NRGordon

Feb. 26th, 2024

My thanks to all who have sent their well wishes.

Recovery from surgery is coming along better than expected. I was cleared by the PT, OT and the Nurse and was out of the hospital less than three hours after surgery, the quickest the nurse said she could recall. I guess the hard work with the pre-surgery therapy was worthwhile.

I spent the first three days at home waiting for the nerve-block to wear off when the Visiting Nurse told me it had. The only pain I have had is when actually bending the knee way back to stretch the muscles out. I have had some trouble getting it into a comfortable position to sleep as I am not used to being on mu bak all night.

The three-week goal was to be able to bend it 90-degrees. Visiting PT discharged me yesterday measuring the bend at 98-degrees and clearing me to go up and down the basement stairs. I start six to eight weeks of twice a week out-patient physical therapy in two days. The goal is to strengthen the muscles and to bend the knee to 120-degrees. I intend to impress.

Bending the knee until it is painful at least four times a day is no fun but it feels so good as soon as I stop and, it is especially true in this that with no pain there is no gain.

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Feb. 1st, 2024

I will be slowing down for a bit. I am having knee surgery in four days and they tell me I will be in a great deal of discomfort and / or zonked on pain meds.

I have not signed up for much over the next three weeks, until I see just how bad it is and how long it lasts.

Please forgive me if it takes me a day or two to rate your swap after I receive it. If I find it too difficult, my wife will take care of it but I hope for it not to come to that.

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Jan 25, 2024

Shaking my head at this one. I got guff from a Partner because the swap I sent her was postmarked three days after I marked it sent. I mark swaps ‘sent’ when I put them in the post box. I dropped this swap in the box on Saturday, after the post-person had already come, so it didn’t get picked up until the next business day. Monday was a holiday so that was Tuesday. The kicker is that she was holding it in her hand and complaining about it a day before the send deadline for that swap. She said she wouldn’t rate me down because of it like she was doing me a big favor. Some people need to get a hobby.

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Oct. 10, 2023

I have just made a few changes to update my profile since we moved. I have to go through the whole thing. I'll do that soon.

I have noticed, in the month we have been here, that the mail. is much better than where we were. No big delays and, as far as I know, nothing lost yet (knocking on wood).

For those people who look at postmarks... I mail things pretty much daily, in the drop box at the condo mailboxes. I don't go there until the mail has been delivered so it won't go out the day I drop it and mark in 'sent'. It should be postmarked the following business day. This shouldn't be a problem as I try to mail swaps out within a day of partners being assigned. Unless the swap only has a one or two day window, they should all be postmarked before the send date.

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Sept 27, 2023

I just got done writing out a swap in Italian. I should have thought about how bad my Italian had gotten, from lack of use, before I signed up for that one.

Apologies to my Partner for butchering her lovely language.

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Sept. 24, 2023

We have moved. We are pretty much official. The cars are registered and inspected in their new state and my wife had her new driver's license. My appointment for that isn't for a couple weeks. To day, we are going to go see about library cards.

We have actually been here almost a month now and our granddaughter has spent half those nights with us. I love seeing her so much but miss my three favorite 9 y.o. siblings. We talk on the phone a couple times a week and will visit them soon.

With the unpacking and organizing wrapping up, I am getting back to full-speed swapping. I had cut way back for almost two months, while getting the house ready for the market, packing to move and unpacking here. I missed it... especially hearing from the people I swap with frequently.

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July 15, 2023 Wow... tomorrow will mark my fifth anniversary on Swap-bot. It is like my life in general. In some ways it seems like yesterday and in others like forever. It has been a lot of fun and I hope to get back to it full-force in a month or so, after our move is complete and we have settled in.

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May 24, 2023

I'm putting this note here because I've had a couple messages recently questioning if I had received swaps because they had not been rated.

I rate swaps by the morning after receiving them in the mail. Mail delivery has been slow and sporadic here. The average domestic mail I receive is postmarked nearly two weeks prior and it is not unusual to receive domestic mail postmarked three to four weeks before I get it.

I am informed that both our local postoffice and the Regional Distribution Center are badly under-staffed. Some weeks we only get mail three days. Last week they delivered on Sunday because they hadn't since Thursday.

Outgoing is no better. I have experienced it only once myself but have been told that the drop boxes are often not collected for days, sometimes to the point that they are so full you can't get anymore into them.

Please be patient. Most of it gets here and I will rate it when it does.

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Profile Updated: May 18th 2022

Greetings form Cape Cod, MA!

ME: My name is Neal. It is spelled as if it were a last name because it was my Mother's maiden name. My family name could be both a first or last as well. Back when I used film to take pictures, the drugstore would have my prints filed under my first name more often than my last.

My wife, of 47 years (and bless her for putting up with me) and I live on a country road in a small rural town in southern Maine. I retired seven years ago after 40+ years in electronic work. She still works at the local hospital, but has cut back to two or three shifts a week so we have more time to do things together.

We have two grown daughters and a granddaughter. Our grandchild turned six on Valentine’s Day. She is a hoot! I love every minute I can get with her. That was often, before Covid, and is beginning to be quite a lot again since adults have been vaccinated.

Every time we see her, even after only a week some times, she has changed so noticeably. Her vocabulary grows all the time. As a contractor’s daughter, before she was three years old, her vocab included terms like front-loader, backhoe, nail gun, plumber, backhoe, permit, staging, chop saw, and estimate. As a Doc McStuffins fan, her vocab includes diagnosis, treatment, and vaccination. All those terms she uses appropriately. I enjoy that I can have an actual conversation with her.

We also have a good friend with nine-year-old triplets. I have had the pleasure of minding them since they were infant, when their Mother works and on other occasions when their mom has to do something or just wants a break. I am, for better or worse, their primary male roll model. My wife and I also do things with the four of them and enjoy the young ones as though they were grandchildren. Since we moved, We don't see them three times a week any more. I miss them.

I had Covid in January of 2021 and it left me weak, short of breath, with balance issues and with post-Covid fog-brain (yes, that’s a thing). I can walk over two miles now, though it has to be on a smooth flat surface, Fortunately, there is a paved rail-trail close by. I want little more than to take a nice long hike in the forest but I would trip over every rock and root in the trail.

In the winter, I like to snowshoe and I spend more time working on my Banknote collection (see below). In the summer I seek shade, hike, seek shade, work in my yard, and (did I mention this?) seek shade. I do not like hot weather and, for me, hot is anything over 68F. I’m a ginger (well, most of my hair is white now, but I still have the light complexion) so I have to be careful with how much sun I get.

MUSIC I like pretty much all kinds, depending upon my mood at any given time. My constant favorite groups are Pink Floyd, Warren Zevon, The Eagles, Talking Heads, Florence and the Machine, Dropkick Murphy's, Raining Jane). My favorite instruments to listen to are harpsichord, fiddle, cello, violin, sitar... all the strings, really. I don’t much like RAP or Hip-Hop as most of the lyrics seem to denigrate women. My town has a free, summer, outdoor music series, featuring local artists. The opening acts are young local musicians. I love it!

TV and MOVIES: I don’t watch TV. Not regular TV programs at least. I use my television to watch movies and anima from DVDs. I have a large DVD collection. According to the spreadsheet listing them, I currently have 1342 titles. Over half are horror and psychological suspense. I have decent sub-collections of anime and of Wizard Of Oz and Alice In Wonderland versions and related movies. My favorite movies are the Star Wars series and the Harry Potter movies. My favorite anime is When Marnie Was There.

READING: I like to read but am not a fast reader. I usually like young-adult horror, Sci-fi, and dystopia. YA books are usually not real long and fairly easy reads. That said, my two favorite authors are Stephen King and Douglas Adams. I have read everything they have written (aside from some of King’s screen plays and Adam’s Dr. Who radio program scripts), much of it more than once. I have read Adam’s 'The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy' [5-book trilogy] more than a dozen times in the past 30+ years and I have listened to King’s 'The Dark Tower' series five or six times.

The post-Covid fog-brain left me unable to read much at all for over three months. I could struggle through swap requirements, reading them three or four time to comprehend, and then having my wife check that I understood. I have been improving over the past few months so that I can now handle swaps and read magazine articles and such. I have recently been enjoying listening to audio books but have been sticking with those I have already read or listened to.

HOBBIES & INTERESTS: I am an Amateur Radio Operator who enjoys contests. I also enjoy: Postcrossing, WheresGeorge, and Letterboxing. I like to fly in small plains but don't do it much as it can be quite expensive. Mostly, I enjoy working in my yard and garden. I keep flowering plants that attract butterflies and Hummingbirds and grow milkweed for the Monarch Butterflies.

PHOTOGRAPHY: I love taking pictures but don't consider myself a "photographer". They put thought and effort into their work. I just set my shutter on continuous and squeeze off five to ten shots. Usually a couple will be good. I find this method works well when trying to get photos of active children.

TRAVEL: My wife and I enjoy 'seeing the world'. I particularly enjoy our two-week-ish road trips to areas of our own country. I also enjoy traveling by rail and use that option whenever I can. It disappoints me greatly that my own country has what is probably the least used - per capita - passenger rail system of any country in the world and is vary limited because of it.

We have, of course, not travelled other than to see our children and grandchild over the past year-and-a-half. A rail trip through Canada and two domestic road trips have been cancelled so far. We hope to do a road trip this fall but it is going to be a long time before we are comfortable flying again.

SWAP INTERESTS: I came to Swap-bot mostly for Postcard Swapping but I have now tried several other things that interest me. I have made some ATC’s but it will be a little while before I try swapping any but the most basic.

POSTCARDS: I look forward to meeting new people through PC swaps. I often find a short message as enjoyable as the card itself. I like getting almost any card. (See my few dislikes below) Anything that will tell me something about you or your country, town, or area.

Multi-view cards are fine for me. I think of them as like receiving several nice little cards all in one. Handmade cards are fine. I think that a lot of people miss out on some very interesting things by not wanting handmade PCs. LGBTQIAPK related are fine. Just not too kinky, please. I am straight so nude/partial nude guys don't do anything for me. I have friends who are, and friends with children who are LBG... I support them.

POSTCARD and ATC INTERESTS are:

TRAIN cards (Diesel and Electric more than steam) Railroad stations (Historic to modern) Historic buildings, architecture (especially those particular to your area) Though I am not a religious person, I do like PC's of churches, cathedrals. mosques, alters, etc. They represent some of the finest and most lovely architecture. Your country's currency, especially paper banknotes. A card showing your National Bank or Mint would be nice. Traditional, native, or ceremonial dress / costume. Children (children are the best thing ever invented!) If only the sounds of children laughing could be sent on a PC... If you are a Ham Radio Operator, I would enjoy one of your QSL cards. I enjoy a MESSAGE on the card. Just a little something about yourself, your family, work, hobbies, town, region, or country. What has the weather been? How does the garden grow?

Note: I like handmade postcards and will never mark down for a decent handmade PC, even if the swap specifies 'Store bought only".

DISLIKES: Subjects I don’t particularly care for: NUDITY CATS (domestic… I like wild cats – lion, lynx, bobcat, leopard, etc.) POLITICAL RELIGIOUS (Except religious buildings and costume are fine)

I truly dislike anything that DENIGRATES WOMEN… anyone, any group, especially as a joke.

Send that postcard NAKED... unless it is hand-made and you are really concerned about it getting damaged. I received 'roughed up' PCs all the time. Very few (that don't have Washi tape on them) are damaged significantly. A cancellation mark, bar codes, and even a little scuffing adds to the charm... makes them look "travelled".

WASHI TAPE ON POSTCARDS causes damage to them. While I have Washi tape and stickers, will swap them, and use them in some crafts, I am not a fan at all of it on postcards or envelopes. It seems to cause problems with the postal sorting machines. Almost every PC I get with Washi around the edges is torn and/or badly scuffed with pieces of the tape loose or are torn right off, along with pieces of the card. Also, Washi and stickers take up message space and I would rather see a nice message from you.

PASTELS and MARKERS: I have gotten some PCs that were written in pastel colored markers. While colorful, they are hard for me to read. I would prefer the message be done in a good old black or blue ink pen and I can't help but think that the post office would like the address done that way too.

LANGUAGES: Like most Americans (shame on us), I only really speak and read English. I knew some Spanish and a little German, many years ago -- even a few phrases of Russian -- but I have not used them in many a year, so they are pretty much gone. I know several Japanese words and phrases by sound, from watching Anime, but can not read the language and couldn't have much of a conversation..

I would love to see a few words in your own language, with a translation in English, if you could. (especially Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Cyrillic, Abugida... as I do not have the capability of entering ideograms into Google Translate. At least I don't know how.)

HOME-MADE POSTCARDS: love making my own PC's from found images. I can usually find a nice image that suits a Partner's likes better than the commercial PCs I have. If the swap doesn't prohibit it and there is nothing in your profile saying you don't like them, there is about a 40% chance you will get a handmade postcard from me. If a swap requires an envelope, there is a fair chance that will be hand made too.

I am generally not interested in DIRECT SWAPS and I will not respond to any card that I have not received as a part of a valid swap. Sorry. If you really want something special from my area, message me first.

I COLLECT BANKNOTES / Paper Currency that is currently or recently in circulation in other countries. When I get a new piece, I research the currency history for that country and the specific people and places that are pictured on the bill. I then write a page, outlining the information, to go in my album with it. I have made my collection available to local elementary school Teachers who have used it in lessons. Go to the end of my profile to see a list of the banknotes I am still in need of.

I also collect FLUTES and small figurines of OWLs and TURTLES

EXTRAS - While I appreciate the thought, if it isn't something related to my listed interests, I probably won't use it but pass it on. I'm afraid that I can not afford to send a lot of extras.

The best way to get a HEART from me is not to send 'extras' but to write something about yourself, your family, town, or country. I love a 'personal touch'.

KID FRIENDLY SWAPS - I may join one, from time to time, to share with my three favorite pseudo-grandkids. They are two girls and a boy, vegetarians, love stickers and anything they can color. They like animals, colorful pictures and being outside. They love being read to. They do not use video games or watch television.

I will list other likes as my swap interests dictate.

I hate to write this but...

When I started here and had read several profiles, I wondered why people wrote some of the things they did. After dealing with more than one unhappy partner, I find myself writing the same sort of thing.

My understanding of "Hearts" is that they are given for something special. It is very easy to get a heart from me. You do not have to send extras. All you have to do is write a bit of a message on / with the swap. Tell me a little something about yourself, your family, where you live, what you love, what you hate... I enjoy and reward that.

If you do the absolute minimum to satisfy the swap, you will get a five from me but not a heart. I expect nothing more from anyone for myself. I can't afford to send a lot of extras to people but I do try to write a note with each swap, which I hope people will find interesting and appreciate.

Thanks for reading my profile.

Best Wishes, have fun swapping, and Take Care!

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“You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it.” - Robin Williams

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Banknotes I need: (Note: I do not collect coins)

Comorian franc,

Danish krone,

franc pacifique (CFP franc),

Guyanese dollar,

Norwegian krone,

Saint Helena pound,

Swazi lilangeni,

Tunisian dinar,

Vatican City Lire,

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