Sharing the “Blog Fodder” . . .

I have been on the road for most of the past month – only one weekend out of the past five was completely spent in my area code, and on that weekend I left on Monday for a golf trip.  Typically, during such stretches I run into lots of little tidbits that I call “blog fodder” – and then I need a post like this to share them.

So “cleaning the slate” is the only common element in most of what you’ll read below . . .

 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 9/21/13 – This is Mitch from Heartfelt Creations, and it was his birthday.  Apparently this was payback for what he did to a fellow vendor on her birthday earlier this year.  Alas, he didn’t wear it for the entire day . . .

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 9/21/13 – I am seeing more and more scooters instead of crutches for those recovering from broken limbs and surgeries, but this is the first one I have seen with a little bell like I used to have on my bicycle when I was a kid.  However, I have seen horns . . .

 Tim’s Ford State Park, Tennessee 10/1/13 – A little out of focus because I shot them from long range, there were lots of these critters on the golf course and elsewhere in the park.  They weren’t disturbed at all when our golf carts approached – lots of times they didn’t even move into the trees.

Fort Wayne, Indiana 10/5/13 – Hard to tell how much longer this love affair will last.  Keia Arnold has been part of our family at midwestern shows since she was nine or ten years old, but now she is a teacher in Bloomington, Indiana and has visions of North Carolina dancing in her head.  She and Noelle Lindeman (daughter of Steve and Michelle at Toomuchfun) have been close since before Noelle could walk – Noelle always seems to find her way into our booth (or Keia into theirs) at some point during a show.

Fort Wayne, Indiana 10/6/13 – It was Robin Arnold’s birthday, the second year in a row that she has worked our demo table on her birthday.  Also the second year in a row that Phil didn’t have to get a cake for her – it was the least I could do after he gave up part of his Saturday evening to play golf with me.

Van Wert, Ohio 10/6/13 – Pouring rain during teardown at the Fort Wayne show (thankfully, we were able to drive inside).  Just as I got to Van Wert on the way home, the sun came out as it was setting in the west and provided the most vivid rainbow I have ever seen.  Pictures wouldn’t do it justice – this was the best I could get while stopped at a traffic light.

Waynesville, Ohio 10/9/13 – No picture, just a warm memory.  It was my birthday, and as many of you know my parents were already in Arizona.  Instead, my friend Tom and I played golf and then had dinner on the balcony of the restaurant at the golf course.  Tom and I have been friends since we were very little – his dad was my first Little League coach and his mom and mine used to work together at the school.

York, Pennsylvania 10/11/13 – Historic monsoon rains, nearly nine inches in a little over a day.  Thankfully, the nice folks at the York Expo Center let us drive inside a building that usually doesn’t allow it.  Otherwise, my rainsuit would not have been sufficient.

York, Pennsylvania 10/12/13 – Sue Rothamel’s last show with us (at least for a while).  There is no “rest of the story” for this – Sue just has too many irons in the fire right now and the travel has become difficult.  We are currently discussing how to keep a USArtQuest presence in our booth.

Waynesville, Ohio 10/16/13 – The sunset as viewed from my front lawn, one of the advantages of living on top of the hill in my little town.

Sevierville, Tennessee 10/17/13 – The long, long hallway that we had to navigate between the loading dock and the Sevierville Events Center ballrooms where our show was located.

Sevierville, Tennessee 10/18/13 – The view outside the Sevierville Events Center that I had to look at all weekend.  Yes, it was calling to me – I rushed to the clubhouse after setup on Friday, stepped onto the first tee at 4:40 p.m., and finished the 18th in near-darkness at 7:10 p.m.  Yep -- 2½ hours to play 18 holes.  I did not waste time . . .

Sevierville, Tennessee 10/19/13 – Janet Winkle from Your Scrapbook Superstore in Sevierville.  Without her, there wouldn’t have been a show.  Janet has taught in our store two or three times.

Sevierville, Tennessee 10/19/13 – The nonstop typhoon of energy that is Robyn Josephs.  Robyn and I have e-mailed back and forth many times over the years (she is a long-time customer) but had never met until we had the opportunity to work together last weekend.

Enough already – the camera is empty and the stories are told.  I can now start fresh again . . .