well that trip didn't go as planed. got down friday night rented a hemi challenger for the week. did some cruising around tampa, then meet up with some friends ted & diana and some of there friends for dinner and drinks. saturday we went over to clearwater / belleair to ted's and the better half's for some boating, what mrs baron was not sold on. took his 35 fountain around the inter coastal over to dunedin for lunch. they had a great car show going on in the streets. bombed around for a while over to some roof top bar for the sun set. what a fun day. back to the marina. while loading the boat on the lift i was holding on to the piling on the lift cradle lining it up under the boat. the piling broke off and i fell in the water right behind it, landing on the broken peace of piling and cut my stomach wide open. big thanks to ted for helping back on the boat holding me together until the medics got there. saved my life for sure. they air lifted me to the hospital. doctors said they thought there was organ damage. thank goodness no damage had happen. spent until friday in the hospital, the doctors wanted me in until at least tuesday 11 days. a friend and his wife back home are both surgeons so sheri got jeff on the phone and he was able to get me out friday late afternoon. on a plane 6am saturday morning and home in bed by 2p, sore as hell after that trip. 5 trips to the doctor since and i'm getting around petty good and feeling better every day. big thanks again to ted & diana, mrs baron (sheri) and all my friends that called, sent messages and thought about us. sorry this got a little long, it is really the first time i have talked much about it. crazy how fast your life can change.
btw we are going back down again thursday for the tampa poker run. we were going to run in it on a friends boat. but there is no way i can ride on a boat yet. i have a hard enough time riding in a car over pot holes right now. then sunday we are going to watch the races in port charlotte from the beach. plan on going home in one piece this time.
todd
