also tried sending a pm to big fridge but he has his pms disabled.
Hi,
Yes I did disable PM's when I left AHB a few months ago due to the large amount of abuse, incomplete/wrong information and generally rude people that seem to populate AHB these days. I thought that it was the polite thing to do since I had no intentions of replying to PM's, but I did leave my contact details in the profile pages so that people could still get in touch if they needed.
Contrary to what you may think Barls the problem with sending back the score sheets and certificates is a reflection on my medical condition and not on the professionalism or capacity of the Hunter Brewers. They have done their best to contact me with offers of assistance and suggestions but I have not been capable of taking up their offers.
Just before the B&T competition, I was diagnosed with advanced kidney desease and other life threatening problems. I had to make major changes in my life otherwise I would have been dead within 5 years. This required me to observe strict dietary restrictions (including no alcohol) which prevented me from judging at the B&T competition as planned. Due to the shortage of volunteers it meant that I had to swap roles with the planned organiser (who was a trainee BJCP judge) and reluctantly take on a non-drinking role.
The pressures of running my own business, being responsible for the livelyhoods of my 3 employee's families and the added pressure of attending medical tests and appointments became very hard to bear. I have been batting depression for many years and usually cope through a combination of medication and exercise. I have now been able to look back and it is clear that I have been through a period of deep depression since the competition. Many days it was a battle to get out of bed and even harder to complete many tasks. Both my work and home life have suffered.
I am here out of respect for all my mates at the Hunter Brewers who have rallied around me and helped me to survive the past few months.
Barls, I can understand the frustration that you are experiencing and to you these results are probably the most important thing in the world. But I would ask that you consider for a moment that the competition is run by volunteers who gain nothing for their hard work. When delays happen there is usually a good reason for them happening and it only makes it worse when you take it personally.
Please don't feel sorry for me as I am not alone. Mental illness will probably touch us all at some time in our lives - either directly or indirectly. But I would appreciate your understanding and patience.
I still have my 'good days and bad' and will try to get the remaining results in the mail this week. All the Hunter brewers got their results at the first club meeting after the comp which was before I got sick.
Thanks for listening,
Dave
