Especially if your hearing is as rickety as mine is.

A Campfire compa�ero called this morning. Didn't work. My hearing is shot, and so is my "voice."

I couldn't tell what he was trying to say, and he couldn't tell what I was trying to say.

I think that he wanted to come visit me here.

Everyone here is welcome 24-7-365.

� Send me a PM.
or
� Send me e-mail ([email protected])
and
if my server isn't down (a frustratingly frequent annoyance), I'll get it and can respond.

Or just come on if you can handle a face-to-face sit-down yell fest. As I said, 24-7-365 � no reservation necessary. I'm easy to find.

If you're coming from the east (Socorro), you'll pass the high school on your left, then the terminus of NM-36 on your right, then it's only a blink and a gulp to the post office on your left and a defunct gas station on your left.

The street that runs north along the west side of that old gas station is my street (Church, unmarked). My shack is in the second block on your left.

If you're coming from the west {Springerville, AZ), drive through town (you can blink � once ) � until you're about to pass the post office.

God Bless you, Ken.

Hope you are doing well.

Would a lifetime of gunfire have anything to do with that hearing loss?

A lot of industries are very loud. We weren't offered hearing
protection until the early 90s. I thought locomotives were loud,
then one day I wandered into a bottling plant, LOUD.

I must admit to having my bell rung by gunfire a few times.
It adds up.

what say?

Ken

You're correct, I was in the area and figured to stop to visit.

I'm about deaf and having ridden motorcycle a few thousand miles before getting to your area I was extra deaf.

I was calling from the 'gas station' there in Quemado having just ridden in from Magdalena (stopped at the Very Large Array), we were heading to Cortez, Colorado then to places 'West'.

My bad at not having more options to contact you but it was impromptu as I didn't know I was going to be in your area until I was there and recognized the town name.

My loss at missing an opportunity to chat.

*rinnnnnnng*

Ken: What?

Unknown caller: Hey Ken! It's been an eternity since we've talked!

Ken: Fraternal Order of Police?! Lemme tell ya,..I gave 50 damn dollars to you guys back in '77,...put the sticker on my damn window and everything,..and I *still* almost lost my license for driving 40 in a 25.

Unknown caller: What?,...no, Ken,...this is Blunderbuss from the campfire. We're headed your way.

Ken: The United Way?!! Is that jerk that runs your place still living in a $600,000 condo? I ain't givvin' ya chit. Get over it.

Unknown caller: No,...Ken,...this is blunderbuss,...the Fireman from the 24 Hour Campfire. I'm down your way to pick up a Dalmatian to be the firehouse mascot,...thought I might drop by while I'm in the vicinity. Our last mascot passed on recently.

Ken: Well,...I know that the Salvation Army is a good organization and I stick a 20 in the pot outside of Walmart every Christmas,...and I'll do so again. But I don't like divinity. Get back with me when you've got some marshmallow fudge for sale,..*click*.

No kidding. Heavy equipment wasn't exactly quiet easy on the ears. 7 years later I had enough tone deafness to stump the individuals doing my hearing test for the service. The second to the highest frequency is totally gone in both ears but I can hear the highest. They had me retake the test 3 times with the exact same results. This all equates to having good hearing overall and not being able to hear what some people are saying during a call....it all depends on the tone of their voice. It's the worst with foreign telemarketers.

Ken, we have a friend who is almost deaf. He uses a particular device with his phone that allows him to decipher what folks are saying. Please give me or Mark a p.m. if you are interested.

My loss of hearing has enabled me to fart with impunity.