Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2013, No.02 - Mystical Happenings in Denver

Beta Pi:

 

IS  BETA PI BLOG WITHOUT ANY REDEEMING SOCIAL OR ARTISTIC MERIT?:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YEA .   .   .   . or

NAY? 

 Beta Pi Blog’s purpose: to bring ATO, Beta Pi Chapter Brothers and ATO Gal-Pals together.  The blog is not to be taken seriously - it is meant for

fun. 

 

The Beta Pi Blog is non-political.  It includes

pictures, links, Archives of previous issues,

and other time-wasters.

To get there, go to web address: http://beta-pi-blog.blogspot.com

 *      *      *

I got a nice note from one of the All Time Greats, Brother Claude Cody, Class of 73. 

Claude had some work done to his home recently, and the Plumber had an interesting uniform . . . . . .

 

HAAAA!!  Thanks, Claude.  Some things never change, and I'm glad you appreciate sophisticated humor like this as much as I do!

*      *      *      *      *

MYSTICAL HAPENINGS IN DENVER

You know how sometimes things come together, where it seems surreal, like a coincidence, but it is just TOO UNCANNY, too impossibly lined up?   

 

As if Carnac the Magnificent had correctly given the answer, before he had opened the Mystic Envelope containing the question?
 

Well, this past week Ann and I took a trip to Denver to visit my son Andrew Simons.  We arrived on Wednesday, March 6th, rented a car and drove to the Embassy Suites Hotel in Englewood.  As we approached the counter to check in, I noticed a sign on the counter . . . .

 

“Guest of the Day – F. BILLER”

 

 

So I said to Ann “That is unreal, I wonder if it is Frank Biller, or just some loser named Frederick Biller or some German guy named Franz Biller, or some woman named Freda Biller?”  So, while Ann was asking the Attendant about it, I sent Buck a text:

 “Buck, we just checked into Embassy Suites in Denver, there is a sign that says “Guest of the Day – F. BILLER” – is it you, could it be true?”

About 10 minutes later, I get a call from Buck …

“Larry, there are only 3 people on the planet named Frank Biller, I googled it.  There is some semi-famous Canadian Hockey Player, some other guy from Brussels convicted in a Ponzi scheme, and me.  I’m here!”

So, I said – this is amazing, I get to be with my three most favorite people on the planet: my wife Ann, my son Andrew, and my closest and best friend Buck!

We mused that if the “Guest of the Day” sign had not been up when we check in, I would not have even known Buck was in Denver that day.  So to celebrate the event, we took pictures, along with the kind Attendant who selected Buck for the honor.

Looks like “The Thin Man” meets “Burl Ives” – yes?

 

 

That evening, we ran into Buck at the Lounge, and had dinner and talked old times!

Buck, I love you my Brother, it was great to have a chance meeting with you at Embassy Suites! (As I look at that, if you didn’t know Buck and I are best friends, that would sound like a “gay encounter”, yes?)

 

HIKING THE FOOTHILLS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

As I said, the purpose of the trip was to be with Andrew.  So, we love to hike, and we did it!

“And I shall call him . . . Mini-Me”
 

 

Gorgeous, and despite how it looks, it was not that cold.

 

We also hiked at Red Rocks Amphitheater,

a famous venue where great artists have played, including the Beatles and Frank Sinatra.  Awesome.

Andrew is a jazz musician, I'm sure he dreams of playing this venue someday!

 One word:  breathtaking!

JAZZ MUSIC IN FORT COLLINS

Andrew plays Bass in an Afro-Fusion Jazz Band called "By All Means Band."  The Band Leader is a drummer from Ghana, Africa.  The Band is popular in Denver, all original music, up-tempo, high energy, danceable.  Thursday, we drove an hour north of Denver to see them play in Fort Collins.

The show was opened by a Singer-songwriter named Ben Musser, who is a Vanderbilt Graduate, Class of 2003, he was a Pike.  Seriously, no joke.  Coincidence?  Talented guy.  His next gig . . . Pike's Peak.

Rowdy!

MORE JAZZ IN DENVER

Friday, they played a gig a popular downtown Denver spot called Appaloosa. It cooked!

 

The band never takes breaks, one song leads into the next, and the kids go crazy.  Here is a video.

 

*       *      *      *

HOW TO POST, OR  READ COMMENTS: Just click the button - Comments - below.

BETA PI BLOG ROSTER STATS:   As of March 14, 2013, the Blog roster stands at 115 Tick-a-lo men online who have e-mail addresses (plus 6 Brothers who do not have e-mail), and 14 ATO Gal-Pals.  The blog needs e-mail addresses, please share!

VTL,

Larry Simons
Beta Pi, 72

 

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2013, No.01 - In the presence of greatness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beta Pi:

IS  BETA PI BLOG WITHOUT ANY REDEEMING SOCIAL OR ARTISTIC MERIT?:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YEA .   .   .   . or

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAY? 

 

Beta Pi Blog’s purpose: to bring ATO, Beta Pi Chapter Brothers and ATO Gal-Pals together.  The blog is not to be taken seriously - it is meant for

 

 

fun. 

The Beta Pi Blog is non-political.  It includes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

pictures, links,

 

Archives of previous issues,

 

 

and other time-wasters.

To get there, go to web address: http://beta-pi-blog.blogspot.com

*      *      *

THE 2012 MUSIC CITY BOWL
 
In the presence of greatness . . . THE DORES! 

Of course, the minute Vanderbilt became Bowl Eligible; Ann announced HER decision . . . “We ARE going to the Bowl, wherever it is.”  You learn after many years of trial and error, the river flows in a certain direction, best to go with the flow.  And, I wanted to go too – seeing as how history was in the making, Vandy being in a Bowl two years straight.

It began to unfold with Buck Biller committing. Then, I found myself at the Music City Bowl, with my beautiful wife Ann, and my best friend Buck.

 

Also present were Ann’s daughter Maggie Hunt and her two buddies Webb and Kelly.

 

It was a COLD-ASS DAY, but a great day for football!

 

Points began mounting on the board – the Dores looking good!  We actually discussed the noticeable absence of the “same old Vandy” syndrome experienced by fans in the old days, when – after a good thing happened – we robotically thought “that’s great, won’t be long ‘til they screw up again.”  We were in the presence of greatness, thankful for our Coach, thankful we were being taught that greatness IS not only possible, it is REALITY for the Dores.

 

Titan Stadium was PACKED with Dore Fans!  It was a beautiful thing to behold.

 

The day BELONGED to Vandy!  GLORY DAYS!

    *      *      *      *

NEW YEARS EVE

In the presence of greatness . . . ABER, HEME & STUBBY! 

 

Lorenzo Bozino, The Heme, Frank J. Bucko Billerisimo.  Notice how old and decrepit Buck and I look compared to THE HEME (even though Heme is two years our senior)?

 

So in the run up to the Bowl, I got e-mails, calls and text messages from ATO Vandy Football Greats GEORGE TOMLINSON, GEORGE ABERNATHY and CORY CLARK!  We arranged a little dinner get together, for old time’s sake. 

 And then, ABER showed up! Somehow, the camera caught me with a cheese-mo look on my mug.

When CORY “STUBBS” CLARK showed up, the place “lit up” – due to his Esquire hair style.  It was like "Radio-Head" except it was "Radioactive-Headf!"

 

We all behaved as gentlemen, because ABER had his lovely wife Kimberly and daughter Kristen - whom he dubbed “the red-heads” – join us.  Lovely ladies both, I was awed, being a former red-head myself.

 

In these blurry pictures of ATO’s – which looks somewhat like “Ye Olde Dutch Masters” everyone except yours’ truly was extremely well-lit (because I am full time designated driver).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buck Biller led us all in the ATO Prayer.  A good time was had by all.



 

BONUS STORY:  Buck took the opportunity to ask Heme how he got nicknamed “The Heme.”

BETA PI BLOG UNLEASHES A NEW FEATURE . . .

RARE & FORGOTTEN TICK  LORE FOR THE ANALS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 So . . . is the fanfare done yet?  The Heme then proceeded to recount IN HIS OWN WORDS how during football workouts, his arm got injured. You could have heard a pin drop (not a pin-head, an actual pin):

 

“. . . you have to understand this certain move . . . when a 300 pound guy is coming at you . . . if you just hop a little bit, right before he hits you, and hit him here, with your right upper arm, while you are airborne, he ends up knocking you one step back, BUT HE GOES DOWN.  Once you understand that trick, GUYS GO DOWN.  But in the process of taking hits over and over on the right arm, same spot, my arm blew up like a balloon.   It was like I had a THIRD BICEP.  Some guys took me the ER, I felt like a freak of nature, and they x-rayed it, and told me nothing was broken, it was a HEMATOMA.   So after that, all my football buddies were coming up to me, patting my wound saying ‘Oh, how are you, how is ‘little heme’? – as if my hematoma was a sick baby.  It was wearing me out.  After that, I became known as “Heme.”  Then, we were over at the ATO House, throwing guys up, and GUYS WENT DOWN, I made sure of that, I was piling up on the new guys . . .  . because you know, somebody spiked the punch unbeknownst to me . . . and that is when it happened . . . as we were piling up on some guy, probably Jack Meunch, others started chanting HEME, HEME, HEME.  Thus endeth the lesson.”

Is that not one of the ALL-TIME-GREAT Tick-a-lor stories? 

 

 

THANKS to my dear friends BUCK BILLER, GEORGE ABERNATHY, GEORGE TOMLINSON, and the INIMITABLE STUBBS for linking up with us in these

GLORY. . . e…e…e    DAYS . . . z…z…z

(echo . . . o . . . o . . . o) 

YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE . . . z…z…z

*       *      *      *

HOW TO POST, OR  READ COMMENTS: Just click the button - Comments - below.

BETA PI BLOG ROSTER STATS:   As of January 23, 2013, the Blog roster stands at 115 Tick-a-lo men online who have e-mail addresses (plus 6 Brothers who do not have e-mail), and 14 ATO Gal-Pals.  The blog needs e-mail addresses, please share!

 

VTL,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Larry Simons

Beta Pi, 72