Carole Baskins Diary

Sometime this month. Not sure of the date this was written. My mother, Barbara Stairs, took over the daily management of the accounts and I slept for two days straight. I awoke to two more months of my Attorney’s fussing over how the inventory report should be formatted. I had completed the inventory on time, but it was held up for months while cosmetic changes were made by the professionals. Squeaker Cougar came to Big Cat Rescue as a 6-month boarder on 1/9/98. His owner was relocating and did not yet have an enclosure for him. He said the cat was ruining his sex life because the cat doesn't like women. He is neutered and declawed and has made new friends here in the volunteers and staff who built him this great new fort in his 2000 square foot Cat-A-Tat. The white patches of fur on his side were apparently from previous wounds that had white hair growth when they healed. His owner never returned for him. After making a formal inventory available to the courts and all interested parties, I had fulfilled my moral obligation to the children to allow them to evaluate the “estate”. I made several proposals to them to release to their control the trust assets Don and I had set aside for them in their Trust but this was now less than 1/7th of the entire estate and they decided it would be more profitable to try and convince the court that Don “died” intestate. I was hit with an IRS audit for 1995, the only year for which no records can be found, and again I am scrambling to re-construct a years worth of transactions totaling ½ million in income with only the sketchiest details to go on. Through out all of this I have pleaded with my Attorneys to resolve the following issues: 1. Anne McQueen is named as the owner of a life insurance policy on my husband in the amount of $1,250,000.00 and the beneficiaries are she and I as Trustee of the C & A Trust Agreement, which was never signed. The premiums are paid from our (Don & I) business account. I need a constructive trust approved by the court. 2. Anne has over 50,000.00 in tax certificates in her maiden name on our properties and these need to be assigned back to us, since we paid for them. 3. Anne has 500,000.00 in real estate held in her maiden name as Trustee and no trust documents protecting my husband and I as beneficiaries. Constructive Trusts should be devised or the properties transferred back to us in some way, since we paid for them. 4. The removal of all of the assets from the Conservatorship based upon the Power of Attorney and trust documents, except for the children’s trust, which I would not oppose being monitored by the court, via Doug Stalley, to insure that I would not waste their inheritance and perhaps more importantly so they couldn’t keep accusing me of doing so. 5. The return of the 80,000.00 that Anne Mc Queen has wrongfully diverted from the Conservatorship to her own Attorney’s bank account. We have filed Civil Theft charges already. 6. The denial of Attorney’s fees to Leroy Merkle and Clifford Opp as there is nothing they have done to benefit the estate of my husband and I would like to see them (the kids and Anne) pay the $28,000.00 this whole charade has set me back already just in fees to my lawyers. The children are unhappy that I wouldn’t just sign over 3,488,000.00 to them (they are entitled to around 900,000.00 in their trust) and they have said that they want to go back before the judge and have me removed as conservator and to eliminate the support to WildLife on Easy Street, which is $150,000.00 per year. That is about $30,000.00 less than the actual costs to run the place. We are a non profit 501 c 3 Organization and raise the difference from public support. When I got forceful with Jim Freeman, demanding that he do something, he quit. I know this has been a lengthy accounting, but I don’t want any misunderstandings. You know what I want and only you know if you are capable of achieving these goals. I expect a long hard fight and if Don

Don’s daughters asked if I would find an estate planner to help them decide what to do to minimize the estate tax bite on their portion of his estate, if he is found to be dead.  I had set up a Land Trust for them when Don & I got married and we had added to the trust as things sold and paid off until two years ago.  Don’s ex-wife, who had asked for the divorce because she was in love and wanted to remarry, had received a million dollar settlement back in 1990.  She had said that she knew Don was worth more, but that she didn’t want to fight, she just wanted a million and her freedom.

 

Don agreed and told Anne McQueen, the secretary who (I believed) embezzled so much from us, and Gale Rathbone and Lynda Sanchez his daughters who were at that time our book keepers to sit down with their mother and the books and let her pick out 1 million of his best stuff because he thought she was being fair with him.  After the divorce, Don and his Ex got along better than they ever did while they were married for the next five years.  That’s about how long it took Gladys Lewis Cross, Don’s ex-wife to lose most of what she got by letting their eldest daughter, Donna Pettis, invest it in the stock market for her (according to Don).

 

Donna Pettis moved back home with her mother, while building her dream home, and Gladys Lewis Cross filed a lawsuit against Don saying that he had always kept her in the dark and that he wouldn’t let her have her own attorney in the divorce and that she was treated unfairly in the divorce and wanted another million.  She got the daughters, Donna Pettis, Gale Rathbone and Lynda Sanchez to testify that they were threatened by their dad if they revealed to their mother how much he was really worth (which was at that time about 3 million) and Anne refused to admit that she was there when Don told them to let Gladys Lewis Cross pick out the best of his investments.

 

I was there but Don did not want to hurt Gladys Lewis Cross’ feelings by letting her know that I was privy to their private settlement, and he would not allow me to come forward with the truth.  He thought up until the very end that surely at least one of his children would tell the truth, but they all lied about it under oath and when the last of them did, Don told me to dissolve their Trust, remove them from his will (they never were in his will to my knowledge) and that he wanted to move to Costa Rica to get away from the whole lot of them.

 

I didn’t want to move to Costa Rica, but did agree to let Don try it out, hoping he would tire of the idea.  I agreed to let him transfer 1 million of our assets to Costa Rica, knowing full well that he would lose it because he would not take the necessary steps to protect himself.  I felt that in time he would get over his anger and disappointment with his daughters (he had disowned his son years ago because of the stealing and drug abuse).  I never did dissolve their trust because no matter how upset Don was with them, they were his children and should be provided for.  As I said before, I am the one who set up the trust for them because Don wouldn’t bother.

 

Don’s insurance policy came up for renewal and by this time the secretary, Anne had formed an alliance with a dirt bag Don did business with.  The dirt bag, Wendell Williams knew that he couldn’t get to Don from here, because he would have to come through me and I had caught him stealing from Don on several occasions and brought it to Don’s attention.  Wendell Williams has IRS problems and couldn’t have Don put properties in his name, so he had Don put them in Anne’s name, as Trustee.

 

After being our secretary for 18 years, Anne knew full well that if there was no trust agreement then the property would be considered hers personally if anything happened to Don.  Anne became the owner of Don’s life insurance policy, as Trustee under another non existent trust.  The policy was for 1,250,000.00 and the disbursement she told Don was in effect was

Costa Rica Bill Board and Reward for Finding Don

 

 

Letter to Roger Petersen, Esquire

 

I suppose since I haven’t heard from you, that you haven’t heard from Don.  What would it cost me to hire a bill board with a picture of Don on it and the $100,000.00 reward we discussed?

 

Thank you for sending the power of attorney so that I can conclude the Lazy Days transaction.   

 

I have the five checks from the Villa Lobos in the amount of $20,000.00 each back from the bank.  My bank would not honor them because they were drawn on a foreign account and they were not dated.  Since the Brothers have already indicated that they have stopped payment on them, there is no use in spending $100.00 or better to run them through my bank for foreign transactions.  What can you do to collect on these and what do you need from me in order to do it?

 

Did you tell Fernando Garro that I will take $86,000.00 for the Trip-Plex and if not, would you go ahead and do so?  That is my actual cost in it.  Can your father sell it for that?

 

The mortgage that is in default has been in default a very long time by my standards.  What can be done to collect on the note?  I want to get this taken care of just as soon as possible.  Let me know what you need from me.  Thank you for all you have done.  - Carole Lewis

 

I've been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet. 

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

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You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

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Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only.

The worst escape in our history was Tobi Cougar and I’m pretty sure she had very little to do with it.  Tim Evans had been a volunteer, but when it was reported that he was in the cage with Tobi Cougar and kicking her, I ran to the scene and grabbed that huge brute of a man by one ear.  I was digging my fingernails into his ear so deeply that blood began gushing from the ear and he was sure I was going to tear it completely off.

 

It felt pretty secure to me, but he was wailing like a baby, so I dragged him into the kitchen to spray it off.  Seeing there was no real damage done, I offered to let him walk to his car or I’d drag him the rest of the way.  He chose to walk out on his own, but I stayed within striking distance all the way to the gate, screaming at him that he was to never step foot on this property again.

 

Since he couldn’t come play with the cougars here any more, he started going to Sherrie Frost’s house because she had a pet cougar and a pet caracal and a monkey, I think.  The cougar bit Tim’s hand good enough to leave a scar, so on 12/3/1997 after Don disappeared and I had fired Sherrie (who stole my diary and offered it to highest bidder) they concocted a plan to say the bite happened here.  Tim alleged that Tobi had bitten him but she was about as docile a cat as they come.  Case #97-08896 B Hillsborough County, FL.

 

During one of the early hearings, I walked her into the courthouse on a leash to show that she wasn’t the vicious menace he was claiming.  Everyone at the courthouse knew me because I was down there all the time in connection with real estate matters.  I think that Sherrie and Tim came onto the sanctuary grounds and took Tobi outside our gates to turn her loose, in an effort to make it look like she was a dangerous animal.  The reason I believe that is that I got a call from law enforcement saying my cougar was loose, but her cage gate and the front gate were closed, so there’s no way she did that on her own.  Sherrie still had keys, so we ended up changing the locks after that.

 

Before I knew it there were helicopters circling, police sirens wailing and things had gotten totally out of control.  How did law enforcement know before we or our neighbors did?  We sent search parties out into the surrounding area and a call came in from the owner of the Circle K convenience store a quarter of a mile from us, where Easy Street meets the pavement.  He said, “Your cougar is at our door and she’s asking for a Slurpee.” 

 

Don and I jumped in the car and raced up the road.  I saw Tobi sitting at the front door to the store, and she was completely surrounded by police cars and officers with guns drawn and pointed at her.  I jumped out of the car and ran into the melee screaming, “Don’t shoot!  Don’t shoot!”  Don opened the hatch back on the car and I ran alongside Tobi as she leaped toward something familiar and a way away from all of this madness.  I figured no one would shoot if I was in the way.

 

Tobi hopped into the back of the car and I shut the hatch.  It was a pretty anticlimactic end to a very stressful day. 

 

I've been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet. 

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main c

My mother arrived here at 9:15 am and I knew she came to tell me my Grandfather was dead.  He died at 1:00 this morning while my brother, Chuck was sitting with him.  He said BigDaddy was breathing slower and slower, yet still able to talk somewhat as he passed on.  I cry even typing this because I will miss him.  I am glad his suffering with this brain cancer is over, for his sake, and I have felt helpless to relieve his suffering for the past four months.

 

His favourite song was the Tennessee Waltz and I don’t know the words  so I went out and bought every version of it I could find on CD and a CD player in a feeble attempt to make his last few weeks more bearable.  I tried to go sit with him two Sundays ago, and when he saw it was me he turned his head and made those funny eyes at me he always does and said “Well Hello Babydoll!”.  The next words out of his mouth, for as far back as I can remember, would always be “you are so beautiful!” but this time he said “you are so….so….so something, I can’t remember the words anymore”.

 

The cancer had taken his mobility, his ability to communicate and his memory in just a few short months.  I was there for several hours, but I was no help to anyone, because all I could do was cry and cry and cry.  I tried not to let him see or hear me cry and spent most of my time there holed up in the bathroom.  I’ve never had to deal with the death of anyone I knew and I wasn’t handling it well at all.

 

As much as this hurts, I know that it was for the best and I will be able to close this chapter of my life, albeit sorrowfully.  I can’t lay the book down where Don is concerned.  I still wonder every day if he is alive, if he is in prison, if he is in some mental ward, if he is rotting in a swamp or laying at the bottom of the gulf.

 

On Thanksgiving I had guests in the cabin.  (Norma’s sister from Ft. Lauderdale and her husband).  They are quite wealthy and seemed like wonderful people, but I had forgotten to ask Dad to bring in the coffee and doughnuts, so I made cinnamon rolls and coffee for them and delivered it to the cabin.  They were sitting outside at 7:30 in the morning in their pajamas, and looking a little wild eyed.

 

The husband asked the history on the cabin and when I told him he said he was expecting something a little more dramatic and when I asked why he said, “because it’s haunted”.  He claims that last night he heard loud shoes, like boots come up the steps, the gush of air as though the door had opened and as he turned to see who it was, he and his wife both felt the bed sink as though someone had climbed in to go to sleep.  The next evening I noticed the trail lights were out and the switch was flipped off and the box left open, just like Don did almost every night since I bought those things.

 

I am going over to hug Momma Jacquie this morning although I know that she, like me would rather be alone.  I will take Jamie with me.  Jamie didn’t want to see BigDaddy last Sunday after church, but I dragged her anyway to at least say hello to Momma Jack.  Jamie said she wanted to remember BigDaddy the way he was, strong and funny.  I know that is how he would have wanted us to remember him.

 

My dad is taking this worse than just about anyone, other than my mom, who is BigDaddy reincarnate.  Dad and BigDaddy built the cabins together, did the flea markets and auctions and a lot of traveling together.  Dad couldn’t even come tell me about the death because he was so overwhelmed by it.  I have to catch four cats, 2 Lynx and 2 Western Cougars, today so I hope he will be able to help me with that, without getting himself hurt.

 

I've been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of

Tonga the White Serval Escapes One of Jamie’s many jobs was to deliver the “interaction” cats to the cabins at night when the guests were getting tucked in for the night. Even though he was really big at six months or so of age, she’d still carry Tonga the white serval. One night he kicked free but she caught him with a net in the palmettos near the cabins. That’s when we stopped carrying the cats to the cabins unless they were in a carrier. I've been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views. If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story. The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/ I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story. My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet. You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile! Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only.

I Hire a Criminal Attorney Ronald K. Cacciatore

On November 10, 1997 I paid a $5,000 retainer fee to Ron Cacciatore, P.A.   He billed at a rate of $250 an hour.  Up until now I’d had real estate attorney’s representing me but they suggested that I hire a criminal attorney as that wasn’t their expertise. 

 

I don’t have a date on this and don’t remember who Rick was.  (I’m writing from 2020 while going through the Conservatorship files)

 

Dear Rick,

 

As you can probably tell from the attached papers (none were still attached) Anne quit on the Thursday after Don disappeared and told me to pick up the keys from her Friday morning.  When I got there, Donna (one of Don’s daughters) met me there and said that they were having Anne appointed as conservator of Don’s estate and that they did not want me to go in the office.  Since it was my office, I broke in and loaded all of the file cabinets into three trucks and took them home with me.  Saturday I was served with an injunction preventing me from going to the office.  Monday was Labor Day and on Tuesday I filed the Motion to Set aside the Injunction.  We had a hearing on my motion and just before the hearing the children’s attorney, Cliff Opp showed me this Application for a Restraining Order that Don had filed against me in June of this year.  (Discovered later it was attested to on 6/12/1997) Because I didn’t know anything about it, I didn’t feel that I could address the issue in front of the Judge, Susan Sexton, without some time to research the matter.  I consented to being appointed as Co-Conservator, along with an outside party, Douglas Stalley, rather than take the risk of having no control over our business.  That was in September 1997.

 

I kept thinking Don would come back and this would all be over, but he hasn’t and this thing just keeps getting more and more expensive.  I have three civil attorneys and a criminal attorney; Anne has an attorney (LeRoy Merkle), the children have an Attorney, I have to pay the Co-Conservator $75.00 per hour and he is making a career out of getting in the middle of everting to keep those billable hours going and I have to pay for him to have his own attorney.  He has also hired his friend as my new court ordered CPA and in 3 months that fool hasn’t been able to put together my 1996 tax return.  But I am having to pay him too.  All of these people want to see this Conservatorship go on forever, because it’s such an easy ride, but there is no reason for any of these people to be involved.  With Don’s power of attorney I have the ability to manage our affairs without the expense of all these onlookers.  A handwriting expert, from Mark Write in Sarasota gave his written report after examination of the original Will, Trust and Power of Attorney and says that they are Don’s signatures without a doubt.  I also have affidavits from the Notary and witnesses to all of these documents attesting to their validity.

 

My criminal attorney spoke with the Judge who said that Don was not present when she reviewed documents.  He didn’t get anything in writing from her.  I need a written statement from the people involved at Domestic Violence who can say why Don’s request for a restraining order was denied.  The Order simply said that Don was not in any immediate danger.  If affidavits cannot be gotten from the people themselves then perhaps your statement after you investigate these issues would be the next best thing.  I would feel 100% confidant going before Judge Sexton and asking for release from this whole mess, if I could present to her with indisputable evidence that Don was just “blowing smoke” and said all of those things just to get what he wanted.  (What he wanted was to keep me from getting rid of all his junk when he was out of town). The worst thing I ever threatened to do to Don was to turn him in to the IRS.  I am supposed to make an accounting to the Court of our entire estate in December and I want to shut this case down before

I was trying to re-create our 1996 tax return because Anne had destroyed the one I signed in August of 1997. My Attorneys and the Co-Conservator were pressing me to get liability coverage to protect their interest. Anne was complaining that I was neglecting my fiduciary duty because many of the accounts were behind. There was no viable book keeping system and the Accountant the Co-Conservator had chosen did not have access to any sort of real estate based software so I was researching programs and testing software while still trying to inventory 6 million dollars in assets. All of this was being done while I actually handled the accounts payable, accounts receivable and property management for 215 properties and 200 vehicles spread all over five counties and two countries. I had no time to research the law library. I've been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views. If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story. The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/ I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story. My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet. You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile! Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only.

Who could know my sadness

 

Or detect this lonesome sorrow?

What shields from all this madness

And the dreading of tomorrow?

 

People ask me how I’m doing?

And I say I’m doing fine

So they don’t know I’m construing

A way to leave it all behind

 

My life may never be the same

Without the love I’m missing

Not knowing brings both fear and shame

And from rivals; evil hissing

 

I’ve never felt so lost before

Never felt such pain and fear

Helpless to return once more

The one I held so dear.

 

I've been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet. 

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only.

Did Don Crash Into the Gulf?

 

Letter to Detective Lingo and Fernandez:

 

Doug Edwards said that he tried to run this theory of his past me when Don first disappeared but apparently I didn’t pay close enough attention to him because it makes a lot of sense.  This is his scenario:

 

Don finds an experimental airplane for sale and the non local person selling it has built it in their garage so it’s not properly licensed or equipped, or perhaps the owner is not licensed and he decides to meet Don somewhere close to our home so Don can try it out.  Don or maybe the seller doesn’t want anyone to see him leaving the airport, so they make it for early light.  Don likes the plane and decides to buy it, so he pays the guy and flies the seller home.

 

Don wouldn’t care about a title search, or paperwork and a bill of sale could have been with him.  If the guy lived in the panhandle Don would fly straight across the gulf just like we always did to avoid that weather balloon in Cross City.   We were completely out of fuel on the last trip we made across the gulf, but just kept flying and praying until we landed.  Maybe Don wasn’t this lucky this time.  Depending on how far he went and the tank capacity of what he was flying, and the accuracy of the gauges, this is pretty feasible.

 

I’ve thought something similar out time and time again, but I was always thinking that if Don crashed over the gulf, he was practicing with the plane because the air is so much more stable there.  I hadn’t thought about him flying low because the plane itself might be illegal and I hadn’t thought about a water crash being due to low fuel.  Doug Edwards’s twist on my theories is this:  Three days after the sale, the plane’s creator/owner hears that Don Lewis is missing and his van is found at the airport where this person met Don.

 

Fearing the worst, the guy keeps quiet and stays glued to the news to find out if his plane is ever connected to Don in any way.   This guy can’t come forward because he can’t explain to the authorities something about himself or the plane.  Since he’s already been paid, even if the connection is somehow made to him, he is far enough away that he can claim ignorance of Don’s disappearance.   Meanwhile he finds out that Don was worth a fortune.  Now he’s really scared because he can just see the liability mounting up and he gets real quiet about what ever became of that plane.

 

This is the first theory that I haven’t been able to see holes in.  My dad has had a similar theory but that the seller was connected to the airport, maybe even Dewey Gallop himself, since he was thrown out of Tampa International for keeping such flying junk heaps in the air.  This would explain Dewey changing his story about when the van arrived and what tag was on it.  Had the van been left in the parking lot, right in front of the door, then Gallop couldn’t have said they didn’t know when it was left, being a tall guy he may have moved the seat to move the van to the grass behind the FBO so that it would be less obvious that the van had been left unattended.  To keep from being too obvious, when Don didn’t come back as planned, he then would have called and reported an abandoned vehicle.

 

 

(Added 2019 Screenshot above is the last time I saw Doug Edwards.  I was looking for his contact info and can’t find anything for him.)

 

 

Tim Bengston arrived in Tampa today to help look for Don.  He’s a bounty hunter.  He has checked the prisons in Costa Rica and had an associate begin checking in Nicaragua.  I offered him 100,000.00 to find Don alive or in the worst case to convict Don’s killer(s).  I asked him to come up with an hourly figure in the event that Don is found dead by his own doing.

 

 

 

(Photo of Tim Bengston found online and added 8/2/2019)

 

A question you asked me, that I don’t feel I answered, was whether I would benefit by Don’s disappearance.  From a personal standpoint, the answer is an obvious “no”.  He’s my lover and my best fri