Peter's Notes From 30,000 Feet

Television Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Girouard) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:56:00 +0000

…..BACK IN THE DAY

SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY ONE NIGHT WHILE I WAS ALSLEEP TELEVISION WENT NUTS. OK MAYBE IT DIDN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT….IT JUST SEEMS THAT WAY TO ME.

REMEMBER “OLD TELEVISION?” YOU HAD 3 NETWORKS (IF YOU WERE LUCKY)….AN ANTENNA ON YOUR ROOF TO “IMPROVE” RECEPTION AND TELEVISIONS THAT WERE MORE FURNITURE THAN PICTURE. ALL THE STATIONS WENT OFF THE AIR AT NIGHT …. I ACTUALLY REMEMBER STARING AT THE TEST PATTERN WAITING FOR A STATION TO COME ON THE AIR IN THE MORNING…..(STARING AT THE TEST PATTERN TO MUCH MAY EXPLAIN WHY I AM A LITTLE RIGHT OF CENTER)

THE DAY STARTED AND ENDED WITH THE NATIONAL ANTHEM USUALLY FOLLOWED BY KIDS PROGRAMS.. I AM JUST OLD ENOUGH TO SORT OF REMEMBER “HOWDY DOODY”….HE WAS A PUPPET AND BELIEVE ME ON “OLD TELEVISION” THEY MADE NO ATTEMPT TO HIDE THE STRINGS….OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR THAT MATTER…………..IT WAS “LIVE” AND YOU PRETTY MUCH GOT WHAT YOU GOT. BUT SOMEHOW WE DIDN’T CARE. NETWORK TV BACK THEN WAS SOAPS IN THE AFTERNOON AND REGULAR EVENING PROGRAMMING KICKED IN AT 730 AND RAN TILL 1100PM. YES THEY THREW A LITTLE NEWS IN FROM TIME TO TIME.

THE NATIONAL NEWS WAS ON AT 630 AND IT WAS THE ONLY NATIONAL NEWS YOU GOT EVERY DAY AND IT WAS ON ALL 3 NETWORKS…………SO WE WATCHED……………WE WOULD HAVE WATCHED PAINT DRY IF SOMEONE HAD BROADCAST IT………….MY PARENTS WATCHED THE HUNTLEY-BRINKLEY REPORT ON NBC…..LATER AFTER CHET HUNTLEY DIED, MY DAD SWTICHED TO WALTER CRONKITE…………..I GUESS HE DIDN’T LIKE DAVID BRINKLEY…………….

“OLD TELEVISION” WAS NOT SLICK AND “PACKAGED” LIKE TODAY……BUT THE SHOWS WERE GREAT! REMEMBER…………QUEEN FOR A DAY , CAR 54 WHERE ARE YOU?, GUNSMOKE, RAWHIDE, DOBIE GILLIS, AND A ZILLION MORE? AND THE COMMERCIALS????? OUTRAGIOUS……THESE THEY FILMED….BUT IT DIDN’T MATTER THEY WERE STILL GREAT…………..I ALWAYS LOVED THE FOOD ADS……….DIDN’T CARE WHAT THE PRODUCT WAS….BECASUE SOMEONE WAS ALWAYS EATING IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME……AND IT LOOKED GOOD………AND I WANTED IT….

AND ALL BROADCAST IN GLORIOUS BLACK AND WHITE….COLOR? COLOR????? THAT DIDN’T SHOW UP IN MY HOUSE TILL THE MID 60’S AND BAD COLOR AT THAT …………..BUT WE ACTUALLY THOUGHT THE SHOWS WOULD BE DIFFERENT IN COLOR……………SO AGAIN WE WATCHED……..

I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THIS BUT I AM NOT HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT HOW THOSE WERE THE “GOOD OLD DAYS”… YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE WHEN I WAS A KID MY PARENTS WERE BUSY TELLING ME THAT THE 1920’S WERE THE “GOOD OLD DAYS”………..I CAME TO THE SAD CONCLUSION THAT EVERYONE HAS THEIR VERSION OF THE GOOD OLD DAYS AND FOR SOME……THE GOOD OLD DAYS ARE TODAY…………………

BEFORE I GET OFF MY SOAPBOX TODAY I HAVE TO PUT IN ONE MORE WORD…………….CAPTAIN KANGAROO…………..BEST KIDS SHOW EVER………………

OK, SO NOW WE KNOW WHERE I CAME FROM, TELEVISON-WISE……NEXT TIME WHERE TELEVISIION LANDED AT LEAST ACCORDING TO ME.

AND SO IT GOES

The Scale, the Diet and Hillybilly Days

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Girouard) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 04:28:00 +0000

Interesting title.....sounds like a children's Nursery Rhyme or an answer on Jeopardy.......Well, its none of the above....but thanks for dropping by......

I made a serious mistake 2 weeks ago....I weighed myself...In the immortal words of Forrest Gump " I may not be a smart man...." but I know what fat is and right now I am heading towards overweight on a greased twinkee......

At first I was in denial and did what anyone in my position would do.....I threw out the scale......then in a moment of remorse...I bought a new one....Surely it was the scale.........Surely NOT.........sadly for me the "new kid on the block" reconfirmed my worst fears....I was overweight AND out $40.00 for the scale......

Next came the day I learned about calories............apparently I had been throwing a lot of those bad boys down my neck......can you say ...binge eating????....I was one of those people who could "eat the fridge" back to the light.....sound familiar????

So....now i had a choice.....I could go on eating like a herd of locusts......and eventually would find myself at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.............as a FLOAT......or I could face the awful spectre of DOING EXERCISE.........I live in an apartment complex that has an exercise room full of awful looking machines that make me sweat...when I walk by them.......But I overcame my fear of them and tried a few machines....a little at a time and began to ( dare I say it.....) work out a bit....

Back to the diet......I had been on a diet previously.....It was a sea-food diet.........I SAW food....I ATE food......

So now I am trying to eat healthy. The other night for dinner I had a sweet potato ( no butter ) and fresh pineapple chucks.......that was all........not my usual....36 Hot Dogs and 36 buns.....

I have even stopped the "pull a chair with wheels up to the fridge and inhale" late night food-a-thons.......now I treadmill, use an elliptical machine, and even gone so far as to chase a tennis ball for an hour or so....and I have roller skated twice.....( those skates are heavy )

As for the new scale, it has stopped asking one of me to get off ever time I stop by to see where the biggest part of me is going.......I will report back on my diet adventure in 90 days......celery stick anyone?????

NOTES

Hillybilly DAYS will be here in a few weeks and this will be the first one I have missed since 1999. I applaud the Shriner's and all the work they do.......And to my man Jimmy I can only say......"I still have the hat...and will wear it proudly on Hillbilly days weekend"

Happy HDB3208.....That's Hillbilly Days number 32, 2008

New Years Resolutions and Other Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Girouard) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 23:50:00 +0000

Ok, its finally 2008 and a new start for everyone.....even me. And just like I do every year, I have made a list of "resolutions" that I HOPE I can keep :) .

I really want to learn to play the piano......guess that means I better get a piano.......

I want to act in a play.....Hey Jenny Wiley.....are you listening?????

I want to speak less and listen more.......people are treasures and each should be "panned" for their gold.

I need to lose 10 pounds......that's right, all you "all you can eat" places, stay away from my door!

Don't laugh but I really want to learn to dance......Partners???? Partners????

I want everyone I know to experience good health, happiness and fufillment in 2008.

I will check back with you on the resolutions in February......

IN OTHER NOTES;

WDHR and all of East Kentucky Broadcasting is now on the internet.......Wait.....that means the AM Asylum can be heard all over the world....

Heaven Help us!!!!!!

Happy 2008 everyone......

Why I Hate Christmas.....

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Girouard) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 02:37:00 +0000

Well now that I have your attention, and before you gather stones to throw at me...let me add that....I also love Christmas......but I do hate it....and if you honest with yourself....you hate it a little also.

This "Gift Giving" thing has gotten way WAY out of control...Seems like you are buying something for everyone you know.....or.....your not buying anything for anyone.....Of course I don't really mean that you are buying a Christmas gift for EVERYONE...you would go nuts....But just try to slide thru the holiday and buy nothing.....you won't live to see New Years!

So like everyone else you start buying stuff.....one friend of mine goes to a bunch of stores and buy a lot of generic stuff......books, candy, puzzles, teas and the like.... Then he goes home and bunches stuff together and makes gifts.....He is not sure what goes where sometimes, he's just trying to get by......

Now, do you really think I am the ONLY one who hates the gift thing??? Look around at your fellow shoppers in line with you.....see any smiles???? How about some Yuletide Cheer??? I don't think so.......All you see are people who are tired and feel rushed and who can not wait for this ordeal to be over........

How foolish has the gift giving gotten??? (say that 3 times fast)....Most people can not tell you what they "got" for Christmas last year......

And if I may let me also say that I am tired of mixing the religious and the secular holidays.... What I mean by that is having Santa in a church to give out gifts........

So whats my solution?????? I don't have one....We've allowed this to happen to us and now we are stuck with it......We've spoiled our children rotten by getting them things they really don't need because we don't want to disappoint them.....I am sorry to tell you that disappointment is a part of life.....Grow up everyone.....

Maybe if we cut it down to ONE gift per person................at least the lines AFTER Christmas would be shorter....

Christmas is about Home and Hugs and Handshakes and fires and caroling.......and of course the baby in the stable. Now that I think about it.....the wise men brought the baby gifts.....they did not exchange gifts themselves.

And to all a good night......

Peter Girouard

Miss Lucy

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Girouard) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:38:00 +0000

In the summer of 2003 I had just come aboard the good ship "East Kentucky Broadcasting". I did not know Lucille Smith from the ladies who clean the studios. Maybe it was better that way.
When I was handed the job of engineering "The Personal Touch" I had no idea what I was in for.
(If you listen closely now, you will hear laughter from Heaven).

But I had heard the stories.... Lucille Smith WAS Pikeville, she knew everyone who was anyone and what she didn't know....was not worth knowing.....So to say the least I was a bit intimidated by her "rep"......

So we began "our" journey, a journey that Lucy had already been on for 37 1/2 years. Every day rain or shine, hot or cold, in season and out.....she was there at the microphone.

I did not even know how to address her. My parents had raised me never to call anyone older than myself by their first name ( wasn't proper I was told ). So I couldn't call her Lucy...and my moms name was Lucille, so she wasn't getting THAT one either... Mrs Smith???...no that was to formal ( radio people are very informal ). So I came up with Miss Lucy.......and you know what???? She liked it!

And I, like the rest of Pikeville and Eastern Kentucky....fell in love with Miss Lucy......We had a time she and I every day from 5:00pm to 5:30pm. (actually most afternoons Miss Lucy came in around 4:45 and went over her notes......yep she kept notes on everything.....( sometimes she would lose a note while on the air.............i hear laughter from Heaven again ).

What I came to discover was that Miss Lucy was in fact, Pikeville Kentuckys very own time capsule.....She chronicled the births, deaths and everything in-betweens that went on in this lovely place tucked into the mountains.

We actually had more fun off the air than on the air ( radio people are crazy) we sometimes got to "carrying on" and would come back either laughing or late from a commercial....

Lucille Smith taught me the value of every single person.....She touched everyone and made them better for it. To say I will miss her does not begin to fill the void of her absence.

The last time I spoke to her I told her that we were going to have a Christmas toast together....She responded by reminding me that her doctors would not let her....( she was most disheartened by that rule ).....

Pikeville lost its shining light on November 6th, 2007. But if you look up in the night sky and strain a bit.....she it still watching over us.....

I love you Lucy.....

Notes From the Attic

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Girouard) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 23:43:00 +0000

Question.....What happens to people when they decide to go into public office???? All of a sudden they start "watching what they say".....They seem to forget that their job is not to be re-elected but rather to make a difference. Maybe a good way to cure that would be to let them only run once......just a though....

Brother Randy spoke out on the de-Englishification (made it up) of our country....If there is any room for me on your soap box....I am with you.....

How much have we ruined the spirit of Christmas???? This year try NOT giving a gift...When something is expected....it loses it meaning.....

Thanksgiving remains my favorite holiday.....and with the exception of a few football games and parades ( both are ok ) it remains pretty much as it was intended way back when in the "colonies".....people gathering just to gather and"be" together.... When I lived in Pikeville and the Holidays came around I always tried to work for people who had families. Not because I am so special....far from it. I did it because it was the only small way I could "say thanks". It always made me feel warm and fuzzy. And the turkey was just as good the next day.

Take care gentle readers.

Life in the Cit-tay

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Girouard) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 23:50:00 +0000

Be careful what you wish for dear readers.....you may end up with it......

Well here I am 2 months along in my "adventure in New England" After spending a balmy 8 years haunting the streets of Pikeville, KY, I decided it was time to " go east young man....go east"

I have spend a trillion dollars on gas , been stuck in the most God-awful traffic jams in the history of the automobile and stood in lines that could streach across Pike County......

Still its not a bad place......once you get used to the people. And that is true everywhere you go. I said it in a posting on this very site back in the spring......we are all really alike...we just live in different places......

I have been lucky enough to find a job here but the catch was that it is a long way from where I am currently staying ( about 60 miles each way daily). The good news for me is that my company is moving south of where they are now and I am relocating very close to them in September.....The bad news is....I have to live in Mass.

Rhode Islands sales tax is 7% ( Yikes) Mass. sales tax is 5% ( Better ). Both states are really like big cities. Rhode Island would fit nicely in Pike County.....Just add a few million people to Pike County and there you go.......

I have been on the road since June15th when I said good by to all my friends in Pike County. I came back in late July for a wedding and am returning in late August for a seminar. I consider Pike County to be home now so I will come back as often as I can.

The thing I like least about Cit-Tay life is the rushing around like crazy......Man these people move fast.......and you better not git in there way.....

Oh one more thing.....if you like Italian food you would LOVE it here.......Oh my but the food is very very good....

I know it has been very hot in Eastern KY lately.....I am wearing a jacket as we speak....the high temperature here today was 70.....I am going to be frozen stiff by Halloween.....

Until next time dear Reader......I remain

Your Eastern Kentucky Yankee....

To All ( and I Do Mean ALL ) My Friends on Shore

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Girouard) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:12:00 +0000

Its true....as you read this I am back "home" in Southern New England.....Does not seem much like home after 8 great years in Eastern Kentucky ( more on that later ) Not much "Southern" about this place....not a soup bean or Vienna Sausage to be found....

What a wonderful time I had In Kentucky. So many memories to savor like a fine wine. Perhaps I should write a book about all that I got to see and do.....

Happily my business interests will continue to allow me to return to Pikeville often which frankly....suits me just fine.....

But even more than the business is the people I came to know and love. I wish I could introduce them to you in these pages but I fear that I would leave someone or something out and I would rather not risk hurting any feelings.......

Let me say to my friends ( assuming they are reading this.....) I hold our friendship very close to my heart and will for always.....

I am so lucky to have had such a rich life....full of love, laughter and yes sadness ( that seems to come with the territory also ) . My decision to leave was the most difficult I have ever had to make ( believe it ) but the time seemed right for me to "sail" out of the safe harbor and into new adventures.

Our webmaster (Guru) Dave Stanford assures me that I can continue to write in this space and report on whats going on with me. It also helps me a little with my homesickness for you all.

Meanwhile, I will be keeping tabs on everyone and everything in Eastern Kentucky. I will be in Pikeville on July 19-20. If we should bump into each other, lets share a hug.....

Stay with me dear reader and lets keep each other company.

A Rhode Island Yankee in Eastern KY's Court

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Girouard) — Sat, 19 May 2007 00:29:00 +0000

Pikeville, Pike County and Eastern Kentucky has been my home now for almost 8 years. In the beginning like all transplants, I was a bit lost and confused. While I am not as lost anymore ( please don't ask me how to get to Banner...I can barely find Allen) I have come up with some observations about this wonderful place.

WHERE DID ERIC C CONN GET THE STATUES OF LIBERTY IN FRONT OF HIS OFFICES?

Firstly, I have no axe to grind about Mr. Conn. He provides a service and has a unique way to get his message out. No I am merely curious about where he got the statues and how he got them. Did he get a catalog and see them in it? Or did he think " These would be cool " and find a company to manufacture them? Love the statues.......

WHY IS THE ALPIKE MOTEL ALL BLACK?

Personally, I love the black look. It really jumps out. It really looks slick. A friend of mine stayed there recently and said it was a great place to spend the night. I am making a note to spend a night in the " Black Motel".

I HOPE SOMEDAY TO MEET BELINDA OF MAGGARDS FURNITURE.

I am a HUGE fan of Belinda of Magards Furniture ( sounds like royalty....Belinda of Maggards ) I loved the interaction on the show they used to do with Randy Jones and the gang.....And besides, Belinda sounds so NICE.... Plus Belinda of Maggards has given us a new word "frufru".

Belinda, Randy and I are going to get "frufru" into the dictionary if its the last thing we do. I hope to meet you someday. I will bring my autograph book.

WHERE OH WHERE DID ALL THE DIRT FROM THE "CUT THRU" GO?

I am in awe of the cut thru. When I first got here, I sort of took it for granted....silly me. But as I began to meet people who had a part in that massive endeavor, I gained an appreciation of just what a marvel it is ! So where did the dirt go?

I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE 99 STEPS AT PIKEVILLE COLLEGE...

You can't miss them across the street from the Pikeville Chamber of Commerce. They are very impressive all 99 of them. I really think they are neat. But I can't figure out why they have 99 not 100. I plan to climb them very soon and will report back on my adventure.

I FINALLY GOT TO EAT AT DAIRY CHEER , HOME OF THE "SMASHBURGER"

I love "the Cheer" and yes, I love the "Smashburger". Dairy Cheer reminds me of places I used to frequent when I was younger. The atmosphere is great and so is the food. Their curly fries are to die for! 5 stars my highest rating!!! You go Cheer....you go.

I AM PLANNING A TRIP TO THE PIKEVILLE AIRPORT....JUST TO SEE IT.

When I was little ( back in the stone age ) my father used to take us to the airport just to watch the planes take off and land. Back then it was a BIG deal. I am still fascinated by airplanes and will report back on my trip to the airport.

THE EASTERN KY EXPO CENTER IF A GREAT PLACE TO GO.

The Expo Center is a great addition to Pikeville and Eastern KY. Its clean and bright, and everyone is friendly. Consider the great performers that have come thru the Expo in its short history. The Expo management has tried to put together programs that appeal across the board to many different tastes. From Kid Rock to Martina Mc Bride to the Circus to Motorcycle Shows and recently...Z Z Top for goodness sakes! If you have never been to the Expo Center, shame on you.....

IF THERE IS A SAM OF "SAMS HOT DOG STAND" I WANT TO MEET HIM

I confess that I am a hotdog-a-holic. I eat hem 3 or 4 times a week at least. And Sam, if you are out there somewhere, give me a call, I am in the book.

HOW DID THE TRAIN CAR IN DOWNTOWN PIKEVILLE GET THERE?

That train car next to the Pikeville Chamber of Commerce is just plain neat! It houses the Pike County Tourist offices and is hard to miss. Where did they get it from?

OK I am done for now. I have stairs to climb, dogs to eat and planes to watch. And to quote my favorite poem of all time: "Miles to go before I sleep".......Later

Things I'm Fer....Things I'm Agin......

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Girouard) — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 20:50:00 +0000

OK its spring cleaning time everywhere else so I figured that this was as good a time as any to clean out the closet in my head......

I am very much for family.....blood IS blood and that's all there is to that. Your family is a long haul lifetime commitment. Once a parent ( sorry kids ) always a parent. Do everything you can for your children, your brothers and sisters if your lucky enough to have any. Not to mention Aunts, Uncles, cousins, in-laws (outlaws :) ) and any other form of family that you have around.
I cringe when people in families bicker and fight and the like. You have to put up with them but remember, they have to put up with YOU......So smile and give them unconditional love. They are the only family you get.

I am very much against ( or a-gin ) entitlement and people who misuse the system because they are to lazy to fend for themselves. Here's a news bulletin ..........Our government DOES NOT owe anyone a living. If you don't believe me, read the constitution......I see a lot of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness " in there but nothing about getting a check. People who take advantage of a system that was put into place to actually help those who can not work ( who would if they could ) have no shame. In my humble opinion if you are able to work and won't , you should not enjoy the privilege of voting.

I am for Community service for all. Everyone should volunteer to do SOMETHING to help out in their community. Even just a few hours a week. Maybe at the library or visit a nursing home and help a bit. With the "Relay for Life" in Pikeville in a few weeks maybe volunteer to , I don't know, unload a truck....help people get situated.... Donate blood every few months......

Imagine a place where everyone gave back a few hours of television time a month to help someone else...... That's my kind of world.

Lastly, I am against the blame game. We have become a society of finger pointer. " Its not MY fault" is the watchword today. Maybe we could print buttons and all wear one and when the .......hits the fan....just point to the button...problem solved.

When did we get to the point where constructive critiquing became a personal attack? You cant tell anyone anything anymore. We are all so smart that we have no room to learn anything or to listen to anything anyone has to say. There is a saying that says we " think more highly of ourselves than we ought" Since no one does anything wrong anymore ( read the button :) ) then the logical? conclusion is that nothing IS wrong.....

May I prescribe a daily dose of humility to all. Let me be the first to say that I know very little about a lot of things and I am pleased to learn something every day. Humility is a sign of maturity and maturity is a sign of personal growth.

So lets see......Love your family unconditionally.........find something constructive to do with yourself........throw in a little community service for good measure and add a dash of humility. Try this for awhile......Let me know how it works out...... Sorry I went so long...my closet was cluttered.......

Are People Really all Alike....or did someone make that up to keep us calm???

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Girouard) — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 01:34:00 +0000

I have had the pleasure of living in a few neat places in this country. Providence, RI where I hail from and Springdale Arkansas, where I lived for 3 years. In addition I hung my hat in Joplin, Missouri for 5 years and now for the last 8 years I call Pikeville, Kentucky my home.

My question to you is: Do you think people from different parts of the country are basically different or the same?

Now personally, I am used to all the stereotypical attitudes that abound. Shortly after I moved to Pikeville, some people began calling me the " Damn Yankee" I loved the name and would always respond " and proud of it".

We all have images of people from other parts of the country and as we are want to do, we lump everyone together. Here's a bulletin for you but I am sure you already know this. Not everyone from north of the Mason-Dixon line is a gangster and they all don't speak like Don Corleone from "The Godfather". And not all the people from the Ozarks run around barefoot and not all the girls under 18 years old are pregnant.

And lets face it, Eastern Kentucky has its own share of misconceptions that people harbor. Like for example not everyone here is on the draw or strung out on drugs....See what I mean? Some things are true about some people everywhere.

Everywhere my life's travels have taken I have met people who I am honored to call my friends for life. By the way, I define a friend as someone you can call at 3am and ask them anything. When I was preparing to move to Pikeville 8 years ago, I called Bill Weaver ( Joplin, MO ) and asked him to fly to Providence and drive my moving van to Pikeville. All Bill said was, "When do you need me?"

Oh, we all talk a bit differently ( I will write about that very soon ) and some of our favorite foods are different, but all in all we really are pretty much the same....Thank goodness.

We all agree our schools should be better, we all hate the high price of gasoline. Nobody is making enough money. And nobody and I mean nobody, trusts anyone in political office. And we all have our favorite chair.....:)

Folks, we really are in this thing together.......

When Did We All Stop Smiling??

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Girouard) — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 18:45:00 +0000

As is my habit and I assume yours as well i was in a checkout lane recently.A gentleman struck up a conversation with me by saying " #@*$?! can't this @)&^!?^ line move any faster?" Usually I don't respond to that when I hear it but this time it struck a nerve and I said "I sure wouldn't want her job, she has to cash us out and everyone behind us till the end of her shift or the end of time, whichever comes first" That apparently ended our in-line friendship.

Complaining criticising seem to have taken the place in our society of the kind word or gesture. Have you ever driven thru a shopping plaza and stopped to let people cross in front of you? I'm sure you have. Ever notice what most of the people do? They almost never smile or wave as if to say thank you...rather they trudge on in silence refusing to acknowledge your kindness.

I realize everyone is in a hurry and busy but it begs the question. What are we in a hurry to do and how have we lost the simple kindnesses that I know we were all taught by our parents? For example, when was the last time you saw anyone holding a door for someone else? Something tells me its been awhile. I tried that little trick a few weeks back and received nothing in return.

Its even gotten down to the telephone. People will call you and start the conversation with "uhhh let me speak to so and so " What ever happened to "Hello how are you? Is so and so available"?

It seems to me like everyone is unhappy with EVERYTHING and its spreading like a wildfire. Criticism has taken over even the television. What is the most popular show right now? American Idol, a program that extols the wounding of average people with sub par talent. People eat this show up.

I have a suggestion to begin to stem the tide of unhappiness. Just for fun one time this week when you get to the end of the check out line, ask the cashier how he/she is doing. See what happens. Not only will she smile but you might also. Try it.

Notes from a Crazy Man

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Girouard) — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 12:37:00 +0000

Ok, ok here I go into the land of blogging.....Hello my name is Peter Girouard and I have the pleasure of working at East Kentucky Broadcasting and I co-host a morning drive time show with the one and only Randy Jones......Randy is a great guy...just ask him :)

About a month ago I pestered our webguru Dave Stanford to create for me a blog so I could dispense what I believe to be information that I assume everyone would want...namely MY opinions on things as I see them.... After driving Dave nuts for a few weeks he created my blog then as I am want to do, I did nothing with it for another few weeks......

But I finally got brave enought to stick my toe out here today.......The reason this is called "The View from 30,000 Feet" is that the best way to look at anything is to step back and look at it from all sides before making a decision or rendering an opinion. I do this in my business life and so far it has worked well.

Now that we have gotten the intros out of the way. Let me give my pat on the back and my kick in the butt..this is something I will do every time I write so be prepaired. First the pat on the back to the organizers of the upcoming 15th region tournament for holding it in the the East KY Expo Center. I am a basketball-a-holic and the sport at this level is great to watch, sometimes frustrating but always worth the time to watch it. Putting this event in the Expo center allows more people who could not squeeze into a timy gym to enjoy the regional in a clean well lighted place. Its a natural for the arena and a good fit for the region. Get out and support it this week.

Now for the kick in the tush.....I am not the best driver in the western world but I try to observe the signs and limits that we must all go by. To people who have not yet masterd the art of merging onto a highway a swift kick in the pants ....When you merge YOU must increase your speed to match the traffic you are merging with. Merging is NOT a time to SLOW DOWN or God forbid, STOP....actions of this kind can cause real problems for other drivers...you remember other divers..we're the ones behind you screaming.....

If you have read this far, kuido and see you n ext time