ISSUE 1

Billy knows what it’s all about…

Recently the following people have asked me a question:

My boss Jay,

one of my good friends Mike Dalby,

his wife Kym,

my intern Kristen,

coworker David,

best friends Joe,

his fiance Ann,

Joanna’s friend Sean,

Joanna’s friend Michelle

my poker buddy Wawfuls aka Marshall and

one of my best friends Mitchell  and Kerri all have asked me and Joanna

THE QUESTION!

And I have the answer for you all. (more…)

the doc still wants to remove the growths.

Ok, I’m going to say it only once.  I have lipomas in me.  Its how I carry my fat.  Ten years ago I had one removed and it was found to be benign. Before Christmas I had a massage because of the stress of the holidays and work.  I had an unsually large amount of stress in my back.  When the therapist was relieving the stress in my back she noticed a twinkee sized lipoma on my left size near my ribs subcutaneously.

“You should have that checked out,” she told me.

So I did, first thing when I returned from vacation was go to the doctor, and he examined me.

“Didn’t we have one of  these removed?” the doc asked me as he checked my records.

“Yes, ten years ago,” I said not really worried cause he said then not to worry about them.

“Well, I used to not be worried about these lipomas, but last year I saw a woman who had lipomas just like you.  We had them removed because they were causing her pain and one of them was cancerous.  I learned from her to take these seriously because she died after a 6 month painful battle. I want to send you have a surgical consultation,” that was said to me as he prescribed the usualy antibiotics for my sinus infection.

I haven’t been sleeping well since that pronouncement.

Yesterday I went to go see the surgeon.  And he was amazed by the number of these lipomas I have.  BUT he wasn’t concerned about the stomach or the back.  He was more concerned about a mass of these lipomas on my upper right arm.  He addressed a umbilical hernia that I had and said that all could be fixed in an outpatient treatment.

“We should schedule it this week,” he said.

There was no option, no delay.

But after examining me he wanted me to have my gall bladder checked.  So this morning I went had blood work done, as well as an ekg.  Nothing funnier to a radiologist tech than asking “Mamm, is my baby going to make it?” while she is looking at the screen.

She tried not to laugh but failed.

After research and the great consultation by Doc Chako, I have nothing to worry about. They are nothing, I have nothing to worry about and I will be back at work on Monday.

Mom and Dad are coming up to make sure I am ok after the surgery and also to probably throw stuff away in my house.

If Doc Chako isn’t worried, then I’m not worried.

I just didn’t want to tell everything until I knew more than what I did the last couple of days.  And Marshall, I’m still expecting my money.

Yes, it is a New Year and I would normally do a lot of things, but I changed my mind and did nothing today. Yup, NOTHING.  Joanna and I had a wonderful dinner last night at Stella’s, she had the Shrimp and Scallop Linguine while I had a sausage and cheese stuffed manicotti.  One of my best friends Joe Woodyard and his fiance Ann were in town and we spent the night playing games, Cranium, even though the clay had died on us we had a great time.

Then the challenge came.  We started to play hearts and the tossing of the queen of spades was everywhere as no one wanted her.  I made a valiant effort to shoot the moon and was denied by Joe who then uttered the words…

“No one will shoot the moon tonight.”

The challenge was there and I had to take it.  I had the ultimate hand to start 6 hearts and a three low with the top three hearts after the queen and 4 of hearts were passed to me.  I also had the Ace and 4 of spades and ace king of clubs plus the Top 3 diamonds.  I knew that if I could get the biatch first then it would be mine.  After taking the first trick with the King of clubs I through out the 4 of spades.  If the queen wasn’t given to someone else, then I was home free.

Joanna and everyone sloughed off and when someone lead with spades and I through the Ace out, I thought Joanna’s eyes were filled with glee and she through it down.

Then I started the punishment!

When it was all done, Joe knew he was doomed.

“You let him shoot the moon!”

Actually Joe, you did.

Never put something in my mind that can’t be done.

This morning Joanna made sausage balls and I made bacon and eggs and we fed Joe and Ann before they started the trip to hell, I mean Kansas.  By the way, I love you guys, but K-State SUCKS!

After we said out goodbyes this morning and Joe and Ann were on their way at 11A we went back to sleep.  I mean who VOLUNTARILY gets up at 8 a New Years Day?  We slept till 3 and then Joanna went home to get stuff accomplished at the apartment while I got up to watch the second half of the Nebraska Clemson game.  Dad and Mom stopped watching it after it was 14-3 and I kept calling them, trying to get them to watch it.

Finally I tempted dad and he and I were excited when Nebraska won.  I am glad they won because Dad believes in Bo Pelini.  He did a great job versus Texas Tech this year and I am dreading the return trip to Nebraska.  Bo does good.

I called Joanna and we went to Dinner and a Movie.  We saw Yes Man.

I would like to say that I hated the movie, but I can’t.  There were people in the movie saying Yes! everytime someone in the film yelled yes.  That got annoying but the film is cute.  It’s a one watcher though.  Some of the bits, you just can’t see happening again and again, though Persian wife finder dot com, now that’s RICH!

I give it the standard 3 stars.  Not enough to make me see it again, but I would recommend people go see it.

Tomorrow I work during the Cotton Bowl. UGH.

Today we spent the majority of the day watching for santa.  Yes St. Nick was on his yearly ride across the world and Shelby, Ryan and I were watching http://www.noradsanta.org to see the entire adventure.  We watched the great cgi videos and examined different places around the world.  As Santa hit the east coast Ryan came up to me and asked,

Daddy,

Is there really a Santa Claus?

and I read him the great New York Sun Editorial …

Dear Editor,

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon

115 West Ninety-Fifth Street

 

 

---

  

 

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove?

Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart.

Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus?

Thank God, he lives, and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

 

Yes Ry Ry, there is a Santa Claus!

From the University of Texas Crime Watch Web Page :

From the UT Crime Report : DKR- TEXAS MEMORIAL STADIUM, 2200 Robert Dedman

Robbery: Several UT staff members, faculty, students, and Texas Ex’s discovered a fraction of a percentage point had been taken and was transported across state lines. The percentage point was discovered north of the Red River at the campus of another Big 12 South University.

HAHAHAHAHAhAHAAHAHH  STOP THIEFFFF!

When the UT crime blog mentions the hosing that UT got it’s PURE COMEDY!

C World has put out the list of the Top 11 Lamest blogs http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27792365/ has the list.  But during this holiday season I thought I would put out the Instant Donahue list of

The Elite 8′s

Yup, lists in eight of things I love, hate etc…

Let’s start it off..  See the other sets at http://www.instanttragedy.com

Elite 8 Blog/Rss Feeds

This award goes to the Top 8 blogs/rss feeds that I will check before anything else .

8. I will teach you to be rich -It’s a personal finance blog for college students, recent graduates and everyone else — including entrepreneurship — for getting rich.  I read it to help remind me about the little things that I could be doing to help me save money, for vacations and things for my kids. “Action is more important than reading 50 blogs.”- Ramit Sethi   And thus it’s one of the Elite 8.

7. Dilbert – DUH.  In the land of cubical hell he encompasses all the pointy head bosses in the world.

6. Blog Maverick – Mark Cuban’s blog is filled with promotion of his HD enterprises and his unique take on everything.  Not many people would explain why they are investigation by the SEC.  And he’s a MFFL.  Go Mavericks!

5. I can’t believe I ate the whole thing – Astin is a culinary GENIUS.  Though I am still waiting for his recipe for Egg Bread, he always has a unique and delicious way to look at things.

4. The life and thoughts of a midwest geek – Tim is a man who has a bunch of blogs, a bunch of kids and a lot of heart.  He is the reason I’ve been looking at Digital SLR cameras again.

3. Gcox – Though he has been busy with hunting, karaoke and work.  Gary is my brother from another mother.  Even though he is an okie and roots for Boomer Sooner, which has to be the STUPIDEST Fight song ever.  What you sing Boomer Sooner over and over again? Sheesh.  I will sing it at Okie Vegas but I will insist on NO VIDEO/AUDIO.  There is a limit to my shame.

2. (tie) The Wife and Doc Chako – Yup, you can’t have one without the other.  I alternate which one I open first since there are some days where I don’t feel like “ladies first”.  The Doc is always there with a grin whether it be a poker story or the opportunity to make you smile with a OOPSY!  The Wife’s pictures are always one where I had wished I took myself.

1. Bam-Bam – A brother of mine, no we’re not related, but the time we spent in Vegas talking and his offers to help me with anything I needed to get Doc Chako’s guitar ready is just a mere portion of the man.  Though I love the Frantic Fridays and the ability for him to tap in and let me into his life, he is an older brother to me.

Elite Friends

This award goes to the Top 8 blogs/rss feeds that are my friends that I haven’t mentioned above.

8. Evy’s Top Pair – Hellooooo Nurse!

7. Riggstad’s Nut Straight – We had a vision, and it will come true soon.

6. Poker Stage – Falstaff is the man.  When people don’t want to do something, he is there.  When it needs to be done, he is there.  When you are tired and exhausted needing a drink… he is there.

5. oossuuu – Not many people depend on you to get the hardest ticket in town then after watching his team lose come and help mount a big screen tv. A scholar and a gentlemen.

4. Dead Money = SirAlCantHang – Ever since he was put on “Vacation” the blog seems like its lost its fuel.  But I have a feeling that the blogger gathering in december will put him back onto a topless woman state of mind.

3. Everyone else that I haven’t mentioned yet.

2. Poker and other Stuff - My friend Recess has had a hard year.  I feel for him and remind him that the greatest joys are around the corner.

1. The Poker Enthusiast - Dusty is a hell of a man and I consider him one of my best friends. He listens without judgment and offers advice when I don’t need it but I should listen to it anyway.

Joanna and I are about ready to head to Dennis Simmons and his wife’s Kristy’s house for Thanksgiving.  There will be Air Hockey, Spades, good food and maybe we’ll stay and watch the Texas A&M / UT (Just a small 39-33 Reminder April).

Today I have to tell you that I am so thankful for my family. I don’t get to see them as much as I would like to because of work and a small amount of distance but I talked to everyone (cept Kelly  cause she hasn’t talked to me since Tech beat A&M) and I realized how lucky a man I am.

In tough economic client : I have a job.

In times where people are losing their homes : I have mine almost finished remodeling it.

In times of hunger around the world: I have plenty to eat.

In times where people can’t afford transportation : I have a car

There are people without those who care : I am loved.

I consider myself a lucky man…

Thank You.

“Look Sir, I don’t want the Ficus”

Tuesday night I went to United Supermarkets to renew my car registration.  It’s easier for me to get to because I rarely have time during the week to get to the DMV to get it done.  United is the place to skip the long lines with weird people and just get registration renewals done EASY!

So, there wasn’t a line and I was SOOO Excited.  In an out EASY RIGHT?

WRONG!

First the “MANAGER” couldn’t remember his access code to the DMV, so he had to ask one of his bosses to login.

TICK TICK TICK…

Finally he starts to process the renewal and my luck there is a line of people behind me, and I’M holding up the line because the renewal is taking a bit.

So I have the check, pre-made out for the exact amount of the renewal with a $5 bill in my hand to pay the service charge of a dollar.

“That will be $91.40 sir,” the Manager said to me.

“Um my registration is only supposed to be $70.80 sir,” I said wondering what charges he had put on there.

“Don’t you want the ficus sir?”

“What Ficus?” I started to look around seeing if there was a ficus plant somewhere near me. “I don’t want a ficus. I’m not paying for a ficus,” I said as I started to get annoyed.

A woman in line behind me said, “Well , you shouldn’t get the ficus if you don’t pay for it.”

“Look Mamm, I don’t want the ficus, I am bad with plants I have killed Ficus, or Fici in the past. I don’t want a Ficus,” I said getting even more annoyed.

“So you don’t want the Ficus sir, ” the Manager said to me.

“I’m not paying for a ficus that I don’t want sir.”

“Then don’t buy the ficus,” the lady behind me crows.

“Please, let me handle this mamm,” I said as I turned to the manager. “One Renewal, no Ficus.”

15 MINUTES later , I leave with registration renewal and the desire to eliminate FICI from the United Database.

From MSNBC :

Vick needs to find an NFL team to take a chance
‘I hope they’re prepared to face the dog lovers of America’

Hmmm Maybe the Cleveland Browns?  There’s no better place than the home of the DAWG pound.  When he gets frustrated he could kick a teammate.

Do we all make mistakes?  Yes.

Do we all deserve to recover?  Hell yes!

Does he deserve to make $13 million a year?  Well that depends on how he was able to “rehabilitate” in the Pokey if you know what I mean.

“Any time in prison is hell. Michael’s been punished. He knows what he did was wrong,” Vick’s lawyer Billy Martin said.

Let’s look at it with an open mind…

He was a dog killing bastard, which puts him below used car salesman in my book.  But he is bankrupt now, he probably won’t be able to get a job for any animal shelter.

Wait a minute.  Let Vick come back to the NFL.  But make 20% of his income go to animal shelters.  Make him have to do the three years that he is on probabtion as a guy who has to pick up dog poo.

I love it.

JUSTICE!

If you are squeemish, move over this post.  I’ll tell the story again some day when I am not on Rush Limbaugh Pez!

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