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[the Earl of Whirl]

It has been hard to get away but I finally hit the road after worship services on Sunday.  I made it to the YoYoSam store near Erie, Pennsylvania and quickly took some selfies with the big sign out front.  Yet, when I got to the door there was a sign that said the showroom is closed to visitors!  Rats.

The good news is that I made it to Buffalo and am now at the home of Jim Neff.  He says I am the first person from this forum to be at his home.  Believe you me, this visit is quite a treat.  There are reminders everywhere that Jim spins and throws things.  His garage is full of fun items.  The kitchen has oodles of things on the wall.  But the clincher is his living room which has the most amazing collection of skill toys you can imagine.  “You should have seen it before I cleaned it out last week” Jim said.  The ceiling is at least 25 feet high and the walls are covered with containers full of equipment.  “See this bag” he said, “it has a thousand tops in it.”  It is hard to go to sleep knowing all the fun stuff that is sitting below me.

If you have any questions for Jim about his house, you better ask them quickly.  We are headed to Rochester tomorrow!!!

[ta0]

Jim had shared some pictures on the forum (Kongzhus Cometh) like the one below, so I know it's a dream place for the spinning obsessed.  It's definitely a place I would like to visit. Maybe one day I can be like Lynn or Owen and go around the US in an RV visiting top people.



PS: I don't know if I envy more that you visited Jim or that having recovered from covid you are now free to travel. Fortunately the vaccines look very promising and by next summer or maybe spring we should be able to travel again (but winter will be a tough time).

[the Earl of Whirl]

I was not exactly sure what to expect at the NY border and actually I came a back way into the state after visiting YoYoSam (and not getting in).  But the crossing was calm until I hit the toll booth and flew right by without paying.  They have just started opening up those booths and no one is working there.  In fact, they have signs that say “do not slow down.”  I guess I am supposed to pay by mail after my visit.

I knew I was at the right place last night when I saw the head of a mannequin looking out the window.

I knew I was in the right bed when I climbed in and found a giant stuffed snake waiting for me.

I knew I was in the right bathroom when I went in the middle of the night and spent several minutes looking at all the things on the wall.

Time to go back to sleep but I am a little nervous at what might be awaiting me this morning!!!

[the Earl of Whirl]

I made it back home right before some state mandates in Ohio as well as Pennsylvania and New York.  Jim and I took a swing through Rochester and talked to Don a bit while picking up a “few” items.  We took one box in with us at Wendy’s and had a truly top lunch.  The box was loaded with some great conversation pieces including a couple from the 1972 presidential election.  On the road back, Jim went through box after box of fun.  It was one of the best car rides in my life!!!

[the Earl of Whirl]

It is April 6th and I am back at the Neff circus museum.  It has changed a lot over the years!!!  I read the first posts in this thread out loud to Jim and Owen Smith, who is also staying here.  We could not stop laughing especially when ta0 mentioned Owen. 

[the Earl of Whirl]

I took a picture of the same area from years before.  It is fun to compare how it has changed.