Everybody loves a Parade & so does Billy....

Last night was the long awaited Christmas Parade in downtown Cedar Rapids. Billy has been laying in anticipation of this event. After all, who doesn't like a parade.

We wanted to get a good vantage point so we started out at the Dublin. The usual wags were there and a table of extras were there from the Sip...I suspect The Sip had a bomb scare or something like that. We settled in for a little fortification before the parade, but the smoke was excruciating and Billy can not tolerate any more second hand smoke. Also there were bunches of little street urchins running around and taunting Billy.

We very swiftly exited the front door and rolled him into Zins. Zins is very Billy friendly because it is a no smoking facility and the staff is always happy to see us. They remembered us from our last visit and ushered us to the bar where we could get a view of the parade through the windows.

Lisa the Beverage Manager was busy cleaning the glassware while Mr Pizza gave specific instructions for the making of a "Funnie". It wasn't long and Billy was asking for a better look. We brought along an empty Schlitz case which was on the front porch of the von Crippe residence so that we could prop up the head end of the lung so Billy could see better.

We went outside only to run into Jeff and Anne his social workers, who had just completed dinner at Vins.

Billy loved all the lights and the and was noticeably excited when the entry with Oprah and a presidential candidate, whose name escapes me, went by in the Caddy convertible. Billy loves Oprah and all she stands for.

After the parade Billy was hungry and we decided to go to the Moose for the Friday night ribs only to be disappointed that they had been discontinued. It must of been antler night at the Moose because a lot of the patrons were so adorned. As we were perusing the menu Kenny appeared through the front door. This was an unusual sighting as Kenny is in the witness protection program...oooops I'm sorry if I outed him. I'm not too worried. Kenny doesn't stay in any one place for any length of time.



We stopped by the end booth to give birthday wishes to someone who was celebrating a little early and then united the Leo twins.

We never did get around to ordering any food, but Billy had accumulated lots of candy from the parade and he sustained himself on all the sweets for the ride home.

Billy's Godmother lashes back

I received this email today and will share it with all of Billy's fans....... Lets help the lungster out. Your comments please.

Hi Bruce: As Billy's Godmother, I find myself outraged over an article I read in today's Gazette.

On page 4B, upper right column, appears an article giving all kinds of attention (even a color photo) to Jenna Smith, of Iowa City, who is asking us to vote for her in the Kidney Dialysis Idol contest!

There is even a web site for this Kidney Dialysis Idol contest and voting began last Monday.

OK, why in the world is our Little Billy being snubbed? We need to get moving on forming Billy's contest - The Iron Lung Idol Contest.

The foundation for those kidney patients is called "Kidneeds." - Billy's Foundation would be called The LunGuys.

We all know that Billy is an idol in our hearts, as are you who so lovingly care for him.

Fondly,

Godmother

Snatches gets a check up

Snatches turned one year old so she was due for a checkup. As always, I have my camera in my pocket and I snapped this picture when we were in the vets office. Add your own caption.

Billy's Hero...Evel Knievel

The last time I saw my buddy Evel was in the mid 80's in Las Vegas. I was doing gambling junkets to the Maxim Hotel & Casino.

Parked right out front in the rock star section was a well used Aston Martin Lagonda (Click HERE for more info on the car) with Montana tags that read "EVEL". I knew Billy's hero was in the house. I looked through the BJ pits and in the bar, but it was at Da Vinci's Restaurant where I spied him with a scotch in one hand. I said "are you Evel?" and he acknowledged his identity.

We exchanged some pleasantries and then I told him about my friend Billy and his condition and his aspirations to be rocketed across a ravine or parking lot or just be able to clear Clear Creek. He just sort of smiled. He knew.

When he got older he would visit with Billy when he was coming through Iowa. I have included a picture of a recent visit. Notice that Snatches took a liking to him as well.

I was listening to the nice people at Fox and Friends and they are telling me that Evel has passed away at age 69. Billy is so sad.

Who's on First?.....we Are!

Billy gets cabin fever quite often. Or should I call it 'tank fever'? He is always wanting me to bring the Hummer over to his apartment and take him on an excursion. Wednesday, we picked him up and got together with the Pizza Baron and his wife and Billy's Godparents and we headed to Who's On First in Cedar Rapids.

As you recall, Billy is a big sports fan and he will seek out anything sports. For the past several weeks he has been bugging me about Who's on First. The Puzzler & the school marm had just returned from Florida where they auditioned to be 'poster children' for skin cancer awareness.

We convinced the Pizza People to dine with us instead of going to Tacoland. Billy likes all the off color jokes that he can use at school.

We arrived en mass and were escorted to the back of the place. Maybe to accommodate the lung...maybe because they knew we would be rowdy. We ordered up some drinks and tried out the pool table.

Heather was our bartender and server all wrapped in one and she took good care of us.
Billy ordered a chocolate malt with two straws and we were off to the races. The Puzzler ordered a gaggle of chicken wings and immediately tried to make a game out of them.

Before long the Karioke Kouple set up there wares and Mr Pizza was singing his heart out. The school marm spotted a young lad with a message on his shirt. She was seen whispering in his ear....probably something about improper grammer, I suspect. Of course, now Billy wants a shirt just like it. Maybe Santa will bring one for him.