Good evening all, especially Tim and family - I missed the latest upsets
today, got in and read the whole batch just now. I am sorry for your hurt
feelings, and I am sure the folks who offended you are truely sorry as well.
I have visited with several of the "guilty" parties, and found them to be
caring and giving individuals. When you are giving freely of your time and
energy to help others it especially hurts when those same people seem to not
appreciate your actions.  I've been there myself - while teaching a judging
team in Texas, every available night I had (2 left per month) I overheard
one of my 4H mothers cautioning her child not to stand too close to me
because she didn't want her to "catch" my disease.... this was shortly
before I had to retire, and it still hurts when I think of it...please stay
on the list, we are mostly good people who try to support each other - but
we are just people, and we make mistakes as well.  Now I am certainly not
trying to belittle your bad day or anything, but I thought it might help if
you heard how my morning went - and I do wish this was a Texas tall-tale,
but this is how it REALLY went.... After another night with no sleep due to
pain, I decided about 3am that what I really wanted to do was to go fishing,
and be on the mississippi river by 6am, to see the sun come up.  I very
carefully checked the weather, supposed to be warm and sunny, so I started
packing my little john boat - when I remembered that someone (me) lost the
key to his truck and there was no spare, so no way to hook up the
trailer...but Super Tex (me) put on his thinking hat and decided he could
haul the truck with his junker farm truck - with out of state plates, no gas
gauge, no trailer lights, door doesnt open etc.  Not the best ride in the
world, but I am only going 30 miles, what could go wrong? Now about 4:30am,
I woke my Lady love, and asked if she would like to go fishing with me until
it was time for her to go to work...she wasn't real impressed with the idea,
being awakened 3 hours before the alarm clock, or the opportunity to ride in
a real Texas work truck - she voted we spend the morning in bed, and snuggle
and chat... I pouted, and eventually "won" the arguement. So, after packing
her work clothes, getting her fishing equipment, finding a light, hooking up
the truck, etc, and "winning" the arguement, we finally got on the road
around 6am - but it's getting light later, so I could still get to see the
dawn from the river... famous last words.
     Since sweetie had given in and come with me, I decided to be more
considerate and take her to a place closer to her work to fish for a couple
of hours - nice little spot I had never been to before, just driven by.
When we arrived, there were lots of trucks and trailers at a spot in the
backwater i had never noticed - new equals good, right? So I whip the truck
into the field, and backed it into the water, where I discovered NO ONE else
had done so due to the numerous stumps in the water, the very soft mud, and
I also discovered about 10 min later that the reason all those trucks were
there was that it was the overflow parking lot for the REAL boat ramp up the
road 2 miles - and today things were overflowed because everyone was up for
the opening weekend of duck season ie, they all had guns shooting at ducks,
trees, boats or whatever, and I had a fishing rod and a stuck truck.
     My sweetie hadn't said a cross word yet, and she tried to help me get
the truck out of the hole - but between the stumps in the water, the mud and
the boat, we weren't coming out.  Super Tex again puts on his thinking hat,
and decides to go ahead and unload the boat, lighten the load dont you know.
  So I did, and after I pushed out into the current, I remembered what I had
forgotten at home - the drainage plug  was still out, and while it drains
fine on land, it leaves something to be desired when you are in the middle
of a swamp, having guns go off on all sides, your truck stuck, no phone, and
sweetie becoming a mite tiffed with your great ideas.... So I tried to pole
over to the bank - remember I mentioned stumps? A bunch of stumps? and its
sinemet time now, so my hands are a tad shaky trying to put the plug back
in....so sweetie tries to pull me in, and goes up to her knees in the water
- and Super Tex had NOT packed extra socks or shoes for her...
     When I finally got the boat to shore, I got out to get the truck
unstuck, only to find out that the battery had gone dead - no problem, I
have a trolling motor.... no wrenches, screwdrivers, nada, but I do have
another battery....did me about as much good as the plug had when it was in
the front of the boat (so I wouldn't forget to put it in).  I finally got
the truck started, and went to drive sweetie to call in and say she would be
a little late, when I discovered that all that reversing and spinning had
emptied the clutch reservoir - so I was stuck in grannie gear, still 20
miles or so from her work, if she wanted to work in wet shoes.....
     This is when I told sweetie I changed my mine, and would LOVE to spend
the morning in bed... she wasn't too keen on the idea by now. She didn't get
to work, but she did forgive me (I hope the roses, candy, poems etc I am
getting will hasten the forget process too) and she ended up catching the
biggest bass which also helped.

     Tim, the above is all true, and I do hope you find some humor in it.
This list has been a god-send to me, and I know it can do wonderful things
for you and your family, if you will let it.  Thank you on my behalf for the
work you are doing to find a cure for this damn disease, and please stick
around.
Sincerely yours
Bob aka Tex Armentrout, CEA-AG retired (county extension agent, dx98/age41/
                                       agriculture)
102A Syverson Dr
Westby Wi 54667
608-634-6491
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