WIXY's Gone Bananas

Up, Down, or Sideways- A book review and some thoughts

2012-01-08T08:54:00.000-05:00

While I was home with my broken leg, a book arrived in the mail called "Up, Down, or Sideways." The author, Mark Sanborn gives advice on how to succeed when things are going good, bad or in between.

Sanborn starts out by telling how things were going three years ago. His speaking engagements were fewer, his investments were decreasing, and he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. During this time, Mark looked within and around and remained proactive to rise above his circumstances.

Mark Sanborn is a leadership expert and "Up, Down, or Sideways" is a how to book on taking leadership in your life, helping you ride the waves, no matter how high or how low.

I got this book during a time when things were very down for me. I had taken a cut in pay, primarily because when things were going sideways, I became too complacent. Immediately after the pay cut, I went into a downward spiral. I felt like the lowest form of life, a loser. I started looking for ways to regain what I lost. And when things were looking like they would be going up, I went and broke 2 bones in my legs. But I'm back on my feet, and things are starting to look up for me. I need to keep an attitude of success while realizing that there will be adjustments to be made.

Mark tells how to make the necessary adjustments dependent on the direction you happen to be going. A great attitude is a great way to go, but one also needs to approach life with a cautious optimism.

As I was reading the book, I got to thinking about those whom I have made friends with through the radio chat boards and how they flourished during their time. Many of them knew when it was time to leave radio and television and move on to different fields, knowing full their "15 minutes of fame" were up. Cliff Note: Most had well more than 15 minutes, but you know what I mean. these folks know that their continuing success wasn't dependent on their time behind the microphone or in front of the cameras. As a matter of fact, if Mark Sanborn could write a book for my particular region, I could give him some names of people to interview who others measured their success as their time on the airwaves, but they themselves measure it as the time they now can spend with their family.

It's been said that you learn more when you are in the valley than up on the mountain. "Up, Down, or Sideways" outlines how to get the most out of whatever situation you are in.

Do you really WANT to lose weight?

2012-01-02T14:23:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I had to have 2 insulin shots before I had surgery in October. Even though I had lost over 30 pounds before that, this was a real wake up call for me to really take better care of myself. I was diagnosed as being a diabetic in 2005. I'm certain that part of this occurred due to heredity, but I also think that much of this was because of my lifestyle. Matter of fact, diabetes is an epidemic because of lifestyle. And if you don't believe me, go to your local Evil Big Box Store(tm) and look around.

Let me ask you. Are you someone who polishes off a pizza, bag of chips, and a 2 liter of your favorite non diet soft drink while watching an episode of "The Biggest Loser"? As much as I admire the people who succeed in losing weight and keeping it off, I don't think the show inspires as many people as they would like to. I think there needs to be more one on one contact, one loving on another for weight loss to be effective and more permanent.

And you can't shame others in losing weight. You insult somebody because of their weight, chances the emotions you get out of them will be hurt feelings and they will turn to their best friend, be it a fast food value meal or a package of cookies.

And you don't encourage anyone by trivializing their loss. I once told a family member that I had lost 5 pounds. Their response was "Well whoop de doo! I could do that by taking a crap." Not the response I was looking for. Didn't hurt my feelings, but also didn't motivate me to lose any more at the time. If that's the best you can come up with, keep your mouth shut.

For the most part, you lose weight because YOU want to lose it. I have found this out time and time again that I never lost it because someone else, including my doctor, wanted me to. I have always needed to find my divine spark. In my early 20's I lost 60 pounds because I wanted to have a social life. I gained some of this back, but lost 45 pounds in my mid 20's as a challenge not to gain weight after I quit smoking.

In my early 40's, I felt I needed to lose weight because of arthritis issues in my legs. I knew that I would need to have a knee replaced, which I did at the age of 45. I had lost around 45 pounds that time around.

I figure in my adult years, I have probably lost collectively over 200 pounds. Problem has been that after I lose, I gain back and then some. And I feel that maybe I'm in the majority. I change my eating habits then get too lax when I lose enough to get into a good size pants. Weight goes back on until something happens that makes you want to lose again.

I know I need to make some permanent changes as yo yo dieting is dangerous. I'm not big enough for the Biggest Loser ranch, but I have access to a fitness center at my place of employment. And I think with internet access, ignorance is not an option when it comes to eating better.

Hopefully I still have some recovery bloggers reading my blog. If they have any friends from OA, I would more than welcome their comments.

Walking through the first day of a new year

2012-01-01T19:06:00.000-05:00

I have one crutch in my house and the other in my car. I used neither today.

Felt good to walk into church today under my own power without something to lean on. And I also walked around the sanctuary a couple of times as well. I'm not ready to run any marathons, but then again, I never was ready in the past either.

It's been a long two plus months, but I got to learn quite a bit.

First, my coworkers are a very considerate group of people. Way more often than not, they would put aside what they were doing and do things such as hold doors open for me. If I would have asked, they would have done more for me.

I also learned that all handicapped parking spaces are not necessarily closest to where you need to go. I attended the winter concert performance of the Rittman band this past month as I wanted to say hi to many of the students and their parents. I got off work that day at 6, had to pick up a prescription at the store, then went to the school. The only parking spaces available were the handicapped spaces available on the side of the school, but nowhere near close to the door where I was to go in. But it was a good concert and the walk was worth it.

I've also gotten pretty good at using the electric carts that the major stores have available. I've been able to negotiate tight corners and close aisles. I also am able to back them into the spaces I got them from and plug them back in for the next person who needs them.

I have written previously about the misuse of handicapped spots, by those taking the spaces when others need them more than they would. A beef I have always had about the way people regard these spaces is that they sometimes use the lined spaces next to them as cart returns, not realizing some people need the area to get out of their cars.

I still have quite a bit of rehabbing to do and my goal is to be riding my bicycle again in the spring. In about a month, two of the 9 screws will be removed from my ankle, freeing up the leg somewhat. Hopefully the ground will be much firmer this year and I wont be slipping around.

And since before the break I had lost over 30 pounds, I hope to continue this trend in the coming year. Having to get a couple of insulin shots before surgery was very much a wake up call. And there was some concern in the back of my mind that healing would be a very slow process. Yeah, I need to take much better care of myself.

Chronicle of a (non) day off

2011-12-28T20:06:00.000-05:00

Today, being a day where I didn't have to be at work, is one of my busiest days of the week. I normally call these my (non) days off.

Nice thing is that I can usually sleep until I get up. Down side is that one of our cats decides when I get up. Goober does this by turning off my CPAP. Yes, he takes advantage of my sleep apnea. Cliff Note: Here is a link to a post I wrote in 2009 about my sleep apnea. He wakes me up, I feed him and his mother, Peanut, and my world is at peace.

So I'm up, posting the Morning Show and the Question of the Day on Facebook and decide to enjoy one of my Christmas presents, first season of WKRP in Cincinnati. Then my wife gets a text message, and off I go to my daughters house. On the way, I had to get some money out of the ATM, and since I didn't eat breakfast yet, stop at the golden arches place. I figured it was better to stop than to risk my blood glucose dropping. When I got there, I noticed the parking lot was icy. I went in, ordered my meal to go and suggested to the manager on duty that whomever maintains the parking lot should spread some salt on it. It was explained to me that the parking lot is never salted, just the sidewalk. I pointed out to her my crutch and the fact that I had a plate and 9 screws in my left ankle. I also told her in a very nice way where I would not be stopping when conditions were icy.

Now with my muffin with egg, cheese, and Canadian bacon, potato patty, and orange juice, I am off to my daughter's house. I also called my wife, told her about the parking lot situation and asked her to find out how to get a hold of the franchisee.

I took care of my daughter and it's on my way home. Once home, I was given the number of the Golden Arch corporate HQ, or so I thought. Turns out, it's a call center, so I'm now speaking to someone who more than likely gets paid by someone beside the Golden Arch corporation. At least he spoke perfect English. I let him know about my situation at the restaurant and my concerns since the majority of people in the restaurant were older than I. He apologized(of course) and said the info I gave would be forwarded to the franchisee.

Now it's off to take care of our son. Adam's birthday is in 2 days, so we took him to lunch, after which off to the Medina Walmart, not an Evil Big Box Store since I consider the store manager a friend. After we got the items we needed it was off to take my sister to a neurologist appointment. As we dropped the ladies off, I noticed my fuel gauge was at about 1/8 full. I then went to the Get Go station as I had 30 cents in fuel perks.

While fueling up, I noticed someone had dropped their debit card. I weighed my options, which were the following: Either take the card in to the cashier or return it to the bank, where I'm a customer. No other thoughts crossed my mind. Since my next scheduled stop was a grocery store next to a branch of this bank, I took the card to the bank. After expressing surprise, the teller said they would notify the customer, then said bless you and have a happy new year.

While in the grocery store, my phone rang twice. First call was the Golden Arch manager whom I had talked to earlier in the day. She told me that it was explained to her that the parking lot was not salted because the tread of the tires which comes into the lot just takes it into the streets and that none of the major businesses in town salt their lots.

The second call was from a family member who had noticed my shoes were worn out. He told me to meet him at the shoe store and he would buy me a new pair of shoes. After I took possession of the shoes, it had occurred to me that the reason I may have gotten the shoes was because I never thought of doing anything with that debit card besides turning it in.

Nice guys don't always finish last.

Point of clarification

2011-12-21T09:04:00.001-05:00

With all the political correctness from one side and making sure we don't deny our Lord, many of us have really forgotten the true reason for celebrating. I speak now as a born again Christian, something I have been since June 6, 1980.

The Christ I serve does not live in a manger. He was placed there right after his birth. He was taken out of there, grew up and was a carpenter. Then for 3 years, went around His small area of the known world primarily with 12 others and started to change the world.

The Christ I serve is not a dead man on a cross. He was there for several hours suffering for all those who accept His sacrifice for our sins. He was taken from that cross, placed in a borrowed, guarded, tomb, where He rose from 3 days later.

The Christ I serve sits at the right hand of God almighty interceding on my behalf whenever I stumble. And that's a full time job if was just for me. But He will do it for you too. All you need to do is ask Him.

Cliff Note: the photo in this post is one of the generally accepted images of Jesus Christ. Is that what He really looks like? I don't know. I do know that someday I will find out what He looks like and I love him no matter.

This has also been simulblast at my faith based blog, Seek Him First.

A Christmas present to remember

2011-12-18T18:06:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, my younger brother, Richard, passed away in March, 2008. He had been wheelchair bound for the last 20 years of his life and I thought it was somewhat poetic justice that the day he went home to be with the Lord was March 4th, or march forth.

I was thinking about Ricky today as it's a week before Christmas. He was always one of the easiest people to shop for as he was happy with just about anything you get for him. A true personification of "it's the thought that counts."

One of Ricky's life long passions was sports. The reason he became a sports fan was because I became a sports fan. You see, when we were growing up, Ricky was my shadow and my best friend. As he spent the last years of his life in a nursing home, people were amazed with his knowledge of all things sports. And on any given fall Sunday, he probably expressed the emotions of Browns backers everywhere.

In 1975, I decided that for his Christmas present, we would go see the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs were playing their games at the Richfield Coliseum, and we all were about to be witnesses to a miracle, the Miracle of Richfield. That season, the Cavs were a broken foot away from the NBA championship, that being suffered by center, Jim Chones. Other members of the 1975-76 Cavs included Austin Carr, Bobby "Bingo" Smith, Canton's own Dick Snyder, and newest member, the ever popular Nate Thurmond.

December 21, 1975, the LA Lakers, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Gail Goodrich, and Pat Riley on their roster, came to Richfield. The game was originally supposed to be nationally broadcast on CBS. However, sports editor, Sonny Hill decided that the Cavs' play prior to the trade to Chicago for Thurmond didn't warrant a national broadcast. One of the give aways for the game was a Cavaliers pennant to all in attendance. Before Hill made his decision, I decided to buy royal courtside tickets to the game, two rows behind the basket. The tickets set me back $12.50 apiece. Cliff note: Nowadays you couldn't get one ticket in the nosebleed section for 25 dollars. I thought at the time it would cool to be in a position to be able to be on TV nationwide. But the important thing was that I got Ricky a present he would love.

Despite the fact that the game was not going to be televised, there were over 19,000 in the attendance, all armed with white pennants. I was offered 1000 bucks to do harm to Abdul-Jabbar when I told this person where my seat was. Needless to say, I declined. Time to go to our seats.

Being Cavaliers fans and not too bashful, we let the good guys know our allegiance to them. Others around us let us know how much they paid to sit in their seats. Obviously these folks were not future dawg pound occupants. Cliff Note: Unless you are fans of the Cleveland Browns fan, you don't get the last comment.

Well, back to the reason we were there. The Cavs and Lakers put on a game and then some. For awhile it looked as though the Lakers were going back to California with a win. Anytime coach Bill Fitch needed some defense, he would call on the capable veteran, reserve center, Nate Thurmond. Every time the 6 foot 11 12 year veteran entered the game, the ever popular Thurmond would hear the adulation of the crowd along with the chant "DEFENSE...DEFENSE!"

And as it became crunch time, all 19,000 plus got into the game, even those who chastised me and Ricky earlier in the game. Along with the cheers, there were over 19,000 white pennants waving back and forth. The terrible towel had nothing on the Cavalier pennants that afternoon. And I was yelling myself hoarse. And the good guys were cheered on to a 99-98 win.

The real loser that day was CBS. The rest of this memorable season, whenever CBS was broadcasting from the Coliseum, Sonny Hill was greeted with the boos that are now reserved for LeBron James.

The biggest winner December 21, 1975 was Cliff Feightner. I have had a winning memory now going on 36 years. I gave Ricky a Christmas gift that has kept on giving back to my memory banks.

Who do I want to offend today?

2011-12-17T17:09:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's the second half of December. As a born again Christian, I celebrate Christmas, which is generally observed by most on December 25. I have this friend who, though she knows Christ as her savior, same as I, feels that she should not observe this as Jesus' birthday. Sandi points out that the only time in the Bible when a birthday was observed, it was a sad occasion. I think no less of Sandi in believing that way, and she respects my belief as well.

Now there are others who take issue in Merry Christmas, as Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and the winter solstice are all observed during this time. They would prefer we all say "Happy Holidays." I don't have much of a problem giving that salutation during the time between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.

I work in telecommunications in consumer service. I was talking to a customer today. I normally switch between Merry Christmas and Happy holidays. I said have a happy holiday season. I was mocked by the customer.....

So heck with it and HAVE A NICE DAY!

For a moment, the North Pole is in Baton Rouge

2011-12-11T21:02:00.000-05:00

This story starts this past summer. I was searching for friends on Facebook, mainly those I went to school with. I had thought of one in particular, I had an image in my mind of high school football games. The game announcer was born in Scotland and he still had a very thick accent. One of the players on our team was named Bob Buesch, pronounced "bush". However, Mr. Cranston would announce "tackle by Bob Booooosh."

Anyway I thought I would see if any of the Buesch brothers were on Facebook. I found George. George is about 2-3 years older than I. I requested to "friend" George. George was on line at that moment and immediately accepted. I then looked at George's profile and found that he had Parkinson's disease. About that time, George started chatting with me.He told me that he was now living in a nursing home. He asked me to come see him. Several weeks later, I went to see him on his birthday. I also asked those who went to school with us and were still living in the area to try to drop a note or even pay him a visit. And there are those who send George messages, to let him know they care, but there is also one who has taken it a step further.

Patty is a fellow Highland graduate. She graduated 2 years years after me, with my younger brother. Patty's sister, Nancy was in my class, a cheerleader. I had the distinction of running against Nancy for senior class vice president. For some reason, I won. Anyway, Patty has taken an interest in George. She now lives in Baton Rouge, LA. And in her checking of George's FB page, she saw a photo of him wearing a Steelers cap, a mortal sin around the Highland contingent on FB. She got George's address and mailed him a box of Cleveland Browns and Indians items, telling him that the next time a photo is taken, he better be wearing the right hat. Cliff Note: George does have a good sense of humor about this. He is also sharp as a tack.

Patty called George last week, who told her that he was in need to some pop and snacks. She asked me if I could get him some pop and told me what kind to get if she sent me the money. I told her I would. I got the money this past Thursday and bought the pop today and took it to him. My sister, son and I took it to him today and also found out what kind of snacks he was allowed to have. The nurse told me that George was borderline diabetic, but he knew better than the nursing staff what he was allowed to have.

Anyway in this season of giving find someone who can't repay and do something for them. They will really appreciate it far more than you can realize. Plus it does have it's own benefits.

Time for a seasonal rant that's good anytime

2011-12-07T09:24:00.001-05:00

As those who read this blog and follow me on Facebook know, I'm recovering from a broken ankle. My specialist has, as of yesterday, allowed me to start putting weight on my left foot. I have been on crutches since my release from the hospital, October 23. And for that reason, a rant I express in some form on a yearly basis has taken a new meaning to me.

In addition to the plate and 9 screws I had placed in my left ankle this past October, I also have an artificial left knee. I had the knee replaced February 22, 2001. I credit that to 2 things: heredity and me not taking care of myself as I should over the course of my life. Anyway, for most of the past 10 years, according to my doctor, I have had the legal right to use a handicap parking space. Many people do and it comes in handy on days when your joints are barking at you and you need bread and milk. Other days, the extra steps you need to take do you some good. Since I broke the ankle, I have had the moral right to use these spaces. Walking on crutches 100 feet on an uphill incline takes the best out of you.

Yesterday evening, coming home from work, I had to stop at the store for a few items, mainly some cough syrup as I have this cold coming on (Cliff Note: In northeast Ohio, colds usually last from late November to about April.) Anyway being about 8:20pm, the closest handicap spot to the door was available, so I took the space. I got in the store and the greeter brought me a motorized cart, and I went about my way doing my shopping. After I got my items, I checked out, took my cart back, got my crutches, got my bags out of the cart and proceeded to go to my car. The Salvation Army bell ringer offered to help me to my car. After I thanked him, and declined and showed him where my car was, he then told me that out of everyone he saw using the handicap spaces, I was the first one he saw that really needed one.

During the Christmas season, there will be many folks who really need the spaces, but will not be able to do their shopping because all of them will be taken up. That is a pet peeve of mine. I see many who have the permits on their car and sometime it's not issued to them, but to another member of their family. They just use it because they are too lazy to walk the few extra feet.

There are others who decide that the handicap spaces are to be used as cart returns. Once again, this is tying up a space for those who need it the most. And finally when the snow starts flying, there will be the inconsiderate snow plow operator who will deposit a pile of snow on-you guessed it-a handicap spot.

Since this is the season of giving, give to those who need it.

I like "Cathouse Teri" because....

2011-11-16T19:01:00.000-05:00

One of the friends I have made while blogging is Teri Ahlstrom, also known as Cathouse Teri. We became associated with each other through other blogs. Teri has also become one of my crossover friends, as she has become a favorite of many of my Facebook friends as well.

Teri writes a blog called "The Road Lester Traveled." The only way to effectively describe her writing style is naughty, but nice. Naughty, in the fact that she covers topics I would be embarrassed to cover, but nice, in the fact that she's a friend when you need it. In December, 2008, when our friend Liquid decided to end her life, Teri wrote me a very nice email to comfort me.

But as I have stated earlier in this post, Teri has also became friends on Facebook as well as being friends with several of my high school friends. Teri is very active in contributing to the Question of the Day as well as being one of the administrators. While I was laid up 3 weeks ago, she stepped in and posted the QotD for a couple of days.

Teri has recently moved from Virginia to California, so her talents have returned to the west coast. But no matter where we get her wisdom and friendship, it's always welcome.

A little help from my friends.....

2011-11-13T12:49:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, we have been through a rough time at my home. And I was pretty much confined to home for a couple of weeks as my bones have started to heal.

I do thank God for all of my friends, especially those I have never met. One friend I reconnected with during my recovery time is Leesa Garcia. For those unaware, Leesa is a blogger from France, originally from the San Diego area. Leesa has done much traveling around Europe and doesn't hesitate to share her adventures with us. She is also a cupcake devotee. And most importantly, Leesa is a teacher.

Not being specific, Leesa has been going through some rough patches in her life of late. Sometimes it helps just to let people know that you care and that you are lifting them up to God as you present your other requests to Him.

If you get the chance, check out Leesa's blog, News From France. Also leave her a message and let Leesa know that you are praying for her.

Real life experiences

2011-11-10T12:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to the doctor's office with my wife, waiting while she saw the doctor for some back problems. I went in case she got a pain shot and she needed a driver. No shots, just needed 2 prescriptions filled, so it's off to Giant Eagle.

Giant Eagle is probably the most handicap accessible retail establishments in Wadsworth. We get prescriptions filled because of their reduced prices on generics and some diabetic meds being free. Anyways we got there and Kathy had to go back to the pharmacy while I grabbed motorized cart and picked up a few items for supper. I got what we needed from the grocery dept and then went to the pharmacy. The scripts from the doctor hadn't been received as yet, so as Kathy was waiting for those, I went to the check out. As usual, I used the self check out. The cashier overlooking the self checkout area, bagged my groceries, put them in my cart and offered to help me to my car. I figured that since it was only 2 bags, not heavy, and I was in a close parking space, I would decline the offer. The one thing I do regret was getting this young man's name as I called the store later and told the manager how much I appreciated the offer for help.

In contrast, I was at the Walmart the night before on my way home from work. My purchase involved 2 8 packs of Coke Zero, a gallon of milk, and 2 other bags of groceries. I went to a full service checkout where there were 3 cashiers standing around talking. I paid for my purchase and there was no offer to help me get to my car. I was allowed to take the cart to my car to get my groceries there. When I returned my cart, the people greeter told me to park it in a space that I would have had a problem walking away from if I hadn't had crutches.

So to the anonymous commenter 2 posts down, I will be fair when it's called for. But if I had been injured getting out of the cart, whose fault would have it been?

I get around....

2011-11-09T18:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I got yelled at at work. I was told to stay at my booth while I need to use crutches.

This not being able to walk under my own power is somewhat new to me. Yes, I have had my knee replaced, but the surgeon told me that I could bear weight on that leg 2 days after surgery. I won't be able to bear weight on my broken ankle for about 6 weeks so I have to use crutches for that length of time.

At my job, the break room is one floor down from the call center where I work. Under normal circumstances, I go down one flight of stairs and I'm there. Now I have to go across the building to catch the elevator to get to the break room. I was on my way to the break room to eat a salad my wife had packed for me when I was informed that the elevator was out of order. I was told to go back to my call center and one of the good folks from HR got my salad and a fork for me. that was also when my supervisor "yelled" at me and told me to stay at my booth.

Don't get me wrong, I do love the attention I've been getting. But it has been culture shock for me. I've been amazed by those who have made sure things are as easy as possible for me. I don't expect things to be handed to me as I'm well aware of the fact that others have their issues that they deal with. I also want to be able to do for myself as soon as possible. But it is definitely a breath of fresh air to have people hold doors open for me, offer to get me ice, and get my lunch. I have a hard time accepting the fact that I'm deserving of such good treatment.

Just remember to treat others as you wish to be treated because you never know when you will need the assistance.

View from a motorized cart

2011-11-02T17:26:00.000-04:00

I guess I have had an epiphany of sorts today. I was out for the first time yesterday since my ankle surgery. I went to the specialist for followup. The soft cast was removed and replaced with an ace wrap. I've also been cleared to returned to work next Monday. So, since my first day back will be a 12 hour day, I figure I need to use the rest of the week to ease back into action.

Yesterday evening I went to the Rite Aid to get a prescription filled. As I shared on Facebook last night, I thought of the old musing "Only in America does a sick person have to go to the back of the drug store to pick up their prescriptions, when a healthy person can buy their cigarettes in the front of the store." I was informed that this is primarily a security issue. I made the decision that for the next little bit, I will mainly go to the stores that have the motorized carts.

Now I have had the legal right to park in a handicapped spot now for over 10 years due to the fact that I have an artificial knee and arthritis in my legs. I felt that for the time being that I now also have a moral right to park there as well. And with the holiday season coming up, those spaces will be at a premium. In some cases brainless people will decide to use them as a cart return, or snow plow drivers will pile snow in some of them.

But back to the motorized carts. I took my son to Walmart today as he had to get some items. I also needed a backpack as my hands and arms will be busier than usual for at least the next 6 weeks while I'm on crutches(no weight bearing allowed.) I got inside the store, where I was immediately given a cart and the people greeter took my crutches. And now it's times to begin my adventure. My first destination was sporting goods. The only backpack in my price range was a camouflage, mainly for hunters, but not for me. Only problem was at the end of the aisle. Some idiot parked his shopping cart there, blocking my way. I had to back up all the way in order to proceed. And then after being able to go to the next aisle, I saw the person responsible for that cart. No surprises, looked like someone who would personify the punchline of a Jeff Foxworthy joke. But at this point if he had looked like a Rhodes scholar, I would have thought of him as an idiot. I wonder now if I could have guilty of such a thoughtless act in the past?

I also wonder if I will view people in these carts with different eyes when I'm back walking without crutches? It seems to me that I will probably notice other people besides those who are morbidly obese. I have been guilty of thinking that these people would need these carts less if they walk more. I also think that people should be more aware of those not able to walk as they do and give them a little more right of way. And also if you need to visit with someone you meet in the store, go to the sandwich shop in front and BS over a cup of coffee. Cliff Note: That's been a pet peeve for awhile, whether I'm pushing a regular shopping cart or riding a motorized one.

And no, I didn't make this my usual EBBS bashing article because the employees went out of their way to help me when they saw I needed help.

Them's the breaks

2011-10-24T10:46:00.000-04:00

Well, I haven't been able to find much time to blog lately. Shouldn't be a problem for at least the next couple of weeks. To those who aren't on Facebook, I will now explain this to you.

This past Saturday, after I got off work, I went over to my in-law's house to assist in sweeping up leaves. My father in law was finishing up mowing grass in front, so I decided to go in back to see how wet it was. I found some branches lying on the ground and decided to carry them to the brush pile. I slippred, then fell, twisting my leg. I felt something and thought it was my knee which I had replaced in February 2001. After seeing my ankle swelling, I knew then that I broke, or at the very least, dislocated it. I started screaming and when it was evident nobody was hearing me, I took out my cell phone and called 911.

Montville Twp EMS took me to Medina hospital. After 2 fruitless attempts to reset my ankle, it was determined that I was going to be staying the night and having surgery on Sunday.

I will be off work for a couple of weeks and probably on crutches through Christmas.

After the talent is gone, then what?

2011-09-18T09:52:00.002-04:00

Cliff Note: the first comment is a response from Jeff Kinzbach. He sent it to me via Facebook and gave me permission to copy and paste it here.

First a tip of the hat to longtime WMMS morning show host, Jeff Kinzbach, who I had the pleasure of meeting last night. The post I'm writing is based on a post he made on his website, jeffkinzbach.com.

His post links to a story about Chris McAlister, former cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens. In 2004, he signed a 7 year contract worth $55 million. Now McAlister is broke and living with his parents and needs to pay $11,000 in child support. Question is, what happened to the money? Next question is. should we be feeling sorry for him and others?

Most pro athletes nowadays are mercenaries. We in northeast Ohio are painfully aware of that, as we are only 14 months removed from Lebron James "taking his talents to South Beach." Good news is he also took his entourage and mother to South Beach. I just wonder how much his entourage costs him and what do they do to earn it?

Too many hit the big time way too quickly and don't know how to handle it. And those around them aren't much help as they pretty much see dollar signs and little else. Nationally known financial counselor, Dave Ramsey always meets with rookies on the Tennessee Titans at the beginning of rookie camp and attempts to give them advice on how to handle the money they receive and to prepare for a life after football before they ever step on the practice field. Fact of the matter is that most have this condition called perceived immortality. They feel that they have this never ending stream of income, not realizing that life does happen. They never think of the one injury that would end their career.

You could equate this to any facet of entertainment. To the rock stars, actors, TV and radio stars. I thought this week of Ted Williams, the former radio personality who was found begging on a freeway off ramp last winter. His voice captivated the interest of many people. Williams was a former radio personality who developed a substance abuse problem, then ended up homeless. When his story hit the news, he became a subject of many articles and a guest on many news shows. Dr. Phil even offered his help. But Ted Williams fell off the wagon again. As someone who has a great voice and never got the chance, don't expect me to feel sorry for the man.

As mentioned earlier in this post, I got to meet one of my radio heroes last night, Jeff Kinzbach. For those of you living out of the area, Jeff was the host of the long running Buzzard Morning Zoo on WMMS/100.7 Cleveland. For years this was the top rated morning show. But as life goes, all good things must come to an end. WMMS was bought out by another company and a duopoly was formed with WMJI/105.7. There was friction between key members of the Morning Zoo and the WMJI morning show, and Jeff was cut loose, soon to be followed by his longtime morning partner, Ed "Flash" Ferenc. They resurfaced with a very entertaining afternoon show on WWWE/1100(now WTAM) but that ended after a couple of years. Funny thing is when they got to the bridge, they didn't jump off or set up housekeeping under it. They kept traveling. Flash got a job with Cuyahoga County, and fills in for some radio personalities on occasion. Jeff went to Dallas and dabbled in real estate. Made a good living for himself. He recently moved back to the area. His daughter marches in the Pride of Highland Marching Band, and Jeff is their announcer. He's a good one too. Most importantly, he is not full of himself. He was on top, started falling, grabbed onto a branch, and started working from there. For what Jeff Kinzbach has done since the Buzzard Morning Zoo ended, is something to admire him for.

Did I wake up one day in Hazzard County?

2011-09-07T22:01:00.003-04:00

I know...Been awhile..

When I last wrote here, Rufus, our dog, had been at the vet's after being severely attacked by another dog. He spent a total of 8 days there. He's now back home, all stitches and staples have been removed, and he's about as good as new...Now on to the post.

When I worked in Cleveland, I was fond of saying that I was going home to civilization. This started after my car had been broken into and was within seconds of being stolen. The police were too busy to come to my work to take a report. I think they were working on a case...of donuts. I was told that my car could have been stolen just as easy in Rittman.

My further contempt for Cleveland's finest was cultivated when I got a ticket for a loud exhaust. Funny, there were cars traveling the streets in far worse shape than the car I was driving. And many of those had expired temporary tags on them.

The icing on the cake in C-town was when I was caught in a speed trap. I paid $190.00 for the privilege of going 12mph over the speed limit. The officer issuing me the ticket told me that this detail was set up by their "illustrious mayor." I guess they had to charge me as much as they did to pay the 5 officers assigned to that detail.

Since I lost my job in Cleveland, I've been inside of city limits 4 times in the past 20 months.

Don't get me wrong. I love living in Rittman. Been here for 28 years. Sometimes the good ole' boy form of government can be very annoying, but tolerable. But in the past few weeks, I have to wonder.

My sister was walking Rufus when he was attacked. She has had a seizure disorder for several years and her mental capabilities have diminished to the point over the years that she is now disabled because of them. We took her in when my mom passed away in 2004. When the police were called, my wife was told if we pursued this in court, it would probably get tossed out because of my sister's mentality.

I later called the dog warden, who has been conducting their own investigation. The officer who took the report seemed upset that the dog warden was called, and that he had to answer the questions that he had already answered on his report. His big directive was to tell us that we needed to put a number on our house.

We also checked our weekly paper to see if the dog attack was mentioned in the police report. You know, the one that reports when a grandmother takes the grandchild's bike and hides it when the child misbehaves. Nothing was logged about a dog attack on Windswept. This week I read in the police blotter where they were called to 1st St. park because 2 boys were jumping on tables. A friend of mine also wrote a letter to the editor because police were called to issue his sister in law a warning because her grass was too high.

I guess I should sleep well since we are being kept safe from high grass and kids jumping on tables....

The Week That Was..Fly Away Alll You Buzzards!

2011-08-21T10:29:00.000-04:00

This week started out on a very good note. At church our pastor had preached on Genesis 15 where Abram was promised a blessing from God. Abram was instructed to set out a sacrifice, but had to chase away buzzards which gathered around the sacrifice. We felt real good and blessed as we left church. We also claimed the promise that there were better days ahead.

Then the buzzards started coming.

First on the way home from church Sunday we get a call from our daughter. She had hurt her back and couldn't get up off the couch. I had to go get her kids and bring them to my house. On the way there, getting on the interstate, my car spun out and I "kissed" the guard rail. I straightened out the car, then pulled over to check to see if there was any damage. No visible damage, so I moved on and got the grandkids.

Kids back at my house with no further incident. One buzzard chased away.

Rufus in happier times.

Monday while at work I get this text from my wife along with a voice mail message. My disabled sister was walking our dog when he was attack by a larger dog which was running free. Rufus was severely attacked and at first was thought to have a broken leg from the attack. A neighbor helped take him to the vet and also paid towards the vet bill. A police report was filed, but Barney Fife informed my wife that we had little recourse since nobody came forward and said they saw the attack. As of this writing, Rufus is still at the vet clinic, as his wounds continue to drain.

Fast forward to Thursday. I was going to work early since I had my first band show of the season to announce. I was about 2 miles from work when my rear tire blew. And the spare was flat...And when I got towed to the garage to get a new tire I found that my rim was damaged and the spare rim was scrap.
Guess who didn't make it into work? Thank goodness I have time to cover that and a flexible schedule. When I finally got towed to the garage, I found I needed both rear tires and the rim that was on the tire and the rim of the spare was also scrap.

Good news is that I did make it to the band show. Click here to see the Rittman Band Performance. There will be a "From the Pressbox" Post forthcoming.

Friday I went into work early to try to recoup some time. I was also leaving early as my son and I were going to Promise Keepers, who was in Akron this past weekend. I couldn't get Saturday off, so we were just takin in the Friday night session...Or so we thought. I got home, changed my clothes, and was going to get my son when I heard this very bad noise and had very little brake pedal. I later found out that my brake cylinder had blown and needed new front brakes. So...No promise Keepers and I had to find a way into work Saturday. Luckily, I have a mechanic friend who did the work for me for a nominal fee. Parts cost me about 190 dollars.

I know...Sucks being me this past week...GET AWAY ALL YOU BUZZARDS!!!

Sometimes we forget.....

2011-08-14T15:17:00.001-04:00

1971 Highland High School football team. I am in the middle of the second to last row.

The other day I had a message on my Facebook wall. The post was from a high school friend, John, who was tagged in a photo I posted of the 1971 Highland football team and John was one of the captains of the team. John wanted to send it to one of his high school friends, Bill, who was also on the team. John and Bill graduated 2 years ahead of me. I graduated with Bill's brother, Mark.

Anyway some of us folks in our mid to late fifties haven't grasped the concept of attaching photos to our emails and John needed my assistance. So John wrote a message on my wall, giving me Bill's email address. So I wrote Bill an email, explaining why I was sending the photo. Here was Bill's reply:

"Cliff,

Thank you very much for the email and photo. I will call John and thank him as well. Also, I read some of your articles on some seek first and I was really excited to see that God has been working in and through your life. Your encouragement of others to overcome minor differences Believers may have was great and shows Christ's love.

I don't remember you much from Highland at this point, but I will remember more later.

God Bless you and your family,

Bill -----"

Whereas I was glad to get the reply, I was also embarrassed as I haven't wrote a post on Seek Him First, my faith based blog in about 18 months. Sometimes I think about deleting one of my blogs, but this reminds me that there are some out there who enjoy reading about what God has done in other folks lives.

We sometimes take for granted that God has given us the ability to read and write and makes it possible for us to access the internet in a way in which we can touch others.

I know this blog is read by others that come here just by chance and also by others who might know people whom I have written about. That was driven home big time 3 years ago when I spent two weeks writing about my brother after he passed away.

And believe me, I am not ashamed of Christ. I should write more about what He has done in my life...

The Extra Mile Begins with a Single Step

2011-08-11T09:06:00.000-04:00

It's a rarity nowadays for me to write posts on successive days. But I was asked to write my thoughts on an article written in 1937 by Napoleon Hill. Cliff, of Views From Sandhausen fame, posted his views on his site.

There are many people who feel like prisoners in their daily situations. Because of these feelings, they only want to do the minimum of what's required of them, all the while wondering why others seem to get all the breaks, maybe wishing to make the sojourn into the land of plenty.

Russell Conwell's book, Acres of Diamonds tells of a man in Africa who wished to find his fortune in diamonds. He sold his farm and searched the African continent for the elusive jewels. When he ran out of money, he decided to take his life, despondent about his inability to find diamonds. Meanwhile, the person who bought his land discovered diamonds lining his creek bed. This discovery turned out to be one of the largest diamond mines in Africa. The first man could have had his fortune free and clear, all he needed to do was some research and a little digging. He only needed to go the extra mile on his own farm.

Back to Napoleon Hill. His paper details some of the benefits of "going the extra mile." Some would consider making sure the boss's pencil was sharp to be butt kissing and beneath their dignity. But what harm can a little kindness do? Try to find things to help you bloom where you're planted and maybe you will get to be where you can bloom brighter.

Click here to go to Napoleon Hill's paper on "The Habits of Going the Extra Mile." Keith Ready has made it available on his site. And yes Keith, I am a different Cliff Feightner.

Click here for a video of Napoleon Hill lecturing on Going the Extra Mile.

Views From Sandhausen, a book review

2011-08-10T00:23:00.002-04:00

Okay, I shall admit that I'm a bit prejudiced when it comes to this book. I'm prejudiced because one of the authors has a really cool name. And I also had the privilege of meeting the authors on a couple of occasions.

Views From Sandhausen, Experiences from a Foreign Service Assignment in Germany is a book written by Cliff and Lynn Feightner. It is a series of emails sent to friends and relatives during a three year period while Cliff was assigned by his Fortune 100 company to head some projects in Germany. Very little is said about the job itself, most of these letters dealt with what the Feightners went through as they were making the adjustment to life in a foreign country at a time when it wasn't popular to be an American in Europe.

When it comes to creature comforts which we take for granted here in the USA, Cliff and Lynn found that even to simple phone service and internet took months and several trips to get things right. Care packages from home went through several weeks of delivery and close scrutiny before they got to their final destination. And one time Cliff had to pay a vet bill on a can of food.

And while we are treated to the many German holidays, Cliff and Lynn let us in on their celebration of good old American holidays. No punches are pulled as we read about the "Thanksgiving from hell."

There were also good times in the 3 year assignment and much is shared with the reader. Cliff gives us many a history lesson during their travels throughout Europe. The book also contains several photos. Photos that didn't make the book can be viewed at the book's site viewsfromsandhausen.com.

About the authors: Cliff and Lynn Feightner are the authors of Views From Sandhausen. The book was a series of email messagesd sent from the Feightners during the foreign assignment. Cliff is a distant relative of mine who happened to make a point of meeting me over 20 years ago because of our same name. I was a salesman at an electronics and appliance store and he was a supervisor at a Fortune 100 company located in Akron, Ohio. 10 years later, we met again at a family reunion after establishing email contact one with another. Then it was off to Germany for "the other" Cliff. Several years later, Cliff established email contact with me again, telling me that he was back in the states and living in Florida. It was a short time after that that Lynn, his wife of 46 years succumbed to Renal Cell Carcinoma.

It's been asked of me if Cliff is a relative when he posts a response to one of my Question's of the Day on Facebook. He's a distant relative, but a good friend who has offered me good advice when I have needed it. He's someone I wouldn't mind having as an older brother.

But get the book. Views From Sandhausen is available in hardcover, softcover and ebook download. I got my copy via my Nook app on my iPhone.

A radio station? On a farm?

2011-08-03T08:25:00.001-04:00

Let's go back to a time where things were a little less stressful in my life...

It was 1965, and my family was living in Breiningsville, Pennsylvania. My dad had been transferred there from his job in Cleveland. We lived there a total of 14 months as my dad also lost his job at that time.

Anyway, I was in the third grade at Fogelsville Elementary school. It was the last year for the building we were going to school in, as the finishing touches were put on the new building. The one I attended was located across the street from the dynamite factory and we would hear testing every now and then. It was also the school year I decided that I hated school.

The third grade was the first year that I would have to do homework. I hated homework then, I hated it all the way through the 12th grade. 46 years later, I wish I would have learned to like it or at least tolerate it. Cliff Note: To the teachers who read this blog, I apologize.

I never have let the things I needed to do get in the way of my enjoyment of modern technology and in 1965, television was still in it's infancy and someone had to supervise this baby. I volunteered for this duty, much to Miss Acker's chagrin. But there were some projects I embraced in my own twisted way.

Miss Acker had us all design a building out of household items, small boxes mainly. Our buildings would go either in a town setting or a farm setting. Some designed office buildings, some stores, some barns. To show I had this passion to communicate, I designed a replica of a building I saw twice-radio station WKAP. I remember the jingle well "WKAP, in the Lehigh Valley." This was complete with the tower. Cliff Note: Even at the ripe old age of 9, I was a radio geek.

Even though WKAP was licensed to Allentown, Miss Acker would not put my radio station in the city project, and questioned whether it belonged on the farm. but it ended up with the barns.

Poor Miss Acker. She meant well, but I still didn't like her....

Things are looking up!

2011-07-13T15:03:00.000-04:00

I'm still around and I'm enjoying summer some.

Also, after 9 months on the job, things are going quite well. There are opportunities presenting themselves.

In the past 18 plus months, I have learned quite a bit about patience. And it is true where it says in the Bible that tribulation brings patience. And I'm also realizing that I'm not too old to advance anymore in life.

Many time in our life we impose a glass ceiling over ourselves that starts with the word "too", as in too old, too young, too inexperienced, etc. Zig Ziglar likens it to putting a lid on a jar of fleas. The fleas start out by jumping high enough to hit the transparent lid. They keep on doing this until they realize that they cannot make it out of the jar. We do the same things, but after listening to enough SNIOPs (Susceptible to the Negative Opinions of Other People) we have a glass ceiling that we feel we can't make it above. We have to clear our minds of all this and fill our minds with good positive thoughts.

I found that 9 months ago I was at entry level of a new profession. Most of the time I try to do the best I can and now it's starting to pay off. I'm making it above the "too old" glass ceiling. The "white stuff on top of my head" has no bearing on my future success.

Rob a bank, get medical attention

2011-06-22T09:52:00.000-04:00

I heard about this news story yesterday:

A man went into a bank. When he got to the teller, there was a note handed to the teller. The gist of it was, "This is a holdup. Give me $1 dollar and medical attention." The man then calmly waited for the police to come and arrest him. He is now sitting in jail awaiting his doctor's appointment.

The "bank robber" is in a situation similar to mine about a year ago. Like myself, he had recently lost a job after being there for 17 years. And like me, he had a hard time finding another job, and he wouldn't get one paying like the job he lost and he definitely wouldn't have the benefits of the job he was forced to leave behind. He had to take a job in a convenience store, one he couldn't handle some of the physical demands of. He had to leave that job and also needed some medical attention. He couldn't afford to go to the doctor and that's what lead him to his "bank robbery."

Now before you say that he could have gone to a free clinic, think about this: Most free clinics are only open one or two days a week, and the line to get in one is very long, and the services are limited. Many folks who find themselves on the street are middle aged folks and not quite old enough for medicare. And the only thing "Obamacare" has done so far is raise the cost of medical care to those who can afford it. If it does anything, it will be a few years up the road.

Although my health care costs are higher than two years ago, I still have benefits at my new job. I'm one of the lucky ones, I have a job I can do sitting down most of the day, although I do make $6 dollars less per hour than I did 2 years ago. I don't have as desperate as the man who robbed a bank for medical attention.

Trying something new

2011-06-18T20:02:00.000-04:00

A few posts ago,I mentioned about my new iPhone. I thought I would try to write a post with it. The one finger typing takes some getting used to, but the portability makes it worthwhile. Still doesn't beat the laptop I normally use,especially when it comes to uploading photos. Now my distant relative in Florida with the same name told me that he wrote a book using his iPhone. Maybe the poetry will be easier to compose than a regular post. Maybe I can get the hang of this and I will returning to posting on a more regular basis. Time will tell....

Cycling for fun and fitness

2011-06-16T09:15:00.001-04:00

Riding on the bike path

Taking a little time

Crusin with my grandson

Not costing me a dime

Seven miles one way

Might seem to you too long

Quality time is priceless

And you never can go wrong

We then stop at the west end

To rest and get a drink

We turn around and go home

Not too long a ride I think

And now I start to wonder

If I will make it back

Grandson stays ahead of me

And now I start to slack

I start to stop more more often

To rest and take a drink

No doubts that I will make it

Just longer than I think

Back home at last, I make it

My legs are very sore

Another time I'll ride the trail

And go through this some more

Intellectual Clutter

2011-06-08T09:21:00.000-04:00

Over the years, I have collected a substantial quantity of motivational material. It's in the form of books, cassette tape, CD, and now in mp3. It started around 1982, when my cousin got me involved in Amway. He told me that I was going to be rich! All I had to do was follow the plan and that included listing to a tape a day and read a book a week. All that was well and good, but I also had a full time job and was a new father. But the books sounded good. And they must have been popular since the shelves at Goodwill have several copies of any popular self help title.

But there are 2 things about me that are important to this post: I have always been easy to persuade, and I'm a pack rat. The latter is an inherited condition. I'm still going through belongings of my mother and brother. Mom's been gone 7 years and Ricky, 3 years. And now back to the post.

My cousin told me to read some classic titles, such as Psycho Cybernetics, by Maxwell Maltz, and Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill. Both of these books have some great content, but have a tendency to be boring. Now a classic I do love and have read many times is How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. I also have this book on cassette.

Modern authors, whose works I love are folks like Zig Ziglar, John Maxwell and Mark Sanborn. Zig has been a favorite for many years. this began when I used to listen to a program he had on the radio, called Daily Christian Motivation. This led me to look for some of books, and See You at the Top soon became my all time favorite motivational book.

Mark Sanborn, in my book, is a classic good guy. I have fully recommended his book, The Fred Factor on this blog and he thanked me via the comment section. The Fred Factor is a book Mark wrote about Fred Shea, his one time postal carrier, one who took an ordinary job and performed extraordinary duties with it. A good read and an excellent listen as an audio book as read by the author. Mark and I have also chatted via email and facebook chat. Mark even has posted responses to my Question of the Day. I wholeheartedly recommend you check out his site and invest in some of his leadership materials.

Problem is with all these good authors and good books, there are also those who come up with some catchy titles and would have done well to have stopped there, and I own some of those. And I need to weed my intellectual garden. This requires getting down hard on the lone who is most resistant to it, ME! You have no idea how many diet books I have passed up in the most recent past. I do have the understanding that no book helps you lose weight, you have to do this yourself. I just have to get my motivational and inspirational material pared down to a workable pile.

Cliff Note: Mark Sanborn, if you have time, please stop by and say hi to my friends, which now includes many of my high school classmates. And if you don't mind please offer some of your valuable insight.

Little victories mean a lot....

2011-06-04T18:03:00.003-04:00

...You just have to share them with the right people.

Case in point, it's who you share your weight losses with. I have this relative who thinks I need to lose a ton of weight, which I do, but expects to see it off all at once, or so it seems. Some time ago, I had lost about about 5 pounds and I was proud of it. I let this person know about it and the response was "Well whoop de do! I could have done that by (performing a certain bodily function.)

This person is a Jerry Maguire type, you know, "show me the money." So I have to find others who know the real value in a 5 pound loss.

Just about all of us will never get the chance to have Bob and Jillian get in our faces. We will also not have others prepare our meals for us who know the total value of proper nutrition. We will also not go into Subway and have their ad agency pay us for making sandwiches. And we also won't have the whole country able to see us lose up to 20 pounds in one week. Welcome to the real world where we aren't as big of losers.

But in the real world a 1 to 2 pound loss in a week isn't bad. Keep this up and in a year you could be 75 pounds lighter. Not bad if I say so myself.

Now in the past couple of weeks, I did have a couple of "Bob and Jillian" moments": First one was at the doctor's office. He took a look at my blood glucose readings and told me that the next step could be insulin shots. That scared me into taking a look at my carb intake. second was was at work a week ago. I felt light headed and felt a "fog" come over me. I took a couple of calls afterwards, but had to go outside for some fresh air. I was afraid I was having a stroke. that did it. I had to do something about this. And make it yesterday!

But like I said at the top of this post, I have started celebrating some small victories, and I'm finding people who are willing to celebrate them with me. Bnd there are some close to me that realize the seriousness of my diabetes and are cheering me on. some don't agree with me when I look at candy as poison, but they don't have to consider insulin shots at this point in their lives either.

And besides, 75 pounds less of Cliff could be a good thing. We may have a party-BYOV, or Bring Your Own Vegetables.

PS: I have lost about 10 pounds.

Donate if you can!

2011-06-01T08:40:00.002-04:00

With the Summer months starting, the need for blood everywhere will be high. If you are able to, please donate.

My friends over at WIXY/100.3 in Champaign-Urbana Illinois, have kicked off the WIXY 5000, where they are trying to get over 5000 pints of blood donated. And boy, do they have some incentive. Folks donating will go into a drawing for iPads, and everyone attempting to give will get a special WIXY 5000 t-shirt.

I contracted hepatitis when I was working in a health care profession back in the 80's. I can't give, but if you can, please give a pint. Even if you don't have the incentive for an iPad or t-shirt, give some life. Wherever you are. It's needed everywhere.

This has been a WIXY's Gone Bananas public service announcement. And maybe I've kissed up enough for them to send me a t-shirt. XXL please.

Making a Difference

2011-05-28T19:01:00.002-04:00

The following is from an email I received earlier this week: "I was recently searching online to see if I could learn information about Dr. Harvey Kassebaum, and came across a blog entry which I believe was from you. It indicated that Dr. Kassebaum had passed away in 2007, and that he had been the next-door-neighbor of your in-laws.

I currently work for the Ohio Board of Regents in Columbus, and was recently discussing the value of transient undergraduate college coursework that can be done at our state’s community colleges. I told my colleague who deals with these topics daily that, though I attended Ashland College for my undergraduate degree, I took some transient courses at Tri-C and that Tri-C was where I came across the man who was easily the greatest professor I had, hands-down. That man was Harv Kassebaum. I took a series of three American literature courses from him in 1989-1990.

If you might have any remaining contact with his family, could you please provide my note to them? I have always wished I could have gone back and let Harv know how much I benefitted from his instruction. I have worked in local television in Cleveland, Toledo and Columbus and am now so pleased to be working in state government in a way that connects to higher education. He was truly a great teacher, and I wish I’d taken the time to tell him so, more deliberately, back then."

Now the only difference I made in writing the post about Dr Kassebaum was that I let the blogging world know about one who not only made a difference in the college education of many folks, but one who was the next door neighbor and one of the best friends of my father in law.

I have been extremely blessed to be the recipient of much very positive feedback to the post I wrote over 4 years ago. The photo was posted with the blessings of his daughter, Margi. Harv, though highly educated, would not have read the blog post if it was written about him while he was still alive. He wanted nothing to do with computers.

My father in law wants nothing to do with computers, but was very touched by the email I received. He got a hold of Margi's email address this morning and I was able to forward it to her. She and her sisters should be proud of the legacy their dad left behind.

And yes, I beam a little when I know my writing sparks good memories of one who made a difference to many.

Burnout!

2011-05-27T07:42:00.002-04:00

Being one who is in my mid fifties, and someone who recently, by no choice of my own, changed careers, I have found that one thing came relatively easy to me. That's burnout.

Life has been happening at a quicker pace than I would like to see it, with family obligations, and trying to make the best possible impression on the job. Other things out of the job and my family needs have pretty much taken a back seat. Don't get me wrong, I like my job and I love my family. But I feel that my Cliff and Kathy time has suffered.

One thing I do know: I have got to start prioritizing my time, beginning with my Bible study time, then on to exercise time. My doctor told me yesterday that I may have to go on insulin soon. That's why I have to start working out more.

I need to return to my passions. Writing is one of them, as all of my blogging and Facebook friends know.

But as Jeff, one of my high school friends, put it, in response to a recent Question of the Day, I need to relight.

WIXY 100.3 meet 74WIXYgrad

2011-05-25T09:06:00.005-04:00

AT&T and Apple made it possible for me, by making the iPhone affordable.

I added the WIXY 100.3 app on my iPhone about 1-1/2 weeks ago. I've been listening to that and WIXY Classic 99.1, both from Champaign. Illinois. Being a fan of the WIXY call letters and country music fan, I thought those would be cool to have. I also thought when the time was right, I would give the morning show, Holstein and Company, a call.

This morning was the right time.

Steve Holstein and his cohorts were discussing a story about vacation usage, and how some would like as much vacation time as the French, which was 6 weeks. all my friends know that a year ago, I had way more time off work than I really wanted. Time to call. I introduced myself as Cliff from Rittman, Ohio, told them about my internet ID as 74WIXYgrad and also told them that I liked that they were taking good care of the call letters. And we had a good brief conversation about the topic at hand.

And my prayers go out to the WIXY 100.3 listening area as they are currently under tornado warnings.

And in other news...

2011-05-18T07:56:00.003-04:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been awarded the first and fourth picks in the upcoming NBA draft. My reaction? Yawnnnn.

But Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert gave me another reason to respect him. Gilbert's teenage son , Nick, represented the Cavs on stage for the draft lottery. Nick is suffering from neurafibromatosis, an inherited condition that causes unsightly growths inside and outside of the body. My older sister, who passed away in 1997, and my younger brother, who passed away 3 years ago had it as does my younger sister, who lives at my home as her epilepsy caused by it makes it impossible for her to live independently. When someone can give a face to this horrible condition, maybe research will be aimed a little harder in it's direction and possibly it can be eradicated some day in the not so distant future.

Now as far as the draft lottery is concerned, my feelings is that it's not on the up and up. I think maybe the Cavs got the number one pick because of the outrage of Lebron James "taking his talents to South Beach" last summer. I also think that the Cavaliers getting the number one pick when James went into the draft was designed by the NBA to put butts in seats in Cleveland.

I probably didn't see more than a dozen Cavs games on tv during the James era, but I was aware of the excitement during this time. I know that my father in law looked forward to the games during this time as he was confined to his house due to his health in the winter time. My younger brother was pretty much the sports desk at the nursing home and he never missed a game and had a Lebron James plaque given to him to hang on his wall. So I do know that sports are important to some who don't have as much to enjoy as those of us who can get around.

Me as a Cleveland sports fan, just give me a major sports championship while I can still enjoy it. It's been since 1964, and I was only 9 and living out of the area at the time...

30 Years ago today.....

2011-05-15T19:45:00.003-04:00

...I watched perfection. I was not there, but I saw it on the tube.

In 1981, the Cleveland Indians were an early season surprise. Most fans knew at that time they were playing over their heads at this point of the season, but we would take the wins as they came. I figured during the day of May 15, 2001, the Tribe wouldn't be playing their scheduled game that night against the Toronto Blue Jays since it was raining all day.

That evening, I had nothing planned since the part time job I was working was a landscaping job and it was too wet to be doing anything. Kathy was going to a baby shower in her honor as we were expecting out first child in late July. So I decided to go visit my parents in Cleveland. After we ate some supper, I decided to check on the television to see if the baseball game was going to be played. To my surprise, it was. The WUAB broadcast team of Joe Tait and Bruce Drennan were in their places, Tait proclaiming "It's a beautiful night for deep sea fishing." Normally the proclamation was, "a beautiful night for baseball."

Pitching for the Indians was Len "Large Lenny" Barker. Pitching for Toronto was Luis Leal. The Tribe got on the board early with 2 runs in the first inning, but then both pitchers settled in for pretty much the rest of the game. I was watching the game with my brother, Ricky, and as the game progressed, we both sensed we were watching something real special. There were some good defensive plays, one in particular by third baseman Toby Harrah.

About the 6th inning, I realized that none of the Toronto players hadn't even reached base, let alone get a hit. I let Ricky know that Barker had a perfect game going and I was getting pretty excited about it. About the 8th inning, my dad came into the room and asked what the excitement was about. I told him that Len Barker had a perfect game going. Ricky said that "he might have a no hitter too." Our sister joined in the excitement as well. I was wishing at this point that I was one of the 7,290 fans at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, but looking back I was glad I could share this memory with my brother.

Back to the game. Top of the 9th, and all 3 of us were on our feet. I had been standing for several innings at this point, and was about a foot off the ground as well. The last of the Toronto batters was catcher Ernie Whitt. Cause of concern here as he broke up a no hit bid for Dan Spillner a little over a week prior to this game. But on this night Whitt hit a fly ball to centerfielder Rick Manning, who squeezed the ball and then ran into the mound area and joined the celebration. Len Barker just had pitched the 11th perfect game in major league history.

My brother, sister, and I were all in the living room celebrating at this point. About 10 minutes later, as I was going home, my dad looked at me and said, "sorry you had such a rotten time tonight."

Perfect game and perfect memory of time I could spend with my developmentally disabled brother.

It is less than 20 items, honest!

2011-05-07T20:56:00.002-04:00

Kathy and I were shopping at Evil Big Box Store(tm) 2966 this afternoon. We just got our tax refund and decided to do some stocking up. We went into the store with 2 carts and first headed for the pet food aisles. We have 2 cats and a dog, and all 3 animals are picky. Matter of fact, one of the cats will turn my CPAP off at night if he's hungry in order for me to wake up and feed him. But back to the shopping.

As we were stocking up, I put 6 trays(24 cans) of cat food in the cart, then one bag of dry cat food, along with 2 bags of cat litter. Then I went to the dog food aisle and put 6 boxes of moist dog food in the cart. At this time the cart was full. I told Kathy that I would take the cart to the checkout and pay for it while she shopped for the rest of the items.

Now keep in mind that EBBS(tm) 2966 is being remodeled and things are not where people aren't used to the changes. Also inventory is evidentially down due to things being moved around. Customers aren't in an overall good mood. I see this first hand as I take my full cart to the express lane, which is 20 items or less. What these folks are seeing is a full cart, not the fact that I only have 15 items in the cart. I guess I must have ruined some folks day by their misconception.

Maybe there's some blogger somewhere blogging about this fat old guy who apparently can't count above 20. But then again hopefully they will take the high road and not see another cashier a few rows over and liken him to a certain Warner Brothers cartoon character....

Rails to Trails

2011-04-30T20:24:00.008-04:00

To those who aren't familiar with "WIXYspeak", here some terms I will use in this post and a quick definition: WIXYcam- My digital camera.

WIXY/at&t/phonecam- My cell phone.

Okay, I decided to take the time and finally ride my bike on the new bike bike path between Rittman and Sterling. Due to how busy I've been, this was also the first time I was on my bicycle this year. But after the week I've just been through, I owe

d it to myself to do something I wanted to do.

Anyway, the new bike path was where a railroad track once existed. In some sp

ots it runs parallel to tracks owned and maintained by CSX. I told Kathy aka Mrs74WIXYgrad that I was going to ride un

til I got tired then turn around and come back. I was pacing myself and getting off my bike to take photos. First I got out the WIXYcam and tried to take some pics, but to no avail. I then got out the trusty WIXY/at&t/phonecam, and proceeded to take the pics that will be

featured

in this post.

It was an easy ride into Sterling, and the reals to trails portion of the bike path ends short of "downtown" Sterling. You then have to follow a couple of county roads to get back to the dedicated trail.

Where the tr

ail once again resumes, there is a parking lot and an old depot building. I think this is scheduled for renovation. I decided to forgo the other portion of the trail until another date. I decided to follow Kaufmann Ave., which is pretty much main street of Sterling. And I was starting to feel a bit tired. I sat on the steps of the Church of God, and checked Facebook, while catching my breath and drinking some water. Then it was back on the road. I headed towards Rittman as I turned onto Sterling Ave.

About 1/4 mile on Sterling Ave., then back to

the paved trail. Of course at this time, I'm starting to feel my

age, my lack of riding of late, and my general being out of shape. And I did stop a couple of times to take some pics. One of those was a bridge made especially for this trail and a mile marker for the railroad.

I took a couple of short cuts as well as taking a break to sit in the bench of my church, the South Main Street Church of God. There, I checked Facebook and my email. And then to home.

I'm now somewhat sore, but I'm better off for my effort.

Hi, my name is Cliff...

2011-04-28T09:06:00.002-04:00

...And I write a blog. At least part of the time. I do like being heard, and that takes many avenues.

Anyway, for those of you not on Facebook, things are going well with me. Extra hours are available for me at work, which I'm gladly taking. With the skyrocketing price of gasoline, I have no other choice. It also helps me hone my skills, as the job is still new to me.

Neatest thing about being in telecommunications is the theater of the mind is always open. This is especially true given my voice, which is much younger than my hair. I was talking to someone over the phone yesterday, and they mentioned a product that the client I call for produced at one time. She had mentioned that I probably wasn't old enough to remember it. I chuckled and informed her that I was 55. She said that I sounded like I was 25. I get that often when I mention over the phone that I have grandchildren. I guess I can credit this to either the fact I exercise my voice quite a bit or that I gave up cigarettes a long time ago.

Now, like the average human being, I'm not exactly in love with the sound of my own voice. But I did go to school to become a radio personality, a dream I haven't quite realized. With the exception of of being the announcer for my church's radio program. Cliff Note: Listen to the Power House, Monday through Friday 7:30pm on Faith Ministry Radio, 90.9FM WJDD, Carrollton, Ohio. You can also listen online at faithministryradio.com.

But, as I first realized 10-1/2 years ago, when I began my work as the announcer for the Rittman Marching Band, I have gotten more than my money's worth out of the schooling as I see the difference using my voice and training has made for other people.

People have told me that I should go into radio, but among other things, radio as we know it, is a dying medium. The pay is crappy unless you happen to be the top rated personality in your market. And besides, with my blogging and Facebook activities, I probably get as good a response as I would on radio. I'm not another Howard Stern and I've known that for a long time.

And we need a t-shirt for this, WHY?

2011-04-21T08:59:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I was walking through the Summit Mall with my wife and our son. As we were going past the Cleveland Indians gift shop, I noticed a rack with some t-shirts. On the shirts were an illustration of the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Over the illustration were the words "Ten Cent Beer Night, June 4, 1974."

Quick summary: The Indians played the Texas Rangers in front of about 25 thousand fans, most of whom were getting quickly inebriated. The game ended in a riot on the field and the game was declared a forfeit in the Ranger's favor. For an accurate description of the night's activities, click on the Wikipedia link given below.

Now why do I need a t-shirt to commemorate a low spot in the region's history? Since I got laid off from my last job, I have been within Cleveland City limits about 4 times, only 2 of those for my own business. But being a life long, except for 1 year, northeast Ohio resident, I think I can find something else to put on a t-shirt to show my pride in the area. Even being a Cleveland Indians fan, I could find something, possibly commemorating Len Barker's perfect game, May 15, 1981. Cliff note: I wasn't there, but I saw every pitch on TV that night.

But the memory of beer night and the surrounding controversy will stick in my mind for a lifetime. Much has been written about it, and Wikipedia has an accurate entry as well. One of the memories I would like to address concerns recently retired Cleveland Cavaliers announcer, Joe Tait. In 1974 Joe Tait and the late Herb Score were the radio announcers for the Indians. During the post mortem of the "Beer night fiasco," legendary Plain Dealer sports columnist, the late Hal Lebovitz gave a portion of the blame for the fan's behavior to Tait, writing, "Joe Tait, who is going to get a National Basketball Association referee killed some night with his highly charged criticisms, didn't help on the Indians play by play broadcasts with his repeated huckstering 'Come on out to Beer Night, and let's stick it in Billy Martin's Ear.'"

Joe called Hal about that and pointed out that he only made the comment because Martin, the Texas Ranger manager had said the game would be no problem since nobody came to games in Cleveland. Joe also pointed out that the morning of the game the PD had a drawing of an Indian wearing boxing gloves. Hal had already taken responsibility for the Plain Dealer's role in the game, and stated that that illustration shouldn't have been run. Cliff note: The descriptions used in the Hal Lebovitz-Joe Tait story can be found on page 104 of the book "The Best of Hal Lebovitz."

Those of us who grew up with the announcing of Joe Tait know that he was the real deal in regards of being a human being. I was at a Cavaliers game in 1975, I went by myself to this game and went down to the announce table where Joe was gracious enough to give me a few minutes of his time along with some pointers as I was trying to get into broadcasting at the time. I went away feeling good, not only because I got some good advice, but because one of my heroes took the time to talk to me. Ten Cent Beer Night was, no doubt, a low point in his career, but I am sure that Tait took the measures not to repeat the actions of June 4, 1974, and to make good for any mistakes he made that night. And I'm also sure that Joe would be disgusted to see the t-shirt commemorating that night at the front of the Cleveland Indians Gift shop.

And in case you're wondering, I was not in attendance for beer night either. I was at home listening to the late innings on my transistor radio.

Have you ever thought about......

2011-04-09T15:46:00.002-04:00

......Writing a book? I understand about 85% of everybody has expressed the thought, and possibly the desire.

I have been getting together my thoughts and writing them down. I also have fresh batteries in my digital recorder. Between all this and editing some of what I've written on my blogs over the past 4 years, the skeleton of a book is now coming together. I will then be putting some meat on the bones and hope there will be people interested in what I will write.

About 99%+ of all books written never become best sellers. I plan on taking the same advice one of my media friends gave me when I first launched this blog in August, 2006. That is don't worry if you don't have anybody reading your blog, just express yourself. Of course in the past 4-1/2 years, I have made many friends as I have done my thing on the internet. I have also reacquainted myself with many friends from my youth, several of whom have become better friends. Hopefully they will either be interested in what I have to write, or they will be inspired to write something themselves. Time will tell.

Many have interesting stories to tell. If you don't believe me, just scroll down this page and check out several of the links on the right side. There are many who have varied hobbies, interesting lives, or just their own brand of humor. Also some of my friends leave comments that show their creative side....I even have a few published authors linked on the side of my page.

Keep in mind this: You ARE interesting to someone!

The busy life

2011-04-01T11:14:00.004-04:00

It seems that the only time I can get any rest is when I'm sitting in a hospital. Right now I'm typing these words while sitting at Akron children's hospital awaiting my grandson having minor surgery.

Update: Grandson went through surgery well and will be back at full strength in the next 10 days.

Work seems to be going well for me. I am approaching 6 months on the job and starting to feel somewhat secure there. The client I'm now calling for is about to go into one of it's busy seasons and it's consumers are very passionate about the product.

I have also seen the new hires given the tour of the call center. Several are just like myself, mid 50's, male, and not knowing if they were marketable anyplace before hired on at the call center. I feel like some of the motivational material I have studied over the years would come in handy in a training environment. After 6 months I can bid on open positions in the company. Hopefully the compensation portion of the job will improve. I've been told to be patient and it would follow.

Passion to Communicate

2011-03-27T10:42:00.003-04:00

I'm kicking around the possibility of writing a book again. Update 11:30am: The idea has been a recurring thought, I haven't written any book yet. Sorry If I led anyone wrong.

Seeing that in the past 4-1/2 years, I've not only written over 1300 blog posts among my 4 public blogs, ranging from life in my favorite small town(Rittman, Ohio), my favorite radio stations, potshots at a local radio host, dealing with losses in my family, my blogging friends, my high school friends, etc-Cliff Note: I've written about alot of stuff since August, 2006! I think that I should write about my lifelong passion, communication.

In my mind, this book would have some fact, some fiction, much poetry, and recognition of many friends who have become a great means of support.

I was with several alumni of my high school this past Friday. During the course of the time I spent there, I talked about my brother, Richard. I told Karen, who graduated a year ahead of me about him. She was crying as she told me that she liked his demeanor and his passion for sports. Another friend, Gary, expressed his sympathy. He had saw him in the nursing home, as his father was a resident there.

There were others there who bragged on my Facebook activity, especially my Question of the Day. I told them about my blogging friends. There was silence, almost tears, when I mentioned the tragic story of Suzanne, aka Liquid. There were others who wanted to friend me on Facebook. I told them to make sure which Cliff Feightner they friended, though they might friend him after they read "Views From Sandhausen."

Matter of fact, I hope "Views" is a best seller. Maybe when I get my book done, the name "Cliff Feightner" may sell a few copies outside my ring of friends.

I do feel that I have the groundwork laid for at least a couple of books. Would they be best sellers? I don't know, but it's something I need to do. I have many friends who have faith in me, probably more faith than I have in myself.

I just have to get off my too large you-know-what and get to work.

Why, why, why?

2011-03-19T16:07:00.002-04:00

One problem this age of the internet has increased is the problem of loneliness. The world has come closer together, but is has also drifted further apart. We can communicate with others from the privacy of our own homes without leaving the privacy of our own homes. And sometimes we are our own prisoners. An d we also can't reach out and give the physical touch some people so sorely need.

The high school classmates I have renewed friendship with in the past year were shocked to hear that one of our fellow alumni had gone out and taken his life a week ago last Wednesday. Chances are many of us wouldn't haven't have even known about this had it not been for Facebook. Regardless, it still had us wondering, why? Arrangements were sent via email and I'm sure many had attended. I had obligations with my job at the time, so regretfully, I could not attend.

This morning on my way to work, I stopped for my coffee and snacks for work. Beth had told me that she had talked to one of our school friends who happened to be close to the deceased classmate. Jeff told her that his friend had been suffering from alcoholism. This was a way he had to handle his problems. He was showing some of the other classic symptoms, such as reporting to work late. And he also crawled into his own shell.

I know that this has always been a problem with those who are dealing with addictions, but I wonder if this internet age has hindered recovery in many cases. I know there are some recovery bloggers who read my blog. Maybe they, and others can shed some light.

Should I now say WOW?

2011-03-11T21:16:00.002-05:00

Or maybe just a simple "thank you"?

There are times that I wonder if I will ever blog again, mainly after I've not posted anything here in over two weeks. I sometimes don't come around for days at a time, and when I do, I check my site meter and see that there are really some who care about what I may write here. I am humbled by this.

I share the same name as a real writer. "The other" Cliff Feightner has just published a book about his assignment in Europe, called "Views From Sandhausen." and is working on another. Here is a link to his blog, called "FlaAuthor's Blog".

So if you are liking the writings of this Cliff Feightner, check out "the other" as well.

Did I do the right thing?

2011-03-10T08:28:00.002-05:00

A few posts down I wrote about my "Question of the Day," which I post every day on Facebook. My wife, Kathy suggested I post this last night as a question on Facebook. I hesitated, but decided to bring it to my blogging audience for 2 reasons; One is the fact that there will be a larger audience since I post links to my blog post on my FB page, and two, this will be more than the 420 character limit on a status update, which is how I normally post my daily question.

Our son has bipolar disorder and some severe learning disabilities. This has made him unemployable and he is on disability. Although he lives on his own, I have to help him manage his finances, which means some of my days off from work are spent helping him do his grocery shopping as well tending to other needs he may have.

Yesterday we got to the end of his shopping and he wanted to go into one more store. Because of my actions, the store will remain nameless. Because of the weather, Kathy and I both had aching legs and decided to sit this one out. I went into the store and after giving my son some guidance, gave him the money he had left. I thought he put the money in his pocket. I went back out into the car. After several minutes, I went back into the store to see what was keeping him. He told me that he had dropped his money and when he went back to pick it up, another customer picked it up and said that they would take it to the front of the store and give it to the cashier, which they didn't.

I went back out to the car to let Kathy know what was happening then returned into the store. I asked the cashier if there had been $32.00 returned to her, she said no. I then cupped my hands around my mouth and proceeded with the following "ATTENTION, MY SON IS MENTALLY CHALLENGED AND HE DROPPED 32 DOLLARS INSIDE THIS STORE. THIS IS HIS SOCIAL SECURITY MONEY. IF YOU HAVE IT, PLEASE RETURN IT TO HIM. THANK YOU!" Yes, I was being a human public address system at that time.

Now the money was returned and the lady gave my son some terse comments. The store management, to say the least was embarrassed. After realizing what I did, I was embarrassed. I don't think I will return to that store anytime soon.

Did I do the right thing?

This, That, and a Classic Post

2011-03-09T08:21:00.002-05:00

YEKIMI and I crossed paths again last night. I was leaving the Giant Eagle as he was entering. This time, I was on my way home from work, so I wasn't wearing my supper. We got to talking about our favorite mutual subject, radio, and how there are less and less jobs in that industry and most of those don't pay squat. Of course I had to give one of my current observations; When I left high school, I wanted to make a living wearing a headset and talking into a microphone. And now I do, but I get paid more than those who spent $15,000 to go to broadcasting school. And to be honest, I probably have a brighter future at what I'm doing right now than a majority of those folks have. But in their defense, I had the same dreams 40 years ago, I only spent $995 for the schooling.

And speaking of the job, all is well, thank you. I am starting to get into my comfort zone, not to mention some slight financial motivation is coming my way.

I mentioned in my last post about the effect bullying has on some people. I always make reference to my weight being a point of judgement from other people. I guess some think an abundance of body mass means a lack of gray matter. As a teenager, this leads to much psychological bullying. It was no different with me until my junior year of high school. What follows is a classic post from last year. I proved to my world that night that I was no dummy and respect also came my way. Here's the post, originally titled "A Star is Born-in 1973."

This post is dedicated to my classmates fromHighland High School, Medina, Ohio who have helped me to relive some memories.

I want to thank my costars Brian Avery,Janet Malek Henderson, and Sandra Ziebro Hughes, along with Gary Webster. You gave me many smiles as I relived one of my best evenings as a teenager.

Cliff Note: After the post was originally published, Sandy corrected me regarding her role. She was working backstage, helping to get the best out of those who were performing. Since the post was published, Sandy has become a major star to many of us Highland alumni. She was instrumental in organizing a get together om alumni during the holiday season.

To my other readers, these I have mentioned are some very classy folk, as are you who have supported this blog since I started writing it in August, 2006.

In the past week or so since I reconnected with many of my old high school classmates via Facebook, we have been reliving some of our better memories of high school.

Probably my best memory of high school was our junior class play, "Life With Father." I wasClarence Day, aka father. I probably got the role because of my booming voice and a booming body to match. The faculty advisor, Mrs. Ludwig, rest her soul, probably did me the biggest favor of my high school years by casting me in the role.

Instead of butchering the storyline, I will give some of my views of our production. For the storyline, click on the link above.

First, the tryouts: I went to tryout for the play one day after school. I remember getting a mimeographed sheet with some parts on it. One of my classmates, Vince Leibenguth, saw that one of the characters was named Vinnie, so he volunteered to read for Vinnie. Mrs. Ludwig immediately noted that Vinnie was a girl's part. To my later delight, Vince backed off from reading for that part. For me the tryouts went well. I found later that one of my friends had refused to take part in the play due to some of the dialog in the play.

Next, parts posted: All of us who had been to tryouts checked the bulletin board to see if we had made the play. A couple of classmates came to me all excited. I figured that I had made the play in some part. Their excitement beamed even more when they told me that I had gotten the lead role. And the offensive language was all spoken by me, several "damns."

Then practice, and practice, and more practice: Those of us in the play became good friends in a somewhat short time. I had by far and large, the most lines to memorize. One of the major benefits of my role was Rene Roach, who played Vinnie, was one of the cheerleaders, and I had to kiss her during every rehearsal. Now you know, for two reasons, that I was delighted. It didn't seem that I would ever learn the lines, or that the play would come together. But it was gelling together.

The night of the play: Everything came into place. The audience included my mom and my favorite aunt. I might had to have my lines given to me maybe twice. There was a monologue during the play, featuring yours truly. My character was reading the newspaper, and had to vent about the state of politics in New York City. While I gave the "address" I was on the stage by myself. When I left to go backstage, I was told by Mrs. Ludwig that I had gotten a standing ovation. Although we made mistakes, the play was a success. The one mistake I regret making was stepping on the only line of one of my friends, Doug Brantner.

We all went to Barnhill's, an ice cream parlor in Fairlawn, Ohio, after the play to celebrate the success of our production. And to myself, I was quietly celebrating the fact that less people thought of me as a dummy, due to my performance. And it may have helped me in my only political victory: I was elected class vice president for our senior year.

Bullying SUCKS

2011-02-27T13:55:00.001-05:00

I'm writing this post because of some disturbing news. This past week a local teenager committed suicide, a result of being bullied. According to word on the street, he was bullied because he was different. In what way was he different? I don't know. Does it matter? No.

This coming Friday is the 3rd anniversary of my brother's passing away. He was epileptic and developmentally disabled, today's politically correct term. He was also a target of much bullying because of the fact that he got upset easily. I had the same problem because I never learned how to defend myself without causing more trouble for myself. And my dad told me that if I ever got into trouble for fighting, I would be beat when I got home.

Thing about bullying is that the bully always goes after those who can't defend themselves, for whatever reason. And nowadays, with schools adhering to a "zero tolerance policy," most of the time those who do the bullying get off scott free.

And most bullying is mainly about mental cruelty. Ask anybody who grew up with a weight problem, a physical, or mental disability. I spent a good part of last year making amends with some who hurt me and others that I hurt while attending high school. You might say that "we were just kids". Don't matter. I felt better afterwards.

One friend that I feel very fortunate to have now is Johanna. She was given a very cruel nickname from one of my so called friends. Like the immature kid I was, I followed the pack and teased her unmercifully. We became very good friends our senior year and Johanna was a very valuable help in putting together our class reunion last year. I thank God she knows how to forgive.

There were some students in church this morning when our pastor addressed the bullying problem. Before the service ended, I got up and said that one of my favorite phrases in the Bible is "and it came to pass". In God's eyes we are all unique and special.

My next post will be a classic from last year, the turning point of my adolescent years.

When life gives you lemons...go bowling

2011-02-10T09:47:00.004-05:00

In April of 2009, I was headed out to my son's apartment when my cell phone rang. At the other end was Paul Rado. He was informing me that he had just been let go from his job as producer of the Mike Trivisonno show on WTAM/1100. This was a part of the never ending cost cutting measures in the world of radio.

I wrote a post about here the next day, and Paul was gracious enough to leave a comment thanking everybody for their well wishes as well as some other insight-

"To all,

Thank you for your well wishes. (if you well wished us)

I was taught that when someone says something negative about you it'll only hurt you if you let it hurt you.
I'm not reacting to the dismissal as a negative, them saying I'm not good enough to be on radio. I'm going to treat it as an opportunity to go somewhere else and continue entertaining the radio or TV audience in a credible and informative way. But this time from in front.

Ever since elementary school I've been standing in front of my peers and entertaining them. I plan on continuing that. I have no choice. It's what I do.

I also feel that Marty Allen and I are affordable to most stations... as long as we don't work for food.

Sincerely,
Paul Rado"

Paul found, as many of us also found, that the job market was tough, but that didn't stop him from looking. He also did some charity work, putting together the USO Brad Davis Cornhole tournament.

The end of October, 2009, I had lunch with Paul. It was there at Applebees where he told me about an idea of a game show, a Bowling for Dollars type show. The show would be called the Star Frame Bowling Challenge.

This past fall, the idea became a reality. The Star Frame Bowling Challenge is the only locally produced game show in Northeast Ohio and it's as Cleveland as the Terminal Tower. Paul, along with cohost Chuck Galeti, and announcer Marty Allen feature 9 area bowlers every week trying to get as much of Paul Rado's money as possible. And there's always a guest star around checking out the newest hit on Cleveland television. The idea is to get 5 strikes in a row to win $100 dollars for each in the star frame. There are other ways to win Paul's money as well. And for you guys, you can also check out Ginger the ball girl.

If you live in Northeast Ohio, you can catch the Star Frame Bowling Challenge Saturdays at 3:30 PM on WUAB/My43, or at Saturday midnight on WOIO/CBS19. Also check out the Star Frame Bowling Challenge website.

Sports Purgatory

2011-02-06T12:03:00.003-05:00

*News Flash: The Cleveland Cavaliers have set a new record for a losing streak during the season.*

Cliff Note: So what else is new?

As most know, I live in a region that has been devoid of a major sports championship now going on 47 years. Most of the time, the teams lose more than win, and during the rare occasion which it looks like the "curse" may be broken, something happens. Things like "red right 88", "The Shot", "The Drive," "The Fumble", and most recently, "The Decision."

There's one of two things a resident of Northeast Ohio can do: One is bear with it, and the other thing is move. Seeing that sports is not the be all and end all in my life, I choose the former.

Being in my mid fifties, I know that there is more important things to life than sports and since I no longer work in Cleveland, I don't have the emotional attachment to the town or their teams. I also think that Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association are not happy unless the biggest markets are showcased during the championship of their respective sports. I have other thoughts about how some things come down, but they are based on feelings and not facts.

My friend, Terry Pluto, who is a sportswriter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, likes to say "Don't let the millionaires ruin your day," and generally, I don't. But I would like to know where i could go and do as crappy a job as some of these overpaid mental midgets do and get get paid as well as they do.

Classic Post: And Why Can't I?

2011-01-31T21:37:00.002-05:00

This is a post I originally wrote 0n June 17, 2008. I have probably seen these truth played time and again since I first posted it.

Cliff Note:I am writing this post from a computer at the Wadsworth Library. I had this thought while driving to the library to return some books and thought it would be a good thought to blog on. I wanted to post it before the muse took it back.

Sometimes I think the four words that cause the largest percentage of emotional abuse are"you can't do that." Sometimes I wonder why those words are spoken. I speak as one who has had a lifelong affliction of insecurity.

I am not talking of a high school dropout wanting to perform brain surgery or anything like that. What I'm talking about are those who want to hold others back from achieving dreams. I wonder how much greatness has been stifled by those four words?

I have been encouraged by several who read my blogs. Most have been fellow bloggers, others just readers. A couple of these(and you know who you are) want to start blogging.

My Whattville blog has been a result of encouragement from David McMahon ofauthorblog fame. He posts a short poem every day and I try to comment with a rhyme. If he likes my comment, he will email me with a very encouraging comment. I'm sure he sends encouragement out to others every day too.

I was reminded of someone who was an encourager and a close friend of my wife's family this past week. Harv Kassebaum was one who found good in everything. His family was my wife's next door neighbors while she was growing up. He was also an English professor at Cuyahoga Community College. This past week, my blog was visited by Kathy from California. This was as a result of a Google search. She choose to read my post because of the name of my blog. She listened to WIXY/1260 when she was growing up in northeast Ohio. Kathy commented on an article I posted the day after I went to Harv's calling hours right before his memorial service. She used the comment section to tell how Harv encouraged her to write poetry. Harv was not one who would tell others "you cant do that." He always encouraged people to do their best then showed them how.

A Certain Lazy Blogger Returns....

2011-01-30T18:13:00.002-05:00

Thank you for your patience while I've been away from this site. And thank you for checking in to see if I still write here!

I was told by one of my teacher friends that my blog was being used in his classroom as an example of nonfiction. He also told me that his students informed him that I have a lot of hair.

I had thought of putting up a classic post this evening, and I will be doing some of that in the not too distant future. I am going to go with the idea behind the post I was thinking of repeating:

Most readers here know my love-hate relationship with Walmart. If it weren't for my blogging activity, and my Evil Big Box Store designation, I would probably have not unemployed as long as I was last year, as one of the store managers is a friend of mine.

Not as many know that one of my favorite places to go for a few items is the Rittman IGA. The store was closed between November, 2006 and June, 2007. The current owners are very active in keeping the store the way they perceive that customers want it.

Anyway, I was in both stores today. The long time readers here know I like to conclude the transaction by saying, "Thank you for working at______!" The cashiers at IGA try to beat me to the punch, or they will follow my comment by saying, "No, thank you for SHOPPING at IGA."

The folks at Walmart sometimes are dumbfounded and those who know me say things like, "I like that!" and "You come back here often, okay." I'm sure I am a topic of discussion in a few break rooms on occasion.

If only more of the cashiers would take the time to thank you for shopping at their store.

I ask questions.......

2011-01-13T10:37:00.002-05:00

...And I've been getting some very interesting responses.

Many of you follow me on Facebook, and you know I post a question everyday, called the Question of the Day. It was born from some musing I had about Velveeta, which was followed by 2 weeks worth of food questions.

Some questions have good responses, where others have been duds. One time the question was hijacked by some middle aged ladies when they mentioned running naked through town.

This week, the questions have become political.

Now I have my own thoughts about politics. I lean slightly to the right and am very much a 3rd party advocate. And I think the government should be for the people and not special interest groups. Also after looking at the current and former president, I feel we need to have people more experienced in federal government occupying the Oval Office.

Anyway, back to the Facebook questions, which I usually post then get out of the way. Like I said they have had political tones this week and have been answered by people representing views from both sides of the aisle. Nice and lively, to say the least, but also encouraging thought.

Because of some of the answers I was given earlier in the week, I asked this question yesterday: "Do you think Fox News is fair and balanced?" I have gotten 125 responses to that one so far and that is more than double the previous record.

Now as a talk show host, I would stink big time, but I guess I do well at the Facebook version of Meet the Press.

Cliff Note: I will be posting about my high school classmates at a future date.

2010 in Review: Part 2, Getting a job

2011-01-06T09:16:00.002-05:00

Before this period of unemployment, the longest I was without a job was 3 weeks. That was in 1988 when I was fired as a car salesman. I had a wife and three young children to feed and I felt my world crashing down around me. In 2010, I took it much more calmly, at least until I started getting the "thanks but no thanks" letters.

As I had mentioned in my previous post, I had gotten quite a bit of support from many friends, including some of my high school classmates. More about that in a future post. The one friend who gave me some support and also much needed advice is a distant relative with a very cool name, Cliff Feightner. Cliff has both IT and management experience. He took a look at my resume and gave me some pointers to either aim it in one direction or another, since one couldn't tell if I was looking for a job in retail or manufacturing.

When the opportunity for InfoCision came up, I sent emails to several friends asking for advice and prayer. One friend, Scott, was very excited for me, as InfoCision is one of the top companies to work for in this area. Cliff did some research on my behalf and gave me pros and cons.

The day of the interview, I was all shined up, wearing a tie for the first time in years. I took a copy of myt resume in with me and also filled out an application. The interview went very well and I was told that I would hear from them within a week. The next morning, I was asked to come back and take a drug test, which I did the following day. I was then given the date when I would start training.

October 11, I woke up very nervous, as it was the first day on a new full time job in over 18 years. It's been somewhat nerve wracking the past 3 months, but I do like this job.

InfoCision is a company which has call centers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The corporate office is in Akron Ohio. We call for many clients, non profit and for profit businesses. The company offers quite a bit of benefits. These include a 401k, medical and dental, on site fitness center, and on site doctor. At this time, I hope to advance in the company and stay there until time to retire. From the time I got the first call, I felt that this job would be a good fit for my skills, and management at InfoCision is working with me to ensure I am in a position that best utilizes them.

Next: My high school friends, in a class of their own.

2010 in Review: Part 1, Beginning the Year Unemployed

2011-01-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

2010 began with the classic good news-bad news scenario. Good news was I no longer had to drive 46 miles one way, early in the morning to go to work. The bad news was I was without a job.

About 10:30 am on December 31, 2009, I was summoned to the outgoing company president's office. In front of three other members of management staff, he notified me that I had disqualified myself from my position, handed me some paperwork, and told I would be paid through the end of the day. After removing my personal effects and turning in my keys, my 17-1/2 years with that company was over. I took my last 46 mile drive home from work.

Kathy took the news way harder than I did. I assured her that I would be back to work in no time. That evening, I got online and put in a couple of applications. I also started working on my resume. I messed up with my password when I applied for unemployment benefits and had to apply for my first week over the phone. When I finally got through, I was on hold for 55 minutes.

The fact remained that I was now in search for a job and 54 years old. There were times when I was the oldest in the room when applying for a job. I even had one person tell me, not anyone who would be doing any hiring, that the "white stuff on top of my head" may prevent me from getting a job.

The job search itself was different than the last time I had to actively look for employment. Whereas I was going around with my resume in hand, most of the job openings required you apply for online. I did have some job interviews, most were followed up with a letter, card, or email thanking me for my interest, but it was decided another candidate was more qualified for the job.

In the meantime, we had to eat. I got to know where the food pantries were located and who gave out what. I even ate lunch at the Salvation Army one day when I was job hunting. Food wasn't bad.

With the economy the way it was, and still is, there were few programs with any money available for training. One program I qualified for was truck driver school. I would have been on the road in a few weeks, but two reasons kept me from proceeding: no money and a wife with severe and disabling anxiety issues.

I signed up for several online job search services, and always got the same results. Most of the jobs available were either part time or minimum wage. When I applied for them I got the same results, either no response, besides the auto responder, or a notification that I was not qualified.

One somewhat humorous thing about the online application process was how I got the job I currently have. My father in law, who would rather see all computers "thrown in the creek", told me about a website his sister told him about. He told me to go to "jobbuilder.com". My father in law can give me incorrect information and send me in the right direction quite often, and this was no exception. Didn't take me long before I found careerbuilder.com. Like I said, I found my new job, at InfoCision Management through that website.

Cliff Note: If you are in search of a job, or even a career change, and you live in Ohio, western Pennsylvania, or the Huntington, West Virginia area, check out the opportunities at InfoCision. If you get an interview, tell them Cliff Feightner from Akron Commercial Test recommended you.

More about my new job on my next post.

A promise to be busy....

2010-12-22T09:39:00.002-05:00

I was transferred to a different program at my job last week, handling consumer service calls for a major toy company. The past week has been spent listening to other communicators handling calls like I will be as early as tomorrow evening, learning about the product, and that company's data base. I figure to be busy in the next month or so.

I find working at a call center to be a real adventure. You find that with some people you talk to, you are the last person they want to have a conversation with. You also have those who like the fact that they are talking to someone in their own country and I have given out plenty of weather reports for Akron, Ohio.

Special Note: In the days following Christmas, I will be writing some special posts. I will not be awarding Top Bananas this year, as I wasn't nearly as busy blogging this year as I was in the past, but there will be plenty of kudos given.

This is Larry Morrow: a book review

2010-12-12T15:14:00.005-05:00

The area of the country I live in has seen many talented people come and go in television, in radio and on the athletic field. Most of these people feel the need to take their talents elsewhere. The book I'm reviewing for this post is about one of the unselfish few who stay and use their talents for the betterment of the community.

One of the media friends I have made since I started blogging is Sue Wilson, who happens to be the program director of Akron, Ohio country music station WQMX and morning show co-host. Sue had told me that Larry Morrow was one of her positive influences during her career in radio.

This is Larry Morrow...My Life on and off the Air is the autobiography of one of the classic good guys of the Cleveland airwaves. Larry tells us about his life, how he got into radio, and why he moved to, and fell in love with, Cleveland.

Larry Morrow was one of the original WIXY Supermen, the lineup of disc jockeys that helped make WIXY/1260 the legendary station it was. Larry tells quite a bit about the others, especially those behind the scenes, that helped make WIXY the success it was. At that time, he was the midday personality there and his audience was mainly housewives. In playing to that audience, there was a daily contest called what's cooking, where Larry would reveal ingredients to a recipe one by one in between playing the hits of the day.

Next stop was 3WE, where he would replace legendary announcer, Jim Runyon. It was those days I listened to him as I got ready to go to school. I used to enjoy hearing about when he got his morning coffee from David's Place, especially asking newsman Hugh Daneceau if he enjoyed his coffee. It usually was responded to by a tape of wrestler Pampero Firpo saying "ohhhh yeah."

Larry also chronicled his years behind the mike at WQAL. Wherever he stopped, he always left a positive imprint. The title that he was most proud of was "Mr. Cleveland," one he wore with pride. Larry first moved to Cleveland during the Hough riots in 1966, and he has spent the last 40 plus years working with civic leaders for the betterment of his adopted community.

This book is a very easy and enjoyable read. Even though it's about the life and career of Larry Morrow, there's ample credit to go around to everybody in his life. In the times in his career when things could have gone better, Larry spent very little time being bitter. To me that's the sign of a good pro and a great man. And you can feel safe letting anybody in your family read this book as Larry, a born again Christian, used no offensive language in the writing of the book.

If you have a love for Cleveland radio, or have a love for Cleveland period, this book is a must read. If you know anyone who has a love for the above mentioned topics, this would make a great Christmas present. Click here to order from Amazon.com.

To read a sample from this book, click here.

Cliff Note: I want to thank Jane Lassar, publicist at Gray and Company for providing me with the resources for this post.

Special Announcement!

2010-12-12T09:17:00.000-05:00

Ihav e

I have a special blog post coming up. I don't know if it will be ready to-day or to-Morrow. In the meantime enjoy the Cleveland Cavalier's fight song from the 1970's, "C'mon Cavs, Gotta Make it Happen."

Sometimes the delete button can be your friend

2010-12-07T19:09:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I was feeling pretty low about myself. Having been flying high during the week, low was a pretty long ways to fall. I did let some feelings show on Facebook and started writing a blog post. After I read a couple of paragraphs, I had decided it was time to do some editing, which I did via the "delete post" option.

Even at the age of 55, I find I still need to learn about myself. I also have to get out of the mindset that the world is out to get me.

In other news, we got our first significant snow of the season and I realized that I have to get out of the house earlier on those days. It was nice to spend most of last winter not having to drive to work when the roads were snow covered and slippery. But then again, I still like the idea of driving to a job, no matter what the road conditions are...

I need friends like you to get me through the holidays!

2010-12-01T07:51:00.003-05:00

The title if this post is a sentence from a message I got on Facebook this past weekend. One of my high school friends, Nancy, shot this to me after I wished her happy birthday via a wall post.

At best, during high school, Nancy and I were casual friends. She was a cheerleader and hung with her group, and I tried to be a jock and hung with mine. One of my biggest victories in high school came at her expense. We ran against each other for senior class vice president and I won. I was riding a wave of popularity from my role in the junior class play, otherwise Nancy would have probably prevailed. But at the end of the senior year, we graduated and would not be in communication for almost 36 years.

Then came all my "new friends" on Facebook and as many of us were working to get a reunion together this past summer, Scott, one of my classmates from West Virginia, informed me that Nancy's husband had passed away. I immediately put a message on the reunion page on FB to pray for Nancy. She then accepted my friend request and would have been at the reunion, but was in Ohio earlier that month for a wedding and had to be back in Alaska for her job.

Another one of my friends, Rex, was at the reunion. Rex was an equipment manager on the football team and tried to encourage me at times. His older brother, Jeff was, and still is, a classic good guy who took a liking to my younger brother while in school. But back to Rex. He had spent quite a bit of his time in the past few years taking care of his wife as she had been ill for quite some time. He was able to attend our reunion this past July and we even sang Happy Birthday to him. His wife ended her battle a few weeks ago with Rex, their son, and Rex's parents at her side.

Another friend I would like to mention is actually a distant relative. We originally met because we share the same name, Cliff Feightner. I first met Cliff and his wife Lynn in 1990. He was a manager at Goodyear, and I was a salesman at an appliance store. I was told about him and he about me. Cliff then searched me out. Several years later, we started contacting each other by email, which resulted in him coming to one of my family reunions. Lynn brought a chocolate cake and it was delicious. We have kept in contact over the past few years, now mainly by FB. Cliff will also be spending this Christmas without his life mate, as Lynn passed away this year. I'm sure his sons, Chip and Eric, will be there for him this year, but there will be some emptiness.

I'm sure there are many other stories of people who will spend their first holiday season without their partners. I just want to encourage you to reach out and touch those who need a friend this season. It will make a difference.

I am thankful....

2010-11-24T08:37:00.002-05:00

There are many things for me to be thankful for this year...

I am thankful for my new job, for the people who are taking the time to help me refine my skills and making sure I maximize my efforts.

I'm thankful for those who have been reading my blog and posting encouraging comments for me to read. I'm also thankful for those who have sent me emails making sure I was doing all right when I hadn't posted in awhile.

I'm thankful for those I went to high school with. Many kept reminding me that I was a good person when it seemed that I would never find work. I'm also thankful for those in my graduating class that participated in our reunion picnic this past summer.

I'm thankful for others that communicated with me via Facebook who were always there to cheer me on.

I'm also thankful for my church family and their support. By the way, you can catch our radio program, "The Power House" at 7:30pm eastern time Monday through Friday on Faithministryradio.com. The first spoken voice you will hear on the program will be mine.

I also am very thankful for my family. They come through big time to support me this past year.

But most importantly, I thank my Lord Jesus Christ. He not only died for me, but is a guiding light and helps me one step at a time.

A Bit of Security

2010-11-17T20:04:00.002-05:00

I received a note from the HR manager at my call center this afternoon. It stated that I have graduated from training and as of Monday I will be a salaried communicator.

Now this doesn't put me on the gravy train, but it is a hurdle. It's also more security than I have felt in the past 10-1/2 months. It also gives me a little breathing room. Instead of worrying about having a job next week, I can concentrate on improving my phone sales skills and getting weekly bonuses.

But for my family, it also means I qualify for hospitalization benefits.

No, I'm not in the same position financially I was in a year ago, but I do feel better about myself.

And besides, I wanted to have a job in broadcasting for years. Now I have a job where I'm wearing headphones, talking into a microphone. It's all good.

Follow up

2010-11-16T19:39:00.002-05:00

Today was an off day for me, work wise. We spent a good part of the day at Children's Hospital in Akron. Our granddaughter had some outpatient surgery to remove a small cyst from the thyroid area.

The doctor told us that there shouldn't be anything to worry about and we should have the results back in a few days.

Thanks for your continuing prayers.

Finding My Comfort Zone

2010-11-15T20:40:00.002-05:00

As I wrote last week, I was looking for some confidence on the job and asked people to pray I get some. Last Monday, I thought for sure people were praying for me to get patience instead. I was getting the tribulation that was supposed to work patience. Cliff Note: See Romans 5:3.

I had a rough day last Monday and unfortunately it went home with me. But from that point, it could only go upward, and it did.

Towards the end of the week, I was finding it easier to make sales and also asking supervisors for help, which they were glad to do. On Friday, I was called into the quality office and given my first assessment and that was almost perfect. Then Saturday, I did my personal best in one day. I also brought a pan of baked spaghetti in for the pot luck. This day I finally felt like I would fit in.

Thank you for all your prayers, but please keep them coming. And also please pray for my granddaughter, as she's having surgery tomorrow.

Four Weeks in...

2010-11-07T15:07:00.004-05:00

I have completed my fourth week in at the new job. I continue to amaze my coworkers with my reading abilities and my voice. I am also now calling for two clients. At this time, taking personal inventory, I feel my biggest need is some self confidence. Of course there are several who read my words here on a regular basis who have been telling me this for years.

Being a sales oriented job, I have to bone up on some of my closing techniques, especially objection handling. I have been listening to quite a bit of master sales motivator, Zig Ziglar on my mp3 player. Hopefully some of this will stick.

But all in all, I'm enjoying getting up much later and not driving half as much as I did before. Please pray for confidence for me and that the compensation will follow.

You gotta wonder...

2010-10-27T21:11:00.003-04:00

After looking at that sign, two things crossed my mind. First, what were they using in their burgers in the interim, and if you need to see an ID to know what they are, you're working in the wrong place.

Cliff Note: Before I get a nasty comment from a suburb of Baltimore, I know COW stands for College of Wooster.

Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice...

2010-10-22T08:05:00.002-04:00

...Pull down your pants, and slide on the ice!

Right now, I'm finding myself having to follow the advice given by Dr. Sidney Freedman on two episodes of MASH. I was on the phones for the first time yesterday and I went to break feeling like a very defeated person. But it was just the first time I was on the phones.

After dazzling my team for the first two weeks with my voice, getting on the phones and forgetting what to do was a very humbling experience. But there are people willing to mentor me there, and for that, I am grateful.

Also the radio program for my church "The Power House" has been on the air for two weeks now. The show is on Monday through Friday at 7:30pm and can be heard on line. And as I stated a couple of months ago, I do the intro and outro for the show. The website can be found by following this link.

Today's a day off for me and I have plenty to do during the day, then it's off to the football game tonight, where Rittman is host to Hillsdale. I will be at my familiar post at halftime, behind the mike, announcing for the best marching band in Wayne County.

Huey Lewis And The News - Hip To Be Square (Live, 1987)

2010-10-19T07:41:00.000-04:00

It's time for another "simulblast" Morning Show. Once again I'm on both Facebook and my blog, WIXY's Gone Bananas this morning.

I was inspired while in the shower this morning. My new job requires me to put on dress clothes, including a tie. You have to act professional while on the phones, so the company wants you to look the part. But you know what? Makes me feel pretty good about myself dressing this way.

I have Huey Lewis in studio this morning singing his monster hit "Hip to be Square," which is the way I feel this morning.

I hope everyone has an outstanding day!

"Weird" Al Yankovic - Amish Paradise

2010-10-18T07:29:00.000-04:00

Monday, Monday, can't trust that day. It's time for a beginning of the week version of the Morning Show, today simulblast on Facebook and My blog, WIXY's Gone Bananas.

I thought I would start the week on a light note, so in studio I have "Weird Al" Yankovic singing "Amish Paradise." This one goes out to my friend on the blog side, who identifies himself as "WZZP."

Have a better than good day and a great week!

Warm and Fuzzy

2010-10-17T11:14:00.002-04:00

Yesterday afternoon when I went to the high school to catch a ride with the band, I was greeted in a different way. One of the girls gave me a hug and said she was glad to see me. Others said they missed me Friday night. A couple told me that I should have called someone and they would have gladly sent a ride. Since I was in a dangerous situation where I was stranded, I let them know that I appreciated their sentiment, but also told them that making it to the game wasn't important enough to put anyone in harm's way.

This is my 11th season announcing for the Rittman marching band. Each group of students are unique in their own way. They have also shown me that their parents have done a great job of raising them.

I return to announce every year because it gives me a chance to showcase one of my talents and because I love doing it. But the most important reason I return is that the greatest student musicians around, and their parents, the World's Greatest Band Boosters(tm), want me back.

Makes it all worth it.

Week one over

2010-10-16T07:52:00.002-04:00

This week, I went through some information overload with the new job. So much was given us, hopefully I retained most of it.

The new job is at a call center and next week, I will be put on the phones. Hopefully my voice will make up for mistakes I'll make off the bat.

Coming home Friday, my car stalled on a very busy road as I was going towards the interstate on ramp. I sat in traffic for almost two hours when the tow truck finally reached me. It took an hour for police to reach my car to make sure I was all right, the car that finally reached me wasn't even in his jurisdiction. He reported my info to that town. When I stalled out, I had enough momentum left to pull my car in between the road I was driving on and the off ramp for the interstate. Needless to say, I missed announcing last night. And to add to my pain, Rittman won last night.

The most important thing right now is that I'm sitting at my computer writing this post.

A new chapter begins...

2010-10-11T19:49:00.002-04:00

Today I started my new job. I should say "Happy New Year" since this was my first work day of 2010, but I had no problem putting the correct year on any of the myriad of paperwork I had to sign. But some things don't change. I took the same interstate highways going to work this morning and I stopped to say "hi" to Beth. We stayed in contact during my time off work and she was pleased to see I got me a job and enjoyed seeing me in dress pants, dress shirt, and tie.

The trip was less than half what it was going to Cleveland, and I was on the road 3 hours later than before, so I was curious as to what that big, bright, yellow thing in the east was.

There will be a week of classroom training, then time on the phones. Along with paperwork, we saw videos on workplace safety and harassment, things mandated by government agencies. Other important things covered were where the restrooms were and where the break room is.

The new job will be sales oriented, so I will have to be at the top of my game for best results.

I'm looking forward to this chapter.

Many Thanks!

2010-10-04T19:49:00.002-04:00

The past 9 months haven't been very easy on myself and my family. It hasn't been too good on this blog either, seeing the lack of postings here since the first of the year.

But my internet friends have been a real blessing to me in this time. First was the fantastic response of all of you who have read the blog all this time. And I especially thank those who sent me messages of support through email.

Even though my blogging decreased in the past nine months, Facebook reunited me with many of my high school classmates. First benefit from that was my classmates started reading my words here. Next benefit was a reunion of my high school class this past July, the first in 16 years. Gary and Larry also had a big part in some of my efforts. In case you didn't know, Gary and Larry are twin brothers. Gary became a regular reader and commenter(Webbie), and Larry enhances a post I do daily-"The Morning Show". Larry does "Second Edition," which usually features a classic rock tune, though at times he will go all over the musical map. Cliff Note: If you are on Facebook "friend" Larry and tell him Cliff sent you!

Another feature inspired by the featured videos is EoM, short for Emporium of Music, Gary's creation. Check it out and join us.

All this really helped me to get through the past 9 months.

This coming Monday, I begin a new career, at a major employer in the area. I don't even have to drive half the distance I went to go to the previous job. The company I had my health insurance with is one of three choices I have for my health benefit. I will also have dental and vision. The company also has an employee fitness center. There are several more benefits.

I am looking forward to ending this 9 month "vacation" and also nervous about starting a new job.

As of October 11...

2010-09-30T09:04:00.002-04:00

...I am no longer unemployed.

Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes.

Note to YEKIMI: Send me an email.

Update Time

2010-09-28T20:01:00.002-04:00

As I know many of you don't do Facebook, I do have an update.

Job Situation: I had an interview with one of the area's major employers yesterday and I feel it went well. As a matter of fact, they called me in to take a drug test tomorrow. Things look well there.

Rittman Football and Band: Rittman lost their homecoming game to Norwayne last Friday. I had photos on my laptop, but the laptop is now on the fritz. I may get a new one out of this, but I may lose the photos in the deal, along with some video of the grandkids.

Back to the job: The job has some pretty great benefits, which includes an employee fitness center and hospitalization which will begin the following month, if I get the job of course. my commute will be reduced to about 15-20 minutes, less than half the distance of the previous job. I will be able to choose the same provider for my insurance as well. I have good feelings about this but I'm also keeping prayed up.

Gotta Celebrate the Little Victories

2010-09-23T22:17:00.002-04:00

A couple of months ago, I declared on this blog that I was going to lose some of this weight. Of course I had noble intentions, but lacked the drive.

That changed beginning with a trip to the Wayne County Fair. I stopped at the Cleveland Clinic booth and had my blood pressure checked. 185/102, not good. I was advised to see my doctor soon.

The next morning I decided to check my sugar for the first time in quite awhile. 317. Uh oh. First one who needed to know was my wife, then it was time to give my doctor a call.

Before I left for the doctor, I once again checked my sugar, and it was 317. Now I thought for sure I was going to have to start taking insulin, but the doctor had other plans.

Once inside the office, I also realized that I haven't lost any weight either. Now the good news begins. My meds were adjusted, one was increased, another was added, and no insulin.

Now about the weight. Time to begin reading nutrition labels. Also time to start practicing restraint. It's beginning to work. I lost two pounds in the past week.

A minor victory, but a victory nonetheless.

From the Pressbox: Sandy Valley

2010-09-22T22:06:00.001-04:00

The Indians Marching Band Came on the field playing "Great Balls of Fire." After this things got interesting in a unique way as the home crowd was treated to a rendition of "Dueling Tubas."

Annoying announcers....

2010-09-20T09:17:00.002-04:00

...And I'm not referring to myself.

The Rittman football team played at Waynedale this past Friday. Though the team's record was 2-1 going into this game, and Waynedale's was 0-3, the "panel of experts" at the local newspaper had decided by a margin of 9-0 that Waynedale would emerge victorious.

Waynedale did score first, and about this time the home announcer was starting to get under my skin. According to Ohio High School Athletic Association rules, a game announcer is supposed to give the facts and not give a play by play. This one was saying things like "good job" and "Excellent run by"...

The score after the end of the first quarter was Waynedale 13, Rittman 7. About this time, Rittman decided to play some football. The Waynedale announcer was starting to sound a little less annoying too. He had to start being complimentary to the visitors. After all, we were their guests.

Halftime the score was 28-20 in Rittman's favor. the band played a great show to an unresponsive crowd. Waynedale is a football school, so when the locals aren't doing so well, they aren't too responsive.

During the second half, the Rittman squad continued their winning ways, and the home announcer wasn't as chipper as he was during the first quarter.

Long story short, Rittman was victorious, rolling to a 49-30 win. And to add to the win, the 50-50 drawing was won by someone from Rittman.

Rittman is now 3-1, Waynedale 0-4. Take that Daily Record "panel of experts!"

From the Pressbox: Rittman at Brookside

2010-09-10T11:30:00.001-04:00

Welcome to another edition of From the Pressbox. This video is taken from halftime of the September 3, 2010 game Rittman at Brookside. the much improved Rittman Fighting Indians cruised to a 33-14 victory to improve their record to 2-0. Halftime show included "Bandstand Boogie." "Rock Around the clock," and "Surf City."

Tonight Rittman plays host to Sandy Valley, alma mater of Tim Lones of Cleveland Classic Media fame.

Don't know why....

2010-09-08T23:06:00.002-04:00

August 26 came and went. What's the significance? August 26 was my 4th anniversary as a blogger. I usually make a big deal of things like that. I just lost interest for awhile. In the meantime, I wanted to write something, anything. Let you folks know I'm fine.

And I am doing well. The Rittman Fighting Indians football team is 2-0 to start the season, and the band is doing great, as usual.

And I'm still unemployed, but have an interview with UPS next Tuesday. Other things in my life are doing somewhat better also.

I have no plans whatsoever to abandon my blogging, just need to get over some burnout.

I promise I will be back sooner than later. I have a post in draft I want to complete. It's a tribute post about one of my high school teachers who is in failing health.

Too much unfinished business for me to quit.

From the Pressbox: Mogadore Show in WIXYvision(tm)

2010-08-20T13:05:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the first From the Pressbox of the 2010 marching season. Thursday evening the Rittman Marching Band was in Mogadore for their first performance of the season. I give you the whole performance, dirty lens, background noise and all. But my favorite student musicians gave a fantastic performance.

I'm Back

2010-08-09T23:01:00.002-04:00

Hadn't planned on being away this long. Attended a class reunion, which I did most of the planning. It went very well and we are going to do it again in two years.

I'm still unemployed. I guess I hadn't yet met the interviewer and/or HR professional who knows when he sees talent in a good looking middle aged person. Either that or they can't afford to pay me what I'm worth.

Good news is that next Thursday is the first band show of the season. this year I will be featuring video as well as stills on my "From the Pressbox" posts.

Hopefully I won't be such a stranger to my own blog.

"We're not allowed to be nice anymore"

2010-07-30T23:00:00.002-04:00

Kathy and I were shopping at Evil Big Box Store(tm) #1812 late this afternoon. Kathy now is wearing a "boot" on her right foot as her injury was not a chip fracture but a fracture of the foot. She was using an electric cart and when we went to check out. The customer ahead of us, an employee off the clock, was assisting in putting our merchandise on the belt. This person was told by the cashier that she wasn't allowed to do this. Kathy thought the cashier was being rude, I thought she was kidding.

As we were being checked out, the cashier apologized for her demeanor and told us that they can get into trouble for things like that. She told us that they aren't allowed to be nice anymore.

So I guess when you are the number one retailer, you can forget about the things that the founder did to help the company get into that position.

My favorite marching band in parade

2010-07-25T23:27:00.002-04:00

2010 Sleepwalker Parade

2010-07-25T22:33:00.010-04:00

For those who live outside of this area, the city of Rittman has a yearly event called the Sleepwalker Festival, which started with the town's merchants dressing in night clothes while serving the customers. It evolved into a three day event. Thursday I was there for the kick off, the Sleepwalker's parade. Here is a small sampling of the photos I took

.

Me, a voice-over talent?

2010-07-18T13:08:00.002-04:00

I have been singing a new verse of the country song that has become my life. Kathy fell yesterday in her parents' garage and we had to take her via ambulance to the hospital. After x-rays and a CAT scan, it was determined that she had a concussion and chip fracture in her ankle. I have wondered lately if at one point whether I threw my horseshoe through a mirror.

I went to church this morning really feeling quite low. I attend a Pentecostal church and people were getting really happy in the spirit. Not me though, I just wanted to go through the motions and fulfill my obligation for the week. Not a good attitude on my part, I know.

One of the members come up to me and let me know how much he appreciated the friendship of myself and Kathy. Others come over and prayed with me. Then my pastor handed me his card and asked me to write my cell phone number on it. Our church is going to start a radio ministry and he wants me to be the announcer. I'm thrilled. I know that voice-over talent is in great supply, even when the job doesn't pay, so I have to get some practice in. Do I have what it takes? I'll let you be the judge! This is a promo I recorded for my Facebook Morning Show and Question of the Day.

Weekend update.......

2010-07-17T21:08:00.002-04:00

Okay here's the latest:

I took a few days to post something in order not to appear to be too bitter. Another week has passed with no job in sight. Hobby Lobby obviously had enough applicants more qualified than me and never called me in to help set up their store. Their loss.

I was interviewed on Thursday at a hardware store warehouse. This was after I passed a math test. I felt things went fine, but I will find out next week if and when they call me back for a second interview. This job will be a 27 hour week temporary job which could lead to a permanent job. This point the game plan will be to try and get multiple part time jobs.

I'm also hoping that the senate can garner enough votes to prevent a further filibuster on the unemployment extension. I don't think anyone owes me a living, but I paid into the system for almost 40 years. I also think that this being an election year and many voters are not happy with the incumbents, that this would be damaging to many who don't allow the extensions.

Just as I've done for the past 6 months, I will file right after midnight and read the classifieds of the Beacon Journal tomorrow morning.

Hopefully a positive week ahead

2010-07-12T22:01:00.002-04:00

This morning I got up and checked Facebook. One of my friends sent me a message about a job opening in nearby Medina. After applying for a job online, I grabbed some resumes and I was on my way. Warehouse was my first stop, then off to Fairlawn to apply to the Hobby Lobby, which is scheduled to open in three weeks. I filled out the application, took a math test and awaited for an interview, which went pretty smooth. If hired there, I would start there Thursday and work 16 straight days for 12 hours per day.

Keeping my fingers crossed....

I think I may become a fan...

2010-07-10T21:32:00.002-04:00

The best thing I read this past Thursday night was an email Dan Gilbert addressed to the fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers:

Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING' WINS ONE"

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that's simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called "curse" on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day....

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue....

Dan Gilbert

Majority Owner

Cleveland Cavaliers

Now I really got a kick out of this because, if he really feels this way, Gilbert brought himself to the level of the fan. I respect that. He also became an official Cleveland sports fan. Now I haven't really been a Cleveland Cavaliers fan or even a basketball fan. Now I wish if the Dolans were to ever put the Indians up for sale, Dan Gilbert would step to the plate and tender an offer. Also if he still has some money on the table from not signing the "former king", he can always send some to me, or maybe give me a job with Quicken Loans.

But if he can walk the talk, I will become a fan of Dan Gilbert.

Vitriol on parade

2010-07-09T22:46:00.002-04:00

As you all know by now, the most famous athlete in Cleveland since Jim Brown, LeBron James announced on ESPN that he was going to "take his talents to South Beach" and play for the Miami Heat. Guess what? Cleveland didn't slide into Lake Erie. However, judging by the reactions to stories on Cleveland.com, you would have thought LeBron stole their candy.

Well in Cleveland sports in the past 14 years, there have been 4 superstars leave via free agency, 2 successive Cy Young winners traded before they became free agents, and one football team leave for another city. Each time something happened, the sun rose the next day. And at my age, I have accepted this as a common happening.

And as "Hammersucks" stated on my other post about this, the name on the front is more important than the one on the back.

But for the next couple of days, I will enjoy the rantings of hurting fans.

The week that I wish wasn't

2010-07-08T19:11:00.002-04:00

If you are one of my Facebook friends, you know I had a rough day yesterday.

I had dropped my son off for an appointment and was going to make a couple of stops before returning to get him afterwards. First stop was the Goodwill where I was going to look around. After nothing there caught my eye, I went to my car with the intention of going to Evil Big Box Store(tm) #1812. Only problem is the WIXYmobile wouldn't start. This was about 3:30 and the other car was sitting at home with a flat tire. Adam had found a way to our house and his friend changed the tire on the other car, but I still had to get my car to my mechanic and his tow truck was non functional. And we could not afford to call anybody. After Kathy made a few calls we had gotten a tow truck to come and a friend friend from our church offered to pay for the tow. I finally got home around 7:00. While I was sitting at the Goodwill, I posted on Facebook by texting. I stated that I was a pathetic loser. I later deleted it and apologized for it.

Kathy said last night to look at the bright side. Things couldn't get any worse. Well maybe or maybe not. Today we had to put down one of our cats.

This week really sucks.

I'm getting weary of this

2010-07-04T21:23:00.003-04:00

Now I was going to post a video blogcast of this, but time got away from me today. I hope everybody had a very relaxing Independence Day, and those overseas just had a great Sunday.

What I'm getting weary of is all this news about Lebron James. Living in northeast Ohio, we get this on all of our news outlets. Being a Cleveland sports fan, I'm expecting the worst, that being that Lebron signs with another team. If and/or when that happens, will my world change? In a word, no.

At this stage of my life, sports plays a much smaller role than in the past. Might be different if my brother, Ricky, was still alive. For those unaware, Ricky was my younger brother. He was developmentally disabled, was confined to a wheel chair for the last 20 years of his life and spent the last 8 in nursing homes. He passed away in March, 2008. Ricky was a sports fanatic and discussed it with anyone who cared to converse with him. If he were still around, he would be burning the phone line between the nursing home and my house discussing LBJ.

In the past few years, especially since the Indians tore down the team again, my interest in local professional sports has waned. Only pro sport to hold my attention these days is NASCAR and yes, it's very much a team sport.

But back to the Lebron circus. I have seen photos of fans holding up signs outside of his office in Cleveland. The signs say things like "home" and "commitment". I would love to hold a sign that says "idolatry" and "get a life" though I don't think it would go over too well.

What happens is going to happen and the sun will rise the next day. You can ask Margaret about that. She lives in suburban Baltimore. Their pro football team, the Colts, packed up and left town one night. They were without pro football for several years. Life went on, then they stole a team from another city. Life went on in that city too. There's a rumor that they got a pro football team now, but it's somewhat unsubstantiated.

Sports isn't life, just a diversion.

Monday Update

2010-06-28T08:34:00.002-04:00

I wanted to bring up to date on some things, especially those who don't follow me on Facebook.

First, all's well between myself and Margaret. This would be for anyone who read too much into her comment on the last post. Margaret was worried that I would be mad at her for it, which I wasn't and sent me an email to make sure. I responded that I was not upset, but was worried when she made the comment that she was mad at me, which she wasn't. Turns out that we are very much alike in some ways, as we do worry about other's feelings. I may have to take the WIXYcam into Wooster and take some shots around the college and send them to her.

Next, the job hunt. I went to church yesterday and specifically requested prayer about my employment situation and made mention that we were in pretty bad financial shape. I specifically prayed for a job that I could handle. After church I went to pick up Adam and bring him to our house when I passed the Aldi store in Wooster and saw this sign-"Help Wanted Cashiers $11.00 per hour Apply Within", I turned around and applied. If you saw my resume, you would see that I have plenty of retail experience. And Aldi is not a store I've slammed on this blog. Cliff Note: Any inflammatory comments about Aldi in the comments of this post will be promptly deleted. My self preservation may be at stake.

I also prayed over the application before I turned it in. I asked those on Facebook to pray for this application, as well as at church last night, that if it's God's will, I would get the job.

And to the anonymous poster of that comment on the last post, you have obviously never been unemployed for any extended period of time before. When looking for a job while getting unemployment compensation, there are many things to take into consideration. Yes there are many jobs out there, but most are either part time or the job qualifications are too high. I am willing to work multiple part time jobs if it feeds my family and pays the bills.

Open letter to Washington

2010-06-25T15:51:00.002-04:00

To whom it may concern:

My unemployment benefits run out in 3 weeks and thanks to the Republican senators, there will not be any extensions.

Senator Voinovich, I realize that you are retiring, but do you want as part of your legacy that you screwed untold thousands of Ohio families because you wanted to protect big business. They should be taxed more if they eliminated jobs due to trade with the Chinese. Check with my former employer and see how much business they do with the Chinese.

President Obama, why didn't you wine and dine republican senators like you did those people in the house when you wanted your pet project with the health care passed? Yeah, we'll be healthy but we may not have a roof over our heads or food on the table. I know all these special interest groups got you in office, but it will be those who will only remember the period you were in office who will have a say as to whether you will have a job in 2-1/2 years.

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, please read the paragraph above and remember both of you are subject to re-election this year.

And to the rest of you morons in congress, please learn how to go across the aisle and make nice with one another. And quit sending money overseas until you can take care of those who voted you in.

Sincerely,

A very concerned unemployed citizen

A reminder given to me-for free

2010-06-19T15:56:00.003-04:00

There is a place in Wadsworth where you can get clothes, and other things, for free, called Marian's Closet. Now I have plenty of clothes, but I needed some, hopefully temporarily, to help me get through these fat times. Cliff Note: See previous post.

Now I found me some pants and shirts, actually very nice, that I will be comfortable in for the time being. I told the lady bagging my items that I hoped to return these in a short time. The place also had dishes and other small appliances donated. One side had books, VHS tapes and audio cassettes. It was there I found what I think was a real treasure. I found an audio edition of "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson, and Kenneth Blanchard.

I read the book a few years ago, as I bought that at a thrift shop for 75 cents and I remembered it had a great message. I took the audiocassette, and immediately popped it into my cassette player when I got back to my car. I realized once again that my "cheese" had been moved and it won't be back and I need to find more, better, cheese. I also think that many have had their cheese moved and are waiting for more to come.

I think that there are many folks that need to read the book or listen to the message. Maybe this should be taught in schools.

Some Weighty Thoughts

2010-06-17T22:30:00.002-04:00

I am now going to try for the umpteenth time to lose some weight. My clothes are getting waay too snug on me and being unemployed, I cannot afford to buy a new wardrobe. Those are the selfish reasons. Being diabetic, with high blood pressure and a high number in my "bad" cholesterol, those are better reasons.

I have told those who want to come to our high school reunion this summer that they didn't need to lose weight unless it's for reasons of health. My main reason is a reason of health.

The past couple of days, I have been sitting waiting for people to end appointments or get out of surgery. This has given me time to think. I have been writing my thoughts down in a composition notebook. I have written about a dozen thoughts down and hope to expound on them in the future. this would be for my benefit if for no one else.

I will expound on a couple of them right now.

If you choose to carry extra weight on your frame, then you also choose to have others talk about it. People will talk about you if you are overweight. Some will mention it in a constructive way, and others will talk about it in a hurtful way. Believe me, in my lifetime I have heard it from both directions. In my teen years, I would have people come up to me and say something starting with "I'm telling you this for your own good...." Uh, no they aren't. they are trying to make themselves look superior, while making you feel inferior. When you spend the majority of your life overweight, you build up a tolerance to these folks. But unfortunately, you also build up a tolerance to those who really do care about you and your health.

But people have as much right to talk about your excess weight as you do about abusing yourself. If you continue to live this way, get used to the talk. I, unfortunately, have. Only time when I got my feelings hurt about my weight in the past 20 years is after I lost over 40 pounds and a family member was trying to explain to a friend who I was and he over-exaggerated my gut.

Most of us will not never have Bob and Jillian to get in our faces. We need to find other ways to get motivated. I am too large, but at my weight, I would never make a casting call for "The Biggest Loser." I am in the majority. I need to find myself some other way to motivate myself. I am like most people and need some way to get a jump start.

There is no such thing as a weight loss lottery. I didn't wake up one morning 100 pounds heavier than the day before, and I shouldn't expect to wake up tomorrow 100 pounds lighter. You gotta take weight off the same way you put it on: One ounce at a time.

Wish me luck!

Simulcast of Facebook Morning Show

2010-06-14T00:13:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Monday edition of Cliff's Facebook Morning Show.

Those who have been regular readers of my blog are aware that I take occasional shots at WTAM/1100 afternoon personality, Mike Trivisonno. They are also aware that he has "attacked" me a couple of times over the air. Truth be known, it's a way of both of us playing.

Triv has a Facebook page and confirmed me as a friend yesterday. He probably didn't realize that it was 74WIXYgrad, my forum name, that he friended.
Well today this is being simulcast on both Facebook and my blog, WIXY's Gone Bananas. I'm also going to copy and paste this on Triv's wall. But this is a Morning Show dedicated to him. This is a video that touches two of his favorite topics: Motown and Vegas. Here's Diana Ross performing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," recorded in Las Vegas.

Have a great day everyone!

Why is it not where I think it belongs?

2010-06-11T21:23:00.002-04:00

Since I've been out of work, I've been doing much more of the cooking. Today Kathy suggested we make macaroni and cheese for supper. We are not big fans of that powdered stuff in the boxes and feel it's much better over popcorn and did not have any Velveeta in the house.

Now based on a couple of responses I had to a question I posted on Facebook, I guess some think that Velveeta is to cheese what spam is to meat, but anyway I went to the Rittman IGA to buy a loaf of this pasteurized cheese product. Now the IGA usually has most of what I need. They are locally owned, and they treat the customer like they are there for them. This was a change from previous ownership. And they usually have their inventory where it belongs.

So I now go into the store to get the Velveeta. Cliff Note:Kraft is paying me nothing for this post. Kathy knows when I go into the store to get one item, it's very rare that I come home with one item. After picking up 2 newspapers, it was over to the dairy section to get the cheese product, which was not there. I checked other aisles and could not find it. I looked next to the fake potato products, the boxed dinners, and even the pasta aisle. In the meantime, I discovered that 12oz packages of Ole Carolina bacon was still on sale for 99 cents. I picked up 2 of them, as I bought one last week and it was pretty good.

Now I got to thinking, "where is the obvious place I'm overlooking?" I was sure that if I asked someone they would look at me as if I lost my mind. I also wondered if maybe someone discovered that Velveeta had a half life and ordered it removed from all shelves and nobody told me. But lo and behold, I discovered it. It was right next to the Mexican dinners. I guess someone felt it belonged there, and it was across from the milk. I then put a loaf, on sale for $3.99, in my cart and headed for the checkout. On my way I got myself a bottle of diet Faygo root beer.

Now I explained to the cashier that I had a hard time locating the pasteurized process cheese product, and started to think that maybe I was starting to suffer from dementia. I mean, I am 54 years old and I lived through the seventies. she told me that she never knows where they put the stuff either. Maybe the next time they have a contest, instead of having where's Waldo, they could have where's the Velveeta.

Now the macaroni and cheese was delicious, but if I start glowing in the dark, we will know it does have a half life.

Pray for You - Jaron and The Long Road to Love :: Official Video

2010-06-09T00:12:00.000-04:00

Good morning and welcome to a special edition of the WIXY's Gone Bananas Morning Show. This is an extension of my widely popular Facebook Morning Show. This is a show today dedicated to the person leaving me the anonymous comments saying I'm not a nice guy. I'm also going to use this to give a shout to the world's greatest country station program director and new grandmother, Sue Wilson. I first heard this song on the Wynn and Wilson Morning Show on WQMX.

But to my anonymous commentator, I want you to know that I'm really a nice guy and whether you are with your focus group or dining at a certain overpriced greasy spoon in Strongsville, I want you to know that this song by Jaron and The Long Road to Love, "Pray for You" is dedicated to you.

A country store feel...

2010-06-08T09:59:00.002-04:00

Cliff Note: I need to get another post up before the comment section on the previous post destroys my nice guy image. I figure there's a Big Possibility that could happen.

Yesterday I spent part of the day driving my father in law to Lutheran Hospital to get his artificial hip checked out, as he has to do this once a year to keep his workers comp case open. He was almost killed in an industrial accident 16 years ago. Everything went smoothly and the doctor told him his hip was still very solid. After driving him back to his house and eating supper with them, I was on my way home.

In between their house in Medina and mine in Rittman, there is a small store called the River Styx Market. I will go in there every once in awhile for a soft drink and a newspaper. If I have Kathy along, sometimes we will go in for an ice cream cone. I stopped there for a Diet Coke(note to Johanna: They didn't have Coke Zero in the size I wanted.) and a copy of Farm and Dairy, a newspaper. When I got to the counter, I was asked how I was doing and I replied "Outstanding, but improving." One of the people working there then told me how they were discussing how grumpy so many customers were, but every time I come in, I'm always upbeat. I replied with my usual "Have a great day, and thank you for working at River Styx Market." That got the usual chuckle and appreciation I usually get when I end a transaction that way.

I'm glad that the Walmarts of the world haven't put small stores like this out of business. I think we need the personal attention we get from the small stores when we just need a few small items. I could probably get the items anywhere, but the service they provide isn't provided on any computerized program.

BP does not own the stations in Ohio

2010-06-04T19:40:00.002-04:00

I always get amused by those who decide they want to make a comment and insult my intelligence here and not leave me a clue as to what their identity is. Early this morning one such person did just that. Here is what this person wrote:

"Yeah smart move boycott BP and put American workers out of work. BP are independently owned and operated by small business owners here in Ohio. You never cease to amaze me with your lack of knowledge."

Now I would consider this constructive criticism until I look at the last sentence. Obviously one of the message board posters who probably misses my presence there. But hey, I can use all the readers I can get! Gives people another view besides the one of the host of the afternoon show at the 50,000 blowtorch coming out of Independence.

Now after doing some research, I say this person is right about one thing: All BP stations in Ohio are franchises, owned by people other than BP. However, the gas still comes from BP.

Now most of these stations are convenience stores as well and it is a well known fact that all other items in this store have a larger profit margin than gasoline, which nets the station owner 10 cents a gallon. And if the station is one that still has a service bay and the mechanic is one you trust, keep on using his service. Just fill your tank at Marathon or Sunoco before going there.

Just my way of trying to keep people employed slightly above poverty level.

This needs repeated, and often

2010-06-03T10:24:00.003-04:00

I received this in my Facebook messages this week from a high school friend. I'm posting this here because I don't think we need to forget this.

"I noticed some comments on the BP oil spill. I do not know how much news or truth you get up there, but I live here in La, very near all this disaster. The daily news shows hours of intereviews with the local people who's lives are destroyed. Louisiana coast produced about 30% of the nations seafood. The fishing down here was endless. The shrimp and crabs harvested daily by the boat loads, all gone. 150,000 people who's lives depended on fishing, all the fishing tourism, all stopped. The amount of birds and fish turning up dead, more everyday. It is far more devistating then some may realize, and it is worse every day.
I am working in Gulfport Mississippi this week, I am right on the beach, one of the few not yet closed because the barrier islands are holding the oil back. If you want to know the real stories, I can tell you a few."

Cliff Note: If at all possible, don't buy BP.