JB and Sandy.....Lawmen

Here is a link to the story that KXAN did today at noon about the pervert in the truck. He was arrested this afternoon.

http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?s=7494675

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas; 2007 was a big year for me; I got engaged to my girlfriend of almost 5 years. Yep, Tricia Nicole Williams said she would merry me when I proposed on June 28 in Monterey, California. So right out of the shoot that was the highlight of my year. I will get in to that more in a bit, but there were some other things that happened this year too. But certainly, the biggest was getting engaged. The beginning of the year was tough, 2006 and 2007 kind of rolled together for me. My Uncle died on December 1st of 2006 but the funeral wasn’t until Feb 1, 2007. My Uncle was a Naval Academy graduate and decorated Vietnam Veteran who had earned the right to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. There is a 2 month wait to be buried at Arlington. I attended the funeral and for the first time saw with my own eyes the cost of freedom that I enjoy every day as represented by the rows and rows of white crosses marking the grave of the men and women that served our country. It was am amazing experience. Oh, did I mention that my right arm was in a huge obnoxious sling while I was there? I finally made decision to get my shoulder and bicep surgically repaired. Dr Graham at North Austin Sports Medicine fixed me up good and I spent the next 6 months doing everything I was told by the doc and the Physical Therapists. To be honest it really sucked, but now it is so worth it. For the first time in years my shoulder doesn’t hurt. It had hurt for so long I forgot what normal felt like. The first six months of the year were pretty slow, but once I was cleared by the doc I was ready to get back to doing stuff. I like to say I live an active life style but I don’t think that is true, because I always seem to be drinking beer while being active so I think that cancels things out. I like to play golf and wakeboard, funny how there is a cooler on the golf cart and the boat. It was nice to see Lake Travis fill up again. I was wondering if it ever would. I feel for the people that were flooded, but I sure was happy to see the lake back to normal. I was really sad for the lake for a while, but everyone says it always comes back and it did again this year. Thank you Mother Nature.

What else happened this year… A lot of things stayed the same I read my standard 2 books a year, neither of which will help me grow personally or spiritually, I already “Eat, Sleep and Pray” and I’m not very good at keeping Secrets so I read stuff that interested me. I read “One of a Kind” The Stu Unger Story. It is the biography of a guy who is addicted to drugs and gambling who happens to be poker genius. I guess I did learn something from that book, Drugs are bad and you only have a gambling problem when you lose. I also read a book called “Angels of Death” it is said to be the most detailed historically accurate book about the Hells Angels. What did I learn from this book? Don’t mess with the Hells Angels. Period. End of story.

My golf game is still inconsistent. I am starting to accept the fact that I am never going to be as good as I want to be. But I am confident that I won’t embarrass myself in any situation so I have that going for me. I am proud of our first ever golf tournament, “The JB and Sandy Classic” raised over $100,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. That was very cool. My dad, uncle and cousin came to Austin to play and we had a blast.

I still miss my grandmother and my aunt. I am going to Brooklyn next week to visit my Aunt Olga’s grave, I hope my tears don’t freeze to my face.

I still love my dog Bumper and fear the day he is no longer with us. I really do, I hate thinking about it. His 13th birthday is 9 days away. He will get a cheeseburger from Whataburger, a ride in the truck and a boat ride. I know its silly but Tricia and I enjoy giving Bumper a big boy day. If there was a doggie bar that had French Poodles in short shirts and tight t-shirts I would take him there. Bumper is my boy

My best buddy Brock got married in June and is expecting a baby soon. It’s great to see him happy.

My old roommate Phil Thomas got serious about his golf game and at the end of the season was the #1 ranked amateur in Central Texas. I love seeing my friends do well.

When we come back from vacation on January 2nd the show will be different. As you know by now, Autumn is leaving the JB and Sandy morning show to concentrate on music full-time. I am sad that Autumn is leaving the show but I am excited for her too. Sure, I wish she was staying. The thought of filling her chair makes me sick to my stomach, but that is the selfish part of me. I want autumn to be happy, I want her to chase her dreams and shoot big. Be big, be brave, don’t let anyone tell you can’t, when they tell you you can’t, remember that and work hard to stick it to them. The stick it to them mentality has worked pretty well for me and I hope it works well for you. At the risk of this sounding like an “Oprah Winfrey Presents” moment, I want Autumn to know that I have learned so much from you. I have learned that I am capable of marriage, I am capable of being a good father and I am capable of loving. Thank you. Your enthusiasm for radio, something I love so much has been refreshing. When we live in world where washed up Rock Stars, so called comedians and reality stars are given millions of dollar to do morning shows, it is nice to see a kid from Tulsa, Oklahoma that is willing to pay her dues, learn her craft and improve. Autumn you have been my Danielson and you have been a wonderful student. You are ready to take on the Cobra Kai and don’t be afraid to sweep the leg. I love you and will still call you every Friday to tell you how proud I am of you. You made a big decision and I am so happy for you. Olive Juice.


After my divorce almost 12 years ago, I swore I would never get married again. Funny how time changes things. As I mentioned before, I got engaged on June 28th while on vacation in California. Several things let up to my decision to propose. The biggest one is that in the big picture, Tricia makes my life so much better. I like to think I make hers so much better because she was living with her mom when I met her, but the truth is she makes my life better. I hope I make hers a little better, but she makes mine better in many different ways. I now clean up after myself and I like it. I clean the sink after I shave because I like it. I hate when the bed isn’t made and go crazy if the cabinets aren’t shut. Tricia hasn’t trained me, but she has showed me a better way to live. I also know that I am ready for children. I have always thought that there is no reason to get married unless you want kids, and I sure do want them. I look forward to being a kid all over again with the kid. I guy I know, who I wouldn’t consider a friend, heard that I was getting married and said, “So, you are breaking in to the jail” It took everything I had not to punch him in the mouth. Instead, I made a snide comment and moved on. I look forward to getting married. I think I have finally met the women that gets me and I get her and isn’t that what we are all looking for in life? Someone that trusts you knows that you are a dude that at times will do stupid things but at the end of the day still loves you. I found that with Tricia and hope it last a life time. April 19th is the big day. I will keep you posted as we get closer.

JB and Digitz, what else can I say? We will be right back at it in a couple of weeks. I love making radio with you guys. Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year.



Sandy

Resignation Letter

Wow, it is hard to believe that this day has finally come. My resignation not only from The JB and Sandy Morning show, but from radio all together. I remember the day I left my 4 hour a day job with UPS and started a 4 hour job day with radio. Well, here I am almost 20 years later and still knocking it out 4 hours a day. The decision I made almost 20 years ago turned out to be the right one. I hope my current decision turns out as well as the one I made so long ago. After much consideration, I am resigning from the JB and Sandy Morning show to pursue my long term dream of opening child care facility. Tricia and I have been attending night classes and have received the proper endorsement and licenses by the state of Texas to be professional child care providers. We plan on starting small and only accepting infants, hopefully being able to care for up to 30 infants for eight to 12 hours a day. Eventually expanding to toddlers and small children up to age 9. We realize that this is a comptetive market and we must in some way differentiate ourselves from other similar facilities. A few examples of how we will do this are as follows. Everything we do will have a winner and loser. The winners will receive ribbons, trophies and field trips, the losers will be forced to perform chores around the day care center in order to keep us in compliance with the state of Texas. Another way that we will differentiate ourselves is that when any child who claims to be potty trained has an “accident” that child will have to wear his or her underwear on their head until their parent picks them up. Our day cares mission statement, “Strength through Humiliation” will be prominately displayed through out the house and on Tshirts. We will also encourage all disagreements among our children to be resolved by fighting. We believe we will be building a stronger more well rounded young person. As Tricia and rapidly approach our wedding date and hope to have children soon, we feel that the money we save by putting our own child in our own day care will pay for itself in no time. Our only remaining hurdle is naming our new child care facility. I will gladly accept your suggestions at sandy@jbandsandy.com so far, here is what Tricia and I have come up with:

The Little Big School
Let em be kids
Wee Care
Tinkle Winkle Day Car
Kozy Kids Kare
Toddler Time
Tot Time
Precious Moments
Books and Rattles
Educare
Booger eaters
Little Stinkers (with a picture of a cute skunk)
Here We Grow
Tiny Blessings
Toddler Junction
Imagination Station
Home Sweet Second Home
Second Home Childcare
Love-n-Learn
Tadpoles Pond" or "Kiddie Kingdom" or "Toddler Territory"

I am very excited about what lays ahead. JB, thank you for 12 great years on the radio. You taught me a lot and we have fought and won many battles. Digitz, welcome to your 30’s I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Autumn, you will always be Sweet Baby Autumn. Remember, have your butt in your seat and your headphones on.

I will miss you all.

Sandy

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Here You Go

Amy Winehouse is sad

RIP Evel Knievel

It is a sad day for any man that grew up in the 70's. Legendary Daredevil Evel Knievel died today, he was 69. I know alot of people think I am silly for admiring a guy that once beat the hell out of a journalist that wrote something bad about him with a baseball bat. And people think I am childlike for holding on to a hero for over 30 years. But, when I was 8 years old, Evel Knievel was the F*$(ing man! I would freak out when he came on ABC's Wide Worlds of Sports, by the way he has the record for the largest Wide World of Sports ever! Thats more than any of Ali's fights. How cool do you think Evel is now, huh? Evel was once asked before his historic attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon in his Skycycle, "If someone told you you had a 50-50 chance of living or dieing when you got in that rocket, what would you have said to them?" His respose to the interviewer (Jim Rome) "Do you know who I am?" ONLY Evel Knievel could say that. He then went on to say that there aren't any other "So Called" Daredevils lining up to jump that Canyon. Evel had brass stones.

Thanks Evel.

Bachelor Abuse

ANOTHER "BACHELOR" RELATIONSHIP MAY HAVE ENDED . . . THIS TIME WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:


As you may know, the most recent guy on "The Bachelor" picked . . . NO ONE. And it looks like he made the right choice. After 11 seasons of "The Bachelor" and three seasons of the "The Bachelorette", only two of the 14 couples are still together.


--And one of THOSE couples may be in the process of breaking up right now. Season six "Bachelor" BYRON VELVICK is still engaged to the woman he chose back in 2004 . . . but she was arrested last week for assaulting him.


--Early Wednesday morning, just after midnight, former NFL cheerleader MARY DELGADO was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery. She allegedly punched Byron in the face, while under the influence of alcohol.


--Ironically, they'd just appeared on a special episode of "The Bachelor" called "After the Final Rose". On that show, which just aired Tuesday night, they announced that they were finally planning on getting married next November.


(--The "New York Daily News" says it was taped a few days before its broadcast.)


--There's no word if this will kill their relationship. If it does, the only remaining "Bachelor" couple will be TRISTA and RYAN SUTTER. . . (--from the first season of "The Bachelorette" in 2003.) They're married and had a son this summer.

Amazing Video

This is probably one of the most amazing videos I have seen. It has been viewed over 19 million times on YouTube, so you may have seen it. If you haven't, it isn't for the faint of heart. The good news is that there is a happy ending.

Lourdes and her eyebrow

Veterans Day! Thanks

WHAT IS A VET?

Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a aged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together,a piece of shrapnel in the leg, or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul's ally forged in the refinery of adversity. Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe
wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by looking. What is a vet?
He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating
two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run
out of fuel.He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks,
whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel.
She - or he - is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep
sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang.
He is the POW who went away one person and came back another - or didn't
come back AT ALL. He is the Quantico drill instructor that has never seen
combat - but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account
rednecks and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to watch each
other's backs. He is the parade - riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand. He is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals passhim by. He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.
He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket - palsied now and
aggravatingly slow - who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who
wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the
nightmares come. He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being a person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his
country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have
to sacrifice theirs. He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known. So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say Thank You. That's all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.Two little words that mean a lot, "THANK YOU".
Remember November 11th is Veterans Day.
"It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the
press. It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of
speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, Who has given us
the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag,Who
serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protestor to burn the flag.

Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, Lt. Col., USMC

Big Mistake by The TV Graphics People

My old friend Cliff Morrison once told me that the worst part of television is that there are so many people that can make you look bad. The graphics people are the ones to blame in this video.

Honor Bowl Smoner bowl

48 second Horror Film

"Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat", a French film from 1896. And it's nothing more than a 48-second film of a train arriving at a station.


--What makes it a horror movie. . . and possibly the FIRST horror movie EVER. . . is the fact that when audiences in Paris first watched it, they didn't quite get the whole concept of "moving pictures".


--In fact, they were TERRIFIED, because it looked like the train was coming at them. According to legend, many even RAN SCREAMING from the theater

Brittani Spears Album

Here is the artwork from Brittani's CD that is out today. I think the Catholic Church is so over this type of thing, but we'll see what they say.

Happy Halloween

Does your Jock O Latern look like this? Wow, this guy has skills.

Famous Ghost Photos

Check out this link to some of the most famous ghost photos of all time. Pretty cool.

http://www.knbc.com/slideshow/entertainment/14378935/detail.html

Check out this link

This will give you a global perspective on what is going on at any given minute around the world. Run your cursor over the indicators to read the pop up. Who knew there was a plot to kill Russian President Putin? Who knew there was an illegal flyover at President Bush's ranch in Crawford? A Napalm bomb in New Zealand? Check it out.

http://www.globalincidentmap.com/home.php

Ellens dog Iggy

This is the dog at the center of the controversy with Ellen.

Digitz New Friend Crunchmaster Chris

Is There Someting Wrong With Me?

I feel bad, but I laughed outloud when I saw this!

Lambeau Field

This one is for the guys. I had a pretty amazing weekend in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Yep, I can check something off my things I have to do before I die, I have been to a game at Lambeau Field and I have seen Brett Favre play there. My friends Paul and Donna live in Green Bay and offered me a pair of their tickets to the game against the Bears. For those of you that are not Packer fans or fans of the NFL, the Packers are the most storied franchise in the NFL. The won the first two Super Bowls. They play football on grass and they play outside. As you know, it can get pretty cold in Green Bay, but they would never put a dome over Lambeau.....Football is to be played outside. I love that the Packers are old school. They are still playing football the way it was intended to be played. In my opinion, they have the best fans in the NFL. The fans own the team. Thats right, there is no Jerry Jones in Green Bay, there 112,000 owners of the team. The team has sold stock in the team on three seperate occasions over the years. The people own the team. Think about that for a second. Pretty amazing.

Sadly The Pack lost to the Bears on Sunday night. It wasn't enough to ruin a great weekend though. Enjoy some of our pictures from beautiful Green Bay, Wisconsin.

http://picasaweb.google.com/AMcilree

Go Pack Go!

Sandy

Funny Pics

How to get a man to wash his hands

Check out this idiot

Dude got a tat of Maddux Jolie Pitt. Wow!

70's Music

Le Frek by Chic

Baby Come Back by Player

Dancing Queen by ABBA

Tonight’s the Night by Rod Stewart

Philadelphia Freedom by Elton John

Killing Me Softly with His Song by Roberta Flack

American Pie by Don Mclean

Knock Three Times by Tony Orlando and Dawn

War by Edwin Starr

Anderson High Pic of Car Wreck

http://www.statesman.com/ap/mediahub/media/slideshow/index.jsp?tId=36754

You will have to click through the photos to see the picture.

Back in the gym....finally

Well, I have procrastinated long enough. I am finally back in the gym and working out. You know how everyone says you can feel weight loss in your clothes? Well, I was feeling it, but my clothese weren't getting looser, they were getting tighter. So I made a commitment and bought some personal training sessions at 24 Hour Fitness. It is kind of sad that I have to have a financial interest in my fitness, but that is the way God made me and there is nothing I can do about it. I am hoping that these sessions will help create a habit of working out. I do know that I have to do it after work. Once I get home, there is no way in hell I am going to go back to a gym. Plus, the gym isn't so crowded during the day. I don't really have a weight loss goal, I have a don't skip a session that I have paid for goal. I have to be realistic and realistic to me is making it to the gym when I am supposed to be there. I would love to say that I am going on a strict diet, but I am not. Will I watch the portions that I eat yes. Thats all I have to say about that.

Sandy

Autumns Ugly Shirt

Greatest Mug Shot Ever

MUST SEE MUGSHOT!!! A MAN IS BUSTED FOR ROBBING A WOMAN. . . SO HE CAN LICK HER TOES:


On Saturday, around 1:00 A.M. in St. Paul, Minnesota, a 24-year-old woman was leaving work when a man came up to her and demanded her cell phone and car keys.


--The man was 26-year-old Carlton Davis. And, it turned out, his endgame wasn't stealing her cell phone or her car. No. . . he took the phone and keys from her so she couldn't call for help or get away. . . while he TOOK OFF HER SHOES. . . and LICKED HER TOES.


--He licked them, and was about to start licking her neck when someone walked by. . . and he ran away. The cops caught him a few blocks away.


--The woman told the cops that after Carlton took the keys and phone, he told her his plan. . . quote, "Now I'm going to suck your feet."


--He's been charged with simple robbery and theft from a person, both of which are felonies. Neither of those charges has anything to do with the toe sucking.

Brittany Spears

Before you go passing judgement on Brittany, listen to someone that has walked a mile in her shoes and is 15 years sober. Unless you have lived it, you have no idea. This is Craig Furgeson speaking about his battle with alcoholism.

Talented High School Kids

This is from a high school talent show. Pretty impressive.

Ouch!

So I thought it would be a nice Sunday morning wakeboarding on Lake Travis with my friends, what happened is this video. Enjoy

Love this guy

Check out Austins own Rich Beem crackingup at a press conference last weekend in Boston. Rich was leading a tournament with a 7 Million dollar purse and acted like it was no big deal. I love a charachter. Check this out.

Drugs are bad

Drugs are bad, really bad.

Wow

This is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. Has anyone heard that it is faked?

Mike Vick's Notes

I think this is a fake. I watched Michael Vick walk to the podium to make his statement and remember noticing that he didn't have a cheat sheet. If you watch the press conference, it sure doesn't look like he had a cheat cheat. I call BS on this.

Idiots on the Internet

When you see idiots like this, it has to make you feel better about yourself. God Bless the internet

I am working on a written blog....

Until then, enjoy this. I guess some people are more comfortable in the their own skin then others!

This is just wrong, but I laughed

Learing...my first slide show

The Natural

 


Autumn is good at everything, including wake surfing!

Sunny Shreds!

 


Persistance pays! Sunny rides the surfboard. It too a few tries, but she did it.

Sandy

Tricia Shreds

 


My Fiance, surfing. I love it.

Quick and Easy Dinner

I love to cook. I love to watch TV Show about cooking. I also like creating my own recipes. This one turned out so good I wanted to share it with you. Simple Fish Tacos. I love this recipe.

Here is what you need!

Fresh Tilapai ( 3 filets makes 4 pretty big tacos)
Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning (you should have this in your pantry at all times because it is good on everything)
Cayenne Pepper
Butter
Broccolli Slaw (you can get it at HEB where you would get a bag salad)
Cucumber Ranch Salad Dressing
Maple Syrup
Wheat Tortillas

*Optional*
Onion (sliced)
Cilantro (chopped)

Okay, so you have all your ingredients. If you have a heavy cast iron skillet great, if not grab a skillet. On a side note, an electric skillet is a great investment in your kitchen.

Put a tabelspoon of butter in the skillet on med high heat, as the butter melts add Creole seasoning and Cayenne Pepper. I don't measure anything, just put enough Creole Seasoning in to cover the skillet, if you want more go for it. Don't go as nuts with the Cayenne Pepper because it is pretty hot. If you like hot add more if you don't, just use a little.

Once the butter is melted and mixed with the seasoning, put your filets in the skillet (it should be hot by now) add seasoning to the top of the fish and cook for 4-5 minutes and flip them over. After about 3 minutes, using a fork start breaking the fish into small pieces, reduce heat,add a tbsp of maple syrup and keep moving the fish around. In 2 minutes you should be done. Serve on a whole wheat Tortilla, add brocolli slaw and Cucumber Ranch and enjoy. ONion and Cilantro is an option to add to the taco. Finally, if you haven't tried Chalula Hot Sauce you have to. It is in the same form as Tabasco and it blows it away. Get it at HEB

Have fun with your food. Julia Childs always did.

Wedding Plans

So, in case you missed, Tricia and I are getting married in April. So far the plans are going well, we have the church and we have the reception um place. I hate the word hall, it reminds me of a VFW Hall or a Knights of Columbus Hall, a hall always has a dead animal hanging somewhere, outr "hall" does not. So I have come to terms with the cost of the reception. But have you seen the price of a photographer? Unreal! You can't touch anything for less than $2000 for four hours. Is that insane or what? Then the album you buy is a minimum $1000, absolutely moronic. I will let you know when I come to terms with this.

S

Random Stuff

I rode my bike with Digitz today for about 45 minutes and it felt great. I noticed that the first 10 minutes really sucked, then I guess I relaxed and had fun. August in Austin, Texas is not the best time of year to jump back on the bike, but I had to. I had to get some exercise. I hate to run, not crazy about the gym, and don't have the right clothes for aerobics. Do I have a goal? Yes, to ride my bike again on Thursday. That is as far ahead as I want to think.

I went to the grocery store today. I actually enjoy going to the grocery store when I have the time. I'll just cruise up and down the aisles and I guess, just shop. I am always conscience of my fellow shopper. Always careful to make sure I am not parking my cart in the flow of traffic, or leaving my cart for too long a time. I am a good, polite grocery store shopper. Alot of people are not. I had a women park her cart as close to the lettuce bin as should possibly could today and then stare at all things in front of her and never once look up to see if anyone else was interested in some fresh ice berg lettuce. Hello! I wanted to say, "Hey you old bag, you aren't the only one in the store today, take a look up every once in awhile" I didn't have the courage to say that but I did muster up a very curse, "Excuse me!" You know the tone I am talking about. People seem so shocked that they are in the way. It helps if you pay attention while shopping. Oh, if you want to try something great for dinner. Go to the fresh seafood area by the butcher HEB. Get the stuffed Talapia. It heats up in the oven in 18 mintutes and it rocks. Throw some green beans or corn in the microwave and you have a decent dinner in less than 20 minutes. I fell just like last night. Tired! I need a cocktail and some ESPN!

S

Jason Bourne

I saw the new Bourne movie this evening and I loved it. I have loved all the Bourne movies abut I really liked this one. Probably the best action movie I have seen in a long time. If you are like me and haven't been to the theater in awhile, this is worth the trip. Tricia and I laughed the whole way home because Tricia joked that she might be in the CIA but she just doesn't know it. We think we are so funny, but anyone in the back seat would have thought we were idiots. We saw it at The Alamo Draft House. That place is prett amazing. I was sitting there wondering how they get the food out to all these people so quickly. They must have had a meeting about it. I had the Buffallo 66 sandwich (Tomatoes with Buffallo Mozarella with garlic and basil mayo) LOVED IT!

Good news! Tricia and I are getting married at Emmaus Catholic Church in Lakeway. We were a little stressed because Tricia is not Catholic and I am. You never know what is going to happen. But the Deacon that we met with was wonderful. This was important to me. I literally grew up in the Catholic Church. To be married in a Catholic Church was at the top of my list of importance. We have to attend some classes about marriage and are actually looking forward to it. I will keep you posted on more wedding details. Feel free to call me out if I talk about it on the air too much. Autumn tells me that women love to hear all the details. I need you guys to be my gauge.


Thats all I have right now. I have been going nonstop all day. I need a cocktail and some ESPN! Oh and I would make out with Matt Damon if I was given the chance! :)


Sandy

Hello, It Has Been Sometime

I have been a bit of a slacker lately when it comes to writing. I have decided I don't like the word Blog. Never have never will. From now on, I just call it writing. For those of you keeping score, Tricia and I are still engaged. We are both pretty excited about the whole thing, but are trying to keep cool. We both want to enjoy the process and in the end, throw a party with our family and friends. When I say friends, I mean friends. We really only want people there that we care about. I remember going to weddings because it was free beer. Pretty embarassing, but I did it and I don't want a bunch of guys like me at our wedding. I am sure that some people will get their feeling hurt that they weren't invited...tough shit. I don't have to defend my choices to anyone. None of us should. It is a new attitude I am taking...you don't like me or what I do...tough shit. I have spent my entire life trying to impress someone, be it a coach, a teacher, a boss, a friend or a chick, I am done with it. I am who I am and if you don't like it...tough shit. This is the one thing I like about Barry Bonds. He has never waivered about who he is. He is a butthole, but he doesn't care. I don't want to be a butthole, but if you think I am....tough shit.

Different Subject...........

I get so excited for my friends that are doing well with their lives. I mentioned it this morning, but in case you missed it...here you go again. I have an old friend from my days in Syracuse. It was my first chance to do a morning show. I had done every shift but the morning show for about 5 years so this was a big break. I moved to Syracuse, New York as the new morning man at Hit Country 108, WHEN. Man I was on top of the world. I won't bore you with all the details about bad management, bounced paychecks, dishonest owners and bad studios. What I will tell you is that I met a guy that I knew was going to be a star in radio. His name is Matt Vasgersian. He did the radio play by play for the Syracuse Chiefs. He is now a big star with Fox Sports, does the voice for PS3 MLB 2007, and is the TV Voice for the San Diego Padres. I am so excited for this guy. I love telling my friends about him. Pretty cool huh? I have other friends that are doing great too. I love knowing that there are kicking ass. My best buddy from College is a big wig with the US Anti Doping Agency. Yep, he knows who is on steroids in sports, but would never tell me. He is wicked smart. To think we once sprayed a hooker with a fire extinguisher. Ha! Another friend made a bazillion dollars back in the dot com days and has retired with his wife and kids in Northern California. I have other friends that call and ask for money. I don't feel sorry for them. I may continue this later, right now I am tired. If you didn't like this.......tough shit

Go Green, What The Heck

So I have been thinking about this for a while and I took some action today. I am going to do a couple of things to do my part for the environment, and it's not because of Al Gore's stupid concert or his movie or because Madoona says so or anyone else. I just figured, why not. It's not really that hard. The slogan, "think globally, act locally" is perfect, it makes so much sense. Look I am not going to any protest or buy a hybrid car, but if it is true that if you do one thing it can make a difference then I will do it. What have I done? Look at the picture above, that is my clothes line. I didn't snag it from the web, I actually took the picture (the line was put up by the previous neighbor) after hanging my clothes on it. I also bought some of those 7 year light bulbs. I feel like I have done something. I am not writing this to get you to do something, that is not my style. Sometimes a change in lifestyle feels good. I hear a change in lifestyle is really coming my way after I get married. I will believe it when I see it. Oh, for those of you that didn't know, Tricia and I got engaged a week and half ago. I mentioned to my friend Autumn, that every since the engagement, things seem to make sense, to be more calm and more together. I can't explain it, it just is.

I'm going on vacation next week. Guys trip to Mexico, celebrating a friends 40th birthday. I am sure to have plenty of stories. The guys I'm going with are incredibly funny. Funny in a different way. A very intelligent humor that sometimes gets lost on me. A reference about The Chairman Maoi can be very funny in a smart way. I can't explain it, it just is.

Good Neighbors/Better Friends

I will make this short and to the point. Be sure to be a good neighbor and a better friend. I have leaned heavily on my neighbors the last week. If I didn't have them I would have be screwed. My advice is, don't be a hermit, get out and meet your neighbors, chances are they are great people and there is a better chance that you will need them some day and they will need you. I used to laugh at Hillary Clintons message that, "It takes a village" now I see what she means and I don't have kids. It really does take a village in our little Village of Volente. I have neighbors that look out for me and I look out for them. We take care of each other and we have fun together. Be a part of the neighborhood.

Wine

Tricia and I are in the Napa Valley. This area is georgous, our hotel is tucked into the hills with a cool view of the valley. I have never seen so many people so excited about food and wine. Hey I love food and I love wine, but these people are passionate about it. I really don't know much about either. I know what I like and I know what I don't. We had an amazing meal Tuesday night, probably one of the best meals I have had in my life. I wish I could explain it like the waiter did, but I would botch it up. Anyway, I have to tell you about a place Tricia and I went to yesterday. It is called the Frank Family Vineyard. It is the only vineyard we went to and have no desire to go to any of the others. When you drive through Napa, St. Helena and Callistoga, you see these huge, fancy, opulant winereis. They are intimidating. I don't know that I could enjoy myself at one of these places. Just to fancy and stuffy for me. Fortunately, one of the valet guys recomended a vineyard that was a 5 minute drive from the hotel. It is call the Frank Family Vineyard http://www.frankfamilyvineyards.com/index.jsp And there is nothing fancy about this place. Tricia and I loved it. It is a small little place, that is said to make some of the best wines in the world. We bought a few bottles. What was amazing is how laid back everyone was, how welcoming and educational they were. Jerry was the guy that helped out our little group, he told us about the wines, where they come from, what to expect when you taste them, etc. Most of all he made us laugh. One of the other people in our small group told us that he and his wife stopped by the Opus Vineyard and said that it was incredibly stuffy. You are expected to have an appointment, it cost $25 to taste one small glass of thier wine, all in all he said it was a miserable experience. The Frank Family Vineyard reminds you of small old home. They do not charge you to taste and you don't need an appointment. We got lucky in that Rich Frank, the vineyards owner stopped by to say hi. He walked in after spending 7 hours with the city council. He was trying to get them to approve a new tasting room. It was the culmination of a 2 1/2 year struggle, he said they got 98% of what they wanted and he was happy. What he really wanted was a drink. 'Ol Jerry poured the boss a big glass. He then went around the room and introduced himself to everyone in the room. I noticed some gold record on the wall from Disney. I asked him what his connection to the record business was and he told me that he was the President of The Disney Studios for 10 years. We talked radio and many other things. What a wonderful man. I did a little homework when we got back to the hotel. Put it this way, if you have a Disney DVD at home it is because if this man. If you ever watched Cheers, it was in big part to this man, he also lauched the USA Network and many other things. You can read all about him in the family section of the link above. In the past I have cracked jokes on the air about guys who have where they work on one side of their shirt and what their name is on the other. I will never make that joke again. Rich had on one of those shirts. I think he is one of those rare guys that never let success change him. He seemed like a real roll up your sleaves kind of guy. He only has 35 employess at the vineyard. He introduced Tricia and I to the head winemaker and the companies CFO. He even gave us a bottle of Champage. I think the guys really liked Tricia. What's not to like, she is hot. If you ever take a trip to Napa, you have to go to The Frank Family Vineyard. It epitomy of the old saying, "You can't judge a book by its cover."

Tought To come up with a title

I am on vacation but I want to blog. Too me, writing isn't work, it is fun. I don't know if any of you really care what I write about, but I like doing it. Especially on vacation. If you are new to the show, there is something you need to know. I love vacation. I love seeing new places and doing new things. This vacation has been great for alot of reasons but one of them is GPS. For $8 a day I rented a GPS System and it is amazing. GPS stands for Global Positioning Satellite and it rocks. It is a tiny computer that gives you verbal step by step directions to where you want to go. This thing has eliminated so much stress it is amazing. We flew into San Jose, got a car and a GPS, punched in the hotel we wanted to go to and it tells us every turn right to the front door of the hotel. AMAZING!! We are currently in one of the coolest places I have ever been. If you want all night parties, beer bongs and loud music, this isn't the place for you. If you want to chill in the Napa Valley, this is the place. I REALLY splurged on this place, but it is worth it. I love credit cards! E-mial me and I will tell you the name. It is in Calistoga, it reminds me of The Crossings in Austin. Very Zen, very peaceful and the shower is outside. WOW.

Sandy

Hello From San Francisco

Tricia and I got here yesterday and we both love it so far. It reminds me of New York but with hills and less people and the weather is great. We found a cool neighborhood sushi bar that was awesome. Also a cool little breakfast joint. I walked out without my credit card, I went back an hour later and got it back. Off to do the Alcatraz tour, then some fresh seafood and cold beer. This will be my 4th or 5th tour of Alcatraz and it is always cool. I like doing at least one tour during the day and then poking around the rest of the day. Gotta run.

Sandy

Golf Tournament

This is the photo from our golf Tournament. From Left to Right is my dad, Al, my uncle Doug and my cousin Bob.

I am frustrated. I had a nice blog written and hit the wrong button and it disappeared. Too frustrated to start over so here are the bullet points

Had a blast with my Dad, Uncle and Cousin last weekend and at the golf Tournament. We raised over $100K for the JDRF. Very proud. Dad was impressed and that meant alot.

Tricia and I are going on vacation. We are going to San Francisco, The Napa Valley and Monterey. It will be good to get out of the heat. I love SF, my family used to take weekend trips there when I was a kid. I ate my first oyster there with my dad when I was 6 and still love them today (dad and the oysters)

I want to do a few things on vacation: Discover a great wine, read a book, forget what day it is, eat a great meal, relax. Is that too much to ask? I hope not.

My best friend, Brock Purslow married the love of his life, Paula last night. It was nice. Brock and I shared a very private moment minutes before the ceremony that I will remember for the rest of my life. I'm sorry I can't share that moment with you, there are some things that you want all to yourself......this is one.

Check out the new show on HBO, "John From Cincinatti" it's pretty cool. Not as cool as Entourage, which is the coolest show on TV, but pretty cool. Sundays at 8pm.

You Can Do Alot In An Hour

My goal for this post is to motivate you to get stuff done around your home by only working an hour at a time. I'm serious, you can get alot done in one hour. We all have things around the house that need to be done, but we always find a reason for not doing them. Pick a few things that need to be done, look at your watch and say to yourself, "for the next hour, I am going to get after it." Then work for one hour solid, you will be shocked how much you can get done in an hour. Trust me.

Sandy

SOLD

You may have noticed in a past blog that I was hoping to get an offer on my house in Dallas. Well, I finally did and I am thrilled. I am thrilled just to be getting rid of it. Overall, I am going to lose money on the whole deal, but I am glad that it will finally be off my plate. So I was thinking, "What have I learned from this entire experience?" It would be a shame for me to not share some of what I learned to any potential home buyer out there. So here are a few things things not to do when you are buying a home. If this is your first home, don't think that this is going to be your home for the rest of your life. Chances are your life is going to come to a fork in the road and you are going to take it. This is especially true for first time home buyers. Stop and think what your life might be in 10, 20, or even 30 years when you finally pay off that 30 year fixed interest note. It is going to change and you are going to want/need a different home. So when that happens, you are going to have to sell the house. Here are things you should avoid in a home that you know you will eventually sell.

By the way, my home in Dallas is a 2,500 SF Townhome in the Deep Ellum section of Dallas, and it is cool.

Don't buy a unique/cool/groovy/trendy home:Why? Because when you want to sell it, it is really hard to find someone that thinks your home is as unique/cool/groovy/trendy as you did when you bought it. Having something different also opens the floodgates of nit pickers. These are the people that don't see the home the same way you do. One of the funniest complaints I got about my house is that it is too bright, that too much sun comes in the house. What they didn't see on the other side of the glass were the most spectacular views of Downtown Dallas. Talk about looking through the glass from only one side.

Don't buy on a busy street:The street that my home is on is not a busy street, but the next one over is. In fact it's not a street, its a fricken Expressway, Central Expressway in Dallas, Texas, which means lots of traffic and noise. When I lived in the house, I go used to the sounds of traffic and I knew I would, try telling that to a potential buyer. I have friends that have lived next to railroad tracks and swear that after a while, they don't even hear the trains. Oh and the busy street is an instant turn off to anyone that has kids. Nobody with kids wants to live on a busy street.

Don't Have a Home Surrounded By Those That Don't:How do I put this kindly? Homeless people around your home make it very difficult to sell. There were a few homeless people around when I bought the home in 2001 and I just figured they were part of the neighborhood and were harmless. Turns out I was right, I never had a problem with any of them. Sadly, many of the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Rita took refuge under the bridge of the expressway that I mentioned earlier. People that were new to the area immediately thought the homeless would be a problem, luckily for me, the man that is buying my house is from the neighborhood. In fact, he is currently living right down the street and is cool with the way the neighborhood is.

Finally....Price Sells:If you price your home low enough, it is amazing how people don't see everything mentioned above.

Yell TV

Man I wish I would have been on the debate team when I was in high school and college. Not only would the debate skills come in handy in many day to day situations, but it would be easy to get a job on TV. I swear, turn your TV on at any given hour and tune into any one of the thousand news, sports or entertainment shows and all you see are two people yelling at each other about everything from the war in Irag to the best way to make spaghetti sauce....and we wonder why this country is so devided?? It seems we are making a living yelling at each other. Don;t get me wrong, I am all for a healthy discussion but my lord we don't need it 24 hours a day 7 days a week. My suggestion is to think for yourself, these idiots on TV (Bill O'Reiley, Rosie O'Donnel, Keith Oberman, Skip Bayliss) don't give a rats patoot about the issues, and probably don't know really know the issues, they just care about their paycheck, and yelling at people gets them big paychecks. I seem to always catch the first segement of "The View" after we get off the air and I had a laugh this morning. Rosie was talking about something to do with "These rich people" and them writing open letters instead of calling. When she said, "These rich people" I had to laugh, this women makes close to 10 million dollars a year. SHE IS ONE OF THE RICH PEOPLE! Hey I have no problem with people making a nice living, but if you are one recognize it, don't act like you are common folk when you aint. I may be a little sensative to this because right now I am flat ass broke. The good news is I have two people that are very interested in buying my house in Dallas. For the love of Christ, I hope they buy it. I have something I want to do, I can't do it until the house sells

Rollercoaster Week

Have you ever had one of those weeks? One of those weeks that is just an emotionally draining? Man I had one this week, at it has taken alot out of me. If you listened to the radio show this morning (Friday, May 11th) you noticed that JB was not on the air with us. JB's Granmother passed away Wednesday morning and he left this morning to attend her funeral on Thursday. That same morning my phone rang at 5:45 with bad news. A good friend of mine had been taken to the hospital by ambulance at around 11:45 the night before. He had lost of lot of blood and was in critical condition. I won't get in to all the details, but my buddy was sick, very very sick and he needed blood. Thank God there are people out there that give blood on a regular basis so there was blood available for him. I encouraged our listeners to give blood at some point in the next 7 days. I have yet to go and feel guilty for not being the first in line. But, I fully intend to give blood in the next few days. My friend is now out of ICU and in a normal room and may be discharged this weekend. Thanks to everyone who has given blood in the past and if you never have check out www.bloodandtissue.org While I was looking up that website I made an appointment on line to give blood on Monday, May 13th at 12:00 Noon. Very Easy. Ah, I feel better.

Have a great weekend.

Another Rib Off Victory

I now have three signatures on my chefs hat. I got each of them for someone that I defeated in a one on one Rib cook off. My latest victory came Saturday night over my best friend Brock Purslow. His ribs were good, mine were better. I would love to tell everyone how I do my ribs, but at this point in my career I can't give away my secrets. I am considering taking my show on the road. Hitting some of the smaller county fairs around this great state of ours. All along the way picking up Blue Ribbon after Blue Ribbon. I will sustain myself on a consistant diet of roasted corn, turkey legs and funnel cakes. Being a rib man is like being a drug dealer...never use your own stash. I may pull a few of my own teeth out so I look like I belong. People have asked my if I do brisket. I always say, "Did people ask Mozart if he could paint? Or, did anyone ask Neil Armstrong if he was a great diver?" The answer is no, I believe in staying with your strengths, and my strength is the rib. I am a rib guy. When people think of me I hope they think of ribs. This is the one thing I will pass on to my son (if I ever have one) All good dads should pass on one thing, mine will be the rib. For reasons I do not wish to discuss, I would not share my rib secrets with a daughter. I would share something else with her, but not ribs. Hopefully, she would have enough brains to marry a man that can make good ribs. Go ahead call me a sexist pig. I am one, we all are, I am just willing to admit it. Its a mans job to prepare the ribs for the family. The best part of doing the ribs, or anything else on the grill is that you get ALL the credit for the meal. Sure someone else may have prepared everything else for the meal, but it is the person that takes the meat off the grill/smoker that gets all the credit, as it should be.

Sandy

Easy Fish

Well, I really don't feel like finishing my thoughts on leadership right now, but I would love to tell you about a great, easy way to cook fish. If you are anything like me, you cruise by the butcher counter at HEB and see all the beautiful fish they have. I have caught myself just standing there looking at what used to be creatures of the sea and would soon be food in my stomoach. The biggest problem is, how the hell do you cook it. Alot of people love grilled fish, I am one of them, but it can be such a pain in the ass. It always stick to the grill and you never end up with a good looking piece, it always comes off the grill in chuncks and if your are the chef, that is embarassing. I have found something that has solved the problem. Cedar Plank. Chances are you have seen Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon at some fancy resturant. Well, there is nothing fanchy about it. A friend of mine gave me a pack of three cedar planks that she got at HEB. I have had them forever and to be honest, I have been a little intimidated by them. Finally, with the excitement of my catch from Port Aransas (see previous blog) I decided to give them a shot. It was so easy. THe planks are about 18" long and 10" wide, you soak them in water for 20 minutes, then set your fish on them and put it on the grill. You can use a gas grill (I never would) or real charcoal. Cover the fish for 20 minutes and you are done. Of course you will want to season the fish before cooking, I use Tony Chacheres Original Creole Seasoning, but you can also use, Maple Syrup and Brown sugar, Lemon Pepper, Salt and Pepper, Red Pepper or all of the above. Just go crazy, you can't mess this up. Enjoy!

Sandy

Success and Leadership

I started watching "The Apprectice" for the first time this season and I got totally into the show. However, I didn't find the contestants as "creative" as The Donald and family thought they were, but to me that is not what the show was about. The show was about leadership and lately that is all I have been able to think about...leadership. What does that mean and how do you know if you are being a leader? I ask myself constantly if I am a leader. Sometimes I say yes, other times I say no and sometimes I just don't know, it is tough to understand. I just did a search on Amazon.com using the word "Leadership" there were over 205,000 results returned. I guess everyone knows what leadership is but me. I do believe one thing about leadership, you are born with it, I don't think you can learn to be a leader, it is one of those things that you either have or you don't. Sure there are books you can read (as proof with the over 200,000 results after a search on Amazon.com) to become a better leader, but to become a great leader, my guess is you were born with it. A couple other takes I have about being a leader, these are purely my thoughts, I have never read a book on the subject. I take that back. I read the first chapter or Rudy Guilianni's book titled "Leadership" but it wasn't what I was looking for. Okay, now on with some of my thoughts on what it takes to be a great leader.

To be a great leader you have to know who you are leading. If you are going to make decisions for a group of people, you better have a pretty good idea how they are going to react. Good or bad. If you decision is going to cause your group to rebel, you should know that, otherwise you will be caught off guard and could quickly lose any control that you have.

You need to respect who you are leading. Respect is key in all relationships and although a leadership roll may be a relationship with one person or 10,000 you have to respect the group and believe in their abilities. If you don't respect them, how in the world will they be expected to respect you.

Easy segue here...

The people you are leading have to respect you. An entire book could be written on gaining respect and I am sure it has, but to me the old saying "Lead by example" is the golden rule. If you ask your people to wade a mile through 3 feet of soupy pig poop, you better be in the front of the line encouraging them to keep going. How can you possibly lead someone into something that you would never do or have never done.

To be a leader, you better believe what you are preaching and if you believe it you can sell it. I can always tell when someone is towing the company line, covering their ass, and being a "Yes Man" I can always tell because they try to sell it but do a miserable job of it because they don't believe it. When you really believe it, you don't have to sell it, it just comes out of you. When John Kennedy said, "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" it poured out of him, his body language told the world what he was saying. When Martin Luther King gave his beautiful, "I have a dream" speach, it poured out of him, that emotion can't be faked. When Bill Clinton said, "I did not have sexual relations with that women!" No one believed him becuase he didn't believe himself, he couldn't sell it because he didn't believe it.

I have more to say about this, including pissing people off, admitting your wrong and knowing when to fight and when to flee but my favorite TV show, "The Shield" is getting ready to start. I'll finish up later.

Doing Stuff You Have Always Wanted To Do

For years I have wanted to jump in my truck and drive to Port Aransas, Texas and fish for Red Fish. For some reason or another I never did it. I was too tired, I was too broke, or I was too hungover. The truth is, I was scared. It was something I had never done before. Scared that I would embarass myself. That is a safe assumption seeing as how I have never fished for anything more than what I might pull in when my bobber went under. I had never done any serious fishing is what I am trying to say. If you have ever seen the TV show, "The Deadliest Catch" that is uber-serious fishing, the serious fishing I am talking about is really trying to catch fish, not sitting around drinking beer hoping you catch something. Keep in mind, I know nothing about fishing for Red Fish...nothing. The good news is that there are people that know alot about fishing for Reds and they want to share their knowledge with you. These people are passionate about it and they love the fact that you are interested in their passion. Imagine how excited you would be if someone drove 4 1/2 hours and paid their hard earned cash to do and learn something that you absolutely love. How pumped up would you be to teach them and see them enjoy something as much as you do? My point here is if there is something that you really want to do, don't let having never done it before prevent you from doing it. The people that know how to do it will gladly show you and they want you to enjoy it.