If you missed it; I had my wisdom teeth taken out this past week and I have been in recovery since. Let me begin by telling you just how good it feels to be back in the studio here doing my thing! I was tuned in throughout my time off, and I want to thank Nate, Nick, and Marty for filling in for me during my absence. 

I'd rather not go into much detail on the surgery itself, but it was successful. The team of professionals taking care of me did a fantastic job all the way through, and I am so very grateful that it was a smooth operation. I was totally freaking out as I awaited sedation, and I am glad they wasted no time in knocking me out. I was somewhere in between awake and asleep for the procedure, but once that IV was going, I felt nothing. I was a little loopy for a short while afterwards, but I had it together more than I had anticipated for the car ride home. 

For the remainder of the first day and even into the next, I was numb. I couldn't feel my lips or chin, and that really messed with me. I also could not open my mouth more than a little bit, and even drinking a sip of water proved nearly impossible as I just couldn't figure out how to swallow. Alongside the overall pain, these things improved in the following days. The swelling, on the other hand, got worse before improving. 

Once I was able to eat, I tore up a ton of creamy mashed potatoes. I've had so much that I think I'm good on that dish until about Thanksgiving! I would switch between those and vanilla ice cream, and it was several days until I was able to have anything else. 

Just as my choices for nourishment were drastically limited, so too were my options for things to do. I'm not the type who enjoys being idle, but I was forced to take it easy. I watched a lot of television and movies, and I barely left the house at all. Our housecats, Freddy and Fiona, kept me company as I healed. I managed to get a little work in on my buggy project and played some video games too. That was pretty much it.... 

So, where am I at in my recovery currently? I still can't eat anything that requires chewing. Talking isn't the easiest thing, and I'm doing my best to not let that affect my performance on-air. I'm still very sore and a dull face pain remains constant. I'm swollen and outwardly bruised. The process is certainly slower than I had expected, but I'm taking it day by day, and each one is now better than the last.

I'm just glad to be back! Thank you for tuning in to 94.9 WQMX. 

I am going into oral surgery to have my wisdom teeth removed today, and I have never been more afraid to do something. I haven't had any surgery whatsoever and am horrified by the idea of it all, from the procedure to the recovery. It's going to be rough. 

I'm not overly afraid of snakes or spiders. As the WQMX night owl, I'm certainly not afraid of the dark. Public speaking, the number one most common fear, could not be less intimidating to me, naturally. Being on an airplane is a fun time for me, and I like to jump up and down in elevators whenever I'm on one. Confined spaces aren't my favorite thing, but I'm hardly claustrophobic. Etc. 

On the other hand, there's definitely some stuff that freaks me out. I don't like germs or sickness. Komodo Dragons and other critters are known to spook me. One of my biggest phobias, though, is the fear of heights. I'm not so much afraid of the heights themselves as I am falling. I get really uneasy around railings, as many of them are lower than my own center of gravity. That major apprehension still pales in comparison to my two biggest fears, however, and of course I'll be encountering both through this operation. 

My second biggest fear is needles. I can just barely tolerate being poked for a shot and will avoid them altogether unless they're a necessity. I'm an organ donor and I love the idea of doing a blood drive, but I just couldn't fathom willingly letting someone jab me as such. It's horrifying, and that's just my unwavering opinion. Apparently, they have to jab me with an I.V. in order to knock me out. I figured it was the gas which put me to sleep, but I was appalled to learn otherwise and have since been panicking over it. The gas is nitrous, I guess.

Beyond that, my single biggest fear is getting my teeth knocked/pulled out. It's always been a spine-tickling notion for me, and I'm absolutely horrified for my surgery.  I worry that the anesthesia won't actually work and that I'll be totally physically immobilized but still mentally conscious, thereby feeling everything. It would be like sleep-paralysis, if that helps describe what I'm trying to convey, and that suffering would be nothing short of torturous to endure. The possibility of it is next-to-nothing but not totally unheard of, supposedly. Even a routine dental cleaning and checkup is an awful time, every time, and I cringe just thinking about them scraping my pearly whites. 

Since it's the culmination of my biggest fears, I've been putting off having my wisdom teeth removed for years now, but the time has come. I know a lot of people go through much worse medically, so please forgive me if I'm coming across dramatic. I'm just beyond scared and nervous. 

Wish me luck today; hopefully, it all goes okay. I'm off through the rest of this week to recover; so, until next time, take care!  

If you only know a few things about me, one of those should be the following. I love cars! If it seems like I'm not paying attention, I am more than likely daydreaming about the roar of an engine and the squeal from some smoking tires. I'll be going down the road with my fiancée and see a Corvette or something and react as if I just saw a sasquatch! I'm dying for it to be summertime again so that I can take my El Camino to some more car shows; it's one of my favorite things to do. 

On that note, at least there is the Cleveland Auto Show just one week away! Resultingly, I've been thinking about new cars a little more than usual. I just recently saw a Ford Ranger fresh off the lot and the thought came to me, "why is there no SUV version of this truck?" The bulky Explorer is closer to a mini-van than the sport-utility it used to be, and the Edge is more like a hatchback car than it is a truck. There's the Bronco Sport, but it clearly shares the same platform with Ford's smaller truck, the Maverick, and not the mid-size Ranger. The big Expedition is also out of the question since it remains the SUV version of the full-size F-150. This all left me scratching my head, as I assumed the Bronco is built on a bigger platform than the Ranger as well. 

After a little research, I now know it is not. The platforms on which they ride are just about the only thing in common, however, as these vehicles are quite different and would not be considered siblings like the Maverick and Bronco Sport are (at least under my definition). With this new information, I discovered that my question is almost valid. There is no SUV sibling to the Ford Ranger... in the U.S. 

Outside of North America exists what is known as the Ford Everest, which is an SUV directly based on the Ranger. It's the missing piece described above, falling in between the Bronco Sport and Expedition in size. It's also seemingly the middle ground between the trail-ready Bronco and the domesticated Explorer in terms of ground clearance and 4x4 capabilities. 

Would the Everest be cool to have in our market? Absolutely. I'd especially love to see a Raptor Version. 

Do we need it, though? Well, not really. As described above, Ford already offers some similar SUV's and sales of this would probably mostly just detract from those. Potential 4Runner buyers could certainly be won over with this, but I'm sure there's more strategy to it too. So be it. 

If you'd like to see some of the hottest new vehicles from manufacturers, from EV's to UTV's, be sure to keep it tuned to 94.9 WQMX! All this week, Ben McKee in the afternoon has been giving away family four packs of passes to the Cleveland Auto Show at the I-X Center, and if you listen throughout the entire day today, we very well may have even more chances for you to go. 

Good luck from Your Country, 94.9 WQMX! 

When it comes to brand loyalty, few products are as polarizing as tractors. Whether it's a farmer pulling a plow through his fields or a groundskeeper mowing a baseball field on a zero-turn, people with tractors are out there making things happen! Regardless of if it's for your backyard or your business, a tractor needs to serve as a dependable workhorse, and all of these following companies make some great ones. With that, here's my top ten types of tractors! 

10. John Deere

9. Yard Machines

8. Craftsman

7. Kubota

6. International Harvester

5. Toro

4. Cub Cadet

3. Massey Furgeson 

2. Wheelhorse

1. Simplicity

It's almost mowing season again, and I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of excited for it. My Simplicity needs a little TLC before its ready to cut grass again, since I've been using it as a "mud mower" off-roading. I'll be mowing my lawn as well as my mother's throughout these upcoming warmer months, so I'm sure my excitement will wear off quickly. 

Anyhow... thanks so much for reading this, and I'd love to know if you have any personal biases towards tractors! Whether you picked them up through your grandpappy or maybe your own experiences, we like what we like and that's totally cool. Oh, and if you're wondering why John Deeres are so high up on my list, it's because of their Right to Repair battles. (That's a topic for another blog, though.) 

Take care! 

Let me begin by extending a happy Valentine's Day to you from the station you love most, 94.9 WQMX! We love our listeners so very much and thank you always for tuning in. 

In the holiday spirit, I wanted to compile a little list of some country love songs we're currently spinning to help set the mood on this day for lovers. This is only a small sample of the many different tunes we play which reference love and relationships, as there are countless in our format. 

• I'm in Love- Hailey Whitters
• Gonna Love You- Parmalee
• Love You Again- Chase Mathew
• Young Love and Saturday Nights- Chris Young
• Can't Break Up Now- Old Dominion w/ Megan Moroney
• The Painter- Cody Johnson
• Think I'm In Love With You- Chris Stapleton
• Take Her Home- Kenny Chesney
• Somebody Like You- Keith Urban
• What My World Spins Around- Jordan Davis
• Body Like a Backroad- Sam Hunt
• Nothing on But the Radio- Gary Allan
• Your Man- Josh Turner
• It Matters To Her- Scotty McCreery
• Check Yes Or No- George Strait
• Meet In The Middle- Diamond Rio
• She's Everything- Brad Paisley
• Better Together- Luke Combs
• With a Woman You Love- Justin Moore
• You're Still The One- Shania Twain

There're SO many more, but... you get the idea.

Thanks for giving this blog a read, and be sure to keep it locked on Your Country! 94.9 WQMX for the loveliest soundtrack to your Valentine's Day! 

If you've been in the loop on country music news and happenings, you surely saw the recent incident with Elle King at Dolly Parton's 78th birthday celebration event. If you missed it, basically, Elle was acting a fool on stage at the Grand Ole Opry. She was heavily intoxicated, and no one's really upset with her for having a good time; she just pushed it too far. During her performance, she cursed multiple times at the notoriously family-friendly venue, she forgot the words to the song she was singing, and she was just disrespectful overall. It was embarrassing to watch, and I feel especially bad for her bandmates who were put into that messy circumstance.

We have all been wondering what Dolly's reaction to this debacle would be, and in a recent interview with Extra host Alecia Davis, we finally found out! Essentially, Dolly's being cool. She defended Elle saying she is a "great girl" who is going through some tough stuff and may have had too much to drink. Dolly asserted that Elle feels awful about the incident, and the country legend included that we should forgive, forget, and move on resultingly.

This is just another example of why Dolly Parton's the best. Hopefully, Elle King gets whatever help she needs, too.

We're big fans of Lainey Wilson here around the station, so her announcement of brand-new music has us on the edge of our seats. The upcoming single shares a title with her tour, "Country's Cool Again."

A snippet of this song was posted a while back and even more tastes of the project have dropped since, giving us a good base from which to judge it. These few samples indicate something special is on the way and thankfully so.

Bell-Bottom Country just won Lainey Wilson and her team a Grammy award for the Best Country Album of 2023, so to follow that must be a challenge. She's in the limelight currently, and with how ready we are for her to broaden her discography, this single ought to be a hit. By all means, I expect it to be. From what we've heard of it, "Country's Cool Again" exemplifies her powerful, soulful vocals mixed in with that upbeat instrumental flair her band does so well. It's anything but bland, and that's what we want from Lainey.

Details on what this new work entails are not totally clear. The big question to ask is whether or not this track is indicative of a new album for 2024. My guess is that it is, and if there is a new LP, I figure it is probably titled the same as this song and her tour. We'll just have to see, though!

"Country's Cool Again" becomes available this Friday, February 16.

The wind is at Lainey Wilson's back, and we are so thrilled to see all the success that has come her way. She didn't give up on her dreams and look at her now. She's an inspiration to aspiring artists, a fashion icon, an actress, a headliner for The Country Fest 2024, and a Grammy award winner too! She's going to need a big trophy case for that recent career highlight and all the other awards she's won as she's just getting started. Let's go, Lainey!!!

Toby Keith is nothing short of an iconic superstar in country music, and we are so saddened by the news of his death earlier this week. His music catalog is extensive, and the success he's had on the charts spanning years is something even the biggest names of today's age could only wish for. With an unparalleled passion for what he did and a patriotic heart of gold, Toby Keith was taken from us far too soon by his battle with stomach cancer. He lives on through his music, and that's what I'm here to highlight for you: my top ten favorite Toby Keith songs! 

10. American Soldier

9. Beer for my Horses

8. I Love This Bar

7. Red Solo Cup

6. Made in America

5. As Good As I Once Was

4. I Wanna Talk About Me

3. How Do You Like Me Now?!

2. Courtesy of The Red White and Blue

1. Should've been a Cowboy

I also absolutely love Toby Keith's collab with Ford Trucks and the song he sings for those commercials. I don't think it's an official song of his, but I'd be remiss had I not included "Ford Truck Man" in this blog.