Well I did it. And it wasn’t easy. Although I arrived in Toccoa on Thursday evening I’m going to start with Saturday and the Currahee Challenge as it was the focus for the weekend.

I started training for Currahee on June 1st. I’ve never been a very good runner. I’m pretty slow, but I figured with 4 months training I should be able to build up to run 6.2 miles at an easy pace. And an easy pace is what I trained for.

I had two goals going into the run. The first was simply to finish the run. The second was to finish in less than 1 hour and 15 minutes. Before I left for Georgia, my last timed 6.2 mile run was just under 1 hour 18 minutes. That’s about a 12 minute mile pace. Which is not a very fast pace.

When I arrived in Toccoa on Thursday I was a bit apprehensive at getting a look at the mountain. As luck would have it the sky was overcast and it never did lift until Saturday morning so I wasn’t able to build up too much anxiety. I expected an evil slag of rock to be towering over the countryside. But once the fog lifted, and I did see the mountain (about an hour before race time) it really didn’t look as bad as I thought. It actually looked quite peaceful.

Here’s a picture of the mountain to get you thinking about it.



Before I tell you the results I must say that I didn’t finish last. I finished 60th out of 69 runners. I was beaten not only by a 12 year boy who ran it in about 52 minutes, but I was also beaten by a 63 year old man who ran the mountain in less time than that. Absolutely incredible!

Here are a few photos of what the trail looks like. It’s basically a two track Forest Service Road composed of gravel or mud. It rained for about 3 days straight prior to the race so it was pretty slick once all those feet started pounding on the trail.





Let me tell the truth about Currahee. It’s not really 3 miles up and 3 miles down. Not in the strictest sense anyway. The first 2 miles are mostly a moderate grade of up accented by a few drop offs that require additional re-climbing. The mountain teases you with those. Nothing major and I made it to the 2 mile mark without much difficulty

Then you hit the last mile before the top. And it is a bear let me tell you. You gain the majority of the elevation and most of it is at what seemed to be a 25-35 percent grade. The mountain didn’t seem so peaceful anymore. Very steep and it nearly did me in but I kept trucking. One foot in front of the other until I hit the top and turned it around.

Now, some might think 60 out of 69 is not very good but I was actually quite proud of my time. I had set two goals and I accomplished both. I finished the run in 1 hour and 13 minutes. Not too bad since the last time I ran a 10K was 17 years ago. Here I am at the finish line.



Tired and thirsty, but very much alive and satisfied with the result. I made it up to the top in 43 minutes. And I made it back down again in 30 minutes. Now at least I have a benchmark to shoot for next time I decide to challenge Currahee.

Always a glutton for more punishment, I hiked back up the mountain the following day and took a few pictures from the top. Ok, Ok, I drove the first two miles. But I did hike up that last mile again.

Here is the US Geological Survey Marker at the top.



Here are a couple of views from a rock outcropping just below the summit.





The city of Toccoa is the light colored areas in the middle of all the trees in the center of the picture towards the top.

Overall it was a great experience. I have a new found respect for anyone who has run that mountain, above all those that did it 3-4 times a week. Especially those that did it with full field pack and wearing jump boots! And now, whenever I watch Band of Brothers or when I hear someone talking about the first episode, I can proudly say that I too have challenged Currahee. It was an honor to be able to retrace those footsteps and pay tribute to the men of the 501st, 506th, 511th, and 517th. Hi-Ho Silver!....

More to follow…..


I found this photo of the 'Challenge' while I was writing the previous post. The photo was taken by Bruce Tolbert right at the start of the race. If you look on the left, I'm running right behind the woman with the Red top and black shorts.



Also, here is a photo I took of the marker that denotes the start of the Sink Trail up Currahee.




Source for the Tolbert Photo: btp.smugmug.com/gallery/869734/2/39261544

Very good report Emerson. Fantastic photos to go along with your narrative.

Perhaps you could suggest to the race organizers that they serve spaghetti to the participants before the next run.

JDK...
It's not spaghetti...it's army noodles with ketchup

Cheers to you Robert for running Currahee!!!

Thomas

Nice goin', Robert! Good for you. You've done something hardly anyone here has done! The photos are terrific. I'll bet you felt great! Did you get your US Paratroopers t-shirt? Maybe one day I'll be in the vicinity ... BK

EB, well done! We bussed up Currahee on the 2002 BOB Tour, and, as a former runner, I was keenly aware of the dips that meant that altitude had to be regained. And the final slog to the top was, indeed, brutal.

All the more reason to admire the troopers who trained there, to get in the kind of shape that would see them through what they had to go through.

I'm envious of your accomplishment. You deserve all the pride you've earned, Doug

Fantastic report. Is this an annual event? How can I find out more?
I'd love to challenge myself to do it.

Bob

^^^Bob, check out www.camptoccoareunion.com, that's where info about the event's posted.



Nice job indeed, Rob! Good pics too!

I'd have run too but I was busy that morning with something very important.*










*sleeping.

Thank you very much for switching the topics during mid post as I had to re-type all of this over again. I Crikey!

I arrived in Toccoa on Thursday in the late afternoon during a pouring rain. Due to some bad directions I wasn’t able to find the Chamber of Commerce building to pick up my registration before they closed so I retired early. I ended up waking up at 3 am and as the rain had slowed to a slight mist I ended up going for a 3 mile run at 3:30 or so in the dark. Very peaceful and very relaxing. If not a bit absurd.

I had an early breakfast and then I hooked up with Buckeye67 and his friend and we headed over to the Chamber of Commerce building to pick up our registration packets. I had the pleasure of running into Mark Bando in the registration line. I didn’t know what he looked like but he was a head of me and when I heard him tell the registration person his name I said to him, word for word, “Hey dude I know you. Your famous.” He kind of took a step back and looked at me real funny. It was pretty hilarious. Then I told him I own a couple of his books and he relaxed a bit seemingly convinced I was not a stalker waiting to pounce. I shook his hand, he said thanks, and then it was off to the Historical Museum.

There were two main highlights of the visit to the Museum. The first was the opportunity to meet Jake McNeice and have him sign his book. He and his wife were wonderful people to talk to. I was very awestruck having known of some of his exploits in WWII and from the great comments he wrote in my book. Here is a picture of me and Jake…



The other highlight involves a Korean War veteran telling a joke about his impending pregnancy and how he was certain he was carrying a baby elephant. I won’t tell the whole story as it might as some might not find it as funny as I did. Then it was on to the BBQ (the chicken was excellent) followed up by the Book signing.

Larry Alexander was gracious enough to sign a few copies for me. And he did indeed have the best seat in Stephens County that day. Thanks for the signatures Larry!



Larry Alexander Hard at work



Jake McNiece and Richard Kilbane



The infamous Mark Bando.

Here I am with Jack Miller, 506th, D Company. I didn’t know it at the time of the photo but I was going to be seated at the same table with Mr. Miller and his family and friends at Saturday night’s banquet. Mr. Miller jumped into to Normandy on the night of June 5/6th but was evacuated a few days later after catching some shrapnel in his backside. It looks like that wasn’t just a tradition held by Easy Company alone.



After the book signing it was on to the Aldebourne Stable dedication. The building was very crowded and it was hard to see or hear the actual ceremony, however, I did return the following night to take a few pictures when there was no crowd.







I was told that Daniel Webster of Easy Company fame spent some time in this stable waiting to rejoin Easy after his wound in Holland. I was also lucky enough Saturday night to be one of about 10 people to see a small dedication ceremony. The 506th, Easy Co. re-enactors group had purchased some items which were recovered some 50 years after the C-47 carrying Lt. Meehan into Normandy crashed with all lost.



The 506th was donating the items to the Stephens County Historical Society. Included in the artifacts were remnants of a wristwatch and a ‘cricket’.

More to follow…

Saturday started out sunny and beautiful. The rain finally lifted and of course I started my day with the ‘Curahee Challenge’. After that it was on to the airport for the re-enactment. Here are some photo’s of the encampment and reenactors…









Here are some photo’s of the ‘battle’. Unfortunatley I have a cheap camera so my zoom isn’t too good.



The 101st overruns the German positions and heads to secure the mortar. And yes that is a Blackhawk Helicopter in the background. I’m fairly certain it wasn’t WWII issue.



The Germans are on the run! Notice the German in the middle that just took a dive.



The Army Rangers put on a pretty good demonstration before the re-enactment as well. Here is a photo of a ranger exiting a Blackhawk at 1500 feet…



And he they are about to touch down….



And my favorite….here they are as they exit the battlefield. I’d pay to do that!



More to follow...

After the re-enactment it was time for the banquet and it was a really good show. The food was great, the ambiance was great, and the military really put on a great performance with the color guard and the band. And of course the General.

[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/RobertVanderpool/WWII%20Related%20Ceremonies/Camp%20Toccoa%20Reunion%20-%20October%202005/Reunion%20Banquet/McNieceMiller.jpg[/img]

Jake McNeice with General McNeil

[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/RobertVanderpool/WWII%20Related%20Ceremonies/Camp%20Toccoa%20Reunion%20-%20October%202005/Reunion%20Banquet/McNieceMiller.jpg[/img]

Jack Miller, Jake McNeice, Mrs. McNeice, and Jack Miller Jr.

[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/RobertVanderpool/WWII%20Related%20Ceremonies/Camp%20Toccoa%20Reunion%20-%20October%202005/Reunion%20Banquet/ColorGuard.jpg[/img]

The Color Guard

[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/RobertVanderpool/WWII%20Related%20Ceremonies/Camp%20Toccoa%20Reunion%20-%20October%202005/Reunion%20Banquet/BritishStableBuilders.jpg[/img]

These four guys are the Brits that were primarily responsible for the disassembly and reassembly of the Aldebourne Stable. The guy on the far right was a real cut up.

Here’s a picture of me and the General. How often in one’s life do they get the chance to meet a 4 star General right? So I had to take the opportunity and get a picture.

[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/RobertVanderpool/WWII%20Related%20Ceremonies/Camp%20Toccoa%20Reunion%20-%20October%202005/Reunion%20Banquet/RobbiewithGeneral.jpg[/img]

General Dan McNeil had a pretty impressive resume over his 30 year + military career and he once served as commanding officer of the 82nd Airborne Divison. His speech at the banquet was excellent.

I especially liked the story he told of General Maxwell Taylor and of a 4 year old French girl who died during an artillery bombardment in Carentan. The people of the village came out to give thanks to the Americans who had recently liberated them and during the ceremony a 4 year old girl was hit by incoming artillery and died in General Taylor’s arms. Apparently this so affected General Taylor that every year thereafter up until his death, missing only three years during the Vietnam conflict, he returned to France and laid flowers on the little girls grave. Amazing story. Apparently this past year, Jake McNeice took the honor and placed the flowers on the girl’s grave for General Taylor.

More to Follow....

After the Banquet on Saturday Night we headed over to the VFW for a few drinks. I think it is best to quote Buckeye and say that the event was certainly “surreal”. Somehow we managed to escape the Saturday Night Toccoa Social Scene with our lives and dignity still in tact.

Sunday was a relatively quiet day around Toccoa as most every was heading home. There was a rememberance ceremony at the Paratroopers monument. I showed up a little early and took a few pictures of the monument before the people arrived for the ceremony.













More to Follow...

And then they had a nice little ceremony remembering the soldiers of Camp Toccoa. Highlight was the placing of a wreath in honor of “Jumping” Joe Byerle who passed away last year.









[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/RobertVanderpool/WWII%20Related%20Ceremonies/Camp%20Toccoa%20Reunion%20-%20October%202005/Rememberance%20Ceremony/JumpingJoeWreathTwo.jpg[/img]

More to follow…

After the Ceremony I spent some time looking around the area that used to be Camp Toccoa. There is basically nothing left of the original camp as the area has been turned into and industrial park. I was told by one of the locals that there is one original building still left standing however. That is this building here, which used to be the mess hall…

[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/RobertVanderpool/WWII%20Related%20Ceremonies/Camp%20Toccoa%20Reunion%20-%20October%202005/Camp%20Toccoa%20Remnants/MessHall.jpg[/img]

Here is another look at the mess hall building peering down ‘Camp Road’…

[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/RobertVanderpool/WWII%20Related%20Ceremonies/Camp%20Toccoa%20Reunion%20-%20October%202005/Camp%20Toccoa%20Remnants/CampRoad.jpg[/img]

And here is a look at the Parade Ground….

[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/RobertVanderpool/WWII%20Related%20Ceremonies/Camp%20Toccoa%20Reunion%20-%20October%202005/Camp%20Toccoa%20Remnants/ParadeGroundTwo.jpg[/img]

Yes, what used to be open space used for marching and drill is now a pine forest.

After looking around for a bit I took a hike up Currahee and took some of the photos from my first post. After that I bid Toccoa farewell just after noon and I headed out towards Fort Benning to visit the Infantry Museum. (Unfortunately for me the next day was a holiday and the Infantry Museum was closed.) But as I was leaving town I took one last picture of this…

[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/RobertVanderpool/WWII%20Related%20Ceremonies/Camp%20Toccoa%20Reunion%20-%20October%202005/Miscellaneous/WWIIMemorialIntersection.jpg[/img]

I found it intriguing as there were no other monuments nor memorials at the intersection. It was basically just your plain old run of the mill T-intersection. Just another example of Toccoa paying tribute to those men who left there long ago…

And thats it.....I'm going to sleep now.....

Good pics EB, I'll have to get my people get with your people and do an email swap of our photos. Sucks that the Infantry Museum was cerrado though.




You had to get that second beer...

Great report and well done!

I was a bit of an athlete in the past so respect to you for doing the challenge I know it couldn't have been easy.

As a matter of interest what was the average time for the Airborne to run Curahee (without army noodles and ketchup)? Obsessed with PB's myself.

Ian

Really interesting seeing the area where the camp stood. Excellent stuff.

What a great report congratulations Rob.
I was jealous of you getting to talk to Jake Mc Nasty !
I still want to know about his saying "as drunk as $900" I would have asked him what that meant.
I would like to think I could do a 1hr run - I`d love to give it a go.

great stuff mate.

very interesting report fella, wish i could see the place for myself

Golden quality report, give the man a medal !

Thanks for the great photos! It's looks like you had an awesome time, your reports are great! Again thanks for the photos, especially the ones of the 517th parts of the memorial!!

Paige

Excellent pictures and narrative. This is good stuff.

Y'know, if it wasn't for posts like these from EmmersonBigguns, combining contemporary pursuits with historical places of interest, and posts such as Andy's (Ham & Jam), a mine of information who has introduced some our resident WWII veterans and who never ceases to uncover gems of stories old and new, some forgotten, some never told ... y'know, I happen to think it would be rather dull round here.

More of the same please!

Steve

Yep!
That's what got me hooked - Quality posts and the veterans contributions. Great site for research and links to other history sites as well. Good natured bunch too.

I read somewhere once that the course record for up and down in the 1940's was around 42 minutes. If that holds true I bet the average time was probably 48-50 without Combat Gear and probably around an hour with Combat gear. These are just guesses though. I too would like to know the actual times.

I think it would have been awfully hard to run that mountain and maintain formation while doing it. Especially the last mile on both the upwards slope and the first mile on the downwards slope. Gravity works awfully hard against you. Discipline is the key, but I bet it was still awfully hard.

The overall winner of this year's race was just over 35 minutes. That guy was flying, as that is well under a 6 minute mile pace. I don't ever want to run that fast!

6 minutes per 2200 meter? Was this gent a young man?? must have a strong heart whoever it was.

The overall winner was 27 years old and he finished in a time of 35 minutes and 32 seconds. I'm guessing he has run 10K's before.

Click here to see the race results, finishing times, age groups, etc...

I would either be dead or still running now Rob if I tried, a hearty congratualtions mate.


Andy

I just want to give you a very sincere "thank you" for sharing yet another of your experiences with us. Your pictures are excellent, and you really do allow us to live the experience with you.

Great report EB! That must have been a very special feeling: running up currahee! Well done!

The winning time of that 12 year old boy... did it differ much from the average paratroopers-time? Just wondering.

I just found an article on History.net where Dick Winters describes Currahee and more. Here is the excerpt about Currahee...



Training started right away, and there was this Currahee Mountain that we had to run up and down. It was wicked, a real killer. But Currahee was terrific, as it became a test for all the men and officers. Everyone had to run up it -- walk actually, in what we called the "airborne shuffle." It was equal for every man, every officer. Nobody was getting by with a thing. Everybody was being treated the same.

'Airborne Shuffle' indeed.....

Here is a link to the entire Article


source: history.net

Well done Robert. That's a superb effort but I dont remember the telecoms masts being in the film!

The stables look good as well. I saw them in Aldbourne last year just before they got shipped across. Shame they couldn't be preserved in situ but at least they've gone to an appreciative audience.

Again, well done

Andy M

Absolutely!

Great, EB! Thanks for sharing the run pictures--pat yourself on the back for reaching your goals.
That red Georgia clay!--I'm so glad you had good weather for your visit. (makes me kick myself again for not making it...)

Sounds like you had an amazing weekend! The pictures are wonderful - I felt like I was there.

Taccoa is still on my list of things to see, though I think a nice walk up would do for me!

Congratulations on achieving your goals as well!



Jill

Good on you, EB!! And thanks for posting all the excellent photos.

Robert, Thanks very much for the great report. It sure sounds as though you all had a great time. I must apologize for shifting you mid-post. Another reason for always writing in word processing and then dropping your finished post into the addreply window. We’ve all lost stuff working online.

I was unaware that the Aldbourne Stable project had advanced to that stage. Lucky you to have been there for their unveiling! Those British guys are really to be commended for the work they did. More than a handful of people conspired to make sure those stable timbers weren’t chipped up for firewood! And there were several on this side of the pond who made sure that another museum piece would be a fixed part of the history of Toccoa. Your photos are terrific.

There are a couple of stories on this site about the disassembly of those structures, board by board, tagging and cataloging them to make sure they could be reassembled properly at the other end. And there are a few photos of the stacked timbers being palleted and crated and then lifted onto a USAF craft charged with bringing them over.

I believe the name of the fellow from Aldbourne who filled in our information is Neil Stevens – I’ll have to look for the thread. In any case, it’s great to see that project come to fruition. Thanks so much for going early, staying late and getting those shots without people in the way. Looks great!

As for running Currahee, the feat continues to be a sort of rite of passage for young Hoo-ahs. You can count yourself among those who have conquered the beast. It’s great that Currahee is still there for people to employ in challenging themselves as a tribute to those boys of the early 40s.

So many of the paratrooper eyewitness books I’ve read over the years really hit that physical training concept hard. They regard it as the keystone of the success of these “tip of the spear” troops. They were driven beyond themselves and anything they might have considered their peak. Not one of them will tell you that all that PT was less than responsible for their survival in the end. Physically and psychologically, those young men were among the best we had.

Great report, Robert. Thanks. BK

BTW, in the photo of the Brits who disassembled the stables, the lad second from the right is a young Sowerby. He was among the folks who guided us around Aldbourne on the BOB Tour in 2002. His father, former Mayor of Aldbourne, was a tour guide. And his mother told us about her time as a prisoner of the Japanese, having been imprisoned as a child in Macao at the outset of WWII.

More on the BoB Tour thread that BK just bumped.

EB, great photos. Well done.

Great Photo's I would love to run that race one of these years!

A big THANK YOU to everyone for the kind words. I'm glad you all enjoyed the photos.

http://forums.wildbillguarnere.com/index.php?showtopic=3164

Here's the thread with all the links to the Aldbourne Stables stories.

http://www.toccoahistory.com/Stable%20Fund.htm The disassembly and shipment of the stables. Even USAF got involved!! BK

Ron - Great photos of a great weekend. Looking at them brought back a lot of fabulous memories. It was a pleaseure to finally meet you in person at the book signing. My one regret is that I did not have a chance to freshen up before going there. I had been almost 16 hours on the train getting there, and was on the go from the time I arrived. My hotel room was not ready yet and I felt bedraggled and thoroughly wilted when I got to the book signing. But we all survived.

Again - wonderful report on the festivities at Toccoa.

Hey Larry! Thanks for signing my books. Your day long trip into town may have been un-nerving, but you'll have to admit you had great seats at the book signing. I think those lovely young Toccoa ladies were following Buckeye67 and me as we saw them everywhere all weekend. It's a shame you had to pull out after the banquet on Saturday. You missed a mildy frightening experience at the VFW. It was fun though!

Rob:

What a wonderful account you presented to all of us. Thanks so much. The photos were spectacular and gave me a real feel for what you encountered on your trip. Sure was inspiring for me to get out of bed this morning and read your post first thing. Ya, not like I'm doing much though... Still sitting here typing when I should be out on my morning walk.

I loved your touching story regarding Gen Taylor and the little 4 year old girl at Carentan. What a magnificent effort on his part.

Saw the photo of Mark Bando. Just had the pleasure of watching his videos at the 101st meeting this week in Michigan. He showed us how he just earned his WINGS recently. I admire him for doing so. Me, I still like my feet on the ground.

Thanks again. Really enjoyed this post.

Actually, the two young girls were the daughters of the president of the Stephen's County Historical Society, and were not really following me, doggone it.

Anyway, people keep mentining the VFW. I was there Friday but not Saturday. What happened?

Nothing happened outside of a little culture shock. Sorry to get everyone in a fuss. Without a doubt the entire weekend was fantastic. I may even have to move to Toccoa and donate hours after hours of time to the Stephens County Historical Society now that you mention it...

Congratulations on running Currahee! I thoroughly enjoyed the photojournal of your weekend in Toccoa. Great stuff, like others have said I felt like I was there. Now I want to go and maybe even run (who am I kidding, I mean walk) Currahee myself. Maybe next year...

Thanks for taking the time to share your amazing weekend with all of us.

Crystal

Thank you Robbie. ..I dont know where I have been the last 4 months that I missed this one. Thanks to Crysatl for putting the link in her Curahee adventure. Amazing photos and our recollections are wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing this. I wish I was younger or maybe in better shape I dont think I could ever accomplish this climb now... Thanks again for sharing this Cindy

De rien. Memories..... .....

What does that mean, Robbie?

It means....."My bucket has a hole in it, and I can't buy no beer..." ... ...

Seriously though, it means "you are welcome" en francais...

Being long overdue on catching up on some of the great stories, I’m glad to have found both this account and Crystal’s. You have both tremendously related your experiences on Currahee. I had hoped to be there for the weekend along with one of my younger friends but the constraints of work prohibited it from happening and judging from the projections for this year, I may again miss it. Someday....someday.

I liked your description of the grade at the top because that is truly what it seems like. Those last two curves are quite intimidating and I was beginning to wonder if I would make it. And I was walking! But once you get to the pinnacle it is worth every minute of it. There is also such a feeling of serenity from the overlook and you can sit there and reflect on so much. Imagining the young men whose lives depended on their training, the hustle and bustle of the camp, the beauty of the vista, being oh so glad that you didn’t eat Army noodles with ketchup and thinking of just how many people have made the trip just as yourself and Crystal to pay homage to people we can never adequately honor.

Then there is also the euphoria of lying back on the rocks to catch your breath as your legs are burning and your lungs are crying out for oxygen. (Reminds me of the time I ran up Moro Rock in the Sierra Nevadas of California.) It seems to be with reluctance you begin your journey back down the mountain but with a bit more pep in your step knowing you just achieved one of your dreams. Of course, it is easier when you’re going downhill.

I commend you both and seeing your pictures was enough to both make my legs ache yet eager to return. Think I’m going to go dig out my video of the trip now.

Great job, great job!!

Robert.

I saw on the first page a picture from Mark Bando with the subtitle: The infamous Mark Bando. I met Mark together with Don Burgett in September in Bastogne and I have to say, that man has so much information about world war 2. You can't believe that someone can remember so much. I don't mean things which are only standing in books but he also knows so many places. Exact spots!!! He can put the car to the side of the road and he knows exactly what happened there and what you can see.

Why do you call him the infamous Mark Bando. Maybe he is a little bit different than other people but we all are different.

Regards,

Frank

Sorry Frank. I didn't mean anything personable against Mr. Bando. The term 'infamous' was being used in sarcasm as he seems to have a reputation I don't think he really deserves due to his apparent rough exterior. You are right, he is a wealth of information and he is a nice guy once you get to talking to him. I met him in Toccoa and had a really great conversation with him. I sometimes forget sarcasm is not as easily recognized on the internet. I apologize to you for the confusion, and to Mr. Bando for any percieved insult.

You don't need to apologize for that Robert. I have had the same problems with sarcasm.

Regards,

Frank