Tonight I am in Tipp City, Ohio... This is about 10 miles North of the Dayton, Ohio metro area... I am over here for my annual ham radio convention... Well, it isn't mine.... its the largest radio convention in the USA... And I think in the world.. I have been coming here since the mid 1990s....
I did miss the year that we built the house in Arizona as we had to go out there for an open wall inspection that same week....
We have 9 men together here from the Iowa area and me from KC.... They came out yesterday, but I had to drive from KC alone, so I stayed last night in Terre Haute, Indiana... Just a boring night in the hotel... I am driving my hobby car which is a small sports car, so it was fun to make the trip... But it rained most of the way..
I met with the guys for lunch at a museum that they were visiting, but I didn't buy a ticket since they were about to leave.. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum... We have been there year after year, but I was quite happy to learn that they have put together a wing of one of the hangars for South East Asia. Viet Nam....
There were several displays that I saw this afternoon that I hadn't seen before... Of course it would take about three days to go thru all the displays, and if you haven't been here to do that, I would really recommend that...
The first set up day at the show starts tomorrow, and we have a rain shelter that we will build tomorrow... And most of the vendors go around and buy the best stuff off of each other before the show even begins... So we have to be here for that tomorrow as well..
Since I came from KC, I have my own car so I will not have to stay at the Arena every moment like some of the other folks... I'll be back in a couple of days to give you a recap of what is new and hot this year..... Hopefully I won't get sucked into buying something I don't even know I want right now.... LOL
Retired Rod
Party Time! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
10 hours ago
Rod, you really get around and I never know where you will be writing from. Enjoy Wright-Pat and the ham radio convention. My dad's call number was W8PNW. He was on the radio every moment he could during the Alaskan earthquake - patching folks through to let their relatives know they were ok. It was kind of exciting. Drove my mother crazy though.
ReplyDeleteRod, I have said it before and I will say it again, you are such a terrific example of some one dealing with heartbreaking grief in such a positive way .... You have kept busy, stayed interested in your hobbies and ventured out to deal with what has to be over-whelming sadness .... Such a great example you are .... This all came to mind since you are yet again catching us up on yet another adventure !!! Good for you !!!
ReplyDeleteMy first Hamvention was '78 as a new electronics tech student from Purdue University with my later husband who is a ham. Just got notice that the group I hung with in later years from RCA in Indy will be down in numbers for various reasons and their vendor tent may not be there. They are the ones that had the large POW flag every year. We are discussing a reunion in 2015, though, which I said I'm up for. We stayed at the RV park north of town on I70 usually. They got cabins, I stayed in my tent. Actually, I think the RV park may be in Tipp City... Ben a few years. At any rate, have a steak for me at (memory is hazy...) I think the place is Hickory or Old Hickory or something. Great steaks is all I remember, and a yearly stop, sometimes every night of the Hamvention.
ReplyDeleteI am going to stop thinking we have too many vehicles for two people--a sports car??? Have a great time Rod!
ReplyDeleteYou guys are almost vehicle poor compared to Rod and us. Brenda and I have five licensed vehicles around here and somehow or another almost all of them are driven daily. Guess that explains why Shell can afford to keep sending me my pension checks.
DeleteGood to see you got the little car out for a long run. What with Rick quitting his blog you have been designated to pick up the slack. Otherwise I will have nothing to read with my morning cocoa.
ReplyDeleteHey, JB....I don't want Rod to have to pick up any slack for me....I just quit my old blog but am starting up a new one probably as early as Friday morning! I just know you'll be thrilled and excited by this news!
DeleteI think it's great that with all the fancy new communications technology we have today that all you guys are keeping the Ham Radio system going. We need that kind of stuff in today's world.
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