Short subjects for the end of the year

Yes, been away from the blogging for some time.  And no, I (still) don't plan to have this blog die out.  I continue to have material and intend to share, in the coming days, my adventures on a jaunt to Minnesota over Christmastime, my thoughts on Operation Varsity Blues and other items lingering in my brain.  For today, though, here a few quick hitters:

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In the “I Guess It Didn’t Matter Anyway” Department:

When Kansas State football was about to begin its conference schedule, I talked with a few K-State students.  I recall one of them making a prediction that the Wildcats would defeat all of their opponents before hosting Oklahoma on October 26.  Which might mean....ESPN's College Gameday coming to Manhattan?  At the time of this discussion K-State had just returned from defeating Mississippi State in Starkville and after a bye week would go to Stillwater to play the Oklahoma State Cowboys.  One of the other guys mentioned Oklahoma State playing well but the prognosticator brushed it off, saying "We've always owned Oklahoma State."  

Cough.  As we all now know, K-State would fall to not only Oklahoma State but also to Baylor before defeating TCU prior to the Sooners coming to town.  Obviously no College Gameday.  As it turned out, no matter.  

For the 10/26 location, the Gameday producers elected that date for their annual "off-the-beaten-path" destination.  

Brookings, South Dakota.  

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Fitbit?  Probably not now…

After Geogal bought her Apple Watch I was welcome to use her Fitbit Alta.  While it isn't tremendously versatile it can at least track the amount of exercise and remind me to move should I be too sedentary.  

I also pondered getting myself a more sophisticated Fitbit device as I'm curious about my heart rate and also could use something waterproof given my affinity for swimming as a form of exercise.  

However the Fitbit company lost me as a customer.  Why?  I'll reference an email which hit my inbox November 1.  Titled "Fitbit to be acquired by Google."  Included in the body of the message:  

You, our users, are at the center of everything we do, and it’s important that you know that your trust is central to our mission and has been since day one. This will not change by joining Google. We are committed to the same strong data privacy and security protections. You will always be in control of your data, and we will remain transparent about the data we collect and why. We never sell your personal information, and Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads.

Do they truly think I'm that gullible?  I cannot be comfortable knowing my exercise information is in the hands of Google.  

Maybe I'll get a Garmin watch.  (Although I'm fond of other Apple products I just don't need all the bells/whistles that are a part of  Watch, or the price tag.)

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College football is winding down but the bowl games remain enjoyable.  Unless you're in the Big 12 conference.  

At the time I write this the Big 12 has had a terrible bowl season.  As in “big goose egg” embarrassing.  Oklahoma State loses to Texas A&M and Iowa State got demolished by Notre Dame (and I was driving through the heart of Cy the Cyclone country while hearing that radio broadcast).  What could I say about Oklahoma's loss that hasn't already been beaten into the ground by numerous sports reporters? 

At least today Kansas State and Texas will suit up against their opponents, then tomorrow Baylor gets to show its stuff in the Sugar Bowl.  

Maybe, just maybe, these three teams will offer the conference some postseason redemption.  

See you in 2020!!

An active role in emptying the nest

The deed is done!

As of the start of September Geogal and I are officially empty-nesters.  

The travelogue that follows will detail not only a physical journey but an emotional one as well.  As often happens with longer sojourns that into unfamiliar territory there were surprises along the way and an ending no one expected.  

Preparations for the taking-child-to-college trip began some time back.  In mid-summer I decided one corner of our kitchen/dining area will be set aside for child’s belongings that would go to the dorm.  As expected, it began small and gradually increased in cubic feet as the days passed.  Then departure day drew ever closer and Geogal (fully exerting her role as Geomother) continually reminded child that she needed to speed up her packing and preparation.  Result?  An even larger assortment of containers and boxes.  

Yet no problem!  Unlike some other families headed toward this academic destination we had the luxury of a Chevrolet Suburban, plus the additional space afforded by the older SUV we agreed to let Geoana have during the college years.  Social media gave us a few chuckles as we saw postings from parents who drove either smaller SUVs or crossovers, featuring pictures of a vehicle packed to the point where every cubic inch was filled accompanied by a message noting: “Filled to the max!”  

An aside about our truck:  Not only is a Suburban useful for taking a youngster’s belongings to an institution of higher learning but it’s also something of a tradition in my family of origin.  In 1979 I helped mom, dad, and Geosister the older pack her belongings into our 1976 Rosedale Red Suburban (Silverado trim package) and we all trekked 150 or so miles to the University of Texas at Austin (hook-‘em!).  Fast forward to August 1986 and Geodad took yours truly, again with luggage and dorm room items to New Mexico State University.  Using the same 1976 Suburban.  Forward again many years and in 2012 my own household loaded up Geogal’s necessities into our 1999 Suburban and traveled to Colby, Kansas for her to enroll in professional school.  (Fortunately she was only away for one school year.)  

Now it’s my child’s turn and our spacious transportation is a 2008 Suburban.  Some traditions work well.  

I went to work Thursday morning, returning home in mid-afternoon.  After I changed into casual clothing it was time to “get packing!”  I’m not referring to carrying a firearm, either.  No question I was concerned about this process even though I knew vehicle space wouldn’t be an issue.  (I’m sure some of the angst was due to a combination of the unknown plus my own coming-to-terms with child truly leaving home.)  

First pleasant surprise:  Geoana and I packed everything in less than 45 minutes.  That corner of the kitchen?  Empty.  And we accomplished this before Geogal got home from her workday.  Score one for the father-daughter team!  

As a result we left before evening hit.  Mind you, we weren’t planning on driving all the way to Minnesota this day, just to Liberty, Missouri and a hotel for the night.  

Why not just take it all in one day and do this on Friday?  Because…another small stressor.  This school included, in its dorm check-in schedule, an opportunity to bring your belongings into your room between 1 and 3 p.m. on Friday, with official move-in day taking place on Saturday.  Geogal figured if we had a shorter drive on Friday we could make the time window.  

And that meant no sleeping in on Friday morning.  Yep, we were up early, munched down the hotel breakfast and were out the door, topped off the gas tanks and northbound on Interstate 35 before 8 a.m..  

Missouri becomes Iowa.  The rainy weather that greeted us out the hotel doors gave way to partly cloudy skies before we logged 100 miles.  While eager to reach the destination I reminded myself to engage in mindfulness and simply enjoy the moments as they happened.  Soon my patience was rewarded and we were on the outskirts of Des Moines.  From the junction with Interstate 80 it all feels like familiar territory given our numerous trips to Mayo Clinic from northwestern Kansas.  Des Moines morphs into Ankeny and it’s not very long before we’re passing Ames.  Then it’s lunch time.  

Pleasant surprise number two:  A nice picnic lunch at a rest area.  Geogal and I both agreed that in the interest of healthier eating and economizing, we would put the large cooler in the very back of the Suburban and load it with lunchmeat, bread, fruit, chips, canned soda, canned seltzer water and bottled water.  

In one of those rare instances the plan worked like a charm.  Temperature was reasonable and the wind was nil.  Found a shady picnic table under some trees and enjoyed our midday meal.  Rounded it all out with dessert—well, OK, candy bars from the rest area’s vending machine.  Back on the road!

As was the case for the entire northbound journey but much more evident this date was my ability to enjoy the solitude afforded by being the only one in this vehicle.  Geogal and Geoana were in the smaller SUV and seemed happy with each other’s company.  I, meanwhile, derived the benefits of my alone time with the ability to listen to whatever struck my fancy.  Meaning:  if I wanted to sample the offerings of local terrestrial radio then so be it!  

As expected the FM dial served up more of the usual:  satellite-fed formats with the occasional local spots.  AM was only a bit better.  Around the Clear Lake/Mason City area I heard about the upcoming high school gridiron contests to take place that evening.  One guy (I think he was on an Albert Lea station) droned on in such a monotonous fashion that I had to click to something else before succumbing to highway hypnosis.  

Yet I finally did what I’d been longing for ever since we started these Minnesota sojourns.  Utilize the benefits of a good radio receiver and tune into the regional blowtorch stations.  Two in particular:  Des Moines’ WHO and Minneapolis’ WCCO.  

Most of our previous journeys were in vehicles deficient in the actual radio function.  Not a huge surprise given less attention than ever is given to old-fashioned FM and AM.  No doubt due to the younger generation’s preference for streaming audio or enjoying their own playlists loaded onto the smartphone.  Combine that with internal electronics being subject to years of very hot then very cold temps and a heckuva lot of factory audio systems give up the radio ghost after not many years.  Yet since our vehicles always had SiriusXM available it didn’t mean we had to sacrifice listening pleasure while on the open road.  

But today I finally get to listen to the distant, but still listenable, signals from the aforementioned.  Occasionally I note in this blog how one of my road-traveling pleasures involves tuning in to heritage AM stations as a confirmation that I am indeed getting closer to the destination.  Not unlike how, back in 2006, while driving up California 1 heading toward Monterey (that day’s stopping place) we made a leisurely stop in Big Sur and while the gals explored a rummage sale I stayed in the car and easily tuned in San Francisco’s KNBR (680), KCBS (740) and KGO (810).  Clear as a bell for all.  

Back to the present:  Very much enjoyed the sound of WCCO-AM becoming stronger and more clear the closer I got to the Iowa/Minnesota line.  (Not that I particularly enjoyed the content, but that’s secondary to any DXer.)  Also took time to listen in on Yankton’s WNAX (broadcasting live from the South Dakota State Fair!) and Fort Dodge station KWMT.  Both of these are just barely audible from my listening post in eastern Kansas.  Let’s hear it for flat terrain and good ground conductivity!

For me this is very close to traveling paradise.  By myself, but not alone!

Next stop was the Petro truck stop in Albert Lea as both tanks needed topping.  A look at the clock showed us arriving during the afternoon window was very do-able.  The gals said they would return to the Interstate after filling up while I needed to use the facilities.  So we said goodbyes and then I was on my own (in a sense).  

When it was my turn to merge onto northbound 35 I had visions of “Smokey and the Bandit” given we did have a deadline and both drivers, between Albert Lea and journey’s end, engaged in certain violations of the speed limit.  But no load of bootleg Coors beer.  

Wait?  We were separated by about 15-20 minutes at that point!  How did I know about the girls’ highway speed?  

Geogal told me later.  

Finally I see the landmarks of child’s college just up ahead.  Within a matter of minutes I’m on campus and longing for the speed and efficiency of the open highway.  Turns out we weren’t the only ones wanting to make the window of “drop off the belongings.”  For a school of only about 3000 students it seemed most of Minnesota was there.  The friendly folks directing traffic had me park on the lawn which initially seemed odd but wound up giving me easy access into daughter’s dorm.  

Unloading was fairly smooth and I quickly noticed many students, plus family members, were not adhering to the “just take the items into the room and be done with it until tomorrow” philosophy.  Meaning they’re assembling and unpacking.  Full confession: that included Geoana and her roommate.  

What’s a father to do?

Evening rolls around and it’s time to relax given our primary mission is complete:  Daughter will officially admit tomorrow, all her belongings save the overnight bag (she’s bunking in our hotel room tonight) are in her dorm room and we had a pleasant journey overall.  No arguments, no bad feelings.  

Saturday August 31 is quite the full day.  Workshops for parents and for students.  We’re separate for the most part.  For the late afternoon the institution was quite clear to parents:  After the official welcome ceremony concludes, the students go out one way and the parents go out another.  Say your goodbyes!  

Reflecting on this experience nearly a month later I’m still surprised none of us shed any tears.  Geogal had a good observation as to why:  Geoana wasn’t upset or clingy (just the opposite, in fact) and she appeared to adapt right away both in the geographical and social aspects.  Child’s doing OK, so what’s to be upset about?  

The same held true for the remainder of our (mom and dad’s) time in Minnesota.  Geogal and I headed home on Tuesday after enjoying a leisurely Labor Day in and around the Twin Cities.  

Again, the journey back to Kansas was uneventful and still no tears.  

The surprises kept coming! 

So now this scribe and his wife are home in a house that now feels quite different.  Child is taking her latest journey into adulthood.  We’ve officially entered a new life stage.  

Let’s see where it goes…and where it leads us.  

A Late and Lengthy Critique of "I Kissed Dating Goodbye"

I first noticed the story on a mainstream news site.  

Joshua Harris, who penned I Kissed Dating Goodbye announced he and his wife are headed towards divorce.  

While I had heard of the book so many years ago I never gave it much attention.  At the time it was published (1997) I already was married and wouldn’t become a father until 2001.  Therefore it simply wasn’t a tome that was worth my time.  

Over the intervening years I heard it referenced occasionally.  One of the best examples was from our then-pastor’s daughter’s wedding.  While my wife and I didn’t attend we heard how the bride’s father (also the officiant) stated at the ceremony’s culmination:  “And now (her name) and (his name) will share their first kiss.”  

Really?

Welcome to the concept of “purity culture.”  Turns out I was in proximity of some adherents without knowing about it overtly.  My daughter, who is now a young adult, mentioned recently that one of her previous youth pastors believed in that point of view.  As it turned out, per my daughter, virtually none of the young people from that time followed through with dumping the hugging-kissing-dating lifestyle.  

And that’s not a bad thing.  

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Even today I’m not sure why the Joshua Harris news got my attention the way it did.  After reading the aforementioned news story I then did an Internet search and spent some time reading others’ opinions on the matter.  

Then I got to wondering just what I Kissed Dating Goodbye actually postulated.  Problem:  I didn’t want to spend any of my hard-earned cash on what is rapidly becoming a criticized and discredited book (even by Harris himself).  But surprise, our local library had a copy!  And further surprise, it was available!  (Am I the only one around here who’s curious?)  The next day I brought home the book and cracked it open.  

Overall it’s a quick read, only takes a few sittings.  And to my further surprise, I didn’t have a huge problem with his starting point:  we need to take dating and romantic relationships more seriously and consider the larger consequences.  Nor did I have any difficulty with his points such as don’t ignore the rest of your friends if you’re exploring the possibility of marriage and don’t become romantically involved just to satisfy your own desires.  

But about halfway into the text I began to take issue with Harris’ thesis.  Summing up my thoughts, I believe Harris took the dating concept too far in the other direction.  The last part of his book addressed his views of old-fashioned “courtship” replacing the dating process.  

I’d encourage anyone curious about the subject matter to read the book for themselves.  As this is my blog, though, I’m more than willing to express detail on my reaction.  

First, I take issue with Harris’ belief that single people who are attracted to someone romantically lack self-control regarding sexual desire.  Balderdash!  There are plenty of people, both religious and non-religious who demonstrate the ability to remain chaste until marriage.  These couples also can agree on what physical contact is and is not acceptable up to the exchanging of marriage vows.  I can even make the argument that having such a discussion can strengthen a couple’s relationship during the dating and/or engagement process.  

Second, the “hands-off completely and no kissing, either” philosophy can give someone the message that sexual attraction and desire is something to be avoided.  If a couple buys into that belief and keeps it throughout the engagement, what then happens after the marriage vows are repeated and the reception is over?  I took a Human Sexuality class my very last semester of college and I recall a quote from the textbook:  “Walking down an aisle and signing a marriage license didn’t make me immediately sexually responsive.”  While I’m not in favor of premarital sex I believe taking the behavior too far the other way can be just as harmful.  Or compare it to a teen driver who just obtained the license and is now given keys to a sports car and told to take it out onto the open road and wind the thing up to 100 mph.  

Third, I believe all people are individuals and as such there is no “perfect” or “right” way to dictate these types of limits on others.  If a couple makes a decision for themselves to abstain from kissing, handholding or other physical contact I take no issue with it.  Yet it appeared many couples followed the “courtship” example laid out by Harris and others based on input and/or pressure from at least one set of parents.  How is that the foundation for a healthy marriage relationship?  

Fourth, Harris occasionally expands his views on anti-dating to an absurd level.  This is evidenced in one of his anecdotes where Harris describes a time where he “messed up” by becoming emotionally involved with a young woman.  (Yes, you read that right.)  I’ll summarize it:  He attended a two-week conference at a camp in the mountains above Colorado Springs.  He noticed a young woman and she seemed to reciprocate.  They began talking and realized they had plenty in common.  One afternoon they drove into town and after a lunch together did some window shopping.  After the conference ended they kept in touch, mainly via snail mail (remember this was before internet accounts and email were in everyday use) and phone.  After a time they realized the relationship had no future and said goodbye.  Harris expounds on how it was such a “mistake” to become emotionally involved with this female.  

Really?  How else are two people supposed to begin a relationship?  

And what was wrong about it?  According to Harris they didn’t even hold hands.  What harm was done?  

And that leads to my fifth point.  Harris was all of 21 years old when he penned this book.  And he’s the product of homeschooling.  So not only was he only not even two years removed from being a teenager he’s also an individual who never experienced the ups and downs of puberty in the milieu of secondary school, either public or private.  A question for the publisher:  What qualified this person to write such a book?  When I saw IKDG or his next book, Boy Meets Girl on display or listed in catalogs I always presumed this man was in his late 20’s or even early 30’s.  Hard to take seriously a book with this subject matter penned by—I’ll just say it—a kid.  Yes, he had a broken heart after the relationship I described in the preceding paragraph but that's a part of life.  

Certainly explains chapter/section titles such as “Keys for Keeping Your Relationships with the Opposite Sex out of the Romantic Zone.”  

My last point:  Even though Harris clearly wrote this from a Christian perspective none of his material has Scriptural basis.  Neither the Old nor New Testaments speaks specifically about what is and isn’t acceptable behavior for romantic relationships prior to marriage with the exception of fornication.  Courtship as Harris describes it is based in customs from about a century ago and bears no resemblance to today’s world.  Young people of both genders leaving home for college, career or military before considering a marriage remains the norm in our western culture.  Why would anyone want to take several steps backward?  

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If this entry captured your interest feel free to type “purity culture” into a search engine and read what’s out there.  Sad to see a concept that offered an alternative to the sex-without-responsibility groupthink to have turned into something that ultimately caused more harm than good.  

And it’s equally sad to see yet another marriage coming to an end.  I agree with those out there in the infosphere who refuse to engage in schadenfreude about news of the Harris’ separation and likely divorce.  

Here’s hoping the current crop of people leaving the nest, which includes my own daughter, figure out a healthy and reasonable balance between the two extremes.  

Local Radio--A Whole Lotta' Changes Since My Younger Days

Just a short while ago I noticed this article and read it with great interest.  

Some of you may know I spent the early part of my first career at a (now that I look back at it) relatively small AM-FM combo in southeast Arizona.  Not KHIL, which is the station featured in the article linked above, although I could receive KHIL just fine from my apartment in Sierra Vista.  

As was the author's intent, the Guardian article is showing the truth of the sad state of small-town radio in the United States.  

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I remember it well.  The year was 1985.  Up to then even casual listeners knew small-town radio had a purpose and identity.  It reflected that particular community and the spots frequently consisted of local businesses.  You could tune in during the morning and hear not only the school lunch menus but also which local individual had passed away and the visitation/funeral times.  The announcers lived in town.  You saw them at the grocery stores or post office, doing their normal errands just as all of us.  High school sports dominated the evening hours from the months of September through February.  

If the town was fortunate, the local station was an AM-FM combo.  Unlike today, where many AM's are now used to originate programming to an FM translator or HD secondary signal, the station located anywhere from 540 to 1600 on the dial often had a format and announcing staff distinct from the FM side.  Such was the case in Seguin, Texas, where I became acquainted with their hometown KWED (1580 AM, 105.3 FM).  The AM had a variety of country, polka and Spanish while the FM was country its entire programming day.  1580 was sunrise to sunset while the FM was 6 a.m. to midnight.  

Then on a visit to south Texas for Christmas of 1985 I noticed a big change.  While Seguin's AM was intact the FM no longer had the local identity or target audience.  Apparently the owner(s) sold the 105.3 frequency to a buyer who then increased the power to 100,000 watts, the most allowed for an FM station in the U.S.  Gone also was the country music format and the local voices.  And the call letters.  This station was now known as KSMG, branded as "Magic 105."  Top 40 playing 24-7, targeted at the San Antonio market.  

What I didn't realize at the time was yet another change for the radio business.  

Also during 1985 even FM's near my home area of the time (Albuquerque) were undergoing similar changes.  I remember upon moving to the Duke City in 1982 how I had the challenge of hearing the FM's to the north on my lame home radios.  Santa Fe had two FM's and Los Alamos had one.  By the end of '85 all had kicked up their power and eventually changed their transmitter locations all for the purpose of putting a viable signal into Albuquerque...where the majority of the (potential) listeners resided.  More listeners means more money.  In the meantime two new FM's licensed to Santa Fe signed on the air and didn't even pretend to be locally-oriented to northern New Mexico.  

Suddenly the radio listener had more options and few people seemed to care that their hometown FM stations no longer cared about the community.  To be sure, the existing AM stations up north still carried much of the same programming and could fill the void created with the changes on the FM dial.  

For the time being.  

The aforementioned practice of taking small-town FM's and adding them to a nearby large city's market soon became known as "move-ins."  

And if the station is located just too far away from a population base to make a move-in possible, then said station will have to find another way to remain profitable.  Or die a slow death.  

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During my time working in Sierra Vista I got to witness first-hand another significant change in the local radio business.  As was the case in Seguin some years prior, the AM and FM signals had different formats.  KTAN 1420 AM was country music and KFFN 100.9 FM featured adult contemporary.  The AM signed on at 5 in the morning and had announcers and board operators throughout the day and evening before signing off either 11 or midnight.  (It's been so long I really can't remember when they shut down for the night.)  

The FM, however, had a live announcer during the morning drive time and occasionally from 3 to 6 p.m.  The rest of the time it was automated, using an even-then-ancient collection of reel to reel machines supplemented by carts where the local spots (and my newscasts) kept the bills paid and listeners informed.  

A few months into my tenure the general manager together with the owner bought into a satellite-fed service from Drake-Chenault.  While this was a great improvement for the FM side (all the staff agreed unofficially there was probably no way the FM could sound worse given the horrid automation system) it also had the result of removing the local, community-based feel the AM team perfected.  Morning drive time was the only shift left unchanged when the satellite service was implemented.  

Replacing local voices with a nationwide provider--another trend in the industry.  Why bother with local announcers when you can have a satellite service that sounds polished and professional?  You don't have to deal with on-air staff who might call in sick.  The bean counters also appreciate not having to have the headache of payroll and benefits for the necessary number of people needed to really make a station work as it should.  And programming?  Bought and paid for.  

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If you read this blog you know I listen to SiriusXM almost exclusively.  To some radio old-timers I might seem like a traitor or sell-out.  But does anyone ask me why I choose to pay for satellite radio when there are still terrestrial options?  

The answer is in the larger picture of this entry.  Why did I ditch AM and FM?  Bottom line: they no longer gave me any compelling reason to listen.  Drive through any city and the commercial FM's almost all sound the same, regardless of your location in these United States.  AM stations in urban areas are relegated to talk, sports, infomercials and various foreign language offerings.  Small-town radio?  For those stations that still survive, nearly all are satellite-fed to some degree.  

Add to the above my ability to listen to whatever type of music I want at any given time and knowing I will not lose the signal if I hit the highway and I believe SiriusXM is worth the monthly cost.  

There's just nothing special on the old-fashioned dial anymore.  

And that's a shame.  

Not long after KTAN/KFFN switched to the satellite service our program director Carlos said to me wistfully: "At (KTAN's) peak, we had something really special.  Great people on the air and a real connection with our listeners.  We could have gone into Tucson, if such a thing were possible, and given some of those stations a run for their money."  

Then and now I couldn't agree more.  But radio is a business and an ever-changing business.  That's how you wind up with small town radio ending up with a similar fate as Willcox, Arizona's KHIL.  

Fasting

I don't know the current MLB standings.  

I don't know which golfer won which recent tournament.  Nor do I have awareness of the happenings on the racetrack, be it motorsports or horses.  

And I sure don't care about the NFL or NBA drafts.  

Once the men's NCAA basketball tournament was finished I decided I would take a break from all sports media.  

Why?

First, on my morning commute (which is the prime time I listen to sports talk, especially college sports on SiriusXM 84) I decided to go all-music.  Not exactly a scientific experiment but I wondered if certain types of music consumed during the drive, such as the classical offerings on Symphony Hall, would result in a better mood for me once at the workplace.  

Problem is, my work is pleasant overall and I don't have any significant conflicts or dreads so I'm not sure if choosing music over sports talk has any overall positive effect on my disposition.  

But it doesn't hurt.  

Second, for me once the college hoops were over I knew I was headed into dullsville as far as the sports universe goes.  While I can enjoy a major league baseball game I'm not fanatical about it.  And I have long believed baseball is best enjoyed at the ballpark.  (Which reminds me--look into Kansas City Royals tickets.  Shouldn't cost much based on what others are saying about that team's performance this year.)  

Third, I'm damned sick of politics poking its way into sports.  'Nuff said.  

I'll end my sports media fast around the end of July, when the NFL teams are heading into training camp and college football news will again be relevant and timely.  But for now I sure don't care which baseball team is peaking and which pro teams are making a killing in free agency.  

With Independence Day holiday coming up there's just more things that are better worthy of my attention.  Grilling meat and veggies, enjoying the warm weather, and spending time with my child before we "kick her out of the nest" just to name a few.  

Coming attractions for this little space o' the 'Net?  My thoughts on terrestrial radio and an interesting article that speaks loudly about the present (and future) of small-town stations.  

Dearth of posts for the past two months?  Guilty as charged.  

As is usually the case my absence from this corner of the 'Net isn't because of sloth but rather too many things happening at once, or at least in close succession.  

Now, an update!

First, we did it!  

The child completed secondary school.  Graduation ceremony is now history.  Got her over that wall!  

Please don't misunderstand me--there was never a doubt about her walking across the stage or that she would not be one of the top students.  But with the stress of exams, assignments coming due and preparing/hosting an open house following the ceremony it seemed May 18 would never arrive.  Then it was gone and Geogal and I felt not only residual fatigue but also the sadness of knowing another phase of our parenting concluded.  

And come the end of August another stage will begin.  Best to not think about that just now....

Second, slightly under two weeks after the graduation was a whirlwind trip to Texas for a family member's wedding.  1300 mile round-trip over the course of three days.  Leave early the morning of May 31 and after enduring construction induced stop-and-go traffic in Oklahoma and rush hour crawl in Fort Worth we arrived in Georgetown with not much time to spare before the rehearsal dinner.  

But Saturday made up for the previous day's hurry-hurry.  Leisurely morning segued into a pleasant afternoon.  We explored downtown Georgetown, a town to which I've never been despite having relatives reside in nearby Round Rock for all the time I lived in Houston during those childhood years.  

Speaking of Round Rock, that was our next destination for the day. Reason?  BBQ.  At the Salt Lick.  

Quick aside:  I knew given the brief duration of this trip that I wouldn't be able to feast on the entire holy trinity of Texas cuisine.  (BBQ, Tex-Mex and chicken-fried steak, for those who are unfamiliar with me or this blog.)  So if we had to choose one, the call of the pit was the loudest.  

Long-time readers of this blog might recall my previous experience with Salt Lick BBQ.  Needless to say this restaurant setting was a heckuva lot more pleasant with better ambiance than the Austin airport.  Walking through the north entrance gave us a great view of the prep area (staff slicing that perfect brisket) punctuated with the whiff of smoke.  The good kind.  

Wedding and reception were nice.  Then came Sunday morning.  Another early start to a 600-plus mile road trip back home.  This time we didn't have problems with traffic or construction.  And when we got home it felt we had been away a week, even though it was actually less than 72 hours.   

Third....nah.  

Those two were enough.  But I've got more to share here.  A sports media fast, thoughts on college costs and looking back on one's life in a healthy fashion.  

Stay tuned.  I'm not going anywhere.  

Giving In--For Now

I was determined to stand my ground.  

To not give in.  

I was successful throughout college football season.  

Kept telling myself, don’t do it.  Don’t do it.  You can manage.  

Then March rolls around and I decide to go for it.  

I bought one of Sling’s streaming TV packages.  

Yes.  I’m well aware of my pride around being one of the growing number of cord-cutters.  Existing since our relocation to Manhattan without the need for DirecTV, Dish Network or the local cable company service.  Antenna only.  

Why did I break?  

Early in March I looked at the Big 12 men’s basketball schedule.  Saturday March 9 featured K-State at home against Oklahoma.  Last regular season game.  Last home game.  Senior day.  And…if K-State won and Texas Tech lost, the Wildcats take the Big 12 regular season title!  

Geogal and I looked into buying tickets but as soon as we went to the official site we got the “Sold Out” notice.  

So…still wanting to catch the game but not wanting to go the secondary market route or deal with scalpers or spend the afternoon at a sports bar I thought about Sling TV and its ESPN offerings.  

The basketball gods also dangled the carrot of Iowa State hosting Texas Tech earlier in the day.    Promised to be a good game regardless of who wound up in the W column.  

That was enough for me!  Go online and set up the account.  Since I have a smart TV with built-in Roku I was watching additional channels in no time.  

(A couple of advantages to streaming services is that you don’t have to wait for the installer to show up at your residence, nor do you need their equipment.  Saves one the additional fee for “set-top box rental.”)   

Even though I tried to avoid ESPN’s monopoly family of networks the hoop action that day proved too much to resist.  Yes, I was rewarded with the satisfaction of seeing the ‘Cats get an easy victory and Iowa State/Texas Tech giving each over everything they had.  In the end Kansas State ended up sharing the regular season conference title with the Red Raiders but that’s still something to celebrate.  

Then came the conference tournament(s).  Again, having ESPN’s cartel family of networks proved delightful.  

Icing on the college hoops cake?  Being able to watch TBS and TNT on the same Sling package.  March Madness was awesome!  

But now that we’re in the Elite Eight and there’s no Cinderella I figure the Sling service will go bye-bye in the next few days.  (Gotta also like no contract!!)  

All of this provided another lesson:  Don’t be afraid to be flexible, and feel free to enjoy the modern conveniences if it doesn’t break your budget!  

Can’t live under a mass-media rock all the time….

Couple of quick hitters

Is spring just around the corner?  

In my last entry I noted we expected snow and some brutal-cold wind chill temps for Sunday, March 3.  Yes, we got both but since then not only has the sun made some appearances but we also were blessed (or hit, depending on whom you ask) with a fair amount of rain.  The precipitation not only helped eradicate the piles of shoveled/plowed snow from the sides of the roads but also gave the ground a good washing  which did wonders to remedy the dirt-gravel-asphalt sludge left behind by the snowplows.  

Heck, just this morning I noted to Geogal that I’m willing to get out the grill and put some meat over flames this evening.  

Yet because I’ve lived in Kansas for over a decade I’m not being naive about the outdoors.  I am aware that March and April can still bring white stuff and other unusual meteorological occurrences.   

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College hoops is coming to a close and I have my fingers crossed.  Can New Mexico State make it out of the first round this year?  Interesting note:  Some bracketologists have the Aggies going in as a 12 seed, going against a 5 seed for the first Thursday/Friday of the tourney.  Briefly they had Kansas State as said 5-seed, which would have created an odd emotional collision in the Geohouse.  However the pundits are now predicting the Wildcats to be seeded higher.  Maybe.  We’ll just have to wait for tomorrow evening to learn where everyone lands.   

Go Aggies!  After all, you won’t even be invited to the dance unless you win the WAC tournament.  Never mind your great overall win-loss record….

Be Gone, February!

It's now March and everyone around these parts couldn't be happier to see February 2019 turn into history.  

The shortest month of the year was notable for snow, bitter cold temps and even some rain.  To be sure, I'm confident this wet winter will yield significant benefits come growing season and within weeks this part of the country will be a nice shade of green.  

But for now we still have Old Man Winter hanging around.  While yesterday had plenty of sun and temps to melt some of the lingering snow, today is gray, chilly and more snow is in the forecast for overnight tonight.  Following that we can expect brutal cold wind chill to remind us we don't live in Florida or Arizona.  

As I'm continually saying to myself: Remember--this will pass!  Just a few more weeks and the outdoors will be bearable again.  

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I read this article yesterday with just a little feeling of pride.  Little, because I had nothing to do with the resurgence of the Cougars in college sports hierarchy, but positive emotions nonetheless since I resided in Houston in the distant past and am happy to see U of H headed in the right direction.  

Let me explain.  I lived in the Bayou City as a child, from 1974 to 1982.  I cheered on the Astros and rooted for the Oilers.  Anyone who remembers that era of Houston sports knows there was more disappointment than elation.  At the end of the '70s and into the '80s both teams showed promise but sadly neither team reached the point where they could hoist a championship trophy.  (Mainly because of the *!@#!**$! Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Phillies!)  

As I got older I noticed Houston never seemed to get its due, credit or recognition despite great effort.  When I was in my early teens the city became the fourth largest in the country, yet because it wasn't on the eastern seaboard nor was it Chicago or Los Angeles it never was mentioned among the prominent U.S. burgs.  Never mind that NASA's Mission Control was there, or wealth that came along with the oil boom.  

To add insult to injury, Dallas was perpetually the Texas city getting national notice.  Their NFL franchise, unlike the Oilers, was a consistent playoff participant and took home a couple of Lombardi trophies.  Then NFL films gave the Cowboys the moniker "America's Team."  

If that wasn't enough for the Houston faithful to swallow, how about a prime-time soap opera titled "Dallas" becoming the hottest show on the tube?  

Yet times have changed and now Houston can be proud of their Astros, Rockets (back-to-back NBA titles in the '90s) and the Texans are far from being a sad-sack organization.  

So the time seems right for the Cougars to return to national attention.  I'm quite interested to see how Dana Holgerson will fare with the football team.  

Why not dream big?  Wouldn't it be awesome for U of H to be invited to join the Big 12 Conference? But if not that, what about The American becoming a conference with some fearsome football and basketball teams?  

Gotta say the future looks good for southeast Texas.  

A role (and title) I never expected

This past Saturday Geogal and I went to Bramlage Coliseum to enjoy another K-State women's basketball game.  

I've been to all but two this season.  Toward the end of last summer Geogal had a great idea:  "Let's buy season tickets for the Lady Wildcat games."

Made sense.  We enjoyed at least three of the women's games last winter.  And the games are affordable and plenty of fun to watch.  (While the K-State men aren't perennial contenders for the Big 12 title, as are the guys at that school in Lawrence, their games still have a great turnout and don't always come cheap.)  

So our tickets (and parking passes) arrived sometime in October, together with a printed guide with useful information.  

One page got my attention.  

Titled "NCAA Rules and Regulations," it listed what actions are not permitted by boosters.  

At first I was tempted to skim the page then turn to something more interesting.  However...

Under the section heading Are You a Representative of Athletics Interests (booster)? I was in for a surprise.    Have I bought or received season tickets?  

Yes.

Have I made financial contributions to the athletic department or to an athletic booster organization of K-State?  

Yes.  Buying season tickets requires you make a contribution to the Ahearn Fund.

So...guess what?  I'm a booster!

Never expected that moniker.  Like most folks, I envision a "booster" as someone who a) graduated from the institution, b) has very deep pockets and c) would do nearly anything to see their alma mater do well on the gridiron, hardwood or any other sports setting.  

I don't fit any of those criteria.  Yet here I am.  

If you think I read the section then expunged the info from my noggin, you're wrong.  

Just recently I talked with a high school student, only a casual conversation.  He enjoys basketball and certainly wouldn't object to playing at the college level.  I shared that I was now a K-State booster, therefore I have to watch both my spoken words and interactions with him.  I also let him know I wasn't joking.  

Here's the school's web page explaining the same things in my printed guide.  I especially like the item in the sidebar that once I am a booster I retain that title indefinitely.   

Gonna have a hard time explaining one that to my New Mexico State Aggie brethren.