Valuable Experience

Bright and early here at the Birmingham airport. Well, at least early, not so bright. If you look at mapquest, you might ask, "Why are you flying to Birmingham? Isn't that only a 2 hour drive from Nashville?" Yes, it is. But with our new travel policy of working our own flights with a $400 cap, Southwest fits right in. I like to fly Southwest, and after 8 flights, I get a free ticket. With gas being as high as it is, the flight actually cost about the same as driving....crazy, huh? Talk about a crazy airport today...an airport like Birmingham isn't big, and the two Mondays a year after the races, it's just a zoo. I got here 90 minutes before my flight, checked in my bag, and then stared at the line at security that serpentined around itself at least 300 people deep. Then I became "that guy". I walked around the line, stood near where you enter the "magic ropes" of security, looked at my ticket, looked up at the arrows, looked down again and did the 2 step shuffle into the line when the family of 5 was all chatty. I bypassed and hour of waiting in line...man, I hate that guy...but it gave me time to post this morning.
Great race at Talladega...Kyle Busch sure can drive! But again, Talladega is a crap shoot...being at the right place at the right time. That's what did it for Kyle.
Last night, some of the "above the line" staff people took Sanford and I to dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse...a very rare treat. I enjoyed a petite filet and baked potato, and someone else picked up the tab. Nice.
Moving on to Richmond, VA next weekend. It is a Saturday night race for the Cup series. We still go in on Thursday, but have very long days Friday and Saturday, and fly back on Sunday. It will be good to be home on a Sunday.
The boys did well this weekend at the wrestling tournament in Ohio..Alex lost his first two and was out quick, but gained valuable experience (isn't that what you're supposed to say?). Andy lost won, won one (by pinning a girl). I still have very mixed feelings about girls wrestling boys...I like it that girls are wrestling, I think it's a great sport, but young boys and girls with hormones raging maybe shouldn't be rolling around on each other. Of course, I encourage my boys not to pin a girl too quickly...gotta get that "valuable experience". Zach did great...Won two and lost two. His victories were by wide margins and his defeats by small ones. All in all a great weekend with "valuable experience".

Here Comes the Rain Again....

Annie Lennox said it...and it is true. Raining here in Talladega. Lots of green on the radar. Looks like it breaks up on the east side of Alabama, so it is too early to tell if we'll have racing today or not. We are making contingency plans about staying tomorrow. The amazing thing about Talladega is that is could be raining on one end of the track and dry on the other end. And if the track gets wet, that's two miles of track to be dried...no easy task. If it does get going today, I am predicting a first time win for Tony Stewart...there really is no way to predict this race since The Big One always happens and it is comes down to being in the right place at the right time not to get mixed up in it.
I saw a great new show on Discovery Channel last night. I think it was call Alaska Adventure. It is four groups of people, either couples or 3 people together, who are in Alaska roughing it for 3 months. Last night they had to find their cabins/shelters after a hike through rough terrain. Fishing for salmon, getting water from streams, cutting their own firewood, scaring away bears...
Great reality show if you like outdoors/survival type programming. I am a big Discovery watcher. I can watch hours of Deadliest Catch, Survivorman and Man vs. Wild...now I have a new one...yea!
Seriously, Dad...get a dish and watch this stuff on the new tv.
I'll update you on track conditions as soon as we know more...now back to your originally scheduled programming.

Mama told me not to come...

This is the week that most NASCAR fans anticipate the most...Talladega. The monstrous track...speeds near 200 mph...getting shuffled back from 2nd the 20th in 5 seconds....potential for multi-car crashes of phenomenal proportions...(Cue the ominous music)...
Then there's the Talladega nights....not the movie, though the movie did have some funny stuff in it. I'm talking about the Talladega infield...It is a community unlike any other. A little Sodom, some Gommorah, moonshine rivers, and redneck love under a star filled sky. Sounds inviting, huh? I can't say I've been to the infield after dark...some things are just too scary. If you've ever been to the Snake Pit at Indy, you'd have a taste of what it's like...but only a mere taste. If I get the courage, and a sidearm, I may venture out...just as a journalist, not a participant.
Sandy got an iron treatment today...1st one in 10 months! I think she pushed it too long, but she really wants to be done with iron treatments...Hopefully this is a sign of healing.
The boys have all been cutting weight this week getting back down to their wrestling weights for The Tournament of Champions in Columbus, OH. It is free to attend the tournament, so why not show up? There are 3000 kids registered. The twins wrestle Saturday morning, and Zach wrestles Saturday night. I'll keep you posted on their progress.
I, however, will not be wrestling this weekend....unless I go to the INFIELD!

Home from B'ham...

To be honest, super bikes weren't that super. Kinda boring couple of days. It was pretty cool how fast they were going and almost getting horizontal...but after awhile, the excitement wore off for me. Zach stayed at the hotel today so he could watch the Predators...and they lost, so they are out of the playoffs. Oh well, there's always next season.
I have a few days off before I head back down to Alabama to do Talladega. That is a crazy race with some crazy fans.
We have been 3 days earthquake free.

Bring your son to work day....

Zach hard at work at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, AL...actually, he's playing his PSP, but in the TV truck nonetheless.

Shake, Rattle and Roll.....

4:37 am...fast asleep...slowly waking...what's that noise? Is that thunder? Better go check. So I got up, looked outside and the weather was clear. Hmmmmm. Maybe it was a loud car. Turn on the tv...breaking news...an earthquake measuring 5.2.
Who would have thought??? Anybody else feel it? I lived in Los Angeles for 3 years and never felt an earthquake like that.

Blades of Glory

If you've never been to a hockey game, you should go. Whether it's an NHL game, or the Ft. Wayne Comets, I don't think there's a better live spectator sport. The sounds of the game, the huge hits, the puck ringing off the post...just amazing.
I worked the Nashville Predators game last night. The Preds beat the mighty Red Wings last night to even their Western Conference Quarter Finals series at 2 games apiece.
I am taking Zach with me this weekend to Birmingham. He is real excited. I am excited about it because the company I am working for is one of the few who write you a check on site.
It's a beautiful, Spring day here in Nashville...hope your day is beautiful wherever you are.

Red Carpet Recap

What a fun day...I ended up only doing a 15 second promo that aired in the program following the Awards show telling people to stay tuned to watch the re-air of the award show. It was fun seeing all the acts. They had the best of the best tonight. I didn't get to stalk anyone, but I did see some weird stuff. Snoop Dog was there and he walked past me in a black cowboy hat crushed down on his big afro. Also Keith Urban and his pregnant wife, Nicole Kidman, walked by me...I was eating an ice cream cone (and I know I shouldn't have been, but I was). Well, to be honest...she undressed my cone with her eyes. Had she not been hustled past by her posse of security, I would have offered her a bite...of the cone, Dad, of the cone!
I also saw Brooks and Dunn, Naomi Judd and Paula Abdul, but that was the extent of my celebrity sightings tonight...except for Kevin Carter, Defensive end for Tampa Bay...oh, and Terry Bradshaw...though some might argue his celebrity status.
The mighty Predators won tonight...Wednesday's game should be fun and loud!
Since Cup isn't racing this weekend and I wasn't invited down to Mexico to cover the Nationwide series, I picked up some Superbikes racing in Birmingham...what is a superbike, you ask...well, all I know is that it is better than a regular bike or they wouldn't call it super.
Sandy and the boys are doing great...school, school, school...wrestling practice and school. Zach has been staying after school for conditioning for football...the other guys are wheezing...Zach is breezing...Sandy is freezing, but she always is.

Left turns to red carpets...

I am sitting here at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, AZ waiting for my flight back to Nashville. Got a bonus last night...our tech manager came in right after we finished our last show, around 10pm pacific, and said, if you guys want to go, go ahead. I'll make sure you get the same clock out time as everyone else. I didn't need to be told twice...out the door!
When I land I am heading to Belmont University's Curb Event Center to do rehearsals for tomorrow night's CMT Awards. They have changed what they want me to do now...they realized the podcasts project wasn't going to work as they planned, so they moved me back to what I did last year. I will cut highlights and put together a couple of 30 second commercials saying, if you missed this broadcast, it will air again later tonight, yada, yada, yada. It's pretty fun! I have a producer sitting next to me picking what they want, so it's not a lot of pressure. It's kinda fun on rehearsal day just hanging out and watching the stars...I stalked LeAnn Rimes down a hallway last year...hoping to "follow" Carrie Underwood this year. If I stalk Miley Cyrus, it will violate my probation, so I'll steer clear of that one.

Raceday-Phoenix Style

What a beautiful weekend here in Phoenix! Sorry to those of you still in winter.
Well, it's raceday...and it's gonna be a hot one. This race starts in daylight and goes into night,
so it is an interesting mix for the crews and drivers. At one point during the race, the drivers head
right into the sun...you know how annoying it is when you have your visor down and the sun still
hits you in the eyes...try it at 190mph! I am amazed weekly at the skill and knowledge these drivers
and crews have. We do one show called "NASCAR Performance". It is a real gear-head show hosted by
Larry McReynolds (former crew chief extraordinaire), Chad Knaus ( crew chief for Jimmie Johnson) and
"Bootie" Barker (crew chief for Scott Riggs). They amaze me with the depth and breadth of knowledge these
guys have. They have to know physics, geometry, and lots of other subjects I either flunked or didn't attempt.
When you think these guys are back woods hicks, this show will change your mind. It is really over my head...
you would probably hear my clicker turning to "Friends".
Today's predictions...Hard to pick against Kyle Busch again...he won last night...and a close 2nd was last week's
Cup winner Carl Edwards. Elliot Sadler starts in the front row, so he may be a factor...for 3 laps or so.
Here you go:
3). Denny Hamlin
2). Carl Edwards
1). Kyle Busch with the Phoenix weekend sweep.

Valley of the Sun

Greetings from beautiful, sunny Phoenix, AZ...lovely Southwest Airlines brought me out here today. Luckily, I wasn't on American....yikes. It is a shortened race weekend. Cup is qualifying today and Nationwide qualifies and races tomorrow. Cup series races Saturday night. I am in a lovely Embassy Suites this weekend. I am a huge fan of Embassy Suites. Great rooms, nice free breakfasts, and, my big kicker, free internet! Today is a set day, but we are also recording some stuff since cars are on the track.
The mighty Predators play their first playoff game in Detroit tonight. Hoping for some miracle victory! They win...I win....but on a much smaller scale.

Wow...did you see the NCAA Championship game...you Eastern Time Zoners may not have stayed up for it, but it was a good one. I was so close to being right...Memphis was up by 3 with abot 4 seconds to go...Kansas drove the length of the floor, chucked up a prayer and it went in. In the overtime, Memphis stunk it up and Kansas continued to play and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
NASCAR is taking a week off after the Phoenix race, so I am busily trying to fill my schedule with work...'cause remember, no worky, no money...I picked up one Predators playoff game next Wednesday the 16th and have feelers out for NBA playoffs for that weekend. I'll let you know if I get any and where.

Shoulda bet...

My picks were good with the top three...just not quite in order. I picked 48 at 3rd...he got 2nd...I picked 18 at 1st...he got 3rd...and I picked 99 at 2nd...he got first. There was money to made somewhere there.
Oh, and I pick Memphis over Kansas tomorrow...by 3.

I was country when country wasn't cool.

Raceday! Sorry I didn't post earlier to give my picks, but it was a busy morning. Raceday, the show, went well. I wasn't too rusty by missing last week.
Here are my picks...3. Carl Edwards, 2. Jimmie Johnson and 1. Kyle Busch.
Kyle ran well yesterday and if he can avoid trouble, he can tame this track again.
On a side note, I'm ready to leave Texas...10 days in one state is enough...more than enough in other states, I suppose.
On another side note, the Nashville Predators made the Playoffs!!! Good news for the team and me...I should get a couple of days of work out of it.
Next week's race is a Saturday night race in Phoenix. I fly out on Thursday as usual, but we hit the ground running with the Nationwide qualifying and practicing on Thursday and racing Friday night. That means I fly back home on Sunday.
When I land on Sunday, I have to go to Belmont University to begin preproduction for Monday night's "CMT Music Awards". Last year I made a couple of recap/commercials during the show. This year I am working on podcasts. Blake Shelton is hosting those segments, a few on Sunday, then red carpet on Monday, and show stuff Monday night. I'm not sure how it will go, they haven't done it before. Hopefully it will be fun. Lots of big country singers are on the show this year, and I'm not talking Lulu Roman. Scheduled to appear are Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, and the list goes on and on...I'll let you know how it goes.

Chicken with Joe...

No, it's not a sequel to "Tuesdays with Morrie". While driving from my mother-in-law's house to the hotel yesterday, she told me about a fried chicken restaurant in Roanoke, TX, about 10 miles from the track. She said it is the best fried chicken in the world. So after yesterday's set day, Sanford and I drove to Babe's, the aforementioned chicken place. Quaint little town...and right in the middle of town was Babe's...and boy was it crowded. Sanford stayed in the car, he was looking forward to Papadeaux's, a seafood restaurant. Well, I wormed between the crowd amassed outside and squeezed through the door...bumping past NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, Joe Nemechek...he apparently likes the chicken there. I went inside, bumped and excused my way to the counter and tried to find a menu at the to go order place. The girl said, "Oh, I'll just tell you the menu. We got fried chicken and chicken fried steak...with sides." I said thanks. My claustrophobia was skyrocketing, so I fled without ordering...so I don't actually know if it was the best fried chicken in the world...but there were about 250 people crowded into a room that the fire marshall should have closed down who think that the chicken is fan-cluckin-tastic. Oh, and on the way out the door...I said hi to Joe...he didn't acknowledge me. He must have had chicken on his mind.

Tiger time...

Bet you didn't think ridin' shotgun could be so boring and quiet...well, let's just pretend that we've been traveling across Iowa and Nebraska...not much to see, not much to talk about.
I've been out of circulation and actually haven't done any work in over a week. I'm still in Ft. Worth helping my mother-in-law get settled back into her house after her husband passed away. It has been pretty quiet and relaxing here.
I go back to work tomorrow here in Ft. Worth. NASCAR is racing here this weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway. I missed last week's Martinsville race while I attended the funeral and staying here with family.
I didn't see much of last week's race, but saw that Denny Hamlin won. It is good that he finally won in his home state, but I don't think it will help his ego. He got pretty cocky when he won both Pocono races in his rookie season. Then last year, his team was pretty bad. He usually blamed the crew even when sometimes the lack of performance was his fault. We'll see how his ego handles this win.
This week the Nationwide series is with the Cup series in TX. That means there is more down time since trucks aren't here, too.
In fact, Nationwide is qualifying Thursday night, even before we get our truck faxed out, so I won't have any practice or qualifying clips to show. More time for me to play "Tiger Woods '08" on my PSP