Some times you just can't help it. Things happen.

As the old story from my USAF days goes.  "There I was.  Hanging out the bomb bay doors by my throat mike cable yelling for help, and the pilot is yelling back: "Get off the ----king intercom."".  Every time someone started a tale with: "There I was."  You would hear that from somebody. 

 

There I was walking around the Knoxville show, and there was a nice left-handed .54cal. Jacob Dickert style rifle built by Jim Fehling waiting for me on one of the tables.  It had a well assembled lh Siler flintlock and a 44", .54cal.  C weight, swamped Colerain barrel.  44" barrrels aren't my favorite length, but the large hole made it balance well.  After agonizing about it for several hours and hoping someone else would buy it to make the decision for me, time was running out on me.  I made the man an offer halfway hoping he wouldn't take it, but NOOO!! he says "Sure that will be fine.".  After paying him, I then had to buy another gun case from Jim Parker.  Jim was nowhere to be seen with only two cases left on his table. 

    I took one off the table and went looking for Jim.  He wasn't in the building!  After an hour or so of periodically searching the building, I took one of his cards off his table and decided I would mail him the money.  Later, I finally got his cell phone number and called him.  Turns out he had gone somewhere(lunch?) and had a flat tire which was taking a couple of hours to get fixed.
  Now that I legally owned the case Tim and I could pack up and head back to Bama.