What an eventful weekend Thanksgiving turned into. I had to work Friday so the family made the trip to Carrollton for the big day. I found it funny that within five minutes of each other both my mom and brother called to see if I had coffee. Not being a coffee drinker I don't keep the stuff on hand, but apparently it's visit or no visit to them.
Another call from David a few days before Thanksgiving. He wanted to make sure I had taken the turkey out of the freezer to thaw…… ha ha funny joke big brother. But on the other hand, I'm pretty sure it was a serious question on his part.
He knows I don't cook, at least not very often. What he fails to acknowledge is not that I can't cook, but the fact I choose not to. For one reason, this time of year when you get home it's already dark and I don't want to mess with it. The biggest reason is that the dishwasher and garbage disposal quit last year around the same time the washing machine went kaput. I don't like doing dishes so willingly making a stack of dirty dishes is just crazy talk.
So why have the family over for a big holiday feast when dishes will be everywhere? That's an easy answer, mom. She loves it. Why else would she have cleaned up after us all those year? She must enjoy it, she's a mom and besides that she does a spectacular job!
Well, that's not really true but I know she would expect me to say it so why let her down. The fact is I had an electrician out for an outlet problem recently. While he was there I asked him about the dishwasher.
Now I consider myself kind of handy. I can usually fix things, or at least rig'em up to work for the time being. In this instance however, maybe I'm not so handy. Apparently there's a trip switch located near the dishwasher that I missed, completely! I didn't even notice the button was there… above the counter… at eye level. All the electrician did was push the reset button… then holy cow, I have a dishwasher!!! Agghhh, It's been a year without one and that's all I had to do!!!!
Despite feeling like a fool, turns out having a dishwasher (that operates) is a bonus for Thanksgiving. Turkey, spiral honey ham, roasted vegetables, potato casserole, rolls and mom's pecan pie with chocolate chips… mmmmm…delicious, now toss the dishes in the washer.. and take a turkey induced nap, yeah!!!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
It's Meeting Season...
So the mouse issue has not been the only thing going on. In late November we had our annual National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention in Kansas City. For the broadcasters I've had the chance to work with over the years, it's a great chance to catch up, visit and see what's taking place in farm shops around the country. This year I got the chance to take a more active step in the NAFB organization. For the next year I'll be serving as the Southern Region Vice President. Who knows what I may have just gotten myself into, but I'm looking forward to it.
Another part of the annual event is Trade Talk. It's a trade show with a mass confusion of company reps and broadcasters doing a million product interviews in a matter of 4 hours. I got several of those edited last night, then found another dozen to tackle tomorrow. I'm working with Scott to get those posted online so listeners can check out some of the new farm equipment and products available for the 2009 growing season.
The NAFB conference was in November. Since then we've already attended the Livestock Marketing Associations Regional Auctioneer Championship at the Kingsville Livestock Auction, the Missouri Farm Bureau Convention at Lake of the Ozarks and Missouri Cattlemen's Convention in Springfield. I love Meeting Season!!.jpg)
As for other excitement, I guess I can share pictures of the Jeep, my poor, poor Jeep. Here's a shot of the damage from when we met a dark steer on a dark night in the middle of the road!
Another part of the annual event is Trade Talk. It's a trade show with a mass confusion of company reps and broadcasters doing a million product interviews in a matter of 4 hours. I got several of those edited last night, then found another dozen to tackle tomorrow. I'm working with Scott to get those posted online so listeners can check out some of the new farm equipment and products available for the 2009 growing season.
The NAFB conference was in November. Since then we've already attended the Livestock Marketing Associations Regional Auctioneer Championship at the Kingsville Livestock Auction, the Missouri Farm Bureau Convention at Lake of the Ozarks and Missouri Cattlemen's Convention in Springfield. I love Meeting Season!!
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As for other excitement, I guess I can share pictures of the Jeep, my poor, poor Jeep. Here's a shot of the damage from when we met a dark steer on a dark night in the middle of the road!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Grocery List..... get peanut butter...
The next morning wasn't like a Christmas but it was like a homeowner, frustrated with the small rodent intrusion and looking for answers. I check the trap and … success!!!!! I've finally caught the tricky little rascal who's been invading my home, startling my peaceful world and leaving footprints across the top of my feet (see the post from Nov 11). For those of you pulling for the mouse, don't worry, your entertainment could continue. I hear they travel together, pairs, packs, gaggles…who the heck knows but let's hope that it's only pairs. I don't have enough traps or peanut butter to feed herds.
Monday, December 15, 2008
The Hunt Goes On...
When I returned home that afternoon, the first stop was the curtain. Hopefully the mouse hunting persistence has paid off… after pulling the drape out of the way; I notice the trap was still sprung. The rascal must be full from the last smorgasbord I set out. Before heading off to another task, I decided to get a closer look, just in case! I pick up the trap and there is nothing, absolutely nothing! The contraption is completely empty. No mouse and even worse, no peanut butter. The beast not only dined on the peanut butter dish, but the tiny little mouse tongue licked the thing clean. Eeewwww!!
With a shiver of disgust I grabbed the, now, half empty peanut butter jar. With great determination I place a spoonful on the trap. Before placing the trap back in the mouse dining hall I make a quick change. If this rascal is so sure of himself to spend the extra time to lick this thing clean, he's going to have to work a little harder. With a twist of the spoon, a good portion of the gooey peanut butter has now been stuck to the underside of the trigger. My thought, now the ferocious rodent has to contort itself to get to the last little icky drop!
Now we wait….
With a shiver of disgust I grabbed the, now, half empty peanut butter jar. With great determination I place a spoonful on the trap. Before placing the trap back in the mouse dining hall I make a quick change. If this rascal is so sure of himself to spend the extra time to lick this thing clean, he's going to have to work a little harder. With a twist of the spoon, a good portion of the gooey peanut butter has now been stuck to the underside of the trigger. My thought, now the ferocious rodent has to contort itself to get to the last little icky drop!
Now we wait….
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sometimes there should be a witness…
I have a mouse in my house again. I dealt with this a year ago too. When I resolved it that time I disposed of the intruder in the yard and thought, let this be a warning to the rest of you!! Apparently this mouse is a young adventurer who hasn't heard of my wrath. He's most active during the evening, which is when I decided to politely share a favorite snack, honey roasted peanuts. I allowed the quiet little mouse one peanut, free and clear placed on the floor. Enjoy it you little rascal because the next one, in the trap, will be your last!
The next morning I hear the usually nocturnal beast quietly munching away on something across the room. I'm busy so I decide not to hunt but instead try to shoo him away by stomping my feet. The chewing came to a halt, but I didn't see the perpetrator leave the scene. A few moments later the chewing resumes. Agghhhh… Since I know it's not long till he find the peanut buffet I can tolerate a little noise but geezzz, cut it out! In a fit of aggravation I grab the closest thing and chuck it across the room. With a very soft brush of the curtains the violently thrown finger nail file falls near the intended target who apparently took enough time to chuckle. Finally I've had enough and leap across the room where my first stop is the peanut meal I laid out the night before. I lift the curtain to find the peanut buffet gone. I could only imagine this was a Mission Impossible peanut extraction operation. Both the appetizer and the main course that had been delicately placed in the contraption have been removed with expert precision, leaving the jaws of the mouse trap wide open and clueless of their failure to act.
That's it! With a greater sense of determination I place one new peanut back in the trap with the alluring stickiness of peanut butter holding it on. No appetizer this time buddy!
In a continued effort to find the perpetrator I throw the curtains back to the left, no mouse. I climb on top of the chest and peer behind, no mouse. I step back on the floor and sweep the rest of the curtains off to the right and still no mouse! As I continue to ponder the whereabouts of the rodent I lightly brush a plastic bag on the floor. Suddenly the ferocious beast that's been lying in wait leaps forward in a fierce and threatening manner and darts across my barefoot as if to say "ha you foolish giant, where's the rest of my food!!"
I don't startle easily, but I will say someone in that room screamed like a little girl.
The next morning I hear the usually nocturnal beast quietly munching away on something across the room. I'm busy so I decide not to hunt but instead try to shoo him away by stomping my feet. The chewing came to a halt, but I didn't see the perpetrator leave the scene. A few moments later the chewing resumes. Agghhhh… Since I know it's not long till he find the peanut buffet I can tolerate a little noise but geezzz, cut it out! In a fit of aggravation I grab the closest thing and chuck it across the room. With a very soft brush of the curtains the violently thrown finger nail file falls near the intended target who apparently took enough time to chuckle. Finally I've had enough and leap across the room where my first stop is the peanut meal I laid out the night before. I lift the curtain to find the peanut buffet gone. I could only imagine this was a Mission Impossible peanut extraction operation. Both the appetizer and the main course that had been delicately placed in the contraption have been removed with expert precision, leaving the jaws of the mouse trap wide open and clueless of their failure to act.
That's it! With a greater sense of determination I place one new peanut back in the trap with the alluring stickiness of peanut butter holding it on. No appetizer this time buddy!
In a continued effort to find the perpetrator I throw the curtains back to the left, no mouse. I climb on top of the chest and peer behind, no mouse. I step back on the floor and sweep the rest of the curtains off to the right and still no mouse! As I continue to ponder the whereabouts of the rodent I lightly brush a plastic bag on the floor. Suddenly the ferocious beast that's been lying in wait leaps forward in a fierce and threatening manner and darts across my barefoot as if to say "ha you foolish giant, where's the rest of my food!!"
I don't startle easily, but I will say someone in that room screamed like a little girl.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
I'm OK With It...
Over the years we learn to accept things about ourselves. For me there are a couple things that come to mind... for example, my hair. I've tried to straighten it and it doesn't work so well. I've tried perms and those were never good for anyone involved. What I know is this, I do have a lot of hair (thanks dad), I also have a lot of waves, not curls, just waves which are really just cowlicks gone wild (again, thanks dad!). So the answer to the problem, I try to work with my hair, not against it. It wants to part to the left on Thursdays and Tuesdays, and down the middle on Friday, that's ok, I can work with it!
Secondly, many times, I can be a lot more emotional than I'd prefer. When my feelings get hurt, I get very frustrated, or something sad happens.. I've been known to shed a tear or twenty. Something funny happens, you'll know it 5 counties away. For the sad stuff it can be kind of easy, just avoid them. You can tell when a movie is a tearjerker, so why pay money to see something that's going to make you feed like crap two hours later. As for the funny stuff I've learned to work with it too. Some people are known for their great hair, legs, clothes.... blah blah blah. Turns out none of that works well for radio anyway!! But a laugh, apparently people get a kick out of it on occasion. Silly and loud, yes, but I'm ok with it.
What brings me to this blog is that I'm also not so good with pain. If someone else cuts a finger or breaks a leg, I can at least be useful. This week, Debbie, our office manager had two wisdom teeth pulled then came to work. Crazy woman! If that was me, not only would I not be at work, but neither would she because she may need to take care of me. I I know this because of previous experience. While working in Little Rock, I learned I had two wisdom teeth coming in. The doctor set the appointment to pull one of them for the following week which gave me 7 days to anticipate the tooth extraction fun. On appointment day I'm sitting in the chair. As the assistant gives me the shots I decide it's a good idea to let her know these things (surgeries) don't always go well for me.
"Hon, I'm glad you said so, how are you doing now?"
With a shallow breath I answer.. "Not so well"
The next thing I know, I'm in a horizontal position with an oxygen mask on my face. First thought "they knocked me out and pulled it already, hot dog!" I soon realized the tooth was, sadly, still intact.
In an effort to return color to my face the dentist says "just keep breathing, and relax. We can take it out next week just as easy as we could this week so don't worry."
Don't worry? Don't worry?! Hah you crazy man. If you think I'm coming back here willingly you really are crazy.
I have extra wisdom in my head, and yes, I'm ok with it.
Secondly, many times, I can be a lot more emotional than I'd prefer. When my feelings get hurt, I get very frustrated, or something sad happens.. I've been known to shed a tear or twenty. Something funny happens, you'll know it 5 counties away. For the sad stuff it can be kind of easy, just avoid them. You can tell when a movie is a tearjerker, so why pay money to see something that's going to make you feed like crap two hours later. As for the funny stuff I've learned to work with it too. Some people are known for their great hair, legs, clothes.... blah blah blah. Turns out none of that works well for radio anyway!! But a laugh, apparently people get a kick out of it on occasion. Silly and loud, yes, but I'm ok with it.
What brings me to this blog is that I'm also not so good with pain. If someone else cuts a finger or breaks a leg, I can at least be useful. This week, Debbie, our office manager had two wisdom teeth pulled then came to work. Crazy woman! If that was me, not only would I not be at work, but neither would she because she may need to take care of me. I I know this because of previous experience. While working in Little Rock, I learned I had two wisdom teeth coming in. The doctor set the appointment to pull one of them for the following week which gave me 7 days to anticipate the tooth extraction fun. On appointment day I'm sitting in the chair. As the assistant gives me the shots I decide it's a good idea to let her know these things (surgeries) don't always go well for me.
"Hon, I'm glad you said so, how are you doing now?"
With a shallow breath I answer.. "Not so well"
The next thing I know, I'm in a horizontal position with an oxygen mask on my face. First thought "they knocked me out and pulled it already, hot dog!" I soon realized the tooth was, sadly, still intact.
In an effort to return color to my face the dentist says "just keep breathing, and relax. We can take it out next week just as easy as we could this week so don't worry."
Don't worry? Don't worry?! Hah you crazy man. If you think I'm coming back here willingly you really are crazy.
I have extra wisdom in my head, and yes, I'm ok with it.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A New Mode of Transportation….
I found a car. Yes, a car instead of another Jeep. I'll be back in the Jeep world sometime in the future, but for the time being I'll drive a little red Jetta and keep some gas money in my own pocket. The Jetta has a few extra rattles and years, but so far so good. Let's hope she keeps on ticking. To make that happen I'm afraid I will have to adjust my driving a little. You see, I believe you drive a car the way it wants to be driven and I believe most cars want to be 4-wheel drive. In college it was the Topaz, a white bolt of gas efficient lightening who met a few curbs, hills and gullies in its day (one curb my friends seem to remember all to well). There was also the Thunderbird. Turns out the ol' bird could seat more than five, but couldn't fly over railroad tracks...General Lee, she was not. So you see, my move to taller vehicles was sensible, and a leading reason was to get further away from the ground. Hopefully the little red Jetta is up to the challenge, though maybe the challenge won't be as extreme.
In other transportation excitement, sunny weather and a Sunday created the perfect day for horseback riding this weekend. Luckily some friends around here have a few equine on hand and allowed me to borrow a steed and tag along.
During life in Texas County, I spent many a day on horseback. Sometimes I'd even come in for lunch then change horses for the afternoon. That was pre-college of course. In college the apartment people frowned at the idea of a horse in the courtyard.
This weekend, we met in Waverly Sunday morning and hauled the herd to an area around Marshall. We had a great ride and enjoyed the Missouri scenery. By the end of the day, we'd been riding for around 6 hours. I'm ready to go again, but don't let me forget the Aspirin and Icy Hot!
In other transportation excitement, sunny weather and a Sunday created the perfect day for horseback riding this weekend. Luckily some friends around here have a few equine on hand and allowed me to borrow a steed and tag along.
During life in Texas County, I spent many a day on horseback. Sometimes I'd even come in for lunch then change horses for the afternoon. That was pre-college of course. In college the apartment people frowned at the idea of a horse in the courtyard.
This weekend, we met in Waverly Sunday morning and hauled the herd to an area around Marshall. We had a great ride and enjoyed the Missouri scenery. By the end of the day, we'd been riding for around 6 hours. I'm ready to go again, but don't let me forget the Aspirin and Icy Hot!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Dear Mr. Corner Lot Car Guy...
I won't be back to south KC to look at that other hunk of metal you call a great deal. You keep it and have a fun with the spring sticking through the seat!
By the way, just a tip from me to you... shower!
By the way, just a tip from me to you... shower!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
The Search is Underway....
Vehicle shopping can be a lot of fun. Test drive anything and everything, wish big, then look in the purse to see very little funds to get the next big toy. Made a trip to Kansas City last night to do a little shopping for a car and found one I really liked but is more than I want to spend at this time of course. Oh well, that's the way it goes so the search will continue. In the meantime, this is another wedding weekend. A college friend is getting married then heading to a beach in a far off place to spend time with her betrothed. I wonder if she needs a car sitter...
Thursday, October 2, 2008
It's 2008, do you know where you are?
It was a fun weekend visiting with the girls. We gathered at a winery near Rolla for Amy's personal wedding shower. Those are interesting because the bride receives gifts that are more for the honeymoon than the blissful life of love and roses.
That evening -- bachlorette party! I've been to a few of those and that's always a good time. This party was too. We had a great time. However, during our girl chat on the drive to dinner, I realized something.... we're in a minivan.........
WE ARE IN A FREAKIN MINIVAN!!!
Holy crap! Where did the last decade go?
That evening -- bachlorette party! I've been to a few of those and that's always a good time. This party was too. We had a great time. However, during our girl chat on the drive to dinner, I realized something.... we're in a minivan.........
WE ARE IN A FREAKIN MINIVAN!!!
Holy crap! Where did the last decade go?
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Hurry Up and Wait!
"We'll have more information for you tomorrow.... or the day after" Aggghhhhh!! Not knowing what's going to happen regarding the Jeep is very frustrating. I received word yesterday that they, I'm sad to say, totaled the Jeep. I'm pretty attached to that little 4-wheel drive, sometimes topless, show me the road not to take and we'll go there, piece of driving technology. I'm sure my world and driving experience will never be the same! I guess the delay from insurance is giving me time to just get over it and move on. However, my heart is sad and without wheels. Well not really, I have a rental for now, but it sounds more dramatic in my mind.
I've spent the last few days searching the www seeking out the next wonder of the automotive world that will work within my nonexistent budget. I'll keep you posted.... I did see an ol' 90's Mercury Topaz.... haven't I seen one of those before? Ahh college.... On the upside I could drive that thing for 3 days after the low fuel light came on!!
I've spent the last few days searching the www seeking out the next wonder of the automotive world that will work within my nonexistent budget. I'll keep you posted.... I did see an ol' 90's Mercury Topaz.... haven't I seen one of those before? Ahh college.... On the upside I could drive that thing for 3 days after the low fuel light came on!!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
No Use Crying Over Spilt Radiator Fluid
So my commitment to the two weeks hasn't gone so well huh? I do have a huge and bad excuse.
As many of you know I've had a Jeep Wrangler for several years, 2001 to be specific. I got her just under 11,000 miles and this Saturday night we were cruising past 140,000 miles until... sigh...... until we topped a hill and our headlights fell on a beast in the middle of the road. A four-weight black steer in the middle of the road on a dark night. Despite my best efforts to stop I'm afraid it was not to be. We hit with a large thud and the drive came to an end in total blackness in the cool of the night in the middle of a country road. ahhhh the adventure that is my world.
Thankfully we were not hurt and the state patrolman who helped us out was not only courteous, but handsome too! Thankfully my friend who was with me is from this area so we were able to get a ride home and call it a night about 3am. Not the adventure we were looking for, but another adventure just the same.
This week I'm waiting to hear from the insurance company and praying for enough cash to get the Jeep fixed or to get something that will work for the time being. To get past my Jeep sorrows this weekend I have a bachelorette party to look forward to and maybe a little automotive shopping. In the meantime, if you know anyone looking for a "blemished" Jeep with a lot of lovely memories, you know where to find me. I'll be the brunette with a microphone hitchhiking to the next meeting!
As many of you know I've had a Jeep Wrangler for several years, 2001 to be specific. I got her just under 11,000 miles and this Saturday night we were cruising past 140,000 miles until... sigh...... until we topped a hill and our headlights fell on a beast in the middle of the road. A four-weight black steer in the middle of the road on a dark night. Despite my best efforts to stop I'm afraid it was not to be. We hit with a large thud and the drive came to an end in total blackness in the cool of the night in the middle of a country road. ahhhh the adventure that is my world.
Thankfully we were not hurt and the state patrolman who helped us out was not only courteous, but handsome too! Thankfully my friend who was with me is from this area so we were able to get a ride home and call it a night about 3am. Not the adventure we were looking for, but another adventure just the same.
This week I'm waiting to hear from the insurance company and praying for enough cash to get the Jeep fixed or to get something that will work for the time being. To get past my Jeep sorrows this weekend I have a bachelorette party to look forward to and maybe a little automotive shopping. In the meantime, if you know anyone looking for a "blemished" Jeep with a lot of lovely memories, you know where to find me. I'll be the brunette with a microphone hitchhiking to the next meeting!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Earth Shattering News
This just in from the AP, a toilet paper researcher has determined that 3-ply toilet paper is even better than 2 ply. Yes that's right, I'm talking about toilet paper again (see the July Blog "Roughin It"). It's also apparently correct that there is such a thing as a toilet paper researcher.
Clear your schedules & find a sitter for the kids, the new 3 ply quilted product hits the store shelves Monday, but ladies, please don't squeeze the charmin!
Clear your schedules & find a sitter for the kids, the new 3 ply quilted product hits the store shelves Monday, but ladies, please don't squeeze the charmin!
Monday, September 15, 2008
New Goals
Another season and another flip of the calendar means a great opportunity/excuse to tackle some of the things I should do on a daily basis. The first is to blog on a regular schedule. For the next two weeks it's going to happen everyday!!! Yhea, two weeks is not much time, but it's a great place to start.
More good news, I'm going to give up coffee..... te he he
Ok, I'll really work on giving up soda or at least cutting back to a couple a week. I don't like to support a billion dollar company so reliably so I'm going to take that change elsewhere.... probably to another large business who likes my money too.
So it's not been as busy since the fair wrapped up. There have been a few events that we'll try and recap, but
The fair was another busy experience and fun too. Aubrey, who's made an appearance here before stopped by the fair to take in the Bud tent while KMZU intern Carah Hart, on the left, stopped by to be the sensible voice of reason. Carah was also busy showing hogs at the fair this year while helping us out in the Red Radio. Carah was our guest host during the annual Sale of Champions this year. The sale was another exciting experience and broke several sale records again. Great event to attend and support if you get the chance. Money from the sale goes to the kids exhibiting the animals and a percentage of the sale price also goes to the State Fair Foundation where the funds will benefit the fair and give scholarships to other students who exhibited at this years fair. We did have more technical issues at the beginning of the sale but it seemed to iron out after that. Carah did a great job with the interviews. I think she'd also like to have her own market animal in the sale next year. Good luck Miss Cara!!
More good news, I'm going to give up coffee..... te he he
Ok, I'll really work on giving up soda or at least cutting back to a couple a week. I don't like to support a billion dollar company so reliably so I'm going to take that change elsewhere.... probably to another large business who likes my money too.
So it's not been as busy since the fair wrapped up. There have been a few events that we'll try and recap, but
The fair was another busy experience and fun too. Aubrey, who's made an appearance here before stopped by the fair to take in the Bud tent while KMZU intern Carah Hart, on the left, stopped by to be the sensible voice of reason. Carah was also busy showing hogs at the fair this year while helping us out in the Red Radio. Carah was our guest host during the annual Sale of Champions this year. The sale was another exciting experience and broke several sale records again. Great event to attend and support if you get the chance. Money from the sale goes to the kids exhibiting the animals and a percentage of the sale price also goes to the State Fair Foundation where the funds will benefit the fair and give scholarships to other students who exhibited at this years fair. We did have more technical issues at the beginning of the sale but it seemed to iron out after that. Carah did a great job with the interviews. I think she'd also like to have her own market animal in the sale next year. Good luck Miss Cara!!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Dear Pillow, I've missed you so...
The fair wrapped up almost a couple weeks ago, but Monday I had a dream that scared the thunder out of me. I worked the early morning shift so I could leave that afternoon and head north to the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa. The alarm went off just after 5am and I reach over like I always do to hit snooze. Suddenly it occurs to me that I have an hour drive from Sedalia to get back to the office and can't believe I didn't think of that when I set the alarm Sunday night. Aghhhh!!! I leap out of bed in a rush to throw on my clothes when I realize I'm in my own bed, in my house and not camping in a trailer in Sedalia. Whew!!! What a startling way to start a Monday...
Monday, August 11, 2008
Snap, Crackle and aghhhhhh!
The day is winding down and we survived a Monday but I will tell you it seems the start to this day was days ago. This morning, around 6am, when Nathan and I arrived at the Red Radio our signal was terrible!! Popping, static, and cracks. Those sounds don't work so well in the radio business. So we pulled out a new piece of equipment for backup. It didn't want to work. Finally after a lot of struggles and dropped reports we had a solid signal. The first two hours of the day were very frustrating but we survived and I'm sure we are all the wiser for it.
This afternoon, also very frustrating.. The Super Farmer Contest was today. My partner and I have been very competitive in the last couple years. We took 2nd the first year (though we still believe we earned first). We got 3rd the second year (what we deserved). The upside this year, the emergency crew was not needed. As for the contest, we got a 2nd place in only one event! Not even close enough to see a glimmer of the prize or smell a blue ribbon. Speaking of smell, after carrying hay bales, climbing through pipes, hanging gates, post hole digging and crawling through dirt, stink has reached so many levels!
This afternoon, also very frustrating.. The Super Farmer Contest was today. My partner and I have been very competitive in the last couple years. We took 2nd the first year (though we still believe we earned first). We got 3rd the second year (what we deserved). The upside this year, the emergency crew was not needed. As for the contest, we got a 2nd place in only one event! Not even close enough to see a glimmer of the prize or smell a blue ribbon. Speaking of smell, after carrying hay bales, climbing through pipes, hanging gates, post hole digging and crawling through dirt, stink has reached so many levels!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Day 4!
It's the first Sunday of the fair and I don't remember any year when the weather has been more perfect. Yesterday there was some cloud cover which cooled things off but this is great!!
One big change this year, they have a new midway. You wouldn't believe some of the rides they've got. The midway is also very clean too, not something you usually notice at a state fair, but its really worth mentioning.
All the troubles from day 1have started to iron themselves out for the time. We are still having a few computer issues but the golf cart is working again and people seem to be enjoying themselves. The only golf cart trouble is the fact, everywhere we go we are in a hurry. On the grounds you can't get in a hurry because someone is going to get in trouble. I've seen the golf cart Nazi this year. He still looks like he's in a bad mood.
One big change this year, they have a new midway. You wouldn't believe some of the rides they've got. The midway is also very clean too, not something you usually notice at a state fair, but its really worth mentioning.
All the troubles from day 1have started to iron themselves out for the time. We are still having a few computer issues but the golf cart is working again and people seem to be enjoying themselves. The only golf cart trouble is the fact, everywhere we go we are in a hurry. On the grounds you can't get in a hurry because someone is going to get in trouble. I've seen the golf cart Nazi this year. He still looks like he's in a bad mood.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Need rank, file and SS# and your first born
It's the Missouri State Fair!! One of the busiest times of year for the radio station and a lot of other people through central Missouri. Yesterday we kicked off the event from the Red Roving Radio in front of the Pepsi grandstand. That's where the radio has been for more than 20 years during August. It's a little bit rough around the edges, but with a working air conditioner there's little that I'll complain about regarding the radio.
As for the rest of the fair, we have been working out bugs in the mechanical equipment. Yesterday all the broadcast equipment worked like a dream, two hours later the phone system did not. The rest of the day was spent trying to nail down the problem. This morning the phone was working great, an hour later, not so much. It's inconvienient yes, but it's also the state fair so you know problems are going to happen. Expect, know it and fix it and move on.
What's been the bigger challenge this year are the guards at the gates. You'd almost expect them to be dressed in military uniform firing warning shots in case someone should breach security. From the red zone to the side gate, don't get any idea that things are going to be easy if you misplace, forget or drop any form of ID or verification that you are working at the fair, never mind the golf cart, the logo shirt, the beads of sweat, or the worn drained, look of mechanical frustration accounting for the fact you've been here ALL DAY LONG.
As for the rest of the fair, we have been working out bugs in the mechanical equipment. Yesterday all the broadcast equipment worked like a dream, two hours later the phone system did not. The rest of the day was spent trying to nail down the problem. This morning the phone was working great, an hour later, not so much. It's inconvienient yes, but it's also the state fair so you know problems are going to happen. Expect, know it and fix it and move on.
What's been the bigger challenge this year are the guards at the gates. You'd almost expect them to be dressed in military uniform firing warning shots in case someone should breach security. From the red zone to the side gate, don't get any idea that things are going to be easy if you misplace, forget or drop any form of ID or verification that you are working at the fair, never mind the golf cart, the logo shirt, the beads of sweat, or the worn drained, look of mechanical frustration accounting for the fact you've been here ALL DAY LONG.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
When in Rome…
Roam and roam and roam. That's been the last 64 hours or so. On Sunday morning our group of more than two dozen traveled together one last time to the airport where we parted ways. The majority headed back to the States while five of us ventured to Italy!
We had a busy time of trying to see all the sights and we didn't get to all of them. Italy is certainly on the list of places to go again. We saw the highlights and this shot is one that caused several hours of roaming yesterday. We stopped to see the ruins, which is bigger than you could have imagined. Not just the stones, but just the park in general is also rather large.
I slipped up to a hilltop to grab this shot through a chain link fence. After that I zigged when I should have zagged and lost the rest of the crew. After a long day of roaming around Rome, we all met back at the hotel within 15 minutes of each other.
Today is my first day to post in what really feels like ages. No internet access for me in Italy so I'm typing this after a long day of wandering airports. It's after 10pm in Washington DC, and it sounds like my flight may be delayed due to more rain.
It's back to work tomorrow. I'll have some follow up stories to pass along over the next few days too, so the adventure is not over.
We had a busy time of trying to see all the sights and we didn't get to all of them. Italy is certainly on the list of places to go again. We saw the highlights and this shot is one that caused several hours of roaming yesterday. We stopped to see the ruins, which is bigger than you could have imagined. Not just the stones, but just the park in general is also rather large.
I slipped up to a hilltop to grab this shot through a chain link fence. After that I zigged when I should have zagged and lost the rest of the crew. After a long day of roaming around Rome, we all met back at the hotel within 15 minutes of each other. Today is my first day to post in what really feels like ages. No internet access for me in Italy so I'm typing this after a long day of wandering airports. It's after 10pm in Washington DC, and it sounds like my flight may be delayed due to more rain.
It's back to work tomorrow. I'll have some follow up stories to pass along over the next few days too, so the adventure is not over.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Say it isn't so!!!
Caffeine is the friend of many, especially while traveling. We have early mornings, late nights, travel and meetings in between. That means caffeine is a necessity. I put away my fair share of caffeinated, carbonated drinks, though I promise I'm cutting back when I return. My caffeine drug of choice includes the wonderful little carbonated bubbles that tickle when you drink..ahhhh.. Great, now I really am thirsty.... Over the past couple of weeks I've encountered a problem in Europe. I prefer a fountain soda with over a chilled can or a bottle. Why, I'm not sure, but ice seems to be an under appreciated addition to beverages. You order a soda and receive a bottle and glass. Sounds nice yes, but I need ice too, something to slide down the glass while I take a drink and bop me in the nose. Without it, it's just not the same.
Aside from the lack of ice, on occasion there has also been a lack of beverage, with the exception of coffee. I don't drink coffee and I don't count pumped up hot chocolate, aka, cappuccino as coffee. However, I had no choice this week.
An early morning drive preceded by a late night and followed by a morning meeting means drowsy Janet.
My ALOT co-adventure taker Aubrey was in the same predicament so we made the leap. That's right; our first ever real cup of coffee, doctored up just a bit. You might notice the remnants of added ingredients. You should also know two sugar cubes and a chocolate cookie were sacrificed to this new creation of wonderfulness. Yhea, I'll admit it was tasty, but so was the saturated cookie that I added for a hint of chocolate. Years ago mom said you'll drink coffee when you're a grownup. I think that statement has led me to avoid the stuff out of denial. Now that I've made that step, geezz I already feel the pressure building....
Thank goodness I only drank half!!
So the journey that has led to so many adventures over the past couple weeks is sadly drawing to a close. Tomorrow we will enjoy a little time of relaxation before flying out on Sunday. Most of the group is heading back home, but a few of us will take a couple vacay days to head to another country....No meetings, no lessons, no "homework," no schedule and lots of fun! I'm so excited!!
Aside from the lack of ice, on occasion there has also been a lack of beverage, with the exception of coffee. I don't drink coffee and I don't count pumped up hot chocolate, aka, cappuccino as coffee. However, I had no choice this week.
An early morning drive preceded by a late night and followed by a morning meeting means drowsy Janet. My ALOT co-adventure taker Aubrey was in the same predicament so we made the leap. That's right; our first ever real cup of coffee, doctored up just a bit. You might notice the remnants of added ingredients. You should also know two sugar cubes and a chocolate cookie were sacrificed to this new creation of wonderfulness. Yhea, I'll admit it was tasty, but so was the saturated cookie that I added for a hint of chocolate. Years ago mom said you'll drink coffee when you're a grownup. I think that statement has led me to avoid the stuff out of denial. Now that I've made that step, geezz I already feel the pressure building....
Thank goodness I only drank half!! So the journey that has led to so many adventures over the past couple weeks is sadly drawing to a close. Tomorrow we will enjoy a little time of relaxation before flying out on Sunday. Most of the group is heading back home, but a few of us will take a couple vacay days to head to another country....No meetings, no lessons, no "homework," no schedule and lots of fun! I'm so excited!!
Roughin It!!!
On the road you never know what kind of adventure you'll encounter, even where or who. That's the best part of adventures but when you don't plan ahead for some adventures, things can be less pleasant. For this trip abroad, something I didn't plan for… toilet paper.. 
That's right, I said it and now the world knows we've been roughin it for a few days. So what exactly do I mean… In the Czech Republic, it's not 2-ply, there's no aloe for soft skin, there's not even a hint of softness to a half ply. What there is.... brown colored hand paper towels on small roll disguised as a roll of toilet paper. A little bit of texture has been crimped into the paper, but there is not denying the course, rough, brown paper truth.
I realize it's not a dramatic adjustment, but it does make me feel very spoiled to know how special that roll at home is…
That's right, I said it and now the world knows we've been roughin it for a few days. So what exactly do I mean… In the Czech Republic, it's not 2-ply, there's no aloe for soft skin, there's not even a hint of softness to a half ply. What there is.... brown colored hand paper towels on small roll disguised as a roll of toilet paper. A little bit of texture has been crimped into the paper, but there is not denying the course, rough, brown paper truth. I realize it's not a dramatic adjustment, but it does make me feel very spoiled to know how special that roll at home is…
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Guest Blogger Jesse
This morning ALOT Class XII member Jesse Heimer put some thoughts together about one of our daily adventures this week. Jesse is an agribusiness owner and pork producer from Taylor, Missouri.
When we departed the University I was expecting to arrive at a Czech farm that commercially produced rabbits for meat consumption. On this day, the surprise when our bus arrived was definitely for the good. Within our first 20 minutes at Rabbit, it was very obvious that we were bellied up to the table in a corporate boardroom where big decisions have been made to completely “close the cycle” in several sectors of Czech Agriculture. Rabbit is the second largest Agriculture Company in the Czech Republic that counts pork, poultry, layer, rabbit, dairy and crop production as sources of income in a company with four primary shareholders. Crops such as clover, wheat, barley, corn, and poppy seed dot the landscape of thousands of hectares and much of their production is used as feedstuffs for large-scale livestock production. While the fluid milk produced from 3,500 cows is sold to the market before bottling, 50% of the pork, chicken and rabbit products are sold direct in more than 150 retail stores – owned by Rabbit – across the State.
Our visit began with a quick video orientation of the company and was followed by an up-close and personal tour of one of their chicken slaughter facilities. Like many of our experiences in Europe, there were stark contrasts between our tour of this facility and our tour last year of PSF in Milan…and the contrasts don’t begin and end with one slaughtering pork and the other poultry. For starters, I’m referring to loose reigns on security and safety as we meandered through the shackles of chicken. For the first time in all my experiences of touring slaughter facilities, we were allowed to take photos and many occasions we didn’t need zoom. At PSF, every square foot was occupied by assembly lines, processed meat, packaged good or at the very least, employees. During our tour today I was amazed at the amount of unused space in all facets of the facility. In addition, a large percentage of the chicken was finished for retail sale at this facility which resulted in several meat products we don’t see in America.
We didn’t stop at poultry. Our next stop was at one of several dairy farms within the company where a DeLaval milking ‘robot’ is used to milk cows with precision.
We observed what many feel is the future of milking as the laser lined up each cup I was impressed. More was to be learned about dairying at another stop so we stepped into the adjacent wheat field and fired questions at Rabbit’s director of crops. When asked about GMO’s he replied, “If everything is perfect with regard to fertilizer, etc, we don’t think we need GMO’s” but in the same breath he stated he would like to use GMO’s but cannot. Perhaps the starkest contrast to America with regard to crop production is their disregard for soil conservation. We haven’t seen a terrace since arriving in Europe and its very obvious when looking at the direction they’ve planted corn, the average farmer here isn’t concerned.
After several kilometers of poppy seed fields, potatoes and of course wheat, we arrived at the largest dairy farm within the Rabbit system where more than 1,000 cows are milked. This particular farm has a new free-stall barn which resembles an American barn in type and nearly in size. The stalls are bedded with recycled manure that is generated by an on farm separator. All manure on the farm ends up at the separator which sends the liquid to an enormous storage tank and the solids are left to heat naturally until the bacteria is killed and is ready to be used as bedding. Arguably the most impressive sighting on the farm was the silage pile.
This wasn’t an ordinary silage pile and everyone who touched it agreed…it was the most packed pile of silage we’d ever seen. A true farm boy enjoys the aroma of silage and this group from Missouri spent plenty of time admiring this work of art.
Our tour ended back where we started and we were treated to a delicious lunch which included Czech beer. In fact, all meals here include Czech beer and the calorie overload continues. The centerpiece of lunch was a chicken kabob that is sold in Rabbit retail stores and in this writer’s opinion, its worth buying for another meal. After lunch another question and answer session ensued with none other than the Director – or equivalent to CEO – Mr. Jandejsek. He spent his entire day with our group and we were treated like royalty. With the translation help of PhD student Jan Hucko, our appointed translator and tour guide, we asked questions until we were too full of food and information to ask anymore. He explained that Rabbit was acquired because rabbit meat, the only animals grown and processed then, was a way to reach Western markets and take advantage of higher currency. In the first year, the company employed 23 people and had gross sales of $1.5 million. Today, twenty years later, the company employs 2,000 people with gross sales over $350 million. Sitting around the table many of us listened and watched with admiration as a humble man explained his vision for Czech Agriculture, yet I couldn’t help but realize we’ve seen this before. In America, we’ve seen integration in all facets of agriculture and most often it’s ridiculed, downgraded and beat up at the coffee shop and in the press. But here in Czech land, Rabbit is prospering with a ‘closed cycle’ and their future looks bright.
This day was the perfect experience for a group of agriculture enthusiasts from Missouri. We were exposed to all aspects of Czech agriculture, all under one roof as we’d say in America and it was truly enjoyable. We all left with something learned and for this writer, it was exactly what I hoped to see half way around the world.
When we departed the University I was expecting to arrive at a Czech farm that commercially produced rabbits for meat consumption. On this day, the surprise when our bus arrived was definitely for the good. Within our first 20 minutes at Rabbit, it was very obvious that we were bellied up to the table in a corporate boardroom where big decisions have been made to completely “close the cycle” in several sectors of Czech Agriculture. Rabbit is the second largest Agriculture Company in the Czech Republic that counts pork, poultry, layer, rabbit, dairy and crop production as sources of income in a company with four primary shareholders. Crops such as clover, wheat, barley, corn, and poppy seed dot the landscape of thousands of hectares and much of their production is used as feedstuffs for large-scale livestock production. While the fluid milk produced from 3,500 cows is sold to the market before bottling, 50% of the pork, chicken and rabbit products are sold direct in more than 150 retail stores – owned by Rabbit – across the State.
Our visit began with a quick video orientation of the company and was followed by an up-close and personal tour of one of their chicken slaughter facilities. Like many of our experiences in Europe, there were stark contrasts between our tour of this facility and our tour last year of PSF in Milan…and the contrasts don’t begin and end with one slaughtering pork and the other poultry. For starters, I’m referring to loose reigns on security and safety as we meandered through the shackles of chicken. For the first time in all my experiences of touring slaughter facilities, we were allowed to take photos and many occasions we didn’t need zoom. At PSF, every square foot was occupied by assembly lines, processed meat, packaged good or at the very least, employees. During our tour today I was amazed at the amount of unused space in all facets of the facility. In addition, a large percentage of the chicken was finished for retail sale at this facility which resulted in several meat products we don’t see in America.
We didn’t stop at poultry. Our next stop was at one of several dairy farms within the company where a DeLaval milking ‘robot’ is used to milk cows with precision.
We observed what many feel is the future of milking as the laser lined up each cup I was impressed. More was to be learned about dairying at another stop so we stepped into the adjacent wheat field and fired questions at Rabbit’s director of crops. When asked about GMO’s he replied, “If everything is perfect with regard to fertilizer, etc, we don’t think we need GMO’s” but in the same breath he stated he would like to use GMO’s but cannot. Perhaps the starkest contrast to America with regard to crop production is their disregard for soil conservation. We haven’t seen a terrace since arriving in Europe and its very obvious when looking at the direction they’ve planted corn, the average farmer here isn’t concerned. After several kilometers of poppy seed fields, potatoes and of course wheat, we arrived at the largest dairy farm within the Rabbit system where more than 1,000 cows are milked. This particular farm has a new free-stall barn which resembles an American barn in type and nearly in size. The stalls are bedded with recycled manure that is generated by an on farm separator. All manure on the farm ends up at the separator which sends the liquid to an enormous storage tank and the solids are left to heat naturally until the bacteria is killed and is ready to be used as bedding. Arguably the most impressive sighting on the farm was the silage pile.
This wasn’t an ordinary silage pile and everyone who touched it agreed…it was the most packed pile of silage we’d ever seen. A true farm boy enjoys the aroma of silage and this group from Missouri spent plenty of time admiring this work of art. Our tour ended back where we started and we were treated to a delicious lunch which included Czech beer. In fact, all meals here include Czech beer and the calorie overload continues. The centerpiece of lunch was a chicken kabob that is sold in Rabbit retail stores and in this writer’s opinion, its worth buying for another meal. After lunch another question and answer session ensued with none other than the Director – or equivalent to CEO – Mr. Jandejsek. He spent his entire day with our group and we were treated like royalty. With the translation help of PhD student Jan Hucko, our appointed translator and tour guide, we asked questions until we were too full of food and information to ask anymore. He explained that Rabbit was acquired because rabbit meat, the only animals grown and processed then, was a way to reach Western markets and take advantage of higher currency. In the first year, the company employed 23 people and had gross sales of $1.5 million. Today, twenty years later, the company employs 2,000 people with gross sales over $350 million. Sitting around the table many of us listened and watched with admiration as a humble man explained his vision for Czech Agriculture, yet I couldn’t help but realize we’ve seen this before. In America, we’ve seen integration in all facets of agriculture and most often it’s ridiculed, downgraded and beat up at the coffee shop and in the press. But here in Czech land, Rabbit is prospering with a ‘closed cycle’ and their future looks bright.
This day was the perfect experience for a group of agriculture enthusiasts from Missouri. We were exposed to all aspects of Czech agriculture, all under one roof as we’d say in America and it was truly enjoyable. We all left with something learned and for this writer, it was exactly what I hoped to see half way around the world.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
We had a little free time over the weekend to take in the sights and sounds of Prague. Aubrey Famuliner, a farmer from Carrollton, and I felt it our duty to help the local economy with a little shopping. Part of our group left the dorms for another adventure and we decided that a couple independent girls can figure things out in a country where we don't speak, read or write the language. We took off for the bus stop with a little bit of drizzle coming down. With the bus stop quickly in view, the drizzle became a heavy sprinkle. During a 15 minute wait we decide it's a good time to document our adventure. 
When the bus arrives, we consider that it may be on the wrong side of the street but it's raining, it's the right number, the bus is dry! We agree the passing scenery does not look familiar but the bus turns into a loop to head back the other direction.
What a relief… that is until the bus driver motions us to get off with the rest of the passengers…. Looking at each other with a little concern we stay put until the bus driver turns off the engine.
Janet: "It'll all work out"
Aubrey: "We're screwed!"
Aubrey hustles to the front to have a conversation with the very nice Czech-only speaking driver who appears to chuckle. You can't help but hear his thoughts of crazy American girls! Through the global gesture of tapping his watch we realize it's break time.
Whew! So, about one mile away from where we started we wait for the break to end. Finally more people board, the bus starts and off we go down the road past the bus stop where it all started.
When the bus arrives, we consider that it may be on the wrong side of the street but it's raining, it's the right number, the bus is dry! We agree the passing scenery does not look familiar but the bus turns into a loop to head back the other direction.What a relief… that is until the bus driver motions us to get off with the rest of the passengers…. Looking at each other with a little concern we stay put until the bus driver turns off the engine.
Janet: "It'll all work out"
Aubrey: "We're screwed!"
Aubrey hustles to the front to have a conversation with the very nice Czech-only speaking driver who appears to chuckle. You can't help but hear his thoughts of crazy American girls! Through the global gesture of tapping his watch we realize it's break time.
Whew! So, about one mile away from where we started we wait for the break to end. Finally more people board, the bus starts and off we go down the road past the bus stop where it all started.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Go East ALOT Crew
So now we are in catch up mode because Friday we spent in the airport jetting off to another land, that land…. The Czech Republic. That's right, due east of France on the other side of Germany is where we woke up Saturday morning. We are staying in the university dorms in Prague. Not the fanciest digs we've seen but a pillow and a shower so no reason to complain. The university works a lot with the University of Missouri. In fact, we've seen several students from MU here on the college exchange program. Seems like a great opportunity for the young folks to expand their horizons. In hind sight, would have been an intelligent move while I was in college. I didn't take the opportunity then, but thankfully I've had the chance to experience other cultures through my career in broadcasting.
Saturday we spent the day on campus visiting with university professors about the Czech Republic and the country's ag industry. We pulled together some interesting details too. As you can tell, Jeremy Hayward, an agronomist with MFA, Tim Coppage with Cargill Grain and Glenn Cope, a cattle producer from Southwest Missouri were all paying close attention.
According to Professor Cibulka, there are several interesting differences between the US and the CR. For example, in Czech pork is the number one product on dinner tables and coming in second is poultry. It also turns out that fresh water fish production is very popular. According to Cibulka the top fresh water fish in the country is actually Carp.
Another example, sheep are not used for wool production in the CR because wool is a cheap import from New Zealand and Australia. Instead Czech farmers use sheep primarily for milk production which is then used for cheese. So the next big question, where's the beef? Apparently the cost of beef is so high it's not on the top list for dinner plates in the country.
We did get to tour around the city a little over the weekend. Like France, the place is full of history and amazing architecture. My camera pooped out on me but I did get a couple shots in beforehand.
Now for other comparisons.. In France last week the cost of food seemed crazy high. Of course the US dollar is weak compared with the Euro. That has some impact on food prices, but the food in France just in general is more expensive. If you were just paying for the food in US dollars without any conversion it was still much higher than the US. In the Czech Republic, although they are a member of the European Union but they don't use the Euro. Instead they still use their own currency which is referred to as Crown. The dollar is stronger than the Crown and, for many of us, our exchange rate was about 13 Crown to 1 US dollar. That sounds good when you get a large number of bills to fill your wallet, but over the weekend we noticed the cost of food and some other items in the Czech Republic are still more expensive than the United States. For example, yesterday we wanted a little taste of home so we had a quick stop at a fast food chain found that can also be found in the United States.
Two pieces of chicken, two sodas, and two fries, averaged about $17 US dollars. In addition, they wanted an additional 60 cents to add ketchup for the fries.
We chose not to have ketchup just because it's wrong.
Saturday we spent the day on campus visiting with university professors about the Czech Republic and the country's ag industry. We pulled together some interesting details too. As you can tell, Jeremy Hayward, an agronomist with MFA, Tim Coppage with Cargill Grain and Glenn Cope, a cattle producer from Southwest Missouri were all paying close attention.
According to Professor Cibulka, there are several interesting differences between the US and the CR. For example, in Czech pork is the number one product on dinner tables and coming in second is poultry. It also turns out that fresh water fish production is very popular. According to Cibulka the top fresh water fish in the country is actually Carp.
Another example, sheep are not used for wool production in the CR because wool is a cheap import from New Zealand and Australia. Instead Czech farmers use sheep primarily for milk production which is then used for cheese. So the next big question, where's the beef? Apparently the cost of beef is so high it's not on the top list for dinner plates in the country.
We did get to tour around the city a little over the weekend. Like France, the place is full of history and amazing architecture. My camera pooped out on me but I did get a couple shots in beforehand.
Now for other comparisons.. In France last week the cost of food seemed crazy high. Of course the US dollar is weak compared with the Euro. That has some impact on food prices, but the food in France just in general is more expensive. If you were just paying for the food in US dollars without any conversion it was still much higher than the US. In the Czech Republic, although they are a member of the European Union but they don't use the Euro. Instead they still use their own currency which is referred to as Crown. The dollar is stronger than the Crown and, for many of us, our exchange rate was about 13 Crown to 1 US dollar. That sounds good when you get a large number of bills to fill your wallet, but over the weekend we noticed the cost of food and some other items in the Czech Republic are still more expensive than the United States. For example, yesterday we wanted a little taste of home so we had a quick stop at a fast food chain found that can also be found in the United States.
Two pieces of chicken, two sodas, and two fries, averaged about $17 US dollars. In addition, they wanted an additional 60 cents to add ketchup for the fries.
We chose not to have ketchup just because it's wrong.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
A Day on the Farm...
From Marsaille we traveled up to the Aix-en-Provence to visit with representatives of the Agriculture industry including President of the National Farmers Union. In the meeting they shared information of how the country deals with farm subsidies. Our first speaker was Claude Rossignol is the Vice President of the Chamber of Agriculture and President of the Regional Farmers Union.
According to some notes from the meeting here are a few things jotted down…
Farmers in France receive 17 Euro's per cubic meter for water. By some rough calculations that's about 201 gallons.
On average, it's about 20,000 Euros for a hectare of tillable farmland with no improvements to the land.
The average farm subsidy is 300 Euro's per hectare.
The average income for farmers in Provence is 29,000 Euros, and 5000 of that is subsidy payment.
Another point made, in the United States, a large portion of consumers can purchase food by choice, i.e. a family who only eats organic products. In France the food purchase is based on price.
Following the meeting we climbed aboard the bus and traveled out of town to an olive farm/winery. Prior to this visit I knew very little about olives except that I don't like to eat them, but we had a very interesting tour and now I even know what an olive tree looks like.
Turns out the olive tree is pretty common in landscaping throughout the area. According to Haccuria, on average an olive tree will produce 180 kilo of olives and generate about 30 liters of olive oil. In 1996 when they created their own olive mill they were converting 100 lbs of olives to 10,000 liters of olive oil. In 2008 the farm will convert 1000 lbs of olives into 100,000 liters of oil through the olive mill you see here.
It takes about one hour to extract the oil from the olive and the by product of seed hull and olive skin is reapplied to the farm acreage to use as fertilizer.
On the Château Virant farm they also produce wine. Like the olive trees the grape vines are located only steps away from their processing facility. Christine attempted to give some insider grape production tips to ALOT members Jay Chism with the University Missouri Extension and Dan Devlin, a row crop producer from Edina, Missouri.
Another little note about wine production, grape harvest begins around August 10th with the same crew they employ for olive harvest. The grapes are slowly squeezed to the juiced can be extracted from the fruit. Once the grape has gone through the necessary process, the product will be in a vat for 10 to 12 hours. For red wine the time in the vat is three weeks. That allows the color of the grape skin to affect the color of the wine.
When you're on a farm, no matter what the commodity, John Crawford with Hamilton State Bank proved farmers still like to check out the farm "toys".
You can take the farm boy out of the "country," but you can't take the country out of the farm boy!!
According to some notes from the meeting here are a few things jotted down…
Farmers in France receive 17 Euro's per cubic meter for water. By some rough calculations that's about 201 gallons.
On average, it's about 20,000 Euros for a hectare of tillable farmland with no improvements to the land.
The average farm subsidy is 300 Euro's per hectare.
The average income for farmers in Provence is 29,000 Euros, and 5000 of that is subsidy payment.
Another point made, in the United States, a large portion of consumers can purchase food by choice, i.e. a family who only eats organic products. In France the food purchase is based on price.
Following the meeting we climbed aboard the bus and traveled out of town to an olive farm/winery. Prior to this visit I knew very little about olives except that I don't like to eat them, but we had a very interesting tour and now I even know what an olive tree looks like.
Turns out the olive tree is pretty common in landscaping throughout the area. According to Haccuria, on average an olive tree will produce 180 kilo of olives and generate about 30 liters of olive oil. In 1996 when they created their own olive mill they were converting 100 lbs of olives to 10,000 liters of olive oil. In 2008 the farm will convert 1000 lbs of olives into 100,000 liters of oil through the olive mill you see here. 
It takes about one hour to extract the oil from the olive and the by product of seed hull and olive skin is reapplied to the farm acreage to use as fertilizer. On the Château Virant farm they also produce wine. Like the olive trees the grape vines are located only steps away from their processing facility. Christine attempted to give some insider grape production tips to ALOT members Jay Chism with the University Missouri Extension and Dan Devlin, a row crop producer from Edina, Missouri.
Another little note about wine production, grape harvest begins around August 10th with the same crew they employ for olive harvest. The grapes are slowly squeezed to the juiced can be extracted from the fruit. Once the grape has gone through the necessary process, the product will be in a vat for 10 to 12 hours. For red wine the time in the vat is three weeks. That allows the color of the grape skin to affect the color of the wine. When you're on a farm, no matter what the commodity, John Crawford with Hamilton State Bank proved farmers still like to check out the farm "toys".
You can take the farm boy out of the "country," but you can't take the country out of the farm boy!!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
I'll be back...
Since it's a weekend I'm trying to play catch up. We've jetted off to another location but there's still more to share from France before I reveal too much about today.
On Wednesday morning we hopped aboard the 125mph Bullet train to head south. Train travel is very common throughout Europe and with the view and the comfortable roomy ride I can understand why. Our trip to Marseille, along the southern coast of France, was another brief visit. When we arrived I had 10 minutes to send in a report and change clothes so that explains why there were no pictures. Right away we enjoyed an hour long guided tour around the city. OOhhhhh and what a city it is! Before I get started on pictures, I'm using two different cameras and I seem to keep forgetting which camera I used on which shot. The problem with that, one is digital and the other is 35mm. There are more images that I'd like to share, but I guess not until they are developed.
Just along the coast the group bailed out of the bus to enjoy the breath taking view.
What appears to be the city's highest point is home to another beautiful church. We climbed the zillion steps to enjoy the view and hear the history of the landmark from our tour guide.
The church has been through extensive renovation in recent years. After several million dollars, it's beauty is comparable to the scenery that surrounds it. Inside the church you'll find detail in every inch with gold plated features and mosaic tile everywhere. By the way, every piece of mosaic tile used on the floor, walls and ceiling was no more than a half inch each. It's so finely detailed it didn't even look like mosaic.
And we all soaked in as much of the view as possible. Here's Janine Darby, a grain and hay producer from Madison, Missouri.
I would say, "Mom, send me money, I'm not leaving," but they've already hauled me to another location and it's a long walk back. Following our tour of the city we visited the Marseille Chamber of Commerce, the first Chamber created in the world. It's very active organization that strives to increase the awareness and success of this gorgeous region. The chamber is located in a large beautiful building overlooking one of the main city streets and it's just a block from the marina. In 2013 they will host the cultural center of Europe, so they have a great location to welcome guests.
This is one of the beautiful rooms on the top floor where we enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres (some were delicious, others had anchovies…. Need I say more?).
The gentleman on the right is Charles Goemaere with the Chamber. I don't have her name, but the young lady is an International Attaché for the US Embassy and standing to her right is William Peterson, an International Lawyer and President of the Mediterranean Business Network. Taking in the conversation is ALOT member Rebecca Townsend who works for Dow Jones Newswires.
On Wednesday morning we hopped aboard the 125mph Bullet train to head south. Train travel is very common throughout Europe and with the view and the comfortable roomy ride I can understand why. Our trip to Marseille, along the southern coast of France, was another brief visit. When we arrived I had 10 minutes to send in a report and change clothes so that explains why there were no pictures. Right away we enjoyed an hour long guided tour around the city. OOhhhhh and what a city it is! Before I get started on pictures, I'm using two different cameras and I seem to keep forgetting which camera I used on which shot. The problem with that, one is digital and the other is 35mm. There are more images that I'd like to share, but I guess not until they are developed.
Just along the coast the group bailed out of the bus to enjoy the breath taking view.
What appears to be the city's highest point is home to another beautiful church. We climbed the zillion steps to enjoy the view and hear the history of the landmark from our tour guide.
The church has been through extensive renovation in recent years. After several million dollars, it's beauty is comparable to the scenery that surrounds it. Inside the church you'll find detail in every inch with gold plated features and mosaic tile everywhere. By the way, every piece of mosaic tile used on the floor, walls and ceiling was no more than a half inch each. It's so finely detailed it didn't even look like mosaic.
And we all soaked in as much of the view as possible. Here's Janine Darby, a grain and hay producer from Madison, Missouri.
I would say, "Mom, send me money, I'm not leaving," but they've already hauled me to another location and it's a long walk back. Following our tour of the city we visited the Marseille Chamber of Commerce, the first Chamber created in the world. It's very active organization that strives to increase the awareness and success of this gorgeous region. The chamber is located in a large beautiful building overlooking one of the main city streets and it's just a block from the marina. In 2013 they will host the cultural center of Europe, so they have a great location to welcome guests.
This is one of the beautiful rooms on the top floor where we enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres (some were delicious, others had anchovies…. Need I say more?).
The gentleman on the right is Charles Goemaere with the Chamber. I don't have her name, but the young lady is an International Attaché for the US Embassy and standing to her right is William Peterson, an International Lawyer and President of the Mediterranean Business Network. Taking in the conversation is ALOT member Rebecca Townsend who works for Dow Jones Newswires.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Oh, Sweet Paree'
France, what a beautiful region. It's been an amazing week experiencing the French countryside, agriculture industry, interesting people and gaining knowledge of a region I know little about. As I type this I'm sitting in the airport in Marseille, France along the Mediterranean coast. Time has been tight the last couple days so I still have photos to post of Paris!!! We had a very short time in the city of romance and fashion, but it was a neat place to swing through. This is just one of the many amazing Cathedrals that are located throughout France.
In the media we hear quite often that the European countries are environmentally friendly and the rumor appears to carry some weight. There are a lot of roofs that have trees and plants growing on them… not in pots but as a roof. The front of building had just about every plant you could imagine covering the wall all the way to the top. Not only environmentally friendly, but it gave the building an unusual texture and color with flowers and shades of greene.
Just down the street was the giant piece of architecture we were looking for. The Eiffel Tower proved to be even more massive than I ever imagined.
I would guess at least four large town squares could fit in the base of the tower. We chose the less ambitious route for getting to the top. They have a large tram like thing that about 40 people could fit in. You have the choice to go to the first deck or the top deck. I went to the top deck to soak in the sunset...
You know Paris is a big city, but when you are that high above the sky and can't see the city limits, you know they're lot of people. To prove it, here's a look to the east...
And when we finally came down, it was getting dark...
As I have previously mentioned, the blue lights on the tower are reported to be in honor of France taking over the Presidential position in the European Union.
I love to take pictures and when I travel I also like to catch a shot of the hotel rooms I stay in. I failed to do that the last couple of times, but I did take this picture outside the window of our magnificent room in Paris…
And looking the other direction...
That's Carroll County farmer Aubrey Famuliner who was in the room next door. We didn't lean out the window too far. It's the fourth floor!
The following morning we packed up again and left town on a Bullet Train to southern France. Everywhere you look, what a view!! I'm a little behind on the pictures, but we've relocated to another country where I should have regular internet access. I can't wait to share pictures of some of the meals we've had. Yes, David I know you'll appreciate that!!
By the way, thanks so much for your comments. I apologize for not sending notes back but please know I love to hear your thoughts!!
In the media we hear quite often that the European countries are environmentally friendly and the rumor appears to carry some weight. There are a lot of roofs that have trees and plants growing on them… not in pots but as a roof. The front of building had just about every plant you could imagine covering the wall all the way to the top. Not only environmentally friendly, but it gave the building an unusual texture and color with flowers and shades of greene.
Just down the street was the giant piece of architecture we were looking for. The Eiffel Tower proved to be even more massive than I ever imagined.
I would guess at least four large town squares could fit in the base of the tower. We chose the less ambitious route for getting to the top. They have a large tram like thing that about 40 people could fit in. You have the choice to go to the first deck or the top deck. I went to the top deck to soak in the sunset...
You know Paris is a big city, but when you are that high above the sky and can't see the city limits, you know they're lot of people. To prove it, here's a look to the east...
And when we finally came down, it was getting dark...
As I have previously mentioned, the blue lights on the tower are reported to be in honor of France taking over the Presidential position in the European Union.
I love to take pictures and when I travel I also like to catch a shot of the hotel rooms I stay in. I failed to do that the last couple of times, but I did take this picture outside the window of our magnificent room in Paris…
And looking the other direction...
That's Carroll County farmer Aubrey Famuliner who was in the room next door. We didn't lean out the window too far. It's the fourth floor!
The following morning we packed up again and left town on a Bullet Train to southern France. Everywhere you look, what a view!! I'm a little behind on the pictures, but we've relocated to another country where I should have regular internet access. I can't wait to share pictures of some of the meals we've had. Yes, David I know you'll appreciate that!!
By the way, thanks so much for your comments. I apologize for not sending notes back but please know I love to hear your thoughts!!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Heading South
We've covered thousands of miles already and it's only day 3. Of course many of those miles were on a plane to get here in the first place. Tuesday we made the trek back to Paris and had the unique opportunity to visit the US Embassy in Paris, but we were not allowed to take any pictures. I saw a lady get in trouble for taking pictures across the street, so between that and the guns the guards were carrying, I decided not to risk taking a photo.
During out visit we me with Elizabeth Berry, Administrative Counselor for Ag Affairs at the US Embassy. We had an interesting discussion with her about trade between the United States and France. For example, each year the United States imports $2.3 billion in goods from France. On the flip side, France only imports about $700,000 in goods from the US each year. Quite a difference that I'm sure France does not mind. According to Berry France has come up with several reasons to keep our products out of the country, but of course none grounded on scientific basis, but lame excuses and delays. The prospect for change does not seem ideal because France just took over Presidency of the European Union July 1st. Needless to say, that gives the country and little more muscle to flex.
Moving on to more fun topics, Tuesday night we had the chance to do what everyone in Paris should do…. Climb the Eiffel Tower. Well, we didn't climb so much as ride the tram to the top, thank goodness. The pictures do not do it justice but I'll try anyway.
Following our trip to the top, many in the group took a boat ride on the Seine River around many parts of the city. While they did that, the rest of us took a hike to the Arch De Triumph. According to ALOT class member/tour guide Johnny Veibrock, Napolean built the massive piece of beautiful architecture for his wife.
During out visit we me with Elizabeth Berry, Administrative Counselor for Ag Affairs at the US Embassy. We had an interesting discussion with her about trade between the United States and France. For example, each year the United States imports $2.3 billion in goods from France. On the flip side, France only imports about $700,000 in goods from the US each year. Quite a difference that I'm sure France does not mind. According to Berry France has come up with several reasons to keep our products out of the country, but of course none grounded on scientific basis, but lame excuses and delays. The prospect for change does not seem ideal because France just took over Presidency of the European Union July 1st. Needless to say, that gives the country and little more muscle to flex.
Moving on to more fun topics, Tuesday night we had the chance to do what everyone in Paris should do…. Climb the Eiffel Tower. Well, we didn't climb so much as ride the tram to the top, thank goodness. The pictures do not do it justice but I'll try anyway.
Following our trip to the top, many in the group took a boat ride on the Seine River around many parts of the city. While they did that, the rest of us took a hike to the Arch De Triumph. According to ALOT class member/tour guide Johnny Veibrock, Napolean built the massive piece of beautiful architecture for his wife.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
It rains ALOT here too,
The ALOT Class XII adventure continues in France. Yesterday we were on Omaha Beach. This is another photo of La pointe du Hoc where the bomb craters and German bunkers were located. Several ALOT class members have gathered in a bunker out of the rain to listen to our guide.
By the way, thanks for the notes. It's great to know someone is reading and checking out whats going on. Keep me posted and I'll do the same!!
Over the edge of the cliff is Utah beach where soldiers first landed on D-day. Those cliffs were only one of many obstacles they had to overcome.
And many of those who lost their life in the battle were laid to rest here in France. Following the war, the land for the cemetery was donated to the United States.
One thing we have learned for travel sake, bring your umbrella. On each tour the sun was out until we were a hundred yards away from the bus. That's when Mother Nature would cut loose with a little rain and wind. As you can see Garrett Hawkins and Dan Devlin were looking very fresh following our rainy hike.
Later in the day we traveled east to Reams, France located northeast of Paris. We learned a little about the Champaign Industry in France and how they are trying to protect the Champaign name. I'll work on posting the audio so you can take a listen to the report instead of writing everything out.
Following Monday's lesson, today we visited one of the well known Champaign companies for a tour of the Champaign Caves where they age 100's of thousands (if not millions) of bottles of their delicious product. I say delicious because they insisted that we try their Champaign. Being the grateful and obedient guests that we are, we were happy to oblige. Te he he…hiccup hiccup..
This is ALOT Class member Vance Keaton. As Vance was holding the bottle we learned its value is somewhere around $15,000. They were preparing several of these large bottles to be shipped to the purchaser located somewhere in Dubai. That's Jeff Case overseeing things and trying to figure out how to get that thing home before they notice.
By the way, thanks for the notes. It's great to know someone is reading and checking out whats going on. Keep me posted and I'll do the same!!
Over the edge of the cliff is Utah beach where soldiers first landed on D-day. Those cliffs were only one of many obstacles they had to overcome.
And many of those who lost their life in the battle were laid to rest here in France. Following the war, the land for the cemetery was donated to the United States.
One thing we have learned for travel sake, bring your umbrella. On each tour the sun was out until we were a hundred yards away from the bus. That's when Mother Nature would cut loose with a little rain and wind. As you can see Garrett Hawkins and Dan Devlin were looking very fresh following our rainy hike.
Later in the day we traveled east to Reams, France located northeast of Paris. We learned a little about the Champaign Industry in France and how they are trying to protect the Champaign name. I'll work on posting the audio so you can take a listen to the report instead of writing everything out.
Following Monday's lesson, today we visited one of the well known Champaign companies for a tour of the Champaign Caves where they age 100's of thousands (if not millions) of bottles of their delicious product. I say delicious because they insisted that we try their Champaign. Being the grateful and obedient guests that we are, we were happy to oblige. Te he he…hiccup hiccup..
This is ALOT Class member Vance Keaton. As Vance was holding the bottle we learned its value is somewhere around $15,000. They were preparing several of these large bottles to be shipped to the purchaser located somewhere in Dubai. That's Jeff Case overseeing things and trying to figure out how to get that thing home before they notice.
Monday, July 7, 2008
A New Adventure
As I type this message, we are driving down the road taking in more of the French countryside. I'll first say the buses are not too easy to type on, due to lack of legroom and the fact we're driving down the highway. We spent this morning on Utah beach, where US troops landed on D-Day at the start of World War II. Following that stopped we moved over to the cemetery where soldiers who lost their lives during the battle are buried. There's about 175 acres that France turned over to the United States Including the Cemetery memorial and the memorial that has been erected at Omaha Beach. I'll try and post additional photos later. My computer does not seem to speak French either so we are having issues. This is a photo of Utah beach. The German soldiers used these bunkers for protection and firing weapons. The lumps in the ground you see are where bombs fell around them. 
Now for a couple observations I've made, starting with the flight into Paris. The farmland from the coast into France appears to be in very small plots and that appear rather choppy. Most of the acres were not squared off either. However, as we flew close to Paris, each field dedicated to agriculture production was larger and a little more similar to the U.S. Midwest. Another observation of the countryside, it really is kind of what you might expect. Many of the homes are stone with red roofs. Not all of them are red, but many of them are and it's kind of an interesting sight. They also appear to love flowers and tree. Along many roadsides there are young trees lining the shoulder. Every house is surrounds by beautiful flowering bushes in the yard with window boxes draped in pink red or white flowers too.
Now for a couple observations I've made, starting with the flight into Paris. The farmland from the coast into France appears to be in very small plots and that appear rather choppy. Most of the acres were not squared off either. However, as we flew close to Paris, each field dedicated to agriculture production was larger and a little more similar to the U.S. Midwest. Another observation of the countryside, it really is kind of what you might expect. Many of the homes are stone with red roofs. Not all of them are red, but many of them are and it's kind of an interesting sight. They also appear to love flowers and tree. Along many roadsides there are young trees lining the shoulder. Every house is surrounds by beautiful flowering bushes in the yard with window boxes draped in pink red or white flowers too.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Happy Independence Day!
And the fair tries to draw to a close… Sunday August 19th
Rise and shine, it’s time to load things up. While packing I call Mike just to confirm that he has the missing golf cart. That's a no. I look around the trailer, another no. Now what do I do about my missing, borrowed golf cart?
While my friend Brad and I drive around the campground in search of the cart I realize this is not going to be easy. Do you know how many white two seater golf carts exist? Exactly! I don't usually get too worried but its time to call in the professionals. For cryin out load the thing could be on the way to
As the State Patrol pulls up, Mike calls. He’s at the Red Radio and there’s an abandoned golf cart 20 feet away that could be ours. My first thought, I know that I didn't spend much time in the Bud Tent, so I DID NOT leave it behind.
Mike checks it out and thankfully it is our golf cart. Now who played this little prank? While racking my memory, I continue loading my stuff. On the last bundle, my neighbors (who helped put the awning down) ask if my golf cart was stolen. They were enjoying the evening of fresh air around midnight when a couple guys zipped by on another golf cart. Ten minutes later the two walk (stagger) back, heading back to the fairgrounds, intoxicated and whispering about their search for another cart. When the two notice my neighbors they try to casually walk away. Within minutes one of them comes from the other side of my trailer jumps on the golf cart and zooms away. Not very subtle huh?
So did my neighbors see who it was? Do I know who they were? No!
According to my friendly neighbor, "it was a cowboy and a midget cowboy!” (I'm sorry, it's not politically correct)
Just to confirm I understand things, you mean a tall guy and a short guy, or a tall guy and………Wizard of Oz size guy?
Friendly Neighbor: "Seriously, Wizard of Oz”
That sums it up, I don’t know who did it. Later that day I visited with my friend Stacy at the
So here is what my deductive reasoning tells me… thankfully, bandits eat ice cream. Also as part of the set up crew, they entertain themselves during the concert by "borrowing" a golf cart from the fairgrounds and dump it in the campground. Instead of walking back they "borrow" a cart from the campground (ours) and take it back to the concert grandstand when they are ready to call it a night. Just so happens, that's where the radio is parked. Whew, it's time to go home!
A saturated Jeep
An uncooperative Air conditioner
1 written warning on the golf cart
Mike’s car towed -- twice
Mike’s new cell phone… flattened
Janet’s keys, locked up -- twice
Two golf carts -- one busted, one stolen
Two sets of neighbors coming to the rescue
Two cowboys, one average and one vertically challenged
And 11 days of good ol fun you won’t find anywhere but at the state fair….. Priceless!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
It's raining, what a surprise...
Another day which means another morning, afternoon, and evening of rain lightening and thunder. Glad I had the fun of fixing the gutter yesterday. Did it work? I don't see buckets of water pouring down in front of the window, but its wet and I'm not stepping out to check it out...
Back to the fair...
Back to the fair...
Saturday, August 18th
By now, we’ve had several experiences. The past couple days have been surprisingly calm. As I sat in the radio that morning I had a feeling. Somewhere deep inside there is another story in this 2007 State Fair. When, what, who, I have no idea but there is a sneaking suspicion.
It's Saturday night and the last night of the fair. I decide to leave the golf cart at the camper for the evening and enjoy the grounds on foot. By 1 a.m. I'm back at the camper and I realize the golf cart is gone. It has to be one of two options.
a. Mike and his family took it for the evening.
b. Someone is playing a joke and moved it a short distance just to hide it for the night.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Holy House!
Tonight I came home to another home prepared meal. After that we stepped outside to tackle another chore. With all the rain my gutters are working overtime and have started pulling away from the house in revolt. When it rains, water pours down from the gutter and it’s found a way into the dark depths of my basement…. Blah!!!
I’ve been trying to sweep the water out each day and hope for things to dry, but before you know it there’s more rain. Tonight, while mom is here to break my fall or call for an ambulance if necessary, I climbed on the house to fix the gutters. After scooting all the way around the house and replacing a few things, we are back in business!! Hopefully that will hold for a while.
The countdown is on for the next big adventure which means I need to wrap up the state fair. Stay tuned and we’ll finish things before we start the next adventure.
Back to the fair…
Thursday, August 16th
We are back in business now that we have a golf cart again. As we travel the grounds interviewing people attending the event, one of us will be in the Red Radio while the other is on the grounds doing the interviews. We use our cell phones to keep in touch and know when an interview is ready to begin. During one such report Mike is ready to do an interview but realizes his cell phone is gone. After backtracking to where he has been on the golf cart he finds the phone in the road where its been crushed by a truck and trailer. It doesn’t work any more.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Survey Says...
On TV tonight is the Celebrity Family Fued. That really has nothing to do with this other than I thought about it after I typed the title. The survey I speak of is the Blog survey. Recently I sent this blog link to several friends to ask their opinion of this blog vs another blog that I set up through another site. This blog was the winner by several votes, so here we are and here I guess we will be.
When I came home this evening I started playing with the digital camera mom gave me. She's upgraded so she didn't need this one anymore. I have shopped around for a new one, but I may try and make this one work to save the cash, I need it for the gas tank. I set out this evening with the intent of learning how to post pictures and it appears I may be on the right track. This is a photo of an Iris from home. Beautiful isn't it?
Another day at the 2007 fair. Wednesday continued……
Later that morning I stop by Don’s Trucking and Towing (DTT) about the golf cart situation. Within minutes a huge, giant, bright yellow tow truck arrives with a very tiny golf cart on top. The cart is not really that small, just in comparison to the truck it’s a midget. The guys help hook up the broadcast equipment and everything is good to go!
Now for a little information on DTT. These guys have worked the state fair for over two decades towing vehicles (Mike’s included, and my own truck a few years ago). They don’t decide what goes, but they do as the parking attendants direct. On the grounds they have a tent set up where they host a couple gatherings throughout the fair.
During one of the events home fried Rocky Mountain Oysters are on the menu. Some people refer to them as calf fries. Let me just say, I’m a farm girl. I was around cattle before I could utter the word moo. Over the years I was there during several “Oyster Collecting” events but I’ve NEVER tried the… delicacy. With a leap of culinary faith I find that… they’re not too bad, tastes like chicken, honestly! I probably won’t go out of my way to try again, but seriously, not too bad!
I’m glad I had the chance to meet Don’s crew and I’m looking forward to more adventures with them. By the way, I asked Don about the 2004 state fair when it rained the entire week and it was muddy everywhere. So, how many vehicles did they have to pull out of the mud? Thousands. Probably didn’t get to have much fun that year.
Monday, June 23, 2008
An Adventure Ahead, and Behind...
A friend yelled at me this weekend, well, not so much yelled but sent me a strongly worded message that I’m behind and I need to update things. She’s right because there is a lot of stuff going on. The 2008 State Fair is less than a couple months away and there are things that need to be finalized. In addition, in less then two weeks I’ll hit the road to regions far away. The plan is to file back reports in a Where in the World kind of way. Now there are a few who already know the adventure, but most of our listeners don’t. I thought it might be fun to share the adventure in the Matt Lauer style of globe hopping. With that said, stay tuned… I leave on July 5th and will be back in the office on July 24th. Lots of miles traveled in between. The reason for the trip is my participation in the Missouri ALOT (Agriculture Leaders of Tomorrow) program. To learn more go to www.alotmissouri.com. We have spent the last several months getting to know one another and traveling across the state learning what the Show Me State ag industry has to offer. There have been some great adventures, late nights, enlightening discussions and a several events that we can look back over the years and smile about. Good people I tell you, good people!! Anyway, they’re 26 of us that will set out on the journey and for once, I’m already trying to plan my suitcase. That never happens! Usually I throw a bunch of stuff in that should work then hit the road. With a 2 week adventure I’ve gotten in touch with my planning gene. Now, shall we take bets on what I’ll forget?
Tuesday, August 14th
I’m on the trail of a replacement golf cart. A friend who works with the Department of Agriculture has introduced me to Don’s Trucking and Towing (DTT) who agree to loan us a golf cart but it won’t make it in until Wednesday.
Wednesday, the 15th
Shortly after 6am Mike calls from the Red Radio. There’s no audio coming from the Radio and he’s feeding the reports through the phone line because he can’t hear the station. Because he’s doing reports he can’t investigate further. I rush over to see if there’s something I can do. While he's doing the markets, I wiggle wires, pick things up, move things around and finally borrow a screw driver from the Shriners Cook Shack. I take the equipment out of the base unit, wiggle more wires and still can’t find the answer. Finally it dawns on me that there is no audio coming from the headphones which means the problem is not the speakers. In my foggy, delayed, deductive reasoning I look at the front of the stereo. It's set to AM. With a simple push of the button, it’s changed back to FM and we have sound. Whew!! By the way, we’re 100.7 on the FM dial when you pass through north
Monday, June 16, 2008
Another Lovely Day!
I love Spring and Summer. The sun comes out and it's warm enough that you can get out and enjoy it. The problem this year..... it's not going to be long enough! While scanning through the calendar over the weekend, things are pretty well booked through the end of August. It's great to have things to do, but when I make it out of the fog of activities this summer, it's going to be Fall. That my friend is only a sneeze away from Winter. I guess that's a good reason to enjoy the day you're in and live it up!! So here's another day from the 2007 State Fair. Plenty of headaches and heat, but it wouldn't be right any other way!
Monday, August 13th
Monday, August 13th
After letting the golf cart rest for the night, It’s time to get another day at the fair underway. I made it to the street that leads into the campgrounds. Things weren’t sounding any better so I turn around and head back to the camper. Halfway there, she’s done! A couple nice people help me push it back to the trailer where she puttered her last backfire to an untimely and majorly inconvenient end.
That same day, Mike worked the morning shift again. At three in the afternoon when it’s time to leave, there is Déjà vu. His car is gone, towed away, again. It took another couple of hours to get it fixed, but relax, it doesn’t happen again through the rest of the fair.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Hello Sunshine!
What a lovely day we have. A little bit of sunshine, breeze and the threat of more rain. Right now it might be a little warmer than some prefer, but I love it. When visiting with Scott this week we chatted about the weather and how muggy hot it’s been on a few days. I’ll tell you what I told him.. I complain all winter because it’s too cold so I will not bellyache about the summer. All my weather irritability must be reserved for anytime the temperature falls below 70!
Sunday, August 12.... Day 4
The weekend was pretty uneventful until Sunday night. The girls are gone and a couple other friends (Mark and Aubrey) have come by to visit and go to the Dirks Bentley concert. Following the concert there was a quick but mighty wind storm that blew over trashcans and ripped items away from a vendor’s tent across the street.
After it was finally over we spent a little more quality time at a couple State Fair “establishments” then rode the golf cart back to the campground.
About halfway back the golf cart backfires then there's a loud ker-thud and pop. Hoping/praying it was just a fluke, we drive it back to the trailer to let it rest for the evening.. a good 5 hours will really bring a golf cart back to life…. I hope!!
once before. The windstorm that came up earlier was whipping the awning on my trailer. Afraid it would tear the thing up they rolled it up for me. That’s the awning I had no idea how to roll up from a couple days ago.
Thanks for the help x2
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