The Big One’s Blog
September 28, 2008
Saturday afternoon Ann and I left our house about at about five p. m. to head to Greenville where the Guys were doing a show at the Channel. The guys had pulled out in the bus about an hour earlier and Ann and I were gonna have a leisurely drive up the road and show up right before the show………… we thought. As we pulled out of the driveway, Ann said that we needed some gas, we were on empty. See, I was trying to wait out the gas price reduction and save a few dollars, except it didn’t work out quite like I wanted it to. We headed to six different gas stations before we found and, and then all they had was premium. What a bummer, I never thought I would see the day where I would pay over four bucks a gallon for gas, but I did.
You know, it just doesn’t make sense, the wholesale price of crude oil as well as gas has dropped off by a third this past month, and our gas is still high. Why hasn’t the price dropped? I know that Hurricane Ike has slowed down production some, but why is it the southeast is the only area of the country that is experiencing shortages. Are they shipping our share of gas up north to them damn Yankees, or worse yet to those fruits and nuts on the west coast? I don’t know, but something seems odd about it.
That’s my fussy blog for now, I promise that I will post one later in the week when I am not so P!$$*@ off at the gas companies.
God Bless,
The Big One
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
When Country heads even farther to the country!!!
The Big Un’s Blog
Sept. 21, 2008
Hey folks, I promised you a fun filled blog and I think I can deliver on that promise with this blog. Saturday. Days Off Screen played in the North Carolina Battle of the Bands in North Wilkesboro and I had the fun and exciting task of escorting nine teenagers, a fully loaded equipment trailer, and myself on a round trip that was suppose to be about 340 miles, but ended up closer to 380 there and back due to a couple of wrong turns.
On the surface this doesn’t seem so tough, but the catch is that there are no easy ways to get to North Wilkesboro from here. Sure, the first 100 miles are either interstate or four lane roads; it’s the last 75 miles that are rough. Winding two lane roads around and over mountains and through valleys, through little settlements that Joanna look like Greenville, and a couple of towns, Taylorsville and Conover, that must have had their street layout done by a drunken sailor on a three day drunk. In Taylorsville Hwy 18 makes a left turn, goes down a block, makes a right turn, goes down a block, take another right, and then go down a block and make a left turn, and you are back on the same street you were originally on, just a block farther down. Needless to say, this was an adventure in the making.
Note: Big One’s Advise!!! Never trust mapquest! At a key intersection mapquest told us to turn left, and it should have been right. Twelve miles later we realize our mistake and double back and get back on track. You know you are way back in the country when people mowing their yard or farmers on tractors in the field stop and wave as you go by. Don’t take much to amuse them I guess!
Now there is Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro, and mapquest has a hard time telling them apart. We ended up at the correct address, but in Wilkesboro instead of North Wilkesboro. Twenty minutes later, and three stops for directions we pulled up in North Wilkesboro at our destination.
The Battle of the Bands itself is held on top of a two story parking garage that was built in the late 1960’s and it has not aged real good. When people would jump up and down, or run by, the garage would shake. When I walked around I just scrubbed my feet along, I did not want to take any chances with stepping down real hard and the whole thing collapsing.
The Battle was a great show though. There were 16 bands there and Days off Screen tied for second with two other bands, one point behind the winning band, who just happened to be from……Drum Roll please……….. North Wilkesboro! Hummmmmmmm.
Anyway the guys played great, made a lot of new fans and friends, and had a great time. There was a guy there selling hot dogs, and they rivaled the old Red’s Burgermasters Hot Dogs that my Buddy Ron Page and I used to serve up. Them dogs were great!!!
Anyway, we start home about 12:15 a. m. tired, sleepy, and ready to get home. Good news, we didn’t get lost but twice trying to get back on the two lane road back toward Taylorsville and Conover. Bad news, there was some of the thickest fog I have ever seen for about ten miles.
Other highlights of the trip home, we went through a drunk driving checkpoint at 1:30 a. m. near Conover and had a nice lady deputy tell us a shortcut that would save us a few miles and a few minutes. We saw a drunk staggering around on the side of the road heading toward the checkpoint about a quarter of a mile down the road. I bet it was interesting when he staggered up to them. Heading down I-85 we were passed by a truck full of cows with the scours, and my truck, poor ol’ Big Red, will never be the same.
We rolled back into Laurens at 4:15 a. m., tired, sleepy, hungry, and ready for bed. Man, I went to sleep when I reached out to get my radio’s earpiece to check and see if we were on the air and woke up three hours later still holding it in my hand, and my arm asleep from hanging off the bed.
All in all it was a good time. I really enjoyed spending 20 hours with them. There ain’t a bad one in the bunch. I am proud of the way the guys and their girlfriends represented Laurens at the Battle of the Bands, and to the people of North Wilkesboro. Time after time I had folks that were in charge of the event tell me what a great bunch of kids they were. Now that made me swell up with pride like a big ol’ toad frog.
Anyway, that’s it for me folks. I told you that this would be an interesting and funny blog!
Til next time, God Bless!!!
The Big One
Sept. 21, 2008
Hey folks, I promised you a fun filled blog and I think I can deliver on that promise with this blog. Saturday. Days Off Screen played in the North Carolina Battle of the Bands in North Wilkesboro and I had the fun and exciting task of escorting nine teenagers, a fully loaded equipment trailer, and myself on a round trip that was suppose to be about 340 miles, but ended up closer to 380 there and back due to a couple of wrong turns.
On the surface this doesn’t seem so tough, but the catch is that there are no easy ways to get to North Wilkesboro from here. Sure, the first 100 miles are either interstate or four lane roads; it’s the last 75 miles that are rough. Winding two lane roads around and over mountains and through valleys, through little settlements that Joanna look like Greenville, and a couple of towns, Taylorsville and Conover, that must have had their street layout done by a drunken sailor on a three day drunk. In Taylorsville Hwy 18 makes a left turn, goes down a block, makes a right turn, goes down a block, take another right, and then go down a block and make a left turn, and you are back on the same street you were originally on, just a block farther down. Needless to say, this was an adventure in the making.
Note: Big One’s Advise!!! Never trust mapquest! At a key intersection mapquest told us to turn left, and it should have been right. Twelve miles later we realize our mistake and double back and get back on track. You know you are way back in the country when people mowing their yard or farmers on tractors in the field stop and wave as you go by. Don’t take much to amuse them I guess!
Now there is Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro, and mapquest has a hard time telling them apart. We ended up at the correct address, but in Wilkesboro instead of North Wilkesboro. Twenty minutes later, and three stops for directions we pulled up in North Wilkesboro at our destination.
The Battle of the Bands itself is held on top of a two story parking garage that was built in the late 1960’s and it has not aged real good. When people would jump up and down, or run by, the garage would shake. When I walked around I just scrubbed my feet along, I did not want to take any chances with stepping down real hard and the whole thing collapsing.
The Battle was a great show though. There were 16 bands there and Days off Screen tied for second with two other bands, one point behind the winning band, who just happened to be from……Drum Roll please……….. North Wilkesboro! Hummmmmmmm.
Anyway the guys played great, made a lot of new fans and friends, and had a great time. There was a guy there selling hot dogs, and they rivaled the old Red’s Burgermasters Hot Dogs that my Buddy Ron Page and I used to serve up. Them dogs were great!!!
Anyway, we start home about 12:15 a. m. tired, sleepy, and ready to get home. Good news, we didn’t get lost but twice trying to get back on the two lane road back toward Taylorsville and Conover. Bad news, there was some of the thickest fog I have ever seen for about ten miles.
Other highlights of the trip home, we went through a drunk driving checkpoint at 1:30 a. m. near Conover and had a nice lady deputy tell us a shortcut that would save us a few miles and a few minutes. We saw a drunk staggering around on the side of the road heading toward the checkpoint about a quarter of a mile down the road. I bet it was interesting when he staggered up to them. Heading down I-85 we were passed by a truck full of cows with the scours, and my truck, poor ol’ Big Red, will never be the same.
We rolled back into Laurens at 4:15 a. m., tired, sleepy, hungry, and ready for bed. Man, I went to sleep when I reached out to get my radio’s earpiece to check and see if we were on the air and woke up three hours later still holding it in my hand, and my arm asleep from hanging off the bed.
All in all it was a good time. I really enjoyed spending 20 hours with them. There ain’t a bad one in the bunch. I am proud of the way the guys and their girlfriends represented Laurens at the Battle of the Bands, and to the people of North Wilkesboro. Time after time I had folks that were in charge of the event tell me what a great bunch of kids they were. Now that made me swell up with pride like a big ol’ toad frog.
Anyway, that’s it for me folks. I told you that this would be an interesting and funny blog!
Til next time, God Bless!!!
The Big One
Saturday, September 13, 2008
The game is over, it's time for us to get back to work!!!
The Big One’s Blog
September 13, 2008
Well, it’s the day after the Laurens County Championship that the Raiders won defeating the Red Devils 35 to 0. Guess what, today the sun came up in Laurens the same way as it did in Clinton, and the challenges that faced us as a county before the football game still exist.
The folks in Laurens are happy, the folks in Clinton are not so happy, but in the end for all of us it was just a football game, a nice diversion from the real issues facing us now.
Sure, for a week folks from Laurens and Clinton can declare how much we hate each other. It’s our way v/s their way of life. The game takes precedence over everything else. We are not friends, we are rivals. We can’t stand them, and they can’t stand us.
Well the game is over, but what about us? What about the challenges facing our county? The same problems still exist in our county. We need jobs, we need a land use plan (Zoning) to protect us from having unwanted businesses like another dump locate in our county, and we need to work together to achieve both.
The elected officials from the cities of Laurens, Clinton, and Gray Court, as well as Laurens county officials, the Laurens County Development Corporation, and our state delegation are working hard to bring us jobs, and I for one think that we are about to see the fruits of their labors, and boy are we going to be pleased. We are on the verge of unprecedented growth in Laurens County, and no matter where it is located; it helps all of us out.
It’s time for us to become Laurens County residents again. Sure, we can continue to root for the Raiders or Red Devils, but we need to root for our county now. Holding on to petty differences or defending our “Home” turf by opposing what helps out another part of the county works against progress. Let’s present a united front to folks coming into our county looking to locate their industry or business here. Whether it’s a company locating in the Industrial park in Owings or a plant out on the interstate in Clinton or Laurens, it helps out everyone in Laurens County.
Well, I have said my piece. I promise to climb down from my soapbox and write a funny blog next time.
'Til next time, God Bless all!!!
The Big One
September 13, 2008
Well, it’s the day after the Laurens County Championship that the Raiders won defeating the Red Devils 35 to 0. Guess what, today the sun came up in Laurens the same way as it did in Clinton, and the challenges that faced us as a county before the football game still exist.
The folks in Laurens are happy, the folks in Clinton are not so happy, but in the end for all of us it was just a football game, a nice diversion from the real issues facing us now.
Sure, for a week folks from Laurens and Clinton can declare how much we hate each other. It’s our way v/s their way of life. The game takes precedence over everything else. We are not friends, we are rivals. We can’t stand them, and they can’t stand us.
Well the game is over, but what about us? What about the challenges facing our county? The same problems still exist in our county. We need jobs, we need a land use plan (Zoning) to protect us from having unwanted businesses like another dump locate in our county, and we need to work together to achieve both.
The elected officials from the cities of Laurens, Clinton, and Gray Court, as well as Laurens county officials, the Laurens County Development Corporation, and our state delegation are working hard to bring us jobs, and I for one think that we are about to see the fruits of their labors, and boy are we going to be pleased. We are on the verge of unprecedented growth in Laurens County, and no matter where it is located; it helps all of us out.
It’s time for us to become Laurens County residents again. Sure, we can continue to root for the Raiders or Red Devils, but we need to root for our county now. Holding on to petty differences or defending our “Home” turf by opposing what helps out another part of the county works against progress. Let’s present a united front to folks coming into our county looking to locate their industry or business here. Whether it’s a company locating in the Industrial park in Owings or a plant out on the interstate in Clinton or Laurens, it helps out everyone in Laurens County.
Well, I have said my piece. I promise to climb down from my soapbox and write a funny blog next time.
'Til next time, God Bless all!!!
The Big One
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Football, Football, Football!!!!!!
The Big “Un’s Blog
September 9, 2009
Well, well, well, how are all you fellow rednecks? Good I hope! Lets see, where to begin. First off this is the Laurens County Championship week as Laurens travels to Clinton to face the Red Devils. This is always a real donnybrook and this year will be no exception. Clinton is smarting after coming off a tough loss to Woodruff. Laurens is coming off a hard-fought win over Hillcrest. Better go on and buy those tickets in advance so you don’t have to stand in line for a while at the stadium.
This is also a happy week for me. We do our first middle school football broadcast this week as the district’s four middle schools will be holding their annual jamboree. Middle school sports are kinda my baby at the station, as I was there for our first middle school broadcast when Laurens played Sanders the first year Sanders became a middle school. And have done every football game we have broadcasted since. I believe we are the only radio station in the state that broadcasts a weekly middle school game of the week. I wish more would.
Thursday we will have the Laurens / Clinton 9th grade and JV games on the air. That brings the total of football games up to four this week and that isn’t counting the P. C. game Saturday.
The judge has handed down a ruling in the Mileback Speedway case. The track owners and his lawyers are looking into what they need to do to comply with the judges order. Hopefully the track will be back in action this week. It amazes me how we have no zoning in Laurens County but the track owners have still been damn near put out of business by a few folks that wouldn’t be satisfied if they were the taster in the Little Debbie snack cake factory. I can hear then now, “ Uh uh, I don’t wanna taste them honey buns, I want a choco-jell!” And yes, we do need zoning. We are sitting on a ticking time bomb. Without protection one of these days instead of a construction landfield it may be a hazardous waste dump being shoved down our throats.
Well. That’s about it for now, enjoy the ball games, and don’t forget to take those headset radios with you!
Til next time, God Bless!!!
The Big One
September 9, 2009
Well, well, well, how are all you fellow rednecks? Good I hope! Lets see, where to begin. First off this is the Laurens County Championship week as Laurens travels to Clinton to face the Red Devils. This is always a real donnybrook and this year will be no exception. Clinton is smarting after coming off a tough loss to Woodruff. Laurens is coming off a hard-fought win over Hillcrest. Better go on and buy those tickets in advance so you don’t have to stand in line for a while at the stadium.
This is also a happy week for me. We do our first middle school football broadcast this week as the district’s four middle schools will be holding their annual jamboree. Middle school sports are kinda my baby at the station, as I was there for our first middle school broadcast when Laurens played Sanders the first year Sanders became a middle school. And have done every football game we have broadcasted since. I believe we are the only radio station in the state that broadcasts a weekly middle school game of the week. I wish more would.
Thursday we will have the Laurens / Clinton 9th grade and JV games on the air. That brings the total of football games up to four this week and that isn’t counting the P. C. game Saturday.
The judge has handed down a ruling in the Mileback Speedway case. The track owners and his lawyers are looking into what they need to do to comply with the judges order. Hopefully the track will be back in action this week. It amazes me how we have no zoning in Laurens County but the track owners have still been damn near put out of business by a few folks that wouldn’t be satisfied if they were the taster in the Little Debbie snack cake factory. I can hear then now, “ Uh uh, I don’t wanna taste them honey buns, I want a choco-jell!” And yes, we do need zoning. We are sitting on a ticking time bomb. Without protection one of these days instead of a construction landfield it may be a hazardous waste dump being shoved down our throats.
Well. That’s about it for now, enjoy the ball games, and don’t forget to take those headset radios with you!
Til next time, God Bless!!!
The Big One
Monday, September 1, 2008
Big Un' the Roadie!!!
The Big Un’s Blog
September 1, 2008
Hey guys,
Sorry my blog is a day late, but it has been a long Labor Day Holiday. As most of you know I have two sons in “Days Off Screen” along with three other guys that I consider sons. This past weekend they had three shows in two days and I had the privilege to be the designated trailer puller and it turned into an all weekend road trip.
Saturday morning the gang pulled out bright and early on the way to the Rockin’ Rib Off and Balloon Festival in Anderson. The guys played from 1:00 p. m. until 1:45 p. m. and even though the heat was rough they had a good show. Afterwards they toured the exhibitions and even road a couple of rides.
Wait, random thought…. Why is it when we see someone do something dumb we automatically laugh at them when they screw up. You know you have done it. A perfect example, Saturday we saw a guy run towards a golf cart and jump onto it and have his flip flops slide and he slammed his head into the top of the cart and fell flat on his butt, knocked nearly out. He laid there a minute and started to get up and by the time we and several others got to him he was standing up rubbing his head. All of a sudden one person starts to laugh, and then we all are laughing at the unlucky soul. I just wonder why that happens.
Later that night they headed over to the Upper State fair and played a show at 9:00 p. m. Since we got in free we cruised the midway. It reminded me a little of how the Laurens County Fair used to be when I was growing up. Lots of rides, lots of games, and lots of shows. We watched a tiger show where the star of it was a huge white tiger that looked big enough for me to ride. Then it was on to the elephants. Right before Days Off Screen began their set, they had the last Elephant show of the night. The elephants did several stunts like playing basketball and playing a harmonica, but the most amazing stunt, at least to a six or seven year old boy was totally unscripted. As the elephant walked past him the Elephant decided to drop a load, and I do mean a load. The little fellow was so excited he yelled at the top of his voice, “Hey Ma, that elephant just $#!% all over the place!” Mom looked like she could kill him, and about a hundred or so other folks laughed long and hard about what the little darling had said. Sometimes life can get you a chuckle in the most unusual places.
Sunday was back to Anderson for day two of the Rockin’ Rib Off. The guys really enjoyed playing there. The folks that organized the Festival did an amazing job with the event and went out of their way to make the bands comfortable.
Anyway, that is enough of my ramblings for today, but I can guarantee you one thing, I ain’t about to take no kids to see an elephant show anytime soon!!!!
God Bless!!!
The Big One
September 1, 2008
Hey guys,
Sorry my blog is a day late, but it has been a long Labor Day Holiday. As most of you know I have two sons in “Days Off Screen” along with three other guys that I consider sons. This past weekend they had three shows in two days and I had the privilege to be the designated trailer puller and it turned into an all weekend road trip.
Saturday morning the gang pulled out bright and early on the way to the Rockin’ Rib Off and Balloon Festival in Anderson. The guys played from 1:00 p. m. until 1:45 p. m. and even though the heat was rough they had a good show. Afterwards they toured the exhibitions and even road a couple of rides.
Wait, random thought…. Why is it when we see someone do something dumb we automatically laugh at them when they screw up. You know you have done it. A perfect example, Saturday we saw a guy run towards a golf cart and jump onto it and have his flip flops slide and he slammed his head into the top of the cart and fell flat on his butt, knocked nearly out. He laid there a minute and started to get up and by the time we and several others got to him he was standing up rubbing his head. All of a sudden one person starts to laugh, and then we all are laughing at the unlucky soul. I just wonder why that happens.
Later that night they headed over to the Upper State fair and played a show at 9:00 p. m. Since we got in free we cruised the midway. It reminded me a little of how the Laurens County Fair used to be when I was growing up. Lots of rides, lots of games, and lots of shows. We watched a tiger show where the star of it was a huge white tiger that looked big enough for me to ride. Then it was on to the elephants. Right before Days Off Screen began their set, they had the last Elephant show of the night. The elephants did several stunts like playing basketball and playing a harmonica, but the most amazing stunt, at least to a six or seven year old boy was totally unscripted. As the elephant walked past him the Elephant decided to drop a load, and I do mean a load. The little fellow was so excited he yelled at the top of his voice, “Hey Ma, that elephant just $#!% all over the place!” Mom looked like she could kill him, and about a hundred or so other folks laughed long and hard about what the little darling had said. Sometimes life can get you a chuckle in the most unusual places.
Sunday was back to Anderson for day two of the Rockin’ Rib Off. The guys really enjoyed playing there. The folks that organized the Festival did an amazing job with the event and went out of their way to make the bands comfortable.
Anyway, that is enough of my ramblings for today, but I can guarantee you one thing, I ain’t about to take no kids to see an elephant show anytime soon!!!!
God Bless!!!
The Big One
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