Chris Takacs:  

Life Hey Everyone! Life has been way other than expected for me since graduation, and it has rumbled like a runaway train right up to my half-century mark, with no signs of slowing down. Those of you that knew me in school, remember the skinny, explosive, off-center guy. Well I'm still explosive and VERY off-center at times, but I went from 5'10" and 135 at graduation to about 6' and 195 now. The main focal point until the move to Kentucky was the Music Industry for about 20 years, both studio and touring gigs as a professional sound guy, as well as working for Guitar Center Mgmt. In the mean time, like most of us, I think, I gained a little weight, and am finally shedding it off. My wife, Melody (Buffy), and I have been together 11 years now, and we pulled off the classic 'buy low- sell high' in S. Cal., escaping just before the housing market collapse early last year. We traded 1300 square feet near the ocean for 135 acres of heaven in the Race Horse/Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. There were a variety of reasons for the move, it is said that everything happens in threes, and our turning point there was no exception. Nothing was traumatic in itself, they were just a rapid group of signs passed in quick succession on the highway. A big piece was wanting to get the right retirement spot BEFORE we retired, because once you retire, it seems, you're really too old to enjoy it. We settled in Kentucky, because the lifestyle here is still pretty much 1950-1960 with it's feet in 1850. For example; my business licenses are not available on line. They are recorded as to volume and page location in the vault in the County Courthouse. You must appear in the County Sheriff's office in person to pay your property tax. Same with renewing your vehicle registration. No alcohol sales in this county on Sundays. The nanny-state mentality simply isn't tolerated...Expand for more