WIXY's Gone Bananas

Been more than three months since I've posted anything here. Like many others, most of my creative efforts have been posted on Facebook page. Since, at last look, I have 439 "friends", the posts are seen by quite a few people. And even more people see them when I post on the groups I belong to. Of late, I've also gotten the audience of a local radio veteran, whom some, including myself, consider a legend, Jeff Kinzbach. All you folks removed from Northeast Ohio remember him as the head of the Buzzard Morning Zoo for many years in the 80's and 90's on WMMS. He is now the highly rated morning show host on 97.5 WONE, Akron's Home of Rock N' Roll. I have wrote in the past how our paths crossed as high school marching band announcers. Jeff came looking for me at a band show where, the school he announces for, Medina Highland, my alma mater, and the school I announce for, Rittman, were appearing together. That evening, we became friends. Jeff also sent me ...

Nowadays since my poetry is becoming well known, I decided to dedicate a Facebook page to it. No need to have a Facebook account, you can just go there and check it ou t. If you do have an account, find it and like it. the page is called Random Acts of Poetry . Hope you enjoy!

There have been blog posts, which I have written in the past, that I write to work out a bit of grief. This is one of them. This morning, I had to make the decision to have our 12 year old cat, Goober, put down. It was not an easy decision, and I left the vet's clinic in tears. Never thought a 57 year old man would do that over a cat. But I have been told several times today that a pet is still part of the family. And in the 12 years that Goober was around, he was pretty special. First point of I'd like to make is that Goober was not named after George Lindsay's character from the Andy Griffith Show .  I named him Goober because his mother's name is Peanut, named so by my daughter, Sylva, after she ate a peanut M&M. My reasoning was that another name for a peanut was a goober pea, hence the name. Peanut came to us as a stray, and I was talked into keeping her because my family loves animals. Before we could get her spayed, she brought a litter into the world...

One of the benefits of  my award winning personality is that I have many friends who are around the same age as my kids or younger. One of my friends where I work is a young lady who shares a name with an MTV veejay from the 1980's. Her name is Julie Brown. Julie's issue is not specifically with the name. It's with people who who constantly ask, "Have you ever heard of 'Downtown' Julie Brown?" She can't wait until she marries her boyfriend and can change the surname. I guess one of the reasons she likes me is that I never asked the stupid question. Cliff Note: There are times when one knows that there's an obvious obnoxious question that begs NOT to be asked. I find that it's better to have the same name of someone who isn't famous, but is somewhat high profile. I have shared the story before about "the other Cliff", Cliff Feightner , who lives in Florida. When I was working as an electronics sales associate in the Akron, Oh...

In the coming week, I will be learning about infertility issues. My friend, Charlese Smith, has invited me to announce for a benefit 5K run that takes place in Copley, Ohio on April 27, 2013. The beneficiary of this event is the Giving Birth to a Dream Foundation. Charlese and David Smith started this foundation when their daughter, Tashia Mingle, an RN with the Summa Health System, and her husband, Christopher, realized that they were facing infertility issues. They also realized that, in the views of the State of Ohio, infertility treatments are elective and very expensive. Charlese and David, in starting the Giving Birth to a Dream foundation, wanted to give their daughter and son in law, and others who represent 10% of the population, a better chance to conceive children of their own. there has been other fund raisers and donations from local businesses. This Saturday, the 5K will give many a chance to give to this very worthy organization. There will also be s...

I have mentioned in the past my little routine when I go into any retail establishment. I always end every transaction with "Thank you for working at...." I'm always amazed at the reaction I get. And those who are used to my routine are disappointed when I fail to say that. I've been stopping at a certain convenience store lately to get a snack and soft drink. There are a couple of employees there who have a different reaction to the way I end the transaction. One person, an older gentleman and curmudgeon of sorts, tells me that he doesn't work for free. Another employee, a young lady, has a quite different reaction. One day I was there getting a Coke Zero and pack of crackers. I was in line to pay the older guy when Mae told me that her register was open. I went over to her side, paid for my items and thanked her for working at the store. Next time I stopped there, I went to Mae's register. She told me that she enjoyed my positive attitude and my smile wh...

Cliff Note: I originally wrote this poem a year ago for my poetry blog. It got some great response, so I'm posting it here. Enjoy! Today's a birthday Can't you see And I will tell you Now with glee I know you want To hear some more This birthday man Is Theodor Who is this man This Geisel guy He now writes poems Up in the sky I will tell you It is my plan I will tell you About the man Growing up You heard his rhymes They are the greatest Of all the times All the rhymes Wrote by the man We all did read them A dandy plan But if you're puzzled And need a clue You might be stumped And wonder whoo                                                                                                    ...