NYE 2010

Alright, boys and girls, here we are, New Year's Eve. Birthday of my eldest offspring. One of the most iconic days on the calendar. A day when the economic downturn has been temporarily suspended, especially at the nail salons and liquor stores. 2010 was supposed to be the year we make contact (Remember? sequel to '2001: A Space Odessey'? OK maybe us band geeks are the only ones). I made contact with a few things that I had just as soon rather not have made contact with...like my 50th birthday! Then again, I got to make contact with my motorcycle, so that's a good. Oh well, the big wheel just keeps on rollin', don't it?

Many of you will be out among them tonite, celebrating the impending change in the calendar with friends old and new.A few things to remember. Excessive use of alcohol may cause you to think you are speaking softer that you actually are. We aren't spring chickens any more. I killed off about as many brain cells as I dare to when I was in college, so I riding the ragged of success, as far as that goes. Don't ask any really hard questions if you want an answer right away. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'll answer it, it may take me a few minutes.

Just watch yourselves out there. Next year is shaping up to be one where we'll need all the help we can get. It's gonna be a really wild ride, I can feel it. Lots of change on the horizon, new challenges and opportunities (we used to call them problems).It's a brand new year, never been used. Can't wait to get it all started. Just be careful out there tonite. Looks like it's gonna be a year when we need all the help we can get.

So here's to a great 2011, and more success than we can handle. Oh,couple things more. I have no special hangover cures, and don't call me for bail money...I'm all tapped out.

Much love...

Radio Ron is on the air...

OK, boys and girls, I've been told that one of the best exercises in keeping your mind sharp is to write. So I write.



I've decided to go back to school. Looking at an MBA program from a local school, and I hope I have enough discipline to see it thru. My company has a tuition reimbursement program, so if they'll pay for it, why not? I'll keep you posted.



I took vacation the week between Christmas and New Year's in hopes that we'd have some good riding weather like we had before Christmas. So far, no good, and I am going nuts! It was a perfect day on Sunday, but I went to Oklahoma to visit the mama, and unfortunately, you can't put a 3-year-old on the bike. Relax, I'm only kidding...maybe.



The motorcycle is a wondrous invention. So great to be out on the road, hit that throttle, lean into the wind, and it's Katie-bar-the-door! Me and the baby (I call my bike 'the baby') have come to somewhat of an agreement. She'll mind her manners and keep me from killing myself, and every once in a while, I let her stretch her legs. But not too much. The thing has way more go-fast than I'll ever need. Still, sometimes I want to try...



I'm beginning to run out of words, so I guess I'll sign off. Tune in again next week.


Love each other...

Slacker...

Wow...has it really been that long? I guess so. I've really got start writing on this thing more, else why am I taking up space? Fairly pretentious of me to think anybody wants to read what I have to say in the first place. Oh well...good for my soul anyway.

It's been a hard few weeks. Lots of stuff going on at work (as usual) and even more at home. I really don't even know how it happened, but we ended up buying 4 cars in 5 months. Crazy story...

Mid-May, I bought an old Honda Accord for Lillian, my daughter, to drive to work. Nice little beater of a car, and she liked it fine (car #1). A few weeks later, the Volvo wagon I was driving started having issues, so the wife insisted that I get more reliable transportation, so I got a little Scion (Toyota) to drive car #2). Rocking along just fine, until mid August, Lillian was in a fender-bender on her way home from class one day. She's fine, the other driver is at fault, his insurance will pick up the repair tab. Next up, the wife's diesel VW starts having issues. Into the shop it goes, and I am informed that the turbo is out (the same turbo I replaced 2 years ago for about $3500), and it will have to be replaced...again. Did I mention that the car was paid off in June? No go on the repairs and my better half decided not to throw good money after bad, so she drove home a new Jetta (car #3)

Next day, the body shop calls about Lillian's wrecked Honda. Too much money for such an old car, so it is declared a total loss. While waiting to settle with the insurance company, Lillian finds a car that she thinks she can afford, and here we go again (car #4)! Just how am I supposed to pay for all of this is still taking shape. I suppose every cloud has a silver lining, however. I settled with the insurance company on the Honda, and got the damaged car and $1700. The neighbor's son works at a body shop, and they were able to repair the Honda AND give her a new coat of paint for $1200. Middle child Chris, who just got a job, now has wheels, so everyone is good to go.

Anybody know of a large bank with little security?

It's been such a long time, I think I should be going...

I've been away for a while, but I'm better now...

No, I haven't been in rehab (you people, really!). I have just been really busy. I can't believe that this year is over half over. Mid-August, and I just got used to writing '2010' on my checks. Wait a minute, I don't write checks...well, you know what I mean. Lillian starts classes at UT-Arlington next Friday. Some of my friends that are teachers have already started back. Baseball is winding up the regular season, and football is starting to ramp up. It's still hot, but then again, this is Texas. Bummer, because I need to drop about 25lbs, so I bought a bike. It's too hot to ride before it gets dark at night, and I have to be at work too early to ride in the morning. Guess I'll have to drink lots of water and just suck it up.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'll be back here on a much more regular basis, so don't forget about me. I'll be cranking out the good stuff again pretty soon. Stop back by every once in a while...and thanks!

Love each other,

RD

Oz knows cool...

...or does he?



It wasn't too long ago when Oz thought that having a 'big ol Angela Davis fro" was the key to happiness. It wasn't too long ago that Oz thought that cuffed baggies was the ultimate in hip attire. It wasn't too long ago when Oz would not wear straight leg jeans 'cause he was sure they made his feet look big (they WERE big). It wasn't too long ago that Oz wore a vest with a jacket and tie, jeans and hiking boots. It wasn't too long ago that Oz had a Member's Only jacket and knew it was the shiznit.



Yeah, Oz knows cool...now. Cool is different than what Oz used to see. Cool is what makes you happy. Cool is what makes you be yourself. Cool is what makes you love and accept. Cool gives you the ability to really see folks for who they are, not what they look like. Cool is subject to change as one gains knowledge.



There's an old Tower of Power song that says "Hipness is what it is, and sometimes hipness is what it ain't". Cool ain't a job title. Cool ain't a bank balance. Cool ain't a skin color, a religious affiliation, or a particular preference. Cool ain't a car, a house, or a boat.



You want to be cool? Accept, love, give, enjoy, be genuine, really care, listen, talk. Smile and laugh really hard...do both often. Be a friend, help somebody, hug your kids, call your mama. Open up a little, take a closer look, be receptive, look for some positive.



Before you know it, you'll know cool, too...just like Oz. He has decreed it so.



Love each other,
RD

Wisdom? Geez, I hope not...

I had dinner with some friends last night. Actually, they were more in my sister's wheelhouse more than mine, but I remember them well, and we had lots of acquaintances in common. It was a great evening spent in the company of several very delightful people who I had not seen in a looong time. I was comfortable right away.



I watched my friends interact with each other, and it was really cool. It was a group of people that grew up in very diverse backgrounds, but somehow were able to put aside their differences and became close friends. Now, some 30 years later, thru a lot of trying and some very strange times, the friendship has not only survived, but seems to have flourished. They talked and laughed and told stories all night. I, of course, added what I could, when I could, and I think we all had a great time.


It really gives me hope.



Sometime during the evening, the concept of getting to know a person before forming a lasting opinion was brought up. Such a simple, yet often overlooked little piece of advice. I gotta tell you, there have been many people in my life that I was pretty unsure of at first glance. Fortunately for me, I was able to get past that and get to know the person behind that first impression. Some of those people are best friends now.



I'm getting older, and, hopefully a lot wiser. If I've learned anything, it's that first impressions are lasting impressions, but don't have to be the ONLY impression. Give people a chance, be honest with your feelings and genuine with your intentions, and people may just surprise you. You really can't afford to tick off anybody nowadays. You never know when you might need a ride home...



Love each other.

Long nights...impossible odds

Wow...what a day! 8 loads of laundry, replaced kitchen faucet, trip to the grocery store for supplies, cooked dinner, cleaned the kitchen after. I make one hell of a wife...

Lovely spring day today, but I wasn't able to enjoy a bit of it. My doc says my active vitamin D is low, so I could definitely use some sunshine. Most days I could be a vampire and not miss a beat. I usually go to work in the dark, and come home in the dark. Need to make a change. Think I'll spend my Sunday out in the man-cave, if I can get the tv to work again. A broken tv may be God's way of telling me to get off my lazy butt and do something. I know, a few hours reminding myself why I don't play golf more often. That would put me in the sun, but it's so HOT. Oh well...

The 'Chalenge' Leaderboard-3/26/10

I'm working on a new home for the leaderboard, and it should be done soon...bear with me.


Winner Points
Ceanne 59
Lynette 39
Debra 31
Marcia 31
Glynna 23
Marie 22
Julie 11
Angie 10
Ann 10
Eric 10
Roger 9
Annette 7
Felix 7
Karoletha 7
Chris 6
Bill 6
Marla R 6
Adia 5
Karrie 5
Lillian 4
Jake 3
Cherrie 3
Marcus 3
Marla DR 2
Lisa 2
Shawn 2
LaDonna 1
Scott 1
Sharon 1
Christy 1

D.U.T.I. Leaders

***D.U.T.I Challenge Leaderboard***
March 23, 2010

OK, I've been threatening for a while, so here is the new board.


Winner Points

Ceanne 59

Lynette 36

Debra 31

Marcia 31

Glynna 23

Marie 18

Julie 11

Angie 10

Ann 10

Eric 9

Annette 7

Felix 7

Karoletha 7

Bill 6

Chris 6

Marla 6

Adia 5

Karrie 5

Lillian 4

Jake 3

Marcus 3

Cherrie 3

Marla DR 2

Shawn 2

Sharon 1

Scott 1

LaDonna 1

Christy 1

Oz don't need no lucky...

I was out the other night and met a friend that I had not seen in 20 or so years. We sat and talked over a cup of coffee for a while. It was great to catch up, compare war stories, and generally try to get each other to remember people and events long-forgotten. It was a great time, so thanks, Sharon.

It got me to thinking...how did I loose contact with so many people that I was close to at one time or another? Really strange, when I look back, how often it happened. Here's a good example.

I grew up in a small town in SE Oklahoma. When we moved there, I was about 6 years old, and, of course, knew nobody. The second kid that I met was Maurice. He and I became fast friends, and we were together from Head Start (poor people's kindergarten) thru high school. We even spent a year or two in college together. Then I lost touch with him. We got together at a class reunion or two, and I got a couple of Christmas cards from him, but I never knew where he was or how he was doing. And, sadly enough, I never made much effort to find out. I was too busy living my own life, but Maurice as one of the people who helped me find my way in this old world during those turbulent teen-aged days. He probably didn't know it at the time (and neither did I for that matter), but he taught me a lot. Long story short, I got back in touch with him recently, and as it turns out, he lives about 20 minutes from me. Crazy stuff!

I suppose it's because I'm a little older, and hopefully wiser, but I'm beginning to really wonder about the people that I grew up with. I want to know that they are OK. I want them to know that I think about them often. I especially want to thank them for all that they have done to help me on this little road trip. I know that in the grand scheme of things, my life is fairly inconsequential, but it's a pretty big deal in my world. I could not have done what little I have accomplished without lots of help from friends, many of whom had no idea that they were helping to make a person. To those people, I owe a debt of gratitude that I can never repay. Instead, I'll follow their fine examples, and I'll be a friend to someone, and maybe I can return the favor in some small way.

When my kids were growing up, I tried to get them to understand that the people you choose to be associated with were the people that would help to define who you would become. I hoped and prayed that they would look below the surface and pick friends that would be around no matter what. My kids did ok, they choose well. Looks like they took after dear old Dad, because I have great friends too. Rest assured, friends, if you're out there, I'll find you.

I guess the point to all of this is, if you choose your friends wisely and pay attention to what they are trying to teach you, 'lucky' just may be optional. Yeah, it's pretty sappy...blame it on being 50.

Love you all!

RD

Another DUTI Challenge Leaderboard. I'll write something new this weekend, I promise...like anyone will read it!

Winner Points
Ceanne 59
Lynette 34
Debra 31
Marcia 24
Glynna 22
Julie 11
Ann 10
Marie 9
Roger 8
Angie 7
Annette 7
Felix 7
Karoletha 7
Eric 6
Bill 6
Marla R 6
Chris 6
Adia 5
Karrie 5
Lillian 4
Cherrie 3
Jake 3
Marcus 3
Marla D R 2
Lisa 2
Shawn 2
LaDonna 1
Scott 1
Sharon 1
Christy 1

********DUTI Challenge Leaderboard******

Here's the latest. We have some new players that are on fire, so watch out for the newbies! Then again, you guys have some work to do to catch Ceanne...


Ceanne 59
Lynette 33
Debra 31
Glynna 21
Marcia 21
Julie 11
Ann 10
Roger 8
Angie 7
Annette 7
Felix 7
Karoletha 7
Bill 6
Marla R 6
Chris 6
Eric 5
Adia 5
Marie 5
Lillian 4
Cherrie 3
Jake 3
Marcus 3
Marla D R 3
Shawn 2
Lisa 2
LaDonna 1
Scott 1
Sharon 1
Christy 1

Hey... I had lunch with 5 (yes, 5!) absolutely delightful ladies over the weekend. There was a bit of discussion about me being the only man in a gaggle of women. Back a few months ago, I put down some thoughts about women on a FaceBook notes page, thought it was worth re-posting.


...whatever works.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 7:28pm

When I was just a young lad, women were important to me. I caught on quite quickly that it would continue to be so for years to come. I didn't know how important...


I've come to the realization that women now RUN my life. Not all women, just a select few. It's not a bad thing, believe it or not. It actually simplifies things. There are about 10 of them; my wife, my mother, my wife's mother, my daughter, my grand daughter, my sister, my boss, HER boss, a couple of really good friends are in the club. As long as these ladies are relatively happy with me, then life rocks along quite smoothly. One of them is unhappy with me, and I have to find out what went south and fix it quick, or things get dicey.

There are some things that have to be in place for me to operate with the reckless abandon that I run with. Keep straight with the women in my life, and just roll with it.

...whatever works.

After this weekend, I fear that the list will grow longer still. Does that mean I have to turn in my man-card? Now, where did it put that thing...

I was born a ramblin' man.

Well, we just finished another stirring round of the DUTI Challenge, and we had all of 1 participant. I wonder if people are getting tired of it? Hope not, lots of fun for me. I'll just keep on a-pitchin'. I've had a few people post that they enjoy remembering the music, so I'll keep posting for them, at least.

Sometimes I play 'what if'. C'mon, you know you have to. What if I had worked harder in high school? What if I had gone to a different college? What if I had asked the girl out like I started to? Interesting concept, but would you end up much different than you are now?
I don't know. Maybe some food for thought?

Here's something you didn't know. I do A LOT of role-playing in my head. You know, run thru different scenes, real and imagined, just to see how they end up in my little fantasy world. Comes in handy sometimes. I often find myself in situation similar to one of my little screen plays, and it really helps to have practiced a bit, it makes the snappy comeback seem so natural. I wonder, if things don't end well for me in these little sagas, does that mean I'm just not all that smart? If you are writing a story, it seems like it would be difficult to not have good things happen to you, Maybe I'm just more creative than your average bear.
Prolly not.

Anybody know of a good 12-step program for 'Farmville' on FaceBook? My wife is a degenerate junkie...I just don't get it, but I like MMA, and some folks don't get that. Whatever keeps peace in the valley, I always say.

I just saw an article on CNN.com regarding a debate about whether bars in Brooklyn should allow people to bring in their kids. The comments should be quite entertaining...stay tuned.

DUTI Challenge Update

Wow...working on the 3rd month of this insanity. I can't believe that people are still interested in playing. Go figure. In any case, thank you all for dropping by. Haven't posted a leader board in a while, so here it is.

Ceanne 57
Debra 30
Lynette 28
Marcia 20
Glynna 16
Julie 11
Roger 8
Annette 7
Felix 7
Karoletha 7
Angie 6
Adia 5
Marla 5
Ann 5
Chris 4
Lillian 4
Bill 4
Marcus 3
Jake 3
Cherrie 3
Shawn 2
Marla R 2
Lisa 2
Sharon 1
Scott 1
Christy 1
LaDonna 1

This is getting to be hard work, but I love it. Thanks again to all the players, no challenge without you. Love you all,

RD

Life it's ownself...revisited

Well, it's just not getting any easier. I took my 16-year-old truck to the shop yesterday. Oil everywhere, and I was hoping for a simple leak of some kind that could be temporarily stopped with a piece of gum, or permanently repaired for a few hundred dollars. No, not really. Anybody know where I can get a motor to fit a '94 GMC Sonoma? My mechanic tells me that I should prolly start looking for another car...

Seriously bummed...again. What's a guy gotta do to catch a break? Then I took a step back, and realized that I've been catching breaks all my life.

The first one was being born to the folks I was born to. I gotta tell you, I was a handful growing up. I'm not sure that I would have survived childhood with lesser parents. I apologize to my mother frequently for being so hard headed. She says she was just doing what parents do, but she went above and beyond. And her twitchy left eye is much better now that I'm an adult...

The next break was the friends I had growing up. I guess I did pretty good. We had loads of fun, and I don't think we ever broke any laws...well any serious ones, anyway. And, to my knowledge, all of my running buddies grew up to be upstanding members of society. I don't know of any that owe any commitments to the state.

Let's talk work for a minute. I have not been out of a job for more than 2 months since I was 16. Some were not the greatest or most glamorous, but they kept clothes on my back, a roof over my head, and food in my belly. Some people today would be ecstatic for that. I learned something from even the worst jobs I've ever had, even if all I learned was that the job was not for me. I don't have the dream job yet, but I've almost decided to take a stab at making what I have the dream job. C'mon, they call it work for a reason. It's a work in progress.

Caught a real break when I got married. Believe me, she gave up a lot to marry me. She must have had better options than a skinny, just out of college, wet-behind-the-ears department manager for Joske's. But she married me anyway. And it didn't get much better, I'm still broke. She puts up with a lot...a WHOLE lot, because all three kids have my blood coursing thru their veins, which can get a little crazy sometimes. I looked up 'long-suffering' in the dictionary the other day, and saw a picture of my wife. Lucky doesn't begin to describe.

Speaking of kids, hit with 3 pretty good ones. All are very bright, seemed to have grown up ok, in spite of my influence, and none have ever called for bail money. I'll call that a win. And let's not forget the grand baby. I'm not sure a 2-year-old can actually be bi-polar, but she's got tremendous potential. When she understands what folding money is, and that Papaw is not afraid to use it, that's when the real fun starts!

So, what's a guy gotta do to catch a break? Look around, you may have been catching them all along. Slow down a bit and pay attention, you might have missed one or two. An old Joe Walsh song goes "I can't complain, but sometimes I still do, life's been good to me so far".

My sentiments, exactly. Nite, boys and girls.

Interweb...Enabled

Back in the land of the technology blessed. I have cable internet that comes in over lines that have been here since I've owned the house (over 25 years) The lines had not been used until we got the current internet set up a few months ago. Rockin' along just fine until yesterday afternoon. Bad...really bad. Let's just say that even something as simple as getting a phone number for the local repair center was an ordeal.

Chris (my middle child) called the local tech support and they went thru the requisite troubleshooting and decided a service call was in order. A technician would be out before 8pm that night. Cool! Minimal down time. You have to understand, my crew is VERY internet dependent. The appointed hour comes...and goes. Called the local number to find out where my technician was, only to learn that the service call is set for Friday 2-5 pm. Nope...I need a body to talk to. Now my fun begins.

One hour later, I get a supervisor...she doesn't have a clue as to what is going on, even though the phone rep 'sent her the details' 10 minutes ago. We're still not sure who told Chris Thursday, and we're still waiting for dispatch to say yea or nay on Friday morning...can I hold for just a minute more? Sure, do I have a choice? Thank's I'll be right back...Dr Dialtone!

OK. I just lost what little mind I have left, I want somebody's vital organs, and I will not stop until I get them. Hour two, second call to the local repair center. Apparently, I scared the girl who answered, and was immediately connected to a supervisor. I explained the problem for the 3rd time, including the other supr that hung up on me. She asks me to hold while she checks with dispatch, to which I tell her that if she puts me on hold, I will find out who she is, where she works, and I will personally come to her office for a face-to-face chat. While she's waiting for dispatch, I let her know how I felt about her company. She was finally able to tell me someone would be out Friday morning between 8 and 11 am. Then I asked her the question that you should ask when a customer service issue has gone past bad to ridiculous..."If you were in my situation, would you put up with this crap?" She very quietly whisper 'No'. Excuse me, what did you say? 'No'. I didn't think so. Now tell me why I should.

It's really not that hard. If you say it, do it. If something happens and you can't do it, at least tell me that there's a change in plans. Stuff happens. Things go wrong. Most people are reasonable people. If there's a problem, tell them up front. Good rule of thumb: Don't tell me what you think I want to hear...tell me what I need to hear.

I feel so much better...

Life it's ownself

Bummed...seriously bummed. I didn't know Tom well in high school. I do remember a guy referred to as 'Tommy'. He was a year ahead of me, even though he was only a couple of months older than me. See, I was born in December, and I missed the cut-off for being in the class of '77. I had to wait another year. I digress.

Like I said, I didn't know Tom well in high school. I knew who he was, and had enough recognition to speak in the hallway between classes. We had some mutual friends, so he was the proverbial 'friend of a friend'. We went our separate ways, and his name never crossed my mind for many years. But I did not count on the magic of modern technology.

I had always turned my nose up at social networking. "I don't have time to tell you what I'm doing every second of the day!" Usually an early adopter of most things technical, I came to the party fashionably late. I found it was a great way to re-connect with people that I had not heard from in years, and it has become a part of my life now. That's how I really 'met' Tom.

I got a request from him and recognized the name, so what the hell...we exchanged a few posts and I realized that he remembered me in much the same way as I remembered him, the 'friend of a friend' thing. I got to where I looked forward to reading his posts. He had a really funky sense of humor, and I could relate to what he was saying. We talked about having a cup of coffee together if we could ever get in the same place at the same time. Unfortunately, we didn't get to. Tommy passed away last weekend, suddenly and unexpectedly...much too soon.

Temporal. One day he was here, the next day he's gone. We all have that to look forward to, death knows no boundary. I guess my job, while I'm here on this dreary little rock, is to love as much as I can, as often as I can, and make it count. Can you ever say 'I love you' too much? I don't think so. Whaddya say we try a little experiment?

Let the folks you love know how you feel often enough to annoy them. Don't make them assume that you do, let them know because you told them...a lot. Start now, not tomorrow. Before you put head to pillow, tell someone that you love them. See if you can make them holler 'Enough!'. Bet you a quarter it won't happen. I, for one, don't want to leave outta here with the important people guessing how I feel.

If you've read this far, I guess you'll be my first guiena pig...I love you all.

Lousy evening...been feeling bad all week, so I went to the doc today. There a new guy in the practice, and I got to see him, as my regular doc was busy. He actually turned out to be a pretty cool guy and we came to a meeting of the minds on treatment. I got stuck in the butt with a steroid shot for the allergies and a load of amoxicillin for the sinus infection. Off to the pharmacy...after 20 minutes, mis-quoted price and my complete rejection of a 90 minute wait, off to another pharmacy.

Got meds, got home. Home made soup for dinner, the the lousy started. Heard a really loud noise outside my bedroom window. I got to the front door only to see that a very large branch from a live oak tree in my front yard fell on my neighbor's Tahoe. Another neighbor brought over a chain saw, and we were able to get the truck un-buried. Luckily, there was minimal damage...missed the windshield, but there's a dent in the roof. We'll check it out in the light of day tomorrow. Now I'm exhausted from hauling limbs in the cold. I did notice that if not for the truck, I may not have electricity. Unfortunately, there are other limbs in jeopardy that are right over the lines. Hope I have power for the rest of the night. Pray for us...

***DUTI CHALLENGE LEADER BOARD***

OK, so this one nite, I was on Facebook, and I started posting lyrics to some of
my favorite old songs. It went over pretty good, and I got some positive feed
back from some of my friends...bringing back old memories. I decided to kick it up a notch.

What if we made a game of guessing the song? Gotta keep it fairly easy, or nobody would play, but hard enough to keep it interesting. Here's what it became...

Rules of the game re-visited:
1. Songs posted each night at 9pmCST.
2. Songs from the archives of the DeBose Useless Trivia Institute (DUTI).
3. One point for each: correct title, artist, album, year of release. 1st to post
gets the point. Earn 1, 2,3, or all 4.
4. A 2nd 'Special Edition' song may be posted. 1st correct... title AND artist, 2 points.
5. My wife can cancel the contest if it becomes a pain in the butt.

This thing has turned into a monster. 30-40 posts on each game, 10-12 players a nite. I had to build a database to keep up with the scores. I had planned to go for a full year, and we're now into month 2. Lots of fun! By the by, here's the current leader board..


Ceanne 42
Debra 21
Lynette 19
Glynna 12
Julie r 11
Annette 7
Marcia 6
Angie 6
Roger 5
Felix 5
Adia 5
Marla 5
Bill 4
Lillian 4
Karoletha 4
Jake 3
Marcus 3
Ann 2
Cherrie 2
Shawn 2
Marla 2
Lisa 1
Scott 1
Sharon 1
LaDonna 1

Potato, Po-tah-to...

FaceBook is celebrating doppleganger week, and you are supposed to change your profile pic to someone that everybody says you look like. I asked my wife, son, and daughter who I look like, but they came up empty. I asked my 2-year-old grand daughter...big mistake. My profile pic is now Mr Potato Head! Funny how 2-year-old's don't yet have a feel for tact. Sometimes they can be far too honest. I remember once when my dad got stopped for speeding. I stuck my head out the window and told the trooper that my daddy had gone 100mph one time. I wasn't in the car, and I'm not even sure he ever drove that fast, but my little kid brain heard something like that somewhere, and I just offered up my dad on a silver platter. I remember a stern talking to, and I learned a very important lesson...you don't always have to tell everything you know.

Now, I don't go around withholding important information from people, but in the words of an old Hall & Oates tune 'Some things are better left unsaid.' Some folks in the public eye would do well to learn this lesson, too. We have freedom of speech in this country, and I am all for it. But, believe me, you may be as right as rain and fully within your rights to have a particular opinion, but there are some things that you just cannot say in certain situations. Remember Jimmy 'the Greek' Snyder? Al Campanis? Earl Butz? They all had opinions that they had every right to have, but if they had exercised a little discretion, they may have kept their jobs a bit longer. That lesson served me well over the years, a few stumbles notwithstanding. I've gotten my tail in a crack more than once for saying something that I prolly should have kept to myself, so I'm not living in a glass house and throwing stones. Had to clean up my share of messes, and I have the scars to prove it.

Just a word of advice, take it or leave it...watch what you say, you never know who may be listening.

Thanks for stopping by...RD

Here I am...

Welcome!

This is my first entry, and my first shot at this kind of thing. I have no idea if anyone will ever have any interest in what I have to say, but I'll write something every so often anyway. I have a co-worker who always gets a kick out of my rants. He tells me if he ever gets rich enough to by a radio station, he will hire me to just go on the air and talk, hence the name 'Radio Ron'.

Let's give this thing a shot. Be gentle with an old man...

RD