Catching up – Convention

Of course, I showered immediately after loading hogs. In a few days, I would go to the newspaper convention in Des Moines. My leaving the business also mean leaving the board I was about to become president of. The foundation. I’d knew I’d miss not being in the game, but was heartened by the people coming onto the board to take my place.

The convention was held at Marriott in Des Moines. With GPS, I still managed to take a few wrong turns. Upon arrival, I lined up the picking up of the computers and monitors belonging to we who had retired early. I remember the rough transition from the Mac to a used Dell, but somewhere along the way, I’d become the family expert on Windows 10. Thanks IT.

Then it was three days of visiting with colleagues. I really had to work to come up with a good answer on what I was going to do. The best I could come up with was pointing and saying, “This.” Another paper? A website? I couldn’t say. Would I move? Well, I’m sort of locked into Van Horne. It’s where all of my stuff is.

I still attended sessions. I make a point to attend the sessions, if I can, with colleague Abigail, who started at our papers, moved on to be an editor, and now is a publisher and board member. We caught up on sessions we couldn’t attend together. There was a great session on the ever evolving grocery business. Structuring a good sentence is something I alway working on. And development? Will Iowa and small towns bring in the big businesses and jobs? Or should it work for “smart shrinkage” as our towns and main streets get smaller. And in Iowa, SE Iowa is looking for traditional development and jobs. In NW Iowa, they are looking for people who will do jobs.

I still believe there is no other business that it’s the job to keep it’s fingers on the pulse of all things, large in small, in a community

There were some who envied me, and wondered if they were going to face the same decision soon. While drinking coffee in the reception area early one morning, the first song to play was “Already Gone.” A publisher asked me, “Is that prophetic?”

Music is becoming a bigger part of what I do. We welcomed a New York vendor into our Iowa Watch Band, which entertains at the presidential reception on the 31st floor of the Marriott. We backed a classically trained vocalist on “Summertime” and “Dream A Little Dream.” In answer, all I could muster was my fake opera voice on “No More Rice Krispies.” Our New York friend also led us on a song which had C# minor. For we three-chord hackers, it was a challenge, but managed and grew in the process. It just allows me to use the other side of the brain. Granted, there are those who doubt that I use either side of the brain.

It felt good to see the large turnout for our legislative reception. My friends from both parties showed up and we had a good talk. When Tim, Liz and I do get together, the topic is mainly music. As it should be.

The convention also included a roundtable, divided by circulation, on newspaper topics. The small weekly table was full, so myself and a Grundy Center editor instead discussed Iowa history, music, and Scorcese movies, and we were soon joined by my former boss.

As I left the convention, she asked if I’d be be back home in time to get a few show choir pictures for her online paper in Indianola. Well, I’m all about time for a while.

I also wore a suit for one day, which really threw people off. I was going to present several awards at the noon banquet. Thanks to Susan and INA crew for keeping me in the loop.

I was lucky enough to avoid the weather on the way down and back. This week, we just plain got hammered with snow and wind. One day, the snow was falling sideways from one direction. Then it was blowing the other direction the next day. It really confused the birds in my backyard.

During these days, a good start is to visit the Legion boys at the hall. They get wound up on coffee, and to assure they get even more wound up, they have Fox News on in the background.

A local resident walked in one day and saw the large group around one table. He observed, “The fire department sets limits on occupancy. Who sets the limits on ugliness?”

In the meantime, I’m straightening things out, cleaning, and occasionally picking up a guitar when the radio plays a song I want to figure out. “Just One Look” and “Detroit City” have been on my list lately. We had fun with my final gig at the Ladora Bank and Bistro on Sunday, and am working all week to get ready for the big gig at Highland Ridge, Williamsburg. It’s the castle on the hill there.

At the gig, I’m also delivering the first-place plaque for Joe Petz, who earned this for his sports coverage the past year. In a business where you mainly hear about what we’re not doing, it’s great to see someone who thinks what we do is some of the best work in the state. Joe did this for decades. Hats off to Joe.