No Next Button: Only Three of These 35 Major Design Mistakes Should be Avoided by Everyone

This is my companion piece to Elle Decor's list of "35 Major Design Mistakes that Everyone Should Avoid." (You will want to open the link to follow along: https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/interior-designers/g28940630/bad-interior-design-trends/ )

It's a list compiled from apparent feedback from multiple designers (but not 35 unique designers -- a few designers appear at least twice.) Most of them are, in my design opinion, obnoxious.

1. Vessel sinks: You can set them lower. Your petite friends will be fine.

2. Leather sofas: Not everyone is a nudist. And, nudists sit on towels.

3. Karate chop pillows: The pillows aren't offensive. That wallpaper is.

4. Brass kitchen faucets: It will look better as it ages than any chrome faucet.

5. Icon-itis: I think Joe Nahem is jealous. This room looks fab.

6. Fools Gold: I hear Trump has one. I agree.

7. Fake Fancy: I'm not sure what the name brand in the tacky bedroom is. The round bed and fake 3-tier cake are tacky. So, I agree?

8. Sentimental Decor: This isn't a collection. It's a store display. Hummel figurines are not ugly and if I love my grandma's Hummel collection, f-you, Miles Redd. What's ugly -- Lladro.

9.  One Night Table: This one is half-right. What's wrong with this set up is that anyone who sleeps on the right-side of the bed has to either climb over the person on the left or climb in from the bottom. There's room to move that bed over. There's also no lamp next to the bed, so who is going to be reading in bed? Assuming this is indeed a guest room, if you are sponging off your friends/family for overnight accommodations, don't complain. You could PAY for a hotel room and have a nightstand and lamp.

10. Beveled Glass: I don't know why. And I'm not sure that taking advice from someone named after a crunchie vegetable is the way to go.

11. Dried Flower Arrangements: Sorry Nate, I don't think this is an arrangement. The vase is too big for the stems that are there. It's more likely the remains of a larger floral arrangement. I take out the flowers out as they die off. But, Nate is right, how do you clean dried flowers?

12. Poorly Done "More is More": Sorry, is there really a way to do "more is more" well?

13. Hotel-Inspired Rooms: What's really ridiculous is that the bed is in front of a glass closet door and the only clothing this person has is little white dresses.

14. Dark Lampshades: It's not just dark -- it's patterns, too -- that Ellie dislikes. Personally, I like the example. It's by a large window, keep that Venetian blind up and I don't see gloom. I would consider the sofa and border on the Venetian blind are also dark and therefore gloomy, per Ellie.

15. Tourist Art: Art is subjective. So, no problem, Young Huh, I'll pay someone else to hung the art that I like. (See, I PAY you, not the other way around.)

16. Commitment-Phobia: So, having red napkins and a red curtain in a dining room with a glass-top table, white chairs and white carpet apparently is not committing to a color. The pop of color in the white room looks good. Mono-chrome sucks. Plus, the red will coordinate with the red wine stains that are soon to adorn that white carpet.

17. Not Using Every Room of the House: Who has rooms in their house they don't use? Maybe someone with a 14-bedroom and 16-bathroom house? But the real problem with this room is the drop ceiling. (Which honestly, makes me think this is an empty office in an office building -- the ceiling is lower than the top of the windows.) If you can afford an unused room, put in a real ceiling.

18. Matching Fabrics on the Drapes and the Furniture: This seems to contradict the "more is more" since this seems to be an ideal use of "more is more." Only the cushions on the stools and the drapes are the same fabric. So, in response to #12, can you do "more is more" well -- I guess so.

19. Dark Walls: It's not the dark walls, it's the over-saturation of color. The walls are a dark blue and the carpet is a plum-purple. It's not the wall color that's the problem -- it's all the purple in the room. Do dark carpet/light walls or dark walls/light carpet. And do better color coordination.

20. Shabby Chic: Sorry, that room is not cluttered. A twin-bed (looks like a long-twin, too.), a nightstand, desk and dresser are not clutter in a bedroom. Some people don't like mid-century modern, either. And, Jimmy-boy, wipe your feet on the way into someone's home and wiping them on the way out won't be a problem.

21. Reclaimed Wood: Yeah, I don't want any room in my home to look like the counter at the local coffee shop. But the reclaimed wood is not the problem. Madeline apparently hates the environment.

22. Over-Protection: Yes, I'm going to spend $1k+ on a nice dining room table and then let people place their hot dinner plates on the table, spill wine, etc. and ruin the finish. The problem with this table is that you cannot see the person across from you while dining because of the huge-a** centerpiece. (I supposed it's a bonus if the person sitting across from me is Trump, but not if it's Obama.) And, that tablecloth doesn't add anything.

23. Curtains that Just Graze the Floor: I suppose you could shorten them or does Ellie want them to puddle on the floor? Maybe just get your curtains cleaned on a regular basis and they won't "curl up over time and look mingy." (And what eff is "mingy?")

24. Assuming All Mid-Century Modern is Great: This is Joe Nahem. He didn't like the "Icon-itis" in #5. This is kind of confirming my opinion that he's jealous. This isn't my style, but the only bad thing I see is the plaid sofa. I don't think it fits the Mid-Century Modern that well. But, if that's the problem -- it really needs to be featured more prominently in the photo.

25. Rooms without Dimmers: Look, I like dimmers on lights. Being able to adjust the light level for what you're doing is great. Not having them doesn't kill friendships. And if it does, I don't think they were really friends.

26. A Different Wallpaper . . . (in every room)*: So you should put all of it in the same room? Frankly, once again, the photo shows a use of wallpaper that actually looks good. The hallway wallpaper (that you can barely see) coordinates nicely with the billiards room wallpaper. Try harder to make your point.

27. Mauve: Awww, poor Mary, a color hurts her "whittle" feelings. Really? A shade of pink does that much harm to you? I bet the dark blue and dark purple room in #19 kills her.

28. Framed Photographs of Family . . . (on ever possible surface)*: It would seems Brian is just struggling to be part of the critical crowd. He doesn't object to family photos unless you have them on every possible surface. It's hard to sit on your sofa if there are photos there, so don't put them there. This is really like Young Huh in #15, he doesn't like it, but art is subjective. Keep your pictures of granny out if they make you smile.

29. Pullout Sofa Beds: If you don't want to sleep on a sofa bed, you can PAY for a hotel. Or just be grateful for a warm place to sleep. (And remember, company is like fish, it stinks after 3 days.)

30. Cherry: This just in, Nate Berkus hates the color red. I personally, dislike the trend to decorate in gray monotone. So, I say, "Gray."

31. Using Decor from Just One Era: Okay, this is the THIRD time for this theme. Some designers must really be jumping on a hate bandwagon. Personally, I think "mix and match" can be really great. But they have a sofa in the dining room, maybe it doesn't work anywhere else? Or, maybe they like it. I think it looks good.

32. Gallery Walls: Okay, Wendy, are they good or bad? You like the personal touch but think they add clutter. Maybe the issue isn't the gallery wall, but what's in the rest of the room? I think gallery walls looks nice, but I think they are difficult to pull off because you need to get the spacing and balance right. More power to the person who can do that.

33. Too Many Brass Accents: This one is a toughie. I do agree -- you can go overboard on accents. I'm not going to limit it to brass, though. Frankly, once again, the photo is, in my most humble opinion, not a good example of too many brass accents.

34. Stark Modern Interiors: Okay, I think I can go all in on agreeing with Erika Yeaman on this. The stark look seems serene, but people live in homes. You need a place to have books, magazines, remote controls, etc. In the photo example, they seem to have purchased shelves to put nothing on. Why?

35. Forgetting to Edit: Wow, a third one I agree with (out of 35 -- this is not a good thing.) It's really tempting to put all of your collection out, but if you want it to look good, put out the best pieces. Or, do a rotation every couple months.

I will admit, it might really be more than three that I have agreement with, but the others have caveats.

So, what do you think?

*The statement is parenthesis is the continuation of the tagline -- kind of like a bait-and-switch.

Yesterday was my second time working out at Orange Theory Fitness but it was my first official Orange Theory Fitness workout. The theme for the day was endurance.

I think I enjoyed this workout more than the first one. I started out with rowing and ended with the walking. The coach, Ben, had us do these side plank things to work our obliques. I sucked at them.

He also wanted us to do burpies. UGH! I do not burp well. I knew I couldn't do anything involving jumping (or moving) up and down, so I just did straight push ups. Which by the third set where killing my arms. (Which, amazingly enough, are not sore today. Not sure if that means I'm doing something wrong.)

Although I don't hit the numbers they are pushing for on the treadmill, I do push myself higher than my normal (which is around 2.5.) I kept my treadmill at 3.0 with a 2 incline through most of the workout. The first half was intense for a distance (1/8 of mile for walkers) and then one minute of recovery. I went about .44 miles doing that. The second half was to go as hard as we could for 10 minutes and try to beat our distance from before. I got to over .5 miles. Very happy with that result.

Things that we good about this workout -- since I knew what the colors on the screen meant, I was able to see if I was working at a high enough intensity.*

The other thing that is cool about Orange Theory Fitness is that they mail you a summary of your workout. If I remember correctly, the goal is to have 15-25 minutes of your workout in the blue/green zone and 15 in the orange/red zone. I hit both this time.

I don't have editting software available as I post, so I apologize for all the crap around the shot -- I'll edit it later.

I'm feeling good about my Orange Theory Fitness membership. (And not giving money to Drumpf.)

*I went up and found my name on the board so I'd know where to look for my color -- I don't wear my glasses while working out and can't read the monitor unless I walk up close enough

Procrastination is Not Your Friend

In my true fashion, I procrastinated getting workouts two and three in this week, so that when Saturday rolled around, I had to work out both Saturday and Sunday. A little bit of panic sets in -- but I'm still good.

I have a plan:
1. Get up early and workout around 7:30 on Saturday morning before going to volunteer at the San Diego Zoo at 9:30
2. Go work out around 9:30 on Sunday morning before going to my noon Sunday game event.
3. Perfect plan.

Of course, I do not follow this plan.

Instead this is the actual results (which I should have known):

1. Do not get up early on Saturday.
2. Do volunteer training, walking around the Lost Forest at the Zoo and then do a two-hour shift at orangutans.
3. Go to LA Fitness after all that.

Photographic proof: 

I go to the LA Fitness location in Kearny Mesa. Above is a photo of the club on the outside.

You may say, hey, so you dropped by, took a pic and left. Nope . . . 

Here I am at the front desk:

(Sorry, cannot figure out to rotate that photo -- it's right in my photo editor, but not here.)

And to prove I actually worked out -- here are the results:

The best part is that I made myself work at a bit higher pace than I normally do. I usually start at 2 miles per hour, but today I started at 2.5 miles per hour and actually went up to three for a bit. It was a 45 minute walk with a 5 minute cool down.

And the plan for today (Sunday, March 27)? Of course, that went out the window. I got up on time to go to my game event, but not to go workout before hand. So at 3:00 when games ended, I headed over to DeAnza Cove to walk.

I made a deal with myself, if I could easily find a parking space, I was walking around the bay area there. If not, I'd go home and walk the neighborhood. No problem finding a parking space. Lots of people, but parking was not a problem.

I did a photo and a little video at the beginning of my walk. Here's me at DeAnza:

Yeah, I know you have no idea where I am from the photo, but it's DeAnza. I was listening to "A Way with Words" on KPBS which was about half way done when I left.

I don't know how to add the video from my phone yet -- so maybe later I'll add that..

I walked for about one and a half hours. From the lot at DeAnza to the Hilton Hotel and back.

It was a bit of a challenge dodging all the people on bikes. None of whom know how to announce they are approaching -- like saying "on your left" or "left" before they pass. On the other hand, if they did do that, they probably would have gone hoarse from constantly announcing their approach to all the people.

I really don't understand why Minnesota, a place with THREE months of warm weather, has separate paths for cyclists and walkers/runners, but San Diego with TWELVE months of warm weather makes them share one path.

My feet were really sore after both walks, but, damn it, no money for Drumpf.

Happy dancing! (But next week, two workouts done by Wednesday.)

Orange Theory Fitness - Let the Ransom Workouts Begin!

My ransom workouts ran into a snag at the end of January when my dad died and the trip home for his funeral messed with my finances. But things are finally back on track and the Ransom Workouts have officially begun.

The standards for the Ransom Workouts:

• The workout week is Monday-Sunday
• I will workout for 30 minutes, three times a week
• I will submit photographic evidence of the workouts

If I do not do this, I will lose $5 per workout not completed and the money not ransomed from now through the end of April will go to Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

THAT CANNOT HAPPEN!

So, today, I went to check out Orange Theory Fitness (OTF) in Mission Valley for a free class. My sister in Des Moines, Iowa, goes to OTF three to four times a week there and told me about it. I decided I wanted to check it out.

Here I am with my Bluetooth heart rate monitor waiting for my workout class to start:

Me -- with my heart rate monitor ready to workout

I was presently surprised to find that they have showers --  only two but they have them. It seems most people just come, workout and leave. They do have hand lotion in all the bathrooms -- something my dry hands love!

I started my workout on the rowing machines and alternated rowing with upper body weight training. I also did my first TRX routine. It will be interesting to see how sore my arms are tomorrow. I ended with treadmill and squats.

Going into this, I was interested in joining. I didn't want the unlimited package because I know I won't go that often and right now, I'm just looking to go at least once a week. They have several packages for monthly memberships -- 4, 8 and unlimited times per month. Or, you can pay for 10-30 sessions and have a year to use them.  I decided to go with the four times per month membership. If I decide I want an extra class, it's $18.00/class (actually less than my current per class cost.)

Here is my new membership folder:

My new membership folder

My first official workout is scheduled for next Tuesday, March 29 at 5:05.

Ransom recovered: 1!

Ransom Workouts

Like many people, I'm constantly trying to find ways to motivate myself to do some sort of physical activity. I recently started to walk with someone from my Meetup game group, which has helped me do more walking (and the fact that she walks a bit faster than I would on my own doesn't hurt.)

I've been thinking about why I don't workout regularly. I have a gym membership at LA Fitness, but it's pretty darned cheap. I pay about $120 for an entire year. This only "hurts" my pocketbook when I make the payment and it's an average of about $10/month. Not a huge financial hit to pay for and not use. I've been thinking that if I was paying, say $50 each month for a gym membership (about what it would cost me to join a new club like 24 Hour Fitness), I would probably go more often because I'd feel the need to get my money's worth.

This lead me to my idea -- Ransom Workouts.

I will give an amount of money to my walking buddy to hold for me and I only get the money back if I do my workouts. My initial thought is that I will shoot for three times per week and each workout earns $5 of my money back. I would give her $60 at the beginning of the month and to get my money back, I have to workout and prove that I did the workout. My initial idea is to take of photo of myself with the days paper at the club at the end of my workout.

Then I started thinking that, well, my friend isn't necessarily motivated to get me to workout if she gets to keep my money (not that she wanted to) but I thought, what if any money I don't earn back has to go to a charity I don't support. (I know Donald isn't desperate for my $5, but I certainly don't want him to have it anyway.) I bring the money thing up to my friend and tell her my idea. She likes it -- she was thinking that any money I didn't earn back would be donated to charity anyway. She just wasn't doing the evil twist.

I think she is going to do this, too. So starting by February 1, I will have to workout or give money to someone I don't want to have my money.

Updates, photos and progress to follow.

My May Freebies

I've been trying to save money with coupons and other free deals that I learn about. Since I've moved to San Diego, I don't have regular access to a store that double coupons -- at least that I'm aware of at this time.

Mostly, I've been taking advantage of free samples that I hear about. In May, I got four samples for free:
1. L'Oreal EverPUre Shampoo and Conditioner sample

2. Zone Perfect Cashew Pretzel Bar (full-size bar)

3. Folgers Special Roast sample (enough to make one pot)

4. Free Blockbuster Express DVD rental for one night (I watched The King's Speech)

Not a lot -- but I figure the more I catch the more I'll get.

The Specialness of June

Apparently there is something special about every day and every week in June -- some are even doubly special because they have more than one thing to celebrate.

Here is the specialness of June, starting with the weeks:
In sequence, we have National Fishing Week, National Clay Week, National Hermit Week, and National Camping Week
Take a Kid Fishing Weekend is June 11-13. Ask a Boy Scout for help if you need it. Please
National Nursing Assistants Week is June 11-18
National Flag Week is June 14-20. (Your attention is called to June 14th, below.)
National Mosquito Control Awareness Week is June 20-27.
June 1st is National Trails Day
June 2nd is Colleen Day
June 3rd is Chimborazo Day
June 4th is Old Maid's Day
June 6th is the 66th anniversary of D-Day
June 8th is Best Friends Day
June 9th is Senior Citizens Day
June 10th is Ball Point Pen Day and Little Brother Bill's Birthday
June 12th is Magic Day
Kitchen Klutzes of America Day, the 13th, shares Weed Your Garden Day — the second Sunday in June
June 14th is 'Pop Goes the Weasel' and Flag Day. Stand and salute her when she passes on 7/4...
June 15th is Fly a Kite Day — to commemorate Franklin's kite experiment in 1752
June 16th is National Fudge Day
June 17th is Eat Your Vegetables Day
June 18th is National Splurge Day
June 20th is Bald Eagle Day and Father's Day. This may be a coincidence. The third Sunday of June is designated Ice Cream Soda Day and falls on the 20th this year
June 21st Cuckoo Warning Day. Hear a cuckoo and have a wet summer
June 22nd is Auto Race Day and Stupid Guy Thing Day. TURN LEFT!
June 23rd is Bullwhacker Day
June 24th is Log Cabin Day. Good syrup
June 25th is LEON Day. LEON is NOEL spelled backwards. It is six months until Christmas
June 27th is National Columnists Day. Some are better than others
June 28th is World War I Day
June 29th is Library Advocacy Day
June 30th is Leap Second Time Adjustment Day

Information plucked from the Pioneer Press Bulletin Board on June 1, 2010.

The Vision Thing

The end of the year is coming and if you have some Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) money sitting out there, you surely don’t want to lose it.

I’m not going to suggest that you get sick between now and midnight on December 31,2009, but I will suggest that perhaps some new glasses are in order. Even if all you’ve got left in your HSA account is less than $20, I know where you can get at least one pair of glasses (and maybe even two – if you’re willing to toss in a couple bucks after-tax.)

Go to Zenni Optical (www.zennioptical.com) and you can get prescription glasses starting at $8.00 – yes, starting at less than $10 and they are indeed prescription lenses. You will need to get your eye glasses prescription from you optometrist (be sure that the PD distance is completed because you’ll need that to get your prescription filled properly.)

If you need bi-focals, you will pay a bit more for your lenses. You can get the lenses tinted for about $5.00 extra dollars, as well.

I recently ordered six pairs of glasses for about $70 – total. I got five pairs of regular glasses and paid to have the lenses tinted on one pair to use as sunglasses. I got some pretty funky glasses.

I really like them and get compliments on them all the time.

In fact, I like them so much, that I hardly ever wear my contact lenses any more.

Miracle in St Paul

I celebrated my birthday on Saturday, December 12. Nothing big -- just went to dinner with a friend and then out to listen to Tim Sigler with another friend.

My friend, Kia, came over to my house around 5:00. When I answered the door, I also got my mail and saw a card from my mom. Knowing my mom, I figure it’s my birthday card and there’s probably a $20 bill in there. I open the card and I was right. (Thanks Mom!)

Since she had to pick her daughter up at 7:00, we drove separately and we decided to go to Don Pablo’s. The other thing about this birthday dinner is that it’s Kia’s birthday dinner, too. Her birthday is the 16th, mine’s the 13th and we’ve been taking each other out for our birthdays for the last few years.

We had a nice dinner (love the Queso Blanco) and shared a fried ice cream for dessert. We opted out of the free dessert – mostly because it requires wearing a sombrero and getting your picture taken and posted by the entrance to the restaurant. I mean, what if the person who wore that hat last had lice? Just doesn’t seem sanitary to me.

My friend Cassie called me when she got off work around 10:00 and I headed over to Half Time Rec to meet her there and listen to Tim Sigler. I decided to just bring my ID, some cash ($50) and my cell phone in my jeans pockets so I wouldn’t have to carry a purse around. Cassie was driving over from Eden Prairie (Half Time Rec is in St Paul) so I was there well before her.

I paid my $5 cover and found a place at the bar and ordered a Guinness while I waited for her. The place was pretty crowded, but not as crowded as the last time I was there. I could see the door from the bar – but I couldn’t see the band – but I figured we’d move to the other side of the place once she got there.

Once she got there, I told her I wanted to take my coat out to my car, so I didn’t have to carry it around with me. I offered to take hers out with me and headed out the door.

I was parked on the street about a half block away and as I was walking to my car there was a school bus painted green filling up with people that were at Half Time Rec getting ready to go to another bar. I had my keys hooked to my belt loop with a carabineer and my keys tucked in my pocket. I pulled my keys out as I headed to my car. I put the coats in my trunk and headed back to the bar.

As I was approaching the bar and got near the front of the bus, I noticed two quarters on the sidewalk, so I stopped to pick them up. I gave the people on the bus a lovely view of my butt and picked the two quarters up. I thought I’d give them to the bar tender (an extra two bits to go with the tip I’d given her for the Guinness – aren’t I generous?) As I was standing up, I looked to my right and noticed a five with some ones folded and sitting on the sidewalk.

I’m thinking, wow, this is my lucky day. I only find money like this in my dreams. There’s a small moment of feeling sad for the person who lost the money – but it’s only $8 or 9 dollars. I’m putting the money in my pocket and this is when I first realize that the money that was previously in my pocket is not there. Now I realized that the money I’d just found was mine. And, I take a quick look around, and realize that there’s another $30 missing.

Damn.

I double-check and the only other thing in my pocket is my driver’s license and the $9 I’ve recovered.

I’m pretty bummed, but decide not to say anything to Cassie and to try not dwell on it.

The dwelling thing is hard. I keep thinking about how stupid it was for me to tuck the keys in my pocket. I kicked myself for not putting at least some of the money in the other pocket. I told myself to stop beating myself up. I even channeled my mother and said a little prayer that the person who found my money needed it more than my unemployed and broke butt did. I also said a little prayer to St. Anthony that I find my money. (Like that would ever happen.)

I did have a fun evening. We danced for an entire set and then found a place near the stage and dance floor to talk, people watch and listen to the next set.

When Tim announced he was getting ready to be done for the evening (around 12:30) – I asked Cassie if she wanted me to go get her coat. She said yeah and I headed out to get her coat.

I decided that just for the hell of it, I’d look for my $30. It wasn’t sitting anywhere near where I’d found the $9. I was walking along the cars parked along the street and looking down. By the driver’s side door three cars in front of my car, sitting on the ground is my $10 bill. Cool. I look further up the street, and by the driver’s side door of the next car is my $20 bill. Amazing.

So I said a little prayer of thanks. (Seriously.) I mean God heard my prayers and made sure that the person who found my money needed it at least as much as me.

The Dish

This past week, I’ve been focused on eating the food I have in my freezer. Not necessarily to save money or anything like that but because today I went back to Let’s Dish for the first time in over 10 months. I needed to open up space in that freezer for my meals.

In the past, I’d go to Let’s Dish roughly every other month, but I haven’t been there since January of this year. If you aren’t familiar with Let’s Dish, it’s a meal preparation store. You can sign up to make 4, 8 or 12 meals that serve 4-6 people each. The average cost of each entre (assuming you get 6 meals) is about $3.95 – which is a pretty good price for a good meal in my book. And, you can split each meal that you make so that the prepared meals serve 2-3 and this is what I do.

I think I’ve made one item that I didn’t really like and it’s not that the item was bad, it just wasn’t to my taste. Today I made Baked Pork Chops with Cranberry Almond Wild Rice, Chicken Piccata with Linguine, Sirloin Tips in Merlot and Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken. Plus, I picked up a Vegetables Au Gratin.

Of course, while I was there, I took advantage of the special that you get if you sign up for your next session while you’re there. The special this time was two free sides if you sign up for a 4-meal package. (It’s three sides if you signed up for an 8- or 12-meal package.) I picked up Three-Cheese Potatoes and Panko Roasted Asparagus with Almonds. Don’t they both sound good? (I know the asparagus is good – I’ve had it before.)

My menu plan at the end of December will be:
• Lemon Herb Chicken and Parmesan Green Beans (never had this before – doesn’t it sound good?)
• Risotto-Style Chicken and Asparagus (this is so good!)
• Ranch Steak Wraps (another new item – but I love me some steak)
• Bake Ravioli Lasagna with Garlic Toast (this is simple and so good)

I’m going in for the afternoon session on Wednesday, December 23 and if you’d like to join me at the St Paul Highland Park location, feel free to go to the Let’s Dish website (www.letsdish.com) and sign up for a session. Be sure to let them know I sent you.

The LoJ Apologia: Kinda Smart and Kinda Dumb

In my last post, I wrote about my disappointment that Kevyn Burger is no longer at FM107. Since that happened there’s been quite a bit of outcry from the listeners on the FM107 Facebook fan page and on the Gabster site on FM107s website. Besides the comments about Kevyn, the other theme from people seems to be why Lori and Julia still have a show.

I have listened to FM107 from shortly after it went on the air. I won’t say day one, because it wasn’t probably a few weeks or maybe even a couple months after they went on the air before I started listening. I’ve listened to Lori and Julia consistently during this time.

There’s one thing I can say with confidence, their show has shown the most improvement of all the shows on the station. All of the other on-air personnel at the station have backgrounds in broadcast journalism or some other sort of public performance experience. Neither Lori nor Julia had that background before they started their program. And, the last I knew, they have the highest rated program on the station.

I think that says a lot about two women who started doing a radio program with very little experience.

Have they made mistakes doing their show? Yes. I challenge you to find me one person who has never made a mistake on their job. And, if you do find that someone, you will find someone who has never stepped out on the proverbial limb in their job. At the same time Lori and Julia have done many things right – or they wouldn’t be the top rated show on the station.

One of the big complaints about them is their voices, but I think that’s one of the good things about them. Neither of them has spent time working on creating a “media” voice. One of my college roommates has a brother who works in broadcast media. When he started out, he worked in radio. One day my roommate asked him to use his “old” voice. He gave her this funny look and she said, “You know that voice you used before you worked in radio.” He’d spent time working on developing a different voice for his work on radio. It’s obvious Lori and Julia have not done this. I kind of like this about them.

Is the majority of what Lori and Julia discuss on their show relevant or important? Probably not – but it’s entertaining. Everything in life doesn’t need to be serious and important. Levity is fun and good for the soul. In fact, it’s obvious they listen to their audience and have learned when it’s important to respond the criticism and when to let it roll of their backs. And, much of the recent commentary has made me see that they have very strong backs.

I saw posts complaining about Lori pouncing on Julia – especially if she was telling a story about her kids. Even I was getting a bit annoyed by this. A few days later, something like that happens and Julia’s says this is how they communicate – it doesn’t really bother her. I would be willing to suggest that this is part of the show. The focus of their show is not parenting and Lori’s job is to keep Julia from taking the show too far down the parenthood road.

In fact, I think there are many things to admire about Lori and Julia.

It’s obvious that Julia cares deeply about being a mom and raising good sons. We always hear her telling us about how she’s spent the weekend doing things with her kids and supporting their activities. And, although her husband seems to give her gifts that he likes, such as the kayak, she doesn’t piss and moan (at least not in the traditional sense) about it. She knows he isn’t going to give her jewelry, flowers and chocolates, but things that allow them to share activities and time with each other. The message she’s gets from him is “I want to spend time with you.” I don’t know about you, but this single chic would love a husband who wants to be with me over one who gives me diamonds and flowers and is never around. She also respects her family member’s wishes to not be constant fodder for the show.

Does she screw up words on a regular basis? Yes. She knows she does and handles all the feedback very well. I don’t know anyone who could handle the constant, public corrections of their malapropisms in the manner that Julia does. She knows she does this and she’s able to laugh at herself. I think more of us would be happier if we could laugh more easily at ourselves.

Although, Lori projects this party-girl image, it’s obvious to me that she loves her husband deeply. I remember when her husband was laid up from a motorcycle accident and had to sleep in a hospital bed in the living room and her name for the brace that he wore that she called his “Frankenhips.” I think this is something that would have broken up many marriages these days – especially since I’m sure that sexual relations were made very difficult and challenging by the medical issues. And, if you’ve ever listened to the show, it’s obvious that Lori understands the importance of a sex life in a marriage. She admits she hasn’t been the best person she could have been in the past and has made some bad choices. She’s learned from her mistakes and is striving not to make the same mistakes again.

Is she opinionated? Yes. But, she’s also respectful (well most of the time.) Perhaps I like this about her because I feel that I’m opinionated as well – and my opinion does tend to lean that same direction as hers. Too many times, we sit back and don’t share our opinion because of what someone else might think. But I think we need to be willing to express our opinions (appropriately) and be open to realizing that not everyone shares our opinion.

Another complaint I hear is how superficial so much of what they talk about is. Well, it does play into what many of their advertisers do – botox, designer glasses, upscale salons, etc. Plus, it’s obvious to me that people are doing these things – or the businesses wouldn’t exist. And, I think they both have very good points on looks and fashion: just because you’re getting older does not mean you should stop caring about how you look and looking your best. (Ladies – your husbands agree with this one.)

While the Lori and Julia Show is not my favorite show on FM107, I do enjoy it and listen to it pretty much every day. I look forward to Friday’s at 5:58 and being rocked gently and slowly.

No More Burger for Me

This past week, Hubbard Broadcasting fired Kevyn Burger from FM107.1. I am extremely sad that she is gone. What is surprising me is that I'm upset enough to not want to listen to the station anymore. I mean really, this isn't life or death (at least it's not for me.) The problem is that I really like many of the other programs. The Lori and Julia show (LoJ) is my least favorite and I don't care if I miss it -- but that's hard to do since they rerun it constantly.

FM107.1 announced it to the fans of the station via a posting on their Facebook Fanpage – the quotes below are taken from that announcement.

So now the focus of the station I’ve enjoyed listening to for the past five or six years is going to be focused on frivolity:

“In the early evolution of FM107.1 she reflected perfectly - who we were and who we tried to be. It was Real. Life. Conversation. During the past two years FM107.1’s ‘flavor’ has changed – or more precisely – evolved. FM107.1 has and will continue to evolve toward a radio station that is defined by words like ‘pop culture’, ‘celebrity news’ and ‘gossip.’ . . .”

I feel insulted by the dumbing down of the station. I am smart and intelligent woman and I don't care what new face-lift, botox or boy-banging is going on in Hollywood. Especially not so much that I want another two hours of my radio listening time to go to that. And I, personally, enjoyed having Sheletta on Kevyn's show. She lightened things up a bit and she has a great outlook on life. I thought the two of them worked very well together.

I read an article in the StarTribune written by Neal Justin, which states that Kevyn’s contract went through the end of this year and that the station won’t actually replace Kevyn but expand the existing programs. So the station will still be paying Kevyn (I assume that’s part of the contract) but won’t be playing Kevyn. I’ll be interested to see how they do this as Jason Matheson can’t go on-air at 9:00. Perhaps Colleen and the Boys will move to 9:00.

I really like Jason and Alexis’ show (although it is called the “Jason Matheson” show – it’s really the two of them.) Yes, it's a Hollywood focus -- but they spend a lot of time poking fun at Hollywood and don't seem to be too much into the drooling over Hollywood. Colleen and the Boys just ignore the Hollywood and gossip nonsense and come up with their own stuff. The Balanced Breakfast has a good focus on news events and weird news. Ian does a good job of putting a new spin on the news. Lori and Julia are OK -- but they are a bit too obsessed with outer beauty and not enough on inner beauty and character. (At least that's the schtick they present.)

I get that this is about ratings.

I’ve read a lot of comments on-line about how people can’t believe they’re getting rid of Kevyn and keeping Lori and Julia. (Many commenting that the two of them can barely talk in complete sentences. Which isn’t 100% accurate – but I would make it at least 25% accurate.) FM107 is not going to get rid of Lori and Julia. The last I knew, it's their best rated program. Meaning, it's probably the one show that actually makes money. Part of that could extend from the fact that the show is on during drive time and people are more likely to be able to actually listen. The reason they replay it all the time is because it's the best rated show.

This could be changing now that they've introduced Jason Matheson. I wouldn't be surprised if Jason's show isn't garnering ratings the same or better than LoJ. This would also make station management see doing a Hollywood gossip and pop culture format as being more profitable. They added a Hollywood gossip and pop culture program and it's garnering good ratings.

The thing that is kind of strange in all this is that FM107 ratings really just suck. I don’t know the ratings for the individual shows – I couldn’t find them on-line. I did find the overall Arbitron station ratings for the station. The September 2009 (the most recent one available) ratings put Fm107 (WFMP) tied at 19 with The Current (KCMP.) They have a 2% market share and that’s an increase from each of the past two months (1.7 in July and 1.9 in August.) It’s hasn’t changed their over ranking in the market – they were 20th in July and August.

“This decision is not about professionalism. It’s not about hard work, or attitude. Kevyn performed in all those areas, and more. This decision is simply about fit. We do think you deserve an explanation. We don’t expect you to be happy about the change – we sure aren’t.”

This paragraph kind of blows my mind, but not really. They don’t expect us to be happy – they sure aren’t. Really? It’s my experience that people don’t do things that don’t make them happy.

And, based on the snarky little intro to the Perez Hilton clips -- “Love him or hate him -- it’s Perez Hilton exclusively on FM107.1. You’re welcome and we’re sorry.“ -- station management really doesn’t care about what their listeners think. They are listening to what we say – which I take must be pretty much a lot of negative feedback – but the message to the listeners is we really don’t care that you don’t want to hear this spot. We want to play it so we will. Apologies from station management are not sincere.

I'm anxious to learn where Kevyn lands. Perhaps WCCO830 could start punching up their female listening audience by giving Kevyn Burger and Jeanette Trompeter a show from, oh say, 9-11 Monday-Friday.

This past weekend was my first time using Fare for All to help stock my home food shelf.

Fare for All is a program for people to get food at a big discount (about 40%) run by the Emergency Food Network. The only requirement is that participants do 2 hours of volunteer work each month. You can do the volunteer work anywhere. (I've been volunteering with the MS Society and working on Bake for Hope.)

The regular program is on the third Saturdays of the month at multiple locations throughout the state of Minnesota. There are about 7 locations within 10 miles of my house. Most of the locations are churches or you can go the EFN's main offices (which I think are in New Hope.) Going to the main office will save you $1 on the delivery fee. You pre-order and pre-pay for this method.

There is also an "express" program, which offers the items at various locations, but you don't have to pre-order or pre-pay. You just go to the locations during the open hours and make your purchase.

They offer several packages each month and you can buy as many of each package as you want:

• Meat only ($12) -- meat only (duh)
• Light package ($12) -- produce and one meat
• Vegetarian package ($10) -- produce only
• Regular package ($17) -- meat and produce (the meat only and vegetarian package for $5 less)
• Mega meat ($22) -- a lot of meat

I chose to the Regular Package for $17 and my pick up location was Emmaus Lutheran Church. (I picked my location based on it's hours because I had to work at Slumberland on Saturday.) For my $17, I received the following items:

• 2# onions
• 5# potatoes
• 1# carrots
• Celery (a whole package)
• Head of lettuce
• Cauliflower
• 4 apples
• 2 grapefruits
• 1 mango
• 1# ground beef
• 1# bacon
• ~1# chicken breast
• ~1# sandwich meat

I also got their "Happenings" newsletter which includes recipes made using items in this month's package (a mango salsa and carrot raisin salad.)

The next distribution weekend is May 15-16. If you want to participate, their website is www.fareforall.org, or you can e-mail info@fareforall.org or call 763.450.3880.