Just sharing a few random things that happened to me this week.
First off, on Saturday I got a text from a Swift County Fair board member asking if I’d be interested in judging the pie contest again in a few weeks. It took me all of a microsecond to text back: ABSOLUTELY! I think this makes 10 or 15 years in a row now, and I’m just so thankful they keep asking me back. I love doing it every year.
Now, in all seriousness, Swift County takes their pie contest very seriously. These folks can bake! My fellow judges actually know what they’re doing in a kitchen, and I’ve learned a lot from them over the years—mostly that the key to everything is in the crust. The fair can’t come fast enough.
I also spent time in Redwood Falls this past week covering the Jr. Legion baseball tournament, following our Madison and Canby teams. The coaches, parents, and grandparents were so appreciative of Q-92 broadcasting the games. We had a great crowd listening online, too. One Canby gentleman came up to me Saturday and said he was actually at the Twins game on Tuesday, watching Major League Baseball while listening to us on his phone! You’ve gotta love local sports fans and technology that you can listen to KLQP anywhere in the world on your phone!
Then came a funny moment before Saturday’s game. I was all by myself in the press box getting my radio equipment set up. Now, just beyond the left field fence is a big aquatic center with slides, a pool, and a shelter with picnic tables. All of a sudden, a young mom comes running into the press box completely out of breath, flustered, embarrassed, and apologizing up a storm about “the kites in left field.”
She mistook me for someone in charge of the tournament! It turns out she was throwing a kite-flying birthday party for her daughter at the park shelter, and every kid got a kite. Looking out the window, I could see a whole swarm of them in the sky beyond the left field fence—which was pretty cool—but sure enough, two of them had crash-landed right on the field where the boys were warming up. She was terrified her party was ruining the game.
I assured her the game hadn’t started yet and everything was just fine. She apologized about five more times, but I thought it was hilarious. And honestly, what a neat idea for a birthday party!
I recently reconnected with my friend Boyd Huppert from KARE 11. When he posted that he was working on a story about Johnny Holm, I couldn’t help but laugh and tell him he’d need way more than three minutes to capture that legendary person.
Then, a wild coincidence landed in my lap.
If you remember, a few years back—I’m thinking it was 2016—at the Section cross country meet in Luverne, one runner collapsed just steps from the finish line. A rival runner immediately stopped, picked her up, and helped her across the finish line, knowing full well it would cost her a higher finish. Both runners were disqualified. I happened to be calling the race at the time, so I captured the moment with my play-by-play and the video. Boyd Huppert later turned it into one of his unforgettable Land of 10,000 Stories features, and the story went viral. It was featured on national television and, before long, had spread around the world.
The best part is I heard this week that the young woman who stopped to help will actually be a bridesmaid in the other runner’s wedding in just a few weeks. One remarkable act of sportsmanship turned into a lifelong friendship. That’s a pretty special ending to an already incredible story.
I immediately pitched the update to Boyd. He was thrilled and is already looking into a follow-up feature. Boyd really is the master of his craft—a incredible storyteller and an even better human being. The story is below by clicking on the link.
My life is never boring. There’s always something unique around the corner, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I sure do love my life.
Raymo's Ramblings 