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This long weekend is the closest thing I have to "having time off" that I can expect for a while.

So is there any way to communicate that to our cat?

I normally get up at somewhere between 4 and 4:30 every weekday. This weekend, I've been able to sleep in until... er, 4 or 4:30. Ella the World's Most Famous Cat starts meowing, I get up and get her food, she comes back and starts running around like a maniac and meowing and playing with her little bed and jumping on ours and demanding that Fran pet her. This "time off" has been as exhausting as work. And I've been too tired to get to my special project, which is... re-editing some video footage of Ella the World's Most Famous Cat.

Next time, we go away. I hear the Embassy Suites in El Segundo is lovely this time of year.

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Today was a good day. Can't tell you details; it's just that we've reached the top of a long uphill road, and now it's likely to be easier all around. It's been like a really good pre-birthday gift. Sorry to be cryptic, but, again, it ain't my story to tell. It's just been a very good day for us; it's about time we got one of these.

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Jan Murray is dead.

Nipsey's gone, and so are Paul Lynde, Cliff Arquette/Charley Weaver, Wally Cox, Bennett Cerf, and many of the other folks I only knew as game show panelists, and now Jan Murray's gone, too. What they did in "real life" was unclear to my child mind- all I knew was that they were always on TV, always on "The Hollywood Squares" or "What's My Line" or "I've Got A Secret" or "To Tell The Truth," and that was enough for me. I thought that would be the greatest job, sitting on a game show panel, throwing off scripted witticisms and maybe scoring some of the lovely parting gifts for yourself. Turns out that never happened for me- game shows aren't as popular these days, and the category of "Celebrities Whose Real Jobs You Can't Figure Out" is reserved for people like Paris Hilton. But it would have been cool to be one of those guys. I wouldn't have needed to be Center Square, either- just stick me in the lower right and throw me an occasional question. There are worse ways to spend a life.

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Today: a dip in the pool after a nice long leisurely run past the Palos Verdes Estates border, a little work, then a burger, well done on the ol' Weber grill, with cheese and practically a whole tomato and nice crisp lettuce on a toasted kaiser roll, plus a little ice cold Kona Longboard Lager on a warm evening. No live fireworks this year, just enjoying the ocean breeze and relaxing and doing very little of anything.

So, why the hell are you at the computer? Go see some boomers or have a cold one and something scorched on the grill. It's the American way, even if Superman doesn't understand anymore.

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Happy Birthday to me.

Low-key birthday this year- no special celebration, a few calls and e-mails and cards from family and friends, that's all. The best present- really, the best present I've ever gotten- is Fran's recovery, so everything else is gravy. Or icing on the cake (which Fran baked- yellow cake with chocolate icing, my favorite). At this age, those kind of things are better than a new toy or a party at Chuck E. Cheese, even if each birthday is an opportunity to chronicle which joints have started to hurt and how many pounds you need to lose.

(Answers to those questions, for the record? Both knees and a hip; no comment)

But I'm still around, Fran's stil around, Ella the World's Most Famous Cat is still around, our friends and family are still around, and that's all good. Time to plow ahead for another year. And it's never too late to send a gift. Cash is good.

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The competition got sold to another competitor today, and I was asked by several people today what I thought. And out of respect to the folks over there, who must be going through some powerful emotional swings at the moment, I'd rather not opine on the situation, other than to say that I feel for them. The public statements by the new owners stressed the continuing of the "brand," but gave absolutely no indication about the products or the staff, and I've been there when I've worked for companies in the process of change or in trouble and the bosses gave noncommittal PR-speak statements. It sucks, it hurts, and for their sake I hope it all works out.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't get a lot of pleasure out of seeing the competition in upheaval. Maybe there's a little better-them-than-me, but there's a limit to my schadenfreude fun in a situation like that where I harbor no ill will towards the people affected. Maybe I identify with their situation more than not. I will admit, however, to the occasional grin when people who've fired me run into trouble. But only a little smirk, and then it goes away. Life's too short to hold too many grudges.

But I did notice some people posting to those radio geek boards fretting that the change may end free radio industry news on the Web. May I suggest to them that there's another, better free radio industry news source, with more, faster, and better news coverage? 'Cause there is. Pardon the blatant plug.

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It's late, so you get just the shorthand of my evening:

Fans chant "Barry sucks!" Fans throw inflatable giant prescription bottle on field (memo to fans in Dodger Stadium left field pavilion: it's been done). Barry hits one to Pasadena. Fans still chant "Barry sucks!" Dodgers win. Fans go home happy: they got to yell at Barry, they got to see a massive Barry homer, they got to see the Dodgers win. Win-win-win.

That's entertainment.

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...Almost forgot. If you're in San Francisco and you turn on 106.9 Free FM right now (7-9pm PT), that's me co-hosting (by crappy telephone connection) with Turi Ryder. Also on line at... er... I dunno, Google KIFR.

Gotta go talk again. 'Scuse me...

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