Mattes's Musings by KC2GIK

Well who says the shortest distance between to points is no fun? I tell you folks I loved every second of the convention despite the trips there and back.  I boarded Amtrak in Poughkeepsie headed to Rochester with the scanner in one hand and a cold soda in the other (yes I do drink stuff besides Coronas and Yuenglings) Everything was fine except  when we got to Buffalo and had to let a CSX train through. Although I did enjoy listening the the conductors jockey around one track! This  delayed me so I missed the parking meet completely . The view from our hotel room Originally when I arrived I was going to have the hotel shuttle pick me up but they were over booked so it was good old Rick Kretschmer  to the rescue, like always. He has been a savior on many occasions and we roomed together again in Rochester. Speaking of rooms, we had t he corner room  on the fifth floor and the view was absolutely amazing. It was great seeing everyone, including Tom Smith, Tom

  Below is the post I made to the ALPCA Facebook and Listserv and is a preview of my report on the 60th ALPCA convention!! It's something different that I wannted to try and figured it will settle my nerves a little. This is actually a pretty long post for Facebook standards and will not replace my Rochester Report due out next week Well I'm sitting here just completing my want list, printing my ticket for the train, making sure Marco brings my trade box, packing the plates I have for the Favorite plate display and the plates I'm donating to the auction,charging the "portable" scooter, programming my radio and trying to settle myself from the nervousness of a 7 hour train ride alone.Thinking about getting off the train in one piece, easing my parents' mind that everything will fall into place, just like it has for the 9 other conventions I have attended. I  look forward to more conversations with folks like Jeff Minard, Tom

This is in response to an inc ident at KFC where a three year old and her grandmother were denied service because the little girl's face was disfigured because of a dog bite! Read the article : This 3-Year-Old Was Reportedly Asked To Leave KFC Because Her Face “Scared Diners” Back  in the sixties in the  South black people orginized "sit-ins" where they would sit in "Whites  Only Sections"  in resturants and demand they be served. Of course this all started with Rosa Parks refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. It started a chain reaction whites and blacks sat in white sections together and refuse to leave until they were forced, sometimes causing bodily harm. However they stood their ground and brought down a  way of life that scared this country since before it was born! They saw change. A small part of the moment also involved stars, like Ray Charles, who famously refused to play segergated venues, most fam ously in Georgia.  We all know the stor