Saturday with the Ducks

This year I plan to spend more time at Oregon Duck games. This Saturday was great fun, especially as Oregon beat the team with the longest winning streak in college football.

A few notes from sitting in the press box along side Brian Prawitz:

Time it takes from our seats in the pressbox (front row I might add!), to food and drink - 10 seconds
Time it takes from the average fan seat to food and drink - 10 minutes
Chance of getting wet from our seats - almost none, but watch that wind with stat sheets.
Chance of getting wet from fan seats - officially none (it never rains at Autzen....) but...on Saturday there was some liquid something coming down for awhile.
Number of times Brian got up to get more Pepsi - 9 (btw the wind took Brian's Pepsi and spilled it with 8:51 left in the 2nd)
Number of times Brian got up to go to the restroom - uh never mind
Number of times I got up to get lemon bars - 3

I left with 3 minutes on the clock to beat the rush and hit the road to emcee at Melrose Vineyards. Incredibly I got to the truck in time to hear the last play on the radio, then hit the freeway back to the Burg. A really fun day chatting with some media friends from Portland and Eugene as well. The press box is like a weekly class reunion sometimes.

Next Saturday I hope to do it all over again.

Getting Old

Well it has happened.

No - nothing that was a suprise. But a big moment none the less. I was on the air Monday afternoon when the email came in - "your daughter has a license". I practically choked as I was on live, with my email box open.

I knew this was coming. Michaela did great in Drivers Ed over the summer. Teacher Mike Pardon and the others, appear to have kept all their hair. My wife tells me she is doing fine, even my mother - who let her drive the "Grandma car" thought her driving was fine. I have ridden with her a few times and thought she was making progress. Still the reality was a bit of a shock. No we have not bought her a car. In this economy, not sure its going to happen soon. Oh and there is insurance too...yet another bill to add to the pile.

All that aside - I have gotten mixed responses. One friend asked when she was driving so he could stay off Harvard at that time. Another tells me that we are approaching freedom - when she drives herself to an event. (presuming she has a car!)

All I know is that it was a strange feeling to send her out for Ice Cream....and wait....and wait...and wait...for her to come back. (yes she did come back....safe and sound)

Is that a grey hair I see?

Aug 23

Its Sunday...I am in the office playing catch up and dealing with a few projects...

I keep noticing a few things - "back to school, football, and cooler temperatures coming" are phrases coming out of people's mouth more and more. Say it isn't so - I would like one more month of summer please. Email your public officials and lets see if we can do something in that regard!

Yesterday I dug up a several foot section of the backyard chasing down a sprinkler system problem. Now I remember why I work in an office....darned hard work!

On a brighter note: The first Music In The Vines was a great success Thursday night. Join us again this Thursday at Melrose Vineyards - great music, food and wine available. The new events center is just delightful....

Well.....enjoy the week....I think it will be a busy one....keep the radio on and we will keep telling you whats going on. Thanks for listening to News radio 1240 KQEN

August 12th

I'm sitting there, glass of Pinot Noir in hand, chatting with a new friend, when out of my side vision I see some commotion on the stage. Emcee Kelly Leonard comes to his mic, and on stage someone yells for the Emcee mic to be turned on. Then Kelly makes the announcement thats going to be etched in my brain for a long time: "....There is a bomb threat, we have to evacuate the park, please leave immediately..." From most accounts there was about 30 seconds of "deer in the headlights" as Kelly continued talking and slowly - then rapidly -as people understood and began to gather their stuff and head for the parking lot. I made a quick call to Brian Prawitz, who ironically, was just walking into the park when the situation started to unfold. As my wife and I decided how we were leaving, I picked up Randy Wesson from our sister station, Best Country 103, who was also at the show with his girlfriend. We then joined the slow procession out of the park. I tried to cross towards Harvard on the Green Bridge, which was closed for awhile, apparently due to initial security concerns. Instead we were directed through the VA and onto Garden Valley. After dropping my family off, I headed to the station where Brian joined me Live on air for a report, followed by a live report from Sgt Dunbar, who was in Stewart Park.
We felt the situation warrented doing special coverage to make sure everyone listening understood what was going on, according to the information the Police had available.

Later in the evening, it became clear how new technology affected the situation. People were posting on Facebook as they left the park, and I was told by one Half Shell Committee Member, that they had comments on the situation from outside the US within minutes. Jonatha Brooke posted on her website as well - with some great thoughts (you should read them!). People from out of town started to contact me on Facebook or via cell phone. It was as if the whole town was upset - even folks who were not at the concert.

While we wait for official word on the outcome from the Police, some thanks are in order. Thanks to the Roseburg Police and the Half Shell Committee for doing the right thing, in the right way, even though it was a punch in the stomach to have to stop the show. Thanks to the crowd for being orderly and following instructions. Thanks to the other Police agencies who came into the city to help. Thanks to the vendors, who probably lost money and had to throw out uneaten food due to the quick exit. Thanks to Jonatha Brooke, who I am told, cried as she left the stage, and headed back to her hotel.

So lets take a deep breath, regroup, and come to Music On The Halfshell again next week. Lets let the season end with another awesome show and a reunited community. Don't let the bad guys win.

August 10th

I can't believe that its already mid-August! Where has the summer gone? Last week was a great Douglas County Fair - its always fun to get outside and meet people who listen. While I am on a diet, I did enjoy a few fair food items - which were delectable! Some great music at the fair last week too, my favorite was Huey Lewis and The News.

Summer is still here so get out enjoy it before school starts! I am hoping for lots more bike rides while the sun is out.

July 20th blog

First off - thanks to everyone for a great time on Saturday with the Pepsi Float. We had over 1,000 floaters enjoying the sunshine and hot temps. Thanks to Pepsi, Sherms Thunderbird and Umpqua Dairy for making this happen. Thanks also to Marv and the rest of the guys in Slowpoke - they played non stop for over 3 hours - good stuff.

You have been hearing about the Idaho soldier captured by the Taliban in Afganistan. Here is a link to a Facebook site set up by friends in Idaho:

Bring Bowe Bergdahl Home Lets post some good thoughts and prayers as we hope for the best in this trying situation.

Finally on a personal note - I rode 35 miles on my bike Sunday and also made it up the big 3 mile Lookingglass Hill... Yahoo.

Blog 43

I am writing this two hours after the incredible Shemekia Copeland show at Riverbend Live. Huge crowd for the venue and people so affected that they were in tears. Shemekia's blues were incredible, the band was awesome and the audience responded. If you didn't go, ask anyone who did - people will be talking about this one for a long time. Backstage they were laid back personable fun people - no one looking for "rock star treatment", just wanting to do a good show. The highlight was clearly Shemekia walking through the crowd, without a microphone, belting out a 50 year old blues song written by her late father. She hugged people, smiled, even accepted offers of fresh fruit, a cold beer, and a flower from a child. ...all while the song continued with the band still playing on stage. In all my years of emceeing, I have never seen anything quite like it.

She stayed late chatting with people and signing CDs. She seemed to like the local folks who turned out. Being back stage, I knew the band had to drive back to Portland, sleep for 2-3 hours, get to the airport, catch an early flight, fly to New Mexico, and drive over 2 hours before their next show Saturday night. Yet no one was in a hurry to leave. Incredible.

A side note for me: I got to help be a roadie and move the hammond B-3 organ the band used for the evening. These instruments are very heavy, worth alot, and almost like a museum piece.....a work of art unduplicated with modern instruments. To be trusted to help move it was an honor honestly.

Okay I will stop now. Except to add that my youngest girl drew a picture for Shemekia during the show. Shemekia looked at it, read everything on both sides of the paper, and smiled, getting a bit choked up in the process. Wow - honest human emotion. What a night to remember.

Thanks to everyone for coming out and all those who sponsor Riverbend Live. Its a great privlege to help make the shows happen on Friday nights.