I was sitting at home earlier this afternoon before I came into work and I realized...HEY! Today is the anniversary day of when I got hired by Rubber City Radio Group - the parent company of WQMX! I've been here ten years! Let's go back to those days.

I was 26 years old and had been done with all of my schooling for 18 months. I was getting worried that I might not find a job and may need to consider another path. Then I learned about an opening to work for WAKR during sports broadcasts. I had my interview...it went well, and I had the job! I was in studio a few nights a week running commercials during Indians (Guardians), Cavs, Browns, and Ohio State games. Eventually, I was able to expand on that to producing talk shows in all dayparts (including the Ray Horner Show) as needed.

Next thing I knew, I was able to get a chance at my dream job - on-air at a music station when I filled in on WQMX last minute. That turned into a regular part time gig on weekends, then I was able to go full time duing the week. Next thing I knew, I moved up to weekday nights on WQMX! I love my job and the people I work with...they're awesome! They tell you find something you love and find a way to get paid for it...you'll never work a day in your life. I am here to tell you that statement is 100% true!

This Saturday (September 30th) there is going to be something that sounds really awesome and could bring out the 5 year old tastebuds in all of us - The Ohio Mac & Cheese Festival! It will be this Saturday afternoon from 4-8 at Mercy Health Stadium (home of the Lake Erie Crushers) in Avon.

Think about it...there are many possibilites with the comfort food. Do you like elbow noodles or shells? Maybe Cavatapi noodles? Do you like bacon in yours? Do you like it on the spicy side? There's a difference between ours here in the North and Southern style. 

This sounds like a great event to get to try different recipes of the wonderfull side dish that is Mac & Cheese. Find the details on the event from Channel 5 here.

If you are a frequent listener to WQMX between 7 and midnight weekdays...first, thank you very much! As you know, during the 9 o'clock hour we have the New At 9. It's a full hour of some of the newest music out of Nashville. We also have the New Song Spotlight and then play Keep it or Kick it to get your votes on how you as listeners like the song.

Starting Monday, we are making a little change. As we head into Fall and Winter things will begin to slow down a bit. So we will only play Keep it or Kick it when I have a brand new song. The other evenings, the spotlight song will have some other significance. Maybe it's historic to the day, or possibly it's one we've had you vote on before, but don't feel we need a second opinion, etc.

As always thank you for voting during this segment. It really helps us here at WQMX, and look forward to it returning in full strength in the Spring!

Hurry on over to WQMX.com to sign up for the 5 Kay on October 7th. You only have until noon on Friday (tomorrow) to get signed up and still receive a commemorative race t-shirt. You are moe than welcome to sign up all the way to race day itself, but you must be signed up by noon on Friday the 22nd to get the t-shirt for this year.

As always we are raising money that is to benefit our awesome Bosom Buddies charity to help fight Breast Cancer. We hope to see you at Maize Valley Winery & Craft Brewery on Route 619 on Saturday October 7th at 9am sharp!

Hi everyone! My name is Buttercup and I thought I'd take over writing my dad's blog at work today...he said it would be cool with him and you wouldn't mind. I know he has told you a little about me before, but I'll recap. I'm about 5 years old, and showed up at my current home about 4 years ago. I was too young at the time, I don't remember where I came from before that...or is it I just don't want to tell my daddy? ;) hahaha.

Anyway, I have been so lucky to live where I do. I get fed handsomely (even though I yell at my dad that I'm starving and wasting away). I even get treats! My favorite toys are a shoestring, toy mice, and I love to kick around a ball here and there. I also enjoy going after my dad's shoestrings and his phone charger (which he yells at me to stop it..but I don't). 

I enjoy having deep conversations with my dad. I think I have great ideas for world hunger, peace, and when to bring out Pumpkin Spice every Fall. Along with having these conversations and playing with my toys, my favorite pasttime is curling up in my dad's lap and falling asleep while we watch TV. 

Thank you for listening to my daddy's station, as it provides him the ability to fill my tummy everyday with my favorite salmon-flavored food!! 

Luke Bryan has many things on his calendar at the moment. By the picture posted, you can probably guess the first one I will cover is his Farm Tour. He kicked that off last week with a stop outside of Louisville,KY. Just a few more dates left on that before he moves onto the rest of his busy schedule.

I mentioned on my show last night that he and friend Peyton Manning are teaming up for a docuseries to air on Hulu called "It's All Country". It will take a look at artists that have made a great impact on Country music as a whole and even some individual perfomances that stand out. No word on a release date yet.

Finally, he and Peyton are also getting together to co-host the CMA Awards this year. That will air November 8th on ABC.

Somewhere in there, he'll have to find time to be a husband and dad, as well as keep crankin' out those hit songs! Glad my schedule isn't that crowded...hahaha

Thank you for coming out to the charity shows on Wednesday & Thursday with WQMX! Three words to describe them - A. MA.ZING.!!!! We raised a lot of money for both Bosom Buddies and NEOPAT. As always, this money stays local here in NorthEast Ohio! Beyond that, the shows the artists put on were A+!

Wednesday with Hannah Ellis at the beautiful setting of 1875 Winery was such fun! It got chilly after the sun went down, but who cares?! The music was great, and I hear the food and drinks were top notch as well.

Then on Thursday at the Dusty Armadillo, Frank Ray and Michael Ray blew the roof off the house! Frank was fantastic, and Michael put on a show that was one of the best I have seen in a long time.

It was great seeing everyone at both events, thank you so much fo helping charity, and I hope you enjoyed the shows as much as I did! See you at Bosom Buddies Oct 18th. Get your tickets now!!!

I finally went and got a haircut this afternoon. I wanted to get it done before the two charity shows we have going on this week so I would look at least halfway decent in pictures.

Of course I don't remember exactly how long it's been since my last haircut. I just know that my hair was getting long enough to start to annoy me. I feel so much better now. The trick is to keep myself on a schedule to get my haircut at regular intervals so I don't feel scraggly - YEAH, I'm not gonna hold my breath on that...lol

October 4th will be a very special day for Darius Rucker and some other music icons. Darius is among the group who will be inducted this year to the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville. Kind of like a mini Hollywood Walk of Fame, this sits across the street from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Bridgestone Arena in Downtown Nashville.

Ever since he made the transition from Hootie & The Blowfish to a solo country career, Darius Rucker has had huge success in both genres. Congratulations to him, well deserved!

Think back to your childhood. What did you call your grandparents? Did your maternal and paternal set have different names? the same? A new survey looked at the most popular names for grandparents across the country and by each state.

Here in Ohio, apparently they are "Mamaw" and "Papaw". The most common overall in the country are "Nana" and "Papa". I think can definitely be a regional thing too - like the soda/pop argument.

Am I the weird one? On both sides, I called my grandparents "Grandma" and "Grandpa". When I needed to, I added the last name. Read the article about the study in the Plain Dealer here.