I love skateboarding. I got my first board in middle school and have been hooked on it ever since. I really wish that I had gotten my start at a younger age though, as I feel like I would have been more comfortable with falling and scraping myself up. I'm not great at it, but I have a lot of fun and am better than most people. It's definitely a fun activitity, but let me tell you, I've had some gnarly spills through the years. 

My elbows and knees are certainly permantly scarred from all of the wipeouts, but the worst injury I've incurred was spraining my ankle. I have actually done it several times to the same ankle, and it's always from attempting flat ground tricks like a shove-it. Sometimes I'll  be walking and will take a step in the wrong way and will just crumble to the ground. That's why I prefer high top shoes with some support, these days. 

On a skateboard, there's a variety of different styles in which you can ride. There's vert where you skate big ramps at skateparks, street/flat ground where you do tricks, and cruising where you just push around and travel. I've never been great at tricks; the best I can reliably do is an ollie. I would love nothing more than to be able to grind a handrail. In terms of vert, I'm not half bad at it. I can drop in, do rock n' rolls, etc. What I've spent the most time doing is cruising, especially when I was in college. I would ride every day and everywhere, through the rain and even snow, but the university's rough sidewalks often did a good job of throwing me off my board. 

A big part of crusing is finding big hills to ride down, and I've had some scary times doing so. The absolute worst feeling I've experienced is known as the "speed wobbles," where you lose control of your board at high speeds. There's just about nothing you can do aside from hanging on and sending up a quick prayer, and thankfully I've never been launched off my board from them but I have come way too close. Speed wobbles are awful, but that's not what led me to quit hill bombing. 

My friend and I used to go around the neighorhoods looking for the biggest and steepest hills to test ourselves on, and one time we were somewhere unfamiliar. We asked a passing car about a decline we were approaching, and the driver assured us it was relatively chill. Boy was she wrong! It started out fine but got progressively steeper, and I missed my opportunity to bail before I realized what we were coming up on. Going just about as fast as I ever have on a skateboard, I flew through a stop sign into a 45mph road without a stop. Cars swerved and slammed on their brakes, and thank goodness they did or else I may not be here writing this today. So yeah, that was enough of that for me. Never again will I go down a hill that I can't see the bottom of, at least. 

I could write ten blogs about skateboarding and still have more to say. There's all the parks I have been to in the area and my thoughts on them, there's different types of skate gear like shoes and decks I could discuss, there's skate culture/history, etc. I'll save those topics for another time, and for now what I would like to leave you with is this: encourage kids to skateboard! It's a great way to get them moving and having fun, there's many places to do so (though never enough), and it brings people together. Start 'em young too. There's a rising problem with children getting too much screen time and not being outside and active enough, and I believe skateboarding is one solution to this issue. Thanks for reading!

 This weekend, was crazy with Morning Show on Friday, Friday Night Live, Bryan Martin and Sunday Funday at the Dusty Armadillo.... 

When I wasn't at The Dusty... watched great soccer matches of my son's on Friday Night and Sunday Morning.  Caught a mow, fixed some things aroudn the house.

Pretty nice little weekend.

This week is huge:

Wine Country Wednesday with Hannah Ellis at 1875 Winery in Hartville.

Thursday Michael Ray & Frank Ray at Dusty Armadillo, Bowling League starts at Station 300...

Friday Night Live Party at The Dusty,

Saturday is Chris Cagle at The Dusty Armadillo, Hardy/Lainey at The Covelli Center... 

We also have your Call Up to Cleveland at 8:15 and 4:15 weekdays and I have your WWE Catchphrase of The Day for 4th to Front Row Friday Tickets in the 5 o clock hour... 

YEAAAHHHHHH!!!! 

October 4th will be a very special day for Darius Rucker and some other music icons. Darius is among the group who will be inducted this year to the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville. Kind of like a mini Hollywood Walk of Fame, this sits across the street from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Bridgestone Arena in Downtown Nashville.

Ever since he made the transition from Hootie & The Blowfish to a solo country career, Darius Rucker has had huge success in both genres. Congratulations to him, well deserved!

If You're Thinkin' You Want A Stranger  - George Strait - 1982  (Album -Strait Country)

This was the first song I ever heard from George Strait when I got into Country Radio at WOBL in Oberlin, Ohio.  It has remained a special song for me as I was learning country at the time. Strait was new in country as was I, and believe it or not he hadn't had a number one yet. That would be his next song, Fool Hearted Memory a few months later.  This was pure country in the Urban Cowboy era, and this sound was very different than many of the songs on the charts then.  It was at the genesis of the movement that started steering country away from the format-less Urban Cowboy stuff.  It would take a while, but of course George Strait went on to have 60 plus number one songs and get the moniker "King Of Country".  I remember getting a lot of calls for his music early on and fans liking his far more traditional sound.  He with John Anderson, Ricky Skaggs, Hank Jr, Reba, Earl Thomas Conley, Alabama and others were going a very different way and fans liked it.  This is an underrated George Strait song, and if you've never heard it, take a listen.  #3 in 1982.

Dwight Yoakam - Ain't That Lonely Yet  - 1993

Writing this I understand for many Dwight Yoakam is an acquired taste.  With that being said, Yoakam was still very instrumental in helping country turn a big corner that needed to be negotiated in the mid 1980's.  As popular as he was, his polarization started from the beginning.  For some, he was just too much, but for others he was the most welcome avant garde savior.  He's a true original, as there is no one else like him -  that is definite and damn rare.  As time went on he branched out to record many different styles of country.  But to me as solid as the early Yoakam was, this was his crown jewel, grabbing a Grammy, a CMA, and a number two hit.  From the album, This Time  which was a gigantic hit and a stellar seller,  I felt this song and album was Yoakam in microcosm.  His performance is perfect as you feel his sorrow and resolve all at the same time. This album sold millions and this song is the main reason why, even though there were other strong hits off of it.  If it's been a while, take a listen and see if Yoakam hits you the same, or differently than maybe years ago.  This to me, this is simply classic.

Last Week #15

The Browns had a nice win last week and now it's on to Pittsburgh with the Steelers in another big divisional game.  I have stated in the years I have been writing about the Browns, success in the long run in any season comes down to their play against the Steelers.  If you want to win this division, the Browns must beat the Steelers twice in a year.  We don't do it, almost without fail.  Last year was the year to do it, and we didn't.  But that's behind us and so are all the other years.

The Browns have typically played the Ravens and the Bengals well, splitting many years and getting the occasional sweep against one of them. But Pittsburgh is a very different story.  We just don't win in the neighbors yard and this is the year that needs to change.  Again, like last week there are no more excuses.  This Browns team is better than them overall.  But where the Steelers are better is crucial.  They're a better organization by far, better coached, with better tradition over the last 50 years.  Plus they need a win badly after being humiliated last week at home.  They'll be in a mood.

The Browns have a good opportunity here to really kick em where it hurts.  If you can win there you'll be 2-0 and the same in the division with the Steeler road game fading in the rear view mirror as the weeks go forward.  If you stumble, you've brought yourself back to the pack  - and it's on.  But right now the Browns are riding the wave of last week and the tide is going out on the Steelers, this is the chance to get it done. 

But make no mistake the Steelers will be ready to defend their back yard especially after last weeks darn rare debacle.  This game could set the tone for the rest of the Browns season even more than the Bengal game did. This is a game many have us losing even though the odds makers have us as a slight favorite.  I don't care what team is favored, or on the way up or down, this will be a challenge for either team to win.  I would have preferred the Steelers to win last week.  They will never admit it, but they are desperate. And if they win, things go back to normal for them, and sadly us.

Last week was a good win for the Browns.  Great defense, enough offense and the absence of ridiculous in game decisions that have plagued this team the last two years.  The dye has been cast, now execute the plan. 

Beat the Steelers this week and you do yourself a whole lot of good, for right now and for much later.

GO BROWNS!

Jordan Davis  - Tucson Too Late

Jordan Davis has come a long way in a short time.  When he first hit the charts, there was a mix of excitement and skepticism as there always is with new artists.   Newbies are tough to breakthrough for long term success, but he has done it successfully.  This new song is another hit.  I have liked his last couple of songs as they are adult, real, and just flat out good.  Next Thing You Know  is fantastic and so is What My World Spins Around.  I feel the best love songs are the ones that are believable, like his last two mentioned above.  They are written and performed from a real life perspective, not some point of worship or pedestal placing.  This one is too.  I know this is a "love too late"  song, but it's still a love song, and just as real as the others only with a different outcome.  There are very distant echoes of By The Time I Get To Phoenix  here, and that's fine too.  This song is real and just  - good.  Well done.

In case you missed some of my articles this week from WQMX.com  - Grab some coffee and your earbuds and get caught up. Thanks for reading and for listening!

Browns - There Is No Excuse

Eat Of The Week

50 Favorites From 40+ Years #15

Forgotten Jukebox A-50

Country Music Memory Lane - Montgomery Gentry

Wynn At The Movies And More

Box Office Results -  The Nun 2  -  (33 Million)

#2 Equalizer 3 -   13 Million

#3 Greek Wedding -  10 Million

New This Week - A Haunting In Venice / The Inventor

Taylor Swifts  - Era's Movie release date of October 13 has changed the release date of FIVE Hollywood actual movie releases including The Exorcist and Meg Ryan's new rom/com

T-Swifty - Cinemark will offer Swifties the chance to rent out an entire theater for a private show. 40 people guaranteed seats, cost $800 -- or just about the price of one ticket for the live show 

After September 29^th - Netflix will no longer rent DVDs by mail -- and will be winding down that part of its business altogether 

Marvel's - Visual effects workers have unanimously voted to unionize, giving the studio yet another potential strike to worry about 

George and Amal Clooney - Are selling their famed Lake Como villa in Northern Italy for a whopping $107 million.

Seems – The Tonight Show isn't a very good place to work.  Jimmy Fallon is rumored to be incredibly difficult – legal action is possible!

This Weekend – Check out my Country Music Memory Lane

Also - My 50 Favorites Over 40+ Years This Week #15 (Link)

This past weekend was another good one for me, and I am happy to have gotten to do most everything I had wanted to. On Friday my friend Ryan came over to hang, and we did some mountain biking in my woods, among other stuff. It was great to get some physical activity in whilst having fun, and as the weather cools off I intend to get back into biking more often. I felt uncomfortable on some of the really steep hills and on the jumps, but that's pretty much a constant for me regardless of how long it has been. 

Anyways, Friday night, I went over to my girlfriend's place. The evening prior, we attended the Jake Owen concert, and we were both whooped resultingly. It was nice to just get some Netflix-and-Chill time in, and I'd be surprised if I was up past 9pm. That early night helped me to recharge for Saturday, and on that day I did quite a bit. 

My Saturday began on a good note, as we decided to get some breakfast at the local joint, Molly Brown's Country Cafe. I tore up a coffee, some scrambled eggs, a big ol' slab of ham, some hash potatoes, and some toast. It was delicious, and I think I have been sleeping on this place for sure. There are a few options on breakfast places in my area, but I'm thinking Molly Brown's might have won me over. 

After breakfast, I headed back towards my place to ready my boat. The big plan for the day was to be out on the lake, and alongside three of my friends, I spent the afternoon putting around having a good time. Something about being out there on the water beneath the sun makes me so tired, and with my sleep deficit from the week before, I was ready to drop by mid-afternoon. We ended up making a stop at a lakeside bar to get some lunch, and soon thereafter returned to the boat launch to call it a day. 

After boating, I needed a nap. I got a good two hours in and jumped right back into a weekend of fun. My friends returned to my place to join me in a bonfire, and the weather that night was practically perfect.  I could not have asked for a better time, and as the night progressed, my buddy Jesse asked me if I would like to come back over to his place. I obliged, and we ended up staying up for hours playing video games, before crashing around 4 or 5am. 

In the morning, I went back home and had some more delicious coffee. Sundays tend to be the day I do chores and rest for the upcoming week, so I really did nothing noteworthy aside from watching a little week one NFL football. Let's go Brownies! I'm so proud. I love my hometeam and will root for them up until the point it conflicts with the interests of my favorite team. I'm a Dolfan, and have rooted for the 'Phins my whole life. Truthfully, I have mostly just rooted against the Patriots forever. Of course, as soon as Brady left and they fell from the top, the Bills had to become a powerhouse, but this may be a topic for another blog. 

I just wanted to share with you a little synopsis of my weekend, as it really was a good one. I even saw the Goodyear blimp over the lake whilst boating! My only complaint is that the time flew by so quickly, but I guess that's how it is when you're having fun. I hope you had a good weekend as well, and if you're looking for plans this upcoming weekend, WQMX has got some for you! Sarah Kay will be at the Dusty Armadillo Friday night from 9-11pm for their Friday Night Live, and she'll be back on Sunday from 3-5pm for another Sunday Funday, with prizes and Dusty tickets for both. 

There are also three seperate concerts happening Saturday. Brandi Carlile is playing Blossom, Hardy is performing alongside Lainey Wilson at the Covelli Centre, and Chris Cagle will be hitting the stage at the Dusty Armadillo as part of their concert series. You can snag tickets for that last one and see who's all playing there this fall on their website, DustyA.com. On top of all of this, Jason Aldean's makeup date for Blossom is also this weekend, on Sunday. It's bound to be another nice weekend, and I hope you have a great week until then!