Ray Jongsma:  

MOVED TO ARIZONA BECAUSE OF A LUNG CONDITION I GOT WHILE IN THE ARMY, MOST OF MY ADULT LIFE OWNED MY OWN BUSNESSES, BUT LAST 15 YEARS OF MY WORKING LIFE, I WENT TO WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT, 40 HR WEEK, REAL VACATIONS, NO CALLS AT NIGHT FROM EMPLOYEES, WHO AT TIMES NUMBERED FIFTY (50) PAID MEDICAL, AND A RETIREMENT PLAN THAT I TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF AND AM NOW COMFORTABLY RETIRED NOW THINKING OF LOOKING FOR MY LAST WIFE, WHOM I THOUGHT I FOUND IN CHINA, BUT IT TURNED OUT A LANGUAGE PROBLEM, SHE COULDN'T LEARN ENGLISH AFTER YEARS OF STUDY, AND DIFFERING VIEWS ON SEX BETWEEN WESTERN MEN AND TRADITIONAL CHINESE WOMEN (SHE DIN'T WANT SEX ANYMORE, SHE WAS 57) WERE INSURMOUNTABLE AS WERE FINANCIAL PROBLEMS THAT ARO AS WE BECAME MORE FAMILIAR WITH EACH OTHER, SHOWING THAT IT WAS NOT A WORKABLE / IDEAL MATCH AND WE PARTED WAYS. . SO, WHATS UP WITH YOU??? AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PHOTO SHOWING ME WITH SOME GRAY HAIRS AS A REMINDER THAT I'M NO HIGH SCHOOL KID ANY MORE. WHILE I WAS A YOUNG MAN, I SET TWO WORLD RECORDS DRAG RACING IN MY ADVENTUREAS DAYS, THAT IS NOW BEHIND ME BUT I HAVE TWO SCRAP BOOKS DOCUMENTING THE FUN IT WAS COMPETING AND WINNING AND BEING IN MAGAZINE ARTICLES AND NEWPAPERS ALSO AND HEARING MY NAMEAND MY CARS NAME ON THE RADIO WHEN THEY ANNOUNCED THE RACES.. I DID TAKE A 40 DAY TRIP TO CHINA TO GET TO KNOW THE CHINA LADY BETTER, AND IT WAS A TOTL DISASTER, I WENT AT THE WRONG TIME OF YEAR, I LIVE IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA WHERE IT IS WARM AND DRY, AND THE SKY IS BLUE. I WENT IN LATE NOVEMBER AND THAT WAS A BIG MISTAKE, IT WAS BITTER COLD, I HAD TO BUY LONG JOHN UNDERWEAR TO HELP KEEP WARM ALONG WITH A KNIT CAP, SCARF AND GLOVES. NOT THE CLOTHES YOU HAVE IN PHOENIX. AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE THAN THE COLD TEMPERATURES, WAS THE AMOUNT OF VEHICLES ON THE STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. THEY WERE CONGESTED DAY AND NIGHT, WITH LOTS OF USES, AND LOTS OF CABS, LOTS OF CARS AND LOTS OF MOTORSCOOTER. AND TO MAKE IT WORSE, THE FUMES FROM ALL THOSE VEHICLES, WAS TRAPPED IN THE FOG THAT WAS IN THAT CITY 24-7, IT WAS LIKE BREATHING IN TOXIC WASTE. I GUESS THE CHINESE THAT LIVED THERE BECAQME IMMUNE TO IT, BUT ME WITH MY SERVICE CONNECTED BAD LUNG, I COULDN'T TAKE IT, AND I CAME DOWN WITH DOUBLE (BOTH LUNGS) PNEUMONIA FROM FUNGUS AND A BAD BACTERIA, CALLED "MAC" IN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY. i WAS HOSPITALIZED IN A CHINESE HOSPITAL FOR 22 DAYS, GIVEN SEVEN I.V.'S A DAY AND ONLY LET OUT TO GO HOME ON THE PLANE THAT MY TICKET WAS DATED FOR. UPON ARRIVAL IN PHOENIX, I ENTERED THE V.A. HOSPITAL HERE, AND EVENTUALLY WAS LET OUT BUT WAS PLACED ON HOME CARE WITH VARIOUS MEDICAL PEOPLE ETC. COMING TO VISIT AND CARE FOR ME MEDICALLY FOR 2 YEARS. IT TOOK TWO YEARS TO GET RID OF THE BUGS I CAUGHT IN CH...Expand for more