April Fools Eve

Tonight, Steph and I did a practical joke on our senior pastor. This is quite a nerve wracking task to be in on.

Steph is a friend from Woodland Hills who leads a small group like Cara and I do. I've gotten to know her through different church singles events and retreats and what-nots. I also got to know her improv and acting ability.

About two weeks ago, an associate pastor from my church called me with a plan. He asked if I was interested in helping out with a huge practical joke on Dr. Greg Boyd.

The setting was Boyd was going to go to a bar on the first day of the smoking ban and smoke a fat stogy with a couple of other pastors- just to do it (in St. Paul, establishments that make 70% or more on alcohol can apply for an exemption from the ban, their boys night out was obviously in St. Paul). The joke was to have a media crew come up to him and start asking questions about the ban, and once he was on the hook, start to get into some very controversial topics that would just make him squirm. My media connections made me a prime candidate and Stephanie was the first person I thought of for an assailant. I'd be the camera man, she would ask the questions as the reporter.

The caper went down beautifully. Steph led right in, he protested. Greg was getting upset that this reporter wouldn't leave him/them alone and Steph kept pushing. The other two pastors were totally in on it with us and urged him on till he finally started to share his opinion about the ban. She asked him what kind of work he was in and he answered honestly (which was a funny image. Greg telling the media he was a pastor sitting in a bar with a fat cigar in his hand). From that point Steph started asking more direct and controversial questions that have landed Boyd in trouble before- like about abortion. He still didn't catch on. So she finally asked "what is your opinion on April Fools day?" and he realized.

Just then the other pastors came out of the back and everyone was laughing at how well it went. Greg was duped pretty well. We got him.

Coast to Coast on the Way to Work

This has been a strange week pretty much only because my work schedule is giving me jet lag. I've been on the morning shift all week. 4am to 1pm. All week. My sleep pattern has been fish-tailing inspite of seemingly getting enough each 24 hour period.

Today, after work, Cara and I went to apply for our marriage license! What a simple little task it turned out to be.

Green Light from Before You Say "I Might"

Bobo asked Laura to be his wife in October last year and she said yes. I asked Cara the day after Thanksgiving and Cara said yes. The last couple remain- Eric and Keesha. We all knew Keesha had a communication system with Eric about him asking her to marry him. She wasn't ready and would give him a green light when she was. And he wasn't to ask her until he got the green.
So for weeks we've been praying for him and her to get this green light.

Today he received it.

He got a package in the mail with several printouts of different types of engagement rings from different websites and on the front was a note written on a very bright green post-it. It seems hard to mistake what the message is here. So, congratulations to Eric. Now it will be neat to see how he asks her.

Black Friday

It was not a fun day at work today. There were layoffs. For some time everyone was talking about them under their breath, we seem to know they were coming. Everyone heard they were coming on Monday. But then there was an article about it in the Star Tribune and the Hubbards had to do them earlier.

The production department wasn't hit very hard. Losing one director- Kathy. I heard she found out right away and left immediately after. I feel bad for her. I'm not completely surprised she was let go, she wasn't very good with change and she worked slowly. Its just that she's been working here for over twenty years and, not being good with change, I don't imagine she's taking it well.

Another big change for the production department was for Monica. She gained a whole lot more responsibility- our department was merged with Master Control and renamed Operations. So now she is responsible for twice as many time cards and schedules.

It was not a fun day.

South Dakota and Compatibility

This weekend was all about a road trip to Beresford, South Dakota, for a wedding of David, a friend of Cara's. There is nothing in Beresford. Beresford is what exists when you exit off the highway. It was a few roads intersecting between farmland. Out in the middle of one of the fields was an hot old church. It was a nice wedding- David and Kristin.

Our trip there and back again was pretty good. We've found, once again, that Cara and I are quite compatible. We listened to alot of music, talked about our wedding plans, and just talked with each other about anything. I am looking forward to being married to this girl.

music - lets do a list:

• Life Aquatic soundtrack
• Air - Talkie Walkie
• Beatles - Abbey Road
• Cure - Staring at the Sea
  
• Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
• INXS - Kick
• Donovan - Greatest Hits
• Kula Shaker - K
• Pink Floyd - Final Cut
• Genesis - Invisible Touch

12:30 on a Friday Morning

This may be the most frustrating night of my life. It is the night after one of the longest days of work I've experienced at KSTP, not the first time I've pulled a double shift, but one the few. One would think you'd have no problem finding sleep after a day like that, but one could be wrong about that, as well. As you can see by this post, I was wrong.

I can't believe I'm still awake. I have to be at work in 3 and a half hours and I haven't slept for 21 hours. I simply cannot stop my mind. Every single time I feel sleep creeping over me, my mind pushes it away with some thought about work tomorrow. I can't stand this!

We'll see if George Noory will be boring enough to induce sleep. Please George, you're my only hope.

The Last Jay Day

Today was the last day Jay will work at KSTP. He put his two week notice in about three weeks ago and the time has come. His leaving will result in some major changes in the production department- probably more change than anyone else could have created leaving.

Good luck, Jay. Thank you for your knowledge and friendship.
he left us with this:

Dear Friends,
It has been a good 8 year run for me. I want to thank all of you for teaching this farm boy what it means to be part of the news business and giving me the chance to challenge myself. I will miss all the people that I have grown to know and care so much about. Good luck in the future. I'll be watching from Winona.
Sincerely,
Jay Asfeld
Production Assistant
p.s. I wonder what being able to sleep past 2:30am will feel like?

Jay will be missed here.