About Lugnut -- Patrick Malone

Zaikesman's comment re: SF weather reminded me of quote from one of Hartford's more famous residents, Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain), paraphrased, it goes like this
"Coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco" I've only been there a couple of times. I agree.

On Saturday morning I opened the San Fransico Chronicle to the weather section. Highs for the day, 71° to 92°. LOL. Not mentioned is the bone chilling breeze whenever you are near the bay like we were. Get five miles away and the weather is totally different. Ten miles away and its much more like where we live here in Idaho.

Aw, shucks Doug. Do you mean you like me? No acounting for taste in this life, is there? Ha. I was probably doing a lame job describing my feelings about acceptance. Yeah, I'm kind of plagued by a cultural inferiority complex. It doesn't happen with my audio friends though. I'm a pretty complex guy but taken at face value within the confines of other groups I've often been made to feel even more culturally deprived. Comments such as, YOU WELD??? YOU DRAG RACE??? YOU FISH??? YOU RIDE A HARLEY???, have been made to me insultingly in other circles. Not with audio guys though. Audio guys even find value in a persons decision to drive a 150,000 mile car, assuming that you spend the savings on a cartridge and tonearm that could buy a new car. I could go on and on about my disdain for uppity folks. At times most of us find ourselves in an environment where we feel uncomfortable being ourselves. I was just trying to convey the comfort level I've found amongst music lovers. Thanks for defending me to myself though.

Howard, the story about you and Gina was cool. While you had the wisdom to see beyond the common barriers we impose on mate selection and found lasting happiness I was just the beneficiary of dumb luck when I found Barb. I've always said I'd rather be lucky than good any old time. Sure, I recognized the qualities she possessed that I wanted in a mate but I was in lust as well as in love. Clearly, my thought processes were overly influenced by my smaller head.

Rob, contact me if you ever wish to have a fly fishing mentor. The street in front of your home is perfect for learning how to cast a fly.

Since Albert is quoting Neil Young I'll let you guys in on a favor my sis is doing for me. She's embroidering a banner with "It's better to burn out than to fade away" for me to hang in the music room.

Larry and Albert, I wish you guys could have been with us too. Maybe Rocky Mountain Audio Fest.

The French doors were installed in the music room while we were gone. The trim and finish will be done on Wednesday. Stage depth was increased and there doesn't seem to be any negative sonic effects otherwise. Aesthetically it's a great addition to our home. Why didn't we do this years ago?

The French doors were installed in the music room while we were gone

Pat,
I do believe that the administration has officially re-named those Freedom Doors. So as long as you leave "Rockin' in the Free World" on the turntable, you will have perfect audio synergy. Alternatively, "Nebraska" will work as well. :-))

Keep your fingers crossed! I might be able to make it to Denver. I'm not feeling too chatty so I'll keep this short. The CT scan results were interesting. The chemo is doing a fine job with my stomach and intestines. What is problematic and causing me so much discomfort is the tumor growth on my intestinal lining and the resultant fluid build up. There are also issues with pressure on nerves from both the fluid and the tumor itself. I would have a hard time wrapping my mind around this if it wasn't for seeing the scan images and knowing how I feel. The tumor resembles a blanket and appears to be about 1-2" thick. It spreads from below my diaphram to my bladder area and from side to side. This is the source of a lot of irritation causing the fluid. Between the tumor itself and the fluid everything is cramped for space. That's about it. This isn't life threatening but at times it hurts like the dickens. Clearly the chemo is working to some extent and we'll continue using it until it fails. We're going to try and schedule the week of Rocky Mountain Audio Fest as an off week so it's as enjoyable as possible. Hope to see you there!!!!

Great news! I look forward to meeting you in my adopted hometown of the past 30 years. I'll likely be "working" one or more of the 6 suites sponsored by Audio Unlimited but should have plenty of time to assist with your and Barb's hosting. Will email or phone you with further details as your plans become more firm.

-Kelly