Sleight of Hand
Posted at 5:30 AM on February 2, 2009
by Dale Connelly
(22 Comments)
Though I would love to be your genial live radio host this week, I have been kidnapped by my family and forced to go on a one week vacation. The shows you will hear on Radio Heartland this week are all recorded. Note that the disc jockey makes no reference to day or time or weather. No tidbits from today's news. Nothing specific about the blog. The programming is virtually content free.
In other words, you may not notice a difference.
Even this blog was written last week and loaded into a computer with instructions to post at an appropriate time. If anyone won the Super Bowl , I don't know it yet, because I'm here at my computer it is last Wednesday afternoon. At this moment I am dumb as a stump compared to you.
Again, you may not notice a difference.
As a messenger from the less-informed past, let me tell you that I'm anticipating a February full of good news. I realize that you have already lived through a little bit of it and you may have had the same optimism I'm expressing thoroughly kicked out of you by now, but I hope you'll pretend with me that things are about to change for the better.
Where am I? That's an interesting question, though the answer is probably not as entertaining or exotic as where you THINK I am.
Any ideas?
Comments (22)
i bet you're out in the goat barn, Dale. you and your family are on a eco-trip to Blackhoof.
while you're out there, please feed the goats for me, ok? thanks and we miss you!
Morning Heartlanders -- strange to think that we're out here blogging alone this week! I've noticed the pre-recorded show doesn't mention that it's pre-recorded. So only the Trial Balloon folks know the true secret?? Barb, hope you had some of the warm weather up there that we had in the Twin Cities the last couple of days. Did the goats enjoy it?
Perhaps - like Uncle Walter - waltzing with bears...
Hello Friends,
I hope Dale's been taken to a location with plenty of sunshine and water. That's where I'd want to taken if I were lucky enough to be kidnapped. Today in first grade the talk of the day will center around the SuperBowl and Groundhog Day.
Here's a song I came across this weekend:
Tune to: (I'm a little Teapot)
I'm a little groundhog round and plump
Here is my shadow here is my rump
Oh I'm a little groundhog short and plump
I see my shadow I see my rump.
My students will love it because it's almost as good as getting to say the word, butt. 7 year olds are so juvenile!
Good Morning!
So I'd like to think Dale is leading one of those Disc Jockies Without Borders efforts in the Brazilian jungles where they don't even have streaming audio much less HD radio.
So the question is, do we try to take over while he is out of town or do we assume that last week's security shortcomings have been resolved? I suppose that Mike Pengra is still managing the pulleys and levers in the background and generally minding the store anyway.
Good Morning treasured listeners and bloggers!
Hope you're enjoying Dale's show this morning. It is pre-recorded, as you noticed. I'm here keeping a tight leash on JASPER and drinking all of the coffee by myself! (look out world!!)
Happy Groundhog Day! Has anyone ever had a groundhog living in their yard? I did. Last summer, I had to trap one of the cute little critters and transport him to a nice wooded area of the Twin Cities. They like lettuce, by the way.
Loved your song, Donna.
oh Donna, you must be a great teacher. i can just see those kids having a great time pointing to their bu.. um, rumps and laughing. - that's very good of you.
weather up here was in the 30s but the high winds (gusts to 43 mph) made it feel lots colder. we keep hoping......
Dale had to work a whole week ahead in order to go on vacation. hope he's somewhere enjoyable.
Hi again,
Wish I could hang around and chat longer but must rush off to school now. Glad you liked the song, Mike and Barb. You're right-on Barb about how the kids are likely to add their individual actions and I'll be shakin it right along with them. You'd do the same, right? We'll sing it Ray Charles style!
Oh, Donna, how lucky you are to have 7 year old humor to warm your winter days. When years ago I was a teacher, I told a Native American tale about Coyote stealing the clothes off a cowboy one layer at a time...when I got to the underwear, the giggles began...good thing that was the end of the story because all else would have been lost in the snickers.
Barb, if Dale is out in your goat barn, bring him west so he can feed my horses, chickens and cats.
The official news from Punxsutawney Phil at Gobbler's Knob in Pennsylvania this morning: Six more weeks of winter.
Six weeks?
Is that all??
Good Morning Heartlanders:
I've been wondering for a while what would happen if Dale goes on vacation -- so, we get pre-recorded Dale, but Mike and JASPER are still on duty. Nice to know there's still some "continuity."
Dale says he's not anywhere exotic, but I bet he's somewhere warm -- how about San Francisco? That would be a nice place to visit now.
Have a great vacation, Dale -- we'll miss you. Thanks for minding the store while he's gone, Mike.
Have a great day everybody!
So now we know the real brains behind the operation, good to know you are there Mike! I have to agree that only six more weeks of winter sounds pretty abbreviated.
Donna does sound like a great teacher, I can just see the little goobers laughing and pointing.
Good morning Heartlanders,
It must be a bit lonely there without Dale, Mike. Of course, I am sure that Jasper is good company. We out in Heartland country at least have the illusion that Dale is with us.
I hope that Dale is in a secluded cabin up in the north woods, cross-country skiing during the day; hoping for a sighting of moose and other wild creatures. The evening would be consumed with the task of eating and sitting in front of a warm fire, sipping hot chocolate and reading a good book.
Maybe Dale has "tied his bedding up in a knot" and has joined his cowboy pals for a week of ridin' and ropin' in sunny New Mexico. He may come home wearing a Stetson, sporting boots with spurs and leading a new side-kick, his horse Pickles.
Mike, is there room enough for the three of you in that there studio?
Mike, I placed my faith in Punxsutawney Phil, and now this! 6 more weeks of winter!
So glad to hear Kelly Willis being played on the show!
As a faithful employee of Radio Heartland, I'm not at liberty to divulge Dale's location. I'm sworn to secrecy. I can, however, imagine Dale enjoying himself with a good book by a warm fire. And, I could see him sporting a Stetson and boots...
Okay, maybe not....
And, in the words, of Eliza Gilkyson, "I am alone, but I'm not lonely." ...thanks to my fellow Heartlanders!
After "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly" came on (offering perhaps a clue that Dale is someplace where he could, in fact, be wearing a cowboy hat as has been previously suggested) I thought I'd check the play list for today for other clues...breadcrumbs in the song titles as it were. Alas, all it says is "Dale Connelly Show." Drat.
Maybe he's someplace where he can pretend it's warm and exotic even though it perhaps isn't like one of those water parks at the Wisconsin Dells where you can pretend you're in the tropics so long as you stay indoors...might even be a fireplace back in the room so you can alternate tropics with "up north cabin" illusions. Nah.
I think I'll go ahead and put Dale in Hawaii for the week - even if it is exotic (and he said he wasn't anywhere exotic), I can pretend that I'm hanging out on the beach, too.
I'm so glad Dale and Mike played Bobby McFerrin's "Blackbird" - I just love that song. And Dale's story about Bobby McFerrin inviting the singer to come on stage and dance - Reminds me of a concert I went to at the old Guthrie, when Keb' Mo' invited a friend in the audience to come up - and it was Bobby McFerrin. They were great together.
Maybe Dale is going to be a surprise guest on some other famous DJ's show?
I was happy to hear the Bobby McFerrin as well. But doubly so because I was lucky enough to score a seat at his concert w/ Cantus at Orchestra Hall this past Friday night. AND, he even ended the show w/ his full rendition of Wizard of Oz! So thanks Mike and Jasper for reminding me of a great show Friday night!
Is that a hint, Mike? If so, he must be in Texas! I lived there for many years, not my happiest. It's too hot (and has lots of biting things), but I guess that is what most Minnesotans need right now (not the biting things). Just don't stay away, Dale!
Hey Mike, and Heartlanders,
Arizona, in front of the fireplace.... boots off...
Would be my guess...
More likely, my guess would be up in the Lutsen Area, for more snow and snow!!!
I wonder where JASPER thinks that Dale is?
Love the show.... and kudos to the groundhog!
No Dale live was noticed right away Monday morning. As He mentioned in his blog entry the show was rather devoid of content. The fact Dale made light of that shows two things: 1. He as always is modest, witty and honest about the show and: 2. Dale LIVE so far has in my opinion sounded hamstrung and muted. It's not just that there is no more Jim Ed either. Dale has ALOT more going for him than MPR is willing to allow on the air. You can see it in his creative blog entries. I think Dale should just "go for it" and start doing a REAL radio show and get on with being the great broadcaster that is dying to come out. ONE blog mention per show would be a good start. Also since we now have Radio Heartland programing 24/7 let's start with some deep cuts. More variety. Where's the Kingston Trio and about a million other artists who do this type of music both old and new? I've been listening to the same 5 Johnny Cash songs for about 5 years. I now know how high the water is mother and he likes his rivers DEEP. Let's move on. The Cash Cannon only has about a trillion songs in it. And that goes for everybody else. And Billy Brag? He's great! Once or twice a week... There is other stuff to play...
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