ITEM reminds me of "something" so buried in forgotten recollections data bank here that it barely floats to surface.   Let's see what it is I DO remember:  

My buddy, "Skinhead" Shepherd insisted I stay with him in San Diego when my wife (#2) and I were in town - enroute to Far Pacific.  Nothing would do but what he and I go pistol-shooting at his club. He was crack shot - I can hold my own, but screwed up that afternoon and let my PPK 9 mm slide, slice open backside of my thumb (looking at scar right now as I sip my bourbon).  So we went back to his place - few more bourbons - and my thumb big mess - and so we decided to sew it up at kitchen sink.  Thread and needle - piece of cake!  Charlie (his wife  - whip leather gal from Oklahoma ranch - his third) came in - "What in hell are you and this pal out of your past doing to my kitchen, Bob Shepherd?" - Stuff like that you know.   

We hosed it all down, and Charlie and (my) Millie started dinner.  But the booze hadn't helped a whole lot - just got me woozy and cantakerous (make that more cantankerous) and my thumb hurt like hell.  So Shep says, "I'm too drunk to drive you to hospital - but you need to go up there and let the medics unfuck you."  So Millie was drafted and we drove on a weekend night up to San Diego Hospital.   

Nightmare City!  But we checked in.  First problem: Saturday nites in San Diego is when the (pregnant) Mesicans come over in hordes from Tiajuana - to have their babies in US!  (Thus, American citizens from the gitgo, on the hindteat from the outset, and all that!).  I delivered oration in Waiting Room for Emergenencios that went down like a turd in the punchbowl you can be assured, etc. ... so some surgeons came and took me off into a quiet operating room off the mainhall.  Guy says (looking at my thumb)...

"Who in hell fixed this?"

I said, "Me".

He said, "WHAT?  You mean you sewed up your own thumb?"  

"Yep! Me and Skinhead, that is..."  

"Wait a minute!, he says ...and disappears.  

Soon he is back - with three other surgeons!  

They all say together: "You sewed up your own thumb?  

"Yep!"  

Then they all palaver a bit among themselves and they say -"Actually, not a bad job... little rough here and there ( there were maybe like 10 or fifteen stitches..)   

"But we going to have to undo all you did: you see you did not use sterlilized thread, etc. and that is why all this red swollen stuff starting even already!"  

So they did and I did and Millie and I went back to Bob's place.  

Big Deal!  

Next day - Bob had a flight (Should have told you: he is Captain for American Airlines - at that time - near top for seniority in whole damn bunch!)  His retirement dinner (me guest of honor!) I may tell another time...  

Listen Up!  Real ballsy guy here: bald as egg, mean as snake, ...and he was skip-bombing Gook troop trains disappearing into Mountains of Korea (Mustang jock) while most of you were (as old Sgt Schindler MY First Sargeant used to say (WWII) "....wuz stilll shittin' yaller in yor mammy's arms..."  

So what to do?  Next day, Millie was off to shop Old Town with Charlie (ever notice how most females "relate" whenever chance to escape their respective menfolk?)  Darndest thing...  

So, since nothing to do, I , with arm in sling, decided to try and find way back out to that Club Pistol Range again: Bob had told me that sometimes some of the guys found artifacts over in the  BLM land (Bureau of Land Management) property next to them: big deal!   

So I did, and it did, etc. - and I climbed the fence and I hiked miles into this forbidden territory (in my own Nation!) and pretty soon I fell into a miniscule sort of rockshelter...  So's I drew my trusty No. 4 Marshalltown from its belt sheath and poked around and soon had handful of "discards,' bright chert chips and stuff, etc.  Made some notes...  

Then I skedaddled.

 

Some time later, I framed them all, wrote up a "report" on same - and gave them all to Skinhead.  Far as I know he's got 'em still.  Hangin' on his wall....along of the forged Bowie Knife (from a Hoof File)  and presentation case I made for him once - best damn mountain man I ever knew!  Old Shep now got macular degeneration - can't see shit!  But his lady friend comes up every weekend and they celebrate and all that stuff!  New waves comin' on here are ...great!  But they not really like those that formed the beach in first place...  

Kawliga (formerly "bernie")