I'm sitting here waiting for a man to return who is test driving my hot rod truck. Yep, selling her. I hate to haggle on price but I'm not going to let him bring me down.

Okay, Troy. We met while I was involved with the Mrs. Arizona pageant and he, along with Edd Burns (cookie, cookie, lend me your comb) were two of the celebrity judges. We just made friends. I was separated from my husband at the time but working on getting back together.

We wrote letters to each other periodically and talked on the phone as just friends. Then, when I got my divorce a year later, we hooked up again as friends but it developed into something stronger. We had a long distance romance for about a year. We broke up and that's when I met the abuser and after that horrible marriage, Troy and I reconnected. I mention him as a friend in my book but not by name because he really helped me to stop dwelling on the negative and look at reality. He was good that way.

We had a pretty volatile relationship. We're both outspoken and can be dogmatic. We decided to just be friends.

At the time of his death, he was engaged to a lovely oriental woman. He had a thing for oriental women so why he dated me is a mystery. I will always miss our deep conversations and he was really a good friend in the end.

When you find a man you can have good, deep conversations with, it's priceless.

Dianne, what is the target move date? End of this month?

I'm speechless Dianne. Thanks for telling me about Troy Donahue.

A hot rod truck, something I've always wanted!

Yeah, me too and I had a little tear in my eye when he drove it away as the new owner. But, it's just a material thing. It would have been in storage more than out on the road so...

We're trying to get me moved by the end of this month. I have to have work done on my lovely varicose veins and want it done before I leave. Don't want to have to go through the testing again with a new doctor. My doctor is being very good about working with my time frame.

My husband just bought me an Infiniti QX56. What a ride! Black with charcoal leather seats, navigational system, camera for backing up, loaded. I love the beast! That's why I sold the rod.

I should mention that Troy was a diehard member of AA. I went to a meeting with him once in Santa Monica and it was full of the whose who of Hollywood. Just blew me away. Shows that all that fame and fortune don't stop all the problems in the world.

When I was appearing on the Grand Old Opry in Nashville back in the late 60's Buck Owens said to me; "now girl, remember getting to the top is only half the battle, staying there is the other half." He and several other entertainers in that conversation were talking about how alcohol and drugs ran rampant in those worrying about staying at the top. When trying to attain fame you're too busy and tired to drink & drug but afterwards you have time to think and get paranoid...what do you think?

Boy what a bunch of stars we are among here. I for one am impressed.

smile

I know I am too! Wow, is all I can say!!!!

Chatty, although I'm leaving this area, whenever I pass what is now the Ryman where they had the Grand Old Opry, I will think of you being there. They now have a new facility by the Opryland Hotel and Opry Mills. It's nice and the seats are comfy but the history just isn't there.

Dianne? Are you moving from Nashville? and where to? I was hoping to meet you when we go down to debut our song "Daddy"!

Sherri

Chatty, you performed at The Grand Old Opry????
This, I did not know. You have had such an interesting life.