Spotlight Interview #40 - Handyman69

[JustAskJulie]

About the interviews

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Gender (if not a couple):
If a couple, which one primarily posts:
Age(s):
Birthday(s):
Location:
Relationship status:
Swinging for how long?:
Prefer to swing with:
Favorite food(s):
Biggest Pet Peeve:
Brief Intro:
Picture:
Website (your own or one of your favorites):

[Handyman69]

Hi guys....sorry so late.

About us...John and Rhonda

gender ..couple
ages...44,43
birthdates....3/25 and 11/25
location..Michigan
relationship...couple
swinging...about 2 years
prefer...usually couples



Been married just over 10 years and have been together for 11. Have 3 children from John's first marriage and together we have 7 yr old triplets (girl and 2 boys). (and you wanted to why we got into swinging..LOL) We live in Northern lower Michigan that sucks right now...oh forgot to say..I hate snow and cold weather.

I am a registered nurse by trade but due to a back injury now have a desk job and John is a contractor who works on his own. Only pet we have is a hamster that somehow has survived the triplets. Oldest son is 18 and a senior, older girls are 19 and 24 (both got engaged this past Christmas) with the younger one living with us. Triplets...girl is in 2nd grade and boys are in 1st.

We got into swinging as a way to get out. Due to the triplets we lost many of our friends...guess they could not take the hectic pace here. Anyway, John actually brought up the idea approx 4 or 5 yrs ago..I said NO WAY....but then had some changes..one was breast augmentation and they lifted them up..then I lost some weight and thought why not. So here we are.

We prefer couples and have only had one MMF encounter. We are game for most anything as most of you probably are too, and we too have our limits. We enjoy going to Socials and have been going to a nudist camp in southern Michigan that gears to swinging ( and again I was against that too at first until we went...LOL)

Well guess this is started.....ask away..

Rhonda

[Handyman69]

Forgot to say...

favorite web sites,,,got to be Swing Lifestyle and yahoo games (love euchre) Use to be around the board a lot but have drifted away but still check in every now and then.

[dutch51]

Hi Rhonda and John! What are some of your hobbies or interests? Do you get to go to socials very often? That's all we'll ask for now, lol. Looking forward to getting to know you better!

[JustAskJulie]

Which socials do you visit/enjoy?

Why have you drifted away from us? We miss you.

What things do you guys enjoy doing as a family?

[Handyman69]

Guess I will combine Dutch and Julie's questions.

Hobbies....love summer. We have a 5th wheel and try to us it alot. Besides heading to Cherrylane (nudist camp) ..we have family trips. Memorial weekend and Labor Day is spent camping..rain or shine. Then we head to Canada for 2 1/2 weeks...approx 1 hour south of Marathon which is west of Wawa. We also enjoy belonging to an old tractor show club. John shows off the 1914 Hit and Miss engine that he restored and I am a co-chair for a committee on the steam locomotive (yes real size..real smoke and goes around a real track..LOL). We are actively involved with our kids' activities. Oldest son does cross-country and track and we are going to miss the meets after he graduates this spring. We have a small pool and inherited a hot tub from my father which we enjoy thru the summer.

Not sure why we drifted away...I guess we got caught up in life and not on the computer as much. We see many faces are still here and some are gone. PLUS many new ones..LOL

Family is very important to us. As stated..we are busy here. One of the triplets has cerebral palsy and has special needs and ..well...7 yr olds are busy. We are gearing for son's graduation and everything that is involved in that, and of course...planning weddings..

as for camping...we read together...go on picnics...to the beaches...same old as most do...we try to take the kids (younger) to educational things.

Ready for more questions.

Rhonda


Long winded..sorry guys but you asked..LOL

socials...well at Cherrylane there is one every Saturday night plus one at the TTS weekend in August.(4 days of swinging fun). Then we go to Muskegon, Harrison (very small), 616, AfterHours and West Michigan. We try to hit Cherrylane..3 ot 4 times a summer ( May thur September) and get to the other socials maybe 3 or 4 times ( not each...we just pick one and go usually with friends).

[Vespertine]

Triplets!

I can't fathom how busy you must be! I have to ask, when you brought them home from the hospital seven years ago, did you ever get any sleep?

Is it a steam-locomotive club you're co-chair of? What do ya'll do and how did you get involved in it?

btw, I like your avatar.

[Handyman69]

I can't fathom how busy you must be

Thanks Vespertine for asking. It was a team effort in the beginning. Thanks to my In-laws and the fact that John's kids were older, we managed. The triplets spent 3 1/2 months in Butterworth in Grand Rapids ( which is approx 2 hours from home) so was very hard. We had some great friends that also came in EARLY..like 5 am and did that feeding for us...they are also adopted grandparents to the kids. I acutally did not sleep for about 3 days when they first came home...I was working fulltime besides....but we got thru it.

The Club is made up of about families....200+.. The club puts on a show every year and we have exhibits.......old tractors, old cars, old engines....we have a working saw mill, bowl making area, cider mill, etc. we also have one of the largest flea markets in the state during the 4 days. We have demonstration...plowing with steam tractors, threshing , and many more. We love steam whistles and they blow all the time. In 4 days, we probably have 100,000 people venture thru our grounds. My position is working the coaches..I act as a conductor ...loading and unloading riders..I also act as a host and give a little speech on why we do the show and what people can see plus history on the locomotive and the cars.

I like your avatar

This was acutally a pic that we did in Canada on one of our nature walks. We were picking wild blue berries for pancakes for breakfast. So thanks for the comment.

Rhonda

[Vespertine]

I'm still in awe over triplets. I'd never survive it!

Do you ever get any 'Girlie Time', Rhonda? You know, time to get a little R&R without kids or the husband?

If you and John could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

On your profile it states you're from Michigan and goes on to say "Gods Country...so we thought". What's the story behind that? Care to share?

[Handyman69]

Girlie time..what's that... No don't get much at all.. unfortunately. In fact don't get much time away from the gang...but that isn't all bad..

Where would we go..mmmmm..SOME PLACE WARM!!!!

that's what I meant by God's Country..so we thought. Had a terrible year last year. Here in Northern Michigan it was COLD!!! 45 deg in August (when we were in a tent at Cherrylane..LOL) Sucked big time Otherwise ..I like Michigan. We live in the country ( and seeing I was from Port Huron which is a fairly good size city). Just hate all the snow we get in the North. When I lived downstate.we got snow but went away fast..Here the damn stuff stays until April . We live by some woods and love going out and walking around. Hunt for mushrooms, we do our own firewood to use in the winter and my husband even has me hunting for deer now..LOL..Who would have thought..me with a gun

Right now it is about 5 deg...snowy and sucks..LOL....

Rhonda

[JustAskJulie]

Are you guys originally from MI? If not, where are you from and how long have you lived in MI? And what on earth brought you there?

[Handyman69]

Actually we both are from Michigan. John has lived in the area, where we live now, all his life and I moved up here after I met John (thru a singles magazine as that was before we had a computer..LOL). As I was growing up, I lived in Ill for a quite awhile. I even moved back there after I finished college..But I got homesick for the family and moved back. We do love all the seasons but last couple of years ...there has been NO summer...makes the winter feel longer.

LOL..was thinking Julie....you moved here too...but got the hell out..LOL

Rhonda and John

[ALilOEverything]

Hi Rhonda, it's great to see you in the spotlight. I've read many of your posts and wondered what happened to you

First I want to point out, we have a lot in common, we both live in the same rural area of Michigan, we're both nurses, and we both have three kids (though I didn't do mine all at once )


How did you react when you found out you were having triplets? Were you able to carry them very long in your pregnancy? Are the olders ones very helpful? Do they ever babysit for you?

Have you ever had any bad swinging experiences? What's the most ideal swinging situation for you?

[Handyman69]

How did you react when you found out you were having triplets? Were you able to carry them very long in your pregnancy

Let me see.... OH MY GOD...and then I fainted..LOL ( ok not really).I was stunned..came home and called my hubby (who was in Ann Arbor (UofM Mott Children's hospital)) with his sick daughter. Told him and he said....well at first nothing and then the sucker said "got to go" and hung up on me...I was so upset..he went to a bar that was close and had a feq strong ones and then came back and called me to say he loved me and we would get through it.

Carried the triplets to 28 weeks..my sister-in-law was getting married..and I went into labor the night before..LOL...what a mess..so kids where born on her wedding day. They were...all less than 2 lbs at birth. Spent 3 1/2 months on neonatal intensive care about 2 hours from home..sucked..but they are here and doing great now. And as for babysitters(the older kids)....LOL....they are great..all 3 of them, plus I get to bribe them...you do this for me..I will do this for you..LOL..so price is cheap.

Damn Julie is going to be mad at me...I write books..LOL

bad experiences.....well got to say there have been a few..and have learned from them. Worst one was when we were new to things..met a great couple..we hit it off right away. Unfortunately we all were new and went too fast and things just blew apart....still miss them to this day.

ideal swinging situation...boy....good questions.. just like socializing with a couple or couples....good conversations, maybe game or dancing..then go from there. All comfortable and having fun....best thing I can think of...

and by the way...AlilOEverything...damn if we are close..we got to talk...LOL

Rhonda

[Handyman69]

What's the most ideal swinging situation for you?

Got thinking some more on this...and Julie says..(LOL) that this is the place to open up and let you know us sooooo,

We look for a couple that has a physical attraction by all (that is what the lifestyle is all about).

We look for people with similar pursuits...and interests.. We are looking for friends too...we like to socialize before anything gets started.

We prefer.same bed, same room (but that goes out the window sometimes..esp with more than 1 couple).

I have also learned that I like the bi thing.. and so does hubby.. :lol (as he likes watching...by the way he is totally straight..won't even go there ) so most couple that we look for ..the females are bi. Makes for a fun evening by all..

We know when we have found a great couple when we can sit around after playing and relax...talk....shoot the shit. and not feel rushed to get up and leave.

We keep learning and experimenting....you fulfill one fantasy and another comes up....LOL

Rhonda