Podcast-o-rama

For those who didn't know, I love my job. One of the nice things about it is that I can listen to my ipod (iphone) a lot. I probably average 5 hours a day of listening time. So, even though I love my music collection I have discovered that a little talk radio never hurt anyone either. For those who don't know, podcasts are basically talk radio for the digital age. There is a huge variety of shows available. Some are free, and some you have to pay for. I have yet to get bored with the free shows, and I don't see me paying for a show unless it was really awesome. (I'm cheap)

I download all my podcasts on iTunes, because it is really easy to get them on my iphone that way. You can go straight to the source and get shows directly from their individual websites. www.podcastalley.com is also a resource for finding shows you may be interested in.

I have tested out tons of different shows, but I am listing my favorites that I subscribe to and love.

My list:

Living in Las Vegas : This is what got me hooked on podcasts. My favorite resources on the internet when I am researching anything are those that get their information from regular people. I like message boards, blogs, amazon reviews, etc. So when I was researching moving to Las Vegas, I found this podcast. It is a wealth of information, I like the hosts, and the sound quality is excellent.

The Adult Space Childfree podcast : I just started listening to this one. Shows are pretty short (about 10 minutes) and the host just hits topics from the news that are relevant to the childfree lifestyle. If you are not familiar with the term "childfree" just google it.

A Prairie Home Companion: I know the demographic for this podcast is probably retired people, but I like it. My parents used to have Lake Wobegon on cassette tapes and that's what we listened to on long car trips. Don't judge me.

ChinesePod : My free Chinese tutor. If you are interested in learning any language, you can find free lessons in the form of a podcast.

NPR: Story of the Day- A random short story on some weird news piece.

Sex is Fun : I am still working on catching up on these episodes. It is a pro-sex podcast that touches on a large variety of topics for non-vanilla thinkers. I am always a little paranoid that my headphones will somehow malfunction and everyone is my office will suddenly be able to hear the host talk about his butt toys. I think I work with some very vanilla thinkers.

This American Life: This is a long-time favorite NPR show. They tell interesting stories from real people that will make you laugh and cry. You have to pay to access the archives, but to get the current week's show is free.

VeganFreak Radio: A couple of self-proclaimed vegan freaks discuss vegan life and issues relating to veganism.

Someday our ship will come in

Here are our lottery tickets from yesterday. We are losers.

Strong like Bull

Sorry for the delay in posting. I have been so busy, there's been no time to post. I'll update on the boat later, but as promised here are my before and after pictures from doing Jillian's Michael's 30 day "Making the Cut" program.

Before front

After Front

Before Back


After Back

So, basically Jillian kicks your ass for 30 days to get you into tip-top shape. It's good if you have an event or something to go to. However, Cat and I went through it together just to show off our guns. The work outs are pretty crazy. If you have ever watched an episode of "The Biggest Loser" that is basically what it was like. I ran around the gym like a crazy lady doing lots of weird looking things. And by weird I mean bad-ass GI Jane moves like clapping push ups and one-legged squats.

I hope to have an arm wrestling rematch with Adam at the lakehouse.

Auntie Em! Auntie Em!

On a stormy Saturday night we came home from the gym (pretty wild, I know) and found that Fibi the not-so-wonder dog had peed on the carpet. In the past 2 years she has developed an irrational fear of thunderstorms. If we are home, she feels safe and is fine. But in our absence she freaks out, and it usually results in a loss of bladder control. After cleaning up the mess, I went to turn on some lights and they wouldn’t work. The breaker box had a bunch of tripped breakers and I immediately thought of our entertainment mecca in the living room. 73” HDTV, 7.1 surround sound, PlayStation 3. Upstairs to investigate… The surge protector had pretty much exploded and the outline of the surge protector was singed into the carpet. Not a good sign. Long story short, we were struck by lightning. We set out to assess the damage and started piling things up in the guest room, aka electric-fun-time-graveyard. The results were not good, even the toilet broke! So, now we have started the process of filing a claim with the insurance company and hopefully it will all go nice and easy and we’ll just replace all the stuff. Luckily, it is just stuff and no wonder dogs or not-so-wonder dogs were harmed in the process.

On a completely different note, I completed Jillian Michael’s “Making the Cut” program and I will post my results soon, basically I am ripped.

Our Picks

Here are our tickets for the mega millions tonight. Should we win, we will be dividing the pot between:

Nicole
Kyle
Adam
Lia
Rob
Mark
LA
Ben
Eversole
Todd
Lesley
Phil D.

and 4 people from my office
Larry, Jeff, Cassi, and Daniel

I think a lottery pool should be a regular weekly occurrence, whether or not the pot is large. Because when you see those shows on the tv about lottery winners, it is usually someone who spends like $20 a week on tickets. Now, I'm not foolish enough to blow $20 a week on it, but I would gladly spend $1 a week for a pool. So, I think from now on you can expect me to be collecting money from you at trivia and posting our picks here at the wonder dog blog.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness

I have canceled my maid service. Contrary to Billy's belief, I am not rich and I decided this was one luxury I could live without. Money I am saving by scrubbing my own toilet will go directly into the buy-a-new-boat-fund. However, since I　have not cleaned much of anything in about 4 years there will be an adjustment period. First, I will have to actually buy some cleaning supplies and a tub or something to contain said supplies. Then, I will need to take a break from my usual Sunday routine (ps3 and tivo), get down on my knobby little knees and make this dump shine like the top of the chrysler building! On a side note, when my mom cleaned our house growing up she would rock out to one of the following: Tina Turner (Private Dancer era), Annie Lennox, or Miami Sound Machine. Now whenever I hear "Come on , shake your body baby, do the conga" I get the urge to dust something.

Boat update

So, we decided to go with the cheap and easy method to fixing the boat deck. (I learned it from your mom. Burn!) Instead of ripping out the old floor and replacing it, we are throwing some new plywood on top of the old rotten stuff. True craftsmanship at work. This pretty much seals the deal that we will be selling the boat within 12 months. But, I won't sell it to a friend that's for sure. So, Todd and Mark went to town with the plywood while the rest of us took off all the teak trim, sanded it, and oiled it. A special thanks to LA, Gen, Sarah, Hadley and of course Mark who sacrificed his blood to fixing our boat. Luckily the doctors were able to reattach his finger.

We got further than I expected for one day of work. I think there's probably 2 more days worth of work on the interior, and then another 2 days to fix the busted water hose. So, if you weren't able to make it to help this past weekend, don't fret there are plenty more opportunities. The propeller has been shipped off to Minnesota for repair, and hopefully the seats will be ordered online this week. Yea! I am posting this from work. When I get home I'll add some pictures.