Filling In For The Morning Show

Had a blast with Porkchop filling in this past week for Max and Shannon. They'll be back on Tuesday.

Here are some things we learned and/or did:

• Gave away tickets to Chase Rice
• Gave away thousands of dollars with the Song Of The Day
• Chop saw a meteor on his way into work, which was likely Buzz's fault.
• showcased local community organizations and nonprofits during our #HumbleAndKindWeek
• Bought breakfast for ten cars in the Starbucks Drive Thry and hopefully inspired others to Pay It Forward.

One more day of mornings on Monday, then back to afternoons on Tuesday. Thanks for listening!

YOU could win your VERY OWN F-16 Fighting Falcon - if these numbers win the Powerball jackpot!

How would you like your very own F-16?

If THESE NUMBERS:

are drawn as the Powerball numbers tonight, and it's the only winner (doesn't have to share the jackpot) I'll give away an F-16 on the radio on Monday afternoon!

Good luck to all of us... the drawing is in less than an hour!

Charity Corn Maze: We're Number TWO!

If you've followed our saga over the past few years, you know that Kricket and I are not exactly experts at navigating a corn maze. Every year to-date we've raced in the Apple Annie's celebrity corn maze race, we've come in last. Dead last. In fact, one year we actually set a record for the longest time IN the corn maze. Well, this year...

we came in SECOND! Erin Jordan from KOLD-13 still won, but we came in SECOND! We have a top-secret system that worked, and for next year, our plan is to run faster, while still sticking with our system.

Woohoo! We're number two! We're number two!

Thanks again to Apple Annie's in Willcox for the hospitality. Each of the teams that participated gets $100 for their favorite charity, and Erin's charity will get $1,000.

Mark Your Calendar For December 5th!

I'll be helping to light the Town Of Marana Christmas tree! it sounds corny, but this is something I've wanted to do forever!

Watch this page for more info!

New Year's Resolutions

In case you missed it, here are my New Year's Resolutions:

1) Like facebook status' that don't have any likes

Lots of people post content and nobody ever "likes" it. This may cause someone to feel like their post is not important to others. I will make an effort to find these posts and "like" them.

2) Never write LOL unless I have actually LOL'd

If you type "LOL" and you haven't actually LOL'd, your credibility is in question. Just say "NO" to "LOL."

3) Take an "airplane mode" day from time to time, where I turn off all the electronics

I think I'll get more done, and experience more human interaction if I don't have access to the internet. If I don't respond to your email or return your phone call, I'm probably having an "airplane mode" day.

4) Pick a community event every month to personally highlight and promote on the air. January's is Girl Scout cookies. Stay tuned to KiiM FM for the info about where you can buy your Thin Mints later this month.

Happy New year!

Beads Of Courage update

If you remember from this post, I carried Beads of Courage with me to the CMA Awards. I've finally finished filling out the story cards that come with the beads, and tomorrow I'll return them to the Beads Of Courage folks. From there, they'll go to kids actively receiving treatment for a serious illness, as symbols of accomplishments and to inspire them. It has been a pleasure carrying these beads and helping the Beads Of Courage folks give hope to sick children.

Beads Of Courage

These beads are from Beads of Courage, and I'll be taking them to the CMA Awards and all the other events I attend this week in Nashville. The beads will be returned carrying the stories of my adventure and then be given to children actively receiving treatment for a serious illness, as symbols of accomplishments and to inspire them. Beads of Courage have been in space, have walked coast-to-coast, and are now going to the CMA Awards. You can see more about the program here.

Charity Corn Maze 2014: Same story, different year

This time it took us an hour and 15 minutes to find our way out of the corn maze (last year was an hour and nine minutes). Congrats to KOLD News 13's Erin Jordan who took home first place again. We weren't last, exactly. KGUN-9's Alan Kath decided midday through the race to give up and come out the entrance.

Thanks again to Apple Annie's in Willcox for the hospitality. Each of the teams that participated gets $100 for their favorite charity, and Erin's charity will get $1,000.

Ice Bucket Challenge

Chris Matthews of KMLE in Phoenix challenged me to do the Ice Bucket Challenge.  I was planning on doing something different involving sports figures or the mayor, but then this happened when I returned from walking Wrangler The Dog.



It didn't go how I was expecting, but I believe it fulfills the obligation. I'm not going to call anyone out, because the only person left on Earth who hasn't been called out yet is 84-year-old Mrs. Henrietta Wiggins of South Toledo, Ohio. But if you believe strongly, either dunk yourself in ice water, or donate to ALS.

New Video Posted: Buzz crosses the finish line at Race For The Cure

The Chocolate Chase

Today I participated in an event called The Chocolate Chase in Las Vegas. Its a bike ride where you go from place to place and they give you chocolate at each checkpoint. 

Here was the route for the 30-mile event:

There was also a 15 mile event, a 50-mile event, and a 70-mile event. The fun thing is, you don't know the route until the night before. So it's kind of a surprise where you'll be going.

Along the way we made stops at Mustang Sally's Cafe, the Ethel M Chocolate Factory, Sweet Addiction Cookies And Ice Cream, Sweet Ruby Jane Confections, Layer's Bakery, Popcorn Girl, and Thrify Ice Cream, all in Henderson, NV. At each place we got a tasty treat. I think I'll have to lay off the chocolate for a few days. The whole thing benefitted a great charity: Fibrous Displasia. 

Met some nice people and had a fun time. Already thinking about coming in 2015.

Nearing the finish line at El Tour De Tucson

Nearing the finish line at El Tour De Tucson.. I finished in the top-300, with  just under three hours to ride 38 miles.

Happy 6th Dog-iversary, Wrangler!

It was six years ago we adopted Wrangler The Dog. Since then, he and I have probably walked hundreds of miles - maybe thousands. He's always in a good mood and has that goofy dog-smile on his face.

Finished the 38-mile El Tour in just about three hours....

13 days until the El Tour De Tucson

In the past seven days, I rode about 60 miles... but not all at once. For the El Tour,  I'm gonna have to be ready for 42 miles in three hours. Luckily I am taking tomorrow off so will schedule some more bike time in the morning. And a holiday means less traffic which means more safety.

See you on the road!

18-mile bike ride this morning...

via Instagram http://instagram.com/p/gQwWi9JtG6/

El Tour countdown: 20 days

A week ago I signed up for the El Tour De Tucson, a bicycling event that ranges from 42 to 111 miles, depending on the route you choose. I'm going to do the 42-mile version.

I also bought a new bike, to replace by 20+ year-old Schwinn. The bike I bought is a Trek 7.4.

I think I'm ready!

We set a world record for longest time in a corn maze - one hour nine minutes 50 seconds. Congrats to KOLD's Erin Jordan who beat us by more than 45 minutes!

Things I've Never Done

I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority on some of these things. These are things I've never done.

1) Been drunk. I've had the occasional New Year's Eve or wedding toast. I had a beer once - peer pressure. Didn't care for the taste. My dad was an alcoholic and I vowed early on that I would not repeat the cycle. Kids of alcoholics are four times more likely to become alcoholics, and I didn't want my family to go through what I did.

2) Taken illegal drugs. No pot, no nothing. Didn't grow up exposed to it, never found anything about it interesting.

3) Never smoked cigarettes. My grandmother was a chain smoker and that totally turned me off.

Maybe these things make me a boring person. So be it.

Here are some things I am guilty of:

1) riding in the carpool lane by myself. This happened in Dade Country, Florida, in 1988 or 1989 (back when it was still called Dade County). Oops.

2) Speeding. Although not in a few years. I find that, driving my Prius, I get better gas mileage by driving more reservedly.

3) Gambling. But pretty much only on the "Reel Money" slot machine.

I may have been onto something all those years ago...

Back when I worked on the radio in Jacksonville, from time to time we would do "drive home a different way day" where listeners were encouraged to try a different route - to see something new or different than they do every other day. Turns out that has the added side effect of letting you be more creative, according to this article from productivity blog Likehack.