Philip Levine:  

Things have a way of changing.... I was a Security Contractor for the US Government for the last 15 years. I finally got tired of traveling and ending up in every armpit of the world (Kuwait, Iraq, South Korea, Bosnia, ect...) that the US is involved with. When my son first spoke, I was at Kunsan Airbase. When he walked, I was at Rhein-Main / Frankfurt and Darmstadt with Defense Threat Reduction Agency. I just got a position with Orange County Florida as their Senior Security Administrator, which involves NO travel and a short commute from home. The guys that I work with are tops, too.... This is just in time for me to take over as my son's Cubmaster of his Cub Scout Pack. I've been the Assistant Cubmaster for the last three years but the travel schedule got in the way. I spent most of last year in Port of Spain, Trinidad. I wish that I had made our 20th reunion but I was in Kuwait at the time. I really don't get back to Long Island that often. I left the NY area in 1989 after living in Kingston NY for a year or so. I miss the place but the last time that I saw the place, it didn't look like the Commack that I remembered. A shopping center in place of the Drive In.... Yeah... great trade, Commack! No more bowling alley on Jericho Tpk. 4/17 - Like I said, things keep changing.... Since anyone here heard from me, I had left that cushy little job at the power utility and started work at Universal Orlando on the Harry Potter expansion. And I am still there all these years later. I'm never going to be wealthy like some of you, but hey! I am working at Universal and filling my days with animated owls, robotic ride vehicles, magic storefront windows, and roller coasters ( they're controlled by PLCs). And yes, the pay is pretty low but the benefits outweigh the pay. No one shoots at me, my son brings his friends to the park like he owns the place, and my daughter works at costuming. I moved around the corner from my Mom when my Dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It was a long two years. He passed on 12/28/15. My Mom still lives around the corner and just had her 80th birthday yesterday. My father-in-law has been living with us since we moved. Can't have an 82 year old guy living on his own. I bought a boat to play with on my days off (this IS Florida, you know) and it's a nice toy to have. I just run up and down the Saint Johns river with it. And that's where I am at now... Oh yeah, I took my son up to Commack the summer of 2014. I didn't recognize a lot of it but our first stop when we drove up from Washington DC was White Castle next to CMI. Went to Hoyt Farm. Went to Montauk Point. Played around NYC for a few days..... Saw a few old friends like John Van Gelder, Rich Piccola, etc.... See you later, Commack.... I'm out. 1/3/2020 - Still here and still at Universal in the same area. Last year had a few curve balls thrown at me. My wife was diagnosed with cancer, had a procedure, and since it was caught early, she is doing great. I had a procedure or three because I procrastinated for about ten years about getting a colonoscopy. I think it’s OK now. Going up to Georgia for my daughters wedding. She left Universal a couple of years ago and moved up with her fiancée and his family. They’re really nice people. I think 2020 is going to be a good year. Hope it is for all of you. 7/26/2021 - And life goes on... I was working for the last seven years at Universal Orlando Resort. I worked on the Hagrid's Coaster and took vacation to go to my daughter's wedding. I got back and..... COVID-19 shut down Universal Orlando Resort. There was a Stay-At-Home order, so unless you were deemed Essential Personnel by the state of Florida, you stayed home. Not being one to just sit around, I started taking online college classes for Gunsmithing. Why? Because it was something that I was familiar with and have plenty of my own to work on. The end of June came along and 26000 of us were laid off and, subsequently, terminated. So, I kept to my classes and became a certified Gunsmith. I applied and received my Federal Firearms License. And, I suppose that I expected the next event. I just found out that I will be a Grandfather this coming February/March 2022. In the meantime, I need to find a few more clients for my business. I've tried to re-connect with some old friends from CHSS, and there are a couple of people that I do speak with. Not much else has changed. My father-in-law is 87 and still living with us. My "puppy" just turned 16 but she's having issues with her hind legs. And my wife, Kathy, is doing well. No further health issues. None for me, either. My son Danny moved out to an apartment with his girlfriend, so I made his room into my "Gunsmith Office". I just finished restoring a 1938 Japanese Arisaka rifle. And I have a few other projects in the wings. 20JUN2022- And life continues - I finished with one of those projects “in the wings”. Anyone that actually knew me in high school knew that I had a thing for pinball and arcade machines. And as far back as high school, I owned a few pinballs. Well, fast forward to post-COVID-19 and the popularity of Amazon and you have malls going out of business. With us, it was either Walt Whitman or Smithhaven. What do you do with an unleasible anchor store in a mall? Turn it into...Expand for more