Radio! Radio!

After a few years of toying around with the idea, The Unexpected Guests have produced a pilot for a sketch-comedy radio program for WRFA-LP.

It was a long process (especially for Gary who produced and engineered 99.9% of it)! But it has finally come to fruition. I had a load of fun writing for the program (listen for two commercials for local pubs and audio from a Rotary meeting) and even did a bit of voice work for it (you can pick me out for your own damned self.

Our new radio endeavor may be heard here! Listen to the whole she-bang and give us some feedback when you can....

The Occasional Post

Well, Facebook has pretty well dominated by posting tendencies since before the start of the year. It just feeds my insane media addiction better than blogging! Even my parents have started accounts.

All is well in Western New York. The kiddoes are at grandma's farm this week and begin 1st and 3rd grades next week.

PreppyGirl has been performing with The Unexpected Guests for a while now and is quite good!

PGirl Jr. and Galoot Jr. both auditioned for "The Nutcracker" last weekend. I auditioned for a local production of "The Producers" last month and at a callback last night. Fingers crossed...

I've also been working with the Guests on a radio pilot for our in-house radio station.

Here's a link to something I wrote for it.

Check out the podcast link for more material we've written and recorded.

Photo Tag From Julia

Rules

1. Take a picture of yourself.. riiiiiight.. NOW!
2. DO NOT change your clothes. DO NOT fix your hair.. Just take a picture.
   
3. Post that picture with NO editing.
4. Post these instructions with your picture.
5. Tag 10 people to do this!

At left is me. I'm in my office. The glow of a snowy 3rd Street is coming in from a window on the left. Over my shoulder you can see two panels. The one directly over my shoulder has artwork made by my children. The other contains covers from the newsletter I make at work. Arts On Fire.

I tag PreppyGirl, Tracy, Mr. Social, Stinky Paw and Steaming Bowl of Calderone. I don't think I'm close to 5 more bloggers.

A Look Back

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
I'm scheduled for a vasectomy on Saturday morning. Never done that before. I also went hunting for deer twice. Shot a doe on the first day. On the second day I learned more than I needed to know about the best way to dress a squirrel and stuff it with sausage for a SuperBowl halftime treat.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I can't remember.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My blog sister, R, gave birth to bouncing baby B, with some help from H. We're not close per se, but I know she reads this from time to time and I couldn't be happier for their family. A good friend from high school, Bryan and his wife Missy adopted a little girl this year.

4. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A creative outlet. I left improv for the most part last year. Maybe I should finally do a radio pilot. Hey, there's a resolution!

5. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
November 4. Big election. You might have remembered some of it.

6. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
The garage sale and the gazebo.

7. What was your biggest failure?
The gazebo. The gutter.

8. What was the best thing you bought?
Netflix has been pretty cool. The new lawnmower rocks.

9. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The wife, the kids.

10. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Anyone who continued to spread rumors as truth before, during and after the election. Especially after many were disproven. Both candidates. George W. Bush for continuing to block his people from answering questions on the record.

11. Where did most of your money go?
Home and Car Loans.

12. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Thanksgiving. My kids being in the same school again.

13. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Happier. Same weight. Richer.

Seven Wonders On My IPod

Julia tagged everyone for this one. The gist is writing about the 7 songs you've listened to the most in two years. In no particular order:

7. Jacksonville - Sufjan Stevens
I first heard this song on Austin City Limits just over two years ago. First impressions are everything, and the live version of this is my favorite.

6. Across The Wire - Calexico
First song of part two of the afore-mentioned episode of Austin City Limits. Again, the live version is tops with me.

5. Side With The Seeds - Wilco
This is now my favorite Wilco song. The noodling is lifted from an old Pavement song, but I don't care. Nels Cline (guitar solo) was not only a great addition on the last album, but he also makes older songs by the band better. True story: PGirl and I sat on a couch with Nels Cline in the back room of a club before a Mike Watt concert.

4. I Got Mine - Black Keys
Yeah, this songs kicks supreme ass. True story: I followed the drummer of the band into a Starbucks in Cleveland just to see if he was who I thought he was. He was.

3. Sugar Water - Cibo Matto
The video is pretty damn cool, but so is the song. I'm pretty sure that a shitty dating show we used to watch in South Florida used this as incidental music.

2. In The City - The Jam
Probably played a lot because it is the first song on a record that usually is played in its entirety on my IPod. Listen to the greatest hits compilation and hear how a band can evolve in a few short years.

1. Hot Wax - Beck
My second most-played-in-its-entirety album on the IPod offers this track which I frequently skip ahead to.

Escape From Turkey

The holiday went on without a hitch. The food came out okay (with the exception of some dry stuffing). The kids got to sled. The ladies did some Christmas shopping. The dog did not jump off of the garage roof (more on that in a later post). The only downsides were GalootJr. getting sick on Friday and a few doofuses at The Wine Cellar.

I played some holiday tunes on the bar's digital jukebox, and (in the midst of programming a Joe Jackson medley) was urged to not play any more holiday crap by a few ladies near the front door. They'd come in after I'd put the initial songs in and were unaware of my choices. I told them, "I played that holiday crap!" and proceeded to search out some supremely syrupy tunes for Christmas. I'm the one putting the cash in the machine, so as far as I was concerned, they could take Rihanna, JT and more and shove it up their hineys. If they'd chosen to play some Top 40 crap, I'd tolerate it and maybe pay for some songs of my choosing.

They diffused the situation by suggesting some Michael Jackson. I was down with that. So, I chose "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Wanna Be Starting Something".

Falling Behind, Or, Descending Ass

Pete, thanks for calling me out. The first two months of the school year have been tremendously busy, personally and professionally. Since my last post:

• GalootJr. celebrated a birthday which spanned a couple of weekends.
• PGirlJr. has taken on more ballet classes.
• PGirl has taken on more improv performances.
• I have taken on some right-wing pundit-wannabes on our local paper's online forums. (I'm retiring this week.)
• October saw me traveling a lot for the job and more. I visited with Steve and Tracy in Missouri.
• Facebook has edged out my blog for my immediate attention.

All is well. The snow is falling, Thanksgiving is coming soon and the Bills are still in the running. Barely.