A lot of times people don’t file a claim for wh**ever reason but later on in life that problem or situations gets worse then it’s not to late to file as long as you have it on record. It’s not so much as the VA it’s the people who work there. Most of the we give up but we need to stay in the fight. I don’t know a lot but I am pretty up to date and have friends who I served with that’s in the system who helps me a lot and I pass that information on. I am 100% disable unable to work. Even if you served and have an honorable discharge you should get in the system. You can use it as a back up insurance if nothing else. You earned it so use it. I agree it’s hard and functioning is almost out of the question sometimes but once you are in the system you are good. Point is just don’t give up.

Yesterday I finally got an appointment to meet with a dermatologist. I knew that I was overdue because of our move last August. It had been over a year and every time before, my appointments were six months apart and the doctor always had to freeze some spots and often cut out some pre-cancer spots because of my exposure to too much sun.

Well, a year and a half had elapsed, and I knew I was going to face some torture. The doctor was a young, good looking female doctor, perhaps in her thirties. She was quite pleasant and informative. After checking me out she said, “I am sorry, but we are going to have to hurt you!” To which I replied, “well how about using some local anesthetic?” and she said that is what is going to hurt. Nothing said about the Nitrogen freezing of spots, which this time was extensive.

So, besides freezing most of the top of my head, she and an assistant had to take four biopsies of what they thought might be cancerous. I appreciated her direct manner and knew what was most likely going to happen. No, I didn’t scream, but I must admit I did flinch some. All in all, it was not as bad as I had expected because I had taken two Tynol just before entering their office.

For all you young bucks who still believe that having a deep tan is sexy, and that you should go unprotected, you will pay a steep price for what now you receive several times over later. It isn’t worth the effort! So far, I have had five surgeries to cut out pre-cancers and none of them were much fun. Some of us older fishermen remember a commercial with the tag line of “Pay me now or pay me later!” And what I’ve found is when you choose to pay later, it is a greater toll than paying it now.

I don't know about you, but personally I would rather strap on a tin bill and peck Sxxt with the other chickens, that go through this, but there is really no choice. That is unless you have a death wish!

Finally, having a deep tan is not worth two cents worth in impressing girls. No, it isn’t! You would be much further ahead by learning to have good manners, a pleasant manner and be able to tell witty stories. A good job would also help! You don’t have to believe me, just try it. Just Sayin….RJS

As a fish at Texas A. & M. we were required to take turns guarding the bon fire which was on campus. Now this was not a few orange crates, or scrap lumber but was made up of full-grown trees. The engineering students had drawn up plans for cable braces so there would be double and triple decks of trees making the bon fire 80 to 100 feet tall when finished.

Some years before my time, an enterprising student from the University of Texas attempted to drop a gasoline bomb on the bon fire. This was a serious mistake. One of our Aggies had his rifle (a M-1 Garand) in his room and ammunition. He loaded and fired several shots at the Piper Cub, hitting the engine and causing it to crash land a short distance away.

The pilot was arrested and held for his trial. It happened that he was not only bombing a state college, but also a federal installation, which carried an ever more severe prison sentence. So, when we were fish, there was at least three concentric rings of cadets guarding the bon fire. In addition, there were U.S. Army field phones at key locations to monitor all traffic and the purpose of any visitor. On weekends, we would be working out along the Brazos River cutting and hauling trees. We got very little sleep until the official burning of the bonfire.

Several years later, there was an accident in the early morning hours, and the bon fire collapsed and killed as many as ten or eleven cadets. It is no longer allowed on the campus, being outlawed. However, students still erect one off campus without any approval of the Administration. Just Sayin…RJS

It’s really sad because most doesn’t know the rules or care about the veterans. Seems to me they would go through some type of training and keep updated on the changes. Had it not been for us Veterans they would not have the job or opportunities they have. My VA Doctor never served but she’s been with the VA for over 10 years. Not even close to knowledge of how the VA really work just there for the benefits. Even the VA at the upper level doesn’t seem to care. They only make rules to make it look good for the benefit of the VA / veterans but when you file a claim you catch pure hell and so much red tape or you get the lines we don’t do that here you have to go some place else. Even if you try to contact your congress it doesn’t work. It doesn’t surprise me how veterans feel about the VA although I will say you do fine a few who actually care but when you look into it it’s really because they have also served

Well guys, Got back from Tahoe yesterday late afternoon and Brad and I went out on the Napa today.
Tides weren't the best but we managed to boat close to 20 fish.
Brad caught the biggest fish today, 6 1/2 pounds. Then he lost one that would have been close to 10 pounds.
I caught 2 that were bout 4 1/2 pounds each and lost one right at the boat that looked just like Brads 6 1/2 pounder.
We caught a few more keepers but only kept the 3 mentioned above. Brads was 26 inches log and my 2 were 23+ inches.
We caught a few right as we got out there and then during high tide the bite quit. We started trollin and we never even got 1 bite for the hour we trolled.
Tide turned and we went back to castin and finished the day with close to a 20 fish day.

So busy tryin to get things sorted and packed to move to Tahoe I don't think I'm gonna be able to get much fishin done. OH Well. Hopefully I'll find the time to get out at least once a week.

So today we have a picnic for custodians starting at 1:00pm so like every year we get the last Friday of summer cleaning off. this morning Spring lake! It was cloudy and 61 degrees when I got there at 6:30am, as I’m walking over to the rocks this guy Steven I meet at Spring lake real nice guy! Says hey Matt help me out, he turns around and says take a photo of this 7 pounder I just caught! I was like nice fish brother no problem, so I take the photo give him back his phone and pick all my gear up and continue my walk to the rocks, no lie swear on my mother grave!!! First cast BAM!! I caught a 8 pounder!! What a fight!! My scale for some reason won’t go to pounds, so yell he Steven I think I got you beat!! I need your scale, so we weigh my fish and Steven says don’t rub it in! I said I would never do that! We high five. 2 fish over 7 pounds caught maybe 300 yards apart. After that I continue to fish catching one more before I had go. Caught My P.B at Spring lake today! I’m still shaking as I type this post. Caught it on a rubber craw!!! Good luck and be safe!! I just added the video I made right after I caught it, it sounds like I might of said a cuss word and I Apologize if it sounds like it, and that’s the biggest fish for me at Spring lake.