Trucks, Rental Cars and Old Friends

Summary

Bubba On the Lake: Episode Summary – "Trucks, Rental Cars and Old Friends"

Release Date: April 24, 2025

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Introduction

In the episode titled "Trucks, Rental Cars and Old Friends," host Bill "Bubba" Bussey navigates through a series of personal anecdotes, listener interactions, and heartfelt conversations with old friends. Supported by his wife, Betty Lou Bussey, and occasional guests, Bubba delivers a blend of humor, relatability, and community spirit that resonates with his audience.

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Listener Feedback and Technical Adjustments (00:47 – 05:12)

The episode kicks off with Bubba engaging with listener feedback. Multiple callers express their appreciation for the show, with suggestions on improving audio quality.

• James from Abilene, Texas (02:00): "Whenever I switch it from yours to someone else's, I have to turn yours up real loud."

• Bubba's Response (02:18): "Thank you, James. You are absolutely correct, and we have been looking into that problem."

• David from Flowery Branch, Georgia (02:39): "Nice to meet you. This is David from Flowery Branch, Georgia, and I've been a pharmacist for 44 years."

Listener interactions also include creative suggestions:

• David (04:57): "Try a food segment where you try ketchup on some of your favorite things and some new stuff."

Bubba acknowledges these inputs, demonstrating his commitment to enhancing the show's quality based on audience feedback.

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The Truck Troubles: A Day in the Life (08:53 – 22:07)

A significant portion of the episode delves into Bubba's recent struggles with his Ram Diesel 3500 dually truck. He recounts a series of mechanical failures that left him stranded and grappling with rental car issues.

• Bubba (08:53): "I have a large Ram Diesel 3500 dually truck. And many of you remember I put the wrong fuel in it. That was a $4,500 mistake."

• Betty Lou (10:33): "Three lessons I have learned throughout this truck debacle..."

Key Challenges Faced:

1. Mechanical Failures: Bubba describes how the truck wouldn't shift into park due to sensor issues, leading to roadside breakdowns.

2. Rental Car Woes: Attempts to rent a car were thwarted by unavailability, forcing Bubba and Betty Lou to commute significant distances to find a rental.

3. Dealer Frustrations: The dealership couldn't resolve the truck's issues promptly, adding to their frustrations.

Through candid conversation, Bubba and Betty Lou share their frustrations and lessons learned, offering listeners a glimpse into their resilient and humorous approach to everyday challenges.

• Bubba (16:05): "I'm pleased we have that deal; yet we are..."

• Betty Lou (21:24): "My vote is we're going to get a pizza here in a little bit with hopefully a well-known pizza place nearby that might become a sponsor one day."

Their lighthearted banter and ability to find humor amidst chaos underscore the show's engaging and personable nature.

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Reconnecting with Old Friends: Interview with Chris Mileski (23:02 – 56:42)

A heartfelt segment features an interview with Chris Mileski, formerly known as Christopher Columbus on "The Rick & Bubba Show." Bubba and Chris reminisce about their time on the radio show, discuss life changes, and reflect on personal growth.

• Chris (25:04): "Every day? That is just some of the greatest memories of my life."

• Bubba (27:37): "You've done this before, you do it again, but I would love to maybe talk a little bit more about how I can contribute."

Discussion Highlights:

1. Career Transitions: Chris shares his journey from radio to the mortgage industry, balancing family responsibilities after his son's injury.

2. Fond Memories: Both Bubba and Chris recall memorable moments from their time on the Rick & Bubba show, including interactions with celebrities like Jane Seymour.

   • Bubba (29:34): "What are you doing now? Catch everybody up on what's happening with you right now."

3. Family and Personal Life: They discuss their families, children's achievements, and the swift passage of time.

   • Chris (34:20): "Reeves is 22. He's about to finish Samford."

4. Mutual Support: The conversation emphasizes the enduring friendship and support they've provided each other through various life stages.

   • Chris (41:46): "I just appreciate your friendship of the past year and a half... You've meant the world to me."

5. Future Prospects: Bubba expresses interest in potentially collaborating with Chris on future projects.

   • Bubba (32:02): "I could use extra hand around here, Chris. So if you got some spare time, give me a call."

Their dialogue not only rekindles old camaraderie but also highlights the personal growth and changes they've undergone since their days on the radio show.

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Tennis Updates with Coach Michael Helms (39:33 – 56:42)

Bubba continues the interview with Chris, shifting focus to Chris's current role as the head coach of the men's and women's tennis teams at Jacksonville State University.

• Chris (45:07): "I'm doing my first year as head coach of the men's tennis team and just wrapped up my second year as head coach of the women's tennis team."

• Bubba (49:36): "What an understatement. Time does not wait on any man, does it?"

Key Topics Discussed:

1. Team Achievements: Chris highlights the successes of his teams, including an impressive home record and strong performances in the Conference USA semifinals.

   • Chris (47:40): "We won six or seven in a row. The guys did not lose at home this year..."

2. Challenges of Coaching: He shares insights into managing geographically dispersed teams and adapting to different playing conditions, such as altitude differences at the Air Force Academy.

   • Chris (51:32): "Altitude affects guys. The ball flies everywhere."

3. Personal Growth: Chris reflects on the transition from broadcasting to coaching, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and camaraderie.

   • Chris (48:39): "I've never been a part of a team where you have 10 guys and it's like you have 10 best friends on the team."

4. Family Dynamics: Discussions extend to Bubba's supportive presence at tennis matches and the humorous interactions with his own father, Coach Helms.

   • Chris (54:06): "You send me a picture of my dad and you at the baseball game. I just want to apologize for anything he may have said."

5. Future Plans: Chris expresses enthusiasm for taking a break this summer to spend time with his children before gearing up for the next season.

   • Chris (46:28): "I'm going to use the summer just to kind of regroup and get ready for the fall."

The segment offers listeners an inspiring look into the dedication and passion required in coaching, as well as the balance between professional responsibilities and personal life.

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Closing Remarks and Community Engagement (56:42 – End)

The episode wraps up with Bubba emphasizing the importance of community and relationships. He encourages listeners to subscribe, follow, and engage with the podcast through various platforms.

• Bubba (58:18): "Download episodes [e-mail]."

Throughout the episode, Bubba intersperses brief promotional segments for sponsors like Central State Bank, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Southern Immediate Care. However, adhering to the user's instructions, these are acknowledged here as part of the show's natural flow but are not detailed in the summary.

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Conclusion

"Trucks, Rental Cars and Old Friends" is a testament to Bubba on the Lake's blend of personal storytelling, listener interaction, and meaningful conversations with friends. Whether navigating vehicle mishaps or reminiscing about past radio days, Bubba and his team create an inviting atmosphere that keeps listeners engaged and coming back for more. The episode underscores themes of resilience, community, and the enduring value of friendships.

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For more episodes and updates, visit bubbaonthelake.com and connect via the message line at 308-244-5253.

Transcript

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

This podcast is brought to you by Coke AM First, Buffalo Wild Wings, Southern Immediate Care, Anne's Quilts, Guaranteed Labels, Central State bank and Sunrise Docks. Now back to Bubba on the lake. Hey, it's Bubba. Hey, Bubba. Bubba on the lake. Bubba, Bubba. Bubba on the lake. Yay's got it going on. Gotta come people talking places from Bubba's perspective on the lake. Let's go.

[David]

Hi there, Bubba.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Boy, I'll tell you right now, you're.

[David]

Sounding good over here in hill country. My goodness, we're enjoying Bubba on the Lake. And of course, we're back porch Betty. Her chiming in, that's a lot of fun. Look for her to have her own podcast sometime.

[James]

What do you think, Fred?

[David]

Do you like the show?

[James]

Yeah, I like it too.

[David]

Well, how about you, Arnold? There you have it. We love Bubble on the Lake.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, I almost didn't let that one go through, but the Mr. Haney was so good, I had to let it ride. That's just being honest.

[David]

Hey, Bubba, man, we've missed you. We love the new show.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Just want to shout out some of encouraging words, keep you and your family uplifted.

[David]

And, man, just keep on keeping on, keep adding to the show. We love it.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Go get them, Bubba.

[James]

Hey, Bubba, it's James from Abilene, Texas calling. Just a little pointer.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

I think your gain on your podcast could come up a little more because.

[James]

Whenever I switch it from yours to.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Someone else's, I have to turn yours up real loud. On my gain on my telephone. I'm listening on, so might bump the.

[David]

Gain a little bit.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Thank you, James. You are absolutely correct and we have been looking into that problem. I'm trying to run everything a little bit hotter, but I didn't want it to splatter. So see how this week sounds and let me know. Hello, Bubba.

[David]

Nice to meet you. This is David from Flowery Branch, Georgia, and I been a pharmacist for 44 years. And I like it when my customers.

[James]

Come back in and say, david, I.

[David]

Like that privilege and it makes me feel real good.

[James]

Thank you.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Hey, bub. I love the show here from Athens, Alabama. Please try to find some. A different theme song. The R B hip hop thing doesn't. Doesn't fit you. How about a country version or some. Some pop from the 80s or something? But anyway, sorry to be like that.

[David]

But enjoying the show.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Thanks. Oh, come on. I love that. You know, I can't help it that I like to get funky with a funky beat. You got to be kidding. I've got a lot of people who love that song. But let me know. Maybe we need to change it, but I sure like it. Hey, bubba, I'm glad to find your podcast. I'm just below you here in the big city of eclectic. Miss hearing you on the radio. Speaking of, I know you're a ham guy. Well, we're not hams here, but we do have a local CB club in.

[James]

The Lake Martin area.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

We get on typically every night on channel 32. That's the 27.325 frequency for you fancy ham operators. Anyway, be glad to have you join us. Thanks. Glad to hear from you. Well, it may surprise you to know that I already listened to a lot of you guys on channel 32 on the CB radio. A lot of us ham guys still have CB radios. I just don't have a good outside antenna, so it's hard for me to jump in, but I listen often. Sounds like you guys have a lot of fun. Hey, Bob. I'm Casey, calling from the big city of Ozark, Alabama.

[David]

Just wanted to call and congratulate you on your new podcast.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Give you a couple ideas, maybe to think about. I know you're big into ham radio, something you're passionate about.

[David]

I think you could do a whole.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Show about you and some of your ham radio buddies. And I kind of second the idea of maybe checking in on Helmsley.

[David]

I know y'all probably talk to him.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

More than we do, but it'd be.

[David]

Nice to know since we hadn't heard.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

From him in a couple months, just to see how he's doing with his. With his team and just see how he's going. Last thing if I got time is.

[David]

You know, try a food segment where you try ketchup since you love it.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

So much, Try a food segment where you try ketchup on some of your.

[David]

Favorite things and some new stuff. And I'll give you one idea. Ketchup on a saltine cracker.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

You won't regret it. I love it.

[David]

Have a good day. Have a good week.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Talk to you soon, my friend. Well, it may surprise you to know that I have already eaten saltines with ketchup. That was quite a delicacy when I was a child. And anytime you go to a restaurant and you're hungry, they usually give you crackers before anything else. So, of course, I use that and the ketchup to make an early treat. And I have been caught doing that even recently, much to Betty's dismay for Coach Helms. I see Helmsy every now and then. We've talked several times. He's very busy right now with the boys and the girls team or men's and women, I should say at Jack State University. And they have just been playing in their big conference tournament and the teams were doing very well and I will try to get an update. I have made a request to him a couple of times, but he's just running so hopefully his schedule will get a little bit better in the near future and we can have him on. Indeed. And with those little pearls of entertainment from 308 Big Lake. Our message line 308 Big Lake. Welcome to our podcast. I'm your semi retired, mostly washed up host formerly of the Rick and Bubba Show, Bill Bubba Bussy and I want to welcome you to Bubba on the Lake. We're having a lot of fun with the message line. Keep those calls coming. We enjoy getting to screen those right here in the mellow yellow studio each week. Folks, thank you for being a part of this tuning in. Don't forget to subscribe, turn on notifications. We don't want you to miss a single thing from the show. Also, follow us on social media, like all that stuff, you can find us on almost all of them at Bubba on the Lake. Can you believe it is show number 10 already 1 0? We're going into double figures. I really again want to thank all of you for the wonderful feedback we've had on the program so far because without you, it does not happen. So thank you for following, listening, spending time with the podcast, also supporting our sponsors. We really, really appreciate it. It's Bubba on the Lake. Bubba on the Lake Lake, Lake.

[Betty Lou]

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[Bill Bubba Bussy]

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[Betty Lou]

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[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, I'm here with the lovely Betty Lou and we've had quite a day today. You know, sometimes you just have things that don't go your way and we're kind of in the middle of all that. I can explain it. I have a large Ram Diesel 3500 dually truck. And many of you remember I put the wrong fuel in it. That was a $4,500 mistake. Well, she's at it again and she left me on the road after acting up a little bit. Didn't appear to be going into park. We have some sensor issues. Wouldn't let me crank it. Got it cranked. Thought we were good. Was trying to unload everything to carry it to the shop and it left me on the side of the road. Well, we carried it to one shop here in town and they did what they could do and said, oh, you've got to go to the dealership. So we've been to the dealership, you know, trying to get in. Always a line, always a lot of people with stuff that needs working. So we did that. Then we proceeded to try to rent a car so I could continue working. And we've run into a few problems with that. We've been to two places, they didn't have any cars. So we're pretty excited about that since we had to drive almost 30 minutes one way to one of the places. And Betty, you were telling me after this most fulfilling day that we've had that you've learned a few things today. What was it?

[Betty Lou]

Well, it's actually been.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

I don't give up the microphone. I have to hold it.

[Betty Lou]

Well, excuse me. The dogs think this fuzzy microphone is a toy by the way. So I haven't.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

You knew you're gonna have to the whole time. You're gonna have to speak up too so we can hear you.

[Betty Lou]

Okay, that's good. The dogs think this little microphone here is a toy because it's got a fuzzy looking troll doll looking hair on the end of it.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

So you mean the windscreen looks like a squirrel's butt?

[Betty Lou]

Yeah, that too. So anyway. And you're poking the squirrel's butt right up here in my mouth. But anyway, I will speak. That's been a day, y'all. But anyway, all right, I told Bill while I was driving him back. We started out around 6am this morning. We left around 7. Yeah, 7. So anyway, we came back home after.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

You had to have an oil change. And that was the first stop. Yeah, because it was way overdue.

[Betty Lou]

It might be, yeah, of course, you know, a few miles overdue. Oh my goodness.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

700 miles overdue.

[Betty Lou]

Well, anyway, it's good now. All systems are a go. It's all good. The three lessons I would say that I have learned throughout this truck debacle. I'll call it. Let's just call it the truck debacle. All right, number one, if your ram truck is saying you're about to have a collision or this and that, all kind of sensors going off, let's don't pick the curviest road we can pick that has nowhere to pull off to take it and me follow you to town. This was Friday. This all started Friday. So this is now Monday. Let's don't pick that road to take to get to the dealership or to the place where you're trying to take it. That's probably the first lesson because it went bad.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

I can give you another lesson. Don't have your vehicle die on you on Good Friday because people are not going to be around to work on it.

[Betty Lou]

That's another lesson in all this as well. But anyway, the poor little wrecker guy, he got there and he got your truck and took it somewhere. Well, lo and behold, they couldn't do everything they needed to do. They wanted us to take it to the actual dealership. So that's where we headed today. But anyway, the second lesson, I guess in all this, and I'm trying to think where I was going with this. I've got to rambling here, and I'm so tired. I'm trying to think. Oh, I know, I know. Okay. So when we decided we needed to rent a car, so we live in Alexander City. There's not that many places. If y'all will Google Alexander City and rental cars, I challenge you to see what comes up. So anyway, now, what was the name.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Of the first place we went?

[Betty Lou]

Well, now, I don't want to say the name. They might be a sponsor sometime, but.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Anyway, no, I'm just asking you what the name is because there was only one place in town that I found.

[Betty Lou]

I believe that would be U as in not Y, O, U, U, the letter U. Save. And apparently that's it. It's just you save. What do you save on a car? Do you save on groceries?

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

We don't know.

[Betty Lou]

It's a mixture.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, we didn't. We didn't save on anything because they. They had no cars.

[Betty Lou]

We didn't save on gas. I can tell you that because we rode on up there, because one Bill Bubba Bussy doesn't believe in calling before we go to these places to see if they have cars. So then we take off to Silicaga, Alabama, which is 45 minutes from where we were.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

And I Mentioned It's a good 30.

[Betty Lou]

It's about 45. But anyway, I mentioned. Should we call and just ask before. Well, they're not going to reserve us one either way. I said okay. Here we go.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

That may have been my bed.

[Betty Lou]

Here we go. So we get in there and there's two little guys working in there. Not their fault. Just saying, not their fault. Well, we'll have one in an hour maybe. So anyway, that didn't really work for us so.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Because we're going to be an hour away and not able to get back before they close. And I do have to go to work tomorrow. I've worked at home today, but I've got to get back to the office.

[Betty Lou]

So long story short, he'll drive my vehicle tomorrow. Now I don't know, I wish we did have some video. I'll have to take a picture sometime when we get his truck back. His truck looks like an army vehicle. Every time he brings it home here, I don't know what he's doing different. But every time he brings that truck home, I'll go out with the dogs the next morning and another big old den will be in the back of it. So I've told him if he brings my car home looking like his, there's gonna be issues.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Issues? What kind of issues?

[Betty Lou]

I don't know, but we may be trucking it on back up there to a dealership to get me a car. If you're gonna drive mine. Like some I don't know what you call them. Some rotary. It's not rotary vehicle. What do you call them?

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

What are you even saying?

[Betty Lou]

No, I am so tired.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Okay, I will have to give you this. I am tired and I feel like I have plowed by hand all day today and all we've done is ride around and look at cars.

[Betty Lou]

Yeah, but it's 80 something degrees outside. It's been hot.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

That's really not all that hot, honey.

[Betty Lou]

It's hotter than it's been, Ben.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, yeah, because it was winter. But it's got so bad. Ruby's bumping the microphone here. You might hear her. It's got so bad that we actually went and priced cars. I was just going to buy a car and I guess throw the other one away. I'm so mad at it. You know, I have to because I drive. I mean I have a two hour drive, one way to work, four hours, you know, round trip. And I have to trust my vehicle. Rain, snow, sleet or hell. And see, I thought that that truck was going to be ironclad for 300,000 miles. And we're sitting here at 134, and it's over there in the shop with an intermittent problem, by the way, that I know exactly what's going to happen. They're not going to be able to find it, and they're going to hand it back. And that's what happened with the first shop. And I brought it home and it started doing the same thing again.

[Betty Lou]

Again, there's the dogs.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

The barkers are at it again.

[Betty Lou]

There's absolutely, absolutely nothing coming down the driveway.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, there's no car out there to bark at, I'll tell you that. Or truck.

[Betty Lou]

There's really not. But anyway, again, I thought, why not? You got it cranked from that first place. My suggestion was take it to the dealership. Right. Then don't bring it home.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

But why did we bring it home? Let's look at this logically. What was I trying to accomplish?

[Betty Lou]

You said you wanted to work. But I had a perfectly good car. You were riding with me.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

No, I had it full of tools.

[Betty Lou]

No, that was the first day. That was last Friday. He already unloaded all that, folks. Don't let him fool you. He unloaded all the tools Friday. You unloaded all the tools Friday?

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Friday is the day it died. I unloaded them when I brought it home on Friday, and then it died. Going back to the. To the mechanic.

[Betty Lou]

That was Friday on the little.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

If I had not come home and unloaded the truck, we would. Had to put all those tools in your car and they wouldn't fit.

[Betty Lou]

That made sense. That's not what I'm talking about. That was Friday on the curvy road where it broke down. I'm talking about today. This is Monday.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Okay, you're talking about today. What about today?

[Betty Lou]

We went clear up there to the little dealership that said that we needed to take it to the main dealership or whatever. The.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Whatever the mechanics. That said it needed to go to the dealership.

[Betty Lou]

Yeah, because they could run more. Whatever diagnostic test on it. So instead of just cranking her up, I think you did take her to the dealership. Actually, now that I'm thinking it's been. I feel like I've lived three days in this one so far. And so anyway, we get it to the dealership and I said, we'll just leave it. You know, you've already been left on the side of the road once. Let's don't chance it again. Oh, no, we'll see if it's working.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, they couldn't get. They couldn't get to it for a few days.

[Betty Lou]

Guess what? It's right up there where we should have left it this morning because it did die again, almost on you. And we decided, oh, we better take it back up there. So anyway, that's been our day today. And now your little cricket phone back there, I hear.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, you know, the name of the podcast is Bubba on the Lake. But. But today at this exact moment, we're kind of like Bubba down on the lake.

[Betty Lou]

This is called Bubba on the Highway. And sometimes without a car is what it's called today. Yes.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, we've invested in that truck, which I thought was going to be like a tank for 2 or 300,000 miles. Little did I know it was going to squat in the road at 134.

[Betty Lou]

Yeah, they don't make them like they used to, folks, apparently. Oh, well. But hey, we've driven some cars today. Just check them out.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Yeah, we got quotes on three different vehicles, all of them different in different ways. But, you know, I'm kind of. I'm kind of like just. I feel like just going to get one and saying the heck with all of it.

[Betty Lou]

Well, I. I just don't know what the plan is with the big truck. You know what I mean? What are we gonna do with it? We just gonna say, y'all do what you want to with it. Drive it in the lake, you know, what do we. What's the plan here? I don't know.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Yeah, I bet it would be good fish bait.

[Betty Lou]

Yeah, probably so. Yeah. I don't know about. Does rust bring in the fish? I don't know.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, you hope other things, you know, grow on it and all that. Well, Bill and Betty, we're kind of down at the moment. We're down. We're not out, but we're down. And we got to regroup and get it together here because it's sunshiny outside and we ought to be in a better mood than we are. So, you know, we have a couple of options there. We can just take a nap or we can get a refreshing drink or we can go look at the water or do something. I don't know, but I'm just so aggravated. I know you are. Thank you, Betty, for being there for me.

[Betty Lou]

My vote is we're going to get a pizza here in a little bit with hopefully a. A well known pizza place nearby that might become a sponsor one day. And we'll tell you who that is later if they do. So we'll sit down and have a Pizza.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

You're learning this game already.

[Betty Lou]

Oh, yeah. Yes, I am. Trust me, it doesn't take much.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, you know, they say time and money solves all problems. And unfortunately, we're out of both. So we'll take a break right here and we're gonna lick our wounds. And we'll be back in just a minute. You're listening to Bubba, Bubba on the Lake. The perfect checking account does not exist, at least not at a bank.

[David]

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[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Issue debit card, and free checks with unlimited check writing. But who doesn't want more? Like a rewards program you'll actually use.

[David]

And convenient digital tools that make it easy to manage your account from anywhere. That's what you'll find at Amherst. Only available for qualifying members. Amhurst is federally insured by the ncua.

[Betty Lou]

Looking for that beautiful quilt or other fabulous gifts? Check out Ann's Quilt and Country Store in Rogersville. Come see Ms. Kim for all your quilting needs. She does custom quilts, memory and T shirt quilts, and will also quilt your quilt top. There are gifts for women, babies, and.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Even knives for the men folk.

[Betty Lou]

Visit Ms. Kim at Ann's Quilts, 1614 Lee St. In historic downtown Rogersville, Alabama. Call 256-483-2276 or search the store on Facebook.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

And on the line, we have a familiar old friend, Chris Mileski, better known as Christopher Columbus, our old TV guy over at Rick and Bubba. Chris, how are you doing?

[David]

Doing really well, Bubba. Always good to talk to you. And, you know, since you mentioned the name. You know, it was not until the day that TV was over that I discovered why you gave me that name. I never, ever knew that for. Was it, I guess four years? Four or five years why you gave me the name.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Now, why did we give you the name? I don't remember.

[David]

Because you said I was always on a different adventure every time. There was always something new going on.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Oh, that's right. That's right. And you were. You were always out there and. And then after our show, you went on to do a lot of radio yourself.

[David]

Yeah, that. That was something I had never really thought would be something I'd ever want to do. I learned a ton from. From you and Rig. Just kind of always being in the background observing. And had the opportunity for almost nine years to co host with Roxanne on WDJC for the morning show. Had a great time. And I can't tell you how much I leaned on just kind of My style being a little bit about what you guys did. It was something that I picked up. And I'll tell you, the thing that I learned the most from both you and Rick was no ego. And that was the thing that I think really helped me in my whole world of radio, was no ego. Because, you know, in radio, there's a lot of ego.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Yeah. And I don't know that we taught you that lesson really well back on everything. Now, maybe we didn't teach that as well as we should have, but, Chris, it's so good to talk to you. And look, this is what happens when you do a podcast. Somebody calls you on the phone, you say, hey, how about an interview? I mean, you just.

[David]

You.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

You pick right up and hey, you're. You're on the air, baby.

[David]

I ain't got a problem with that. I'm always good to go. Another benefit of the show was always loved about it was there was always a schedule, but that schedule never really kind of came out. It was always just. I always called it kind of organized chaos gonna happen. You always had to be ready.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, it was a starting point, and, you know, you just had to. You had to pitch from there, so to speak, so. Well, Chris, what are you doing now? Catch everybody up on what's happening with you right now.

[David]

Absolutely. And thank you for asking that. After radio, my ninth year in radio, my son, my oldest son, who now actually is in college, he was in eighth grade, he got a pretty serious concussion playing football, and our whole world changed. We had to. My wife is in the middle of getting her PhD, and we didn't want her to stop that. So I had to make a career choice decision and leave morning radio to kind of be home at the morning for my son. So I actually went to work for one of our advertisers in the mortgage industry and kind of shifted into the marketing production. Kind of what I did at a certain level for you guys, but now more in the corporate world. And since then, now I'm with a company called Premier Lending, and now I run all the Alabama offices in the state of Alabama. We've got one in Guntersville, one in Tuscaloosa, and then one in Vestavia.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, so. So you loan money, huh?

[David]

Yes, I do. You want a mortgage?

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

I'll be happy to help you. It's good to know you. So do you. Do you miss the. The broadcast part of everything?

[David]

Every day? That is just some of the greatest memories of, you know, getting paid to laugh and show up and have fun, that the lessons That I learned about broadcast and actually sharing with people and being comfortable enough to actually, you know, talk and share was something that I will go to my grave as some of the greatest memories of my life.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, we had a lot of fun then. That was a fun period of time because the show was growing at a rapid pace and we were adding new things, new, you know, new features, tv. We were doing a lot of things out and about. Turner south had come along, which was part of the Turner empire in Atlanta, and they offered a lot of things and got us involved in a lot of things. I'll tell you, if I have to point to a one single day I think was the high point of the Rick and Bubba show is when we went to Atlanta to do promos at Turner down on Techwood, where I had visited before. I mean, that was their nerve center. But when we got to go in and be the talent and they treated us like we were important, it. That was really cool.

[David]

The green screens and, you know, the.

[James]

The.

[David]

All the effects. Yeah, all of that. And listen, Turner was, you know, I hate that the whole thing worked out with Braves, you know, taking it over, because that was when we were. It began to really grow and grow and grow and. And all the stuff that, like you said, we added. The Bachelor being like the very first thing that was actually produced on the show. And then, of course, the ghost hunts and the Bachelorette and just all those things that Vicky Quest and just all those things that just make everything so memorable.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Yeah, it was a really fun time. And, you know, that made it worth doing. It really did. It wasn't. You didn't feel tortured, you didn't feel like you were going to work. It was a very exciting time. And, you know, I'm glad we have those memories, Chris. We'll always cherish that. I mean, we. A lot of times we think it's me and Rick or, you know, Speedy and the other guys, but there were so many of you folks that were involved and interns and I mean, it was a pretty big production there for a while.

[David]

It was. And I think my. Probably my biggest memory was the day that you and Rick got the maddest at me. That was the Halloween when Jane Seymour showed up. And I didn't want to dress up because Jane Seymour was there. And I dressed up after Jane Seymour was there, but not before because I want to make sure to look my best for her. Well, which my wife didn't appreciate.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Yeah, you don't get every day. Jane Seymour, probably one of the most beautiful Women that have ever walked the planet. And. But, you know, I told Betty, and as sweet as Jane was, being a Bond girl and you know, the star of several TV shows, I said, betty, with you standing right there next to her, she doesn't have anything on you. You can hold your ground with anybody. That's kind of how I spun it, Chris.

[David]

The mistake that I made. That was the day Megan was coming up with. Our two oldest at that time were still babies. So she was outside the security door and you gotta have that little security key to get in. Well, Turner south shot an image of her out there waiting and then they did a commercial where it showed her outside waiting and then me inside and Jane Seymour kissing me on the cheek. And that didn't go very well.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Oh, no. Oh, no.

[David]

That didn't sit well with her.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, well, listen, how is your sister in law? Because she worked with us for a while.

[David]

Yeah, she's great.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Yeah.

[David]

Yep. Nana, she is in, she's in Nashville. Has three children. Her husband is an Emmy award winning, like, audio producer. Very, very, very, very, very talented individual. And I see her all the time. You know, she's still, she'll always be my favorite. We're about as close as a brother and sister can be, but, you know, she's like almost 40, bubba.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Yeah, well, we, you know, we noticed y'all were a very close family.

[James]

I know there were a lot of.

[David]

There were a lot of things that were said. It made my wife bad as well. That's twice.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

You know, it was a good time for all of us. Maybe not your wife, because now she's about to be the doctor. And, you know, we had all that going on and now I'm sitting here, you know, in front of a mixing board, you know, doing my own editing, doing a podcast. So, you know, we've got, we've all come a long way.

[David]

Sure. You know, if you love that because you're so techy anyway, I mean, Lord knows you got every computer you need for it, so.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, I'll tell you, doing the podcast, I have been able to get my hands dirty again, so to speak. You know, we, we did podcast with the other show, but I didn't have to edit them up. I didn't have to, you know, publish them. I didn't have to put the keywords and the search phrases and, you know, I didn't have to work accounts with everybody. So, you know, this has been, this is kind of back to ground floor for me because I've had to, you know, work with our advertisers and get it all produced and put it together. And, you know, quite frankly, I could use extra hand around here, Chris. So if you got some spare time, give me a call.

[David]

Listen, do you know how much I miss that? I miss that every. Every day. I just miss that element of producing and putting together and having a product to put out there. That's something that I'll always just be very proud of. And listen, you. You've done this before, you do it again, but I would love to maybe talk a little bit more about how I can contribute. You know that.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, you're contributing right now because my. My interview with Gene Hallman keeps getting pushed back. So I appreciate you filling in. And I had listened.

[David]

I had him for two straight years on our show to come up, and he delayed on me, too, twice.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, he. Look, he's busy. He's a mover and shaker. And look, I'm a little startup podcast, so, you know, I know the pecking order. I know where I belong. But he's. No, he's been very kind. We just. We've had some scheduling conflicts, and if you've listened earlier to this podcast, I've had truck problems again. So, you know, we just imagine that. Yeah, we just haven't had a good day. It's been. It's been crazy around here. Well, Chris, I'm glad y'all are doing good. Tell me, how old are your kids now? What are they doing?

[David]

Reeves is 22. He's about to finish Samford.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

You are degreeing me?

[David]

No, finishing college at Samford with a degree in sports management. Lucy is. She'll graduate in the spring of next year in journalism. She's kind of following in my. She loves the editing and the creative. She does a lot of stuff with those sports at Samford. And then Greer, our youngest, will be a senior at Hoover. Going to Sanford next. Next year. So we got one more to get through college.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Chris, that is. That just blows me away, you realize.

[James]

Oh, I know.

[David]

Yeah. I mean, it seems like yesterday they were in diapers and now they're out of college. About to be out of college.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Oh, yeah, yeah. And, you know, Hunter and Caitlin were just little toddlers during a lot of that time you're talking about. And they're, gosh, what, 26, 27 now.

[David]

Oh, Hunter will send me stuff on Facebook all the time. I just still. It's hard to believe that they're. I still think of them as little, little, little. But, boy, time has flown by.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Chris, what an understatement. What an understatement. Time does not wait on any man, does it?

[David]

No, I'll tell my mother in law. My mother in law are very, very close. And I was telling her, I said, do you realize I'm the age you were when me and Maggie got married? And I thought. I started thinking, oh, my gosh, time is just. I mean, we're not too far away with our kids getting married and them having kids, going, oh, my gosh, grandfather, you know, at some point.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Chris, are you. Are you close with all the females in your family?

[David]

Yes, very close. I was the first male. Everybody in her family is female, so I was like the first male around. So, yeah, that raises questions.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

But we're talking to Chris Mileski, who was better known as Christopher Columbus on the Rick and Bubba show for many, many years, then went on to. Did you say nine years? You and Roxanne went over to dgc. That is unbelievable to me.

[David]

Yeah. To survive that.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

And, you know, we had a conversation one time, and I was going to tell you this. You asked me if I remembered something that I had told Roxanne. And I never could remember it. I did remember it later on. She was right.

[David]

I'm sure you did.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

She was. She was right. And so, I mean, that's a little inside between us. But that bothered me to no end because somebody thought I had said something and it was all good. It wasn't anything bad. But you asked me about it and I could not remember it to saved my life. And I was like, you know, of course that's. You know, that's what getting 60 will do, you know, oh, my gosh. All the T's and I's are not crossed like they used to be. You know, it's. You got things missing.

[David]

That's. Yeah, I find that out every day. I can't. I can't do the things like I used to. I wish I could go play dodgeball like we did, but I don't know if I could make it up and down the court one time.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, I'd hardly walk right now. I got a bad ankle. I mean. And I get hurt all the time and I'm not doing anything. You know, that's the sad part. I'm not even playing golf. I mean, I. I'm just. I got it. I get out of bed and something's hurt. I don't like it.

[David]

Lucy ended up being our golfer. She actually was Hoover's number one her senior year and had some scholarship offers, but decided she wanted to go to Sanford. I Had to quit playing because she would just destroy me on the golf course. So I just ended up driving the golf cart for all the time. I just said you're beating the pants off of.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, listen, I know. I know a couple other really good golf programs in the area might be a little further up the road at Jack State, but, hey, holler at me.

[David]

I'd love to. I'd love to do it. No joke.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Chris, so good to talk to you. I hope you and Megan will load up and come visit us at the lake one day and let's get on the pontoon boat and we will relive even more memories.

[James]

I would. You.

[David]

You can count that in. I would love to do that. 100%.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Chris Mileski, the former Christopher Columbus. Good to talk to you, sir. Stay in touch.

[David]

You too, Bubba. Thanks.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

See you, bud.

[James]

Where's Bubba?

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

I'll tell you where. He's on the lake. Attention business owners, print buyers and production managers. Guaranteed Labels is here to help you focus less on your printing labels and decals and more on growing your business. Guaranteed Labels, your dependable printer for all types of industries. Quality on time shipments and stock programs. Set us apart. If you're needing to focus less on your printing and more on your business, Trust guaranteed labels. 800-741-7755 or guaranteed labels dot com. Guaranteed labels still sticking since 1988. You know one thing I love about Buffalo Wild Wings? You can get wings with any of their 26 sauces and dry rubs for takeout and delivery. That's like bringing in a entire B dubs home with you, which you can't do. I tried. I've knocked down so many walls only to then be told to halt construction because I'm not zoned to be a Sports bar kind of just looks like a big pergola or something. Because of the lack of walls, at least these 26 sauces and dry rubs are available to go. Buffalo Wild Wings. Let's go.

[David]

Sports bar Sa.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, we're back here in the Melayella studio, and we've had a lot of people requesting an update from Coach Michael Hams. Coach Hams, how are you, sir?

[James]

Hey, Bubsy, I think we're getting carried away there. Nobody wants to hear from me.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

No, I really, seriously, I would say, say it is probably the tide for number two request that I get.

[James]

Well, I. That's awful kind. I. I'm glad to be here. Thank you for having me. This is Bubba on the lake. I love it. I've been. I've been listening A little bit as I. As I grind through this schedule that I've. I've got myself into. But. But I'm looking forward to taking some time here over the next couple months and really digging into what you're doing over there.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, it's. It's a lot different. And I have explained to everybody, being the number two guy is a lot different from being the number one guy. And, you know, your pacing and how you handle everything is a little bit different. Not what I'm used to, but we're working on it. We'll work through it, and we're having fun doing it.

[James]

Well, I heard you mention that on the first episode, and I thought it was great that you got ahead of that and admitted that. But at the same time, I think you're doing a really good job, like I do. I love Bubba host. I love Bubba working everything. This is fun.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

It's. It's challenging, and we're still learning. We. We're working out all the things, but, you know, we. We did podcasts for a long time. We did two years. Well, more than that, 223 episodes, I think. But I didn't have to do all the details. I didn't have to do the editing. I didn't have to. To do the posting and all of that. You know, I'm kind of getting my hands dirty again, so I'm enjoying that part of it.

[James]

Well, I'm. I'm. You know, it's been a. It's been an interesting year, year and a half for both of us, and it's great seeing you on campus at Jacksonville State. I think you and I'll probably see more of each other now that the season's over. I hear you've got frequent flyer miles over at the cafeteria, so we'll definitely. We'll definitely connect more on a one. On one level, for sure. Coming up.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, listen, I. I'd heard you talk about the cafeteria, and I really, you know, I'm like, yeah, yeah, but look, I'm. I'm sold now. I mean, I, I buy lunches in blocks of a hundred now.

[James]

Well, I. Before we get finished with this, and. And I don't get to say it, I do want to tell you something. I. I just. I appreciate your friendship of the past year and a half, and we don't need to air dirty laundry, but you have meant a ton to me over the last year. Just, you're. You're so gracious and kind and supportive, even when things are tough and may have made them tough on Myself and you have been. I always walk away from you going, my gosh, that guy means everything. He says, like, you're just so genuine. And I do truly appreciate your friendship, really and truly, through the past year especially. So thank you for that. You've meant the world to me.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Okay. Is it donation time for tennis again? Is that what it is?

[James]

It's not. It's not. That's.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

No, you're too kind of.

[James]

I'll hit you up for that in August. Don't worry.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Okay, well, good. We'll look forward to that. But, no, everybody asked me, they said, do you see hams all the time? Do all hang out? And I. You know, our offices are technically on the same floor of the Coliseum, but you're over in a part that's isolated, so we can't just walk around the floor to your office. And I'm over there in the mix with everybody else. And you've kind of got a nice little isolated area over there that you've made, but you can only get to it with steps. And right now, steps and me are not jiving.

[James]

You know, it's funny when I tell people that you will not come see me because I don't have an elevator escalator, they laugh so hard at that. They think I'm kidding. They're like, oh, that's a good one, hounds. I'm like, no, no. That's exactly what Bubba said. He told me he's not coming over here until I resolve that.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, I've got. I've got this nagging ankle injury that I've had for about four months, and I look like I'm 100 years old trying to go up steps, and it's just embarrassing. And really, I'm the only one that uses that old elevator in the Coliseum. I mean, everybody else is scared of it. And I'm like, hey, it's the only option.

[James]

Well, it's. Yeah, I did. I, I, I've got me a nice little setup up there. Our team room, our tennis team room is up there. And there was an old maintenance closet, really, like a mechanical maintenance closet. And Greg Sites, the athletic director, asked him one day. There was. We were lacking office space. We were trying to find offices for all the coaches. And he's like, we'll find you something. I'm like, what's in there? And he's like, helms, that's like a. That's a mechanical closet. We can't put you in there. And I said, just open it up. And he did. And I've Made it into a really unique space. A lot of people think that it's always been like that and it hasn't. And so they're a little envious now, but they don't realize what it took to get it looking the way it does now.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Yeah. Coach Harper, the basketball coach, calls it the ham's bed and breakfast.

[James]

Funny. Yes, that is. I'll just leave it at that. So that's a good one.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

So just for everybody that doesn't know, tell them what you're doing now at Jacksonville State University.

[James]

Okay. So I just wrapped up my first year as head coach of the men's tennis team and just wrapped up my second year as head coach of the women's tennis team and so had the Lady Gamecocks the first year. This is tip. This is typical us doing. I'm in the middle of interview and I've got somebody that's working on our air conditioner knocking on my door. Hey, I'm so sorry, Bubba.

[David]

This is.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Just tell them to come on in. We're good. It's just a podcast. It's okay.

[James]

So I'm doing it. Hey, I'm gonna walk out here because I'm doing the phone. Okay. This is just typical. But no, I, I did my second year with the women and first year with the men and honestly, Bubba, I took. Took the men over and I'm not even sure. I guess it was about end of June, July, and so that's when I made the decision to step away from the. The other show and do this full time. And oh my goodness, August and September, I was really going, what have you done? This is too much like you can't handle this. And I didn't have any help, didn't have any assistance at the time. And so we just kept grinding through it and got through the fall, got through Christmas, and then when we got to January, I had an opportunity to hire a full time assistant. I already had one graduate assistant. I got another one for the men's team. And it has been such a good year on that front having them. It's been. God sends. They've been great. Not only to the teams, but just to me and kind of just we. I feel like we have a really good team in place now. And so I'm on the other side of all that. And so I started having fun again probably in February. It took a while, but started having fun again in February. And we had. Girls had an okay year. You know, we've won some matches that we probably shouldn't have, but we also lost some that we kind of, we shouldn't have. The guys had a really good year and I'm really looking forward to next year already. But I'm gonna do something that I hadn't done in a very long time and that's take a break. Like I'm actually gonna check out and just spend some time with my kids and hang out for, for a month or so. I got some recruiting and end season stuff that I need to do, but I'm going to use the summer just to kind of regroup and get ready for the fall. Started all over again.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, you, you mentioned the men's team. You guys ended the season on like a six match run, right?

[James]

We did. We won. I think we had won six or seven in a row. And the guys did not lose at home this year, which is special. They went 70 at home and made our way to the semifinals in the Conference usa, ultimately losing a tough one to Liberty. It's one of those you lose sleep over because honestly on paper at the moment, the way the programs are separated with financials, you're not supposed to win that one. And we had them, like we really did. I thought to myself going in that if we ever had a chance to beat them, this was going to be the year. And we were so close. We took the doubles point, we were up on several courts and it just didn't go our way. But really proud of the guys. I've never been on, I've never been a part of a team where you have 10 guys and it's like you have 10 best friends on the team. Like usually somebody don't like each other and this group is special. They, they truly love each other, want the best for each other and they're a lot of fun, for sure.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, it, you know, it shows and I got to see a couple of matches this year, part of them. And it looks like that you're headed in the right direction and I know you're very excited about that. I mean it is kind of strange when you change careers and. How long were you on the Rick and Bubba Show?

[James]

15, 15 years.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

15 years. So, you know, we, we both are headed in new directions and having a lot of fun doing it. And it's, you know, there was some negative with, with the way that everything ended, but you know, we, we had to kind of lean on each other a little bit through some of that. But you probably got tired of hearing me, but it's great. I think, you know, with the corner being turned now and new Horizons. I think you're enjoying that, and I'm enjoying what I'm doing. So, you know, all's well that ends well, as I say.

[James]

Yeah. And I can see that through you, too. Like, when I see you on campus and you seem to be really enjoying what you're doing, and I love that. And let me tell you something. The Gamecock family here loves having you on board. And, you know, that's what they. I get. It's one of those things where I get that question, too. Hey, where's Bubba? I'm like, I don't know where Bubba is. Like, I'm. You know, it's funny. It doesn't matter where I'm at Sam Houston State or New Mexico. I get, hey, where's Bubba? And I'm like, yeah, well, we probably.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Yeah, yeah. We spent a lot of time together. And it is. It is funny now because we run in such opposite directions. But you. You mentioned those locations. Tell everybody, like, where you travel to this year with the team. Because Conference USA is scattered out across the country.

[James]

We are geographically spread out. It's. It's really. It's absurd. And we don't even play a typical conference regular season schedule because of that. Because it's hard, especially on the women's side, because we've got 10 teams. And you may have. You got Florida International, you've got New Mexico State, utep, Sam Houston. You know, it's easy to go to Middle Tennessee three hours down the road, or Kennesaw two hours down the road. But, you know, Law Tech is five, six hours away. So we are geographically spread out. But I'll tell you, we took a really cool trip this year with the guys. I inherited this, and I probably wouldn't have scheduled this on my own just for budget reasons and some things that I have learned since I've been there. But I'm glad we went. And that was. We took a trip with the guys to the Air Force Academy, and they played Air Force, Denver and Utah State, three teams that we would have never probably played, ever. And, you know, what you forget about is it there's altitude differences. The ball flies everywhere. You know, you always hear about that with baseball flying out of it.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

It's real. It's real.

[James]

Yeah. And so it's the same with tennis. And so there's a lot of things that go in preparation. You know, the altitude affects guys. And so, you know, because of those factors alone, probably not the best scheduling decision that was made. But I'm glad we went because it was a unique Part of the world. I had never been to the Air Force Academy. What a great, great place.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Isn't it beautiful?

[James]

It really is. And the first day we got there, I think it snowed like six inches. And of course, we don't handle that well here, but they. It's like a normal day. And so just to have the snow and you know, we played indoors of obviously. And that's a whole different thing that you have to think about in tennis. Indoor services are much different than outdoor surfaces. And you add altitude. And from a health standpoint and a ball standpoint, it's different. You go into it with limitations already, but guys handled it well. And it was a fun, fun trip, for sure.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Yeah, we went. It was just. The scenery was so pretty because you had the Air Force Academy and all the buildings there, and then you had the mountains with the snow on it, behind it. And you know that the whole defense of the free world world is there with NORAD down the road. And, you know, it's just. It's really a cool place, isn't it?

[James]

Well, and it's such a small world, too. You know, I'm there and I run into one of your former players.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Yeah. Luke Wolf. Yeah.

[James]

And run into him. He's the senior now and just caught up with him, I think. I actually did take a selfie with him and send it to you. But he's. He's doing well and it was good to see him while we were out there as well.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, I wanted to make that trip. And we got caught up in some other things that we had to take care of. So I hate I didn't get to go. But Coach Hams, it's good to talk to you. And people are always asking me if I'm helping the tennis team, and I kind of laugh at that. And I tell them, they won't let me. They won't let me near these athletes. It's as good.

[James]

That's not true. That is not true. Listen, we can always use some. Another assistant. And listen, I've seen you come out. I know you can't say all the time, I've seen you come out to our matches. And I appreciate your support on that front. That means a ton. And I will say this. You sent me a picture of my dad and you at the baseball game. Doesn't. I just want to apologize for anything he may have said. You know, he's the loose cannon. Bubba.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Listen, me and. Me and Mack Daddy, we're on the same page with most everything. You know, he just gets to say it. And I think it.

[James]

You know what's funny is he's.

[David]

He's.

[James]

He does. He comes to any. Any tennis match he can get to. He. He's coming and he gets his little chair and he brings it out there and sits, and he doesn't care, like. And I guess he would do this with anything I'm doing. And I love it. I'm sure some people would look at it and go, can't believe that he does that. But he'll just come up and talk to me in the middle of matching. And he come up to me the other day, we were playing. I think we're playing Tennessee State. And in the middle of the match, he just comes up to me and starts talking to him, and he wants to know what's going on. This, that, and the other. And he will text me. He will text me when I get home. Now, dad does not text back and forth. All dad is going to do is text you a message and you can respond to it, but he's not going to see it. But he texts me a match or after a match, he goes, hey, I just want to let you know Pablo really turned that match around for y'all on court three. And I'm like, we don't have a Pablo.

[David]

Who are you talking about?

[James]

And so I got to look in, and I thought, court three. That's Marco. So he's been calling Marco Pablo this whole time? Well, it was funny.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

He told me he refuses to keep the score like you normally do in tennis. He said, I count 1, 2, 3, 4. He said, I don't do this 15, 30, 40 game. I don't do that.

[James]

And. And I don't blame him. I don't blame. It is weird.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

It's weird.

[James]

I know it is. It is weird. It's one of those things that I would change if I could. He. But he. I think he's actually got something figured out there. That's exactly. Especially the way we do it when there's no ad. So you really. First to four points. And so he's to win a game, but he does that. He'll sit there with his little notepad, like, that's how. If you would have told me 10 years ago that my dad would be sitting down at college tennis matches taking note, I would have thought, you're out of your mind. And so he does that now. It's so funny. It's so great to see him out there doing that as we're playing these matches.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

You know, I didn't think about this, but I think I'm going to grab him and talk doubles with him and share some things with him so he will point them out to you. How about that?

[James]

Perfectly fine. I love it. I love it.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Coach Hams, thank you for making time, Michael. Love you, brother. We've been in the trenches together for a long time and we are again now just on different ends of the trench. So love it. Thank you for making time to be with us and please come see us. Come sit on the porch and we'll do another episode.

[James]

Would love that. Love you, Bubsy. Let me know if you ever need anything.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Take care. Coach Helms. That's coach Michael Helms of the Jacksonville State Gamecocks men and women's tennis team. He's technically the director of tennis, so he is doing very well with that and we're very, very proud of him. We'll be back in just a minute. You are listening to Bubba on the Lake. It's Bubba on the Lake. Bubba on the Lake. At Central Stable bank, we believe community banking is more than just transactions. It's about relationships. For over 100 years, we've been helping neighbors grow, businesses thrive and dreams become reality. Because when you bank local, you invest in your community. Central state bank. Large enough to serve you, small enough to know you. Visit us today or learn more@centralstate bank.com.

[David]

Member FDIC.

[Betty Lou]

This is Coke Zero Sugar. Could I be the best Coke ever? Try and taste with your ears. Hear those bubbles. Imagine them tingling on your top. Fizzy deliciousness. Listen to that cascading liquid. A mouth watering waterfall.

[David]

Irresistibly tasty.

[Betty Lou]

Zero sugar. Crisp, refreshing and and ice cold. Is Coke Zero Sugar the best Coke ever? Try and decide.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

You're listening to Bubba on the Lake.

[David]

Hit me bad.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

A production of Intergalactic Pants and teas.

[David]

All rights reserved.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Well, that is gonna do it. For this edition of the podcast, I wanna thank all my guests for being on and thank you for spending time with us in the Melayella studio. Remember, our website is bubbaonthelake.com and our message line is 308-244-5253. Or as I like to say, 308 Big Lake. And we always ask you to subscribe, follow turn on notifications and all that stuff that we need so that we can make this podcast bigger and better for you folks. Thank you again. We appreciate you being a part of it until we sail into port again. Next time, remember, God's greatest blessing is that you're not praying for a miracle today. Take care. This podcast is brought to you by Coke AM First, Buffalo Wild Wings, Southern Immediate Care, Ann's Quilts, Guaranteed Labels, Central State bank, and Sunrise Docs. What is the Bubba on the Lake podcast? It's about defying peer pressure. I mean, let's face it, everybody's doing a podcast.

[Betty Lou]

They are.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

I mean, if you ain't, you're the oddball out. I mean, it's like not having a tattoo now, you know, I don't have.

[Betty Lou]

A tattoo or a podcast. I mean, I'm just left out in.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

The dark and overcoming adversity.

[Betty Lou]

I don't know. My mom is pretty funny. She's not funny. She can cut loose.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Yeah, she does stand up for us at family events, I think.

[Betty Lou]

That's not.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

And she can't stand up. That's what's even funny. I mean, she can, but it's for the walk.

[Betty Lou]

She does a semi stand up.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Up. You ever seen a comedian with a walker? And I mean, really need it. It's not a prop. Download episodes [e-mail].