Chance to Win Big!

Chance to Win Big

By BR Chitwood

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The sweat literally poured from his brow and onto the green felt of the crap table like a leaking kitchen faucet… Brad Caron’s comeback after losing twenty grand in just two hours had the record for ‘longest run’ and, so far, the highest money winner in Arizona Casino and Gaming’s history, and the only casino where dinners for four weeks were free for winners of big sums their four guests, no matter the time of day, the logic of which was no secret for any gambler – the casino had back-up history showing many big winners would gamble away their large winnings within a period of six months, if not the same night…varying by a small degree.

That sweat did not pour in Caron’s right hand. The Crap Table was surrounded by a small village of other casino Winners and Losers who went crazy after each winning Toss.  Caron’s right hand was the only dry spot on his body, visible in an almost eerie way in the midst of people, card players and/or non-players – an almost silent drone of conversation like a soft whir of motors ready to explode. Brad chose his bet preference When Caron tossed the romanced die, his lady’s bright red kiss planted on his right cheek, the ‘eight’ was his number the two white square cubes displayed on the green felt.

More side bets by the gamblers around the table, the die kissed again by brad’s lovely lady of the evening, he flung the die back-handed against the end of the long table and the number nine came up…Brad Caron’s side bet earned him a quick ten grand. The whoops and yells from the people were cacophonous, and the sweat flowed and sprayed the people nearby with a good dousing.

Brad conferred with the Croupier, asking for his highest bet of the long day – one and one-half million dollars… After a short conferring pause, the bet was approved by the Croupier and upper management. A soft-seeming electric buzz filled the darkened casino as the die was returned to Brad Caron.

A casino employee presented a towel to the gambler but he refused the offer…he wanted nothing to change in his long run… The loud speaker in the casino had already announced that no changes would interrupt the table play.

Brad Caron’s right hand was still the only part of his body still dry after all his tosses, and he saw it as a positive omen not to be trifled with.

“Players, place your side bets totaling $50,000 as he placed on the ‘4’ spot in the side box in front of the Croupier.

There were some moans and groans from bystanders who apparently thought his side bet pick was a bad choice.

“Roll the dice, Mr. Caron,” commanded the Croupier.

Ritual the same, the lady with Brad Caron kissed his die and then his wet right cheek. She smiled as she rendered the kiss. The first roll of the dice, Mr. Brad Caron’s two squares yielded him another win – a ‘three’ and a ‘one’ showed brightly on the green felt.

In the history of Casino gambling, Brad Caron broke gambling records all over the country, perhaps even the world…in the millions.

NOTE:

I wrote this fictional post based on a ‘Time’ Magazine article about a New Jersey Grandmother breaking a ‘Craps’ record with 154 rolls of the dice for four hours and eighteen minutes without ‘sevening out’… the odds of doing that are 1 in 1.56 million – a fascinating article by Claire Suddath.

 I found out many years ago that ‘Craps’ and I did not get along very well – thank you very much!

By BR Chitwood – July 16 2022

Please take a look at My 20 books of fiction (many written from romance, memoir, true criminal cases, plus 500 blog posts, short stories, flash fiction, poetry, and songs – all you can find at:

https://www.brchitwood.com

Take a visit to my website above and you will find book cover Pics, synopses of all books, in essence, all of my writing…

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Too Many Echoes

By BR Chitwood

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Too many echoes fill the air,

Like a dream with too many players…

A cow moos in the meadow,

Happily chewing its cud and grass…

As tears roll down my cheek,

With memories of Appalachian

Emotions pitching low and high as

I guide old Bessie home for milking…

The grade school’s resident bully stops

Me, taunts, teases, and fills me

With unaccountable fear and pain…

The bully runs toward his home

As his father yells his displeasure

In his call for chores and dinner…

Small, simple these easy words convey

A condition which shall prevail

For the rest of my life…

Old Bessie and I make it to the home

Of my grandparents who caretake me,

Knowing well the ugly memories of the past…

Divorced parents and the awful depression

That ruled so many of our days, and nights,

Nights when sleep was blocked by thoughts…

My beautiful country born and bred

Grandma and Grandpa saw me through

Those long-ago days of struggles…

They will always be in my thoughts and

Prayers, reminding me that a simple country

Life brought me love and humility…

***

BR Chitwood

July 11, 2022

My Web site with twenty books of fiction (some based on true crimes), hundreds of blog posts, poetry, short stories, flash fiction…

Under Arizona Skies

Under Arizona Skies

• An Unsolved Murder –

By BR Chitwood

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Kentucky is now part of my living history, back to the desert heat and sunshine one can almost love during any month of the year except the torrid heat-up into the summer months…Ah, hell, I love those months as well as the tourist months of Winter as long as the air-condition unit will stay true to its mission, as long as my views of the mountains north, south, and east can remain a reminder of the colder months to come and the short drive north where another kind of beauty prevails with colder weather, snow capping pristine mountains in their long stretches in any direction.

Now, one could be thinking I’m writing an Arizona essay for the Chamber of Commerce. Not so, but the reader can think of this piece of writing in that way, but, please, do not bum out on me when I continue here with a memory of one actress friend of mine many summers ago during the month of August, 1967. In fact, this adorable lady was responsible for my becoming an actor myself…television commercials, stage plays, film work of one kind or another, and/or ‘still modeling’. In fact, this actress was most responsible in my joining ‘The Bobby Ball Talent Agency’. At that time, the great actor, Nick Nolte, did the photo shoots for my initial

‘Bobby Ball Talent Query’ format. Many folks will remember Nick’s blockbuster Hollywood TV series, “Rich Man, Poor Man” – great actor and friend.”

Sorry to digress, but back to the actress mentioned above…

In the record heat month of August, 1967, this delightful actress went ‘missing’ for two weeks. Her body was discovered by a couple of kids rock-hunting in the desert just north of Shea Boulevard. The desert heat had made her easy prey for the desert population of animals, her body unrecognizable. With the news of her homicide, her many friends were devastated.

The miserable bastard who committed this brutal crime has, to my knowledge, never been found. My wife at the time was a room-mate of the lovely lady, and we were all shocked and overwhelmed with the news of her death. If anyone has information about this horrible crime, please contact the Phoenix Police Department’s ‘Cold Case’ Division.

Years later on, with the library microfiche available on the crime, I wrote a book on this good lady’s death… ‘Book One’ of my six-book ‘Bailey Crane Mystery Series’. A few of these books were also written based on unsolved crimes – or, were, at the time I wrote them.

Please, if you have any information that might help solve this long-ago case, the Phoenix Police Department would appreciate hearing from you.

https://www.brchitwood.com

*

My 20 books, 500 blog posts, short stories, flash fiction, poems, and songs all appear at the above Web site…

Under Arizona Skies

Love and Weather

Love and Weather

By BR Chitwood

***

 Weather tomorrow: Blue Skies, soft

breezes and Sunshine!

Turn off spigot to troubling thoughts!

Believe in your dreams and attack the day!

Keep the smile in place – someone is nearby…

Love taps tenderly on your shoulder, and kisses your cheek…

A song plays loudly on a passing auto:

More dreams pass with a zephyr.

The Western sky spreads its beautiful

Panorama of colors…

There is no place on Earth that you would rather be.

Car horns honk blessings to the couple on a tree-lined mall

As they continue their lovers’ walk to their brighter future!

Hearts and Souls unite for this special day of Happiness!

*

BR Chitwood – June 15 2020

***

My 20 books in most genres with synopses, book cover pics, over 500 blog posts, Short Stories, Flash Fiction, and Poetry are on my WordPress Website…

My WordPress Website: https://www.billyraychitwood.com

Love and Weather

By BR Chitwood

***

 Weather tomorrow: Blue Skies, soft

breezes and Sunshine!

Turn off spigot to troubling thoughts!

Believe in your dreams and attack the day!

Keep the smile in place – someone is nearby…

Love taps tenderly on your shoulder, and kisses your cheek…

A song plays loudly on a passing auto:

More dreams pass with a zephyr.

The Western sky spreads its beautiful

Panorama of colors…

There is no place on Earth that you would rather be.

Car horns honk blessings to the couple on a tree-lined mall

As they continue their lovers’ walk to their brighter future!

Hearts and Souls unite for this special day of Happiness!

*

BR Chitwood – June 15 2020

***

My 20 books in most genres with synopses, book cover pics, over 500 blog posts, Short Stories, Flash Fiction, and Poetry are on my WordPress Website…

My WordPress Website: https://www.billyraychitwood.com

Or: https://www.brchitwood.com

  ***

What to Do!

What to Do!

BR Chitwood

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With aging comes the discoloring and blurry marks of a young man with an early validity of truth and dishonor, mixed with raw eruptions of anger by parents decimated by a busted economy and harsh living standards. It is often that I cowardly sneak a peek back on those early days when families were wandering in a ‘mine field’ of bigotry, corruption, wars, and hatred…all bets were off when the Japanese bombed our airfields in Honolulu on most beautiful spots on earth.

My Uncle Charles Chitwood was stationed at Hickam Field on the big island Oahu, a ‘belly gunner’, and he survived the attack – but the scars never went away. In many ways, his life and his world changed on that fateful day…the ‘chip’ never left his shoulder, and he had several negative contacts with law enforcement.

Today, Oahu has back its charm, its sun, and its beaches, and the many sailors who went down with the ‘Arizona’…how sad it is to re-open that painful phase of our history. As a kid I sat on a window seat in the boarding house living room where my mother was the cook and friend of the owner. I remember the sad and troubled faces who sat and listened to FDR’s depiction of the carnage in Honolulu and how the Japanese ‘would pay a huge price for this terrible act of aggression.

I’ve been to Hawaii a number of times since that fateful day of December 7, 1941, still serene, still one of the most beautiful set of islands in the world.

‘Sneaky’, ‘aggressive’, unspeakably scheduled for the early morning rise of our military personnel on that fateful Sunday morning, There is no reason for anyone to forget ,this ‘Sunday Slaughter’, and there is still in our day the minds and hearts of people who remember a somewhat somber recollection of that terrible event on God’s Holy Day. In the minds of many, there is still a narrow degree of hatred for the Japanese, softened by time.

Of course, there have been evil-minded leaders of the past who have a penchant for hatred – even, if it is based on color-shades, slanted eyes…hatred, in fact, comes too easily for some. If you read your newspapers and watch your evening news, you know this to be the truth.

Why do I write this particular post? Mainly, because I felt the need, my mind going through a patchwork set  of thinking…wondering why we are made the way we are, with mixtures of pious hope, pity, anger, IQs that cannot compete in the world of commerce, ideas, and the miracles that good people can do.

Let others build the fox-holes and the hatred. Let us stand firm on some basic and simple truths: ‘Love thy neighbor’ (at least, try to ‘like them’), give Faith, Hope, and Charity a chance.

Difficult in our world?

No doubt about it!

Walk away from trouble! don’t invite it!

Honest Politicians! I have to believe we have a few of those… Maybe (forget ‘the pig’s eye’!) we can still find those honest politicians who stand for Freedom, Liberty, and our forefathers’ labor to create a nation that allows entry to our country of those who share our beliefs.

There is no charge for ‘Hope’, ‘Charity’, and ‘Common Sense’!

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BR Chitwood

*

My 20 books in many genres, my 500+ blog posts, my Short Stories, my Flash Fiction pieces, and my Poetry are on my Web site:

https://www.billyraychitwood.com

or

https://www.brchitwood.com

Life, Love, and Longings

Life, Love, and Longings

A Poem by BR Chitwood

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Short, Tall, Lanky, All Sizes, All Colors,

              Males, Females, Cats, Dogs, ‘Beasts of Prey’,

           Gays, Straights, Old and Young, All Creatures,

        Popes and paupers, have precise engineering

           Which allow them to satisfy their needs For Love,

         For Hate, For Expression – with different styles          and Languages, of course.

**

      There are many Specialists who make it their  

          Life’s work to journey through knowledge fields

          To enlighten our minds with new information…

           We are landing on the Moon, entering deeper into

       Outer Space, Exploring Mars and other planets

       With newer technology, giving the US public new

     And promising information…

  ***

Here on Earth, we live with raw street violence,

   Robberies, Murder, wanton terrorism in our cities,

 And ‘Politics’ has turned a different scary shade of

Yellow, without sensible leadership, Marxist drivel

Occupying many college campuses…it cannot be

  This writer alone seeing our country going to hell

                in that ‘proverbial hand-basket’!

****

 I am not the smartest ‘ape’ in this jungle but I need this moment to express my concern for our United States of America… In short, we need, badly need, new leadership to restore border law enforcement, to rid our political representatives from receiving big money from ‘K Street operatives. We need a person who cannot be bought…

*****

BR Chitwood – June 8, 2022

For the Love of my Country!

My 20 books in many genres, over 500 blog posts, short stories, flash fiction, and Poetry, all at:

https://www.brchitwood.com

Hope you don’t mind my saying so: ‘There are some great novels I’ve built around ‘unsolved cases’ as well as Romance, Mystery, Suspense, Sci-Fi, History, and other genres…

Hope you have an opportunity to read my books, blog posts, F/F, and Poetry.

BRC

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In the ‘Rear View’!

In The ‘Rear View’

BR Chitwood

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How do people handle the ‘rear view’ of their lives? The good, the bad, the ugly?

Not a simple question!

In fact, there are millions, I’m guessing, that give very little thought to the paths they take in life, not that necessarily should be considered a ‘negative’…some know very early in life where they want to be, what they want to be doing, and a reasonable calculation as to when they will arrive at their chosen spot…I’m guessing Graham Bell, Thomas Edison. and Albert Einstein were among those millions along with some noted newscasters, sports announcers, and movie stars. I’m guessing as well that the ‘deep thinkers’ at times have ‘brain outage’ and show they are human.

With so many billions of people in the world, one would think there would be more human disasters, more homicides, more thievery, more bedlam. Of course, people seek shelter from the storms and from the refuse of society. At times, there are criminal events that take us to our knees – the senseless murders, rapes, property damage, and government malfeasance. As strange as it might seem, these terrible crimes, with the passage of time, seem to settle into ‘a way of life’, an acceptance of the dark passing moments.

What is this gibberish intending to convey? A component, and perhaps a component which has not arrived at this point in our history. It seems we try this system, say, Marxism, and find during its path that people do not wish to conform to its rigid rule of ‘take what is given to you’ – money that is controlled…

Schools controlled by the most absurdly funded Educational Association are to be taught ‘Gender ‘Education’ in apparently all of its guises – ‘boy becomes girl/girl becomes boy’, at times, a ritual that allow one or the other to compete in sports contests once only open to ‘boys’ and/or to ‘girls’.

Some of us feel this is madness, feel this is a government rushing into directions that will have costly future effects.

We are a Democracy! Our ‘Constitution’ is a sacred piece of that democracy, and we are dribbling it around like it was a basketball. We have leaders in our seats of government that listen to their benefactors and are paid handsomely to sing the tunes of their masters…every little piece of demeaning Democratic paper given up is an insult to our founders and patriots who died in war battles for our independence and Democracy.

Back in my college days, the emphases were always on registering historical truth in the minds of my classmates. Our revered professors listened to our words, squared them with our historic documents, and seemed pleased we were in line with our democratic principles.

Today, so many of our colleges and universities face blatant attempts at destroying our democracy.

The undocumented flow of people across our southern borders is no longer alarming! It is horrifying in so many ways.

I ‘bitch and moan’ a lot these days!  My age plays a part in that – our bright and wonderful children love our country, and it is for them I write my patriotic feelings.

Can we not just abide by an ‘A-B-C’ formula?

A: America – B: Bows to Freedom – C: Crown the Good

 *

BR Chitwood – June 6, 2022

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My 20 books (all genres) – 500 Blog Posts –

Short Stories – Poetry – Songs

ALL AT: https://www.brchitwood.com 

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Simple Complications

BR CHITWOOD

BR Chitwood

*

I have known forever the end to my story…so, why should I think so carefully as I begin to discern the knowledge from my simple yet complicated life?

The compelling observation in these dwindling moments is not so revealing as it is not so outstanding in its epic moments of triumph and its crude missions of self-flagellation and senseless remorse.

*

You will find many lives lived which carried these at times debilitating and worthless metaphors. … so very many, I suggest. You might wonder why so many among us have kinship with this affliction. It is my belief that these people (myself, included) have lived their lives with parental guidance when confusion eventually comes from disparate when it lines up with self-flagellation.  Imagine, one parent guiding a child with adulatory tidbits and, moments later scolding for a few minor conflicting incidents. Too many contradictions in a child’s growth can compromise and deal real harm.

It should be understood that the consistency of a child and parents’ relationship depends on their interactions with one another. There is certain hope and much confirmation that this, the positive consistency of good child rearing will produce a more mature and diligent person to walk among.

Then, of course, there are our broken homes, split parent control, generally caused real problems within the marriage, a rush into family…the feeling of the new parents that they can do a better job of raising their children than their progenitors.

Okay, the foregoing is part of family unity and dis-unity. There are DNA inheritance, perhaps an inexplicable and nasty behavior problem, one that grows on into adulthood…The ultimate truth is DNA and bad habits pass on, and, unless the various groups who study all these implications of living, dying, diseases, identifying the worst among the worst – and, cure. God and his wise men parted the seas…could he not under some new terminology bring us all closer to that “Shining house on the Hill?”

Some FATE awaits us…Please, ‘Sweet Divinity’, let the angels sing and bring us ‘Home’. You can do anything, Jesus… Give us ‘You’ with Blessings and a world that only concentrates on Good and peaceful living and adventures that only deepen their faith and bring us closer to those who educate us on new ideas and their theories.

Yes, I know!

‘Nice words.’ https://www.brchitwood

https://brchitwood.com

https://www.brchitwood.com

We are due, folks!

*

My website: 20 books with covers/synopses (most Genres…)

500 Blog posts…

Many short stories…

Flash Fiction Pieces…

Poetry & Songs…

 Personal Info…

On Twitter – Facebook – Linkedin

Who Do You Think You Are?

Who Do You Think You Are?

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BR Chitwood

*

“Who do you think you are?”

“What? Who is speaking?”

“You are, Weirdo! You’re talking to yourself.”

“Hmm! Strange! That’s never happened before…”

“Sure, it has, almost daily, in fact.”

“Whoa! Who the hell are you…and, where are you?”

“In your brain, Idiot!”

“Which side?”

“Which side? Which side? What a dumb-ass question… your frontal lobe.”

“Oh, My God! I’m going nuts!”

“Going? You been working on this for some time, dip-shit!”

“Hey, keep it clean!”

“You’re doing the talking, dip-shit!”

“So, I’m going crazy! The ‘Frontal Lobe’ of my brain is talking to me…so, you eavesdrop on everything I think or say. Is that your function? There’s a ‘left’ and a ‘right’ lobe, right? So, what’s your job ‘Lobe-Meister’?”

“Why did I get stuck in your brain? You are a dummy…but, okay, I’m a functionary part of your brain: the ‘left side’ of the lobe controls the right commands; the ‘right side’ controls the left… You’ve never done this before! Why, now? This chat business”?

“’Never done this before’? Hey, Lobe-Meister, this is as new for me as it is for you. It’s not like I requested this meeting…”

“Okay, okay, something is up, and I have to check it out. Are you hurting anywhere?”

“There is a light quaking sound… No pain. Otherwise, I’m sitting here thinking I’m crazy!”

“Don’t take that off the table as a possibility, because I’ve never had this happen before… I will do my ‘due diligence’ and get back to you. For now, go to bed and sleep for hours.”

“Before you go, what’s the difference between the ‘mind’ and the ‘brain’?”

“Huge subject, pardner… The mind can influence the brain, have a ‘mental force’ – check out ‘Neuro Plasticity and The Power of Mental Force’.”

“That’s it? You are leaving me with that? One last thing: Am I going to be hearing from you on a frequent timeline? Do I have a ‘say’ in the matter? If not, please, don’t come at me when I’m making love or out on a date…”

“Sorry, I cannot make any promises…maybe your thought processes will be enough! Bye.”

“Meant to tell you this earlier: your voice sounds really prissy-like…does God include you with every birth?”

“No comment! I said, ‘Good-bye’!”

“Hmmm!”

*

BR Chitwood – May 25, 2022

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All 20 of my books with synopses, 500 blog posts, short stories, Flash Fiction, Poetry, and Songs can be found at:

https://www.brchitwood.com