DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Arguments are a poor chisel to carve out solutions.”

After a week long trip to Texas for my induction in the Athletic Hall of Fame at my alma mater, Hardin Simmons University, I’m back home and it’s going to take a nuclear bomb to get me out of Vegas until next year. I had a great time visiting with old classmates, some of whom I hadn’t seen in over 50 yeas. There were about 15 of my ex-teammates who attended and I was on my best behavior and never mentioned the many times the school had rejected me because of my profession. But I understand and would like to let bygones be bygones.

The most notable thing about Texas is that the recession hasn’t affected it very much. The farms are white with a good cotton crop, the oil wells are pumping and the biggest saviour of all are the wind farms. The wind towers are amazing with each one generating enough electricity for 35-40 homes. There are thousands of the giant generators as far as you can see as you drive along the interstate highways. It makes you wonder why these wind farms aren’t all across the USA. It only takes a 6 mile per hour wind to turn them. If we had enough of them, we would be out of the bondage the Middle East has us in.

I went out to the little town of Longworth where I grew up. It is almost a ghost town with maybe 10 families living there. The old Brunson house is long gone but there is a trailer parked on the lot and the man living there invited us in to look around. Some of the things are still there, the old chicken coops, the barn where we had our cows and an old root cellar I helped dig in 1949. I enjoy going back every decade or so because it makes me realize you can’t go back, you have to go forward with your life.

Congrats to Mike Sexton on being selected for the poker Hall of Fame. It is a well-deserved honor and Harrah’s has some great plans for his induction. The time is getting close for the WSOP Final Table, also. I wish all of the guys good luck but I’m pulling for Ivey and Schulman. I’m sure it will be a lot of fun for everyone.

Avery Cardoza, my publisher, called me today and my autobiography has come in. It will be in the bookstores Nov. 10th and I’ve got mixed feelings about having done this book. Everyone seems to like it so maybe it will be o.k. The author of the book, Mike Cochran, was at the presentation dinner at my University and we had a nice visit. It is absolutely amazing how fast time can go, it seems like yesterday I was in school. I also saw Ann, my college fiance who looks much better than I do. She probably didn’t have as tough a life as me. I certainly hope not!

-DB

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “You can’t send a duck to eagle school.”

Here it is Sunday night and I thought I would be on my way to the Commerce Tournament in Los Angeles.  But when I think of fighting the Sunday traffic on its way back to L.A., I’ve decided to pass.  I don’t really feel like going and sitting through a long poker tournament.  I’ve got lots of stuff to do here and I know I wouldn’t play my best.  As my Dad used to tell me, “If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.” Hopefully I’ll make the final event at the Commerce.

I’ve made it a full week trying to eat healthy.  My main goal was to feel better, but a side benefit is that I lost 8 pounds.  I do feel better and I turned the heater back on in my pool and have had a couple of good workouts.  It costs about $15,000 a year to keep the water at 90 degrees but it’s well worth it.  The weather got so cold a couple of weeks ago; I turned it off, but no more. Swimming is the only real exercise I can do with this bad leg.

I made it through Valentine’s Day with Louise.  We cooked in because the restaurants are so busy during holidays.  I even stuck to the healthy meals, cooking salmon on the grill with lots of veggies.  Every Valentine’s Day I think of my Dad because Feb. 14th is his birthday.  He would have been 125 years old and has been gone 50 years.  I still miss him and my Mom.

Time Out!  I had to take Louise and my oldest daughter Cheryl out to dinner.  We went to one of our favorite spots, the Outback Steakhouse.  Even though I guess we can afford the gourmet dining spots, we prefer the local eating places that have good food like Applebee’s, Outback, Egg Works, etc.  We got a bottle of wine with dinner and Cheryl and Louise both had a small glass and I finished the bottle, and then ordered another large glass.  Nobody ever said I was conservative about anything.  As always, after all that wine, my eye started roving to all the attractive women in the restaurant.  After 47 years, Louise saw what I was doing and gave me a look that would have melted the iceberg that sank the Titanic.  I told her, that at my age, be thankful I still have an interest.  Just because there is snow on the rooftop, it doesn’t mean there isn’t fire in the furnace.  I’ll try to cool her out later tonight.

One reason for my “festive” mood is I went 4 for 4 in college baskets tonight.  I have started taking any team that is playing at home and getting points.  Kind of tough sometimes, but if you close your eyes and do that, you will be winner after the season is over.

My book publisher, Avery Cardoza, called and said my autobiography would be ready in October.  Man!! I hate for that to hit the stands.  Lots of things I’m not proud of will be in that book.  Some things just can’t be told, but lots of old facts are in there.  I kinda hoped they would wait until I was dead before they published it, but I guess they can’t wait another 27 years

-DB