jkerouac

Ken, Thank you for the reminder of the things that are most important in life. I spent yesterday with my own father, who is in his 80s and widowed. We talked about this recent travels, his finances, his living arrangements both present and future, and some of the challenges facing our family. Family is precious and even though we think of family as permanent, they can change suddenly, such as the dynamics of my family changed after my mother passed away. We need to appreciate and nurture our family relationships because they, too, can be fleeting. All the best to the fathers in our group, and to those who have fathers ... and mothers.

I recommend against scheduling appointments with me on cloudy days. Note: Where I live in the US Pacific Northwest it is cloudly a lot.

Clive's Pam is a killer choice. Also, the rose gold Chopard Mille Miglia GMT is absolutely fantastic. Take a look at the two tone Navitimer or two tone Chronomat Evolution as well. Any of these choices will knock people's socks off.... without being pimpishly obnoxious.

No offense, but why don't you check the review section? Far better to collect numerous opinions and example transactions than just one or two recommendations. Silix has many favorable comments and a good reputation for communication and follow through. I can't address how well they help solve problems, because I haven't had any problems with them. But look for any reviews that describe problem solving.

Awesome watch and pictures. I was sorely tempted to buy the gold version as well. It is my favorite of the Mille Miglia GMTs. But I also really wanted to have a Mille Miglia on a metal bracelet, so I "settled" for the SS white dial/black subdial version instead. The SS version is also a stunning watch, to be sure, but the gold is even more stunning.

Thanks all for your kind wishes. I forgot to mention that the anesthesiologist opted not to give me a general anesthetic, which would have knocked me out cold for the duration of the operation. Instead I had a spinal anesthetic, which "merely" desensitized me from the waist down for a few hours. So I was awake and alert throughout the operation. The downside was that although I came out of the operating room cheerful and alert, post-op actually took longer because I wasn't allowed to leave until my good leg could once again support my weight. Alas, I didn't get to watch the operation itself since I was face down and behind a screen. But I did get to hear everything that was said during the operation. I was pleased that there was not a single "Oops" or "Oh my God!" during the operation. Today I did get to see what the nurse referred to as my "Franken-leg" when they removed the bandages for the first time. It's a lovely 8- to 10-in. incision held together by stitches. I was disappointed that I didn't bring my camera, but then I remembered the camera in my cell phone so first the nurse took a few shots, then I took a few more. I know my wife will freak out a bit when she sees them in an hour or two. However, I will spare you all and call those pics "too much information." After the doctor verified that everything is healing nicely, I got to pick the color of my cast -- pink , baby blue red, black, traditional white, yellow ... (apparently no butterscotch, charcoal, titanium, etc.) At first I was going to go for royal blue, but then I saw a box of purple. Purple it had to be. Much more stylish than the boring white bandages in my photo -- and that much more reason to continue wearing shorts. After they inspect the wound next week, perhaps I'll go with yellow.....

I doubt that too many people get caught up in the ego strokes of being called a "VIP" -- or resist becoming a VIP member due to the title. Of course, as an alternative you could designate us as Athletic Supporters.

RWG members on occasion share the pleasant and less pleasant moments of their lives, including photos of incredible places, ailments and hope for better times. This week I have experienced both of these extremes, and I'd like to share them with you. First some background: In late June I took a "wrong turn" off of a 5-ft retaining wall onto my cement driveway. I was wearing thin sandals and all of my weight landed squarely on my right foot. After that initial landing, I stumbled forward and severely scraped my right elbow and right knee. I lay there on the driveway stunned for about five minutes. If anyone had walked by, I am certain they would have called an ambulance. Although my elbow and knee experienced severe cases of road rash, and my ankle quickly became swollen, after the initial impact wore off I was able to hobble back into the house and clean myself up. Above all, I considered myself very lucky that I didn't break any bones. The arm and knee healed quickly, but the swelling on the ankle took a long time to recede. I went to the doctor one day after the incident, and after examining me and ascertaining that there were no areas of severe pain, the doctor assured me that my ankle and ligaments were fine, but that it would take time for the swelling to go down and at that time I would need to do light stretches to rehab the stressed ligaments. Four to six weeks later the swelling had receded, but I was still limping, and still couldn't walk more than a mile without getting sore and tired. I also still couldn't get the slightest amount of lift on the injured foot, so I was sent to get an MRI and see an orthopedist. The verdict: I needed surgery to repair a ruptured the Achilles tendon. Some months earlier my wife and I had made plans to vacation in Oregon from Thursday, Aug. 23 through Monday, Aug. 27, and we would have cancelled these plans, but it turned out that the surgeon wasn't available to operate that week anyway, so we decided to go ahead with our trip. I was very happy, because it turned out to be a great trip. Neither I nor my wife had taken much time off this summer, and I really wanted her to have a vacation as well before she was put in the position of playing nurse to me. So here are a few pictures from one of the highlights of our trip, namely Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon. (The following information is from Wikipedia) Crater Lake is a caldera lake that is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fills a nearly 4,000 feet (1,220 m) deep caldera that was formed around 5,677 (

Done. At least now the list stands at 21. The last week and particularly the last few days have been unbelievably hectic for me (some of which I hope to share in the next few days with my friends at RWG), but I can still find time to donate. In my opinion anyone who has purchased more than one watch in the last year based on the insights and knowledge shared in this forum owes donation of at least a 5% or 10% of the purchase price for the value they received here. The friendship and entertainment are all super bonuses. Just think, without RWG many of us would have nothing to do on our computers but work and download porn.

I've been away for a few days. It's great to come back and find Ken back on board.

This is a stupid premise for a thread. I hope people choose to ignore this silly attempt to incite equally silly responses.

I'm not totally sure this is humor, but...... Woman sets fire to ex-husband's penis MOSCOW (Reuters) - A woman set fire to her ex-husband's penis as he sat naked watching television and drinking vodka, Moscow police said Wednesday. Asked if the man would make a full recovery, a police spokeswoman said it was "difficult to predict." The attack climaxed three years of acrimonious enforced co-habitation. The couple divorced three years ago but continued to share a small flat, something common in Russia where property costs are very high. "It was monstrously painful," the wounded ex-husband told Tvoi Den newspaper. "I was burning like a torch. I don't know what I did to deserve this.

Congratulations on getting your tourby back in operation. I wonder if that guy even has an inkling how much you would have been happy to pay to get this watch back in working order?

Ken, The celebration here will be over the top when you make your return. Get well very soon.

Clearly too eary in the a.m. for me. I misread the title as $100, not $100k, and thought damn, I think I want to get one!

I just saw this clip on MSNBC and figured I'd post it before Nanuq did: Life in Alaska, Part VIII

BobM, More power to you for making your own decisions rather than simply following the crowd. As long as you research them well and are happy with the results, then that is what counts. I also agree with dluddy that tastes evolve over time. Your list of 10 or so watches that you want to buy is rather large. Despite the ongoing upheavals in the rep market, I'm always amazed at the speed with which many members build up their collections. Your "one a month" strategy is by no means the most agressive that I have seen here, but I ask myself, "what's the hurry?" I typically have two to four on my list, and that list changes after every watch that I add to my collection, as a I study more, and as new models come out. For example, I had never owned or particularly coveted a Panerai until the 192 came out and suddenly it jumped to the top of my list. Similarly, I was slow to warm up to Breitlings, but when the Chronomat Evolution came out I saw a watch that I really, really wanted. And I would wager that some watch that I had never even thought of before will be released in the next year that I just have to have. I disagree with the statement "perfection comes sometime before taste." I would avoid a watch that I coveted if it was too inaccurate or otherwise of poor quality, but there is also no way that I would buy a perfect anything if it didn't resonate strongly with me. I, too, would be interested in seeing specifics on your list.

I posted my best wishes for a speedy recovery in a different thread, but I will reiterate those wishes here. Ken, when you read this we want you to know how much you are appreciated and missed. Does anyone have an update on Ken's condition?

In my case Sauza Commemorativo and lemonade! Cheers!

I used a Cape Cod on a two tone Santos 100 bezel... after the gold plating was already wearing off. I figured that if I wore it all the wear off it would either look like a subtle white gold or at worst a SS bezel, which was preferable to a worn TT look. .... And it worked! This particular rep (first gen, cost me $100 or less) still doesn't compare with my best or even my better quality reps, but anything is better than partially worn gold plating.

I just starting listining to (on my home stereo) Die Jahreszeitein by Haydn (1732-1809). How old does that make me? Note: You may not want to let me DJ.

I missed the quartz movements. Every watch I looked at said automatic. And almost all of the watches that we buy reps of are "basic steel." I'm not trying to dispute your argument, but I'd like to see more of your evidence.

PM sent

Simple solution for RWG-types: Carry two watches, one sized for the thinner wrist diameter, and one for the larger wrist diameter. Or wear a watch on a strap where you can simply loosen it by one hole, kind of like you do with your belt at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

I think there is a bit of reverse snobbery going on. It's an interesting idea to have a high end watch from Bozeman, MT compete dollar for dollar with those from places like Geneva and Schaffhausen, Switzerland. I guess reverse snobbery does have its limits.