Pizza

Well it's been two months of unemployment and still no job. I keep sending out stuff but still no work. From what I hear from friends in the industry, there are lots of Dj's out of work right now. Since being unemployed money is of course short. The things you don't even think about when you have job like ordering a pizza for delivery is a premium now for Aija and myself. So I decided to make a pizza which is a lot cheaper and oh so tasty too. I got thin crust pre-made pizza crusts at the store and made an Alfredo pizza. It has Alfredo sauce, chicken, fresh mushrooms and a little sauteed onion, sun dried tomatoes, spinach and of course Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Oh and I forgot that I brushed an oil that had a bunch of herbs in it on the crust. So here is what it looked like when it was right out of the oven.
It was so good and we saved a bunch of money on doing it ourselves. The pizza crusts came in a two pack so I made a peperoni pizza a few days later and we had that which was good also. So there ya go, a quick great meal on a unemployed dj's budget. Make sure to check out Aija's blog as Lucy had to get a hair cut for a lot of mats in her fur so... try not to laugh to much. She looks like a different animal and so cute and tiny!! Her blog is right here, just point and click HERE

Hellloooooo!!! I know I haven't been writing much on here but being unemployed sucks and I really don't feel like it right now. Well Aija and I haven't been out since I've been unemployed so we decided to go out for Halloween. We really didn't go out a lot or even at all before no job but we were both getting cabin fever and it's not even winter yet. Well I was a nerd and she was a nerd school girl! So it was fun and here are the pictures.
This is Josh and Andreja, future sis and bro in-law. Josh has had some back problems so he didn't really dress up and Dre was... well some kind of punk army person and of course had to try and show some cleavage(which she doesn't have).
We made some new friends with Snow White and Beer man in the picture above... and of course Aija had to make friends with Mario and Luigi.

It was a fun night and didn't cost a whole lot so that was important too. It really sucks being out of a job. I was close to getting a job in MN and came in second. I really was over qualified for the job but I figured it was job. When I was interviewing the Operations Manager told me he had 45 applications for the job. I know you probably don't know but... that is huge for just a afternoon shift!! I hope to get something soon cause I'm getting sick of the Food network when I can't afford to make the things I see...hehehe. Oh and I almost forgot Aija knitted me a new had for winter and it is pretty cool.Hey I'll try to take more pics and get them on here for ya but for now... I just keep looking for a job!!!

This is my cat Saki playing yahtzee with Aija. Lucy also likes to play as you can see by her coming to check if Saki is done so she can play... kids these days. Looking for work is at a standstill as there is just nothing open right now in radio. That sucks so if you know of anyting that may be open let me know... ok???

Flank Steak for dinner

Since I'm not working right now (anyone need a radio announcer) I've decided to make things for dinner. Since Aija is tired when she gets home from work as I would be if I had a job...wink wink, I figure why not! So a nice flank steak is what's in the fridge marinating and it looks delicious. I did find something out when I was chopping the garlic and fresh ginger. My cat Saki joined me on the other half of the counter(other side) so I put a piece of ginger up to her nose and she as usual tried to sniff it but didn't like that at all and backed away. So I did the same with the garlic and she took one whiff of that and started licking her nose and decided she would watch from the floor...hehehe. I'm just going simple and making mashed potatoes with butter, three cheese and parsley on top for the side with the flank steak. Here is how it turned out and it looks more red in this picture than it was. We had left overs so I'm planning on having lunch with some warm tortillas and the meat...yummy.

Grandma Doreen's Flank Steak

1 flank steak (any size)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Red pepper flakes, to taste
4 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 (1 1/2-inch) pieces fresh ginger, peeled and sliced as thinly as possible
1 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey

In a shallow non-reactive dish spread 2 garlic cloves and half the ginger slices so that all parts of the meat will come in contact with them. Rub the meat with the sesame oil and red pepper flakes and place the steak onto the garlic and ginger. Spread the remaining garlic and ginger over the meat and pour the red wine, soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons of honey into the dish. Cover with plastic warp and marinate for 2 hours or overnight. Turn the meat once during marinating.
Heat a barbecue or grill. Cook the meat for 5 to 7 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the meat. This may also be cooked under the broiler or, on the stove if you have a large enough skillet. The marinade can be used by bringing it to a boil in a saucepan and then straining.
After removing it from the heat, let the flank steak sit for a few minutes, then slice thinly against the grain and serve in its own juices with cooked marinade sauce drizzled on top.

My cat Saki

Well some of you may know I have never had a pet, unless you consider that little hamster that bit my finger and was killed... Little S%#t!!! Well I have a cat now and her name is Saki and she is a little stinker. A couple of nights ago I was watching T.V. and on the computer at the same time(both in the living room). I turned my chair around and usually I'll find her in my recliner as that is her chair when I'm not in it. Well the picture to the Left is what I found... She was watching TV on her back with her head up and her feet out! She just gave me a look like "what are you looking at"...hehehe. Oh well she is a good cat but I have to watch my feet in the morning while I'm in bed because she will sit at the end of the bed and anything that moves under the covers is fair game for her to pounce on. Then she has to get it(my feet) and that means getting the claws out and biting my toes!! Yes if you can believe it she has been kicked out of my bed in the morning. All in all she is a good cat and getting along with Lucy the Diva much better than a couple of months ago. Now they are buddies for the most part and even like to get by the patio door and watch squirrel's together

This next picture is what they have been doing lately and that is just loving each other... well I should say Lucy licks Saki and Saki... well let's her. You would think that they would groom each other but I guess Saki doesn't feel like it...

Ok just a couple of random pics of the kids as Aija and I like to call them...

Saki's usual place at night is in my chair with her legs over the edge!

Lucy's favorite position, on her back sleeping

So there ya go, another blog of really nothing but not a lot happening. If you are a Magic 106.3 listener checking out the blog, we have some really cool BIG contests coming up thru the end of the year that you'll love so keep listening!!

New Phone

So I'm about to write about my new phone and I'm thinking... what an exciting life I lead blogging about a phone,heheheheh. So anyway I got the new Instinct phone (all touch) from Samsung for Sprint as my contract is up. Aija has a Sprint phone already so we just added a line to her contract and upgraded a bit but it's still cheaper than two contracts. I just got it Thursday night so I'm not all into it yet but it's pretty cool when you can watch live TV right on your phone. It also works as mp3 player for your music library and photo gallery all synced to your computer. It has the Web and I can get my email on it. I think the coolest thing on this is the voice GPS which guides you to your destination right from the phone so it's hands free in your car. Well I better get back to work but this weekend should be fun trying to get use to the phone. Oh and by the way I am a man... I didn't read the directions and just started playing with my new toy!! Thought you'd like that one Honey!!!!

Live, Collective Soul, Blues Traveler

Well the weekend is here and I think it's going to be a nothing weekend, just kind of hangin out doing nothing. Thursday was the concert night at Meadowbrook and it was pretty good. I went with my future sister and brother in-law pictured to the left and my other partner in concerts, my fiance Aija has a migraine so she couldn't go which bummed me out. Earlier in the week I set up a meet and greet with Collective Soul and with Live. I had to work so I couldn't make the meet and greet with Collective Soul(pictured to the right) because it was at 6:15pm. Well it never happened for the people I set it up for as their tour manager never showed up... oh well. We got to the venue and parked and by that time Collective Soul was already on stage as we walked up. Meadowbrook is is like DTE, as it is on a hill and there is a lawn area up above and then the covered seats up to the stage... it's outside. Our seats were pretty good (thanks to the manager of LIVE) in the 8th row on the left side. After Collective soul got done, Blues Traveler (pic to left) took the stage and they were really good. The whole vibe changed in the crowd and it was more of a party. So after that LIVE came out and rocked the place as they did last year. So after the concert we got to meet the band and there were a lot of people for that unlike last year when we went back. We hung around until the band came out and went thru the crowd.

This is a picture of the bass player who likes a good laugh as you can see

This is a picture of me and Ed the lead singer

Me with their drummer

I bet we waited about 45 minutes for everything and then we left. We all decided to head to White Castle after (becoming a ritual after concerts) the concert. My bro and sis in law decided we had to find the one around the concert. Well no one really knew where to go so we drove around for about another half an hour not finding it. Now I told them to just head up the road to the one we knew of but oh no... they were hungry so we had to look. None the less we headed up to Flint on the way home and got our sliders. We ended up getting back around 2am and we were all tired! So that was the concert night which was pretty fun.

This week I did find out that my ankle problem/pain that I've been having is not a fracture but a bone spur in my left ankle. I now have to see a podiatrist and I guess that it's either a cortisone shot or surgery. I've just been asked if I'm writing a novel so I better get going so my other half can get on here and look at knitting stuff for hours and hours on end...hehehehe. She did an amazing job on dying yarn using Kool aid I must say as the pic on the left is something she did last weekend!

Concert Time again

This is going to go down as the summer that I see the most concerts (Moondance Jam doesn't count). This Thursday it's Blues Traveler, Collective Soul, and Live at Meadowbrook. I just secured Meet and Greets for Collective Soul and Live for the show too so that should be cool. I'm hopeful to have pictures of the event to post next weekend.

What's been happening

Ok Ok I'll blog again... gesh, for the people emailing about my blog and nothing being written, get off my back already. So last night I went to the Bon Jovi concert and the Palace. Good show but the tickets where the worst seats I've ever had and I've seen a few concerts in my time (the price was right for these tickets). Nose bleeds were happening all around me! Aija got vertigo up there as it looks like you'll fall straight down to the ants on the floor. I'm so glad that Big Screens are in vogue for concerts because the band was pretty small down there. It was a good concert

Other than that I went back to Minnesota on Tuesday the 24Th of June. I needed to head to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester for my annual Kidney Transplant checkup on that Wednesday. It is now 9 years with a clean bill of health thanks to my sister's kidney inside me. Thursday thru Sunday I headed to the downtown Marriott City Center in Minneapolis for a radio convention called the Upper Midwest Conclave Convention. I'm glad that the Marriott spent 28 million to update the place as it was getting a little 80's casino looking. Now as you can see in the pic, the room's look pretty nice. For the convention, day's started at 8am and went thru 6:30pm and usually a cocktail party for a couple of hours after that. Got to meet Rick Dee's ( radio celebrity,Pic on left) and I know not a big deal but he is a legend... after all he did have a number one song with Disco Duck! I pretty much hung out with my old, and I do mean old placement director for Brown Institute. Now it's Brown College and he is a professor so it's changed a little since I went there 19 years ago. We got to party Friday night in the chambers Hotel in their 5th floor bar http://www.chambersminneapolis.com/. This place is nice if you have never been there in downtown Minneapolis. This is the front lobby when you walk in and from there it was upstairs in the elevator to the patio type bar.

RCA Records was one of the sponsors and my local rep just happened to be there so my drinks were taken care of as was every one which is good when they are about 10 bucks a pop. Below is the patio bar the wraps around the 5th floor, about half of the floor and then inside too.Saturday it was a twins game with a beer, pop and dome dog all for free. Hung out with family on Sunday and then flew back Sunday night. Other than that not a lot new... looking forward to meeting the band Live on the 24Th. Should be a good concert with Live/Collective Soul/Blues traveler all playing on one night at Meadow brook. I got to meet Live last year and they were pretty cool back stage. Other than that I hope to blog about Sake my black cat and have some pics on here soon.

Dave Matthews and Rush Concerts

I'm still recovering from two nights back to back of concerts!! I think I'm getting too old to do that anymore... But I did and it was a good couple of nights. Monday Aija and myself with Andreja and Josh(sis and bro-in law) went to Dave Matthews at DTE and it was awesome. We got 10th row in the center so the seats were great. I was suppose to get VIP Lounge passes from the record label but they weren't at WILL CALL so we went in and the show started. About 15 minutes into the show a lady came up to me in my seat with the passes which now didn't mean anything since the show started, oh well. Great show and of course I loved the horns in the show. This was their trumpet player; I'd say a good 350lbs.Good set up on stage too with a wrap around big screen all the way in the back with side views too and of course lots of lights. DTE is built on a hill and has about 15,ooo capacity with seating under a covering down the hill with seats like a big cement amphitheater with lawn seats at the top uncovered. We stayed till the end and I'm glad we had the covered Stadium seats and not the lawn seats on the hill behind cause it was raining and lots of lightning too. We got to our car and we waited for an hour just to move the car!!! The concert got out at 11pm and we didn't see the road till midnight. By then we were all hungry so we stopped at a White Castle in Flint on the way back. Nothing like sliders with onions for the next morning if you know what I mean! The good thing about the trip is the Aija and myself got to sleep on the way back as Andreja drove us to the concert and back. We got in about 2am and proceeded to crash hard. Aija took Tuesday and Wednesday off but I worked a on Tuesday and let me tell you it was hard getting up. So being tired it was time to head to Detroit for the RUSH concert. We got down there and this was the first time for me or Aija downtown at the Joe Louis Arena so we missed our turn once we got down there but did find our way to the parking garage. So we met the people for the meet and greet with RUSH and got escorted back behind the stage and met with Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee of RUSH. It was quick as the band got in late and there was double people to meet RUSH than what they expected. It was just a quick in and out but we got to shake hands and get a picture taken and then go to their private bar down there which was kind of neat to see all the Red Wings stuff that was down there(Venue that NHL Red Wings play at). Concert was good as it always is with RUSH but we were both tired and our feet hurt really bad as the night before we stood for the whole concert and this one again everyone stood the whole time. Aija was really tired so she sat some of the concert and they did take a break half way thru since as Geddy Lee put it, "we aren't spring chickens anymore so we are going to take a wee short break" which they did and we were grateful too. We left right before the Encore, then home by 1am. Tired tired tired on Wednesday morning but oh well, that's the way it goes with two nights of concerts. Glad that is done with the back to back but now looking forward to see Live, Collective Soul, and Blues Traveler at DTE in July.

Concert Time

Well I was going to write a blog last night about my new cat Sake but I just didn't feel like it so I'll get to that later. It's 5 days away from the Dave Matthews Band Concert Monday at DTE Energy Music Theater in Detroit (Clarkston) and then on Tuesday I get to see my all time favorite band RUSH with a meet and greet with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. I'm really excited to see both of these bands, it just kind of sucks that I have to work all week long so by Friday I'll be tired I bet. I'll try to get pictures up after both of the concerts but I'm not sure about the Rush show with pictures as no cameras are allowed. Above are a couple of video's from each band, take a look!

Memorial weekend

Summer is now here; at least that’s what I say after Memorial Day. Monday we went over to my GF’s (Aija) sister’s family for a Hawaiian Luau. We got over there and I was sent out right away to get ice, like I’m part of the family already… gesh!!hehehehe. So I got back to the house and found Josh(Bro-in law) and his sister cooking in the kitchen. Now you think you would find Josh and his wife Andreja in the kitchen but no, she was getting ready which takes forever to get this product… I mean look at her, she looks like she should be a Solid Gold Dancer from TV back in the 80’s( I love giving my future sister in-law crap).

We waited for people to show up so Aija my future bride took a pic of me drinking a Bahama Mama

and then being bored I took a picture of her looking oh so lovely

So we went outside and people started coming to the party. I must say Josh makes a mean Pina Colada

Appetizers included Josh’s Coconut shrimp and Aija’s mom made a pineapple salsa and of course we had fresh fruit too. Dinner was chicken in an island style sauce with white rice that I think had lime in it and Aija made an Asian salad which was yummy too. It was fun playing with the kids…

Ok I didn't really play with them but took their picture and got hugs as they now call me uncle Bob since getting engaged. From Left to Right up close; Hila and Jenna, who are sisters (Jenna is Aija's niece from her bro who is in the back in the blue wife beater) and Inara who is Josh/Andrej'a oldest

This is Rocky, Josh and Andreja's dog. We call him Rock Star since he is so cool and a very good too( he has a curly tail...I like trying to uncurl it but it goes back curled right away)

This is Aden, Josh and Andreja's boy is doing his best Power Rangers move

And three generations of girls had to get their picture taken too. By the way it was not my idea to take this picture so they were looking into the sun!! Just so you know

So we had some fun and then when we got back home found our children( the cats) playing with each other. They would run back and forth down the hall chasing one another. Next thing I know Sake is hiding in the rug that was piled up from sliding in it.

So it was a pretty good weekend. Oh and it looks like we have our wedding date of June 27th 2009!!!

She said YES!!! We got Engaged!!

Well today was the day that I'm sure will change my life, I asked my GF to marry me and she said YES!! I first went to the jewelry store yesterday on my lunch and thought I would just look at rings as I felt it was time... it's been 10 months that we have been going out and we have talked about it. SO, I had no idea what to get; the only thing I knew is that she likes simple. So I just got a small solitaire diamond. I kept looking at it at work and decided that I wanted to give her more than that so I went back to the jewelry store after work and got her a bigger diamond with little diamonds under the stone. When my GF got home I looked at the fake ring she has on(so she won't get hit on at work). I said wow that fake ring sure is big and she said yes it's big and it has a round diamond on it and I don't like that... OH great!!! Guess what kind of stone I got her, you guessed it, round. So after I went to work at a remote broadcast this morning I went back to the jewelry store and got a totally different ring and now a band for the set and here is what it looks like.

This is the ring alone without the band. It's hard to see what it really looks like but for me it looks like Mac and Cheese for a year!!!hehehehe I'm just kidding honey if you read this!!

So this afternoon we have to celebrate so we are going to the World Expo Of Beer... now you know why I'm marrying her...hehehehe!