March 2005

I have a habit of comparing things. “How were Ames and Hills different? How were they similar?” “What moment in my life is similar to the moment I’m experiencing right now?” I don’t know why I do these things, but I do.

With my surgery all confirmed for tomorrow (bright and early, I may add), I am reminded of the last time I had the surgery. It was my senior year of high school; I believe in March 1986. With my memory not being as perfect as it used to be, I can’t remember the exact details, but I think I’m pretty close. Naturally, I’m comparing the two scenarios.

Then: I was infatuated with the pop music world. I had to get the latest copy of Billboard every week. I spent money on 12-inch singles, including Animotion’s “Obsession” and Shannon’s “Let The Music Play.”
Now: I’m infatuated with all kinds of music. I check out the music charts and keep tabs on American Idol. I spend lots of money downloading music on iTunes.

Then: Lots of hair on my head, styled damn near close to a mullet, with two hairs and a lot of blond fluff passing as a “mustache”.
Now: No hair on my head, a goatee and the start of another beard.

Then: I was just winding down a “relationship” with my high school girlfriend. I knew what I wanted, I knew who I was, I had only shared it with one person and she wasn’t it, in many respects. Being geeky and gangly, I lacked self confidence.
Now: I have found the love of my life. When I said “I do”, I did forever. I know who I am, I know what I want, and I am damn proud of it. I have a good dose of self confidence. I like to think I turn heads.

Then: I was chatting and sending e-mail on my first computer, a Commodore VIC-20, at 300 baud using a service called GEnie.
Now: I’m chatting and sending e-mail plus a million other things, on my umpteenth computer, an Apple PowerBook G4. “Baud” no longer applies on my Adelphia Broadband cable connection.

Then: I was driving a 1976 Pontiac Astre and within a year would inherent a 1978 Chevy Impala.
Now: I drive a 2001 Chevy Impala!

Then: I had never done recreational drugs nor drank.
Now: I’ve never done recreational drugs (though I have told certain people that I did in a worthless effort to “fit in” in the past) and I rarely drink.

One of the things that I’m thankful for is that medical technology has progressed in leaps and bounds since my last surgery, and this time will hopefully finally fix the little problem that I’ve been living with since that last surgery in 1986.

I’ll let you know how the bionics upgrade went tomorrow night.

As I’ve gone on about since, well, since I’ve had this blog, I’m constantly trying to lose weight in an effort to be a healtier, leaner, muscular stud muffin. While I have made some good strides in this effort, I still feel I have a ways to go. But if you think about it, who is ever really happy with their body?

I know that exercise is the key, but I just can not get myself motivated to stare at cement block walls and ride a bike to nowhere. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve had some great long distance cycling accomplishments in the past or whether I just don’t like the way I sit on my exercise bike, but I just can not get up the motivation to jump up on there and pedal, pedal, pedal and pedal away the pounds. I find the exercise tedious and monotonous. So I’m thinking of getting back into my yoga practice.

I took a yoga class at Utica College back in the summer of 1998 and it was wonderful. I was the only guy in the class and found that I enjoyed it very much, despite the lack of eye candy. There were some startling aspects, like watching the older women trying to put their nose to the back of their thighs, but for the most part it was a great experience and helped me feel more in touch with my body (nose to the back of the thigh notwithstanding). I didn’t even mind getting showered with sweat from the big Italian woman the was on the mat next to me. It helped me feel butch.

Unfortunately, I think I’ve forgotten most of the poses. One of the important things to remember about yoga, so said the instructor, was that you need to do the poses correctly or you could at the very least negate any exercise type benefit from the practice and at the most really hurt yourself, like relocating your shoulder to your buttocks permanently or something. I do remember a pose called “The Cat” which resembled a cat licking it’s butt but I don’t remember how to get there. Perhaps I need to consult Tom the next time he goes through his routine.

I guess I’ll buy a DVD and start up the practice again. If I get myself into the shape of a pretzel, I’ll share a picture with you.

Mother Nature has given us one more blast of winter to remind us that it’s not quite spring yet. Yesterday was just a teaser, with temperatures in the mid 50s and the sun shining down. Today it’s 18 degrees and we’re under a winter storm warning.

After yesterday’s respite afternoon, I don’t feel all down in the dumps about this weather. I find the public too amusing. People are bundling up like it’s the 1st of January. Shoppers are grabbing the bread and milk at the grocery store and who cares if the cupboard is fully stocked! They can squeeze that one extra loaf of bread to take us through this calamity.

As usual, all rules of the road are null and void. Green lights mean “sissy”, yellow lights mean “move it” and red lights mean “fsck you, I’m coming through.” Parking lot lines that denote where you are to park have become invisible. Either that or they are dancing under the snow, rearranging the format of the parking lot at whim. Parking four deep is a wonderful strategy at the mall. Why we don’t do it in nicer weather is beyond me.

I often complain about the hysteria that grips this area when it comes to a snow storm. You’d think after 15 years here I’d be over it, but I’m amazed at how much difference being 60 miles southeast of where I grew up can make. I mean, I don’t remember this “sky is falling” attitude that seems to overtake here back when I was a kid. It’s a few flakes of snow! Deal with it, people.

Like everyone, I’m ready for spring. And despite the temperatures and the wind and the snow and the slush and the hysteria, you can still feel spring in the air. It’s a little colder than usual. The skies are gray instead of blue. But the wind carries the unmistakeable, indescribeable feeling of “spring”. Let’s just keep it together until it gets here.

Today I got to celebrate the end of my on-call week, so I took the afternoon off courtesy of a little bit of comp time. The Universe was smiling on me, as it was a mild, sunny day, with temperatures in the upper 50s. The rest of the week looks like it’s going to be one more shake at winter, so it was good to get out and enjoy the fresh air.

It was wonderful to clean up the “to do” list; get the oil changed in the car, get fitted for a tux for an upcoming gig, get the banking done. I took advantage of the beautiful weather and took the Jeep out for a much needed stretch and ended up driving around for about an hour. No destination planned. No timetable to follow. It was the opportunity to get some cobwebs cleaned out of my head.

I often share somewhat personal thoughts and events on my blog, but sometimes I realize that what I share doesn’t come close to the depth of what I’m really feeling. For example, I’ve complained about the current state of the radio industry (after being in it for quite a while). I wish I had made some different choices when presented with opportunities in the past. But if I had, then I would have missed out on what I’ve experienced since that choice was made, and I wouldn’t have had those experiences. But on the other hand, I miss the creativity involved with putting together the sound of a radio station. It’s a vicious circle, I suppose. But I must say that while I feel outdated for Top 40, I would kick some major ass with an all 80s or a retro-dance type station.

On the other hand, I really enjoy what I do at my current job. The telecommunications industry is challenging, yet a different type of opportunity and I’m honored to be part of it. So it’s all good. I think the recording studio I’m building is going to address the need I have to be creative, whether it be remixing songs, making mix CDs, creating radio jingles, making my own album or recording commercials.

I mentioned that I have a gig coming up. I am going to be the emcee for a beauty pageant/scholarship program, “Miss Mohawk Valley”, on March 19th. I’m a little bit nervous about the adventure, as I may still be recovering from my upcoming surgery. But as they say, the show must go on. I did the same gig last year and as I look back, I was too dependent on the script and way too wooden. I think I’ll make like Ryan Seacrest this year.

Another thing I was thinking about today while driving about was the energy I waste disliking this area. Earl occasionally mentions that I tend to see the “gloom and doom” side of things once in a while and I admit that I do. So effective I’m not going to be all negative about this part of Upstate N.Y. (except when I pay the outrageous sales tax of 9.75%, allow me that luxury).

And lastly, I came to terms with the fact that the surgery I’m having on Friday is no big deal and that it’s only going to be a week of inconvenience. And it’s all for the better. I just want to get it over with, I guess.

So I did a little soul searching today while enjoying the sunshine. I feel better for it.

“Yesterday was wonderful, today was even better, tomorrow will soar.”

Earl and I slowed our lives down enough to enjoy “Family Night” together tonight. Granted, there’s only three of us in our little family here, Earl, our cat Tom and myself, but still it’s fun to get together as a little family enjoy some popcorn and a movie together.

When I was a kid, up until I was 28 actually, we used to have “Family Day”, where a good portion of my dad’s side of the family would get together at Gram and Grampa’s house, have donuts and coffee and shoot the breeze. I find it ironic that we did that, as everyone was together throughout the week at the family business, but nevertheless it was customary. We cousins would romp through the barns. I would try to organize parades with splendid pageantry and such. I was such a dork. We still share the tradition once in a great while.

Anyways, tonight for Family Night we watched “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” on DVD. I haven’t seen “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” in the 25 past years or so, so this was a special treat. I had forgotten some of the songs and how beautiful Sally Ann Howes is. She is Truly Scrumptious (and for me to take notice is Truly Something!)! There was such a sense of class and style in Hollywood back in the day. My how times have changed. I think I’m suffering from a mild case of the Tobey Maguire/Pleasantville syndrome. Perhaps Earl and I need to see a good old classic Broadway musical at the local school or something.

Oh well, it’s fun to live life with your head in the clouds once in a while.

Being on call this weekend I am pretty much tied to the house, or at least close proximity, in case of a telecommunications emergency. So while I should be cleaning the house and doing other mundane chores, I’ve been fooling around on iTunes and loading up my iPod. In fact, I’m listening to my iPod now, which is surprising since I usually need silence to type a coherent blog entry.

“Xanadu”, Olivia Newton-John.

I got to thinking that if my iPod ever came up missing, whomever found it would think that I’m a complete whacko with my tastes in music. While I was searching around iTunes today, I nearly pouted because “(You’re) Having My Baby” by Paul Anka and Odia Coates was nowhere to be found. When it the last time you heard that song? Not to fret, while it’s not on iTunes I was able to download a decent MP3 of it and load it on my iPod anyway.

“(Keep Feeling) Fascination”, Baxendale. (Found on a Human League tribute album).

Did you even know that there is a Human League tribute album? It’s called “Reproductions” and came out a couple of years ago. I found many of the remakes startling, but I really like the treatment of the popular ‘Fascination’. While I was goofing off today, I did take time to see what 12-inch singles I had left in my collection and I found the rare “Fascination!” album that came out in 1983. This was a filler EP between “Dare” (which contained “Don’t You Want Me”) and the follow up album “Hysteria”, which contained “The Lebanon”. I’m eager to get a turntable or two into my home studio setup I’m building so that I can do some club-type spinning again and get it down on CD. I think I might rework a version of Fascination for 2005. Back in ’93 I re-edited a version of Boy Krazy’s “That’s What Love Can Do” that earned some airplay on the radio station I worked for AND the nationally syndicated Open House Party. That was cool. I wonder if I can duplicate that ‘success’. It seems that it would be much easier today now that we have computers and such.

“Tragedy”, Bee Gees.

Earl and I did get to Circuit City tonight on an important mission. The second season of “Wonder Woman” is out on DVD and of course I had to get our copy. Earlier this evening we had the opportunity to watch the full 90-minute second season opener, when Wonder Woman moved from the 40s to the 70s. When fx and SCI-FI used to show this episode they could successfully hack it down to a 60 minute version, so it was good to see the whole thing intact. We also picked up the first season of “Charmed”, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “The Parent Trap” (the original version). Anyone see a Disney influence lingering there?

As I’m listening to “Tragedy” I’m thinking I can successfully mix the original with Steps version from 2000. Hmmm, interesting.

“Invisible”, Clay Aiken.

To date, I’ve loaded a mere 180 songs on my iPod. Save for Paul Anka and Loveland’s “Don’t Make Me Wait”, they’ve all been downloaded from the iTunes music store. That’s either a serious chunk of change or a LOT of Diet Pepsi. I have to admit it’s the former.

I still say the bridge in “Invisible” (the part that goes “Reach out…” for the musically challenged) is pure pop bliss. It has a wonderful key change, as well as Partridge Family type backing vocals. Absolutely pleasing to the ear. Clay Aiken can sing with the best of them, and according to media reports, might even out-diva our beloved Elton John.

If you see me on the street with the tell tale white ear buds in my ear, ask me for a listen. I’ll gladly share and you never know what you might hear.

I’ve posted a bunch of our Disney photos. You can take a peek at our .Mac site.

How I love tax time. After foolishly allowing the federal government to hold onto my money by having too big of deductions all year, only to get a portion of it back in a check at this time of the year is somewhat satisfying. I can almost hear the sound of the direct deposit as we speak.

Goodness, I’m odd.

Earl announced to me that he considered my tax refund “play money” this year. So I’ve decided to start my little recording studio project I’ve been thinking about for the past couple of months. I just purchased my second piece of equipment.

Welcome to the fold, my little Mac Mini.

My little guy is on order from Apple and should be here within the next three weeks. I’m very excited as I will have a computer, that is very modestly priced I may add, dedicated to my Garage Band 2 projects. And more importantly, it’s a Mac, not a thrown together PC.

iProud once again.

Right after vacation, I bought a USB driven MIDI keyboard which I’ve hooked up to my PowerBook and played around with a little bit. It’s pretty cool being able to piece together these tracks so easily using Garage Band 2. When I was in the radio biz, we used Cool Edit Pro on Windows, which is o.k. but nowhere near as fun as the Mac stuff.

I’ve been feeling like I have all this creative energy stored up inside of me, just waiting to come out and be realized.

I think the dam is going to burst with a rousing remake of “Let Your Love Flow”.

Stay tuned!

Today I had my pre-op testing for my surgery next week. The folks at Faxton-St. Lukes Hospital seem very nice, in that they explain everything, go step by step through their little checklist of what I need to know and put up with my interjections of humor. I don’t know if the lab tech that took my blood appreciated being asked “why would anyone want to do this?” but hey, sometimes it takes a little patience with your patient. That’s what I always say.

Of course I had to give them a urine sample. Everyone wants my pee. I think they’re saving it up in a big vat or something. They told me not to eat or drink anything since last night, so I felt a little pressure when it came to giving them the big sample, but it all came out in the end. At least I didn’t have to give them the other kind of sample from that area. Once was enough for that! And of course the very cute anestesiologist (I don’t think I would win a spelling bee with that one!) was the one doctor I’ve met in the past two months that didn’t want to check my prostate. I mean, why would he? But at least he could have offered.

One thing that did disturb me is that my blood pressure was high. I suspect my blood pressure has crept up in tandem with my weight. I don’t know why, I’ve cut back on greasy foods to only three or four a day. I have been doing a really bad job of eating healthy. I’m hoping the impending nice weather will help further the cause in that department, so let’s all keep our fingers crossed. I refuse to go on blood pressure medicine again, so I guess I’ll just have to get my weight back down and my exercising going again. It’s not like I’ve gained a ton of weight back, I’ve already lost everything I gained on vacation, but I’m still 10 pounds heavier than I was at this time last year. So I need to shed 15 pounds. I have a goal of April 30. Let’s see if I can do it.

So a week from tomorrow is the big day for the surgery. It’s a minor procedure that’s only going to take 45 minutes or so. I’ll be home in the afternoon. I’ll probably be groggy as all get out, at least I’ll have an excuse for being my goofy self.

I’m not looking forward to the surgery (who would?) but I am looking forward to getting it over with.

So yesterday my father left a message on our answering machine. He and his girlfriend are vacationing in California and are having a great trip and be sure to tape Leno Tuesday night.

Tape it? Tape it? I TiVo’d it thank you very much.

I just took a peek at the opening segment and there’s my dad and Karen in the audience looking like their having the time of their lives! I’m jealous! When Earl and I were in The Rosie O’Donnell Show audience back in 1997, the only thing you could see was the top of my shaved head and Earl’s arm. But there’s my dad and his girlfriend on Leno, plain as day. Oh well.

And yes, I was very clever in getting us tickets to see Rosie O’Donnell back when she had her talk show. Working for a radio station at the time, what better way to get in the audience then to make a huge contest of it and give away tickets to the show, with the winners to be accompanied by station personnel. And of course the station personnel was Earl and me.

Rosie’s people didn’t want to talk to my people, but then I sent her people a fax that said if someone didn’t call me, I would announce the said fax number on the air.

Imagine my surprise when the announcement came over the intercom: “J.P., Rosie O’Donnell’s office is on line 4.”, a mere ten minutes after sending the fax. So we got to see Rosie O’Donnell. The guests that day were Andy Dick, Steve Winwood and Farrah Fawcett. In fact, it was the same day that Farrah had the meltdown on Letterman. She was pretty spacey with Rosie too. We didn’t get to meet Rosie or anything though, she was too busy. And a little cranky during commercial breaks, but we won’t go there.

I can’t wait to hear about my dad’s brush with Hollywood!