It's about time I introduce you to my furry friends, Freddy and Fiona. Freddy, or Frank as I often call him, is my big boy who's essentially a slinky ragdoll. We got him a few years back for Christmas, and he was the last pick of the litter. I like to play fight with him and throw some karate chops his way as he claws and bites me. He's a bit of a menace who enjoys tearing up whatever he can get into, laying on top of our flat screen T.V. as it wobbles, and most of all eating tape. We have to hide packages, or he goes right at 'em. 

Fiona on the other hand, is a "sweet princess." She's just as affectionate, but only on her own terms more like your typical housecat. We found her at Belgrade Gardens in Barberton living in the streets, malnourished and in need of a good home. It truly was love at first sight, and without hesitation she became part of the family. She's got a bit of a mouth on her, and even squawks like a bird from time to time. She's a weirdo! 

At first, the relationship between the two cats was not good. They would attack one another on sight, with Fiona being the primary aggressor. It was so bad we had to keep them separated for a long time, with each living in a  separate part of the house. We gradually got them accustomed to one another, and after some pretty gnarly battles and lot's of treats, they have finally found peace in their coexistence. It's awesome now, and on my way into work I saw the cutest thing that stopped me in my tracks and made me take a picture, which prompted me to write this blog. 

Frank and Fiona were butt-to-butt on the couch! It's incredible and so dang cute that they have finally became friends. There was a point in time where we legitimately considering having to give Fiona up for Freddy's well-being, so I cannot emphasize enough how huge of a moment this was for me to see them cuddled up together. 

I've said it before;  I love pets and I've never met a cat or dog that I didn't like, just ones that didn't like me. I like all the furry friends, but some of the reptiles, amphibians, fish, and arachnids freak me out a little. A Komoda dragon for example, is like nightmare fuel for me. Those capybaras make me a little uncomfortable too... but I digress!

To all the Teacher's, you deserve the world building our youth... minds, body and spirit.  
I loved school!  Basically, because I lived in the middle of nowhere and it was the only way that I got to see friends.

My teachers were a trip looking back.  The Late Eileen Rensel was a stickler.  I had her in 7th and 10th Grade.  She taught English and before you could enter her room.  You had to look her in the eye, shake her hand with the correct pressure and say "May I enter the classroom and be seated."  There were a lot of students who barely made it into the classroom after 3 or 4 tries after going to the back of the line.   It definitely is something that stuck with me.  Her public speaking portion of her class was top notch also.  She was one of the best.

I also had a History Teacher, Mr. Shade.  He was nuts.  For our review days... He would sit in the front of the room in a chair on a table with a catchers mask on.  Students who answered questions correctly would get to throw a tennis ball at him from the back of the room.  The Valedictorian and everyone were warming up before that class!  Talk about a reason to retain information.

Mr. Leiber, Mr. Varner and many more have stuck with me thru the years.   

Being Teacher Day remember some of your favorites...  I Thank All The Teachers!!!!   You are very important and thank you for all you do... I hope you get all the apples and the raises you deserve.  Thank you. 

A couple days ago, I was sitting in the house and heard a thud in my driveway. I looked outside to see that the new phonebook had been dropped off for my convenience. The only thing is...it's been YEARS since I have needed to use one!

What about you? Do you still use it? Maybe a rolodex? A little black book? I was thinking that in 2023 the internet is our phonebook. Whether on the computer or even on our phones themselves. Kinda strange they still take the effort to print new phonebooks and deliver them out isn't it?

Video games are awesome! They're a fun way to kill some time, connect with friends, and decompress. Some people take them very seriously, but I would describe myself as a casual gamer. I like a game that I can pick up and play at any given time, with minimal commitment. RPG's like Skyrim are super fun, but these days I just don't have the time to get into any one game as such. 

Through the years, I've played on just about every console or handheld gaming device you can think of, and I got to give it to the old Xbox 360 as my favorite one, with the Playstation 2 coming in at a close second. There's hardly a bad console, and I favor the Nintendo DS or Switch for portable gaming. I have a Grand Theft Auto bundle for the Switch that has been a total game changer on road trips and vacations. 

Let's get into another top ten, and if you have any thoughts on some things I could rank in future editions of this blog theme, please do let me know! You can reach me on the WQMX studio phone line at 330-370-2000. I'm in weekdays from Midnight-5a.m. but if you're not up during the overnight, no sweat. You can send a message to our studio textline (sponsored by Cricket wireless) any time and I will be sure to see it! 

10. The Simpsons Hit and Run

9. Pokémon Diamond/Pearl

8. Madden NFL '10

7.Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec

6. Call od Duty: Black Ops II

5. Gran Theft Auto: Vice City

4. Minecraft

3. Gran Theft Auto: San Andreas

2. Skate 3

1. Gran Theft Auto V

So how about you; what are your favorite video games? I couldn't tell you how many thousands of hours I have dumped into gaming, but I do get outside a ton so I think it all equals out. LOL! I have been playing Grand Theft Auto V consistently, offline, since it's release in September of 2013. I had the game preordered and everything, and a literal decade later here we are still waiting on 6 to come out. I told myself I would buy a console newer than the Xbox 360 once Skate 4 or the next GTA was released and well, I'm still waiting!!! Thanks for reading :)   

Life is like a series of boots for me...

Get a pair and a number of years later they become these yard boots and then they become no more.

It is sad for me when a pair of these boots is retired. 

They start off at various events, jobs, numerous projects around the house, concerts, life moments, really everything.

Then as if those weren't big enough... These same boots get demoted to Yard Boots where they walk many miles mowing the yard for family events, reunions, birthday parties for the kids, weddings, cookouts, camping, fires, chasing after the dogs, planting a garden or working in the garage... 

These boots maybe stained green, smell, fall apart, have holes, just look horrible... but these boots have seen somethings - miles, memories and just life.  I had to put this pair down after a long run.  Hopefully you have a good pair of these boots and are making memories in yours.

One word comes to mind when I think of tacos - YUM! I love tacos...hard or soft, it doesn't matter. I do prefer though that they be filled with ground beef rather than shredded beef, chicken, shrimp, fish, or anything else.

I enjoy tacos with cheese, lettuce, tomato on them. I could also go for some Guacamole on there, and sour cream if we must. I also do enjoy them with some rice on the side and maybe some beans as well. Chips and salsa are a great side idea as well.

No matter how you like your tacos - have a very fulfilling National Taco Day. :)

There have already been quite a few TV appearances this week, let's get you caught up!

Tyler Hubbard made an appearance on the TODAY Show on Tuesday: 

Brothers Osborne were featured on CBS Mornings yesterday talkin about their new album and their lives. Click here to read more and to watch the interview.

Last night, Jelly Roll made an appeatance on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, one of the first shows that has aired since the talk show returned to television. He sang "Halfway to Hell" from his album Whitsitt Chapel: 

On Tuesday I was out riding my mini bike doing some exploring, when out of the blue, my wheel bearing blew out and stopped me in my tracks. It threw my chain, causing my rear tire to skid in a somewhat sketchy fashion. Broken down, I was left with no other option than to push the bike back at least half a mile to my house in 80-degree heat. It wasn't a fun time. 

With my recent mechanical failure, I figure it's a good time to give an update on the status of all my fun stuff. Aside from that little incident today, the mini is just about as good as ever except for the front end. Someone crashed it somewhat hard a while back, and it hasn't quite been the same since.

Getting into the rest, we'll start with the boat. It's been a little more than two weeks since I've had her out on the water. It's an ongoing project with lot's left to do in terms of restoration, but it floats and the motor runs great. I'd like to have at least one more boat day before I winterize the vessel, but we'll see what the weather has in store for us. All that I really need to do to the boat is pull that old two-stroke Suzuki off for the winter and wrap it up, so I'm calling it good for now! 

Next is my lawn tractor, a classic Simplicity Broadmoor from the early 70's. I love that thing, but it's not without its faults. I've been using it as a "mud mower" riding through the woods tearing up the trails. It's slow but otherwise very capable off-road. I have the deck detached and have never actually used it to mow. Anyways, the key broke off in the ignition, my starter isn't working, the paint is getting a little scratched up, the tires need air, and I just recently lost all braking. I'm hoping it's a linkage that came undone or something else simple. I've got a buddy who is supposed to come check it out, and he was the one who got it running originally, so I'm crossing my fingers we can get that sorted out at a minimum. I plan to do a full restoration on the Simplicity one day and get it set back up to mow the lawn, as I no longer have a zero-turn. 

Next is my go kart, affectionately known as The Joe Kart. Of all my powersports, it is the closest to my heart. I did a full build on it with brand new parts from the tires to the engine, and currently it's actually not broken! It's fast and fun, and I cannot wait until the icy wintertime weather when I can do some drifting. I've got quite the story for you coming up in a future blog about a little incident I had with the kart out on the frozen Turkeyfoot Lake a few years back. 

I also have another new go kart that I traded a snowmobile for, but it needs a lot of work. I've been trying to get the steering together and buy a powerplant for it, but lately my priorities have shifted. It's not something I'll shove in the corner and forget about, not only because it's a massive two-seater buggy that's bigger than a Smart Car, but also because I think it's gnarly. 

Last but certainly not least in terms of brokenness, is my quad. It's an old Honda Recon 250 2wd that has been put through the ringer. I routinely abuse that machine, from plowing snow to regularly getting it stuck deep in mud holes. With how rough I am on it, it's no surprise that the old four-wheeler needs quite a bit of TLC. This would include fixing the brakes, repairing/remounting the winch, securing the axle, replacing bearings, rewiring my aftermarket reverse light, replacing a missing hub cap, installing fresh rear tires, and routine maintenance. In the two years I have punished it, I've never even checked the oil, let alone changed it... it's a Honda. 

This blog came out to be a lot longer than I expected, but hopefully it can serve as some encouragement to you if it seems like you have too much on your plate. I didn't even mention the work my Civic needs done to it (stupid E-check), but I'm not overwhelmed by all of this. It's just the nature of machines to break after time, and the work I have ahead of me is totally doable. My perspective on owning "boy toys" as such is this: you either have to have a lot of money or know how to work on your stuff, and let me tell you I'm by no means rich! Creating a garage to-do list has alleviated anxiety and helped me tremendously, and if I may, I'd like to suggest to you to do the same for whatever seems to be hanging over your head. Afterwards, prioritize that list. If it's time, motivation, or finances holding you back, just remember to take it one thing at a time! 

In what was probably the worst kept secret in this area for quite some time...Terry Francona has made it 100% official. He's done as Manager. Now the search for the next skipper begins, and we know one name that is NOT getting the job - because he declined to even interview...Sandy Alomar.

It has probably always been a dream of Cleveland baseball fans to see Alomar, Lofton, Baerga, Thome, etc as the manager of this team. Not going to happen, at least right now. The team is saying that they expect Sandy Alomar to stay in his role as first base coach. There are also questions as to whether Francona will have some role ith the team going forward.

Who knows how long the search will take. I just hope it will be done with diligence and the right choice will be made.

Parmalee has the #1 song on the charts with "Girl In Mine" and they just announced their next radio single. The group says "Gonna Love You" is about that one person that's your ride or die, the one person you would do anything for.  

Parmalee will be at the Dusty Armadillo for a SOLD OUT show on Friday, October 20th!