MMM April 2000

Malley-Mate Data Sheet
Name:	Jim
Approx Age:	50ish
Nationality:	Yank
Of the 100 or so people in my Peace Corps training group, one sarcastic, bad punner attracted my immediate attention; and we set out together to laugh at the world. It was I who made a grapefruit my pet "duck", but it was Jim who put a leash onto his grapefruit and took it for a walk. While in Fiji I named my dog "Senator Ghetto" and Jim named his cat "Pussy Ram Sharma". After leaving Fiji and traveling the world Jim ended up "walking through miles of muddy fields measuring acreage and setting markers so a farmer knew how far he could plant.  11 cents/mile and $3.44/hr". And like me, but even worse, he likes to carry on a gag for far too long. Over the years I have had to put up with his sniggering over a Kodak 500 ASA film, "your weird" whenever he sends me Christmas or Easter seals and something about 'metric heaps'. One can only walk so far, and he eventually ended up teaching math in a Job Corps center in Harpers Ferry, W Va. - not exactly maths, more like counting on fingers. He and his wife, planned to escape to Nassau; sold everything and we about to get onto a plane when they got word that their work permits had been rejected (first time in 19 years that approval wasn't given) - I suspect someone in Nassau had heard about Jim's bad jokes. Bad Jokes? "Hear about the xxxxish athelete who won a gold medal at the Olympics? He was so thrilled that he had it bronzed". Our first Christmas together in Hawaii set a competition that we have carried on for 49 years - the Christmas Card Count. During our early days in NZ JIm was a faithful supplier of reel-to-reel tapes, popcorn, gym shoes etc.. Eventually, Jim's math degree paid off and he got a job as a statistician for the Florida Dept. of Commerce. "I sit around and don't do much for most of the day". From there he moved onto the Public Service where he dealt with utility rates. Our young man was on his way up and was promoted to Energy Analyst. Throughout out it all they were able to make many, many, many trips around the States and the world including many hiking outings, especially after they left the sunshine of Florida for the sunshine of California. Rode a bike to his new job and one day in 1986 had a run in with a pickup. Gash in his leg out kept hime of action for awhile. And in 1997 I was able to fulfill a dream when we hiked the mountains of California with Jim and Wally. Some people are vegetarians and won't eat meat. Jim doesn't believe in pruning trees or bushes. In 2014 they sold their house immediately to a cash buyer for much more than they were asking. Best friend = Pat Dallet webpage

Big Kahuna 1969	Back when heaps were imperial	Grand Canyon 1999