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Promoting Romance, Adventure and Recognition for People of All Ages! |  |
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Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
I hope you have had a Happy Holiday Season.
Now it is time to look forward to making 2006 the
best year we can make of it. I have an idea. Let's all
of us who are single, which is about 90% of the
people reading this Newsletter, promise ourselves
that we will do whatever we are capable of doing,
to be in a healthy, loving, committed relationship-
THIS YEAR. Now for sure, we know that's a tall
order!!!
For those of you that would like to give it your best
efforts, here's what I can do to help. We have been
pleased thus far with PerfectMatch, and continue to
encourage you to, at the least, take their free
Personality Profile. Now let's be honest, no specific
Internet dating company will guarantee success.
However, if your budget can afford a few months of
the fee, why not give it your best shot?
As long as the expectations are that, at the
minimum, you know that you have tried, and given
yourself an increased chance to finding your soul
mate, then you will be fulfilling your resolution. I
believe I am paraphrasing Mark Twain when I
write "It's amazing that the harder I try the luckier I
get." The free Personality Profile takes less than 15
minutes and if you like the immediate result, then you
can consider trying this for a few months.
Another way I will try to offer my assistance is via
the cruises. The two cruises to Alaska this August
will be the beginning of many cruises a year I will
organize, all with the specific goals of 1) Having fun.
2) Meeting and re-visiting wonderful new friends. 3)
Being open to the possibility of meeting your soul
mate on one of these cruises. I realize that,
unfortunately, cruises are not in many people's
budgets, but for those whose budget can afford it,
here is another opportunity for you to get "luckier"
and have a good time.
As you know, Joe and I are trying all we can through
www.seniorb
achelor.com to get more men involved
with the site.
And each of you can also help our collective
resolution by referring good guys to come on the
cruises, and attend any other social functions I will
organize, and have them sign up for the Newsletters
and get on the blog. Please don't be afraid to
include new women as well. At first you might
consider this more competition, but I don't think that
is the right way to look at this. The more good
people we have involved, male or female, the
stronger our group will be, and will attract yet more
good people. And you've all seen how wonderfully we
all get along and support each other!
Now, back to the Journey.
SANTIAGO, CHILE
Gael arrived the morning of December 28 and after
three days getting to know Santiago, we went to the
beach for a day. The beaches are 1 1/2 hours away
by a great bus ride, and we could really see the
gorgeous Chilean countryside. A good friend here of
Umberto's, Andres, was recently engaged, and we all
went to lunch with Andres and his fiancée and her
family.
We have been staying in the identical place
where Umberto lived from 2001-2004, what is
referred to as a "residence." It is a combination
fraternity/sorority house, but clean!! Most of the 29
people who stay here, attend various nearby
colleges, and are from a vast variety of countries. It
is fun to sit around the dinner table, or go out later,
and talk with people from Chile, Argentina,
Guatemala, Italy, Australia, and many other
countries. The average age of these students are
mid twenties, and many are here working on
advanced degrees. All in all, a great atmosphere.
As I have mentioned previously, I will pass on good,
reliable, tested travel information, and I highly
recommend Andres as a guide in Chile, especially in
Santiago. Here is his e-mail address:
info@residenciauniversitaria.cl
I made a real rookie mistake and forgot to properly
hydrate myself and came down with an ultra-nasty
case of dehydration. Folks, I don't know if this has
ever happened to you, but it is like having the worst
case of the flu. You feel as if a Mack truck has hit
you, as every single inch of your body aches, and
you feel extremely hot, and freezing cold- at the
same time! Your head aches, stomach problems
galore, and all in all, a very unpleasant situation.
After 1 1/2 days, I think I am getting back to normal. Richard Roe Senior Bachelor
Click here to see more photos from our Journey!
Tues. Dec 27th I flew from Boston to Miami to Chile.
The flights
were as smooth as silk. I read, ate and slept AND I
was beginning my
Cinderella Adventure...can't do better than that!!!
At 10 am Wed. Dec. 28th, I
was met at the airport in Santiago by a limo with
Richard and Umberto full
of smiles....O.K. so there wasn't a limo...but I'll take
those smiles any
day!!!
So Richard, Umberto, camera and I became the new
team. Team #2!! Our
accommodations are at the dorm that Umberto lived
in for 3 years while he was
at school. So it is full of familiar faces for him, friends
from all over
the world. We went grocery shopping, I got settled
in and then we took the
Metro into the city of Santiago and toured around
town. We mostly walked
around just taking in the sights. We went into one of
their beautiful
churches. Richard said he had never seen a church
so loooong.
It was fun
getting a feel of the city and it's surroundings. The
Chileans are so
lovely. It's not so much the beauty of their faces as
the beauty of their
souls. Very quiet, gentle people. They are so
affectionate to their children
and each other. Wonderful to see. Makes me wonder
if they even HAVE a
divorce rate...doesn't seem possible as I walk
around surrounded by LOTS of
PDA (Public Displays of Affection!) in both young and
old.
Thurs. we just hung out
because Richard was
feeling punk. He spent most of the day down but was
concerned about me being
bored. Like that could ever happen!! I was happy,
happy, happy to read,
read, read!
Richard rallied and we went to dinner at a local spot
called
Tiramisu and it was GREAT! The food was good too!!
Friday Richard realized
his symptoms were of dehydration. So Umberto
bought 9 bottles of Gatorade
and Richard added packets of electrolytes that he
had wisely brought with
him. When Umberto had Richard all set up with his
Gatorade, Excedrin and
electrolytes we went off to the City of Santiago.
Again we went by metro.
It´s so clean, safe and efficient that it seem like
EVERYONE uses it. Once
we were in town we could already see the
preparations for New Year's Eve. We
climbed up the Monument of Santiago going from
garden terrace to garden
terrace, climbing higher and higher. The view from
the top was
breathtaking, like when you see Umberto's photos!
We climbed down the
opposite side the opened out into the heart of it all.
We then went into the
Museo Nacional Bellas Artes, a building of amazing
architecture and statuary. The HUGE
bronze statue in front was of 2 male angels. One
lying across the others
lap, dying. The inscription reads: "Glory even in
death,
as in life." It was so
beautiful and perfect in its form that I don't think I'll
ever forget
it, or its words. Inside the architecture was amazing
too. I think I liked
the building and its statues better than the art they
had on exhibit.
The children's exhibit was incredible to see what a
child
of 6 through 10 can
create, and the children were actually in the
museum, on the floor, still
creating more works of art! The majority of the
exhibits were like the 70's.
Abstract art re-done. Umberto and I didn't care for
it. I wasn't wild
about it the first time in the 70's!
We agreed to come back early to check
up on Richard. Thankfully, he was feeling somewhat
better and rallied enough
for us to go to dinner. We were both so pleased with
Tiramisu that we went
back and shared the same meal. Vicki's description
of Richard as SWEET is on
the money. I'll add fun and funny to the list. Not
only did I find Richard
interesting, but I found him interested as well.
Richard asked questions
that I didn't expect- nothing probing, just showing
sincere interest. Nice.
Sat. Dec. 31, 2006, NEW YEARS EVE.
Richard, Umberto, camera and I took a 2
1/2 hour bus trip north to Valparaiso and Vina Del
Mar. The bus was
immaculate, as were the people, and very
comfortable. It was fun to watch
the families, and I mean WHOLE families, start their
vacations together.
It's a good thing that kissing a baby doesn't stunt
its growth! If so,
these people would never grow more than a foot
high! Even the smallest of
the children were expected to kiss the babies. NOT
something I see at home,
sadly.
Valparaiso is the old part of the newer Vina Del Mar. I
loved
both, especially the many colors of the homes and
buildings in Valparaiso.
Both villages were surrounded by beaches and
ocean. The ocean was so GREEN
that I couldn't stop talking about it! It looked like
Kool Aid!
No one
seemed to mind as everyone was preparing for the
New Year's Eve festivities,
which appears to be a HUGE celebration here. We
were met by Andres, one of
Umberto's friends, who had just become engaged.
His fiancee's family had
invited us to share lunch with them. It was a yummy
restaurant, and they were
totally enjoyable company, even with the language
barrier. Of course, the
language barrier is Richard and me. Thank God for
Umberto and the extra
efforts of everyone in Chile. The family asked us to
their home for their
New Year's celebration but we all thought it
best to pack our little butts onto the bus and head
back to Santiago. On
our return, Umberto hooked up with his friends and I
saw the New Year in, in my usual location...BED! O.K.
For all of you with
your minds in the gutter, Richard was in his bed
UPSTAIRS and I was in my
bed DOWNSTAIRS, thank you very much!!
Jan. 1st 2006, was quiet. Richard and I traveled to
the mall, two malls, actually. But everything was
CLOSED. A few cafes were open and we had a great
time sight-seeing in the beautiful, balmy breeze. We
lunched at one of the cafes and headed home to the
Providencia district of Santiago. Later, Richard
and I dined at The Chilean. We both agreed that it
was one of the best meals
we´ve had...and it was ALL Chilean foods! YUMMY!
Richard was feeling closer
to 100% and was a excellent dinner companion. Best
fun yet! We even had a
Chilean drink!
Today, Mon. Jan.2, Umberto, (his friend) Severo,
Richard and
I went back to the mall. It is one of the biggest malls
I have ever
seen...and very high-end stores. Lovely for any
shoe/clothes freak (that
would be me), but a little unsettling. It is too New
York, too out of place.
We split up so that Umberto and Severo could go do
their thing and Richard
and I did ours. We walked out of the mall to the
international book store,
yeah for me, and then back to the mall. We lunched
and then headed back to
our "home." Tonight, Richard and I plan on going to
the monument at San
Cristobal at sunset, as it is supposed to be a
beautiful sight. We'll have
dinner there and see what happens next!!
Happy New Year to you all!
Gael
Wow! One of the finalists really knows how to party! She is bringing along no fewer than 12 of her friends on the cruise this summer! I exchanged emails with Shawn, our Personal Cruise Consultant, and she wants me to remind you that these two cruises are in the "peak" of the Alaska cruising season. They are very popular in their own right- much less with the added attraction of having us party-ers on board! So please start checking your travel calendar and, if you think there is a chance you want to go, contact her ASAP. Your deposit goes directly to Holland America Lines and is completely refundable up to 75 days before the cruise.
For information about the Senior Bachelor Cruise, click here! Remember to send me an email at Richard@seniorbachelor.com if you need a cruise cabin mate to save the single supplement. We've already matched up a whole bunch of people and I will be able to help you even while on the Journey. Or you can contact our Personal Cruise Consultant, Shawn, at Shawn@seniorbachelor.com or call 1-800-355-3017 Ext. 4294 Mon- Fri, 9:00AM to 6:00PM, PST. To submit the Online Cruise Booking Form, click here!
I love hearing from you about your experiences with PerfectMatch! I share them only with the writer's permission- usually given enthusiastically because they are excited to share their success. Fits nicely with our New Year's Resolution theme: From Connie in Canada: Hi Richard, Have been keeping in tune with the travels of you and the others senior bachelor girls and Umberto. It is my pleasure to wish all of you a happy Holiday and I can sympathize with your missing your 7 grandchildren. I am about to embark on my journey to northern Canada and then Tucson to visit my family. The greatest news- I have met the "perfect match" on PerfectMatch. Having been leery of these dating sites and had 2 terrible experiences, I tried PerfectMatch figuring Dr. Phil and you support it and then was on a flight recently and saw the movie 'Must like dogs'- I joined up. Norton was the only person who appealed to me and since Nov.29th-- we have come to know one another and also families have met and I who love animals- he has 2 horses, 3 dogs and a cat! I have a precious cat also. Good luck-- will stay tuned in. Cheers, Connie Ladies and Gentlemen, many of you have taken the free PerfectMatch Compatibility Profile to learn more about themselves to get better prepared to meet and date. You should try it out, too. One of the criteria for the 22 Finalists was to take the Free Compatibility Profile and I used the results in making my decisions. I did take the Free PerfectMatch Compatibility Profile, and it described me to a "T." It was simple and took less than 15 minutes. Of course, the proof is in the pudding, and only time will tell how this service works for you. My recommendation is to take the Free Compatibility Profile (click here to try it), and if you like what you see with the Profile results, and your budget can afford it, give it a try, and then later tell me your feelings. Good luck. We all are looking for our Perfect Match!!! Many people have asked about our association with PerfectMatch. After seeing Duane Dahl, the founder of PerfectMatch on Dr. Phil this past June, and doing some research, we felt this was a company we would like to start an association with to see what kind of results they might provide. I know from working with the Oprah folks how careful they are to research their guests, as does Dr. Phil, and this encouraged me. (Photo courtesy of "Merry Mary".) From Linda- "You asked for feedback regarding PerfectMatch. I have subscribed to several online relationship sites with varying amounts of success. However, I believe PerfectMatch has combined the most succinct and efficient program available for those of us with the mature status. Not only is help readily available if needed, the site navigation is seamless. I believe the questionnaires are very well done and if participants answer truthfully, the potential for finding the "perfect match" is excellent." From a reader in Georgia- "I never desired nor felt the need to join a dating service. On a lark, I decided to try the free personality profile with PerfectMatch. I was floored and amazed how right on they were on about me."
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