[PaQSO] Thumbs up/down

[Ralph Matheny]

Time for my annual thumbs up and down for the party, now 
that I have recovered!

First off... a DOUBLE THUMBS UP to "Ole Rusty", the '89
Dodge van that got me there and back.  773 miles this year,
door to door.

Then...a DOUBLE THUMBS DOWN to whoever set the trap for
me in Adams County.  I pulled off, popped up the mast,
walked over thru a bunch of construction scrap, and stepped
into a puddle of wet sand, concrete and mud and could not
get out!  After several minutes of struggle I did get hold
of a piece or re-bar sticking from a hunk of concrete and
pulled out of the "quicksand".  Quicksand in Pennsylvania?
Never would have thought it!  The stuff won't wash out of
shoes or pants.  I should have looked more closely.

THUMBS UP to the weather guy...if the 7-inches of snow 
that hit PA had been a week earlier I would have packed up
and come home.

THUMBS UP on conditions, which were generally OK. Not much
on 20 for me, but others did seem to have some success
there, which is good.

THUMBS UP to the folks at Scotland's Super-8 motel for
letting me operate undisurbed in their parking lot.


General comments....PAQP ops must never miss a meal.  
At lunch (Bedford CO.) and dinner time (Adams) the rate
falls and the "I missed you there" comments go up.  That
happens every year I run this route.  

I never seem to get the sweep.  This year need CLI and
BED.  Operating as I do does not allow quite enough time
for S & P to find mults.  Oh well.

About 875 contacts, will work on getting the score
worked out next week.

73


Ralph Matheny K8RYU/R

Thanks for a nice "party".