I’m Facebook friends with a WXRT DJ who happened to be on-air a few weeks ago when my husband and I were enjoying a quiet night to ourselves after the baby had gone to sleep. We were listening to the radio, drinking a bottle of wine and making meatballs when on a whim, I decided to Facebook-message the DJ with a request.
“Can you play some old Cake?” I asked, per Steve’s request. Steve was titillated; he had never submitted a request to a DJ before much less had it played on-air.
Sadly, it was not to be. “I'd love to, but Terri played Cake right before I got on the air, which means I am 'blocked' from them for the rest of the night,” my DJ friend wrote back. “Try me another time, for sure.”
Steve was disappointed, but I know we’ll get a request some other time. Of course, getting a radio request isn’t the same now as it was back in the old days. There was nothing preventing Steve from getting out his Cake CDs or buying some Cake on iTunes or even just listening to some from Youtube. Not too long ago (gather ‘round, children), getting a DJ to play a song for you was the only way to hear something on-demand, short of going to the music store and buying a CD. “Remind me to tell you my good DJ request story,” I told my DJ friend, and here it is.
The lost art of making a radio request
Feb. 4, 2013The Hal Higdon interview
Feb. 1, 2013
I began running a few years ago and was quickly turned on to the training regimens of today’s interviewee, who has maintained careers in both running and writing that are impressive for their quality, output and longevity. He has contributed to Runner's World for longer than any other writer, an article by him having appeared in that publication's second issue in 1966.Author of 36 books, including the best-selling Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide, now in its 4th edition, Higdon also has written books on many subjects and for different age groups. His children's book, The Horse That Played Center Field, was made into an animated feature by ABC-TV. He ran eight times in the Olympic Trials and won four world masters championships. At the American Society of Journalist and Author's annual meeting in 2003, the Society gave Higdon its Career Achievement Award, the highest honor given to writer members. You can learn much more about him and his programs here.
One elevator system to rule them all
Jan. 30, 2013
There is a time and a place in this world for diversity, but the elevator system is not one of them.
I used to work in an office building where the elevators operated the traditional way. You press the up button, you get in the elevator and you press your floor number. Unfortunately, the elevators were incredibly slow so, like with an irritatingly out-of-sync CTA bus line, sometimes the elevators would come one at a time, slowly, and would get overcrowded, or they’d all bunch up and there would be four elevators for three people.
My favorite (fried) things
Jan. 29, 2013
Jalapeno poppersZucchini poppers
Fish-and-chips fish
Calamari
Fish sticks
Fried green tomatoes
Crab cake
Fried chicken
Fried pickles
Onion rings
Mozzarella sticks
Looking kind of bad at your baby's baptism
Jan. 28, 2013A friend of mine is having her baby baptized soon, which is very lovely, except for the fact that the baby is five months old already.
No, it’s not a problem because the parents let the baby risk being alive all these five months before getting some nice-smelling oil rubbed on his little baby head. If it weren’t for the cute frilly white dresses and the way everyone holds their breath when the baby gets the water splashed on the baby head, I’d say no one should be baptized until they’re 18 and have picked his or her religion.
The problem is that this mother unfairly skirted the tradition (in the christening set) of Looking Kind Of Bad At Your Baby’s Baptism.
The Alex Witchel Interview
Jan. 25, 2013
Today’s interviewee is the author of the sad, delicious and fascinating memoir All Gone: A Memoir of My Mother's Dementia. With Refreshments, which is a heartbreaking account of the author’s smart and strong mother “disappearing from sight” while honoring her traditions by sharing her comforting recipes. She is also a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine and originated the “Feed Me” column for the Times Dining section. She has contributed to New York, Vogue, Elle, and Ladies’ Home Journal, among other publications. The author of three previous books, she lives in New York.Is there a time and a place for fur?
Jan. 24, 2013
A few weeks ago my colleague Leah Pickett wrote a blog post about how to stay warm yet remain fashionable when the temperatures dip, suggesting, to my chagrin, that black puffer coats are démodé (I got one for Christmas and I LOVE it. You will literally have to pry it from my cold, dead hands.)I think there are small ways one can try to perk up a winter wardrobe (I choose to express myself with a pair of outlandish teal leather gloves) but at a certain temperature (26 degrees Fahrenheit), it all goes out the window. Earlier this week I walked the dog while wearing polka dot pajama pants over wicking running pants for an extra layer of warmth. Hat head is a small price to pay for an insulated noggin. The company Sorel has launched a successful campaign convincing women that bulky, furry snowboots are a fashion statement (successful in that yours truly owns a pair of Helen of Tundra boots a few years ago and will wear them over said pajama pants.)
Zulkey bits and pieces
Jan. 23, 2013There are some little bits and pieces I would like to share with the Internet but none of them can really be turned into a whole post, so here you go: it’s potpourri day.
1.) Funny Ha-Ha is returning next month with a fabulous lineup! Check it all out in our gorgeous poster right here. 
2.) My husband Steve Delahoyde made a very nice short (as in three minutes long) piece about the origins of the poetry slam right here in Chicago (see below). You’ll probably like it.
3.) I wrote this piece for the Hairpin called “That Baby Wants to Break You Up.” It should be noted that a.) Coincidentally, life seemed to get a lot easier right after I wrote it and b.) It’s not meant as a cautionary tale against having children. I’m just not likely to write a piece called “Here Are All The Ways I Love My Adorable Baby.” It’s just meant as catharsis first, and maybe commiseration, second.
4.) Finally, Michelle Obama’s bangs! I don’t have much to say about them (they’re fine?