Terry Beeson

The way the doc talks, I should be able to return to work (yuck) by that time... but I'm off 'til the 4th. If so, I'll come down and char some burgers and weiners for ya... But NO foley cath or I'm stayin' home.... John, My wife is an RN and I have accused here of trying to induce a heart attack so she can jump on my chest and do compressions! Her best friend is an EMT and they keep pointing at my chest and whispering... Two women pumping my CHEST is close to my fantasy, but not quite...

I've not used them myself, but Steve is right about the slip overs... I know a couple of guys who use them and LOVE them...

I can't say for sure about radios, but I use to work for a company that made parts for larger marine engines... The parts had to meet certain corrosion resistant standards to be acceptable. I know that regular car stereos will probably have problems due to being "exposed" to the elements... draw moisture.. much more than those that have marine components. Then again... I've seen regular car stereos in boats... Don't know how long they lasted, though...

Flysmallie, I actually knew what sausage balls were and I have even made them... But I couldn't resist.... (in the immortal words of Flip Wilson "the DEVIL made me do it." Well, I may not be down since the knee slicing has been moved up, but then again I may be dancin' by then and can show off my bionic knee!!

LMW, Spot on about tipping. I tip according to the service vs. how busy they are. If the place is busy and the service is still dang good, I will up the ante. If I'm the only customer and I'm still waiting to get a "walk by" or my check, then the tip reflects that too... Of course, my step-daughter waits tables at the RiverBend in Mammoth Spring, AR... So I HAVE to tip well there... I heard some restaurants have a practice that if you pay by credit card and don't actually write in the tip, the wait staff doesn't get it. I started making sure I wrote it in after that... any truth to that rumor you know of LMW? Good point on thanking Phil there Leonard.... Yes... thanks Phil. And yeah, thanks to Michael at BCO... Although I'm turning him in for violation of the child labor laws.... (He's got some cute kids there... Must take after their momma... )

Dano, When I had the other one scoped about five years ago, that was standard practice to mark the one being cut on... The nurse asked me which one and I told her the left one, so she starts marking my RIGHT knee... I said "NO... NO... THIS one...." She said "I know..." and marked a big red "NO" on the right one followed by an X and "here" on the left one. I told her to be sure and mark a big red NO on...uh... the lower middle portion of my body to make sure they knew this was not a sex-change operation... russ, Good thing... I ain't changin' dates again...

OFFICIAL UPDATE! Surgery date has been moved up to Dec 15th due to a cancellation... I'll be back on Taney before you know it!!!

Welcome back, Phil... I see you had an "OK" trip. How many PTNs can you tie with the tails from 8 roosters? By the way... Dano did a GREAT job while you were gone. But I bet his fingers are tired from having to edit and delete all the four letter words, porn, and other spam I posted under my 327 AKAs... I'm sure he needs a day or two off to recoop.....

lbt, Good post. And I do appreciate the small shops for sure. I, too, owned a business years ago. It was somewhat aggrevating when I was by myself, had a couple of customers, and the phone rang. I would excuse myself and pick up the phone and ask them to hold while I took care of the customer at hand. Sometimes I would even joke about the ringing being a distraction to the in person customer. I have to say that I am a stickler for good customer service when I am the customer (just ask a few restaurant managers and servers...) But I do try to take certain things into consideration. A store full of shoppers with an understaffed store (not due to anyone's fault) is reason enough to give the guy behind the counter some slack. I wasn't there, but it certainly sounds as if the gentleman was out of order. I bet he would have been more POd if he was the guy on the phone and there was NO answer... Good customer service is not as easy to find as it was 20 years ago. So, yes... kudos to almost every fly shop I have ever been in. I've been able to find good customer service in them...

Hey John, I'll feign illness, you can code 3 to Taney to pick me up.... You just don't get to do no mouth to mouth on me....

Hey russ.... I'm married to a nurse... remember? I HAVE to be nice to them...

that anything like rooster fries or mountain oysters? Didn't know sausages had balls... You know that whatever you do on NYD you'll do the rest of the year. I fished, hunted, played golf, and had "relations" one NYD... The best year of my life.... I won't promise, but I'll try to make it down...

Well, it's now official... I go into St John's on January 3rd for a partial knee replacement. Seems there is not enough cartilage left in my knee to do any good with a scope. They will grind part of the bone from the top and bottom of the inside part of the knee and put metal plates to replace the bone. Then a chip of polyethylene (plastic) about the size of a small motel soap will be placed between them. The doctor says I'll be dancing like Emmit Smith in a month... :lol I guess that's good since I never could dance... Anyway, I do hope that makes for easier wading by sometime in February or so.... We'll see.

My "wealth of knowledge" is only worth about a dime... or less... but inflation, you know.... Welcome to the forum, Mango... (Dano's the one you should watch out for, by the way...)

Steve, Yes... well articulated for sure. I don't see any disagreement with anything I may have said... other than I can offer my opinion on what I believe is best. I guess I should add that proclamation of a belief does not make is truth or fact.

Yep, Ken.... I'll stack my 870 Super Mag against any Benelli or Baretta any day. Even when it's freezin' cold... Hasn't jammed yet... unlike some of the higher dollar guns in the blind I hunted in Jonesboro...

Good points Don and Ham... LMW, Dry flies are good indicators. I would try to learn how to tie parachute flies since they make the best indicator flies in my opinion.

Click here for an in depth forum thread on indicators and their uses...

LMW, As suspected, the statistics do show the overall mortality rate. There are things that can be done to lower the probability of killing a fish, as GF has stated. Basically, if we "worry" about killing fish and put these things into practice, the mortality rate drops for the individual fisherman. Many don't know these techniques or choose not to use them. I admit at times I have "old timer's" disease, but I never lip a fish and I always try to keep them in the water. That's one reason I don't get too upset when a big fish breaks off after a short fight. I figure that gives them a better chance to live to fight another day. But, if I land one and can tell it will not survive, I will show that fish the way to my smoker...

Actually, a band of Kansas Jayhawkers "murdered" my great-great uncle and three other Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. It happened just south of the farm my ancestors homesteaded and I still own today. The four soldiers are buried on top of the hill in the family cemetary. Great story that I need to sit down and write one day...

Not to dispute, but just as a matter of record for a statistical nut here... GF, where did you get that data?

"GF, you igonorant snoot...." Oh... wait... already tried that with LMW.... Never mind.... I agree with you GF. I am a C&R advocate, but I at least TRY not to be an elitist with it. I do think there are times when it is better to put one back than take it home. But, it's leagal, so OK. I can still voice my opinion on the subject. But, you are right. There are those that are strictly "my way or the highway" on BOTH sides. I suppose it's like anything else. If all of you were exactly like me, the world would be a much better place....

(in my best southern drawl) How dare you, sir? Although the Beeson name is pretty prevelant in the "Free State"... Who owned the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City? Who was a pretty doggone good Middle Linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks? But.... no relation. Ain't no hills in Kansas and I'm too hillbilly to be from that flat land...

I keep numbers at times. Like McM said, I sure know when the number is zero. But on most days I might estimate the number if you ask, but do I know the "number?" Most likely I'm off at least 25%... I like talking 25 inch fish and 50 fish days. But, if that's the ONLY reason I go, I've missed the boat... If it's legal, it's OK... If it's "ethical"... well... ethics are sometimes a matter of opinion...

Jeremy, Did you smile back? Lord, forgive me for that right there and be with the starving pygmies down there in New Guinea there, Amen