From 5:30 – 10 AM, the morning show on 104.7 The Cave is hosted by Mike the Intern. Mike’s an MSU grad with a degree in Mass Media Production which hopefully means he can make my voice not sound so shaky. I always get nervous. I have learned to embrace that quirky aspect of my personality.
The Bryan Family Millennium Falcon has been having some issues. It’s going to the shop tomorrow for the check engine light and to have the brakes looked at. But the weirdest issue concerns the radio. Ever since school started, we have had no radio service, which means morning commute music has been provided via CD or listening to the soundtrack of The Greatest Showman from Kaylea’s phone. Within the last couple of weeks, however, the radio has been coming back. Some days, only one station will come through, no matter which pre-set button you push, and there’s no guessing which station that will be ahead of time. Other days, the radio acts like a radio is supposed to act, discerning the different frequencies and relaying them to our ears.
Each time we start the van, it’s radio lottery.
Today was a day of silence. No stations, period. So I didn’t get to listen to anything Mike the Intern said while driving the Falcon full of kids to school and then back across town to the radio studio.
Mike is a Chiefs fan and works at the station that carries the Chiefs games. We rehashed the game against the Rams, which is hopefully a Super Bowl preview, and made fun of the quote on the white board in the studio.
“The Chiefs will not make the playoffs.”
Written on January 31, 2018 by a Raiders fan who also works at the station.
I know that anything can happen on any given Sunday, and especially so at a game in Oakland, but this week my operant-conditioned Chiefs’ pessimism is pretty low.
Mike told me his story of 1000 selfies in a month with 1000 different people. From an O’Reilly’s employee luncheon to the Rock’n-Ribs Festival, Mike diligently kept track of how many people he had snapped, which earned him a $400 bonus from the studio.
I am not aware of the possibility of any catch-playing bonuses this year.
After the interview in which I did my best to honor the book-writing Muse, we stepped out below the tower for catch. Mike last played catch with his daughter, throwing a football on Thanksgiving. In bright sunshine and no wind, he told me of his younger brother who is a Broncos fan.
A divided family.
“He says he cheers for both.”
Mike and I both know that’s impossible.
Sports fandom creates some of the best, most awkwardly ridiculous conundrums.
Mike extended the invitation for a second interview once the book comes out. I gladly accepted.
In the meantime, I’ll finish living out this catch-playing year of inspiration and then place my rear end in a chair and start getting words on paper, trusting that the Muse will honor both heart and hard work.
You can listen to the interview here.
