So I’ve been a bit absent for a couple weeks. I was on vacation and really shut down. It’s blown by too quickly as it always does.br /I just posted information about the sidekick position available on our show. You can get there from the mainpage at www.jbandsandy.combr /I’m excited to find the right person for this job. I think what we have lined up is going to be a very fun process and a great avenue for some who has never done radio to get their chance.br /One of my goals for 2008 is to be much more active on this blog. I hope many of you find it useful and entertaining.br /It’s been a good vacation, other than getting this damn lung infection that everyone seems to have. I’m trying to shake it because we have our first bike race of the season on Jan 19th! I’m not ready.br /I’ve been wearing out some cd’s on the break. Eddie Vedder “Into the Wild”. The new Amy Winehouse and the new Subdudes. Killer stuff.br /I’m feeling very mellow right now. Built the first fire in a year. Listening to Eddie Vedder, trying to get some work done… but really just trying to get my brain working again because of the break.

So I’ve been a bit absent for a couple weeks. I was on vacation and really shut down. It’s blown by too quickly as it always does.
I just posted information about the sidekick position available on our show. You can get there from the mainpage at www.jbandsandy.com
I’m excited to find the right person for this job. I think what we have lined up is going to be a very fun process and a great avenue for some who has never done radio to get their chance.
One of my goals for 2008 is to be much more active on this blog. I hope many of you find it useful and entertaining.
It’s been a good vacation, other than getting this damn lung infection that everyone seems to have. I’m trying to shake it because we have our first bike race of the season on Jan 19th! I’m not ready.
I’ve been wearing out some cd’s on the break. Eddie Vedder “Into the Wild”. The new Amy Winehouse and the new Subdudes. Killer stuff.
I’m feeling very mellow right now. Built the first fire in a year. Listening to Eddie Vedder, trying to get some work done… but really just trying to get my brain working again because of the break.

Here is a link to the story that KXAN did today at noon about the pervert in the truck. He was arrested this afternoon.

http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?s=7494675

p class=”MsoNormal”2007 was what I will always recall as a growth year. I set out with new goals to grow as a person and stumbled into more than I anticipated. Maybe that’s something that’s common on the year that you turn 40./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”My goals were simple. /p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”bI set out to read more/b, falling short of my goal of 24 books or two a month. I ended up somewhere around 15, which was far better than the 3 or 4 I read the previous year. Some highlights included Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana, and new books from two of my idols, Woody Allen and Steve Martin./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”bI had the goal to be more charitable./b I won’t go into details but I’m still following my path to increase my contributions annually.span style=”" /spanI don’t miss the money and hope I helped somebody, somewhere./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”bI’ve continued my pursuit of fitness and nutrition./b It’s amazing how motivating it can be when you have a daughter that you want see grow up as long as possible./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”bI set out to minimize my life by getting rid of things/b that I felt were a bit much or extravagant. Reduce the clutter. I raffled off my ’63 Ford pickup only to turn around and win a ’58 st1:city st=”on”st1:place st=”on”Pontiac/st1:place/st1:City. What the hell was that? I’ll have to find a creative way to find a new home for this one as well./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”bI wanted to write/b. My intention has never been to become a writer, I only wanted to challenge myself and enhance the fun I have on the radio. I have been very fortunate to have been given this opportunity first by Austin Monthly Home and also Rare Magazine. Both of these publications are a “must read” for Austinites and run by great people who take a genuine interest in this city and the product that they put out. It’s a difficult thing to do and what they do is admirable. /p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”bI also had the goal to discover new music./b I still love the look and feel of a cd, so I made monthly visits to st1:city st=”on”st1:place st=”on”Waterloo/st1:place/st1:City to shop. Some highlights of bands that really had an impact on my this year are Phoenix, Donovan Frankereiter, What Made Milwaukee Famous, The Small Stars, Lucinda Williams, Band of Horses, Eddie Vedder, Kings of Leon, The Silverspun Pickups and just for good measure, on each monthly visit I would pick up another copy of Sugarcane by Autumn… just in case I lost the last one. I don’t know her last name, but she sure is talented./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”bI told myself I needed to be more “present”./b This is difficult to explain. Whenever I was with somebody I cared about, I made a very conscious effort to be there 100%, which in he past, I wasn’t very good at. It’s made me better at many relationships but also it can be dangerous in that it makes you very “aware” of who was not “present” with you. I still have a lot of growth and learning ahead of me with this./p p class=”MsoNormal”Not to sound cliché, but being “present” gives you a wonderful opportunity to “stop and smell the roses”. Well worth it./p p class=”MsoNormal”As for my co-workers reaching their goals…. It’s apparent that 2007 was very good to all of you. I’m proud of st1:city st=”on”st1:place st=”on”Sandy/st1:place/st1:City for having the courage to get married and to put a lot of things behind him. It’s been his biggest growth year in the 12 years I’ve known him./p p class=”MsoNormal”Digitz has grown… mostly at being comfortable with who he is, which is not easy. I wish him well in his pursuit of Brad the Bachelor./p p class=”MsoNormal”I’m proud of Autumn for having the courage to leave…. And there absolutely are not enough words or time to give the details how much you will be missed./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”I have yet to put together my goals for 2008. I’ll work that out over the break. Don’t be surprised if next year to see a more spiritural, Zen, JB. Don’t worry, everything will still “Piss me off”, but I’ll be more pleasant, I promise.span style=”" /spanI always refer to a card that is above my visor that says “All my relationships are harmonious”.span style=”" /spanI’ve been striving for that and hope to be better at accomplishing that, next year./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:pbr //o:pi style=”"o:p /o:p/i/p

2007 was what I will always recall as a growth year. I set out with new goals to grow as a person and stumbled into more than I anticipated. Maybe that’s something that’s common on the year that you turn 40.

My goals were simple.

I set out to read more, falling short of my goal of 24 books or two a month. I ended up somewhere around 15, which was far better than the 3 or 4 I read the previous year. Some highlights included Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana, and new books from two of my idols, Woody Allen and Steve Martin.

I had the goal to be more charitable. I won’t go into details but I’m still following my path to increase my contributions annually. I don’t miss the money and hope I helped somebody, somewhere.

I’ve continued my pursuit of fitness and nutrition. It’s amazing how motivating it can be when you have a daughter that you want see grow up as long as possible.

I set out to minimize my life by getting rid of things that I felt were a bit much or extravagant. Reduce the clutter. I raffled off my ’63 Ford pickup only to turn around and win a ’58 Pontiac. What the hell was that? I’ll have to find a creative way to find a new home for this one as well.

I wanted to write. My intention has never been to become a writer, I only wanted to challenge myself and enhance the fun I have on the radio. I have been very fortunate to have been given this opportunity first by Austin Monthly Home and also Rare Magazine. Both of these publications are a “must read” for Austinites and run by great people who take a genuine interest in this city and the product that they put out. It’s a difficult thing to do and what they do is admirable.

I also had the goal to discover new music. I still love the look and feel of a cd, so I made monthly visits to Waterloo to shop. Some highlights of bands that really had an impact on my this year are Phoenix, Donovan Frankereiter, What Made Milwaukee Famous, The Small Stars, Lucinda Williams, Band of Horses, Eddie Vedder, Kings of Leon, The Silverspun Pickups and just for good measure, on each monthly visit I would pick up another copy of Sugarcane by Autumn… just in case I lost the last one. I don’t know her last name, but she sure is talented.

I told myself I needed to be more “present”. This is difficult to explain. Whenever I was with somebody I cared about, I made a very conscious effort to be there 100%, which in he past, I wasn’t very good at. It’s made me better at many relationships but also it can be dangerous in that it makes you very “aware” of who was not “present” with you. I still have a lot of growth and learning ahead of me with this.

Not to sound cliché, but being “present” gives you a wonderful opportunity to “stop and smell the roses”. Well worth it.

As for my co-workers reaching their goals…. It’s apparent that 2007 was very good to all of you. I’m proud of Sandy for having the courage to get married and to put a lot of things behind him. It’s been his biggest growth year in the 12 years I’ve known him.

Digitz has grown… mostly at being comfortable with who he is, which is not easy. I wish him well in his pursuit of Brad the Bachelor.

I’m proud of Autumn for having the courage to leave…. And there absolutely are not enough words or time to give the details how much you will be missed.

I have yet to put together my goals for 2008. I’ll work that out over the break. Don’t be surprised if next year to see a more spiritural, Zen, JB. Don’t worry, everything will still “Piss me off”, but I’ll be more pleasant, I promise. I always refer to a card that is above my visor that says “All my relationships are harmonious”. I’ve been striving for that and hope to be better at accomplishing that, next year.

Merry Christmas; 2007 was a big year for me; I got engaged to my girlfriend of almost 5 years. Yep, Tricia Nicole Williams said she would merry me when I proposed on June 28 in Monterey, California. So right out of the shoot that was the highlight of my year. I will get in to that more in a bit, but there were some other things that happened this year too. But certainly, the biggest was getting engaged. The beginning of the year was tough, 2006 and 2007 kind of rolled together for me. My Uncle died on December 1st of 2006 but the funeral wasn’t until Feb 1, 2007. My Uncle was a Naval Academy graduate and decorated Vietnam Veteran who had earned the right to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. There is a 2 month wait to be buried at Arlington. I attended the funeral and for the first time saw with my own eyes the cost of freedom that I enjoy every day as represented by the rows and rows of white crosses marking the grave of the men and women that served our country. It was am amazing experience. Oh, did I mention that my right arm was in a huge obnoxious sling while I was there? I finally made decision to get my shoulder and bicep surgically repaired. Dr Graham at North Austin Sports Medicine fixed me up good and I spent the next 6 months doing everything I was told by the doc and the Physical Therapists. To be honest it really sucked, but now it is so worth it. For the first time in years my shoulder doesn’t hurt. It had hurt for so long I forgot what normal felt like. The first six months of the year were pretty slow, but once I was cleared by the doc I was ready to get back to doing stuff. I like to say I live an active life style but I don’t think that is true, because I always seem to be drinking beer while being active so I think that cancels things out. I like to play golf and wakeboard, funny how there is a cooler on the golf cart and the boat. It was nice to see Lake Travis fill up again. I was wondering if it ever would. I feel for the people that were flooded, but I sure was happy to see the lake back to normal. I was really sad for the lake for a while, but everyone says it always comes back and it did again this year. Thank you Mother Nature.

What else happened this year… A lot of things stayed the same I read my standard 2 books a year, neither of which will help me grow personally or spiritually, I already “Eat, Sleep and Pray” and I’m not very good at keeping Secrets so I read stuff that interested me. I read “One of a Kind” The Stu Unger Story. It is the biography of a guy who is addicted to drugs and gambling who happens to be poker genius. I guess I did learn something from that book, Drugs are bad and you only have a gambling problem when you lose. I also read a book called “Angels of Death” it is said to be the most detailed historically accurate book about the Hells Angels. What did I learn from this book? Don’t mess with the Hells Angels. Period. End of story.

My golf game is still inconsistent. I am starting to accept the fact that I am never going to be as good as I want to be. But I am confident that I won’t embarrass myself in any situation so I have that going for me. I am proud of our first ever golf tournament, “The JB and Sandy Classic” raised over $100,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. That was very cool. My dad, uncle and cousin came to Austin to play and we had a blast.

I still miss my grandmother and my aunt. I am going to Brooklyn next week to visit my Aunt Olga’s grave, I hope my tears don’t freeze to my face.

I still love my dog Bumper and fear the day he is no longer with us. I really do, I hate thinking about it. His 13th birthday is 9 days away. He will get a cheeseburger from Whataburger, a ride in the truck and a boat ride. I know its silly but Tricia and I enjoy giving Bumper a big boy day. If there was a doggie bar that had French Poodles in short shirts and tight t-shirts I would take him there. Bumper is my boy

My best buddy Brock got married in June and is expecting a baby soon. It’s great to see him happy.

My old roommate Phil Thomas got serious about his golf game and at the end of the season was the #1 ranked amateur in Central Texas. I love seeing my friends do well.

When we come back from vacation on January 2nd the show will be different. As you know by now, Autumn is leaving the JB and Sandy morning show to concentrate on music full-time. I am sad that Autumn is leaving the show but I am excited for her too. Sure, I wish she was staying. The thought of filling her chair makes me sick to my stomach, but that is the selfish part of me. I want autumn to be happy, I want her to chase her dreams and shoot big. Be big, be brave, don’t let anyone tell you can’t, when they tell you you can’t, remember that and work hard to stick it to them. The stick it to them mentality has worked pretty well for me and I hope it works well for you. At the risk of this sounding like an “Oprah Winfrey Presents” moment, I want Autumn to know that I have learned so much from you. I have learned that I am capable of marriage, I am capable of being a good father and I am capable of loving. Thank you. Your enthusiasm for radio, something I love so much has been refreshing. When we live in world where washed up Rock Stars, so called comedians and reality stars are given millions of dollar to do morning shows, it is nice to see a kid from Tulsa, Oklahoma that is willing to pay her dues, learn her craft and improve. Autumn you have been my Danielson and you have been a wonderful student. You are ready to take on the Cobra Kai and don’t be afraid to sweep the leg. I love you and will still call you every Friday to tell you how proud I am of you. You made a big decision and I am so happy for you. Olive Juice.

After my divorce almost 12 years ago, I swore I would never get married again. Funny how time changes things. As I mentioned before, I got engaged on June 28th while on vacation in California. Several things let up to my decision to propose. The biggest one is that in the big picture, Tricia makes my life so much better. I like to think I make hers so much better because she was living with her mom when I met her, but the truth is she makes my life better. I hope I make hers a little better, but she makes mine better in many different ways. I now clean up after myself and I like it. I clean the sink after I shave because I like it. I hate when the bed isn’t made and go crazy if the cabinets aren’t shut. Tricia hasn’t trained me, but she has showed me a better way to live. I also know that I am ready for children. I have always thought that there is no reason to get married unless you want kids, and I sure do want them. I look forward to being a kid all over again with the kid. I guy I know, who I wouldn’t consider a friend, heard that I was getting married and said, “So, you are breaking in to the jail” It took everything I had not to punch him in the mouth. Instead, I made a snide comment and moved on. I look forward to getting married. I think I have finally met the women that gets me and I get her and isn’t that what we are all looking for in life? Someone that trusts you knows that you are a dude that at times will do stupid things but at the end of the day still loves you. I found that with Tricia and hope it last a life time. April 19th is the big day. I will keep you posted as we get closer.

JB and Digitz, what else can I say? We will be right back at it in a couple of weeks. I love making radio with you guys. Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Sandy

p class=”MsoNormal”It is with great sadness that I write this letter to inform you all that I will be leaving the JB and Sandy Morning Show after our final show on Friday.span style=”" /spanI had always assumed that I would do radio until they would no longer have me, but I may have come across the opportunity of a lifetime that I have to explore./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”To those who know me, it would come as no surprise that I would choose to pursue this dream… for those of you who don’t know me, I’ll fill you in. /p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”I have finally rounded up the funding to write, produce and direct a play about a Women’s Correctional Facility. Many of you know that this is a dream of mine… and it has to be done.span style=”" /spanI love women. I love prisons and therefore I love womens prisons./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”It’s somewhat of a spoof on Women’s prison movies, but loosely based on reality.span style=”" /spanIf you’ve ever seen any of the “Caged Heat” movies, picture them with more pillows, more lingerie, more shower scenes, more shanking and a lot of song and dance numbers./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”This project has been in the works for over 10 years, but we have finally overcome some obstacles that have given our investors the confidence then needed./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”A key to launching this project was securing top notch talent. As of Dec 1supst/sup, we have secured in writing the theatrical talents of Tina Yothers who you might recall from Family Ties or the movies Spunk: The Tonya Harding Story./p p class=”MsoNormal”We have also secured the likes of the incredibly talented Mindy Cohn, most remembered for her role as Natalie on Facts of Life. It was hard to lure her away from her current voiceover work as Velma in the Scooby Doo direct to DVD voiceovers. /p p class=”MsoNormal”We also needed to secure a “pretty face” for the lead role of Janet, an honor roll student and captain of her University Cheerleading squad, who intentionally robbed a Fabrick Store so she could go behind bars to be reunited with her half sister that she hadn’t seen since they were three, who was put in prison for embezzling from her employer, the local Food Bank./p p class=”MsoNormal”We expectspan style=”" /spanrotating cameo’s as Janets cellmate from Rumor Willis (daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis), Jill Whelan, who played Vicky on the Love Boat, and Susan Hawk, who you might recall as the truck driver from the Chapera tribe on Survivor Borneo./p p class=”MsoNormal”The play will also feature Whoopi Goldberg… She won’t act in the play but will be voted as the celebrity all the prisoners would like to visit most at the holiday social./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”Another thing needed to launch this project. we have finally figured out a portable system to have running water in a theater atomosphere. Shower scenes are a crucial part of the womens prison culture and expected from theater goers.span style=”" /spanWe have, with the help of Al Gore, finally figured out how to use the smallest amount of water, purify and it and recycle it for the next show. We thought we had this mastered, but had overlooked the quick turnaround need for matinee shows on weekends. With the help of some MIT students, we believe we can pull this off, even though we needed the water to run red with blood after a shower fight scene in the third act./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”What put the project over the top is that I have finally gotten written commitments on the musical soundtrack. It will be written and performed by both Pat Benetar and Kenny G. We needed the musical styling of Kenny for the softer scenes, such as the shower or when Janet explores the love of another woman for the the first time. We wanted the explosiveness of Pat for that “get out of your seat, clap your hands sort of feel”, especially in the final scene where Janet finally get’s her long lost half sister out of solitary confinement, uses her cheerleading moves to vault her over the prison wall, only to die in a fire, started by a rival gang. We wanted the audience to leave shocked, exhausted, sad and also exchanging high fives in the parking lot. /p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”I don’t want to give too much away. I hope that this play will eventually make it’s way to Broadway and then back to st1:place st=”on”st1:city st=”on”Austin/st1:City/st1:place where I can visit the Autumn and Sandy Show for a candid interview about the play showing at the Bass Concert Hall./p p class=”MsoNormal”Oh, by the way, the play will be called “Slammer Slut Soiree, A Requiem if Four Acts”/p p class=”MsoNormal”See you there./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p

It is with great sadness that I write this letter to inform you all that I will be leaving the JB and Sandy Morning Show after our final show on Friday. I had always assumed that I would do radio until they would no longer have me, but I may have come across the opportunity of a lifetime that I have to explore.

To those who know me, it would come as no surprise that I would choose to pursue this dream… for those of you who don’t know me, I’ll fill you in.

I have finally rounded up the funding to write, produce and direct a play about a Women’s Correctional Facility. Many of you know that this is a dream of mine… and it has to be done. I love women. I love prisons and therefore I love womens prisons.

It’s somewhat of a spoof on Women’s prison movies, but loosely based on reality. If you’ve ever seen any of the “Caged Heat” movies, picture them with more pillows, more lingerie, more shower scenes, more shanking and a lot of song and dance numbers.

This project has been in the works for over 10 years, but we have finally overcome some obstacles that have given our investors the confidence then needed.

A key to launching this project was securing top notch talent. As of Dec 1^st, we have secured in writing the theatrical talents of Tina Yothers who you might recall from Family Ties or the movies Spunk: The Tonya Harding Story.

We have also secured the likes of the incredibly talented Mindy Cohn, most remembered for her role as Natalie on Facts of Life. It was hard to lure her away from her current voiceover work as Velma in the Scooby Doo direct to DVD voiceovers.

We also needed to secure a “pretty face” for the lead role of Janet, an honor roll student and captain of her University Cheerleading squad, who intentionally robbed a Fabrick Store so she could go behind bars to be reunited with her half sister that she hadn’t seen since they were three, who was put in prison for embezzling from her employer, the local Food Bank.

We expect rotating cameo’s as Janets cellmate from Rumor Willis (daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis), Jill Whelan, who played Vicky on the Love Boat, and Susan Hawk, who you might recall as the truck driver from the Chapera tribe on Survivor Borneo.

The play will also feature Whoopi Goldberg… She won’t act in the play but will be voted as the celebrity all the prisoners would like to visit most at the holiday social.

Another thing needed to launch this project. we have finally figured out a portable system to have running water in a theater atomosphere. Shower scenes are a crucial part of the womens prison culture and expected from theater goers. We have, with the help of Al Gore, finally figured out how to use the smallest amount of water, purify and it and recycle it for the next show. We thought we had this mastered, but had overlooked the quick turnaround need for matinee shows on weekends. With the help of some MIT students, we believe we can pull this off, even though we needed the water to run red with blood after a shower fight scene in the third act.

What put the project over the top is that I have finally gotten written commitments on the musical soundtrack. It will be written and performed by both Pat Benetar and Kenny G. We needed the musical styling of Kenny for the softer scenes, such as the shower or when Janet explores the love of another woman for the the first time. We wanted the explosiveness of Pat for that “get out of your seat, clap your hands sort of feel”, especially in the final scene where Janet finally get’s her long lost half sister out of solitary confinement, uses her cheerleading moves to vault her over the prison wall, only to die in a fire, started by a rival gang. We wanted the audience to leave shocked, exhausted, sad and also exchanging high fives in the parking lot.

I don’t want to give too much away. I hope that this play will eventually make it’s way to Broadway and then back to Austin where I can visit the Autumn and Sandy Show for a candid interview about the play showing at the Bass Concert Hall.

Oh, by the way, the play will be called “Slammer Slut Soiree, A Requiem if Four Acts”

See you there.

div style=”MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center”a href=”http://bp2.blogger.com/_dHmav2z1o1o/R100g_h0qMI/AAAAAAAABhQ/Jg_qUHU4VbY/s1600-h/CIMG1134.JPG”img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_” alt=”" src=”http://bp2.blogger.com/_dHmav2z1o1o/R100g_h0qMI/AAAAAAAABhQ/Jg_qUHU4VbY/s160/CIMG1134.JPG” border=”0″ //a /divdiv style=’clear:both; text-align:CENTER’a href=’http://picasa.google.com/blogger/’ target=’ext’img src=’http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif’ alt=’Posted by Picasa’ style=’border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;’ align=’middle’ border=’0′ //a/div