but I will admit giving up my season tickets was difficult, but wise. Getting rid of most of my "stuff" and considering leaving the Emerald Coast in the summers and head west for cooler weather in the mountains. Girlfriend works in Johnson City now, she just left Pensacola, so that is difficult for us both. Life changes. I still follow the Vols and love them, just not so closely.

imagine. Get the shot. It's worth it. Also get the pneumonia shot. Just hope you never get the rabies series like I had to go through. And no they are not in the stomach, but it weeks long and lot's of injections. I mean lot's. I think I had 12 the first night in the ER. and then each week you come back for more. 

and Susan isn't that bad on the guitar either. They have a 3 night stand the 23,24,25 of Feb. at the Warner Theater in DC. They are with Billy Payne and the survivors of "Little Feat" and are rumored to be doing a lot of "Little Feat" music. I would love to hear Susan sing "Willin"

Redrocks makes me want to move back to Colorado. I miss that place, a lot.  

Butch sadly committed suicide. For a southern kid of my generation the Allman Brothers were THE band. I saw Gregg Allman this past summer in a small venue (350 seats) and he was great. Unfortunately Gregg had to be helped on and off the stage but he put on a great show. I'm glad I got to see him. He has some serious health issues.

On a side note.........Derek Trucks (Butch's Nephew) and his wife Susan Tedeschi have the best touring band in the business. I have seen them 3 times in the past 18 months. I have seen a lot of bands and that's the best live performance I have seen in years. Go see Tedeschi/Trucks Band if you get the chance. Look kids! Real artists with real instruments! Watch them play!

I miss radio like that. There is a station I volunteered for in Utah many years ago called KRCL. Way ahead of it's time and still going strong today. It was all volunteers and each show was unique and unscripted. Great story telling done on many of those shows along with great music that never made it to commercial radio.
 

The auto renewal process, I had a fight over that, but if you just call each year and haggle the price it has always been knocked down for me. I like Sirius/XM because I love to discover lots of new music. A lot of the "DJ"'s are musicians themselves. Lately I have been listening to channel 60 Outlaw Country. Don't let that fool you. Lot's of great music on Outlaw Country, depending on who is on the Mic. 

For those who remember I am an Air Force veteran. Dee was an electric Quarterback at the AF Academy in the Eighties and was a lot of fun to watch in those days. Dee was killed early Tuesday morning in a traffic accident. He was 48.

Have not been around in a "coon's  age" as they say. Unfortunately I have a prayer request. We had a deputy, Bill Meyer of the Okaloosa County Florida Sheriff's office  (64 years old and a 25 year vet) shot and killed at an attorneys office regarding a domestic violence issue. The shooter was shot and killed after a stand off in a hotel in Niceville (where I live). Please pray for Bill and his family and for that matter pray for Joel Smith the man who shot him and was subsequently killed. I am sure his family and friends are hurting also. Sorry for bringing that up but it never hurts. Thank you and I hope you all are well and Go Vols.

Such a young guy and good guy by all accounts. Prayers for a great Vol.

for sale. When I renewed after many years away I opted for a single seat. I will probably attend three-four home games this year. Just send a message through the board and I will post if I am going to make it to the game or not. I am still undecided on which games I will attend. I will be out west some this winter and will be too far away too make it to all games.

but they will get me in the game.

a few days ago while watching the CWS. I'm 54 almost 55 and I remember baseball being much different. So much of professional baseball is Latin American dominated now. The big money comes quickly in basketball and football for most guys. Many good football players in college were pretty good baseball players but did not want to take the time it takes for some to build the skills in a farm system. Ironically college teams seem to be more and more suburban,rural white and Hispanic kids that are attending college for the right reasons and many are not on scholarship. I grew playing organized BASEBALL in what is called Khoury league baseball. I played on three teams at once, Khoury league, High School, and American Legion. Now a days kids are on "traveling teams" that are serious about baseball and their parents spend thousands per year to support them. It has really changed.

and remember how bad it was. It's remarkable how the downtown has revitalized. A lot of larger cities are experiencing an influx of retired baby boomer who do not lawns to take care of when they can take a taxi or walk practically anywhere. I like some of the downtown areas of Nashville.

of my generation and imho second only to Ted Williams. In twenty years of baseball, he only struck out 434 times! unreal. As good as he was, he was a better person.
 

**

Anyone who has had to deal with the Department of Veterans Affairs knows and has known for decades how utterly corrupt and inept they are and will continue to be. The only thing to do is start filing criminal charges against high ranking officials within the VA. That will never happen. Right now Obama is peeing down my back and telling me "It's just raining" just like they all have done with the VA. I fought them for a total of eight years until my claim was approved and I was lucky. 

to expect others to be there for her. I know many have. I hate it that one day Pat will not remember all the history she wrote.

and now I understand why she is having so much trouble and has in the past. Her mother was a drunk and her Grandmother took the children. Her Mom is certifiable bat shizzle crazy and Grandma ain't much different. Chamique has a lot of baggage and I just pray she gets her life together. I hope Pat has reached out to her to try to get her act together.

great TV and especially the writing that Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey have to work with. McConaughey as Detective Rustin Cohle is down right frightening. It is some of the best writing and acting I have seen in years. Only 3 episodes in and it's crazy. 

films (such as Blazin' Saddles) and as to why he did not appear in the classic (my favorite comedy of all time) "Young Frankenstien". He said Gene Wilder told him he would not do the film unless Brooks promised to not appear. Wilder hated Brooks doing crazy stuff like he did off the cuff in Blazin' Saddles.

Thank you Peyton and to all the doubters, well I can't say it here.   

The first episode was great. The writing (at least in this first episode) is outstanding. If you have HBO, watch the "making of True Detective". That will give you some background on the story. I look for this series to be a lock for award winning Television.

In my honest opinion Marcus Luttrell got it right and Peter Berg did a masterful job of putting on the big screen. Actually I don't know how they kept from killing the actors or stuntmen in this film. I just about could not keep watching at points because the body shots these guys took. If you have HBO watch "The making of Lone Survivor". Peter Berg even comments jokingly (paraphrasing): "I'll kill some stuntmen, we will get it right". I think that is what I got from this story. I have read the book twice listened to Marcus in person (Pensacola NAS, Naval Aviation Museum) & that truely is what Marcus wanted. He wanted his friends remembered. This may sound funny, but I think it's a story of about real friendship, love and brotherhood. I remember hearing Luttrell answer an audience question about the quote you hear so often with this film "You are never out of the fight". Marcus said he would hope people could take away that part of the film and apply it to their own lives. I think that is probably the greatest thing to take from this film. Get into the fight. That could apply in many ways. Go see it if only to honor the memory of the many lost in this operation. For me it is much more than a war movie and yes it is a movie and certain things are edited and compressed. Don't get in the weeds over it if you read the book and do some research you will find that was admittedly done and it is done well.         

and he was one. Good grief why?

 for the tailgate and game. Lock your doors and hide the women and children  !! I look forward to seeing many old faces and meet some new folks. Thank you all and return to your regular activity. PanhandleVol out.