Diary of Rock-n-Roll Men

Our Christmas Miracle...

2012-01-24T08:27:00.004-05:00

We have gone from making funeral arrangements for her, to making dinner plans for when she might be able to come home. Here is our gal Lou, fresh from nearly buying the farm, (you can't see the the trach in her throat but you can see the blue tubing that goes to it)..... reading her favorite part of the newspaper.... the obituaries!! My family has a warped sense of humor... Or did I mention that already? God works in mysterious ways. I give Him all the credit and praise...

Voices.... I Hear Voices.... (apologies to Russ Ballard)

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-05:00

Sorry it took so long to update... but it was worth it. Lou has continued to confound all of us by slowly but surely continuing to improve. Between September and now, she's nearly bought the farm like 4 different times. She's survived having been given meds that she is allergic to more than a couple of times... yet, in spite of every chance she's had to give up and let go... she's battled through and has endured. That woman is like a Timex in that she can take a (severe) licking and keep on ticking. I really have come to believe that God isn't ready for her yet. I believe He has spared her for an express purpose. New Year's day was awesome in that we all happened to decide to visit with Lou at the same time without telling each other. Lou was in her glory with all of us together, just being ourselves in her room. She has become much more lucid and though she still has great difficulty with breathing, they have tried taking her off the vent for a few minutes at a time. She was taken off yesterday for an hour... They put a plug in her trach so she could breathe through her nose and mouth again. The other part of corking her trach is that by doing so, she could talk. Now Lou hasn't spoke in months, let alone, been conscious and able to coherently communicate with anyone. When the respiratory therapist told her with the cork on her trach she could try talking, Lou shook her head no. She was coughing and then said out loud "I can't talk" and when she heard herself, the look of shock on her face was absolutely priceless. She had eyes as big as saucers and her mouth dropped wide open. I couldn't suppress my smile nor my laugh. I was so glad that I was there to share that moment with her. She then got the shock of her life when her very best friend Nan stopped by and surprised her. Since Lou went out of consciousness and had been completely out of it since last summer, she hasn't really spent any kind of time with Nan and has been missing her since she has been improving. So a couple of days ago, I called Nan on my cell and put it on speaker so that Lou could hear Nan's voice. I served as the interpreter. It really lifted Lou's spirits. So yesterday, Nan shows up and they were just a couple of crying girls. Tears of happiness. I still don't know what the future holds for Lou. But for whatever time we've got, I know she is going to appreciate it... come to think of it, so am I...

A Pretty Good Christmas...If I Do Say So Myself!

2011-12-25T20:10:00.002-05:00

Hmmmm... When last we chatted here on my little corner of blog-dom, I was ready to throw in the towel as we figured that Lou would be ready to succumb to her illnesses. There was only one problem in that process... somebody forgot to tell Lou... Someone forgot to tell her that she was supposed to give up. Lou's high fevers have finally subsided and she is still in a world of suffering. But the funniest thing happened: Lou is actually starting to get a little bit better. Her numbers for her ability to get off of the respirator still suck. And though it's difficult for her to communicate because of the trach, she has gotten a lot better with her cognizant skills and we spent Christmas together in the hospital. Our conversations have been lucid and she understands what she's up against. Last week, with Christmas coming upon us, she had nothing in her room to reflect that Jesus' birthday was coming up. So I said the heck with this noise and went and got a 3 foot Christmas tree and took it into her room and spent an afternoon putting it all together. She had a small radio that was playing Christmas music so I started goofy dancing like a big goofy idiot while I was putting the tree up and I look over and she's looking at me and laughing. When I get her laughing, it makes me feel really good... at least until she starts to aspirate on the trach. Then I feel terrible. But it's good to see that smile back on her face. It's hard to see her struggle like she does, and her prognosis is crap... but she's more cognizant and is able to focus and we are able to have great conversations and I've grown closer to my sister. I've learned more about toughness and courage from her in these several months than I ever thought I knew... She really has been our best Christmas gift...

Keeping the Faith...

2011-12-15T14:34:00.003-05:00

Hey folks...
nothing much new to report right now. Lou is still hanging on in the hospital. She is one tough lady. She recognizes us and she fades in and out but she still knows us and whispers to us. It was a shock to her though that we're approaching Christmas. She thought we were still in summer. Poor thing. Terri is so apathetic right now as we approach Christmas. This is usually our favorite holiday as a family. Terri is usually the one who gets the most excited (next to Lou) about Christmas. But this year, it's been so hard on everyone that Terri is not even doing her tons of cookies and all sorts baking this year. She's making some cornflake wreaths because those were Lou's favorites but not much more than that. I hope she'll change her mind as we get closer to Christmas. We'll all get together as a family but it won't be the same without Lou. But we must do this for the little ones so they can enjoy it. They don't understand so we are going to make it special for them. Because Lou would be the biggest kid amongst them, getting into the presents, food, and just being a kid. That's what Lou loved to do most... Hope you all have a Merry Christmas (sorry, I'm not politically correct... never have been, never will be!) I will be back on this little goofy corner of the cyber-world before too long...

Update... Post Turkey...

2011-12-02T00:01:00.001-05:00

Hey,
Once again, many MANY thanks for all the prayers for me and my family... Lou is still in the hospital, still on a vent. Her fevers have stopped so she has gotten a little better...She wakes up and recognizes us so that's good. She is still on dialysis for now. She has shown some mild improvement but she still knows what's coming. She can't audibly speak because of the trach, but I've worked at trying to read her lips when she tries to talk. I'll never forget when I walked in and saw her. I hadn't been in for a few days because of my schedule taking me out of town. So I walk into her room, and her face just lit up... I'll never forget that look. I went to see her on Thanksgiving but she was out like a light for the whole visit. This time around, she was so happy to see her goofy brother that she had a smile on her face, a little rusty from lack of use. She was able to whisper to me some things. I thought about half a second of trying to put on the happy face and make believe everything was just ducky. But not a chance. I wouldn't want anyone to do that with me, so I didn't do that with Lou. She seemed to appreciate that. I held her hand and was telling her some stories of how my gal pal cracks the whip to keep me in line. Lou was actually laughing. Yes LAUGHING. Again, a little weak from lack of use. She had a smile on her face and I walked out of that hospital with raging emotions. Part of me was just dying inside because I know that somewhere in there, my sister with a passion for life, is still there. And I want her back full time. But I know the reality of the situation. If she continues to hold on like this, we're considering hospice care at home. Terri is adamant about bringing her home eventually if nothing changes and whatever happens, will happen. We know what Lou and all of us are up against. But the one thing that unites us as we continue on this journey... faith... yes, FAITH! Believing in God doesn't mean freedom from troubles. But the ability to deal with the highs and also the lows during troubled times. When I thought about what it was going to be like seeing Lou and wondering how many more times, if any, I'd get to see her. All of that was wiped off my mind and the sight of making her smile and then making her laugh. When I was outside of the hospital doors, out of sight of everyone, I wept. But the frustration of why couldn't she be healed was replaced by the memory of her laughing at me while I was telling her how my gal pal keeps me in line... I'll always treasure that...

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

It's Thanksgiving... You might think there's not a lot in my life to be thankful for... but that would be just flat out wrong! My sister Lou told us she wants us to stop everything. She is in agony and has had enough. We are looking at Hospice and considering some other options. We'll discuss things as a family and make some very tough choices. But I am thankful... I'm thankful we know her wishes and will be able to honor her requests. I'm thankful that while she's suffering, we don't have to guess what to do, thereby saving a lot of angst. I'm thankful that with them implementing hospice care, they can make Lou comfortable for what ever time she has left. Most of all, I'm thankful that we can prepare for what is upcoming. Most folks don't get time to prepare or say goodbye. We get that time... It won't be easy. It never is. But we've got a lot to be thankful for... I hope you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving. If you don't live in the States, then I hope you have a great Thursday...

The Road Less Travelled...

2011-11-11T00:02:00.000-05:00

Things are slowly going downhill for Lou. Her body is slowly starting to shut down. I went to the hospital last night to see her and she never even opened her eyes. She received her dialysis in her room and didn't wake up or anything. She fades in and out, occasionally recognizing us only sometimes, while fading out and staring off into space and closing her eyes and not really responding to us. I sat there looking at her and totally at a loss of what to wish for. Obviously, I want a miracle and get my sister back healthy. If that's not in God's plans, then I don't know what to pray for... should I pray she make it through the holidays for my family's comfort? Or should I pray that she not suffer and be at peace. But I don't want her to leave... Life can really suck sometimes. But the overriding thing for me is that I can't allow my greed to interfere with God's will. I've made my peace and have prayed on it and came to the conclusion that God is going to do what He wants to do and I need to surrender and allow Him to do his thing. And I've got to be okay with that. Not because I have to be... but because I want to be... Today is Veteran's Day/Rememberance Day. It's also Terri's birthday. It's not going to be super festive because Terri is taking all of this with Lou really hard. When Terri was going through sheer hell with all her battles with cancer, it was Lou who was there to help Terri when the rest of us had to work and all the other things that kept us apart for whatever reason. It was Lou who really stepped up and was there for Terri and helped her make it through. Terri had tried valiantly to take care of Lou but it has been overwhelming. So now it's all in God's hands. And Terri is really hurting right now because she sees our sister go through her agony and Terri can't fix it. I've gotten to the point where if it's God's will that she goes home to Heaven, I can accept that and I'm okay with that. My faith tells me that she will be healed in paradise if God calls her home. He can do anything that goes beyond all comprehension. My heart has accepted that whatever His will is, I will be okay with that.

In The Deep Freeze...

2011-11-02T00:01:00.001-04:00

Hi folks...
I am feeling much better. Thanks for the prayers. They are much appreciated. Not much has changed around here... everything and everyone is still status quo for the moment. I have been working my butt off and it's been crazy. I had one of those "It was God" moments a few days ago. Terri's big freezer went out on her and she hasn't had another one yet. I figured I would get her one for her birthday and put it on layaway, making payments on it. Well, I had put 140 dollars down on it and got on with the rest of my life. I was driving and my front brakes decided to crap out on me. I knew I didn't have much in the way of money. I was not going to freak out about it and figured I'd milk it for a week till payday. Well, I got a call from the department store telling me the brand of freezer I'd gotten for Terri was being recalled so they wanted to refund my money back and they would let me know when the freezer was available for sale again. So I went and got the money from the store and drove the car next door to a brake shop to get my brakes done. The final total? One hundred thirty-eight dollars and 47 cents. I celebrated by going through the drive-thru at McDonald's and got a McDouble with that last dollar... lol Then I seen an ad in the Sunday paper for a freezer on sale for much cheaper than I was going to buy it for... Coincidence? I DON'T THINK SO...

Rockin...er... Coughing All Over The World

2011-10-20T12:33:00.002-04:00

Hey all,
Sorry for not posting in a while. After my last post, I started to hack and wheeze and all the other fun things tied to pneumonia. I have been off work for a week (NO, I am not happy about that!) and have been feeling miserable. At first they thought it was Croup... Croup?? I guess it's making a comeback. Anyway, it turned out to be pneumonia and I've been coughing up all kinds of fun stuff for the last 8 days. I may have caught it from Lou of all people. I went to visit her almost 2 weeks ago and she was coughing it up big time. When I was leaving from visiting her, I leaned over and kissed her forehead and she was coughing up through her trach. As I think about it now, that is what most likely got me. But Lou is still hanging in there. God Bless her... She is still trying to live and is battling like no one I've ever met outside of Terri.
Well, it hasn't been all doomsday here. I am happy to say that my nephew Tony and his wife are the proud parents of a baby boy. And the most touching part is that they named the little guy after me and my father. His name is not Mik but my middle name Xavier. Talk about disarming and getting all choked up... oh wait! That's just me coughing up another lung oyster!

Surviving...

2011-10-10T07:42:00.002-04:00

Once again, I appreciate the concern and prayers from all of you. Lou is still battling. Her breathing is better. She was moved to a long term hospital facility. We just gotta figure out about her mental status. That is the really hard part. But that is in God's hands now. I am wore out and Terri is about ready to drop as well. This is really been difficult on all of us but no one ever said any of it was going to be a breeze. Like the saying goes... Faith makes things possible... not easy. But faith is what I have and that is what I will continue to follow and adhere to... Right now I'm just putting one foot in front of the other. And trying to fight off what may be bronchitis... Life is such a hoot! Just please keep us in your prayers and I will try to update here a bit more frequently than I have been. I don't facebook... I don't tweet. I just do this and keeping up with this is a challenge most of the time. I appreciate your patience with me. Spent a much needed weekend with the gal pal. I got very invigorated by simply laying on the couch with my head on her lap and her running her fingers through my hair, telling me that we're going to get through all of this stuff happening. I fell asleep knowing that no matter what, we were going to be okay. Maybe not super fantastic, but sometimes okay is good enough...

Go For The Throat...

2011-10-01T00:04:00.003-04:00

Hi Y'all,
Thanks for being patient and understanding. I haven't even given this blog a thought. And yet I know that there are some good friends here. People who care. People who pray for me and my family. People that are good and decent people. Helen, I'm glad that you got good news on Ken. I know it'll take time, but it will get better for him. I thank God for that. I appreciate all the kind words from Bucko, Carolyn, Indigo, Melanie, Guido, and everyone else that has stopped by here to check on me and my dopey little corner of the blogosphere. We're still battling with Lou. She had to have a tracheotomy done and that seems to have helped her with air exchange. But she still is terrified and gets antsy and easily agitated. She's just flat out scared. We try to calm her down, but most times it's to no avail... but she has been out of it most of the time since the trach was put in. She sleeps a lot more. Her heart seems to be a tad better. I think the family is doing a little better as a whole. This has kicked our butts to say the least. But like a timex, we take a lickin' and keep on tickin'... Thanks again for your prayers... They are deeply appreciated...

Down For the Count

2011-09-20T21:01:00.000-04:00

Well, so much for getting better...

Lou was rushed to the hospital Monday morning. She stopped breathing and during the course of getting her breathing again, she had a heart attack. They managed to save her but she is out of it. She has heart damage, she'll need to have a tracheotomy, and of course her kidneys have shut down. She's in ICU on a vent. It's going to be a L-O-N-G road to go... if she makes it... I'm praying that she does... She has a lot to live for... but it's in God's hands now...

This is your brain on drugs?

2011-09-18T10:57:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm going to be praying big time for Lou. Right now she keeps freaking out over at Rehab. She knows where she is and knows who we are... but she gets scared and has panic and anxiety attacks all the time. That is not her normal. So Terri tells me that it may have something to do with Lou's medications. They changed some of them and since then, it has had an adverse effect on her. Her doctor doesn't have privileges at the Rehab she's at so the resident doctors go check on her like two or three times a week. Terri took the bull by the horns and confronted Lou's doctor about this and the doc wrote orders to review Lou's meds and to make sure that she is seen daily and to figure out why she is in this condition. I pray to the Lord that she can recover from this mess... I want my spitfire sister back...

Things Are Looking Better...

2011-09-06T08:06:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the words of encouragement and for the prayers for Lou. It was quite a struggle but Lou is getting better. She knows who we are again and was doing the things that Lou typically does when she is feeling better: complain that she wants to go home and then whine about wanting diet Pepsi. I think she realizes how close she came to buying the farm this time so she appreciates what is going on now. She was discharged from the hospital and is now in a physical rehab place and so the work begins. She hates these places but at least now she understands why she is there. She had no recollection whatsoever about what happened that put her in the hospital in the first place. In some respects, I guess that's a good thing. But when we told her how bad it was, she got a little shook up. But I think that helped her realize how serious this is. And that no one is trying to "stick her in a home". That the reason she is in the hospital and in physical rehab is to get her home. But it's going to be a long road back. I reminded her of how much she has to live for... of all the good things that are going to be happening soon. The pending arrival of my nephew and his wife's baby next month. Stuff like that. That made her tear up but I reminded her that she needed to be happy because a positive attitude will get her much farther than tears of frustration. I understand that she doesn't want to be there. Heck, I don't blame her for feeling that way. But like a preacher I listen to says: "The only way out is through..." She knows that she has to go through the rehab. Nothing is going to change that. So I hope and pray that her attitude holds up in a positive direction and that she can make it home soon.

Another Week, A Close Call...

2011-08-24T12:01:00.001-04:00

Howdy y'all,
Lou was discharged last Friday and I got a call in the middle of the night from Terri that Lou was completely out of it and didn't respond to her. So, I went over there and Lou had taken apart the rail of her hospital bed and crawled to the recliner in the living room without her prosthetic legs on. Ended up in the recliner, breaking the recliner and didn't know why she did it or where she was. So after convincing Terri, I called 911 and she ended up back in the ICU where her levels were way off. She is physically doing better, but her mental status is still a concern. So please say a few prayers for her as she has a long road ahead of her. At least she's still recognizing everyone but she gets very scared and wants to go home. I don't blame her. I wish, I wish, I wish...
Haven't gotten to spend as much time as I'd like with the gal pal. She has been a solid rock for me in that she has been so incredibly patient with me and everything that is going on with my family. She has been so understanding and encouraging... I really don't know where I'd be without that woman... She has been such a blessing to me. She has absolutely no idea just how amazing and beautiful she truly is... People ask me sometimes how I deal with all of the stress in my life. That's easy. I lean on God, and I depend on my honey... and somehow, someway, I manage to put one foot in front of the other and even smile while I do it...

Hanging On Like Always

2011-08-17T07:58:00.003-04:00

Hi folks,
I appreciate the thoughts and prayers. Things are still crazy around here. Lou is in the hospital but hopefully we'll find out what's going on as she still is confused and at times disoriented. Terri is worried but is hopeful for our sister. I was really worried as when I walked into the ER to see Lou, she didn't know who I was. But once she knew who I was, she remembered my gal pal who I didn't bring up so that made me feel a little better. In subsequent visits, I never asked if she knew who I was and she called me by my name. I feel better that she knows who I am again. But the big question is why she's going through this? We don't know why but they're running tests so hopefully we'll get some answers. Spending time with Lou is always an adventure. While she was in the ER, it was me, Terri, Ang, and Nancy... all people that Lou knows and loves. And in true family tradition, we were all cutting up and making morbid jokes in the face of fear. That is always a sign that somehow, someway, we're going to make it... My faith is getting stronger!

Rebooting...

2011-08-02T00:01:00.002-04:00

Just looking at the list as I struggle and keep working at my faith... and try to hold on...

First... the one thing that I remind myself is that just because I'm a believer, nowhere... absolutely nowhere does it say that a Christian's life is going to be sunshine and bunny rabbits. We don't have all the answers. I don't know where people get that idea. I and we all that have faith, still struggle, have to go through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. No one ever said that we are better than anyone else or more importantly, that somehow we're better than those who do not share our faith. Believe me, one look at my life should serve as a perfect example. I'm a big time screw up who has a lot on his plate and still struggles on a daily basis trying to make sense of what is going on not only with my family, but with the crazy things that go on in the world around me. As a Christian, some have thought that I somehow have it all together or have all the answers, especially amongst non-believers. They're surprised to learn that we don't have it all together. That we screw up and make mistakes and blow it. I guess that's what gives me reassurance sometimes. The fact that I am no better than anyone else and struggle and try to fight the good fight like everyone else... the hope that I have in Him is what keeps me holding on and continue to put one foot in front of the other. Even in the face of adversity.

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all" Psalm 34:19

"Remember, it's the Creator who gives purpose to the created"... Will Graham (grandson of Billy Graham)

I guess what I'm trying to say in all of this rambling is that when you don't know what, where, when, who, or the big one... WHY... just hold on. It's not about seeing through each other... it's about seeing each other through...

Gut Check Time

2011-07-26T20:05:00.002-04:00

Hey folks,
I just wanted to give you a heads up on Lou. Lou's starting to deteriorate and it's becoming a lot more difficult to handle her. Terri is stressed to the point that her numbers are rising and she may have to get hit with chemo again. Then a whole series of miserable events occurred to make things even more crappy and Terri is at her wit's end. She feels like the family is under spiritual attack again. I'm not letting the evil one get away with it that easily. My family are prayer warriors. My gal pal and her family and her church are big time prayer warriors. I know that we've got a lot of folks that can pray for us... especially the girls. They need it big time. But I am not letting the devil have that kind of foothold in our lives. Sure things can suck sometimes. But I know that God is capable of anything. He can work in us and in those around us to help us deal with what's going on with us. I am not afraid anymore. Life can really whiz sometimes. But not all the time. I told Terri that I am going to help her with a couple of things so that she can lose a little of the stress she has. It will help her I pray... I've got to do right by them. They've always been there for me. I want to help them to get back to feeling better...

Why I Don't Celebrate Birthdays...

2011-07-19T00:01:00.001-04:00

Soooo...

Last Friday was another birthday that I wanted to ignore. Of course, I couldn't escape it because I was blessed to have family and some really nice friends (including a number of YOU FOLKS) that didn't let me ignore it.I thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart. It did mean a lot to me. So one might be led to think that maybe my birthday was going to be a grand time with lots of fun and frivolity in various locales with food, fun, and laughter. Well, I went 0 for 3 however looking back at the weekend, I had to laugh so that I didn't go nuts entirely... I guess the best way to describe the birthday is to do a review in time lapse fashion so that you can appreciate (or better yet, laugh at) my plight. First, a little background. As you read in my previous post, I was preparing for an exhibition all-star football game that was going to be televised on local cable. We were also going to stream the audio live on-line. So everything is going along rather okay. Until I get a call from the co-founder (the other person of that duo is yours truly) of this little venture that we're trying to make successful. Since he handles all the production side behind the camera, he's got to make sure that all the parts and thing-a-ma-jigs are working. So he calls me on Thursday, the day before the game and tells me that his computer isn't working and that he needs me to bring my set up to the game on Friday so that we can stream the audio of the game on the net. I just switched over to a Verizon moble hotspot and so far it hadn't worked worth a turkey. So on Thursday I went to Verizon and showed them my contraption and told them I needed it to work and that I needed it the next day. The young kid behind the counter didn't want to upset me so he says “I will Fed Ex a new one to you overnight.” I tell my spazzed partner on the phone that I'm going to have it in my hands on Friday by no later than three. I should have known better... What follows are the chronological events of Friday... game day... my birthday...

6am: Wake up after a short night of sleep. Look outside at my car which is serving as target practice for the seagulls.

8am: Head over to the ATM since it was payday. Got a couple of nice texts wishing me happy birthday.

8:20 Drive to the car wash and wash all the bird turds off

8:30 Head to the donut shop to pick up some treats for the folks in the office.

8:32 Get a phone call from Mike as he freaks out about some production issues and I am resisting the urge to strangle him and I try to keep calm with a box of donuts in my hand. I set them down to try and rationalize with goofy...

9am: I arrive at work only to realize that I set the donuts down on the ROOF of my car and that said donuts are now strewn on Interstate 75. Just then, a bird flying over my car delivers me a personal birthday gift that he made himself.

12pm: I leave work early to go get a bite to eat and wait for the new mobile hotspot that was being Fed Ex'd overnight to my house by 3pm.

1pm: Begin to pack up everything that I needed including computer, tv monitor, headset, and what not...

2:45pm: Start to get nervous that Fed Ex hasn't shown up yet.

3pm: Still no Fed Ex.

3:30pm: I call Verizon and explain what's going on and they check the tracking number and tell me that it's not coming till Monday. I about give birth to puppies on the spot. The Verizon rep calls the store and tells them to give me a new mobile hotspot. He asks me to go the store (20 minutes out of my way) and bring my receipt to pick it up. I'm trying to contain my emotions as I have to be at the stadium by 5...

3:40pm: I pack up what I need to as I figure I can get over there by 4 or a little after and exchange it and test it on my laptop to make sure everything works.

3:55pm: Almost to the Verizon store when I realize I forgot to bring the receipt with me and at this point, I'm channeling the Menendez brothers as I spin the car around and head back to my house to pick it up.

4:10pm: I go in the house and grab the receipt, head over to the store, and eventually get there by 4:25...

4:25pm: I go into the store and meet the store manager and sales manager. I give them the paperwork and they give me a new hotspot. I test it on my laptop and it doesn't work. I'm dreaming of little Verizon voo-doo dolls and smashing them repeatedly in effigy. The manager tried to convince me that it was my laptop that was the problem until he tried to log on using HIS laptop and it didn't work either. At this point Mik... thy name is CUJO...

FIVE OCLOCK: I finally leave with another hotspot in hand. Mike is wondering where the heck I'm at. On the road, I'm processing everything that I need to do in my head when it dawns on me that I forgot the tv monitor back at the house. I'm ready to go Lee Harvey on everyone when I drive by a Big Lots. I drive into the parking lot and walk in and grab some batteries and see that they have a 15 inch flat screen tv for 79 bucks. I was so ticked that I bought it on the spot.

5:40pm: I arrive at the Stadium and Mike informs me that he got his set up running and that we won't need my computer system after all... I start to knit a voo-doo doll of a tv producer when he informs me that we wont be using the tv monitor for the replays. I spontaneously combust...

7pm: Kick off and we don't have everything put together but the show goes on and we get through it.

10:40pm: I send a text to the gal pal that I'm on my way home.

11:15pm: I hop on line to chat with the gal pal for the first time all day. Just long enough for her to wish me a happy birthday and for me to say I've got to get up in 4 hours for work at the daytime job. I eat a sugar free lemonade popsicle that I bought at the dollar store and go to bed...

1:30am: I finally doze off for a couple of hours and get right back up. And who says I don't know how to celebrate a birthday? Just keep the sharp objects away from me, that's all I ask...

Another Week Begins...

2011-07-11T00:01:00.000-04:00

The carousel of health issues. Lou goes to the doctors tomorrow for a check up. She is getting more forgetful and has panic attacks. She'll go to the doctor and tell her that everything is fine. I know her doc who is a friend of mine. So after her appointment, I'm going to try and talk to her doctor and let her know what's going on. We'll see what happens. Keep her in your prayers... I'd appreciate it.
Other than that, not much else is happening around here. Spent some time with the gal pal this past weekend... ALWAYS a bonus! She keeps hinting at a wedding... I'm gonna have to give in one of these days. LOL... She's worth it.
But I'm going to spend my birthday this Friday (sorry Carolyn, I'm a July baby) broadcasting an all star football game online. Normally I'm excited about this because we're getting close to the start of football season and then my favorite... HOCKEY season!!! But I know how much this puts a drain on my gal pal. She is soooo patient with me. She allows me to go and be a sports maniac for most of the year. She listens to all of my games even though she has no concept of hockey and could care less about it... She just loves listening to her man... Hmmmm, I'm going to have to marry that girl...

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year... yeah, right!

2011-06-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

So, it's my least favorite time of year... because I'm surrounded by... by.... BIRTHDAYS! Apparently my parents and other relatives back then needed to keep warm in the winter because there are about six of us in the family that have birthdays within a month of each other. And that includes a number of my nephews and a niece so that means shopping for gifts... Ugh! I've got another birthday coming up in a couple of weeks. I don't mind that I'm getting older. I still feel reasonably good, thank the Good Lord. And I know that I'm not a kid any more. But I still feel like one sometimes. I enjoy that when I can do that... I don't mean it as in calling everyone "dude" or watching MTV or something stupid like that. No, I am a guy who is pushing 47 and still loves sports in large quantities much to the chagrin of my gal pal. But she loves me anyway. I still live old school rock music and culture. I still wear cargo shorts even though I'm too dang big to be wearing them. I eat more tv dinners than home cooked meals which may have something to do with my being too dang big in the first place!

When Mayflies Become June-flies

2011-06-17T00:01:00.002-04:00

OKAY... what is worse? Mayflies swarming on a few trees? or Hockey fans in Vancouver being Canuckle heads for burning cars, looting, and just out and out stupidity. Hey, at least in Miami they didn't trash the place because D-Wade and LeBrick couldn't shoot a basketball... Just finishing up my winter sports fix for the summer! Seemed odd to say but I digress. It's summer so it's time to endure the mayflies for the next few weeks here on the lake. Before beautiful weather without swarms of pests takes over. Hope all of you dads have a good father's day and for those of you that are sans offspring enjoy it anyway...

Oh Deer...

2011-06-02T10:35:00.003-04:00

So here we are heading into summer ( I don't think anyone reads my blog from the southern hemisphere) and man oh man is the weather messed up. My thoughts and PRAYERS go to the fine folks in Tuscaloosa, Joplin, and Springfield (both IL and MA). This is plain nutty.
Speaking of weird, I went down to see the gal pal (always a picker upper) and we got to spend a couple of nice days together. On my way back home, I began to notice something that I wasn't particularly aware of prior to this past weekend. At first, I saw a deer that had been run over and it's remains were on the side of the highway. Never a nice thing but I understand that when these creatures dart out in front of the semi-trucks that are going full tilt carrying their loads, that things like that can happen. What struck me as odd, was that I didn't even go a half mile (or kilometer for those of you outside of the States), before I saw another deer that had been mowed down on the highway. I think the thing that I thought most bizarre was that usually, the folks that take care of the highways in their areas, usually are first to clean up any unfortunate mishaps like this. I guess it wasn't in the budget this year because as I drove over a 2-hour span, I must've saw about a dozen deer who where struck down by oncoming traffic. Of course, me being the type of goofball that I am, the first thing that occurred to me was "awww... potential Bambi and Thumper..." of course the next thought I had wasn't quite so nice because I thought of the old Gary Larson cartoon "The Far Side" and the cartoon where he has Santa at a keyboard and the title of Santa's entry was.... "Nine Ways to Make Venison..." I know, I know.... I'm such a dork!

Beauty and the Beast... Mik Style...

2011-05-17T00:01:00.001-04:00

This is why I'm so at peace. I have a wonderful woman who I'm sure would like to ring my neck at times but still loves me anyway. I can't find the words to say how much this woman means to me. She keeps me in check and I continue to grow as a person and a man who loves this girl. By the way, in other news, Terri's surgery went well and she's feeling a whole lot better. Thanks for your prayers. I wanted something here to brighten my day and nothing my brightens my day quite like my gal pal does...

Oh brother (or sister or nephew)...

2011-05-09T07:55:00.002-04:00

Hi there...
I've been busier than I could have imagined since the hockey and basketball seasons have ended. The family is hanging in there as best they can. Terri is getting ready to have her FIFTH surgery since January when she had her double mastectomy. She is hoping this will help clear things up. Come to think of it, so am I.
I guess the one thing I've learned, is patience. I've learned to appreciate the small things more than ever before. Life is so precious. I don't take it for granted. I stopped over to see Terri for mother's day and of course I ate because when you go to Terri's, that's what you do. Anyway, it was pretty cool because after about an hour, Tony my nephew with his Amanda, and Alex with his Amanda and the little ones all showed up and we had an absolute blast. It was enjoyable to see them and we spent a few hours laughing with Tony getting ready to become a dad for the first time, I had to give him grief about giving up video games in exchange for diaper duty. I told him he'd never survive and when he'd reach to pull his hair out, there wouldn't be any there. He rolled his eyes at me and tried to act all tough and stuff. He started cracking little nuggets like "I can do what I want"... He was lying on the couch on Amanda's lap when he said that. Bad move on his part. Amanda is a woman who doesn't take any crap off of him and I thought she was going to strangle him on the spot. The rest of us were laughing at him and he just stuttered and finally gave up and just laughed himself... it was a good mother's day...

Go Blue? Really?

2011-04-27T00:01:00.001-04:00

We're only half way through the week and already I'm ready to go nuts... people wanting to strangle each other and it's just been a hectic week. But just when I think that I'm coming apart at the seems... I am reminded of why I am an Ohio State fan. I work in Ohio but live in Michigan. There's always the back and forth between the fans. Lately its been the Buckeyes who've been getting taken to the woodshed. But once in a while, I have a moment where I can say "must be a Michigan fan" and I get a gem like this come across my path...

Caller: "I was wondering if you guys have a website to go to so that I can see what kind of jobs you have?"
The caller is given the website to check on employment opportunities...
Caller: "okay that's fine but will it work for me here Michigan? Can I get to the website from up here?"
um... uhhh... (the sound of scratching head)

again, you can't make stuff up like this!

Gotta love them Michigan fans... or not!

Rootin' Hootin' and Tootin'...

2011-04-18T07:30:00.004-04:00

Spent the weekend with the gal pal (always a treat)... we went and saw the movie "Soul Surfer" which is based on the true story of the teenage surfer in Hawaii who had her arm chewed off by a shark and how she came back and surfed again. A very moving story if ever there was one. Both me and the gal pal enjoyed it immensely. Had a nice dinner afterwards and what dinner and movie date would be complete without the obligatory trip to Wal-Mart? I love that place!
After spending a fantastic weekend with her, I made the long trek home. I stopped for a bite (read: a couple of Coneys at Gold Star Chili) and both there and Skyline Chili are always a treat and worth stopping for because their are no locations anywhere near my town... I went in and placed my order and could hear a family sitting at a table just being themselves and talking over each other. As I grabbed my food and was leaving I heard the following between two sisters who appeared to be ages 12 and 9...

12 year old: "you're being a pain, you are making a mess!"
9 year old: "I am NOT"
12 year old: "Yes you ARE. You've spilled it all over the table"
Mom: "Girls, come on now"
12 year old: "Why can't you just stop it"
9 year old: "It's all because you FARTED!!"
12 year old: ... (complete silence) ...

You can't make stuff like this up...

Well, so much for the Blue Grass...

2011-04-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

UK lost (read: they gave away) a game they should have won, in losing to eventual NCAA champ UConn by one point... This really had my gal pal feeling a little bummed. But to give you an idea where her mind is... We watched the game together last Saturday night after she had been in a wedding of one of her cousins. The wedding was over by 8:30 (didn't have a long reception) and my beloved got changed and we hurried home so that we could be there by tip-off. Now she was a little bummed at the outcome. But forever the optimist, my much better half looks at me square in the eye, and with the biggest smile says "oh well, at least we beat Ohio State!" ... I really love that woman... drives me crazy sometimes but I love that woman...

Feeling Blue... and happily so!

2011-03-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

So,the great battle of OSU and UK completed and UK upset the number one team in all the land, I have to deal with the gal pal reminding how great her team is... I don't mind though. I text her during the game and told her that I was pulling for UK. She was so happy when UK won in what was arguably the best game of the tournament so far. Then yesterday, UK struck down North Carolina and advanced to the final four... This has made my better half sooooooooo delirious with the thought of another championship dancing around in her head. I have to admit that I'm happy too. Namely cause she's a happy camper right now because her team wasn't expected to do what they're doing in this tournament. Plus I'm a Kentucky fan now too. Keeps the peace that way...lol...

Tip Off

2011-03-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

Man oh man,
Talk about if I had didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all... Well, the Cherokee lost in the playoffs for hockey and got eliminated. So when I broadcast the Hurster Cup this week, it'll be totally unbiased (and only mildly interested). To make things more interesting this week, my gal pal and I both are in my NCAA basketball tournament pool. And her very favorite team who she is ferverent and wildly passionate about, the Kentucky Wildcats, play this friday. I've become a Kentucky fan for basketball. I enjoy watching the tradition and how the fans are the most rabid I've seen for basketball. My only problem is that I was born and raised an Ohio State fan. I was also raised a Notre Dame fan. But since they got bounced early, I still have the Buckeyes. So now the other half, she is telling me that I'm not a real UK fan. I am a UK fan. But I don't have the time invested in them like I do Ohio State. Its not that I don't want Kentucky to win on Friday night. But I don't want to see the Buckeyes lose either. My sweetie is giving me loving, playful hints about the game on Friday night... ("prepare to die Buckeyes!!") lol... But OSU is the overwhelming favorite going into this game. I'm not saying too much cause I know how passionate she is about her Cats. For her, it's so much more. I told her if the Wildcats win, then I would pull for UK. I asked her if she would do the same if OSU won... of course she said "Heck NO"... So when I get home Friday night. She'll have the game on at her house, and I'll have the game on at mine. But we won't have anything to do with each other until Saturday.... this is serious stuff...lol... wars have been started over less...

The Luck of the Irish?? Really?

2011-03-17T00:01:00.001-04:00

Hey guys,
Thanks to all of you who came around and visited and prayed for me and my family. Still haven't heard from my family down south, but I've let it go... If it's going to happen, then it will happen. I've spent the last week and a half having to look at reality. Took Terri to her doctor's appointment and they decided to admit her immediately. She had to have more surgery the next day. They told us she's a medical mystery. She had the double mastectomy and when they did an MRI to check her for more walls of tumors, there were none. But there were six pockets of fluid along the chest cavity and they had to go back in and remove those. She's got them stumped. I just say God has a definite plan for her and I think He has a sense of humor. So she gets out of the hospital and Ang, my kid sister who had a double mastectomy a few months ago, calls me out of the blue and says that she's in the ER with her youngest who broke his arm in two places. They're going to need to do surgery on his arm because of the severity of the break. If I didn't know better, I'd say that someone's messing with my process. It feels that way sometimes. But I know better than that. I think that's why God has put so many cool people in my path. A lot of you guys and people in my day to day life have gone through far worse than me and have survived to let your tests be your testimony. Me, I am doing pretty good. Even as crazy as things have been here lately, I know that we're doing alright. Heading to Peoria to broadcast playoff hockey games this weekend (Fri, Sat)... Seven hours on a bus with a bunch of hockey players... ugh... But it's what I love to do... And it's a bit of normalcy for me and it lets me know that God has blessed me with a great sense of relief and gives me more life to look forward to... Hope you made your March Madness NCAA picks :)

One For The Books...

2011-03-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

Don't know how to feel...
Got a call from Terri who told me that one of my favorite Aunts had passed away. That was sad, no question. I hadn't talked to or seen my aunt in quite a while (before we lost my dad). But I always had warm thoughts about her. I spent some time in her house right after I graduated from high school as a kid. She lived in Texas and I wanted a change. I didn't last too long (something about there not being any snow... aka home sickness) and I headed back up north before too long. Our family had bonded with her and her kids more than any other relatives. Which made this such a weird situation. Terri got a call from my dad's brother who lives a couple of hours from where my aunt did, just to check on the family. He mentioned my aunt in passing and it turns out she passed away last month! Uh, what? Absolutely no one bothered to call us to tell us about her... She has 10 kids so you'd figure someone might want to drop us a line... But we didn't get one call, note, email or anything... I'm sure it was simply an oversight. But it made those of us north of the Mason-Dixon line feel pretty lousy. Especially because we couldn't grieve with them or go down to pay respects... nothing... I was a little ticked off at first but then I figured that it probably wasn't intentional. We can still pray for her and for them. Has anything like that ever happened to you? This was a first for me... it was weird... just plain weird...

Life and Love... My View...

2011-02-18T17:39:00.002-05:00

Hi y'all...
I'm feeling a bit more chipper after my last whining session... Terri, who had to endure a THIRD surgery while she was in hospital, was finally able to come home from the hospital and is one hurting girl. But hopefully, this will be the last of it and maybe she can heal and try to live... wow... LIVE... what a concept! Me, I'm doing okay. I've run across some people who've helped me realize just how fortunate I am and how fragile life can be. I seen a couple of severely handicapped kids and it almost moved me to tears. I am usually one of the most cold and cynical people on the planet... But this really affected me. I would always say a quick prayer for folks like this, but I was really bothered because in my head I was thinking "Lord, why? What did they do to deserve this?" But the answer hit me almost immediately: "they didn't do anything to deserve this." No one ever said life was fair. And seeing these precious kids made me realize that I can pine about how unfair it is. Or I can be grateful for every day of life that I'm given. Either way, it's not going to change their predicament per se'... But maybe, just maybe... I'm the one learning the lesson here. They seemed to be happy and were well taken care of by some good-hearted (read: Angelic) people. And what popped into my head and my heart was the fact that I learned more about what genuine love is from five minutes in front of these kids than I ever could teach or show someone else.
Speaking of showing love, I got to spend three hours with my beloved gal pal in the middle of a mall food court in Cincinnati on Valentine's day weekend. We just sat there and talked and talked. I learn more and more about love from her than I could ever show her. She thinks I'm the greatest guy but truth be told, she is the greatest and God put that dear woman in my life to keep me from completely sinking when I was feeling low. She is such a loving, warm and caring creature. I gave her a few goodies for Valentine's day, including a card that was almost as big as she is... lol...

Just Passing Through

2011-02-10T10:06:00.003-05:00

Where to begin... in the last 2 weeks, 2 people from work passed away unexpectedly. Both were very nice people and though they worked in different departments, I dealt with both. Then Terri shoots me a text saying that an aunt of ours and a cousin of ours that we knew growing up also passed away. I hadn't seen them in quite some time. But I remember them fondly. It was like a part of my childhood drifted away. I guess that's part of life. When people you remember from your youth start dying, it not only reminds you of how fragile life can be, but it gets you thinking about people you used to know, people you loved, people you couldn't stand (lol), most of these folks I haven't seen in years. And yet when I hear of someone passing, it takes me back to a completely different time. I was reading in the paper the other day that one of my favorite music artists passed away as they found him in his motel room. He'd had a heart attack. His music was pretty much the sound track of my youth. (His name was Gary Moore and he'd played in the band Thin Lizzy) I guess the reason I'm writing about all these folks passing is because they all happened in the same time frame. And I guess it got me thinking about my own mortality. Strange how that works... Tomorrow would've been my mom's birthday. I guess it all falls together like that for a reason. On the still alive front, Terri is going back into the hospital for more surgery. They found some infected tissue in her chest and they need to take it out pronto. So hopefully this one won't be as traumatic as the last one. I'll keep in touch and let you know how it goes...

A Word About God... and synthesized pop music!

2011-02-01T03:01:00.000-05:00

It's been a while now that you've read what I've written for over the last six years. Most of it about my goofy self or my family's struggles. The day after my first entry, my father went to Heaven. What a start... And then we can't forget the bizarre and weird time that was an ex-girlfriend and the nonsense there. But then came the slow development of my faith. Still not completely understanding it all, but knowing that there was something better and I wanted to find it. Then when I thought I was meant to be alone, God put an absolute angel in my path that simply rocked my world. When I thought that my heart was nothing but shredded raw hamburger, she completely turned my world upside down and my heart was not only healed, but restored and came roaring back to life. But God has a sense of humor as it had to happen under the wackiest of circumstances. Then the focus shifted back to my family, in particular, their health. It seemed like every time we would take one step forward, one of us would get knocked two steps back. Reoccurring tumors with Terri. Lou literally getting knocked senseless and suffering from some memory loss to this day. The sucker-punch of Angie finding out that she had breast cancer and her subsequent double mastectomy. Not to be outdone, Terri finds out that she had to have a double mastectomy herself and last Monday, she went under the knife. Now afterwards, they were worried about finding more tumors and that they may have spread. As of this writing, no new tumors have been found. No spreading of the others either. So right now, she's in a bit of a holding pattern. During this whole enchilada, (an a.d.d. moment- what is it with me and food?) I found myself wondering why God allowed this to happen to our family like this. I've never doubted His having a purpose for all of this, but in my mind I kept thinking "when is enough, enough?" I'm sure there's always going to be more peaks and valleys that we all will go through. I kept telling myself to just believe. Love God, I'd tell myself, and He would see us through it. So I did... I tried to do all the right things including prayer. I did them with my heart and yet there were times that I felt something was missing. I couldn't put my finger on it. Then, when Terri sent me that text saying the pathology report came back negative, she was so grateful. "God is so awesome" she said. I told my gal pal the good news and she was thrilled. Later, I said goodnight to her and expected to go to sleep because I had to go to work in the morning. But I couldn't sleep. Something was gnawing at me on the inside. So while I was looking at some classic rock videos on You Tube, I was watching a video of a Christian rock band (Petra) and it was at this point that it hit me... It's in the middle of the night and it finally became clear to me. The reason that I felt out of sorts over all of this was that I felt like a doorknob. I wanted to be really mad at Him for allowing this stuff to happen to my family but couldn't bring myself to do that. I was frustrated with everything but I knew it wasn't His fault. But I still wanted to be po'd and figured that He was the only one who could understand. I didn't lash out but it was hard for me to acknowledge my Savior and say "I love you God" when I was feeling so distressed. But finally, through all of this, with a simple text from my sister, and while listening to an over-produced cheesy keyboard laden pop tune, I felt the desire to look up and give thanks and tell God that I loved Him. Not because I had to... because I wanted to. I remembered that He understands our frustration and it's okay to be disappointed and a little ticked. He's been in my shoes and has gone through far more than I will ever know. More than I can ever thank Him for... He wants me to love Him... I love you God... cheesey, awful pop music optional! And then I slept like a baby... And woke up to a lovely beautiful SNOWSTORM!!! Like I said, God has a sense of humor.

Cruise Control

2011-01-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

So, Terri's double mastectomy went without a hitch. She's still hospitalized but is hanging in there. Typical of her. She appreciates all the prayers... so do I. That's been the big deal going on in my world right now. I'm trying to keep calm and peaceful through all of this. For the most part, I am... afterall, I'm not the one getting major surgery and having a major part of my body removed. As a friend remarked to me today about my family's situation: "is there a black cloud following you?" No there is no black cloud following me or my family. I have faith that my family is going through this for a reason. God knows that reason. I don't. But that is not going to shake my faith. I believe we're going to be okay. It'll be a struggle at times, but it will be surmountable. Other than that, not much else happening. It'll get better here though. It's not a deep freeze right now. It seems weird that it goes up to a frosty 23 degrees and I feel that is a warm up of some sort. But a cooling trend is on the way... down to single digits again this weekend... OH YIPEEEE...

On Thin Ice... Splat!

2011-01-20T09:20:00.004-05:00

ahhhhh... I love the ice. Every weekend, I get to go to a rink whether our home rink, or if we're on the road, we get to go where there's ice. I love the ice. There is something spiritual for me when I put on skates and go for the occasional skate. I don't do it that often anymore, but when I do, it feels wonderful. It really does allow me to clear the senses and free my mind from all the stress and crud that goes on... I have always had a deep respect for the ice. I got up for work yesterday and went outside to get to the post office and then to work. I felt an odd feeling as I went to close the door. It was ice. The same ice that I treasure within the confines of a rink. The same ice that I get such a rush from when I lace up the skates. The ice that wasn't visible with the naked eye that I stepped on. Of course my natural instinct was to try and catch my balance and avoid going to the ground. Ooops! Bad move on my part. I ended up doing the splits, my feet going out from under me and SPLAT!!! Splat was funny when I watched the Road Runner cartoons on tv as a kid. When the Coyote's endless supply of cash would buy weapons galore from the Acme company to knock off the Road Runner, he inevitably would screw everything up and fall from high altitude locations and go SPLAT on the ground. After yesterday, as I sit here feeling a little more stiff and sore, I can appreciate what ol' Wyle E. Coyote- super genius- went through every time he went down... Some day I hope he gets that dang Road Runner!! Splat indeed!!

A Look Ahead...

2011-01-09T13:10:00.003-05:00

So here we are, our tootsies barely dipped into the sea of 2011 and already it's just crazy. After the senseless violence in Arizona, it puts things in total perspective. Sad... terribly sad. Prayers go out to the victims and their families.
In lighter fare, had a great Christmas and New Year's. Got to spend some time with the gal pal and that was humorous. Watched lots of sports (not exactly an interest of hers) but I took time out to put the first season of "Castle" in the DVD player. We watched all 12 episodes... we are so lame...lol... But I needed the time with her where we just took it easy and relaxed. I always feel rejuvenated and recharged when I spend time with her. She is my future. No doubt about it. My sister Terri's double mastectomy is on the 24th... Say a prayer if you would please be so kind?
My question to you all is what is your New Year's resolution for 2011? Or at least one of them... Mine is to spend some more time with the gal pal. She wants me around and she is always so patient in putting up with me. So I feel that I've got to try and do that for her. That's mine, what's yours?

A Christmas Whine with That Cheese... Ho Ho Ho

2010-12-24T07:01:00.003-05:00

I stopped at the grocery store to get the ingredients to make a hawaiian cheeseball to take over to the girls house for Christmas.... here's how it broke down:

Philadelphia Pineapple Cream Cheese... $2.89
Philadelphia Chive and Onion Cheese.... $2.89
1 Can of Cashews (halves and peices).... $2.79

Oh, and a couple of last minute gift cards for the nephews....

Final Cost.... TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS!!! (WHAT??)

Merry Christmas everybody... May the Good Lord bless and keep you as we celebrate His birthday. Without HIM, there is no Christmas!

Steering In A Better Direction...

2010-12-16T00:01:00.001-05:00

Feeling grateful,
Yeah, that seems to be a recurring theme with me these days. Gratitude. Yep, I can't shake it. I got home from Battle Creek on Sunday in the middle of the snow/ice storm and saw multiple cars spin out and end up in ditches. I got up on monday morning heading into work and spun out trying to turn on the entrance ramp of the highway. I stayed on the road though so I was grateful for that. Then as I'm cruising at a slow speed on the highway, two cars directly in front of me, both spin out at the same time. One sticks it in the median rail to my left, and the one on the right sticks it into a ditch. Man, talk about white knuckling it on the way to work. Once I got there, I breathed a huge sigh of relief and gave thanks. The ride home was much smoother, but boy did I ever take it slow. Of course I've got like 9 days to shop for Christmas, and I haven't even started yet!! My gal pal thinks of me as a "typical man" because of my pension for procrastination. Thankfully, they're having a book fair (which includes more than just books) so I can finally get started. I've got mostly nephews and such to get for... I'll spoil the gal pal because her birthday is the day after Christmas. So I'll make sure to do things right. I won't be dropping to a knee just yet, but she already knows that. And she knows that one day, I will. In the mean time, I get to spoil her like crazy and love her like only a crazy man can!

It's the Most Wonderful Time Of the YEARRRRR...

2010-12-08T00:01:00.001-05:00

Well,
It's getting mighty close to Jesus's birthday and I for one, am getting giddy. I think it's because I have learned to really appreciate that life is might precious and should not be taken for granted. I see my sisters working to make it. They used to avoid talking about their ages because that meant that they were getting older. Not anymore. They have come to appreciate every birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and everything else. I can't blame them at all. It's taught me a whole lot about having an attitude of gratitude.
While I'm grateful for life, I am FREEZING my butt off... My gal pal likes to refer to the area I live as "Siberia" and right now it's with good reason. We are in the 20's for highs and in the single digits for lows and wind chills below zero. Granted, I don't live in Alaska. Those folks know what cold is much more than we do. But I'll be the first to tell you, I like cold. BUT it has to be at least 30 degrees for cryin' out loud. I do sound like I'm whining. But that's becasue I'M COLD. I hope to stay warm while we are in the middle of a deep freeze. So I'm thinking about Christmas. Of course that means a whole different set of issues. Most notably, I don't know what the heck to buy my family for Christmas!!! Do you have anyone that you have a tough time buying for? Me, I got a bunch of them! Who are your toughest ones to buy for?

When a $20 Dollar Oil Change Costs $128 Dollars

2010-11-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

I was getting ready to spend an afternoon with the gal pal since I haven't seen her in a while. So I stopped after work the day before to get the oil changed in my car since it had been a while. The sign said "Special $19.99" so I figured hey why not? So I pull in and order the oil change. I pop the hood, and tell the guy I just want a basic oil change. I sat in my car and the guy goes underneath the car and then comes back and tells me "Your transmission pan is leaking... and there is a lot and I do mean A LOT of dirty crap in your oil." So my 20 dollar oil change ended up costing me 128 smackers. But it made my gal pal happy because her little man got his car fixed up and got to spend six hours with her. How did we spend the six hours? That's a no-brainer... on her couch with me laying down with my head on her lap and her running her fingers through my hair as I fall asleep while watching the Ohio State - Michigan football game. I know, I know... you're saying "Mik, you are such a romantic!!" Well, think about it. Where else can I write about fixing my car, spending time with my one and only, AND reference sports while still showing that I love my best girl? Of course she was just happy to have me there in her arms, snoring like a freight train... I don't think she knew that the TV was even on... let alone who was playing in the game. But her man was there with her and that is all that matters. I love that girl I tell ya... I'm going to have to marry her some day. She's a keeper!

A Dork For All Seasons...

2010-11-18T17:07:00.000-05:00

Hey all,
Well, Angela's fundraiser was a nice success and many thanks for the good wishes. She came out last Tuesday night to pick up the contributions I had for her silent auction and I ended up coralling her into doing a brief interview on the air. Of course she is not shy when it comes to talking to me but the beginning of the segment was vintage Angie and Mik...

Mik: So we welcome you to the show Ang. How ya doing?
Angela: Ohhhh, I'm okay I guess.
Mik: You weren't expecting me to do this, were you?
Angela: Uh, Nooooo I thought I was just picking up the prizes
Mik: Well, that's what you get for trusting me
Angela: Yeah, you'd think I'd know that by now
Mik: Gee, Ang, what are you trying to tell me?
Angela: I hate you!

At this point, the guests that were on the show all bust out laughing at me. I'm not sure of the final totals but then again, I'm just her brother so I don't count as important family... heh-heh... I'm sure I'll hear about it at a future family get together... hopefully like 20 years from now... you know what I mean?
A big "gee thanks guys" to all of you that are (with great intentions, I know) 'encouraging' the exchange of vows between me and my sweetie. She gets tickled every time she reads those comments. I know that down the road, I will be marrying her because she is the single greatest thing (this side of Heaven of course) to have ever happened to a dork like me. She is simply one warm, tender, caring, and incredible human being. I could not, cannot, nor would not, even remotely attempt to do any better than her. There is no one else that could ever occupy that spot for me. It's hers to toy and torture me with... I always tell her that even if I were stupid enough to give her any grief or back talk, she could just mow me down with her wheelchair and there's nothing I could do about it. But she loves me too... that's the icing on the cake. (sugar free of course...lol)
Anyway, there are sooooooooooo many issues that are in the mix here. Distance, moving, job concerns, my family's health situations, the whole nine yards. After surveying multiple components and doing due diligence, it would make things very happy for the two of us emotionally, but very, very, very, difficult otherwise. I'm not going to rush cause I want to do things right. When it comes to the institution of marriage, I'm strictly old-school. I am a "one and done" guy. My best girl knows this and is understanding. She has the patience of a saint. I am doing things with my future with her in mind. She knows that also. She knows that she is stuck with me for better or worse (or as I like to say, 'warts and all') and she couldn't be happier. She just wishes that I were right there with her everyday. She misses me when I'm not there. I miss her too. I try to tell her "honey, be careful of what you wish for cause you might just get it..." But despite my best efforts to let her know what life with me would be like, she is still there for and loves me. And a good sign that she is in it for the long haul too... she hasn't mowed me down with her wheelchair yet!!!

Random Thoughts from a Random Mind

2010-11-12T00:11:00.000-05:00

Some cool stuff happening around here...
They're having a Texas Hold'em Tournament, Spaghetti dinner, and silent auction tonight as a fundraiser for my kid sister Angie who had a double mastectomy last month. The fundraiser is to help offset the costs that her insurance didn't cover. The people at her job really came together and are going to make it special. Of course her big brother won't be there. I will be in St Louis broadcasting hockey games online this weekend and will be leaving in a few. But I'm sure she'll do fine. Yesterday was Terri's birthday. She told me how much she really appreciates each one now. I don't blame her. Last weekend, a player on the team we played was hurt and ended up hospitalized. So one of the assistant coaches stayed behind with him and they were in town till the player got released from the hospital yesterday. I spent my down time running back and forth with the coach and getting him out of the hospital to not go stir crazy and he seemed like a nice enough guy. But my gal pal didn't like not getting to spend ANY time with me this week. I'm gonna have to do something to make it up to her... She puts up with me so much... And deserves so much more than I give her. But she's satisfied with a goof like me. So I'm grateful and happy that she loves me. I know some have said that she's lucky to have me too. But I'm telling you folks, SHE is the amazing one. I'm just the big dork who loves her. I do what I do these days because the Good Lord put her in my life. I know I wouldn't be the guy that I am if she weren't around. I'd be empty, miserable, and a complete weenie, being a complete doorknob to people. THAT is how big of a difference she makes in my life. From doorknob, to weenie, to dork, to her Mik... it scares me sometimes when I think about how different my life is now with her in it. I am so blessed that I'm not the same schmuck that I used to be. Believe me, I was a pretty rotten guy... But I guess it took getting old and having your rear end handed to you a few times to appreciate life. She is the icing on the cake. Heck she IS the cake... of course now I've made myself hungry thinking of cake and wanting a big heaping slice of red velvet cake with 23 thousand layers of frosting on it. What in the heck is a diabetic supposed to do???? Ugh...

Keeping Sane Inspite of Feeling to the Contrary...

2010-11-05T00:40:00.000-04:00

Hey all,
Wanted to take a few moments to update what's going on and say thanks to everyone for their prayers and good wishes. The girls are all continuing to battle courageously and holding their own as best they can. Me, I had gotten to spend a little time with the gal pal last weekend after not seeing each other in a long time because of my sports travel schedule and she just melted in my arms and I saw the look in her eyes and I knew that there was no way I could ever and I do mean EVER get away from her. I saw what love, what real true love looks like when she looked in my eyes. It made me forget about all the stuff going on in my life and made me realize that no matter how bad things get, that amazing woman is always there for me and I am so blessed. As long as I live, I'll never forget that look on her face. It was a gift from God that told me that we're gonna be okay. As the sign hanging in my house says: Faith means things are possible... not easy.
I'll check in a lot sooner for my next entry. Thanks for being so understanding and supportive...

We Now Return You To Your Regularly Scheduled Program...

2010-10-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

Sorry I've taken so long for the update to the update. Lots has happened. Some good. Some... not so much. Ang has gotten good news in that her cancer is very treatable. The doctor likes her chances. She's feeling better than she was about the whole thing.
Now Terri on the other hand, got hit YET AGAIN with some crappy news. She too will have to have a double mastectomy. Her numbers were as bad as Angela's when they tested her. They wanted to do an MRI to be sure but the chemo she's been taking damaged her kidneys so they couldn't inject the dye and couldn't do the MRI... Plus two of her heart valves are leaking slightly so she just wants to just scream at the world something fierce. I don't blame her. I went to visit her at her house yesterday and she said "You know, I just want some sense of normalcy... is that too much to ask?" Well Terri, I'm guessing that normal and our family have never been on familiar terms so I would have to say a big fat NOPE to that one.... Me, I'm doing okay. Besides, what do I have to complain about? The girls are the ones that are going through all of this garbage. I just get to watch....

We Interrupt This Program To Bring You....

2010-10-08T01:00:00.001-04:00

From the "Who says prayers aren't answered?" department:
When last I wrote, as my kid sister Angela was having a double mastectomy, she was told that they found more cancer in her lymphnodes. She was about as sunk as the Titanic with an anvil tied to it. Me, I simply felt numb. She's my kid sister for cryin' out loud! But then it started. I started getting emails and text messages etc. from people who were offering to pray for her. My gal pal got her entire church to lift my sister in prayer. I got some help from some pretty special people online. I know that there a lot of people that have prayed for my family and me... For that I am humbled and grateful. People like Helen down in 'Bama who is a Godly woman that prayed for us from the get-go. That meant a lot. From folks like Bucko over in Hoosier-land who offered kind words of support throughout this whole ride. My favorite Jersey girl Mary who has always been not only a friend but always gives me a little food for thought (as long as it's not chicken... Briege might get upset!). And a very awesome Canuck transplant (guess who Carolyn?) who got her entire group of prayer warriors to lift Angela up in prayer. I don't know most, if any of them, but Carolyn went to bat for me and my family. I know that it's always easy for people to say they'll pray for folks and then go on with the rest of their lives. But this time around, I really felt it. People were really praying for Angela. And when you wonder how your prayers will be answered, you really don't know. But then there's this: I get a note from Angela tonight that says "I got my labs back. The tests show that there's only one lymphnode that is cancerous (and very treatable). The rest of the lymphnodes have come back NEGATIVE!!!" I sat in stunned silence here at my place, all by myself, and smiled. I couldn't do anything else. How she went from her lymphatic system being cancerous to just ONE lymphnode? I know there are some that read my blog that aren't believers and that's okay, because you are very welcomed here too. I am no better than you and I never will be. But I am as sure as I am sitting here typing this, that the reason for Angela's change in her test results is because of GOD and your prayers. No one... wait, let me repeat, NO ONE can ever change my mind about that! I am a simple person who has been humbled by the concern and care of so many people for me and my family that they don't even know. But your thoughts and prayers have done something great here and I am beyond grateful. THANK YOU!!

Catchin' Up

2010-09-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hey folks... sorry it's been so long. Lots going on around these parts as we try to deal with all these setbacks. First of all, my kid sister Angela is recovering from all day surgery, the double mastectomy. Well as if that wasn't bad enough, there always seems to be a curve ball thrown when it comes to my family. Sure enough, it turns out that they found more cancer in her lymphnodes. So radiation and chemo are the order of the day. I am just dumbfounded and numb right now. I'm so sick of this crap! You ever just wonder when enough is enough? I am sooooooo tempted to fall into that pity party. It is very tempting. But I'm not going to give in... I can't. It's not going to be that easy, but I'm determined to keep my faith. I'm not about to abandon ship now. As for the kid sister, she's still in la-la land so I'm not sure about her emotions right now. But she's got my other sister Terri to help her deal with the chemo and radiation issues that will need to be dealt with. There's not much to say right now as far as what's happening. I will get back on here in about another 10 days to two weeks to touch base and update what's going on in my completely warped and topsy turvy world...

Reconstruction Period

2010-09-13T08:35:00.000-04:00

Thanks again for prayers and good wishes. My kid sister got the final confirmation that she'll need to lose both breasts but she's going to have reconstructive surgery done afterwards. She seems to be alright. She knows that she doesn't have much say in the matter. She's putting her energy into the Susan Komen "Race for the Cure". Something she had never done before. But now she's throwing herself head first into it and it seems to be helping her deal with things emotionally. I can only hope she keeps it up and keeps going. Having Terri there to help her navigate through everything can only be a help and a blessing. I went back over to her place cause her son was selling Entertainment 2011 books for his school fundraiser and she figured she strike while the guilt factor was hot. (did I mention that my family is very wacky?) While I was there, I overheard her talking with her friend on the phone about putting money together to get team t-shirts for the Race for the Cure event in our area. I just walked over and tossed some money to her and said "buy some shirts" and left. She yelled "thank you" and that was as deeply emotional as we got. I reckon neither of us wanted to sit there and cry or something. Why cry when you can laugh?

An Attitude Adjustment...

2010-09-01T00:01:00.000-04:00

Here I sit and I gotta tell ya, it's more than a little humbling. It's funny, every time a bitter pill needs to be swallowed by someone in my family, God puts people in my path that without even trying, flip my world upside down. Got a beautiful email from a very sweet person. Carolyn, thanks so much for lifting my family in prayer. Your continued endeavors as a prayer warrior have been such a blessing. I couldn't be more grateful. Thank you so much my friend. And thank you to all my wonderful friends online who have been keeping me and my family in their thoughts and prayers. They're being answered.
Did two major things to get my mind back on straight and feel a whole lot better. First, I went and spent the weekend with the gal pal. That woman is so far out of my league, that it's just plain silly. She has absolutely no clue as to how beautiful she really is... She was there for me and listened to me on Saturday night while I fretted, expressed fear, and felt helpless. She was so incredible in that she didn't judge. She didn't say that it was all going to be okay. She just held me close, let me vent, and comforted me and gave me some advice and absolutely alleviated my fears and frustrations. She'll deny it and I'm glad she does, but I am so unworthy of that woman. She is simply amazing...
The second big thing I did was to go to my youngest sister's house yesterday and I got a chance to talk to her and see how she was really doing. She is a wacky one that kid sister of mine. She was very talkative and we sat and talked for over an hour. She asked some questions of me and I of her. She never cried once and even considering the subject matter, we spent a majority of the time laughing. Then her oldest son who is starting high school this week, brings over a neighbor friend and fellow freshman to the house. Now I'm not one to judge, but my nephew tells me that he is not a fan of this kid and confides to me that the only reason the kid is over is because he feels sorry for him. That the kid is really annoying and aggravating is a mild overstatement. The younger nephew is in 7th grade and is quite the witty one. He was telling that he was working on his Mathematics homework. Now this dear freshman (I think his name was Scott), who is in that delicate stage of reaching puberty (as in his voice is changing), decides to demonstrate his superiority over my younger nephew Bren. It went something like this:

Dyl: what are you doing?
Bren: Mathematics homework
Scott: You call it mathematics? At my school, we call it 'math'. (at this point, captain obvious begins to aspirate from a piece of pizza going down the wrong pipe).
Bren: At my school, we call that 'choking'...

My week has turned for the better.

The 'C' Word

2010-08-26T15:28:00.003-04:00

From the "Here we go again" department:
Please say a prayer for my kid sister Angie. She was just diagnosed with breast cancer. I was in total shock when Terri told me. Lou and Terri are both doing sort of okay at the moment. Both are trying to deal with their own health issues as best as they know how. But to have this bomb dropped was very devastating to the family. Don't know how extensive or how far along the tumors are, but from what I can tell, there is hope for her. So, just another crap nugget for my family to deal with... But deal we will. Ang was a mess when she found out but seems to be grasping things a little more sternly than she did earlier in the week. It does put some wacky thoughts in your head though... hmmmmm.... My ol' man lost his battle to this disease, Lou has had it, Terri has it, now Ang.... how much longer till...

Way To Go, Eh?

2010-08-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

Ahhhhhhh... Canada! (well, okay Windsor, which really doesn't count!)

When last your caped crusader inked an entry on this blog, I was concerned about getting in order:

- my birth certificate
- photos for my passport
- a letter or ticket of some sort to explain my reason for going to Windsor
- my application to get my passport and get it sent back in time for the trip to Canada.
- money to exchange for Canadian currency.

Well, it was an adventure to say the least. I called the bureau of vital statistics to find out info on getting my birth certificate. I go on my day off and head downtown to get it. I pay the fee and fill out the info and turn the form in to the lady behind the counter. She goes to pull my certificate up and tells me that my certificate is not legible enough for it to be acceptable for my passport application. I'm thinking 'oh wonderful'. Then she tells me that she has to call Columbus (state capital) to get a new done up copy of it and have it sent up... I tried to keep my sense of humor and let it go. I wanted to get this done all in a matter of about a week. So the new certificate comes in and I go to the passport place up in Detroit, three days before I needed my passport. I get there and I go to the wrong building. Then I go across the street to the proper place and go and register and go to the window where the kid was who was going to administer my oath. I take the oath and he fills out the information and then tells me that even though I plunked down the extra 60 bucks for expediting, my passport wouldn't be ready until the day that I NEEDED it to go over the border. So I took an extra half day off from work and drove back up to Detroit to pick up my passport, and then drive a few blocks further to the Tunnel to Canada. It has been almost a decade since the last time I went north of the 49th... The home of Poutine, Tim Horton's donuts, Canadian Tire (a department store with a very tiny tire section) and of course HOCKEY. Well, that night was for food and basketball. I ate gluten free pizza and boy was it good. I go to the game and my gal pal was watching the game from home because she wanted to see if she could see me on tv. I love that woman I tell ya... she is way more than I deserve. She texts me to tell me that she saw me in a close up shot (I was sitting behind the Western Ontario bench) and what was I doing? Texting her of course... I'm such a dork!

ID Please...

2010-08-01T14:08:00.004-04:00

I'm about to do something I've never done before in all my years of nuttiness. I'm going to go get my passport. Well, actually, I'm getting my passport card which is for Canada and Mexico land travel. I'm going to go over the border to Canada to watch an exhibition basketball game between the University of Windsor and the University of Kentucky. These days you need passport or passport card to travel between the U.S. and Canada so I'm going to blow over a hundred bucks for an ID card to travel 40 minutes from my house to go watch a basketball between two schools that doesn't actually count towards anything. Makes sense, don't ya think? I guess that will encourage me to go over the border more often like I used to when I was younger. But most of my free time, what little I have, is spent going to see the gal pal. But I'm looking forward to seeing how this process of obtaining this ID is going to play out. How long will it take? How much paper work is involved? It should be humorous, I hope!

The Art of Breaking (the alarm) and Entering...

2010-07-24T12:01:00.000-04:00

From the files of "Police Squad" (not)... Lt. Frank Drebin would be proud...

So, I go to see my gal pal cause I needed to and the fact that she never fails to amaze me, not only with her beauty, but with her gentleness, kindness, and (when dealing with me) PATIENCE! (ha-ha). I just flat out love that girl. And she loves me too! Always a huge bonus. Well, we go to church on Sunday morning because that is what we do. We also, like always, go down the street to get something to eat afterwards. So we go and eat and her parents are there in the back private room, eating with a large group of folks from Georgia who came up to teach Vacation Bible School for the week. So her parents were going to give them the two dollar tour of where they'd be teaching at. It was a hot, very hot, day and I was dripping with sweat already. So her dad tosses me the key to his house and says "here ya go". The wonderful thought of kicking back in the air conditioned comfort with my best girl made me smile. So the gal pal and I pull up and I help her into her wheelchair. I go to unlock the door, and hear the alarm go off. I stay calm and ask the gal pal if she knows the code to shut it off. She gives me the numbers and they turn out to be wrong. I hear the phone ring in the backround but don't know where it is. So I call her father on his cell and explain to him the noise he hears in the backround is me apparently breaking and entering because there is an alarm going off here!!! He calmly gives me the code to enter and sure enough, the alarm shuts off. Then he asks me "did the phone ring yet?" My heart begins to sink as I reply "uh, yes." He comes back with "oh, that was the security company, they're going to send the law out after you. It was nice knowing you Mik." Everyone loves a smartalec... So I figure I'll explain everything when they get there and hope they have a sense of humor. I get the gal pal out of her wheelchair and onto the sofa so she can get comfortable. I go to the bathroom and change out of my church clothes because they are soaked with sweat (gee I wonder why?) and I change into a t-shirt and shorts. Then the phone rings again. My heart starts to pound as I race towards it from the bathroom. I see the phone in the kitchen, setting in it's recharging station. I pick it up and hit the 'talk' button to answer it. It's only a split second later that I realized that once you lift the phone from the charger when it's ringing, that it will automatically answer. So when I hit the 'talk' button, I actually disconnected the call. I look on the caller ID and sure enough, I had just hung up on the boys in blue!!! I let out a curse word (sh**) and in the other room, the gal pal yells out "what did you just say?" and starts laughing at me. I called the number back on the phone and they answer and I just flowed like a volcano when lava spews out, explaining the situation and even the police person on the other end of the phone laughed at me. So FINALLY we got everything resolved and I was able to sit on the couch with the gal pal and I think I put her to sleep (also known as putting one of my all-time favorite movies on: "Rudy"... the movie about the Notre Dame football player). A little while later, her dad comes home and walks in and looks at me and as he's walking by, he chirps at me "Mik, are you still here?" and starts laughing at me. I told him if he ever thought I might consider a life of crime, this experience should put any such thought to rest. My gal pal had the biggest grin on her face. Probably because it involved something other than watch a movie that was putting her to sleep. Her inept, would be burglar just laid his head on her lap and knew it was all going to be fine when she just ran her fingers through his hair. Man, I really do love that girl!

Doesn't Seem Like Five...

2010-07-16T00:41:00.000-04:00

Hmmmmm... had a nice birthday yesterday. Moving into official middle-age didn't seem like to big a deal until I tried to mess around with my sister's dog Lucy. I went over there yesterday cause they wanted to make a nice meal for me for the birthday. I enjoyed it and started getting playful with Lucy. I was in the backyard and thought about running around the yard with her. That's when it hit me... wholly crap I can't run like this dog can. I just smiled at her, left her in the back yard and walked back in to the air conditioning and just said the heck with it.
Well, it was five years ago today that my dad went to heaven. I miss him. He was a good guy and he loved his family. Part of me wishes he was still here. But the overall feeling I have is that I don't wish him back. I know he's in paradise and with my mom whom he loved like crazy. Why would I be so selfish and wish him back to here? It wouldn't be right. I know he's not suffering from the ravages of cancer anymore and he is enjoying life in eternity. That's a pretty cool thing and I won't want him back when he is free from pain and misery. But it's been five years and I know that he's at peace... I still miss him though... Still, thanks dad! I appreciate all that you did for me to show me how to live and to love. Thank you ol' man... you're the best! I love you a ton!

What's In A Name?.... If You're Seven!

2010-07-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

From the 'captain kangaroo meets bart simpson' dept:

Okay, time for your inner, immature, seven year-old to stand out and shine... The following is excerpted from from the children's book "the adventures of captain underpants" and "perilous plot of professor poopy pants" by Dave Pilkey. In this story, the professor (a bad guy) forces everyone to assume a new name. So, with that little nugget in mind, here's a little excercise in useless stupidity. Find your capt. underpants/prof. poopy pants new name... it's easy, and cheesy and downright silly. But hey, I have been busier than all getout and I needed to put out a new entry for my blog. I was hard up for ideas...lol... here's the directions: from the following list of silly names, choose yours based on three letters of your entire name. Here's how you come up with your silly name...

Step one: Use the third letter of your first name to determine your new silly first name...

A= Snickle B= Doombah C= Goober D= Cheesy E= Crusty

F= Greasy G= Dumbo H= Farcus I= Dorky J= Doofus K= Funky

L= Boobie M= Sleezy N= Sloopy O= Fluffy P= Slinky Q= Slimy

R= Dorfus S= Snooty T= Tootsie U= Dipsy V= Sneezy

W= Liver X= Skippy Y= Dinky Z= Zippy

Now, Step Two: Use the second letter of your last name to determine the first part of your new last name...

A= Dippin' B= Feather C= Batty D= Burger E= Chicken

F= Barffy G= Lizard H= Waffle I= Farkle J= Monkey K= Flippin'

L= Frickin' M= Bubble N= Rhino O= Cat P= Hamster Q= Buckle

R= Gizzard S= Lickin' T= Snickle U= Chuckle V= Pickle

W= Hubble X= Dingle Y= Gorilla Z= Girdle

Finally, the last part... Use the third letter of your last name to create the second part of your new silly last name.

A= Butt B= Boob C= Face D= Nose E= Hump F= Breath

G= Pants H= Shorts I= Lips J= Honker K= Head L= Tush

M= Chunks N= Dunkin' O= Brains P= Bisquits Q= Toes

R= Doodle S= Fanny T= Sniffer U= Sprinkles V= Frack

W= Squirt X= Humperdinck Y= Chicken Z= Juice

And presto! you have a new silly name... And I have updated my blog. I hope to hear what your silly names are... For the record, my silly new name is Funky Catdunkin'...

Gone Fishing without a pole...

2010-06-28T19:51:00.004-04:00

I needed to get away for a few days and lo and behold my gal pal and her family were vacationing in Tennessee near the Smoky Mountains. I really needed to get away and just relax. So I cruised down there and proceeded to have a blast with her and got to relax and take in the beautiful scenery. I stayed at a nearby motel about 15 minutes from the lake they were staying at and hung out during the day and evening. My goodness, the view was breath-taking. In fact, the gal pal and family are talking about going back next year. Hey, I'm up for it....

Meanwhile, Lou is having a birthday and in a couple of days, my great-nephew is also having a birthday. He's chalking up his first one. Guess who'll get more spoiled and get more gifts? hahaha...

Stormin' Round Two...

2010-06-24T07:46:00.003-04:00

Wow... more fun and frivolity weather wise. Last night we had funnel clouds pass over our community and more high wind damage to the west of us. But I'm grateful that we didn't get a direct hit here. It was weird though because the line of storms that were supposed to pass over us, stalled and waited like they were taking a number to hit our area. It had the weather guys on tv a bit perplexed. A town out west of us called Edgerton got nailed this time. Edgerton is right on the Ohio-Indiana border and they had some significant damage to their fire station and their townhall was destroyed. There was some areas that got hit with high winds, lightning, and heavy rain. But fortunately, most of the damage was in rual areas and not near heavy populated areas. As per usual, there were trees knocked down and a few powerlines with electricity knocked out for a while, but the folks will rebuild and bounce back like they always seem to do...

And When They Rock.... THEY ROCK!!

2010-06-17T00:01:00.000-04:00

Boy, what a night it was...
I get out of work at five to head over to where the "Game for Giving" charity basketball game was to be played, at Genoa high school. In my head I keep thinking "don't freak out Mik, you're used to getting rosters right before start time and still manage to pull it off. Well, I get there and walk in to find that the ABC affiliate is doing their newscast from there. Cool. But it doesn't help with the fact that I have no rosters to familiarize myself with. And on top of that, I don't know if I'm going to get roster of the faculty and staff that are playing the tv station folks in this basketball game. Well, the Good Lord was with me and I decided to stop being to anal about the whole thing. We had two computers up and running to do the video broadcast online and the other to record it for broadcast on tv later. About 40 minutes before tipoff, the newer computer gives us the BSOD (the Blue Screen Of Death)... Which meant it was fried. Oh perfect! could this not get any better? Ugh. So we decide to take our chances (translated to "pray that it works") and ran everything off of ONE computer. Well, for the most part it worked and we were up and running. Then, I knew it was going to be a good night for us when our polo shirts with the TSR logo came in before the game. Changed into those and as they were announcing the starting line-ups (which we finally got at 8 minutes before tipoff), and when they announced the faculty team, the crowd gave it up for all three schools that were represented on the team. Genoa (the host) got a big response. Delta (who saw some nasty damage to some homes in their area) got some loud cheers. But the biggest response was for the Lake high school staff on the roster. People there not only lost their homes and their high school, but 6 lives were lost there. The Lake contingent got a huge standing ovation that lasted almost 2 minutes. It was very moving. And as the news anchor from the station introduced everyone, they even introduced us at TSR and we got a big ovation from the appreciative (not to mention overflow) crowd there. There were so many people that came out that they had to open the auditorium next door to show our broadcast on closed circuit to accomadate the over flow crowd. The game wasn't too bad. The news anchors were pretty darn good if I do say so myself. They were kicking butt however the teachers kept coming back. At halftime it was very emotional and moving. They had a bunch of little contests and stuff. But then they had the fire fighters and rescue people from Lake Township and Millbury come out to center court to take pictures to commemorate the event. The whole crowd rose as one to give them a 4 minute standing ovation. Tears were flowing from so many people. Some of the people who had lost their homes were in attendance, just to get away from everything for a couple of hours and have some fun. My co-host for the event Steve Taylor put it best when he said "with this, now some of the healing can begin." To top off the night, a lady won the 50-50 raffle and her share of it was one thousand and seven hundred dollars. After the game, she brought it back and asked that it be given to a family that was at the game that had lost everything. The place went beserk and tears were flowing freely from the family that received that money, and the person who gave it, and just about everyone else in the place. It really re-affirmed my belief in the human spirit. That despite all the negatives, that people at their core, are generally good. It was an event such as this that proved that these communities will rally around each other when things get tough and no matter how difficult, they will endure. I walked out of the gym into the hallway and walked over to the bake sale table and bought a big plate of chocolate and vanilla gooey cookies and purposely paid nearly double what they were selling for and took them back to the TSR crew to enjoy. I even had a bite of one despite my diabetes. It was an incredible evening this area of tiny hick towns pulled together and raised over forty thousand dollars to help these families with some of the things they need to start over. God gets the credit in this one. Ain't no doubt about it.

For Those About To Rock... We Salute You...

2010-06-14T20:05:00.003-04:00

Thanks to all who sent their best wishes over what was a pretty crappy week last week in north west Ohio. People have been coming in droves to help out those who lost everything. Well I guess everything but their lives. And another person lost his life over the weekend. He couldn't hold on anymore and succumbed to his injuries. The real sad part is that he was the third from his family to perish from the tornado. He was 37 years old. His wife and 3 year old son were killed that night in the storm. The lone survivor is the 7 year old daughter. Of course at church on Sunday, the question was asked "why?"... and of course there are no answers. But my belief is that God has His reasons and I'm not privy to them. Not much I can do about that. But I can do something in the way I respond to those who need help. So of course that also makes me a little nervous. Our local ABC-TV affiliate is putting together a charity basketball game at a local area high school just down the road from where Lake High School was destroyed. The money raised from this game will go towards tornado victims relief. The scary part that makes me nervous? I am (along with a buddy of mine) are going to be the broadcasters doing the game for the station. Now normally, I'd be so geeked because I'm doing something to help out with the relief effort and would consider this a high honor to be a part of something so special. But the problem is that I won't know the lineups or the rosters till about an hour before tip-off. If that early. And to appear on tv on the our local ABC affiliate... and not know the names of everyone involved? Wholly smokes! My biggest concern (read: worry) is that I won't get a handle on all of the names of the people that are participating in this thing. So if you're totally bored and want to watch me go down in flames and have a laugh, you can watch the game online beginning at 7 pm US eastern time tonight (Tuesday June 15th) as our little goofy station Toledo Sports Radio will be providing live tv online coverage. If you have a high speed connection, feel free to stop by and see some mediocre to average basketball for a very good cause. And listen to me stutter and babble my way through it all... ugh... lol...

Strange Daze...

2010-06-08T21:41:00.003-04:00

Over the last few days, I've seen a couple of small towns where I live get leveled from tornadoes. I've seen lives devastated, homes and businesses ruined. And to top it off today at work, our former county auditor decides to take a flying leap from the fifth level of the parking garage and end it all. Why did he have to pick my place of employment?? To quote the profound theologian Slim Pickens (he of "Blazing Saddles" fame)... "What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on around here???" I'm sitting here typing this out, still in a bit of shock over everything that's transpired over the last 72 hours. Its just been insane. Just freaking nuts! I'm trying to find the words to convey what I'm feeling right now, but I just can't seem to find them. You can go on different news websites to see the destruction from the tornadoes that came through my neck of the woods. Some only a couple of miles from me. But until you see it first hand, video doesn't begin to do it justice. It looked like a dang bomb went off and now resembles a war zone. In Lake Township, it leveled the police station and destroyed the high school only 14 hours before graduation commencement was to take place there. They ended up holding the graduation tonight at a local junior college. The bad part of that was that of the folks killed, one of them happened to be the father of the valedictorian. I'm very blessed that my small town was spared. Only very minor damage to some fencing. A small silver lining is that I am not surprised at the response of the people to those horrible storms. Trying to pick up the pieces... these people just sprang into action. That is what is so good about small town folks in middle America. People who had just seen their lives forever changed in a matter of seconds, were out there in the blinding rain, and wind... not to mention darkness (this happened at about 11pm on Saturday night and again at 3am Sunday morning) looking for their neighbors to see if they were still alive or if they needed to be rescued. People helping people. They will persevere... That's what it's all about.

A View From The Booth... er... Table

2010-06-03T01:43:00.007-04:00

Here's a bizarre day off for you...
I haven't been out and about for a while because of my voice deciding to take a vacation without me. A touch of strep throat is never good from any standpoint. For a guy who broadcasts sports, it's a pain in the bu....er, throat. So I've been on the shelf for a few days and have had to rest my vocal chords with no talking to ANYONE... I've stayed cooped up in my house and have been trying not to go stir crazy. So I decided that today I was going to go out and eat somewhere. I didn't know where, but I was determined to enjoy going outside and eating like a moose.
So I hit the road and driving up and down the road with multiple choices but nothing hit me as really good. Finally, I settled on eating at a Chinese buffet... all you can eat..... mmmmmmmm... Mik likes that! Mik likes that a lot!! mmmmmmmmmm... So I go inside the Chinese restaurant and everything seemed to be normal when I first walked in. But after that, everything I was expecting went out the window but I was going to enjoy my meal. So I am seated by a pretty little girl who didn't speak english well. She was mexican and when she asked me if I wanted to be seated in a booth and I said "sure" and she promptly seats me at a table instead. No big deal. Then my waitress asks me what I'd like to drink and I say a diet soda please. She brings it to me while I'm helping myself to the peanut chicken and other high fat delicacies that looked soooooo good. I never see her again. Now they had chicken wings (a personal weakness) and pizza... I know I have a couple slices when I'm doing my online radio show. For some strange reason, I have an aversion to chicken wings and pizza from chinese buffets... I don't know why. I just never touch them. I tried some korean chicken, and sweet n sour, plus my personal favorites, general tsao and pepper steak. Oh was it good. Handling the refills for me was a late teen or early 20-something mexican kid whose english wasn't the best but he was wearing his Jimi Hendrix t-shirt and was grooving it in his own "Purple Haze"...lol... Now you might think I find it odd that a mexican family is running a chinese restaurant. I don't find it odd at all actually. I'm just painting the picture here... to give you the idea of how out of sorts I was at the time. The only odd time I had in this buffet place was watching an elderly couple who were a couple of tables away from me in a booth. They went up to load up on food and they appeared to be flirting with each other. I couldn't be sure because it was all done in sign language. I know just enough sign language to understand that I really don't know that much sign language. But they had such loving looks on their faces. When I watched them for a brief moment as they dined, I realized that you're never too old to love and be happy. The oriental music playing overhead seemed harmless enough. Until I realized that although it was an oriental instument playing, the song was a familiar hard rock tune from many years ago. My first thought: "alright man, where is that kid in the Jimi Hendrix t-shirt?"

Dollars to Donuts...

2010-05-25T00:00:00.000-04:00

how's this for a situation?...
I go into work at the wee hours to do my job and at about 7:30 in the morning, I opt to head to our cafeteria for some breakfast and to get some treats for my co-workers. Now being a diabetic, I know I can't eat what I buy for the folks I work with. I never let that bother me. It's no big deal for me to scoop up some big coffee rolls or donuts or lemon bars... whatever the treat may be. I usually grab for myself some crap like eggs, fruit or something of that ilk. Not as good as what they eat, but then again, I have this thing about wanting to live. I don't want to check out anytime soon so I best not go near the donuts, bagels, or any sweets. Bummer I know, but hey, I got over my passion for italian food and now have learned to live without spaghetti or a rigatoni or the other delectable pastas that end in "I"... sigh... But I do miss them all... it sucks to be a diabetic. Anyway, so I get myself some runny eggs and a terribly bruised Fiji apple and a bottled water. The eggs were mixed with some chopped sausage. It whizzed big time. Meanwhile my co-workers were treated to Cinnamon rolls gobs of frosting. Lemon Bars, Macademia Nut cookies and Banana Nutbread Muffins. And gormet coffee to boot. So I got all of this food on a tray piled high and drawing the most bizarre looks from people as I walk by. I could only imagine the thought that prevailed most was "geez you moose, no wonder you're a freakin' diabetic!"... So to the masses outside of my department, I'm probably a moose for eating cakes, rolls, donuts and cookies. And I sit down to eat my runny eggs and bruised up apple and shake my head and yell at the top of my voice.... CAFETERIA FOOD SUCKS....

In the Tall Grass

2010-05-14T07:16:00.002-04:00

I am such a dork!
I finally BORROWED a lawn mower and cut my grass. I guess I should give a little backround. I've gone through and still have THREE lawn mowers (and none of them work). They are now all worthless. It's been raining for the last three weeks in near biblical proportions and I'm not saying I should build an ark or anything, but I have been looking at animals and thinking of them in pairs...lol... but I digress. Anyway, back to the lawn. I went through three, YES, THREE of those stinking things since I put them away late last fall/early winter. I broke them out hoping to get the lawn (uh, okay, actually more weeds than grass) cut. But none of them had oil in them and I didn't know that till it was too late. It's not like I have a gigantic yard or anything. Add to that all of the rain we've gotten so far this spring, and it has the makings of some ridiculously high grass. As I looked out over the lawn, I started to have strange visions of my childhood when I watched "Hee Haw" on television. I remember the people in the corn fields that would tell real corn ball jokes. A much more innocent time to be sure. But then they would dip back into the field and you couldn't see them. Looking out over my lawn, I felt something similar to those "Hee Haw" moments. I was actually feeling more like Clark W. Griswold in the "Vacation" movies but after going through THREE (yes, three) lawn mowers, I humbly borrowed one and mowed the lawn and felt such relief. Until I looked back out at the lawn and it looked like it could use a trim. THAT is how long the grass got. So I ran the lawn mower over it again, returned the lawn mower, and of course, it started to rain. And it rained for two days. At least it wasn't forty... I looked out at the grass this morning and of course, it needs to be cut.... AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

Thanks Ernie...

2010-05-06T11:26:00.004-04:00

As I move on everyday in this journey of mine, I find the highs and lows and try to manage as I go... No big surprise as most all of you try to do the same thing. And when you reach a certain age, you tend to spend just a wee bit of time looking back and reminiscing about happy times in the past. Usually, that involves childhood. At least that is what I do. A huge part of my childhood involved a transistor radio and hockey and baseball games. That was my ticket out from my house of blah that I painted for myself. We didn't have cable tv in my neighborhood until I was an adult. So all we had was about four or five channels on tv and whatever was on radio. Being a big sports fan, I loved listening to sports on the radio. It helped passed the time and it was such an important part of me back then. So it was with such sadness when I saw on tv that one of the most important voices of my childhood had passed away. Ernie Harwell was 92 years old but a VERY spry 92... The cancer in his bile duct took him from here but the memories of him calling Detroit Tigers baseball for 42 of his 55 year broadcast career will always be permanently etched in my head and my heart. The Georgia born but MADE in Detroit icon started his career in a weird way. Back in 1948, the Brooklyn Dodgers announcer fell ill, so their owner traded a minor league catcher to the minor league Atlanta Crackers for their announcer... Ernie Harwell! Ernie did short stints for Brooklyn, the old NY Giants, and then Baltimore, but finally found a home in the Motor City. Detroit and Ernie Harwell was a perfect match. My childhood was surviveable because I got to listen to Ernie Harwell and Paul Carey (a vastly underappreciated announcer in his own right) every day and it made sports such a hoot. I remember sitting on the porch with my ol' man and we'd have 760 WJR radio tuned in and Ernie and Paul would paint such a glorious picture of what was good about the world. It gave a hopeless kid from a rust-belt neighborhood a reason to look forward. It was a very important part of my childhood and now that such a vibrant part of it is gone, the world seems a little darker. But at least I'm glad that I was privelaged to have grown up (no matter how rough) and able to listen to a guy who helped shaped my view not only of sports, but a little bit of life too. Thanks Ern, you've done so much for so many. Now Heaven has their announcer... and he has a Southern accent!

For Everything Else, There's Mastercard...

2010-04-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

Okay... When in doubt, I needed to get some time with the boss...

Time spent on the road driving in one day: 14 hours

Sleep I got over two days during that time: less than 6

The look on her face when I showed up after not much sleep: PRICELESS!!!

P.S. I haven't spent much time with her... so I pulled a marathon road trip so we could spend all of a whopping four hours together. Four... Why you ask? BECAUSE SHE IS WORTH IT...

An Occasional Setback...

2010-04-17T16:02:00.004-04:00

Terri's in the hospital again as the chemo she had been on before this latest one (that she is allergic to) had done damage to her body and she was feeling like crap. Well, she discovered also that this chemo treatment every three weeks is dehydrating her so bad that it's hurting her kidneys. So when she gets out of the hospital, she's going to have IV therapy at home and see if that works. She's got chemo again on monday. I don't know how she does it. I really don't. She still has her days that she just wants to quit, but overcomes those times a whole lot stronger than I ever could.

When I Need A Reminder...

2010-04-07T00:01:00.001-04:00

It goes without saying that behind a semi-decent guy, there's usually a great and awesome woman... For me, I have a great one who doesn't see me much. I'm usually tired and winding down from a busy day when I see her or spend any time with her. She has endured my crankiness, all the pressure i've been under as of late. And she has to put up with my sports schedule and broadcasting games when I could be spending more time with her. But she endures it all and is always encouraging me to do what I love and go for my dreams. I can honestly thank the Good Lord for her because as sure as you're reading this, I can tell you that I absolutely shutter to think what my life would be like without her in it. My life would be an absolute disaster...Sometimes, I need to remind myself that no matter how crappy life can get, I've got a lot that I have to be thankful for. She is a real reminder of just what is right with this world. If for no other reason, for putting up with a dork like me...

I'll Be Home For Easter....

2010-04-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

Well, first things first. Happy Easter everyone. He has risen!
The last few weeks have been like Good Friday... Tough, painful, overall pretty lousy. But we endure. And we keep our faith... and before you know it, Sunday comes and He rose. And for me, things are improving, and I feel joy, gratitude, and somewhere in all the chaos, I feel a little bit of peace. Don't know why. But I know that things will work themselves out. He heard my prayers. He heard the prayers of the folks here that read this goofy little part of the world that is me. I can never thank Him enough. I can't thank you folks enough for you prayers. Both of the sisters are back home. Terri is weak, but wants to cook for Easter Sunday. Typical Terri. Lou just got home on Good Friday. Still a little confused, but nowhere near what she experienced while in the hospital. She is so happy to be home. Me, I'm ready to collapse, but i'm glad that we're here to celebrate some wonderful things. He has Risen. My eyes are heavy as I type this, but I wanted to update and express some gratitude because even when things are tough like on Good Friday, we gotta remember that Sunday is coming... Oh and by the way, did I mention: HE HAS RISEN!!

Stress? Never Heard Of It...

2010-03-27T19:45:00.004-04:00

I am soooooooo tired.
Lou is starting to get back to her old self... FINALLY! She was moved to the rehabilitation unit which basically is an extended care facility. But for her, it's not permanent. Thank the Lord. In fact, she has been getting real antsy cause she wants to go home. I went and visited her and all she could talk about was that she wanted to get out of there. The problem is that she needs care right now 24/7 and the home visiting nurse is only for part of the daytime. So she needs to strengthen up in physical rehab and that will give Terri a break too as she has to have chemo that she's allergic to and she'll be down for a while. It's been a pretty heavy duty stressful time for our family but life goes on. I have to get my poop in a group cause my car is acting up a bit and needs work and it's just a bunch of little things right now that are making life challenging. But I'm not giving in to the desire to have a pity party. Life can whiz sometimes but I knew that there would be times like this. But like the Good Book says... "Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world..."

No Luck Of The Irish...

2010-03-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

Appreciate the kind prayers for Lou and Terri. Terri is hanging in there like always. Lou has had a rough road to travel. She was in the ICU and even though she had head trauma, she was doing decent. Then she was transferred out of ICU and when she got nauseous, the doctor ordered a med that we told them NOT to give her as it makes her confused and disoriented. They gave her the med and sure enough, she got all disoriented and didn't know who we were. I was not happy and Terri, even in her condition, about blew a head gasket. We got the med stopped and Lou is very slowly starting to remember things but is still quite out of it. She is miserable and can't focus on anything and is getting very frustrated. So that is where things stand with that situation. But in a moment that told me that maybe she's doing a little bit better, she had a vintage Lou "moment".
She is in a semi-private room (which means NO privacy) and her roommate is a little 96 year old woman who is all of 4 foot 8. Lou (who is a bilateral amputee- just below her knees) is watching as the woman (who is extremely hard of hearing) is helped to the bathroom. She comes back out, and Lou looks at me and says "y'know what? I bet if I could stand on my stumps, I'd still be taller than her..." I buried my head and nearly convulsed with laughter. My big ol' body was shaking like Jello. That's when I knew I had hope for my sister...

Stress? What's Stress?

2010-03-11T00:01:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder....

I know that there is a reason for everything. But my family has had better weeks. Terri had to go get chemo (the chemo that she's allergic to. But it's the only one that works on her) and they gave it to her at half strength. She got sick and they wanted to stop but she told them to keep administering it to her. It took them NINE HOURS to get the full dose into her. Her doctor told her "you know what Terri? I wouldn't blame you if you said you wanted stop doing this anymore." Apparently this doctor doesn't know her very well. I got to feeling under the weather with a fever and general state of dizziness. Thought it might be my sugar, but it was fever and after I hit the Tylenol, I felt better once it popped. But it came back twice and it's gone for now but I don't know what the heck is going on. Then to top it off, Lou had an accident. The ambulette came to pick her up and take her to dialysis. Well, they have to put her wheelchair on a metal riser that lifts her up from the ground into the ambulette. I don't know how, but her safety belt that was supposed to be fastened came loose and she and her chair rolled off from the riser and she ended up falling back, hitting her head something fierce, and ending up in the neuro intensive care unit. Her CT came back negative so they think she'll be okay but there's a little blood at the base of her skull so she's going to be out for a while. It really hit me like a sucker punch because of all the things that I figure that could happen to her, this was the LAST thing I would've figured. It's times like this I still wish I drank because boy I could use a stiff belt right about now...

Pickin' and Grinnin' (my apologies to Hee Haw)

2010-03-06T09:50:00.003-05:00

Okay, so when last I wrote on these pages... I was whinning about the Olympics and who to root for... I didn't mind Canada winning the hockey gold medal even though I wanted the States to win. Now looking back, it was an odd Olympics marred by tragedy, perseverance, inspiration, and hope. The poor Georgian national who bought it on the luge track before the games officially opened. That really could've brought things to a screeching halt. But they kept going. One of the two biggest stories to touch my heart was watching the story unfold of JoAnnie Rochette. How she endured the loss of her mom and had the skate of her life two days later. That was unbelievable. That, to me, exemplified the Olympic spirit. I just felt so sorry for her and her father. But the way she gutted through that pain with such a great performance, she won everyone's hearts over. That and the gold medal hockey game between the US and Canada... People who weren't hockey fans watched that and marveled how great that game was. I have to agree. They really put on a show that will also leave a huge mark on the games.
Okay so we got the Oscars coming up tomorrow night. Normally, I'm not one to be the least bit concerned about another self-congratulatory awards show. I don't know... I guess I like making picks and since the football season is over, I'm stuck with the Oscars... I'm usually wrong with the picks I make and who the actual winners are, so I'm picking who my personal favorites were and then who I think will actually win... Just the top five awards...

Best Supporting Actor

My Pick: Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones)
Oscar Pick: Matt Damon (Invictus)

Best Supporting Actress

My Pick: Mo'Nique (Precious)
Oscar Pick: Mo'Nique

Best Actor

My Pick: Morgan Freeman (Invictus)
Oscar Pick: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heat)

Best Actress

My Pick: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
Oscar Pick: Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

Best Picture

My Pick: The Blind Side
Oscar Pick: Avatar

Gold Silver and Bronze

2010-02-19T00:01:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh the road to the Olympics...

I've always preferred the winter Olympics to the summer games. Mainly because I live in the north and love winter sports. Obviously, ice hockey is my biggest passion as far as sports go. And right now I am enjoying the heck out of the games in Vancouver. Now granted lots of things have gone wrong there for the folks putting on the events. Someone dying on opening day is not what the officials had in mind and on a lighter note, we won't even mention the weather. But there's just something about this thing that we watch every four years that just gets me feeling like a kid again. Okay, maybe not to the point of picking my nose and wetting my pants again. I was regressing to my preteen youth, not as a toddler...lol... But I will never forget as long as I live, the Miracle on Ice at Lake Placid in '80... I had never cried watching a sporting event until then. When we beat the Soviets in the semis and turned the world upside down in winning the gold two days later. Yeah that was amazing. It's still burned in my memory banks and all these years later, I still get jazzed up thinking or talking about it. I say that because it presents a dilemma for me with this Olympic games. My very favorite hockey players from the NHL that are playing in this tournament are mostly playing for either Canada or Sweden. Most of the guys from my country's team are guys I have spent most of my time rooting against whilst they played in the NHL regular season. How can I shut down my lack of enthusiasm for them and become their biggest fan for what amounts to a less than two week tournament, only to go back to rooting against them afterwards? I feel like I'm not really cheering for them... I'm only cheering for some laundry. I want to cheer for my country... I really do... But none of the players I admire, respect or like play for Team USA... what's a hockey guy to do? I guess I'll just watch curling.

It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas...

2010-02-10T15:53:00.003-05:00

I tunneled my way out of my door and looked at my car and turned around and went back inside and just sat there and watched the snow keep coming down and down... I think the only way I could make it to work right now is to go by sled dog... Ididarod training anyone?

Only In Michigan

2010-01-27T00:03:00.002-05:00

I'm NOT trying to sound morbid here. But I got a true story told to me by one of my best friends who lives over in Pittsburgh and I haven't seen him in about 4 or 5 years. The hockey team had a game over there so I made a side trip to go see him and his wife. In the midst of his and my catching up, he tells that his father (whom he hadn't had a relationship with for years), passed away late last year. He didn't seem too down about it at all. So I didn't really press the issue. But he did go to the funeral back in northern Michigan. He then proceeded to tell me a story that was nothing short of BIZARRE. I don't have enough space here to list all the oddities that happened at this service. But it involved everything from motorcycle gangs (he didn't like or own motorcycles), to during the service, someone actually... I kid you not... actually going up (as part of the service) and channeling the spirit (and voice) of the deceased's dog. I'm NOT KIDDING! It took every ounce of energy within my being to look at my buddy with something resembling empathy (he still had a look of bewilderment on his face)... He looked at me and laughed at the thought of a girl going up and reading letter in the voice of a dog. I dang near wet my pants and did everything I could to not shake like jello. I'm not one to be judgemental, but when they take the coffin out to the hearse after the service was over and leave it in the hearse (unlocked) and go downstairs to the church basement to eat BEFORE they go out to the cemetery for burial... yes, it was that, uh, um, odd. So my head started thinking in the wrong direction. I didn't want to think about it, but I gave into temptation and had to ask: What is the strangest funeral story you've ever heard? On second thought, maybe I'll just say have a nice week and I'll try to figure out a more interesting subject to write about next week... I'm such a dork!

Rambling Thoughts on a Wednesday Night...

2010-01-20T22:33:00.000-05:00

Hey folks
Just updating on what's been going on here in my world. Here's the update: (in no particular order)

-Lucas is fine. He has feeling in his arm again.
-Terri is hanging on. She is still gutting it out with the chemo that she's allergic to. She's gutsy.
-Lou is doing better now. She had a cardiac cath done and her circulation appears to be good.
-My gal pal loves me more than ever.
-I still love her MORE...
-I'm stressed to the hilt, but I'm happy and I know that I'll survive.
-I've been thinking about my love walk and I know that I need to work on that.
-It's 10:30pm as I type this and I'm sleepy as all heck... when did I get old?

Tis the Season???

2010-01-12T07:45:00.003-05:00

Boy, talk about being tested...
In the last month I've seen three friends pass away, one a very dear family friend and two that I knew from working with them. It sucks, but I'm doing alright with it. Terri is still battling with her stuff and she texted me last night when I asked how she was doing: "I'm good but please pray for my friend who had to be induced into a coma because she was having seizures non-stop. She was in remission but the cancer returned and spread to her brain." Oh boy... but that's Terri for you... even though she's got her own stuff to deal with, she's always thinking of others. So I told her that I would definetely be praying for her and her friend.
Just got back from a lousy weekend in Iowa. We lost both games we played out there but that wasn't even on my radar. One of the players, Lucas, was injured in the hockey game on Saturday and was laid out on the ice and wasn't moving. The trainer asked him if he was alright but he couldn't feel anything in his extremeties. The trainer pinched his hand hard and Lucas didn't feel a thing. So they called 911 and immobilized him, the EMT's came and put him on a stretcher. My heart sank with worry as I knew his family down in Florida was listening to the game. But the father of one of the other players had made the trip to Iowa with us and he stayed with Lucas the whole time. He stayed on his cell the whole time with Lucas' dad. One of the players who didn't dress for the game due to injury went over to Lucas as he was being carted off the ice to offer words of encouragement. Willy later came over to me during the broadcast and said that Lucas was cracking jokes to try and calm everyone down. After the game, we sent the players back to the hotel and our team bus driver carted the coaching staff and yours truly over the hospital not knowing what to expect. I feared the worst, but I prayed. Boy did I pray. And my prayer was answered, thank the Good Lord. All feeling returned for Lucas in his extremeties with the exception of his left arm feeling very sore, he was alright. I exchanged emails with his dad the next day and he told me that he was grateful for being kept in the loop via cell phone during the whole ordeal and that talking to Lucas really calmed him down. Lucas was released from the ER a couple of hours after the game and we ordered a pizza for him and everyone went back to the hotel with a big sigh of relief. I got back to my room, grabbed a bite of pizza, and gave thanks to God for Lucas' health, and then went to sleep. I interviewed Lucas on the air the next day during the game and I got hit with a ton of email from listeners thanking me for that because they were worried. He cracked a couple of jokes to try and keep things loose and I told him how good it was to see him. He smiled and said "yeah, I'm really glad I'm here to see you too." Now that I think about it, that about sums up what I'm feeling overall these days. I'm glad I'm here and I'm going to continue to pray for family and loved ones and that I endure...Because I know that this stuff too shall pass...

A Weird Day (out) of Sorts...

2010-01-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to update on Terri... she underwent her first chemo treatment for her lungs and even though she is allergic to it, she gutted it out and went through it. She sent me a note afterwards to describe it: "It wasn't as bad as we thought. I only had one episode where I had a tight chest and trouble breathing. but I told them I wanted to keep going. The nurse told me that with each cycle, the chances for a reaction increases... But I wouldn't quit."
If you really want to know about Terri... that last sentence pretty much says it all... "I have faith Mickey" she continued. "I'm in a lot of pain and I'm weak and tired and got sick only once, but I know I can do this."

What more do I need to say? I think she said it all... She is an inspiration.

It seems only weird that today was the anniversary of my mom's passing. I was just a kid when she passed. I feel like I know less about her as I get older, but I know she had a hard and rough life. I'm glad she's in paradise. I know her and my dad are together up there. I believe that with all that I am. I know they are happy. I know they are complete up there. I don't know... right now with everything going on, I don't feel worry. I'm stressed out but I'm not wigging out on anyone or anything. But even though this is a tough time right now, I feel a sense of peace. More accurately, I'm choosing peace over pain. And I feel like God has calmed me down and is giving me the courage to stand on faith. To believe when to others, there might not seem like a reason to believe. I'm good with that...

Resolution...

2010-01-04T00:01:00.001-05:00

Since we've now barely tipped our toes into the sea of 2010, I was wondering what do you have as your resolution for the new year? Me, I'm a creature of habit so in addition to trying to try and do something, I'm going to admit to trying to do something different. My sugar has been off because of my constant travelling and staying in hotel rooms and eating lousy food at all hours... I got a juicer for Christmas and my new year's resolution is to try and use it at least once a day to replace pigging out at a meal. It won't be easy but I want to try something to get back to healthier choices. As much as I may hate eating healthy...lol... That's my new year's resolution... What about yours?

Just A Humble Word Of Thanks

2009-12-19T13:14:00.002-05:00

Howdy folks... Merry Christmas!
I just wanted to take a moment (I'm in Iowa as I write this) and say thanks to all who have sent kind words and prayers up for my sister Terri and our family. I gave her a call to check up on her and she still is a little down (duh Mik, what did you expect?), but is still putting her energy into getting ready for Christmas. She sent me a pic of my baby nephew and I love the little guy but he has HUGE pointy ears. I know he'll grow out of them and it's really no big deal, but I made some elf reference about him and I caught all kinds of flak from Terri. She was saying things like "Oh you didn't just go there did you?" and she was ready for a scrap I could tell. That made me feel better because I knew she wanted to go back to some minor sense of normalcy. Unfortunately, chemo therapy has been part of her new "normal" for quite sometime. But she's dealing with it as best she can... By the way, here's how that little conversation we had ended:

Me: Nice picture, I'm glad they could find some elf, er... ear covers for the little guy
Terri (in a bit of a huff): Oh you just didn't go there did you?
Me: No, I often refer to a 6 month-old baby as 'Yoda' because he reminds me of a 3 thousand year old dwarf simply because he is 'wise' beyond his years... just chock full of wisdom he is...
Terri: (click)

I got a couple of text messages from her later giving me crap like only siblings can... So she is trying to kick it up a notch and keep it going. Who am I to stand in the way? Three thousand year old dwarfs not withstanding...

Bah Humbug

2009-12-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

Hey guys,
Just a heads up that I would sure appreciate if you kept my sister Terri in your prayers. She gave me a phone call and was sobbing. It seems that her cancer, which appeared to be held in check for quite some time, has spread to her lungs now. She is just crushed. She was questioning God and why would He let this happen? I wanted to be able to give her an answer. But to be truthful, I didn't have one. Only He knows and has the answers. But that is not a very comforting answer for her right now. She's hurting right now. The type of chemo that they treat the lungs with, well, she's allergic to it. Last time they tried it, she ended up in the hospital because it dang near killed her. I can tell you one thing: it makes you treasure and appreciate Christmas a whole lot more...

Mik- Miktoria?

2009-12-07T21:02:00.004-05:00

I've got to tell you... sometimes you gotta laugh at yourself. I spent Friday down with the gal pal. I went down for a church dedication. I gotta tell ya, it was a-m-a-z-i-n-g... I couldn't believe how incredible those people were who helped build a church for people that don't know Christ. I sat there in complete awe of these people. They had a great time of fellowship and wished I could've stayed there forever with my gal pal... I love that girl, I tell ya... But duty called and I had to hit the road to drive back up north because I had to be in Grand Rapids, Michigan the next afternoon to broadcast a hockey game. So right after the dedication that night, being a little sleep deprived, I headed up I-75 and stopped for a little shuteye (and in Cincinnati, for the only food that matters... SKYLINE CHILI). So anyway, I get to Grand Rapids on Saturday afternoon and check into the hotel. I expect my hotel key to be like it always is when I'm on the road. My name is usually written on the envelope and the key is inside of it. Well, apparently, someone got the message all screwed up. I ended up getting an envelope from the lady behind the service desk with MISS G... written on it. WHOA BOY... er girl... Uh, I think maybe the moustache and beard were the giveaways.... I didn't think that she was optometry deficient but I'm guessing if she couldn't figure out that I was a guy, then if she's not married, then she could date just about anyone! She wasn't wearing glasses. Geez, I don't know if I should feel bad for her, or insulted that she thought that I was a woman. The guys on the hockey team had a field day with that little nugget of misinformation. It didn't bother me in the least and by the time we headed to the arena for the game, I was making fun of myself over it. It felt like a bizarre "Bosom Buddies" episode... only without Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari...

For The Birds...

2009-11-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

Okay... to my U.S. brethren... Happy Thanksgiving. To my Canadian and European friends: happy Thursday...lol

I'm putting together a top ten list of things to be thankful for... Just my brain (in)activity:

I AM THANKFUL:

10) That inspite of the fact that I spend more time in arenas, stadiums and behind microphones than with her, my gal pal still loves me. She deserves better, but still thinks I'm great. She looks through rose colored glasses, but I'm not going to change her... not one bit.

9) Despite the prognosis... my sisters STILL are kickin' butt and trying to enjoy and live life. They really do define what it means to beat the odds and are good people on top of that.

8) Even though I lead a somewhat hard lifestyle with all the miles that I log, I am still in relatively decent health. Some days I feel more like 93 than 45, but I still enjoy living everyday life.

7) While I'm a working stiff and could complain about my job, that I have an ounce of brain matter to realize that I'm pretty darn lucky to have a job. Let alone three. Perspective Mik, it's always perspective...

6) Despite the odds, we are slowly making Toledo Sports Radio a small success.

5) While I have a nice round figure (read: belly), I can't cook. I eat at work and I nuke meals or eat out but when I need some real home cooking, I can call any member of my family and go visit and they let me stay for dinner...lol

4) While I have a nice round figure (read: BELLY), my gal pal still loves me insanely. There is no one on this planet that I could ever ask to love me more completely than her.

3) When I have screwed up (all the time) and had a pity party or two, that God had enough of a sense of humor not to listen to me whine and still loved his brat inspite of that brat's stupidity...

2) That I'm painfully aware that while I have tried to do good for others, that I could do so much more. What's the old saying: The size of your funeral will be determined by the weather?...

1) to the Good Lord, that inspite of my best efforts... HEY! I'm still ALIVE!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone... Hope you can find things to be thankful for... infact, if you care to share, leave me a comment about what you might be thankful for this year...

When Life Throws a Curve Ball...

2009-11-18T00:01:00.000-05:00

I'm just kicking back and taking it easy right now... Weird crap can sneak up on you when you aren't looking. One of our supervisors at work is finding that out firsthand. It isn't weird crap... It's life and death. She went into the emergency room yesterday cause she wasn't feeling good. She got a diagnosis today... pancreatic cancer. Wholly crap! Talk about a slap to the face or a sucker punch to the guts... I sat there stunned. The diagnosis they gave her: it's terminal. I feel so horrible. The people at work all just kind of sat numb. I don't know her that well, but it hit close to home. I think about my sister and how she is hanging on with her cancer battle and I have really come to appreciate what she's going through. Life can be such a precious and delicate thing. Many times it's unappreciated or more likely than not, taken for granted. I just know that I'm approaching middle age and feel like I'm 90 sometimes, but when I see people who are suffering and dancing with their mortality, I stop complaining about what aches me and I feel so grateful to be alive. You pray and you hope for the best. And for pete's sake, LIVE and enjoy life... even if it's just deciding to be in a good mood when you don't feel like it. LIVE and LOVE...

Eleven - Eleven...

2009-11-11T00:01:00.004-05:00

It's November 11th... My sister Terri's birthday. Glad she's holding on to keep celebrating another year of life. Truly a gift from God. I think about her situation and her prognosis. She's defied the odds and continues to live life as best she can. I'm grateful that she has done as well as she has... The other reason I'm looking at things with a bit more perspective is because I always get sentimental about Veteran's Day or Rememberance Day... I guess because I see how much people really sacrificed for a guy like me to be a full time goof ball. I just feel like "Thank you" is so weak... especially after what happened in Fort Hood last week. It really drives home how important it is to appreciate and support our men and women in uniform. I was sitting in my hotel room last sunday morning, flipping channels and watching TV when I came across a preacher show (Charles Stanley) called "In Touch"... I was expecting just the typical sunday morning fare. But this program was a re-run of a guy in church talking about our founding fathers and the early days of our history and how they would rely on their faith to govern. It was a real eye opener for me and it got me thinking about history and it snowballed from there... and it got me thinking about our troops and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Thank you seems inadequate, but it's all I've got. I do say thanks not only those who gave their all, but those who have served or are currently serving...We are forever in your debt...

Deja Vu... all over again!

2009-11-03T19:45:00.004-05:00

I'm a guy who's a creature of habit. Ask my gal pal, she'll tell you. I know what I like and I usually like it alot. Whether it's sports, food, or people, I like familiarity... for the most part. A case in point... last spring I wrote about a kid I met when I was in Dubuque, Iowa for playoffs last season. I enjoyed the heck out of the kid. He's a special needs kid who took to a couple of our players. The team really went out of their way to make him feel special during the playoffs. He was/is a really neat kid. I'll never forget when we were getting on the bus to head for home, he stopped outside and went up and hugged a couple of the players who he'd really liked. I was genuinely touched.
Fast forward to last Friday night. We were in Dubuque again to play them in a pair of regular season games. I was getting my gear set up to broadcast the games online. Well, I look down near the area where the two teams will go onto the ice and there is the familiar smile and the familiar glasses. I finish setting my stuff up and head down to say hello, not even sure if the kid would remember me. He does and his mom also remembers me and so we chat about the team and I tell them how most of the players from last year have moved on with their careers. I give them info about a couple of the kid's favorite players from our team. So they were really happy to hear about what happened to the guys they became fans of. Now we get beat while we're there so that stunk to high heavens. But as we got back home on Sunday morning at 6am with no sleep, I get off of the team bus and walk over to my car. I get in and stop to get some gasoline. I fill the tank up and decide that since I have Sunday off from everything, I can drive home five minutes and sleep till the afternoon and putz around all day and watch football. It would've been great. But of course, the term 'normal' and me have never been on the same page. So I decide to do something crazy. I pour myself into my car, and drive six hours to go see the gal pal. She had no idea. I freaked people out. I show up in church, and afterwards, I go up to her and she about freaked out. She just grabbed me and pulled me into her arms, hugging me so tight that my air supply started to go out. But she let me come up for air and the look on her face was just perfect. She was shocked and when folks came up to me to say hello, they found out that I was in Iowa the night before and had been up all night coming back to Ohio and then another six hours to there. They were all stunned, but as I simply stated the obvious: "hey, my gal pal is WORTH IT"... I spent about five hours with her and then headed for home, six hours back. I got home to Michigan a little after midnight and slept for what felt like five minutes and went into work dragging my knuckles. But I'll never forget the look on my gal pal's face and when she said how much it meant to her what i did. I am not one to pat myself on the back, and I'm not looking for that here now. I only mention it because I think about how much she does to motivate me to be a better human being. And how most of my friends at home would be laughing at me for being so freaking crazy to go almost two and a half days without much sleep and drive six hours each way to spend a few hours with my girl. Now if you care to share, I have a question for you: what is the craziest thing you've ever done to be able to spend time with someone you are/were/ used to be crazy about? I hope you all are okay and have a great week...

Pigskin Flu...

2009-10-23T20:41:00.002-04:00

Only in my world....
Okay, so I've been feeling kind of under the weather this week. For the most part I've ducked the flu. No flu-like symptoms but still problems with the inner workings and as such, I didn't feel much like carrying out the broadcast duties I had. My radio partner was flat out down with the flu. So I stayed away from him all week and we decided not to do any sports this week. I tried to go into work on Friday and lasted only 90 minutes. My boss and my co-workers sent me home and told me to go directly to bed. Do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars. I vegged a bit, snoozed some and tried to eat. Unfortunately for my waistline, eating doesn't seem to be a problem. But my gal pal wanted to attach a rocket to her wheelchair to come take care of me. That girl is something else. She never fails to amaze me. So while I was home, I get a phone call. It was my radio partner. He decides that he feels good enough to go do a high school football game. In particular, HIS alma mater. Now my radio partner loves his old high school. Maybe a little too much. He graduated from there over 25 years ago. But he is still a freak about that place. I just don't get that. Some people are strongly identified by their college alma mater. They love the teams and cheer for them endlessly. But my radio partner's school is a very small school. And the way he talks about them you'd think they were division one in the whole state. I think they're down in division six. There are only six divisions in the state for football. I simply shake my head and roll my eyes. He calls me at half time and it goes something like this:

Him: So, it's not that bad. It's a pretty good football game!

ME: Uh, what's the score?

Him: They're doing alright for playing in the rain...

ME: Hey Elvis Presley, what's the score??

Him: Um, uh, 28-0

ME: (hang the phone up and go back to bed)

My Hometown... I Must Be So Proud... Maybe Not

2009-10-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

http://

This bar is about five minutes from where I work during the day. I'm so glad I don't go out to bars anymore... sheesh...

It Says It All...

2009-10-08T09:42:00.003-04:00

I appreciate signs like this because I'm the type of guy that will see the sign, but miss the cop. When you travel as much as I do... Hope you all have a great one!

Another Typical Mik Weekend... zzzzzz....

2009-10-01T00:01:00.000-04:00

From the "I'm not as good as I once was but I'm as good once as I ever was" department....

I seem to be fully recovered (I think) from last weekend. I went on a long long venture without much sleep to speak of (read: NONE) but I guess I still got it when it comes to pulling an all nighter... I suppose an explanation is in order here. Friday, I was supposed to travel with the hockey team to Chicago for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday night. Well, I couldn't make it to the bus on time Friday morning so I drove from my house out to the Windy City. No big deal. I figured four and a half hours and I'd be sitting in my hotel room with my feet up. OOPS! I get to the South side of Chi-town, and make the tragic mistake of going through town to get to the northwest suburbs. OUCH. The actual distance is something like 40 miles. It took me nearly THREE HOURS to get through there. And on top of it, there was a driving rainstorm going through! I know those of you who live in or near big cities are chortling at this point. But I live in a small town with the nearest big city being Detroit. And while Motown is a decent sized city, it sure ain't Chicago. Anyway, I get into town, and we win each night. Life is good. I decide to take the same expressway back out of town because the Chicago folks told me (after they stopped laughing at the thought of me driving through downtown on a Friday afternoon and in a rainstorm) that late on Saturday night there wouldn't be bumper to bumper traffic and I should be able to get right through. Well, I decided to go for it and they were right. I got out of Chicago in a decent amount of time and five hours later, in the middle of the night, I make it home. But only to change clothes and gas up the car. I took a quick nap and got up cause I had to hit the road down I-75, six hours to rural Kentucky. My gal pal was in a wedding (one of her best friends got married but it was on very short notice so I couldn't change my schedule) and I had to miss it cause I was in Chicago. While everyone understood and said "we understand", I knew that I had to go down there and somehow try and make it up to her. My gal pal is the most amazing human being i've ever known. But I knew she was kind of bummed at the prospect of me not being there. I got there late Sunday morning, and knew that she and everyone else would be in Church like any other normal Sunday. So I drove to the Church and I was late (big surprise) and so I snuck in and sat in the last row with one of my gal pals good friends. Lindsay looks at me and whispers "I heard you were coming here from Chicago... oh my gosh, you are like the most awesome boyfriend to come down like this." I smiled and thought, "yeah, but that's only because I disappointed everyone by not making it down for the wedding." I had told my gal pal that I probably wouldn't get to Church on time and that I'd meet her at a restaurant afterwards. She was sitting up front in Church so she didn't see me. After the service, I walked up to her and the look on her face was priceless. She lit up like a Christmas tree and was so genuinely thrilled to see me. After that, I didn't feel like a dirtbag for missing the wedding. We went to eat after we left the Church and had a wonderful afternoon together. She told me about the wedding and was a little surprised that I didn't tell her that I missed the bus going to Chicago. "If I had known you were driving to Chicago AND THEN here afterwards, I would've told you not to and to just stay home"... to which I replied "yeah, I know... that's why I didn't tell you." Well, we spent about four hours together and I had to jump in the car (okay 'jump' might be too strong a word, maybe 'pour myself into my car' might be more accurate) and then make the six hour trek back home to start another wonderful week on monday. Tired? abso-freakin-lutely. But after seeing her so happy to see me, it was an easy drive back home.

Mik's World Tour Around The Midwest Logistics:
Each way between Chicago and Home- 350 miles (700 total)
Each way between Home and Rual Kentucky- 400 miles (800 total)

The look on my gal pal's face when she saw me- PRICELESS!!!

A Look Back... Steve-Style...

2009-09-24T06:45:00.000-04:00

Greetings from the travelling maniac...
I'm putting a boat-load of miles on my car and this is a time of year where my broadcast schedule has picked up considerably. But sometimes it can come at a cost. Other times it can lead to the unusual. I've had both of those occur with me... But it's going to turn out good. I hope.
Last week, I was broadcasting a football game and after I finished, I walked towards my car and I looked at a bar just down the road a bit. It was a bar I had gone to back in the day (many years ago) not so much to drink, but to see different bands play. I remember that there was a large group of people that would hang out there every weekend. A couple of them were my friends from high school and they were really into the music scene. So just for the heck of it, I stopped by to see if anyone still went to the place and sure enough, I ran into my best friend from high school, Steve. Steve's band was playing that night and I have known Steve and his brother Mike since 1981. When Steve saw me (mind you, I've only seen him twice in the last 15 years), he about flipped out. "WHOLLY ****... LOOK WHO'S HERE?" and proceeded to run over and give me a hug. His younger brother Mike saw me and almost screamed. He was so incredibly happy to see me and I him. I hadn't talked with them together since the 90's... So we stood there like the goofballs we are and talked and caught up on stuff. Steve married a very beautiful young lady. The emphasis is on the word 'young'. As in Steve and I are in our mid-40's and she was celebrating her 25th birthday. I thought of my gal pal and smiled. She's a bit younger than me but not nearly half my age. I met Steve's wife and she seems like a nice girl. We all swapped phone numbers and emails. He wanted to by me a drink but I told him that I don't anymore. He was a little surprised but after about five minutes, we were laughing and making plans to get together for dinner and maybe take in the odd game or two. We were like 15 year olds again just discovering our enjoyment of our first rock concert. I think I went to one of my first rock concerts in my home town with Steve. We went and saw Nazareth I think. Man, does that make me feel old... Okay pop quiz time for you... leave me an answer (regardless of musical taste... If it entertains you... that's all that matters.) What was the first concert or show you ever went to?

It's All In How You Look At It...

2009-09-10T00:01:00.000-04:00

I gotta say, some days can be a whole world of misery. Some days aren't the best. Each of us go through such times. Whether it's poor health, loss of a job or a disagreement with a co-worker, or worse... family, life can hand you a big crapola burger sometimes. It's never easy when things get tough. But if there's one thing I've learned over the course of my life, the word for it would be "perspective". No doubt about it. I can't ever complain about things because when I use perspective, I realize that I don't have it so bad... at all. I look in the mirror and think "geez, I need to lose weight". But I think about my sisters. Lou is a bilateral amputee. She is also on dialysis, but she lives life to the fullest. Terri has cancer in various parts of her body. She continues to fight valiantly. I don't think she worries about if she's gained a pound or two. I think about my true love, my gal pal. She inspires me every single day just by being who she is. She doesn't look at her wheelchair as a hindrance. We both just see it as a piece necessary furniture. She defines it, it doesn't define her. I whine about getting up in the morning and driving to work. I think about her and realize that she'd love to be able to do what I do,and then I realize that I'm blessed because I can get up and walk to my car and just basically be a bum anywhere I want. But she doesn't ever complain about it. She feels like she's being used by God for a specific purpose. Keeping me from becoming a total door knob, goofball, is only part of it. I don't complain anymore when things don't go my way. It's all a matter of perspective.
My days can be outright insane sometimes because of my day job and then the broadcast stuff I do in the evening. But I can't complain. Others would love to be in my situation but are unemployed. And then there's my nephew, the marine. He just came back home from deployment and his work days made me look like a completely lazy bum. Again, it's all a matter of perspective. He was just matter of fact about his time away from home. There's no way I could ever do what he did. Not even close. But he looks up to me and while that's neat for the ego, the truth is that I look up to God, my gal pal, my sisters, and him... They are awesome to me. They inspire me each and every day. I might be the brother who's on tv and radio...blah, blah, blah... But they are the real stars in my family. It's all a matter of perspective.

And So It Begins... Hut One... Hut Two... HIKE!

2009-09-04T06:23:00.003-04:00

Ah yes, the smell of pigskin is in the air. That can only mean one thing.... FOOTBALL!!!

My schedule now official kicks into warp drive as I start again with broadcasting high school football and next week (dare I say it) hockey starts up for me... I love this time of year. I love to watch sports and these are my two favorites. Of course, my gal pal is not much for sports except college basketball (loves her UK Wildcats), but she loves me and puts up with me and my sports nuttiness. Now the grueling part of the job (yet I still love it), is the travel. The hockey takes me throughout all of the midwestern part of the country. Again, I'm an old road dog who has rode team busses for years so it's all old hat to me. I look forward to it. However, one sign that I'm getting old, is that there are halloween displays already up in some places. Wholly smokes... at this rate, can Christmas be far behind?? Yikes, I don't even want to think about it yet... With that in mind, Have a nice Labor Day everybody...

Happy Birthday To My Dad...

2009-08-20T07:59:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to say happy birthday to my dad. He would've been 80 years old today. There are times when I still really miss him. I guess I'll always feel that way. I look up to him a lot as I go through my walk in faith. I look up to him as someone who did it the way I am trying to do it: It's not how you start, but how you finish... He made some huge mistakes in his life, as did I. I used to carry around a lot of anger and guilt and depression. I think he did too. But as it got closer to the end for him, we both made an effort to patch things up and I must say, the last few years he was on this earth, we really got along great and I managed to love him again. He became a dad to me again, someone I could look up to. And most of all, someone I could love and be proud of and l miss very much to this day. But the best part in developing my faith, is I have come to believe that he is in Heaven with my mom, the true love of his life. When she passed more than 30 years ago, a major part of him died with her. He fell into a deep hole and didn't get out of it till about the last ten years of his life. But like I said, it's not how you start or run the race in the middle, it's all about how you finish. And when I say he turned it around, man did he ever! Even though he still missed his girl, he began to live again. And he was happy. The relationship we re-built is something I will cherish forever. Happy Birthday Ol' Man... (I never called him dad or daddy or papa or stuff like that. I just always called him ol' man... but as a term of endearment)... I miss you a lot, but give mom a hug for me and know that I will continue to live and love in the way you showed me... for better or worse... hahahah...

It Could Only Happen To Me...

2009-08-06T00:05:00.001-04:00

From the "I may not be the brightest candle on the menorah, but..." dept:

Okay, just shy of a month ago, I chalked up another birthday. I used to like birthdays. Back in my party days, it meant that I could go get drunk off of my butt and it was okay. Of course back then, I'd be more than happy to crack a few open to celebrate Flag Day, Bastille Day, and the Feast of St. Francis if it meant getting hammered... Okay, fast forward to the current edition of me. Sober, a little older, a smidge wiser, and a few pounds fatter (okay, time to celebrate... er, oops... ain't doing that anymore)... I celebrate differently now that I survived the insanity that was my younger years and am now more grateful that inspite of the really poor choices of my past, I am trying to live a more docile, peaceful life with my faith at the forefront. I don't hide it nor am I embarrassed by it. I'm a child of God. 'Nuff said. I use that to guide me these days. It doesn't mean that I'll have peace from difficulties. Not everything is going to be sunshine and daisies and chocolate bunny rabbits (which I can't eat any way because I'm a friggin' diabetic...) But a faith that tells me that He will be there beside me when I struggle with life. That if I blow it, He will still love me and forgive me and understand me. He created me for cryin' out loud. I needed to start focusing on worshipping the Creator and not his creations...
Now back to the birthday thing three weeks or so ago. I stop at the Bureau of Motorized Vehicles (BMV) to get my new tags for my license plates for another year. The lady wishes me a happy birthday (an a.d.d. moment: in her line of work, I get the feeling that wishing EVERYBODY a happy birthday is an occupational hazzard) and I politely say thanks and leave. Fast forward to last Sunday. I go to church and am talking to people afterwards. I'm just enjoying the time with folks and cracking a few jokes along the way. No big deal. Till I leave and stop at the gas station to fill up. I reach for my wallet and the only thing I feel is the surprise of my backend (a side note: if I wore white pants, you could show a movie on my rear, but I digress...) and that sickening feeling hit my stomach. So I drive back to church. And I stop at the info center and the lady behind the counter is very helpful and tells me that they found my wallet. I breathe a HUGE sigh of relief. I take my wallet and thank her profusely. I leave church, head for home and when I stop at the store and grab my wallet again, I look inside and find everything intact. Everything but my driver's license. Now I'm thinking (a danger in itself) "Did someone take it from me for identity theft?" I am fearing the worst. So I drive back to church again, and they're very helpful but NO license. So I go and look all over the place in the church but nothing. I go home and look all over. Again, nada. So I call the BMV and tell them my dilemma and they tell me I need my birth certificate and social security card. I lost my social security card years ago but never though of replacing it because it's also on my driver's license. But now I needed one and had to go to the Social Security administration office to get another one. I got my number to wait to called and my ticket said that the estimated time till my number would be called was 140 minutes... WHAAAAAT!!!! So what's a dork to do? I waited. I finally got called after only about 45 minutes (thank you Lord), and got what I needed and headed over to the BMV to get a duplicate of my license. I walk in there, take another number to wait, and sit and wait. My number gets called, and I go up. I have the same lady that I had a few weeks ago. I tell her that I need a new duplicate license and she tells me that it'll cost full price (ugh...) and I told her "the last time I remember seeing my driver's license was when I pulled it out here a few weeks ago on my birthday to get my new tags." She looks at my info, asks when my birthday was, and then excuses herself and goes to a back office. She comes back, with a big grin on her face, and extends her hand out with the driver's license that I had left on the counter at the BMV three freakin' weeks ago!!!!! The only thing I could manage to say was: "y'know, it could only happen to ME..." Man, I gotta tell ya, it's funny sometimes. I can do some really dumb things. But I have faith and I didn't panic at any time during this whole thing. It's always easy to talk about faith but when something is happening in your world like you have serious issues with a family member or a close friend. Or when a loved one is having serious health issues. It's easy for me to say on the outside to have faith and it'll be okay. But sometimes my faith gets tested. Whether it's something small like losing a wallet, or something more serious like my sisters' health issues, I have put my money where my mouth is, so to speak. God Bless you and I hope you all have a great weekend and I'll stop by soon... eventually! (you've been warned... mwahahahahahaha) :)

A Julia Childs Moment...

2009-07-29T07:50:00.003-04:00

Hey folks,
sorry I haven't been on much lately. I was chopping up some cucumbers to munch on since I'm really trying to eat better. I was really getting into slicing the cukes and was in a groove. Well, I think I got TOO much into it because I was not thinking and the next thing you know.... WHACK! and there goes a chunk of the meaty part of my palm into the pile of cucumber slices. It wasn't that big of a piece. But it was enough. At first I was in stunned silence, no blood and no pain. Then all of a sudden there was an avalanche of both. I was able to clean it up and make a dressing for it (uh, for my wound... not for the cucumber salad I was making) and when I cleaned the wound up, it stopped bleeding. It does sting and it will for quite a while but I'm dealing with it alright. It's not too bad. But I realize that a chef, I am NOT... Of course, when I mention it to family and friends, the words of encouragement came flooding to me: "geez Mik, were you trying to make finger sandwiches or something?" ahhhh... delightful folks I deal with... I prefer humor to worry and like I said, it wasn't a real big piece of my skin and tissue. It was about the area of 3/4 the size of a dime, just below my pinky finger... Though it hurts to type. But as the saying goes, this too, shall pass. They always say when you get knocked off of a horse, that the 1st thing you should do is hop back on. Well, for me that meant chopping up more cucumbers and eating them without feeling like I was a cannibal... mission accomplished!

Yo Quiero Taco Bell... Gidget Buys It...

2009-07-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

It's not normal for me to wax poetic on a pop culture fixation but I gotta say that I was kind of bummed to read where Gidget, the little chihuaha from the Taco Hell commercials of the 90's had passed away at the ripe old age of 15 years old. I really loved the dog and the character it portrayed. To this day and now beyond, there isn't a time that goes by that people will not automatically associate "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" or "Here Lizard Lizard Lizard" without thinking about that little dog. Gidget was the name, and selling tacos was the game. I still have lying around somewhere, a couple of chihuahua dolls that when you pull the string, the Taco Bell dog says something silly. I'm not an animal freak or anything like that. Of course my girlfriend laughs at the thought of me trying to explain my peculiar, if not misunderstood relationship with that most selfish of doggy divas, my Penney. But outside of my penney-pooh, I didn't have fixation with any other animal. Except for that goofy little chihuahua who hawked some below average (alledged) Mexican food... RIP Gidget... I'm going to eat an enchirito in tribute to you...lol... catch you guys later.

Highlights of the holiday...

2009-07-14T00:02:00.001-04:00

what's a guy to do when he's got a girl who is WAY out of his league? Simple: just love her like crazy and never let her go.... A couple of pics from when the gal pal came over on the July 4th holiday and spent the day with me at our garage sale. Well, the garage sale at my place. My gal pal had stuff to sell. Her mom had stuff to sell. My sister had stuff to sell. My sister's boys had stuff to sell. My sister's best friend had stuff to sell. EVERYONE had stuff to sell at the garage sale... Everyone but ME... go figure! But being the congenial (if not exhausted) host, I endured all day long. And I do mean ALL DAY...lol But my gal pal was right there with me. She is simply the best and most wonderful human being on planet earth. Have a good week everybody...

Fireworks? What Fireworks? Well...

2009-07-06T08:28:00.004-04:00

Howdy one and all...

I spent the weekend with my gal pal and both of our families... and I had a wonderful time with them. It was a typical Mik experience- whacky. I don't do normal. I haven't for years. Why start now? Let's see... In the span of 48 hours I had to get my house cleaned (no easy feat...lol), welcome my gal pal and her folks into town, get back home because my sister and her best friend were bringing a boatload of crap to sell at the garage sale (our town has a city wide garage sale every July 4th weekend) on Saturday, so my house and my garage were full of things to sell. Plus my beloved and her mom came and brought some jewelry and clothes to sell... Now for those who are parents or are used to company coming over an a routine basis, this is no big deal. For a guy who NEVER entertains at his home, let alone have everyone coming over to have a garage sale at his house, I was simply enjoying the PPF to gauge how nervous I was. (PPF = poopin' pickles factor). Nervous? Me? Nahhh... (yeah right!). But the topper for me was that the girls (Lou and Terri) were feeling good enough to make it out and come over. To give you an idea how significant this was, it was huge to me because it was the first time they had ever been to my house since I moved there several years ago. My place is not wheelchair friendly and with Lou having no legs, presented a touch of a challenge. But she and Terri (who cooked for me for Saturday) were great and it made me downshift from all out panic at having this stuff come together, to a somewhat stunned appreciation to what I was witnessing. My whole family and my gal pal's family sitting at my place hanging out with a garage sale all day and having a great time. All this and to top it off, my oldest nephew became a father for the first time at age 34. Yep, I became a great uncle. And here all this time I thought I was a great uncle because I was a nice guy. But my nephew became a dad for the first time and has a brand new baby boy (7lbs 1oz and 21ins. long). Little Alec has turned my family upside down and I'm a great uncle. And the translation of the term "great uncle"? Simple. I AM OLD...

Say hi to Alec....