R-Rated

The Andersen family weren't without their share of ups and downs. Ray's older brother, Gary, who was adopted by his parents when he was a month old, didn't say a word until he was about 4. Years, not months! No matter what they did, the boy would not talk. On top of this, Gary turned out to be a scraggly geezer resembling a skeleton with skin on top. No meat, no fat, not pretty! The physical appearance didn't bother Ray Sr. as much as the kid's inability to speak. He could hear but never moved his lips. This condition sometimes led Ray Sr. and Mary Andersen to ponder whether they made a mistake getting home a child who wouldn't start talking when other kids of his age were belting out songs and rhymes at the drop of a hat. There were concerns from his school that while he would do all the things that was asked of him (and he would do everything better than the rest of his class), he wouldn't open his mouth for anything. This had Ray and Gary's parents e...

To those who knew Ray over the years, they would describe him as a dedicated and loving man to his family, father to two gorgeous kids - Rebecca and Ryan, a loyal friend to those who he considered his "band of brothers", a committed worker to his employer - who gave his best and seldom wavered from his beliefs about work place ethics. The "Ideal Man", some would insinuate. Known to all as an ambitious planner and a short fuse in his early years, Ray would be tasked with organization - be it a trip with his group of friends or something as simple as choosing a restaurant to eat. Blessed with a brilliant memory, he remembered everything. He was an Encyclopedia and knew when to flaunt his unique gift. This ability to recall an important event or date was passed down from his father, Ray Andersen, Sr., who in his heydays was the "Internet" before the "Internet". It's in the genes, he would proudly declare. Ray's buddies would regularly p...