Hi Again Frank!
"Sorry to hear you can't make it this year- but it's understandable, knowing the travel distance. You contributed a lot to the event last year and we're hoping you will return again."
It was a lot of fun, I assure you. We've discussed how enjoyable it was to be around a totally different culture than where we're from. The accents killed us! So fun.
I will say that we (Sharon and I) were shocked at just how FAR it is to NJ. NJ didn't seem that far away when I was but a young man driving semi-trucks! In retrospect, we probably should not have tried to cram so much traveling into our time off. (i.e. Out to NJ, back to WV then drive for three days seeing WV, then drive to Tulsa for the TGD stunt meet, etc.)
Next time (and I'm sure there will be a next time), we'll plan it different so that NJ is the start point for the rest of our vacation and from there we head on up to New England so I can show Sharon some of the neat things I saw there when driving the aforementioned semi-trucks "way back when". Also take more time to do so. This may have to wait until I'm retired in about 2 years... but one way or the other... I've got to get back and fellowship/fly with you New Joisey Crazies again.
"Think Duke is p.o. ed and turning over in his grave now that I have a Tigre up front?"
Oh yeah.
Tigre was "the enemy". I spent a lot of time trying to come up with modifications that could translate into production in order to buy time for the 36X while Duke mulled his options as to what to do next for a combat engine.
"He was famously frugal, as you no doubt discovered while working for him."
That is a very polite way of putting it.
Really enjoyed reading your anecdote concerning Duke and the ad. Told Sharon about and when I laughingly told her about Duke inking in "don't exceed $10"... she chuckled and said "that is SO Duke Fox!". She also lived those years, too!
As for the cropping: Yeah... I wondered about that added weight you'd gained!
Back to your Voodoo:
So that is that silk you guys were talking about? Didn't you say it's a bit heavier (thicker) that the old Esaki silk we used to use way back when?
Another Voodoo is on my "one of these days" list to replace my last one that gave up the ghost after innumerable flights. However, I'm really tempted to put a Johnson CS on the nose. Shhhhh!!! Don't tell Duke!!
Andre