I pull into the parking lot and try to find an open space. As I look around at the cars, trucks and SUV’s already parked, I think of all the families those vehicles represent. I think about whether or not those cars have been parked in that garage for hours, days, weeks or maybe months.

I wonder if the people who drove here in those vehicles woke up knowing they were coming here. Was it a scheduled visit? Maybe they had a surgical procedure already booked? Maybe they’re here for testing, or a tonsillectomy or perhaps chemotherapy? Or did they find themselves driving here because of an accident, a fall or some other unexpected reason? Then, my mind wanders to the vacant parking spaces and I think about what they represent. Another child, another family, another story will arrive soon and their vehicle will fill that open parking spot. And they have no idea.

Those are the thoughts I have every time I arrive at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to settle in for the 3-day, 60-hour radio-thon we call ‘The Miracle Marathon’ on 96.5 WKLH. We started the Marathon in 1998 and every year we have countless meetings and brainstorming sessions on ways to make the Miracle Marathon better and more efficient. But no amount of planning can predict who we will be interviewing and which family will find their car parked in the Children’s Hospital garage.

It could be new parents who are dealing with a baby born with a genetic disorder. Maybe a Mom who inexplicably finds her toddler unresponsive in the family home? Or perhaps parents who drive here while Flight for Life transports their son or daughter?

There are no classes to teach parents how to respond to situations they had no idea they’d be facing. How can you explain what it’s like to see your child, your sweet, innocent child, face a life or death situation? It happened to us. After 2 very healthy baby boys, we had our daughter. Almost immediately they told us she was very sick and needed help. As I drove from Waukesha to Wauwatosa following the ambulance, leaving my wife at the hospital where she had just given birth, my thoughts raced. I was met by the most skilled, caring, professional health care workers in the world. Yep, it was my car that was in the empty parking space. And it was there for 8 full days. Our daughter is a healthy young woman now, but I don’t have to tell you how scared we were during those first 8 days of her life.

At 5 a.m. on Wednesday, May 26^th, we’ll start another 3-day, 60-hour Miracle Marathon on ‘KLH. We always say that Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin is a great insurance policy should your Children, Grandchildren, nieces or nephews ever need it. Maybe what we should be saying is, “Please give, because you never know when you’ll be looking for that open parking space.”

Get  details on how to set-up a firstgiving.com/childrens donation page now!

Sunday afternoon and after a rainy morning the sun starts shining. I’m working in the garage and my wife comes out and says she’s going to run some errands. Which reminds me that I need to run to the store and stock up on Diet Snapple and 5 hour energy drinks (cut me some slack, I get up at 3 a.m.). So I jump in the car with her and ride shotgun. It’s a beautiful day and with the windows rolled down and the radio cranked we’re on our way.

On the way to the store she stops for gas. Being the chivalrous guy I am, I jump out and pump the gas. So, I go in to pay and when I come out to the car there he stands. A 28ish dude standing on the driver’s side talking to my wife. He’s leaning on the car, smiling, and talking to my wife. He looks up at me and says, “I was just telling her what a nice car she has”. Yeah, sure he was. I shot him my death glare and jumped in and off we went.

Thanks to Demi Moore, Courtney Cox and Eva Longoria’s character on TV, “Cougar Chasing” has apparently become a sort of hobby for the young & horny. Don’t get me wrong. Old guys’ chasing young women has been happening since the Palaeozoic Era. Okay, maybe not that long but you catch my drift. And, while 20-somethings looking for older women has always been around, this cougar thing of the last few years has really kicked it up a few notches. I’ve noticed this at work, at appearances and, now, at my local Mobil station.

Look, I’m proud of my wife and I have always said that older women are far sexier. They have a self confidence and style that many young girls haven’t quite captured. But honestly, I am 50+ now and I just don’t need this. In the last few years I’ve had to add fiber to my diet, nose hair clippers to my bathroom drawer and a prostate exam to my to-do list.

Does anybody know where I can get some of that Just for Men?

I was sitting in a restaurant with my wife recently and a family with a toddler sat next to us. The little guy must’ve gotten a new toy and when his Mom put it away (so he could focus on eating) he screamed bloody murder. He wanted it RIGHT NOW! She held firm and he quickly forgot and focused on his chicken fingers.

Don’t worry he’s still young and inexperienced. As he grows into an adult, he will no doubt hone his skills and his sense of entitlement will be sharper than ever. He won’t quit whining until he gets what he wants. He’ll complain that life just isn’t fair and he’s being treated improperly. And he won’t be alone.

Have you noticed lately that this sense of entitlement thing is out of control?  You don’t have to look very hard to find examples. Athletes are great at it. Tiger Woods has it, Big Ben allegedly has it, and Antonio Cromartie is the latest ‘7 kids to 6 women in 5 states’ athlete to have it.

Want an example of entitlement in the workplace? How about those people who believe that the sick days allotted to them by their employer are actually vacation days to be used whenever they please? Want more?

Recently, during a Judge Gino segment on ‘KLH, a guy wrote in to tell us the story of his 20-something son who has no intention of paying off his school loan… that Dad co-signed for! When Dad confronts him he says “Just don’t pay it and declare bankruptcy”. Hey, he’s entitled to a free education, right?  Dad kicked him out, but there’s that little matter of his good credit rating and Dad wants to keep that. So he does the honorable thing and admits that he shouldn’t have co-signed and he pays. Guess Dad just assumed that the disease of entitlement wouldn’t rear its ugly head in his own home. But, it’s everywhere.

And why shouldn’t it be? When our government passes an emergency plan to spend 10 BILLION dollars, and part of that plan includes getting satellite TV to rural America, we shouldn’t be surprised that our country is ‘infected’. I’m not saying all our tax money is wasted, but there is NO WAY that some of these entitlements are absolutely necessary. I’ve heard the commercial: Need a free cell phone? Just call! My question, though, is what phone are you using to call? But, I digress.

What happened to the kids of the Greatest Generation? How did we get so soft? Did we learn nothing from the stories our parents and grandparents told us about the Great Depression? Did we not understand that there is honor in working hard and doing an honest day’s work? Boomers, to a large degree, failed to pass on the steely determination and iron-will that our grandparents and parents taught us. Somewhere along the line we decided that everyone should get a ribbon and a gold star and equal playing time. That turned into everyone should get satellite TV and a cell phone.

And if you think I’m generalizing, well, OF COURSE I AM. There are exceptions to every rule so don’t write me and complain. Or, as my Grandpa used to say, “Quit whining and grow a pair”.

I think that pretty much sums it up, don’t you?

 A couple of months ago I was contacted by ‘M’ Magazine about doing a photo shoot with our 3 dogs. It was explained to me that the issue would feature local celebs (like Ted Perry from Fox 6) and their dogs. In addition, the issue would be all about guys. Now, you have to understand that Cindy and I have 3 Schnauzers and while they’re pretty smart, they’re also full of energy. Way too much energy. And I can’t even begin to tell you how excited they get when they get company. But I agreed to do it and we immediately made an appointment to get hair cuts. Didn’t want them looking nasty for their big photo op. Well, personally I didn’t care, but my lovely bride did.

So ‘M’ Magazine sent me a questionnaire to fill out and then came over to take pictures. Well, Cindy took all three on a long walk (and it was cold) and by the time the photographer and staff showed up, it was all we could do to just keep them from napping. One word to sum up their behavior that day: awesome. In the western ‘burbs, me, Zack, Cosmo and Rocky made the cover. And the picture of meinside the dog crate with all 3 of them made it into the article. I’ve pasted the inside picture for you to see and I have also come up with a list of;

THE TOP 10 THINGS MY DOGS HAVE TAUGHT ME

*Defend your family at all costs

*Take naps as often as you can

*The best things in life are absolutely free

*Everyone you meet is a potential best friend

*No matter what the weather is like, it’s fun to play ball

*Exercise is fun and something to get excited about

*Sometimes we all just feel like barking. But it’s never okay to bite.

*Never admit to cutting the cheese…especially if it’s nasty and has good hang time

*Sometimes, it’s impossible to understand what people are saying, even when they’re speaking English

*When someone is sad, lick their face (use this at your own discretion ;~)

I found my old high school yearbook the other day. I can’t tell you how happy I am that we had no social networking back then. Usually, your yearbook is the only record of how awful we looked and how goofy we all were (are?). With that in mind, I’ve come up with a list of Facebook status updates that most certainly would have been a part of Facebook had it been around back then (if COMPUTERS had been around back then…) I have combined some of the words and phrases that my classmates used in signing my yearbook with some of the common things we used to say. These are flat out embarrassing to read and even funnier to say. Feel free to add your own.

¡Hola! Acabo de regresar de mis vacaciones en México. ¡Fue impresionante!

Here in Wisconsin, behind the cheddar curtain, that translates to; “Da wife and I just got back from a vacation in Mexico and, man, it was awesome!” We like to visit Mexico once a year ’cause we love it there. Now don’t get me wrong, I still bleed Red, White and Blue and I still believe we live in the greatest country on the planet. But there are aspects of Mexico that feel like the “old” U.S.of A.

It brings you right back to the days of your youth when you see a guy riding in his huge Chrysler with his 8 year old son on his lap. He’s smoking a huge Cuban cigar and he’s letting the kid steer. That’s America circa 1968 right there. About 10 years ago we tried to get our local community to put a speed bump on the road. The red tape was incredible and we never did succeed. Down in Mexico, though, they are serious about having you slow down. If you’re driving and you see a speed bump, you had better slow to a crawl or your front bumper, and a few of your teeth, will be laying on the road.

Another flashback of my youth is hearing a huge percentage of Mexicans speaking (at least) 2 languages. My grandparents spoke other languages and I’m always embarassed that I don’t. Sure my Rosetta Stone has helped, but once I’ve asked for a beer and a bathroom, well I’m almost tapped out. And remember America before all those lawsuits? Mexico isn’t lawsuit happy. They don’t dumb everything down to the lowest common denominator. You actually have to pay attention to where you’re walking or driving. Sure it’s more dangerous, but we’re all adults, aren’t we? And, you haven’t lived until you’ve zip-lined or para-sailed in Mexico, it’s awesome. You don’t have to sign and notarize 8 copies of a release form. There’s this unspoken rule that simply says “Yeah, I know this is risky and dangerous and kinda stupid and I might get hurt bad, so let’s do it!!” Add some tequila and make it even more fun.

And who needs HMO’s, co-pays or scripts from your doctor when you can get almost anything at the Pharmacia? Antibiotics, anti-depressants, and even some narcotics. Sure they may be sudstandard or even counterfeit but it’s a proven fact that placebos even work on some people. Give ‘em a try if you dare. Just don’t try to smuggle them into the USA. That’s a huge no-no. Though, I did accidentally bring back some aspirin. I had a headache and I bought this medicine that was labelled “E.D. Aches. For Amigos with E.D. Problems”. In fact, I took one 4 hours ago. It must be one of those placebos ’cause my headache hasn’t gone away. Somehow, though, I don’t seem to care ;~) >ver lejos a mi mujer. ..adios

The results are in …

And the winner of the Foresters’ Most Caring Radio Station in North America is 107 in Columbia, Mo.

Carole and I would like to thank everyone who stepped up to the plate and voted for WKLH 96.5 during this three-week contest. Our community is quite special, and we should feel very proud of our efforts. We truly are blessed to have such a wonderful, nationally known, state-of-the-art pediatric facility right here in Wisconsin – and better yet, right here in our own backyard.  You stepped up to do this for the kids, and we’re so proud of the Wisconsin community.

Over the weekend, we received hundreds of e-mails from listeners who want to help raise the $50K themselves – one listener at a time – one donation at a time. So, in response to our listeners, we’re going to prove how special of a community we are.

We’ve developed a special online pledge page in response to this contest that will run until Friday, Feb. 12. If we can get 500 donors to give $100 each, we can raise $50,000 for Wisconsin kids. You can pledge online at chw.org/wklh.

As an added bonus, between 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Thursday, February 11, Forester’s will be matching our donations. Let’s see if we can make it to $50,000 for the kids.

Thank you again for making a difference! One vote, one donation at a time.

SUPER BOWL THOUGHTS
 

*I think Sean Payton totally out coached Beloit’s Jim Caldwell. From Payton’s clock management at the end of the first half to the onside kick. And how about Caldwell having 42 year old Matt Stover attempt a 51 yard field goal?

*I think no city in America needed a moral victory more than New Orleans.  Karma wins again! The Saints played with heart and intensity and their coach played to win. The Colts played not to lose. It seems like teams that play not to lose always do.

*I think it’s time to go in a different direction for the Super Bowl half time show. The Who just didn’t work for me, but Zak Starkey (Ringo’s spawn) was awesome on the drums. Why did Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend play so many of the bridges of their hits? Hooks, lads, hooks…

*I think Pete Townsend needs a bigger shirt. That pale belly was just not attractive, especially in HD…

*Since the game’s in Dallas next year, I think the halftime show should be a Scott Joplin tribute performed by ZZ Top, Los Lonely Boys, and Vanilla Ice. Hey, they’re all from Texas :~)

*On the outside chance the Cowboys actually make it to the Super Bowl next year and play in their home stadium, Jerry Jones surgically altered head will explode.

*I think his head might explode if they don’t make the big game in 2011.

*I think CBS can keep James Brown and Bill Cowher and fire the rest of those talking heads on the pre game show. It’s painful.

*I think that Google ad is an all time classic. I loved it.

*I think whoever schedules the commercials needs to be asked; “Why would you put 2 spots back to back where people are in their tighty whities?” 

*I think Jay Leno will try anything right now. I don’t blame him.

*I think Danica Patrick needs a new manager. Or GoDaddy.com needs a new ad agency, or both.

*I think Brad and Angelina are fine. I mean why else would you take her to the Super Bowl? What’s that, a photo op? Oh, yeah.

*I think that the only way I can get my wife to watch the game is if they do those syrupy background stories on the players, like the Olympics do. “And that’s how Mr. Bush met Ms. Kardashian; and now back to Reggie for this punt return”.

*I think Drew Brees knows that you don’t EVER have to force a pass deep downfield. Not all quarterbacks know that. Brett? Brett??

Okay, here’s the deal. A little town called Columbia, Missouri wants to take Milwaukee down. A company called Forester’s is holding an online contest to determine “North America’s Most Caring Radio Station”. The station that wins will have $50,000.00 donated to their local Children’s Hospital.
The issue is that Milwaukee had the lead until today when a radio station in Columbia, Missouri decided to hold a vote-a-thon and involve all their sister stations, as well as the University of Missouri. Their mission is clear; they want to ‘beat Milwaukee’.

As you may know, we do “The Miracle Marathon” every year to benefit the kids at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. To say that we’re lucky to have such a place in our community is an enormous understatement. This place really does make miracles happen and many of you know that first hand.
If you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling or neighbor of a sick child, there is no other place that can provide the care that Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin can. So I’m begging you to step up and make a difference. And it’s as easy as a few clicks of a mouse.

Now is your chance to make a miracle happen. Help the kids by voting for WKLH in this contest. I honestly don’t care if you’re a big listener or not. That misses the point. If ‘KLH gets the most votes, the kids get the cash. It’s that simple! You can vote up to 10 times per day per e mail address. Please log on to wklh.com and you’ll see the contest link on the front page. Dare to Care…

wklh.com

I’m at work and as I write this, I have my Droid by my side, my Facebook friends are chatting with me, I am periodically checking home and work e mails and people are tweeting all around me. In fact, a few of the folks have their ear-buds in and they’re oblivious to the world. We’re all so connected that we’ve begun to ignore ourselves.

Tom Joerres, my boss, always dreads getting a phone call from me in those warm, summer months. Why? Because he knows that I’ve been out cutting the lawn. And I don’t wear headphones or ear-buds. I spend the time alone with my thoughts, usually coming up with some goofy idea that goes nowhere. But I digress.

The point is that we have devolved into a society that is hyper-aware and ultra-savvy when it comes to technology. But all we do is consume. Rarely, do we create. A disproportionate amount of the correspondence I receive is simply someone forwarding someone else’s creativity to me. Usually there’s some sort of smart a** remark attached. Hey, I’m as guilty as anyone else.

So, while we are connected 24/7, it’s mostly passive consumption. We watch TV, we listen to music (hopefully to KLH ;~) we are online, watching youtube videos and reading blogs. We play video games, we’re on our smart phones, we tweet, text and check out Facebook. We spend our spare time playing Mafia Wars, Farmville, Halo, or Madden.

I remember reading the USA Today article back in 2008 about the most creative TV commercials of the last 25 years. Not one of them was produced after 1999. But I’m not just talking about creativity as it relates to media or to the web.

Creativity is the missing link that can help create jobs, reform health care, education, and elevate us all. But how can any of us, especially young people with whom the future resides, be creative in the current environment? Most of them can’t spend 10 minutes without some sort of passive stimulation. Hey, its not just teenagers. I know plenty of people who can’t even take a walk or go running without staying connected.

I’ve started unplugging myself from the world from Friday afternoon until Sunday night and it’s been awesome. Want to know the best part? I figured out that spending 2 days with my own thoughts is about all I can handle.