...to a new web address. Put this one in your "favorites" for future use: http://new.wdez.com/blogs/terrys-blog/

Your TTPK Clue for last night is: "Okay, it isn't so much a word as two letters."

Your Blog Keyword is "internetUhaul". It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 11/18/09.

Be Cool,

TS

...(say it with me now) a short Blog.

Your TTPK Clue for last night is:  "a song by R.E.M."

Your Blog Keyword for today is "time15tight".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 11/18/09.

Be Cool,

TS

This pooch isn't the only one singing the blues:

There are some pups in Adams County that could use your help:  http://new.wdez.com/news/articles/2009/nov/16/humane-society-needs-help-rescued-animals/

Your TTPK Clue for Friday is:  "The 3rd is in Africa"

Your Blog Keyword is "PinkBlues".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 11/17/09.

Be Cool,

TS

The Keyword Comedy Club is one of the more labor intensive bits that occur on my show.  It starts with me going through the stack of jokes that you e-mail my way.  Thanks for those by the way.  Keep 'em coming to terry.stevens@mwcradio.com.

Once I find a joke that fits the criteria (clean, story-based, can be told in under 2 minutes), I adjust the material to include a co-worker or local celebrity that's in the news.  Once the writing is done, I'm off to a production room.

I LOVE the theatre of the mind that radio possesses and the Keyword Comedy Club is an excellent playground for it.  I use sound effects, character voices and other production techniques to bring the joke to life.  After up to an hour of noodling around in the studio, the piece is completed and then mixed down to be played Thursday and Friday nights between 9:30 and 9:50, and played at random times on the stream at http://www.wdez.com/.

And now...

It can be played whenever you want!

If you go to my page here:  http://www.wdez.com/shared/airstaff/airstaff.asp?jid=537, you can listen to 3 past episodes of the Keyword Comedy Club.  I've also posted the latest one for your listening pleasure(?).  By the way, if you're a WDEZ Club Member, those Keywords from past episodes are worth some extra Points on the WDEZ Club until Midnight Sunday!

Who said Friday the 13th was unlucky?

Your TTPK Hint for last night is:  "is better than none"

Your Blog Keyword for today is "Lucky13".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 11/14/09.

Be Cool,

TS

[LOOKS AT YESTERDAY'S BLOG]

Called it.

Your TTPK Clue for last night is "or dock".

Your Blog Keyword is "TayPayDay".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 11/13/09.

Be Cool,

TS

Before I get too far into CMA talk, let me first say that if you serve or have ever served in the U.S. Military, God bless you and thank for you for your service to our country.

Tonight's CMA Awards show features one of the best battles for CMA Entertain of the year I have EVER seen.  The contenders:  Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban.  All four are strong contenders.  Lets check out the tale of the tape, shall we?

The Case for Kenny Chesney:  He's won Entertainer of the Year 4 years in a row now and is current reigning champion.  When Kenny comes to town he packs the house.  His tours are consistently in the top ranks (and in 2007, number 1) of concert billing.  Musically, Kenny has been incorporating more diverse, unconventional elements into his music lately (island rhythms, guest vocalists from other genres).  This willingness to take a few risks with his sound keeps Kenny sounding fresh even though he's been around for awhile.  2009 saw the release of a 2nd Greatest Hits package further solidifying Kenny as one of the top names in Country Music.

The Case for Brad Paisley:  Brad is the reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the year.  Once again, he has given us another album that effortlessly walks the line between Country's contemporary and classic elements.  "American Saturday Night" is one 2009 Country album that qualifies for "must have" status due to the strength of its material.  Whether he's doing a humorous tune with a play on words you'll never forget, a heartfelt ballad or a Strait-up country classic, Brad's talent, and unique take on the Country genre are evident.  This year Brad headlined a massively successful tour, performed on American Idol and performed for the President of the United States.  Not having a Greatest Hits album yet lends strength to the feeling that "Brad's not out of cool ideas yet".  When he turns 65 and comes out with a box set, it will be AWESOME!  Oh, and he plays a mean guitar.  Brad is the heir-apparent to George Strait's role as the face of contemporary country with classic sensibilities. 

The Case for George Strait:  He woke up today.  Seriously, George Strait could record a series of coughs and belches and it would become a country classic.  He's that good.  Nominated more than anyone else could ever hope to be for CMA Awards, George is always a force to be reckoned with.  His sound has evolved slowly over the years.  It's definitely more contemporary these days, but it still retains those classic sensibilities.  "Twang" is no exception.  This year, George hit the road for another well recieved tour.  I've heard criticisms of George's show from folks who say things along the lines of "He just stood there and played."  Of course he did.  He's George Strait.  That's all he has to do.  George didn't do anything "flashy" this year.  He was George, and that's all the flash he needs.

The Case for Taylor Swift:  Remember Shania Twain?  That gal who took some heat in the mid 90's for making country too pop friendly?  That same Shania Twain whose songs were all over pop and country radio?  The same one that proceeded to DOMINATE the CMAs?  Meet Taylor Swift.  She sold more records, downloads, ringtones, etc. than any other nominee this year.  (Heck, maybe all of them combined.)  Country and pop radio LOVE her.  She writes her OWN stuff (a sadly rare feat in the world of music).  Her music is everwhere, she is everywhere, she is THE face of modern country music right now.

The Case for Keith Urban:  Who'd a thunk it?  Some guy from Austrailia is one of the top Country stars in America right now.  Keith's "Defying Gravity" is the lastest in a strong catalogue of music, debuting at #1 on the Billboard charts.  His music has seen a fair bit of play on pop radio.  His live shows are the stuff of legend.  No one walks away from them wanting his or her money back.  Taylor Swift opened for HIM this year!  (I wouldn't count on that in the future, though).  He's picked up Entertainer of the Year in the past and presents a strong case for it this year.

Terry's bestest guess as to who will win:  All five contenders are worthy in their own way.  Chesney's won it 4 years in a row for a reason, the reigning king.  Paisley best represents the baseline of the Country Sound, the present respecting the heritage of past.  Strait is Strait, a classic for the ages.  Swift's buzz is supernova hot right now, the face of the genre.  Urban best represents the contemporary side of the Country Sound, the present gazing toward the future.

The winner?  I have to pick Taylor Swift to win this.  First, you have the Shania factor.  How can the CMA retain their credibility if they don't give the crown to the artist who is THE face of Country music in 2009?  Remember, it's Entertainer of Year, not who's more "country" who's "too new", who's more "pop" or whatever.  Swift is bringing thousands if not millions of new fans to the genre, and most importantly to the CMA, eyeballs to their lil' Awards show.  If she doesn't win, it will seem like a bit of an injustice to that audience.

Second, yes she has that whole pop crossover thing about her.  No, she isn't George Strait or even Kenny Chesney "country".  But in 2009, she beat George, Kenny, Keith, and Brad at the game of getting people to care about country music.  THAT is how you get to be Entertainer of the Year.

Third, it'll be nice to see her win something cool without being interrupted by Kanye West's blatant jacka$$ery.

Course, that's just my best guess.  For all I know, Toby Keith is going to roll up on stage behind the wheel of a tank and just take the award tonight.  Actually, I hope he does.  That would be pretty funny to watch.

Your TTPK Clue for last night is:  "The ones my kids own have letters and numbers on them"

Your Blog Keyword for today is "TobyTank".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 11/12/09.

Be Cool,

TS

Yesterday, whilst doing some social netslacking on Facebook, I posted a bit on the WDEZ Fan Page: 

"I read an interesting article today that included this line: "...your greatest weakness is just your greatest strength pushed too far."

I've been told that I have an excellent work ethic and good standards for the work that I do. However, I also have a pretty bad case of workaholism. If I'm not careful, I'll work like an alcoholic drinks. Is your greatest weakness your greatest strength pushed too far?

~TS"

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/1019-WDEZ-Todays-Great-Country/138685761263

If you're curious, the article that inspired my post can be found here.  Be forwarned though that's it's written by the head designer for one of my favorite games.  Your interest may wane in short order:  http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/mm/64

I've been pondering this concept a lot since reading that particular bit.

"Your greatest weakness is just your greatest strength pushed too far."

I can see a lot of validity to that statement.  After all, how could you ever be suspicious of your greatest strength?  It's your strongest ally, an intrinsic part of your being.  How could it ever betray you?

I gave the example of my workaholism above.  (By the way, I know that workaholism is a phrase that's snickered at, but there is a world of difference between a cat that works really hard and a full blown workaholic.  Workaholism is a topic deserving of its own Blog entry.  Maybe later this week or next.)

My work ethic is my greatest strength, but when pushed too far it becomes workaholism, a focus on the "rush" of work to the exclusion of everything else.

The low prices certain big box stores *COUGH* Wal *COUGH* mart *COUGH* are able to offer to its customers due to their market position is their greatest strength, yet when pushed too far to lower prices, they require their vendors to lower their prices.  I have a few acquaintences who deal with Wal Mart and other big box retailers.  They have a "solid" version of their product and a "Big Box" version where cuts are made to the manufacturing process in order to lower the cost.

Ever watch a friend whose compassion was his/her greatest strength get taken in by a charlatan because his/her heart just "couldn't turn away from someone in need?"

Ever see an housing market whose greatest strength was that it existed in an economy where citizens were able to finance pretty much any dollar amount regardless of credit?

A record label whose greatest strength was a multiplatinum recording artist (who just got caught doing something criminal?

You can see how this concept can lead to a lot of pondering.

Heavy Blog today, I know.  Tomorrow, let's talk CMAs.

Your TTPK Clue for last night is:  "When you think about it, it's the answer to everything."

Your Blog Keyword is "greatestweakness".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 11/11/09.

Be Cool,

TS

Normally, I Blog earlier in the day.  Today, however, I had an appointment with my eye doc that involved those funky drops that dilate my pupils to approximately dinner plate size.  Not being able to withstand bright lights and being unable to read anything smaller than a billboard for 4 hours puts a serious cramp on my writing.

Your TTPK Clue for Friday is:  "to replace"

Your TTPK Clue for Saturday is:  "I get yelled at for putting my feet up on the coffee version."

By the way, I made the paper today:  http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20091109/WDH0101/911090496/1581/WDH01/Warm-weather-a-hit-in-Wausau

If that isn't hard-hitting journalism, I don't know what is...

KIDDING WDH!  KIDDING!

Your Blog Keyword for today is "1lateblog".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 11/10/09.

Be Cool,

TS

Between Ft. Hood, the health care bill winding its way through the US House and Madison's refusal to take OWI law reform seriously, I'm either saddened, confused or disgusted by what I'm seeing in the news today.

Deep breath.  Relax.  The weekend is almost upon us.  A weekend shaping up to be full of soon to be rare sunshine and all too precious time with family.

Yesterday, I had asked a question on WDEZ's Fan Page on Facebook.  "What Country song tells your story best right now?"

Today, my song is Lady Antebellum's "I Run to You".  I think of my wife and our marriage every time I hear it, especially when it gets to this:

"This world keeps spinning faster
To a new disaster, so I run to you"

May you spend quality time with someone who will take on the world with you this weekend.

By the way, I'm filling in for Vanessa on Saturday between 4pm and 8pm.  Listen for a Bonus Keyword and an TTPK!  Also, new pics of Team Stevens are on my DJ page in case you want to see what my kids dressed as for Halloween:  http://www.wdez.com/shared/airstaff/airstaff.asp?jid=537

Your TTPK Clue for last night is:  "delicious"

Your Blog Keyword for today is "Sat428".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 11/07/09.

Be Cool,

TS

Apparently, I'm very late to the party on this whole "25 Questions" thing on Facebook.  So late in fact, that there's really no point to posting it on Facebook.  So, I'm posting it here.

1) I got into radio with the goal of hosting a talk show. Then, I realized that I stopped caring about politics. Then I had some pizza.

2) I don't listen to much radio when I'm off the air. I have a bad habit of subconsciously picking up the mannerisms of whatever DJ I'm listening to if I listen to them for more than a couple of days. In order to keep my show somewhat original, I stick to news/talk radio or my IPod.

3) I'm named after a football player, but I have little to no athletic ability. Sorry dad (again).

4) Stevens is a stage name. My real last name is Polish in origin and defies conventional pronunciation. Also, my family likes their privacy.

5) I was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, spent my formative years just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio and moved to Wausau in May of 2001 to work for WDEZ.

6) My first radio gig involved wearing a giant, furry, bumblebee suit during the hottest summer on record for Cincinnati in the 1990s.

7) My next gig (same station) involved "running the board" for the Cincinnati Bengals. The bee suit was far less torturous.

8) I feel more at home in Wausau, Wisconsin than I have anywhere else in my life.

9) My slight Southern accent almost got me fired from WDEZ. I make a conscious effort to minimize it when I'm on the air.

10) My favorite soda is Diet Dew: Code Red. I don't drink it much because I find that soda is an expensive habit.

11) My favorite beer is Salvator Doppelbock. However, the beer I usually drink is Milwaukee's Best Light. I don't drink it much because I find that I have to go to work at some point.

12) I was moved over to "The Oldies Station" for a while when it was still around. It really helped to tighten up my skills behind the mic. Oldies songs have shorter intro times which force you to be funnier faster.

13) I've been an insulin dependent diabetic since I was about 10.

14) I've eaten 2 apples a day almost every weekday of the past 10 or so years. My doctor is okay with it.

15) I was the lead yeller/growler/screamer of a heavy metal band when I was a teen. We weren't half bad. We weren't half good either.

16) My wife is a funny gal. I'd love to do a radio show with her, but she has no interest.

17) My kids are funny too. Maybe I can get them to do a show.

18) Although I'm on the thin side, physique-wise, I can eat like I'm in a competition to become the world's largest land mammal.

19) I have one younger brother. He played drums in the heavy metal band.

20) I refuse to have a credit card, or incur debt of any sort except as an absolute last resort and even then I pay it off as soon as possible. I rarely buy anything new.

21) My first Dungeons and Dragons character was a wizard named Donovan Cutter. He wielded two wands, ala a gunslinger. He was very poorly developed as a character.

22) I have an idea for a story and as I'm much better at character development these days, I might actually write it.

23) When I was a toddler we lived out in the country. I managed to sneak outside while my mother was occupied. Once outside, I started heading for the road in front of our house. Luckily, our dog, Star, saw what I was up to and grabbed me by my sleeve and pulled me back from the road. My mother swears that dog probably saved my life as the road was pretty well traveled. Star was a stray that just showed up one day and hung around. Good dog.

24) When I get an e-mail from a listener telling me that they liked a particular bit that I did or thing that I said on the air, it makes my day like nothing else. I'm a sucker for external validation. Plus, I can prove to my boss that someone actually does listen to the nonsense I say on the air.

25) I love meeting other Type I diabetics on the street. I always feel like we're in a secret club what with all the jargon we toss back and forth.

Your TTPK Clue for last night is:  "put away for later"

Your Blog Keyword for Today is:  "late25things".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 11/06/09.

Be Cool,

TS

I don't know about you, but I love a glimpse into other people's worlds.

After watching this, I don't know if I want to get a drink or start a revolution.

Your TTPK Clue for last night is:  "On your neck"

Your Blog Keyword is:  "sodavid".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 11/05/09.

Be Cool,

TS

...when you'll need this:

Your TTPK Clue for last night is:  "not slow"

Your Blog Keyword for today is "Yaybeer".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 11/04/09.

Be Cool,

TS

So, I heard a news report earlier this morning about how hog farmers are losing their shirts over the H1N1 scare.

Apparently, there are enough people who are dumb enought to think that bacon will give them the flu, that hog prices are waaaaay down.  The fact that H1N1 was called "swine flu" in the early days of this story didn't help matters any.

The fact that I called it Mexican Pig Flu probably didn't help either.  Sorry about that.  I still think that a vast majority of Americans won't die from H1N1.  The numbers that make up the current death toll are made of people with pre-existing conditions that H1N1 pushed over the edge.

Here's the problem, though.  H1N1 doesn't sound all that catchy, or that menacing.  It doesn't inspire immediate caution. 

To wit, you tell someone you have Swine Flu and they'll think, "Holy doody!  He's/She's got some kinda crazy pig disease!  I'd better not shake hands with him/her!"  Then, they stay faaaaaaaar away from you until you're better.

You tell someone you have H1N1 and they'll think, "Huh.  Must be some kinda Star Wars Toy."  Then they do something like lick a doorknob you touched or something equally unsanitary and end up with your bug.  If you had just told them you had "Swine Flu" in the first place, they would have exercised more caution.

I have a solution that come from an autistic child one of my mother's co-workers works with.  (By the way, Mom's a tutor.)  Look at the 4 characters in H1N1.  Got 'em?  Good.  Now imagine that the "1's" are "I's".

What we have here is a way to make H1N1 caution inducing again.  When you call the condition Hiney Flu, that tells people right away that it will make their butt sick.

Hog farmers get back to selling bacon, people start washing their hands properly again and the world is a better, less sneezy place.

Glad I could help.

Your TTPK Clue for last Friday is:  "I've been accused of being one."

Your Blog Keyword for today is:  "HineyFlu".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 11/03/09.

Be Cool,

TS

My supervisor returns from vacation on Monday.  While he might be less than thrilled about the prospect, I can't flippin' wait.

Enjoy your Halloween.  After we take Rosemary and Ragnar Trick-or-Treating on Saturday, Anj and I will be doing another round of Haunted Wausau Tours with the WPRS on the 400 Block of Downtown Wausau.  This is the last night of the tours.

Your Blog Keyword is "nocostumenocandy".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on on 10/31/09.

Your TTPK Clue for last night is:  "Big lump of land"

Be Cool & have a Happy Halloween,

TS

Yesterday, I showed you the cover of Trace Adkins upcoming comic book.

The Marathon County Public Library has an excellent selection of graphic novels. One of them is "Iron Empires" by Christopher Moeller. I'll let him explain.

Your Blog Keyword is "TrevorFaith".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 10/30/09.

Your TTPK Clue for last night is:  "You're standing on it."

Be Cool,

TS

Today had some strange moments.

1)  Normally, I keep my cool pretty well, but I actually had a bit of a temper tantrum today with Carson's younger brother (sells advertising for one of our sister stations).  I apologized afterwards.  His response?  "Dude, I grew up with Carson.  I've heard worse."

2)  Vanessa Ryan and I switched personalities for a minute today.  For 60 seconds, she became cynical and I became full of hope for mankind or somesuch.  We both agreed it was downright odd.

3)  I also discovered that there are at least 14 ways to pronounce the word "manufacturers" depending on who you have voicing the commercial.

Your TTPK Clue for last night is:  "The last one's an admission."

Your Blog Keyword for today is the word that apparently has 14 different pronunciations.  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 10/29/09.

Be Cool,

TS

...one of THOSE weeks?  Sheesh, and mine's just getting started.

Okay, I had a momentary lapse of competence and messed up the entry of last night's TTPK.  It's fixed now.  Sorry about that and thank you for your patience.

Your TTPK hint for last night is:  "get dirty"

Your Blog Keyword for today is "1longweek".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 10/28/09.

Be Cool,

TS

My supervisor, John, is on vacation this week.  This creates a very busy week for your buddy, Ter.

The Blog entries may be a bit on the short side.  (Try not to celebrate too much, kay?)

Your TTPK Clue from Friday is:  "G'day"

Your Blog Keyword for today is "1dude2jobs".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 10/27/09.

Be Cool,

TS

This:  http://new.wsau.com/news/articles/2009/oct/23/doyle-rep-wood-should-resign-after-latest-owi-arre/

this:  http://new.wsau.com/news/articles/2009/oct/22/new-details-police-report-fatal-mosinee-owi-case/

and this:  http://new.wsau.com/news/articles/2009/oct/21/medford-man-stand-trial-fatal-owi-crash/

I could find more with just a couple of mouse clicks, but I think you get the point.

There's a problem and it's killing people.  Literally, killing people.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you not to drink and drive, because quite frankly, you know better than to do such a foolish thing.

Instead, I'm going to ask you to look out for your friends.  Having a gathering at your place where the drinks are flowin' and somebody's had a few too many?  Run an establishment that serves alcohol where someone's been overserved?

Take their keys.  Do it.  No matter how much they protest.  No matter how much of a fight they put up.  TAKE...THEIR...KEYS.

What's the worst that could happen? 

They get mad?  Storm out of the party?  As long as they're on foot, so what?  A good walk might sober them up.

They start throwing punches?  Okay, do you want to read one of the above stories and know that someone's dead, literally dead, because you were afraid to get hit?  Hey, I've been punched plenty of times.  It sucks.  It hurts.  But, it beats the hell out of finding out a friend killed someone and I could have done something to stop it.  (By the way, it's more than fair to make the fight lopsided.  Get some friends to help with the takedown.  Remember, you don't have to hurt your target.  Just restrain him or her and take the keys away.)

I know it's not your responsibility to ensure that your friends don't drink and drive.  They're grown adults and should be responsible for their own actions.  I get that.  Again, I have to ask, do you want to read a story like the one above and think, "I could have stopped it."?  You can stop it.  TAKE...THEIR...KEYS. 

If you own a bar, call 'em a cab or a cop.  Sure, they might get mad and never come back to your bar again.  Screw 'em.  You don't need THAT kind of customer in your joint in the first place.

If they're at your party, call 'em a cab or let 'em crash on the couch.  Sure, they might be so loaded that they pee on your couch.  That is pretty gross.  I'm sure you'd rather have pee on your couch than blood on your hands, right?

Sure, we can't stop every drunk driver.  There are bad social circles that you and I will never walk in, where getting loaded and careening all over the road isn't seen as a bad thing.  We can't do anything about them.  What we can do is look out for our own social circles, look out for our own friends, and if need be, TAKE...THEIR...KEYS.

Your Blog Keyword for today is "TAKETHEIRKEYS".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 10/24/09.

Your TTPK Clue for last night is:  "Who's there?"

Be Cool,

TS

FULL DISCLOSURE: I have not received any compensation from the makers of this product in exchange for this blog posting. This is simply me talking about a product that I use.

During yesterday's blog, I mentioned that I use a Neti Pot. This generated a few e-mails along the lines of "What is a Neti Pot and what do you do with it?"

A couple of years ago, I had a recurring issue with losing my voice. It was like clockwork. My sinuses would flare up, then my throat would go kaput. As a guy who talks for a living, this was unacceptable.

I went to the walk-in clinic and asked a nurse practitioner if there was anything I could do. According to her, the hospital's ear, nose and throat docs had rave reviews about the Neti Pot. Apparently, Yoga practitioners use it to keep their airways clear or somesuch. My desire to stop losing my voice outweighed my skepticism, so I bought one and started using it.

I haven't lost my voice since. That still doesn't change the fact that using it feels downright weird.

Your Blog Keyword is "boogertea".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 10/23/09.

Your TTPK Clue for last night is:  "on the road".

Be Cool,

TS

A year ago, I wrote one of my favorite entries I've ever put in this Blog.  Here it is with a couple of updates in case you missed it the first time around:

Today is Anji and I's 9th wedding anniversary.  We were married in Gatlinberg, Tennessee at some joint called "The Chapel of Love" by a Reverend Jimmy Joe Jim Bob or something like that.  Classy, I know.

Anyhow, our actual wedding was attended by a small group of friends and family.  The reception was held a week later.  Of course, a week later was the weekend before Halloween.  This calls for a costume party!

Seriously, our wedding reception was a big costume party totally decked out in Halloween stuff!  Our guests were encouraged to wear costumes.  We were on a tight budget so instead of hiring a DJ, I just burned a bunch of CDs full of Halloween music mixed in with some party tunes and set the whole thing to "shuffle."  Anj's Aunt Kim, easily one of the most artistically inclined people I know, handled the decorating in spooktacular fashion!  The rest of her family pitched in with catering and cake baking (including a Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein cake topper!)  Everybody had a blast, and yes, a vast majority showed up in costume.

That night, Anj wore her bridal gown and dolled herself up all vampirey.  She put a boquet of plastic autumn flowers together complete with plastic spiders, eyeballs and mice.

One of those mice is with us to this day.

You see, Anj and I have been playing a game for the past 9 years.  I can't remember the first time it happened, but one day, I opened up my lunch bag or something and there's the mouse you see above staring back at me.  I thought it was pretty funny, so I turned around and hid the mouse somewhere where I thought Anj would find it.  She found it and it scared the #3!! out of her.  Sooooooo, she turns around and hides the mouse to try and scare me. 

We've repeated this process at least a couple hundred times over the past 9 years.  The mouse's most recent appearance?  Inside my Neti Pot.

Flushing out your nose with salt water is weird enough as it is.  Starting the process by being alarmed by the presence of a mouse in the Pot makes amps up the weird quite a bit.

I LOVE the mouse.  I love what it says about Anji and I's marriage.  It's wierd.  It's playful.  It's something that's truly "ours".

In this 9th year of our marriage, Anji is still the best part of my day and I look forward to many more days with her (and scaring each other sillier with rubber rodents).

By the way, Anji and the WPRS are doing two more Haunted Wausau Tours, one on Saturday, October 24th and another on Halloween night.  At 5 bucks a person, it's an affordable thrill.  Also, I'm hosting the 6:30 tours both nights in case you wonder if I'm as much of an idiot in person as I am on the radio.  You can find more details here:  http://www.pat-wausau.org/.

Your TTPK Clue for last night is:  "after causes"

Your Blog Keyword is "anniversary9".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 10/22/2009.

Be Cool,

TS

...to your daughters.

Your TTPK Clue for last night is:  "Have a seat".

Your Blog Keyword is "real4thewin".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 10/21/09.

Be Cool,

TS

This past Saturday started off a little rough.  It was flu shot day.  As an insulin dependant diabetic, I'm not phased by needles in the least.  My kids?  Well, let's just say they were less than thrilled about the entire experience.

Luckily, we were able to make it up to them with a day of fall fun!

Ragnar is 3.  Rosemary is 6.  My wife and I are budget concious.  All 4 of us had a blast this past Saturday at Helene's Hilltop Orchard in Merrill.  We haven't really done the whole "walk a corn maze, pick a pumpkin" thing since Ragnar was born.  Now that Ragnar's bigger, the Stevens family was ready for a fall adventure.

For less than 20 bucks, the entire Stevens family was able to walk the corn maze (Rosemary took the lead and guided us like an expert), take a hay ride, pick a pumpkin and play in the farm-themed play area.  I spent a couple extra bucks on some treats from Helene's Kitchen.  We spent an entire day having fun without breaking the family budget.  Helene's Hilltop Orchard is definitely geared towards smaller kids.  Teens will be "too cool" to have fun (though you might catch them smiling anyway).  If you have little ones (and your family fun budget is on the tight side), they'll love it!

[FULL DISCLOSURE:  Helene's Hilltop Orchard advertises on a couple of stations that I work for.  I write all of Helene's ads.  I did not receive any compensation in exchange for writing this blog or for visiting H.H.O.  This is simply an account of a fun Saturday afternoon with my family.]

Your TTPK Clue for Friday night is:  "walk all over it".

Your TTPK Clue for Sunday afternoon is:  "cow burn"

Your Blog Keyword is "honestopinion".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 10/20/09.

Be Cool,

TS

We'll see...

Your TTPK Clue for last night is "blackbird".

Your Blog Keyword is "Chris15Garth".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 10/17/09.

Be Cool,

TS

Let me preface this by saying that I believe that Bob Dylan is one of America's greatest songwriters.  "Like A Rolling Stone", "Tangled Up In Blue", "Lay Lady Lay", the list goes on and on.  Many of today's modern country musicians list Dylan as an influence.

With that being said, Mr. Dylan's new Christmas album is...uh...it's...ah...  Tell you what.  Howzabout you give it a listen?

Your TTPK Clue for last night is: "my son has one".

Your Blog Keyword for today is "omgwth".  It's good for 250 WDEZ Club Points until 1700 on 10/16/09.

Be Cool,

TS