John;
I accept your apology though I don't feel anything you said rose to the level of your having to offer me one.
It's unfortunate that my sharing my opinion translates to your thinking I'm kicking a man when he's down. Someone here on this thread said he, too, was wronged by Chas back in 2002. Regardless of whether this is the premier leather worker of all time, right is right, wrong is wrong, and I do not feel illness provides a free pass. Especially if this is becoming a recurring theme.
The reason I got back into pool was largely the result of my illness. I became sick in 1995 and it continues to a much lesser degree today. The first 6 or 7 years were a real *****. I have been left with an immune system run amok. They call it autoimmunity, triggered by the infection. Aside from all of the hospitalizations, PICC lines delivering meds directly into my heart, Avastin injections into the eyeballs (ever heard that saying it's better than a sharp stick in the eye? this is not better, it's exactly like a sharp stick in the eye

), vasculitis, capillaritis, EMG nerve conduction studies where they put needles into various parts of your body then turn on the electricity trying to see where (and why?) there are interruptions, two bouts of Stevens Johnson syndrome (google that one if you have the stomach) etc., etc..., I try to keep a positive outlook. Time has caused this to become much more managable and, believe me, I am grateful beyond words that I can for the last five or six years, go to places like SBE, meet friends, make new ones, and play a little pool. Even be competitive at times.
Why I said my illness was the reason I got back into pool was because my vision was going very wavy due to leaking blood vessels behind the eye and so I thought I had better get busy, not knowing how much time I'd be able to see well. This, too, is being managed, I'll be getting another eyeball treatment in a week or two. Can I please have the 7 and out? :grin:
This is starting to feel like 'too much info' and a bit of a hijack of the thread.
I'll end my involvement here with the following suggestion:
Keep a positive outlook, even when you draw a bad hand, and always try to do the right thing. :thumbup:
Best,
Brian kc