like this?
{{gwi:1378291}}

if so, I forget what this is called but its normal.. or at least I was told so... : )

Usually when something is blocking/limiting the flow of the vascular system, one sees the nodules produced. The blockage may be at the area just below where you see them and could be any number of things (drastic or just unfortunate) blocking flow. Hormonal signaling from the shoot tips is sent to the roots. When this hormone (auxin) is blocked the plants can start expressing root nodules when the auxin accumulates in those tissues.

It could be that something locally damaged that part of that vascular system of that stem - internal wounding, irregular cell growth - rather than a disease (fusarium, verticillium, several bacterial issues).

One disease that does like you described, but is often seen more in the mainstem, is called pith necrosis. It will do like you described. Pith necrosis can be expressed in other areas. It just depends on how it was brought in and where it "took". At a certain point in time one can see pith necrosis spread like this when stringing tomatoes with the Florida weave system. You can tell which plant it started on and which direction the worker was stringing as one side of the worst plant will be unaffected and the plants on the other side will have it but the severity will fade as you move away from the source plant.

In severe cases pith necrosis will later look like this:

The stems may split open an a secondary infection may show (usually decay organisms - white or black molds/fungus)

The pic from Buck is what is all over the base of the plant but the larvae looking thing is closer to the top. The pic from Mule is not what I am seeing. I realize Mule's pic is a a severe case snapshot so I'm not sure if my plants are just not there yet or if it is pith necrosis. If it is pith necrosis, is there a remedy?

I tried to grow some plants in an odd (for tomatoes) passive hydroponic system last year, and they developed severe BER and lots of nodules. They were not able to pull enough enough of the water/nutrients from the settup. It was an environmental stress (limited but consistent water availability) that mimicked Mule's internal vascular blockage model.

Those are roots growing above ground on the stem in Buck's picture. They start out as tiny green bumps.
Some plants do this when it's feet are too wet for too long.
Buck is correct.... It is normal. I do not know about the larvae looking thing. Good Luck! -Katie