Estoy Nueces

I'm up early this morning to go to see a different ENT for a second opinion. This voice problem hasn't gotten much better in months and I still struggle to talk every day, so I found a new one. I just randomly picked one off of our insurance list, the only female in the bunch. Later I googled her and found that she did the cancer surgery on rock musician/author Jesse Sublett. His story of tonsil cancer is sad and fascinating and inspiring. She specializes in throat and neck cancer, which I certainly do not expect (or want!) to have, but I'm hoping she will have fresh insight on this. I did ask the girl that made the appointment if they would "scope" my throat and she said yes, as if that was a given with all vocal cord problems. I haven't been happy that the other ENT has only looked at my cords with his eyes and a mirror. Can there be problems on the underside that aren't on the topside?

Otherwise, I got acupuncture yesterday for the first time in six months or more and it hurt! ouch. She put some needles in my upper arms that left bruises that you can't see. And she did a lot of massage on my neck and shoulders and the big knots that have made their home there. I know I needed it, but I am still hurting from that.

The pain sort of ruined the rest of my day yesterday. I slogged through the afternoon and then came straight home, cranky as all get out. Mark was home and just up from a nap (which made me cranky), but he was super sweet and ordered Chinese food for us and brought me a class of wine. We ate and watched Idol and that made things better.

I went to bed early in anticipation of getting up so early this morning, but then I woke up at 5 and never slept again. This will be a long day, but I won't worry about that now. There may be time for a nap before work.

Oh, and a story before I forget. I get folks every day that want to promote a friend or family member that is a local musician. They are all enthusiastic and are certain that I am going to love this singer as much as they do. Monday I got an email from a listener. She felt she had to "prove" she was a loyal listener so she told me what we had talked about on her last call so I would remember (I did). She told me she had a great singer she wanted me to know about. Could she bring by his CD and did I want to come hear him play in Lago Vista. Honey, I wouldn't drive to Lago Vista to see Johnny Cash rise from the grave. I tell her, sure, she can bring the CD by. Later that afternoon the receptionist brings me a big bouquet of flowers (!) and a gift bag that is all decorated and stuffed with tissue and full of Jolly Ranchers and this guy's CD. She included a letter just asking that I PLEASE listen to the CD. Well of course I'm going to listen to the CD, I always do (well, almost always). I get off the air and have work to do in my office so I put on the CD and read the liner notes. There are some good local musicians on this thing, including Champ Hood. But Champ has been dead for maybe five years now? I checked and this is a CD from 1999. I don't know why people think we can take a six year old CD and suddenly start playing it on the air. George Strait doesn't go back to a CD he recorded in 1999 and pull a new single from it. It may not make sense to people, but it's radio. So, anyway, I start listening. The production is good, the musicians are good, but the singer is just crap. Crap, I tell you. And the songs he wrote are crap, too. Nothing here at all for us. Not much of it was even country, lots of blues and rock and screeching. I will give the woman props, though. I did email her and say it wasn't for us and she didn't come back with all the "Yes, but...."s that so many people do. She thanked me, said I deserved the flowers for the great show I do, and left it at that.

But I'm still not driving to Lago Vista.