Fair Food

As summer approaches, we head into fair and festival time.  I have gotten the definitive review of "fair food" from my oldest son who spent a day at the Texas State Fair just trying out the incredible selection of deep fried items. 

First, he said, fried Twinkies are entirely over-rated.  Once you bite through the crust, it is just liquified twinkie.  However, fried Dr. Pepper is fantastic!  If you want to go extreme...get the double fried funnel cake.  That is batter that is fried, covered in powdered sugar, re-battered and then re-fried.  Wow.  Makes your heart stop just THINKING about it!

His favorite of all the fried food specialties?  The fried Oreo cookie.  He said it was one of the best things he has ever eaten.  But that being said...here is a note of caution:  do not do as he did and try all these items in a single day.  He spent the next two days in the bathroom.  You CAN have too much of a good thing!

What Can You Do?

It's funny, we never think we watch a lot of television until everything goes into re-runs...and then you realize you have nothing to do!  At least there is a "summer season" of television now!  The 6 weeks between one TV season and another is a golden time to sit down and read!  So I ordered myself a couple of books on my Kindle and curled up in our bedroom to read.  Mike had other plans.

You see, the season between seasons on TV is also the end of hockey and basketball season and the beginning of baseball season!  There is NEVER nothing on TV for Mike!!  And though he could watch the various sports he flips through constantly in the living room...he "want's to be near me" so he comes into the bedroom and turns on the TV. 

A friend of mine said she runs into the same problem.  Her husband comes into the living room while she is watching "American Idol" and snores in her lap.  When she asks him why he doesn't just go to bed he says "Because I want to be with you!"  What can you say?  After all, we would also be complaining if they didn't want to be with us!  That's what I keep telling myself while trying to read through a hockey game.

My Favorite Day!

Pause for Paws with the Lonestar Sanctuary For Animals is one of the best things we do on the radio.  Every week Beth brings in a doggie or a kitty and I get to love on them for 10 minutes!  The best part is that we help them get these fantastic animals adopted into forever homes.

We have adopted 4 of them ourselves.  I can tell you from my heart that these rescued animals KNOW they have been given a second chance!  And because of that, they make the most amazing pets. 

New House!

I am living vicariously through my daughter in law, Sara.  They have just bought their first house!  Right now it's all champaign and dreams...but soon it will be night sweats and "Are we sure?" thoughts.  I know what that's like.  But I have to say, I miss changing houses. 

I have moved A LOT in my life, and I always thought it would be great to settle down in a small town and stay in one house.  Well, I have done that now...and I want a new house!  Since I can't have one, I have to make the most of Adam and Sara's.  I have already told them that our house-warming gift to them will be a really comfortable guest room bed!  She was gracious enough to say "Sounds great to me!"  I hope she meant it because that really IS what we are giving them!

Take Two...

We have gotten so caught up in new technology, advances in medicine, etc. we have forgotten that perhaps those that came before us knew a thing or two that we don't give them credit for!  Remember the phrase "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning"?  For a long time we have just thought that was a brush-off by the medical profession.  Nope.

It turns out, that is just good advice!  According to the University of British Columbia, the cure for everything from headaches to heartaches is...take two asprin!  If you are undergoing some kind of existential angst...wondering what life is all about... remember, aspirin inhibits the brain signal that says something is wrong!

So, apparently, those doctors in the past knew that taking two aspirin and getting a good nights sleep would cure a lot of ills!  Hmmm, I wonder what else they might be right about?

Getting Through It

Wow, some days are tough to get through as a public broadcaster.  This was one of them.

However, I have found some things about the Boston tragedy that have helped me through it.  Primarily, a post on Facebook by comedian Patton Oswalt, "We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil.  We'd have eaten ourselves alive long ago.  So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, "The good outnumber you, and we always will."

Amen.

Job Review

   At some time in everyone's life, they have to face...a job review.  Yes, that really FUN time when someone tells you how well (or poorly) you are doing your job.  Some of these can be really constructive.  If you have a fair boss who is really paying attention to what you are doing you can actually learn how to do your job better.  I had a job interview once where my boss criticized how un-professionally I dressed.  He came in wearing a t-shirt and jeans everyday and I usually wore a dress or a nice suit.  Go figure.

   Mike and I have spent most of this week getting reviewed.  For radio people, this means they record your show and go over every word you said for 4 hours.  Good times.  But we ARE learning how to be better for you.  There have been some "Ah Ha!!" moments for us during these sessions.  There have also been some "what was I thinking?" moments.  For the most part, it has been about building a better radio station for you to listen to.  And because that is what Mike and I want more than anything, we say BRING IT job reviewer...we can take it!

A GREAT Read!

  Yes, I am pulling an Oprah here and recommending a book!  Jennifer Weiner (she wrote "In Her Shoes" which was made into a movie with Cameron Diaz) has a new book called "The Next Best Thing" that is just a really satisfying read!  I love Jennifer's books because the main characters are flawed...like real people!  Not skinny, perfect, beautiful, etc. etc..

   "The Next Best Thing" is really a fictionalized behind-the-scenes look at what it is like to write and produce a television show in Hollywood.  It is funny, honest, and kinda sad.  I can say this without giving anything away...it will make you see fame, beauty and celebrity differently.  Instead of envy, you will begin to feel SOOOO much better about your own life!  But don't worry, there is plenty of "escape" in this novel, and isn't that what we want from a good read?

Real Women Have Curves!

   I watched the Oscar's this year for the first time in years.  What I noticed about those awards was how every single actress looked boney.  Not slim, not even skinny...BONEY.  Knobby knees and elbows, shoulder blades that could slice meat, and tummies that were not just flat - they were non-existant!  What I wanted to do was fix them a sandwich!

   Now, watching the ACM Awards last night I felt no such compulsion.  Country girls have curves!  It is so refreshing to watch real women on TV!  They are talented and beautiful and gracious.  When anyone was singing on the stage, and the cameras were on the audience, you could tell they all knew the words as they sang along.  They clearly listen to each others music.  I don't care about record labels or the "business" that is country music in Nashville.  I am proud to be in Country Radio because the artists are real people and the music still ALWAYS touches me!

Breaking Bread

   There really is a reason that "breaking bread" together is so often mentioned in the Bible as a way of getting to know each other and sharing "fellowship".  I have had the pleasure of sitting down over the last couple of days with our two new employees here at the station.  A group of us took our new Account Executive out to lunch on Tuesday.  It was lovely.  After joking around we found out she is a poet.  You won't find out details like that by saying "Hi" in the break room! 

   Yesterday, Mike and I took "The New Guy", Derrick, over to Romies for lunch.  And he is really interesting!  He has been on the INTERNATIONAL stage since he was 5!!  At the age of 24 he has seen and done more than I ever will (ok, yes, that part IS a little depressing).  What Mike found out was that Derrick is a kindred spirit.  Another 12 year old boy in a grown man's body!!  Great.

Addicted To Decorating!

   I have moved A LOT in my life.  Changing schools was no fun but I always loved changing houses!  It occured to me the other day that I will probably never have a new house again, and that made me sad.  I have never had a chance to build my own home.  Choosing a floor plan, flooring, fixtures, paint...the whole idea of helping to design your own home just thrills me!  I have re-done plenty of places...but never started from scratch.

   So what do I do instead of moving?  I re-decorate and move furniture!  Poor Mike went on a hunt with me yesterday for "a pillow with a red bird on it."  We went everywhere, and he never complained!  I ended up ordering it from Overstock. 

   Some of the rooms in our house are smaller now because of the number of coats of paint I have put on the walls.  And I have learned a few things about diy: never attempt Venetian Plaster unless you have strong hands and a LOT of time (and a Venetian);  HIRE someone to paint your ceilings and woodwork; tiling can be a really zen experience, and don't be afraid to experiment with color.

April Fool's Day

   Happy April Fool's Day!  Mike and I have enjoyed pulling a few on-air April Fools jokes in the past.  The one where we told everyone "the city" had added a new "water booster" to the water lines and they were going to be testing it was great.  We had a "city official" tell everyone they needed to close their toilet lids and put something heavy on top of them to keep from flooding their bathrooms just in case something went wrong.  Man, we heard about THAT for years!!

   The most fun we had was the year we had the two most popular newscasters (Jay and Melissa) come in and do our show as "Mike and Dana".  We didn't fool anyone but it was really fun!

   The most wide-reaching April Fool's Day joke was "Comet Dust".  The year Halley's Comet came close to earth coincided with spring in West Texas!  So we decided to blame all the usual spring allergies on "comet dust".  We heard from friends in Dallas that people were talking about comet dust causing all their allergies!!  We also heard from many doctors who got a big laugh!

   So enjoy your April Fool's Day but beware, there are people like us out there!