Thoughts come together in the oddest way (sometimes)

Yesterday morning, before little Geoana and I left for school and work (respectively) she asked me if I knew of a baseball player named "Big Apfel" who played for the Red Sox. I said the name sure wasn't familiar to me and asked where she heard it. Turns out she was reading (Geoana is a voracious reader) a book titled Fudge-A-Mania by Judy Blume and this player was referred to by one of the characters.

Then I started to think some more. What Red Sox players do quickly jump to my mind? First is the obvious one, Ted Williams, even though he was way before my time. Who else? Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk. And that's about it. I'm thinking of players that will be associated with the Red Sox and no other team. That leaves out all of the current and just-recently-retired superstars.

And no, I will not make this entry a rant about how there is no team loyalty anymore, blah, blah, blah. Times have changed and I accept that.

But back to my mental wheels turning. I then thought about the 1975 World Series which led to images of Carlton Fisk's game-winning home run in Game 6. You know the one I mean--the famous footage of him waving his arms as if to coax the ball to "stay fair." If you haven't seen it, go here (the video clip link is on the lower right side of the page).

Then I recall having met the guy who threw Fisk the pitch, Pat Darcy. (This was years ago at a work-related event for my wife's then-employer.) I shared with him my being an Astros fan and he answered that he played for that very club before being traded to the Reds. I'll never forget his comment: "I went from a poorly-run team to a very well-managed one."

I can't argue that point, but having teammates such as Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, and Ken Griffey probably didn't hurt, either.

And the winner was???

Remember last post, where I was trying to decide which Mel Brooks flick featuring Dom DeLuise to watch? So which one won out? Here's a hint:

"You'll be surprised, you're doing the French Mistake, viola!"

I confess, I just used the DVD menu to watch the part referenced above. Hey, it was late and I was tired!

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As the media (print and broadcast) continues to bleed red ink, maybe this piece will help explain why newspapers and journalists in general are mistrusted by the general public. News gathering appears to be a dying art.

A tough choice

To honor Dom DeLuise a day after his passing, do I watch Blazing Saddles or Spaceballs?

(Don't suggest Smokey and the Bandit II or Cannonball Run--I don't have those in my DVD collection.)

Quick notes

1) I'm enjoying the spring thaw. Mild winter? Not for me, it wasn't.

2) Barely a month into baseball season and all of my favorite teams are stinking up the place. (That's the Diamondbacks, Astros, and Angels in case you were wondering.)

3) Little girl now knows how to ride a bike. As I said to Geogal: "Now we've really lost her forever."

4) There is rhubarb growing in our backyard. Evidently a delayed housewarming gift from the previous owners.

5) Little Geoana only has two and a half weeks of school left and I don't know who's more excited, her or me.

6) I have to learn to cherish this time of year. The evenings are not hot, humid, and mosquito-infested, and they aren't bitterly cold, either. As Goldilocks herself might say: "Just right."

7) Learning how to balance my evening routine to get some blogging time in remains a challenge. By the time I figure it out everything will change!

8) Those home improvement shows on HGTV are addictive.

9) Long, sunlit days rule!

10) And finally, I am developing my list of the "Top Ten Science Fiction Movies That Are Not Star Wars Or Star Trek Related." (I think "Independence Day" might be near the top.)

Tower chasing

One of the many positives about living in this part of the country is the variety of tower chasing one can pursue.

What does that mean in English?

Simply this: We who are obsessed with broadcasting in its many forms often enjoy visiting transmitter sites and seeing what these behemoths actually look like. Back to my first sentence, this means that I have the opportunity to drive around and view towers in several different areas. Sometimes these transmitters are even in different TV markets and I don’t have to put in several hours’ driving time to enjoy the variety. Back in the desert southwest there might be hundreds of miles between full-power transmitters and those are usually grouped together on a mountaintop. But with the rolling prairie terrain of Northwest Kansas/Southwest Nebraska TV stations locate their towers in numerous places and often not together. In fact the only transmitter tower in this region which shares two stations’ antennas is the stick between Kearney and Hastings which houses KGIN-DT and KHGI-DT. All the others are on their own.

So, with this explained, I headed out of town three Saturdays ago and made a leisurely drive to North Platte.

Why?

Why not? I haven’t been there yet and this is a nearby burg that is considered its own television market, albeit one of the smallest in the country. In the bottom ten for sure. That was part of the appeal even though I knew I wouldn’t be there during the timeframe in which they air the local newscasts (actually that should be newscast, singular, which I’ll explain in a moment). Still I knew I would get a shot at seeing the DTV transmissions in that area and as a curiosity factor learning what else occupied the dial on the analog side. The FCC database indicates there are numerous translator and low-power stations in that vicinity. How could I resist?

Once I arrived in town and got my fill of Kentucky Fried Chicken (they don’t have one in the town in which I live and sometimes I find myself jonesing for Original Recipe) I parked in the Menard’s lot and set up my gear. Antenna on top of the truck, power up the Macbook inside.

Rather disappointing. The scan picked up only KPNE-DT, the local NET station. No KNOP. All my information on this market showed KNOP already has shut off analog and is digital-only on channel 2. WIth the rabbit ear setup I was using in an outdoor, unobstructed area I should have been able to see that station. Oh well, no matter. The analog tuner brought in a few signals but none that are worth going into detail here.

A short while later I headed out of town but rather than leave the way I arrived I chose to head west on I-80 to the town of Sutherland. (Yes, there was a small part of me that wanted to stay on the interstate all the way to Cheyenne but real life and responsibility beckon.) I turned south on Nebraska 25 and received a nice surprise. On the west side of the highway about 7 miles south of the I-80 connection was the stately transmitter tower of KPNE-DT and KPNE-FM. Imposing, I thought to myself. No wonder I could pick up their signal a good 25 miles away as the crow flies (my distance estimate to where I did my TV watching earlier).

Near the town of Wallace I pulled off onto the shoulder and again tried the DTV stick. This time only KPNE-DT’s signal showed on the indicator. Why did I try for another catch at this location?

I was nearing the transmitter tower for KWNB-DT, the ABC affiliate in this part of the state. I was hoping to see their DTV signal from this area, but no go. No problem, I thought. With each mile I’m getting closer to their tower.

You see, KWNB is licensed to the town of Hayes Center. Hardly a town, at that. The official highway marker lists the population as 240. I figure this might be the smallest town in the United States that has a full-power, VHF, major network-affiliated TV license. And this is not new, KWNB has been in existence since the 1950’s. But all of that time it has been a satellite station of KHGI in Kearney. (For a time, there was a third station in the mix, KSNB in Superior, located in the south-central area of Nebraska very close to the Kansas line.) My only guess is that the FCC decided that a station in this area would be beneficial for all the small towns that were otherwise many miles from anything resembling TV. This also may have been from the era before cable TV.

In doing my research I learned the tower is adjacent to Highway 25 just to the north of Hayes Center. Since I wasn’t able to see their signal from Wallace I figured the only thing left for me to do was to head to the tower itself and power up again.

I did just that. And you can be flippin’ sure I got the signal this time. Yet I also learned some intriguing things. First, the transmitter tower itself isn’t all that tall, not nearly the height of KPNE. Second, there is no marker or sign that indicates to whom the tower belongs. Most of the other transmitters I’ve seen in this part of the country have either the station logo or at least the call letters somewhere on the building. Here, nothing. Of course, when you’re in the middle of nowhere maybe you don’t need to bother.

The third interesting piece is this: Their PSIP identifies the station as “KHGI-13.” I was under the impression that the FCC mandated stations to keep their old channel number as the identifier under PSIP. Therefore it should have read: “KWNB-6,” or “KWNB-DT.” Since I am not a broadcast engineer I don’t have much of guess as to the misidentification other than to guess it might be a result of the signal being microwaved to this location from KGHI’s transmitter site.

Next time I’ll be sure to bring the camera. I did snap a couple of pics with my cell phone but as you can see the quality leaves something to be desired.

And taking more pictures always justifies a return trip!

Letter from Kansas

Been a while (that happens sometimes in this blog) and I assign blame for that on my not-much-changing everyday life and lack of creative juices. I refuse to post just for the sake of posting and if this blog ever becomes one of those "today my little baby did this" sites I will end everyone's misery post haste.

What I will do on occasion is write about my exploits in which I travel about and use the Macbook with the DTV stick to give folks an idea of what signals can be picked up where. Regular readers know I tried to install an outdoor superlarge VHF/UHF combo antenna but was unsuccessful in picking up any kinda-sorta nearby signals. Turns out they weren't near enough.

But no problem. If I can't bring DTV to me, I will go to it! My next post will contain an account of driving through west-central Nebraska with varying stops on the way.

Other stuff? Since we're getting a last blast of Old Man Winter here (at least I hope), this was another of those stay-indoor type of days. I made a large pot of green chile and at mealtime I added some green from the Xtra hot bag to my bowl. I am merciful to the Geogal, she doesn't have the heat tolerance I do.

The bag was accurate. Two bites and I felt as if I consumed New Mexico-grown tear gas. I doubt I have anything left in my sinus cavity now. And the chile could not have been better.

Sleepy and powerless

I confess: My (blogging) muse comes and goes.

When she's around, I'm quite productive. Just take the recent example of the once-and-still forthcoming analog TV shutdown. Gave me quite a bit of material for several entries. Yet sometimes my inspiration is just nowhere to be found.

But lately, between my day job and the evening tasks of cooking, cleaning, making sure the child does her homework, and other odds and ends I find little time to write. No matter, sometimes I just have nothing to share.

Right now, though, a couple of things.

First, it's just about spring in Kansas, which translated means it can be balmy one day and frigid the next. For example, the middle of last week saw temps soar to the 70's. Almost criminal to be working inside with no windows on a day such as that. Then came Saturday where we saw no sunshine. Yesterday afternoon I worked in the yard toying with taking off my shirt to get some semblance of a suntan. (I didn't.)

Today? Maybe in the 50's at lunchtime. Suppertime: 30 degrees and falling.

I do notice the trees here aren't budding as yet. They've been around long enough. They're not fooled.
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The other thing? Daylight Savings Time.

Since we haven't participated in the "spring forward fall back" regimen since the first term of the Clinton administration, losing an hour of sleep Sunday morning was not greeted with enthusiasm in the Geohouse.

To make things worse, the town had a power failure just before sunrise. Several digital faces throughout the casa were flashing various times, causing me to think: "Gee, I'm glad I changed all of these right before bedtime." I got my cell phone, figuring the carrier would have changed the time readout.

I was wrong. And didn't learn that until a little later.

We were rushed.

And trying to get little Geoana up and ready for school this morning was a worse chore than usual. Asleep on the couch, fully dressed, backpack at the ready, and the engine idling.

But the extra light at the end of the day is well worth it.

They're Not Supposed To Have A Sense Of Humor

A story such as this deserves comment.

As many readers know, I went to school at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM. There are four directions out of town, and only four (which is not unusual in the desert southwest). And in three of those directions (towards Alamogordo, Deming, or Truth or Consequences) you will encounter a Border Patrol checkpoint. Even though college students are known for making poor and sometimes notoriously dumb decisions, one thing everyone knew was not to be a smartass if you had to go through one of the Border Patrol stations.

Geogal knew of some students once, who, upon being asked by Border Patrol officers if all in the vehicle were U.S. citizens, prompted one to reply: "Si, senor."

The car was forced to pull to the side, then it was emptied and searched. The folks involved were eventually allowed to proceed, three hours later.

Don't mess with these folks. Nowhere, anywhere, does it say peace officers have to be polite in the line of duty.

And the world did not end

Back from the road trip, 2600 miles later.

First, my thoughts on yesterday's anticlimactic DTV transition (for some of the country, anyway). While my reasons that most stations would go ahead and switch on 2/17 are still valid, it seems the major corporations and the FCC took the decision out of the station manager's hands.

Still, looking through the websites of newspapers where many stations made the transition yesterday it seems the problems were minimal based on the dearth of stories featuring old Aunt Millie and how she can't get "One Life To Live" anymore--it's just snow now. (Truth be told, Aunt Millie has had cable for years.)

Mid-June should be interesting, though. I'm in agreement with numerous experts in the field--if some folks weren't ready by yesterday they still won't be ready in June.

But on to other DTV-related stuff. I took the road trip as a great opportunity to see DTV in three different markets: Albuquerque, Phoenix, and Colorado Springs. I'm still in awe of the picture quality and enjoyed seeing the multiplexed channels. I also had fun switching back and forth between the analog and digital channels (fuzz/static/ghosting versus crystal-clear). No reception issues with the full-power channels, there was some drop-out with KAZT in Phoenix but they are a CA station with a lot less juice than their full-fledged neighbors on South Mountain. Still, I could aim the antenna just right and watch a little of the RTN network ("One Adam-12, one Adam-12"). The viewing in Colorado Springs was just about perfect--mainly due to our room location. Top floor, window facing the transmitter towers. (Hotels nowadays are notorious for interference probably due to the massive amount of RF needed for wireless communications and networking.)

That's all for now. I don't know when I'll take my laptop and DTV stick on the road next, but it shouldn't be too long.

Back in AZ, briefly

Finally, a chance to create a post. I've been busy the last several days with trip preparations, working, more trip prep, picking up the Girl Scout cookies my daughter already sold, and then there is the small matter of the jaunt itself. 1100 miles, 5 states, two days. (Sounds like that should be the title of a travelogue on the New York Times bestseller list.)

We are in the Phoenix area for a friend's wedding and since our time here is short there will no doubt be some friends/regular readers of this blog who will feel put out that we didn't see them. Sorry, but time and abilities are finite.

While Geogal and little Geoana are out taking advantage of the myriad of retailers available here I have some alone time here in the hotel room. Prime opportunity to check the radio dial to see who's doing what and which stations have changed format since my departure from these parts almost a year ago. (A law of broadcast communications: Frequencies usually stay the same but programming will always change.)

Then, of course, there is the fun of plugging in the DTV stick and watching the new, improved form of over-the-air television. First Albuquerque (where we made the first overnight stay), then Phoenix. I'm still in awe of the picture quality when I watch a high-def show (the Albuquerque stay offered the opportunity to watch "American Idol" in HDTV). And as before, I'm just using a simple rabbit ear antenna. Reception is a little more challenging in a hotel room but it's still possible. (Methinks it might soon be time to find a powered indoor antenna....)

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What's it like to be back here after having been away for nearly a year (in my case) or at least many months (the Geo ladies)?

Surreal, in a word. Geogal and I hadn't even been here 24 hours before we were homesick for our friendly Kansas home. Yes there are more conveniences here but the downsides are too many to mention. No doubt we made the right decision to move away when we did.

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Any other thoughts from the journey? A few.

Southeast Kansas and the Oklahoma panhandle are flat flat flat. (Leads one to think thoughts such as "Dear God, just kill me now.") Like the image most outsiders have of Kansas, but not a valid one when it comes to our northwest portion of the state.

Dalhart, Texas, is one friendly town.

Tucumcari, New Mexico, is a burg that has definitely seen better days.

The 75-miles-per-hour speed limit on Western interstates is a godsend.

Love's has the best coffee.

I should be extremely thankful, the Geofamily travels pretty well.

Albuquerque is slowly turning into Phoenix but El Pinto still has its rural charm. (The food ain't bad, either.)

Welcome to the Southwest: Snowy and 32 degrees in Flagstaff, but nary two hours later we're in the desert basking in 65-ish temps.

I'll still be glad to see my front door after all this is said and done.

DTV viewing report, first one!

This afternoon I drove for an hour, found a place to park, then set out on a new phase in my over-the-air TV viewing.

I left my handheld TV at home, as this was the trial run for my Elgato EyeTV hybrid. I just took my Mac, the aforementiond DTV stick, and a set of rabbit ear antennas. Today's reception report comes from Holdrege, NE. I chose that town due to its relatively close (in a matter of speaking) location to my own home, its range to a variety of TV signals, and it has the transmitter for KLNE-TV just a few miles outside of town (although Lexington, not Holdrege, is the COL). Sometimes I think the residents of Holdrege could pick up KLNE on their fillings. But maybe not once the analog signal is shut off.

I set up the rabbit ears on top of my truck for the best unobstructed reception I could get in the area. (This town has a five or six-story building in the downtown area--one wonders what I could receive from that height.) I then went through the regimen of setting up a new device for the first time--detecting, going through the setup menu, then it was time for channel detection.

I was not disappointed. Two DTV channels: KLNE-DT (of course!--3-1, 3-2, and 3-3) and KGIN-DT (11-1 and 11-2). I also induced the auto scan to search for analog signals as well. No surprises: KLNE (3), KGIN (11), KHGI (13), plus some noise on UHF channel 20. (Holdrege apparently had a translator for KHAS-TV at one time on channel 14 but this seems to have since been turned off as the FCC query shows no TV licenses of any type for the town of Holdrege. I also never received any analog signal on channel 14 a few months ago when I used my handheld set to keep me apprised of the Texas-OU game.)

Channels 3-1 and 11-1 were broadcasting in HDTV, with the former showing the closing minutes of a Creighton University men's basketball game and the latter airing final round coverage of the FBR Open (from Scottsdale, AZ!!)

What can I say about the picture quality? Superlatives just don't seem sufficient enough. Once I got home and was telling Geogal about how well the stick worked, I summed up the experience in one word: "Wow." I went on to tell her that I think I could see the sweat droplets on on the basketball players, that's how good the definition was.

I'll be testing reception from Holdrege again, next time will be after the analog switch-off date. I hope to pick up KHGI-DT as they should be at full power and tower height by that time. And yes, I know The Big Game is today and it's ironic that I could not pull in a NBC affiliate this time around. However I don't think either NBC station in this area (KSNK or KHAS) is broadcasting in HDTV. But you never know--they might pull out all the stops for the Super Bowl.

Overall, though, I'm glad with the ease of use of the EyeTV stick and the picture quality of the Hi-Def broadcasts. Methinks I will get a lot of on-the-road enjoyment out of this combination.

Yes, it's time to make the pick

Cardinals or Steelers?

Remember last year, Major League Baseball? The Tampa Bay Rays? Worst to first in the AL? Sentimental favorites to win the World Series?

They didn't get the job done. End of the line for the postseason Cinderella story.

So my prognostication? Same fate for the Cardinals. Steelers will win big.

End of week quiet time

The house is empty and I'm left alone to do my blogging.

Finally!

I cherish these alone times. (I've already written about that, so no more elaborating here.)

Yes, I know. The Senate voted to move the mandatory analog TV switch-off date to June. Then the House defeated the measure. Now it's headed back through the Senate. (Kinda reminds me of that old Schoolhouse Rock piece "I'm just a bill, yes I'm only a bill...")

Sure enough, it's on You Tube.

Back to the subject at hand. Even if a delay is agreed upon by Congress, the buzz around the media boards is that most stations will still switch as scheduled on 2/17, mainly for the reasons enumerated in my post here. Since I posted that entry I've heard, just as an example, that KAET-TV, the Phoenix area's public TV station has to pay an additional $10,000 per month to the local electric utility to power the extra transmitter.

It should get very interesting in the next few weeks. Speaking of which, my Eye TV hybrid USB TV stick arrived earlier this week. I haven't used it yet since there's no over-the-air to be had around here. Therefore I'll take a drive either Saturday or Sunday and take a gander at broadcast TV in both analog and digital. Who knows, I might even pick up a hi-def program.

I could rant about the lack of signals here at my casa but I won't. Face it, I can drive an hour in almost any direction and pick up something with the laptop. Come to think of it, I can go not very far and have my choice of stations. That's something many folks don't have the luxury of doing. I remember back to when I lived in Houston as a young lad. Seems you could drive quite a while and still be in the Houston TV DMA. Same with Albuquerque and Phoenix. At least out here I get variety in exchange for an hour's drive.

I hope the device works as it should. I'll certainly post my results here. Maybe even include some screen captures if I understand the software.

If you could go back in time...

Back in August, who would have thought this NFL season would yield such surprises? Consider:

1) A team would go 0-16.

2) Pat Bowlin would fire Mike Shanahan.

3) The Cardinals would be playing in the Super Bowl.

That's the fun of organized sports.

A tough goodbye

It's time to say so long, old friend.

We've traveled together for so many years now, you're like second nature when I packing my bag of electronic items.

(To the readers: Because of the analog switch-off, my hand-held, battery-operated LCD TV will soon be obsolete.)

I knew this day was coming. When I bought you in 1998 I already was aware of the upcoming digital TV broadcasts and that the old analog signals would leave the air forever. Back then January 1, 2006 was the projected turn-off date.

While you got a bit of a reprieve I now have to tell you that you will be relegated to the shelf in the basement where an old cable modem (not compatible with the system where we now live) and a Zip drive sit.

This will be hard. How many places have we been together? The answer doesn't even take into account the number of times you traveled with Geogal or were used by little Geoana to keep her occupied in the back seat while on a road trip. How we purchased you for Geogal's train trip to San Francisco?

How many different TV markets have you been in? Nearly every one in the southwest United States, and you were starting to make a dent in the Midwest as well.

I'll always have the memories. What about the time I was surprised I could pick up the TV stations licensed to Wailuku, on the island of Maui, Hawaii. While these are full-power stations I was confused as to how I could pick them up on the western side of the island (specifically Lahaina). It wasn't until much later that I learned the towers were on Haleakala, rather then near the town of Wailuku. Ahh, that explains it. Or when I brought you to work a couple of years ago, the day after Thanksgiving? I anticipated (correctly) it would be a slow afternoon so I got to enjoy Texas playing Texas A&M, not to mention Colorado versus Nebraska.

And one memory I wish wasn't there. I remember grabbing you and the AA batteries as I headed to work, watching the unfolding events of 9/11. On your screen I watched the twin towers fall, feeling emotions I never knew I had.

What about all the times I spent in airports watching programming via nothing more than your antenna? Or just powering you up while I was sitting in a vehicle riding shotgun? Such as the time Geogal and I were driving to Las Vegas. We had to wait for a construction project near Hoover Dam, one of those scenarios where vehicles have to stop for a pilot vehicle. To ease the boredom and satisfy my own curiosity, I clicked you on and entertained Geogal (who was driving) with cheesy soap opera dialogue. It also reminded me we weren't far from Sin City, not too much more car time.

I could go on and on with these memories, but that's enough for now.

You will be a hard act to follow. But what will replace you? I did consider looking for a comparable handheld LCD that is digital, but there's hardly any on the market right now. But doing some research revealed another solution. Today I placed the order for the EyeTV Hybrid from Elgato.

Now my trusty Macbook will double as my digital TV when I'm on the road.

But no matter what happens, old friend, I won't be forgetting you anytime soon.

Further chatter on DTV

While the digital TV switchover/analog turn-off/transition/changeover hubbub continues in the media, I'm feeling the urge to share more of my thoughts and (non)experiences.

First, to those who are hopeful President-Elect Obama delays the analog shut-off date, don't hold your breath. Why? Several reasons. Notwithstanding those that have already made the change (Hawaii, Wilmington, NC, the stations I referred to a couple of entries ago, and others that I just don't know about), all of the remaining full-power stations have already started or are preparing to begin a power-down. It seems this is necessary for the engineering folks to climb the towers and switch out the analog and digital antennas for some stations. Even though these stations have operated the two signals simultaneously, for several years in some cases, now that the deadline is near the focus is on getting the digital antennae to their maximum height and power, essentially replacing for good the older signals. These tasks are not spurious nor are they inexpensive. No doubt station managers and chief engineers have spent months if not years planning the timetable for such drastic changes. Even if the government moves back the mandatory analog switch-off date, the majority of stations will not revise their transition plans.

Second reason: money. Bean counters don't like paying a higher-than-normal electric bill to power both analog and digital signals. When you consider a full-power VHF can have around 100,000 watts effective radiated power, and a UHF could potentially go as high as five million watts, you're talking big bucks to the local electric provider. This cannot continue indefinitely.

Third, what good will delaying the switchover do? Some may cite the lack of (current) funding to continue the $40 coupon program, but this can be remedied without changing the February 17 date. (Shoot, the government seems to want to bail out everyone from Wall Street to Joe's Plumbing Supplies, let them cough up a little more dough for a converter box.)

Last but not least, the change needs to come. Why delay? Just makes it worse for everyone involved. If you cannot pick up digital signals now, you still won't be able to receive them in May. Or October. Or 2013.

Enough of my ranting. It is true that this is the most significant change for television viewing since the invention of the idiot box and I won't argue that point. Yet there was a significant event that brought changes to many TV viewers around the country.

Happened in 1994-95.

Remember?


If not, you probably weren't living in one of the markets affected. What happened is this: New World Communications acquired many televisions stations in various markets. (How this occurred and the related timeline is beyond the scope of this blog post. There are several web sites which can explain this in detail. Use a search engine.) The fallout meant many UHF stations which had been affiliates of the Fox network since its inception in 1986 were switched to VHF channels, with the Big Three now finding one of their stations now on the UHF dial. You can think Fox's acquisition of the NFL for being the driving force behind all these transactions.

I didn't live in an affected market at the time (I was in Tucson if you're curious.) But our larger neighbor to the north, Phoenix, saw its ABC station wind up on channel 15, Fox going to channel 10, CBS moving to channel 5, and channel 3, the previous ABC outlet in the Valley of the Sun becoming first a WB station, then an independent operation. Other markets had equally dramatic changes: Denver, Atlanta, and Birmingham stand as good examples.

Just a reminder that you can fool around with people's TV habits and they will adjust accordingly. In other words, make the adjustment and move on!

Coming up: Saying goodbye to an old friend.

List with potential

I won't spend much time writing my thoughts about the deaths of Ricardo Montalban and Patrick McGoohan, both of whom entered eternity yesterday.

I will, however, bring up another subject that has fodder for good blogging. Geogal and I enjoy listening to Hugh Hewitt even if it's via podcast. (Since leaving Phoenix for the Kansas hinterlands, podcasting or streaming audio from a Salem affiliate station is the only way for us to catch his show.)

Most Fridays he spends the final hour with a movie critic: Emmett of the Unblinking Eye. Emmett always includes a "Top Ten" list of some topical importance. In the January 2nd show he and the guest host allowed callers to give their ideas for future Top Ten lists. I remember one in particular:

Top Ten Science Fiction Movies That Are Not "Star Wars" or "Star Trek" Related

What would my list be? I have some ideas, as does Geogal. We'll share them in a future post.

Just for all to know: My favorite Star Trek movie is indeed "Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Kahn."

DTV, but for me....

Several posts and many weeks ago I wrote about building an outdoor antenna for a couple of reasons: to see just what I could receive in this area and to enjoy multiplexed digital TV signals.

The result: I got the thing agglomerated to my liking, connected all the cables, powered up the booster, and turned on the TV with the digital tuner.

But no signal. Not for digital, anyway. Switching over to old-fashioned analog I could pick up several channels, but faint, ghosty. Well no wonder I couldn't pluck the DTV signals out of the air. For those of you who are slightly familiar with the concept, DTV is an all-or-nothing venture. The only signal drop-off you will notice is some pixallation, but if the signal is too weak your set will just give the message I saw: "No channels detected."

(Maybe not a verbatim quote, but you get the idea.)

Since I am not an engineer and don't have access to high tech equipment to judge signal strength from any given location I have to operate on guesswork and the data provided by TV Fool. Taking a closer look at my situation, it seems I am a victim of topography and distance. The nearest towers are KSNK and KLNE and I thought those two would at least give me a viewable DTV picture. Yet considering my house is in a creek valley (but not a floodplain) seems to affect the line-of-sight from these transmitters.

Now I am left to wonder how the signals can be picked up in other areas near here. Such as the neighborhoods that are on the open prairie rather then the creek cracks.

But at least I no longer have to wonder what I can pick up from my house. A few weekends ago (before the cold and snow REALLY hit) I took down everything and packed them in their assigned boxes. I'm keeping everything as you never know where you might end up.

So I find it ironic that this big transition, just about a month away now, will occur with me on the sidelines. Watching my DirecTV (and local channels via the cable company.) Truth be told, the transition is already happening around here. KSNK and KSNC (both on the cable system) have already shut off their analog signals. Given the high cable penetration of this area, it's not surprising I've noticed no complaints in local media.

Here's an amusing side story: A couple of Sundays ago we played hookey from church and headed to Grand Island to do some serious (i.e. Sam's Club) shopping. I brought along my handheld LCD TV (it's a few years old, and totally analog) because I am the type of nerd that just always wants to see what I can receive. (I even did this on the island of Maui some years ago.) The results were what I expected: Channels 11 and 13 come in fine. But why can't I get KHAS, channel 5? I'm only 20 or so friggin' miles from the transmitter?

Once home I go on to RabbitEars. That answers the question! KHAS already completed their transition. According to the Wikipedia entry management decided to take care of things early before weather became a factor.

So the transition out here in the sticks seems to be going just fine!

More to come...

It can't be....

Not only are the Cardinals playing in the NFC Championship game, but they're hosting it!

I'm scouring the 'Net today to see if hell did indeed freeze over.

More here. And here. (The Cardinals, not H-E-double hockey sticks)

A good way to begin a DTV discussion

I wasn't around then, but it's still worth mentioning

Fifty years ago today, something happened that made Texans of the era very depressed indeed.

Insert generic New Years greeting here

It's amazing how one's creativity comes and goes. Like any person who writes strictly for the fun of it, I get tired, lethargic, and sometimes venture into self-pity because I cannot generate an uproariously humorous blog entry whenever I think I ought.

Last night I kept thinking: Last day of 2008, you really should write something. But the demands of a workday, followed by dealing with little Geoana and her overnight guest, plus grilling some burgers outside, left me drained. Tired. So I chose to sit on the sofa and read.

I think it did me good.

Yes, I fired up the propane beauty and cooked outdoors. At the end of December. In Kansas. Yes, it was dark and cold, but the result was worth it. When I resided in Arizona I grilled year-round and never gave it a thought. Some habits die hard, especially when they're food-related.

Moving on to other stuff: I drove home from working out Tuesday evening, clicked my radio over to KOA in Denver just for the heck of it (its 50,000 watt signal comes in quite well in these parts, particularly in the wintertime where the sun doesn't cause much interference). It was the top of the hour, time for news. I was as surprised as anyone else when I heard of Mike Shanahan's firing.

Just goes to show there is no "head coach for life," unless you own the team. (See: Connie Mack)

And I couldn't agree more with Pat Forde's conclusions.

________________________

I can't help but chuckle when I see all these news stories about 2008 being a terrible year. Hmmmm, I guess that depends on one's perspective. For the Geoclan this was an eventful year but the end result was very positive. Is the quality of our life better now than it was January 1, 2008?

A very emphatic "Yes."

And that response has nothing to do with politics, $$$$$, or anything the media deems important. Just take care of yourself and your own household, be sensitive to the needs of others (but don't neglect your own needs in the process), pay attention to what's going on, and don't worry about what other people "may think."

That's my pearl of wisdom for the new year.

Merry Christmas (natch!)

'Twas a good Christmas at the Geohouse. Plenty of electronic stuff.

I'm nervous today. I'm cooking a rib roast for the first time. Found a good deal on rib eye roast at the local grocer, so the last few days I spent scouring the 'Net for recipes. I liked the way one site described this type of meat: tender, flavorful, and expensive.

So there's no margin of error for today's big meal. My only saving grace is that this will be cooked only for myself, Geogal, and little Geoana. They tend to be forgiving especially when I'm trying something new. Who knows, this might become a holiday meal tradition. Better than bone-dry turkey.

To all of my readers, have a happy (remainder of the) holidays!

(Funny anecdote regarding today's picture. I put on the jacket and told Geogal: "I'm going outside to write something in the snow." Thought for a split-second, then added: "With a stick, not the other way.")

It's 5:05 on this Sunday afternoon and the sun is just about to set.

Must be late December, right near the winter solstice. Yep.

That's OK, the days will start getting longer now. I've got to keep telling myself that. Yet I cannot forget a news item from our local paper which stated: "In Kansas, the coldest winter weather usually occurs in late January and early February."

Oh, great. Like what we're having now isn't the worst of it. I drove to Kearney, Nebraska yesterday to wrap up the last of my Christmas shopping (the stuff I couldn't do online) and was amazed by how quickly skin can go numb in low temps combined hard wind. It was single-digit temperatures all day (and no, I'm not talking about Celsius, either). While the roads were fine (well plowed), parking lots were hit and miss.

Perhaps that's not the best term to use for yesterday. Just kidding, although I did slide just a little around a couple of the parking areas. No contact with other vehicles.

Shout out to little Geosister--Remember that scarf you gave me for Christmas eons ago? It's being used now. And Geodad, some years back you gave me a pair of Thisulate gloves. They do come in handy whenever I venture outside now.

And we will have a white Christmas, as this stuff on the ground definitely won't melt before then.

Thunderice?

That's the term I would use to describe last night's meteorological event. There's something unsettling and a bit surreal when ice fog becomes sleet. Punctuated by thunder and lightening.

But as I mused yesterday, bad weather sometimes creates good photo ops just a few hours later.

Arctic, it just continues

Several times this week some friends and acquaintances ask me how I like the cold.

My response: "A 25 below zero wind chill is a bit much."

Pause for laughter. That's also what I hear after saying my piece .

I'm still trying to get my feeble brain around the fact that I was outdoors as recently as last Saturday-- in shirtsleeves, no less.

Sunday that all changed. Very cold. Blowing snow. Frigid.

Here we are, Thursday evening and the stuff is still out there. I think we might have gotten above freezing for a few minutes yesterday. I swear, I have two deep freeze units (one in the garage, one in the basement) and I don't think the interior of either is as cold as it is outside.

But in the midst of all things frosty this splashing of white does make for some appealing-to-the-eye vistas of things I see and take for granted every day. Such as the bare trees, lonely ballfields, and wheat fields waiting to spring their crop when the balmy temps make their comeback.

I'll try to get some photos of the stuff on here in the days to come. Meanwhile, I'm learning how to drive in snow.

Arctic, Part II

Got some pride goin' on, here.

Reason: Yesterday morning I drove little Geoana to school then continued on to work. On streets of ice. Ice with a thin layer of snow on top.

It rained Monday afternoon and continued into the evening. Just before going to bed I noticed light snowflakes falling. No surprise, the Weather Channel web site predicted exactly that. And a person I was talking to earlier in the evening warned me of possible frozen over thoroughfares.

I won't lie--I was nervous heading out. I've never truly driven on ice before and I didn't think this was the best time to learn how. But seeing a few vehicles head down my street with no problem eased my angst.

Plus, I silently reminded myself I have a four-wheel-drive truck, not the rear wheel sedan or pickup truck of the past.

Engaged all fours and off we went. Drove slow, drove carefully. No problems.

And now, I have more character. At least until the next bout of inclement weather.

__________________________

Actually, I meant to blog the past couple of nights, but the MacBook was commandeered by Geogal (uploading a friend's pictures to the Wal Mart web site on Monday, uploading her own pics to Kodak Photo Gallery on Tuesday). No matter, I just parked myself on a chair yesterday evening and watched the latest Netflix offering: Trainspotting.

Yeeesh. Talk about graphic. I wouldn't recommend it for everybody. Good James Bond references, though.

Arctic

Just go ahead and gloat, everyone.

It's real cold here right now. Waaay cold. Freakin' cold. Frigid.

How cold? This morning it was warmer in Anchorage, Alaska.

I bundled up, went outside to start the truck (these days I have to let it warm up--the little girl and I need some heat while we ride). Upon going out the door to start 'er up, I thought to myself, "It's chilly, but not too bad." Then I walked beyond the shelter of my spruce tree.

Wind. Blowing. Real cold.

I remembered to wear gloves in order to scrape the frost, but forgot about a wool cap. A few minutes later I complain to Geogal that I can't feel my ears.

Specifics? With the wind chill, this morning it was 2 degrees above zero.

But hey, at least these temps keep the killer bees away, right?

And my cold-weather diet seems to have hit the skids. I consume more than my share of strong black coffee throughout the morning and then munch on "made-it-myself" chili for lunch.

I wonder if that's the reason my stomach hasn't felt right the last few days?

Starting tomorrow I'm going easier on the hot bean juice and will make the food intake a little more bland. I'll just think warm thoughts.

Holiday (i)Tunes

Time to blow the (digital) dust off of my Christmas music collection and load it onto the Nano.

It's one of the things I enjoy about the holiday season, these old carols and standards, many of them being sung by the original artist.

Since I can only enjoy these from December 1 through midday December 25th, it makes this compendium even more special. The rest of the year? Not even.

There's just nothing like sitting in front of the MacBook on a summer day listening to one's iTunes library with the shuffle setting turned on, casually reading who-knows-what on the Internet. First I hear Steely Dan's "Blues Beach," followed by Terri Clark's "I Just Wanna Be Mad," Henry Mancini's "Theme from 'Mr. Lucky,'" topped off with Gene Autry crooning: "You know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen..."

Aaaahh, where's the arrow to hit the next song?

For a few days, I can now shuffle away the hours.

Weekend wrap-up

Four cold days. Four days where I could swear I was coming down with a case of cabin fever.

At least tomorrow means a return to the old grind.

Save for Friday, the days were dry which was nice. (No sliding on the streets.) Today, however, the wind has been howling and even Geogal said: "That wind just sounds cold." You have to be here to understand.

Now that Thanksgiving is officially over, I have the task of composing a Christmas gift list to aid Geogal in her shopping. Since I can't seem to come up with too many different ideas, is this a sign I'm getting older? Too old?

Nah, I'm just not hankering for any significant gadgets at present. A little time going through my Mac-related magazines and some surfing of the Net will do the trick.

For now, it's time to enjoy this season. While the Phoenix area has many benefits, one has to admit it's the most un-Christmasy city in North America. But here in rural Kansas, folks now how to do the holidays right. And the Geofamily will get to enjoy every minute of the festivities.

White Friday!

This was quite a surprise! Geogal gets up, gets dressed, gets ready to leave for work, and what news does she have for me upon opening the garage door?

White stuff.

T-day pics

Just wanted to share the joy that was our meal yesterday.

A holiday with food and football--Yes!!!

While stating the obvious in today's title, I also have time to put some unrelated thoughts down for the world to see.

Where to start? Yes, I've been busy. Not only does my "real job" demand much of my time and energies, but the dearth of daylight seems to sap my creative abilities as well. You know how so many musicians, writers, and artists are night people, thinking they will suffer the fate of the vampire if they see the sun rise? Not me. Always have been a morning person, always will be. It's disenheartening when I come home from work around 5 p.m. and the sun vanishes over the western horizon just a few minutes later.

What was that? Sorry. I spotted some activity in the creek bed. It was two fawns running back and forth. Speaking of wildlife, I haven't seen the wild turkeys for a few weeks now. Too cold, or do they know something's up?

For many days now I've been telling my friends and other acquaintances that I am taking Friday off, saying I need to watch Texas pummel Texas A&M. But a few days ago I found out they are actually playing this evening. Did I miss something? Whatever happened to tradition? This game should always be the day after Thanksgiving, right?

Geosister and Geobro-in-law are free to weigh in on this one.

No matter, I'm still staying home that day. There are plenty of other gridiron contests to enjoy.

Don't you like the Big 12 South's version of rock-scissors-paper? Texas beats Oklahoma, Texas Tech beats Texas, Oklahoma beats Texas Tech...

Let's hope the issue is settled on the football field rather then relying on the BCS computer nerds.

Little Geoana just got up, we had a pretty good conversation about Thanksgiving and traditions. In our house having a steak on turkey day is fast becoming a new religion. For the past couple of Thanksgivings, we went to Monti's La Casa Vieja in Tempe (despite its name it is a steakhouse, not a Mexican restaurant) where we were free to order off the menu even though they also served a traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings. No such luck this year since we no longer live in the Valley of the Sun. For today? I'm defrosting a couple of ribeyes we bought at one of the area lockers (that's the term for meat processing facility). High-quality Kansas beef.

Incidentally, we do most of the other "trimmings" with the red meat: mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie.

Wait, scratch that. Geogal went to the freezer and asked about my choice of pie: pumpkin, blueberry, or cherry? I went with cherry.

Other Thanksgiving traditions? Watch the videocassette of "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving." Yes, VHS cassette. We've had it for a while. Watch the "King Of The Hill" episode where they try to fly to Montana for Turkey Day. It's one of those that I've seen dozens of times and I still laugh out loud. Never mind that it has a few plot holes, I can ignore those for 23 minutes. Watch the Cowboys play. I don't care that it's the Seattle Seahawks, the 'Pokes haven't had good luck over the last several Thanksgivings.

Gotta admit, it would be something if the lowly Arizona Cardinals defeat the Eagles. Not likely to happen but the Phoenix-based media are starting to use terms such as "resurgent" in describing the Birds.

That's all for now. More blabbering later.

Alone at last

I'm not referring to being away from my family for a couple of days. That's not good.

Rather, I'm alluding to being able to take a work-related road trip by myself. Why is that a good thing?

Faster travel (fewer stops), freedom to listen to whatever keeps me alert at the moment, I don't have to talk, and I'm not bound to bow to the wishes of others.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy my out-of-state travel last month. The traveling collegue/companion made a long drive tolerable. However since I am an introvert (those who know me are well aware of this) I derive strength and energy from the times I spend alone. Renewal!

And the freedom of making one's own decisions from speed to noshing just adds to the enjoyment.

Not only that, but I got to adjust to the Sirius satellite radio new channel lineup. Gotta switch some presets and make room for new ones!

Plus I clicked the radio over to the AM dial for some interesting listening (and distant catches). The day was clear, the time of the year features little solar interference, and good ground conductivity in Kansas adds up to one busy radio dial! Needless to say I was happier than a pig in slop. (Yes, I am a nerd who has tendencies toward catching electrical signals out of the air. More on a home-related project that stems from this interest will be the subject of a blog entry to come later this week.)

Before I go, I better put this sentence in here--I think it's against the blogger code to end a posting with a closed parenthesis.

lazy Sunday morning

I get up as normal, but at the computer I realize that Daylight Savings Time has ended. I have an extra hour to goof around.

Pretty good way to begin a day. I think those of us in the Geohouse can be forgiven, as we are well out of the habit of changing the clocks twice yearly. Arizona just doesn't do such things.

_________________________

Congratulations to Texas Tech. It was an outstanding game, everything a football fan could want. It came down to the last second, literally. The NFL can't compete with that type of drama.

It's also gratifying to see the focus shift to West Texas. Since before fire the consensus is that the true power in the Lone Star State exists solely in the triangle anchored by Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, and San Antonio (Austin is part the structure, it's just not one of the corner points). It's understandable that other areas of the state don't receive their due share of attention or respect. Part of it is geography (El Paso is on the other side of the world, the Permian Basin is too desolate, the South Plains are too flat, and you can only see so many pine trees in East Texas before going insane) and part of it is culture (Austin has Sixth Street, Dallas Deep Ellum, and San Antonio is rich in Texas history).

That won't change. Not in my lifetime, anyway. But for now Lubbock and Texas Tech can bask in the glory. They earned it.

It's Halloween, and what do I say?

Gaaagh! Not "TorT." I've had enough of that this evening anyway. I'm holding down the fort while Geogal takes little Geoana out for the neighborhood candy run.

Been away for a while, and no, I'm not dead. Not even ailing.

Just real busy. Between Geogal starting her new job and the bustle of everyday life, combined with busy evenings due to external commitments, time becomes a valuable commodity.

What do I write about?

Roasting green chile in one's own oven? Because it's raining outside? Fun, that's how we spent the better part of one recent Saturday.

The University of Texas Longhorns beating Oklahoma (the same day we roasted green chile) and becoming Number One in the nation?

Or me making a business trip to North Texas, driving through Sooner Country? (When the sign said "Norman city limits," I turned to my traveling companion and confessed: "I feel dirty.")

Lute Olson suddenly retiring from the Ewe Ofay? And watching the basketball team implode? (Lute was great in his time, but his time has long passed. The Wildcats continue to get invited to the Big Dance not because they earned it over the course of a season, but because of who they once were. That's just not right. Maybe this season they will finally come crashing back to earth--translation: NIT.)

The preparations for a Barack Obama presidency? The less I say about that, the better.

The fact that it snowed here last week? (It was a wonderful feeling to go to bed and not know what awaited us when we awoke. The forecasters had everything from 1-2 inches to a blizzard warning for our area. Final result: we got about three-fourths of an inch. But hey, gotta start somewhere. I bought a snow shovel.)

Incidentally, the family members got e-mailed a picture of the Geohouse in the midst of a winter wonderland.

My ongoing TV antenna project? Still ongoing. I'm going to Nebraska tomorrow to find some stakes. I need something to anchor the tower I picked up for nothing.

How I was in the Dallas-Fort Worth area during the four worst days-in-a-row the Cowboys have ever had? (Lose to the Cardinals, Romo out, Pacman suspended, all-around cruddy crap.) But at least I got to spend some time with people who actually talk normal. (No one there makes fun of my occasional Texas accent.)

Two nights of hard freeze and my front lawn keeps growing? Go dormant, grass!

So what do I have to say? A little of everything.

But something inside me, deep down in me, needs a recharge. I don't know what, I don't know how. But if I keep at it, maybe my bone-deep weariness will subside.

Perhaps returning to regular blogging will help.

Houston's loss

I'm not referring to the Astros or Texans.

I'm talking about Ray Miller, from "The Eyes of Texas." I can still remember the staccato drumming and the letters T-E-X-A-S going individually on the screen so fast you couldn't help but pay attention.

He died a couple of weekends ago. Here is the obligatory newspaper story, but a better set of tributes can be read here.

First Ron Stone, now Ray Miller. Local TV icons of my past are departing the scene.

_________________________________
Yes, I know full well the blogging is scarce these days. Blame several days of numerous visitors to Geohouse Kansas. When one is a talented cook sometimes these things happen.

Blogging for the sake of it

I hit these periods occasionally.

I just have nothing to say. Nothing to add to the global community of opinion. Not even a snarky input on pop culture.

Not to mention I was busy the past several nights and weekends pursuing professional-related activities. Glad that's over for now.

So, here is what is going through my noggin right now:

The MLB season is coming to an end (at least the regular season is). I won't be involved in the postseason gaggle of games. Why? Because the Astros and Diamondbacks aren't playing. Therefore I just don't care.

At least it's not 2004.

And what is it with University of Texas football standouts? First Ricky Williams. Then Cedric Benson. And now this.

I acknowledge Young has plenty of time to redeem himself. And he just might.

I do have a problem with that writer using the word "coddled" referring to quarterbacking the Longhorns. There is nothing about being a QB for the 'Horns that could be considered soft or easy. The pressure to win at that school, just as in every major college program, is immense. I would argue the football standouts earn every accolade they get. The Big 12 is a rough conference.

So maybe Young can bounce back. No reason to believe he can't.

Just so you know

Geogal's blog is now up!

Here's the link.

And summer's not even officially over yet

Yesterday morning was cool. Real cool. Nippy.

A little bit of frost on the top portion of the truck's windshield.

And so it starts....

Quick hitters for Saturday

Wildlife watch: Seen in our (and then the neighbor's) backyard two mornings ago: around 15 wild turkeys.

________________________________

There's no way I'm paying $30 to watch the New Mexico State-Nebraska game on TV. Better get my ears ready for radio's play-by-play.

________________________________

I did so-so in last night's high school football picks. Hope my college choices are a little better. (I did get 7 games right last week. Got my name in the local newspaper, along with many of my co-workers. It's just a fun pigskin pick contest, no gambling involved.)

________________________________

Almost have my rooftop antenna project ready to go. I just need to figure out how I will mount and anchor the thing. No small yagi, this. The one I'm buying is 14 feet long and 9 feet wide. (But according to the reviewers, it really picks up!)

A time to relax

After the last few evenings it's just nice to be idle.

For those of you not in the know, I work full-time at a career that has nothing to do with blogging or even writing in general. My chosen field requires that I engage in continuing education as a way of maintaining certain professional credentials. So for the past few nights I've been busy filling my noggin with new knowledge. Via home study. (A significant drawback to living in the boonies is that there are no professional workshops or conferences close by.)

But my task is nearly done and this is an evening that I can surf the net, bond with my satellite dish, or pursue several other meaningless but fulfilling activities. I also don't have to "batten down the hatches" as my kinfolk in Texas will no doubt be doing as Ike heads straight for them.

_________________________________

The Geofamily went to our first high school football game last Friday evening. It was everything I ever imagined, and more.

Before even arriving at the field, I hit the "seek" function on the FM tuner to find 92.5 airing the pre-game show for Phillipsburg High, 100.3 doing the same for Colby, 101.1, Oberlin, and 106.7, Norton High.

You almost have to pity the smaller burgs that don't have their own local station.

The game was good, the crowd was fun, and the home team won! The air also got quite crisp when the sun went down. Geogal came down with a cough, but some hot tea back at home did the trick.

Small-town life isn't nearly as dull and boring as some folks think.

Speaking of which, Saturday morning I saw a couple of four-footed animals chowing down on the vegetation behind the Geohouse (but off of my property). Thought I could capture the moment but alas, the poor light and window screen made for a shot that's not even worth posting on this blog.

Oh well. One needs to have goals in life.

R.I.P Snowman

I'll miss him.

I will never forget one time, many years ago when I was driving a pickup truck loaded with one of my siblings personal belongings across New Mexico and Texas. Because of the load I couldn't do an overnight stay along the way. I was about three hours away from my destination of Austin and was suffering from fatigue and (probably) low blood sugar.

My remedy? Pop in my "Smokey and the Bandit" soundtrack cassette. In just a couple of minutes I was humming along with a very improved mood the words to "East Bound and Down." It was like mental adrenaline. After a few more minutes I was styling myself as a Walter Mitty-esque long-haul trucker. Much like Cledus "Snowman" Snow in the movie.

Taking advantage of the long weekend

Since I won't be able to use any vacation time (yet) at my job, the Geofamily decided to hit the road this long weekend and check out a new destination.

Kansas City.

Besides adding another state to the 2008 tally this sojourn also gives us a chance to see another part of Kansas and visit a truly interesting urban area. (But as an aside, I'll be glad to return to my small-town home. I'm just not into the city stuff anymore.)

I can't say I took much surprise in the landscape. I already knew KC was somewhat hilly, despite a lot of Americans thinking this place is flat as a pancake. (Must be that MGM-set-designed-to-look-like-putative-Kansas-I'm-talking-about-"The-Wizard-Of-Oz" that fosters that myth.) Numerous big green trees gives plenty of aesthetic appeal as well.

And then there is the food

I've blogged several times before about BBQ so I don't need to explain myself.

And guess what this place has in abundance?

You will enjoy this: We arrived in the city yesterday midday and decided to do lunch at Arthur Bryant's. This one was not the downtown location but rather the one near the Kansas Speedway. It's an area populated by the latest in suburban power retailers and chain restaurants. That last point is important in this retelling. We knew the Arthur Bryant's was in the area (gotta love the Net) and were trying to pick out its location from among the numerous red-bricked eateries. A couple of minutes before spotting our target, Geogal (sarcastically) said: "Look! There's a Famous Dave's."

And my response? "I didn't drive all the way to barbecue capital, USA, to eat at a Famous Dave's."

(In all fairness, Famous Dave's is OK. But they're a national chain. It's like going to the most Italian-American area of New York City and then dining at an Olive Garden.)

The verdict on Bryant's? Deee-lish! The pulled pork beats all. We can thank the Travel Channel for cluing us in to that place.

And lunch today? Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue. As Bryant's was dry barbecue, Jack Stack is wet. And both have their merits.

And no, I don't have my cardiologist on speed dial. In fact, I don't even have a cardiologist. Supper for both evenings was salad, heavy on the green stuff. Plus I exercised this morning and plan to do so tomorrow as well.

One thing we are not able to do this trip: see a Royals game. They are in Detroit at the present time. So, Geosister the elder we will not e-mail you a picture of Geogal eating a pretzel while sitting in Kauffman Stadium.

Maybe next time.

Warning: Esoteric babbling ahead

You're choosing to read anyway?

I'm following an earlier post. One that dealt with the chore of pulling in over-the-air TV. But for me it's not a chore, rather it is a delight.

This afternoon found me at the Macbook keyboard, learning which outdoor antenna might suit me best. Then I circumnavigated the house to determine the best placement. Just for fun I attached some rabbit ears to the bedroom TV. Nothing but snow.

I am becoming familiar with names such as Winegard, Terk, and Channel Master. Along with all of this is the realization that there are many Net forums out there and just as many differing opinions about which product does "x" job the best.

Again you may ask "why?"

Not only do I like the challenge, but local TV reception is important during harsh weather (something we have plenty of in these parts). Since we have DirecTV, I don't need to be connected to the local cable company, even though most of their channels from 2-13 are devoted to area channels (in fact, each of the Big Three networks plus PBS has dual representation).

However I don't care for the remainder of the fare offered on the local CATV service. And since I have all of those channels plus several dozen more, why bother paying another bill? (Geodad must be so proud.)

_________________________________

In most populated areas, the digital TV channels are almost always on the UHF band. This means most folks who want the free over-the-air DTV just need either rabbit ears or a relatively small UHF-only roof (or attic) antenna.

Not me. Not here.

First there is the issue of distance. The TV offerings come from over 70 miles away as the crow flies, save for two--KSNK and KLNE. Add into this the digital TV fact of life that you either get it all or you don't get any (no snowy picture, you see) and antenna size plus originating signal strength become big issues.

So big, in fact, that I'm willing to spend extra for a rugged outdoor antenna. A large one. Add in other accessories such as an antenna rotor and a preamp, and this becomes an interesting do-it-yourself project. Fortunately it's not brain surgery so if I don't get it right the first time I can tweak and adjust as necessary.

_________________________________

Part of the homework involves looking at the coverage maps on TV Fool and seeing what is possible for my location. Then I check out other sources to determine what the final channel assignments will be following the full-power analog shutoff this coming February.

Some interesting finds. First I read that most of the UHF digital signals will eventually be one million watts. Good! Might reach me just fine. Then I start to see the final channel assignments for my area. KHGI (one of the best for local severe weather coverage) will be on channel 36. KLNE will go to 26. Yes!

But KSNK, KGIN, and KBSH will ultimately stay on VHF (12, 11, and 7, respectively). Whaaat??

Then it dawns on me. Maybe the FCC wanted to keep these channels VHF because the signal still travels farther than a UHF frequency would. Considering many of the viewers of these stations are quite a distance from the transmitter site, this could make sense.

It's interesting to think about what I might pick up with a decent antenna on top of the Geohouse. It'll be more intriguing to learn what actually happens once everything is set up.

Of course I'll keep you informed.

Still here, just other stuff getting in the way

I'm glad I don't write for anything that has a deadline attached to it.

I've spent the last many evenings either getting the house in order or engaging in some home-study continuing education activities. (Yes, I do work full-time in a career that has nothing to do with mass media.) And in the slight leisure time I had I chose to watch all of the "Torchwood" episodes that had accumulated on the DVR. (My temporary quarters had cable, but didn't offer BBC America.) Plus catching up on the pleasures of being around my loved ones.

Don't ever take that for granted.

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I've also learned to enjoy small pleasures. Such as seeing the lightning bugs after dusk. Or enjoying the mild days and cool nights.

I haven't even talked about the back yard yet. It's small, but lively. Green as all get-out. Noisy with the crickets and cicadas at night. And being on the edge of town has certain advantages: Wildlife.

Since moving in, we've noticed numerous squirrels and rabbits. And just behind our property we occasionally are visited by a doe and two fawns. We've already had a few stare-out contests with mama deer. (The humans are always indoors, by the way.) One of our friends tells us come fall we can expect wild turkeys out there as well.

You can't put a price tag on tranquility.

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The re-doing of the house in our own image has already begun. Courtesy of a trip to Home Depot in Hays a couple of weeks ago we now have new locksets on the doors, a more organized garage, and a really cool stainless steel range hood that awaits installation. Yes, the kitchen is getting a fair amount of attention. The dishwasher we now have is new, and the refrigerator should be coming any day now.

Piece by piece, it's coming together. Of course, Geogal wants to engage in the knocking out of walls, but as we're moving slowly and with cash, she will just have to wait.

Not too long, we hope.

New to the region

Geogal and I are still trying to get our hands around it being early August and us having the windows in the house open. Air conditioner off.

Take that, you readers in sweltering Texas and Arizona!

Thunderstorm blew through early this morning. Early. 3:30-ish early. But none of us cared since it was just a few hours into the weekend. Sometimes losing a little sleep isn't the end of the world.

We're not going anywhere out of town today. That's fine for all involved. I have several chores on my to-do list, including changing out the locksets on the front and back doors of the house. Not that I'm concerned about previous owners having keys to MY house, but the knobs are just getting old and little Geoana has trouble getting the front door open. And yes, I know. Most folks in this burg don't even lock their doors. But for me, I can't break certain city habits just yet.

And I do know that I shouldn't rub in our nice weather to certain readers of this blog. My comeuppance will arrive sometime in January. Geogal said by that time we will be so desperate to see the sun that who knows what we will do?

Let's see--what's the high in Phoenix supposed to be today? Somewhere in the low 100's.

Tripe that I owe the readers

Really, it's not my fault. Our Internet connection at the new Geohouse was knocked off for a few days. I think it's one of those Sir Isaac Newton laws: for every technological advance there is an equal and opposite step backward.

Just temporarily, of course. The 'Net connection is back up and running today and life is again pretty good. We had the DirecTV guy come and install the dish properly (I couldn't get it aimed right) but in the process he cut the coaxial line bringing The World to our cable modem. I tried splicing it to another live line in the house, but to no avail. (You would not believe how much RG-6 cable is in, over, around, and through this hacienda. One might swear the prior owner owned stock in Dish Network.) Another visit by a different communications professional corrected the problem.

Other than that, not much to report. We went to Grand Island, NE last Saturday for the Geofamily to load up on Sam's Club and a Real Grocery Store Not These Little Small-Town Establishments That Think Lamb and Fresh Fish Are Exotic Items. (Geogal's standpoint, not necessarily mine.) I have to get my mind around the fact that every time we leave town and hit a big-box retailer (even though the big boxes here aren't quite as large square-footage as we are used to) we will walk out with the bill totaling in the three figures. Gone are the days when I could drive 5 minutes to Lowe's and walk out 10 minutes later with two small items.

But come to think of it, that's not a bad thing. Just another part of the adjustment.

And to the Geofamily, I will post some pics of the house on our Kodak Gallery account in the coming days. Geodad, I need you to e-mail me as I cannot get through on the address I have.

More fun ahead...

Stay!

It's finished.

At least the moving of the worldly goods, that is.

This evening marks a milestone: All of our stuff is officially on the property of our new house. (New, meaning the structure itself is as old as Geoguy.) No more physical relocation. Now, just the arduous task of unpacking and organizing.

And for me, the first time I have truly felt at home since I left Chandler on (I think it was) March 18, 2008. No more temporary quarters, no more renting. Yahoo! (I ain't referring to the search engine, either.)

And Geodad, I tried e-mailing you pictures of the house, but for some reason your address keeps bouncing the e-mails right back.

Anyhow, I thought I would post tonight and at least keep the world abreast of my happenings. Since Geogal and I have been so busy and stressed out with the particulars of closing on the house and then vacating our rental, I haven't had much spare time to breathe, much less post here.

Did I mention the house was old? As in my age? 40 (cough)-something? Quite a change from our 10-year-old dwelling in Chandler. Lately it seems Geogal points out many of the little and medium-sized faults with this house. Sometimes I just want to tell her, "Geogal, you're not in Kansas anymore."

Oops, I think I got that just a little backwards.

Just too friggin' funny

And people wonder why the mainstream print media continue to lose market share.

I have to give Barry Young at KFYI a hat-tip for pointing out this piece on his show this morning.

Man, where do I start?

I listened to KNUV when it was still KMYL, first adult standards (didn't last), then rock oldies (nope), then a mixture of third-rate syndicated talk and local folks (don't tell me you thought that succeeded--otherwise they never would have gone Spanish). Their signal is poor, being on the AM dial is problematic to begin with, and having 45 (count them--45!) reporters means this station was probably bleeding red ink from the start.

But hey, why be the victim of a poor business plan when you can blame Sheriff Joe? And the white people? (How do you blame Arpaio for the failure of the sister station in Denver?)

And don't fall for this nonsense of the migrant worker community losing their "voice." Radio Campesina existed in Phoenix well before KNUV was ever birthed.

Just another example of how newspapers continue to forget their readership both has, and uses, their brains.

And as an aside (how's that for alliteration), who wants to place bets that 1190 goes totally brokered when and if they return to the air?

The Great State Race

We in the Geofamily like to travel.

Together with the traveling, Geogal and I have a friendly competition stretching back several years. "Who has been in more states?"

I'll get to the scorecard in a moment. First, 2008 is shaping up to be a banner year for interstate travel--for all of us.

Since January 1st, yours truly has set foot in Arizona (state of origin for the year), California (courtesy of a quick jaunt across the Colorado River to Blythe), New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska. Those last several were due to the big move from Chandler to northwest Kansas. For Geogal and little Geoana, the total is nearly the same, save for Geogal having traveled to Austin, Texas for a professional event. Since she took little Geoana with her, our child now has the distinction of being the family member in this household of being in the most states this year. She and I went into California back in March, and she was part of the aforementioned Texas trip. Not bad for a seven-year-old.

Add Utah to the state count. We went just through the southeastern corner, a total of less than 100 miles in the Land Of The Mormons, but state lines are state lines.

Since this is late July much of 2008 remains. Methinks I can predict we will total more states before the calendar becomes 2009. Missouri, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Iowa are easily within reach. Who knows what the remainder of the year holds, travel-wise?

OK, totals for the grownups. First, the ones where both of us lay claim: Arizona, New Mexico, California, Texas, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia (yes, I know it's not a state, but this is my blog--get your own, you nerds!), Alaska, and Hawaii.

The lady goes next. Geogal's personal notches include: Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Maine. Total of 20. (Why all the New England states? She had a summer job in New Hampshire one of her college summers.) And no, I wasn't being careless, Geogal just told me she never did make it to Rhode Island.

And me? Since my family lived on the eastern seaboard at one time I can count: Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia. Courtesy of traveling to visit relatives and moving across the country I also set foot in: Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Those last few I really don't remember (I was little and rather out-of-it). So for me--26.

Throw down! We're not done yet.

Enjoying the quiet hour

In the Geohouse that time is early morning.

I'm the only morning person in this domicile. Geogal and little Geoana would probably sleep until noon if they could. So since it is summer vacation and Geogal no longer works, they enjoy being in the arms of Morpheus pert near every morning since they arrived in Kansas.

My temperment is of the phlegmatic type, which means I cherish peace above nearly all else. Very true. Now if I could just find a way to keep the peace throughout the course of a day.

That's impossible. I know it. But it doesn't mean I can't keep trying to decrease my stress level and reach for a more healthy (mentally and physically) way to live. Now that I think about it, I've already started.

How? I am giving myself something of a media holiday. Definition? Stay away from news. Eschew the political talk shows and blogs for the time being. (And right now makes a fair amount of sense. We are currently in what people in the news biz would call a "slow news cycle." Very common for the summer months.) I could keep up with all current events, read commentary, listen to talk radio, the list goes on.

But why? All of the above only increases my stress level and I am still in the process of learning to decrease my worrying. And isn't it to my benefit to think for myself? To know where my true priorities lie? To engage in recreational reading (i.e. fiction)? To peruse blogs that are similar in in nature to this one?

So for the next several weeks, no news. No newspapers beyond reading our local twice-weekly publication. I'm even eliminating sports talk from my listening habit. As much as I enjoy Sirius Satellite Radio and their NFL channel, I get tired of All-Brett-Favre-All-The-Time.

Will I miss out on certain news items? Yes. Will it have a negative effect on me to not be aware of those things? No.

How about if I just pay attention to my own tasks and keep my own household in order?

What a philosophy! Mind my own business.

Fun times ahead

Fun for me, maybe not for anyone else.

Since I won't get any type of summer vacation this year, my enjoyment has to come from elsewhere.

If you read the profile for yours truly you know that I live in Northwest Kansas. It's a land of nice people, wide open spaces, lots of wind, and wheatfields alternating with cornfields.

And right here is a challenge perfectly suited for a nerd such as me. Although we subscribe to DirecTV and will continue to do so, I want to see which distant terrestrial TV stations I can pull in using a rooftop antenna.

And I want a good antenna, too. Not one of these cheapies that you find at Home Depot or Wal-Mart. Suffice to say I am learning much courtesy of the Internet. Brand names like Terk and Winegard are now part of my vernacular. Choosing between analog and digital rotators is making me salivate. As soon as we formally procure this house we've chosen I'll be taking inventory of the outside, trying to determine which location would be best for antenna placement.

(Who am I kidding? I've already done that and we don't even own the place yet. Don't worry--it's empty and some of the neighbors already know I am the buyer.)

So between getting the equipment and putting it all together I should be in for a fun rest-of-the-summer. I can't wait to see what's out there on the airwaves. And since the analog broadcasts will end come February now is as good a time as ever.

And digital? Before I came out here I bought a small TV with a built-in digital tuner. Wonder if I can pick up the multiplexed signal of the nearby Nebraska Educational TV station? Or how well the VHF (channel 12) digital broadcast from KSNK will look?

Beyond those two stations, it's anyone's guess. And I'm hoping to find out.

That leads into the next question: Why am I doing this now? I've been a homeowner for 12 years. But you have to understand that in Arizona, there's not much challenge in trying to pull in nearby stations. There just aren't a whole lot. Outside of the Phoenix and Tucson markets there exists only a plethora of low-powered translators and a quagmire of equally low-wattage UHF channels that exist only for the purpose of home shopping and selling ringtones.

It's a different game out here. This area is technically in the Wichita market, although the suits in south-central Kansas couldn't care less about what happens out here. We also are on the edge of the Kearney-Grand Island-Hastings market (I made that up as said market does not exist. Ask the FCC, 'cause I sure don't understand their reasoning.) So, there are full-power VHF and a few UHF channels for the taking, and seeing the purple colored region on the coverage map available through TV Fool just makes the challenge even more interesting. And fun for me.

I promise I won't fall off the ladder. Cross my heart.

General update

Since this blog is largely read by family, I have no qualms about sharing our latest goings-on for this post.

We finally have secured permanent housing. That is no small feat considering both Geogal and I are still acclimating to how business is done in a small town. Even finding a place to rent is challenging, and when you don't know most of the locals you can easily miss out on property opportunities.

Combine that with the fact that there are no real "comps" to be pulled from the various neighborhoods and real estate quickly becomes more of a game of chance than anything else. I know I can't be as anonymous online as I was in Arizona (more on that in a future post), but some folks in these parts want way too much for their properties. And unlike the urban areas, said individuals are willing to wait until someone gives them their asking price.

Having said all that, I actually enjoyed the process somewhat. Over the past few months I've gotten to know people I would not otherwise have met. And the learning that went along with this entire home-buying experience was valuable.

Not to mention the fact that this is the most inexpensive house Geogal and I have ever purchased. Despite the price, we think the house is sound and has great potential. We're happy and our friends are relieved.

The physical moving is still ahead but we'll handle that as it comes. (And after all, it's only a few blocks from where we live now. Plus most of our stuff is still in boxes.)

Now, is it time to make my family and friends insanely jealous? Dare I mention that yesterday morning as I prepared to mow the lawn, it was about 65 degrees with nice cloud cover and a cool breeze? And low humidity? Me likeeeee!

Never mind posting comments here. I can already hear the responses of the Arizona and Texas kinfolk: "Just wait until winter!"

Traffic jam, small-town style

The grain elevators are busy. So are trucks, railroad cars, and many of the townspeople.

It's harvest. And given the absence of hail for the past few weeks, the takings ought to be good.

But in the meantime the nonstop cadre of farm trucks making their trips to and from the grain elevators makes for some interesting gridlock. Such as the one I witnessed when I made my afternoon constitutional to the grocery store adjacent to the building in which I work.

18-wheelers, made to haul grain, about six or seven deep, waiting their turn at the elevator. The smell of diesel smoke was nearly intoxicating. Regular cars either snaking through or just avoiding the intersection altogether.

Keeps things interesting in this small town.

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Life's not all bad. Case in point--the new Thin Mint Blizzard. (Yes, real Thin Mints, courtesy of the Girl Scouts.)

Odds are good that I have one before this coming weekend is over.

Just Toying Around

Yes, I'm re-doing the look of this site. I've been thinking about it for some time, and when I found a widget I wanted to add I realized some redesign was in order.

I will add more of my personal pictures and such as time goes on but at least I have a start.

Did I mention Geogal is planning to start her own blog? I'll let her give you wonderful readers the details.

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Today is a heck of a lazy Saturday. Honestly, yesterday was the start of the weekend, what with the Independence Day holiday and all. Speaking of which, we went (along with most of the town) to the fireworks show at the lake. Awesome! A good time was had by all! (Insert additional cliche here.) It's been years since I've seen a really good explosive sky display and I wasn't disappointed by last night's outing.

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I feel almost guilty about being lazy today. Yet just a few minutes ago I realized I need this cycle of rest as I do work a full-time job that is demanding in its own way. Add to the work responsibilities the reality of house-hunting and helping Geogal adjust to life in the Sunflower State and no wonder I felt exhausted the last several days.

Don't start the violins playing, though. I do have my recreational interests plus my guilty pleasures. The latter list includes "Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D List," as well as seeing how much trivia I can learn by reading articles on Wikipedia (never mind that a fair amount of them have inaccuracies). These things will at least keep me from getting cabin fever until I have a house of my own to occupy my time.

More on that during the coming week.