11/03/2008 | N7KFL Of all the contests, this is the only one I work regularly. I worked the Phone Sweepstakes contest once. Didn't like it. I guess twitching my fingers on the key just seems more fun than going hoarse after a few hours of mic operation. The music of CW sounds so much better to me than other communication forms. The rush of hearing a new section and working through the pileup to get it in the log -- Oh Yeah! Good thing the Feds haven't made this drug illegal yet!

This year was almost a no-show for me. I desperately need to finish some antenna repairs after contractors working on the roof of my house wiped out almost all of my antennas except for the 80/40 fan dipole. They did manage to damage that one, though not enough to prevent enough RF from radiating to make CW SS contacts. So, I was able to limp along on 15, 20, 40 and 80.

To add insult to injury, my almost 17 year old dachshund went into congestive heart failure at 3:00/2:00 AM (daylight savings time change) and I was kicked awake by the XYL to drive them down to the emergency veterinary clinic. So much for getting my rest period in during the contest! I was also worried I was going to have to make a very terrible decision about the fate of my dog -- one I have had since she was a puppy and very much a part of my family.

Fortunately, I love my dog very much and didn't mind the loss of sleep, though I'm sure my QSOs after getting home were probably pretty interesting. Talking in your sleep is one thing, but sending CW?!! For those of you requesting fills, I hope I got it right.

The end result of this adventurous weekend was enough QSOs to qualify for PINs again and a beloved dog returned home after spending 2 nights being treated for her heart failure. I'm happy! -- N7KFL