Over the Technology Cliff

MySpace, Facebook, a blog and a work website.. Holy Internet Batman! It would seem I’ve grabbed a spot everywhere, each linking back to my adventures over the radio airwaves. I’m happy to report that not only do I have online access at work, I now have it within these four walls where I sleep, eat and create a disastrous mess. But that’s not all! I have a new cell phone that’s sent me over the edge of technology into a pile of tech toys and gadgets. Among other things, this phone remains charged for more than 5 minutes, a calendar, a great contact program, serves as an internet modem for my computer and most importantly I have internet access anywhere I have phone service right there on the phone itself. For some that may be too much of everything, but after years of working in radio I confess I’m a news/internet/communication junkie! Now I can feed that addiction anywhere!!!

So, as I swim through the world of gadgets and hope not to erase, destroy or lose the new toy, I move on to the promised state fair. The 2008 state fair runs August 7-17^th, so plans are coming together now and we’ll have some concert information to share next week.

As for last year, the KMZU Farm Department spends the entire 10 days at the fair in Sedalia, MO. Mike and I will each have a camper on the grounds so we don’t have to make the drive everyday. I pretty much move into my trailer as if it’s an apartment. For me that means things tossed all over the place, but that’s just to make it feel homey. Mike will alternate a couple days so he can see his family (and keep himself out of trouble). Last year the fair officially started on the 9^th, so from the beginning …..

August

6^th For the fair in 2006 we had an engineer at the radio station who took care of setting things up for the annual event. In 2007, we didn’t have an engineer so I took the Red Roving Radio to Sedalia for set up. Miles, da boss, arrives climbs on top of the grandstand a few times, engineers a few things and to make a long story short, 9 hours later things are pretty well ready to go. That afternoon our trailers arrive (homes away from home). We set those up and turn on the air conditioner so it’s cool when I come back in a couple days.

Wednesday the 8^th

6pm I arrive at the fairgrounds in the evening so I can make sure the printers, computers, audio equipment are hooked up and I know what I’m doing. 2 hours later, printers work, computers work…. Audio….. it’ll work somehow.

10pm I head to the trailer and find the air conditioner is NOT WORKING. Call the RV folks and it’s just the breaker. While the trailer cools down, I’ll make a late night run for groceries. When I get back, no AC.

Get it running again and I’m in bed by 11:30.

12:30am Air conditioner quits again. First thought…. It’s going to be a long, hot 10 days! I check the breaker but that’s not the problem this time. I look outside and notice the wind is really picking up and other campers are scrambling to get the trailer awnings rolled up. Gee, I’m glad I don’t have to mess with that, I wouldn’t know where to start.

I open the windows and go back to the sauna/bed.

3am The wind is really blowing, it’s pouring down rain and lightning and thunder is rumbling through the skies. I try to go back to sleep when I remember the windows on the Jeep are off (the soft top is on but no windows.) With a full blown storm outside, I decide, it’s a Jeep, she's tough, it’ll be ok.

Stay tuned for day two..