Home Run for the Homeless

(ABOVE: Channel 2's Taft Price, Liz Bryant and myself are pretending to look like real ball players before the game.)

"Home Run for the Homeless" is an annual benefit softball game featuring alleged local TV news celebrities vs the local radio personalities. This was my first year to play.

The game is played downtown at ONEOK field, home of the Tulsa Drillers. Admission is a $5 donation and free for children.

The purpose of the game is to raise money for the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless. The Day Center specializes in helping homeless people "get back on their feet" so they can become self-sufficient. It offers programs and operates 24 hours a day.

(ABOVE: Liz and me with Julie Chin! Though Julie has "retired" from tv news, expect to continue seeing her all over town.)

Each local TV station volunteers familiar faces to play in the softball game. For this year's game, Taft Price, Liz Bryant and myself represented Channel 2. Al Jerkens, Jason Shackelford, Justin Wilfon and Russ McCaskey and others have played in recent years too.

The radio team was well represented as I recognized a personality from nearly each local radio station. This included my friend Kevin Ward from the 97.1 "the Sports Animal" who pitched. Their "ringer" was former TU quarterback Paul Smith . (Paul also works for 97.1FM, "the Sports Animal.")

In the broadcast booth, Phil and Brent from KMOD along with Roy D. Mercer provided humor at the players' expense.

Probably the highlight of the fun is helping and watching the kids run the bases during the middle of the game! (BELOW PIC)





As far as the actual game, the TV team stopped a losing streak to the radio folks with a 10-1 victory. Our defense played really, really well. Even a few double plays!

I did ok on the night too. I got a hit in every at bat, and defensively, I didn't make any errors at shortstop. (I blame not shaving for my good performance...)

Weather-wise, conditions were perfect with a temperature near 70 degrees, low humidity and not much wind.

Nearly $10,000 was raised for the Day Center. No one got hurt, and everyone had a good time.-- hope to be back next year! :)

Thanks for reading. George

(BELOW: Here is the view from the field. The Tulsa Drillers get nice views of downtown when they play.)

Flower Power: Great bicycle event near Muskogee

(ABOVE: Quality cycling events have quality stuff at rest stops... donuts!)

Flower Power is an annual small town bicycle ride through the beautiful terrain of far eastern Oklahoma. Based out of Three Forks Harbor on the edge of Muskogee, Oklahoma, the ride takes place the last Saturday in April. And it's kinda awesome!

Many cyclists in the Tulsa area consider Flower Power as the first big cycling event of the season.

The internet site http://www.flowerpowerbike.com/ advertises that 300-500 usually ride each year. This year's ride seemed bigger, and experienced riders told me the crowd was among the largest-- credit the nice weather forecast maybe! ;)

On-line registration cost me $30 which included a nice long-sleeve "Dry Fit" souvenir shirt.

You can "late register" on site if needed.

The Flower Power registration area was located inside a modern office-like building at the Harbor, and it offered plenty of restrooms and air conditioning. (I was able to give myself a sink-bath and change clothes after the ride.)

The 9am start time is later that most, and it's welcomed as most riders drive in from out of town. (45 minute drive from Tulsa.)





















Five different ride lengths ranging from 15 miles to 100 miles are offered. The 70 miler seemed to be the most popular. I chose the 50 mile course.

The elevation ranges from 500 feet to 900 feet on the 50 miler with 1200 total feet of climbing according to www.mapmyride.com.

Rest areas are located about every 10 miles. Several ladies from a bank in Fort Gibson offered smiles and the usual rest stop goodies at the mile 20 rest stop.

All rides begin at Three Forks Harbor and make a clockwise circle north then eastward through downtown Fort Gibson then toward Hulbert and Tahlequah.

Most of the roads were very smooth by Oklahoma standards. All riders will encounter short-lived gravel patches between Fort Gibson and Okay between miles 5 to 11. Otherwise the roads are mostly smooth asphalt with little traffic... really, really nice pavement!

The signature highlight of the ride begins near mile 15. Large sweeping curves plunge 200 feet to Fort Gibson Lake Dam. You will easily reach near 40mph without pedaling.

After riding across the dam, you climb up the east side for 300 feet alongside beautiful jagged rocks and under shaded trees. This climb grades near 10%. It's challenging, but doable.

The next section is also quite enjoyable. During the next 10 miles, expect more speed with more sweeping curves and downhills that take you across low water crossings. (Make sure you ride "straight up" across the low water crossings as slippery concrete at the bottom could surprise you. The scenery is ideal with occasional tree canopies, varying shades of green colors, valleys and occasional overlooks. Vehicular traffic isn't a problem.

Though I really enjoyed the 50 miler, I would recommend choosing a different distance. The problem occurs at mid-ride as the course steers you along heavy car traffic and barely shouldered Highway 51. Any other distance avoids this 5 mile stretch between Hulbert and Tahlequah. Try the 70 miler instead!
The steepest climb of the course occurs in the last 15 miles. Nicknamed "The Wormhole", the terrain sharply rises 200 feet in two chunks along a sharp curve. My bike computer registered an 18% grade for the second section of the climb-- I had to walk my bike up the hill! The rest of the course is mostly downhill.

The last rest stop is within 5 miles of the finish, and it's a fun one. Hula dancers provide you with a flowered lei to wear the last few miles!

The last rest area also provides a nice break too as the last few miles are otherwise rather blah. You finish the course riding along the wide shoulder of westbound Highway 62/64 toward Muskogee.

Flower Power ends unceremoniously as you ride back across he starting line.

The end of ride meal back is a winner. You can spread out, wash up, and cool down back inside the Three Forks Harbor office structure. Volunteers serve up a good lunch: homemade hot dogs, chili, pickles, potato salad along with plenty of water, soda and cans of beer if you choose.

You overlook the harbor in a shaded picnic-like setting.Overall I give this ride a four star recommendation.

If you live anywhere near Tulsa, Oklahoma City, NW Arkansas, or even Dallas, this one is worth the trip.

Beautiful scenery, curves, climbs, descents, smooth roads and friendly faces. I'll be back next year!

Thanks for reading. George

Julie Chin :)

(ABOVE: Covering severe weather-- at 1:30am. The KJRH 2 Works for You weather team in 2008. George Flickinger (me), Julie Chin, George Waldenberger, Dan Threlkeld)



I couldn't believe it when Julie Chin told us she was leaving TV. But at the same time I understood and wasn't surprised.

She informed us of her decision a while back. Her eyes filled with emotion. Mine did too.

....

There's no such thing as a 9-5 job in TV.

Julie's morning schedule is probably the most brutal. Wake up at 2 something in the morning for a 10 hour shift. She doesn't "get credit" from viewers for coming into work at 2:30am. Be ready for lights, camera, action by 4:57am.

She's always the first one in and the last one out on the morning shift.

Why arrive so early? It takes about two hours to make a forecast and prepare the data for the newscast. KJRH doesn't hire someone to do that work either as to a meteorologist, that's like someone else doing your homework. There are no "talking heads" in the weather department at KJRH.

If storms are on the radar, her alarm clock goes off earlier-- she arrives at work at 1:30am. Even going to bed at 7pm, that's less than 6 hours of sleep. If it's raining several days in a row, then wow! Lots of extra hours if the weather lives up to Oklahoma standards.

Julie never cut corners behind the scenes either. Better than anyone else in town she researched local events for specific forecasts, planned out exactly what graphics to show and why, searched for ways to engage the viewer on each individual weathercast. And she did it all with her signature smile and natural enthusiasm!

On top of that, everyone requests Julie! She loves her school talks, hosting duties, volunteering and public appearances. She will continue to be a community pillar after her broadcast career is over.

(ABOVE: Julie Chin (w Jason Grubbs) at one of her zillion events. From the Sand Springs Soap Box Derby. Check out the video! I strapped a camera to mini-Storm Chaser 2 to record Julie racing.)

...

Julie survived Tulsa TV for 9 years, and she did the job better than anyone. Need proof? Look at the results-- KJRH has grown to its highest morning ratings ever.

If Julie has future job plans, she hasn't told us what they are. She and her husband are staying in town, that's all she's saying for now.

Need a spokesperson? Hire her. Need a face for your Tulsa company? She's your woman. She'll learn your business plan better than you know it yourself!

KJRH would, of course, love her to stay on as a meteorologist, but she's too good! Her best days are ahead of her.

I think Julie might be smarter than the rest of us too-- she's now putting her life and her family first! (How fun of a Mom will she be?!)

I'll miss you, friend. After you catch up on some sleep, I'll see you around town. I bet you'll be smiling too, Jules! :)

BELOW: What you didn't see on TV-- Julie tucks her microphone pack out of sight into her sock, and she's two phone books tall! ;)

Going "Viral": that wasp picture

(ABOVE: my 15 minutes of fame... forever on the Internet)

You have probably been forwarded emails of funny pictures before, right? How about seeing yourself in one of the pictures-- that's happening to me daily!

The wasp picture on the page was viewed over 600,000 times in one week on one web site alone! Most folks don't know or care who I am, it's just a funny pic of a wasp and a weatherman. It makes me laugh too!

Here's what happened-- last month a wasp flew into the camera shot during a "2NEWS Midday" newscast. The camera is located atop the BOK building in downtown Tulsa.

I've seen wasps and other critters a zillion times before on camera, and I didn't think it was a big deal when the critter flew into the shot. But I had fun with it, "Take cover Tulsa!!", I laughed on air!

Someone else thought it was funny too and snapped a picture of their TV. I don't know who started forwarding the picture. One month later, the picture "went viral" on the Internet.

Several web sites including: http://www.reddit.com/ and http://thechive.com/ picked it up. The picture went from a few hundred to 500,000 views in 24 hours.

I updated my personal Facebook page to the picture-- why not?!

Glad I made someone smile... I don't have choice either, I do BEElieve it's out there forever! ;)

(BELOW: I took this pic a few years ago in downtown Tulsa. The wasp picture was taken from a camera over the 52nd floor of the BOK building in the background.)