AF4PS – 51, Little Lost Piggie

-or-

My trip to FDIM 2001

 

It all started with the invitation from Mikey, WB8ICN to come to Dayton and stay in his room – for free.  The catch:  Brian, KB9BVN and Paul, K4FB would be in there too.  OH BOY! ROAD TRIP!

 

So, because I forgot to call Paul to bum a ride, I knew if I got up early, I could just wait for him at his truck the morning he left.  I was late, and he was pulling out as I jumped out of my XYL’s car and ran with my backpack and gear trying to chase him down.  I lept, but only caught his hamstick with my bad arm (the CW one).  He dragged me all the way to Orlando, and I’m sure the only clue I was there, was a slightly attenuated signal and static generated from the road friction.  He kept complaining to himself about the “noise”.   Man, was I glad when he stopped near Orlando.  I could hardly move! I pried my hand loose from his antenna, and just slumped down to the ground. However, his truck rolled back and I was stuck underneath!  I just hung on to the spare tire the rest of the way.  The burns from the muffler are healing nicely (Thanks Jim, KJ0C for the salve! Does that goop really cure mange?)  I think I MAY have passed out at some point, because when I awakened, we were in the Ramada Inn Parking lot.

 

I rolled out from under the truck, and realized that I didn’t know what day it was, and it was raining.  I looked up and saw all kinds of wire sticking out from the windows of the place, and prayed (again) that there was a room.  I tripped over a wire strung out from room 149, and fell right into the dumpster.  I must have hit my head.  When I woke up – again – I rationalized that the dumpster COULDN’T smell any worse than room 149!  The rain felt kinda good. I wandered through the hotel Thursday night, but mostly snuck into rooms scrounging for food – Paul didn’t stop much on the way up. I tried to take a shower, but most of the rooms had ice and beer in the tubs. I bumped into Diz W8DIZ and Peter DL2FI, drinking some dark Beck’s outside the Lecture Room, but I got tired of opening beer for those two, and Peter needed a shave, so I moved on.  Speaking of bumped, who in the world parked that big green pick-up with Michigan tags there?  I knocked rest of the bark off my kneecap on the bumper, and fell right into Hank K8DD and his drinking buddy Switzer.  Nice to see you Hank! (I don’t think he recognized me.)  The highlight for me on Thursday, was Rev. George Dobbs showing slides of our trip to Wales, how many saw me hold up that Celtic Pig Relic in slide number three?  He is a super traveling companion, and he let me ride up front, Paul, but half the time I was in cardiac arrest ‘cause that man drives on the wrong side of the road! George is a good guy – for a preacher.

 

Friday morning I meandered my way over to Hara, and noticed that the silly security guard may have seen me climbing over the fence.  This may have delayed the gate opening somewhat, I’m not sure. I ran.

 

WOW, did I find some neat junk!  I couldn’t find space 110-111, but pig shirts were all over!  Wonder why the DARA Van was not inside the arena this year?  While scrounging through that big pile of free wire, connectors and junk, I saw Paul, but he moves quickly.  He found a DSW30 complete with enclosure, so I went over there.  Just as he was leaving, a “twinkle” on the very same table caught my attention and I found an out-of-the-box but unbuilt Elecraft K1 with tuner and battery options for $30.00! I only had $29.19, and the guy wouldn’t budge!  I threw in a bag of pork rinds I took from a room (IOU Rick and Matt), and he bit. YES!  I think I saw Dan, N8IE and Daryl, KD8HT come up to the table Paul and I just left.  Sorry I missed you guys, but the crowd just kinda took me away!  The free food on Vendor night was a blessing. More pork rinds were easy to find, because Brian had that Flying Pig thing on my antenna pole. (Which I need back, by the way!) I kept bumping into this kid who was trying clean up the joint, but cussing about some sort of “flyer” all over the place. Boy, was it raining.

 

Thinking back, one of the NEAT things was swiping some NCR credentials and sneaking into the main lounge.  They asked me to leave because my pig shirt was looking a little ratty at this point.  I attempted to bribe them with pork rinds – didn’t work this time. Some people.

 

I didn’t see Dan, N8IE much Friday nite, but saw him on Saturday. The banquet was a hoot. I bribed a waiter with some pork rinds, and was walking around filling water glasses and snitching food.  I found some old apples in the dumpster from before, so I cut them up to help with the potato salad – it needed SOMETHING!  I helped Diz prop the door open with a rock, but I sure wish he would buy his own smokes! I was so proud of Diz winning 3rd place in the homebrew category for the MP-20, I elbowed Mikey when Diz stood up and Dan tossed him that walking pig.  I couldn’t get over Mikey’s reaction.  Brian’s honorable mention for the pork rind filled tuperware rig was my favorite, for sure. (You owe me for those pork rinds, bud.) I took off the waiter get up, and made my way back to rooms before it was over, I couldn’t resist turning those QSL cards on the door upside down – I don’t think anyone saw me do that (GRIN), but Brian almost caught me swiping those connectors from his bag when he came back to change shirts (Poopie, what DID you spill on your shirt?).  Had I known he would need them for the TT2 I would have left him a note. Sorry man, let’s call it even for the pork rinds.

 

I saved enough money to catch a plane back to Tampa, which reminds me.  Diz, I owe you for that bag of toroids I “found” on your table.  I’m good for it.  Honest!  Those stupid things set off the airport metal detector and it took me three whole days to explain all the wires and stuff on me.  They were NOT nice, but the shower felt good, and the guy in the next cell knew a guy whose cousin’s sister-in-law could sneak in some pork rinds.  I sat there in my cell, reflecting on the week, content and thinking about who was covering for me on Sunday back home.  Wonder if Ian will come next year?  I looked up and out the tiny window at the rain, and saw a rainbow.

 

See ya next year for sure!

 

-MAC-

AF4PS

-51

(… who really wishes he was there!)