Yesterday I began sharing a few glimpses into my life during the past twelve months after leaving WNUA.  Today we continue with a few more.

I enjoyed the experience of . . .

Taking the Brown Line into work at AccuRadio each day.  Getting reacquainted with the heart of the northwest side neighborhoods through which the L rumbled each day was some happy sightseeing for me.  And now I know exactly where the famous Dinkel’s Bakery is.

Watching Jeopardy. My wife, our dog and I quickly got into a 3:30 TV routine.

Getting a behind-the-scenes tour of the new Busch Stadium, courtesy of my friend, John Rooney of the St. Cardinals. It’s a fantastic park with state-of-the-art amenities benefiting both fans and players.  This is how good we could have it here, and it reinforced the notion that the Cubs are being stifled by tradition, sentimentality and an aging, long outmoded structure as far as Wrigley Field is concerned.  In the long run, they’re much better off tearing down Wrigley Field and building a brand new ballpark on the same site.  It’ll be better for the team; it’ll be better for the fans.  And, if they do it right, no one will miss the old Wrigley.  By the way, this is coming from a lifelong fan of the Cubs.

Going to Disney for the first time ever. I’d never been to any Disney park in my life; I found it a trip into unreality (in a good way), much like a trip to Las Vegas.

Getting out and riding a bicycle on a sunny summer day.

Meeting for lunch on a regular basis lots of radio friends, most of whom (sadly) were also looking for work. Host the midday show, and you never get to do lunch.  That was the case for me for more than twenty years. I made up for lost time in a hurry, taking advantage of the $6.99 Angus burger lunch special on Tuesdays at Emerald Loop more often than I care to admit.

I learned . . .

With Facebook, you’re never alone.  The last time I was in between jobs, in 1989, it was just me and Rolly, the cat, all day long.  Facebook and email have totally changed our world.

Never has part-time work felt so good.  I was one of the lucky ones, getting even a few scattered hours here and there in radio, because the market had completely dried up.  And, when the opportunity at 87.7 presented itself in December, it was truly a blessing.

Both Internet radio and over-the-air radio can grow market share more quickly if they’d become partners, not competitors. Internet radio needs the experience and leadership of veterans of over-the-air radio.  Conversely, over-the-air radio needs to pry into the minds of the out-of-the-box thinkers who are creatively driving internet radio.

My wife is truly the Chairwoman and CEO of the household. Between housekeeping, home maintenance, trips to the vet and appliance repairs, a HECK of a lot happens each day that I don’t know of while I’m away at work.  I still don’t know how she gets it all done, especially with her own work and school responsibilities.

I’m not sure if I’d like to go through another year like 2009 again, but it sure did seem to have its moments.