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[the Earl of Whirl]

Curtis Carlyle gave me one of his cards.  Cool looking card!  People at the church are into mustaches and he features a big one on his calling card.  His website is www.curtshow.com

He said he is familiar with this forum and will read what we have to say.  He also says he has seen a number of world top spinning videos.  He has considered competing.

We went outside with Autograph and were working on getting his name in the book when I noticed Jim Neff off to the side with some contraption.  In the midst of all the strings and wire were seven monobolos.  And he starts spinning in a circle!!!  Oh my...what a sight.

[Kirk]

Rick is giving string instruction.  Trivia question: how many parts are there to a string?

I tell my students 4.

• The button
• The long part
• The knot
• The fuzzy part (where you put your thumb)

What's the correct answer Mike?
--EDIT--
I guess I could have read all the posts before responding

[the Earl of Whirl]

I made it to the east side of Indianapolis.  Only a couple hour from home.  I should be ok from here, except I am already lamenting the lack of top spinning stimulation.  Life was just too good with old friends like Jim and Rick and so many new friends.

Autograph continues to get lots of attention whenever he comes out.  He and Cyclone had a lot of fun playing today.  Rick must be a heck of a nice guy and a real softie because he continues to feel badly about an earlier encounter with Cyclone.

The surprise of the day, though, were the rascals.  Once again I nearly forgot to bring them out but remembered just in time to have Jim play with them.  Sorry you were already gone, Rick.  As soon as we spun a few, people started gathering around.  The famous passer "melonhead" came walking by and said "oh no...those again" which kept jneff and the earl laughing the rest of the day.  An interesting fact is that whenever rascals come out, stories about Mark Hayward also come out.

Alan Howard was the champion stacker of the day.  He had a stack of nine on one of his attempts.

[ta0]

Thanks a lot for the reports!  I am happy that Curtis knew about this forum. Did he throw Autograph? I need to get his picture with Figaro one day.

Reading that story I forgive you for hoarding Rascals. Actually, I now have a fair amount myself (well, when Don ships them to me).

It had never occurred to me, but now because of you I have to add visiting a pole-vaulting-pole-factory to my bucket list 

[the Earl of Whirl]

Whew.  I arrived home.  It is after midnight and I shouldn't be too tired but I am.  I drank a bunch of diet coke on the way home so I am hyped up but tired, if that makes sense.  It feels good to be back in the Burg for a day.  We will soon be heading out to North Carolina to see two little grand-daughters.  If I were a better grandpa (like Don) I would have spinning tops made for them.  Maybe I can come up with something before we leave?

I am anxious to hear how the last couple of days go at P.U.  Lincolnrick and JNeff promised to keep us informed.

On the ride back I do remember one thing that made me chuckle.  Rick asked me what was so special about the bathroom.  I said that I thought they were pretty fancy for a college.  He said he was expecting more and they didn't even have a couch in them.  I guess they actually rent couches for their big Flatlands festival and Rick was used to the full couch treatment.  Sorry, Rick!!!

Special thanks to Jim Neff for all the equipment he packed in his car.  It was quite a bit to haul.  I sure appreciated all your efforts in getting so much fun stuff to West Lafayette, Indiana.

a possible list of the top ten top spinning wives (who did I miss?)............
Eric Wolfe's wife (he has to have lots of stuff all over the house and in the garage)
Chris Neff's wife (she puts up with his travel and his top creations)
Salvador and Gus' wives (even more travel plus Salvador's dodging of traffic)
Dick Store's wife (has a basement full of tops and yoyos)
Mike Hickerson's wife (she has to deal with THREE top spinners in her home)
Dale Oliver's wife (it almost seems like cheating to have her on this list since she is a thrower)
Kirk's wife (same as Dale Oliver - has a throwing wife)
ta0's wife (she has set up boundaries but he still has a lot of stuff everywhere)
Mike Hout's wife (many have said no one puts with more top trouble than what her husband throws her)
but now there is a new #1: Jim Neff's wife (he confessed that he has oodles more stuff in his house and garage)

[Eric]

My wife is indeed surrounded by tops and yo-yos, and while she doesn't yo or throw, she can do a three ball cascade... 

[ta0]

I think for my wife the stuff around is not as big an issue as the time I spend on this 

Talking about being surrounded by top stuff, I bet Don Olney's wife should be on that list (perhaps I should talk directly to her about a couple of boxes . . .)

[the Earl of Whirl]

Yes, how could I leave Don Olney off!  What a terrible omission.

[JNeff]

We had a good gathering this morning of  top spinners. Rick and I  and 6 others. Mostly beginners other than Curtis Carlyle. Curtis is very skilled. It's amazing how many jugglers are really covert top spinners. Anna the Russian girl also showed up. None of the prop makers here have tops for sale. And they call themselves prop makers.

[Shootist]

My sons and I throw Tops in my house/study and my sheet rock walls show the scars from our practice.
My wife wants to paint the room to hide the scars but I see the walls as showing our level of success.

So my wife struggles with my beat up walls in the study that's in her house. 

Learning Every Day and Having Fun

Mike

[JNeff]

Rick would have nothing to do with throwing Cyclone again. He reluctantly agreed to hold her. Tomorrow should be a busy day top spinning. Several of the beginners want instruction on more advanced tricks that they can work on when they get home. It rained tonight and the street busking was moved into the gym. There was no one from the public there but it still worked pretty well with just the jugglers in the audience. There were 4 performers one of which was Curtis Carlisle. Great act and fodder with standard juggling but no spin tops. darn. The winner receives 1000$. The winner hasn't been named yet.

[the Earl of Whirl]

Wow!  A thousand dollars!!!  That sounds great.

You guys must be doing something right if the newer top spinners want to learn more and more.  Good job.

I am now in North Carolina.  No top spinning or juggling or anything down here.  The highlight of the trip was when we went by Flat Top Mountain.

[JNeff]

I have several photos I want to post but for some reason they won't post from my iPhone or iPad. It says there too many mega something's. I'll try posting from home. Rick has a beautiful top made by Chris Neff. It is so light it feels like balsa wood but durable. It has a green coating that Rick says is a soda bottle heat wrapped on it. Very interesting.

[Neff]

Ah yes, that was one of my early ones. I make them heavier now, and in a different shape. I hope you get to throw one of my new ones someday.  Any chance of you going to Kansas City Jugglefest?

[JNeff]

I would love to make the KC festival but it's not possible this year. Rick and discussed the KC, the Lincoln-Omaha, and Miamisburg. All are tempting. The last few days were a whirlwind on top spinning. I'm not exagerating when I  say we had 5 or 6 sessions with 7-8 of us. I don't remember so many at past conventions. I am packing now for the long drive home but I'll post more later.