Low_Budget_Hooker

The line does not get interfered with by the trigger but IB's idea would make it even less obtrusive. Keep in mind that on a real build, the whole (added) piece would be slightly further back but it isn't on this model because I used a busted old rod and the reel seat prevents that.

Zen, I'm only 40 on paper I think if I lived at the mountain,...I wouldn't be able to resist eventually.

I've had some extra time on my hands these last few days, came up with something,...well,..outside the box a bit Spinning grip meets bait casting grip meets trigger grip Holding this, you have your thumb touching the blank on top and your forefinger touching the blank on the bottom. The downsides I can see in a grip being made like this is balancing the weight. The piece could be manufactured in a very "skeletal" way of ultra lightweight composite to reduce bulk. It's just EXTREMELY comfortable and ergonomic feeling. ok,..tear it apart guys, let's hear some feedback

You CAN,....it just takes all the fun out of it

in the Walden Shores banner??? Roger, that you?

Muddy, Whiteface is part of all that,...same camp They say to NEVER try to teach a g/f to ski, send them out with an instructor if you want her to learn. It can break up a relationship,lol. I had no issues there,...Michelle can unzip a bump line better than many of my guy friends! Then I broke up with her,....what an idiot,lol. Someone needs to cuff me in the head please....

Whiteface- First east coast training camp (now it's at Killington I believe) I got to test an aerial ramp at WF. It's an artificial grass ramp that lands you in a pool. More fun than an amusement park. I have been talking with your dad about a few night trips to Wachussett also.

I competed in the "Moguls A" division but I'm not sure what these guys do, I would imagine slalom, giant slalom and downhill. It's all new to me, as I learn about the program, I'll be reporting back Working at UPS helped. My parents had 2 house fires (yes,...2) in which I lost 85-90% of all the memorabilia from videos to old uniforms to pics of all the countries,etc. When this happened, I was relieved. Can you believe that?? Relieved that I didn't have to see all those "reminders" around me. Now,.....It makes me want to cry that the stuff is gone. I'll meet you in "octopus' garden" Not sure where it is? Follow me and stay close

Many of you know that I was formerly a US Ski team member (Freestyle-Moguls A) After being injured just weeks before leaving for the Olympics, I went into a cocoon. I caouldn't watch skiing, hear about it, see pics, etc. I spent many an hour on the psych couch. Well, I think I'm ready again. This yr I am finding myself getting a VERY heavy urge to strap the boards back on again. I have gone maybe 3 times in the last 10 yrs and each time had repercussions mentally. Physically and talent wise, it's all still there but mentally,...it's been tough. I worked with the NE PVA (paralyzed Vets) this fall on a tournament for the guys. There, I met a great guy named Bill Decoteau. Bill referred me to the NE PVA site where I noticed they have a skiing program. I just signed up as a volunteer to work with the sled type skiers and also with the kids who have physical limitations. I'm getting very excited to bring this passion back into my life. I may not be around as much this winter because of it but I think you'll all be fine with that,knowing where I am and what I'm doing. Looks like I found my "off-season" therapy

Folks, to take a little bit of the legwork off Alpsters plate, please PM a mod with a phone number where you can be reached. Preferably, a cell that you will have with you on the trip. This is for basic communication reasons and last year, we had a good idea that if you print the list and throw it in your boat/tackle box, you will have people to call in case an "on-lake" rescue is needed. (Muddy can't come this yr so the chances are slim but being prepared never hurt ) Thanks folks. While on the subject, how about a countdown clock again Fluke?

X2 olebiker- nothing ugly about those PM's,....did you get your flat tire yet?? ;)

Excellent news for you Cart, keep me posted on how you are progressing please. I know what you mean about the pain being "muted". It is there but not in "icepick in your eye" levels. This is how it was for me on Topomax. Headache all day but no spike. Many can't comprehend having a head ache all day and being thankful for it but I understand. It (topo) was just dangerous. Found a wild stat this morning. A "normal" migraine like many suffer with expands the vessels in your head to twice their size. Painful. With CLUSTER however, those vessels expand to 24-26 times the normal size. (puts it in perspective for people who are trying to understand, i.e. supporters) Cart- a quick thread for you to check out http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=meds;action=display;num=1193786381 Wishing you many pain free days my friend

Another good point. Since the patent on GT expired, many forms of it have emerged. Hyvent is one that comes to mind. But when you look at a clothing line like The North Face line, they use some of these other forms in their lower priced garments. The GT is in the high end stuff. I have an email in to my rep as to whether it is a name brand recognition thing or is one supposedly better than the other. (perhaps GT has more longevity?) I'll let you know his reply.

You go home and do some on-line banking to see if you can afford to get it fixed now or later. Then you hold the back of your head real tight because it hurts so much from where your wife just cuffed you. ;D

Zel Zen- I LOVE quotes like that-Thanks Slo- I feel kind of stupid putting this up now. (although I do feel much better and a bit overwhelmed by the support quite frankly) because my problems aren't life threatening, like many folks. My family is strong. My friends are numerous and real. Most of this will pass. even Capt. Bill. He doesn't deserve the pain he is in. I'll always cherish knowing him and not everyone passes with people who feel that way about them. My job too,...it will be there tomorrow and there are FAMILIES that don't have the opportunity to earn the living that I have the option to. We have kids at war, hunger in the streets and lunatics shooting up our schools, the one place we can't protect our children. It's all about perspective and I just need to re focus my binoculars. Thanks again to everyone, near and far, you're support and PM's have had an amazing effect and are very potent. Tomorrow is a new day and my tree trunk will be stronger

They do in RI!!! CAST For Kids!! April 23rd, 2008 This is the time of yr that these things get planned. If they have not set dates yet, they could probably tell you when they will and you could contact them then.

$39.00 or $49.00? retail when they were first out, what a steal. After they were discontinued, I bought a big batch of them on ebay. I have 3 left,lol. Soon to be 2, one of them has a buddy's name on it for the next time I see him. The made for very "snap-able" bluefish rods for $12 each and now I am kicking myself for abusing and breaking them like that. they CAN be found on Ebay every now and again but I think the last one there went for $80-90? Not sure.

Same as Dirk,lol Loves that rod I actually have 3. in the rear (of pic)- The custom rod from Flechero. I plan to add 3 more, dressed the same, and will use these 4 rods from here on out. Rods are sentimental to me and I want a custom set of 4, built by a friend. Number 2 is the time proven most comfortable rod I ever used (alot), the Spidershaft 3rd is my very favorite and as mentioned before, rods are sentimental to me. This is a rod that was a replacement from Shimano. I had a cheaper one $40 that my roommate broke while I was away in Germany. He sent it to Shimano and explained that he was using it (without permission-not that I would have denied him, I wasn't there to ask) and that I was gonna freak out when I got home. They replaced it with this one. It was $189 back in 1986! I can't remember the names because they were so similar. Fighting stick, lightning rod, beast master, I don't remember. This rod has been painted (by me) with a fleckstone paint (looked like granite), it was also blue once and now it is a spidershaft knockoff,lol. I also removed the rear rubber grip. Replaced it with cork tape and removed that. Added a butt cap and here it is. Crazy, I know but I love personalized stuff,lol This rod has been to Hawaii, Bermuda, Argentina and Japan with me. This is the rod that first got me really addicted to fishing (pre-ski days) and the one that brought me back. I can't begin to comprehend how many hours this rod has seen. It only comes out on specific occasions now. (Like fishing way up in a tight little river a few weeks back with Tin2win) I'm afraid to break it. It resides in my kitchen, on the wall, with a few other HONORED pieces like the Terminator finesse jig that caught 31 5 lbrs before the hook snapped. stuff like that. It is 5'6" and deadly accurate for pinpoint casting. It is a MH I believe Cool piece of detail is the "shimano" they put between the guide feet. I made sure to never paint over that,lol

Another good point

I really, really, really love this place. It's so much more than just a fishing forum sometimes. I appreciate all the support

If it's the SS Avid,...things could be much worse That thing is just plain cool.

Shoot, we break through the ice to get OUT on the lake,lol An old clip but a good one Old ice breaking clip How far are you guys from each other? Did you know each other before BR?

Well, God knows I got the time...... I'm always up for a good read. Thanks

You guys are great and thanks for the PM Wayne I didn't post this for a pity party, I just needed to write it out. Feels better already. Rick- The pain is not like any other and this includes it's treatments. The Imitrex closes the veins and capillaries which kills the pain. Morph, codones, stuff like that are actually triggers for many. You know the normal headache you get when the perc's wear off? Those turn into a cluster headache and come with multiple rebounds.

I'm having a terrible month here. I'm in a cluster (Episodic cluster headache) that just won't break. My clusters are usually 3-5 weeks but it's been 7 now. The Dr.'s will only give me 8 Imitrex shots (gifts from God) every 30 days but I need 1/day. So having to "procure" them from alternate sources is wearing all my sources thin. (A big thank you to Mike-stratosdadri for the hook up, he's saved the day a few times already) So I am trying to remain working through this cluster as I don't want to let my boss down during xmas, the manager I have now is very understanding and top notch. That's not going so well. The "in-house" assignments are expended, everything is caught up. Yesterday, I had an eye full of blood, couldn't work like that (for the customers sake) so, the money is now not only thin but this is the time of yr that I pack on the dough to fund my fishing trips for '08. Definitely can't afford the classic now. So today, I only had 2 hits from the beast last night, good tto work. Exhausted,....but broke. Called the boss, he had a nice route for me (easy one) So I dress and go to leave.....dead battery. Cables are in Michelles car, she's on her way to work. AAA takes too long, I need to start work in 1/2 hr. Call the boss and he just says "I'm covering the route, get your **** together" I HATE letting him down and now I'm even deeper in debt. One of my main mentors on the ocean, Capt Bill has stage 4 bone cancer so we have been rotating spending the nights with him. Just got a call, his femur broke last night.....in his sleep! He's hospitalized now. then, to top it off, I put my foot in my mouth by not being educated enough and am pretty sure I pizzed off a major sponsor on the Gore-tex thread (sponsor of mine, not the sites). Now, sure, as a mod, I could go back and edit/delete but if I don't have my integrity, what do I have? Plus,...I would like to hold myself to the standards Glenn expects of his team and that would be just wrong to do. I know my problems are trivial when compared to others, I just hate it when life turns against you for a little while. It will turn back, of this I am sure. I have surrounded myself with too many good people (Y'all included). I have friends, love and support. I need to just keep reminding myself of these things. It's just NOT MY MONTH!! CALGON..........take me away. :-/ Vent over.