View Poll Results: At what age did you consider health to be a key factor in your future?
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Under 30
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8 |
6.84% |
30-40
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8 |
6.84% |
40-50
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31 |
26.50% |
50-55
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18 |
15.38% |
55-60
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18 |
15.38% |
60-65
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14 |
11.97% |
65-70
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9 |
7.69% |
70-75
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6 |
5.13% |
75-80
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2 |
1.71% |
Over 80
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3 |
2.56% |
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11-20-2017, 09:28 AM
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#41
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Administrator
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: N. Yorkshire
Posts: 34,124
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan
If it was a mistake then it can easily be made private if the OP requests it.
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As requested by the OP, the poll is now private.
__________________
Retired in Jan, 2010 at 55, moved to England in May 2016
Enough private pension and SS income to cover all needs
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11-20-2017, 09:30 AM
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#42
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Pacific latitude 20/49
Posts: 7,677
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My apologies for not making the poll anonymous. Alan has fixed that. Thanks.
(The intention is that the age is when you seriously embraced a healthy lifestyle.)
In my case, I took a golden handshake from megacorp at age 49. The immediate pension gave me some flexibility to pursue what I wanted in an independent consulting career. Those were not great years from a health perspective. In Kuala Lumpur, I was walking at noon on a Saturday and had a serious bout of dehydration which displayed symptoms easily confused with heart attack. Had a thorough set of tests upon my return.
Upon really retiring at 59, I adopted an exercise regime and actually got life insurance at substantially less than the key man policy taken out 5 years earlier. That continued for 10 years. Then I had a number of setbacks. Lower legs had plantar fasciitis, ruptured tendon, spider bite with cellulitis and phlebitis, 3 broken bones. That got me out of daily walking, hiking and biking.
Also I was diagnosed with COPD and HBP. Both of those are under control with medication. But my advice to to keep active as long as you can. Use it or lose it! Had an angina attack and been diagnosed with tachycardia.
__________________
For the fun of it...Keith
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11-20-2017, 09:45 AM
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#43
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Administrator
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: N. Yorkshire
Posts: 34,124
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I was extremely active in sports until a series of injuries stopped me at age 42 and over a period of a few years I gained 35lbs weight. At work at age 40 I did a routine treadmill stress test as part of an executive physical and was told I had the heart and lungs of a 30 year old. 5 years later I did the same test and was really puffing and blowing after only 8 minutes and was told I was just fine for my age, but I could see that I had lost a lot of aerobic capacity over the 5 years since I was 40.
At age 46 I started eating better and exercising on a treadmill at home as well as lifting weights. I lost all the weight I had put on and continue to be very health conscious. (I am now 62)
__________________
Retired in Jan, 2010 at 55, moved to England in May 2016
Enough private pension and SS income to cover all needs
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11-20-2017, 11:07 AM
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#44
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,176
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I was very active in sports through my early 30s, then kids growing and work slowed that down until my mid 40's. In my early 40s I had my first comprehensive physical and my cardio health was assessed as someone in their 60s. I was also diagnosed with borderline HBP. So I started to get back to regular workouts. I notice I tended to "hit a wall" very frequently during workouts. Through an echo cardiogram, I was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. The root cause was a inherited heart defect that was getting worse, but fortunately could be repaired with minimally invasive surgery. Once through that I made a much more conscious effort to get and stay in shape.
Two other motivating factors that also occurred during this time:
- our oldest sons got into wrestling and martial arts in high school, and developed very strong physiques through those programs. So naturally my vanity did not want my kids to see that they were in much better shape than I was.
- (trying to keep this g-rated ) As part of improved marriage communications, DW and I discovered that we both wanted to prioritize and improve the "physical aspect" of our marriage... great in our early marriage years but the worries and responsibilities of life had turned our attention away from it. Being in good physical shape would help improve and sustain that for us for as long as possible.
Since that time, staying physically fit, and eating better, has been a priority for me since them. I am far from perfect, but my consistency is definitely improving. The older I get the more I observe how people who keep fit and moving have a better quality of life for a longer time. The year of our 25th wedding anniversary we took 2 "honeymoon" vacations and ran into couples who were married twice as long as us but were in fantastic shape... that is the vision we hope to achieve.
The other nice benefit is that DW and I do not have many leisure activities in common, but keeping fit by going to the gym, hiking and biking are shared activities which helps our closeness and improves our communications.
__________________
FIREd date: June 26, 2018 - "This Happy Feeling, Going Round and Round!" (GQ)
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11-20-2017, 11:34 AM
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#45
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 4,663
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I used to think I'd rather enjoy whatever food and wine I wanted even if that meant a shorter lifespan. Then in my 40's, a good friend pointed out that my lifespan could be similar, but the quality of it could be very adversely affected by things like diabetes, heart disease, etc. Diabetes runs in DH's family. In our mid-40's, we went to a nutritionist together and both dropped around 30-40 lbs. Since then, we have taken good nutrition and exercise much more seriously.
I can attest based on the people I know in their late 70's or 80's that physically fit people seem to have a much better quality of life than those who are overweight couch potatoes. It's a constant struggle for DH & me to maintain a healthy weight and stay fit, but we are trying. It would be so much easier if we didn't love our carbs and wine!
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11-20-2017, 11:36 AM
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#46
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 13,183
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan
If it was a mistake then it can easily be made private if the OP requests it.
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How do you tell if a poll is public before participating?
__________________
"I wasn't born blue blood. I was born blue-collar." John Wort Hannam
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11-20-2017, 11:43 AM
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#47
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by youbet
How do you tell if a poll is public before participating?
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You will see this notice at the top of the poll:
Quote:
Be advised that this is a public poll: other users can see the choice(s) you selected.
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__________________
Numbers is hard
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11-20-2017, 12:15 PM
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#48
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: South Texas~29N/98W Just West of Woman Hollering Creek
Posts: 6,673
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Voted 70-75 because that's where am today. I have had a very healthy life until a few years ago when a series of little things began to "act up".
I now realize that age 73 is now on the downhill part of life and I need to take better care of myself in the future if I want to make it to age 100 as my plan dictates. Stay out of the sun (skin cancer), exercise regularly, eat in moderation, drink in moderation (diabetic neuropathy/agent orange), slow down smell the roses (everything else).
__________________
Part-Owner of Texas
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. Groucho Marx
In dire need of: faster horses, younger woman, older whiskey, more money.
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11-20-2017, 01:38 PM
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#49
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 89
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I remember the exact date I became health conscious; it was a few weeks after my 40th birthday when I decided to quit drinking. DH had quit a few months before me. Two years later I started running. That led me to quit my 26 year smoking habit and began a love affair with running marathons. Through running DH and I made great friends and ran dozens of big city races with those friends. After several years, age and injury began to whittle down our group. I continued to run but started to struggle with COPD from all those years of smoking. I also started to find that recovery from hard efforts was much more difficult.
When I retired almost seven years ago I actually got lazier about taking care of myself. I gained weight, not quickly but just a couple pounds here and there and it added up to about 15. I stopped running marathons but still ran shorter races and biked a bit. Every time I would start marathon training I would get injured or sick and give up. Then about two years ago I was told I was pre-diabetic. Since then I have changed my diet to a low carbohydrate, high fat approach and lost the 15 pounds. But one of the best effects of the dietary change has been that I seem to be able to work out again without needing days of recovery. I have added twice weekly spin class and strength training and still run 3-4 times a week, yet I feel better than I have in years. I don’t know if I will ever get back to marathons, but I am happy with the direction my health is taking these days - and I am on zero medications.
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11-20-2017, 01:55 PM
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#50
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Flyover country
Posts: 25,349
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Persn
I remember the exact date I became health conscious; it was a few weeks after my 40th birthday when I decided to quit drinking. DH had quit a few months before me. Two years later I started running. That led me to quit my 26 year smoking habit and began a love affair with running marathons.
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Similar story here. I was a heavy smoker (two packs a day). Tried to quit many times but it never lasted. Then I came down with double pneumonia and was unable to smoke for a couple of weeks. When I finally started to recover, I said to myself that it was a perfect opportunity to really quit smoking for good, one day at a time.
At the same time, I started running as an extra incentive to get my lung capacity back. When I started, I couldn't even manage one lap of the local quarter mile track, but I kept at it day after day, gradually improving.
That was 44 years, multiple marathons, and countless half-marathons and 10-Ks ago (and zero cigarettes). I was never fast, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the effort. What I do today would be better described as fast walking instead of running, but I still enjoy it just as much.
__________________
I thought growing old would take longer.
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11-20-2017, 02:43 PM
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#51
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,103
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Used to love backcountry camping, either by kayak or backpacking. DW used to join me and pretend to enjoy it.
I miss this stuff greatly, but I our backs are weaker and the ground is harder. Now it's restaurants and hotels in the evening, and we get overuse injuries or nasty colds if we push too hard.
I wish we could have FIRED in our 30's when the ground was softer and more comfortable to sleep on!
__________________
Living the dream...
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11-20-2017, 02:53 PM
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#52
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,103
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CyclingInvestor
I bicycled a lot and worked out at the gym almost daily when younger, but started getting lazy and gaining weight by the time I retired at 48. A diagnoses of prediabetes scared me into losing weight, but too slowly. Although I lost 80 pounds by Jan 2017, I had progressed to full diabetes. I improved my diet (a lot), upped my exercise and started daily insulin and a statin.
I have since lost 28 more lbs, dropped my A1c from 10.9 to 5.8, cholesterol from 234 to 111, triglycerides from 596 to 79, etc. While I still cycle, I mostly walk now, twice/day 2-4 miles each time. Eat a lot of spinach salads, greek yogurt, meat (mostly fish now instead of beef), and burrito bowls.
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Sounds familiar!
But I got a grip on things too with DW in charge of meals. Fortunately, I managed without a need for drugs. It was a wakeup call!
This happened a few years before FIRE. It is easier to maintain good habits in FIRE. Almost no stress eating because, well, there is almost no stress!
__________________
Living the dream...
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11-20-2017, 03:06 PM
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#53
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Administrator
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: N. Yorkshire
Posts: 34,124
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Quote:
Originally Posted by youbet
How do you tell if a poll is public before participating?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
You will see this notice at the top of the poll:
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Also the numbers that have voted are blue rather than black and if you click on a number you will see who has voted for that poll option.
__________________
Retired in Jan, 2010 at 55, moved to England in May 2016
Enough private pension and SS income to cover all needs
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11-20-2017, 03:20 PM
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#54
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,495
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Think it was 30's when started running, kind of made it a habit to deal with stress. I feel bad if I am not getting aerobic exercise. Gave up running for mtn biking several years ago because of plantar fasciitis. Sadly, its returned last year or so and even biking aggravates it. Thinking about just running with it and gritting my teeth but mornings out of bed or just getting up from sitting on couch I look like an old man. I mean really old.
DW and my exercise has morphed into one we do for health since retiring. She does classes at y every weekday, I either join her for elliptical or go out on trails if weather is willing. It's as much a part of mental health as physical. All our numbers are great, but I take a beta b since blood pressure was creeping over 135/85. We're trying to back off the meat and enjoy some really good veg cooking, but then I read Robbie's posts and it's off to the butcher shop. Seriously, trying to burn some cash is hard to do with vegetables!
All told the doc said he's happy to see the rare person who keeps weight down and pays attention. We're genetically fortunate although my parent's lives were both cut short by smoking. Her mother had a horrible back, and now she's taking meloxicam for that. When she comes out of classes at the Y she looks as good as the women in their 30's, hence I'm keeping her .
All told things are good at 66. Then I look at articles where someone younger croaks suddenly and realize it could all end any time. Or worse, that long agonizing slope of some slow debilitating crush. Hence I try to be thankful, do my part, and enjoy life as best we can. It's waygu tenderloins for dinner tonight by the way, thanks Robbie!
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11-20-2017, 06:44 PM
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#55
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: northern Michigan
Posts: 2,215
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I've always been reasonably active, but I did put on some weight and my blood pressure started creeping up in my early 50s. So when I retired at age 54 1/2, I decided to start a regular fitness regimen, and I've kept it up since then (8 years ago now). My regimen is not all that demanding.......I do some bodyweight exercises every other day (chin-ups, squats), I walk the dog 3X daily (our route goes up and down hills). I also do lots of other things by hand that I could have someone else do, like mow the (large) lawn with a push mower, work a big vegetable garden every year, rake my own leaves by hand, etc, etc.. The main thing is to keep moving, really. Sitting for more than an hour or so is not good for your health, so I try not to do that, even if it means just getting up and doing something in the kitchen. The other thing of course is to eat healthy..........I eat a modified paleo-type diet, so I try to really limit the carbs and sugar, and eat mostly veggies, fish, meat, eggs, etc.. My annual blood test still shows that I am doing pretty well overall, so something must be working. I just hope I can keep this up for a long while yet, but I'm sure it will get harder as I get older.....
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11-21-2017, 04:04 AM
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#56
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Michigan
Posts: 5,003
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I would say I started considering it around 40 but at 58 it has not become so yet.
__________________
"The mountains are calling, and I must go." John Muir
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11-21-2017, 05:49 AM
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#57
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern Maine
Posts: 672
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Started to think about it around my mid thirties and fifth orthopedic surgery.... still think about it, but now up to nine surgeries (I think my tenth is free! )
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11-21-2017, 07:28 AM
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#58
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Pacific latitude 20/49
Posts: 7,677
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
You will see this notice at the top of the poll:
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Also you can click on any numerical result and get the responses by member. I had no idea when I created the poll but it has been fixed now.
__________________
For the fun of it...Keith
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11-21-2017, 07:29 AM
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#59
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Miraflores,Peru
Posts: 1,992
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Young wife is into belly dancing which has led me to take better care of my eyes!
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11-21-2017, 08:01 AM
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#60
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Nashville
Posts: 2,506
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__________________
OMY * 3 2ish Done 7.28.17
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