Big John's "Life in Headphones"

More of me singing...

2012-01-16T08:27:00.003-05:00

I have posted in the past about how I love to sing. And one of my favorite places to sing is in church. We have a great church, a great worship leader, and a great congregation. When I tell our worship leader that I would like to do special music he is always willing to learn the songs for me.

So here is a song by the group call The Great Divide.

The song is called "Deliver Us" and it is one I found about a year ago, and listened to it over and over...it really hit me. So we learned it, and played it a few months back. Hope you enjoy it.

The Tax System Explained in Beer

2012-01-12T16:12:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine posted this on his facebook, and I thought it too good not to share!

Published: January 12, 2012

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten
comes to $100.
If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like
this…

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing
The fifth would pay $1
The sixth would pay $3
The seventh would pay $7
The eighth would pay $12
The ninth would pay $18
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59

So, that’s what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the
arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve ball. “Since you
are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your
daily beer by $20″. Drinks for the ten men would now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the
first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what
about the other six men ? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that
everyone would get his fair share?

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that
from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end
up being paid to drink his beer.

So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill
by a h higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle of the
tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the amounts he
suggested that each should now pay.

And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% saving).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% saving).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% saving).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% saving).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% saving).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% saving).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to
drink for free. But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their
savings.

“I only got a dollar out of the $20 saving,” declared the sixth man. He
pointed to the tenth man,”but he got $10!”

“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar too.
It’s unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!”
“That’s true!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back, when I
got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!”

“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison, “we didn’t get
anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!”

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks so the nine sat down
and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they
discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of
them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how our
tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will
naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much,
attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In
fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat
friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D. – Professor of Economics.

Are You Ready For Some Football!

2011-10-10T08:49:00.003-04:00

So you might not know that I am a Tennessee Titans Fan...Love me some football. So about two months ago, Jimmy B that I work with tells me that the Titans play Cleveland at Cleveland this year. Since he is a season ticket holder, he asked me if I wanted to go. There wasn't a moment of hesitation. I jumped at the chance. I had not been to an NFL game since 1997 when I saw Dan Marino play in Indianapolis against the Colts.

So needless to say I was long overdue for a football game.

So I get up early Sunday morning and meet Jim at a gas station, and park the car. After grabbing my coat, my shades, and my Tennessee Titans hat, we are Cleveland bound.

As we are in the middle of the 4 hour drive, the clouds are getting thicker and thicker, and temperature is dropping and dropping. We are about an hour out from Cleveland, and Jim turns on the radio. They are in the middle of their 3 hour pregame. When it comes to football, those Browns fans are hard core! The announcer is telling us that it is suppose to rain, the wind is coming off the lake, and temperature is going to be around 52. What a day for football.

Well, we are in town about 2 hours before kick off. Jim likes to go to a bar right across the street from the stadium. So we sit there for about an hour. I get booed as we walk in the bar...Of course I was wearing my Titan's shirt.

After my taunting at the bar, we make the trek to Brown's Stadium. Grab a hot dog ($5.75) and head to our seats. We are sitting at one of the end zones, about 20 rows up. Perfect seats to see the wholes in the line open up. Really cool. Plus, we are covered by the upper level...so when the rain came in the second half, it was not big deal.

After another Hot Dog, and a coke ($3.00) the game comes to an end with MY Titan's with the victory. Jim wants to head back to his favorite bar. The place is packed! Jim says after all the losing season in Cleveland, they are use to it. They have the philosophy, "We Came, We Lost, We Partied." And that was the case. After about an hour at "Liquid" we head back to the car. Jimmy says he always stops at an Outback Steak House on the way out of town. We get to watch the second half of the late games, and head back to Marion.

Needless to say, I had a GREAT time in Cleveland, and I am ready to go to another game with Jimmy B. I would even go see someone like the Bengals play there. It was a good time!

My TV Addiction

2011-09-27T08:56:00.002-04:00

So the fall season is here, and that means all your favorite TV shows are back. So what are we watching in our house…LOTS! Thanks to the DVR we get double the pleasure.

Here’s a run down of some of our favorite shows…

1. Survivor. Far and away the Number one show each week in our house. It doesn’t matter what season, we are hooked. I have not missed a season since season 2. I know I didn’t see the first, but haven’t missed on since.

2. The CBS Monday night comedies. How I Met Your Mother. Love the whole set up of telling stories to his kids. Two and A Half Men. OK…not as good with Ashton Kutcher, but still funny. Ready for the return of Mike and Molly. A really funny show!

3. The Big Bang Theory. I consider myself a little bit of a nerd. So to see these “nerds” doing all the nerdy stuff makes me feel a little bit better about myself!

4. CSI – Yes, I still watch. I have not seen a new episode with Ted Danson. That might be the end for me. Lawrence Fishburne was good. We will have to see if Ted can step up.

5. Up All Night – Becoming a new favorite for the wife and I since we are raising a little one.

6. Criminal Minds – I know it has a lot of blood and guts, but wow is it “edge of your seat” suspenseful.

7. The Sing-Off – This is an incredible singing competition. There is no band, no backup tracks. Just people singing all the different parts. Really good!

8. The Amazing Race – So we are hooked on reality TV. Can’t help it. They get to see parts of the world I will never see. One I look forward to all week!

9. Top Shot – OK, this is an all John pick. A shooting competition. LOVE IT!

10. Storage Wars – This one started out as a John show, but after watching it a few times, Sarah got hooked. People buying storage lockers that are in default. You would not believe the things they find in those things.

11. Law and Order: SVU – So this is the opposite of the other…This was a Sarah show that she got me hooked on.

12. And one I am going to give a try…The Playboy Club. I have a couple on the DVR, but as of yet, not got a chance to watch an episode. So we will see!

So all these tied in with Eli watching Super Why, Mickey Mouse Club House, and Looney Tunes, we have a busy TV schedule. But honestly Eli gets about an hour of TV a day because he would rather be outside. And Sarah and I only get to watch about an hour and a half of TV before I go to bed. Thanks to the DVR we have TV all summer to catch up on!

Proud Parenting Moments..

2011-09-08T07:22:00.004-04:00

Vol 1.

So this past weekend, the weather was beautiful...when I say beautiful, I mean upper 60's, and breezy! I love fall.

So I let our little Boston Terrier out to go potty. Like every other time I let the dog out, our little 2 1/2 year old wants to go outside with me.

So no problem, I let go out with me. The dog does his business, and I tinker around on the deck for a minute or two to let the boy play outside for just a few minutes. When I feel like it is time to go back into the house, I tell Eli, come on buddy, back in the house. Like other 2 or 3 year olds, he doesn't want to...so I start doing what most parents my age do...I start counting...

Eli knows that if I get to three he is not going to be a happy boy.

1...Eli, come on buddy.

2...ELI, BACK IN THE HOUSE....

He goes right through the front door, and no problems.

Then I look at the dog.

"Tank, it's time to go in the house"...Sometimes he likes to play outside, but since he doesn't like to stay in the yard if left alone, I look at the dog again...

"Tank, HOUSE NOW"...

"ONE, why in the heck am I counting to the dog"...I go in the house and get the remote to his training collar, and he comes running in the house...

Vol. 2

So the very next day, Eli and I are out playing in the yard. We are playing with his big dump truck, and then he decides that we need to play ball. So I go get his Sesame Street ball. Just a normal kick ball. We are kicking it back and forth to each other. Then he wants daddy to kick it really hard.

It goes flying across the driveway into the side yard. We both run over to get it and kick it again. Then Eli learns that he can kick it into the shed and it will bounce back, and you can kick it again. So we do that for a while, and then we are kicking it back and forth again.

So Eli is far away from me. He kicks it to me, and then tells me to kick it back.

I have my eye on the ball, I am concentrating on making it a good kick. I connect perfectly with the ball. It was a kick that the kids on the playground of elementary school would have been proud of. The one thing I didn't notice was Eli was running towards me....

The ball flies right into his face....he doesn't even fall, he doesn't even cry...

He looks at me and says..."Ouch, that funny daddy."

All I could do was laugh. Does that make me a bad parent?

When I told my wife, she laughed too...does that make her a bad parent?

What is the appeal?

2011-08-26T12:05:00.004-04:00

So I have from time to time in my life thought about getting a tattoo. A microphone on my arm would be really cool. Maybe a set of headphones. I mean it goes with my profession. Then the thought in my head enters...what if I not in radio the rest of my life. I would have to explain to my grandkids why there is a big ugly microphone on my arm.

I mean, sometimes you get a tattoo because it is something you care about. Maybe something in honor of someone who died. Maybe your Mom. Maybe your wife. Your kids. OK. A few of those make since.

But when people start going nuts, it makes me step back and think...OK, I am going to have this the rest of my life. Why would I do this...want some examples....of course you do.

OK. I like my beer as much as the next guy. But really, that is the only 6-pack he is ever gonna get drinking PBR!

OK....so I wonder if he has all his body parts labeled?

This has to be her "Dis-Knees"

Hey...I found WALDO...that is really funny to me!

OK...all I can say is WHY???

So after seeing how horribly wrong tattoos can go...I think I will stay INK Free for the time being.

A Day on the River...

2011-08-15T07:59:00.003-04:00

So last year started a tradition, that I hope last for many years. My buddy was getting married, and for his bachelor party, we did a canoe trip. Had a blast, 10 guys, 5 canoes, and lets say, a good amount of beer.

So about a month ago, got a message from one of the guys via face book, and said, hey, lets do it again. So this weekend we loaded up the canoes, paddles, boat cushions, and the cool, and hit the river.

For the most part it was the same group of guys. I had my trusty canoe partner, my brother. So last year we were the only canoe not to take a trip into the water. So of course we had to talk it up. We launched at around noon. Let than an hour in, my brother is moving a little more than I like, so I say, "Hey, quit rocking'!"

He says, "What, like this"....

In the water we go. OK, that was our fault. We dump the canoe, collect our stuff, and back down the river we go. There is a lot of joking around between the guys. Just a fun afternoon. We stop a time or two to swim. With the limited rain we have had this summer, we did a lot of dragging, and looking for the deepest part of the river. At one point, we are cutting under a tree, and my brother and I lean the same way under the branches...there we go again.

Another time we were talking some trash with one of the guys as he was swimming and we were not...guess what...here he comes and dumps us again. We tipped on other time, but that one I am blaming on Keith Stone!

All in all, what should have been a 3 or 4 hour trip took us right at 7. I know it was a long day, but a lot of fun...except for the sun burn on my legs, and the bruises on my legs from tipping. But will I do it again next year? You bet!

Another Birthday has passed...

2011-04-26T08:59:00.002-04:00

So last week was my birthday. Yee-Haw....Getting older...but I don't feel that old. Had a great party with family and a few close friends. I decided to break out the grilling uniform. Yep, that's me in my Camo apron and hat. It got some looks for passers by, but my family understood I am not right in the head. So we just did burgers and dogs. None of my true grilling talents were exploited.

And then it came to gifts...

I got a lot of great stuff, from grilling tools to a rechargeable automatic wine bottle opener to clothes. A lot of great stuff. But my favorite gift came from my wife.

Ok, I have to tell a quick story first...

When Sarah and I go to bed, the bedside table is on my side of the bed. So I have to turn the bed side lamp off every night. Well, there are some nights I get all cuddled up in bed, really comfy waiting for Sarah to get in bed. So she finally does, and says, "OK, turn off the light." For a joke some nights I will clap my hands real loud twice, and say...."Crap, it didn't work."

So as you can guess at the bottom of the gift bag, there wrapped in tissue paper...my very own Clapper! Yes, right out of the bad commercials you see at Christmas Time...

So that is not the best part. That night I decide to install it in the bedroom on the bed side lamp. It works like a charm. I am clapping to beat the band....Lights come on, lights go off...Again and again. Finally I get my fill, and drift off to sleep.

Hours later I am awakened to a really bright light in my eyes...the lamp is on. How did this happen...

During the night Sarah started to Cough..."Cough Cough" Lamp comes on..."Cough Cough" it goes out. She is facing the other way, and doesn't see the light show her allergy draining cough is producing. After being woken up twice, I say forget about it...I reach up and flip the lamp off. Problem solved.

So from now on, Sarah is not aloud to cough in twos...

Buyer's remorse before you even buy it....

2011-03-21T08:15:00.002-04:00

OK, so as you might remember, I have told you in the past I have a few addictions...McDonald's Sweet Tea, Survivor, and Animaniacs...

But I have recently started a new addiction. Ebay! Yes, Ebay. One day at work, I started looking at the deals and I was hooked. Things from my past, like a Sega CD, Nintendo 64, M.A.S.K. toys, Ataris, Star Wars Action Figures...Man, you can find anything on there.

One day on my lunch break, I start surfing around for some of the video games I grew up playing. Not so much the Nintendo, but the Sega CD. I love that thing, everything from Sewer Shark to Sherlock Holmes....it was GREAT! In college, it was the N64. Their were several up for bid in ebay. The 007 game was awesome. I could not tell you the hours I wasted, when I should have been studying. Too many to count.

I also found my very first video gaming system, the Atari 5200. What a beauty this was. Old school, and I found one on Ebay...so I started bidding. I figured out what the problem is...it's the whole dollar or two at a time thing. Ohhh, I really want this, but someone out bid me...but it's only a dollar more....yeah, you do that 13 or 14 times, and that thing starts getting expensive. And this was the case that caused me a very stressful evening at home.

So at work I had done the whole dollar more thing a few too many times. And I was in for an Atari 5200, one controller, and 2 games....for more than I really wanted to pay. And there is no taking back bids....OK, so with shipping this is not going to go unnoticed by the wife when she checks the bank statement. And did I really want the Atari THAT bad? NO, I guess not.

So that evening, as time is running out on the auction, I am watching my phone...Yes, there is an Ebay App. 5 hours 32 minutes...Still the winning bidder. 4 hours 48 minutes...Still the winning bidder. I finally break down and tell the wife. But I justify it. I say, hey, there are some old toys on there that I own that will sell for like a hundred bucks...so I will more than pay for my Atari, and make some more....OK?

She was actually really cool about it. Shhhheeeewww, dodges a bullet there.

All the sudden my phone goes off. It's an alert from Ebay..."You have been outbid!"

2 hours and 14 minutes to go. YOU CAN HAVE IT!

So...have I learned my lesson? Nope, probably when I get done writing this, I will go back to Ebay and see if I am still winning on the auction for the "Shiner Bock Beer" clock...wish me luck, and happy bidding.

This is just more of my "Life on Ebay"...wait, doesn't have the same ring to it..."Life in Headphones"....yeah, that's better!

Time to Upgrade!

2011-02-28T08:05:00.007-05:00

So for the last few weeks, The wife and I have been looking for a different vehicle for her to drive. The Blazer she had was getting up in miles. And it was getting to the point it was starting to nickel and dime us to death with repairs and things like that. So we decided to trade it in. We decided on a Ford Edge. We did some dealin' with our local Ford dealer, who just happens to be a sponsor on my radio show. There were a few things we were looking for. It had to have the Vista roof. No, that is not a bad Windows program that runs the roof. It is a dual sunroof that pretty much makes the entire roof glass. Eli really loves to look at the clouds, or the stars through the roof. The other MUST was the Sync system. That is the computer installed that links your phone and Mp3 player with the car. You push a button and tell it to "Play Garth Brooks" and it does. Plus you can tell it to "Call Mom Mobile" and it plays the calls through the car speakers. Really cool stuff. So once we told the dealer all the stuff we wanted...he went to work to find it. It took a couple of weeks. But then I get a call, and he tells me to come take a look. It was everything we wanted. So this past weekend, we did the deal, and now Sarah has a new car to drive. Here is the beauty sitting in our driveway.

So we are really enjoying the new car. And Eli LOVES to ride in the EDGE!

An End to An Era....

2011-02-15T08:45:00.004-05:00

Well, it was a sad day Monday around 99.3 WCJC. For the past 6 plus years, I have been here on my morning show every day I was suppose to. Now, that doesn't include vacation days that were planned. I had to call in sick for the first time.

This was all set into motion on Friday morning when I get a call from my wife saying that Eli was sick at daycare. So my parents were nice enough to go pick up the little sicky boy. I was scared to death that I was going to catch his flu bug. And this weekend would not have been the weekend for any of us to get sick. Saturday our day was full of plans including a dinner with my in-laws for Valentines day. And then Sunday I was scheduled to sing at church.

So after getting Eli home Friday evening, and he is starting to act like he is feeling better. Good! We all wake up Saturday feeling fine. Hmmm, maybe this flu bug is going to miss us. We go to dinner, which was wonderful! As we get home Saturday night, I was getting to bed thinking, man I hope I don't get sick through the night, because I still have to sing in church.

Sunday I wake up early because I have to sing in both services. I feel fit as a fiddle. Sweet. So the singing goes really good. I will have to post the video as soon as I get it.

We head to my folks house Sunday after church, and Sarah starts to feel sick. Ohhh no, maybe we aren't through the flu. So she feels crumby all day. So as I go to bed, I feel great....until I get up with Eli around midnight. I take a drink of water, and BOOM....I feel it hit my stomach, and I know that the flu bug had got me.

I was up through the night until around 5:00am. I called someone from work, and said, "I am not sure what to do. This is a first."

So they get things taken care of, and I miss my first day of work in over 6 years. My sports guy said it best...The Brett Favre starting streak is over...but I am now back to my "Life in Headphones."

So what have I been up to?

2011-02-09T06:19:00.002-05:00

I know 95% of blogs start with "Sorry I've been away for so long" or "I've been busy"...

Well, I have done both of those in previous posts, so this time, lets get right to it!

Work has been crazy. We got through the holidays. Lots of fun stuff around here, from "Topping off the Trailer", Angel Tree with the Salvation Army and a whole lot more.

Got through the New Year, and then around a month ago, we had a big change in the Morgan household.

Yes, that is a cast on Eli's leg. So how did it happen? If you ask Eli, he will tell you..."Daddy did it." It is true, I did do it. Now, before you call Child Protective Services, let me explain.

We were at a birthday party for one of our friends kids. They have a big heated garage, and that is where the part was. It was winding down, and we were planning on hanging out with them after the party.

So Eli was playing on a tricycle that was in the garage. Since it was too hard for him pedal...me being the great dad that I am, I start pushing him around the garage on the tricycle. Oh what great fun we were having, UNTIL....

Eli's left foot comes off the pedal, goes between the pedal and the wheel, and twists around. As you are cringing reading that, just imagine the fright that I had when I look down and see it. So we get him out...he is screaming. We take the shoe and sock off the foot...and he is not calming down at all.

After a few minutes of trying to get him to calm down, we decide to take him to E.R. On the way to the hospital, he falls asleep in the back seat. So we are thinking, maybe just a sprain. After X-Rays, the doctor comes in and lets us know that it is indeed broken. They put a splint on his leg, and send us home. A few days later we have to go see a specialist about his leg. He lets us know that he has to re-set the bone. This involves him being put under anesthesia.

He goes through the procedure just fine. And now he has a "red Boo-Boo leg." So he can't walk on it, so there is a lot of crawling, and a lot of carrying our heavy two-year old. But it is not slowing him down one bit. He is climbing up on furniture, playing with our dog, and doing all the things a two year old would do. So this is just something we have to get through, and I think Eli will come away just fine!

It's The Great Pumpkin...

2010-10-22T08:56:00.005-04:00

So it is getting to be Halloween time, so a couple weeks back we decided to get Eli his first pumpkin to carve. We headed to the pumpkin patch. Sarah found 1 Fun Farm. Not only did they have a pumpkin patch, but they had fun events for the kids. So we got together with our friends, Farm Boy, and Farm Girl, and headed to Farmland to the 1 Fun Farm.

Wow was this place great! They had fun activities for the kids. They had a Corn Box...like a sand box, only filled with Corn. They had a huge slide made from a drain pipe. Plus the Cow Train, three little pigs, and the corn maze. One of my favorites was the duck races with the old water pumps. You can see all the fun in the slide show below!

So then a few weeks later, we got together with our new neighbors, who just happen to have a little boy just a little bit older than Eli. Their son needed his pumpkin, so we headed to a different pumpkin patch! This time we headed to Drennn's Pumpkin Kingdom.

This was another great pumpkin patch. We took a hay ride, got a couple more pumpkins and even picked up some apple cider.
But the highlight for me was the Trebuchet. What is that you ask? It is a siege engine used during the middle ages. It used counterweight to launch rocks, or whatever at the opposing forces. In the case of the trebuchet at Drennen's...it launches pumpkins!!! How sweet is that! The has a small one, but it would still launch the small pumpkin a couple hundred feet.

Even though I didn't get to use the launcher, it was fun to watch. But we recently carved up the pumpkins we had...and they all turned out really good. That is mine on the left...looking evil. Sarah's is in the middle, and Eli's of course had to be Toodles from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

So the pumpkins experience was a great one!

More fights...

2010-10-19T08:58:00.003-04:00

Yeah, another black eye. About a month ago, Eli got me again.

This time, playing on the bed in the "Man Cave." Yes, I have a Man cave in the house, and the bed is there for all the times I make Sarah mad.

So it was about bed time, and Eli and I were back in the man cave playing. We were hiding under a blanket so he didn't have to go to bed. He thought this was very funny. I tell him to yell at mommy.

So Eli pops up from under the blanket. "Mooooooommmmmmmmmy!!!"

From the other end of the house, Sarah yells back, "Eli, I'm gonna get you"

Eli grabs the blanket, and flings himself back onto the bed to hide under the blanket.

BAM. Back of his hard little head into my eye socket.

After I stop seeing stars, I slowly get up out of the bed, and grab a bag of ice, sitting there thinking, yep, he got me again.

I love it when people would say to me, "So what's the other guy look like" I say, "Short and cute with a hard little head"

A little preview, coming soon, a trip to the pumpkin patch, and a trip to Oubache State Park.

My Church singing debut...

2010-10-11T19:12:00.002-04:00

OK, so I love to sing. And some people say I am halfway decent at it. So when our pastor at Church started to do a sermon series on David, I knew that I should sing a song that I have been listening to for about a year.

I talked with Lance, the bald guy below playing guitar with me, and we worked out the song. He got Bud, the lead picker, to learn the solo part, and away we went. We practiced the Wednesday night before my performance, ran through it a couple times, and then Sunday before we started services, we ran through it one more time.

First service went pretty good, but second service was much better in, my opinion. You can tell me what you think. Here is my video of the song Blind Man written by Tom Skinner, in the style of Stoney Larue.

Black Eye #2

2010-10-06T07:23:00.004-04:00

So a few months back, Eli caught me with headbutt and I had the first black eye of my life. Well about a week ago, we were in the "Man Cave" playing around on the spare bed. (Yes I keep it in the Man Cave in case Sarah gets mad at me.) It was close to bed time, so Eli was hiding under the blanket so he didn't have to go to bed. I was under the blanket with him. He was laughing SOOOO much! Mommy was in the living room. I tell Eli to yell at Mommy...

So he pops up from under the blankets..."MOOOOOOMMMMMMYYYYYY"

Sarah yells back..."I'm gonna get you"

So what does Eli do, he grabs the blankets and flings himself backwards ready to hide again. Well, my face got in the way of his hard little head. It nearly knocked me out...

So from now on, we play a little more carefully!

Back from the Circus...

2010-10-05T08:00:00.003-04:00

OK, not the circus, but life feels like I have been thrown to the lions. But in a good way.

There have been some major changes at work. First and for most we are now live and local through the day! This is something I was wanting for years. We now program all the music locally, and we have local jocks here. Yee-Haw!

Plus we have a new station website. We are still filling in all the gaps there, but all in all it is GREAT!

In my personal life...Sarah is back to work after being a stay-at-home mom for 10 months. That was a hard change for her. She misses spending the day with Eli, but some days she is happy to get out of the house.

Eli is back in Daycare, and loving it...most of the time. He is also in "pre-school" at Day Care. He is counting on his own, trying to do the alphabet, and growing up REALLY fast.

We recently went to a pumpkin patch, he gave me another black eye and more to come in posts coming to a blog near you.

All a fun part of my life in Headphones.

Eli's First Hair Cut

2010-06-04T09:35:00.002-04:00

So Sarah (my wife) and I finally come to the decision to cut Eli's hair. It was getting really crazy! The curls were sticking out from his ears. So then we had to decide where to take him. Sarah was talking with her mom, and found out that a place where they lived did a special certificate with the first curls in an envelope attached to the certificate. So we set up the appointment for a Saturday so we could go to the in-laws and get the hair cut and then go swimming. Since I needed a haircut as well, we thought that Eli would do better if he saw me getting my cut.

So we get to the Wooden Nickel Salon and get up in the chair. They break out the booster seat for Eli. I didn't need one. They start of on me. I am watching Eli, and he likes the spray bottle. That is fun! He has his toy car with him. He plays with that, and really didn't pay much attention to the lady cutting his hair in the back.

When she got around to the front, his didn't like it as much, so the ladies cutting his hair, break out the secret weapon...

Yep...Nilla Wafers. He was going to town eating them. As long as he had a mouth full of cookies, he was fine. All except the clippers around his ears. But, really who likes that anyway. All in all he was a big boy, and now looks like a little man instead of a baby. You can see the whole process below.

And the final product...me and Eli with our haircuts!

Another milestone for my little man, as I live my life in Headphones....

King of the Grill!

2010-05-26T07:46:00.002-04:00

I refer to myself as "King of the Grill." And most of the time, it is a title well deserved. From burgers and hot dogs to Steak and Ribs, I can whip up a great meal, and not mess up my wife's kitchen.

So last night I thought it would fun to do my first Video Blog. I have been watching a lot of Grilling Week on the food network. And although I didn't do anything exotic last night, I did prepare a great meal. Pork Steaks, Roasted Potatoes, and Bush's Brown Sugar and Bourbon Grillin' Beans. Sound good? Check out the videos to follow!

Sorry for the first video being so shaky. Kind of looked like the Blair Witch Project for a few minutes. I don't have a camera crew to help me out. So I am no Bobby Flay....Yet. There might be more "Grillin' With Big John" I love to cook on my grill. It has to be Charcoal. Maybe next time I will give some Grillin' tips. More to come from my "Life in Headphones."

Stereotypical Saturday.

2010-05-22T14:57:00.003-04:00

I have to start off by saying I never thought this would happen to me. I never considered myself stereotypical. But read on, you might think I am becoming that guy.

This week was a really busy week for me. Monday just was Monday, but the rest of the week had me gone from home a lot. Tuesday I had a board meeting at our Credit Union. So the meeting forced me away from home for couple of hours on Tuesday evening. Wednesday was the going away party for our boss at the radio station. We had the party Wed. evening at the Icehouse. And just a side note, Dave we are going to miss you around the station, but good things can come from change! So I was gone for about 2 and a half hours Wednesday evening as we said farewell to Dave. Thursday I worked over so I could broadcast from a "Fish and Tenderloin Fry." I was not gone all evening, but I was away from the family more than I normally am. And Friday was the mother of all long days. Every Friday in May we have all day broadcasts to help the fundraiser for Cancer Services of Grant County. I will get into that more in a later blog. But, I was at work from 5AM through about 7PM. That makes for a long day. All week all I wanted to do when I got home was eat, play with Eli for a few minutes, and then go to bed.

I know it sounds like I am complaining, but really, I love what I do, and the extra money comes in handy. That was not the stereotypical part of my story. That happened Saturday.

So I get the chance to sleep in a little. I am super excited about that. But Saturdays are my day to get up with Eli, and let Sarah sleep in. I figure it is the least I can do to help her out after she does it all week.

So at around 7am, I hear Eli on the monitor waking up. Before he wakes all the way up, I slip out of bed, so Sarah can keep sleeping. I turn off the monitor and make my way to the living room. After a quick check of Facebook (what can I say, I am addicted to Farkle) I sit down to watch some of my DVR'd episodes of Pawn Stars. Sarah doesn't like this show, so I have to watch it when she is gone or asleep. After about 20 minutes, I hear Eli jabbering, so I go back and get him. We finish Pawn Stars (which is becoming one of my favorite shows), and then we switch it over to Sesame Street. Then onto Handy Manny, and Mickey Mouse Club House. Of course we have breakfast, and then Sarah gets up.

After a relaxing morning, I decide to mow the lawn. So as I mow, Sarah and Eli play on the front porch. After the yard looks good, it's back into the house for a shower so we can get ready for date night.

So I just feel like that is what every stereotypical dad does on Saturday. Morning cartoons, mow the lawn, and take the wife out on a date before you head off to church Sunday morning. So am I turning into a stereotype? If I am, that is okay, because I love my life, In and Out of Headphones!

My New Addiction!

2010-05-04T08:08:00.003-04:00

I need to start off by saying in no way is this an advertisement for McDonald's. This is totally personal!

So the other day I was on my way to work. Not a lot open at 4:45 or so. I am driving past the truck stop at I-69 and 18. I needed some caffeine. So I pull into the McDonald's for a Sweet Tea. I mean, for a dollar I can get a BIG OLE SWEET TEA! And it is good. It gets me the caffeine and sugar I need to get my day going.

But then the next day, I am just about to the truck stop, and that thought starts creeping into my head. Mmmmmm, Sweet Tea....Must have it! So needless to say, I stopped again. It happened 4 times that week. Saturday, I was on my way to Muncie for a remote at Petsmart...I just happen to drive by several McDonald's. Yeah, it happened again.

I think they might put some crack in the tea. I mean, it is that addictive. When I see the golden arches I start to shake a little. I mean, do they have Sweet Tea Rehab? Meeting I could go to? "Hello my name is John, and I am a Tea-a-holic."

So this week I am trying to stop the madness. But as of Tuesday morning, I am only 50/50. I am working on the problem. I guess the first step is admitting there is a problem. I am looking forward to the denial stage. Anyway, that is what is happening in my "Life in Headphones".

My Outdoor Adventure in "3-D"

2010-04-26T09:33:00.006-04:00

One of my favorite hobbies that I don't get a lot of time for anymore is archery. I have been target shooting my bow for close to 20 years. It all started when I was a kid and my dad started bow hunting. My brother also started hunting. I didn't have the patients to sit in a tree and wait for the deer to come in. So I began just target shooting in the backyard.

Of course when I got my drivers license I was way more interested in chasing women, and cruisin' town. Then college came, and didn't have the time to shoot like I should. But about three or four years ago, I started shooting again.

3-d outdoor shooting is my personal favorite. This is a course set up usually in a wooded area, with targets that look like real animals. It may be deer, bear, turkey, alligators, and I have even shot at dinosaurs. Each target has a scoring ring. 11 or 10X is what most would call a "bulls eye." Inside the bigger ring is a 10. If it is the "vitals" of an animal it 8 points, and just for hitting the target it is 5 points. Courses vary from 20-40 targets. There are stakes in the ground to mark where you shoot from. When we shoot, it is anywhere from 20-40 yards.

About three years ago, I was on a league that shot every week. It lasted about 16 weeks. It was a lot of fun. I placed 14th. Which sounds pretty good until I tell you there were only 16 in the league. But I did beat my dad.

My brother is the shooter of the family. Over the past few years he has really gotten into the tournaments and leagues. During the summer he is usually traveling to shoots with friends. And during the winter he is in an indoor league that just target shoots.

I told him I would love to be able to shoot more, so for my birthday he bought a gift certificate for Adventure Outdoors. He has been trying to get me to shoot there for a few months. Well, last weekend I finally had the time.

We head up to Adventure Outdoors, just outside of Warren. We head in the shop, and pay for our outdoor shoot.

After a few shots on the practice range to see if I still have my form down, we head to the targets. Now, Adventure Outdoors has a 30 target course that leads you through their woods. I would say the total walk is between a mile and a half to 2 miles. It is a beautiful course, up and down hills, along creeks, through the woods, and along the edge of fields.

Plus they set up a mean course. Some the shots make you wonder just how far it is. You even have to take a chance or two. I mean, shooting through the "V" of a tree to get to the target. That was one of my favorite shots. Adventure Outdoors has a beautiful course, and really cool set up. If you are into archery at all, give them a try. They have the outdoor range, the 3-d course and an indoor range. If you are looking to get into it, they have a shop there to get you set up. I guess this time, you learned about my life "out" of headphones!

Time for an Eli Update.

2010-04-05T08:08:00.003-04:00

So it seems like forever since I gave you an Eli update. He is now almost 16 months old and turning into quite a ham! He is getting to be so much fun. He has his funny face that he loves to make. As you can see it is pretty funny!

Most recently he has started climbing. And when I mean climbing, I mean, climbing onto anything he can. Our huge ottoman is one of his favorite things to stand on. Any chair, table or person that doesn't move too quick he is going to climb all over it. So instead of writing too much, I thought I would just post a bunch of Eli Cuteness!

Crusin' on a trike / Sittin' in his Elmo Chair

Chillin in the outdoor furniture in Meijer / Showin' his favorite team!

Helpin do dishes!

So as you can see he is getting big and fun.

Time for change in my life

2010-04-01T07:00:00.002-04:00

Well, it is with heavy heart that I write this blog.

For the past year, my wife and I have been struggling with a very hard decision. After the birth of our son, we have had a hard time financially with a radio income. That has been a factor in this decision.

For the past ten years I have been in the radio business. It is a career near and dear to my heart. From my first days at the former country station in Wabash were I spent 4 years of my life doing afternoons and then mornings, to the past 6 wonderful years at WCJC playing today's best country, I have to tell you I LOVE what I do. Everyday is exciting and new.

My passion for radio came at a young age, when I use to pretend to be a jock in my bedroom talking into the small built-in mic on my boom box, and mixing tapes of current songs. I was "Jammin' John" on WJON. Then in high school radio class is where I was convinced that this was what I suppose to do.

Now, 10 years later, I have met some of the greatest country acts in the world. Shared the studio with some of the best radio people I will ever meet, and spoken with some of the best listeners in the state. I have to say thanks.

But today is the day I will give my resignation to the boss. It is time for a change. I do not know where my life will lead from radio, but it will always be a special part of my life.

One last thing....

APRIL FOOLS!

Are ya kiddin' me! I would never leave radio! I love it too much...

But I gotcha, didn't I!

A sad day at the Morgan house...

2010-03-18T08:05:00.000-04:00

So when we moved into our new house about two years ago, one of the first things we wanted to do was get a dog. Before we had rented, and we were not able to have pets. Sarah and I had both grown up with dogs, so we both wanted one.

We went to the shelter and found a lovable little mutt. We think Alli is a beagle/Jack Russell mix. We got her home, and she quickly became a part of our family. She was a little klingy, but sweet. We were a little worried how she would act around the baby when we brought him home.

So Eli comes, and we bring him home. The dog sniffs him a little and that was that. They got along great! Oh what a relief. Well that all changed as soon as Eli became mobile. He would want to chase the dog. And when he was just crawling, that was okay, because the dog could easily get away from him. But after Eli was able to walk, the dog avoided him most of the time. Now there were times they would play with Eli chasing the dog through the kitchen, into the dining room and then to the living room. Then back to the kitchen. Around and around they would go.

Then a couple of weeks Eli discovered the dogs tail. We tried to keep him from grabbing her tail. But one time he held on a little too long. She turned and nipped at his hand. We punished the dog, and thought maybe Eli had learned his lesson. He DID! He stopped doing that.

Then about a week ago I got a call from Sarah. She said, "The Dog IS GONE!" So of course I said what did she do. Unprovoked she bit Eli while he was just petting him. So we called a rescue near us, and gave up Alli.

We dropped her off. It was very sad. As we walked away we could hear her whining. It was really tough on us both. But when it comes to my child's safety we can replace a dog. And at the rescue they will be able to find her a home where SHE will be happier.

So I thought I would include a little slide show of our little pup we miss...so here's Alli...

My First Winery...

2010-03-10T09:34:00.006-05:00

I have to start by saying I have NEVER found a wine I like. And I have tried many. My mother-in-law likes wine. And I would make fun of her over and over again for drinking wine. Call her a wino, ask her if it tastes better out of a brown paper bag. All the wino jokes I could think of. Over the past few months my wife has tried different wines, and found a few she liked. I would try them, and usually either spit them out, or need to rinse down the taste with something better.

This past weekend she asked what we were doing. I told her I had no idea. For the past two weeks she has been looking at the Indiana Winery directory online. So we get up Saturday and drop off Eli off at Mamaw and Papaw's house. And we are off for a date day.

I looked at the directory and tried to decide where to go. I decided to go to Modoc, IN. Modoc is south east of Muncie on Highway 1. Now when I was a kid we went camping in Modoc. They had a nice little camp ground with Chucker Golf. So I look at a map, and come to realize that the winery is just about a mile away from the camp ground.

So we head south on Highway 1. (actually when I say that to my wife, I sing it like the Journey song) and make it to Modoc in about an hour. We follow the directions to the winery, and pull up to this farm house, past the barn to the winery. Wilson Wines!

It was a small building with a stage out front. We go inside and begin talking with one of the wine makers. We tell him we are both new to this wine thing. I tell him I have never found a wine I like. He says that he is on a mission to find a wine I like. I have to tell you I had my doubts!

So he starts pouring samples of some different white wines. Most were awful to me. My wife found a couple that she liked, but I still was sticking to my belief that I hate wine. So John, the wine maker asked what drinks I like. I tell him, like John Wayne, I want Whiskey or Beer. A smile crosses his face..."I know the wine you will like, but we are not going there yet...Let's try a couple more first."

The red wines come out, and I found one that was really good. It was called Richard Red. I say..."You found it!" John responds, that's not the one I was thinking, try this. It was an Elderberry wine. It was fabulous. It was strong, about 19% alcohol, so it had a little of the burn of whiskey, but was sweet with a great aftertaste. So we buy a couple of bottles. The Richard Red and the Elderberry.

One really neat thing that Wilson Wines does is during the summer they have concerts and B.Y.O.M. (Bring your own meat). They have grills to cook on, music, and of course you can buy some wine. Really neat. If you have a day, head to Modoc and check out Wilson Wines! I'm a fan!

Now my wife is ready to head to another winery for our next date day. I am actually excited to go. I hate to say it but, now I like wine.

Walk-A-Mile

2010-02-22T08:14:00.007-05:00

For the fifth year our radio station has been a part of an annual event to help the local rescue mission. You might have the same type thing in your community. It is called the "Walk-A-Mile in My Shoes" for homeless awareness and fund raiser. It has been a very successful event.

Now you might be thinking, "Why in the world do you do a fund raising walk in the winter?"

I have a perfect answer. Do those who lose their home have a choice when they are homeless. People are put out when it is sunny and 70, or when it is snowing and 5 above. So this is a great chance for us that have a home to realize, for a little while, what it is like to have to be a victim to the elements.

Like I said, this is the 5th year for this great event. I have been to all five. It looks like they went into my closet for the display of shirts from each walk...

When we started 5 years ago, we had about 85-100 people show up. This year I am happy to announce that we broke our attendance record. This past Saturday over 640 people showed up at the Grant County YMCA for the walk.

It started with a small presentation with from the Director of the Mission, and his wife who organizes the walk.

The Mayor declared it Walk-A-Mile in My Shoes day, and thanks Tom and Debbie Ballard for all the work the mission does over the years. Then we make the mile walk.

The Crowd stretched almost the entire walking route. Here are some shots of the crowd ready for the walk, and then on the walk through downtown Marion.

I would love to tell you that we made more money than last year, but with the tough economic times, even our donations were down a little. But still the Walk-A-Mile raised over $17,000 to help the less fortunate right here in our community. Every penny stays here. So if you have come in the past. Thank you. If you haven't, you are officially invited for next year.

A night away from the family...

2010-02-11T09:20:00.002-05:00

Being a morning show host actually has a lot of responsibilities. I know, I will give you a second to stop laughing. This time of year we are vital when it comes to school delays and closings. So I HAVE TO be at work. So Tuesday afternoon I am keeping an eye on the weather. They are calling for another couple of inches of snow, blowing and drifting. Pretty bad forecast. I head home for a little while to see the wife and kid. Every hour or so I look out at the highway half a block from my house. As the afternoon turned to evening I see the cars in town going slower and slower. So I know the 19 miles of "country" driving I have to do must be getting pretty bad. I make a tough call to drive back to Marion to sleep in a hotel that the station hooked us up with.

I pack a bag with a couple days worth of cloths. Kiss the wife, hug the baby and head out for the first night away from the wife in almost two years. The drive back to Marion was not too bad. There were spots where the snow had drifted pretty good. So far I think I could have stayed home. But better safe than sorry. I get to the Hotel Marion, and they set me up with a room. I go check it out. It will suit me just fine. Nothing special.

So I do what I always do when I go into a hotel room. I look through all the drawers. The reason, when I was a kid, we were on vacation in Niagara Falls, and I found 40 dollars in one of the hotel drawers. Now, in over 20 years, I have not found a dime since, but you never know.

After that I kick on the TV and find Fox so I can watch American Idol. Call the wife, and give her all the info about room and phone number. We watch Idol together talkin' about who we like. After that I decided to go see if there is any one I know at the bar downstairs. After about 20 minutes of the smoke, I go back to the room and sit back watch some TV and play around on my laptop.

Finally bedtime. Of course I knew I was not going to sleep as good as I would at home. But let me just tell you...the heater in the room rattled like an earthquake every time it shut off. Which woke me up about every 45 minutes. Ugghhhh! Then at around 12:30 or 1:00am....some brainiac from the bar decided to do laps around the parking lot on his snowmobile. Double Uggghhh...Alarm goes off at 4:15 and I am up for the day.

Ends up the roads were fine for me to drive in that morning, and I could have slept in my own bed. But this is the price you pay to have a "Life in Headphones."

Plumbing Woes at Big John's house...

2010-02-05T09:41:00.002-05:00

So we moved into our house about a year and a half ago. A week in our new home, we get things unpacked, and we have all the fun of deciding where everything is suppose to go. One morning in the new home, I go to get in the shower. No Hot Water. Long story short, we needed a new water heater. Well, lucky for us, when we bought the house it included a home warranty. So for a hundred bucks we get a brand spankin' new water heater installed. Great deal right! Nothing to worry about for a while in that department....WRONG!!!!

About two weeks ago, I get up on a Monday morning really stinkin' early for work. Hope in the shower, just about done when the water turns ICE COLD! Now that is not a good way to start the day. Rinsing off with freezing water. I get out of the shower, get dressed, and head for the breaker box. That has to be it! Turns out it was, so I kick on the breaker, and head back to my closet to get dressed. I hear the water heater kick on. (it is in the closet) No worries.

After my wife gets up with the boy, she asked if I had trouble with the hot water. I told her what happened. Since I drained all the hot water from the lines, so we had a little air in the lines popping. After a couple of days I figured it would be fine!

After a couple of days we started realizing that we didn't have as much hot water as we should. I open up the hole in the closet were the water heater is, and start looking over the paper work. Ahhhh, under warranty, call the company that installed. They let us know that it is probably the heating element. After a YEAR??? OK, so parts are covered, labor is not. Ouch. $135 dollars, and they tell us that we need a water softener or this will happen again in about a year and a half.

What really bothers me is that we are on CITY WATER. And it has that much lime in it. So there goes our tax check when we get it. Fun fun!

So we think all our plumbing problems are done. Not the case...

So Thursday night is one of Eli's bath nights. So in our "guest bath" we have him in the tub, which he loves to play in the tub! We never use this tub. This is just for Eli, or guests. We get him all washed and go to let the water out of the tub. As it starts to go down, we hear the toilet gurgling. What is that. Flush the toilet. No water going down. Now the gurgling is back in the tub. I grab the plunger. Maybe it is just a little stopped up. Plunge the toilet. Water goes down. Plunge the tub, and gurgling back in the toilet. Hmmm, what to do know. Go back into our bathroom for the other plunger, and oh, the smell of sewage could knock you down. Water had come up in our garden tub, and around the base of the toilet. This is a major problem. I am no plumber, so I have my wife call her dad. Steve is a handyman, and really helps us out in these situations. Well, I know our pipes are stopped up, but is there anything I can do tonight to fix the problem.

We have a plan. In our master bath he tells me to plug up the tub, and the sinks and start plunging really hard in the toilet. No problem, I can do that. So stop up the tub and sinks and go to town plunging the toilet. I can hear the water in the pipes sloshing around. Once or twice I pop the plug in the tub. So Sarah, my lovely wife, comes in to hold it in. We hear a gurgle, and then....sewer water comes up in the shower behind me. Yuck. It is about 10:30pm, and I need to get to bed.

No shower in the morning as I head to work. While I am at work, Steve and my brother-in-law Shad comes over, after renting a sewer auger, and cleans out the blocked pipe. Everything is working fine, and instead of calling a plumber and it costing around $200, it cost me about $35 thanks to Steve and Shad.

Sarah fixed her dad and brother lunch after they got done. She was very thankful for the two of them fixing our problem. Her dad says, "Wait 'til you get my bill!"

Sarah shoots back, "Well, I bet your lunch bill is way more than your plumbing bill."
I talked to my father-in-law after he got it fixed, I asked what do I owe ya, he tells me nothing...I say good, because I ain't got much

This is actually good for us in one way. We were planning on re-doing our master bath, and now that the carpet smells a little funky (why do people put carpet in bathrooms to begin with?) I have some motivation to get working on that project.

I sure there will be more fun blogs about that to come, in my Life in Headphones.

Big John Vs. Wal-Mart

2010-01-28T13:23:00.004-05:00

I recently recalled a tragic moment from my college days. The memory was sparked when I recently read an article about returning items to the store after you realize that you don't need it.

Let me give you a little background about this story. When I was in college, my senior year at IWU I hosted a show on the campus station. Now being a Christian college that was what they "prefered" you play. Now, me being the country fan that I am, I talked it over with my professors and we came to an agreement. If I stuck with country music that didn't mention cheatin, or drink they said it would be ok. Now, I know what you are thinking. It must have been difficult to compile a playlist that would fit the critiria. But with the massive knowledge of country I possessed even at point in my radio career, I made it work.

This being said, the campus station only had Christian music. So all the music I played during my 3 hour shift once a week had to be provided by myself. Needless to say I spent a lot of money buying music as to not repeat the same music every week. This led to my tragic experiance at the local Wal-Mart.

I wondered into the music section, trying to see what was worth the money a college student could afford to spend. Alas, I compilation album containing 12 current hits that were not in my collection. "Drew's Famous Country Radio's Most Requested." A goldmine to a poor college radio jock that had to provide his own music. I snatched it up so quick and raced to the registers. The purchase was quick and simple. I hopped into my car and sped back to my dorm room to listen to this piece of country music gold.

Upon returning home I poped the new CD into my CD player. Savoring the taste of sweet shopping success. As track one starts I listen to the musical intro...

Something is wrong.

That doesn't sound like the original. I continue to listening.

The singer starts. That is not Faith Hill. I am truly puzzled. Maybe it is bad recording. I skip to track 2. Again the music is slightly different. Hmmmm. What has gone wrong with my musical senses? Could it be my CD player? No, it couldn't be. Well to make a long story a little shorter, the CD was not the original artists. My blood boiled. I promptly ejected the cd, wanting to throw it against the wall. But I knew that good ol' Sam Walton would not let me down. I gently put the CD back in the case, not to scatch it so I can return it and get my money back.

Geting back in the car I make the return trip the Mecca of good deals. Walkin' into Wal-Mart, I am welcomed by the greeter who puts that stupid little sticker that goes on all returns on the case of this disgrace to country music. Walkin to customer service I am pondering in my mind which of the other CD I would get in return for this recent mishap. No line, wonderful. Right to the return process. This is how the conversation went. Now, it was over 7 years ago, so I will try to remember to the best of my ability.

"May I help you?"

"Yes, I need to return this CD. It is not the original artists, and I need to use it at a radio station. It is no good to me!"

"Sir, once a CD has been opened, we can not take it as a return."

"But you don't understand. No where on the CD does it say 'Not the Original Artists.' How can I play this on the air?"

"Sir, there is nothing I can do. Our policy is once a cd has been unwrapped we can not give you a money return. You could have copied it.We can replace it with the same CD, but that is all we can do."

"I didn't have time to copy it!" I pull out the my receipt and my drivers license. "This show what time I bought this piece of junk, and where I live. Look at your watch. I didn't have time to copy it!" (This was before the age of really fast CD burners)

"Sir this is our store policy. There is nothing I can do."

"THAT IS RIDICULOUS!!!! Let me talk to your manager"

Yes, I pulled out the let me talk to your manager. Hoping my volume would get the attention of others. Some people did turn and look, and with the time I was taking a small line had formed at Customer "Dis-Service". The Manager arrives and asks what the problem is. The Associate behind the counter begins to tell the story, saying how I am being disrespectful. I jump in giving my side of the story calmly as I had before. The Manager starts to quote company policy. Saying how they can not refund my money, can not exchange it for a different Cd. The only thing they can do is give me another copy of the same CD.

"I DON'T WANT THIS COPY. WHY WOULD I WANT ANOTHER COPY OF THIS PIECE OF JUNK!!!"

"Sir, please keep the volume down. There is nothing we can do."

"THERE IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO. YOU CAN GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK"

"Sir calm down or we will ask you to leave." I notice the original associate on the phone now.

"I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE UNTIL I GET MY MONEY OR A DIFFERENT CD. ALL THESE PEOPLE BEHIND ME WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT. AND YOU CAN EXPLAIN TO THEM WHY $8.49 IS SO IMPORTANT TO YOU AND THIS COMPANY AND IS KEEPING THEM FROM THE SERVICES THEY DESIRE!!!"

At this point I see an off duty police officer approaching behind me. Considering the options I knew there was nothing I can do. I make one more attempt.

"All I want is my Money, or a different CD. Why is that so hard to understand? I can't use this!"

"SIR PLEASE LEAVE NOW"

Well, the battle was over. I could walk out now on my own, or be escorted out with a new pair of shiny silver braclets. I choose not to get arrested for a meager $8.49. I was defeated. I scooped up my worthless CD and made my way to the door. But I did get my one parting shot that I am still proud of to this day. Before leaving the Customer Service Dept( with the cop right on my heels) I turn to the manager, and look him straight in the eye and yell at the top of my lungs,

"IF SAM WAS STILL ALIVE THIS S%&T WOULDN'T BE HAPPENING!!!"

So what ever happend to this CD? It is still in my collection. Do I ever play it? NO. But it always sparks great memories as I took on Corperate America....and lost.

Trompin' through the woods

2010-01-27T09:12:00.009-05:00

I grew up in the country. And when I say country, we were so far out, we had to head towards town to hunt. OK, not really that far, but that is one of my favorite sayings. Anyway, being from the country, I feel right at home in the woods. Behind my parents house is a 10 acre woods. It is connected to three other woods. This past Sunday, it warmed up a bit. So I told my wife that after church, I was going to take my Muck Boots and go back in the woods.

So after church we head to my mom and dad's....which we do at least every other Sunday. We have lunch, and just like when I was a kid, I rushed out the door, and headed for the woods. I crossed the bridge over the creek, headed up the hill and went up and down the trails I remembered so well.

I saw the tree I use to lay in and read when I was a kid...

I had a ladder (that has since rotted away) propped up against it, and it was my quiet place to just hang out.

From their I headed farther into the woods. Found the swamp...

This area of the woods is constantly wet. So there were nice patches of ice for me to slide all around on. My trek through the woods also let me to find all kinds of fun pictures. Here are a few more for you!

But I also found two really cool things while back in the woods. First I tree that had a complete wind block still had its leaves, and they were almost white!

And then on the way back to the house, after I was tired from all the walking, I came across an old garbage dump. After all these years of playing in this woods, I don't remember ever seeing this. When I say old, these bottles had to be at least 40 years old. Really cool.

I found a few that hadn't been broken. An old Ball jar, a blue glass jar (they don't make blue glass that much any more) and even an old turpentine bottle. A really cool find.

Anyway, this is how I like to relax from my life in headphones.

Meeting Larry Gatlin, and a nice surprise.

2010-01-18T07:44:00.004-05:00

So a couple of months ago I got a call from the Honeywell Center to do an interview with Larry Gatlin. He was set to do a show. Now let me start by saying I grew up hearing my mom sing Gatlin Brother songs. All the Gold in California, Broken Lady, Midnight Choir...So many great songs. Needless to say I was a little nervous.

So I am in the studio will all my prep, and questions set for his call into the studio. Now I pre-record these things so I can go back and put the songs in afterwards. It makes it go a little faster and makes it better for the artist.

Right on time the phone rings...
Me: WCJC, this is John, can I help you.
Larry: Big John...Big John, Big Bad John (singing the Jimmy Dean Song)
Me: I have to admit, I am a little nervous to talk to ya...
Larry: Well ya should be, I'm pretty famous. Then he started laughing!

So we talk about how I want to do the interview. And we get started.

Let me just say he was a joy to interview. We talked about some his biggest hits. We talked about new music. We talked about the upcoming concert. But what happened near the end of the interview really surprised me.

We were in the break between interview segments, where I was going to later insert the song. He then asked me about the song he was singing to start the interview. Big Bad John by Jimmy Dean. What I didn't know was that Larry got his start working with Jimmy in Las Vegas. He was telling me all this, and then he tells me how he goes and sees Jimmy a couple times a year. He asked me if we could talk about that a little bit and play the song.

Now this came as a shock to me. The reason being, this interview was suppose to be about Larry and his concert, but he goes on to tell me that Jimmy lives up in his cabin in West Virgina, and Larry said that he feels like everyone forgot him. So I go along, and Larry and I start talking about Jimmy and that great song that I grew up listening to. So we play the song, and Larry is so excited. He tells me that he needs a copy of the interview so he can take it to Jimmy this spring. It was amazing how he wasn't thinking of himself, but instead of an old friend. He told me that I just made an old man's day!

He then asked me if I was coming to the show. I thought wow that would be great! He wanted to meet me and get the CD of the interview. So I tell him that I could use a pair of tickets, with meet and greet passes. I am so excited. I get home and my wife, with not a lot of enthusiasm says..."ohhh, great." I can tell she really didn't want to go. So I call my mom, if will remember from the beginning use to sing the Gatlin's all the time when I was a kid. So I invite her for the show. We had a wonderful time, and as you can see, we got to meet the Gatlins, which my mom thought was really cool. But for me, it was just another day of my "Life in Headphones."

Butting Heads with my One Year Old

2010-01-10T15:39:00.005-05:00

Let me first say, sorry it has been so long for a post. Who knew that raising a baby would take away all your ability to have a cyber-life.

Well back in December Eli celebrated his 1st Birthday
So he really loved that cake.

We have a nightly ritual that we do. I will be sitting in the big round chair, (see earlier post about the furniture if you want to see what I am talking about) and I will take my glasses off and I will get down on the floor and play with Eli. We wrestle, tickle, give kisses and all the fun you can have with a little boy. We usually get tired and climb back in the chair. Well, if you kiss Eli on the cheek he will keep coming back for more. Again and again and again. So, he is laying on my chest. I kiss him on the forehead. Sarah askes me a question, so I look away. That was my mistake. He came in for another kiss on the forehead. Instead he came in really hard. I got the full effect of his headbutt. Right in the lower eye socket...

This is the first black eye of my life.

Any time anyone asks what happened, I tell them I am training to be a cage fighter...you know like UFC. No one seems to believe me.

On a funny note. My boss assured me that this may be the first, but will not be the last time I butt heads with my son. So it goes in my "Life in Headphones."

Where have I been?

2009-07-10T08:31:00.003-04:00

I know, it has been a couple of months since my last post. I apologize! If you have little ones, you can relate. Let me just say that I never knew having a little one was so much work. Lets see...what has happened?

Well, in May we always help out Cancer Services of Grant Co. We help them raise over 14 thousand dollars to help local cancer patients. It is something that we are very proud of here at the station. Every Friday in May we stand in "high-traffic" intersections in Grant Co. and collect spare change. All throughout the day we also do live broadcasts from local sponsors. It is a big undertaking, but the overall outcome is worth the work. So that tied up a lot of my time in May

In June we kick off our Colgate Country Showdown. This is a nation-wide talent search the station gets involved with. It consisted of 3 prelim. rounds, followed by the finals. Week 1 was really great. We were in Downtown Marion for the prelim. round, and after our showdown, my buddies "Flynnville Train" put on a fabulous show for the festival. What a fun night! The following weeks were just as much fun. Then the finals ended up at the Grant Co. Fair. It was a hot day setting up equipment, and getting all set with the two bands, and 10 solo acts. After it was all said and done, we need to congratulate Charis Baitler, our local winner. She will move on to the State Finals at the Indiana State Fair in August.

So that moves up into July. And besides work, Eli is about to turn 7 month old. He started crawling about 3 weeks ago, and he is getting sooooooo big.

I promise to post some new pics of Eli. We just got his 6 month pics back, and he is so cute!

This weekend will be a biggie. Saturday is Sarah's (my wife), my mom, and my brother's birthday. Yes all on Saturday! So needless to say, I need to do some shopping and get ready for the big birthday bash. Plus we have our annual Volleyball match for the Tiki doll trophy...I will tell you more about that on Monday!

Sorry for the long delay between posts, but I promise to try harder!

So, for now, back to my Busy Life in Headphones

I Finally Got Pea's On!

2009-04-28T08:40:00.006-04:00

As the father of a little boy you get asked that a lot. There are many ways to put it...

"Got the golden shower yet?"

"Been Christened yet?"

"Has he got ya with his firehouse?"

And to all these up until a few days ago I said no! Diaper changes go quick with day. I have the new diaper opened up and laying on the edge of the changing table. A wipe out on on top of the wipe box. Undo the diaper, check it for the brown stuff, and then get a quick clean job. As I tuck the dirty wipe in the old diaper, I grab the new, and slap it on his little bottom. Another successful diaper change with no accidents. Now, once he got the wall with me in there, and once he started to pee just as I opened the diaper. But last week he finally got me.

We started the little one on baby food. They tell you to start with green vegetables. So we got a full line. Green Beans, and Peas. The green beans didn't go so well. So we did them for a couple of days and switched to Peas. He loved them! He would eat them right up. Usually baby food time was at the 5pm feedings. So the wife feeds him. One day last week his schedule was a little off. So the food time was bumped to 4. Mommy is not home for that one, so daddy had to try and manage. I get the bib, put him in his bumbo ( you will have to see my wife's blog if you don't know what this is) and get the peas.

After the first bite, he starts fussing. What is the problem. When his mom gives them to him, they are great, when daddy does it...Not having it. But he is eating while fussing, so when he opens up to cry, slip the spoon in! Gets a few more bits in...and then it happens!

With a mouth full of peas...he looks up and dad and PHfffffffffff. That funny lip buzz that Eli does from time to time. We are talking peas all over him. From head to foot. All over dad, including the glasses! This is the only time I have been Pea'd on! Not sure which would be worse!

I think I should just stick to giving him the bottles!

The Last Straw!

2009-04-23T07:41:00.008-04:00

So we moved into a new house last July. The middle of summer. Little did we know then that the corner of our yard was "THE BUS STOP." Since school began back in August we have had problems with the kids that stand there. First there is a huge mud pit where they stand that killed all my grass. Now, I know I am starting to sound like one of those grumpy old men..."You little whippersnappers get off my lawn!" Really, that is the least of our concerns!

Is it just me, or do kids have no respect for anyone else these days? They might have a granola bar for breakfast. Actually I can tell you they do. Also freezer pops, boxes of dry cereal, and toast. I am not here when the kids get there, I know this because I find the trash in my yard when I get home. This really drives me crazy, but I was understanding about this.

When Sarah was off work on maternity leave, she found out something else that the little kids were doing. Sleeping in our bedroom (which is the room closest to the bus stop) she was roused from her slumber by a loud thud. And kids laughing....Thud....kids screaming. So she drags herself out of bed, and peeks out the window. The kids are playing tag, and guess what is base....our house. Thud....I am safe! So Sarah peeks her head out, and nicely asks the kids to stop.

This is not the last straw, but I just found out about it. Our mail box is right there on the same corner as the bus stop. My neighbor tells me the other day, he will look out and see those kids just pulling the mailbox from side to side, trying to get it out of the ground. So again, one morning Sarah asks the kids not to do it. Of course they look at her like she is evil!

But last week was the final straw. Sarah wakes up to let the dog out before she gets ready for work. As she opens the door, looks out at the kids at the bus stop, and there a boy using our tree as a urinal. We are not talking about a little 1st grader...this is a 3rd or 4th grade boy that knows better. And it would have been different if he was the only kid at the bus stop, but there are more than just him there. What the hell is wrong with kids these days?

This of course sparked calls from my wife to the superintendents office, which we were assured that the bus stop would be moved. We are still waiting on that!

Boogety, Boogety, Boogety!

2009-04-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

Another Thursday lunch deliever! This time I got to go to a fun little place. The local dirt track! I usually try to take the Subway sandwiches to them opening week. And they were suppose to race this past friday night, but they were rained out. Darn the luck! For a long time I have really enjoyed racing. Not so much the indy cars, but NASCAR, and even the local dirt tracks around the area. These are the guys that work on their cars all week in their garages, and try to go out and win a little spending money! This track is a beautiful track!

So if you are ever near Gas City on a Friday night and see the lights and the dust, swing in for a good time. They have Sprint Cars, UMP Modifieds, Street Stocks and Thunder Cars. And from time to time they will have the Midgets, and mini-wing sprints! A whole lot of fun!

You can also check out their website here!

I love it when I get to hang out at all the fun spots for the lunch delievery!

Help the Hopeful

2009-04-09T12:48:00.005-04:00

A Couple of years ago I had to do a remote broadcast from a charity auction. It is called Help the Hopeful. To begin with, I really had no idea what it was all about. I did the broadcast, saw all kinds of stuff, really nice stuff. Unfortunatly I had plans for later in the day. I left. Two years ago I attended my first auction. It was incredible! More about my experiance a little later.

The event was started 17 years ago to help one little girl that had a brain tumor. The organizers were able to get the support of some local taverns, brewing companies and alcohol distributors. I know you are thinking...why are they involved. Well the organizer works for a liqour store chain. He has contacts there. They donated items and they were able to raise about $8000 for this little girl. The next year they decided to do it again, this time for a few kids. Again the brewerys came through huge donating coolers, chairs, grills, and more! Usually the kind of stuff you only see in the bars.

All in all over the last 17 years they have helped 128 children with major medical problems. The really incredible thing is that over the 17 years, every single penny has gone to the kids. Every single item is donated. Every person working is donating their time. It is so amazing to see the community come together at this event.

It is hosted at the local AmVets post. And when I say there is a lot of stuff there. You would not believe it! There are things people make. There are items that are donated year after year. It is truly incredible to see the generousity of this community.

It is not just the breweries and bars that donate all the items! Local business from all around the area give great things to be auctioned off. From camp chairs from hardware stores, to handmade quilts there is a huge variety of items. One of the big donaters is Weaver Popcorn. They always give a huge amount of popcorn that is sold!

This year, I was there early for my broadcast before the event, and I had to scope out the bake sale table! I am sucker for peanut butter fudge. So I make my way over there to see what they had to offer. There were pies and cakes and cookies as far as the eye could see. I was looking and looking for that peanut butter fudge. I see it down at the start of the table. I tell you, if there was someone between me and that fudge I would have taken them down faster than a cruise ship anchor hitting the ocean floor. I grab one small bag of 5 pieces for a dollar. As I pay, the guy running the table says..."That won't be enough!" I assure him it will satisfy my sweet tooth before they start the steak fry. So I find my seat, break open that bag of fudge. I take the first bite. It melts in my mouth. It is by far the best P.B. Fudge I have ever had. (sorry mom) Another guys says how his sister makes it each year for the sale. I hated to admit it, one bag was not enough. I head back over to the table and buy the last two bags. Hey...others should have gotten there earlier!

So after the fudge I go looking again at some of the other items. I have for years wanted a Crown Royal Golf bad. Well, there were a ton of "booze" golf bags. Johnny Walker, Miller Beer, Dewars...Ohhhh, there is my Crown Royal Bag. I have tried to buy these in the past. They usually go for more than I am willing to spend. With a little less than an hour left before the auction starts, I have pretty good list of the thing I am interesting in buy. Sarah, the wife showed up and began looking over the items too.

At 1:00pm they started the auction. They always beging by having a man sing the Oakridge Boys Classic "Thank God For Kids." This was enough to get my wife misty eyed. But believe me, there were more tears to come! Items are going up for auction, like these motorized coolers, and many more things. People are giving more than they are worth because they are for the kids. When we say medically challenged children, we are talking kids with cancer. Kids with brain deformaties. Serious medical problems. So I have the utmost respect for this organization.

One of the highlights each year are the Easter Bunnies. There are bunnies for each of the children. This year they were helping eight families that had their children at Riley, off to Minnesota, and all over the country for treatment for their ailments. Each child has a bunny. And they are auctioned off, knowing that if you win the auction, you pay the money, and then give the bunny to the child. And if you choose, you can get your picture with the child if they are in attendance. Some of the kids were there, and some were at the hospitals. Eight different times during the day, a family member stepped forward, either with the child, or alone, and talked about the challenges the kids are going through. Then the auction starts. I can tell you that every bunny went for at least two thousand dollars. One went for $3300, and the highest bunny to date went for an incredible $4100. All this money is given right to the families. Needless to say, even a tough macho guy like me had tears in his eyes!

After Bunny #2, one of the organizers got up for an announcement. Over the 17 years a lot of money has been raised. A lot of money that goes right to these needy children. But this year was huge milestone.

That's right. ONE MILLION DOLLARS! What a milestone. If you are ever in Marion, IN the weekend before Easter, on Saturday, come to the auction, and see what giving people, with a hope and a dream can do. It might even inspire you to help the less fortunate in your community.

Getting involved

2009-03-31T09:33:00.007-04:00

I have always wanted to be a part of the community I live in. That is the great thing about working for the radio. We are really involved in all kinds of great community involvement. Like the humane society, Cancer services and many more. Actually my next blog will be about one of the events that I am proud to be a part of!

Back in July, I moved back to the town I grew up in. It was really exciting to remember all the things I did when I was a kid, like climbing the grain towers at the feed mill, climbing on the airplane in the park and hiding from the cops so we didn't get in trouble.

You were not suppose to get up there! It is funny. My best friend growing up lived right down the alley from the Airplane park. Now, I live right on the same alley. I guess it was meant to be.

Anyway, our town has a festival every labor day! It is a great event with kids rides, carnival games, elephant ears and cotton candy. Plus each year they have a great musical act. In the past it has been Bad Company, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Kentucky Headhunters, and Firehouse. This year, I am really excited. It is Little Texas.

Wanting to be involved, I called up the commitee president to see what I can do. I will be at the next meeting to get involved.

I guess the point of my post today...get involved in your community. Volunteer at your local humane society, spend time with people in the nursing homes, or see how you can do other great things for the your neighbors!

Food delivery

2009-03-26T21:12:00.004-04:00

As a part of my job, I have to take Subway subs to listeners. It actually is pretty neat to see the different places people work. I have been to motorcycle accessory distribution center, to law offices, doctors offices and even funeral homes. It really brings me closer to my listeners to know what they do everyday. Well this week was a lot of fun. A couple of years ago an ethanol plant opened just outside of town. I really wanted to go to the open house, but that was an invite deal only. Well this week they were our winner of the "Bunch for Lunch." So needless to say I took the camera along!

I have no idea what all this does. All I know is that it was really cool to drive through the center. I did notice one building that did say "fermentation"...I immediately thought of "Moon Shine" They said I was not allowed in that area...I guess they wanted to keep it for themselves! Anyway. I think the camera might be a requirement for the bunch for lunch!

Ring in Spring!

2009-03-24T10:51:00.005-04:00

So last week was the first day of spring. Birds were singing, trees were budding, and I was dragging out the Hawaiian Shirt Collection. If any of you know me very well, I love my Hawaiian shirts. I think I could go two and a half weeks and not repeat a shirt. It is kind of an obsession. Well....Sunday as we got ready for church I remembered I had a new Hawaiian shirt that had never been wore. For church it would be perfect. Ohhhh, did I mention that my shirt was made by my mother-in-law for Christmas. And she also made a shirt out of the same material for Eli. Needless to say we were a big hit. Everyone thought we both were cute!

So the quote of the day had to go to Sarah. As we were getting ready for church, Eli was crying in the big chair, and she looked at him and said..."No Cryin' when you are wearin' Hawaiian!" It that not a classic quote for all time!

So we have one set of matching shirts. I think I am going to have to talk to my mother-in-law (even if I don't want to)(j/k) about making Eli and I a few more shirts. What do you think?

Eli's first walk.

2009-03-18T12:28:00.007-04:00

OK...so he is not walking. But he did go for his first walk Monday Afternoon. The weather was wonderful. About 68 degrees and sunny. What a great day for a walk

Now, last summer after we moved in, we got a dog.

Alli is so cute! Well, she was very hyper every night when we would get home. So when it was nice out, I would take her for long walks. We are talking a mile to a mile and a half every night. As you can see, it did a good job of settling her down! Not only did it calm her down a little, it was also good for me. Well, after a long winter, I thought it would be a good idea to start walking again.

So Monday was wonderful weather wise. Sarah gets home and says that she is thinking about going for a walk. I say I will join her. She was all excited since we really haven't been able to show Eli off to the neighbors. So she gets out the stroller and loads him up! If you look close you can see the tears in his eyes. He was not real happy about the jacket, or the stroller. We had to put a jacket on him since he has had a cold for about a week. But once we got outside......

HE HATED IT!!!

We made it a short walk, only a couple of blocks. He cried and cried. Alli was super excited since it was her first walk of the spring. She had to sniff out every piece of dog poop along those few blocks. She had to pee eighteen times, and sniff every mailbox, tree limb and car tire we passed. That will wear off in a few days of walking.

So the next night we put Eli in his car seat attached to the stroller...much better! Not too much crying until about 7 blocks from home. So we turned around and headed back home.

Ohhh, I almost forgot. Eli is growing up fast. He just turned 3 months old! He loves to stand up. So I thought I would test out his little legs. He is getting pretty good!

Lately I have been leaning him up against the new ottoman that he likes to lay on. He will just stand there and look around for a while. You have to watch close. Sometimes he will push himself backwards, and you have to be ready to catch him. But I think he looks so cute like he is trying to climb up there himself. Like in this one!

Anyway, be looking for the four of us out walking the streets this spring and summer! You never know, I might just have my "Headphones" on!

An all american weekend.

2009-03-16T08:08:00.002-04:00

OK...so I don't like stereotypes. But this weekend, I felt like the "All American" dad. We didn't play baseball and eat apple pie. But it was close. I guess it was probably closer to "Small Town" than All american

Kinda slept in on Saturday. Got up, got the boy out of bed, and fixed him a bottle. He was extra smiley! That was good, because after we got showered up, we head out to get his 3 month pictures taken. He was extra cute. I can't wait to post them! They are so good. After the pictures we did a little shopping at the Meijer. I can't wait until the one here in Marion opens! Well, after spending too much money (how american in that) we headed to the house. I grabbed a quick lunch, and headed out to the driveway. Had to get the blazer up on the ramps to change the oil.

I am no ASE certified mechanic, but I can do a few things to a car. One is change the oil. So I get her up on the ramps, get my cardboard to lay on. And trust me, I got cardboard. After moving this summer, we have all the boxes from unpacking. Plus boxes from a new fridge, stove, dishwasher, baby stuff...the list could go on and on...so if ya need some cardboard boxes let me know. Anyway, back to the oil change. Things went fine. No real problems. Got it all back together, and cleaned up. Now we have to get the house cleaned up. We have company on the way!

A Saturday afternoon and evening, perfect for a cook out. Our friends, Farmboy and Farm girl just happen to work for a dairy farm. And if a cow dries up, or doesn't produce milk...guess what....Steaks! And they are good steaks. They bring them over and let me cook them up. Now...I don't like to brag, but I am pretty good on the grill. And not any "gas" grill. Charcoal is the only way to grill out. Maybe I will have to write a blog on the proper way to prepare steaks on the grill. I pull the steaks off the grill, and we all sit down for a great meal.

Now our Farmboy and Farmgirl have two kids. A two year old, and an eight month old. So it was a lot of fun. Farmboy had never played a Wii. And I didn't think he was going to. Farmgirl, Sarah and I all start a game of bowling. Ofcourse I won the first one. After that, the scores didn't reflect my skill...in other words...I lost. Well, the women went to change the diapers on their respective children. We are sitting talking, and Farmboy says...Maybe I should try to bowl a game. He love it! After about an hour of the Wii, their oldest got a little tired, so they headed home. And I was ready for bed too after a long day!

Sunday we get up for Church. A great service at Hanfield UMC. As you walked into the church you could smell the garlic bread. I record the announcements for them. So I knew that they were having a spagetti dinner after service. I love spagetti, so we had a great lunch with all of our church family. We head home and get started on laundry. I know what you are thinking. Me, do laundry. And yes, I help....a little. Mostly I fold. I hate to fold laundry.

After a few loads, we head to my mom and dad's house for dinner. But we went early so I could go play with my new "toy." My new 9mm handgun. Target shooting with my Dad and brother was a great time. We went through some brass! A ton of fun. The weekend ended with Sarah and I watching a little TV before going to bed to get back to my "Life in Headphones"

Eli would like to show you the new furniture!

2009-03-12T16:10:00.010-04:00

So Tuesday, I rush home. I pick up Eli, and we head home. While Eli naps in his swing...

Dad moves the old couch and love seat to the other side of the living room. The reason why...new furniture. Now, the old furniture was a pain in the butt. The love seat was a rocking reclining love seat. So it had all the hardware for two recliners underneath. Kinda heavy! And then the couch also had recliners on both ends! Really heavy. But since Sarah was at work, and the new furniture was going to be here before she got home.

So we get it all moved in, and Eli thought he would like to show it to you. So I turn things over to the little guy!

So this is my Daddy's new recliner! It is great. I love for him to feed me in this chair. Plus you can't see it, but on the other side, it has a holster for the remote, because, even at only three months old, I know the remote belongs to the man of the house. As soon as I can figure out how to use it, it will be mine! Lets move on to Mom's new chair...

It is called a "Pod Chair." It is big as you can tell. It also spins. I can't wait until I am bigger and get to spin and spin and spin. I am sure my dad will make it lots of fun!

Well, my daddy loves to take a nap, if I let him! So we needed a good nap couch! The one that matches the pod chair was great...so here is it!

It is so big and comfy! I love it. But I saved my favorite for the end! The ottoman! You can see it a little bit above, but here is what I love it for!

It is great just to lay on! Love it for that. Even sometimes my daddy lays beside me and tells me about his day! So I hope you like my mommy and daddy's new furniture. I am glad you got a chance to see it before I spit up all over it! Keep listening to my daddy's Life in Headphones....

Eli......out!

Our home improvement shopping spree!

2009-03-09T07:10:00.007-04:00

OK...so we got our tax check, and I think if my wife had her way, the money would already be gone. She has a laundry list of things that she wants done to our new house. A couple of weeks ago, we painted our kitchen. I forgot the camera this morning, so no pics yet...I will try to add some later. Anyway...how we went through the money.

When we bought our house, it had a dishwasher that didn't work. Our realtor fought for us, and the seller had to replace it. Well, as you can imagine, they bought the cheapest piece of junk they could find. We have been fighting is since July. But considering before this house we washed them by hand, I was thankful even for a junky dishwasher. Also, our house didn't have a fridge....So we picked out one that looks like this. It is not quite stainless, so I think since the dishwasher is right next to the fridge we had to go black. And so we got a really good deal on a dishwasher that has what they call the "sani-rinse" I guess is suppose to heat the water up on the final rinse sanitize everything. With a newborn, I thought this would be a good idea. So here is our dishwasher!

Now the only other appliance in the kitchen is the stove. It is white. No, that just won't work...at least that is what the Mrs. said. So I guess and new stove was in our future. Again, shopping. Thank goodness for our new Lowes Card! So we picked out a stove to match!

So with the stove the range hood didn't match since it was white too. So we got that, and got it all installed on Saturday. After all the work was done, I was ready for a break. Luckily I also got something new!

Yes, Big John got a brand new recliner. Ohhhh my gosh is it heaven to lay back in. And I think my favorite feature you can't see. On the other side is the holster for the remote control! So I got this to go with our new furniture that gets delivered Tuesday. I will have to post some pics of that when we get it all put it.

The Shopping Spree continues I guess.

So after installing all this stuff, and moving out old furniture, you can bet I was glad to get back to my "Life in Headphones"

A busy weekend

2009-03-03T13:15:00.010-05:00

Sarah, the wife, and I met another couple in our child birth class and kinda hit it off with them. She was actually in the hospital the same time Sarah delievered Eli. So we have kept in touch and got a chance to go to dinner with them.

This is Amanda and Lucas with their new baby. Friday night we met at Amazing Joes in Muncie. They live there, so they suggested it. Sarah and I had never been, so we thought, what the heck, lets try it. Let me tell you...the name fits. Sarah and I had steaks...and they were fab...I mean Amazing. But then came dessert...I ordered and Fried Apple Martini. Now there was no alcohol...it was cinnamon ice cream, drizzled in caramel, and topped with deep fried apples. It was served in a Martini glass. I have to admit. I ate the whole thing. Dinner and desserts were great, but we just really had a great time with another couple that is going through the same things we are, with a newborn son. We met them at 6:30, and didn't leave the resturant until 10:30. It was a lot of fun.

Well, the next day we got up and cleaned the house. This is a normal Saturday morning thing, but this time we cleaned a little extra because Sarah's Brother's family was staying the night. You will understand why in a little while. They have two boys. They are 8 and 5. So we played the Wii, the PS2 and guitars. It was a lot of fun.

They stayed the night so they could get up and go to church with us in the morning. They live over an hour away, so this just made it easier. They went to church with us because Eli, our son, was getting baptized. Not only were Sarah's brother there. All of her family was there. We are talking her mom and dad. Her aunt. Her other brother and his wife. My family was there too. My brother and his wife and daughter. My mom and dad. Plus a few close friends. We took up two rows in church. Well here is a group shot!

Eli was so good. He didn't cry or anything when Pastor Tim baptized him. He just looked really cute in his little outfit!

Here are some more photos from the service.

Afterward we all went to my parents for a nice Sunday dinner. We are talking dinner for like 25 people, but my mom loves to cook. At the dinner, our friends had their son there. He is about 5 months older than Eli...We think they are going to be buddies...what do you think?

A fun weekend before getting back to my Life in Headphones

Friday Night Party With Flynnville Train!

2009-02-27T09:00:00.005-05:00

Last Friday night I got a chance to go see some old friends.

My wife was at a father/daughter dance and my mother-in-law was watching our new baby, so I had a free night to go and see Flynnville Train! They are a group of local guys that were signed to Toby Keith's Record Label Showdog Records!

I met the band through another artist friend of mine. He was a singer, but needed a band, so he would hire these guys without the singer. It worked out really well. Since Flynnville Train might be new to you, let me introduce you to the guys!

First I will start with Tommy. I have known Tommy for almost 10 years now. He lays down the beat that the guys follow. He is one of the most amazing drummers I have ever met! Plus he always keeps me in the loop with info about what the band is doing!

Next up is guitarist Brent Flynn. One of the brothers that started the band. Brent is a lefty that totally controls his guitar. You would be amazed at what he can do. They have been in the studio before for an acoustic set, and he broke into some Spanish guitar. He is truly amazing! On top of rocking out on his guitar, Brent also backs up his brother with harmony vocals.

The other brother in the band handles the lead vocals! This is Brian can lay down the vocals with the best of them! Plus as you can see, he has been known to pick up the washboard from time to time!

That leave Mr. Tim Beeler. Rockin' the big ol' Bass Guitar. Tim has even been known to step up to the mic with some harmony vocals. Plus you should see when Brent and Tim get going on some of the instrumentals that they come up with!

So there you have met the band. Just a group of some good guys! They really know how to put on a good show. Anyway, on Friday night, they played at a place called Bygones in Muncie. The show was sold out, but luckily, Tommy hooked me up with some tickets to give to my listener! Tommy had told me to get there early. I showed up at around 7:30. The show wasn't suppose to start until 9! Still I was just lucky to find a seat with some listeners! Thanks Mike! This place was packed, and everyone had a ball. So much so, they are back this Friday night with another sold-out show!

I really do wish the guys the best of luck. I think that 2009 will be huge for them. They have a new single called "Turn Left" that they debuted at the Daytona 500. Yes it is a racing song! Really cool, plus some projects in the works that I can't talk about yet. Could be huge! So good luck guys.

This weekend is a biggie for our family. My son is getting baptized on Sunday. Look for a new post the beginning of the week with pics!

~Livin' my Big Life in Headphones!

A Station Tour...

2009-02-24T11:56:00.016-05:00

Well, a lot of people have never been to a radio station before. It is not a glamorous as some would think. Usually it is kinda messy. We love the fact that most people can't see us work. But I thought I would take a few pics and give you the "nickel" tour. So here we go...

This is the front of our building. Also included in the picture is a photo of my news man's hot rod...this thing has no muffler and is louder that a 747 taking off. Anyway, our station houses 4 radio stations. We have two AM stations with an oldies/adult standards format. We have a "Classic Hits" station, and of course we have 99.3 WCJC, Today's best country. That is my station.

Lets take a walk into the lobby!

As you walk in you see the front counter. People who win prizes get about this far, and then we stop them. You can see Ed, our afternoon host, poppin' up like a gopher. He also is responsible for writing most of the copy for all our commercials, and he also is a sports nut. He does play-by-play for all the sports we cover. Ed has been in radio for 30 plus years. He has worked from Indiana to Wisconsin and all place between!

Now lets take a look at the studio, where all the magic happens!

About as big as a large closet, this is the WCJC studio. All the papers on the glass are important things that we are suppose to talk about. Sportscast coming up, How to get a ball game on the internet, and more are all up there. The cases on the floor, and on the counter are all full of CD's. Although most of the music is stored on the hard drive of one of the computers there. We still spin some CD's. Now I know what you are thinking, I should have a throne...well, this is the best we could do...

Here is a closer look at my controls!

The computer on the left is the on-air computer. It plays all the commercials, jingles, and my bed music. The computer on the right is my Production computer. I can play music off this computer, and also surf the web. I get a lot of the things I talk about in the morning from the internet. Plus we use it to pull up radar for weather, or check up to the minute sports scores. In the middle are all my live read commercials. All the sliders and buttons control the music and mics...It is pretty easy once you learn it!

So where do we make all the commercials??

This is the "Prod" room. Production is done here. We record commercials here. There are more pieces of equipment here. Yes that is a reel-to-reel machine. There are CD players, mini-disc recorders, a cassette deck, and even a turntable. We still use most of these everyday to make commercials. But most is now in a computer!

Here are some more pictures of all the equipment it takes to put our 4 stations on the air.

And I couldn't do my job it I didn't get paid for it, so here is the sales office. These are the guys that sell the commercials so I can get a pay check! Thanks guys!

And when I am not doing production, or on the air, I get stowed away with the other jocks in our cubicles in the very back of the building. Here is a shot of those wonderful cubies...mine is the one all the way at the end!

So now you have seen a quick tour of our radio stations. Like a said, not glamorous, but we get the job done. Thanks for stopping by, and come back often. Next time I will tell you about the great weekend I had checking out on of the hottest bands out there!

Talk to ya soon!!

Enjoying my "Life in Headphones"

Welcome To Big John's Big Life

2009-02-17T13:20:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the new home of My Big Life. There are previous posts on my Myspace page here...

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=70679877

Also, there are about to be many more posts and changes to Big John's "Big Life" blog. So thanks for checking it out.

More to come soon!