Ramblings From A KUPL Listener

Snow & Angels

2012-02-29T09:46:00.000-08:00

First, aside from the subject of this post: Happy Leap Day everyone! And happy birthday to my former co-worker, Sheila McCluskey, who becomes a "teenager" today...13 years old...In leap years anyway!

On to the rest of this post. By now anyone who knows me, or reads this blog, knows I live up in the hills outside of Vancouver, Washington. This time of year can mean a lot of snow at times, and today is no exception. Right now I have about 4-5 inches at my house.

I already had today and tomorrow planned as vacation days, so no worries about that. Whenever I get snow here though, I have co-workers who insist I need to make a snow angel and send them the photo.

Finally after hearing this over and over this winter, I did what they asked. I made a snow angel, took a photo of it and sent it to them. They now tell me I cheated! I say I didn't. Technically no one said *I* had to LAY in the snow and make a snow angel; they just asked me to make one, and I did.

I think it's a pretty good snow angel, and it was much easier than laying in cold, wet snow. Just took a couple of jar lids and made it in the snow on the hood of my car.

So, did I cheat; or did I fulfill what my co-workers asked of me? (SMILE!)

2012 Daytona 500--History in the Making

2012-02-28T04:08:00.004-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Held each year in February, the Daytona 500 is the start of the stock car race season. The one who wins this race will go down in the history books, and be known forever as a "Daytona 500 Race Winner".

The 2012 Daytona 500 was scheduled to run February 26th, though history was being made well before the green flag was finally waved.

The biggest hoopla surrounded race car driver, Danica Patrick; only the third woman in history to start in the Daytona 500.

Though she's not running a full Sprint Cup schedule in 2012, Danica has taken her place alongside Janet Guthrie and Shawna Robinson, as part of Nascar's most famous race.

When race day arrived though, more history was to be made. Light rain was falling that Sunday, and though all the pre-race rituals were taken care of, right down to the prayers and national anthem; in the end, the race was postponed until Monday morning. In it's fifty-four year history the Daytona 500 had never been postponed; until then.

That wasn't the end of the history making though. Monday morning came, and went, with more rain, and the race being delayed until 7 pm eastern time. The delay also made history as being the first time the Daytona 500 has ever been held at night.

It seemed like a let down, after the day before, to just have the cars on track, and the race start. No repeat of prayers, or the national anthem, just start the race. Such a grand race and start to a season reduced to a common, ordinary race.

That is, until just before lap two. Elliot Sadler caught the corner of Jimmy Johnson's car, causing Jimmy to spin out, taking other cars with him. Way too early in a five hundred mile race to be racing like that; and several drivers expressed that as well.

As the race went on, the usual things were happening; tagging, drafting, car problems,lead changes, all that. Then, with forty laps to go, the ~~BIG~~ one happened!

Usually that statement is made when there's been a major crash, with lots of cars involved. In this case, the "big" one involved Juan Montoya and a jet dryer that was on the track during a caution.

Montoya had been having trouble with his car, had gone in for work, and had just come back on the track from the pits. He was racing around the track to catch up to the rest of the pack, when his car let go and he had no control. As his car slid sideways, it slammed into the jet dryer, setting both vehicles on fire.

Fortunately both Montoya and the driver of the jet dryer were able to get away; though the driver of the jet dryer was flown to a nearby hospital for observation.

When two hundred gallons of jet fuel spills onto a track, and ignites, you can bet it will cause a red flagging of the race! It did; for a couple hours or so, at least. During the red flag, it was stressed several times that neither Montoya, or the driver of the jet dryer had done anything wrong; it was just a fluke accident.

As all the FOX Sports announcers said, in all their years of racing, none had seen a wreck like the one between Montoya and the jet dryer; another first for the history books.

It doesn't end there though. Unlike the old days of racing, today's drivers have more than just a steering wheel at their fingertips while in the car. This was proven in another history making event when driver Brad Keslowski tweeted the first photo of Montoya's wreck, while he was sitting in his race car.

Since that photo, it's been rumored that Keslowski picked up about 55,000 new followers.

When the race restarted, more history was to be made. The Daytona 500 race day started on a Sunday; was postponed to a Monday; and with 10 cautions, including the red flag, finished on a Tuesday at 1 am eastern time.

When all was said and done, Matt Kenseth was named the 2012 Daytona 500 winner, with Dale Earnhardt and Greg Biffle coming in second and third, respectively.

All in all, quite an eventful show, even if it did take three days to get through it!

One Of THOSE Days...

2012-02-23T13:05:00.000-08:00

(Today's "KUPL Listener Blog Word" is in the post just below this one.)

Ever have one of those days? Not a bad day, nothing going wrong or anything.

Just kind of tired. Tired due to lack of sleep, yet not really sleepy.

Except your mind; your mind just races around dragging you with it, wherever it decides to go.

And it doesn't necessarily go anywhere it usually does; or stay in any one place for long.

That's me today! Added to the equation is that I talk a lot when I'm tired. Okay, those who know me will tell you THAT'S normal for me; I ALWAYS talk a lot!

The difference when I'm tired is that I drive myself crazy, as well as everyone around me.

Even when I'm not talking out loud, my mind is bouncing around, talking and just spinning, and I get silly. Not just the usual silliness, but really silly. Bad puns, bad jokes, chatter, chatter, chatter. It's like someone is playing multiple games of ping pong in the space between my ears!

And then it just goes, and goes, and goes, on, and on, and on. Music usually helps though. I can put on my headphones and drown myself out with music; unless I forget my mp3 player, like today. Then I'm just stuck with the racing, running and all. What happens when I get this way is, I have to find some way to get it out, which isn't easy. It's not easy because I can't type, or write as fast as I can talk or think. So after awhile everything just jumbles together into total chaos. Forget paragraphs and punctuation; I'm just lucky to actually spell things correctly! Even when I start out with paragraphs and all, it will usually end up being one big massive knot of words and symbols that don't make any sense to anyone but me, because it's what's in my head as I type. A friend once told me it's like my mind gets too full and has to throw up the excess; isn't THAT a pretty picture?! NOT! I guess it's true though, since I'm typing and this paragraph seems to be getting longer and longer, and I'm rambling more and more. Which is why the name of my blog is "Ramblings from a KUPL Listener", because that's what I do best; ramble!And in the course of rambling, other thoughts are brought to mind, so I go off in that direction, which leads to another, and another, and well, yeah, I think you're getting the idea. Really thought righting it out wood help; knot shure it did tho. Maybee it did, what dew u think? I'm thinking spelling is highly overrated. I think I should just right as I go, (or left, since I'm left handed); or maybe this should just be left a loan. Speaking of a loan, I could use won of those; a bit short on funds. Gnaw, knot really, just won of those there thoughts again. Gotta love puns! I do, four, (or is that "fore"?), shure! I think the punnier, the better! Just luv them! This is really getting annoying! This is what I've ben trying to explain here; hope its making some sense to someone! O good grief, somebody please save me from myself already!.....

Phil Vassar--"Don't Miss Your Life"

2012-02-23T04:21:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

To me, Phil Vassar has always been one of the most underrated singer/songwriters in country music.

While it might be true that Vassar's music leans more towards pop, his tunes are some of the best country music in recent decades.

Likewise, though Vassar's singing capabilities may be overshadowed by other artists, this doesn't mean he doesn't have a great voice; he does. Vassar's voice is distinctive, and recognizable almost immediately on any song he's performing.

This brings us to ~~PHIL~~'s latest contribution to country airwaves, "Don't Miss Your Life".

"Don't Miss Your Life" tells the story of two men meeting on a flight to the West Coast. Though it's the typical story of older person bestowing knowledge on an eager, go-getter, workaholic, Vassar has managed to tell this time worn tale in a fresh, interesting and very touching way.

"Don't Miss Your Life" has been enjoying some airplay on KUPL's overnight airwaves as of late. Hopefully it will gain momentum and become another hit for Phil Vassar; he's long overdue for one.

Whitney Houston

2012-02-22T04:12:00.000-08:00

I've had people ask me why I haven't made a post about Whitney Houston's death; after all, it's been over a week since then. My answer is simple: because just about everyone else has already written about it, covered every angle, you name it; what's left to be said? For those who still wonder about my opinions though, please read on.

It's not that I have anything against Ms. Houston, I don't. I can see both sides of the whole situation of her death though.

On one hand, here's this person who had an incredible voice and presence, who helped set the course of music in the 80's. For this Whitney should definitely be remembered, and respected.

On the other hand, does this mean that I think her death should have been honored so far as to have flags flown at half staff? No, I don't. I think this is something that should be held for true heroes, the military, firefighters, police officers, etc.

While Whitney had a fantastic career, she also made some bad choices in her life; choices that affected her, her family and her career. Certainly, this can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time; so it's not my place to pass judgement on her actions. What I'm trying to say is, we all have our own demons; in some cases it just seems the media has glorified Houston's in light of her untimely death.

I truthfully believe there should be tributes to the woman, she's earned it on some level. I just think they should be a bit more subdued than they have been. While she's left an indelible impact on the entertainment industry; Whitney is not a hero. I say this, not because of the drugs and alcohol, I say it because compared to those who lay their lives on the line every day, Whitney Houston doesn't even come remotely close.

This doesn't apply just to Whitney though. It's just my opinion, but I don't think there's an entertainer, athlete, or anyone who could, or should be considered a hero, unless they've actually been in the same footsteps of real heroes.

Now those reading this know why I wasn't going to write about Whitney's death; because of my definite opinions on the subject. I try my best to NOT offend anyone, and I'm pretty sure I may have with this post. If so, I do apologize.

The Reality Of Reality TV

2012-02-21T04:08:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

In one of my earliest posts, I wrote that I don't watch television much. I also noted that I especially try not to watch the "reality" shows that are on all the networks.

Since the long President's Day weekend though, I've realized that, while I don't watch a lot of TV, I do watch a lot of reality shows. Well, at least as real as any reality show can be, I suppose.

It's not the run-of-the mill reality shows like "Survivor", "The Amazing Race", "Celebrity Apprentice" or any of those; (though I have watched some of them in the past).

The reality shows I tend to watch are usually on A&E, I.D., TRU, BIO, and the like. In reality, (excuse the pun), I've come to realize I watch these particular programs more than I thought; a lot more.

I don't actually watch them ~~ALL~~ the time; instead, I tend to go through phases. I'll watch the true crime shows for awhile, or the shows about crazy things people do, those types of programs. Then I'll stop watching them for awhile. The shows about ghost stories are the ones I tend to watch on a somewhat regular basis.

I fully admit, the shows I watch probably aren't anymore realistic than the other so called reality shows. I guess I tend to watch them more, because they seem to be more entertaining. Not something to necessarily be proud of, I know, but it's the reality, (every pun intended), of my situation that I've become aware of.

I guess there are worse things in life that I could call a bad habit.

Hey, Hey, They're Not Monkeys

2012-02-16T04:03:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

KUPL's "Simon 90" for Valentine's Day started as usual, with information and suggestions for gifts for the special day. It started with Jake, then Jolynn, and about a minute and a half into the video, it was Scott's turn; that's what really got my attention.

When talking about Valentine gifts, Scott suggested a sock monkey, because, "who doesn't like sock monkeys"? Well, me for one!

Honestly, I think they're just plain creepy! I don't know why, but I've always felt that way.

It got me thinking about other primates I think are creepy. I realized that real, live monkeys, chimps, gorillas, etc., I'm okay with. It's the fake ones that get to me.

Besides sock monkeys, I also have a keen aversion to those toy monkeys that play cymbals. Honestly, who could think that's a great gift for anyone, especially a child?! Eeeewwww!!!

Then there's "The Wizard of Oz", with the flying monkeys. I don't care how old I am, I still can't watch when all those monkeys are flying through the air; too scary!

I've come to the conclusion, the only non-real monkeys I like are these:

Davy, Micky, Mike and Peter, the ~~MONKEES~~! I grew up watching the show and buying all the albums, and to this day I still love them!

I'm pretty sure if all the monkeys I've mentioned were more like the Monkees, this post would have never been written!

A Love Story With A Twist

2012-02-14T04:03:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Today is Valentine's Day, the day associated with lovers. It's the day those in love are supposed to show that special person in their life how much they mean to them. It's designated as day for couples to celebrate.

To me, it should be more than that. For instance, what about those who have a true love, though aren't with the person, and may not have even met them in person?

I know, it sounds strange, but it really isn't. It's true; it exists; and it's the very touching story of a man named Chuck B. Kelley.

In 1976, Chuck's sister, Kelley, was born. Kelley had cerebal palsy and never grew larger than a newborn baby.

Kelley was the light of Chuck's life, with a smile that brightened the darkest of days. He'd take her with him everywhere he could, and loved looking after his little sister.

Four and a half years later, in 1980, while Chuck was babysitting Kelley, she passed away. Having been so close to Kelley, Chuck was of course devastated.

Doctors said that Kelley's brain had just stopped functioning; Chuck blamed himself though, thinking he should have been more aware of what was happening with his sister.

For the first week after Kelley's death, Chuck would stay in his room, listening to the radio, crying himself to sleep. It was one of the lowest points in Chuck's life, and he seriously thought about ending it all. He even went so far as planning how he'd do it; until one evening a song came on the radio that would change his life. The song was, "You Lifted Me Up (To Heaven)", by ~~REBA~~ McEntire.

Chuck heard the lyrics, and felt the song was a sign his sister was looking down from heaven; letting him know everything would be alright.

The next day Chuck rushed out to purchase the song at the local Sears store. The clerk asked Chuck if he'd like the single, or the album; and he decided on the album.

When the clerk handed him the album, Chuck about fainted. The face staring back at him from the album cover had the same smile as his beloved sister, Kelley. At that instant Reba had a fan for life.

Though Reba's first top 10 single got Chuck through that dark time in his life; it was still two years before he could bring himself to visit Kelley's grave.

On that day, in 1982, he heard Reba's "Can't Even Get The Blues", and knew he was strong enough, and the time was right for him to go to Kelley's gravesite. The song also went on to be Reba's first #1 hit.

From that time on, it seems that Reba has always managed to have a song on the radio at just the right time; for whatever situation Chuck has had to go through in his life. She's lifted him up when he's down, and kept the good times going when he's up; and of course has always been a reminder to him of Kelley.

And yet, in the 31 years Chuck has been a true to the bone, die-hard Reba McEntire fan, he'd never had the chance to meet the woman; or let her know how much she means to him. That is, until six months ago today.

On August 14, 2011, Reba was the headlining act at the Astoria Bicentennial Celebration in Astoria, Oregon. Of course Chuck was going to be at the show, held outdoors at Camp Rilea; and lo and behold, he was able to get a meet and greet pass for his idol!

Chuck had a beautiful bouquet of roses made up to present to Reba, as well as a letter letting her know how much she's helped him through the years; and how he became a fan.

When the time came, the meeting with Reba was everything Chuck had dreamed it would be, and more. The 31 years it took before he actually met her were well worth the wait. It's also something Chuck will never forget, and will cherish the rest of his life.

And there you have it. While most celebrate Valentine's Day as couples, Chuck's story is proof that true love comes in many forms, and can last a lifetime.

Jon Pardi @ The Bing Lounge--February 6, 2012

2012-02-09T04:20:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Monday, February 6, 2012, the Bing Lounge played host to singer/songwriter, Jon Pardi.

If you haven't heard of Jon before, it's probably because he's fairly new to the country music scene, having moved to Nashville in 2008. If the performance he gave in the Bing Lounge is any indication though, people will be hearing a lot about this young man in the months and years to come.

Listening to him sing, and interact with the crowd, it's hard to believe Jon is only in his mid twenties. He possesses not only a great voice, but great stage presence and charm as well. From the time he walked onstage, through to the last photo taken and autograph signed, Jon was a true professional. You could tell he loves what he does for a living, and enjoys meeting the people from the audience.

One of the songs Jon played is his single that's just been released to radio, "Missin' You Crazy". This song is great, and blends traditional country, with the new, all tied together with Jon's unique style of singing.

Though Jon's performance in the Bing Lounge was short, he definitely made an impact on the audience that evening. As stated at the beginning of this post, you may not have heard of Jon ~~PARDI~~ before, but I'm fairly sure you'll be hearing a lot from him in the near future!

Comic Strips Aren't What They Used To Be

2012-02-07T04:42:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Most everyone has read the comics at least once in their life. It used to be you could only read them in the newspaper. Daily strips would be three or four panels in black and white, while the Sunday strips would be larger and in color. Of course, as far as papers go, it's still that way. What's changed in the past few years is, now you can get your daily dose of the funny papers online.

Older comics that have been around for generations; new comics that have only been around a couple years or so; and even classic comics that are no longer in print all have a home on the internet.

Not a big deal, I realize, it's the way of the world nowadays. Really, what caught my attention are the comments that are left for some of these strips; it's something you don't have reading them in the paper.

The comments are odd sometimes, very serious at others, and sometimes just creepy!

For instance, I read the strip, "Nancy", daily. Depending on the day's subject, I've seen some posts that just don't go with the strip.

Likewise, there are times when the strip is supposed to be funny, and people are making comments that lead me to believe they're taking the whole thing way too seriously.

Then there are the "creepy" posts. "Nancy" is raised by her "Aunt Fritzi", who, by cartoon standards, is very pretty. You'd think she was a real person though, judging by all the comments made about her, her looks and her figure! Come on, she's a ~~CARTOON~~ people!

("Nancy" comic strip courtesy of Guy Gilchrist.)

Of course, it's like with anything, if you don't want to see/hear it, then change the channel, or don't read it. That's what I do; I just choose not to read the comments. I have the best of both worlds then; the comics online, yet still the way they are in the paper. Life's good.

Happy National Dancing Sausage Day!

2012-02-02T04:03:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Happy National Dancing Sausage Day everyone!

What? Really? You haven't heard of National Dancing Sausage Day? I thought ~~EVERYONE~~ knew about this wonderful day!

The holiday has actually been around for eons; and is celebrated on February 2nd every year.

What's that you say? February 2nd isn't National Dancing Sausage Day? Oh contraire dear reader, it is, it is! Your confusion about this day may be that you know it by it's more common name, Groundhog's Day.

In reality, whether you call it National Dancing Sausage Day, or Groundhog's Day, they're the same thing, though celebrated differently.

Since National Dancing Sausage Day is the one people seem to know little about, please allow me to enlighten you on the subject; it's a quite simple explanation.

First, going back to the more common word, "groundhog"; what can be made from "ground" "hog",(pork)? Sausage!

Second, as stated earlier, the date for this celebration is February 2nd. Simply break down the date into numerical form: 2-2. Now, what do ballerinas wear? That's right, tutus! And of course ballerinas are dancers.

Combine the two factors above, along with the fact that most people in this country have heard about sausages and ballerinas, and you've got a national holiday.

Still not convinced? Probably wondering how dancing sausages have anything to do with predicting a longer, or shorter winter, am I correct? If so, please do read on!

Though how the name National Dancing Sausage Day came to be is fairly simple, it's connection with Groundhog's Day is a bit more complicated.

As stated earlier, both days celebrate the same thing, either a longer, or shorter, winter. Groundhog's Day is the simpler version in this case. Everyone gathers around to see if a furry rodent in Pennsylvania sees his shadow or not. If so, we have six more weeks of winter. If not, winter will end sooner.

National Dancing Sausage Day on the other hand actually starts the day before the actual holiday. On February 1st of each year, sales and preparation of sausages across the nation are tallied for the previous year, (February 2nd to January 31st).

If the results show more sausage was sold to individuals and families, then there will be six more weeks of winter. If more sausage was sold at restaurants, fairs, festivals, etc., then winter will be shorter.

The reasoning is that, private citizens who buy sausage for personal consumption will have to take the sausage from the refrigerator or freezer, before fixing it for themselves and/or family. Because they come in direct contact with the cold food, winter will be longer.

On the other hand, if more people buy their sausage from restaurants, they don't have that direct contact. True, those working at the restaurant do; however, the tally is for those consuming the sausage. People who eat at restaurants aren't in direct contact with the cold sausage. Instead, it's served to the diner piping hot. Therefore, if more people haven't prepared their own sausage over the past year, winter will be shorter.

Yes, as I said, the explanation is complicated. The simple way to put it is, eat more sausage at home, more winter. Eat more sausage in restaurants, less winter.

When all the facts and figures are tallied, the results are announced to the nation bright and early on February 2nd each year.

Hopefully I've explained National Dancing Sausage Day well enough that you, dear reader, can now go out and fully appreciate the day.

(The sausage in the video is not a professional dancer; they were too expensive.)

When Local News Is Only National

2012-01-31T04:12:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

For car lovers in the Portland, Oregon metro area, this past weekend was a major one. From Thursday, January 26th, to Sunday, January 29th, the 2012 Portland International Auto Show was held in the Oregon Convention Center.

The annual event featured the newest cars and prototypes from major auto makers; as well as exotic cars, exhibited throughout the Convention Center.

In addition, there were many displays giving show goers a chance to experience how vehicles, such as the Jeep Wrangler, behave under certain conditions.

In all, the 103rd Portland International Auto Show was it's usual success; at least as far as local coverage portrayed.

There was one major story from the auto show in Portland that made news nationally though; that wasn't reported locally, (except by one radio station, according to a friend of mine).

The incident took place January 25th, the day before the auto show was to open. One of the rules for cars being displayed in the convention center is they can have no more than 1/4 of a tank of gas. This is for obvious safety reasons.

One car had more than the limit, and would not be admitted into the building until the gas was at an acceptable level.

The end result of trying to reduce the vehicle's gas tank level was a car fire. How you may ask? According to one source, www.motorauthority.com, the people in charge of the vehicle didn't use the best judgement in dispensing of the gasoline.

Suffice it to say, rather than use a conventional method to get rid of the extra fuel, it was decided that the car would be redlined to burn it off. Add to this, that those in charge got tired of holding their foot down, so took a piece of wood and wedged it between the floorboard and the gas pedal, letting it stay that way for 15 minutes, resulting in the car catching fire.

What's one car out of hundreds you may think; after all, it is an auto show. What made this story so big is the type of car that caught fire. It wasn't one of your run of the mill car lot automobiles. No, this vehicle was a ~~LAMBORGHINI~~!!! A Lamborghini Gallardo, worth between $200,000 and $300,000! Me thinks there is someone out there who no longer has a job working with cars!

(Photo courtesy of www.jalopnik.com)

What I wonder is, were the people in charge of this particular vehicle knowledgeable about it? I would think for the value of car they should have been!

For those interested in reading the entire article, here's the link: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1072166_exclusive-lamborghini-gallardo-catches-fire-at-portland-auto-show

2012 Portland Music Awards

2012-01-26T04:08:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

The fifth annual Portland Music Awards were held Sunday, January 22, 2012 at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon.

This year's hosts were Chloe Houser from PDX TV, and Silas Weir Mitchell, ("Monroe" on the NBC series, "Grimm").

The three hour program was also simulcast live on Freedom 970 AM. Hosting the radio broadcast were B-Dub, from KUPL's "Northwest Nights", and Byron Beck.

Several local artists in all genres of music were on hand to perform, and present the twenty-two awards given out that evening. Fans from across the area voted online to choose who the winners would be.

While most of the awards went to musicians in the Portland metro area, there were also awards given for best venue, music store and record store, as well as best radio station.

For those interested, here is the complete list of winners:

1. Pioneer Award

Tony DeMicoli

2. Legends Award

Marv & Rindy Ross

3. Album of the Year

‘We Will Be Forgotten’ by Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags

4. Band of the Year

Portugal The Man

5. Best Male Artist of the Year

Rob Wynia

6. Best Female Artist of the Year

Beth Willis

7. Best New Artist

Red Fang

8. Best Compilation Album of the Year

'Live From Nowhere Near You' by Greyday Records

9. Outstanding Achievement in Jazz

Devin Phillips

10. Outstanding Achievement in Blues

Lisa Mann

11. Outstanding Achievement in Folk Music

Lauren Sheehan

12. Outstanding Achievement in Classical Music

Portland Cello Project

13. Outstanding Achievement in Country Music

Concrete Cowboys

14. Outstanding Achievement in World Music

3 Leg Torso

15. Outstanding Achievement in Talent Buying

Peter Dammann (Waterfront Blues Festival)

16. Best Music Store

Portland Music Company

17. Best Record Store

Music Millennium

18. Best Music Venue - Large

McMenamins Edgefield

19. Best Music Venue - Mid-size

Aladdin Theater

20. Best Music Venue - Small

Jimmy Maks

21. Best Live Performance

Floater

22. Best Radio Station

KUPL 98.7fm

This was the second consecutive year that KUPL has won for best station. Way to go KUPL!!!

And of course, ~~CONGRATULATIONS~~ to all of the evening's winners!

Of Weather & Roadways

2012-01-24T04:11:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

I've been sitting at my computer, trying to figure out how to write today's post. I've started several times, only to delete what I've written and try again.

It's not like I haven't written about the weather before; most of my recent posts have mentioned the conditions I've been experiencing in my part of the Pacific Northwest.

Today's post however has to do with the weather and drivers. I don't know what it is, but some drivers just seem to lose all common sense with the changing of the weather.

For instance, around here, it rains a lot, so when the sun comes out, there are those who seem like moles. The bright sunlight blinds them and makes them drive crazy.

Then again, when it hasn't rained in awhile, there are those who seem to be just as crazy as the sun people.

Rather than try to make sense of it to those drivers, I've decided to make things simple.

Dear drivers,

Whether it's sun, rain, hail, sleet, or snow coming down, trust me, the sky is not falling; therefore ~~PLEASE~~ don't drive like it is!

Thank you.

Reading Between The Lines

2012-01-19T05:49:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Right up front I'll say this, weather people do tend to get a bad rap over all. I don't think there's anyone who hasn't heard, or made, a joke about how weather people can still have jobs when they're wrong a lot of the time.

To be fair though, even with the best tools and equipment, those reporting the weather are still at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Over the years, I've learned to read between the lines when it comes to weather reports.

If it's a run of the mill, average weather report for whatever time of year it is, then it's probably going to be exactly that.

However, if the weather becomes the top story of the news, and a majority of the broadcast is dedicated to the subject, it's probably ~~NOT~~ going to happen. This is especially true if stations stay on the air with continuous reports, when the actual news broadcast is over.

Doesn't matter if it's extremely warm weather, cold, windy, or what, if there's a big hoopla about it in the media, it's more than likely going to fizzle out and be nothing.

On the other hand, when forecasters say there might be a chance of some type of extreme weather, (again, warm, cold, windy, etc.), but it's just a slight chance, and not a big deal, it's time to hunker down and take cover!

Such was the case with the snow here this past week. At first the stations were making a big deal about it; then it looked as though it wasn't going to happen after all. When it looked to be quieting down is when the snow hit.

Predictions were then made that there would be a slight chance of more snow before the weather switched over to rain. This was to happen probably between 1am and 7am yesterday, (Wednesday, January 18, 2012). It was a small window of time and each station said there wouldn't be too much, if any snow accumulation, during that time. Guess what? Yeah, it started snowing heavily around 9pm Tuesday night, and continued until at least 4 Wednesday morning.

It's switched over to rain now, however the snow isn't clearing out very fast at all where I live. Other places, yes, just not here at 1100' in Washington.

Hopefully the weather will just be normal for a bit, and the weather people can have a break, and so can the rest of the area.

Okay, It's Pretty!

2012-01-17T05:07:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.

Well, it's officially winter in the Pacific Northwest. West to east, from the coast to the Cascades; and north to south, from Longview, Washington to Salem, Oregon, almost everyone saw some snow on Monday, January 16, 2012.

A lot of the snow below 1000' didn't last, even though there were snow showers all day.

For those of us above 1000' feet, it was a different story. I wasn't able to make it out of my driveway, and ended up taking a vacation day from work. I took photos from my front window and back door of the snow and sent them to my co-workers. This was around 8:00 AM, (West Coast time).

Later in the afternoon, around 3:00 PM, I shot the following video, and sent it to my co-workers as well.

As I've always said, compared to other places, the snow we get isn't a big deal. For us living here though, it can be. Monday's snow wasn't the last either. There's a winter storm watch in effect through Wednesday. Depending on what the weather does, we could get more snow then. Today, above 1000' is supposed to get 1 to 3 more inches of snow.

Not too thrilled at that prospect, because of work, (had to take another vacation day today), but I will admit, it *is* ~~PRETTY~~!

How Do You Mend A Broken Heart?

2012-01-15T11:07:00.000-08:00

Anyone who's ever loved someone has experienced it. Doesn't matter if it's family, friends, or someone you love and want to spend the rest of your life with; sooner or later we all fall victim to a broken heart.

A lot of times the hurt is unintentional; other times people know it's going to happen. Either way, it still hurts. Unfortunately, it seems the longer a relationship has been, the longer it takes for the heart to mend; sometimes it never does.

When you're not the person going through this, it's easy to sit back and give advice. Often times the advice is really just someone telling the person who's hurting what to expect, and reassuring them that how they feel is normal. That's the case with a friend of mine.

This person was hit out of the blue that their spouse wanted a divorce, not too long before Thanksgiving. Needless to say, there was hurt, frustration, confusion and anger going on inside my friend. I found out when my friend emailed me, letting me know what had happened, and telling what they were going through at the moment.

I knew exactly how this person felt, having been there myself eighteen years ago. Though I was the one who called off my marriage, I still had the same feelings my friend was describing.

Through emails I listened to my friend, going through all the emotions again, and trying to let them know they'd be okay. My friend has a child from the marriage also, which makes it even harder; though from what I've been told, the child is taking it well, for the most part.

Back to my friend. When I first heard of all the emotions this person was going through, I let them know it's normal. There are five stages of grief, and no matter what kind of grief it is, we all go through the stages. Sometimes we go backwards for a time, but eventually we all get through them. I did let my friend know this, and that everyone has their own timeline of when they get through the stages; not to stress about it. Just take one day at a time, get through that one, and see what's next.

As I said in the beginning of this post, it's easy to sit back and give advice, when you're not the one in the middle. I explained to my friend though, I really wasn't trying to give advice, as much as I was trying to reassure them that what they're going through is normal. I also know my friend would tell me to butt out if I was getting too involved with the advice. My friend knows I mean well.

Over all, my friend still has a long way to go; though whether they see it or not, I've already seen improvement in them. There have been a few steps backwards, as I said though, it's normal. Over all, no matter how much it hurts right now, I know my friend is a strong person, and will get through this in time. And I know that as long as my friend needs someone to listen, I'll be there for them.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2012-01-12T04:04:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.

We all know winter is supposed to be cold. Even the mildest winters are still cold, in relation to the other three seasons of the year. You would think living my entire life in the Pacific Northwest, I'd be used to the cold weather; not so much.

True, even the coldest winters here are nothing compared to the east coast, Alaska, or other places. For instance, this photo was taken by my cousin in Alaska, January 10, 2012. He described it as "blizzard like conditions". The photo was taken from the porch of his house:

(Photo courtesy of Troy Hvass)

~~BRR~~!!! No thank you to that!

We're actually barely into winter and I've already come to a conclusion about it. Besides not liking the cold, I'd actually rather deal with that, and rain, than wind.

The next few days we're supposed to have a lot of wind; not good. It's bad enough when it's 30 some degrees out and raining; add wind to that and the wind chill factor just makes it worse.

Of course, this is just my opinion on the whole subject of cold weather. I know there are those who love this time of year, and I'm happy for them. I'll just be even more happy when summer finally gets here!

Messed Up Monday

2012-01-10T04:06:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

I have no idea what started the whole thing; I just know that whatever it was, I got sick from Sunday evening well into Monday afternoon. I thought maybe it was something I ate; however, I didn't eat anything different than anyone else in my family, and they were all fine. I just don't get it. Or I guess I should say I got it, I just don't know what it was.

Anyway, about the time I'm feeling a bit better, the heat pump for the house starts making noise. Not a little noise, a ~~HUGE~~ noise; like it was going to fall apart any second.

My son turned it off and we called the company that installed the heat pump. Long story short, the motor bearings went out, and need replacing. Replacement isn't happening until 10 or 11 am this morning. Needless to say, it was a cold night and morning!

Thankfully, I'm feeling better. Hopefully the house will be back to it's nice warm self by the time I get home from work. I don't like the cold!

I will be thinking warm thoughts all day, to help the process!

David Lee Murphy

2012-01-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

I've been a fan of David Lee Murphy, (DLM), since 1995, when I first heard his music on the radio. There was just something about his voice that stood out, caught my attention, and had me hooked.

Living in the Pacific Northwest, the only songs I really heard on the radio were, "Party Crowd", "The Road You Leave Behind", and "Dust on the Bottle".

(Note: All videos are posted here. Push the arrow button at the bottom of the video screen to skip a song.)

When I got a computer, and connected to the internet, a whole new world opened up to me.

I was able to find information about my interests,(including DLM), and I met other David Lee Murphy fans online, from all over the U.S. and Canada. These new friends would go to shows, then send group emails to the others, with photos, telling about the show. Those of us on the West Coast were grateful to those doing this, for sure!

At one point, the DLM fan group I was part of online, became known as the "DLM Angels", in reference to a DLM song, "We Can't All Be Angels". Except for those Angels who lived in the same areas, we were all online friends. The first time any of the DLM Angels actually planned to meet was in Las Vegas, 1998; and I was lucky enough to be one of the Angels attending.

(Photo courtesy of Linda Porter-Smith)

Over time, for whatever reason, radio stations weren't really playing DLM much anymore. Where I live, the only song you hear is "Dust on the Bottle", as it was David Lee's only #1 hit.

David Lee continued to tour, and write music, however, and Angels everywhere still attended the shows; so those unable to do so still experienced the fun vicariously.

From 1997 to 2004, David Lee Murphy didn't release any new music, though he continued to tour extensively across the Midwest and Canada.

As is the norm, when an artist isn't seen or heard on a regular basis in the media, people wonder what happened to them. With a seven year gap between albums, this also happened with DLM. However, while no one was hearing *his* voice on any new songs, people were still hearing DLM penned tunes on radio and videos. During this time, DLM also had songs he'd written, or co-written, recorded by other artists, like Brooks & Dunn, James Otto, Aaron Tippin, Trick Pony and a host of others.

In 2004, David Lee Murphy released his fourth album, "Tryin' To Get There". The title track was a tune he'd written with his late idol, Waylon Jennings.

The album produced a top 5 hit for DLM, "Loco".

A second single, "Inspiration" was then released to radio, and was getting a lot of good response from critics and listeners alike. The song seemed destined to be DLM's next #1 hit. However, Koch Entertainment, DLM's label, decided to switch gears on what type of music they'd be handling, and David Lee was dropped from the label.

Since that time, there have been no other David Lee Murphy albums released; and in recent years, DLM has also been touring less. There are usually only a few shows here and there throughout any given year now.

Instead, David Lee has turned most of his attention back to writing songs for others; and he's doing quite well at it.

The list of album cuts by others DLM has had over the years is extensive, and growing all the time. Instead of listing them ALL here, I've posted three songs that have charted in recent years.

(Note: All videos are posted here. Push the arrow button at the bottom of the video screen to skip a song.)

Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean and Thompson Square have provided David Lee with four #1 hits as a songwriter. Thompson Square's "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not" is also up for two Grammies in February 2012.

(Note: All videos are posted here. Push the arrow button at the bottom of the video screen to skip a song.)

For those who are fans of Trace Adkins, his current single, "Million Dollar View" is another DLM song; co-written with George Teren. Trace also had a DLM tune on the deluxe version of his last CD; "Happy Man", co-written with actor/singer Christian Kane.

(Note: All videos are posted here. Push the arrow button at the bottom of the video screen to skip a song.)

Obviously, as a David Lee Murphy fan, I could go on and on about the man; I won't though. Today's post is simply my way of sharing information with those who may not know who David Lee Murphy is; or all that he's accomplished in music. It's also my way of saying, happy 53rd birthday David Lee, and here's to many more!

(Photo taken August, 2010, courtesy of Louise Wright Hargis)

Keep It Simple Silly!

2012-01-05T04:12:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Sometimes I think I make things more complicated than they should be; for instance, coming up with a post for the "KUPL Listener Word of the Day". Normally I talk a mile a minute, about anything and everything. Because of that, you'd think writing a post and having a word would be a breeze; not the case.

Instead, there are times I find myself wracking my brain to come up with something worth reading, and a good word to use; such is the case with this post. Thinking, and thinking, wondering what to write about; then all of a sudden the light bulb came on, ~~DUH~~! When all else fails, just keep it simple, and write a post about not having anything to write about!

Mission accomplished! Now let's just hope I don't have this problem again!

Two for Three and One for One

2012-01-04T04:54:00.000-08:00

On January 4, 2010, "Simon & Sam in the Morning" signed on the KUPL airwaves for the very first time.

At that time, it was Scott Simon, Amy "Sam" Bishop, and Jolynn Winter.

The new morning team had their work cut out for them, to say the least. They were stepping into territory that had been occupied for fourteen years by Lee Rogers. To say the least, many, many listeners were not happy about this.

For a time "Simon & Sam" struggled to gain the support of listeners. Some had completely tuned out KUPL, in protest of the changes that had been made; others stuck it out a bit longer, with some eventually leaving as well.

Four months into "Simon & Sam" being on the air, "Sam" decided to leave and go back to Arizona, where she was from originally.

The show title was changed to "Simon in the Morning", and long time KUPL employee, Earthquake Jake, was brought in to take "Sam"'s place.

Jake has always been a favorite of KUPL listeners, and he fit in well with Scott and Jolynn.

The three hit it off immediately on the air. What had once sounded forced with "Sam", was genuine with the reformed "Simon in the Morning" team.

Two years later, it's the same way. You can hear it in their voices on the air, how well they work together and genuinely like each other. I don't know about anyone else, however, for me, the people on the air are almost more important than the music. Granted, I have to like the music I'm listening to; though if the DJ's aren't good, I'd change the station. Never happens in the mornings anymore with me. There's so much going on between 5 and 10 am weekday mornings on KUPL, you almost forget there are songs being played also!

So here's to a very happy second anniversary of "Simon in the Morning" and hoping for many more!

On a side note, January 3, 2012 was the first anniversary of now producer, Eduard "Sputnik" Rusu, joining the morning team.

Eduard was an intern when he started with KUPL, and has since been hired as part of the morning team. Congratulations, and happy first anniversary to Sputnik as well!

3D Fun

2012-01-03T19:50:00.000-08:00

Well, the holidays are behind us, and it's time for everyone to get back to their normal routine.

For those who took vacation during the holidays, it may be a bit rougher to head back to work. While co-workers held down the fort, those on vacation were able to set their own pace for the holidays. No getting up early, no having to dress for work; none of the average things one does daily.

Because of this, one would think it would be best to let the returning employee(s), ease back in to their schedule; not true! The longer someone has been gone, the better it is to snap them back into reality as soon as possible!

For example, one of my co-workers, Doug, (I wrote about him in a previous post, when his bear ran away), took the last two and a half weeks of the year as vacation.

Where we work, a lot of the time those last two weeks of the year can be really, really busy; so one person gone can make a difference. Luckily, this year was an exception to that rule, and our department wasn't overloaded too much. Not that Doug can escape that easily though!

That's where the "3D Fun" comes in to play. "3D" stands for "Doug's Desk Dilemma". Rather than bore everyone with details, I've supplied photos of Doug's desk, beginning the day after his vacation started:

At the end of every day, if something had been changed, I took a photo of Doug's desk:

It was a lot of fun, even though the boxes did come back to bite me. Someone ordered an item that was in one of the boxes; and we had no idea which box it was in; so we had to lug out a bunch of them to find what we were looking for. My cube is on the left, showing how many boxes had to be moved.

Once we were done looking, all the boxes were put back into Doug's cube; though they didn't all go back in the same way they came out. No big deal though, just added some tape, and the job was complete!

For those anxious to know the outcome of Doug's Desk Dilemma, the following video was shot the morning of Tuesday, January 3, 2012; Doug's first day back to work after his long vacation.

Despite all that was done to his desk, Doug had it put back in order within 45 minutes! He's still missing one of his carts though; it's been hidden in our department.

Thanks once again Doug for being such a good sport!

Smell The Roses!

2012-01-03T04:13:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

It doesn't matter if you like sports or loathe them. It doesn't matter if you have a favorite team, athlete, etc., or not. What matters, in the long run is, when something major happens, everyone bands together as one to support the local team.

Such is the case with the University of Oregon. Whether you're a die-hard U of O football fan, or like their rivals, the Oregon State Beavers, better, or even another college team, it doesn't matter. The University of Oregon made it to the 2012 Rose Bowl, to play the Wisconsin Badgers. Anyone in the Pac 12 region should be proud the team made it that far, whether they're a fan or not.

And what made it even better for the 2012 Rose Bowl game is this:

The Rose Bowl winner's trophy! For the first time since 1917, the University of Oregon has won the Rose Bowl, (45 to 38)!

Way to go ~~DUCKS~~!

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-02T20:28:00.000-08:00

Whether 2011 was a good year, or a bad year, it's now the past. Time to start new in a new year, and hope for the best for everyone.

With that, I'd like to wish everyone a very happy new year. Let's all strive to make 2012 the best yet!

(My apologies that this wasn't posted sooner! I *thought* I had posted it; but I didn't, until now. Oops!)

It's Been Rumored

2011-12-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas 2011 is past, and we're on our way to a new year in less than a week.

It's the time of year where we reflect on the past year. The highlights, the low lights, the celebrity deaths, and more, of the past twelve months are brought to our attention one more time; before the current year itself becomes a memory.

Since the media does a fairly decent job of this every year, I'll leave it to them this year as well.

Instead, I'll focus on a rumor or two that popped up during the holidays this year.

The most notable rumor, of course would be the death of Jon Bon Jovi. Mid December the internet came alive with the death of the legendary rocker. The story was that Bon Jovi, age 49, had died of a heart attack.

As it turned out, the demise of the singer was false, as proven by Bon Jovi himself.

This picture was posted on Facebook, and other sites, as proof Jon was living on more than just a prayer.

Something else that came to my attention may, or may not, be a rumor; the death of the Chia Pet.

I don't watch a lot of TV, though every year I manage to see at least one Chia Pet commerical. To me, that's the 'official' start of the holiday season, the incessant plugging of the Chia Pet.

This year though, I didn't see even one commercial for this item. This leads me to believe that perhaps the Chia Pet has finally died a quiet death, never to be heard from again.

I turned to the internet to see what I could find there on the subject. According to what I saw there, Chia Pets are still alive, with the latest addition being a Barack Obama Chia Pet.

I have no absolute facts on this, though one thing I saw said someone found this at a K-Mart.

That got me to thinking again, I didn't go to stores a lot this season either. I did go enough times though that I 'should' have seen at least one Chia Pet display somewhere; I didn't.

Usually the Chia Pets are displayed where everyone can find them easily; you can't miss them. I never saw them this year, in any store I was in.

So, as we end the 2011 year, I'm still at odds with this. Somewhere there must be proof whether Chia Pets are still alive and well, or have gone on to that great herbal garden in the sky.

Either way, one thing I do know for sure; I've never wanted a Chia Pet, dead or alive!

Unraveling The Internet

2011-12-26T09:44:00.000-08:00

I have a natural curiosity that makes me want to find answers to all the questions I have. Doesn't matter what the question is, if there's an answer, I want to know it.

When I was younger it wasn't as easy to get the answers to everything I wanted to know. With the internet however, finding answers can be as easy as a few clicks. For me, it's like pulling a string; you pull to see how far you'll get before it stops. Will you be able to unravel the whole thing, or will a knot get in your way?

It's amazing what you can find on the internet, with just a tiny bit of information to go on. It's also kind of scary.

For myself, as I said, it's the curiosity getting the better of me. I see it as a challenge, of "can I find what I'm looking for"; and if I can, "how much more can I find out"?

Sometimes what I'm looking for is beneficial. I need information to be able to write a blog, or find something at the store, or an address of someone, things like that. Or I'm looking for the same type of information for my mom or dad, or a friend.

Sometimes though, I go looking for things, just to see if I can. This is where the kind of scary part comes in.

In searching the internet, I discovered, totally on accident, just how easy it is to find someone's social security number.

Granted the people are deceased, however, I can't help thinking this is how social security numbers can be stolen. While *I* wouldn't use the information for anything,(other than satisfying my curiosity), I know there are others out there who would, and probably have. For that reason, I would think the Social Security Death Index would be harder to get to than it is.

While I find these things, and start pulling the string to unravel them, I wonder how many others are doing the same thing, for all the wrong reasons. I also can't help but wonder how much information someone could find on the internet, if they actually pay for it.

Everything I've ever found on the internet, I've found for free; I refuse to actually pay for something that may or may not benefit me. I suppose if there was something I actually had to know, for other than curiosity, I *might* spend money; though I seriously doubt it.

That set my mind in motion though, of just how much someone could find out, by actually paying to find it; and what would they use the information for when they had it? It's a question I'll probably never have answered; though it's still in the back of my mind.

My point to this post is that the internet can be a fun place to explore, and kind of scavenger hunt for information. I just feel that there are some things that should be less accessible to the general public.

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T13:07:00.000-08:00

Just a short post to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. Hope your day is good, filled with lots of family, friends, fun and laughter.

Take time to reflect on the season and to remember why we celebrate each year. Count your blessings, and say your prayers for a safe holiday season for all.

I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who's read this blog over the past eight months; for all your support and help during the blogging contest I entered, and for the comments that have been left on some of the posts. I really do appreciate all of it more than you'll ever know!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Merry Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T17:49:00.000-08:00

Nowadays it seems like Christmas Eve is almost a bigger deal than Christmas. For little ones especially, since Christmas Eve is when Santa comes to visit.

To me, Christmas Eve is the fun leading up to Christmas, with Christmas still being fun, just more laid back than the hoopla of the night before.

With that said, I had planned on posting this Christmas day; but decided it fits in more with the frivolity of Christmas Eve. Once again, my brain has mashed together various things in my head, and come up with something somewhat odd.

It started with the caricatures I did awhile back of the KUPL air staff; I was wondering how I could do something for the holidays with them.

Then, at the Colt Ford concert, I saw the KUPL blinkie stars. I have at least three of them, though for the first time I looked at them and thought, "that would make a great tree topper".

That idea lead to a Christmas tree I created from scratch with Paint Shop Pro about four years ago; with ornaments using photos.

That dot connected to the dot, of "I have a blog and want to write about Christmas"; so to work I went!

In between all this, I had come up with a way to do a holiday theme for the caricatures; though I did say Rudolph was unavailable because he had a stuffy nose, and Vixen didn't want to participate, because she thought Lola would "out bling" her. This was in explanation of why there are only seven reindeer in the picture.

Originally there were also two elves, KUPL Producer Sputnik, and KUPL webmaster, Kelsie. Since I was only using on air staff for my latest idea, Kelsie wasn't added to that creation, though I did make an ornament for her. This is her Christmas elf costume, and photo ornament.

When everything was the way I wanted it to be, I placed the tree in the middle of the picture; put some presents in front of it; added the photo ornaments to it, then placed the KUPL air staff on either side of the tree. (On a side note, the bells aren't really on the reindeer's scarves; they're supposed to be under them a bit. They're what I call their "jingle belly buttons". Just another odd twist my brain presented me with!) This is the result:

Before I had this done, KUPL played a version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", that they made. When I heard it, I thought it was great and would go great with the picture I was creating, (even though not everyone in the song or pic is represented in both), so here's the KUPL Christmas Carol also:

http://www.kupl.com/2011/12/20/have-yourself-a-merry-little-christmas/

Merry Christmas Eve to everyone, and don't forget to leave Santa some cookies!

It's A Wonderful Leg Lamp

2011-12-22T04:22:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

(This will be the last KUPL Listener Blog word for 2011. The word will return the first Tuesday of 2012.)

So far this holiday season I've posted about Christmas shows, and Christmas music; so why not do a post about Christmas movies too?

There are several classic Christmas movies that come to mind: "Miracle on 34th Street", the original "Dickens' Christmas Carol", "Holiday Inn" and "White Christmas" are just a few.

I have two movies that are my personal favorites.

The first is, "It's A Wonderful Life", starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. Not sure why this is a favorite of mine; I just know I want to watch it every year. Last year I actually made it through the entire movie with no interruptions; a first for me!

My number one favorite Christmas movie is the favorite of a lot of people; "A Christmas Story".

It's the story of Ralphie Parker, a boy and his family living in the 1940's.

All Ralphie really wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder BB Gun. Unfortunately for Ralphie, all the adults keep telling him, "you'll shoot your eye out kid". This is a running line through most of the movie.

Another memorable quote is "Fra-jill-A, must be from Italy", said by Ralphie's "old man", when receiving a prize he'd won. Who could ever forget the infamous "~~LEG~~ lamp"?

Even more memorable however is the Christmas gift Ralphie received from his Aunt Clara; a pink bunny suit.

There are so many other images and quotes from "A Christmas Story" I could list here, however, it would probably take longer than watching the movie!

So, for those who know the movie, 'tis the season to enjoy it once again. And if you haven't seen "A Christmas Story" yet, fear not; once again TNT will be running a 24 hour marathon of the movie from Christmas Eve, through Christmas day.

Dogs & Reindeer Banned From Christmas

2011-12-20T04:13:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

As stated in an earlier post, I'm not one who really listens to traditional Christmas music. My collection has several genres to chose from for holiday listening.

Not that I don't like the traditional tunes; I'm just a bit more off-beat than that is all.

Then there are the songs I don't ever want to hear again. Every year, I make it my mission to ~~NOT~~ hear them any time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

One song I've been successful in not hearing for a few years now is "Jingle Bells", by the Barking Dogs.

It's not that this is a bad song; I actually used to like it at one time. However, after hearing it over, and over, and over, one year, I hit a breaking point; done with the dogs.

It's also why there's a picture on this post, rather than a video, or sound byte. Anything other than a picture, I might actually have to hear the song; not taking the chance!

The other song I wish I'd never hear again is "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer". It was cute the first couple times I heard it eons ago; since then, not so much.

So if I dislike it so much, why did I post the video here? Might as well; this is a song I've yet to avoid over the years. At last count this year, I've heard it six times, (not counting having to look for the video for the post). I think I hit a new record this year for how soon I heard it too. Didn't even get halfway through the day after Thanksgiving and it took me by surprise; argh!

These two songs are the ones at the top of my list of "banned" Christmas music. There are others, I just don't hear them on the radio, so they're easier to avoid.

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels this way, am I?

Colt Ford @ the Ponderosa Lounge--December 17, 2011

2011-12-18T20:12:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 17, 2011, several genres of music crashed together in loud harmony on Jubitz's Ponderosa Lounge stage. First up was opening act, Chance McKinney n' Crossfire.

Chance was the winner of CMT's Music City Madness contest a couple years ago; and has also had a #1 video on the station with his song, "Be Real".

While McKinney's music is definitely in the country vein, he's added his own touch to the sound by mixing in styles from other decades as well. One song that stood out in particular was "Beachbillies"; very cool song. In addition, McKinney did cover versions of several other country artists during his 90 minute set.

Over all, in the amount of time Chance has been in the national spotlight, he's definitely learned how to work a crowd up and keep them going. I see a great future for this gentleman.

There was a short break in the live music, then it was time to bring Colt Ford onstage.

Ford's main claim to fame is his rapping. Most of the actual singing is left to others in his band, while Colt raps his lines. This doesn't mean Colt isn't able to sing; quite the contrary. Ford actually has a great singing voice, as evidenced on several songs that night; most notably, his new single, "She Likes To Ride In Trucks". It's a song he wrote about his sixteen year-old daughter.

At one point during the set, Ford introduced the audience to his drummer, saying he's a rockstar, with the tattoo to prove it. Sure enough, the drummer raised his sleeve, showing a large "R" and a star on his arm.

Colt then said his drummer was going to do a rock n roll song, and he, (Colt), was going to play drums. With that, the band kicked in to Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer", with Ford on drums.

Another highlight of the night was Ford doing his version of "Dirt Road Anthem", the #1 song he wrote for Jason Aldean. While not as polished as Aldean's take, still a great rendition by Ford.

The night was definitely charged with music, and a lot of fun. Hopefully both Colt Ford and Chance McKinney will make their way back to the Pacific Northwest in the near future.

Ha! To Infinity!

2011-12-15T04:11:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

I'm not a competitive person by nature. The more I'm put in that position, the more I tend not to be that way. However, when it comes to friendly competition, I'm right in there with everyone else.

For example, I've found a new game I like to play online, "Match 10". After watching me play for a bit, the lead of my department at work, Greg, decided he wanted to play also. Not only did he play, he made it to the ultimate level of "Guru" on the game; then took a screen shot of his score and emailed it to me. The subject line was "Ha!"

I asked how he did it, and he told me his secret; which I then tried, beat his score, and emailed him a screen shot of it titled, "Ha, Ha!"

Of course, that meant it was on! Greg proceeded to beat my high score again, sending the screen shot to me, along with "Ha, Ha, Ha!"

My turn again; beat Greg's high score. Another screen shot sent, this time under the heading, "Ha Quadruple!"

Lest anyone think we don't actually work on the job, we do; all of this was going on during our breaks and lunches. The last high score was mine for Greg to beat; except now, instead of 25+ ~~BILLION~~, (the score I made during lunch Wednesday), he'll have to beat the score I made Wednesday night at home:

As I'm writing this post, Greg hasn't seen the new score yet, hee, hee! I'm sure he's going to try to beat it; I know I would. Like I said though, I'm not competitive, and neither is Greg; we just like egging each other on, and challenging each other. I'm very lucky to work in an environment like this, with fun people; it makes work much easier for sure!

Oh, and giving credit where credit is due, Greg is still better at "Match 10" than me, despite my higher score. The reason? Because if he hadn't told me how he got such high scores, I wouldn't have thought to try doing it his way; meaning I still wouldn't be getting high scores. Greg figured it out and was nice enough to share the information. Thanks Greg!

Drum Roll Please...

2011-12-13T00:09:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

And the winner of the MusiCares® Blogger Contest is: Rashon Massey.

Rashon, otherwise known as "Finalist #6", will be the lucky person on the red carpet and blogging about "Grammy Honors Person of the Year, Paul McCartney", in February, 2012. Congratulations Rashon!

Am I sad that I didn't win? Not at all; I'm not even disappointed. Why? Because there's so many positive things that came from just entering the blogger contest. I've learned so many things, including self-confidence, about myself and what I do.

I've also learned how many wonderful family members and friends I have, who so generously voted for me, and helped get others to vote as well.

Would it have been fun to be the person on the red carpet, and in the same room as Sir Paul McCartney? Of course it would! However, the fact that I was chosen as one of only six people in the entire U.S. to be a finalist makes me feel like a winner anyway. I mean, think how many people there are in the U.S., and how many have blogs; to be one of six is a huge thing, in my opinion.

So, for everyone who's been anxiously awaiting the results of the blogger contest, now you know. As far as where I ranked in the end, I don't have an answer for that. Only the winner of the contest was announced; no other rankings were given.

I want to say ~~THANKS~~ to everyone for their votes, all their support, and for putting up with me the last two months; words can't express how grateful I am to each and every one of you. You helped make this experience even better by being there for me, I really, really appreciate that. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

KUPL's Honky-Tonk Ho-Ho-Hoedown

2011-12-11T12:08:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 9, 2011, KUPL's Honky-Tonk Ho-Ho-Hoedown took over the Roseland Theater.

Before the doors opened to concertgoers, a private VIP party was held for clients and staff of the station.

Once the doors opened to ticket holders, there was a silent auction in the lobby. Up for grabs were prizes ranging from crock pots, to autographed guitars, to ski lift tickets, and everything in between. There was also a raffle for people to have a chance to sit on a couch onstage during the headliners' part of the program.

KUPL's entire air staff was in attendance that night, making their way on stage for announcements, and to introduce the evening's first act, local artist, Kurt Van Meter.

Van Meter, and those backing him, took the stage and did a few cover versions of songs; in addition to Van Meter's single, "Gypsy Road". For a "band" who'd never played together on stage, (the musicians were from other local Portland bands), they got the crowd in a definite party mood.

After Kurt Van Meter, afternoon DJ, TicTak, and "Simon in the Morning" member, Earthquake Jake, came onstage for more announcements and introductions. The original line up was supposed to have Sunny Sweeney take the stage then; instead though, Steel Magnolia was introduced.

When "Steel Magnolia" came on, it was member Joshua Scott Jones, and another guy. Before singing, Josh made the comment that his "partner" had forgotten her wig that evening; (in reference to Meghan Linsley being no where to be found). He then kicked into one of Steel Magnolia's hits, going on to other songs after that. The audience was calling out, "where's Meghan", and "where's the girl" the whole time; yet Jones didn't acknowledge the questions the entire set.

He did keep asking where the fiddle player that had been wandering around backstage was. He wanted the fiddle player from Kurt Van Meter's set to come up and play with him. Yet, when the fiddle player came out, Jones would play songs the guy didn't know. You could tell the fiddle player felt a bit out of place, and eventually wandered backstage again; only to be called back by Jones. This happened a couple more times, until finally Jones broke into a song that Van Meter had done earlier in the evening, Dwight Yokum's "Fast As You". The fiddler played along, exiting the stage as soon as the song ended.

The rest of the Steel Magnolia set was much the same. Jones would stand up once in awhile, from the stool he was sitting on; though he wouldn't go too far before sitting down again. He just seemed really scattered that evening and did mostly songs he'd written, or cover versions of songs. He did a decent job of singing, though the entire set just seemed awkward. Over all, from talking with others in the crowd, it was agreed; something was wrong with Josh. What it was, no one can honestly say; though it was definitely noticeable to the crowd.

After Steel Magnolia, another break with announcements and the like from the KUPL staff, and t-shirts being thrown out to the audience. You could tell everyone on stage was having as great a time as the crowd. They were all laughing, being silly and having fun.

Next up, Sunny Sweeney. Sweeney came on stage, sang her songs that have been played on the radio, and a variety of other songs she's written as well. She seems to have a bit of a sassy attitude and a quick wit.

She had the audience laughing several times with the stories she told about the songs. Most notably was the story of how Christmas songs really don't fit her style of singing. Instead of singing the usual holiday fare, she wrote her own Christmas song. She said it was the true portrayal of her family and how they are when they get together. This included how when her family drinks, eventually they start doing the "Sweeney Sway"; instead of standing straight, they start kind of swaying back and forth. Sweeney said it was a trait of her family. She then launched in to "One More Christmas Beer". It's a similar, yet different take on "Merry Christmas From the Family"; cute song.

With Sunny Sweeney's set done, all the KUPL staff made it to the stage again. In addition to more announcements, t-shirts, etc., it was time for the raffle drawing. Two tickets were drawn, and each winner, and a guest went onstage to sit on the couch for the final act of the night.

Once everything and everyone was in place, it was time for headliners, Montgomery Gentry. The two hit the stage running and never really slowed down all night, except for a couple of songs. For the most part though, their set was high energy and running at full speed. Besides singing, the two were interacting with the audience and the four people on the couch, as well as with each other. You could tell they were happy to be there, and were genuinely having a good time. Their enthusiasm was catching, and though it seemed the crowd couldn't get any rowdier, they did.

Keeping things in a holiday mood, the duo did "Merry Christmas From the Family", though it was mostly Troy, as Eddie had decided to join the four on the couch.

Eddie and T-Roy came, they rocked, and were the perfect capper to an already electric charged evening.

Except for the one slight hiccup in the show, (Steel Magnolia), over all the evening was totally awesome. Time will tell if next year's KUPL holiday show can top 2011's; it's going to be hard for sure!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

2011-12-08T03:56:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Christmas songs seem to be one of those things people either love or hate; with very few being in between. Personally, I love Christmas songs, enough that I've been known to play them in the middle of summer if I feel in the mood.

Then again, I'm not one for the more "traditional" Christmas music. Probably the closest I get to anything traditional are songs from Christmas shows, like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".

My all-time favorite Christmas song is "Step Into Christmas", by Elton John. Christmas time isn't official until I hear this song.

Even my favorite traditional Christmas song isn't done in a traditional style. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts make the oldie, but goodie, "Little Drummer Boy" rock!

I listen to country music 99% of the time now, so naturally I have some favorite country Christmas songs also. Staying in the offbeat vein, I have to share Montgomery Gentry's version of "Merry Christmas From the Family".

Country artist, Deborah Allen, released a song in 1984 that, in my opinion, is more rock than country. Not that it matters, because "Rockin' Little Christmas", definitely is on my list of favorites. Looking back at the video though, you can definitely tell it was the 80's!

Then again, I can think of at least three Christmas songs I like that aren't wild or crazy. I couldn't find a full video of the song, "An Angel Gets It's Wings", by Vince Gill and Trisha Yearwood; instead, I found a Target commercial from 1993. That was the year the store was promoting the movie "It's A Wonderful Life", and used the Gill/Yearwood duet in their TV ads. Anyone who bought a CD at Target, by either artist, received a free cassette tape of the entire song used in the ads.

While on the subject of angels, "The Angels Cried" by Alan Jackson and Allison Krauss also makes my list of favorite holiday tunes.

A list of Christmas music wouldn't be complete without at least one George Strait song. With that said, I present my favorite one, "Christmas Cookies".

I could go on and on with all the different Christmas songs I like and have to hear at least once every year. I think by now though you know, my idea of Christmas music is definitely not ~~NORMAL~~; and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

2011-12-06T03:51:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Tis the season once again for Christmas specials on TV. Of all of them, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" has always been my favorite. It's the first program I remember watching in color as a little girl; I've always loved the songs from the show, and the animation as well. It's just one of those Christmas shows I've rarely missed over the years; though the past few years I think I've started to grow up a bit.

My first clue was when I'd see the toys from the Island of Misfit Toys. Some of the misfits were obvious, like a cowboy riding an ostrich.

Or, a train with square wheels on it's caboose.

Those were things that were obviously not right for the type of toy it is. Yet, I keep thinking, "it's still an easy fix to make them right again".

However, as I got older, I realized some of the toys may have issues, and don't want to deal with reality. For instance, the "Charlie in a Box".

He laments that no one wants to play with a "Charlie in the Box", the name is all wrong. To me the simple solution would be to change his name to Jack. People change their names all the time, why can't he?

Then there's the spotted elephant;

I love that character and actually think it's pretty cool that he has colorful spots, instead of being a normal color. Besides, there are plenty of stuffed animals that have even more bizarre color schemes than just a few polka dots.

The squirt gun that shoots jelly is another easy fix, in my opinion. Just fill it with water instead of jelly, problem solved.

The one that really mystifies me though is the misfit doll. I have yet to figure out how she's a misfit. Truth be told, I've always wished I could have her as one of my dolls; she's my favorite of all the misfit toys.

All this had me thinking I may be growing up; but the clincher was when I started paying attention to how Santa treated ~~RUDOLPH~~; and how he behaves in general; it's kind of tramatizing.

For instance, Santa is supposed to be happy and jolly and like everyone. Yet, he's the first to criticize Rudolph's nose, when he's still a baby. No low self-esteem issues there, I bet...Not!

I could go on and on, but I think I've made my point. Despite my age impaired views though, I still love this show, and probably always will. I just wish I could still watch it with the innocence of a child.

A Moment Please

2011-12-05T07:34:00.000-08:00

I'd like to take a moment to address something that, from the response I've seen, is obviously dear to many listeners of KUPL; "Moment with Lola".

Lola's moments are inspirational stories shared by middayer, Lola Montgomery, at 11:27 am, Monday through Friday. Well, at least it WAS at that time during the week, until now.

This is Lola's Facebook post from Sunday:

The reason I had a bad day friday is because The Moment with Lola will no longer be heard on the radio. Research shows that there is a significant drop in that time area that causes the station to dip in ratings. This one hurts my heart because it is a huge part of who I am.

At this time there have been 111 comments on this post, from KUPL listeners who are NOT happy that Lola's moments will no longer be heard.

If you go to Lola's Facebook page, you can find even more activity from listeners, from petions to contacting KUPL's Program Director.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/lola.montgomery

This post isn't to take sides in the issue; it's my way of expressing my feelings. I'm one of the listeners, like many, who love Lola's moments. I can remember hearing them even before Lola came to KUPL.

I know that Lola started her moments as a tribute to Paul Harvey. She grew up listening to Harvey, and liked what she heard enough to want to carry on the tradition, in her own way. As her Facebook post states, it's a part of her life. For someone who's an open book with her listeners, not being able to share her moments is like ripping a page from that book.

For those who may not have heard any of Lola's moments on the air, you can hear, and read them on her blog on KUPL's website:

http://www.kupl.com/author/lola/

Some of my favorite stories I've heard Lola tell have been about a jar of marbles; a yellow paper clip; an Irish wolfhound, and a fork.

I won't tell any of them here, they can be found on Lola's blog listed above.

As I said, I'm not here to take sides on this; I just know that I'm one of the many listeners who will sorely miss Lola's moments everyday. This is my way of letting others know how I feel. Thank you.

Whooootin', Hollerin' Time

2011-12-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

(Still waiting to post what I wanted to Thursday. Will as soon as I can.)

Dear Owls:

I realize that your ancestors were here before mine; I'm okay with that.

I realize that you're a nocturnal creature, and therefore have been assigned the graveyard/third shift to do your job in the animal world. I'm okay with that also.

And while by nature you're a loner, even loners need time with friends to hang out and talk, etc.; I totally understand.

With that said, I'd like to make a request please. Have a great time with your friends, get together, hang out, talk, all that good stuff; please just sit in the same tree and keep your voices low! Each of you sitting in a tree on either side of my bedroom window, hooting at the top of your lungs, at 1am is NOT cool! It's especially not cool when the two of you do this for a solid hour; not only waking me out of a sound sleep, but keeping me awake the entire time!

Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.

Patience Is A Virtue

2011-12-01T04:27:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

I'll be the first to admit I'm not the most patient person in the world. It's especially true when I'm excited about something. Yet, like it or not, we all have to have patience at times; it's the way of life.

With that said, this post will be a short one, so those looking for their word of the day don't have to ~~WAIT~~.

This isn't actually the post I want to put out for today though. That's where *I* have to be patient and wait for the answers I'm looking for. Once that's done, I'll be back with another post. For now though, you've received your word for today, Enjoy!

Cold Turkey

2011-11-29T05:58:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Sometimes I think my brain likes to play "connect the dots"; except, instead of actually following them, and having a picture appear, my brain just makes up it's own picture.

That's how today's post came to be; I was thinking of ideas,(like quitting things cold turkey), which crossed with Thanksgiving and the two connected into what you're about to read.

To be honest, this post has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, or turkey. What it's about is something I started, (or I guess ended), nine weeks ago.

Awhile ago I had a post about losing a crown while eating smoked salmon. Since then, I've had increasing problems with swallowing. My throat tends to want to close up, making me choke. It finally got bad enough that I went to the doctor, who referred me to a specialist.

I'd always thought my problem had been caused from having bronchitis eight times in two years, (long story, I'll spare everyone); turns out that's not the case.

The main problem was massive quantities of Coca-Cola, chocolate, etc. Turns out caffeine can actually cause your throat to constrict if you have too much over long periods of time.

The specialist suggested cutting out all caffeine, the Coke, chocolate, tea, etc., as well as mint and tomato based products.

We're talking about someone who listed Coke, chocolate, and music as their life support, until September 22, 2011. On that day I finished off the last of my Coca-Cola and chocolate I had, and haven't drank, or eaten any since that day. I quit cold turkey, and surprisingly, it wasn't that hard. What keeps me motivated is, the longer I go without soda ~~POP~~
and chocolate, the more I don't want to give in to the temptation. I just keep thinking, "if I give in, I'll have to start counting from day one again". Nine weeks is a long time to have to start at the beginning again.

The greatest benefit though is, since following the specialist's advice, I've only had one instance where my throat closed up; and that was shortly after I'd quit my vices.

If you'd told me ten weeks ago I'd have come this far without the Coke and chocolate I'd have laughed; not anymore though. I've learned there is life away from Coke and chocolate, and I'm happy for that.

Gray Thursday

2011-11-25T13:30:00.000-08:00

If you've grown up in the United States, or lived here long enough, you probably know about "Black Friday". That Friday after Thanksgiving when stores have huge sales and tiny prices on an infinite number of goods in their store.

Thanksgiving was a day of thanks, parades, ball games and stuffing yourself silly with food. The day after Thanksgiving was for getting up in the middle of the night, and going to stand in line at the store having what you wanted to buy on sale. Where I'm from, the time for stores to open was usually set at 6am.

Then a few years ago I started noticing stores setting their times before 6am; usually 5:55 am, or something like that. Then it was midnight. Stores would open at midnight for early Black Friday sales. After that, it started being 10 pm or earlier Thanksgiving night. That's the way it was this year. To me, that's not "Black Friday"; it's been deluted to "Gray Thursday".

While I realize that not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving, whatever happened to still respecting the holiday? Is it corporate greed, or just good marketing strategy?

Either way, I always somehow manage to end up in the middle of it almost every year. Whether it's because there's something on sale I know someone wants for Christmas, or something I need at an excellent price, or this year, my son wanting company while he stood in line to get a $60 game for $27-$28.

Mind you, Black Friday's are always crazy and chaotic; in the past few years though, they just seem to be getting worse and worse. I remember someone being stabbed at a Toys R Us; and at one Wal-Mart, people died being crushed by the mass of overly eager sale shoppers.

My son and I wondered what story would make the national news this year in connection with Black Friday. Sure enough, first thing I see this morning is a story from a California Wal-Mart. Some lady actually pepper-sprayed other shoppers, to get them out of her way!

While looking for more information on the above story, I ran across several other stories from all across the country; from stabbings, to shootings, and more. I don't care how much I've ever wanted something; there's never been anything worth having that happen!

We were lucky that our local Wal-Mart wasn't as bad as the ones I read about; though it WAS crazy! My son and I heard one lady tell her friend she'd gotten elbowed in the face twice just trying to get around the electronics department.

A friend of mine posted a short video on Facebook from the same store, while she was waiting to buy a camera. I posted the following comment to that post, about what happened to my son and me in the short time we were in the store:

That store was CRAZY last night!!! Very surreal, with people running over others with carts, or making barricades with carts...Not to mention all the people between the aisles, taped in with yellow tape and "do not enter" signs...I so wanted to ask someone if it was okay to feed the "animals" in the "zoo"...Until I realized, the people behind the tape were the spectators...."I* was part of the crazy zoo! They were the people with tickets waiting on $188 dollar flat screens, etc. Seriously, even leaving the store I got hit in the back of the leg with a cart and almost had a head on collision with some woman who decided to speed push her cart through the exit door, because it was taking too long at the entrance. No way she could have *NOT* seen me, she didn't care...If I hadn't stepped aside she would literally plowed through me!!!

Needless to say, my son did not get his game at Wal-Mart. Though the actual sale didn't start until 10 pm, people had been allowed to pick up the game as early as 6 pm, and carry it with them throughout the store until 10pm.

Since Target was just down the street from Wal-Mart, and they had the game on sale also, we went there to stand in line until midnight. The Target line was already halfway around the side of the building when we got there, but the crowd was a good one. People were friendly and chatting with friends, family and strangers alike.

When the time was close to open the doors, Target employees, (who had earlier passed out store maps and free Luna Bars), came down the line explaining the procedures they were going to use, once the store opened. Thirty people would be let in every 15 seconds. It worked wonderfully! Even being in the middle of the line, by the time we got in the store, it still wasn't crowded; no one was being crazy, even in the electronics department. My son walked right to where the games were, picked up what he wanted, we paid, and left within 10 minutes.

All of these experiences left me wondering why all stores can't conduct their sales like Target. Even with Wal-Mart being open 24 hours, there has to be a way they could make this a less dangerous event. When 95% of the stories you hear happened at Wal-Marts, it makes one wonder why the store continues doing business this way.

And at places like Best Buy, is it really appropriate for people to actually camp out for days before a sale, just to be first in line? Where are peoples' priorities?

Of course, all of this is just my opinion, based on past and present experiences. I'm hoping next year there's nothing that will drag me out into this chaos again!

Well Wishes For A Wonderful Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T05:42:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Just a quick little post for today to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving!

Have a wonderful time watching the parades, football, etc., and eating way too much food. You know we all do it every year; stuff ourselves silly until we're in a ~~TURKEY~~ coma! Then again, isn't that half the fun of the holiday?!

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, PLEASE!!! :)

2011-11-22T07:46:00.000-08:00

(Today's KUPL Listener Blog word is in the post just below this one.)

For anyone reading this post, just got an update on the MusiCares® Blogger contest; I'm currently in third place.

To date; this is the tally:

We’re All Dancing in the Dark 146
MusiCares: Changing Lives One Song at a Time 98
The Magic of Music 84
So Much to Give 72
The Song Remembers When 47
Why I Care for All This Music Around Us 35

There are eight days left to vote, so if you haven't yet, please do! And please share this with everyone you know. I still have a chance of winning this, and I owe it to everyone who's helped me get this far. A huge thanks to all of you!

Here's the link again of where to vote:

http://www.facebook.com/MusiCares?sk=app_122139254463179

Just "like" the page, and you'll be able to vote. I'm finalist #3.

Again, a huge thanks to all of you who've helped with this, I greatly appreciate it!

The Littlest Things Can Bring Happiness

2011-11-22T03:52:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

I've come to the conclusion that it really doesn't take a lot to make me happy.

Like hearing my favorite artist on the radio. No matter what kind of day it's been, I hear David Lee Murphy, and I can't help but smile.

One of life's little moments presented itself Monday at work. As a rule, employees where I work can wear any color of jeans, except blue.

Usually, to be able to wear blue jeans, an employee must have purchased a "jeans sticker". This allows the person to wear blue jeans every Friday.

Then there's "Civil War" day, where employees can wear blue jeans and also sport their favorite team colors.

There's also Halloween when employees can dress up. I always manage to have a "costume" that incorporates blue jeans.

It's not that I don't like other jeans colors; as a rule I wear black ones to work, so I'm comfortable. Black jeans just aren't the same though. They don't have the same "feel" to them that blue ~~DENIM~~ does. Doesn't matter if it's dark blue,

or light blue,

blue jeans just have the best feel to them of any color jeans.

Back to Monday's happy moment though. Monday, our company announced that not only can we wear blue jeans on Wednesday, for the "Civil War" game; we can also wear them today, because of the blustery weather, and Thanksgiving.

Doesn't sound like much, I know, for me though, it was heaven! I could live in blue jeans day in and day out; so to be able to wear them to work two days in a row is a big deal to me.

And thus the reason I've decided it doesn't take a lot to make me happy. Two days of wearing blue jeans to work, and suddenly this short week looks even better than before!

The Excessive Use Of The "S" Word

2011-11-17T05:54:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

There are just some words that should not be said, especially at this time of year. The one I dislike the most is the "S" word.

For some reason around this time of year, like clockwork, you start hearing people everywhere spouting this bad four letter word. Doesn't matter if they're young or old, wild and crazy, or prim and proper, everyone just starts saying the "S" word, even little kids! In fact, the littlest kids seem to get the most pleasure repeating the "S" word, over and over; and their parents let them!

I'm not a fan of the "S" word for the most part. I realize it has it's time and place to be mentioned, but I still don't like it.

Let me clarify that last statement. Over all I don't like the "S" word, or the excessive use of it. However, if it's a weekend, and I have no plans, then I'm okay with it. If that's the case, then the "S" word is more than welcome to be said; as long as it's not said when the weekday comes around, and I have to go to work.

By now you've probably figured out what "S" word I'm speaking of, and if so know why I don't like it.

If you haven't figured it out yet, I guess I'll have to spell it out in this post. Be forewarned however, if you don't like the "S" word, you may not want to read further.

With that said, here goes nothing: ~~SNOW~~!

There, it's been put in a blog post for the world to see! What's that? That's not the "S" word you were expecting? What word were you thinking of then?! :)

Not Too Proud To Beg

2011-11-15T04:39:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

My apologies to those who are tired of hearing about the MusiCares® Blogger contest. As stated in earlier posts though, voting is the only way finalists have a chance of winning. The finalist with the most ~~VOTES~~ by November 30, 2011 will be declared the winner. I'd like to be that person, which is why I'm not to proud too beg.

The winner will be at the MusiCares® Honors Person of the Year, Paul McCartney in February, 2012.

It's an honor to even be a finalist in this contest; winning would be the icing in the cake. So again, please, take a moment and vote for me in the
MusiCares® Blogger contest and share the link with your friends and family.
I really do appreciate it!

Link to the blog entries: http://blog.musicares.com/2011/11/03/vote-musicares-blogger/

Link to vote: http://www.facebook.com/MusiCares?sk=app_121121694568521

Life's Lessons Learned

2011-11-10T04:49:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

You're never too old to learn new things. Whether it's something important, or just useless trivia, you're still learning.

My learning leans more towards useless trivia; I'm like a sponge when it comes to things like that. Yet, I tend not to remember some important things, unless I really commit them to memory.

Then there are the times where the lightbulb comes on, and not only do I remember something important, I learn and grow from it. That's what's been happening since I entered the MusiCares® Blogger contest last month.

I've never liked when someone has a big ~~EGO~~, the kind that's so big it just overflows out to everyone who comes near the person. The type where the person thinks they're the greatest thing in the world, and no one's better than them. I can't stand that, and have always made sure *I* didn't act like that.

I've always had what I call the "quiet ego". It may come out a little, but for the most part, I'm excited inside, and keep it to myself.

What I've learned in the past month however is, there's a fine line between "ego" and "self-promotion". You have to let at least a bit of your ego out to be able to be self-promoting.

I became aware of this when I was chosen as one of the six finalists in the MusiCares® Blogger contest. Between now and then, finalists must get as many votes for their entry as they can. The finalist with the most votes by November 30, 2011 will be the winner of the contest.

With the prize being attending, and blogging about, the Grammy Person of the Year, Paul McCartney, event you can bet I want to win as much as anyone!

That's when I realized, *I* needed to get the word out to people, and ask them to get the word out as well. It had to start with me though; if I didn't tell people, most people I know wouldn't be aware of the contest, or that I'm a finalist.

Since realizing that, I've also discovered how to keep my ego in check, and still promote myself for others to vote for me.

Even if I don't win the grand prize in MusiCares® blogger contest, I feel I've already won, by learning this important lesson. It allows me to know it's okay to speak up and be proud of what I do, and still be able to keep my ego in control.

7 Months & 100 Posts Ago

2011-11-08T06:08:00.000-08:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

April 13, 2011 was the first time I'd ever written a blog post. Now, almost seven months later, I'm writing my one hundredth post.

What should this post be about though? A hundred is a bit of a milestone, so it should be something special.

Previous posts have run the gamut of subjects, from the review of The Dirt Drifters,

to silly posts, like washing spiders down drains.

I thought, and thought, but couldn't think of anything special enough to be post one hundred. Then it happened! Something really special I could blog about!

For those who read this blog more than occasionally, you probably know that I entered a post in the MusiCares® Music Blogger contest. My entry was titled "The Magic of Music".

The contest ran from September 9, 2011, to October 31, 2011, and was open to any blogger in the U.S., 21 years or older. Six finalists were chosen from all entries, and I'm one of the six!

From now, until November 30, 2011, finalists have to get as many votes as they can, with the one having the most declared the winner.

The prize is being the only credentialed person for MusiCares® on the red carpet, attending the "Grammy Honors Paul McCartney" event in February 2012, and blogging about the whole thing. To say the least, I'm a teensy bit excited about all of this!

Okay, I'm more than just a little excited; I'm so excited that all I can say, without lifting off the ground is, ~~EEK!~~

With that said, I would like to kindly ask anyone reading this post to please go to the following link and vote for my post. I'm listed #3 of the six finalists. You will have to "like" the page before you can vote. Also, please pass this link along to your friends and ask them to vote!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/MusiCares?sk=app_121121694568521

Thank you in advance for your vote, and also for reading my blog; I definitely appreciate it!

Review--Scotty McCreery--"Clear As Day"

2011-11-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

Eighteen year-old Scotty McCreery is best known as the latest winner on "American Idol". Fans also know he has a voice that belies his age.

Throughout his time on "American Idol", McCreery did songs by country artists, most notably Josh Turner. McCreery did Turner's "Your Man", sounding almost exactly like Turner.

"Clear As Day", McCreery's first CD since winning Idol, has several good songs on it, including the Keith Urban song, "Walk In The Country".

Another standout is "Old King James", the story of a bible that had been carried everywhere by a man; then passed on to his family when he died.

"Dirty Dishes" has a mother saying a prayer about noisy kids, dirty dishes, etc., and being thankful for them.

On songs like these, McCreery truly shines; other tracks though are a bit lackluster in comparison. For instance, the two songs released to radio, "Love You This Big" and "The Trouble With Girls" are both a little too "kiddish". Granted, McCreery *is* a kid at eighteen, however, these songs just seem to be aimed directly at 'tweens and teenage girls.

Having been the winner of "American Idol", it would seem that McCreery would already have a large fan base, of all ages; so why not release some of the better songs from "Clear As Day"?

Scotty McCreery has proven he has what it takes to be a star, and except for a glitch or two song wise, "Clear As Day" showcases his talents very well.

Review--"Four the Record"--Miranda Lambert

2011-11-03T04:53:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Miranda Lambert has come a long way since placing third on the first season of Nashville Star in 2003. Since then, she's scored a number of hits on country radio, released three CD's, dated and married fellow country artist, Blake Shelton. On November 1, 2011, Miranda released her fourth CD, aptly titled, "Four the Record".

While Miranda does write a lot of her own songs, she didn't write all the tunes on "Four the Record". Even the songs not written by her however sound like they could have been. A good example is "Mama's Broken Heart".

The song tells the story of a girl who's been dumped by her man, and has gone a bit over the edge. Her mama tells her she can't behave that way, she has her reputation to think of.

Another song not penned by Miranda is "All Kinds of Kinds". It's an uptempo tune telling of the world being made up of, and needing all kinds of people.

"Baggage Claim" is the current song on radio, and was written by Miranda. It's a great tune about breaking up with a guy, because of all the "baggage" from his past, and hers. With her unique voice, music and delivery of rocking songs, Miranda's style could best be described as ~~QUIRKY~~

"Four the Record" also has it's share of slower, quiet songs. None of them seem to really shine in comparison to the more lively music on this CD however.

Two exceptions are "Dear Diamond", and "Better in the Long Run". The first song alludes to a woman who's cheated on her man. The second, a duet with husband, Blake Shelton, is about a couple whose relationship has come undone.

One song that stood out is "Fine Tune". The entire song is done like it's being sung through a megaphone, or coming across an old radio; lots of static and echoing. It's alright for a bit, but four plus minutes of listening to it gets to be irritating.

The rest of the songs on this CD are your average Miranda Lambert music. Nothing that really stands up and says take notice, yet still very good in their own right.

"Four the Record" may not have something for everyone, though Miranda Lambert fans, and those who like their music a little left of center, should enjoy this CD.

Review--"Clancy's Tavern"--Toby Keith

2011-11-01T04:36:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Toby Keith has had several hits over the course of his career. Some have been ballads, like the recent "Cryin' for Me". Quite a few have been rowdy and loud, like "How Do You Like Me Now" And of course there's Toby's patriotic contributions, for instance, "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue".

On Keith's latest release, "Clancy's Tavern", listeners will find all the song styling they've come to associate with Toby.

For patriotism, one need look no further than the first track on the CD to find Toby's latest hit, "Made In America". The song tells the story of a man who, while not being prejudice, only buys, wears, and uses items made in the U.S.A.

"South of You" and "I Won't Let You Down", lean more towards being ballads, one of love lost and the other about a lasting relationship.

And naturally, it wouldn't be a Toby Keith CD without at least one rowdy song. "Red Solo Cup" fills the gap well. The tune is a rocking party ode to red solo cups. It's hard to describe the song here; you'll just have to listen to it yourself to understand. Honestly, if the melody and words weren't so catchy, this could easily be a "throw away" song. It's just silly and hooky enough to grab one's attention though; especially the video for the song with it's dozens of cameo appearances by some of Toby's famous friends.

The title track, "Clancy's Tavern" is the real standout on this CD. It's a song about the true story of Keith's ~~GRANDMOTHER~~, the tavern she ran, and the summers he would spend with her, helping out. Though not quite the same, the melody, and Keith's delivery of this song is reminiscent of Billy Joel's "Piano Man".

Over all, Toby Keith has provided his followers with another great CD that should have something for everyone to enjoy.

Ghosts, Spirits & Poltergeists

2011-10-31T04:14:00.000-07:00

Halloween, the time of year where witches, ghosts and goblins have their moment in the spotlight.

Most people acknowledge that both good and bad witches exist in this world.

When it comes to ghosts, spirits or poltergeists however, you have believers, skeptics, and those who ride the fence on the subject.

For those who are unsure of the difference in these three entities, here's a quick explanation:

1. Ghosts are the dead who haven't crossed over to the other side yet.
2. Spirits are the souls of those who have crossed over.
3. Poltergeists are ghosts who move things and are noisy.

While I'm skeptical of some things I've seen, or been told, for the most part, I'm one of the believers.

This is due in part to the things I've experienced over the years of my life. Looking back, I now recognize things I didn't as a child, like footsteps in the hallway, when no one was there; things like that.

The first time I actually realized I'd seen a ghost was when I was in my late teens, early twenties. My dad worked nights, my brother was in college, so it was just my mom, me and the two toy poodles we had at home in the evenings.

The younger dog, Skippy, was the son of the other poodle, Tinkerbell. The two were inseparable, and would play all the time. Even when Tinker developed a heart condition, she'd still play, until she'd cough and wheeze. Then one day Tinker died. Skip was upset and depressed, naturally.

That night, my mom and I were sitting on the couch watching television, with Skip sleeping between us. All of a sudden I heard familiar wheezing and coughing, looked from where I was sitting down the dark hallway, and saw a bright light the same size a Tinker, which is where the sound was also coming from. I didn't say anything to my mom, and eventually it stopped.

Next night, same thing. By the third night, I told my mom what I was seeing and hearing. To my surprise she said, "you too"? She'd been seeing the same thing as me, but hadn't said anything, so as not to scare me.

When my dad was home in the evening we wouldn't see or hear anything; only when it was just my mom and me home at night. During this time, Skip, (who had been perfectly healthy), started coughing and wheezing. We knew it wasn't him though, as when we heard the sound, and saw the light, it was always at the end of the hallway, and Skip was always asleep between us.

A month, to the day that Tinkerbell died, Skippy died. Since that time we've never seen the light at the end of the hall, or heard any coughing or wheezing.

There are other experiences I could share here, like when I go looking for something I need. I can know exactly where I left it, yet, it won't be there. Usually when this happens, something else I'd been looking for previously will be what I find instead. It's like things are getting moved, then brought back in place of the current item I'm looking for. It doesn't happen all the time, but it is more than a rare occurence at my house.

At least twice I've had bad experiences also. Like lying in bed, awake, one night and all of a sudden feeling like someone was in the room with me. No one was, though suddenly it felt like someone was sitting on my chest, so I couldn't breathe or move. I couldn't talk, or move, or breathe. In my head, I yelled, "get off of me, now, leave me alone"! As soon as I did, the weight was gone and I could breathe again.

I could go on, however I'm pretty sure there are already some skeptics out there not believing what I've written; I'm okay with that. I tend to try to find the loopholes and missing pieces in stories I hear also. I think it's because there have been those who have scammed others before; it makes people naturally wary of things they don't understand.

I do have friends who are also believers though, like my friend Patty. More than once since her mom has died, she's had incidences where she knows her mom was there for her. Not just a feeling of her mom's presence, but little things that have been moved, or whatnot, when no one else was in the house to do it. It gives Patty a comforting feeling to know her mom is still there for her.

Another friend, Sandy, who's also lost her mom, has had several experiences where she knew her mom was with her. I was there one of those times as well.

We were at a casino, and Sandy was playing a slot machine that had been one of her mom's favorites. Someone came up and began talking to Sandy about the machine and other random things, just out of the blue. Sandy said something to the person about the machine having been her mom's favorite, though she thought her mom probably wasn't with her at the moment, because she'd been losing money. Right, EXACTLY as she finished that sentence, the machine she was playing went crazy. Turned out Sandy had won $90 from the machine, and had actually come out ahead after all. She and I were both positive her mom had something to do with it.

When telling a co-worker, Doug, about writing this post, he told me of an experience he had at his current home. Seems he had a radio in his garage, and though no alarm was set, the radio would come on blaring at midnight. Not every night, usually about once every two months, just randomly; always at midnight.

As I stated earlier, I don't expect the skeptics to believe any of what I've posted; it's not a matter of trying to convince anyone. I've simply shared my experiences, and those of friends, for others to consider. What better time of year to do that than Halloween?

Review--"Guitarslinger"--Vince Gill

2011-10-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

It's been five years since Vince Gill has released a CD; though you'd never know it listening to his latest offering, "Guitarslinger".

From the opening title track through the rest of the twelve songs, this CD flows as smoothly as Gill's voice, while still having wide variety in both music and subject matter.

The title track is an upbeat, almost rockish tune, that weaves a story of the floods in Nashville last year, Vince meeting Amy Grant, and other things that have happened in his life.

"When the Lady Sings the Blues" mixes country with a heavy dose of, you guessed it, the blues. Amongst the other CD song selections, this tune is right at home.

The current single, "Threaten Me with Heaven", is truly pure Vince Gill at his best. It's the type of song listeners expect from Gill, and he definitely doesn't disappoint anyone with his delivery.

It would probably be easier to list songs that fall a bit short of the rest of the music on "Guitarslinger", for instance, "If I Die". Though it fits well with the other songs, it doesn't seem to make the same impact as the others do. Yet, at the same time, "If I Die" really is a good song. That's how good "Guitarslinger" is, even the more lackluster songs are still great.

Though it's been five years, Vince Gill's latest CD is worth the wait and sure to be a classic. I'd rate it one of the best CD's of 2011.

KUPL Holiday Shows

2011-10-27T05:07:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

This Saturday, (October 29, 2011), KUPL is hosting it's 3rd Annual KUPL Boo Cruise on the Portland Spirit. The event includes a costume contest, (with the winner receiving an iPad2), food and music.

This year's music will be provided by "American Idol" finalist, Danny Gokey, Kip Moore and new artists, The Farm.

Think this show is a big one? Wait until the Christmas ~~HOLIDAY~~ season!

This year's "2011 KUPL Safeway Honky-Tonk Ho-Ho-Down" will be Friday, December 9, 2011 at the Roseland Theater.
Sunny Sweeney and Steel Magnolia will open for headliners, Montgomery Gentry.

Montgomery Gentry alone is worth the price of a ticket, which is $25 for general admission, and $40 for reserved seating. Throw in the other two acts, and you've definitely got a show worth seeing!

Tickets go on sale, Saturday, October 29, 2011 at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets, and at www.ticketswest.com.

Simon Says, "Let There Be Hair"

2011-10-25T05:02:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

I remember Scott Simon when he worked for the "other" country station in Portland, Oregon; even then he didn't have hair. Usually he's got a ball cap on, though sometimes he doesn't; never though have I seen him with hair, until now.

It seems last week, while Jake was on vacation, Scott decided to let his hair grow. Now, where there's always been a shiny dome, hair is sprouting. Though I haven't seen him in person, I have seen what he looks like in a photo.

I think Scott looks good either way, so whatever he's happy with is what he should do.

How do you, fellow KUPL listeners, feel about this? Should ~~SCOTT~~ continue to let his hair grow; or should he go back to being bald?

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Oh My!

2011-10-20T05:13:00.000-07:00

There are some things that just make me wonder how they came to be, like what things should be eaten at certain times of the day.

"Typical" breakfast fare consists of eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, etc.

Though each of these items can be used in recipes and such, for the most part they're considered a breakfast staple.

Likewise, cereal is seen as breakfast food. Sure, some cereal is used to make treats, like Rice Krispies; over all however, cereal is seen as a morning food.

Though breakfast ~~FOODS~~ are primarily for that time of the day, many people also enjoy breakfast for dinner.

Yet, while it's perfectly acceptable to have eggs and pancakes for dinner, people tend to look at others as strange for eating say, leftover pizza for breakfast. Why? It's food, why is it only supposed to be eaten for lunch or dinner?

Granted, pizza isn't the healthiest thing to eat, however, "typical" breakfast items, for the most part aren't that healthy either.

I realize also, that nutrition charts have changed over the years. Using the four basic food groups example though, it's easy to see where pizza fits in nicely.

Start with the crust, which is a form of bread, thus covering the grain portion of the chart. Cheese of course is the dairy product of the chart. Then there are the toppings: Onions, peppers, mushrooms, olives, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage, and many more; all of which fit into the fruits and vegetables and meat sections of the food chart.

So, again I wonder, why is it so bad to eat pizza, or a burger, or whatever, for breakfast? I won't even get into the whole idea of people who work graveyard shifts, and come home and have "dinner", that's a whole other aspect of this subject.

My point to this post is that I feel there shouldn't be restrictions on what's considered breakfast, lunch and dinner food. Wouldn't the world maybe be a much better place if we didn't specify when to eat certain things?

Vince Gill @ the Bing Lounge-October 15, 2011

2011-10-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

There are so many things I want to say about Vince Gill's performance in the Bing Lounge on October 15, 2011; though if I had to use only one word, it would be AWESOME!

Anyone who listens to country knows Gill is a living legend; you wouldn't know it to see and meet him though.

When the show got started Vince walked on stage in his faded camo pants, and baggy sweatshirt, sat down and started talking and playing songs for the audience. Throughout the show, I kept thinking how different this performance was than others in the Bing Lounge.

Sure, there's been a lot of great musicians on the Monster Energy stage, and to me, everyone I've had the chance to meet has always been kind; this time was just different somehow.

Then it hit me; the difference was the "feel" of the place. Shows in the Bing Lounge are naturally intimate, it's a small venue. The difference this time, to me, was it felt more like everyone was kicked back in the living room at home, while someone was singing. It could be any living room anywhere, and the singer could be a friend of the host of the party. In this case the "living room" was the Bing Lounge, and the "host" was KUPL.

I think a big part of that is Vince didn't "act" like a living legend, or even a star; he was just another one of the guys in the standing room only crowd that day.

I was happy to hear Vince do his latest single, "Threaten Me with Heaven". I love this song; it's classic Gill through and through.

Another new song Gill performed was the title track to his new CD, "Guitarslinger". He explained to the audience that the song combines many aspects of his life and career, like meeting his wife, Amy Grant.

Though Vince didn't have time to do every hit he's had, he did do "Go Rest High on That Mountain". He mentioned that though the song isn't the biggest hit he's had, it's the song that he'll always be remembered for, in his opinion.

As I said at the beginning of this post, Vince Gill was awesome in the Bing Lounge. Though I didn't hear all his hits, I did get the chance to meet this living legend and I'm very grateful for that. It's definitely something I'll never forget.

Toby Keith--"Red Solo Cup"

2011-10-18T05:20:00.000-07:00

The first time I heard of Toby Keith's "Red Solo Cup", was when I saw a short article about the video having several big names making cameo appearances. I wanted to see how many people I could name, so I watched the video.

Sure enough, there are cameos by comedians, athletes, singers, and all types of entertainment. Though I didn't recognize everyone, the ones I did included Carrot Top, Jeff Dunham, the Warren Brothers, J.T. Hodges, Joe Nichols and Larry Bird.

The video is fun to watch because it's completely silly. I've posted the unedited version here, so I do suggest not having children around while you watch it.

As for the song itself, "Red Solo Cup" reminds me of the songs Toby had awhile back on an album. Those songs were his "bus" songs, (or something like that), that he and the band wrote/played while traveling on their tour bus.

"Red Solo Cup" could easily be seen as a "throw away" song, in the sense that it seems written just because it could be. That doesn't mean it's a bad song however. On the contrary, I really like the song a lot; the video just adds to the wackiness of the tune, especially the end of the video. I don't want to spoil it for anyone though; you'll just have to watch and listen to the video for yourself.

So raise up your ~~CUPS~~ and make a toast to what's sure to be another big hit for Toby Keith.

The Magic of Music

2011-10-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

“Disclaimer: This blog post has been written for entry into the MusiCares® Music Blogger contest.”

The magic of music is universal. No matter the language, the basic core of any song is the melody the words are set to.

Instrumental songs paint pictures with sound. Music filled with loud, booming crescendos, may stir images of large waves hitting rocks in the ocean; or perhaps thunder rumbling through the sky. Cymbals clashed together may be interpreted as the flash of a lightning bolt.

The quiet, staccato sound of an instrument may sound like the pitter pat of rain, either just before, or after a storm.

While music does an excellent job spurring one’s imagination, lyrics enhance the experience even more. Adding words to a melody make the picture being painted more complete. Each line contributes to the story the words and melody are telling. Whether the tale is sad, happy, indifferent, or something completely unique, songwriters have the magic to condense entire stories into, on average, a 3 to 4 minute amount of time, accompanied by music.

Music also has magical healing qualities. Not just soft, soothing music, any music, in any genre can help a person when they need it most. What may be jarring and unnerving to one person, may be just what another is seeking for solace. As different as each person in this world is, there’s always some type of music for everyone.

For one person I know, Reba McEntire is his comfort in time of need, and his energy when times are good. Over the past 30 years, no matter the situation, it seems Reba has a song that has helped him in whatever way was needed. He credits Reba for him being alive today, as there have been times he’s thought of ending it all; then would hear a song by Reba, and know he couldn’t do it.

Others have told me the magic of music probably doesn’t apply to the deaf; not true. My brother was born deaf, though it never stopped him from enjoying music. True, he doesn’t hear lyrics, however, he can feel the rhythm of the music being played. I remember him liking Tom Jones as a child, because he liked the rhythm Jones’ songs had.

My parents took us to see Glen Campbell once, and my brother enjoyed it as much as the rest of us. He could feel the music and energy vibrating through the floor of the venue.

In college music helped my brother study. He would put on headphones, and blast Pat Benatar while doing homework. One of his classmates asked why he used headphones, since he’s deaf. My brother’s response was others around him weren’t; he was being polite by using headphones.

Music has always been a part of my life. Growing up, I heard country music by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Marty Robbins, and a host of others, via the radio and records.

As I got older, my tastes changed and expanded to encompass almost all genres of music. Rock, pop, big band, rockabilly, country, you name it I probably have at least one song in my collection that fits the bill. From those songs, I have my own favorites for when I’m happy, or needing comfort. I’m very thankful for that.

For those in the music industry however, it isn't all magic. For everything these people give the rest of the world with music, they still have reality to deal with on a daily basis. Unlike others, most people in the music business don't have medical or dental insurance. If they, or someone in their family becomes ill, or has a toothache, it can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical and dental fees.

This is where MusiCares® steps in to help. Since 1989 MusiCares® has been available to those in the music industry who need help with health expenses. MusiCares® can't do it alone however, they need donations to do the work they do.

If every music lover in this world donated even $1, it would help MusiCares® keep doing the wonderful job they do helping those in need in the music business.

I can’t imagine life without music. There’s nothing else like it that allows anyone, anywhere in the world to express feelings in so many ways. It truly is magical. Let's hope MusiCares® is always around to help keep the magic alive.

“MusiCares® helps and supports the people who dedicate their lives to making the music I blog about. Please join the Be A Part of the Heart MusiCares® mosaic at https://beapartoftheheart.com/ and be entered for a chance to win a trip the 2012 GRAMMYS®!”

Sunny Days Are Here Again!

2011-10-13T05:18:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

You'd think living in the Pacific Northwest all my life, I'd be used to the cold and rain. Okay, I am used to it; I still don't like it though!

As I've said in at least one other blog, I feel this area got cheated out of summer this year. We had some warm days, however nothing like summer in the Pacific Northwest is supposed to be.

Now it's fall, the middle of October, and chances of nice, somewhat warm days are slim to none for the most part.

Hold on though; what's this? The entire next week is supposed to be sunny, and warm?! Yay!!! There's still hope before the real cold and wet sets in!

Mind you, I realize that since this is the Pacific Northwest, that forecast can change a hundred times or more between now and the weekend. At this point in time however, I'm simply choosing to ignore that possibility. Instead, I'm going to stay positive that the ~~SUNSHINE~~ and warm weather will be here again before winter!

REVIEW---Rodney Atkins' CD "Take A Back Road"

2011-10-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

The first time I'd ever heard of Rodney Atkins, he had a song on the radio called, "Honesty". I loved the song and was sorry that it wasn't a hit for Rodney.

Since then Rodney Atkins has had several hits to his name, and his latest CD is sure to launch a few more for him.

The CD starts off with Atkins' current hit, and title track, "Take a Back Road". From there the CD takes some twisting, back roads of it's own, exploring different facets of everyday life.

"Family", a song about family reunions, is delivered with Atkins' typical down home subtlety. Take a good listen to the lyrics though, and you'll hear a bit more reality in the song than most. As a line in the song says, "it's been three years since I've seen them; now I know why".

There are a couple songs back to back on this CD about couples fighting. The first, "She'd Rather Fight", is an upbeat tune, telling how the guy wants to make up, and how the girl isn't ready for that. Again, ~~RODNEY~~'s "aw shucks", type of delivery just makes the song that much funnier to listen to.

"Feet" is also about a couple fighting, though it's story is more typical, with a bit of a romantic touch, in my opinion. It tells how, no matter if the couple is fighting or not, they always touch feet when they're in bed.

While "Feet" hints at romance, "Cabin in the Woods" is a true song about love. It's a song Atkins has been doing in his live shows for awhile, and getting great response to it.

The rest of "Take a Back Road" tells stories about tips you learn in life, life lines and learning from them, and about wanting to rock and roll. The CD is rounded out with Atkins' hit, "Farmer's Daughter".

I really like this CD, though sometimes I wish Rodney would kick it up just a notch, especially on the more uptempo songs. Then again, he's been pretty successful doing music his way.

Over all, anyone who's a fan of Rodney Atkins' music shouldn't be disappointed with his latest effort.

Really? Already?!

2011-10-06T05:29:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

So, in my last blog I complained some about how the Pacific Northwest didn't have a real summer this year. I felt cheated because it didn't get as warm as it usually does that time of year. Now it's fall, the days are getting shorter, colder and wetter.

If that's not enough, what did I hear on the radio this morning? The dreaded "s" word. The word that can literally make a person shiver, (if they're out in it). It was in regards to Willamette Pass; evidently the bad word made it's way through the pass, leaving a dusting as it went.

By now you've probably already figured out what I'm talking about; if not however, let me spell it out, loud and clear: ~~SNOW~~!

Really? It's barely fall! We had an iffy summer, and now winter just wants to barge right in on fall? I don't like that, even a little bit!!!

All I can say is, if winter insists on taking over fall, I hope spring and summer are better next year than they were this year!

To Every Season

2011-10-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

I'll be the first to admit, I'm not a fan of cold weather. I'd be happy with summer 365 days a year; with just enough rain to keep things from drying out.

However, this year the Pacific Northwest didn't really have much of a real summer, and to be honest, I feel a bit cheated. I wait through three other seasons just to get those three months of really warm weather, then it all but doesn't happen.

So, now it's fall, and soon all the trees will be losing their leaves after turning beautiful colors. I do like the colors changing, no problem with that. It's the ~~COLD~~ I don't like. I realize that the leaves won't change color without the changing of the weather. I just wish there was some way to have both the pretty leaves of fall, and still stay warm.

And while we're on the subject, if you think I don't like the cold in fall, you can imagine what I think of winter! Brrrrrr!!!! I honestly don't mind snow, unless I have to be out in it; then forget it. If it's going to snow this coming winter, I want it to be on a weekend, when I'm not going somewhere. Not usually how it happens, but one can always hope.

Freebies

2011-10-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

Technically, there's nothing in life that's free. Even if you're not paying for something, somewhere along the line someone has; whether it's monetarily, or some other way. Personally, I love freebies; though I know at times you get what you pay for when it comes to free things.

What bothers me is when people take advantage of free things; or worse, complain about them.

For instance, free samples in stores. You always see people getting samples, usually they only take one. There are those however, who will keep coming back and taking more than one. To me, that's taking advantage of a free item; especially if the person has no intention of actually purchasing the product.

Or say someone goes somewhere to see a movie, show, game, or whatever. That usually means there's going to be a lot of people there, because it's free. Yet, you still hear people complaining because they didn't get a good seat, or there wasn't any food served, things like that. Why complain? Those people are there for free; they should be happy they're there. There's probably many others who would love to be at a free movie, show, or game and not mind the seating or food arrangements.

As I said earlier, with freebies sometimes you get what you pay for. That can be a good thing, or a bad thing. Bad in the sense, what you get may not be up to par with something that costs more. Good in that you're able to do things, or get things you wouldn't necessarily be able to otherwise.

I also said at the beginning of this post, technically, nothing is ever totally free; somewhere along the line it gets paid for. To me, only having one sample, maybe having to stand at a show, being high up in the stands for a game, or sitting close to the screen at a movie, is the price I pay to have freebies.

Jake Owen @ the Bing Lounge--9-30-11

2011-10-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

I've been a fan of Jake Owen since his first hit, "Yee Haw" hit country airwaves six years ago.

Though I've been a fan, I was a little disappointed in Jake's latest CD, "Barefoot Blue Jean Night". When I reviewed the CD, I'd said I felt like the CD was just your "typical" Jake Owen CD, though a bit muted.

Also, I've seen Jake live before, though never in a setting like the Bing Lounge; it's always been at a very rowdy bar.

My experience seeing Jake in the Bing Lounge gave me a new perspective on not only Jake's CD, but Jake Owen himself.

When Jake came onstage, he was barefoot, and very laid back. He also told the audience he's very ADD, so he might ramble on a bit. No one seemed to mind at all.

He started his set with "The One That Got Away", then B-Dub, from Northwest Nights on KUPL, came onstage to do a short interview. Jake then sang his second song for the day, "Barefoot Blue Jean Night".

Sometime during the set, TicTak, from afternoons on KUPL, presented Jake with a dare. This time the dare was from an audience member, and for the first time, the challenge wasn't accepted. The dare was to sing "Footloose". Jake laughed, said no way, that no one should ever sing that song. Throughout the show however, he did a couple of other songs, and said they could be the challenge. The standout was Jake's version of a Lil Wayne song, "Bow Chicka Wow Wow"

While I was listening to Jake talk, and sing, I was reminded why I like live shows so much. There's just a different feel about them; the energy in the room from the crowd and the performers, all of that. Even a CD recorded live doesn't have that same "feel" that you can only get by actually being there.

This was especially evident while listening to Jake do songs from the new CD. All the things I felt were missing from the CD where there in the Bing Lounge. It gave me a new appreciation of Jake's latest CD; and while I still think it's more muted than it could be, I do hear it a bit differently now.

One of the new songs that really stood out was "Journey of Your Life". On the CD, it seems a bit reserved; done live however, you hear all the depth and emotion the song has to offer.

Another song Jake did, he's never put out on a CD. He said it was about a girl he used to date, and was an emotional song for him to do. The title is "Kiss You Good Morning". When Jake finished the tune, everyone in the audience agreed, if he ever does record and release the song, he's got a #1 hit for sure!

Jake had also told the crowd, he'd play as long as they'd let him, and he did; then took time for autographs and photos with anyone wanting one.

As I said at the beginning of this post, I've always been a fan of Jake Owen; his performance in the Bing Lounge solidified that for me for sure. Jake Owen fans know how good Jake is in concert; if you ever get a chance to see him in an intimate setting though, do, it'll be an experience you'll never forget.

An Addition To Today's Earlier Post

2011-09-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

(The KUPL Listener Blog Word of the Day for Thursday, September 29, 2011 is in the post just below this one.)

Earlier today I posted a blog about songs that shouldn't ever be redone. I gave my opinion, and also added about songs that have been good, or better as a cover than the original.

Throughout the day I was thinking about other "remakes" or "covers" that have been done. For instance, there's an entire line of "Pickin' On" CD's. Each CD takes the music of a group, or artist, and redoes the songs as bluegrass. I discovered them when I was looking for a Brooks & Dunn CD for my son. Didn't find the one I was looking for, but did find "Pickin' On Brooks & Dunn". I knew my son liked bluegrass too, so I bought the CD for him; he loved it.

Bette Midler has done several covers of songs. The one that brought her to the attention of the masses was a cover of "Boogie, Woogie Bugle Boy", originally done by the Andrews Sisters in the 1940's.

I have two personal favorite cover songs that most people I know don't like. One is a song I heard in Tower Records a long time ago; a Punk Ska version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

The other song is Prince's "Raspberry Beret", redone by the Derailers.

As I'm writing this, I keep thinking of other songs I could list here; however, I won't for now. I'll save it for a later blog.

Songs That Should Never Be Redone

2011-09-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

On yesterday's "Simon in the Morning" show they had a bit about songs that should never be redone. The discussion came about because LeAnn Rimes has done a cover of George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today". Scott felt this song is a true country classic, and should never be done by anyone else.

Scott, Jolynn and Jake also took calls from listeners about what songs they thought shouldn't be remade. In the process they also had people calling in with songs they thought should be. All of it got me to thinking what songs I thought shouldn't be redone, and ones that I thought were as good, or better than the original.

The only song I could think of that I thought should never have been redone isn't a country song; it's "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby. I know others have done the song, however, I have yet to hear one better than Bing.

The song "Drift Away" was originally written and sung by Dobie Gray. The first time I'd ever heard of Uncle Kracker, it was this song that he was doing. I've always loved this song, and I honestly like Uncle Kracker's version as much as the original.

As for songs I thought were better than the original, two stood out in my mind, "Walkin' In Memphis", and "Life Is A Highway". These songs were originally done by Marc Cohn, and Tom Cochrane, respectively. These are two of my favorite songs, but not by the original artists.

"Walkin' In Memphis" has been recorded by a lot of people, in all genres of music. For country, my favorite version is by Lonestar.

"Life Is A Highway" has been covered by both Chris LeDoux and Rascal Flatts. The Flatts' version is the most well known, having been in the movie "Cars". For me though, Chris LeDoux has always had the best version of this song.

Everyone has their opinion of things, this is just a sample of mine when it comes to song ~~COVERS~~.

Kellie Pickler @ the Bing Lounge-September 26, 2011

2011-09-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

Of all the contestants who've gone on to have musical careers after their time on American Idol, Kellie Pickler is my favorite.

It's not just her singing I like, I think she's a cool, down to earth person who doesn't put on airs; what you see with her is what you get.

At the Bing Lounge September 26th, my thoughts were confirmed. Not only does Kellie have a beautiful voice, she's very personable and will say whatever's on her mind.

Kellie started her set with one of my favorite songs of hers, "Rocks Instead of Rice". She said it was written about an ex-boyfriend of hers.

During the interview segment, Scott Simon and Jolynn Winter, from "Simon in the Morning", asked Kellie several questions and she answered all of them honestly and in detail. The audience was then asked if they had any questions for Kellie. At first not too many people asked anything; so Kellie sang some more and would then ask if the crowd had any questions.

As it turned out, several people asked questions between songs, and Kellie answered every one of them. Because of this, the show ran longer than they usually do at the Bing Lounge, though no one was complaining about that!

At one point, the usual "artist challenge" was put out. For Kellie, it was for her to sing her favorite Loretta Lynn song. Kellie accepted the challenge, doing an awesome job on Lynn's "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)".

Though I was disappointed that Kellie didn't sing "Best Day of Your Life", or "Didn't I", she did do "Red High Heels" and "I Wonder"; both of which I like also.

Kellie ended her performance that evening with her current single, "Tough", from her upcoming album.

After the show attendees were given the opportunity to get Kellie's autograph and have their photo taken with her.

If I hadn't already liked Kellie Pickler before September 26th, I know I would have come away from the show a new fan. As it is, I've gained even more respect and admiration for her since then.

The Lost Trailers

2011-09-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! For someone who's a huge fan of country music, and the Lost Trailers, I sure missed the mark on this one!

What I'm talking about is the break up of the band last year; a fact I didn't know until today.

Jake asked me if I knew anything about the Lost Trailers, because he'd heard they'd broken up. I said I love the band, and follow them on Twitter, but hadn't heard about a break up.

Of course this got me curious, so I went looking on the internet during lunch. Didn't even take me 5 minutes to find out the band announced their split in June, 2010. Boy, do I feel really dumb right now!

The funny thing, even though the original Lost Trailers, (Stokes Nielson, Drew Nielson, Ryder Lee, Jeff Potter and Manny Medina), are all persuing individual interests, the Lost Trailers do still exist.

Stokes,(who originally formed the band with Ryder), has now teamed with Jason Sever and they're known as the Lost Trailers.

Though I didn't know the things I just mentioned, I did know that the Lost Trailers have a new single they're shopping to radio called, "Underdog". I just thought it was the original band, not the new duo.

"Underdog" is a song written by Stokes Nielson and tells a story many can relate to on several levels.

I know none of this is new to die-hard Lost Trailers fans; however, I feel it necessary to pass the info on anyway, in case there's anyone else out there like me, who didn't have a clue.

I'd also like to thank Jake for asking me about this; otherwise I'd still be in the dark about the whole thing!

And It Continues...

2011-09-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in red, yellow and blue letters.)

In my last blog I wrote how any given day can have it's ups and downs, and how things have been that way for me lately.

It's been like a rollercoaster, waaaaaaaaaaaaaay up on some good and fun stuff; waaaaaay down on the not so good stuff. At this point I think there's been a balance of good and bad; though I'm not sure, since things have been going up and down so fast, it's hard to keep track.

Then comes the time in the middle of all the hub bub that you realize, "it's Monday, I'm not getting home until late, and I have to have a blog for Tuesday, because of the word for the day".

You get home, realize not only is it late, you have one other thing to take care of before you can sleep. Should be easy, except this time. Add in a few other things and it can be a bit chaotic; especially when you're not sure what you're going to write a blog about. Kind of hard to have a word of the day when you don't even know the subject of the blog.

What happens when the rollercoaster ride takes on a life of it's own? This...a blog for the sake of a blog...Why? Because I don't want to not do what I said I would; the blog must go on!

With that said, this has been today's blog. For those wanting the word of the day, the three letters below spell out how things have been lately, and therefore it's the word for today.

Any Given Day

2011-09-22T05:28:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

We've all had days that are good, and ones that aren't. Most days are usually just ordinary, a mix of good and bad. Those really good days, or really bad ones are the peaks and valleys.

Then there are those days that are just weird; it's the only word I can think of to describe them. They can start out one way, turn into something else; change back to what they started as, and flip-flop back and forth the entire time, leaving one to wonder what's coming next, good, or bad.

Sometimes the scale balances to where good and bad are equal. Sometimes the scale starts tipping one way or the other, and something comes along that can't be defined either way, and the scale is ~~BALANCED~~ because of it.

That's where I've been in the last 24+ hours. Started off not so good, and throughout the day things went back and forth constantly. About the time I was feeling the bad may outbalance the good, I had one of those "unknowns" happen, so my scale has been kind of balanced since then.

It's a new day, and as I'm typing this, I've just learned it may be another day like the last one. I'll just have to see I guess.

I was going to end this blog a different way, though now I want to end it with, "mom, hang in there. The doctors will do their best for you, I know they will".

A Long-Time Friend

2011-09-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

No matter who they are, everyone has had at least one special friend in their life; that person who's always been there, through thick and thin. That person who, though you may not hear from them very often, you still know they're thinking of you, just the way you think of them.

I've never been one for having lots of friends. I prefer having those few friends like I described in the last paragraph. Fortunately, in my life I've had some wonderful friends, those that I think of often, though I don't see or talk with enough, and those I see more frequently. Despite the time spent with, talking, emailing or whatever, each of these friends is special in their own way and will always have a place in my heart.

Marc, Peggy, Geri, Denise, Dani, Pam, Patty, Sandy, and the friend I've known the longest, Diane. There are other friends as well, so hopefully if any of you are reading this, please know, you're not forgotten in my heart; my brain just hiccups sometimes!

Back to Diane. As I said, I've known Diane the longest, since 7th grade at Hockinson Jr. High. We were both the new kids that year, which is part of how we became friends.

Over the years we've shared several experiences. In high school Diane ended up having a frog collection, because of a nickname she was given..."Freddy Froggy" I won't go into all the details here of how the name came to be, because it's a bit complicated.

She was maid of honor at my wedding, and I remember when her first daughter was born. Of course those are two major events that have happened in our lives; there's so many other things we've shared growing up through the years.

Diane has lived in Arizona over the past few years, so we haven't seen each other in awhile, though we do keep in contact on the phone and through Facebook.

Another special thing about Diane is, today happens to be her birthday. Because of that, I decided I should write a blog for her, to ~~CELEBRATE~~ her special day.

So, happy birthday Diane Herz! I hope you have a spectacular day and I'm sure glad you're my friend!

Extreme Muzik Mafia Tour—9-17-11

2011-09-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

September 16-17, 2011 the Xtreme Muzik Weekend hit the Molalla Buckeroo Grounds in Molalla, Oregon.

Gates opened at 5 pm Friday, with local bands, MuchMore Country, Lock, Stock, and Barrel and Crush playing for the crowd.

Saturday, the gates opened at 4 pm. The same three bands rotated playing the Crown Royal Stage, while in the arena the Bi-Mart Monster Truck was giving rides to concert goers, and Metal Mulisha motocross riders were performing tricks on their motorbikes for the crowd.

Several food and beverage vendors were also on hand, making sure no one would go hungry or thirsty.

The excitement of the weekend culminated with the Xtreme Muzik Mafia Tour featuring Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich.

From the moment the first performer hit the stage, the music was non-stop; with Gretchen, Big & Rich and Cowboy Troy rotating time at the mike to perform.

(Photo courtesy of KD Karin Carroll)

Sometimes when something is billed as “extreme”, or even “big”, it falls short of what’s expected; not in this case.

Not only did Gretchen, Big Kenny and John Rich hit the stage running, they kept the high energy going the entire 90 minutes to two hours that they played. Not only that, you could actually hear the music, and their voices, and understand what was being said. So often that’s not the case at a concert.

Over all, the entire weekend was awesome, and definitely finished on an “Xtreme” high note with the Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich concert.

Casey James @ the Bing Lounge-9-14-11

2011-09-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

Just before Casey James performed, TicTak brought out a young man, Ben Rue, who’s a singer from Silverton, Oregon. Ben did a few songs for the audience that night, and let me tell you, the guy definitely has a future in music! Not only does Ben write songs, he has a great voice, and stage presence to back that writing up. I really think he’ll go a long way in the business.

Here's a photo of Ben with Casey James that night.

It was then time to bring Casey James onstage.

To be totally honest, I had no idea who Casey James was before seeing him in the Bing Lounge. Yes, I knew he was from “American Idol”, only because I read that part somewhere; otherwise, not a clue.

What I heard that evening was a young man with a beautiful voice, who’s heavily influenced by the blues. Just watching him play, you could tell he’s passionate about what he does.

Unfortunately, Casey’s voice was often drowned out that evening by the music. While the music was excellent, it just seemed too loud to be able to hear Casey sing. The times when the music was quieter though, his voice definitely shined through.

During the interview period of the show, Casey was asked to describe his type of music. He told the audience it’s a cross of blues, country, and rock. On the spot a new word was created for Casey’s music, “bluetree”, combining blues and country.

Over all, Casey James’ performance was good; I just wish I could have heard more of his voice shine through.

As The Sheep Baa's...

2011-09-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

The last time I blogged about a co-worker, it was when his bear, Germaine, ran away. A lot has transpired since then; too much to post here. Suffice it to say though, that Germaine now has a Kung Fu gorilla body guard named Clyde, (complete with sounds), and is friends with a little sheep that goes, "baaaa". This blog is about the sheep.

The sheep's name is Ewegina, and she became friends with Germaine when he got into mutton busting this summer. Usually Ewegina lives at my desk, though she did visit Germaine and Clyde where they live also.

Over the summer, another co-worker, ~~CHAD~~, kept teasing about Ewegina and making "sheep sounds", making everyone laugh, except Ewegina. She of course is fluent in "sheep", and understood what Chad was saying.

Though Ewegina didn't laugh at Chad's joking, she did understand that Chad wanted her to spend time at his desk. She realized, that even though Chad isn't really a sheep, he liked her anyway. September 14, 2011, Ewegina could stand it no longer. She typed up a quick letter, (so nothing could be lost in translation), and asked me to deliver it, and her, to Chad's desk; so I did. Below is the letter that greeted Chad, along with Ewegina, when he returned to his desk that day:

Dear Monsieur Faux Sheepie:

For days now I have heard your plaintive cry of love. You have been calling Monsieur Dougie’s name, yet I know it is moi, you really want; I can hear it in your voice and I can read between the lines. You call for Dougie, yet it is not for him to respond to your cries; it is for him to take me to your desk. Alas Monsieur Faux Sheepie, he has not listened.

I love my actual home at Madame Falan’s desk, though I long to visit other desks in the area as well. When I hear your love cries, I know it is your desk I must go to; therefore I have asked Madame Falan to deliver me to you. I would make the journey myself, though it would take too long for me to get from my home to where you are; and I know time is of essence, as I said, I’ve heard the longing in your voice.

Though do understand, Monsieur Faux Sheepie, this cannot be a permanent relationship. We must enjoy our time together as much as possible, before fate tears us apart. It will hurt, I know, especially residing in the same room afterwards. We are both strong though Monsieur Faux Sheepie, this is what we must do, and do well.

So here I am for now, ready to help those plaintive cries of yours subside. I will do my best Monsieur Faux Sheepie, I guarantee it!

Baa, baa, baa,

Your Little Lost Lambiekins

As with Doug in the other blog, thanks Chad for being such a good sport and co-worker!

It's A Love Thing

2011-09-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Over the years I've had various cars, some I've liked, at least one I absolutely hated, and a handful I've loved. My current car, a 2000 Chevy Tracker I bought nine years ago is one of the ones I love.

Granted, the car has had it's share of issues. Over the years I've had to replace the starter, the radiator, and the timing chain. That list doesn't count the times it was crashed into by a hit and run driver, (three months after I got the car), and when a deer ran into my car, (yes, it ran in to me, not me into it). I had to replace the driver's side door and the hood; not pretty.

The timing chain had been the most recent problem, in the past year; until a couple weeks ago. Went to start my car one morning; it tried, then stopped. Everything the car did was the same as the last time the timing chain broke.

Woke Josh, (my son), up, and he checked what he could; and agreed, it was probably the timing chain.

Josh has a friend, Zac, who's a certified auto technician, who said he'd come up and help Josh fix my Tracker; it would help save on the cost of getting the car fixed. Josh is great at working on cars; for a big project though, he wanted Zac there also.

So, during the next week, between giving me rides to work and home, Josh got all the parts and equipment needed to fix a timing chain; thankfully it was all refundable.

When Zac first came up, he listened and checked and also thought it was the timing chain, until they pulled what needed to be pulled out of the car, and the chain was fine.

That's how the weekend started; it only went on from there. At first both guys were glad it wasn't the timing chain, it was a much easier problem to fix; or so they thought.

Long story short, anything and everything that could go wrong with fixing my car did. Simple things were made complicated by how the car is put together. It seems Chevy doesn't make it easy for anyone to work on their own car. It was crazy, to say the least.

As I said earlier, Zac is a certified auto technician, and even he was getting frustrated with my car. At one point he mentioned that now he knew why his boss said don't bring my Tracker to the shop; the guy hates them.

Eventually my car was fixed, though it now has two new nicknames. Well, it really only has one that Josh and Zac call it; however, that's not printable here, so the "nicer" name they've dubbed my Tracker is ~~TECHBREAKER~~, because it tested even Zac's skills at auto repair.

Needless to say, both guys really do hate my car at this point. Me? What can I say? I still love my car, regardless of all that it's been through and put us through; and I plan on keeping it quite awhile longer.

Ten Years Ago Today

2011-09-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

Some things that happen in a person's life stay with them forever; whether they were directly involved, or not. That's the way I am about 9/11. Even though it's been 10 years, it still feels like it was yesterday. All the emotions, thoughts, everything are as raw now as ten years ago today.

I can't imagine what it's like for those who were directly, or even indirectly involved with the events that day. How raw the feelings and memories must be for them, even now.

The same question is asked every year, "where were you, and what were you doing,when the planes hit the towers"?

I was on my way to work, on the MAX, listening to KUPL. Just three days prior I learned that this really pretty glass building in Portland is the World Trade Center. For some reason I hadn't known that. I'd just always thought of it as the building with the merry-go-round in it.

Ironically, the song, "Only In America" by Brooks & Dunn, finished playing just as Amy King,(the newscaster for KUPL at the time), came on the air saying that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. At the same time, the MAX train I was on had just rounded the corner, and I could see down to where Portland's World Trade Center is. My first thought when I heard Amy say that, and looked toward the Trade Center was, "no it didn't, it looks fine". My naivety showed through at that moment, because I didn't get past Portland having a World Trade Center. I realize now that there are World Trade Centers everywhere.

On that day though, I was confused, because I didn't see any plane that had crashed into the Portland World Trade Center. I couldn't even fathom how it could have happened, since the building isn't that tall, compared to ones around it.

I kept listening to KUPL, with Lee Rogers, Jim E. Chonga, and Amy talking about what had happened. I heard them say it was New York, and finally understood. I also remember them emphasizing that there weren't a lot of clear details at that time, so they didn't want to say the plane crash was more than an accident. Then the second plane hit.

Even then, the Waking Crew stressed that despite what things appeared to be, until they had official word, they were cautioning listeners to not be overly alarmed. I kept thinking how good they were at their jobs, to stay so professional, in light of what was happening.

Throughout the day, I listened to the radio. KUPL had switched to, I think, CNN, and was broadcasting that live. For the most part, once the attacks were over, the broadcasters hashed, and rehashed all that had happened that morning. As new information came in, it was passed on to the public; but most of the day after awhile was just the same soundbites and interviews.

I kept my radio on all day, as there was no TV at work to see what was going on. For me, that was almost worse. As hard as the videos are to watch, hearing voices come out of the radio, talking about all the horrible things that had happened, and not having anything concrete to link them to was unnerving. Yet, I couldn't stop listening. For some reason, I felt that if I just kept listening, suddenly everything would make sense; it didn't, but I kept listening.

I also felt that, even though I wasn't there, I needed to hear someone on the radio say what I was thinking. There was a lot of talk about the buildings collapsing, all the paperwork, smoke, dust, everything filling the streets, etc.; yet no one was saying anything about the PEOPLE. I just kept thinking, "yes, this is REALLY bad, but they were just things, what about the people, why isn't anyone talking about the actual victims?

Finally, at some point during the day there was a soundbite of a woman who said EXACTLY what was going through my head, and how I was feeling. I have no idea who the woman was, she was just another disembodied soundbite, among the many that day; but she was MY soundbite. I latched on to it every time I heard it that day; for some reason it gave me comfort to know someone else out there felt the way I did.

Driving home from work that afternoon, I noticed something different about the traffic on I-205. At first I thought maybe I was imagining things, but eventually realized I really was seeing what I was seeing.

I-205 northbound can be a virtual parking lot most days. Add in a lot of merging traffic, and it can be hectic. On September 11, 2001 however, that wasn't happening. Instead of the usual, "try to cut someone off to get in front of them", and all, drivers were actually being courteous to each other. I remember seeing one car that I'd see almost every day on my way home. The person almost always cut someone off, just to be in front, didn't use their blinker, the whole nine yards. On that day though, this person actually not only used their blinker, they let people merge in front of them. The whole thing was kind of surreal, because so many people were actually being polite on the roadways.

Over the next few days I was either watching TV, or had my radio on, constantly searching for answers. Looking back, I don't know why I felt there had to be instant answers, I know life doesn't work that way; but I wanted them anyway. Ten years later I'm not really sure I have them even now.

I remember a couple days after the attacks, Aaron Tippin released a song, "Where the Stars and Stripes and Eagle Fly". Aaron said he'd had the song for awhile, and felt that it fit the current situation, so he released it. All proceeds from sales of the single went to help victims of the attacks.

In the grand scheme of things, I'm sure that fact is trivial; yet, it's one of the questions I still have in the back of my mind. Why, even though Aaron Tippin's song is still played on the radio, is it pretty much ignored in comparison to other 9/11 songs?

Granted, the three songs that come to mind, Alan Jackson's, "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning"; Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue"; and "Have You Forgotten", by Darryl Worley, are all powerful songs. All are deserving of recognition for their remembrance of 9/11.

Also, yes, Toby Keith, and I think Darryl Worley have gone overseas to play for the troops. However, in ten years I've never heard if any of the proceeds from these three songs has gone to help with the events of 9/11. Granted, they could have, and it didn't make the media; however, to me, I would like to know if any has.

Aaron Tippin has also made trips overseas, as well as contributing his song to 9/11; yet, as I stated earlier, his song goes pretty much unnoticed compared to Alan's, Toby's or Darryl's. I guess in the back of my mind there's this little part that's bothered by the fact that three people, even with all they've done good, are still making money off 9/11, from their songs. Yet, the one person who donated his song to the efforts is all but ignored.

I realize, this is a petty thing on my part; it is part of all the feelings I have about 9/11 though, so I'm sharing that as well.

Over all, people gather a lot of experiences during their lifetime; some good, some bad. What happened on 9/11 is something I hope no one ever has to experience again.

Vince Gill Is Back!

2011-09-09T07:50:00.000-07:00

Vince Gill is one of those artists with a voice that's instantly recognizable.

In the 80's and 90's Gill racked up a string of hits, like "Pocket Full of Gold", "One More Last Chance", and a duet with Reba McEntire, "The Heart Won't Lie".

Then, as usually happens, Vince's time in the limelight kind of faded; though he's continued his career over the years. He's put out albums and songs, and done other projects the entire time.

A few years ago, Vince had another hit, "Next Big Thing", that was pretty cool also.

Now Gill is back with a new song on radio, "Threaten Me With Heaven". The first time I heard the song on KUPL overnights, I knew it was Vince Gill; his voice is still as clear and distinctive as it's ever been. And the song is classic Vince Gill. I remember thinking people always say things go full circle, and this song is proof of that.

For now, there's isn't an "official" video for "Threaten Me With Heaven", though I did find a live version to share here.

Summer!!!

2011-09-08T05:31:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Most of the U.S. has had an overly warm summer of 2011. Here in the Pacific Northwest however, we've had the opposite, until now.

Before this week, we've had a day or two here and there that got a bit warm; but then the weather would cool down again.

This week though, the week all the kids are back in school, this week we're hitting in the 90's for more than one day. Personally I'm very happy about that!

I know getting past the 80 degree mark is too warm for most people. I'm not going to complain though, because I've been waiting all summer for summer to finally get here! I was feeling a bit sad that we hadn't really had a decent summer, so these warmer temperatures are welcome to come and stay awhile. Then maybe I'll feel like we actually had a summer.

On the opposite side of the coin, if winter decides it wants to take it's time getting here, like summer did, I have no problem with that! I don't like being cold and the only time I want to see snow is if I don't have to be somewhere other than home.

Then again, winter really should get here on time and leave on time. Not like a couple years ago when we got two inches of snow on April 20th! Nothing like snow covered daffodils!

For now though, back to the current ~~WEATHER~~. Thank you summer for finally showing up. Please feel free to stay as long as you'd like. Thank you.

I Don't Get It

2011-09-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I really don’t know how CMA, (or any award for that matter), nominations are done. I know they’re voted on, etc; beyond that though, I don’t know anything about it. Because of that, maybe I really shouldn’t say anything; though that’s never stopped me before.

With that said: I don’t get how Luke Bryan, Eric Church, and even Chris Young can STILL be nominated for “New Artist”. How many times has this been for Luke now? I like Luke, and Chris, (not so big on Eric), but really? If it’s just because they need to “round out” the list, I’d think there are plenty of new artists that could have been nominated.

What about Craig Campbell? He’s had two big songs out this year.

How about James Wesley? He's had "Jacksonhole", "Real" and "Didn't I".

Heck, even the LoCash Cowboys had a couple of good songs on the air.

I’d also throw the Eli Young Band into the mix; though I think “Crazy Girl” came out after the time frame for nominations.

Maybe their hits haven’t been as big, but they’re still newer artists than Luke, Eric, or Chris. To me, any of these acts, (or others I haven’t thought of at the moment), are deserving of nominations; whereas Luke Bryan, Eric Church and Chris Young are a few YEARS past the “new artist” stage. Again, this is just my opinion.

I totally agree with The Band Perry, and Thompson Square being nominated for "New Artist"; and I think the Band Perry has the win.

Since it seems obvious the Band Perry will win, would it really matter who else is nominated? Or do you think it’s because the Band Perry seems so obvious that they threw in the other three as a distraction?

As I said at the beginning of this blog, I just don’t get it. So I wanted to throw this out to see what others think.

Fill In The...

2011-09-06T05:30:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Most of the time my mind goes a mile a minute. There's always something I've forgotten, something I need to remember, ideas on what I want to write, make, create, etc., etc., etc.

In fact, one of the things I created awhile ago is a picture of the inside of my head. It represents all the useless trivia I carry around in there, as well as all the important things I'm supposed to remember. It's a fun place for the most part, though possibly a bit crowded.

Then there are days like today. Nothing wrong, but nothing going on in my head either. I have a few ideas for a blog, however, for some reason my brain just doesn't feel like putting the words together coherently.

Because my brain is ~~BLANK~~ right now, I guess that will be my word for today.

The Band Perry @ The Bing Lounge-September-1-11

2011-09-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

I've liked the Band Perry since their first radio hit, "Hip To My Heart"; though I'd never seen them perform live. That was until September 1st, when the band performed in the Bing Lounge.

I know I say this every time, but honestly, I love the Bing Lounge to watch performances in; it's so intimate and inviting, and the Band Perry show was no exception.

After being introduced by Earthquake Jake and Jolynn Winter from "Simon in the Morning", the Band Perry started their set with their hit single, "You Lie".

Lola Montgomery from middays then came out and interviewed the band, asking several questions, and getting some funny answers to some of them.

After the interview and a few more songs, TicTak from afternoons posed a dare to the band, asking them if they could sing Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls". Not only did Kimberly, Neil and Reid take the challenge, they OWNED the song, and did an awesome job on it.

When the concert was done, anyone wanting their photo taken with the band was able to. Though they were in a bit of a rush, all three members of the Band Perry took time before each photo to ask the person's name, and shake their hand. Pretty classy in my book. I'm sure I'll sound like a mom when I say this, though I will anyway, you can tell that these three were raised well by their parents. They're gaining a name in country music, yet they still haven't let go of their manners; I like that.

I wasn't able to go to the Oregon State Fair the next evening to see the Band Perry, though if the concert was anything like at the Bing Lounge, I'm sure the audience got their money's worth. I definitely plan on catching another of their perormances sometime in the future!

REVIEW--Jake Owen--"Barefoot Blue Jean Night"

2011-09-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

Since his first hit, “Yee Haw”, Jake Owen has gained fans with his style of country music. His first CD showed an artist who could have a good time partying, yet still have a soft, emotional side. With his third CD, “Barefoot Blue Jean Night”, Owen still has this same theme, but seems to have mellowed a bit, even on the partying songs.

Except for the title track and current single, there doesn’t seem to be a really “stand-out” song on “Barefoot Blue Jean Night”. The eleven tracks seem to blend together and kind of all sound the same for the most part; including the “party” songs.

The softer songs on this CD are pretty run of the mill, and could be switched out with just about any other song out nowadays.

The upbeat, party songs seem muted. It’s like instead of being *at* the party, the listener is left outside, to look in on what’s going on. You can see the party, but the sound is muffled and muted in comparison to actually being there. This is especially evident on “Nobody Feelin’ No Pain”. The song could easily be a rowdy, party anthem; yet it falls just short of being a full blown party song. The lyrics are there, and the song really does try to rock, however Owen’s delivery doesn’t quite have the emphasis needed to produce the effect.

Fans of Jake Owen will probably be happy with the tracks on “Barefoot Blue Jean Night”, mainly because it’s typical Jake Owen music. Unfortunately, what happens with this CD is what usually happens when things are duplicated too often; you can tell it’s the same, even though it just gets muddier and muddier as the duplication continues.

Bottom line, if you like Jake Owen and his style of music, you’ll probably like this CD; but if you’re looking for something new from Jake, you won’t find it here.

Reality Strikes Again!

2011-09-01T05:30:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

When I first started this blog, I wrote a piece on being sucked in to watching Celebrity Apprentice.

I don't usually watch a lot of TV, and even less so reality TV. I realized however that there IS one reality show I've watched every year except two: Big Brother.

I didn't watch the third season because I didn't like who'd won the second season; I was "protesting", I guess. I got sucked back in for the fourth season, and watched faithfully every year since. Even though I could guess everything that was going to happen every season, (same situations, different faces), I still watched; until this year.

This year, I actually forgot to watch the first episode, so I decided it was a good time to wean myself from Big Brother, and I have. Even though a few people I know tried to talk me in to watching it again, I held fast and didn't. Surprisingly, I don't miss it either.

Pretty proud of myself for that, until now. I have a feeling I'm going to be sucked in to more reality TV this year, and not just one show, two of them!

The only time I've watched Dancing with the Stars is when Clyde Drexler was on. Ended up watching the entire season because of Billy Ray Cyrus also. After that season though, I haven't watched the show since. This season's line-up really isn't the most top-notch compared to other seasons either; though one name stood out to me: Carson Kressley.

I have to admit, I loved Queer Eye for the Straight Guy when it was on, and Carson was my favorite on the show. I really want to see him on Dancing with the Stars.

The other show I'm getting sucked into, I think, Is Biggest Loser. I've never watched the show, however, Big Vinny from Trailer Choir is going to be on this season. Love Trailer Choir, and love Big Vinny; I really have to watch that show!

So there you have it, another ~~REALITY~~ show confession. I wean myself from one, only to be sucked in by two in it's place!

Being Sick Is No Fun

2011-08-30T05:30:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

I don't think anyone truly likes being sick; I know I don't.

It's bad enough being sick in cold weather and feeling miserable; being sick during the summer is worse. Add to that being sick over a weekend...Just not cool...

Not only are you not feeling well, you're missing out on all the good weather. Granted, if the weather during the summer isn't that great, I guess you're not missing that much. Either way, for me it just comes down to I don't like feeling sick. Stupid, yucky, sick germs anyway! ~~BLEAH~~!

The whole reason for today's blog is because I haven't felt good since last Friday. Just really feeling icky, yucky and blah. I had to have a blog for today though, because today's has to have a word for KUPL Nation members to get points.

Therefore, I've provided my blog for today, complete with the 5,000 point word. Now all I need is to feel better. At least I'm feeling a little better than I was. Not much, but a little.

Have You Seen This Bear?

2011-08-25T05:31:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

Wednesday was a sad day for Doug, a co-worker of mine. It’s the day his bestest buddy, Germaine the mini German Bear ran away.

The day started out okay, the usual work and chit chat. Then Doug went to do some work away from his desk. When he returned, he noticed Germaine was sitting on the back of his chair. Doug moved Germaine back to his normal spot on the wall of his cubicle, and returned to work.

Once again, Doug returned to his desk, this time to find Germaine sitting in his chair. Doug then taped Germaine to the metal post of his cube. However, Doug had taped Germaine around his throat. Not wanting anything bad to happen, we finally convinced Doug to untape Germaine; though the consequences of this turned out to be worse. Doug then PINNED Germaine to the wall of his cube! When that didn't work, Doug hung Germaine from the ceiling! Evidently this is what caused Germaine to go missing.

Doug had left for lunch, and when he returned Germaine was nowhere to be found; there was only a note that he had typed out to Doug and left on his desk.

According to the note, Germaine had had enough of being posed in silly positions at Doug’s desk, by his co-workers. The final straw had been when ~~DOUG~~ himself had wedged Germaine’s feet into a crevice in the ceiling leaving Germaine suspended upside down. Germaine’s note said it was that act that had him fearing for his safety. He felt that if his best friend, Doug, could do that to him, he was in grave danger and felt it best to leave.

This made Doug really sad, especially when he discovered that Germaine hadn’t even taken his favorite blankie with him.

Doug honestly hadn't tried to hurt his buddy, he thought he was protecting him.

Off and on the rest of the day Doug would talk about Germaine; how he first found him along the roadside, where the little bear was picking up cans, things like that. He explained how Germaine had come from Germany where he’d been a world famous Olympic skier. Doug even showed me one of Germaine’s “lucky” ski caps that he’d left behind. Very stylish indeed; though it does kind of remind me of the rubber finger covers we use at work.

I tried to reassure Doug that if Germaine left these things behind, maybe it meant he’d come back. Doug wasn’t so sure. Just in case though, I made up a quick "Lost" poster that we hung on Doug's cube, where Germaine used to sit.

When Doug left work, he put Germaine’s blankie on his desk and put a peanut on the floor. Doug and Germaine always shared jars of dry roasted peanuts; they were Germaine’s favorite food.

So, if anyone has seen this bear, please let me know, Doug really misses his buddy and would love to see him again.

UPDATE: Good news! Sometime overnight Germaine came back! Doug found Germaine on his desk, sleeping under his favorite blankie.

According to the note he left, Germaine had quite an adventure before deciding to return. So, no worries now, Doug is a happy camper again.

P.S. Thank you Doug for being such a good sport about all this! You're a
GREAT co-worker! :)

To Sue, Or Not To Sue, That Is The Question

2011-08-23T05:29:00.000-07:00

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and ~~STRIKETHROUGH~~.)

(The video in today's blog is not suitable for young children; just my opinion.)

Lives were changed, and lives were ended in Indianapolis, Indiana August 13, 2011.

As most people know by now, that was the day a huge gust of wind swept through the concert area of the Indiana State Fair, bringing the stage scaffolding and equipment down onto the crowd gathered for that night’s Sugarland performance. Five people died at the scene, and at least 45 were injured. In the days since, one more person has died, while a seventh is on life support, near death.

From the beginning reports told how the weather department in Indiana issued a warning of high winds possible for later in the evening. A person associated with the Indiana State Fair had went on stage, just before Sugarland was to perform, letting the audience know that there was a possibility of high winds for later in the evening. A few minutes later the 60 to 70 mile an hour gust hit the stage, bringing it down.

Most news reports told that the warning had been given that it would be within one to two hours. I remember seeing one Indiana weather person being interviewed however, who told a different story. This person said that the fair had been told there was going to be high winds, and decided to let the show go on anyway. The person out and out said, on the day it happened, that it could have been prevented. At the time, I thought, “here’s where the lawsuits start; this guy is just fueling the fire”.

Sure enough, just over a week later, at least two lawsuits have been filed, with a third possible. This is where I see both sides of this event.

Yes, people died, there’s loss, and a lot of grief. And perhaps those left to carry on can’t afford the price to bury the person; or the medical bills incurred. Maybe the person who died was the soul breadwinner of the family, and now that income is gone. All are at least somewhat legitimate reasons to look for retribution; but $50 million dollars? Really? Why?

That price isn’t going to bring the person back. It won’t ease the pain or loss either, even though that’s part of the lawsuit, “pain and suffering”. Even if the person was the soul person working in the household, $50 million is way more money than seems necessary. Even considering the cost of lawyers and trials, and taxes being withheld from that amount, it just seems like a lot to ask for. And that amount was just for the person who died. That person’s partner not only is seeking the $50 million for the loss of their partner, they’re looking for another $10 million for the injuries they incurred as well.

Then there’s the fact of who’s being sued; it’s not just the fair. Others have been named in the lawsuit, including Live Nation, which is part of Ticketmaster. Maybe it’s because I’m not a lawyer that I don’t understand all of this; why sue Live Nation for selling you the ticket to the show that night? Unless Live Nation twisted someone’s arm and made them buy a ticket, I don’t see how they’re responsible; those buying tickets to that night’s show made the choice to do that. Likewise, those buying the higher price tickets closer to the stage made that choice.

One person who died was actually doing security at the concert. The person was doing the job they were given to do, and doing what they’d been told to do. Yes, that person made the choice to follow those orders; however, to me, it’s still different. That person was there because of their job; not just to have a good time at a concert that night.

Not that the loss of concertgoers was any less painful than anyone else; I don’t mean that at all. All I’m saying is, the security guard was assigned to be at the show, whereas concertgoers made the choice to be there. To me, in some ways, it makes sense that person’s family would file a lawsuit. Not for $50 million dollars maybe, but file one nonetheless.

Let’s face it, any of us could be hurt anytime, anywhere; whether we put ourselves in obvious danger, or we’re somewhere we consider safe. It’s life, fluke things happen. It doesn’t mean we should all run for cover and hide from the world. Just living is a risk in and of it’s self.

To paraphrase one of the best comments I read about this ~~TRAGEDY~~: It was an act of nature, yet anyone remotely connected to it is being sued; why hasn’t someone tried to sue God?

Phil Vassar @ the Bing Lounge-8-15-2011

2011-08-18T05:28:00.000-07:00

(Note: The word for today is supposed to be red, in all caps. Unable to do that, so please look for the BOLD, italic, word with a ~~strikethroug~~h. That is today's 5,000 point word.)

I'll be the first to admit, I can be very biased when it comes to Phil Vassar. I love his music and have always felt he hasn't gotten as much attention as he deserves; both as a singer and songwriter.

If you've never seen ~~PHIL~~ in concert, you're really missing something special. He doesn't just sing, he puts on a heck of a performance and is all over the stage, the piano and anywhere else he decides to land.

Because of the small stage in the Bing Lounge, Phil wasn't able to move around like he usually does. That doesn't mean the show was any less entertaining however; quite the opposite. Not only did he sing his own hits, like "Carlene", "Six-Pack Summer" and "Just Another Day In Paradise", he sang a medley of hits he's written for others, such as Tim McGraw, Jo Dee Messina and Collin Raye.

In addition to his hits, Phil also played his latest single, "Let's Get Together", for the crowd. I love this song! Have since the first time I heard it.
<a href='http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&from=us-KUPL.com&vid=0be3d1bd-fbaa-4c62-ae70-11bc48ad71a9' target='_new' title='Phil Vassar - Let's Get Together' >Video: Phil Vassar - Let's Get Together</a>
The packed house at the Bing Lounge loved every minute Phil was on stage.

Besides singing, Phil told about his childhood, how he started playing piano, and various other stories about his life and career. Though the show was free to those in attendance, even if there had been a fee, attendees definitely got their money's worth!

Had it not been for the fact that there were still photos to take, and autographs to sign for anyone wanting one, I think Phil would have played even longer than he did. You could really tell he was enjoying himself. He commented several times how cool the Bing Lounge is.

When it was time to get my autograph, I told Phil it seemed like he had been having trouble staying in one place while playing, because of the size of the stage. He said yeah, he was used to moving around more. I told him even without moving around, he did an awesome job; and it was the truth, he did!

On my way home that night, I thought how cool it was that Phil Vassar had played the Bing Lounge a year to the day after it first opened. I just wish I'd thought of it while I was still there!

Over all, as I said earlier, those in the audience the night of August 15, 2011, were treated to a show they won't soon forget. The Bing Lounge has hosted a year's worth of great entertainment so far. Having Phil Vassar play on the one year anniversary was an awesome way to kick off another year of great music.

Birthday Fun

2011-08-16T05:31:00.000-07:00

(Note: The word for today is supposed to be red, in all caps. Unable to do that, so please look for the BOLD, italic, word with a ~~strikethroug~~h. That is today's 5,000 point word.)

I’ve always loved birthdays; friends, family, and especially my own. I share my birthday with my Uncle Dean; though we’re enough years apart that we didn’t ever have to actually “share” the day.

To some people, their birthday is just another day of the year. For the most part, I suppose they’re right. It just means you’re another year older. I’ve never really looked at birthdays that way however; I’ve always seen them as that person’s day, their day to do what they want, all day. That’s what I do for my birthday, find something I really want to do and do it, even if I do nothing.

This year, I asked a HUGE favor of the “Simon in the Morning” team; I asked if I could come in on Friday, August 12, and hang out for the whole show. The answer was yes, so I showed up at the PacWest Center at 4:45 am, ready to hang out in the studio for the next few hours.

At the time, I never mentioned it was my birthday; I didn’t feel it was necessary. I knew it was my birthday, and I knew that’s why I wanted to hang out at KUPL, it wasn’t important that anyone else knew. Darned Facebook though, it busted me! Jake was checking Facebook for various things, and discovered my ~~BIRTHDAY~~ listed there for that day, ACK!

Despite that, I had a blast just hanging out watching the morning team work. They even put me on the air to do celebrity birthdays during “Simon’s Celebrity Soup”.

Originally they were going to do another game for listeners to win a prize, though it got changed along the way to a “Country Music Throwdown”, between Scott and me. The rules were, there were questions about country music and artists; if Scott won, the listener who’d called in would lose. If *I* won, the listener won; no pressure there, EEK!!!

Luckily I won!!! Though Scott did get one question that I *should* have known, (actually I did know, I just went blank at that moment; very frustrating!!!). And I guess one question really was a “throw away”. Really, of all people, if *I* didn’t know David Lee Murphy’s birthday, I’d have to give up my title, (and license plate), of DLM Fan!

This is an old photo of my plates, they really are current through 2011!

Before leaving the station, I also got roped in to being part of that day’s “Simon 90”, though I don’t like being in front of any kind of camera.

Over all, as I said, I had a BLAST! It was like being able to go play at the “cool kid’s house”, instead of hanging out at home.

So, thank you Scott, Jolynn and Jake for letting me do that; it made my birthday a special one I’ll always remember.

My Birthday Boy-(Young Man)

2011-08-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

At 8:23 am on August 13, 1986, the world added one more person to its population count. That’s the day 7 lb. 15-½oz, Joshua Davis Falan was born.

As you can imagine, things were different than they are now. Weather wise, Oregon and Washington were experiencing a heat wave; unlike the weather we’ve been having this summer.

The Newberg Hospital in Newberg, Oregon, hadn’t been expanded. It was still a small hospital with a nursery for the babies that had been born there. It was small enough that the nurses had a rocking chair in the nursery, and would rock all the babies throughout the day. That summer the hospital experienced a baby boom the second week of August. They had nine babies that were born, which was more than they were used to. Josh was one of those babies.

From the time he was born, we all knew Josh was going to take after his dad as far as his size. As my mom put it, if Josh had been a puppy, he’d be a Great Dane based on the size of his hands and feet.

When he was about 2 months old, we found the cutest little one-piece "tuxedo" sleeper, (well, *I* thought it was cute); it was Josh’s first Halloween “costume”.

I’m thinking this may have set the tone for some of the things Josh decided to wear sometimes. For instance, the following photo shows Josh wearing his new “hat”. Thankfully his potty training seat was brand new when he did this!

I’ll fully admit, Josh had his work cut out for him being born to the parents he has. The kid got a double dose of stubbornness for sure. His sense of humor also came from both his dad and me; though I’ll admit, the more warped part would be my fault.

We’re talking about a kid who asked lots of questions about everything. Like when he was 4 years old; it was January, 30 degrees outside, and there was snow on the ground. It was sun shining though, so Josh wanted to know why he couldn't go swimming in his kiddy pool. We finally convinced him he could use our “indoor pool”. He got his swim trunks on and was a happy little camper playing in the “pool”.

Funny thing was, if he was in his “pool” he HAD to wear his swim trunks, big boys didn’t swim naked according to Josh. However, when it was time for his bath, he could NOT wear his swim trunks, that would just be silly, that’s what he told us; you don’t wear clothes during your bath, that’s what the washing machine is for.

We had him convinced for almost a year that we had an “indoor pool”. Then he realized everyone had one, and his grandparents’ “pool” was much cooler, because it had water jets in it.

Not Josh's grandparents' actual tub.

There were a few times when we’d get busted on answering Josh’s questions; like how ice cream is made. We told him that ice cream comes from white cows that live at the North Pole and eat frozen vanilla beans. If someone wants a flavor other than vanilla, the cows are fed whatever other things needed to make the ice cream into a different flavor. For instance, want strawberry ice cream? Just feed the cows a few strawberries with their vanilla beans. Mint chocolate chip…add mint leaves and chocolate with the vanilla beans. We were pretty proud of that one, until we were busted.

After hearing the explanation, Josh told us we were wrong, and proceeded to tell us how ice cream was made, according to what he saw on Sesame Street.

The learning has gone both ways over the years. When he was 5, Josh came home from school and told us he'd been learning about "oviparous" creatures. I had no idea what that was; Josh had to tell me "oviparous" means anything that lays eggs. I'm not sure I could have even SAID that word when I was 5, let alone know what it meant!

And then there are sunrises; at least that's what the rest of the world calls it when the sun comes up. For me, a sunrise will forever be "magicking". That's what Josh told me a sunrise is, because it's easy to make things dark, but it takes magic to make things light.

There are so many other things I could go on about when it comes to Josh, and his childhood, but I won’t. I’ll just let everyone know that over the years, Josh has turned out to be a fine young man, with good morals, a kind heart, and a wonderful sense of humor. His random twitching is only occasional now.

As he got older, Josh developed his own personality, likes and tastes, as one should. He definitely has his opinions on things, and can be very “deep” when it comes to things like politics. At the same time, he can still be like a little kid. Over all, it’s a great balance.

One of Josh’s real talents is his natural ability to take photos. He can just point and shoot a camera, and get some of the most beautiful shots. A couple of blogs ago I posted one he took of a dragonfly. I’ve put a few more of my favorites here. I'd put more, however there are just so many they'd take up this whole blog!

As I said, these are just a small sample of my favorite photos Josh has taken. Since this blog is about him today, and it's his birthday, I'll also post one of *his* favorite photos he's taken. A true combination of two of his passions, rally cars and photography.

Over all, the past 25 years have been a great adventure watching my “baby” boy grow up into a young man. There’s been rough spots, like there are in any family; though over all, I wouldn’t change a thing that’s happened, because I sure am proud of the person who came into the world, and started my life as a mom 25 years ago today.

Happy 25th birthday Josh!!!

Never Thought It Would Go This Far...

2011-08-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

It's been about a month since the "Simon in the Morning" team had a discussion about cartoons, cartoon voices and the Muppets. At the time the whole thing got jumbled around in my head, until I finally did something about it; I created caricatures of Scott, Jolynn and Jake.

From the beginning, (jokingly), Scott has always commented on how his caricature is shorter and wider than Jolynn or Jake. At one point, I decided to "give in" to Scott and make him taller and thinner. So, I wrote another blog and introduced readers to the "taller, thinner Scott Simon". Basically, I put the head of Scott's caricature on the body of Jake's caricature, thus making Scott taller and thinner. I didn't stop there however. I also noticed that Jolynn and Jake have hair, and Scott doesn't. So I took the hair from Jolynn's caricature and added it to the taller, thinner Scott Simon.

Thought that was the end of it, until I was talking to B-Dub at the Kenny Chesney pre-party. He asked my name, and when I told him, he said, "you're the one that created the caricatures; where's mine?" I told B-Dub I'd see what I could do, which I did, and sent it to him.

I'd also created a caricature for Eduard, the new producer of "Simon in the Morning".

After that, I decided I definitely needed to create caricatures of Lola and TicTak; didn't want to leave them out when the other on air staff had caricatures. Got those done, and sent them off to Lola, TicTak and the morning team.

Of course, the first thing Scott noticed is that he was still the widest, (actually, he said shortest and widest; however, he and Lola's caricatures are the same height).

At that point, I figured that was the end of it; not quite. The morning team posted the pics of Lola and TicTak on the KUPL Facebook page; and Lola also posted hers on her page.

Because of all this, now is the time to post what I've been working on since Scott first mentioned being wider and shorter. I'd told him, if I did my caricature, it would definitely be shorter and wider than his, because I *am* shorter and wider than Scott!

With that said, here it is, the caricature of ME!

What Do You See?

2011-08-09T05:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the smallest things can capture my attention, and keep me fascinated for quite awhile. For instance, this weekend I found myself watching dragonflies, and making up little scenes for what I was seeing.

Dragonflies have always reminded me of a cross between a helicopter and a bi-plane. To me, their bodies look like the body of a helicopter; while their double set of wings look like a bi-plane.

As I was watching different ones flit around the yard Sunday, I imagined that the dragonflies were the traffic reporters for the rest of the insect world. I could just see a traffic jam of ants somewhere getting the latest traffic update from a DRAGONFLY. I know, it sounds silly, but it really is fun to just let your imagination loose and follow it to see where it leads.

This year I haven't seen nearly as many dragonflies as in previous years, though there are still quite a few around. It wasn't until about a year ago that I realized how many colors of dragonflies there are. There are a lot, and they're really pretty.

My son, Josh, likes taking pictures of nature, and one of my favorites he's taken is of a dragonfly. Even this picture had me imagining about traffic reports and the like. I just figured dragonflies have to land and "refuel" sometimes, before continuing with their traffic reports.

I guess you're thinking this is a pretty silly blog for today; you're probably right. Though this is kind of where my head has been since my Sunday watching dragonflies. I figured I'd share it here, and maybe get it out of my system a bit. Thank you for allowing me that opportunity.

Thank You Washington State Department of Licensing...

2011-08-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what happened to my driver's license. I had it last Tuesday, and now I don't. What's worse, I didn't notice until today, almost a week later! Naturally, I have to discover this fact on a Monday, when the Washington State Department of Licensing is closed. ARGH!

It's funny, when you don't know something's missing you don't think about it. Then when you DO notice, you start worrying that you'll be pulled over or something; at least that's what happens to me. So, what to do, what to do? All of a sudden I'm wondering if I'll make it home alright, with no problems. Mind you, Wednesday through Friday last week I wasn't thinking about it at all; hadn't noticed my license was missing. Today is Monday though, and I did notice. Wasn't sure what to do about the situation, what with licensing being closed and all.

When all else fails, I take to the internet to see if I can at least have my fears eased; if not find a solution to my problem. Lo and behold, what's this?! You can renew, or replace your driver's license online now?! YAY!!!! There are certain criteria that must be met before you can do this of course; I met every one of them. Double YAY!!!!

So, thank you Washington State Department of Licensing for being up to date on technology! I now have a temporary copy of my license to get me through until my replacement arrives in the mail. I can breath again!

Craig Campbell @ The Bing Lounge-8-3-11

2011-08-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

The only thing I knew about Craig Campbell before seeing him at the Bing Lounge were his two singles, "Family Man" and "Fish". I like both songs, so I was interested to see and learn more about Craig; I wasn't disappointed.

Acoustic shows are great, because you get to really hear an artist's voice, without all the other things that can clog up a recording or performance. Craig Campbell definitely has a great voice. His style and sound harkens back to the country music of the late 80's, early 90's. Not a big surprise when you learn that was Craig's favorite era for country. When asked, he said his biggest influence from then is Travis Tritt. Just my opinion, I think Craig could easily reach Travis' level of fame, or higher.

Watching Craig in the Bing Lounge, it was easy to see he has a great sense of humor, as evidenced by a couple of songs he did, "I Bought It", and "When I Get It". As much as I love the song "Fish", I think these two songs have become my new favorites of Craig's music.

Speaking of "Family Man", Craig knows about this first hand, as he's a husband and dad to two little girls. Craig told a story about how before his first child was born he was positive the baby would be a boy. With that inspiration in mind, Craig wrote a song about his yet unborn child, "My Little Cowboy". Of course, when his first child was born, it was a girl, but Craig was okay with that.

After the concert, Craig took time to sign autographs and take pictures with anyone wanting one; even though he did have a plane he had to catch. Sometimes, when you see and hear someone on a stage, they're different when you meet them in person; not Craig. Even though he was under a time crunch, Craig took the time with each person, and was very nice to everyone who met him.

To be honest, I've seen a lot of great performances in the Bing Lounge, and met a lot of artists who are really nice. Of all of them though, I think Craig Campbell is the one that's impressed me the most so far; enough that I went and bought is CD on my way home that day.

If you ever get a chance to see Craig Campbell in concert, do; you won't be disappointed!

Thompson Square @ Bushwhackers-8-2-11

2011-08-04T05:28:00.000-07:00

From the first time I heard “Let’s Fight” on KUPL, I’ve been a fan of Thompson Square; so when I heard the station was bringing the duo to Bushwhackers, I was excited. The concert was billed as a “$10 Hoot n Holler” show, with proceeds going to help St. Jude’s Children's Hospital.

Bushwhackers opened their doors to concertgoers at 6 pm August 2^nd, with the show starting at 7:30 pm.

While waiting for the show to start, patrons talked amongst themselves, had a few drinks, and had the option of dining on a country buffet dinner for $10. In addition, KUPL was out in full force distributing their new KUPL camo fans, and KUPL t-shirts.

My friend, Patty, and I had both wanted a KUPL t-shirt since we first saw them; so we were thrilled to be able to get one. Patty even put hers on right after she got it.

When it was time for the show to start, the entire KUPL on air staff, (minus B-Dub, who was on the air back at the station), took the stage to introduce Thompson Square; not before having a little fun of their own though.

Scott and TicTak decided to pet the buffalo head that was hanging above the stage. At one point Scott put his finger in the buffalo’s nose; and TicTak declared the buffalo “TicTak”, and the long-horned cow on the other end of the stage “B-Dub”.

When talking about the new KUPL camo fans, Jolynn had fun telling everyone how they could hide when using one, because they’re camouflage. She’d hide her face behind the fan, and everyone would ask, “where’s Jolynn”? Then she’d take the fan away and say, “here I am, I was in camo”. It was pretty cute. It was then time to bring on Thompson Square, who started their set with “Let’s Fight”.

In between songs, the duo, Shawna and Keifer Thompson, talked about how they met, were bartenders, how a year ago they were almost going to give up on their career, and other interesting details about their lives.

As I stated earlier, I’ve loved Thompson Square from the first time I heard them. Their live show is as impressive as their recorded music. Both have unique voices that blend together beautifully, and also can stand alone on a song.

In addition to their current single, “I Got You”, and their #1 song, “Are You Gonna KISS Me or Not”, they did several other songs from their debut CD; as well as a cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”.

Sometimes in live shows, an artist can hit or miss on any given song; not Thompson Square. Every song they did, they did well, with great harmonies, etc.

When the show was over, Shawna and Keifer stayed to sign autographs and take pictures with anyone wanting one. They were both very nice to everyone they met during the meet and greet; which just added to why I like them so much. It’s always cool when an artist is really talented and also nice.

Patty thought it was cool that not only did she get a new KUPL t-shirt, she got to have her picture taken with Thompson Square while wearing it.

Over all, the entire evening was a blast; and I can’t wait until Thompson Square make their way back to the Portland area. Hopefully I won’t have to wait too long!

Earthquake Hits Vancouver

2011-08-02T05:32:00.000-07:00

On Monday, August 1, 2011 an earthquake hit at 192^nd Avenue and First Street in Vancouver, Washington. The specific place was a new restaurant, Brothers Burgers; and the “earthquake” was the Earthquake Jake Burger, created by KUPL’s Earthquake Jake Byron.

In July Jake had won a contest by eating ten sliders in five minutes. The prize was being able to create a burger and have it sold at Brothers Burgers during the entire month of August. Half the money of every Earthquake Jake burger sold goes to the Oregon National Guard Emergency Relief Fund; the charity Jake chose to help.

August 1^st, Jake was at Brothers Burgers between 5 and 7 pm, to promote his burger to KUPL listeners and any other patrons of the restaurant. Anyone who bought an Earthquake Jake burger that evening received a Brothers gift bag as well. The bag contained various items, like a mug, Frisbee, pen and other things with Brothers logo on them, pretty cool.

The burger Jake created consists of, (from the bottom up), a brioche bun, lettuce, tomato, onion, an angus beef patty, a slice of American cheese, bacon, another slice of American cheese, Lay’s potato chips and Brothers house dressing.

Jake said the reason for putting the bacon between two slices of cheese was to keep it from sliding off the burger. The cheese envelopes the bacon, adhering it to the hamburger.

The Lay’s potato chips were Jake’s wife’s idea. He said the chips represent the plates in the earth that shift during an earthquake.

I’ve always loved chips on my burger, so I was excited to try Jake’s creation; maybe a bit too excited. I’d meant to take a photo of the burger before I ate it, but forgot. So instead, here’s what half an Earthquake Jake burger looks like.

Trust me, the burger is delicious, and filling! I’m pretty sure Jake himself can attest to the filling part.

Between 6 and 7 pm Jake took a challenge from Jolynn Winter as to how many Earthquake Jake burgers he could eat in an hour; his goal was six burgers. For each burger Jake ate, Jolynn said she’d donate ten dollars to Jake’s charity.

Jake got off to a fast start and downed four burgers in a matter of minutes. It took him a bit longer to get through the fifth burger. I was really feeling sorry for him at that point; he looked like he wasn’t feeling too well at all. He was determined though, and eventually made it through the fifth burger. As much as he wanted to however, Jake only got a little way through the sixth burger before calling it quits for the evening. He seemed disappointed that he hadn’t gotten through all six burgers, (though it may have just been heartburn at that moment). I was impressed though; I barely got through one and was stuffed, so I can only imagine how Jake felt after five. And like I told him, he made $50 off Jolynn for his charity.

If you’re interested in trying the Earthquake Jake burger, the price is $7.89+tax, (notice the price is 98.7 backwards), with half that price going to the Oregon National Guard Emergency Relief Fund. Brothers will have the Earthquake Jake BURGER available through the end of August.

Brothers Burgers is located at 19206 SE 1st St., Vancouver, WA.

The Taller, Thinner Scott Simon

2011-07-28T05:30:00.000-07:00

Little did I know that creating caricatures of people would go so far.

In a previous blog I'd written how the idea for "Muppet" characters for the "Simon in the Morning" team got stuck in my head. Wouldn't go away until I did something about it. The "something" was to create the caricatures, using Paint Shop Pro 7.

Once they were done, I sent the caricatures to Scott, Jolynn and Jake. That's when Scott noticed that his caricature was shorter and wider than the other two.

It's been kind of a running joke since then about Scott being shorter and wider. Well, last Saturday I decided to do justice to Scott, and make his caricature taller and thinner. While I was at it, I decided to throw in a bonus for Scott, a little something that I noticed he didn't have; but Jolynn and Jake did; HAIR!

Take a look and see what you think of the "new" Scott Simon.