Because of the Coronavirus, my bucket list adventure, which was supposed to have taken place last month, begins this Friday instead when I fly into Burbank from West Palm Beach.
Hey, why would I want to travel across Canada in November, I’m from there, I know what goes on in November?
I’m staying at the Burbank Marriott, so we’ll be having a birthday dinner together at their Daily Grille along with my son Curt, and my grandson Nathaniel. (pictured below)
The next morning, my son Curt and I (pictured below) will get the rental and head out to Sunland to pick Nathaniel up for a guy day.
Nathaniel wants to tour LA, but I rather doubt he’ll want to visit the places the Beach Boys were singing about that attracted me to California when I was his age.
However, it doesn’t get any better than doing the town with your Son and your Grandson and then ending up CPK in Burbank for dinner. Hell, I’m just happy to be their driver.
Come Sunday morning, my 5000 mile adventure begins as I board the train, find my room, and then settle in as we make our way to San Jose. (see my route in red below)
Once I arrive in San Jose, I’ll be spending a few days with my dood friends, Jim and Barbara Hilliard (pictured above) before moving onto Portland.Â
He’ll be referring to Aug 03, 1981, which was when I left Fairbanks Broadcasting in Indy and moved to San Diego to start my own company.
Barbara, on the other hand, will probably point out once more that my choice of women over the years has been less than formable, and perhaps it was time for me to settle down with an age-appropriate lady. (I’m sure glad she didn’t meet ’em all)
I’ll be reuniting with not only my old pal from Canada, Radio Hall of Famer, Chuck McCoy, and his lovely wife Kim, (Chuck and Kim pictured above) but also with John Erickson, and the legendary Craig Walker from my K103 days. (pictured below)
Chuck and I started working in radio at CKY in Winnipeg around the same time and I’m hoping Kim will be able to tolerate the retelling of how Chuck got his name, and why to this day he still drives a convertible.
Craig, John, and I will probably reminisce about how it took a whole year to get Craig over to K103.
In fact, by the time Craig finally joined us at K103, the folks were so hungry to hear him that he went #1 the moment he hit the air with his news guy, John Erickson. (For the whole story, click on the links at the bottom of the page.)
Hey, and when we get out of the mountains and into the plains of North Dakota, I’ll raise my glass of Canadian Club and Diet coke in a salute as we roll just a little south of my hometown of Transcona.
Yes, it’s true, I did once own a radio station in Chicago for about 15 minutes, but Chicago just ain’t my kind of town. I’d recommend that the folks think real hard about defunding the police department because I’m not sure how they’re gonna defend themselves when the rioting and looting start up again. Anyway, when I arrive in Syracuse (see the train route in red below), my snowbird buddy from West Palm Beach, Bob Thomas, will be picking me up and taking me to his home in Northern Pennsylvania where I’ll spend a few days with him and his wife, Josie. (pictured above)
I’ll also get to reunite with some of the others who visit or like Bob and Josie, spend their winters in West Palm. I’m kinda thinkin’ that there’s gonna be some serious drinkin’ going on.
Once in Jacksonville, I’ll spend a couple of days at the home of the Executive Vice President of CSX Railway, Jamie Boychuk, his beautiful wife Lindsay, and their gaggle of precious daughters. (see a photo of Jamie and Lindsay, and me with the girls below)
Oh, and why you ask would a honcho from CSX allow a scoundrel like me in his home? Well, Jamie like me is from Transcona and he also just happens to be my nephew.
Hey, but maybe I should plan my next adventure while I still can.
https://georgejohns.com/the-blog/k103-part-ii-craig-walker-2/#.XyMLhIchP9E.gmail
Space 513: Hmm it seems like your blog ate my first comment (it was super
long) so I guess I’ll just sum up what I submitted and say,
I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to the whole thing.
Do you have any suggestions for inexperienced blog writers? I’d definitely appreciate it. (Geo’s Bucket List Adventure)
Geo: I’m still learning myself, Space, I’m a storyteller, not a writer, so like my fellow Winnipegger, Neil Young who was constantly told that he couldn’t sing, I just keep doing it.