A Year In The Eastern Time Zone

After living in the Central Time Zone all my life, it has taking some getting used to living the Eastern Time Zone.  Even after a year, I'm not quite sure I'm completely used to it.

For the most part, everything is pretty normal, until you get to watching TV.

• Watching the news at 11pm here is just crazy!  I rarely stay up that late just to see who got shot in my 'hood

• Most of the people I know are still.... on Central time.

• Letterman and Leno starts at 11:35, I refer back to the news starting at 11pm... No late night funny for me.

• Primetime TV shows start late at 8pm and run into 10pm.  Well, I actually kinda like that, since the kids are in bed by 8pm... No disturbances!

I'm looking forward to the time change this weekend, falling back an hour will be like living on Central time again!  If TV shows would just move back an hour with me.

Life is Short, Have a Bucket

On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, we think about the tragedy of the event...  how horrific it was to lose all those people... all the brave men and women that died to rescue survivors.  We also look at our own mortality, and realize that we have become complacent in our own lives... we haven't loved enough, lived enough, and done all the things we wanted to do yet.  We remember that life is short, that everyday is a gift, and there are no guarantees.

When is the last time you looked at your life with a magnifying glass and asked yourself, 'what do I want?'  It's so easy to get caught up in serving others at work, at home with family and kids, and often forget about the most important person in your life... YOU!  ...and probably have never thought about the things, no matter how off the wall it is... things you've always wanted to do, but haven't yet?   Got an answer?  Then, go do it... solo or share your experience with family, or close friends.

I've kicked around things in my head for years about things I want to do in life, I finally started a bucket list of my own.  ::Check it out here::

What is it that you want to do before it's all said and done?  Have you made that list?  The list of things you want to do before taking a dirt nap?  There are no guarantees for tomorrow... Get busy, and live.

¿Donde Esta Todd?

I ask myself that too sometimes... As a traveling radio guy, you probably thought I ran off to another circus somewhere.  I'm proud to say, that I'm still in the Ft. Myers three ring radio circus and rockin' it!  Here's what I've been up to lately the past month since I blogged last:

Stealing parking spots at concerts...

Making funny faces....

(Trying to) Avoiding speed traps...

Having (adult) beverages with good friends...

 ...and enjoying trips to Walmart with my family...

So, as you can see, I've been pretty tied up... but good news is I have lots of blog ideas ready to go for your reading enjoyment coming soon.

My Buzz (Cut) Is Fading

Me in 1994

Male pattern baldness is a cruel joke given to us by our parents. There is no cure for it, and there is no way to naturally  change it.  I used to have a TON of thick, curly hair, but at 18, and it seemed like it all fell out at once.  It didn't really bother my too much since I wore a ball cap everywhere; not to cover it up, but because working in radio really doesn't have a dress code and it was comfortable.

As I got older, it was time to grow up and lose the hat, and I had figure out what to do with my (lack of) hair.  I buzzed my head with clippers with the '#1' guard on it.  Hey! It was a big step for me!  That was 2007.  My hair continues to thin out and I'm at another cross roads: Is it time to just shave it all with a razor?  

Good Grief!

A couple of 'bald brothers' at work do it, and it looks good on them... but I'm hesitant to do it....and not because I'm holding on to what's left... well, that's a small piece of it, but mostly it's because I have this odd-shaped, Charlie Brown-sized head.   It's big!  What is my big ol' noggin gonna look like without any hair on it?  So I started Google-ing how to shave my head, and came across a few videos that wouldn't work, but I was happy to find a some cool products for those follically challenged.

Maybe I will shave it all, maybe not... but if I do go all the way, I want to change my name to Kojak!

Who Loves Ya Baby?

Caution When Cruising

You could see it in the other parents' eyes... that the 'relaxing vacation' on a cruise ship with their kids... wasn't going to be so relaxing.

My wife and I decided to take a week on a Carnival Cruise with all three kids in tow. Trale 9, Mason 6, and Kyli 22 months. We knew ahead that we would have to tow Kyli everywhere we went because she was under two years old. The age threshold for the Carnival Kids Camp is 2 and up. So for parts of the day, Trale and Mason got to hang out with other kids for some fun activities and have a vacation too away from Mom and Dad!

Anybody with young children knows how easy it is for them to get bored even minutes after doing something fun. Being stuck on a boat, stuffed in a small cabins often sparked the 'bored' phrase more than I wanted to hear. Having to tote a little one around too made it difficult to see any of the adult sit down events which also provoked a 'bored' from me too from time to time.

In that water at the
Pirate Ship Excursion

The excursions turned out to be a nice release from the cruise ship doldrums. Getting to visit Grand Cayman and Mexico was a real treat, but I wanted to spend more time on land seeing the sights. You were whisked away for the excursion as soon as you stepped off the boat, by the time you returned, there was no time left to really experience the true culture of the town and you end up stuck in the port tourist traps with shops and restaurants I can visit anytime back home.

A picture of one of the pics snapped

At every turn, somebody from the ship was taking our picture... even before we took one step onto the ship, we were pulled over and our picture taken. Of course, the cruise ship wants you to buy the picture later for $20!! When we got off the boat, a picture snapped... as we were eating...SNAP... outside on the deck. 'CLICK'...walking back to the ship all sweaty and nasty from the excursion....SNNNAAPPP! I think our picture was taken more times than if we were walking into a bank to rob it.

We did have some fun on the boat, but there were just too many little things that overshadowed the great stuff on board: Cabins that were too hot, spaghetti at the Mexico excursion, too little time at port, no daycare for little babies, $6+ Beer...oh and all the damn pictures... It was just too much.

Me with Nacho and Pancho

There's a towel monkey in our room!

Not saying, not to take a cruise, because for the most part, this trip was a good time.  But for what it's worth...here's my two cents: If you want to see the world and cruise, do it with older children.  Look for cruises that allow more time at port to get the most out of the towns you are visiting, read reviews of the excursions before booking... and don't jump off the boat, even if you really want to.

Click here to see more pics from the trip!

Brain Power! Stay Creative!

It's tough at times for me to free my mind of clutter so I can think clearly and stir up with new, creative ideas. If you use your brain squash between your ears a lot, then this is a nice little exercise with tips on staying creative and moving forward.

Tim the Bouncer!

If you're a Tim McGraw fan and have been to one of his shows, you know that Tim don't put up with shenanigans at his shows... he boots out some really drunk fans at a show in Washington.  It's always fun to see the stars get all riled up... although Tim was pretty calm about things... check out the video below.

Country Jam: The New Cats Of Country

This week, we got to give our listeners a little treat with a free show with a few of the newest country stars.  We called it the "New Cats Of Country" with Thompson Square, Sunny Sweeney, James Wesley, and Steel Magnolia.  It was acoustic, and in the round... for my Texas readers... a la 'Ten Man Jam' style.  It was a magical event like never before in SW Florida.  It was a blast to put together and listeners filled the seats!  Check out a few of the pics!  Special thanks to all the artists on the show and Mike Gilbert for the cool photos!.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out even more pics from the New Cats show here!
James Wesley gave us a cool shoutout on stage too... see the video.

Mason Graduates Kindergarten

2 out of 3 of my kids have now graduated kindergarten. Mason, through 4 different kindergarten classes, made it through to the first grade.  Yes... 4 schools in one year.  It's partially my fault for moving cross country, and partially Lee County schools fault for having a jacked up enrollment system.

Sorry buddy for making you switch schools so many times this year.  Good job little man, you are so smart and you make me and Mom very proud.

Don't Mess With Darius

A few weeks back the radio station hosted a country concert with Darius Rucker... we went backstage and got to meet Darius with some of our listeners and noticed this BIG black guy that was never more than a few feet away from Darius... we figured he was the body guard... at one point yelled at some people standing in line.  We all joked that "we didn't want to mess with that guy."   We were right... press play below and see what happens to this guy at a show in Boca Raton that got too close during the show... it all goes down around 1:13 into it.

Phun with my Phone

I spent some time with my little girl, Kyli, outside this weekend and tested out the new add ons for my iPhone app, Hipstamatic... which puts a filter on the photo to make it look retro... and what came through the lens was nothing less than magic!  Click on the pictures for a bigger version.

 

T-Swizzle's New Digs And LBT's Martina Cover

Taylor Swift is on a housing shopping spree... just bought a spread for her folks in Nashville and now Taylor drops $3.5 Million for a nice little home in Los Angeles... maybe so she can do a few more movies, or be closer to the studdly movie stars... Check out her new place.  Click here to read about it.

Did you miss the ACM Girls Night Out Spectacular?  Little Big Town did an awesome rendition of Martina McBride's "Independence Day."  It just so happens you can watch it below. :)  -Todd

Happy Easter 2011

It was an Easter Egg Marathon at the Nixon household today... Trale and Mason compete for the eggs outside.

Baby Eagles

I'm a sucker for baby videos... now I can say I'm a sucker for little baby eagle videos... this one is live right now. Eagles high a top in their nest taking care of their young.  Press the play button.


Live TV by Ustream

Just Keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming

Singing in the shower!

They say you sound better singing in the shower... I, for one, do not sound better... 

Steel Magnolia sounds great already... add the reverb of a shower stall and you have magic! :)  Recorded at the Marriott in West Palm at 2am last night.

Cursed in TV

Did you ever start watching a show wayyyy after everybody else was already into it, then you have to play catch up?   I'm that way, but I take it one step further... after I start watching a show, they tend to disappear... at least, for a little bit.

24 was a huge show on Fox that I started watching in the middle of season six... and got hooked instantly... then I had to wait a year for Season 7, due to a writers strike. Then Season 8 ends up being the last season of the series!

Last year, I started to watch Mad Men. It was already season 4, and after watching the first episode, I decided to rent the previous seasons to catch up... So, after season 4 ends, and I become a huge superfan, season 5 gets DELAYED until 2012... sound familiar? Let's just hope Mad Men doesn't call it quits after season 6.

Here's the scoop on Mad Men season 5

Want me to make a TV show disappear? Make your requests below!

Carrie Underwood Movie!

Soul Surfer with Carrie Underwood is in theatres on April 8th... it's Carrie's first adventure into a major motion picture... and it's a pretty big role.  Looks promising!  I hope she won't want to un-un-un-un undo it when it comes out.  :)

For your entertainment...

Stuff I talked about today for your further enjoyment!

Well, this is interesting... Lady Gaga gives her 'freak anthem' "Born This Way" some twang!

Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum and many others lend their songs to disaster relief for Japan from iTunes for $9.99... it's 38 tracks! Check it out here. www.itunes.com/songsforjapan

Thompson Square wants to crash your wedding! CMT has a chance to win Thompson Square as entertainment at their wedding! Click the picture of Thompson Square to enter!