The candidacy announcements

(originally posted 16 July 2006)
It’s been over three weeks since I updated my blog, something that I had intended to do at least every week. I got caught with no time except to attend to the immediate things going on.

The candidacy announcements on Friday, 23 June, went very well, in my opinion. At 10 AM in Abilene at Frontier Texas!, Dr. Ed Enzor served as emcee, Dr. Don Robbins and Dr. Joe Christiensen spoke on our interactions as physicists, and Dr. Carol Williams spoke on my research involvement. All spoke on our personal friendships. I gave my presentation (slides available on the web site) that outlined my personal reasons (obligation?) to enter the race. I was pleased by the turnout. I counted 40 as Ed started the event and more came in later. Rachel Eckard (campaign treasurer) collected signatures during the event.

I did not leave adequate time to talk with the media afterward. We finished shortly before 11 AM and, after short interviews with two television reporters and a quick question from Ken Ellsworth from the Abilene Reporter News, Ginna and I were on the road to Lubbock at 11:05. Two of my students, Dallas May and Zeke Walker, helped put up the chairs and returned the stand that we had used for the monitor display to the Science Building. They also boxed up the monitor and then also headed to Lubbock, about 15 minutes behind Ginna and me. I knew I was cutting it close and wanted to have a backup vehicle in case of car trouble,

Ginna and I got to the Frazier Alumni Pavilion on the Texas Tech campus at a quarter of two, but the entrance was closed on the south side of Jones stadium due to construction. I got out of the vehicle, gathered my laptop and walked through the construction zone to the pavilion. Ginna then drove around Jones Stadium to park. I checked my watch as I walked inside and noted it was 1:50. The first people I saw while walking in were my aunt and uncle, Floyd and Rachel Price.

Then I saw Monty Rodgers. Monty is four years younger than I, but we grew up together near Whitharral. We hunted rabbits, raised pigs, and played a lot of ping pong, among other things. We went to the same church. I had asked another friend, Larry Wade, to speak on my behalf on our common Whitharral roots. Larry had tentatively agreed but had called me earlier in the day (as I was leaving for Frontier Texas!) saying he could not make it. Larry and Monty both still farm near Whitharral. So I asked Monty on the spot if he would be willing to say a few words. I told him we would walk up to the podium at 2:00 PM sharp and he could say whatever he had on his mind. He did just that, off the cuff, and did a marvelous job. Monty has always had a lot of guts, as we used to say at Whitharral.

My sister, Marla Bullock, served as coordinator of the Lubbock announcement and my niece, Sarah Bullock, was the emcee. Dr. Roger Lichti, Texas Tech physics professor, discussed my professional qualifications. Then I gave essentially the same presentation that I had given earlier in the day in Abilene. I deleted a couple of slides and made some minor modifications after getting feedback from a couple of people who called me on my cell phone while en route from Abilene to Lubbock. This time I had ample time to talk with the media afterward. We had refreshments and I enjoyed spending time with extended family as the event died down. Afterward, we went to mom’s house near Whitharral where we spent the night. I fell asleep on the couch as we watched the news to see what the media included in their coverage.

I want to thank everyone who helped with the events in Abilene and Lubbock. Particularly Ginna, who has been a continual source of encouragement and advice. And drove half way to Lubbock while I took a nap.

I plan to report on my research trip to Bosnia, Croatia and Russia in my next blog entry.