Radio Days - Part 3: 3D

I wasn't nervous or anxious in the week leading up to the day of the big game. After all, I had no reason to worry; I knew exactly what I had to do, and was confident that the broadcast was going to go off without a hitch.

I arrived at the radio station to pick up the van several hours before airtime. It was loaded and ready to go for me, but I gave everything a quick check just to make sure that Jeff hadn't forgotten anything. I wasn't going to let someone else's forgetfulness spoil my broadcast.

I pulled out of the station three hours prior to game time, and focused solely on the broadcast as I drove the few miles to the game site. I went over the set up in my mind, and started to map out the order in which I was going to do everything. I didn't even realize that it was raining until it sounded like there were heavy marbles hitting the roof of the van. I kicked on the wipers, and continued to focus on the broadcast.

When I arrived, I pulled the van around to the back of the school and saw the doors that we had parked by a week earlier. I hopped the curb and drove the van down the small decline that separated the lot from the entrance.

I immediately realized that I had made a mistake.

About halfway across the 25 feet of grass the van began to lose traction. I slammed down on the gas in hopes of powering the van the rest of the way, but it was too late. Instead of moving forward, the van's wheels just spun, and the rear of the van began to sway from left to right.

I let up on the gas, threw the van in park, and jumped out to asses the situation. I discovered that the grass that had been on the ground seconds earlier was gone.

There was only mud now.

I knew that the van wasn't going anywhere, but I gave it a futile push anyway. I had no choice after that but to go inside to try and find someone who could possibly give me a hand. It was still 2 and a half hours before tip off though, and the place was seemingly empty. I banged on the rear doors for awhile, and finally went around to the front of the school and discovered a door that was unlocked.

I found a maintenance guy who was of little help. He came outside, looked at the van and said that there was nothing that he could do to help me. I just stood and watched as he walked back towards the school.

I began to worry.

I stood outside for a few minutes and realized that there was a good chance that I wasn't going to get the game on the air. I had no choice but to call Jeff and tell him that I had screwed up.

Jeff seemed calm on the phone.

"You close enough to the school to run the cables to the broadcast table?"

"I think so."

"Do it then. Get the game on the air, and we'll worry about the van later."

"Ok, but that van isn't going anywhere."

"I'll call triple A. You just get that game on the air."

And I did.

My pants and brand new Chuck Taylor's were caked with mud by the time I was done, but I got the set up done with plenty of time to spare. The game went on the air without a hitch, and I was pretty proud of myself.

That is until I got back outside and realized that something still had to be done with the van.

When the flatbed tow truck from AAA finally arrived it promptly got stuck in the mud while it was trying to pull the van out. A second truck was called for and both vehicles were finally pulled from the mud.

I arrived back at the station, parked the van, and drove home thinking that my career in radio was ruined.

Much to my surprise though, the station called me the next week with more work. I kept freelancing and finally got hired on as a full-time engineer. I worked there for nearly five years, set up many more live broadcasts, made friends that I've kept to this day, met a girl that positivly changed my life for four years, and got my own segment on the Saturday afternoon show reviewing movies.

I also put that van through a lot more abuse.

I've been out of the industry for over three years now, but I often think back on my radio days with fondness.

The End?