Folks, After weeks of preparation, time and expense I drove 4 ½ hours to Elgin, IL and checked into the Hampton Inn on Thursday evening. I was looking forward to spending Friday, Saturday and Sunday with friends at the worlds largest antique phonograph show hosted at Donleys Wild West Town in Union, IL. This was my best and last face-to-face opportunity to convince other talented individuals to replace me as President of the International Antique Phonograph Society and as Editor of our magazine In The Groove.
About mid-way during my drive, I started feeling a little feverish and my stomach developed an ache, not really a pain. I was blaming it on a possible bad raison from the Trail Mix dried fruit I enjoyed the night before. I checked into the Elgin, IL Hampton Inn, and carried in my suitcase and some of the equipment I brought along for the Phonovention presentations. I started feeling worse, so I called it a night and went to bed at 8:00 p.m. At 9:30 or so, I knew there was something a dose of Pepto-Bismol just would not cure. I got up and dressed, but I could not stand up straight. As I walked the hallway from my hotel room to the front desk to ask for directions to the nearest hospital, knowing full well that Id never be able to drive there myself, I was met by a small group of fellow antique phonograph collectors who were headed to their rooms, and one person who was at that time a complete stranger to me, Bob Barnett, offered to drive me in his car to the hospital emergency room. He offered to stay with me until I was either dismissed or admitted - this was at 10:00 at night. I gave Bob, my new found friend, the keys to my truck and asked him to give them to the Hampton Inns front desk. I had to make some quick arrangements with HAPS President, Rich Buck, to empty my truck of all of the items I had prepared and brought with me for our trade show booth so it could be set up and ready for the event at 8:00 a.m. the following morning. Rich, John Hauger, Joan Rolfs and I am sure many others pitched in and completed what needed to be done in my absence. The CAT scan and blood tests proved that it was a ruptured, gangrenous appendix. I had the emergency surgery at 9:00 Friday morning as Union was getting underway. I was released from Sherman Hospital late Monday afternoon. To put it mildly, I was very disappointed to miss Union and Phonovention 2012. Rich Buck dropped by the hospital with a card prepared by Joan Rolfs and signed by several attendees and friends. He informed me that Phonovention was very successful and that Patrick Feasters presentation room was packed to capacity. Now that I am home, I am receiving cards in the mail and E-Mails from well-wishers with questions on what occurred, so I thought it best to let everyone know I am doing great and getting ready to start compiling the August / September Issue of In The Groove. Convalescingly Yours, Tim McCormick International / Michigan Antique Phonograph Society _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org