Wishes, says it all.
“As I contrived a life out of the box, scatter my death on the wind's back.
Let me live again to mine the earth in the belly of a worm.
For dirge, rain on a tin roof, a dog's yelp, the laughter of leaves.
No make-up, no touched-up script for eulogy.
Say I was happily flawed. Say I was human.”
Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers Inc. PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310
ftlprimetimers@gmail.com
www.ftlprimetimers.org © 2003 Page 3
Our December 31st luncheon at 1pm will take us to a
foreign land just 90 miles south of Key West. Las Vegas
Cuban Restaurant located at 2807 East Oakland Park
Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale has long been a fixture in the
local restaurant scene. Relax and enjoy this early New
Year’s Eve dining experience with your fellow Prime Timers.
It was during the Mariel Boat Lift 1980, when the Vilariño
family were among the fortunate to make it through the turbulent stretch and reach the
land of the free. After years of hardship, the family was determined to make the
American dream come true. In 1984 Antonio, his wife Nilda and five daughters bought
their first restaurant, Las Vegas in Hollywood. While Antonio learned to cook, Nilda and
the girls catered to loyal patrons providing personable service, which has proven to be
a drawing factor in their enduring success. Shortly thereafter, Las Vegas became
known as the Cuban hot spot in Hollywood, guaranteeing customers authentic Cuban
dishes and the friendliest service in town. Today with many more restaurants, the family
continues to offer the same quality service, food and atmosphere that attracted locals
for the past twenty years.
Start your New Year’s Eve off with your fellow Prime Timers enjoying great
conversation in a quiet Cuban restaurant. But remember to call Doug Kent at 305-4952978 or e-mail him at dutchwood@att.net to reserve your place at the table.
October Luncheon
Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers Inc. PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310
ftlprimetimers@gmail.com
www.ftlprimetimers.org © 2003 Page 4
Mr. December 2015
Mr. Stewart Pepper
In Memoriam———-Dan Dodge
Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers Inc. PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310
ftlprimetimers@gmail.com
www.ftlprimetimers.org © 2003 Page 5
November General Meeting
Deric Bownds speaking at our General Meeting
Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers Inc. PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310
ftlprimetimers@gmail.com
www.ftlprimetimers.org © 2003 Page 6
Who Got My Email Address? by Henry Penas
Have you ever gotten an email from a friend of yours that only
contained a link? Have you ever clicked on that link only to discover that
it took you to a site that sold shoes, or eyeglasses or some other ordinary
site? If this sounds familiar, then 2 things happened. Your friend’s email
account was hijacked, and by clicking that link you sent a message to the
hijacker that you are an easy mark. You are someone that will click on a
link in an email even though your friend didn’t tell you in the email why
he sent it to you.
The Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers email account in gmail holds all
500+ of your email addresses. We don’t want to be responsible for your
email account getting hijacked.
Therefore, we started a Google Group account to send emails to all our
members at once. The only way to join this Google Group is by invitation
ONLY. This way nobody can access all those emails because they can’t get
at them unless they have been invited. The second and final invitation
was sent to all the members who didn’t accept the invitation the first time
on Sunday, November 15. By now it has expired, even if you find it in your
inbox or trash folder. Write to our regular email account at ftlprimetimers@gmail.com, and I will send you another invitation.
All of this has nothing to do with your Prime Timer membership. It
only involves our ability to include you in our emails to the entire group of
members. And since I know how excited you are on Saturday to get the
Weekly Activities and Announcements email, I don’t want you to be cut
off.
Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers Inc. PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310
ftlprimetimers@gmail.com
www.ftlprimetimers.org © 2003 Page 7
Prime Timers Annual Holiday Dinner
To be held
on Tuesday,
December
15 at 6:00
pm
Prime
Timers
Annual
Holiday
Dinner
at Tropical Acres
To be held on Tuesday, December 15 at 6:00 pm
2500 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale 33312
Tropical
Arrive byat
6:00
PM – DinnerAcres
served at 7:00 PM
2500
Road, Fortavailable
Lauderdale
A cash
barGriffin
will be conveniently
in the 33312
same room
Arrive by 6:00 PM – Dinner served at 7:00 PM
A cashElephant”
bar will be conveniently
available
in the
room after
A “White
exchange
will
be same
conducted
the meal
for all who
bring exchange
gifts after
A “White
Elephant”
exchange
will be conducted
****
Caesar
Salad
**** gifts
the meal
for all
who bring
exchange
1. Stuffed Breast
of Chicken
**** Caesar
Salad ****
2. Prime Rib
1. Stuffed Breast of Chicken
3. Norwegian Salmon Fillets
2.
Prime
Main courses will also includeRib
fresh pole beans almandine & potatoes, au gratin
3. Norwegian Salmon Fillets
*** Dessert will be NY Style Cheese Cake / Cherry Glaze ***
Coffee & Iced Tea, Included
*** Dessert will be NY Style Cheese Cake / Cherry Glaze ***
$26.00 per
Member
$32 per Guest
Coffee
& Iced Tea, -Included
Main courses will also include fresh pole beans almandine & potatoes, au gratin
(Salad, Meal, Dessert, 6% Tax & 18% Tip Incl.)
$26.00
per Member - $32 per Guest
Please note that members are subsidized $6 by the Prime Timers Club
(Salad, Meal, Dessert, 6% Tax & 18% Tip Incl.)
Member Name _____________________________________ Entrée ____
Please note that members are subsidized $6 by the Prime Timers Club
Member
Member Name
Name ______________________________________Entrée
_____________________________________ Entrée ____
____
Guest Name
________________________________________Entrée
Member
Name
______________________________________Entrée ____
____
Please complete
the Name
above ________________________________________Entrée
information & send the bottom half with your payment
Guest
____to Fort Lauderdale
Prime Timers - P. O. Box #100666, Fort Lauderdale FL 33310 or go to our webpage (ftlprimetimers.org) and
click
on the
"Reservations"
pay with
credit/debit
card. to Fort Lauderdale
Please complete the
above
information
& sendlink
theto
bottom
halfawith
your payment
dateFort
for
reservations
istoDecember
10!!
Prime Timers Cut
- P. O. Off
Box #100666,
Lauderdale
FL 33310 or go
our webpage (ftlprimetimers.org)
and
click on the "Reservations" link to pay with a credit/debit card.
If you have to
cancel,Off
let Mike
Trask (954-771-0436)
or Eddie Green (954-557-5485)
know no later
than 3 hours before
Cut
date
for reservations
is December
10!!
the start of the dinner or you will not be able to get a refund. All dinners will be served at the time listed above.
arrive 15 or
minutes
the hour.
If you have to cancel, let Mike Trask Please
(954-771-0436)
Eddie before
Green (954-557-5485)
know no later than 3 hours before
the start of the dinner or you will not be able to get a refund. All dinners will be served at the time listed above.
Please arrive 15 minutes before the hour.
Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers Inc. PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310
ftlprimetimers@gmail.com
www.ftlprimetimers.org © 2003 Page 8
Our Next Theater Event will be at the Island City Stage
(not the Empire Stage Theater)
at 2304 N. Dixie Highway Wilton Manors
Look below for ordering information , date and time.
Sunday, December 13 5:00pm
Tickets: $25 (Regularly $35)
Send in your check and write "Angry Fags" on the memo line or pay
online with a credit/debit card at ftlprimetimers.org.
Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers Inc. PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310
ftlprimetimers@gmail.com
www.ftlprimetimers.org © 2003 Page 9
Birthdays, Anniversaries & New Members
Birthdays
Dennis Cole
Thomas Olender
Harvey Dagen
Donald Carbon
William Murphy
Wilmar McDavid
Elliott Schwartz
Tom Olah
Howard Paris
Tom Sluberski
Mike Golin
Robb Perry
Sebastian Barbosa
James Aiello
Gerry Zaebst
Bob Copping
William Taylor
Joseph Ruggeri
Lewis Shena
Arthur Brown
Mark Kight
Dan Fountaine
Fred Paiz
Richard Huitema
12/2 Henry Penas
12/2 Sean Phou
12/3 William Sandrik
12/3 Kenneth Raiten
12/3 Dennis Mazzone
12/3 Len Walker
12/6 Victor Beaumont
12/6 Richard McNany
12/7 Harry Kahrs
12/7 Leonard Dennick
12/8 John Hasandras
12/9 Marshall Nannings
12/9 Kenneth Langbauer
12/10 August Azzarello
12/11 Richard Keaton
12/11 Mark Britton
12/14 Hugh Rance
12/14
12/14
12/15
12/16
12/19
12/19
12/20 None
12/20
12/21
12/22
12/22
12/22
12/22
12/22
12/23
12/23
12/24
12/24
12/25
12/27
12/28
12/29
12/29
12/30
Anniversaries
December Birthday Boys
New Members
John Actman
Albert Booklet
Dennis Cole
Lewis Greenberg
Jay LaCroix
Orhan Muren
Ruso Perkins
That brings our
total
membership to
500
Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers Inc. PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310
ftlprimetimers@gmail.com
www.ftlprimetimers.org © 2003 Page 10
Prime Timer Monthly Events — December 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
1
Card Games
Wed
2
Bowling
Thu
3
Fri
Sat
4
Bocce Ball
5
10
Bowling
11
Bocce Ball
12
History Group
2:00 pm
Bowling
6
Card Games
7
Tennis
General Meeting
2:00 pm
Mixer
Collectibles Group
11:00am
Pride Center
After Mixer
Informal Dinner
Stonewall Library
Stonewall
Library
13
Card Games
Ballet Group
12:30 pm
14
Tennis
15
Card Games
16
Bowling
17
Bowling
18
Bocce Ball
19
Mixer
Holiday Party
6:00 pm
23
Bowling
24
Bowling
25
Bocce Ball
26
30
Bowling
31
Bowling
Pride Center
“Angry Fags”
5:00 pm
Island City Stage
20
Card Games
After Mixer
Informal Dinner
22
Card Games
Mixer
Board
Meeting
4:00 pm
27
Haulover Beach
10:00 am
28
Tennis
Card Games
Mixer
9
Bowling
Tropical Acres
21
Tennis
After Mixer
Informal Dinner
Opera Group
12:30 pm
8
Card Games
Pride Center
29
Card Games
After Mixer
Informal Dinner
Luncheon
1 :00 pm
Las Vegas Cuban
Pride Center
Card Games - Sundays at Noon and Tuesdays at 11:30am - Pride Center
Tennis - Mondays at 10:00am - Palm Aire
Mixer - Mondays at 5:30pm - Tropics
Bowling - Wednesdays at 11:00 am - Manor Lanes; Thursday 11:00 am - Brunswick Lanes
Bocce - Fridays at 10:00am - Palm Aire
After - Mixer Informal Dinner - Mondays at 7:00pm - See weekly email for restaurant
Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers Inc. PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310
ftlprimetimers@gmail.com
www.ftlprimetimers.org © 2003 Page 11
Random Pictures
J Marks November Dinner
Fort Meyers Trip
Don't See Your Picture? Go to ftlprimetimers.org
Fort Lauderdale Prime Timers Inc. PO Box 100666, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33310
ftlprimetimers@gmail.com
www.ftlprimetimers.org © 2003 Page 12