By Gawd And The Rodeoing

Precious and By Gawd

From the download version at http://www.abrokecowboyscookbook.com

My dad went pro in cutting horses and naturally I tagged along when I was about 13. Then I got really stupid and started ridding bulls when I was in High School. Not built for bulls, (I’m tall and lean and bull riders are generally short and built like tanks), I went for the bulls ‘cause the girls thought that was cool. Bull riders the girls thought were cool. The ones that could stay on. Which does not necessarily mean me. But being young and dumb I did it anyway.

Then along comes Viet Nam and, well, I volunteered with a couple of other good ole Texas boys that just wanted to fight. Cowboys all.

Well, that got me finally to California with one of the fellers I enlisted with. He was a bareback rider and me bulls. With our military ID’s we were eligible to ride PRCA and, brother, we did. Every weekend for one year. Up and down the West Coast USA. All the time in the military.

Now you have to understand something here. You see the company commanders, squadron commanders had all kinds of great athletes that couldn’t stay in college for whatever reason and were getting drafted. So, up springs this culture of semi-pro football, baseball, golf and so on and these boys didn’t work, train, nada, just play, practice and so on. When I went to my First Shirt and told him I was a bull rider, I was blessed, water was sprinkled on my head and I was asked what can we do for you. I was the only cat on base that was a rodeo cowboy and therefore you can imagine the bragging rights I was going to give to my commanding officer. Whoa, boy! All of a sudden I was somebody and cold sober!

Bottom line was I got a 24/7 travel pass, a letter authorizing me to have medical treatment at any hospital and I only had to work on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays. Fridays through Mondays were traveling and rodeo days, hitchhiking in those days. Just bring back the pictures they took of me coming out of the chute so the commanding officer could show them off at the Officer’s Club and brag. Most pictures of me had to be taken very early after I called for my gate or they would just get a picture of my boots going north up in the air and my head heading south to the ground. Those clowns would come over to me and asked me if I was alright while I was trying to stand up and get my ears on the right side of my hat and I would always say something really intelligent like, “Momma, is that you?”

Learn more about By Gawd, read his hilarious stories on his recipes and get some great cookin' done! By Gawd teaches you how to cook from boiling water to roast beef to chicken fried steak with cream gravy! Makes those other fellers saying, "Let's go to Chez le McDonald's" sound a little weak. Visit By Gawd, Precious, Lil Guts and Doc for the download version, over 115 great tasting recipes, at http://www.abrokecowboyscookbook.com/ and check out where all the cooking goes on at http://www.rancholavalentina.com/ .