You Are Sitting On a Fortune, Too.

Merry Christmas!
If that offends you, consider the number of soldiers fighting in Iraq right now and that they are the reason we have a free country where you can believe what you want without fear of persecution.
I pray it always stays that way.

That freedom is part of my new philosophy.

I'll explain in a moment.

First, I had the chance to catch the clerk who sold Jay King the winning Megabucks ticket in a short interview for a news story. The clerk was excited that she had touched a ten million dollar winning ticket, but really bummed out that none of that money was coming to her.

It sounds like the Kings have big plans for that money, but some people are concerned they are going to blow the money and end up back like the rest of us: working to pay the bills.

Well, to that clerk, the Kings and the rest of you, remember this:
We are all sitting on a fortune.

Even if you are without a job, your spouse is overseas, you are fighting a deadly disease or are just feeling low - you have more than you know.

We all have challenges, but was also all have opportunity.
What is a fortune if not a resource that could be worth untold millions?
Your fortune is all around you - kids, family, friends and especially you.
If you are healthy and can work, and have goals for your life, go make them happen.
If you are sick or broke or beaten down by life - you still have the opportunity to inspire.
If you have children, invest in them. They are the most obvious example of a fortune worth protecting and developing.

The money the lottery doles out is only part of what makes people happy.
Often its the work that goes in to becoming successful that makes financial success so satisfying.

So instead of feeling sorry for yourself because someone else won the big prize, look around at the fortune you have already been given and consider that this Christmas.

Run the race to win the prize.

-- Brian

A Civil Christmas Weekend

The Civil War game made for a good start to a busy weekend.
Kyle and I got home at about midnight Thursday, and were up at it Friday morning at about 5. The two of us collected so much sound from the game, it overwhelmed me.
Lets just say by quittin time Friday afternoon, I was ready for a break.
But there was no break.
I was asked to help emcee the Festival of Trees Gala Evening and Auction Friday night.
So after collecting all the kids from school, I had 15 minutes to take a 10 minute power nap.
Have you ever had to hurry up and fall asleep?
Thats when you know you are too busy.
The auction went well. Working with Dan Hern and Kelly Leonard and the folks at the Mercy Foundation was fun. They put on quite a show.
Needless to say, I slept in (6:45am) Saturday morning.
Then, it was on to decorating the house for Christmas.
I insist on two things: everything in the front yard must be illuminated and every light must be perfectly straight.
My wife insists on lots of things, but for this purpose, I'll stick to the big two: every shelf must be loaded with Christmas doo-dads and every box in our storage shed must be shuffled onto the back porch whether it contains Christmas items or not.
Slowly, over the weekend, our house transformed from a cluttered little house into a cluttered little Christmas house.
You'd think we were told told play the role of 'The Holiday Village' at the Festival of Lights.
Only we live on West Sherwood!
Well, my youngest daughter and I spent two days stringing lights on the house and a nice afternoon putting up: a row of lit candycanes, a lit snowman, two string of whte lights in our dogwood tree and another string of insanly large colored lights in the same tree.
That sure doesn't look like alot of work in print. But in reality, it took a schematic drawing (by an 8 year old) three extension cords, one of those electric posts you stick in the ground, a socket with two outlets on it and four bandaids to assemble.
Somehow, all of it is triggered with nothing more than the flip of the front porch switch.
Talk about your miracle season!
Sunday, I took my light stringing partner to family day at the Festival of Trees and that evening we hung our decorations on our tree. My oldest two made peanut blossom cookies and we had a nice dinner.
Deep down I know there aren't too many more years when all three girls are going to be here to do all these traditional things.
But for now, we're ready for Christmas.
Just after I reset the fuse box....

Live From Autzen Stadium!

Kyle Bailey and I left the station at about 1:30. I drove after a quick trip to the house and a change of clothes (from the residue of the am tailgate party at the station) and to grab the family laptop.
We hit some traffic at Coburg off of 105, but took the flyover and beat alot of people to the parking (tailgating) lot.
We had to park on the roadway leading to Autzen because those lots were full.
A few minutes into the hike to the press box, Kyle found The Duck and even though Disney hasn't approved it, he (Kyle) insisted on having his picture taken with the mascot (Duck).

A few steps after that picture was taken, we bumped into this outdoor tv studio where people we don't know were talking on a network or a station we couldn't recognize. Hmm. Hope they had a good show...


After a quick ride up the elevator I hit the OSU radio booth.
Dressed in my green and yellow baseball pullover, I gave Ron Callan and the Beaver believers in Portland a piece of my expertice.
I told them all that Oregon will score late and win 45-40.
This morning I predicted a 45-10 win for Oregon, but I chickened out on the air.
So here's a shot of where I'm sitting in the (slowly filling) press box... The windows are closed right now and it's pretty warm in here.

So now we hang out and eat some free food (usually heavy on the protein and carbs, light on the stuff that prevents scurvy.)

I'll be posting to the blog and facebook and twitter during the game, just to see how many people might care what a guy from Roseburg Ore-gone thinks about the Civil War.

Fair and Balanced. Ha!

I feel bad for Oregon State fans right now.
Since my alignment with the Oregon Ducks, Newsradio 1240 KQEN has taken on a clear green and yellow tinge.
But Roseburg is much more supportive of the Beavers.
That means every time Kyle and I talk about our favorite college athletic program, its about Oregon.
Despite that perceived problem, I hope Beaver fans understand that when OSU does something noteworthy, they will lead the sportscasts and the discussion, just as the Ducks do when there is news about Oregon.
Now that I have issued that disclaimer, I have no interest in remaining fair and balanced ahead of the Civil War on Thursday.
In fact, I have set up a trap for Tom Nelson, or Beaver Tom as his friends know him.
We'll see how many people read my blog by the way things turn out on the morning report Thursday.
You see, I will be in front of the radio station during the Civil War edition of the KQEN Morning Report.
At 8:30, I have invited Tom to the station to represent the Beavers for our morning conversation.
I have invitied Lee Paterson to represent the Ducks.
Only I also have had contact with the Oregon Duck Club.
If it works out like I hope it will, old Tom will head down here thinking he's gonna talk a little trash with Lee and we'll all have a little chuckle and that will be that.
Instead, Nelson will walk into the interview and into the face of a gaggle of rowdy Duck fans with their flags, coats, duck quacker whistles and who knows what else.
Oh the glory!
If you know Tom and you read this, you have a choice.
Tell him of my plan and give him the chance to counteract it or hold back and listen to hear how Tom reacts to being Ducked by the Oregon fans at KQEN.

Don't forget to tune in to the pregame shows on ESPN Radio The Score.
The Beavers pregame airs at 4:00 on 1490 The Score.
The Duck pregame show starts at 5:00 on 101.1 The Score.