My affliction now has total control. I hope the American Psychiatric Association will review my posts and plans an effective treatment for the OCD disease caused by Rodbuilding. I am going to call my Doc this morning to up my meds until Show Time.

Last night I sat bolt upright in bed - awakened by the following tableau in living color!

I was looking at one of those large tables in the refreshment area where everyone meets to get a load off their feet and talk about you know what. The table was surrounded by a large crowd of people.

Bob McKamey was standing alongside the table selling tickets for people to step up for a little closer view. He was busily adding bills to that roll he keeps in his pocket.

At the table:

Hiro Tanaka with one of his bright red fire spewing dragon rods laying in front of him. He was watching Jesse.

Jesse Buky had one of his spool boxes loaded with black and silver thread and was doing a twenty thread pull butt wrap on Billy Vivonas forearm.

Putter was begging Jesse to stop the arm wrap and do the neck instead.

Rick Flair was sitting at the table bleeding all over the place and complaining that none of the autograph seekers were chasing him!

Pricilla the Pink Shark was glaring at Clyde preparing for the battle of the ages.

Andy Dear had his interview tape recorder running and was stirring a bowl of Threadmaster to slap over Mr. Vivona's art.

Tom Kirkman was taking photos his new cheap digital camera while chomping down on Jerky.

Gon Fishn was standing in the background watching the gauge on the air compressor getting ready to "flock the whole bunch"!

What is really bad about this whole episode is after I woke up - got up - drank buttermilk - let the dog out - and went back to sleep it started off all over again.
This time I even gave Bob McKamey money for a closer view!

When you get to Charlotte and sit at one of the tables with you new and old friends think about this post and smile.

It is a good thing that I did not find this craft sooner. I would surely have been in confinment by now.

Gon Fishn

Repeat after me... "It's only a dream", "It's only a dream" Repeat until medication takes effect... LOL!! Good one, Bill.

Hope your arm/neck is OK today, Billy!!

Bill Stevens - Great story! Although it could develop into a nightmare. If I'm in the next version, you want to drink something stronger than buttermilk !!! And take some Prilosec OTC in case it's just a bad case of heartburn. Prilosec starts working in 30 minutes and the acid-stopping effect of just one dose lasts for 24-48 hours.

One surprise I learned in Pharmacy school is that some anti-psychotic medications take at least 2 weeks and up to 3 months to really achieve their desired effect. Which means, if you didn't start them before New Year's, ... Bill, IT'S TOO LATE, as you have already suspected. Charlotte & the Big Party will be over by the time the meds work. Maybe they'll kick in in time to get your mind off rod-building long enough to go fishing more this spring.

Meanwhile, next time you have this dream, let me know what the percent taper angle and the plot of OD verse position X on Vivona's forearm are. II'll be sure to spend the next 4 weeks calculating exactly what the distances between centers should be for that elusive perfectly square diamond and perfectly closed wrap in my own nightmares. If Jesse uses some hot angry colors, Billy will never slice it off !!! ... LOL, -Cliff Hall+++

You go Billy boy, you're on your way to total RB insanity. In fact, you might have caught up and past many of the long termers here?
Becky will tell you I lost it many years ago, as evidenced when I, while mumbling incoherently put RodBond in my tea for "alittle flavor ".



Good Wrappin !
David A. Fuller,
Great Basin Fishing Rods
Full-Time RV'r Traveling- n- Fishing
www.mytripjournal.com/FullersBigAdventure

Bill, I had a dream also last night, difference being, mine was about falling behind on all the orders I picked up this past week. Could't go back to sleep so got up and started working on rods at 2:00am. Glued up a set of 10 standups, glued up four 80's,made bushings for an 80 and a 50, metalflaked 7 pieces to be used in grips, cast 4 grips and 6 hozels, cast 6 key chain charms, drank a pot of coffeeand read the paper before 7:00am. Here it is 2:45pm and I can hardly keep my eyes open here at the shop, should sleep good tonight. By the way did 2.4k at the show in MD. this past weekend so life is good!! Jesse

It was a FINE show all around. Not as large as Charlotte --- certainly not as many rodbuilders but a good venue - easy road access, good parking, wide aisles and people who were there to buy as well as look. First time EVER that I've recouped my costs within the first hour of any show.