On Wed, 8 Mar 2006 00:35:30 -0500, Mike Wallace <[log in to unmask]> 
wrote:

>On Mon, 6 Mar 2006 01:11:01 -0500, Reef Fish
><[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>>Well, blow me down, Popeye!
>
>Uh...that would be Olive Oyl's job.... :-)

I thought that might be the "Girl" in "Hello Girls" you
might be referring to, since I haven't seen a "girl" here
in ages.  :-)
>
>
>>
>>Good to see you dropping in to say hi.
>
>Muchas Gracias...

Nada.  It was indeed a pleasure to see an old friend, and
the water seemed to have calmed down considerably since 
your drop in.   But then, it's possible that everyone had
me killfiled.  :-)
>
>
>>
>>I had already counted you OUT, when I was doing some mental
>>head-counting of those who are STILL reading Scuba-SE.
>
>You can still pretty much count me out, for the most part. Time is filled
>for me these days so I don't have a _lot_ of time around these parts. 

Sorry to hear that and your later account which seemed to have
indicated that you have given up recreational diving -- before
we even had the first opportunity to dive together, even though
we've had several "dry NEDfests" together.   It'll be my loss!

>
>I did hear about Ray.... sad news......  A few others that I know that 
don't
>particapate in these forums have left us as well. Really sucks....

Yes.  Ray and I had our quarrels over the issue of the Warranty 
FACTS about the HyperAqualand (of which I was 100% correct, BTW,
because I owned three HyperAqualands and had first hand experience
with everything I said were the facts, direct from the Factory
and Authorized Service Centers).

But in the end, Ray showed he was a true gentleman, by revealing
the identity of the forger Robert Lung (Daniel Crawford or 
Diverdan of Scuba-L), by putting me through months of guessing
until I guessed the CORRECTY identity, without Ray ever saying
a WORD that it was the right guess, though it was 100% 
unmistakable.  (A much more elaborate scheme than my suggestion
that he simply tell the WALL who Robert Lung was.  :-))  His 
honor was served, in a consoluted way, of telling the truth while
preserving his honor of not betraying certain trusts by his pals.

A unique fella, in a unique experience.

>>
>>I didn't realize Rednecks are capable of making the kind
>>of understatements usually attributed to Brits, like 
>>"I see the waters are still choppy".  :-)
>
>Just us semi travelled rednecks I guess.... Not hard to see how choppy 
>they are, sad to say....

But for better or for worse, the choppiness has calmed down to a
dead still.
>>
>>
>>Tell us what you've been up to. 
>
>Well, for the most part, going to funerals.
>
>What little diving I've done has all been recovery stuff. I've done just
>enough of that to be able to say I'm still a diver. Sold all of my gear
>except for what I _have_ to have for the recovery team. Most of that 
diving
>has been weapons recoveries. Done two for alleged suicide's that turned 
out
>to be people running from arrest warrants. Maybe when they get out, 
they'll
>do the real deal......
>
>One victim of a car wreck into the river that is currently a murder
>investigation. Will be interesting to if the victim gets justice....

I see you've evolved from a mere volunteer for those search and
rescue jobs to a real professional in it, sacrificing your life
as a recreational diver for FUN it seems -- if I am not mistaken
about your autobiographic narrative.


>Outside of that, my life has been trying to keep my wife sane as we care 
>for her Mother who is suffering from Alheizmer's. Hope that none of ya'll
>ever have to go through that.....

Life is cruel in many ways.  That's why I place no premium whatsoever
on being alive to a "old age", when it is almost without exception,
EVERYONE I ever knew always has some stories about how relieved
they were when their mom, dad, or some really dear OLD relatively
were dead (finally), without being unkind about the experience.
BOth Sue's mom and dad went through similar phases.



>>I have to tell you this true story.   Some years ago, you 
>>mentioned the possibility that you may be a backup diver
>>for someone diving the Antartic. 
>
>The guy turned out to be a con. Took a bunch of folks, various gear
>manufacturers, and never produced anything. Think he's back in Scotland 
now
>sneaking up on sheep......

That is NEWS to me.  I recall your mention that it might have been
called off without hinting that you were conned. You DO look 
rather honest and gullible.   :-)

>
>Sorry to hear about Sue's ear issues. 

You must have read more than just your drop in about the "girls".  :)


>Sometimes life deals shitty cards to
>the good people. Give her my best.....

Thanks Mike.  The bout of her cancer was a much shittier deck
of cards, but one simply have to roll with the punches of life.

Chattanooga is a haven for medical Quacks, but few Specialists
worth its salt in any medical field.   So, it was with difficulty
that she found and ENT Specialist who is a diver, in Choo Choo.

But, when in need to consult this ENT, she was given the
"you have to wait 6 to 8 weeks" bit, despite the seriousness
of the consecutive recurrence of her eardrum puncture.

Since I'll be visiting my sister in Seattle in a couple of
weeks (she is both an M.D. in Ophthomologist and an Anesthesia
Specialist) I asked her about an ENT there -- unfortunately,
the one she recommended, a Specialist's Specialist, have
been scheduled for surgery on the only weekday we'll be there.

So, Sue saw her regular physician today, and he will see if
he could twist the ENT's arm to see Sue sooner.  But I am
a realist, and don't really hold much hope about Sue's pin-
hole puncture problems, because I went back to our ReefNet
dive logs, and found that since Bali 2004 in which she 
had to see a local ENT there, she had THREE other aborted
dive/trips in 2004, had a puncture on her only dive in 2005,
and the first dive in 2006.   

I hadn't realized it was such a "streak" until I examined
the detailed logs.   

The only consolation is that our diving activities have
slowed down considerably since 2004, and I can only hope 
that she can still do some shallow dives on some of our 
cruises with occasional one-dive-a-day diving opportunities
such as in the wonderful islands of French Polynesia.

Next week we'll be going to the nearest place to Santa's
home -- Fairbanks, Alaska, to visit two diver friends who 
live there because I wanted to see what Alaska is like in
the WINTER.  :-)  They'll be having an ice-carving festival
there over a period of several days -- in various carving
categories.   I can't wait to see the PRO category carving
ice blocks in excess of 40 feet in height.   Of course
they have no trouble cutting those huge blocks directly 
from the sea.  :-)

Hope to see you drop in here more often, or better still,
drop in to see us if you are ever going our direction.

-- Bob.