The Big Day

As Telly Savalas once said...

WHO LOVES YA, BABY!

Well, here it is. I made a bet about 13 years ago, that the Indianapolis Colts would NEVER win a Superbowl...in fact, if they did, I'd shave my head the next day. Well, thanks to the 2006-2007 Indianapolis Colts...today was that day!

I had discussed this "bet" on my radio show, since the Colts made it to the Big Game a couple of weeks ago, and it opened up a storm of phone calls and jokes from my fellow deejays. We talked about it openly on the air, as game day grew closer, and eventually, we started a buzz all over our listening audiance. Well, as you know, the Colts DID in fact, win Superbowl XLI - and as a man of my word - I agreed to shave my head, LIVE on broadcast radio. Well, that's not exactly true, I agreed to...get this...let the afternoon dj do it for me!

So, my hair (once a source of pride and protectiveness) would get shaved off, for the second time in my life.

The following is a quick glimpse into the events that followed.

4:30 p.m. - I enter the studio, and prepare for my date with destiny.

5:00 p.m. - The afternoon dj announces it's time to "collect" on the long-overdue bet. Crowds gather at every window and door to the studio.

5:10 p.m. - The sound of clippers, followed by hair falling in front of my face. There's no turning back now.

5:20 p.m. - We pause for a music break. The afternoon dj is proud of his "Mr. T" masterpiece. Me, not so much! Of course, we're all joking and laughing , because the first rule is, HAVE FUN!The News team is on hand to make a story out of the hilarity.

5:30 p.m. - Back to cutting. Audience members call in to get their jabs in (mostly Colts fans, and band wagon jumpers, but some regular listeners chime in just to get their 2 cents heard). I look at a tuft of hair, thinking, "is my integrity worth all this?" YES!

5:40 p.m. - Another pause for station identification. Away goes the mohawk, and all that's left is the little tuft of bangs. I threaten to choke the next person who calls me "baldy." Two coworkers test me on that.

5:45 p.m. - Some guests of the show want to get involved. The more the merrier! One Korean girl cut the little curly lock in the front, then screamed and ran away after it disappeared into the pool on the floor. After that, a fellow AFN-er finishes off the leftovers.

5:50 p.m. - We're almost done. It feels a little cooler, so I ask to see what I look like. "What have you done?!?!?!?" HA HA!

5:55 p.m. - The last stroke of the razor complete, and I emerge, changed, yet somehow still smiling...the things I do for ratings. I don't think I 'll keep the look for too long, though.

6:00 p.m. - Here's the new me. Let no one say, I'm not a man of my word...even if that word was a lifetime ago.

WHO LOVES YA, BABY!!

83 Days To Go...I hope it grows back!

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I have my orders. I'm headed to Germany! Thank you all

for your prayers in helping get Vanessa and I together again.

ULI

No Headline

So it's been a week, or so, and nothing is really going on here.

I'm doing my job, and training my Airman on how to work in radio (he's been a broadcaster for seven years, and has only done radio a few times).

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My D&D group just finished up the campaign we've been running since October, and we're on to a new session next weekend. The guy in charge has asked me to join his other group that meets on Sundays, and if I agree, that would mean I play both days of my weekend...on the one hand it's lots of fun to play, and something I really enjoy, but on the other, it takes up a lot of time that I could use to sleep in, or anything else (not like I do much anyway). So, I don't know if I'm going to or not.

- - - -

Financial Peace University is teaching me some great ways to get out of debt, and stay there...but old habits die hard, and occassionally I have to use a credit card...but I'm getting better at planning for expenses, and rat-holing money for end of the pay-period costs. I'm a great motivator for my partner (also my boss) in the class, and she's paid off over 5,000 dollars in debt in a month alone (if I made that kind of money, I could, too).

According to the class, I'm supposed to do the following things IN ORDER:

1. Put $1,000 in a savings account

2. Pay off all debts/creditors

3. Save up 2-3 months expenses in a seperate acount.

Now, I've gotten so far into debt, that if I take time out of paying my monthly bills the way I am, I will not be out of debt by July. But, if I don't want to be a hypocrite, I need to do the steps.
I'm at the point now, where I'm wondering if I have anything that I can sell (that's not too sentimental - who am I kidding?!?) to help pay off my debts. It would be SO easy to just ask for donations, but then it wouldn't be ME paying off MY debt. I guess it' supposed to hurt, to teach me the lesson.

Here's a question and a comment for my Mom, since she's still in charge of my finances...
Do I still have a civilian life insurance policy, and if so, can that be cashed in to help with debt? If not, that's okay, but if so find out how much that will bring in.
Valentine's Day and Vanessa's Birthday are coming up...be prepared to be frustrated with me.

And one for Vanessa...
Don't tell me not to get you a present, you know it's my language.

:)

- - - -

I announced on the radio today, that if people have stuck to their New Year's resolutions, they have almost beat their habit (afterall, rehab is only 28 days). So, how is everyone doing on theirs. Mine has goten harder to do, not easier, with life's little situations. I don't really want to smoke at work anymore, that habit is done...but once in a while, a conversation, or a personal struggle will creep in, and I would really...REALLY...like a cigarette. BUT, as long as Dad is off the habit, so too shall I be (hopefully...there was a night that I almost folded, and thank God the convenient store was closed, or I would have failed). There's now a rumor going around work that I really haven't quit, and I found myself thinking, "What kind of lives do these people have, that they feel the need to figure out whether or not I'm sticking to my NYR?" If my resolution was to write a novel, would they whisper, "You know, I heard that he's not really typing?!?" I guess it's nice to be thought of so hghly that people feel the need to knock me off the pedistal they put me on. MEH!

So far, not smoking has saved me $4.00 every other day...and ast the date of this posting, that's a total of 14.5 days. Doing the math, I've saved around $58.00. Another reason to keep motivated...see above rant.

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I'm at 90 days to go...and counting!



ULI