This is a slow news day.  I will take this chance to remind each Great Pepper that it is time for the Annual report.  I have emailed this to all of the Great Pepper's.  I have also placed it in the Resource Center on our Web Page (http://www.chili.org/).  I have mailed the information to those who requested a hard copy.  It must be returned to me No Later Than Aug 15.

You will also notice that the pack for being nominated as a candidate for the CASI Board of Directors is also in the Resource Center.  There will be 4 positions up for election as well as the Executive Director's position.  At the present time, there have been only the following people who have announced their candidacy:  Roger Foltz (incumbent), Ed Blair (incumbernt), David Sexton and Darin Jester.  These people are running for a board position.  I am also running for the Executive Position.  The election will be held at the Great Pepper's Meeting on Sept 11 which will be held in Salado, TX.

Yesterday was the first day in 125 that I did not have to have an antibiotic IV.  I have had 2 surgeries in 4 days last week.  They found that the infection was so great and was there for a long time (maybe as long as 2007).  It was a low grade infection and when I was so stressed out in January, it no longer was a low grade infestion.  The frist bone and joint in my toe has been destroyed by the bacteria.  They have removed the fragments and inserted some antibiotics.  They will aspirate it again on next Wed and if there is no bacterial growth, they will take me back to surgery and harvest some bone (probably from my hip) and insert it in the toe and hopefully my body will not reject it.

Remember that on Saturday at the Arlington Elks, the CASI Board of Directors will have their Summer meeting.  It will start at 8:00 AM.  You are welcomed to attend.  If you have something that you would like to have discussed, please send it to me and I will make sure that we do discuss it.