Moving to Providence, Rhode Island on or about June 1st, 2012.

I lost a part of my childhood today.

Davy Jones and I met in 1963 when we both joined the cast of “Oliver!” getting ready to open on Broadway. Davy had already played “The Artful Dodger” in London and I had been playing Fredrich Von Trapp on the National Tour of “The Sound Of Music”. During rehearsals Davy taught me how to speak Cockney and I tried to teach him American English (“No, Davy – it’s ‘elevator’, not ‘lift’”). When we got to New York, we would hang out together when we weren’t at the theater. But, as often happens in the performing arts, we lost touch after he left the “Oliver” cast and we only saw each other twice over the years -  once when he was playing at the Casino at Hampton, NH with Mickey Dolenz and once by accident at the corner of 7^th Avenue and 50^th Street in Manhattan. Each time was a pleasure and inside him was still a piece of the kid I first met so many years ago.

Rest in peace, Davy -  you have given so many people moments of happiness and joy that they hold in their hearts, as I will always hold you in mine.

Sometimes I really get sick & tired of hotel rooms, airplanes and living out of a suitcase - but then I walk out on the stage, the trio is jamming and the audience is into the music and it's (almost) as good as sex.

Maybe it's better than sex - because when it's done - I get paid for it.

60th birthday today - and a lot of mixed feelings about it.

Heading into the holiday season single.

:-(

Just friends
Lovers no more
Just friends
But not like before.

To think of what we've been
And not to kiss again
Seems like pretending
It isn't the ending.

Two friends
Drifting apart
Two friends
But one broken heart.

We loved,
We laughed,
We cried
Then suddenly love died
The story ends
And we're
Just friends.

 - Co-written by John Klenner & Samuel M. Lewis

Those readers who know me know that I have been unattached for the past several years since the death of my sub/little girl/partner. And they probably know that it has been a tough time for me, with tons of rejections (sometimes nice, sometimes polite, sometimes quite harsh and sometimes, in my opinion, for quite unreasonable reasons) and painful encounters with submissive posers (especially married women who presented themselves as "single" until I found out otherwise).

Some months ago, I decided to quit searching and decided to concentrate on my non-sexual interests, platonic friendships, work, my rapidly expanding family. I posted and commented on Forums but stopped sending out those introductory e-mails. I kept the profiles up, and occasionally browsed the sites, both kink and vanilla, but that really was it.

Then, over a two week period, I got e-mails from two different women, one through a kink site and one through a vanilla site. In a general spirit of "What the hell" I responded. In each case we had the e-mails, the phone calls and the infamous "coffee meeting" - and I found both women to be absolutely delightful, interesting, intelligent, sexy, desirable - all the things I could have asked for.

But I was in a quandary. Even though I knew that, on an emotional level, I was poly, all my relationships have been physically monogamous. I had never acted on my poly feelings and had always consciously chosen one women over the other (or others) and tried to keep the others as platonic friends. This time I decided to act. I told each about the other, I told each how I felt about them and about I felt about the other – I laid everything out in the open in a manner probably more honest than I have ever been with anyone in my life.

The shock? They were accepting, they were okay with my feelings, and we’re now slowly stumbling along into some form of mutually acceptable arrangement. So one day I’m a lonely unattached Dominant – and now I am blessed with not one but two wonderful women in my life.

My father lives in south central New Mexico. He and my mother had moved there from the East Coast, primarily due to my mother's lung problems. The doctors had given her a year to 18 months if she remained in Philadelphia, and the move to New Mexico extended her life another 23 years. But she passed on a few years ago and my Dad hadn't been dealing with it well.

He started dating again about two years ago, and found someone special about 10 months ago. I haven't met her in person yet, but I have talked with her on the phone and she seems nice. Well, my father just called me to tell me that they have gotten a marriage license and plan on a January wedding! He is 88 years old and she is 76 (he's a cradle-robber!). So now, at age 57, I am about to acquire a step-mother!

It is encouraging, in a way. When I lost my girl to breast cancer some years ago, I went through a major depression. My search since that time hasn't led to much to cheer about (posers, liars, etc.) - but somehow I take heart when I see that my father has been able to find someone to fill the void in his life. Maybe I will be able to as well.

The Stratton Players of Fitchberg, MA present:

Sin: A Cardinal Deposed

by Michael Murphy

This theatrical documentary play takes a vivid look at how Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston (played by yours truly) responded to charges of child abuse in his archdiocese. Taken from actual deposition material, it tells a gripping story of fear, power and falling from grace.

Show Dates:

January 18, 19, 25, 26 at 8 p.m.

January 20 and 27 at 2 p.m.

The theater is at:

60 Wallace Avenue, Fitchburg, MA 01420

Phone: 978-345-6066

The past few weeks have been a bit stressful, but now a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

My father, who is 87 years old, had developed an unusual medical problem. A benign mass of some kind had formed in his left arm, putting pressure on several nerves in his arm. It caused him great distress and, at times, so weakened his arm he couldn’t lift anything with his left hand.. Even though he is in remarkable physical shape, various neurosurgeons backed off from doing the delicate surgery needed to remove the mass, fearing that either he was too old or that any mistake during the surgery would permanently damage the nerves.

Since he lives in New Mexico, I live in Massachusetts and my only sibling lives in North Carolina, things were even more complicated.

Finally, we found a surgeon. The date for the surgery drew near – and the surgeon got sick! So everything got put “on hold” until the surgeon recovered.

On October 30, 2007, Dad went into surgery, the mass was removed without complications and now he’s home. He’s hoping to visit me in a few months.

Like I said, a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

A few weeks ago, I decided to do something I hadn't done in ages. I went to a local arts center and participated in their bi-weekly Cabaret Open Mike Night. There I was, mike in hand, piano player and me facing an audience - and it was great! I had only planned on singing two songs, but I ended up doing three, due to audience response. They've booked me as the featured performer in a few weeks, and someone asked me if I might be interested in cutting a CD. I'm not sure about that - but it was good to know I haven't lost the skill.

More details to follow...

I have to confess I'm really looking forward to this. It'll be a once-in-a-liftime event at Yorktown for the 225th Anniversary of the Battle there. Supposedly about 5,000 re-enactors, representing the Americans, the English, the Germans (Hessians) and the French (my unit, the 85th Regiment de Sainte-Onge, falls into that group) will be there.

8-7-2004: Went to the Boston Fetish Flea...bigger than last fall. I'm beginning to feel like a BDSM D/s "elder statesman."
It's painful to go alone...if I haven't found a sub before Novemeber (the next one), I think I'll stay home...