Back Home in Illinois!!

[Gone8to1248 158]

Well after a little dawdling along the way I finally made it back home today. I had a nice time up in Thunder Bay over the weekend and enjoyed meeting many friends while I was up there. Was at the Sports Show everyday walking around and helped Adrienne from D&R take stuff over to be set-up and then returnned to the store after the show was over. And there is always the pleasure of hooking up with Roger and Terry K.(especailly now that I quit smoking!). I enjoyed going out for dinner to the Keg with Snowball and his lovely wife Sharon and then there was Stumped and BlindLikeABat who came along also. With my new Partner for the SSS this year that made 6 of us for dinner. I think we all had a nice time. I hoped Stumped liked the meal I got for her! "It's all about Vera!" Personal joke there! Met up with Gone Fishin' Sunday mornning for breakfast with his son and chatted for awhile. This summer we will be doing some pre-fishing together for the SSS and then out at Kashabowie Lake. After the show Sunday and everything was taken back to D&R Roger,Adrienne and myself went next door to the pizza place for a while. After I left there I went up on Cumberland Ave to Tim Hortons and met up with Guage (Mark) and his lovely wife Stacey and there daughter for coffee. If you have never met Marks wife Stacey all I can say is that she is a remarkable lady!

The highlight of this trip was getting to meet in person my SSS partner Rebekka Redd. Let me just say for anyone who doesn't know Rebbekka, you are really missing out on something. She is one of the sweetest down to earth people I have ever met and as a Parent I can tell you first hand that her folks raised one very nice young lady and I'm really looking forward to fishing with her this summer and I'm happy to call her a friend.

The list of people I ran into while at the show is long. It's always a privalage to meet up and talk to guy's like Gord Ellis, Randy Beamish ,and so many other TBF greats like George Clark and even talked a bit with Trevor at the Humminbird/Minkota Booth briefly. I'm looking forward to fishing against all these greats up there and by no meen setting aside the joking I do have a lot of respect for most of the teams in the SSS, and we will be giving it our best shot and hope it's enough. I can't wait to get back up there in less than 4 months and give all those Mighty Mitch Jigs a try that I purchased! So be seeing you all soon. Now I do have to get my windshield in my truck replaced as it got broken while I was up there. Rebbekka slapped my face and my head bounced off the windshield and cracked it! Thats the story I'm telling anyway! LOL

Bernie

[GC 54 31]

Bernie, glad you made it home safely.

[Guest Cory]

Hey Bernie,

Sorry i missed you. I was up in Thunder Bay late Sunday afternoon and hit the last bit of the show also. Must have just missed you. Ran into a few of the guys and bought a leach bag from DNR Adriene for $3. Great deal. Should help us keep those leaches lively for the SSS . I guess you will have to stop by Kash river resort the week before the SSS so we can have a beer and BS a little about how the prefish is going.

Cory

[Guest stumped]

Well Bernie, as always it was a pleasure seeing you again. I am also very glad that you had us out for dinner and that we got to meet Rebekka as well as Snowball and his wife Sharon. The "special" supper surprise you had for me is something that I am saving for a special occasion. You never know when I will decide to "rip" into it And yes, "it is all about Vera" LOL

Glad you made it home safely and if Rebekka slapped your face and made you break your windshield you must have deserved it. I always said you are a "deserving" person. Glad to see she can put you in your place LOL

Again, it was great seeing you. Looking forward to the summer and seeing what kind of fish you can throw back in the lake on me again

Talk to you soon. and keep in touch. Want to make sure you are staying in good health.

Vera

[Guest Ol Big Moose]

Hey Bernie sorry i missed ya when you were in town but with work(plowing that huge lot for the show)and sick in and out of the hospital for over a week its been hard to get out n about to do anything.Glad to hear you had a great time in the Bay and made er home good and safe.

Joe