This is one of those rare columns that has little to do with the world of perspiring arts.
It is personal. In the last year I've had five friends die, and so sitting in the back of the ambulance Sunday afternoon there was a momentary tremor of fear. OK, more than one.
I was throwing up blood and was leaking blood from my nose so fast it had ruined two shirts, spotted my sofa and left puddles on the bathroom floor.
Monica Timpani had insisted I go to the doctor; she actually advised me to go an emergency room, but since I had yet to throw up at that point, and had to my memory never had a nosebleed, she drove me to a clinic.
Seconds after being seated in an examination room I started throwing up blood, and the first thing the doctor said was, "Call an ambulance."
Within five minutes I was on my way to Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock and Monica was following in my car, calling my daughter Whitney Homan. They were a great comfort the next four hours.
This was all less than 24 hours after returning from vacation.
A wonderful trip to the Central California region that included visiting Pismo Beach, several wineries and was highlighted with a concert at my favorite winery in the world, Presqu'ile, in Santa Maria. If there is a more beautiful winery in the world I have not seen it, and the taste is even better.
It started with a longer-than-expected drive from Las Vegas across the Mojave Desert (honestly, it wasn't but a couple of inches on the map). The drive to California was made longer because it seemed like a good idea, and no the heat hadn't gotten to us, to visit a welcome center.
That added about an hour to the drive. An hour of sameness. I'm sure some find the desert appealing. I'm not among that group.
It was 112 degrees in the shade, and there wasn't much shade.
Finally we hit Bakersville and practically coasted down from 4,000-foot elevation to 200 feet, passing through beautiful rich farmland, until we started the final 67 miles, all two-lane, across two mountain ranges.
The first 64 miles we were behind a tanker whose speed ranged from from 14 mph to 54 mph. It was probably a breathtaking drive for someone who wasn't in a hurry.
There was a trip to Paso Robles that included a spectacular drive on State Route 46.
The next day was the drive back across the Mojave to Las Vegas, where sights were seen, including the Hoover Dam. The Fremont Street Experience was experienced.
When it rained, we saw people running outside to play in it much like we do when it snows. There was flooding because Vegas has zero drainage.
It was discovered that the Arkansas Razorbacks are 100-1 to win the National Championship in football and that Golden State was 4-1 to win the NBA championship, but when Kevin Durant announced he was leaving Oklahoma City for the Warriors those odds dropped to 4-5.
Vegas was hot, and very dry, which along with the changes in altitude to avoid a bumpy ride on the flight back to The Rock, may have contributed to my problem.
So, I was sitting in a room in the ER when Kayla, a technician, told someone I was currently throwing up blood and the ER doc and his male nurse calmly strolled in.
Ward Gardner, whom I had met a few times, was on call, and the noted ear, nose and throat specialist offered to treat me. It took more than two hours, but he was patient and very good. I left with a nostril full of gauze, which came out the next morning, but there has been no more bleeding or throwing up.
I'm not much of a gambler, but all I could think was winner, winner, chicken dinner.
Sports on 07/07/2016