Dear Ang
Dear [Ang],
I sat on the left side center of the auditorium , within two tables of the front. My back was to the aisle, so it’s no wonder you missed me.
Yes, still pretty thin, although I did pick up ten pounds over the winter. Working on losing that once again. Cholestoral reading was way down this year – 166, down from 217 last year. So the life style is definitely working.
I moved away from Philly (again), this past December due to noisy neighbors in that apartment there. Living with Mom currently until I get my head together on what I want to do with the rest of my life. Once that’s decided, and I’ve saved enough money to buy a nice home in a quiet neighborhood, I hope to return to Philly. Perhaps this third move back there will be the charm. Hopefully anyhow. 
Had to give up the green tea because the caffeine in it was really starting to bother me. So I switched to spearmint and peppermint tea, that has no caffeine but is just as refreshing as the green tea.
Mom and [her current man] are still together. I’m still finding it difficult to accept him. He smokes pot and lots of cigarettes each day, is grossly overweight, contributes nothing to the operating costs of the house, and takes little initiative to contribute anything else.
Part of me wishes he would just go away. It’s difficult picking up his cigarette butts after him, and along with Mom, paying for his share of the house expenses. My sisters feel uncomfortable just stopping by with him around. It’s truly a challenge to relate among ourselves as family when this stranger just hangs around. But that’s the way it is I guess. Mom loves him and none of us kids can see at all why.
Another part of me feels sorry for him, as he has had a “rough life” indeed. And at times I feel guilty for being hard on him in my thoughts. [... ] [W]hen the nephews and nieces come over he does treat them okay – pushing them around in the wheelbarrow, on the swings, and such. So he’s not TOTALLY bad. This has become a real lesson for me to focus on the good side of a person and ignore (at least as much as possible) the bad.
Well, I must get back to work. Thanks for responding and I am truly sorry we missed each other this time. I’ll try and give you more advance notice next time I’m in.
Hope you’re doing well. Are you still happily married and enjoying life with your son? Did your son move out yet?
Later,
Tom Hesley
