We went so far as to have set up our first place on the far east side of Des Moines, when I heard from KJJC.
Changing speeds, we found an apartment on the square in Osceola over the top of a woman's clothing store and next door to Gus and Tom's Pizza. The building had a fire sometime earlier... the apartment was re-built but still a lingering "after the tailgate" kind of aroma.
My first day at KJJC was a week before the wedding. My roommate and best man, Scott, helped me move in. The main thing we learned was that if you are going to move a Hide-a-Bed couch up a single staircase, be sure you tie the bed into the couch before carrying it upstairs.
It was a simple wedding and the reception was cake and punch in the party room at Rhonda's apartment building. From there, it off to a Bed and Breakfast in Adel, Iowa in farm house that was the boyhood home of Bob Feller. Feller is in the Hall of Fame, pitched for the Cleveland Indians after serving in World War II.
On the way to Adel from the reception, driving in my AMC Pacer (oh yeah, very cool - I know!) we went through the drive thru at McDonald's. The girl at the window didn't react at all to a couple still in wedding attire.
KJJC gave me a couple days off - and we went to Kansas City. There it was perfect weather - highs into the 50s. The city was hosting a National Ice Skating competition and pulling out all the stops - we had a carriage ride through the Fountain Square part of the city under twinkling Christmas lights and the stars.
Then Tuesday I was back on the air and Rhonda was setting up our first place overlooking the Courthouse Square. It was the first two places we lived in Osceola, moving from the apartment to a rental house that didn't smell like smoke.
You may have already read the story about the Amtrak derailment - otherwise life settled into a rhythm of getting up early, to work by 5, home after the 8am news for breakfast, then working my beat around town, before preparing for the noon news.
In the 18 months we lived there, Rhonda helped lead the city's version of Big Brothers/Big Sisters and a young boy named Jeff was my little brother. We flew kites, spent time at the station, the park, and thanks to tickets from the station went to a baseball game at Royals stadium.
The small town was a good place to start.
A final lasting memory of Osceola - the local grocery store stepped up at the Clarke County 4-H Fair purchasing a number of hogs and cattle. The following week they were on display. Wrapped in plastic in the meat department. And the images I will never forget was of the meat (when it still on four feet) standing next to their 4-H kid. Yeah, give me some of that, personally I know where it comes from I just prefer not having a face to put with the cuts of meat.
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