I declare myself fit enough...also, thoughts on Jim Carrey.

to run the Illinois Marathon.
I did 11.1 last night. I was about 2 seconds off my pace that would get me at my goal time of 1:55. Part of that was due to the fact that I had to stop twice for traffic. In theory, that won't be a problem during the actual race. So, it'll be very close. I will be hoping for some spectacularly OK weather. I mean, just something close to 40-50 degrees, with light winds. And SUN. If that happens, we've got a chance.

OK, so, over the last month, it's come up multiple times: Jim Carrey. I hate him. I refuse to watch any of his movies. I do not find him funny. I do not enjoy his style of humor. Mind you, I like some really stupid crap. But for God's sake,I do not like Jim Carrey. So there. I'm sorry I don't understand your references to Dumb and Dumber. But he sucks! HE SUCKS!
Yet I feel like I'm letting everyone down by not watching these (apparently) quintissential movies.

Feel free to chime in. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks he sucks.

Random thoughts....

I've got the poker bug again. Thanks to Tony and Jill for again providing amazing hospitality on Saturday night (and Macey too), and although Tony beat me heads up (damn that 6!), I'm again truly wanting to play more poker. Two things will get in the way of that:
1) time
2) money

So I think i'm safe for now. But dammit, I wanted to play more, except for the fact that I was exhausted, and nobody else wanted to play.

-I'm supposed to run 11 miles today. We're less than 2 weeks away from the Illinois (Half) marathon, and I feel woefully underprepared. We'll see how I do today. Have to stay positive.
-Jennie Garth. Oh man. Let's see, I'll just put the photo here. You'll probably have to click on it to make it bigger. That's what she said.


-Another busy week ahead. Soccer, baseball, baseball, baseball, baseball.
-Netflix is completely gone now. Saddens me.
-Love you though.

Jennie Garth

Alright, so Jennie Garth is coming on the show tomorrow.
O
M
G.

OMG OMG OMG.

So, it should be pointed out that while in college, my friend Laura and I had weekly viewing parties to watch 90210. I missed out on the first couple of years of the show, but quickly caught up.
For those wondering why in the hell Jennie Garth might just pop on the show for no reason...she's actually from the area, and was born at Carle Hospital in Urbana, and lived here until middle school age.
The reason she's in town is for a $50,000 donation to the American Heart Association. Her father died last year in Urbana, and she's donating the money in his name. Great cause, and we're lucky enough to have her hop on the show.
Now, the biggest issue we're going to have here is that everyone in the building wants to meet her. So, we're going to do a group picture with her in the conference room.
Unfortunately, due to limitations of space in our studio, I do not get to be in the room when she's being interviewed. So, I don't get to ask her any of the pertinent questions that are on my mind, such as:
1) The Midwest has a reputation of keeping kids humble. How did that help you deal with the pitfalls of being a teen star in Hollywood, and how are you adjusting your parenting with your kids being raised, essentially, in 90210?
2) How has your approach to working changed from the first series to the current series?
3) WHY IN THE EFF DIDN'T YOU COME AND DATE ME WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE YOU JERK!?!?

Feel free to shoot me a question or two if there's something you'd really like to know, and I'll pass it on to K&S. No guarantees that they use it.
You can also listen live at roughly 8:35ish on www.mix945.com.
All for now.

Goodbye Landline...

Of note, today, I'm getting rid of my landline. No longer will you be able to call (217) 356-3598 and get the lovely computer voice answering machine.

I've been keeping it for emergencies, but I figured at this point, what's the use. It's hard getting rid of that number, though. I've had it for a while. Kind of depressing, honestly.

I think that is all for now. More about Jenny Garth tomorrow.

Quick dream update

I don't remember too much of it, which is too bad, because I had a conscious thought to write stuff down, but...

the dream I had last night involved Stinky having wolf babies. As in, he had apparently been intimate with a male wolf, and now was having wolf babies, which I was weary of caring for, since at some point, they were going to kill me.

That's when (in real life), apparently somebody came to impound a neighbor's car. At least, that's what I am inferring from the fact that someone's car alarm was on for 5 minutes before getting towed away, while people were fighting. The alarm just kept going, so I got up and watched it for a while. Somebody was pissed.

More later.

FtheIRS, fml

So, it's looking like I'm going to owe the IRS a whopping thousand dollars in the next few weeks for the Miscellaneous work that I've done for Clear Channel and the United States Tennis Association in 2008. This is what's fascinating to me.
Total earned: 2696
Total taxes to be paid: 1399.
Amount actually kept: 1297.

WTF?

What is the point of doing any work outside of your real job, if you get taxed a whopping 50+ percent. And how the hell is that fair? 50-plus percent. Ridiculous. Frustrating to me because I should have been more aware of it. And now it makes it unlikely that I'll ever do any of that work again, because it just isn't worth it. I love working the Challenger every year, but if over half of my pay is taken away, I see no reason why I'm going to absolutely burn myself out for it. (Sorry Alex) I may change my mind in October, when I realize how desperate my financial situation is.

Weekend was good. Got a nice 10 miler in on Sunday, and while stiff this morning, I'm not in a ton of pain, which is a very good sign. Julia got back safely, and happened to be on the same flight as Christian Michner, co-host of the award winning program, Corner Kicks with Cation and Christian, on fightingillini.com. New episodes coming shortly.

Also got to hang out with Glenn for a bit, and Tyler, and someone whose name is Echo Love.

Dream Update #???

First I was a part of a video game (and actually being part of the game) where I SCUBAed across a river, set a bomb despite being shot at, and when the bomb went off, it set free Optimus Prime (from the cartoons, not the horrendous movie), who then destroyed the bad guys city.

After that wrapped up, I went with Julia to the local Salvation Army, which was tucked away in a bad part of town. There, we met up with good friend Dwight Schrute, who would not allow me to buy the spatula in question.
That is when Bonita hit me in the face, and I had to go to the bathroom.

I'll keep this quick, and maybe post later today...

I'm obviously disappointed in what happened last night. The sense of urgency wasn't there until about four minutes left in the game. I don't understand how that happens, to be honest. But it did, and we move on. All things considered, it was a season that was much, much better than I had expected, and I think it's realistic for this program to expect top 3 in the Big Ten, and the possibility of a Sweet 16 year in and year out. This year, they did that, finishing 2nd, and getting a 5 seed. Can't complain about that. But today, I'm bummed. I suppose that's a good sign.

On a personal note, my thoughts are with Julia who is in Oklahoma due to the loss of her Aunt.

Why I love today and tomorrow

Enjoy the basketball. And BEAT THE HILLTOPPERS!

I do wish I was here....

Portland...one of the most beautiful cities in the states, and my preferred city of choice. It's hurting a lot that I don't get to follow the basketball team around this year. Obviously, I think my reporting is so vastly different than others in times like this, it provides some levity and something different for listeners. It's a ton of work, but it is so much fun. I wish I was out there for that reason.
I also just want to go out and explore the city a little bit more. It's gorgeous. Quite open-minded, free thinking, intellectual.
This is only the 2nd time in 8 years that I have not gone to follow the time. Blame the budget cuts. I do.

In other notes, I HATE HATE HATE the person who keeps bringing in the damn boy scout candy bars. I finally broke down and had one today. Freaking caramel bars. I hate boy scouts for that reason alone.
Got in a 4 mile run yesterday after the 8 miler on Monday. Again, stiff, but no pain. I'll take it.

Are there any other things people would like to see in this blog? I'm up for changing things around.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

I don't have a ton of updates today, except to say that we've gone a full two days without any porn at the station. That's good.
I'm debating whether to get some corned beef tonight and make it for dinner for Julia and I. I have never made a corned beef. Therefore, I may make corned beef sandwiches. Or something along those lines. I did pick up some gluten free rye bread over the weekend.

Which reminds me...those of us in Champaign-Urbana are greatly in need of both a Trader Joes, and Whole Foods. We went to Trader Joes on Saturday, and I'm stunned and amazed at how much cheaper their gluten free items were. It was ridiculous. Loaves of bread for 3 dollars cheaper than at County Market??? Ridiculous.

I'm glad pandora finally works for me at work. Today I built a station with my artists: Tribe, Ben Folds, and Liz Phair. It's pretty nice. Very relaxed.

If you're looking to me for tips on your NCAA brackets, please head to the Kevin and Sarah page for the tips we talked about on the air. Sarah knows how to run that internets page, and I don't.

Also, if you're looking for something to do on Wednesday night, the Crackmonkey volleyball team will be playing for their league title at the Leonhard Center at 8:15. That's in Champaign. Where the playas play. And these types of things happen every day.

Oh...I got an 8 mile run in yesterday, with no lingering pain this morning, which is awesome.

Love and peace, love and peace.

Perv update, and other notes:

So, I wrote the pervert guy a letter, saying that it was disrespectful to everyone else in the building for him to be looking at the adult websites. I said I had no intention in taking it any further, and hopes that he also has no intention of taking it any further. I left him the letter on Friday.
This morning, I received a letter in return, apologizing for the viewing of adult websites, and thanking me for not turning him in, along with a promise that the viewing would stop.
I can say that so far, after one day, we're all in compliance. Good.

Some other random notes:
-It looks like I'm not going to be able to head with Julia to her aunt's memorial service on Friday morning. Disappointing. I am only putting this here because I feel this crappy about it, and I want to express that.
-Weird note from the University that I received over the weekend. Apparently, extra help are only allowed to work 900 hours during a 12 month period. I am dangerously close to that level, with baseball, tennis, and softball still to come. What happens if I hit 900? Yeah, termination. AWESOME. That'd be fun.
-Great weekend with Leigh and Louis. Wish I had more time with them.
-Didn't get a run in, though. Putting in 7 tonight. Maybe 8, if I feel ambitious.
-I hate the Prodigy, but Ghost Town, by the Specials is one of my favorites, and I kind of like this cover.


Anyway, enjoy filling out your brackets! Go NDST!

Sorry, Chet....and a pervert update...

I hope that Chet really only has a bruised hand. I fear that he doesn't. More than likely, it's a chance for Jeff, Chicago's Finest, and Alex LEGION to show what they've got, I guess. True test for Bruce over the next couple of days, to be certain.

Now, the pervert update. I decided to write the person a note saying to please refrain from looking at those things. And that I didn't want to discuss it further, and he shouldn't do it any further. We will see what happens next week. Today there was a very helpful video if you're discussing anatomy.

That's all. Have a good weekend.

Today's rant: Stop looking at porn at work.

Over the past two to three weeks, I have now caught a co-worker of mine looking at porn three times. Now, people who know me know that I tend to be open-minded, and of the belief that whatever you do in your own home is your business. As long as it isn't hurting anybody, knock yourself out. Really, I don't care at all. But you know what? If you bring it in to work, I may indeed have a problem with it. And if I'm seeing it, you're not doing a good enough job of hiding it. First, it was high school cheerleaders. Today, it was just full on naked women.

My question to my faithful readers is: What the heck do I do here? I don't want the guy to get fired, but he obviously can not go doing this all the time. It's just messed up.

Hit me up with a message. Let me know what you think.

The Embassy...

I was quite saddened to learn yesterday that the Embassy in Urbana is closing. While I was growing up in Urbana, my mother played on a softball team called the Bad Girls. Each Thursday night, after the games, the team went to the Embassy, and that was my first bar experience. I learned how to play darts there. I played a lot of pinball. I begged for quarters to play the jukebox. I ate my fair share of cheeseburgers, and probably your fair share as well. I knew the bartender, and he knew me, and everything was good.
I've probably gone there once since I graduated college, and I think it was because Ali and I had an idea to eat at as many restaurants as we could. Embassy was one. Still the same burgers...still the same dark ambiance.
It also had been a great local music venue for blues bands especially.
But I spent a lot of time there as a child. I probably ate more meals there than I had at McDonalds. Weird.
But it's closing at the end of this month. I wish them well, and say thanks for all of the good memories.

Also...especially for Glenn...

I have started watching Arrested Development.

It's flipping hilarious.

Tell people to stop telling me what I have to watch. Thanks.

How are you saving money?

So, as some of you know, we got hit at the station by a mandatory pay cut. Obviously, that's strongly preferred over losing a job, don't get me wrong. But at the same time, it just means that we really have to made some decisions on what we're spending on.

So, in the past 12 hours (I was up most of the night in a panic attack, to be honest), I've cut the following: Netflix, and HBO. I am down dramatically on Netflix, and will likely suspend it completely once the weather gets a little bit warmer, when I can ride my bike to the library on a regular basis. In all, that will save me about $30 a month once I get rid of Netflix. It's hard, but I suppose it's best. I'm also going to be eating a ton of hash browns ($2 a bag, which is 2 servings!) and pasta. It is what it is.

Luckily, I've saved up money for my Vegas trip next month...and I've got to save a little bit for Australia, obviously. But I will continue to try and find other ways to save when I can.

What else are you cutting? Feel free to leave anonymous comments if you like, but I'm curious as to what else people are taking out of their budgets right now.

Some photos, and other stuff...

Here are some recent (or not so recent) photos. Feel free to leave comments:


This is the final ceremony from the grilling of the meats. There were 20 meats eaten.
They are listed here:


This is a nice photo of my perspective from my seat at the Assembly Hall. Here, we're looking at warm ups before Michigan State. Note the various acoutrements.



Here is proof that Mike Tisdale (tizzy) can dunk. In a game, this would be a technical foul.





Other than that, I have no announcing to do this week. I do not know what to do with myself. Other than workout. And hang with Julia. And go to Leigh's this weekend. I'm willing to take any other suggestions please. Thank you!

Well, that'll do it....please drive home safely, and have a great night.

So basketball season is now over. My record this year was 14-3. I say that specifically to the people last year that blamed me for the team's bad home record. So I'm taking credit for this year. And I won't take any credit or blame next year. We're even.
Here is the interesting thing to me about the seniors. Not a one of them ever really said anything to me over the past two years. I don't think Calvin said a word, ever. Chester was always polite, and would nod his head. Trent came over and got some gum from time to time. And CJ was just CJ, always happy and goofy. They were all quite polite, but to be honest, pretty business oriented. They all had a lot to overcome to be players that could contribute on this level, and they acted like it. And good for them. Having had the seat I've had for the last two years, I will say that Chester is the hardest working player I've ever seen. I have to give him his due.

On to the personal stuff...
My remarkable mucus buildup, as the doctor called it, is ALMOST all gone. It's been disgusting, and frustrating. I haven't run in 3 weeks. That streak is ending today. I'm getting through two miles if it kills me. It very well could.
I'm going to post a couple pics on facebook today of my view at the games. I'll put em up here eventually.
Meeting up with Julia for lunch today...breaking my streak of not eating on campus for maybe 9 months?
Vegas is less than two months away. I'm eagerly anticipating it. I wish more people could come though.