OK, Friday was a crazy day. I filed my last election story late Tuesday, and then (after a serious bender during which I am very proud to have avoided posting a lot of drunken messages) I had a newspaper deadline on Friday. As anyone who saw me Friday morning can attest, I was beat. But I met so many great people who brought me chips, equipment, or simply good wishes for my little brother Chase.

I don’t think that I was at my best at the Kid Rock release, but I met so many cool people that it was one of my favorite releases to date. If you gave me something for Chase, he will be sending you thank you e-mail. He loved all the cool chips he got.

Of course I didn’t see him until I went home and edited an article, and then went and actually slept for 45 minutes, and then picked him up from school. He was excited about the show, and once he got there it seems to me he had a great time. He bought a couple of chips because he liked them, and then when he was nearly broke he spotted a $1 Halloween chip he really wanted. The dealer wanted $4 because it was his last, and Chase was bummed. But I asked the dealer if he needed a $1 Palace Station Corvette chip. Lo and behold, he did. SO I sold Chase one of my ‘Vette traders for face, and then let him trade for the chip he wanted. Sure, I could have bought it for him. But I think he really dug the trading thing.

The whole show was fun like that. So many more great people welcomed Chase to the hobby by giving him some stuff. The best thing is that he was given some old Sahara NCVs that I’m probably going to trade him for. I like Sahara stuff, he likes LEs. SO it’s cool for him to have stuff that I want in my collection but don’t yet have. That way, when I trade him, he knows I’m not just giving him something.

I also managed to trade some of the Kid Rocks I got that day for some older HRs I need. Very cool. And then I got one of the Legends chip with Saddam Hussein on it (just kidding).

Thanks to everyone who went so far out of their way to welcome Chase to this hobby.