It's Thursday and that means it's time for another Top Ten list! I've made so many of these thus far, I'm starting to forget all the topics I've covered. I must double check that I haven't hit a topic yet before writing on it, unless it's a little bit off-the-wall. 

That's what I've got for you here this time around; we're branching out. It's easy for me to write about foods or music or whatever, but sometimes I like to learn a little as I write these, too. Light research on all the options available has taught me a lot about these miscellaneous top ten topics, whether that's the name of a pretty flower I enjoy or maybe a tidbit on video game history, for example. I don't need to research that I like tacos better than hotdogs, or anything like that. 

Whether you learn a little bit from these weekly ranking blogs, take a moment to do some self-reflection, enjoy comparing my picks to your own favorites, or even just get a kick out of judging my choices; thank you for giving a read. I'm real excited to get into this list, so here it is. It's my top ten patterns! 

10. Chevron

9. Toile

8. Striped

7. Polka Dot

6. Plaid

5. Gingham

4. Paisley

3. Tie-Dye

2. Houndstooth

1. Checkered

Gosh, it was tough to come up with a Top Ten list this week. I can't say why. I've got a cool one on deck, but I'd prefer to hold off just a little longer until it is consistently outdoor weather here in Northeast Ohio. We're still bouncing around in temperatures, and it's the rainy season.

So... when the weather is crummy and/or you're just not feeling like going out, what's more fun than playing a good board game? Board games make for a perfect family activity night, I think. From eight to eighty (and beyond), friends of all ages are brought together to socialize and bond through playing them. They provide hours-on-end of free, unplugged fun! That's hard to beat.

I like to get a little music going, maybe enjoy some drinks, and get into it. (If you've got a smart speaker around, just throw out a voice command for it to "Play 94.9 WQMX" for easy access to all the good vibes.) My favorite sort of games are highly involved strategy ones, as you'll discover below. I generally dislike the brainless, luck-based board games such as Chutes and Ladders. For this list, we're only talking about games with some sort of board and not just cards.

Put down your phone and pick up the dice. We're shooting for snake eyes: it's my top ten traditional board games!

10. Sorry

9. Connect 4

8. Scrabble

7. Battleship

6. Guess Who?

5. Mouse Trap

4. Life

3. Monopoly

2. Risk

1. Chess

Hey, till next time, thanks for checking this out!

I wasn't around during the heyday for arcades in the 80's, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a quality machine. From side scrollers to ball rollers, there's countless hours of fun to be had playing arcade games, and despite the incredible advances in home gaming, somehow the classics still hold up. 

The fun an arcade game delivers may have something to do with the fact that you're playing in front of public eyes and proving yourself against whoever has laid down a high score standing in front of that machine before you. Maybe you'll score some tickets, but the main objective should be the notoriety that comes with marking your initials in the top five. The respect and admiration of your peers is worth more than anything behind that prize counter. 

The joy these machines bring arcade-goers of all ages might also have something to do with the physicality of them, too. For example, it's a whole different experience queuing a metal pinball beneath a glass top than it would be to play digitally on a PC. The hum of the air-hocky table, the beeps and boops from the joystick machines, and the neon glow from the screens make for an atmosphere unlike any other. A cheap fountain drink and a slice of 'za complete the vibe for me. That's my idea of a fun Friday night. 

So, check deep beneath the cushions and break open that piggy bank. We need all the quarters we can come up with; it's my top ten arcade games! 

10. Ms. Pac Man

9. Claw Machine

8. Crazy Taxi

7. Skee ball

6. Galaga

5. Basketball Shot

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

3. Pinball 

2. Off Road Challenge

1. Dig Dug

Driving... It's one of the most fun and rewarding things to do for a car lover like me, but at times, it can be the worst. There's those drivers out there that make us scratch our heads as to how exactly they acquired a license. Road rage, accidents, and traffic all stem from these careless, negligent people behind the wheel and the situations they create. It can make you want to rip your hair out! 

So, maybe you'll find some comfort in knowing you're not alone on some of these things. Or maybe I just need to take a chill pill. Either way, here's my top ten driving pet peeves!

10. Tailgating

9. Full stopping before an empty roundabout (or worse, stopping in the roundabout)

8. Distracted driving

7. Poking about in the fast lane then moving over only after I pass on the right

6. Cars pacing one another ahead of me blocking any chance to pass

5. Dangerously pulling out into traffic

4. Blinding bright headlights 

3. Littering the roadside

2. Coming up as close as possible behind me at a stop

1. Failure to use a turn signal

Most of these are self-explanatory, but let me give a little context on those that may not be. 

#7 happens to me so often. I drive like I've got somewhere to be, so I'm no stranger to overtaking. Out of courtesy, I always try to pass on the left. When I come up on a lone vehicle in the leftmost lane, I give them a moment to throw their blinker on and move over, and usually they will. Sometimes, though, they stubbornly remain in the lane, which prompts me to pass on the right before coming back into the fast lane. Now, that's all fine, but what happens next makes me want to scream: it's at this point that the car I just passed decides to move over. After I overtook them from the right, like I want not to do. 

#6 is a bad one for me too. If you've ever been out to the Dusty Armadillo past Kent on 76, you've probably experienced something similar. When a highway is two lanes, the left one should always be moving faster. When a vehicle in that passing lane wants to go the same speed as the car to its right for an extended distance, it frustrates me to no end. Somebody either speed up or slow down, and let me by!

#4 used to bother me a lot more than it does now. I got nicer anti-glare lenses in my glasses this past time and I think it's really helped. I also feel like cars have better low beams, so less drivers may be using their brights regularly. Who knows? 

Lastly, #2 has always annoyed me, and its only worse now that I drive a manual. Why do people feel the need to be as close as possible behind me at a stop? Whether it's a red light or a fast-food drive-through, give me a little space please. I don't need you to keep back 100 feet like I'm driving a dump truck or anything, but you shouldn't be so close I can't even see your hood. 

That's that! It feels good to air out some of these pet peeves of mine when it comes to driving. If you have anything to add, something that really get under your skin when you're behind the wheel, I'd love to hear about it. The best way to connect with me is by dropping a message any time on the WQMX Studio Text Line (sponsored by Toth Buick GMC) at 330-370-2000.

Till next time, safe travels!

With Easter just around the corner, I've really been scratching my head on what I could rank this time around in relation to the holiday. I've already done my top ten holidays and I've listed my favorite candies too. I did Thanksgiving dinner dishes, but Easter meals really don't hold the same notoriety. Outside of all that, we've been in the midst of March Madness, Springtime is upon us, and April Fools' is only a few days away. Still, nothing topical feels right....  

So, out of left field, here's my top ten Pixar Movies! 

10. A Bug's Life

9. Toy Story 2

8. The Incredibles

7. Toy Story

6. Ratatouille

5. Monsters Inc

4. Finding Nemo

3. Up

2. Wall-E

1. Cars

Well, there you have it! Now I'm in the mood to sit down with a big bowl of popcorn and rewatch some of my favorites from Pixar. I'm not huge into Disney, but Pixar puts out some of the very best, and this here list ranks those I like most. What about you, though? 

It's Springtime! Critters are waking up from hibernation, flowers are beginning to poke their way through the dirt, birds are chirping, and that one thing is back in the sky... I think it's called the sun? 

It's about that time of the year for us to let the rays beam in through the windows. If your home is anything like mine, this natural light reveals all the dust and grunge. There's the inevitable clutter everywhere from snow shovels, boots, and coats. We're tracking in mud like crazy with the ground now thawing and the mixed precipitation. Our two little kitty cats shed more hair than a St. Benard, too; I swear! Etc. 

So, yeah. Let's get to freshening up the place. Whether it's mopping, mowing, or making the bed, we all have chores we hate and some we don't mind as bad. Maybe there's even a few you enjoy doing.

With that, here's my top ten chores!

10. Doing Laundry

9. Cleaning the Bathroom

8. Dusting

7. Vacuuming/Mopping/Sweeping

6. Taking the Trash Out

5. Cleaning Windows

4. Clearing the Gutters

3. Making the Bed

2. Mowing the Lawn

1. Doing Dishes

My absolute least favorite chore: pulling weeds.

How about you, though? 

As always, thanks for checking this out, and thanks for listening to Your Country 94.9 WQMX. We'll handle the music so you can get to doing some spring cleaning chores! If you've got a smart speaker around the house, just tell it to play 94.9 WQMX and keep crossing off those to-dos with all your favorite songs to motivate.  

Welp, we have just about made it through another Ohio winter. Woohoo! 

Since spring is just a few days away, now is a good time to talk about flowers. If you don't like flowers, you're probably one of those people who hates dogs and ice cream and pizza too, right? 

Seriously, though, flowers bring us joy. Whether they're in a bouquet, a garden, a field, or even growing through cracks in concrete; we love to see them. And unless you suffer from seasonal allergies, we love to smell them too! If there's any sort of special occasion in life, flowers are usually there. Whether it's a school dance, Valentine's day, a congratulations, or a funeral; flowers are pretty much universally appropriate. 

Just this week, I've seen a few flowers popping up around my property. That, to me, is a strong indicator that this warmer weather is here to stay. Maybe it won't be seventy degrees, but I think we're just about done with the freezing. -Now that I've written this, feel free to blame the upcoming blizzard on yours truly! 

Let's get into the meat and potatoes here with this list of my top ten flowers. 

10. Iris

9. Marigold

8. Daisy

7. Daffodil

6. Lavendar

5. Rose

4. Tulip

3. Dandelion

2. Sunflower

1. Lilac

So, what do you think? How do my favorites compare to yours? I'd love for you to tell me about it on the WQMX Studio Line! If you're a night owl, you can call in to reach me live from midnight until 5 AM. Otherwise, drop a text on our line (sponsored by Toth Buick GMC) at 330-370-2000 any time, and I'll be sure to see it! 

P.S. Have you seen the new music video for Lainey Wilson's Wildflowers and Wild Horses? If not, you can check that out below. 

It's now March, and we are closing in on springtime. The changing seasons bring us a variety of fresh, reinvigorating smells. 

That's the inspiration for this week's Top Ten blog; I've been enjoying these temperate days spending my time outdoors. Between the rain showers and warm atmosphere, my senses have been flooded with freshness and life. Soon enough, we'll add budding flowers, BBQ, smoky bonfires, fresh mulch, and mowed grass to the aromas we encounter. Those days can't come soon enough, and there's nothing quite like them. 

We do our best to encapsulate the feelings these natural aromas give us in things like wax candles and incense, and I enjoy burning both. I also enjoy artificial colognes and perfumes, I love hanging air-fresheners, and I don't even mind most of the sprays. In whatever form, heres my Top Ten Scents!

10. Fresh Brewed Coffee

9. Lavender

8. Vanilla

7. Leather

6. Cooked Meat

5. Classic Car Interior 

4. Orange

3. 2-Stroke

2. Lemon

1. Citronella

So, how about you? What's your favorite aroma?

Thanks for giving this a read, and for giving 94.9 WQMX a listen. Now, go stop and smell the roses! 

Of all the Thursday Top Ten lists I've compiled thus far; I can hardly believe I haven't touched on the topic of pop. Boy, do I love me soft drink, and the more sugary it is, the better! 

I'm an Ohio native, a Midwesterner, so it's pop. While pop is what we all call it, I'll admit that soda is an acceptable alternative too. If you call it coke, no matter what the drink actually is, that's where I draw the line. How are you about to call a can of root beer a coke? 

I am passionately against drinking diet pop. I can't get past the artificial taste and I've heard it's ironically worse for your health overall. I understand its the only pop option for some, like Diabetics, but I'd rather have anything else. And, while I could easily spiral into a tangent on the pop versus soda debate, let's get into the list.

Fizzy bubbles, it's My Top Ten Pops! 

10. Crush Orange

9. Mountain Dew Voltage

8. Squirt

7. Sunkist Orange

6. Mountain Dew

5. Mountain Dew Pitch Black

4. Mountain Dew Throwback

3. Mountain Dew Live Wire

2. Crush Grape

1. Big Blue

So, what's your favorite way to enjoy a pop? For me it goes from: glass bottle, then can, then plastic bottle, and lastly the tap. There's just too much unpredictability and variation from place to place when it comes to a pop from out of the fountain. The exception is those magic Coke machines that they have at places like Cedar Point. I keep thinking about the grape Hi-C out of those on a hot summer day; oh my! That stuff's dangerously good. Still, nothing even comes close to Big Blue, though. 

If you don't know about it, Big Blue is made by the same company that makes Big Red- not the bubble gum but the pop. If the color blue has a flavor, this is it. I've always described it as a blue cream soda, but there's really no distinct flavor besides sweet. It contains a stupid amount of sugar, enough to put a cavity in your sweet tooth! That's exactly why I like it. 

It is such a shame that Big Blue isn't really available in Ohio. It's a regional beverage which is most prominent in the south, and I look for it every time I travel. I even called the Big Red corporate offices a while back to try to locate that sweet nectar locally and it's just not around. Unfortunately, they're somewhat expensive to buy off the internet, too. If you do ever come across the stuff, give it a try and maybe pick me up a few too! 

Thanks so much for reading this and for tuning in to 94.9 WQMX. Enjoy the sunshine and warm weather coming our way, and maybe celebrate with a refreshing pop! 

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!