What A Year It's Been!

On April 12, 2011, no KUPL listener had started rambling on KUPL's website.  There was nothing from listeners about shows in the Bing Lounge, birthdays, bears, sandwiches, or anything else imaginable.

That all changed the next day, on April 13, 2011.  On that day, one year ago today, "Ramblings from a KUPL Listener" was unleashed to the internet.

Before that fateful day, I'd never posted to a blog.  Being the non-technical person I am, I needed all the help I could get on how to get started, etc.  Fortunately, for me at least, (I don't know how he'd see it), I had someone I could turn to with all my questions and concerns; Earthquake Jake, the brains behind the whole "listener blog".  The man has to have the patience of a saint for all the questions, and insecurities I've bombarded him with in the past year!

 What a year it's been though!  From day one I've been able to post as much, or as little as I want; about anything I want to write about.  I love that, because it gives me a chance to be creative, which is a big part of who I am. 

Over the past year, I've been to several performances in the Bing Lounge, and blogged about each one.  I feel very lucky to have seen such a wide range of musical talent, from newcomers, like Jaida Dreyer and Glen Templeton,to living legends, such as Vince Gill. 

Often times my posts were inspired by what I'd hear on KUPL's "Simon in the Morning" show.  One in particular I remember was when they had the person who does the voice of Winnie the Pooh on the show.

That interview lead to Scott, Jolynn and Jake talking about various voices they could do, which then lead to having listeners call in to do their best cartoon voices.  Somewhere in the mix the Muppets were mentioned.  My brain being the way it is, combined all of this into one bright idea, which I acted on, resulting in a post about the following picture.

 For the record, Scott Simon actually is as tall as Jolynn Winter; for some reason I thought he wasn't, so his caricature is shorter.  I could fix it easily, but it's been way more fun letting Scott kid about it.

Not all my posts have been happy ones.  I remember being angered by the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial.  I wrote a post in honor of Caylee Anthony, to get the anger out.

One post that turned out to possibly be my most important one to date was titled, "The Magic of Music".

I don't know how I learned about a blogging contest sponsored by the organization, MusiCares, though I remember thinking it would be fun to enter, so I did.  That was in October 2011, six months in to having my blog on KUPL's website.

The point of the contest was to bring awareness to MusiCares, which helps musicians, and artists with medical, dental, and other issues, since most don't have insurance.

The winner would be on the red carpet for MusiCares at the "Grammy Honors Paul McCartney", to blog about the event.

To my utter surprise and amazement, I was actually one of the finalists chosen!  Though I didn't win, and don't know where I ended in ranking, I still feel like I was a winner.  I mean, there were only SIX finalists in the entire U.S., and I was one of them!  It's one of those amazing times that become a milestone in one's memory; and something I would never have been able to do, had I not had this blog.

There are so many other posts I could mention here, however, as I usually do, I'm rambling again, so I won't.  Let's just say, in the past 366 days, (it's leap year), I probably could have/should have had more posts out.  Of the ones I did write, were all of them great?  No. To be honest, there were a few times when I wrote something for the sake of writing; because it was for a Tuesday or Thursday post, which are the days KUPL listeners can earn 5000 points for finding the blog word of the day.  Those are days I HAD to have something posted.

And lately, I've been in a dry spell; though just a few days ago, the ideas started happening again.

My goal for the year ahead is to continue posting blogs about anything and everything I can think of; and post more than I have been.  And of course hopefully improve with time!

Thank you to anyone and everyone who's been reading my blog this past year.  Though I may not know you, do know that I definitely appreciate you taking time to do so.  Again, thank you!

Gray Thursday

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

(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!!! :)

(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

(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

(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

(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

(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

(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!

The Magic of Music

“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®!”