All of us in the Oldies room know Margy as the fun loving life of the party and it was my privilege to finally meet her this past year. To say the least I found that not only was this true but that this was a very caring individual as well. When waiting for the responses for this project, Margy had joked with me about not knowing what to say. What follows is must reading. Margy’s sense of humor not only comes across but as happens with many people everything you see in front of you is not always the reality. ~GOHAWKSGO
I really don’t know where to start but here goes. In June of 1998 one of my daughters was graduating high school and told my husband Bob and I that she couldn’t be the only person in her college without a computer. So my husband brings home this beat-up computer from work and the kids are happy. I wasn’t because I really had no clue how to use one and wasn’t interested in learning. A few months later this monster of a computer shows up at my house without my knowledge. To say the least I was really pissed, then when I found out it cost $2700.00. OMG!
OK, so my kids are happy, Bob is happy and all I want to do is disconnect it. LOL. So a year goes by and except for me yelling at all of them to shut the damn thing off, I have no interest. One day I notice that my son is not doing homework but instead talking to his friends and he tells me, Mom we don’t talk on the phone anymore, we use the computer. Soon I started asking the kids to show me how to use “this thing”. I wasn’t getting anywhere with them and I was really busy at work. Etc. Well I was really getting ticked off at them not showing me what this damn machine could do until one day I had it and I started screaming at my son (4 letter words and all) and finally he said “OK mom I will show you”.
So that’s it, he starts showing me the basics and soon we get to the AOL part and he says to me OK, lets get you a password and now I am all set.
Now, what do I do next? He says why don’t you find a chatroom and go chat? I have no clue what he is talking about but heck, so next he says here MOM, there is an Oldies Music room, I will set you up. Here’s what you do. I start sweating and I can’t figure out this damn mouse thing and honestly I start freaking out. LOL.
Now I am in this room and I am a total wreck. I see trivia going on and more names than I can even remember talking to each other. So, what do I do? I sit there and stare at the screen for 2 weeks.LOL.
One evening as I am sitting there clueless 2 of the roomies say hello to me. It was Doreen, FLWERCHILD68 and Rich, RVB442. They say Hi MARGYBEAR36, we have noticed you for 2 weeks and you never say anything! I explained that I was new and had no clue what to do and they gave me a rundown on what to do in the room and soon the entire room was helping me get addicted. LOL. At this time I was also getting into SLINGO, so now I had 2 reasons to use that “damn computer”.
OK, so now MARGYBEAR36 is a regular and soon I hear all these cool people talking about HUGYFEST and how they can’t wait to go there. I really had no interest because honestly I was petrified of strangers online and nobody is gonna invite me to their party. I am too slow at the trivia but before long with the talk of HUGYFEST a daily thing, I have to admit I am starting to think, WOW, this must be some great party. I put it in the back of my mind because I know that Bob is never going to let me go, but I am starting to slowly tell him about the real parties, these people have. He gives me this look that says “Are you Insane” LOL. He says, now don’t get any ideas, you are not going to that chit in a million zillion years. You aren’t going to meet strangers online. OK, so what does a person do when somebody tells you that you can’t do something? Of course you try to figure out a way to do it. LOL.
Now most of the year goes by and all I hear is HUGY this and HUGY that and then one day it happens. I am in the room and there before my eyes is the man himself, HUGYBEAR45 and what does he say. OMG it’s a she bear and I say to myself OMG, he is talking to me. A few days go by and I get the nerve to ask him the big question. How do I get on the list to come to the party? He tells me everybody is welcome and he puts me on the list for the May 2001 HUGYFEST.
So now I figure I have plenty of time to convince Bob that I want to go and I slowly try to convince him. After awhile I guess I must have gotten on his nerves because he says Ok if you really want to go you can go, however I am coming with because I have no clue what these total strangers will do to you.
Now its 2001 and I become a grandmother for the first time in February and I have the baby here living with us, so life is very hectic but I am going to HUGYFEST and honestly can’t wait. I even get in touch with REDHED and send her my donation for the gifts and then out of the blue. THE CHIT HITS THE FAN !
In late April I am rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery and I am told ”don’t worry” you will be back at work in a few days. Well I became anemic and the few days turned into 3 weeks off of work and my boss is pissed cause she needs to work extra time as I am not there, so upon my return to work I ask her if my vacation is still good for Memorial Day and she says to me if I don’t work the entire Holiday I will be fired. I am devastated and I remember writing to LInette (RED) that I couldn’t come and I remember crying. I was so upset. LInette was so nice to me and she actually called me on the phone to make sure I was OK and I have to thank RED for caring the way she did. I am totally miserable at missing the party. What’s next? Well my car breaks down and Bob says we need to buy a new one for me so I can get to work and on June 13th, I get to work a few minutes late and am fired on the spot. We can’t get out of the purchase of the car or else we will lose $1500.00 and now with no work we are totally in debt.
What really ticked me off then and to this day is that I had to work that holiday weekend and I still got fired. I am now really getting into a major depression and I cry everyday and I am a wreck. Every day keeps getting worse and worse and I honestly believe that the only thing at that time that kept me going was taking care of my new grandson. Every day when I felt so down, I would take a look and see his big smile and it helped me get through this very difficult time in my life. The depression lasted to the point that I really couldn’t go to HUGYFEST2002 either. I was still in debt and now had to pay for my daughter’s wedding and I just knew at that point in my life that I had to make some changes. I wasn’t leaving the house; I wasn’t socializing and was really having trouble coping with everything.
Slowly but surely life is getting better. I go back to school and study to get a real estate license in my state of New Jersey (I had a license to sell Real Estate in New York) and I am actually getting to meet new people in class and things are starting to turn around for me. My daughter now tells me another baby is due and I am so excited that I will now have another grandchild so life is better.
I have become by this time totally addicted to the Oldies Room as I have spent almost all my time in there during my depression. The Oldies room has been the salvation to me during my troubles and has been a life saver. It dawns on me I am feeling better, I have no job to keep me home on Memorial day and Bob will let me go because he knows how depressed I have been and so I talk him into attending HUGY2003. He is really not 100 per ct convinced but he says, Well you have been talking to them for 3 years now so if you want to see what its all about, we will go.
I send the money in and the excitement starts to build. My kids however are sure I am going off the deep end and try to convince Bob that I am joining a CULT and that he can’t let me go! They are going to tie the 2 of you up and torture you and shoot you and to be honest I was starting to get very nervous. I said ”What the Heck” we are going and I made over 175 pieces of homemade candy to bring as a gift and off we went on our 3 hour drive to HUGY’s
We pull the car up in front of HUGY’s house and Bob gets the stuff out of the car and we walk to the door. I am frozen. I mean I can’t do this. Bob looks me in the eye and says “For 3 years I have heard this entire Chit about these people and you made me drive 3 hours to get here and I don’t care if they tie us up and beat us, we are going in. I am shaking and the sign says “go downstairs” .I literally couldn’t breathe. We walk down the stairs and everybody is looking at us and it’s like “Who in the hell are these people”. First 2 roomies I see are FLEETWOODGIRL and CHRISTY. They say a quick hello and then HUGY himself comes over to greet us… I am a total freaking wreck! I can’t stop from shaking! After HUGY, Darlene, (REVOLVER) comes over says hi and says I’ll bet you thought I was a guy and I started to laugh and that eased my fears. For 3 hours I stood by Bob’s side I met BOXCANDY and EFFELT from Germany brought me these all kind of stuff about Rod Stewart because I had mentioned to him online how much I was a fan of his. I just couldn’t believe how a total stranger would do this for me. Bless you Peter for that and for all the precious dolls you have given me from Germany.
I soon started to loosen up and I remember RED introducing me to TORCH and him giving me this great big bear hug and I began to meet the most wonderful people I have ever met in my life. 72 in all, HUGY, BARB, SARAH, MAMIE, RICH, DARLENE, SNOREFEST, MADPOET, TOOLBOXSKITTEN (what a beautiful kind woman), SUZANROSE, PETER, STEELWORKER, TJBEATLESFAN( the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen), PENNYLANE, WESTNANOH, WACKIJACKI, CRABALOCCA, who will be missed in our hearts forever, BLUEYES, BOBBYHEP, TERRILEE(who can fit all of New York City in her bra but has a heart of gold), DRKILL, EDNA and NICK, LYLELADY and JEFF. I can’t really express in words just how much that party meant to me, laughing and talking to everyone. I remember BRIT coming up to me and telling me I was a beautiful woman but I never told her my name and later in the chatroom she tells me she didn’t meet me at HUGY’s LOL.
I am saving the best for last about that incredible weekend because something happened at the world famous WEGMAN’s that to this day was probably one of the most important things in my life. I met the best friend I have ever had the privilege of meeting. At dinner a lady came in a little late and I could tell she was as nervous as I had been at HUGY’s. I motioned for her to take a seat next to me and Bob and near HUGY and his family. After dinner we both had to run to the ladies room and in the 20 minutes we spent, she told me her life story and that was it, Michelle (GL1MMERTW1NS) and I have been best friends since. Thank you HUGY fro bringing the 2 of us to the same party so that we could meet.
I also think at that HUGYFEST that I met ROCN60’S for the first time and he told me all about his BBQ. He told me I was always invited if I ever wanted to come to California. In 2004 thanks to Donna and Michelle my dream came true and I was able to get to ROC’s where DARLENE and JAN gave us the most awesome tour of California. Thanks guys! Michelle, Donna and I suddenly inherited the name “Charlies Angels” from the east coast and we all share a special bond that will last for life. I also remember meeting ZOOT at HUGY’s and what a nice guy, a total gentleman and a great sense of humor. In California he made me laugh so hard when he drew those pictures over the tablecloth at the Macaroni Grill and he was the only person who wanted to drink Rum with me. MAMIE and RICH are such a special couple. They made both Bob and I feel so welcomed at HUGY’s and I also met CARPENTER26 (Mike) at HUGY”s and he really kept the crowd laughing. I also remember meeting MDN (Matt) and he was .very nice and LOUISE (Thelma). I know that I probably have forgotten some names but that party changed my life forever. Thanks to everyone who was there.
At Halloween fest that year at HUGY’s I met SUITE and DOUG. SUITE and I shared so many memories of growing up on Staten Island and we soon realized our daughter went to the same pre-school at the same time. I also met Doreen (FLOWERCHILD68 and PAUL at that party. She is the first person who ever talked to me in the chatroom and she is such a totally cool and nice person and that PAUL!. He made us laugh our azzes off.
HUGYFEST2004 was another great party. I finally met RECORDLOVER (Dan), SUPERBIRD(Frank) and JOEDISCO, JCAR, KARENK, TNAMARIE, what a nice lady who really does talk LOL, HIPPIEMAMALU, CHEV(John, makes me crack up), SOULDRIVER,CARRI(so cute and nice), and finally got to meet AIDY and talk to her. I really miss here in the room. I got to meet TIARA and the twins and MYDOGGIEDOESTRICKS stole the show. Can’t forget MACBETH and IRISHJIGGER and BOB.
Wendi had me laughing so hard at the bowling alley. She is a riot and whenever I see her she makes me laugh so hard. Met PAUL also at that party and with PENNYLANE, such a great guy and told PENNY WTG for finding a real California Beach Boy having no clue he really is from California. LOL. I also finally got to meet TRISHABUG and she is such a nice person and also can’t forget meeting RACE and ANGIE. I also met BOOTSCOOTLARRY and for 3 days we all got lost driving all over Pennsylvania LOL, and my twin KATHY also from Staten Island . CRAZYJO too, I can’t forget and SANDY and CONNOR. Meeting DEBBY was also so nice as she loves people as much as I do. A great person and someone who loves being a grandmother just like I do. I am also so glad I got to meet FRANNIE, (FMOSCONI). What a great skirt she wore, perfect for HUGY’s and Arnie (SEMICENTENARIAN) for his friendship and the chance to see him play in Brooklyn last February and to meet Vito from the Salutations, who plays in Arnie’s band.
TIM’s party in 2004 we had a blast. Paul doing Ray Charles stole the show. I met SECRETGARDEN, DANNYCOOL and EMMAPEACHBUNS. Partied all day with JACKI and JERRY(we miss you),HUGY, SARAH, BETSY ,BOB, JAMIE, TERRILEE, LYNNE, CHRISTIAN, DOREEN and PAUL, MICHELLE, CARRI, BOB, DENISE and TIM of course. We played trivia, sang, ate, drank and had so much fun. I even tried to hold MICHELLE up after she downed 2 beers. CARRI drank enough Jack to open a Liquor store, but she was so funny and I had my share too but whose counting LOL.
At ROC’s2004 I met SET US(John) and JAN’s, my drinking buddy and tour guide, I met DIXIEDYNAMITE (Joyce) who still make me jealous when I realize she sat next to Rod on a plane for 2 hours LOL. RICKLAMESA a great guy and had me laughing the entire time. I met Steve’s wife Karen who was so nice to all of us, and their children. In 2005 Karen invited me over to the house for dinner before all the roomies arrived in California so I wouldn’t be lonely. That was nice. I finally met BEATLEPRINCESS and her boyfriend too and I finally got to meet LARRY’s wife LOUISE, a total doll. You are very luck LARRY. I’m glad we spent that time go
to the cowboy club and I better not forget I met the BLUEZSHK too (Jack and Sharon).
2005 at ROC’s I finally got to meet PUPPERPIE and her husband RICHARD and of course MARK and we laughed and laughed like never before. The highlight for me was the poker game the night before we left to go back home. JOANNE and CHEV, what a riot. I have never really played cards for money before and I had no clue what to do. We never stopped laughing. When it was my time to deal I suggested hey how a bout a friendly hand of Black Jack, except i didn’t realize I would be the banker. Well that’s when the real fun began. Bill (STEELWORKER) was mumbling about something and before I know it CHEV and JOANNE both have 21. MARK has 21 and BILL who is still bitching gets a 5 card Charlie and CARPENTER gets a 20 and I thought everybody would split the pot but no, they inform me that I have to pay up and I look at them like they are from Mars. So now MARK is swimming in coins and Mike and Bill are doing OK and I am changing dollar bills just to stay alive and then MARK says “Gee, now I have enough to order room service” and that was it. I just busted out, I lost it. I laughed so hard I almost cried. After this we needed to go down stairs and get a plunger and JOANNE and CHEV who traveled with a mini-zoo almost had their 19 year old pet turtle go to turtle heaven as MARK almost stepped on him.
I won’t go into details about the dinner at the restaurant a block from STEVE’s except to say the waiter thought I was crazy. We almost had to call 911 and he asked who we were and I said to be honest, I don’t know that persons name, I just met him LMAO. I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. LOL. I had a great time going to Downtown Disney with DONNA, MARK, LARRY and LOUISE and we even stopped and wolfed down some ice cream like we were kids again.. I also had a great time at that cowboy club with STEVE, LARRY, LOUISE and DONNA.
Last year at TEXFEST was wonderful. PAUL and PENNY and JANET were wonderful hosts. When people say it’s done bigger and better in Texas they really mean it. PAUL’s mom reserved an entire ranch just for us and it was unbelievable. Music, dancing, eating, drinking and fun. BOB had a great time too with the fishing and even made some fishing buddies.. He had a lot of fun with OLIVER and MAME’s brother in law fishing. JANET stole the show the minute she arrived. She is the funniest person I have ever met in my life. WENDI and I had all these conversationsand to this day I have no clue what each of us said. LOL. Mr. and Mrs. FLYHYE and Mr. and Mrs. BEAN. They were so great, I wish they were my neighbors. I also met MSCHOBLUE (Mike). I met DAD and CURVE and also had the pleasure of finally meeting SMOKER. I also finally met after 5 years RON and his eyes that make you melt. I also met MSSTANG, who enjoys being a grandma just like me. OLIVER, DEBBY’s boyfriend was also a treat to meet him. I also met MACBETH’s husband.
MAME’s family ! WOW. Her mom and ZAK. Bob got lost for an hour and a half, Hmmmmmmmmmmm LOL, and we sent out a search party for him in the dark! Meeting ERIC (EMGRUBE) was a total riot. The navigator as we called him drove us all over Texas even though we had no clue were we were going. Had a great time going to San Antonio with Denise (SECRETGARDEN). We laughed all day.
Most of all I can’t forget my traveling companions who traveled with us for 32 hours to Texas. HUGY, BOB, CARRI, GRAYSON and I). It was so great to finally meet GRAYSON after all this time. He and CARRI are a great couple. Great to also meet VIVIAN.so many V’s LOL. Thanks so much to PENNY and PAUL for a great weekend.
My last trip just a few weeks ago to Chicago with MICHELLE and PHIL (ROCKQUIEM) to see the Rolling Stones and to spend some time with my Chicago buddies, FRANK and MARK. MARK was such a great host spending the day with us in the downtown area. We went to Water Tower Place, the shopping mall on Michigan Ave. and we went up to the top of the John Hancock Center to see all of Chicago. MARK and I finally made it up to the 96th floor and that sign about the 94th floor. OMG. We shopped all day on Michigan Ave, and had a really nice lunch at Ed Debevics with MARK and FRANK. I got a really great $450.00 seat in the 5th row to see the STONES at a discount price and that kinda made up for the hotel we stayed at, that was being torn down a week later LOL. The city really reminded me of New York At evening it started to snow a little and it was so pretty with the night lights and I even got to take a picture of the horse and carriage rides. MICHELLE, PHIL and I had a wonderful time meeting MARK and FRANK in their hometown and hope to come back to see more of Chicago in the future.
I also want to thank everyone who came to my house to celebrate New Years Eve this year. HUGY, BARB, SARAH, JACKI, TERRILEE, GEORGE, MICHELLE and PHIL. OB and I enjoyed having you all over. With the dinner we had it was like Thanksgiving all over again with a great bunch of friends. Crashing my daughter’s party at 230AM .LOL. That was insane but I loved it. Breakfast the next day was great also and I still don’t have a clue what an over easy egg is.
Thanks to everyone of our Oldies Room Hosts who has opened their homes to us over the years. Special thanks to HUGY and BARB and SARAH, ROC and his family, JACKI and JERRY, TIM and family, BETSY and BOB and family, PENNY and PAUL and their families.
To MICHELLE and PHIL for making sure my lifetime dream of seeing the Stones came through not only once but twice.
I cannot imagine my life without the Oldies Room and all the wonderful friends I have made from it. Special thanks also to TIM for his show every week and I am so glad you are not giving it up. We love your show and going to your studio to see your show is something I won’t forget. I also want to give thanks to JOANNE and CHEV for all the fun we had in California. MICHELLE, biggest thanks to you for being my friend and getting me to California, Connecticut and the Stones, Etc. DONNA, you and I have a special life long friendship too, and I hope to see you soon. DARLENE, thanks to you and JAN’s for being our hosts out the opportunity to meet so many people from so many places and had the chance to enrich my life so much.
I know that I may have been rambling and that this was quite long but I wanted to tell all of you that when I was down and out, and depressed you all had a part in saving my life and gave me a reason to smile. I will treasure your friendships forever. I thank my son for stumbling into this Chatroom for me. Meeting new friends and seeing all my old ones every year is a dream come true, and to be honest I hope I never wake up from this dream.
((((((((((((((((((Love and Bear hugs to all of you)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
MARGY
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