John Novak's blog

Sleeping In

Hello to you all and thanks again for giving our website a 'hit' and clicking on to our blog section. If you don't hear me on the radio for the next couple of weeks don't worry (ha! ha!....or celebrate), like Arnie, "I'll be back"...I'm just on vacation. One of the best things for me about being on vacation, is that I get to sleep in. Believe me, that's a big deal when you normally have to get up at 3:30am. In my abscence, you'll be in the capable hands of Ted Yates who gets to sit in for me and wake you up. He'll have all the regular features, information and great music that you can expect if you tune in any morning. Poor Ted.....just when he gets used to the early hours he'll have keep, I'll be returning and when I get back, he slides in the chair for Ray Michaels in the afternoon.

Vacation Planning

Yes, this is the time of year that many of us are planning or have already planned, a vacation or getaway of some sort. I have a couple of weeks off coming up and I've recently been trying to sort through a few options as to what I want to do and where I want to do it, in accordance with my budget and it's restraints of course. This year more than ever before, the price of fuel and how it's affecting what your vacation is going to cost, is a very significant factor. As a matter of fact, the Ontario provincial government is suggesting that this year we take a 'staycation' (clever, huh?) and holiday in our own neck of the woods. Of course we are fortunate to have an abundance of attractions and things to do in southern Ontario, so that might not be such a bad idea.

TV or not TV

Is it just me...or just the time of year....or is television programming indeed, really getting almost more wishy-washy than I can ever remember it being? I know there are a lot of (summer) re-runs at this time of year and seasonal replacement programs but despite the fact that we have access to and more selection of TV channels than ever before, I quite often find myself hard pressed trying to find something I actually want to watch when I do turn the TV on (and it seems I'm doing it less and less..... but then again, that's probably at least partially due to the fact that it is summer). There are way too many reality shows, celebrity gossip/entertainment programs and 'lame' sit-coms for my liking, and not a whole heck-of-a-lot of riveting sporting events going on. Of course 'the news' is always there and I do like to keep on top of what's happening, but sometimes it seems like it's just all too depressing. Mind you news is news and until the human race changes, it won't. Y'know what?........ .I think I'll just turn the radio on and enjoy the music, warm sunny weather and my own reality. Come to think of it, summer's probably a lot more fun that way. Rock on! (with CKOC of course)

A Sweet Summertime Treat

Well, in case you missed it, yesterday (Sunday) was National Ice Cream Day....as if we even need a reason to celebrate one of the most popular food/treats on the planet! I can't really say that I know anybody who doesn't like ice cream. From the time we are babies, stick some ice cream in the mouth and even a squalling child will stop in his or her tracks and immediately concentrate on, not what was upsetting them, but on the instant pleasure and gratification that they're experiencing from the taste of ice cream. I've often wondered what the person who invented ice cream thought, when they first tasted what they'd created.

Commuting Adventures

Driving into work this past week has been a bit of an adventure for me....and I'm not talking about stressing that I'll run out of gas because it's getting harder and harder to keep the tank filled with it these days considering the price of the stuff. No, I'm referring to the 'oddity' of being bombarded with giant moths, I think the size of some birds, that have been splatting on my windshield these past few  mornings for some reason. I'm sure they didn't enjoy it any more than I have, (no doubt even less) but nontheless, what a pain in the butt cleaning the gooey mess off my window every day.

Vacation Mode

This is a great time of year but it's also a kind of 'weird' time of year. What I mean is, everyone, primarily in the workplace, is either in vacation mode (waiting to go on vacation) or on vacation. Half the people you work with and are used to seeing everyday, seem to be missing and the remaining souls you see wandering the halls kind of have this glaze to their gaze, distracted with some inward thoughts or personal agenda. I guess it's a necessity that our intensity diminishes every so often, even it's only for a little while. It's a way of re-charging the batteries I suppose.

The Green, Green Grass of Home

I was checking out my lawn yesterday and noticed that with just the abscence of rain for a few days, it has turned a 'brownish green' that I don't find too appealing. Now, I've spent money on fertilizing it and done all the things that I know I should (through past experience) so that it maintains a nice, green, healthy look but it's not meeting my standards/expectations this summer for some reason. It does look like it could use watering although I don't want to do that too often. The 'experts' say you should only water once a week because it helps the root system stay stronger than if you water too frequently, not to mention the conservation aspect.

Your Next Car

I can't help wonder how the look of traffic might change in the next few years. We all know with the price of gas the way it is, and (apparantly) not much change, in the way of a decrease expected any time soon, that the big SUVs and trucks with large engines are waning in popularity. People just can't afford to operate them and many have decided to dump them in favour of smaller, cheaper to run vehicles. I was reading where you can buy a Hummer for about ten thousand less than it would have cost last year. Are our roads going to soon be filled with small sub compact cars....and the ones considered 'compact' now, will be what we refer to as 'full size'? Only time will tell of course but that very well might be the case.

Aaaahhh SUMMER!!!!

Here it comes gang, another great summer weekend! This one indeed promises to be fabulous...temperatures in the mid to high twenties and nothin' but sunshine in the forecast. These are the times we dream about during those long, cold, dark days of winter when we all seem to suffer (to one degree or another) from cabin fever and sunlight depravation, so my suggestion would be, get outside and do something, anything. Enjoy yourself! If you need a suggestion or two...well....The great Canadian Band, The Stampeders on on stage tonight at "Jackhammers" in Brantford and also. don't forget Oldies 1150 is gonna be at OLG Slots Flamboro tonight and every Friday night, with live entertainment, giveaways, cash and gas card draws, a free Barbecue and more! Get involved in an activity or just 'chill out' and relax but do take advantage of this wonderful time of year and keep that radio on Oldies 1150 for lots of great oldies to enhance your good times. Take us wherever you go. Have a super weekend.

Bloggers Anonymous

I got to thinking as I prepared to do this blog today, I wonder how many of you who read this also are involved in doing blogs? Are fellow bloggers the people who mostly read one's blog because they do it themselves or are the visitors of this area of the Oldies 1150 website just here "at random". I'm curious to know. Are you reading this right now because you just stumbled onto it, or did you specifically and deliberately check out my little daily verbal musing? Are you involved in writing a blog yourself? I know these daily web logs ("blogs" for short) have become a very common practise but I wonder if they're so popular because people are genuinely interested to read about someone else's thoughts and life, or if it's more a case that we enjoy spouting off ourselves about ourselves. Let me know. I will utilize any and all information/responses I get, to create a more interesting and relevant blog for you. My e-mail is jnovak@oldies1150.com