Author Topic: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!  (Read 50151 times)

guest4955

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #75 on: July 05, 2017, 01:15:10 PM »
A little health "overshare" but primarily I'm serving as a warning that something similar could happen to you and to appreciate/protect your own health.

I suffered a rare but not unique brain meltdown in Dec. 2014 when I discontinued an FDA-approved prescription drug I had been taking for 20 years. For good cause I'm not revealing the drug but millions of men (INCLUDING PRES TRUMP) world-wide take it. Best guess is that 2000 peeps suffered the same fate as me - some youngsters were hit after discontinuing the drug AFTER ONE WEEK - but my disabilities are MUCH worse than the typical victim. Tragically, MANY victims have taken their lives bc the main disability is so god-awful. 99.9999% of peeps talking this drug have no clue about it. As of 2014 there were 500 lawsuits pending against Merck related to this brain syndrome but for valid reasons I never sued despite 20 years of legal experience. So always fully investigate any drug b4 you take it.

That's the bad news. The good news is that some of my disabilities have ameliorated over time.

First, I had severe "double vision" - a very cool Foreigner song but misery-inducing in real life. I had to wear a comical and unsightly eyepatch all the time. For whatever reason this has cleared up except when I'm very tired so I just close one eye to deal with it.



Second, I've had to use a walker since April 2015.Through 2016 I could teeter along for short distances sans the walker but now I'll experience a scary painful uncontrolled fall if I don't use the walker100%. I had boatloads of rehab and they told me 50+times to take VERY LONG strides. But over time I forgot this advice and it became extremely difficult to "walk" with the walker. Fortunately, a couple of weeks ago, I recalled the old advice and overnight my walking improved 75%.

I permanently lost my natural voice in Dec. 2015. Overnight my "voice" became very rough and high-pitched. No doc understands what happened but my vocal brain functions were evidently damaged. I ... had ... to ... speak... one ... word ... at ... a ...time ... for ... years. Fortunately I can speak now in full sentences but it is still hard for me so I generally handoff complex conversations to my relatives and assists.

No good news about sleeping. In Dec. 2014 I stopped sleeping AT ALL and became very depressed. By March 2015 I was 48 hours from death for lack of sleeping and other reasons I won't detail. Fortunately my sister flew in from Londonand I was hauled off to the hospital FOR TWO FRIGGIN MONTHS. The docs made me take 20 pills of various sorts daily and my normal sleeping returned.

BUT six months ago overnight I STOPPED SLEEPING AT ALLagain and this time drugs were no help at all. 2-3 times per 24 hours I will feel very sleepy and I rest for one hour but do not/cannot sleep. I'm certain that I've had ZERO R.E.M. sleep in six months. I read that would kill you for sure w/in 2 weeks but the top sleepdoctor at the Mayo Clinic tells me I should be OK.

Nuff said except I weirdly rarely feel sorry for my self. I've always been 100% agnostic and just accept that it's my fate and I'll just have to deal with my health reality the best I can....



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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #76 on: July 05, 2017, 01:42:14 PM »
Well, all I can say is that hopefully it all gets better soon.

The walker thing...  I believe you were a triathlon and marathon runner.  So am I.  16 marathons and counting.  So I can only imagine how hard it must have been.  I don't take meds and never have (knock on wood) but I know anything can happen at any moment.  And with my two kiddos, I have responsibilities.

Thanks for reminding us to not take health for granted.

T
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- I wish to thank all APF members for being part of the World's Largest Social Gathering of Movie Poster Collectors
- "Wishing you the best of luck with All Poster Forum and in encouraging others to appreciate the magical art of film posters" - Martin Scorsese (2009)

Offline Antoine1973

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #77 on: July 05, 2017, 04:06:22 PM »
That's truly heartbreaking Mel, I'm very sorry to hear about your various health woes.  I hope things will get better for you on the sleeping front, I can't imagine how tough not being able to sleep for weeks on end must be. 

Offline 50s

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #78 on: July 05, 2017, 06:54:55 PM »
Sounds awful but glad you have the right frame of mind and support to help you. You don't seem affected through your posts as your posts read well, so that is a very good thing. Good luck getting better.

Offline CJ138

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #79 on: July 05, 2017, 07:23:08 PM »
I had to google "ameliorated", but I assumed it's meaning. I hope things are turning around and you feel better soon Mel.
Conor
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Offline Simes

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #80 on: July 06, 2017, 05:34:08 AM »
I would have had to look it up were it not for the fact ameliorer is actually a French verb, To Improve.  I learned the French before knowing its existence in English...

Mel, tough story indeed fella.  Sounds a real ride but fair play for the attitude and get-up-and-go you're demonstrating.

All the best.

Offline marklawd

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #81 on: July 06, 2017, 01:02:03 PM »
The health reports you are giving Mel are staggering. If you had not mentioned on this forum in Part 2 that you had been unwell I would never have guessed there had been any change in your circumstances from Part 1. Having met you previously and enjoyed your lively company for two or three hours its even harder for me to comprehend. Two things are certain. Your positivity is an inspiration and you are an incredibly resilient individual.

Mark

guest4955

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #82 on: July 06, 2017, 03:57:57 PM »
Thanks gents! I appreciate your appreciation;)

That said, I'll probably never mention my health quandary again. We've all got various and sundry real-life issues (financial, health, job, sig other, kids etc.) and an MP forum is not really the appropriate forum to air them.

So back to MP matters....

guest4955

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #83 on: July 06, 2017, 05:05:45 PM »
So more overshare but this time MP-related.

Rest assured I'm not posting this info to brag - well maybe a little ;) - but b/c it's obvious my MP journey has been somewhat ... er ... unusual and interesting , e.g. 100+ MP frames (prob the most ever), 2,000 MPs purchased, 8,000+ APF posts (10,000 images wiped out when PosterNirvana.com bit the dust in June 2014), notorious endless feuds with other collectors/dealers, $50K loss on the hobby, etc.

So let me clarify/update my story. On June 1, 2015 an EMP employee flew in from Nowhere, MO, and stripped my DC apt. of my last 500+ posters/prints out of approximately 1900 purchased in Round 1, which began "out of the blue" on March 20, 2009, when I randomly walked into an MP store in Denver, one of the very few surviving MP stores in the world.

I was left with the four posters in my office which were:









*****

I quickly earned $$$ from EMP consign proceeds so ... er ... engaged in a mini-orgy of spending ($14,377, mostly on BAT and Sullivan's Travels) on 14 more MPs, which lasted from July 25-August 24, 2015. This makes PERFECT sense since I had ditched the hobby... ugh no it doesn't....



*****

For various reasons, I did not spend another penny on the hobby until May 14, 2017. I've already forgotten the exact thing that reinvigorated my interest in the hobby, but my first purchase was Laurent Durieux's exquisite GWTW 24x36. (I do recall marking it WTB on ExpressoBeans and another member there sold it to me for a decent price.).



*****

In the month-and-a-half since then I've invested/blown $10,845 on MPs, for a current total of 97 MPs, 13 MP art prints. My currents:

POST 1990 MODERNS









****

PRE-1990 CLASSICS









*****
 
ART PRINTS



*****

So I carefully track all MP expenses, so here's the dealio...





****

I'm trying to buy higher quality MPs in Round 2, bought boatloads of mediocre posters in Round 1, which resold for next-to-nothing.

What do y'all think?


Online eatbrie

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #84 on: July 06, 2017, 05:18:42 PM »
$50K loss on the hobby

Btw, I completely disagree with this statement.  In the 6 years you were collecting, I believe you had a lot of fun doing so, interacting with others, showing off your crazy collection, your pink bathrooms, telling us stories about the ladies who visited your apartment, about your co-workers, about your feud with crazy Loce, things that cannot be bought and are, in my mind, the most important aspect of this hobby.  So you didn't lose anything.  You bought enjoyment.

T
My Personal Collection


- I wish to thank all APF members for being part of the World's Largest Social Gathering of Movie Poster Collectors
- "Wishing you the best of luck with All Poster Forum and in encouraging others to appreciate the magical art of film posters" - Martin Scorsese (2009)

guest4955

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #85 on: July 06, 2017, 05:55:38 PM »
Btw, I completely disagree with this statement.  In the 6 years you were collecting, I believe you had a lot of fun doing so, interacting with others, showing off your crazy collection, your pink bathrooms, telling us stories about the ladies who visited your apartment, about your co-workers, about your feud with crazy Loce, things that cannot be bought and are, in my mind, the most important aspect of this hobby.  So you didn't lose anything.  You bought enjoyment.

T

Well said and said well, French Fry!



Er maybe not such a good idea to insult one of the forum overlords, but that's the way 3 Superstar MP Collectors/Maroons roll....

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #86 on: July 06, 2017, 07:42:01 PM »
As long as you don't call me Freedom Fry, like all those idiots in the GOP, I'm good.

T
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- I wish to thank all APF members for being part of the World's Largest Social Gathering of Movie Poster Collectors
- "Wishing you the best of luck with All Poster Forum and in encouraging others to appreciate the magical art of film posters" - Martin Scorsese (2009)

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #87 on: July 06, 2017, 08:31:54 PM »
If I understand correctly, you spent $11k in a month.  That's $132,000 a year, which is starting to be a little bit of money.  Be careful, it's a dangerous trend.  What are the highlights so far?

T
My Personal Collection


- I wish to thank all APF members for being part of the World's Largest Social Gathering of Movie Poster Collectors
- "Wishing you the best of luck with All Poster Forum and in encouraging others to appreciate the magical art of film posters" - Martin Scorsese (2009)

guest4955

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #88 on: July 06, 2017, 10:03:52 PM »
If I understand correctly, you spent $11k in a month.  That's $132,000 a year, which is starting to be a little bit of money.  Be careful, it's a dangerous trend.  What are the highlights so far?

T

Yeah, I have the same concerns but...

1) I've seen boatloads of docs, had 5 MRIs, etc. and it's clear that I've done all I can about my med issues, so I don't expect any more med bills. I just shelled out 22k to the Mayo Clinic, for example.

2) I still have 50K from my Round 1 EMP consignment proceeds, been sitting in my checking act for two years.

3) I get 4K disability a month tax-free so I'm OK income-wise. Like I said previously, everybody on this forum should buy disability ins. RIGHT NOW. I would be in serious financial trouble if the feds didn't cover me.

4) I will quickly curtail my spending b/c I won't buy anything I can't frame and I only have 15 or so frames, although I am buying Italian and French 1P frames soon.

5) If worse comes to worse, I'll just reconsign my MPs. Last time I took a 30% loss on resale but this time I'll do better b/c I'm paying FMV and buying higher-quality MPs.

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #89 on: July 07, 2017, 11:47:09 AM »
4) I will quickly curtail my spending b/c I won't buy anything I can't frame and I only have 15 or so frames, although I am buying Italian and French 1P frames soon.


We shall see, Mr. Melon.



T
« Last Edit: July 07, 2017, 01:27:07 PM by eatbrie »
My Personal Collection


- I wish to thank all APF members for being part of the World's Largest Social Gathering of Movie Poster Collectors
- "Wishing you the best of luck with All Poster Forum and in encouraging others to appreciate the magical art of film posters" - Martin Scorsese (2009)

guest4955

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #90 on: July 09, 2017, 09:03:05 AM »
Well once again, I will inappropriately and profanely overshare to amuse, educate, and warn you of life’s awful/wonderful possibilities. Without further ado….

*****

I was born on Dec. 6, 1968, in Alabama to way-too-young but insanely-cool 20yo college students:





*****

Fast forward 25 years. During these 25 years, neither my parents, grandparents or my other relatives EVER-NOT-EVEN-ONCE mention or reference my parents’ anniversary or wedding. No pics of my parents’ presumed grand and wonderful wedding EVER surface.

NOT-EVEN-ONCE does this curious and bizarre omission EVER bother or concern me OR my whip-smart two younger sisters.

But one morning when I was 25yo I wake up and out-of-the-blue think “WTF is going on with my parents’ history?”

I could have just ASKED them about said subject. But as everybody in this hobby will tell you, 5 Star Mel is kinda-cool but pretty much a freak. Accordingly, I JUST ORDER my parents’ marriage license from the great state of Alabama.

Fast forward two more weeks. The license dutifully shows up via snail mail.  I open it up and buried-in-the-fine print it states:

DATE OF MARRIAGE: APRIL 25, 1968

I’m occassionally intelligent and I instantly-struck-by-lightning figure out:

1) I WAS A SHOTGUN BABY!!!
2) MOM WAS SEVERAL MONTHS PREGGERS WHEN THEY GOT MARRIED!!!
3) THEY PROBABLY NEVER HAD A FAMILY/FRIENDS-INVITED WEDDING!!!



So the next time I saw them I just ASKED them about their history, w/o mentioning the license revelations.

They just laughed, said we knew you would eventually broach the subject, Dad “knocked up” Mom unexpectedly, we didn’t know what-to-do but were madly-in-love, so one day we just walked down to the courthouse and got hitched with no notice to friends/family, and you just showed up in the normal fashion, and our friends/family just dealt with reality.

What a wacky/charming story!

But left forever-unsaid was the obvious. They MUST have considered … er … um … uhuh … abortion and then splitting up forever. That’s PROBABLY what I would have done. But I “lucked out” and they didn’t. 

*****

Six months after I was born was father was drafted as part of the Vietnam War. He could have been killed or physically/mentally scarred for life.



This time Dad lucked out. Although he was currently super-healthy, as a teen he suffered horrific exema/rash. Apparently the Army docs decided their uniforms would re-trigger his condition and gave him a pass.

So like his father and grand-uncle, Dad trudged off to law school…

*****

Basically my immediate family was dirt-poor for the first five years of my life, middle-class for the next five, and FILTHY FREAKING RICH-AS-SH*T for the next ten.

So what's your superpower Batman?



Basically, my father turned out to be a ROCK STAR LAWYER. He successfully handled HUNDREDS of cases/trials for 20 years all over the country, landed $$$$ clients, became a MANAGING PARTNER by 30yo of a very successful 45-attorney law firm, and was a SELF-MADE MILLIONAIRE by 35yo in 1982 with a ginormous near-mansion home, home swimming pool, fancy Cadillac, country-club membership, etc.




My mother meanwhile somehow transformed into a ROCK-STAR BLONDE BEAUTY:



All my friends were insanely jealous of our wealth and deliriously in love with my ROCK STAR BLONDE SUPER-BEAUTY sister:



That’s the good news. The bad news is that my father was NEVER around and was basically a super-sh*t-head to his wife/kids when he was. BUT he was a ROCK STAR ALCOHOLIC. He would come home, knock back 5 mixed drinks, then progressively polish off not one but TWO bottles of wine. The alcohol barely affected him, merely making him mellow and cool, and he became nice to his kids for an hour or so. He would eventually pass out on the couch. He would arise the next morning, 100% sober and not remotely hung over, and report to work or travel. This exact scenario occurred hundrds of times during my teens.



*****

But then the George Bush 1 recession hit in 1990 and my father’s career/firm collapsed. Cut to the chase. As I later learned by examining relevant court records, my father’s law firm creditors sued him PERSONALLY and won $20 MILLION in  judgments against him and his partners JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY LIABLE.

Of course my father should have filed for bankruptcy like some of his partners. He would have lost ALL of his assets, including the family mansion, but he could have starteed fresh and debt-free.

But no, he was too proud/kookoo. He spent the next 18 YEARS DESPERATELY fending off piranha creditors, somehow squeaking by and holding onto his house, lost 99% of his clients, etc.

Meanwhile, my mother unhelpfully devolved into a ROCK STAR PILLHEAD, losing her looks, sanity, and husband. After I graduated from law school in 1995, I would write nasty legal threat letters to her MF pain pill docs and they would drop her like a hot rock. But she would quickly find three worse docs or buy “off the street.” By the 2000s she was 99% dead, 10% coherent, frequently homeless.



My Dad eventually gave up on her and divorced her in 2005.

*****

THEN the Bush 2 recession hit in 2008. This was a miraculous event for my Dad! Most of his creditors went the way of the dodo bird in the financial chaos:



Continuing his good luck streak, Dad then met a GF who was/is a gazillionaire. She has the most insane ginormous 8,000 sq. ft. McMansion I’ve ever seen PLUS a very nice lake house.



So Pops just married her and is set for life. He shows no scars from downing oceans of alcohol back in the day (and both he and #2 wifey can still knock them back).

But my stepmother’s story is far from simple. She was a ROCK STAR WATERSKIIER back in the day … until another boat full-speed ran over her in the water. She suffered terrible injuries and was 99% dead. (I know the feeling….) She spent the next six months in the hospital in traction. 45 years later she still hobbles about. But she and her 1st husband became obscenely rich selling commercial glass.

Mom is still a “hot mess” overall but hanging in there, watching boatloads of B&W classic movies. Everybody agrees that she ran through her nine lives long ago. So take a hint from her and don’t touch pain pills with a 100 foot pole.

*****

‘Nuff said….

Offline 50s

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #91 on: July 09, 2017, 07:05:04 PM »
Interesting columns


Offline CJ138

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #92 on: July 09, 2017, 07:29:22 PM »
I started calculating my parents wedding against my sisters' birth, but I quickly stopped lol.  You really resemble BOTH of your parents Mel. That first picture of your father, the mannerisms are very similar to yours (at least what I have seen in pictures). This is not m forum, but I think you should feel free to share as much as you like. All things considered, this is a small community.

Conor
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guest4955

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #93 on: July 19, 2017, 02:56:58 AM »
ROUND 1 BIDDING STRATEGY:

- check out EMP/HA to determine FMV of desired poster
- bid FMV at last minute to prevent ladder-bidding by bidder foes
- win 50% of time

ROUND 2 BIDDING STRATEGY:

- too lazy to figure out FMV
- bid early bc can't be bothered to figure out when auction ends
- bid ridiculous amounts
- hope bidder foes don't bid more than FMV
- win 90% of time, mostly for FMV




guest4955

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #94 on: July 19, 2017, 03:55:56 AM »
You really resemble BOTH of your parents Mel. That first picture of your father, the mannerisms are very similar to yours (at least what I have seen in pictures).

Thanks! A few have said that but others openly wonder whether/how he could have engendered super-blondie kids like me and middle sister/supermodel Rachael.

Dad, being an A level lawyer, once reportedly said "Thank God Katie [youngest sister] actually looks like me!"

I, being a B+ lawyer, present the following evidence:



Could have been supermodel too but married an investment banker instead.

Yes, she is riding a mechanical bull, Captain Obvious.

Will obnoxiously post that pic on FB....

guest4955

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #95 on: July 19, 2017, 04:08:01 AM »
Well, all I can say is that hopefully it all gets better soon.

The walker thing...  I believe you were a triathlon and marathon runner.  So am I.  16 marathons and counting.  So I can only imagine how hard it must have been.  I don't take meds and never have (knock on wood) but I know anything can happen at any moment.  And with my two kiddos, I have responsibilities.

Thanks for reminding us to not take health for granted.

T

16 freaking marathons!!!  notworthy.gif

Never ran more than 10K myself, best time 52 mins.

Nowadays I bike 1hr every day on stationary bike, way more than I worked out back in the day.



I kinda wish I was fit as that unknown dude....

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #96 on: July 19, 2017, 11:42:14 AM »
16 freaking marathons!!!  notworthy.gif

I was at a party Saturday, limping my way around because I had just ran 14 miles and I was in pain.  I run 10-14 miles every weekend, which to me is a feat.  I met this woman by the pool and I complained, because that's what French people do, probably also trying to impress her somehow, when she told me that she knew how I felt because she had ran 100s of marathons.  100s!!!  Wtf!!!  Sometimes every other week.

Feat no more.  I stopped talking and complaining and walked away.  Fuck her.

T
« Last Edit: July 19, 2017, 11:46:03 AM by eatbrie »
My Personal Collection


- I wish to thank all APF members for being part of the World's Largest Social Gathering of Movie Poster Collectors
- "Wishing you the best of luck with All Poster Forum and in encouraging others to appreciate the magical art of film posters" - Martin Scorsese (2009)

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #97 on: July 19, 2017, 12:49:32 PM »
Never ran more than 10K myself, best time 52 mins.

Btw, am I dreaming or didn't you say a long time ago that you had ran a bunch of Triathlons?

T
My Personal Collection


- I wish to thank all APF members for being part of the World's Largest Social Gathering of Movie Poster Collectors
- "Wishing you the best of luck with All Poster Forum and in encouraging others to appreciate the magical art of film posters" - Martin Scorsese (2009)

Offline pratschm

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #98 on: August 03, 2017, 08:38:23 AM »
Nice to know you and your super awesome amazing website are back, Mel!
Witty signature goes here.

guest4955

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Re: Mel: Collecting Round 2.0 begins!
« Reply #99 on: October 11, 2017, 06:04:34 PM »
Btw, am I dreaming or didn't you say a long time ago that you had ran a bunch of Triathlons?

T

My favorite pic of moi:



*****

Nice to know you and your super awesome amazing website are back, Mel!

Thanks!