I won't be speaking for a while...

At least not about college basketball. Or sports in general.

Except to say "Go Colts".

What's with all the news?

Seriously. How often do we need to see the news on TV? Well, if you're in the Madison area, you have LOTS of choices.

We start out the day with the 5am local morning shows
cbs, nbc, abc all have two hours, and then go to the national shows for the next 2 hours. except for NBC which goes 3. CBS then goes back to local news for another 1/2 hour.
the CW has "the daily buzz" that lasts 3 hours

NBC and ABC local have another 1/2 hour news at 11. CBS has local at noon.

NBC local has a 1/2 hour at 4

NBC, CBS and ABC locals have 1/2 hour at 5, followed by 1/2 hour national news on each station at 530, not to mention BBC news on PBS.

at 6, there's more local news on ABC, CBS and NBC for 1/2 hour, and the Jim Lehrer news hour on PBS.

ABC actually has ANOTHER local news cast for 1/2 hour at 630.

There's a bit of a break for prime time television, and it starts over at 9.

Fox and MyTV14 both have 1/2 hour 9pm news.

At 10pm, we have the local NBC, ABC and CBS 1/2 hour news.
At 11:05, it's nightline on ABC.

Are you KIDDING ME? this city does NOT have that much to talk about. That is (if I counted correctly, and I don't feel like counting again), TWENTY SIX HOURS OF NEWS in a matter of 18.5 hours.

And that DOESN'T include the actual news channels, like CNN.

Good for TWO!

Up until this point, Bucky has been "sharing" the number 2 spot with UCLA. Bucky was #2 in one poll, #3 in another.

NOT ANYMORE!

It's not "official" that they'll be number 2 all alone yet, but the chances are good, considering UCLA LOST! And Bucky WON! That is so great...now if Florida would just lose a game, we'd be number 1!

Do you know the ABBA song Fernando? Go to this page, scroll down to the "links" box and take a listen to the lyrics. It was done by a local morning show, and is actually being featured in Sports Illustrated!

Can I get that AND that?

I took my nieces (5 and 9) shopping today. We gave them homemade giftcards for Christmas, and today was the day to cash them in. It was a pretty simple day, except trying to explain to a 5 year old that two items costing $8 and $20 is more than the $25 you have. I guess we learn/teach new things every day!

I came home after that and needed a bit of a rest. Napping is commonplace in my house these days. After what was way too short of a nap, I decided to run to the grocery store. That's when I got the call.

Our only available part-timer (who was working at the time) was sick. She needed someone to cover. And since the boss is out of town and the guy in charge is doing mornings this week...well, that meant I got to come to work. It's been a while since I was awake, and not laying in bed, at 10pm. We'll see how tonight works!

Some GA and a little GP

Grey's Anatomy...can this show BE any better? Man, I just love it. I didn't sob like a maniac last night, but I think that was more about my state of mind (a little more stable) than anything. How long did it take YOU to figure out how the free clinic would be funded? And the proposalS at the end. What's up with THAT????? Ah...we wait til next week. Again.

Much to my delight (I love Nick At Nite, thankyouverymuch) starting February 12 they are bringing us the fabulousness that is Growing Pains! Let me tell you, if ever I had a crush on a tv star, it was Kirk Cameron. I can't wait til the marathon starts!

Ok, that's it for now. Big(ger) news coming. As soon as I can get it out properly!!!

Does it make me crazy?

If you're a follower of Grey's Anatomy, and you watched tonight's episode, you will understand.

I laughed for the first five minutes. Meredith and her snoring. I can completely relate to McDreamy. When I met my husband, he snored BAD. I used those damn wax ear plugs. Then with George freaking out because Izzy's check was missing. He cracks me up SO much.

I laughed and/or teared up for the next 40 minutes. You know, when Christina tried to keep food from Burke. And when Addison told Callie about her past. Just general ups and downs. It's why I love this show.

And then I cried for the rest of the show. Not just tears, but actual sobbing. From the point where George and his family were at the table for the 2nd time, deciding what to do...up until the bar scene at the end with Addison and Karev. It wasn't all bad tears. There was the good tears when Burke told Derrick, with Christina in the room, that he hadn't had any tremors.

Know what? I don't even care if it makes me crazy. I still can't wait until next week.

Movin' On Up...

...to the SUV side!




The dealership called yesterday afternoon and said "We have a 2006 Hyundai Tucson for $$" so we went to look at it. And we drove it. And then we bought it. For $6000 less than the 2007 we'd seen last week and found we couldn't afford.
It has 4WD, which is nice. While it doesn't have ALL the options we wanted, but the best thing about it is the monthly payment. It's less than I was paying for my 2002 Dodge Neon. And the insurance is less, too. Oh yeah, and the Tucson has airbags-a-plenty. In places I didn't know you could put airbags. And it's the first V6 I've ever had. It's very exciting...while watching "24" last night I said to my husband "Can we go for a drive?" He just laughed at me.

I gotta get this out there...

I am really sorry that you have to leave your car outside when it snows. I had to for years. However, if you are over the age of 17, you should know that cleaning your car off COMPLETELY (not just half of each of the windows) is not just for YOUR safety, but for the safety of others as well. It REALLY sucks to have a sheet of snow come from the car in front of you going 60+mph. So please, just take an extra minute and get the extra snow off. thankyouverymuch.

Ok, now that that's done, I can proceed w/a weekend wrapup. Or more likely a "these are the weird things that happened to me during the weekend..."

-You can be driving on the interstate in Illinois and see snow in your headlights, but NOT have it actually hit your windshield. I'm pretty sure that's ONLY in Illinois.

-Small hotel bottles of lotion can look VERY VERY similar (i would bet "the same" would work here) as a bottle of conditioner. Please read the label carefully before putting it in your hair.

-When you google Holiday Inn Evanston IL and Best Western Evanston IL, you get the SAME results. Same address, same phone number. It's a bit confusing. We thought, up until a week before we went, we were staying at the Holiday Inn. Apparently it is no longer (if it ever was) a Holiday Inn, but a Best Western.

-It is always the day you wear your old t-shirt and don't do anything with your hair that you get to work and find out a hot country artist is in the building. (Ok, maybe this only happens in radio or television, but still.) It happened to me when Lila McCann visited...that time I didn't even have my contacts in, and of course the boss wanted me to take a picture with her. Today, Chris Young from Nashville Star is here. And I look like I got 4 hours of sleep and had to shovel before leaving the house.

Pre-birthday fun

My husband and I drove to Evanston, IL last night...and of course yesterday we had freezing rain. Fortunately, our drive was VERY uneventful. That's always a good thing. We got into Evanston last night and promptly found our hotel room. We didn't do much. It was late, we just chilled. This morning I walked to Dunkin' Donuts and got breakfast. After breakfast, we got the train to Northwestern and found Welsh-Ryan arena...to see Wisconsin take on Northwestern. I could not believe how many Wisconsin fans were there! It was awesome.
If you watched the game, you know it was ugly!!! But hey, a win is a win, right? That's what I thought! We got the train back to the area our hotel was in, and headed out. We stopped at BD's in Naperville for dinner. We then headed to Waukegan and found our next hotel. This one was my idea. I figured hey, we're out of town already, why not stay an extra night. Plus, we're pretty close to Gurnee Mills Mall! We found the Walmart Supercenter, got some ice cream, and are in our room for the night. My husband is reading TV guide...it's got a big article on 24...which starts TOMORROW! Oh, the commercial is on right now too! :o)
Anyway, this was my birthday weekend, and I can tell you it's been wonderful so far. who cares if my birthday isn't til Friday?

Why?

Why, when I have plans to drive 2+ hours away from home, does it decide to start this freezing rain crap? that's kind of annoying. Of course I feel worse for a friend of mine. She's in VEGAS for her first vacation without the child...and it's THIRTY SEVEN DEGREES. With a chance of snow.

Why, when you drive a particular car, does your license plate have to tell us what kind of car it is? Like the PT Cruiser I saw whose license plate said something like PT CRUSR. Seriously. I kinda had it figured out.

Ok, that's all I have. Wish me luck on my drive tonight. We're going to see the Badgers take on Northwestern. It's my birthday present from my husband. We HAVE to make it!

Needin'/Wantin' A New Car

So we went and test drove a couple vehicles last night. First, it was the Hyundai Tucson:

I work with a guy who has one, and he really likes it. So, why not. Doesn't hurt to try. But the real reason I went to that particular dealership was because of the Nissan Murano:

I love the looks of this vehicle. I have for a long time. And I haven't wanted to drive one, because I figured if I did, I'd REALLY want one bad.

We drove them both and you know what? I liked the Hyundai a LOT better.

Go figure.

More test drives in the near future. I'll keep ya posted.

Yay me!

I just paid off my student loans! It's been like 100 years (ok, maybe only 8) since I graduated, but they're finally GONE! It was never a huge amount, but it always got put on the back burner as something I could pay later.

Now I don't ever have to pay it again!

Yay!!!

Happy New Year

Here's to a fabulous 2006, and an even better 2007. Lots of excitement as the new year starts, and I can't wait to share it with you!

How was it?

You know, your Christmas? And your weekend in general? Mine was good, and exhausting! We had people over on Saturday (about 20 to be exact...can you be exact when you say about?), and it went pretty well. We didn't do a gift exchange this year, I just got a few things for the young ones, so it went pretty fast. We were eating around 1, and I think everyone was gone by 4:30. That's not normal for our family (we usually stay forever), but considering how tired I was, it was ok! Sunday we were able to sleep in and be a bit lazy, watching some football and hoping for the Packers to still be in the playoff hunt (and they still are!) and then headed to my in-laws for the big christmas eve dinner/gift opening. There are a LOT of people in my husband's family (there were 26 people there, and that's not all of them) but it was fun watching the kids...they had so much fun. Thanks to my brother-in-law, the youngest kids got noisemakers. That's at least 6 noisemakers going off at the same time, the whole time! Not to mention the noisy drum-type toys they got. It was craziness, but we survived!
Monday morning, my brother and his family as well as my parents came over for breakfast. My sis-in-law always hosts it, but I figured this year I'd do it. She didn't show up. But my brother did with the girls, and a good breakfast was had by all. We enjoyed some more present opening (I love kids and their gifts that you KNOW they love!) and after they left, I took another nap. (See, I'm not a morning person...i've been working overnights for 4+ years, so having people over for breakfast is pretty hard!) That afternoon we went back to the inlaws for another dinner, and that was pretty much the end of our celebration. A good time was had, and I'm looking forward to the coming weekend to actually rest a little!
Oh, and I got the socks that were on my list! :o)

TAGGED!

Traveling Chica tagged me, so here goes!

I have to list ten things that I like, all of them starting with the letter “T.” They are not in any order.

Toffee...I LOVE CANDY, and toffee is a great one. Mmm...is it dessert time yet?

Tetherball...I played this all the time as a kid with my best friend. She can still kick my butt at that game!

Tatum...my best friend's daughter's name. She's the cutest ever!

Traveling...I may not be Traveling Chica, but I love going places. Driving or flying...I like being in different places and exploring. I drove to San Francisco w/a friend in 2003. My husband and I went to DC for our honeymoon, NYC for our 1st anniversary, and drove to Oklahoma with his parents for a wedding in '05 (THAT was brave!)

Talking...it's what I do for a job, and at least that part I'm good at. I can talk forever!

Teasing...I can be pretty sarcastic, so if you can't handle it, be on your way. I'm not being a bitch, I'm teasing you. Grow a pair!

Television...I'm addicted. It's sad. I can't tell you how many episodes of Dawson's Creek I've watched over the last week. TC, just so you know, Lifetime is going to start airing Grey's Anatomy, from the beginning. Just in case you change your mind!

Tater Tots...seriously, does it get much better than tater tots?

Trent...he does Pink Is The New Blog and I can't go a day w/out checking out the gossip on his site!

Ok, one more. I better make this good...

Thirty Minute Meals...Ok, that really starts with a 3, but I'm going with it anyway. I love to cook. Rachael Ray can be a bit...overbearing at times, but her recipes are fabulous. And to be able to get things done in 30 minutes...it rocks. No, I can't always get it done in that time because I'm not as speedy with a knife and my stove doesn't heat up fast enough, but the concept is great, and I'm addicted!

Ok, there you go! That was kind of hard. If you want to be tagged, consider yourself tagged. Pick a letter and go with it. And make sure you let me know!

Merry Christmas

This, my friends, is my version of a Christmas tree this year. With no place to put a tree and no place to store a fake one, please enjoy my christmas rack. Yes, I wrapped a coat rack in branch garland. And Sami is the cat under the tree.

There are presents there now (ALL FOR ME!) so it looks much more believable!

Merry Christmas Y'all!

This scares me!

This man was a PASTOR at my mother in law's church where she is VERY involved. A good friend of mine also goes there, and does their books. This guy performed her wedding just over a year ago. I sat at the table next to him at the reception, and couldn't believe how much he was drinking.

Man Allegedly Threatens To Kill Former Girlfriend, Children

Smyth's Bail Set At $15,000

POSTED: 7:22 pm CST December 20, 2006

MADISON, Wis. -- A man is facing charges, accused by police of breaking into the home of his former girlfriend and threatening to kill her, her kids and himself.Police said the incident happened early Monday morning.According to a criminal complaint, Douglas Smyth broke in a DeForest home and entered the bedroom at 4 a.m. with knives and a hammer.Smyth has been charged with burglary, disorderly conduct and false imprisonment, WISC-TV reported.The judge set bail at $15,000.

Basketball/Rock Stars!

Alando Tucker-32 points, 10 rebounds


Brian Butch-27 points (career high) 11 rebounds


I've always been a Wisconsin Badger fan, but it's gotten almost out of control the last few years. Since I met my husband, really. We have football season tickets (I think this year was our last, actually) and I hate missing a basketball game. I love listening to Matt Lepay call both football and basketball. He's got so much passion for the game...it's fabulous.
Today was a big day for the Badger men's basketball team. I'm at work, but thankfully we have a television in the studio! #7 Badgers vs. #2 (and unbeaten) Pittsburg. The Badgers took off early, and held on the whole game. It was SUCH a fun game to watch...the Badgers won 89-75. They have never been ranked higher than #6...but I think they can do it this time! They beat an unbeaten, #2 team. I think that should give him a #5 ranking.
I'm SO excited to be going to the Badger/Northwestern game in January. It's in IL, but that's because games at the Kohl Center are sold out every year before the season even starts. It's kind of hard to get tickets! My husband got me the Northwestern tickets for my birthday, and I can't wait!

I'll probably get in trouble for this one

Ok, so here I am, minding my own business. At work. I've been in the biz long enough to know what "most" listeners want to hear. Just today I heard someone say "I really like so-and-so, they talk about their life, and I can really relate to it."
So, tonight I mentioned that I'm having 20 people at my house for Christmas and I have to figure out how to make a ham and where to put everyone. It's a little stressful.
I got a call from someone who said she'd "been doing this a lot longer" than me. This being what? I don't know. She gave me some "advice". I shouldn't talk about my personal life. There are better things to talk about. To complain about Christmas when most people are depressed anyway is just wrong. WHAT? Seriously, I wasn't complaining. I was JOKING. And I'm sorry, but I don't think MOST people are depressed at Christmas.
I'm so fucking pissed off right now, I can't even stand it. I wish I'd been recording the call so I could tell you what she said, word-for-word. But it's pretty fresh in my head, so I think I have given you a good idea of her "advice".
My "advice" to this person who has "been doing this a lot longer" than me? Fuck off. Find something better to do than call someone ON THE RADIO and insult them. Because that's really fucking rude.

Sort-Of Matthew McConaughey

I just caught this on one of my gossip blogs...Matt Damon immitating Matthew McConaughey. No, he's not as hot. But just listen to him. I could listen to that voice every day...and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.