Tribute to Tashie

The bandage on Claire's left wrist was quite the conversation starter on our first date. A piece of chicken that had been accidentally dropped on the floor became a trip to the emergency room. Claire assured me that Tashie was a loving, gentle dog... just don't get in the way of her food. And thus began the relationship between Claire, myself and two little dachshunds named Tashie and Roxie.
The dogs weren't initially excited to see me the first time I visited Claire's house. It was as though I was the enemy invading their territory. But after several hours of playing ball and dispensing treats, I was accepted into the family. Roxie would gravitate to Claire for attention and Tashie would become a "Daddy's girl." She would spend long periods of time chasing her squeaky, orange ball, then paw at my leg when she wanted a treat. Tashie would often be the first one up in the morning, rubbing her face against mine, letting me know it was time to eat.
Tashie was also a tough little dog, going through two cancer surgeries and a back operation. After one of the surgeries, when we brought her home, she was still woozy from the medication. I let her outside to take care of business, and when I looked out the window, Tashie was standing on the back porch with a rabbit in her mouth.
Unfortunately time passes. Old age would zap her of energy and disease would take away any quality of life she had left. Tashie had trouble walking and food was no longer an interest for her. It was a difficult decision to make, but thankfully we able to spend plenty of time with her. So now, Tashie is in a better place, running and barking with Roxie, maybe even playing ball. Hopefully no one has dropped any food between the two of them.

Dotte Days

Okay... I admit it... we've been slacking with the blog lately. Sometimes we get so caught up in what's going on around us, we forget about other things. So here is a series of photos from Alan's trip to Wyandotte for Dotte Days.

It took three judges to decide the winners in the following catagories: pies, cakes, cookies, breads and kids division. These ladies tabulated the scores, handed out prizes and stopped the judges from going back for more.


This was the winner in the pie division. It was a caramel apple pie that was still warm. The winner had just taken it out of the oven and rushed it to the contest. Note for next year, bring ice cream.


There were plenty of things to do, but this youngster found his own source of entertainment.

Obviously a little confusion, as this visitor was looking for Doxie Days.


Bill brought a wonderful piece into Good Morning Four States that he had carved. During Dotte Days, he not only displayed his work, but gave a demonstration on how his pieces were created. He has a lot more patience than I do.

Tribute to Roxie

Our home got a little quieter; a little lonelier over the weekend as one of our dachshunds, Roxie, passed away Sunday. If you're a viewer of the show, you know Shannon talks about her cats and I talk about my dogs in great detail. The dogs have been a part of my life since Claire and I began dating several years ago. As long as there's been a Claire and Alan, there's been a Roxie and Tashie. I often get into conversations with pet owners, exchanging stories about our animals and sharing the joy they bring into our lives.
Since we don't have children, Roxie was one of our "kids in fur coats." We fed her, walked her, bought her the occasional toy and provided her a place to sleep, usually next to us, sometimes taking more real estate than necessary. In return, we received unconditional love. If it had been a long day, we knew the moment the door would open at home, Roxie would greet us with a wagging tail. Granted, pet ownership isn't all fun and games as there were moments of frustration. The various accidents, repeated trips outside late at night and a few fights with our other dog. But there were plenty of good times as a reward... walks in the park, a game of ball, a kiss to the face. Roxie would spend many evenings on the couch with us, watching television, burrowed under a blanket.
Unfortunately Roxie had a heart condition, and had almost passed two previous times in the last year and a half. Her breathing was becoming labored, yet her personality remained. In times of illness, she still enjoyed getting our attention.
So thank you Roxie for the joy and happiness you gave us for the last nine years. May the squirrel chasing be good in your next stop.

Cow Appreciation Day

A big thanks to all who participated in our broadcast at Chick-fil-A for Cow Appreciation Day. Several people were nice enough to get up early and dress like cows for the sake of the show (and some Chick-fil-A food). One young woman was even celebrating her birthday that day. I've included a few photos from the fun... too bad I had to give the cow hat back.

Tulsa Contest

We are giving our Facebook fans and blog readers a chance to register early for our July Tulsa contest. The link is listed under "Favorite Websites" to the right. This month's trip includes passes to the zoo, aquarium and Tulsa Drillers as well as hotel and shoppping. The trip is worth about $350, so you'll definitely want to sign up. The entry deadline is July 23 with the winner announced on Good Morning Four States Friday, July 24. Good luck!

Dachshunds Still Cute Even When Sick

If you are a regular viewer of Good Morning Four States, you know we are both animal lovers. Shannon is the proud owner of two cats while Alan has two dachshunds. Alan's dogs have had their share of health problems over the years, with the older dog having cancer surgery (twice) and back surgery, while the younger dog has a heart problem. Health issues struck the younger dog earlier in the week when she collapsed in the backyard. Fluid has built up in her lungs, making it difficult for her to breath. At one point, the vet didn't think she would pull through. However, after a couple rounds of medicine and time spent in an oxygen tent, she is back at home, running around the yard and chasing squirrels. Alan thought he would share a picture of her resting in the oxygen tent. She's a little fighter. A big thanks to the people at Banfield.

Delicious Pot Pie

This morning on the show, part of our discussion was on pot pies. Granted, the off-air discussion lasted a little longer than what you, the viewer, got to see. I ate plenty of pot pies in college and really didn't have much of a desire to have one ever again. However, one of our viewers may have changed my mind. This photo was taken in New Orleans, while the sender was vacationing. It's a pork pot pie that was enjoyed at an outdoor cafe on Canal Street. Looks delicious.

Princess for a Day

On our Monday show, we were live at Chick-fil-A, helping prepare for their upcoming Princess Party. Judging by the photos that Tammie Felker (Marketing Director) sent, they had quite a turnout for the Tuesday night event. Several of the employees were kind enough to join us for the broadcast on Monday, and pose for a few photos.

June BBQ Winner

June's BBQ winner was Abbey Title in Joplin. Once again, Richard brought in tons of yummy food for our hungry winners.

Along with the usual array of pulled pork, pulled pork Richard's style, baked beans, fresh coleslaw and brisket, Richard added hot links and beef links to this feast.

No meal is complete without dessert! Richard also added some delicious apple cobbler and strawberry parfait.

We draw the next winner Friday, July 3rd, so enter your office now!

Give Me That Fish!

Ok, so I've talked alot about my recent vacation. Here's what happened:

Day one: We decided it would be a good idea to go Arkansas and dig for diamonds. Basically, the state park is about 40 acres... of dirt. Yes, we paid to dig in the dirt and sift it through screens into a bucket. Then at one point, we were elbow deep in dirty "diamond" water, washing off what we hoped would be a winner. No such luck, although a two year old Yorkie named "Tipper" coughed up one that was 1.5 carats.

Day two: We made it to New Orleans! Matt took this picture. For some reason he always takes pictures of bridges --- while we're driving on them.
Day three: FISHING TRIP!!!! Something I was totally excited to do, since part of the day would be a swamp tour. The fishing was fantastic, despite the poison catfish. We were actually fishing for what they called "Reds" and "Speckleds." I actually caught the biggest fish of the day!

But of course, it was the gators that fascinated me. Captain Chris spotted one and managed to get it to bite down on the cork and drag him over so I could get a closer (but not too close) of a look. It was pretty sweet!

Then it was home again!

Latest Tulsa Contest

Our latest Tulsa contest is officially online, but you don't have much time to register. The winner will be drawn on Thursday, June 18 for a fabulous trip to Tulsa. The package includes 4 tickets to the Tulsa Zoo, 4 tickets to see the Tulsa Drillers, 4 tickets to the aquarium, hotel, breakfast and more. If you'd like to register, go to our website listed to the right and click Contests. All the details are there. Get registered and best of luck.

Cute (Dogs) Is What We Aim For

Cute animals are a good way to increase traffic to your blog, so here are adorable dogs.





These were the first dogs that I've photographed that were not my own, which caused a bit a jealousy at home. The animals you're seeing were part of the Dog Parade last weekend at the Murphysberg Porch tour. I was one of the judges, which is not an easy task. The winners are always happy, and the rest of the entries... well, that's another story. Baby contests are far more difficult. But everyone that participated appeared to have a good time. Not all of the dogs present had owners, as the Joplin Humane Society brought some animals that were looking for homes.






The dog eating the hot dog was the most energetic, while the sleeping one didn't get to sleep too long as a couple of its siblings woke it up shortly after this picture.

May Barbecue Winner

For the month of May, we took the trip to Holiday Inn. It was a lunch that had to be rescheduled thanks to the "lovely" storm that ripped through the area May 8th. KODE, Holiday Inn and Richard all reported having electricity problems that day. But we made it to feed the hungry crowd in Joplin. As you can see, the set up was ideal, with a buffet line and room for all the delicious food Richard brought with him.

Richard always likes to throw in a few surprises for his barbecues, with something a little different each time. He says since the weather is starting to heat up, he decided to add a few lighter dishes. A broccoli salad and an awesome fluffy strawberry shortcake. Mmmmmmm.

Matt At His Busiest!

Apparently, putting on the most awesome morning show is exhausting!



Earlier this month, Shannon and Alan took a road trip to check out Fantastic Caverns in Springfield. We took Photog Matt with us to record the whole experience. We didn't even hit Carthage before a soft snoring started floating from the backseat. Prepared like a Boy Scout, Shannon broke out her digital camera and snapped a few pictures to share with EVERYONE!



There's no sleeping in TV!

Of course, Matt did finally wake up when Shannon demanded a pit stop, and managed to shoot a couple of interviews at Fantastic Caverns that you can check out later this month on GMFS.

The News Program That No One Saw

A newsroom can be a hectic place, especially when a big story breaks. But Friday added a few more obstacles to the usual chaos. The outbreak of storms started out fairly small, virtually exploding as it hit the Four State area. At one point during the morning, most of the area was under a thunderstorm warning. Not a watch, as is common, but a warning as the storm roared through the area.
GMFS had ended, but we were still in the studio finishing our taped segments. In between these segments, we'd break into Good Morning America for a weather update. In the middle of one update, I was trying quickly get the information on the air, in the midst of flashing lights. You could sense the power would soon disappear, and just as I finished talking about the tornado warning... poof. KODE was in the dark.
Word of the collapsed tower had filtered into the building as did members of the KSN morning staff. Over the next hour, reporters, management, and other co-workers began to appear. Even though the station was without power, a plan was being organized for the storm coverage. Cell phones and flashlights lit up the newsroom as calls were made to emergency management personnel around the area. Reporters were sent to various areas in Joplin, Carl Junction, Southeastern Kansas and beyond, with a helicopter also employed with the help of St. John's. The number of reporters was starting to outnumber the amount of available cameras. But every staff member that was available made their way into the station.
By about 9:30, through the magic of a resourceful engineer, we had 4 computers and a small table lamp operating from the generator of our live truck. The phone system was back up to receive the sea of phone calls that would follow. But even with all this effort, the station was still without power.
A short, one minute news insert was created, but as the reporters returned, that number slowly inched toward five minutes. A portable editing machine was added to our lone power strip as tape was assembled as quickly as it was arriving. Still, there was no prospect of when any of this would ever air.
By 1:00, attention turned to putting together a 5:00 p.m. newscast, which was an easy task given the amount of material. Storm damage, flooding, personal stories were all part of the plan. At 3:00, another live van was brought in to power our edit bays, thus giving us more opportunity to put stories together. By the time I left at 4:00, the window of opportunity for even a 6:00 p.m. was closing quickly.
And as luck would have it, the station would not regain power until Saturday afternoon, meaning we were unable to air any of these stories on Friday. Many of the stories would be seen on Saturday while several would find the website. Truly a team effort between two stations in some bizarre circumstances.

For Dish Viewers

Here's the story we ran Tuesday about the Dish Network situation:

WHEN THE TOP OF THE KSN NEWS TOWER FELL, IT DAMAGED THE DISH NETWORK EQUIPMENT MOUNTED ON THE BOTTOM SECTION OF THE TOWER.
THE FIBER-OPTIC CABLE WAS SNAPPED IN TWO AND THE ANTENNAS WERE ALSO ALL DAMAGED.
THE POWER OUTAGE AT THE KSN BUILDING IS ALSO HAMPERING RECOVERY EFFORTS.
FOR NOW DISH NETWORK CUSTOMERS ARE RECEIVING PROGRAMMING FROM SPRINGFIELD.
BUT CREWS SAY THEY ARE WORKING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO RESTORE LOCAL ABC, CBS, FOX, AND PBS PROGRAMMING.
LOCAL NBC PROGRAMMING WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL KSN NEWS IS BACK UP AND RUNNING IN ABOUT 30 DAYS, BUT PROGRAMMING FROM ANOTHER AFFILIATE WILL BE AIRING.

Holy #%&@*!!!!

It was a surprise to find the crew from "Hometown Today" huddled at the KODE back door, considering that they were usually still on the air at that time. It was even more surreal to discover that they had to abandon their building due to fear of a tower collapse. As you know, the tower did come down, but the building had been evacuated, so there were no injuries. Unfortunately, part of the tower landed on a nearby home as well as the KSN building, creating a studio skylight in the process. Not only has this knocked KSN off the air, but it has also affected all the local stations for DISH viewers. No idea when KSN will be back on the air, but I know crews are working hard to restore the signal. And judging by the amount of traffic, people have been curious about the results of this misfortune. When I snapped these photos, I was steering clear of the workers trying to restore some sort of order. I'm sure you'll find better pictures elsewhere. Again, it's amazing that no one was injured in this incident.

Tulsa Trip

In case you've missed it, we're giving you a chance to win to Tulsa and enjoy Mayfest. The trip includes VIP passes to Mayfest, hotel and a few other goodies. It's all worth about $300. If you'd like to get registered, go to http://www.fourstateshomepage.com/content/gmfs/contests. Remember, the deadline is approaching very quickly as the drawing will be on Wednesday, May 13.

Free Denny's Breakfast

If you're a regular viewer of the show, we have a surprise for you Monday morning. Apparently the Denny's in Joplin is going to re-open on Monday morning at 7:00 a.m., and they will be giving away a year's supply of Grand Slam breakfasts (one Grand Slam a week for a year) to 100 people. As luck would have it, one of those gift boxes is making its way to Good Morning Four States. So be ready to win on Monday, at around 6:10 a.m., for your chance at a year's supply of Grand Slams (again, that's one Grand Slam a week for a year) courtesy of Denny's. We're only telling people on this blog and our Facebook page when the giveaway will occur, so you're receiving secret information.

Truckasaurus

As we mentioned earlier in our blog, Dan Greer has many vehicles at his disposal. The giant van was the first "trading picture."

Now, the second in the series, check out Truckasaurus!

You really just need to be here when Dan pulls this monstrosity onto the parking lot. Out climbs an adult, usually in a shirt and tie. I'd need a stepladder to get into this thing.

There are a few more vehicles in the Dan Greer collection. Collect all four!

April Barbecue Winner

While we've received the most amount of entries from Joplin, April marked the first time in the contest that we made a delivery to Joplin. This month, the lucky people in the Teacher Education Department Office at MSSU got to enjoy barbecue from Richard's Hawgwild. Apparently, someone in the department was celebrating a birthday, so along with the barbecue were a couple extra desserts.

And Richard brought another unique item to lunch; this time it was Italian sausage.


If you haven't entered yet, we're drawing our next winner on Friday, May 1.

DIY Diva Gets a New Accessory

Of all the tools and accessories owned by the DIY Diva, a hard hat is one that's been missing, until now.

Thanks to the kind folks at Commercial Metals Company (C.M.C. Recycling in Joplin) that dream has now come true. They even put her name on it!

You know the Google "button" is a favorite at Good Morning Four States, so for those who are curious, a little history lesson on the hard hat:

The first hard hat was created by Edward Bullard in 1919. He patented a “hard-boiled” hat, created through steaming canvas with resin, gluing several layers together which provided that hard molded shape. Although useful, it wasn't until 1933 that the idea of head protection really took center stage. That was the year construction started on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It was the first construction site that required safety helmets.

The rest is history, let's just hope the hard had won't be needed on the set of Good Morning Four States.

See Our Set!

Over the years, several hundred people have made themselves comfortable on this piece of furniture. In fact, many guests have commented on our couch and how they could easily fall asleep on it (I hope it's due to the early hour and not our company). We've even caught a few people napping on it. Now the couch has gone through one modification over the years, and one you can't see on air. We used to have a problem with guest getting lost in the couch and sometimes, it was a struggle for them to escape it's comfort. But through the magic of the DIY Diva, we slapped a board under the cushions to help guests sit upright. Which unfortunately is not true of the chair that Shannon and Alan occupy during interviews. If anyone should fall asleep, we will get photos and post them. So if you're a future guest, you've been warned.

Mother's Day Contest

Okay, we ran out of time this morning to talk about our Mother's Day Contest. However, if you are interested in entering, we're giving you a heads up on the blog (you lucky blog reader). Go to our website at www.fourstateshomepage.com, click News, then GMFS, then Contests, and you'll find all the information. I won't tell you everything about the contest here, but Dairy Queen plays a big part.

The GMFS Dinner Party

I think that "The GMFS Dinner Party" would be a perfect description for the show we did on Wednesday as added some class to the proceedings. First, there was the wonderful music from the Youth Orchestra of the Four States. They didn't have much room to work with, but their director told us they've performed in a living room before, so it wasn't much of an issue. Just a brief snippet from their upcoming performance this Friday & Saturday, March 27 & 28.





Then there was Damien in the kitchen, courtesy of Chatter's. While Shannon and Alan both enjoy cooking, I seriously doubt they could move through the kitchen as gracefully as Damien. Alan is constantly amazed at the speed in which he works.



And when Damien finished, he created a delicious blackened tilapia with shrimp and rice. The dish had a slight kick to it, but the spice didn't over-power the fish. As can be expected, Shannon stayed away from the tilapia and picked the beans out of the rice dish. The only things missing: a rich dessert and maybe some wine.

KODE Vehicle Collector Pictures! Collect all Four!

OK. Everyone has their own taste in cars. Some go for flashy, others speed, and some are lucky if their car makes it to work on a daily basis. However, there is one KODE employee who has the benefit of chosing a vehicle that suits his mood.

Meet the many modes of transportation of Dan Greer. We know of at least four vehicles that he has at his disposal. And like a box of chocolates, ya never know what you're going to get. So, we're going to take pictures!

Vehicle #1: Not his normal mode of transportation. In fact, this was the first time we've seen this ginormous van. We had to stand in the middle of the field behind KODE to get the whole thing in the shot. I guess the only question is... How many KODE Clowns can fit in this thing?




Be on the lookout for the ever-elusive TRUCK-A-SAURUS!

Conversational Ping-Pong

You've probably heard us mention this several times during the program; about how our conversations off-camera go all over the spectrum. Our guests are usually entertained by how we bounce from one topic to another in a relatively short span of time. It's hard to explain it during the course of the program because these discussions don't always follow a logical path.
This morning, and I don't remember what started it, we got on a tangent about school computers. Shannon remembers having the old computers with the bright green screens while Alan was too old to have a computer in the classroom. Then suddenly Shannon began talking about a piece of PE equipment that amounted to a wooden square with wheels attached it. Alan vaguely remembered those items from school, but in high school, they got to play floor hockey, which provided a different set of dangers.
The conversation veered into school playground equipment. When Alan was in elementary school, they once put a mound of dirt behind the school, which the kids would play on. And all that took place in a two-minute span.
Later in the show, the off-camera topic was a philosophical discussion on zombies. Do all zombies eat brains? Why don't zombies eat other zombies? Why do zombies move so slow and would they be faster if they were cheetah zombies? Why are they called the "undead"?


Keep in mind, we do talk to our guests about the event they're here to promote, so it's not all crazy talk. But sometimes our guests do join in. Others sit quietly, either amused by the banter or thinking we're insane. I often fear the latter.

March Barbecue Winner

For the month of March, Shannon and Alan traveled to Cottey College in Nevada. Alan hadn't really spent much time in Nevada, stopping there once for gas on a return trip from a Chiefs game. Shannon, on the other hand, used to report in the area and oddly knew all the rest stops. You can tell there was a good crowd, but for some reason, Alan always takes the "Crowd at Table" photo at the same angle.
Richard always likes to bring a few extra surprises with him, and this particular time, it was macaroni & cheese as well as a tray of meatballs.



Cottey College was actually on Spring Break and several of the faculty and students were off in Italy. Those remaining on campus were determined to have fun and apparently had some sort of sculpture contest. Since we like food, here's a Leaning Tower of Pizza.




Richard gets really excited about barbecue and loves to talk about it. We don't blame him because the food is quite good. All of our winners would agree. Here is Richard preaching the gospel of barbecue.