I hope Ronnie is feeling better soon, although there's clearly a long way to go. It's inspiring to read this story and know that this determined poster is still able to be somewhat productive, despite all the setbacks that go along with a stroke.

Ronnie apologized for typos in the message, and yet I only noted one - and ironically it's only in the link, which is causing it to produce an error when you click on it. 

So for those interested in reaching the site, here's the correct URL:

http://jerseygirlssing.com/pvc.htm

Glad to hear from you even though it’s not the good news I had been hoping for.  I’d wondered about you often.  My bookmark to the “Ronnie's Record Page” on the “Jersey Girls Sing” site is right below the bookmark to this page so it was a constant reminder of you. 

Thanks for all you provided over the years.  I remember the countdowns, I think one was top 800 songs and another was every hit A-Z.

I hope things start looking up for you.

Thanks aflem and Lorne! I'm glad that there was typo noticed by aflem but sorry it was something as important as the link!  

As a result of Ronnie's post, I had a look at the forum settings that I'm able to modify. I was thinking that it might be helpful if there was something that would enable a reaction with a mouse click, as is the case with sites like Facebook, and I found the following:
Facebook "Like" button:
Add the Facebook "like" button to the top of all your threads, allowing your users to "like" the thread, or send it to another Facebook user.
What I was really hoping for was something that could be used to react to individual posts, but I still felt that it could be helpful to add this -- and I've clicked on it for this thread. I also saw that I could change the set of emoticons that are available for individual posts, so I changed this to the one that has the most possibilities. Again, I wish that this worked more like Facebook (in particular, I wish it had a thumbs-up emoticon that could be used to indicate a "like"), but at least this will provide additional options that could be helpful.

Ronnie Allen wrote:

Dear Everyone,

Many of you remember me from Ron Smith's Oldies Board, where I posted for more than 20 years. Like you, I was stunned and saddened  by the news of his unexpected passing; he and I communicated many times by phone and email over the years; he was a truly wonderful man.

You may or may not be aware that on February 16, 2018, I suffered a massive stroke that nearly killed me. It partially paralyzed my entire right side and, yes, I have always been a "righty." It is nearly two years and, though I have survived up to now and improved "somewhat," my life has been drastically changed. 

I am confined to a wheelchair most of the time and can walk with a hemi-walker carefully and with much difficulty. My right hand is totally useless: I cannot move my fingers and can barely move my right hand above the ground. I can no longer use my right hand for writing, typing, playing piano, doing Rubik's Cube (a BIG loss for me), or carrying or moving anything. Basically I now have one hand -- my left one -- and I am using one finger to type every letter. This message will probably take close to two hours to type. Because using a computer is a major chore, I stopped posting to message boards and for the most part to Facebook. I have not updated Jersey Girls Sing except (sadly) to post notices on the front page about people close to us who passed away.

I have undergone much physical therapy since my stroke and it has helped my right leg somewhat but I absolutely cannot walk without a hemi-walker and, when I do, for a limited distance. Since moving to a ranch house in Fairless Hills, PA (because I could no longer deal with the steps in my previous house in nearby Morrisville, PA) I have only set foot outside of this house a couple of times for doctor's appointments. I sometimes joke that I feel like I am under house arrest but, trust me, it does not feel like a joke.

My voice has been affected too, so much so that I retired from doing interviews. Do I miss that? Absolutely. But I also realize that as bad as things are, others deal with situations that are as bad or worse. Also, as long as I live and breathe, there is still hope.

On a POSITIVE note, I want to share with you something that I developed several years ago before my stroke. Being a computer programmer I create a computer deejay named Peter Vacation -- inspired by legendary WMGM-NYC deejay Peter Tripp, "the curly-headed kid in the third row." I also created his sister, Patty Vacation, and she LOVES to do countdown shows from the 50s! Since these were created before my stroke, I decided to listen to them as "stroke therapy": I could enjoy a new countdown every day and not focus on the dreariness that has become a regular part of my life. I also decided to share those shows with others who share my musical interest: if you enjoy countdowns and/or 50s music or simply would like to hear "what you missed" (particularly if it was before your time) I believe that you will love Patty. Her Top 40 countdowns are the Cash Box retail record charts and each day she presents a new show whose chart is one week following the current show. Today (Monday, January 27, 2020) she is doing the "January 5, 1957" show; tomorrow (Tuesday, January 28, 2020) she'll do January the "January 12, 1957" show. It won't be long before she is into the 60s. And, despite her name, she NEVER takes a vacation day!

She is on the air 24/7-366 (this is a leap year) and you can replay each of her previous shows going back to December 3, 1955. Here is the link address, which will be used for ALL countdowns:

http://jerseygirlssing.com/pvc.htm

Because of my fragile condition I will post here "once in a while" but, I assure you, I will visit here often.

My email address is ronnieoldiesguy@aol.com .

Finally ..... Lorne, thanks for all of your efforts and I wish you continued success in all you do.

Ronnie Allen

P.S. Please forgive any typos. My not-so-nimble typing finger is trying extra hard!

Good to have you back on board again. Don't worry about posting fewer times...I've always been a fan of quality over quantity.