Questions Some People Ask

Last summer Dale and I were interviewed by a reporter from the LA Times. Many of her questions were along the lines of "were we worried about repercussions?" Seriously, she asked specifically about repercussions for Rain, or for us as far as our careers, or Rain's future wife, or the guys that Rikki dates.

Repercussions? Really? Maybe we hadn't thought this out so well? We certainly didn't expect the widespread audience we received...

Our real thoughts? Well, it's a fun talking point. We certainly didn't do this in a vacuum--what goes on the internet is certainly there for the world to see, as we are very aware. This has been a life experience for Rain (and us), so it's not like it's going to be a "secret shame" that my employer (or future employers) will "find out about," or the girls Rain dates will "discover." It's now a part of who Rain is and who Dale is. Kind of like "oh, my dad is crazy about golf," or "my dad is quite the coin collector." Rain's dad is "the wave at the bus guy." Rain's dad is funny. Rain's dad is creative. Rain's dad likes to laugh. Rain's dad has the dedication to see a prank through to the end. Rain's dad waved goodbye to his son. Every. Single. Day.

Dale, Rain, and Riot on Mother's Day 2012. Loved the matching pink ties!

Happy (belated) Father's Day!

Hey everyone, this is Rikki! It’s my first post on this blog, and it’s obviously a little late... but that’s because I was spending the day with my dad! This post is pretty much to brag to you about how great my dad is and how much I love him. Because this is what happens when I’m asked to do a Father’s Day post.

I don’t know if you are all aware, but I have one of the greatest dads ever. He is funny - I’ve known that my whole life, just like my little brothers have known. He loves his games (y’know... football... baseball... basketball). He loves to play outside with us (for example, on Saturday we practiced batting to help Ryatt with his baseball skills!). He loves to go on “Juice-runs” (our soda fountain drinks from the gas station runs), and I love to go with him on those and just spend the time talking with him. We love to watch movies and TV shows together.

He took me to my first rock concert, and he bought me a hoodie and a t-shirt there because I thought they were cool. He and I introduce each other to new music all of the time. He’s helped me with my car and taught me more about it than anyone else. He’s helped me to move to college and back, even though I have far too many things that I pack. He’s always there to listen. He’s always been there for me, and he always will be. I’ve always been his little princess, and I always will be. He’s always supported me in everything I do, and I am so grateful for that.

What it comes down to:
I have the best dad ever.

Behind The Wave Podcasts Explained

In 2010, I told Dale that I was going to post the photos of him waving at the bus to a blog. He said, "What's a blog?" He knows now.

Last summer Dale did a TON of radio interviews and, fun as that was, it can be a little frustrating to have the radio host control the dialog, not to mention the limited time for conversation and explanations. I threw out the idea that we start a podcast. Dale said, "What's a podcast?" He knows now.

For those of you that may be new to podcasts, it's just our own little radio show. In our case, we sit in a room with a microphone and tell stories. We then upload these recordings to a host site where anyone in the universe (with an internet connection) can listen to them or download them. They are free! And commercial free, too. Some people listen to podcasts as an alternative to talk radio, or to learn more about their favorite hobbies. Personally, I enjoy listening to running and fitness podcasts. My brother has produced podcasts that teach the Spanish language (he is a Spanish teacher in Mesa, Arizona). I have a co-worker that listens to scrapbooking podcasts. Whatever your interest, there's probably a podcast for you. And if you follow our blog, then our podcast is probably for you.

Dale and Jeff, "in Studio" (our basement).

What do we talk about? We do NOT have Dale offering up his wise parenting advice. We do, however, share stories about some of our family activities (like in our latest podcast, where we talk about our Memorial Day weekend camping trip).

Here's how the show (typically) shapes up:

We start the show off with what we call the "Bright Feeling" section. This is our listener feedback section. Its title was inspired by one of our international facebook friends. This friend commented that he saw the wave at the bus blog and "it became the bright feeling." We loved the way that phrase translated into English, as it creates a picture far beyond words such as "it made me laugh" or "it made me happy." "It Became the Bright Feeling" seems to inspire so much more! We hope to continue to share and create "Bright Feelings" with our blog readers and now with our podcast listeners.

Our next section is the "Surf Report," which is where we share current events. Dale shares What we've been up to with birthdays, holidays, and any other current activities.

Our main content is the "Story of the Week." Now that we've decided to record the podcast monthly, this may change to "Story of the Month," but whatever. ;) Usually these stories will be from Dale's life. While not always grammatically correct (to Rochelle's chagrin), Dale knows how to tell stories. And boy does Dale have stories to tell. Dale was born in Hawaii, raised in both California and Hawaii, and spent his adult life in Portugal, California, Utah, and Washington states. His career has been primarily in the recreation business, as a professional paintball player, a paintball field owner, and owner of a chain of retail stores. He has colorful childhood memories, crazy paintball stories, and an interesting down to earth perspective on life. Bottom line... you just can't make this stuff up. Dale is joined in each episode by a friend, Jeff McMillan. Jeff adds a fun point of view, and keeps the conversation flowing.

My primary objective for these podcasts is to get Dale's funny stories recorded for our children and future generations. Dale has left a legacy of crazy photos for our posterity to laugh at, now they can hear from him directly as we share the man "behind the wave." Dale's funny waves weren't inspired in a vacuum--his creativity and humor is just who he is. Feel free to listen in and laugh with Dale in our "Behind the Wave" podcasts.

How do I listen? There are many ways. Pick one:

1. Right here on our website. At the top of the blog we have a permanent link to "The Podcast." You can always go to this site and listen to the podcasts through your web browser.

2. If you use iTunes, you can "subscribe" to us there. The latest podcasts are normally available on iTunes within a day or so of when we post them. These downloads can then be accessed from your computer, or sync'd with your iOS device. If you use iTunes, please leave feedback in the iTunes store! Well, only if you like it. Haters can just go away.

3. If you use an Android or other device, you can download a "podcatcher" application that can automatically download podcasts to your device. I happen to use one called BeyondPod. Our feed address is: http://watb.podbean.com/feed/ 

4. We host the mp3 podcast files on a podcast hosting service called podbean. If you visit http://watb.podbean.com, you can download each mp3 file directly, view show notes, and leave comments on specific episodes.

No matter how you listen to us, we hope you enjoy the show! Feel free to leave comments and share any ideas. Dale's always looking for good listener feedback for the "Bright Feeling" section.

-Rochelle