She had "Cold Feet"

[BILLY D.]

HI FABS

BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL, I TOOK A JOURNALISM CLASS AND MY INSTRUCTOR WAS THIS MEAN OLD GRINCH. BOY DID HE HAVE A GREAT CAR THOUGH, A 1955 STUDEBAKER GOLDEN HAWK. WOW, WHAT A SET OF WHEELS. COMPLETE WITH A SUPERCHARGER.

BACK TO JOURNALISM, WE WERE TOLD TO REPORT ON A STORY. HE GAVE US THE PARTICULARS. THE TEXT THAT WE WERE STUDYING FROM SAID "WHEN WRITING A STORY USE THE PRINCIPLES OF THE 5 W'S. WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE AND
WHY."

I WROTE MY STORY AND ADDED A LITTLE FLUFF TO MAKE THE STORY A LITTLE LONGER. I THOUGHT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH SUBSTANCE. HE READ MY STORY, TO THE CLASS, AND PROCEEDED TO GIVE ME ONE OF THE MOST SEVERE VERBAL CHEWING OUTS I
EVER HAD. HE JUST CHEWED AROUND THE EDGES OF MY BACKSIDE AND LET THE MIDDLE FALL OUT ON THE FLOOR. HE CROSSED OUT ALL THE FLUFF AND PUT A BIG RED F ON THE TOP OF MY PAPER. NOW WRITE IT CORRECTLY THE WAY I TAUGHT YOU.

I LEARNED A VERY VALUABLE LESSON. AS SGT FRIDAY USED TO SAY, " JUST THE FACTS AND NOTHING BUT THE FACTS."

SOMETIMES NOWADAYS I WONDER HOW MUCH OF THE THINGS WE HEAR AND READ "ARE JUST THE FACTS" AND HOW MUCH THEY ARE TWISTED AROUND TO SUIT THE REPORTERS WHIMS. ALSO FALSE MATERIAL THAT THE REPORTER RECIEVES. THIS IS WHERE ANY GOOD INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER SHOWS HIS METTLE.

AS ONE EXAMPLE, THATS IMPORTANT TO US PEOPLE, FIREARMS. LOOK AT HOW FIREARMS ARE DEMONIZED. AND THE SPORTSWOMEN AND MEN WHO USE THEM. THE ONLY REPORTER ON A NETWORK BROADCAST THAT WILL BACK SPORTSPEOPLE AND FIREARMS IS JOHN STOSSEL ON ABC.

AS A MATTER OF FACT I REALLY DON'T TRUST THE NATIONAL NETWORKS, AND I MUST NOT BE THE ONLY ONE BECAUSE THEIR RATINGS HAVE FALLEN IN PAST YEARS.

SLIPSHOD REPORTING IS THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS THE ANTI GUNNERS AND THE BRADY BUNCH AND THEIR ILK GOING. REMEMBER THE OLD IDIOM," A LIE TOLD OFTEN ENOUGH BECOMES TRUTH."

IT SURE SOUNDS TO ME LIKE SHE, MS. WILBANKS, TOLD THE WORLD AND POLICE SHE WAS KIDNAPPED, IF IN FACT SHE DID THAT IS FILING A FALSE POLICE REPORT, AND WHERE I COME FROM THAT IS AGAINST THE LAW. ALSO BECAUSE SHE CROSSED STATE LINES IS THAT FEDERAL?

WELL I'M OUTTA HERE. IT TAKES ME A LONG TIME TO TYPE OUT THESE DISSERTATIONS ONE HANDED. IT'S 3 O'CLOCK AND I TURNED INTO A PUMPKIN AT MIDNITE.

GLAD YOU LIKED THE FAIRY TALE.

[DaMadman]

I think she should be prosecuted for something? What I am not sure. I am still on my soapbox about people getting charged with felony charges for stupid **** an having it ruin the rest of thier lives.

I think whatever she gets charged with should be a misdemeanor and should include (like FABS said) some community service and a good stiff fine.

The time all those police and other people spent looking for her could have been used elsewhere looking for some REAL missing persons.

No doubt she is a bit flakey and she deserves to be punished for what she did. A good SUITABLE punishment.

[Classicvette63]

Due to the size of the proposed wedding, it would have cost anywhere from $60,000 to $125,000. Guess what, if you got money to drop 100 large on a wedding, you got the money to pay for the search.

[fabsroman]

Classic,

That wedding would have been more in the realm of $100,000 if they had invited 600 people. My wedding is running $125 a head, after tax and 30% gratuity, just for the food and the reception hall. All the other stuff is adding up too. What I want to know is who invented engagement rings and wedding receptions.

[Classicvette63]

There's a simple answer to that question Fabs, ....women.

[Lilred]

Marriage License: $25.00
Payin Preacher Lucas to marry you in his house..$25.00
The sandpaper to sand down the BMG50 shells you used fer weddin rings...$2.00

The money Lilred saved to go fishin fer 3 whole days w/o havin to go the store 50 times and a trip to the Lee/Grant: Motel, Civil War relic shop, gas station & eatery all-in-one..PRICELESS.


That there freinds..is one decked out weddin...

[Valigator]

Look on my second I was a runaway bride...no ifs, no nots no nothin...but my solution was not to sign the certificate....not to haul ass and have the states resources after me......I already had over 40 grand in the wedding......I wanted a party...but not a wedding.....and trust me guys...I did the right thing......

[BILLY D.]

VAL

I LIKE SMPLIFICATION, SO MIGHT I ASK ONE TRITE QUESTION?

WHY DID YOU SAY YES IN THE FIRST PLACE?

[Valigator]

Truthfully ,he had a potload of money...more money than I had ever seen...

[Valigator]

Lilred I think you might have had a good time......

[BILLY D.]

VAL

THE PLAIN UNADULTERATED TRUTH. I CAN HANDLE THAT AND I RESPECT YOU FOR IT.

[Steverino]

While we're on the subject of weddings...
I like the quips of who invented some of these wedding customs-(ladies... ) When I was shopping for engagement rings and wedding bands for my fiance last year, I would joke with her that there should be a male equivalent-Stevie style, of course.

Picture it: Custom firearm dealer- "Mr. Steverino, why don't you step over here sir. We have some lovely Italian and Spanish doubles that just arrived from Europe"

'Yes, well they do look nice but I was thinking of something more with the schnabel forend or perhaps English stock"

"We have some very nice SXS offerings over here under this case sir. Have you thought about your engravings or receiver finishes? We find that the nickel and gold inlays make a very nice set for the groom to be." LOL

I was informed by the "Almost Mrs." that I will be summarily dragged to her bridal shower this summer at my sis's (probably to schlepp her haul from the day!) I've already been pondering the male equivolent (designer fishing lures, shotgun shells, centerfire cartridges, and ooh, ooh, how about a sexy cross-draw rig in lieu of that male lingerie?)

[fabsroman]

Steverino,

Seems like you and I are in almost the same boat. I got the fiance her engagement ring and to think about how many guns I could have bought with that money. Anyway, she has been hinting at getting me a present for our engagement after we get married in July (I know it doesn't make sense, but right now we have so many bills coming in the door between the wedding and the remodel that I want to make sure we can pay all of them) and she has mentioned a Mont Blanc pen, watch, and tie clip combo that I have been looking at (i.e., carbon graphite Mont Blanc ballpoint, roller ball, watch, and tie clip), but the other day I thought it would be nice to get a Beretta 687 EL Gold instead. She wasn't to keen about that idea. So, I told her that I am buying a new handgun for myself at Christmas.

Regarding the engagement party and the bridal shower, I had to go to both and they were 4-5 hours away in New York City. About the only thing I did was carry presents to the cars. Luckily, I didn't have to stay for the bridal shower.

When are you getting married?

[Steverino]

Good Lord willing, I'm planning on being wed this October in Mexico with close friends and family. When we began pricing the reception packages, (I have had some experience in this area having been engaged previously and like you Fab's, broke it off but for different reasons-she was essentially more in love with the idea of getting married than with me) we discovered that for essentially the same price of throwing a shin-dig for one day, we could invite and pay for our immediate family to come down to an all-inclusive get-away in Mexico for several days.

Also..(and this is the important part ) both of our families are dysfunctional so we can skip alot of the family BS by skooching off.

When we come back, we're planning on throwing a big backyard Oktoberfest bash with all of our friends and family that couldn't make it down to Mexico.

Everything id essentially lined up and done and has been wonderfully stress-free. I'd personally recommend it to anyone. Now we'll see how stuff turns out.

I can't help but wonder if the stress of this big wedding reception is what pushed this gal over the edge (personally, I think that she may have have had some other issues going on as well. )

What kind od swaray have you got planned in July Fabs? Sounds like you've had alot of stuff going on with your home projects as well. How've you been coping?