My father was a master upholsterer after learning from some old men building fine furniture at a factory in Louisville. he also taught the trade and it's likely anyone within fifty miles from our area learned from him or his many apprentices. i'm talking hand folded diamond tufting and a guy who could spit long black tacks using a magnetic tack hammer nearly as fast as I fire an air staple gun. Amazing. he relayed the story to me of his first day on the job when he was given the chore of tacking on a black bottom (dust cover) of chairs. He was was taking an individual tack and sticking it to the hammer and driving it in with a single blow, thinking he was doing great, when the old man said "if you're going to work here you have to spit those tacks son"
He proceeded to put a handful in his mouth and quickly bring the magnetic hammer to his lips spitting the head onto the thing and driving them in as quick as his motion would allow.
Dad asked the man, "won't they hurt me if swallow some of them?" To which he replied, "oh they won't hurt going down, it's them coming out that gets ya'"
Dad learned quickly and never swallowed any tacks.
I followed in his footsteps when I finished school and have upholstered more fine furniture in my life than you would believe and back in the seventies expanded into auto interiors, boats, and about anything related to upholstery. I even have a mohair interior my cousin and I created in an auto museum at Swope motors in E-town.
Yep I followed in dad's footsteps there, and also inherited some of his genes in becoming a semi-professional musician. He was a great guitarist in the mold of Chet Atkins and Merle Travis. Once he and Joe Maphis (a country legend) played a double neck guitar together at a show in a place called the Gold City Opry here by Fort Knox. I mean they each played the same guitar at the same time. Dad really enjoyed that since Joe was one of his idols back in the day.
He gave up playing out much since he felt it wasn't
as unto to the Lord.or at least that's what I believe.
Myself, I've done two 45 rpm records (vinyl) back in the 80's (1981-82) and some back ground tracks for local TV stations in Louisville, as well as played in some successful bands here in the State. Let's just say any royalties I garnered writing and performing were not denting BMI's checking account.
And I refused to go on the road full time, instead working regionally doing two or three nighters and the occasional VFW dance or what have ya'. Back then you had to live the life out on the road to succeed in the industry. I chose differently, and besides, I got married and started building a family thank God.
I still play my Strat some however.
So I'm kind of a chip off the old block you could say. The Cats were always a part of my life from the time Rupps Runts came to be. That's about the earliest basketball season I can recall, although there are bits and pieces of a couple prior to that. Being a child, that loss to Texas Western disappointed me so much that I somehow believe that's what endeared me to the program. It had become a quest to win every game and I felt I had embarked on it with the same dedication as the coaches and players. And I loved Uncle Adolph like he was my own family. That loss in particular magnified, and possibly over exaggerated the importance of winning for me. That final loss of every season, brings back the same sick feeling in the pit of my stomach I felt that particular evening.
That's why I'm always totally invested in winning the NCAA title, to avoid the sick feeling of a final loss I had as a kid.
And why I am rejuvenated just like all of you are when each season starts anew.
I also have a grown daughter and son who each provided Donna and I with six wonderful grandchildren (four and two respectively). The oldest is Abby who just turned ten...three days after I turned sixty.
God has blessed me with everything I need in life. And gave me some very good friends here that have helped me get by mentally, and otherwise.
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