I Asked For This Schedule

 

The malfunctioning scoreboard

Always be ready.

Survive and advance.

Adjust as necessary.

I grabbed a cup of coffee and sat on the couch for a moment before "Meet the Beatles" this morning when my phone buzzed from one of the two people scheduled to be my first guest in the history of the show.

It turns out he wasn't feeling well and chose discretion, opting to stay home.

However, he was performing as part of a duo, so his partner was still going to come in and we'd also have him back another time.

I was fine with however it was resolved because, with the exhaustion of Saturday, I was all about having a peaceful day.

This worked out very well.

Mark Zelenz was my guest and he performed a variety of Beatles songs, as well as solo John Lennon and Paul McCartney songs, and, at the very end, even brought us part of one Billy Joel song ("Vienna"). Interspersed between songs, we chatted about influences, trivia, and more.

It was a success and I think the sound was outstanding.

As with all Robcasting audio, the show is archived on archive.org and Mixlr. Additionally, the WGCH archive page will be built soon. I happen to know the WGCH archivist in this case, as that has become one of Sean's duties.

With the show over, I stopped home for a few moments to grab some warmer layers.

My first hockey broadcast of the season was next on the agenda.

The commitment to Rockets Hockey Club means roughly a 90-minute drive to the Bridgewater Sports Arena in New Jersey.

It means the second time doing the drive down I-287, which has become one of the more boring jaunts that I deal with.

But, before I drove it, I found the new Wawa off NJ 17 in Ramsey.

I needed lunch. I also needed a cup of their coffee.

I worked my way out US 202 to cut off a bit of 287. The bigger reason to do that is because I used to have family out that way and we would drive 202 because 287 didn't exist yet. If I've never said this, my mother spent the first years of her life in Butler, NJ and we had members of her family sprinkled through that region.

So I enjoyed the few minutes of semi-nostalgia as things have changed quite a bit.

I rolled into the Bridgewater Sports Arena with plenty of time and found a full parking lot. I made my way into the red rink, where the Rockets play, to find that a game was already going on and it was being broadcast. As a result, I couldn't set up. Instead, I grabbed my notes, leaned on the top of a garbage can, and scribbled.

That game went into overtime and the Rockets won it (it was a different level than the one I'd be calling). But late in that game, I noticed the four-sided scoreboard overhead wasn't functioning.

Thus the broadcaster of that game said he'd be joining me to help with keeping an eye on the game clock (he was running the website also). So, thinking I'd be "Scullying" a hockey game, I instead wound up with an analyst I've never worked with and didn't know.

You know the drill with that. There's the whole thing of learning cadence as well as creating chemistry.

I'm not sure how smooth it sounded but we made it work. He (his name was Sean) brought a wealth of knowledge to the broadcast and that was a great advantage to have.

It was over a few hours later, completing my third call since Saturday afternoon, and I began my drive home.

Of course, Sunday night traffic slowed things up a bit in Rockland County for me but I was home by 8 p.m., in time for Steelers/Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.

Which was delayed due to a thunderstorm.

Oh, you bet there was another trip to Wawa before I got home, as Sean (son, not today's broadcaster, was happy to get a sandwich).

Things will be quiet tomorrow but don't worry. 

Things will heat up.

More hockey and more football later this week.

If only I could work in a baseball and basketball call to complete the big four.

Adjusting on the fly, of course.