Tornado!!!!

Okay, so I have been a camerajockey for around 18 or 19 years professionally. Working in news, especially in the midwest, a tornado is the holy grail. Death, destruction, violence. The trifecta of news criteria. I have chased numerous tornados. I have chased even more that were not tornados but a producer back in the newsroom wished they were.

Never in my many years of working in TV news have I seen a tornado. I was close once back in Green Bay. The first night of broadcasting on WGBA and we have a F-5 go through a small town south of Oshkosh (b'gosh). I was the first TV news camera in the city after it hit. We actually snuck in, the cop asked for a DL to see if we lived there and all I had was an Iowa licence. The cop said NO and then turned his attenction to the next car. I pretended to shoot video of the line up and Preston Rudie, of the ' I can't go to the NFC Championship' Rudies, jumped in the NBC Mobile commisary, and drove toward me. I jumped in and we just drove right in.

Anyway, long story longer, we got to town around 10 minutes after it went through. We were close. Needless to say we spent the next week or two in that town. Oakville I think?

Funny side story, Donna was moving up to GB that same day and drove by the city as the tornado was touching down. She saw that tornado that I was running after. In fact she saw a couple. So this is not Donna's first touchdown.

So this weekend my parents were in town so we decided to go up to the lake and do some boating. The boat did not want to cooperate so we had to take it out of the water and take it to the shop. Right after we got the boat out, some guy comes by the truck and tells me that there is a tornado on the other side of the lake. NO FREAKING WAY!! I do not have a video camera, that figures.
I, of course, ALWAYS have my digi cam in my pocket. Do not leave home without it. You never know who or what you are going to run into.

I run up on the hill and sure as hell there it is. I am so geeked and so pissed all at the same time. I have been chasing these things for so many years just to get to see one and I don't have my video camera. Nutz. I looked at it before I left this morning, but decided to leave it at home.

Amazing. From what I understand it touched down in the middle of a field and did no structural damage to anything. Still it is a Tornado. Dude, I saw Twister. That shit can lift up cows and whole barns. In fact part of Twister was shot in the news studio of WOI where I worked in Des Moines. Actually that part was left out of the movie, but still, it happened. Sonja Heitsusan, of the Dead Moines Heitsusans, was featured in that part of the movie. She even went to Hollyweird to foley some audio for that part, then did not make the movie. I wonder if that made the DVD? Oh well.

There it is my first Tornado. I am glad it was on the other side of Lost Mountain lake. Hopefully next time I will have a video camera and you will see my footage someday on one of those cheesy Action Video shows. Maybe not.

Now, it is Monday, so GET BACK TO WORK!!!!!!

Here is the order for the Entourage Podcasts...

Here is what Sonja Heitsusan, of the Dead Moines Heitsusans, said about my truck getting broken into. Welcome to the dialogue Sonja. It is about time....

Chris –

Long time no talk to. I was reading about the truck break-in. At least the A-hole didn’t steal the entire truck. My car got stolen a year ago. The dude slit the rag-top, stole everything inside (I mean everything, shoes, books, gloves, etc) and told police he picked up a prostitute and had SEX in the car!!! Needless to say, I wished he would have totaled the car, but the police caught him going about 100 MPH down I-235.

So, the moral of this story, it can always be worse. At least you don’t have to power wash the INSIDE of your truck J

Hope all is well -

Sonya Heitshusen

Yup Sonja, I am glad he did not steal the truck. That would have sucked to 8 hours away and not have wheels. As for the cops arresting him for going 100 on I 235, I thought that WAS the speed limit.

Reggie chimed in on the Entourage Podcasts...

I didn’t see Tony Mutz on the list. Considering the situation he is in, it is imperative that a fair man like yourself would put in a placeholder for the time being. Don’t be a dick like Tupac, look where that got him. Dead! Yeah that is right, Ray Lewis didn’t shoot him either.

Also, you visit a friend and subsequently get your “truck” (hauling grain now?) broke into. Sounds pretty suspicious to me, how well do you know Mr. Blashill?

Thanks for allowing me to make the short list, but give up on the I hate the Vikings shit. To you it may be a religious experience, but to me it is an opportunity to get a good nap on Sunday’s during the fall. Yes they are overpaid representatives of our loyalty to the team, but I will be able to walk when I am sixty and they will be zealots of our past entertainment.

I look forward to your litany of questions, however I am concerned with the tone of “smack down” references. If you recall, my role is one of practicality. I don’t smack down anyone for sport.

Finally, because you knew me before I was 18 it is permissible to call me Reggie. All others will refer to me as Reg or Mr. Rudolph. Also, your entourage should have cool nicknames. Like Nordic Man-that is a bad ass nick name, just hope he lives up to it.

Reginal Rudolph, General Manager
McLean Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Thanks Reg, errr Reggie, I hope you get yours during the podcast. You might want to start with the smak because it will help. The bit about Cory sounded suspiciously like smak to me. No I do not haul grain, but I do haul ass. Whoooooooo!!!!! As for Tony, like I said, not sure how to get a hold of him in Iraq. I don't even have his email let alone his digits. I am sure he would hold his own if he was able to participate.

So here it is!!! As chosen by my 5 year old out of my Packer hat given to me by Dwayne Mandrusiak, who got it from Red Beatty the Packers equipment guy. McKenna cannot read much, let alone your names so there was no bias involved in the order that she chose.

So start studyin' your Bon Jovi and your man laws because you are gonna need all your wits about you for this one. Oh, and a bit of Jager might help.

Here it goes...

1. Min Dhariwal
2. Mike Chaussee
3. Nordic Man
4. Trev Doroshenko
5. Reg Rudolph
6. Derek Venckus
7. Cory Blashill
8. Robby DuPuis
9. Mitch Davis
10. Marty Frey
11. Chad Weiser
12. Shawn Hauser