DadJack.com Blog

I took the mystery sheep to the office today… Which got the guys in there speculating on where it could have came from.  This is like a Scooby Doo mystery…. without meddling kids, a cool van or a ruthless landowner disguised as a ghost.  We my never know where it came from?

Craig Shoemaker is going to be in studio with us tonight, it’s cool he was willing to come to Sun-Land.

I’ve been putting off cleaning the tub, I like vacuuming but not the Soft Scrub.  I need to find someone who loves to scrub as much as I love to suck… Wait, that doesn’t sound right.

The Pierce College Pumpkin Patch opens this weekend, the kids are more than a little excited.  Lucy took me that she “wished everyday was Halloween”. (Which instantly reminded me of Ministry “Everyday is Halloween”)  Bing is still torn between Strawberry and Dragon, but Lucy is dead set on Shark.

Double gross. Now starring in Easy Swine Flu.  And Stretch thought he killed a bunch of rats.  Sun sets on Saturn.   It only took 40 years to catch him.   Fire near Santa Barbara.  It wasn’t even our fault! What’s the resale value of butt cream and diapers?

Rock On, Jack

I spoke about it at length on the CRN show last night, but for those of you who can’t tune in from 8-10p, let me re-cap.  On Saturday morning the kids and I opened the door to leave for the Soapbox Derby and found a bag containing a stuffed sheep sitting in front of my door, no note or card attached.  Now I don’t know anyone in my building and my family are the only ones who have been over to visit (And they didn’t leave it), so I was a little weirded out.  We left it out by the door all day while we were out, thinking that someone left it there by accident and would come to retrieve it, but it was still there when we returned.  I should mention that I got home from the CRN Friday night at 10:30p and it was not there, and that no one knocked or rang the bell in the 12 hours that passed before I again opened the door.  It’s sad, but your mind always goes to worst case scenario…  If it was just me living there I wouldn’t think anything of it, but my kids are there too and this was a mystery gift directed at them, which is unsettling to me.  I took pics of the evidence, take a look and give me your best C.S.I. assessment.

The novelty of Leno at 10p has already worn off for me, I find myself watching anything else.  I want to check out Community and Modern Family, I have to get my TiVo back up and running.  Has there been any new Fall shows that you’ve liked?

I spoke with Bing on the phone this morning, it is amazing what a little man he is… It has happened, I’ve lost another baby – He already tells me “I’m a big boy!”, He also tells me “I’m bowling girl!” So I haven’t totally lost him!

I have been bummed about job prospects lately, September 22nd was my one year anniversary of being fired from the country station in San Diego…  And there haven’t been any really promising leads since.  Although, I have high hopes for the CRN show, it really seems to be growing.  Monster likes to send me job leads that I am not even remotely qualified to get, just to remind me how totally useless I am… That’s Monster, at least Career Builder leaves me alone!

In other news, my apartment building continues to blow, A homeless guy tried to attack me yesterday and my laptop refuses to burn CD’s… Sorry, I’m in a mood today.

How much more evidence do they need against her?  Really, floor mats!  Tsunami!!!  Lucy in the dirt with worms.  Talk about interactive exhibits.  Tomas should have been a judge.  Big rock!

Rock On, Jack

The bag containing the sheep

The sheep

A re-enactment of how the bag was placed in front of my door.

I know there are many of us out there, we were “deforced”, it wasn’t our choice to end our marriages.  The other person made the decisions and now we have to figure out how to deal with it.  It is such a hard process to through when your mentally prepared, let alone when you are caught off guard.   I think I’ve been doing pretty good lately, but there are things I think about.

Last Thursday was Lucy’s parents night at school, I went… I really want to be involved with the kids education.  My Ex ad her fiance went too, I was not surprised, but what I was amazed by the lack of shame.  I have noticed this as a growing trend, people can totally disregard what they have done to other people and be totally absorbed in them.  There is almost a universal train of thought that all that matters is “me” in the immediate.  You see it when you drive, walk through a store, wait in line… People no longer feel bad for treating others poorly, in fact they almost see it as their right to do whatever benefits them without care for results on others….  It makes me sad.

I apologize that this blog is all over the place, but my lack of Wi-Fi has resulted in a pile-up of things I’ve wanted to talk about.

The Manertainment funeral (Friday night on the CRN ) was a lot of fun.  A bunch of Pod-People showed up, there was food and drink and Ed and Lisa provided a “dancer.”  It was weird for me, I guess I never realized how much the site meant to Stench.  I kind of always just thought of it as another porn site with Stench’s gossip report on the front (Which is always great).  But he really felt that it was his place to be “him,”  where he could express his views, likes and dislikes, in just the way he really wanted, without care for the audience it reached.  It has broken his heart to have to end it, I feel so bad for him.  Not to make everything about me (I don’t want to turn into one of those people I don’t like, who has to relate every story to themselves), but I guess I have been lucky, I have always just been the real me… On the radio, on the blog, in person, so I haven’t had to feel repressed like Stench has.  I’m sure he will find a new outlet for his “Stenchness” soon!

Saturday the kids and I went to the Red Bull Soapbox Derby , It was a really cool event.  They took over Grand and 5TH downtown and had a bunch of homemade soapbox cars race down.  And Erik Estrada ( That’s right, Ponch!) was one of the judges.  We arrived a hour and half early, so we got to stand right on the rail at the first jump (there are jumps and turns), Lucy thought it was so cool.  There were over a 100 thousand people there (and it felt like most of them were standing right behind us), so we ducked out after about 8 cars (there were 40 entered).  We headed to California Pizza Kitchen to relax and eat, it was right next to the course.  They were so slammed, the service sucked, it took 45 minutes for the kids to get their food and another 30 to get Lucy a side of Alfredo… My food never came.  So to recap, Soapbox good, CPK bad.

Sunday was going to be all about the pool, but like I’ve been telling you, my building sucks!  The pool was too cold for the kids… and the hot tub was colder!  So we went and played a little tennis and then headed to Burbank to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.  We saw it in IMAX 3D which was fun.  The kids loved it… And I’m not going to lie, I liked it too!  It had a good story, was funny and had enough action to keep even Bing  interested.  I’m really looking forward to Where The Wild Things Are , which comes out in a couple weeks.  I really enjoy Spike Jonze.  But don’t have high hopes for the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland…  I love Johnny Depp, but I think maybe Burton could go with someone else, his Mad Hatter reminds me of his Willy Wonka. ( At least from the trailer).

Again, I side bar, but there have been two women sitting next to me at Panera (All the outside tables were taken, so I had to sit inside) and all they have done is complain!  They’re driving me crazy, I wish another table would open!

Lucy has really been into her art… It makes me so happy, she draws, cuts, pastes, paints and does all kinds of creative stuff. (the annoying women left! Sorry, I sidebar again) I’ll have to scan some of her work and post it.  Bing, on the other hand, is obsessed with bowling…. Do they have bowling classes for 3 year olds?  If so I need to get him enrolled, I may have the future Tiger Woods of bowling on my hands.  Just imagine, he could have his own “Bowling Girl” product line some day!

Don’t forget about Caylee.  Tell your kids to wash their hands!  Ride ‘em Cow-Cop.  I’ll take the cash, beer and a feel.  You need this anymore.  10 gallons and he’s yours.  The right way to see a movie. Another church molester.   Watch out for the brown widow!  And even harder to be married too.

Rock On, Jack

I think this is the one that won!

Go, Hot Sauce, Go!

Incoming Skydivers

People everywhere!

Every wall was a chair

Bing Jean King

Team Lucy/Bing v. Daddy

My little angel

Being Wi-Fi-less has cut into my blogging time!  I’ll post at some point on Monday and talk about the Manertainment Funeral (Which was crazy!), The Red Bull Soap Box Derby (Which was crowded!) and whatever else comes to mind!  Have a great remainder of the weekend.

Rock On, Jack

I was reading an interview with Bill Clinton in Esquire magazine, And something he said really struck me.  In response to question about the state of mind of the American people in the 90′s he said: ” …I think what breaks people is not adversity; what breaks people is thinking that tomorrow is going to be just like yesterday.  That’s what’s numbing – if you think you can’t change, you can’t be better.”

Do you feel tomorrow… The next day… Next year will be better?  I hope it is, but I am not one of those people that can fool myself into believing something.  I have never known in my lifetime a time so crappy for so many people…  It cuts across every occupation, education level and skill.  You look at how things have changed and it is very difficult to see things going back to the time when we thought we could move up in our jobs… Heck, just not worry about keeping them (for those of you who have jobs).

I’m not trying to be a downer, or spread doom and gloom… I just feel that “hope” that America seemed to have during the election fading… And we all knew it would, reality would have to set in at sometime.

I have been told so many times that you have to keep hope alive, have faith.  And I have tried it… I had hope in my 20′s, faith in my photography skills… But the industry was destroyed by digital photography, no amount of hope could have changed that.  I put the same effort into radio with very similar results in my 30′s. And let’s not forget marriage… Another hopeless endeavor that failed and was beyond my hope and control.

I think we need a sign, some sort of indication that things will be better.  We will have jobs that are secure and pay decently, the world will stop collapsing around us and actually start to re-build, that the worry and suffering of so many will be minimized (I know it is impossible to get rid of).  And it doesn’t need to be complicated… Seeing my friends get back to work, have houses, health insurance, a little extra money, would be the perfect sign.

Anyway, enough of that.  Lucy was feeling better and went back to school today… Which always makes me feel better.  I went for a long walk today, from my house to the Burbank Mall… I like to wonder through the old ‘hood.  BBQ’d some turkey burgers and veggies for lunch… Just trying to take advantage of this summer like weather, it’ll be gone before we know it.  Do you know what you’re going to be for Halloween?  Bing (a.k.a. Bowling Girl) wants to be a dragon or a strawberry and Lucy wants to be a shark or Lisa Simpson… And I’ll be a huge, gay Teletubby!  Still camped out at Panera, my apartment building seriously sucks… If you want to live in the NoHo area I suggest you live anywhere else!

Last night on the CRN show we learned that Tomas lives with his Ex and her new boyfriend (who we named Ted)… I thought my life was messed up!  We’re trying to make things better for him… On tomorrows Pod we try and find him a mate, We’re good friends!

Crime and Grime fighters.  I’m not a fan of the guy, but no parent should have to go through this.  Congrats Tommy.  Priest’s love strippers. Hey, we’re number 63!  Dog fighting and daycare don’t mix.  Guess what the “C” in KFC stands for?  Some things are better left to professionals!  Having trouble counting?  Balls kill!

Rock On, Jack

Sunset From My Table at Panera

They’ve been hyping up the return of the Santa Ana winds for about a week… I was just outside, no wind?  I am still Wi-Fi less is my extremely poorly managed apartment building…  It is so frustrating, it reminds me so much of when Clear Channel took STAR 98.7 over, everything has gone way down hill.  I haven’t got a Lucy update yet today, but when I spoke to her last night she sounded better…  I didn’t get a chance to talk to “Bowling Girl”, but he as of this point is not sick.

Thanks to the failures of my building I have been spending more time at Panera… I highly recommend it, they have free (Wi-Fi… Unlike Starbucks!), so you can have some Tea and Pastries instead!

I really feel like the CRN show may start to take off soon… Thank you guys so much for tuning in, listening to the replays (m-f 6-8a on CRN6), downloading the archives (when they remember to put them up!) and listening online. You Rule!

Abra-ca-burn-ya.  Poles and pricks. Ladies, it’s OK to pump iron! Tan teens.  I guess this is one way to lose weight.  That’s a lot of DVDs!  Go ahead, hug a tree.  Terror bulletin! Someone cares enough to stalk Jewel!?!?!  Gross!  Custody case takes 3 years… over their dog!

Rock On, Jack

Kids checking out a live lobster

Bing and I on the ferris wheel

Lobster Fest from above

Another view

Slide time

Bing rides with Grandma

Weeeeeeeeeeee!

The urchin took 3rd in the big dog category

The kids handing out the ribbons to the winners!

Lucy!

Lion Fish - The overall winner of the contest

Lobster dinner plate pug

Mermaid

Urchin Dog

Samson, winner of first place in the big dog category... He was a shrimp

My little judge

Bing, Baby and Grandma getting ready for The Dog Costume Contest

About to attack Tomas

Our live lobster friend

Stretch and Tomas The Love Boss

Check out our Facebook page for some more pics.

To a new week.  As I mentioned the Lobster Fest was great, but things have gone a little down hill since then.  I guess Lucy is sick, I received a text this morning saying that she was achy, sore and had a 100 degree fever… Always makes you worry, but even more with all this swine flu stuff going around.  The Wi-Fi is still down in my apartment building, not to mention the hot tub is broken and only half full (which seems really dangerous to me, but they didn’t seem to care when I brought that up at the front office!?!?) and there are a bunch of other small problems… They just sold the building to a new company last week and the transition has been less than smooth!  And then there is the constant stress of not being able to find a job… Which has Stretch a little on edge too.  Anyway, enough of my complaining!

Did you watch the Emmy’s?  I watched about a hour, but tired of them and ended up re-watching Donnie Darko (Great movie!) I don’t know if it’s that I’m just not that into TV anymore, or if the show was just too slow paced and gimmicky (come on, visible control room with real “chatter” during the opening transitions and the multiple images on the screen at once… OK, you fooled me, the Emmy’s really are cool.)  In their attempt to be hip I think they have lost focus of the spirit of the awards… But I could be wrong, let me know what you think?

I went for a walk this morning, and I’ve been noticing it for the last month of so, but the city is dirty.  All the dust and dirt of summer has settled on the streets and sidewalks, months of sun baking it in.  We need a cleansing, for the skies to open and wash the city clean again.  There is a feeling in L.A. after a good rain storm, the sky extra blue, the streets rinsed… And the freeways cluttered with fender-benders.

You go naked grandpa!  Well it is football season.  Hoff in the hoffspital! Don’t take her back!  $400K stole from Bill.  Is this your kid?  A good day at the park for this kid.  Coyote ugly.  You are not a stuntman!  Double agent bad guy.

Rock On, Jack

Sorry I have been slow to post this weekend, The Wi-Fi in my building has been out… I’ve felt like a caveman not being able to spend hours on the web looking up useless information!

The Lobster Fest was great!  We had a cool surprise, we were asked to judge the dog costume contest… Which was wonderful because our kids got to help and I know that made Lucy’s weekend.  I ran into an old friend there who has a couple cool sites, Live Green New Orleans and Repurposingnola , if you get a chance check ‘em out.   It was the most crowded I have ever seen a Lobster Fest (and this was my 5th), I know we’re not totally to thank, but we’ll take some of the credit.

I was driving to the fest on Friday night around 5p, not the best time to be crossing Los Angeles via freeway, and I hit the 101/110 South transition… If you’re familiar with the area you know you have to get across three or four busy lanes once you make the transition to actually be on the 110.  Traffic was thick, but I made it across like a pro… no signal (because in L.A. if someone see that you want to get over they will speed up and not let you in), darting into each lane as soon as there was an opening.  I was in the fast lane, now sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, staring at the downtown skyscrapers and freeway side “urban living” when I started to think how when I started driving that would have been terrifying, how I would have had hands at ten and two, beads of sweat on my brow and that panicked adrenaline rush going… and what a thrill it was to have something new, something scary, something unknown in my life.

I remember my first time on-stage at a big event, it was the grand opening of The Staples Center, I know way to start big!  I was so scared and nervous, being on stage in the middle of Los Angeles in front of thousands of people… I was an incredible rush.  But now, speaking to 2 people or 20 thousand is all about the same… I don’t want to sound jaded, I still love being on stage, or on the radio… I just wish I could get the same rush.

There is a feeling you get with a first that you just can’t reproduce… It just kind of bums me out that as we get older our firsts are further and farther between.  When just merging onto a busy freeway was a thrill.

I’ll post some pics and blog at you tomorrow, Have a great night.

Rock On, Jack