[CH] Lotsa Stuff, at least some OT

Jim (jim@wildpepper.com)
Fri, 6 Mar 2009 05:43:59 -0500 

Back from a very long and adventurous trip!  Caught up with a lot of  
old friends, met some new ones, saw some devastating fires, and sold a  
few chiles at the Fiery Foods Show.  The whole purpose of the trip-  
the Australian Hot Sauce & Fiery Foods Show- was cancelled by  
authorities at the very last possible second (6:30 Friday night!)  
after having given their blessing to it all week.  Still not entirely  
sure what that was all about as two other festivals even closer in to  
the fires were allowed to continue.  Somebody doesn't like chiles I  
guess.  Having LOTS of hot sauce leftover at that point, I went to one  
of the fire command posts and left a bunch for the crews.  There were  
some Yanks due there the day after I left so they get to discover that  
they weren't the first ones there :-)

Got to spend some great time with a retired Grandad on the beach in  
Bay O' Plenty.  Tony is still fit as a fiddle, though can only speak  
in a hoarse whisper.  Our fishing trip got cancelled due to a cyclone  
following me across the Tasmin and brining the first rain they'd seen  
since Christmas- just my luck :-)  Spent the one day we did manage to  
get out hanging over the side "chumming" :-(  He whipped up a bowl of  
his to die for chowder & we visited it with quite a bunch of Beth's  
Grind so Fine, and John T's powders.  Awesome!

I also have a friend doing a kidney walk this weekend and promised  
that I'd send the link out to all the generous chilehead folk that I  
know.  http://walk.kidney.org/site/TR/Walk/FloridaInc?px=1210260&pg=personal&fr_id=1547&s_tafId=12190 
   There doesn't look much wrong with him in the picture that appears,  
but scarcely two months later he had swollen to over 80 lbs.  His  
prognosis is good it seems, though there'll be life long  
complications.  Thank you all in advance for any contribution and I  
apologize for the short notice.

Open fields seems to be progressing along just fine.  There will be  
TONS of chile pepper plants there, now we can only hope for chiles &  
good weather.  Hope you all can make it!

Off to the new job, working 7 AM to 5 PM Mon-Fri for the first time in  
almost 25 years.  Quite a shock to the system :-)



-Jim C
http://www.StepUpforCharity.org