WIXY's Gone Bananas

I am currently listening to an e-book called "the Fred Factor" by Mark Sanborn . If I was setting a curriculum for A U this book would be on my require d listening list. I've heard both Dave Ramsey, and Dan Miller mention the book in their respective radio programs. I also attended a teleseminar last spring where Mark Sanborn was one of the speakers. Fred is the name of Sanborn's mailman. Fred gave extraordinary service in working an ordinary job. There are other example of " Freds " given in this book. In my life I have experienced many " Freds ". Here are just a few. Charlie is the maintenance supervisor at the plant I work at. His office is located next to mine. he is the main reason I am now a NASCAR fan. Yes, Charlie is a "good ole' boy", but I've seen him go the extra mile for many co-workers. I bring in the Beacon Journal every day to work, except Friday, when the paper of choice is the Medina Gazette( NASCAR news). C...

I usually get out of work at 3:30 in the afternoon, so first thing I tune into on my car radio is WTAM to listen to what Triv has to say. I didn't have to listen long until I hooked up my mp3 player for a class at my local Automobile University. Weather wasn't bad, traffic moved smoothly, so I had no need to listen, especially after he told this physical fitness expert to kiss his (rear). As far as I was concerned the man made a valid point. People in this country are overweight and out of shape. I have diabetes and high blood pressure. It probably is hereditary, but I probably could have delayed it for a few years if I'd taken better care of myself. Triv grew up believing "it is what it is." I have come to believe that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. After I come to know Christ as my savior, I had a pack and a half a day habit. I had some holier than thou people telling me that I was defiling my temple. Of course these folks were eating junk food. S...

I hadn't been able to keep my hard hat on so it was past time for a trip to the barbershop. Being one who grew up in the seventies, there was a time in my life that I wouldn't be caught dead in a barbershop. I went to a hair stylist, most of the time a woman. Having a full head of naturally curly hair used to get me some compliments from some very envious women. I still have a full head of thick hair, and even though it's totally gray, it's still my badge of honor. My hair was also a badge of honor in the mid seventies when I wore it shoulder length. Anyways, I go to Wadsworth to get my hair cut. There are two shops in Wadsworth that have charged $7.00 for a cut. Chuck's on Broad Street, next to the Blue Sky Drive in Theater is one. Wayne's on High Street on the south end of town is the other. Chuck is a good guy, also president of the Wadsworth school board. He is also active in the sports boosters as well as president of the Hunt Club. So if you want to talk a...

After having a prescription refilled at the Ritzman Natural Health Pharmacy in Wadsworth, I went across the street to get a dozen of, in my opinion, the best donuts in Medina County. As you can tell by the picture, the name of the bakery is Ann's Pastry Shop, which is located on High Street, just north of the square. I have admired that clock for some time now and just had to take the picture so I could share it with those who take the time to look at this blog. I hope those with Akron radio connections enjoy this piece of history. Another neat thing about the shop for me is on the door. When they list their hours open, they have for Sunday "C U in Church" But if you are in Wadsworth, you have got to give this shop a visit. They have some of the best cream sticks, cinnamon rolls, and glazed donuts around (my favorites).

My regular readers know that some of my posts have been published in the local edition of The Post newspaper, a publication delivered free of charge. Well this week I'm Post-less. I woke up this morning to get my paper and it was on my front step-soaking wet. No biggie, I'll just go into town to pick one up. I go to the Stop N Go, no papers. I go to the Rittman Quik Mart, no papers. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? Bruce Trogdan , your circulation people in your own hometown blew it this week.

It's been said that when you fail to plan you plan to fail. Well my plan this weekend was not to go any further than maybe Fairlawn . And also not to go to any emergency rooms. My wife got called into work for about three hours today, but the case(she's a home health aide) is in town. So I de cided to take some time to blog. I forgot a birthday this week : I ought to be ashamed of myself. Being a fan I should have been aware of February 21. Yes, it was the 59 Th anniversary of the National Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing, or NASCAR for short. So you know that there will be a big celebration next year. I just started watching NASCAR in 2003. Before that I was one of those who didn't see the sense of cars driving round and round for anywhere from 100 to 500 laps. Since then I have realized that it is indeed a team sport with the driver being the most notable part of the teams. Being one who has followed Cleveland sports teams, I have soured from watching good ...

I've about given up on getting much useful information from the radio on my commute to and from work. That's a sad thing for me to say, especially since I have a number of folks who read my words that are either current or former radio station employees. But motivational speaker Zig Ziglar has given many the following idea- Turn your car to Automobile University. I spend about as much time in the WIXYmobile everyday as I would in a classroom if I would be taking two college courses. Last night I loaded into my trusty mp3 player "48 Days to the Work You Love", the weekly radio program hosted by Dan Miller and Tim Knox, originating from Nashville Tennessee. I am one who is always looking for ways to expand my horizons and keep my options open. Even if you aren't looking for a new job, this podcast will give you new ideas on enhancing your present situation. If you happen to feel stuck in your current J-O-B then the podcast might be something you might want to lo...

I was listening to a Dave Ramsey podcast coming home from work this afternoon. It was a theme hour about giving, which is the seventh of the baby steps listed in the Total Money Makeover . It was pretty neat hearing about folks who could give like they could. Should be a goal everyone would like to attain. I enjoy my mp3 player more each day. Beats lugging around tapes or CD's . If you haven't checked out iTunes , I recommend you do so. There's tons of free things available for everybody, including some local radio podcasts . And I can load those podcasts into my RCA Lyra mp3 player, so you don't need an iPod to receive the podcasts . The WIXYmobile's car stereo has a cassette player. I hook up my mp3 player using the CD adapter, same way, plug it into the headphone jack. Makes my 46 mile(one way) ride into work alot more pleasant. Sometimes with a limited number of options aimed at my particular demo, it's good to have other options. And satellite radio...

Mama said there'd be says like this: After coming home from helping WIXYjr get his car back, I get a call Sunday evening while I'm watching the Daytona 500. It was WIXYjr . He told me that his driver's side windshield wiper wasn't working and his brake light and battery light was on. Another weekend probably will be shot to heck, and my wife isn't too happy about it. Neither am I for that matter. Guess where I probably will be headed this weekend? One certainty in life: I arrive to work yesterday to find one of my friends had passed away Saturday afternoon, while working on his daughter's car. We still don't know the cause or when visiting hours are going to be. Being one of the company's original employees, he will be missed by all. We were all very numb when we heard the news. I'm half in tears typing these words. Bright spot in all of this: Driving home from work yesterday, I was getting tired of hearing Triv's mindless drivel, so I ho...

This morning I hopped in the WIXYmobile at about 6am to head south to Nelsonville . Trip was fine till I got south of Mansfield, when I met old man winter. Next thing I found out was I was out of "blue juice" or windshield washer fluid. That was when I decided to get off the freeway to tend to other needs. So a cup of coffee, a snack, and the necessary washer fluid, and I was on my way. Light snow and some blowing until I got into Columbus. Then the fun began(I'm being sarcastic). The freeway then became a mess. Between Columbus and Nelsonville I stopped twice. Once for a restroom break, and once because I was fighting snow blindness. US 33 was sloppy. I saw a few vehicles off the road, but the worse thing I saw was a pick-up truck which had been pulling a horse trailer. It had rammed into the back of an ODOT salt truck. The front end was mangled badly and there were a couple of emergency vehicles, along with three police cars on the scene. Well I got to the college la...

Once again the WIXYmobile heads to Nelsonville with a care package for WIXYjr . I also have to take him to Columbus to get his car from the mechanic. The alternator caught fire two weeks ago when he arrived at his aunt's place. His mother called him tonight to ask what he wanted from Save A Lot. He gave a brief list then said he had to go because he was on the air. He also told his mother to tell me that he got on the air before me. Oh well, I have a better blog. Hopefully for me it will be a quick over and back, since I really need the rest. Changing gears : I noticed this morning when I checked the message boards that someone did some cleaning over at Cleveland.com. Most of JimOhio's posts had been deleted. Now Jim can be annoying and repetitive, but what I found the most offensive was those who responded in a less than civil way to his posts. The combination of all that gave the Listening Party a very bad reputation. I will add that when it was just the two of us interact...

The past couple of days was proof that we need a store to replace the now defunct Rittman IGA . It's now been over three months and still no word of a replacement. People were going around town Tuesday evening, cleaning out the perishables at both the Family Dollar and Dollar General. Wadsworth in inclement weather becomes a major trip. Some word that I have heard around town was what really doomed the IGA was mismanagement. I went around town this evening to get my wife, who has been ill, some ice cream. She wanted moose tracks, however I stopped at four stores, Stop N Go, Rite Aid, Family Dollar, and the Rittman Quick Mart, and no moose tracks, so she had to settle for peanut butter cup. And I had to settle for paying about 6 dollars for 1.75 quarts. That's right, not even a half gallon! We need you Save A Lot!

This blog gets some of the same readers as Ohio Media Watch, but I'm not nearly as popular. But then OMW provides a very valuable service to those who want to keep up on media happenings. All I want to do is inform, entertain and inspire my small, but loyal, audience. The other day OMW reported on a radiothon Akron/Canton radio station WKDD was having for Akron Children's Hospital, a facility that's probably touched the lives of almost everyone who reads these words. OMW then received about 24 comments on this particular post, the first by myself. All I posted was a "Well done". Others wanted to question the integrity of the radio station and the owners, Clear Channel. I am not the biggest Clear Channel fan, but I think that some of the rude comments were completely uncalled for. At least when somebody makes allegations like that they could have the guts to sign their names to the comment. OMW wisely closed comments to that article. I checked again and there...

As I'm trying to get back into the loop, this latest round of inclement weather strikes. I was going to have to leave early to take my wife to the doctor had I gone to work. As everybody is well aware, I have a 46 mile drive one way to work, and I couldn't even open my storm door at 4am. So not wanting to deal with any slipping or sliding, as the WIXYmobile is economical on gas, but being a Chevy Metro, it isn't the heaviest car on the road, I called off from work. That's fine, as I didn't want to watch 4x4's being driven by morons, who think they should be in NASCAR , whip past me. I did have to go out today. As I mentioned earlier, I had to take my wife to the doctor. By the time I got out road crews did a decent job making roads passable, providing you used common sense in driving. Funny thing is you can tell where one ODOT garages responsibility ends, and an other's begins. Heading up Ohio-57, the crews from the Burbank garage did a great job clearin...

Dealing with depression : I was first diagnosed with depression this past August, about a week or so before starting this blog. I've seen symptoms of it sometime before that. After the August diagnosis, I was prescribed Prozac , which seemed to work fine until Super Bowl Sunday, when I found myself in the emergency room at Akron City Hospital. I then followed it up with a 36 hour stay at St. Thomas Hospital. Only reason I wrote the above paragraph is to let others know that help is available in case you feel helpless and can't figure how to cope. At the very least, find someone to talk to. I am talking to a twelve stepper at work and getting some pointers from him(for the record, I don't drink) I am seriously thinking about going to an Emotions Anonomyous meeting sometime soon. Stick and stones may break my bones : But words spoken, e-mailed, and posted last week made me feel great. A poster named " larrydolan " had noticed that I had not posted in the past f...

If you take any extra effort to read this blog, even though we may have never met, I consider you my friend. In the past several days life has happened, and I have had to take time to get my head back together, which is why I've been away from the keyboard. I may not be writing a lot in the next several days, as I will be busy. Funny thing about life is there are ways for God to get through. I was looking at my e-mail and got a very thoughtful message from a reader who is a fellow forum poster. I printed it out to read over and over. I also got a book in the mail from Morris Cerullo "Seven Steps to Personal Victory" I will give that book a definite read. Hopefully I will be back with something to inspire soon. Until then, please pray for me.

I was going to call this post quick hits, but I copy OMW' s style enough as I try to put out something to inform and entertain those who stop this way. First a plug for my friend the Danemeister . He's puts out a general blog where he touches areas of interest to him, such as what I try to do in this space. He's also the host of the request show from 9:00pm to Midnight on the Sunday Oldies jukebox . Maybe when I finally get a vacation, I will go to Streetsboro on that Sunday night and take him some Hartzlers. It might sweeten his disposition. As some of the readers will be nesting in front of their televisions tomorrow to enjoy the big game, my church, the South Main Street Church of God, in Rittman will be having the sooper bowl of praise. The mispelling was intentional, copyright problems, you know. The festivities start with a praise gate party at 4:00. My prediction of who will win the game? You can't argue with statistics, it's always the team that has the mo...

I feel like I am working on a high school assignment. There is so much I'm skipping over, so I am going to post a link to the Obsessed with Wrestling site that I've gotten so much of my material for these last few posts. It's obvious to me that I can't do this topic justice, so unless I get a special muse, this will be my last post on it. The eighties brought us some interesting characters, such as the Bushwackers, Undertaker, and Brother Love. There were also some interesting storylines. I will mention a few. Rick Rud e hits on Jake "the Snake" Roberts wife : Ravishing Rick Rude was part of the Heenan Family. Bobby Heenan lead Rude to the ring as stripper music played. At the conclusion of the match, Heenan would pick a lady in the audience to come into the ring to receive the "Rude Awakening" where he would "plant one" on the lady. One particular show, one was picked out of the audience who refused to come into the ring. Upon interroga...