July 18, 2004 - Dad
Wheeling, WV
I wake up at 7:30 excited to watch television coverage of the final round of the British Open in our hotel. Our schedule allows time to watch most of it.
We are on the road by noon and stop at the Wheeling Casino where they have Greyhound racing. We stay for one race. I bet $5 on number 4 to win and he does. We leave right away so I don’t have a chance to lose the $22 I won.
The next stop is the Cracker Barrel for lunch where the manager donates two meals. The food is not fancy but very tasty and the service is friendly.
Bob:
We’re really at the halfway point calendar-wise today – one month in and about one month to go. We’ve seen 13 parks and a lot of country.
We’re going to a Reds game tomorrow night. There is a Parkinson group that has promised us a host house to stay in, but I haven’t gotten the details on that. If it doesn’t work out the weather looks good for camping tonight.
Dad:
We drive to King’s Island a theme park with a campground just outside of Cincinnati. The weather is warm and it is a good opportunity to dry out our rain soaked gear. Tonight we barbecue, enjoy a campfire and play a game of cribbage. Bob wins again!
Bob:
Checking the big picture to see how many of the states we’re scheduled to touch:
CA, OR, WA, NV, AZ, CO, NM, TX, KS, AR, LA, TN, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC, VA, WV, DE, MD, NY, PA, CT,RI, MS, NY, OH, MI, IN, IL, IA, WI, MN, MO, UT, KY, NE
That’s 38 out of 50 – not bad work for two months. Maybe we should be running for office.
The Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa is just two days away. Just seeing that on the page shifts my perspective. I’m understanding the peaks and valleys of this trip more clearly and with a healthier detatchment right now. I repeat to myself: “Believe”.
Later...
I spoke to Cincinnati Reds Public Relations Chief, Rob Butcher on the phone about our visit. I hoped that he might be able to arrange press passes or aces to interesting parts of the park to show it in its best light, just as we’ve done with all the other parks. He adamantly said he’d never heard of our group or request. I asked if I could fax him over our info (for what would be the third time) and he said “fine” (gruffly). After receiving our media request he called back to say he’d received it at least three times already and sent me e-mails saying they do not honor such requests. He added that he didn’t know if I was checking my e-mails or not, but that’s where he’d sent the info.
I do check my e-mails regularly. I received emails, phones or faxes from every other team. Rob Butcher never sent me an email. Lorrie Platt (with the Reds Community Relations Department, who very kindly got us tickets for the game) did send me emails which got to me just fine.
What’s not adding up here, Rob? I don’t understand how he could go from not knowing who we are to telling me I’m not paying attention to the emails he allegedly sent denying the request he’d seen at least three times in the span of five minutes?
I understand they get a large number of requests and do their best with what they have. I also understand timing – maybe I hit Rob on a bad day? I don’t have any problem with being told no. I do have a problem with being treated rudely, especially with no provocation!
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