And Now by Request....

Since I have been back on the radio in Wichita,  I've had many folks call in and ask where I've been since I left Wichita in 1992 and what I've been doing.  I't such a long and interesting story that I may have to break it up into paragraphs.

We left Wichita in June of 1992 and moved to Lincoln to be closer to my ailing father.  He passed away in February 1994.  I worked for the same man that originally hired me to come to Wichita in 1981, H. Roger Dodson.  I worked in sales and was on the air making for 13 hour days.  I worked my way up to National Sales Manager, not because I was good at it, but apparently because the facial expressions I made during sales training meetings made the boss feel "icky" and "stupid".  I got my own office and never had to attend another sales meeting!

Since radio doesn't really offer retirement programs,  we decided to open a restaurant.  We opened our first in 1995 and it was wildly successful.  So successful that I was invited to speak at three different conventions, was nominated three time for Franchise of the Year, won regional Franchise of the Year and the National Community Service award.  I left radio in 1998 and we opened a second  location in 2000. 

Stacy began working for The Yankee Candle Company and after just a year reached executive status that required her to move to Kansas City.  We closed the restaurants and moved the family to Kansas City in January of 2004.  Afterall, she followed me to Lincoln, it was only right to follow her to Kansas City.  Plus I didn't have much going on at the time anyway. I went to work for KFKF radio, a country radio station.  My friend Dan Holiday was doing afternoons.  Not a great job, but it kept me off the streets and out of the bars.  Ashleigh stayed behind in Lincoln to finish her last semester of high school.  We enrolled Carleigh and Bradyn at Shawnee Mission Northwest or as we called it "Shawnee Mission Redneck".  This is when life began to get interesting.

I don't want to overload anyone with all this entertaining information at one sitting, so tune into chapter two coming very soon.

That is all...Peters out!

 

Times they are a changin'....

It just doesn't seem possible, but my youngest child attended his first prom this past weekend and then he graduates from high school in a month.  It seems like only yesterday I was being forced to visit the pricipal's office with him.  It's not like I didn't get enough of that when I was in school.  My kids constantly remind me of my seventh grade teacher Mr. Blatter. 

Everyday after lunch Mr. Blatter would read to the class out of a popular book of the time.  One particular day myself and Neil Miesbach laughed at something and Mr. Blatter invited the two of us to join him in the hallway.  Now I don't know if he just didn't get his full nicotine fix during lunch or was just in the mood for some action, but when we arrived in the hallway he proceeded to slam the two of into the lockers.  I remember him twisting the skin of my neck between two fingers.  That didn't feel good.  I was so surprised by this vicious attack that I actually peed my pants.  I can't speak for Neil, but that hurt worse than any of the physical stuff.

As soon as Mr. Blatter had met his quota of child beating we were returned to the classroom.  Our soiled trousers right there for everyone to see.  He even ripped my shirt so it was hanging open.  When I showed my Mom the damage and told the story she said I probably deserved it and she was going to call Mr. Blatter and thank him.  Now my Mom was loving and all that but at that time I couldn't believe she took the teacher's side. 

Now after raising three children, I understand her postiton and appreciate it.  Believe me, I never again was out of line in Mr. Blatter's class. Had he just verbally scolded me like teachers today have to do I doubt I would even remember it.  The humiliation of peeing in one's pants in front of the entire class would bring a lawsuit in today's society.  We don't want to embarass any of the young hooligans.

Well, Bradyn has almost made it to graduation and I don't believe he ever had the pee pants problem in school.   He may not see it now, but the down side to teachers not being able to discipline kids these days is we are losing a whole generation of stories.  I can hear it now, "and when I was in seventh grade a teacher actually raised her voice at me.  I almost peed my pants."  "We sued her and I graduated  5 years early with a rather large monetary settlement."  Those will be their "Good 'ol days".

That is all...Peters out!

It's a Wacky World....

It has been a crazy couple of weeks hasn't it?  I have been foaming at the mouth over the Don Imus thing for two weeks.  I think the Rev. Al Sharpton and the not quite as Reverend Jesse Jackson have personally set back civil rights at least two decades.  I wonder if they realize how they have brought the double standard that we used to just live with to the forefront. 

Then yesterdays Virginia Tech massacre.  Unbelievable!  Now the cry will be for gun control.  Oops, too late.  Stricter immigration laws.  Oops, too late.  More security.  Too late again.  Can anyone just grasp the concept that every now and then some deranged crazy person is going to reach the breaking point and kill people.  American society can't be changed.  We've spent the last 230 years or so making it the corrupt mess it is today.

I did have a break from all the crap when I went to dinner with some old friends here in Wichita.  Jeff and Krista started out as listeners when I first worked at KEYN in the early eighties.  They of course participated in all the fun we had on the radio over the years.  We kept in loose contact over the years.  Krista's enthusiasm helped me make the decision to come back to Wichita radio.  I should run a contest to let listeners buy me dinner and entertain me for the evening.  I think that would be a great contest!  The listeners would love it too I'm sure.

Krista even remembered the Valentine's Day that Stacy made me a heart shaped meatloaf for dinner.  She scolded me for having fun with it on the air.  I never got another one, that's for sure.  I forgot to mention in my own defense that I still let Stacy control the thermostat.  I also didn't mention that Stacy gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer now.  You know, like normal people.

I've got to get going.  I have a show to do and a kidney shaped omelet to eat.  Thanks Stacy!

That is all!  Peters out!

HO lotta shakin' goin' on....

Three of us were sitting at lunch yesterday discussing the news of the day and solving the world's problems when the discussion turned to Don Imus and his comment about the Rutgers women's basketball team.  Although I am not a big fan of Don Imus and never really have been, but I do understand what he tries to do with his show.  I cannot believe how far out of proportion this has been blown.  I really have to admit that I am also getting quite fatigued with the double standard that has developed in this country.

Imus used the phrase "nappy headed hos" on the air while talking about the Rutger's team.  The comment in my mind crossed the line of good taste and political correctness, which in itself makes me want to puke most of the time.  My friend Al did a search of iTunes with the word "Ho" and to our astonishment, the top two returns on his search were both for rap "artist" Ludicris.  The song, called "Ho", says about the same thing as Imus said.  So I have to assume that if the Rutgers player who says she is "scarred for life" from Imus' comment may not be suicidal by listening to Ludicris rap the same thing. 

At this point I could see Rev. Al Sharpton and the not so Rev. Jesse Jackson going after Santa Claus for his constant references to HO HO HO's.  Will they call for Santa to be fired?  Will they demand Lil Debbie be fired for producing Ho Ho's?  Will they demand and end to Don Ho's career because he kept his parent's name? Nobody called for the married  Jesse Jackson to be fired when he was caught in a compromising position with another woman.  But then again, what would Jesse Jackson be fired from?  Extorting money from big business to support his "causes"? 

Don Imus has apologized and that should be it.  He has had a successful 40 year career in radio verbally abusing people of all colors and persuasions.  America needs to lose the double standard.  Lighten up!

That is all...Peters out!

Switch Parties

Another week at Classic Country 92.3 and still no assassination attempts. I suppose that's a good thing. I have had a lot of listeners calling in and remembering some of the good old days. One listener called in and remembered our "switch parties" at KKRD. She said her and her husband went on three with us including the first one to All Star Wrestling. The listeners were treated to a cheezy meal of some sort if I remember correctly, then we went by bus to Century II for the wrestling matches. All of them got their pictures taken with Ric Flair. I think that was before he looked old.

We actually started the switch parties by calling them "LCD" parties which meant lowest common denominator. When I left KEYN, someone commented to the newspaper that I appealed to the lowest common denominator of listeners. We, of course, took that and ran with it. The listeners had a ball with it too. The LCD parties eventually turned into switch parties.

I think we took listeners bowling, to the stock car races and even caroling at Christmas. It was great radio fun. I've even had some of the folks at the KFTI come in and sit and remember the fun stuff we used to do. We hope to do some of that fun stuff on Classic Country 92.3 eventually. Stay tuned.

That is all...Peters out!

Memory Lane revisited...

Okay, okay...I'm still alive, just a little more tired than usual.  In fact, I think it's about nap time.  But first, some words of wisdom, available somewhere else so you'll have to settle for my words.  I just started week 2 of my return to morning radio in Wichita.  The first week went okay.  I spent most of my time just trying to figure out the systems.  I find myself today, still trying to figure out the systems.

Last week was fun in that I did a little reminiscing around some old haunts.  The first place I visited was the old radio station at 2829 Salina in north Wichita.  All that is left is the ten foot security fence to keep people from dumping bodies there and the old garage.  In the building's place is a tuff shed which I believe holds a transmitter.  The building burned down several years ago.  I have to wonder how many tons of tar they had on that roof?  It still leaked.  But all the Mercedes parked in front of that shack really did class it up.  I also wonder how many skunk carcasses burned from beneath that rat trap.

I also went past the first house I rented at 1027 Verda, just off West street.  It actually looked better than when I lived in it some 20 years ago.  Landscaping does wonders don't you think?  I remember noticing the lady 2 doors down enjoying her pool in her backyard one steamy hot summer afternoon and when I looked closer I found her to be enjoying it without clothes!  I loved that neighborhood!  Alot of great memories in that house.  I haven't gone by the first house I owned yet.  That's the one the neighbor kids enjoyed looking in the basement windows so much.  I wonder if that scarred their little minds any.

I need to get back to figuring out how this stuff works...memory lane is officially closed for the day.

That is all...Peters out!!!