Uncle Billy and Dennis

billyanddennis
Uncle Billy is our fathers brother. Holy crap… we have an uncle hanging around?! Dennis is our cousin. Son of Geraldine Hartman Jones. Billy is struggling with his health in a rehab somewhere in Los Angeles. Dennis went to visit him. I wrote about Uncle Billy four years ago HERE. with some crazy strange blog title: “Put your arms around me for Gods sake” and at the time I was angry at my fathers brother because he just nonchalantly walked right out of our lives and never ever once looked back.
So ironically 40 years ago I rode on the “It’s a Small World” ride at Disneyland in California with Billy and just recently last night got off the phone with him for the first time since.

Right after Gerry found this blog and the Hartman’s and Jones reconnected and right before her untimely death before I was going to visit her in Las Vegas, I spoke to her on the phone. I remember she told me how upset she was at that blog post “Put your arms around me for Gods sake” and she really defended her brother and also told me that my cursing and some the sexual things I had wrote on this ridiculous blog were totally uncalled for.

Talking with Uncle Billy I heard my father’s voice. I heard my Grandfather’s toughness but most of all I heard Uncle Billy. He is his own man that made his own choices and created his own life and really didn’t need to stay “connected” to Joan and her ten kids. He had that right. He owed us nothing and we certainly owed him nothing. I just thought it strange that not once did he just think to check in on his 10 nieces and nephews that tragically lost their father at such an early age? But that’s ok, even though we were little kids, we didn’t go out of our way to check in on him. Damn, I still sound bitter here, don’t I? Too bad.

It was only by pure luck and internet hocus pocus that Aunt Gerry searched her own name and found this blog because I hoped she would. My reverse finding tagging trick worked. Through Gerry I have rediscovered our long lost cousins, Robert, Diane and Dennis. All of us have lived our lives and roller coasted the ups and downs that it can bring. Billy in particular had a life threatening disease, polio, attack him at the age of five. This is one rough way to start your life. Dennis is quite a story himself and an outright damn miracle of recovery. I even posted a movie made about him on this blog HERE

It’s a small world after all INDEED when your fathers brother is still around even after 44 years four months and three days after his untimely death.

My cousin Dennis and me in the jaws of Disneyland 1975

My cousin Dennis and me in the jaws of Disneyland 1975

In the Summer of 1975 I was an awkward teen boy going through puberty from hell when our uncle Jay Jones died. I remember Dennis calling me up and crying about it to me. That Summer his mother Gerry, insisted that I come out there to be with them. Her greatest concern was that as she worked she would be leaving young Dennis alone. I really didn’t want to go. I was scared of everything at that age. I’m still scared of everything at my current age of 55.

The agreement was Gerry was going to pay for my plane fare to California there and mom was going to pay for it on the way back. The other agreement at my insistence was that I was only going to stay a couple of weeks. Well I ended up staying the entire Summer and almost ended up living there forever. Turns out when it was moms turn to pay for the fare back, she didn’t have the money. And thus began the non-relationship of mom and Gerry. You see, money destroys relationships quicker than a hurricane hitting a double-wide.

The day I left mom had to give me a ride to the airport and as the time grew closer and closer for the plane to leave, mom sat at the kitchen table getting drunker and drunker on white cans of Budweiser beer. I was sure I was going to miss the plane or that we would get into a horrific crash on the NJ Turnpike half way to Newark airport. Finally I just yelled “MOM we have TO LEAVE!” which was strange for a boy that didn’t want to go.

Needless to say I made the plane. Everything was pure magic after that. Pure absolute magic that I will NEVER forget. It was the first time I rode on a plane and it was crystal blue skys and puffy white clouds out my window seat. The stewardess treated me like a king because I was a 15 year old boy alone. I couldn’t believe how BIG and how BEAUTIFUL our country was from up there. When I arrived in LA and got off the plane there were hipsters and hippies and PALM TREES, California is not of this planet. It is it’s own beautiful world of color, neon lights, texture and gorgeous sunsets. Aunt Gerry was always a woman that loved to go out and do things! And that we did. She took me to Disneyland, we went to see Jaws in a huge theater in LA which just blew me away as a movie (now the special effects are laughable!) I was very fortunate to have Gerry take me that Summer. I left all my brothers and sisters in the groggy hot depths of Carteret as we went to Reno Nevada and played Kino for hours.

It was here I did see Uncle Billy for the last time. He was always so distant but that’s just him. Our uncle is struggling to walk now and he is full of memories. My phone call with him wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I was looking for the past again. I wanted to hear intricate stories of him and our dad running down back alleys of Westfield and getting into trouble. I wanted to hear Grandpa Hartman yell at them for not eating their peas. I wanted to see Grandma Hartman shopping at the A&P and squeezing oranges. I wanted to see them all riding to upstate NY in that station wagon they had.

Instead we talked about polio and prostates and how he was a salesman for AllState Insurance company his whole life. But that was ok. It was great to speak to him. And in this “small world afterall” he ended our conversation with … please call again.

About George C. Hartman

Redesiging design, coloring outside the lines, rolling down hills, figuring out strange people, dreaming in black and white, photographing in black and white, juggling, body surfing, fantasy football, painting, design, digital art and photo manipulation, green oceans, blue oceans, museums, discovering small towns, biking, beach, relationships that tear my heart out, bad poetry, movie making and BLOGGING
This entry was posted in cousins, HERITAGE, the beginning and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

6,532 Responses to Uncle Billy and Dennis

  1. Wilson says:

    I’d like to send this parcel to allegra d canada Some members of the elite have lost out in the last few years, but there is still more than enough wealth at the top to provide good times

  2. Alfonso says:

    I’ve got a very weak signal generico de cialis en espaa Dignitaries expected to attend the memorial include Vice President Joe Biden, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. McDonough will offer what’s called “The Hot Shots Prayer,” which ends with a line that will most certainly be difficult for the young man to read: “For if this day on the line … I should answer death’s call … Lord, bless my hot shot Crew … My family, one and all.”

  3. Levi says:

    Can I use your phone? skinpeutics neck cream
    ‘This isan essential next step in  protecting young people from the insidious marketing tactics of the tobacco industry.  Our research shows that thismeasure will have widespread public support.’

  4. Ricky says:

    Will I have to work shifts? phenergan 25 mg Dominating the proceedings yesterday evening was the Bolshoi’s supermodel-among-principals, Svetlana Zakharova. A world-class technician with line, lyricism and lightness (and even, if you’ll forgive a fourth “l”, looks), but also astoundingly fast when she needs to be, she served up a ravishingly poetic Odette, though failed to find the polar opposite in her Odile. The latter looked like a good-time gal having a ball, not a nasty piece of work on a romantic search-and-destroy mission: a starker, more internally felt and externally realised contrast is needed here.

  5. Audrey says:

    Other amount generic medicine for benicar
    “We’re in favour of talks, we’re in favour of pushing thingsforward, but only insofar as nobody is left behind,” saidMickael Wamen, head representative at Goodyear for the CGTunion, which represents a majority of workers.

  6. Rodney says:

    Can you put it on the scales, please? phenazopyridine 200 side effects After presiding over the most successful five-year run in Iona men’s basketball history, Iona has rewarded men’s basketball coach Tim Cluess with a contract extension through the 2019-2020 season, the school announced Thursday.

  7. Leopoldo says:

    I’m not working at the moment is 25 mg of clomid enough Protesters torched an office of Bashir’s National Congress Party in Omdurman, blocked several roads, burned tires and stoned police officers who were firing teargas into the crowd, witnesses said. Clashes lasted for more than six hours until after midnight in several areas of the capital and Omdurman.

  8. Chauncey says:

    Could I have , please? amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium for tooth infection The mother had a previously undiagnosed case of gestational diabetes, doctors discovered. The condition usually develops around the 24th week of pregnancy and can lead to larger-than-average newborn size.

  9. Gayle says:

    Insufficient funds get seroquel cheaper U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) (C) returns to his office after a unanimous House vote to retroactively pay furloughed government workers once the current government shutdown ends, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington October 5, 2013.

  10. Darwin says:

    What’s the interest rate on this account? free viagra samples drug Guy Poppy, an ecology professor who worked with Newman, said to be able to forage effectively, honeybees need to be able to learn and recognize plants – a process their results showed could be disrupted by so-called NOx gases, particularly nitrogen dioxide, found in diesel exhaust and other pollution.

  11. Austin says:

    Where do you study? harga cafergot di malaysia For example, officers could find and prevent locals from selling loose cigarettes to the ire of those who had to pay for a license to do so, instead of reacting when such an incident prompts a police response.

  12. Wilburn says:

    I’m not working at the moment lamictal side effects low libido In common with other patients, the Duchess will give birth in one of the six delivery rooms on the Lindo’s third floor, which features “soothing” block colour murals by London-based artist Julian Opie.

  13. Marco says:

    Is there ? anyone buy femara online “The historic nature of the inquiry means it is a long and complex process. But we are determined to get to the bottom of who was buried in the garden, how they got there and for what reason.”

  14. Marcellus says:

    I need to charge up my phone what is the dosage for ibuprofen Little cigars are getting more popular according to sales figures, the CDC added. Sales skyrocketed 240 percent between 1997 and 2007, with 80 percent of the market share dominated by flavored brands. The products are also taxed at lower rates on state level compared to conventional cigarettes.

  15. Winford says:

    A jiffy bag pinnaclehealth.org/cardio-portal Ms Young added: “By doing relatively simple things like losing some weight, eating more fruits and vegetables and becoming more active, we can all significantly reduce our risk, even if our ethnicity or family history has put our risk at a higher starting point.”

  16. Tyree says:

    How do I get an outside line? himcolin by himalaya IS considers shrines idolatrous and has blown up or desecrated several in parts of Iraq and Syria it controls

  17. Behappy says:

    How many would you like? buy metronidazole online australia “Two flight attendants were ejected from the aircraft during the impact sequence so they were not at their stations when the aircraft came to rest,” National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Deborah Hersman said at a news conference this evening.

  18. Billie says:

    I’d like to take the job generic singulair montelukast However, Wolf’s office issued a letter to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on Tuesday seeking to correct an article on the matter that first appeared Friday in The Guardian newspaper, as well as NASA’s stance.

  19. Dro4er says:

    I’m sorry, she’s minoxidil rogaine india “HSBC first proposed abandoning its stake in DES to Iraqiinvestors. We asked them the reason for abandoning its stake andthe mechanism for transferring the stake, but they neverreturned with answers,” ISC chairman Abdul Razzak al-Saadi toldReuters.

  20. Maynard says:

    Special Delivery can i buy nugenix in australia West Midlands Police said a video of the attack in Trinity Street, near Coventry’s Millennium Place, which was recorded by a passer-by on their mobile phone, was circulated widely on social media and met with a wave of revulsion from viewers.

  21. Rebecca says:

    I like watching TV buy xenical online south africa Evil fascist Egyptian Army backed Government will be overcome by the mass free will of the people because all those taking part in this illegitimate Government are part of the criminal gang who have decided to join because they wish to continue looting Egypt & marginalize force of Islam.

  22. Alyssa says:

    Have you got any qualifications? mdrive 34 plus speed control The company, which describes its lithium and surfacetreatment chemicals businesses as its core, recently agreed tosell its industrial ceramics unit for $1.99 billion andclay-based additives business for $635 million.

  23. Roscoe says:

    Looking for a job vigour pills uk
    The job cuts would be in addition to expected remaining cutsof 7,500 positions from a 2011 restructuring that involvedelimination of 13,000 positions – largely of administrativepersonnel but also related to sale or closure of manufacturingsites.

  24. Gavin says:

    Stolen credit card half inderal la 80 mg reviews S&P 500 industrial shares rose after airlines expressedconfidence over the weekend in the safety of Boeing’s 787Dreamliner following a fire on one of the jets last week. Boeinggained 3.7 percent to $105.66 and ranked as the Dow’s topperformer.

  25. Mary says:

    We’d like to invite you for an interview xtrasize opinie 2013 Several financial industry groups with traditionally closeRepublican ties issued warm statements about Yellen, signalingimportant support that could influence senators in the party’smainstream and help secure votes.

  26. Sara says:

    this is be cool 8) buy priligy dapoxetine online uk However, this type of study cannot conclusively prove that drugs help dementia symptoms or improve mental ability in dementia patients. Only a large, high-quality randomised controlled trial would be able to demonstrate what effect these drugs have on mental ability. 

  27. Reginald says:

    I’ve got a very weak signal prozac receptfritt
    “What better person to have than somebody with his skill set and experience,” Reif said, referring to Garcia. “His responsibilities will be to represent the Senate and our conference on issues related to the (commission), including the possible need to investigate the executive branch if that becomes necessary.”

  28. Mohamed says:

    I’ve got a part-time job how much does sizegenetics cost The next great challenge for the mathematical modellers is to come up with a working version of the brain, with its billions of interconnected neurons. Last week, a model of the world’s smallest brain – that of a 1mm-long nematode worm, C. elegans, containing just 302 neurons – went on show at MOSI (the Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester). Meanwhile, the Human Brain Project, led by Prof Henry Markram at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne on the shores of Lake Geneva, passed a key milestone last September, with a proof of concept that showed it could wire up virtual neurons in a way that matches what’s been observed in studies of living nerve tissue.

  29. Prince says:

    A few months metformin er side effects pcos The Silverstone Classic has also become renowned for the quality of its live music, which gives the event its “Rocking and Racing” tag line. Sixties chart-toppers The Hollies head the bill and the line-up also includes some of Europe’s best tribute bands playing classics by legends such as Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, Guns ‘N’ Roses and Pink Floyd.

  30. Levi says:

    I’ve come to collect a parcel baclofen mg overdose Putnam agreed it was no secret that AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips and touring honcho Paul Gongaware were willing to move mountains to get Michael to London for his 50 “This Is It” comeback concerts.

  31. Cliff says:

    Get a job lioresal prospect pret This depends on a number of factors, but first you should refer to the terms and conditions provided by your surveyor. It is likely they will say the surveyor was under no duty to lift or examine covered items.

  32. Colin says:

    We’re at university together buy panadol suppositories online Their breakthrough allowed scientists to stimulate – simulate, I should say, chemical reactions onscreen instead of in the lab, and that’s helped increase the speed and sophistication of everything from drug development to solar cell design.

  33. Ava says:

    I support Manchester United motilium 10 buy Asked about his leadership style, Selig told Allen that he has sought to build consensus between baseball’s various constituencies — the Players Association, small-market teams, big-market teams — since becoming commissioner more than 20 years ago.

  34. Jordan says:

    Do you know the address? alendronate cvs Housing them is a huge burden on their families and the state. It could be argued that there is often no good reason at all to keep them around. It would be better for them and everybody else to euthanize them. We euthanize our pets that are suffering and beyond hope. Why not extend the same service to our fellow man?

  35. Giuseppe says:

    Hello good day myprotein smartshake slim shaker Under the project name Rapid Charge Network, the electric car rapid chargers would be the first multi-standard units in public operation across the continent: and will mean that every electric vehicle owner across the country will be able to take long journeys without range anxiety – knowing that they are close to a rapid charger that will work for their vehicle no matter what electric car they drive. The units will be compatible for cars with 43kW AC systems as well as those with 44kW DC CCS and 44kW DC CHAdeMO.

  36. Doyle says:

    Have you got any experience? como conprar cialis Judge Beverly Reid O’Connell on Friday denied Herbalife’smotion to dismiss the case brought in April by Dana Bostick, a California housing inspector who tried to earn extra income byselling Herbalife products. The ruling was made public onTuesday.

  37. Daren says:

    Hello good day aeroflot flight status We zoomed up 14 stories, gaped out the floor-to-ceiling windows, a bit of welcome vertical relief, you could say, after two days out on the Plains

  38. Patrick says:

    magic story very thanks buspar online uk RapFix is MTV News’ hub for breaking hip-hop stories, features, exclusive behind-the-scenes content and everything in between. The conversation begins on the blog and continues on our weekly show “RapFix Live,” hosted by Sway Calloway.

  39. Bradly says:

    One moment, please how much does prescription orlistat cost
    The BBC reports: “Although christenings were already in decline, one in three infants was still baptized into the Church of England in 1980. By 2011 that had fallen to just over one in 10. The overall number of baptisms – of people of all ages – witnessed a similar decline, from 266,000 baptisms in 1980 to 140,000 in 2011.

  40. Clinton says:

    I came here to work singulair 5 mg fiyat Some have trouble expressing breast milk, while others struggle to get the baby to latch on or have pain when they do.  With the best of intentions, some moms resort to buying breast milk online, which, it turns out, can pose risks.

  41. Pitfighter says:

    Will I get travelling expenses? erythromycin stearate 500mg uses “I think they’ve realized that this is an issue in Kenya. For a long time we kind of ignored the idea that it’s there,” O’Connell said, adding that the federation has to get on top of the doping in order to maintain its credibility.

  42. Wayne says:

    It’s OK does advil have ibuprofen in it In a reference to previous comments made by Mr Bloom that he was keen to deal with women’s issues because they did not ”clean behind the fridge enough”, a Ukip woman is heard joking: “I too have never cleaned behind my fridge.” Yorkshire and the Humber MEP Mr Bloom is then clearly heard responding “this place is full of sluts” on the audio clip of the meeting recorded by the Huffington Post website.

  43. Leah says:

    Just over two years differin gel amazon uk Teamed with her favourite Today I'm Wearing clutch bag, pendant necklace and a pair of Kurt Geiger black studded platforms, Luisa proves how a simple midi dress can be styled for any occasion, even a red carpet (or in this case a patterned carpet) event.

  44. Tyler says:

    Could I have an application form? terbinafine online The Muslim Brotherhood, however, blamed the killings on “thugs” sponsored by the Interior Ministry, a charge the Islamist group from which Morsi hails often uses to dismiss the notion that it was at odds with other segments of the population.

  45. Seth says:

    About a year telmisartan amlodipine
    U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Henry J. Boroff on Wednesday declaredNECC insolvent, clearing the way for meningitis victims fromTennessee to file product-liability claims against medicalproviders, health clinics and other sellers of the taintedproduct.

  46. Evan says:

    Special Delivery skelaxin abuse The award, put up by Mo Ibrahim, a British-Sudanese telecoms billionaire, has only been given out three times since it was founded in 2007 to try to encourage better governance from the continent’s leaders.

  47. Osvaldo says:

    Will I have to work on Saturdays? cheap baclofen uk Egypt has been convulsed by political and economic turmoil since a 2011 uprising that ended 30 years of autocratic rule by U.S.-backed President Hosni Mubarak, and the country is now more polarized than any time for many years.

  48. Weston says:

    I’d like a phonecard, please differin 0.1 gel acne scars The deal is the latest in a spate of acquisitions in the global telecom sector, which is reshaping an industry struggling in Europe but flourishing in the United States and Asia where prices and profits are higher.

  49. Jamar says:

    I’m not sure himalaya himcolin gel All the funds raised from the London to Paris Cycle Challenge will help Marie Curie Nurses provide more free care to people with terminal illnesses in their own homes and in the charity’s nine hospices, including the Bradford hospice.

  50. Benton says:

    I live in London silagra co.uk A doubling of carbon in the atmosphere would raise temperatures by between 1.5 and 4.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 to 8.1F), below the 2-4.5 (3.6-8.1F) range in the 2007 report, it said. The new range is identical to the ranges in IPCC studies before 2007.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *