You may or may not know (I have blogged about it before), that my family owns a vacation house in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. When we ae not staying there it gets rented out to guests. Since we are at that time just after Thanksgiving and headed to Christmas, I had to make a weekend trip down to decorate the house for Christmas so guests this upcoming month can enjoy the season with appropriate decor. 

My mom and I spent Sunday and Monday decorating...putting up the tree and other decorations around the fireplace. As you can see from the picture, I think the tree turned out well for doing it in kind of a hurry...lol. We FINALLY finished getting everything done that had to happen around 6:30 Monday evening. Then we needed dinner, so we stopped and had a delicious meal. By the time we got gas for the car and were ready to REALLY head home, it was 8:00 Monday evening with an 8 hour drive ahead of us! 

I pulled into my driveway at 4:00 this morning, and by the time Buttercup told me everything that happened while I was gone and I got into bed to sleep...it was 5:00! Luckily here I am, and I hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend with family!

Well most people who are WWE Fans were excited for Monday Night Raw because of Randy Orton, CM Punk and all these old faces returning in-ring.  

In the Front Row sitting ringside sat a familiar country boy...

Just so happened he pushed and shoved Dominik Mysterio and helped out Orton on his return...  Guess Randy Orton just "Needed A Favor"!

After the Thanksgiving festivities were over, it was officially Christmas for us. What kicks of the holiday season for us is picking out our Christmas tree at Galehouse Tree Farm in Doylestown. After we find THE tree, we like to visit the gift shop, get some hot cocoa and popcorn, then it is time to head home to decorate!

You couldwin a FREE Christmas tree all this week with me and WQMX, just be listening for the Country Quiz after 11am!

 

 

 

 

 

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With Terri Clark coming back the area for a big show early next year, it seemed like a great time to revisit the Memory Lane article I wrote about her a year or two ago.  I've always been a fan, and her voice and music still sound great after all this time.

Let's revisit the amazing Terri Clark!

My Full Profile On Terri Clark

I check Facebook Marketplace daily, primarily looking at vehicles and powersports stuff. It's sort of like a game. If there's something worth buying, odds are it has been posted within the past 24hrs, so I like to stay current on what's out there in the area. I've been loosely looking for a new daily driver and a few other items, but it's unlikely that I will actually try to buy anything, typically. I'm in a group chat with my close friends and we really enjoy simply sending each other our cool finds. I don't know why, but It's so entertaining and fun to do! 

I look at a ton of trucks, and there are some really sweet ones out there at any given moment. I was revisiting my photos for inspiration for this blog when I found a screenshot I had taken of one that stood out to me especially. The truck itself is rad, but what really makes me love it is the mural of itself on the side! It's a silly little thing, but also a reminder of when vehicles were more than just a way of commuting, but a piece of our personalities. I can only imagine the individual who commissioned this artwork, but let me tell you; that's someone I feel like I could have a fun time with! 

So, let me throw this towards you. Have you customized your car in any way, big or small? Maybe it's as simple as a couple stickers on your back window, or maybe you have a full camo paint job. Maybe you have custom wheels and a lift kit or an aftermarket glasspack muffler and a sporty spoiler. Some places are quite strict on what modifications you can do, but Ohio is certainly not one of them. Take advantage of this freedom and don't be afraid to express your personality through your car! I love to see it. 

Thank you for reading, and take care now. Don't forget to catch me on-air from Midnight-5am, right here on Your Country 94.9 WQMX!

Clint Black  - Walkin' Away  - 1989 - (Album - Killin' Time)

It's from one of the biggest, most successful country albums ever, and you don't hear it much anymore. This was a #1 of course as were all singles from this total masterpiece. You still hear, Killin' Time and Better Man, but somehow this gets lost. Clint Black was a Mega Star and had the absolute right idea in the Neo-traditionalist era.  He led the charge along with Garth, and Alan Jackson and was very important in shaping 90's country in general. He sold millions and packed concert halls, and recorded gems like this. He was unapologetically country and this song is a great example of it.  I was always drawn to his music, as it was traditional, but still had a thump.  It didn't sound dated, it sounded new, but deeply rooted, but it never sounded "old".  He found a sound and it worked for him. There was also a real believe-ability about him that I and millions of others loved too. So let's drop a few coins in and take a listen to the amazing Clint Black and this fantastic song!

My Full Profile On Clint Black - Mega Star Series

#3 - Jake Owen - Startin' With Me - 2006

The first time I heard this song I loved it, and I love it more today than in 2006.  This is a very powerful, adult song that cuts deep.  This struck me right in the middle, as I too have felt there are times in my past I would have made different decisions. But I don't think I'm different than you or most.  Years ago, I learned the benefit of honest self reflection, and it helped me greatly.  I remember telling Jake at the station here years ago when he did a show for us I felt this was one of the best country songs of the last 30 years. This is one of the few songs that can make me tear up slightly, and does most any time I hear it.  This also has the exceedingly rare ability to grow with you and it hits you differently as you go through life's circumstances.  It's about as honest as a song can be. This was very early Jake Owen and that gave this song credibility and him too as it helped us get to know him, letting us way in.  Peaking at #6 on the charts, but pay no mind to that, this is about as good as written country songs get.  As I put this list together, this was one of the first songs I thought of.  Jake is the second artist to appear on my list twice with two in the top 20 (Down To The Honky Tonk #17)  Darius Rucker is the other at #15 and #47.  This is about perfect.

Last Week #4

The weather tells us all that it's winter, or at least cold part of fall.  It's Soup Season too.  I know, I know  -  you make the BEST chicken soup ever, but I have to admit this looks pretty darn good.

Let's give this a go!!

It's SOUP Season - Try This!!

Man, where to begin this week as last week I gave Kevin Stefanski real props on growing up as a head coach. I even said I thought the Seattle loss a few weeks ago woke him up as he about single-handedly blew that game with terrible decision making down the stretch.  Turns out with that loss nothing was really learned last Sunday at Denver, it was twice as bad. I admit, I was far too quick on the praise.

What happened Sunday was simply awful. Terrible play calling, a bad game plan, decision making was ridiculous and the result was horrendous. Not running the ball against the worst run defense in the entire NFL is just stupid.  BTW, running the ball is what his team does best offensively -  by far.  Good backs and high priced and excellent run blocking offensive linemen.  Asking these QB's to throw it 42 times on the road in Denver was just dumb.  And dialing up some backyard razzle-dazzle double reverse handoff, pitch thing with 2 third stringers trying to pull it off in the fourth quarter was just -  beyond boneheaded.  I'm sure he's the butt of many player meetings around the league again this week as that play pretty much blew the game. And it also made us look like bozo's.  It's unforgivable and embarrassing. Who does this stuff?

There were all kinds of calls on social media, "Fire Stefanski now!!" and that type of thing, but I don't buy into that at all right now.  What I would like is for him to LEARN SOMETHING!  These decisions are stuff of amateurs.  The "Fire Stefanski Crowd" is just mad and emotional and I get that.  But firing him just makes us start over and I don't want that, and I don't think they do either.  A new head coach means eventually new staff, new assistants and a new era.  I want the coach to learn what doesn't work and stop it with the ding-dong decisions when it matters! 

We all have people in our lives that "know everything" right?  They project there's nothing new for them to learn, and in my life I have no time for those people. I don't know, maybe Stefanski IS that guy. He's an Ivy Leaguer, maybe he honestly thinks he's the smartest guy in any room.  Maybe he thinks he "knows best."  Maybe he thinks he's just smarter than the rest of the NFL.  I don't know if any of that is true. But I do know this.  We looked Sunday like we were not ready to play, and at times it looked like it was his first game.  And when the game was still in doubt, he made us look like a Blooper Reel of Facebook memes and GIF's that put players in a position to fail that shouldn't be.  I gotta wonder what Schwartz, and Callahan think about this nonsense.  Myles Garrett too, Botonio, veterans trying to win at long last.

With extremely well managed and prepared wins against the Ravens, Steelers and 49ers, I thought coach had finally figured out that with this team, this year, under these very tough circumstances, he found the formula to win buy NOT GETTING IN THE WAY!  Sunday was a major step backwards in decision making. I hope the assistants gave him hell on the ridiculous game plan. And I hope the players did too. Everyone out there busting their humps for beyond bad play calling and backyard trick plays you would draw up in the dirt with Uncle John in the backyard after Thanksgiving dinner, with Aunt Louise and your cousins playing defense. 

So we get another crack at the NFL today as we visit the upstart Rams on the road. And let's hope last Sunday was just a hiccup.  Man, Ya Think Ya Know A Guy.....

GO BROWNS

As we near the top of my 50 Favorites From 40 Years year-long series, here are the songs I featured in November.  I have also included all of the previous months in case you are just jumping on.

This Month

#7 - Strawberry Wine - Deana Carter

#6 - Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell

#5 - When It Rains It Pours - Luke Combs

#4 - You Lie - Reba McEntire

Previous Months

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January