Viva St. Rosa...

I am in Vegas this week but it has not been all fun. Not at all. I spent part of last night/this morning at the ER of St. Rosa hospital in Vegas. They are awesome folks there, especially Tootsie the triage nurse in the ER. Her real name is Julie Anne but no one remembers that so they all call her Tootsie. They took good care of me and I'll remember their kindness. St. Rosa was the first hospital in the Vegas area, way back when they did the Hoover Dam. Nuns from Michigan came and started the hospital. It is out of town near Lake Las Vegas.

It seems I have a rotator cuff injury or some other soft tissue injury to the shoulder. I'm not sure when I first hurt it but it was aggravated Sunday and apparently I continued to aggravate it through the week. Last night the pain was so bad I could no longer stand it. The OTC drugs were not helping at all. So I went to the ER. They gave me a sling for the arm, a pain shot and then a script for some pain meds. Walgreen's was across the street and they filled the script at 3:30 AM. I can say I've not hurt that bad for a long time. The meds worked and I finally got some relief. It is no fun to be sick away from home. The people I work with were very supportive and checked on me which is always good!

Other than the pain it has been a great week. I really enjoy being with customers and seeing old friends. I had dinner last night with Adam Fein. I read his blog about pharmaceutical distribution and always enjoy talking with him. He was in Vegas for other business and joined us for dinner.

Meds are kicking in so I'm not going to last much longe...................................................................

Elvis has left the building!

I am in Vegas. I'm pulling an Elaine this week. Won't be posts till I get back on the weekend. Hope to post big winnings but more likely NOT.

I do want to tell you about the butter finger cake. My daughter and son fixed it this weekend. Lots of fun and I even have a picture, too.

Have a great week!

Ron, hope the sale went well for everyone this week.

I'm hooked on a feeling!

One of the truly simple pleasures in life is getting back to something we enjoyed as a child. Something that even does not require hi-tech, lots of money or lots of stuff to be successful.

I'm that way with fishing. I love to fish. I always have and I suspect I always will. I don't mean bass boat, depth finder, ultra light, dipping sauce bait fishing. I'm talking standing on the bank with a pole and bobber with some worms fishing. I'm talking on waiting for the bobber to move and getting excited about it fishing. I'm talking about standing there for hours and not catching anything and coming home feeling great cause a bad day fishing is better than a good day anything else fishing.

See, fishing is not in the catching. Nope, it is in the journey TO catch. I love the anticipation of going. Of stopping for coffee and a container of worms on the way. Of opening a tackle box that is yours and is full not of hooks, line, lures and weights but is full of memories. That is what a tackle box holds. Memories. Memories of going fishing with your Dad, Granddad, cousins, friends. Of walking and then sitting in the rain for hours because someone told someone that fishing in the rain helped you catch more. Memories of secret spots only you and your cousin know about where you caught the "big one". Memories of your first rod and reel. Memories of going to the pier at Bouge Inlet and fishing all night with your cousin Jerry and his cousin Buck Wheat and bringing home over 120 spots!

Better yet, memories of taking your kids fishing for the first time. Of the first time your daughters and son baited their own hook with a worm and how proud you and they were. Of memories of your kids fishing with other kids and catching the biggest fish. Memories of your kids telling the other kids that "my Dad will help you, he knows all about fishing".

Oh yeah, a tackle box is not full of gear but full of memories. But the funny thing is, no matter how much stuff you put in a tackle box, there is always room for more memories. I added a few this weekend. The kids (all 3 of them) and I went down to the lake for a couple hours. We had a ball! I pulled out the poles and rods and found a Mickey Mouse Zebco rod/reel that is almost 20 years old! It was my oldest daughter's first rod and reel! I used it this weekend. Still works like it was new. Talk about memories!

The day was a great day for fishing. We had two catches. My oldest caught one and my son caught one. The middle daughter and I just had a great day fishing. When we were packing up, I made sure we had everything. The tackle box was a little heavier on the way out. I guess I packed a few more memories in there this weekend.

The world is upside down...or is that just the cake talking?

Elaine's blogs about her pineapple upside down cakes really got to me. I had to fix one. I posted earlier about my first attempt 28 years ago. But this time I had a feeling it would be OK.

I measured, mixed and by gosh by golly I got it right!

OK, sort of got it right. I cooked it a tad too long but it was still awesome! Gosh I enjoyed it. I love to cook but not much on baking but lately I've been prone to trying it more. I'll make this one again!

Why did I say "sort of got it right"...well here is why:

I could not decide if I had enough for a big pan or two smaller pans. I went with the 2 smaller pans and should have gone with the 9x13. Better yet, I need to get an iron skillet and use that! I am learning! Elaine had a fluffy and a slumpy. I think I have two flatties but the crust is awesome!

Obamaware...for real!

Yeah, I know. Another post about pots for Democrats but just bear with me on this. I've been reading some blogs and this is getting to be cool! Ron Philbeck is doing some great stuff. Please check it out. I'd suspect this could be a collector's item so don't knock it till you see them.

I am a big John McCain fan. I have been for years. I like who he is and what he stands for and what he has given this country. No faulting him there. I even like Sarah Palin. I think she is spunky and I like her family.

I'd like Obama a lot except his view on guns. I like guns. I own guns and I have hunted with them. I am not in favor of controlling my right to own them. It has not and does not work. I firmly believe if you outlaw guns then only out laws will have guns. Wish Obama had picked Condi Rice for VP. She is my all time favorite. That woman is awesome. Easily the most qualified of them all. Yeah, she works for a Republican president but come on, I think she'd have been willing to run. I'd vote for that ticket!

Anyway, enough politics. I am just glad I live in a country...no, THE country where I not only can talk about the candidates but am expected to do so, to have an opinion and to voice it. I drive through my neighborhood and there are signs for both camps everywhere! It is great! My kids and I talk politics as does my wife. This is good stuff!

Let's switch topics...I went fishing this weekend with the kids. Pics and posting to come on that. I also MC'd a Marching Band Competition and I cooked a pineapple upside down cake (thanks Elaine!). Pics and post on all that coming once I can figure out the picture thing.

Trying to figure it all out...Obamaware?

I am trying to figure it all out. But to do that you have to take it all in, right? If you take it all in is there anything left to figure out?

A potter I know is making pots called Obamaware. They are pots apparently in support of Obama/Biden. They'll sell the pots and half the proceeds go to the campaign. I've been noodling on this for a couple of days and can not decide what I think about that. I mean, who seems more conservative and reliant on free enterprise than a potter? Right? But, to support Democrats seems to be more socialist leaning and that is far from the free enterprise "Republicans" we normally think about.

Maybe they are artists and they like the Democrats who tend to support the arts with more federal money?

Maybe, just maybe they like to make pots and this sounded like a fun thing to do and it might get them some recognition. While I am a registered Democrat I tend to vote conservative. That is not a contradiction in terms at all. Southern Democrats are conservative. If you are not from the South you won't understand.

Any way, I am looking forward to seeing the pots! I am sure they will be cool, fun and most excellent work. You can follow them at : http://www.ayumihorie.com/obamaware.html

Regardless of how you vote, it'll be interesting to see what the pots look like!

And NO, this does not make Democrats "pot-heads".

Busy, slow week...Butter Dish!

Not much going on this week. As I shared a couple of weeks ago turning 50 is what it is. As my Dad used to say, "I don't mind getting old. Look at the alternative!" I always keep that in mind. Like this week. Being 50 and male means colonoscopy. NO FUN! But I got through it. The prep and anxiety before the procedure is always worse than the actual event. They give you GREAT drugs to knock you out. Don't remember or experience a thing!

Other than that, just working along. This is fishing weekend. I'm going to the lake to go fishing this weekend. My son will go and likely my daughters. They all like it and it should be a good weekend for it. We catch and release so no hate mail!

Jen Mecca, a potter whose blog I follow, is going to be in Raleigh at the CDC event the weekend after Thanksgiving! I'm going to visit her booth and pick up a butter dish. I've been wanting one and she was recommended as the "queen of butter dishes". I like her work so this is a good excuse to see her and pick one up! CDC is held at the NC State Fairgrounds. Go out and visit.