Author: Buzzy Donahue

I grew up in San Francisco in the 60's. I lived in a world of sex, drugs and rock and roll. After a long stretch working on my tan I have joyfully found my way back to radio. Because you can't fight it; when it's in your blood. I play music on KPTZ.org.

Disgruntled

Feeling the hostility: could it be all that solar energy?

Just trying to mind my own business but difficult to do when so many people are acting out their anger. My little town known for being so polite at the four way stop sign is showing signs of being frayed around the edges.

I was so excited to go to the dog park with the dog I am pet sitting. I have been watching dogs and their owners have fun in that dog park for a number of years while doing my show from the station at MVC. When I got the chance to take the dog I was sitting to the park I was so pleased. As it turns out everyone at the park knew Woody and he was welcomed back with open arms. The next dog I took care of the exact opposite happened. Winston has not been trained as well as he could be and has some behavioral issues. I had hoped being around other dogs would help some of these issues. He did good with the other dogs for the most part but the owners did not like Winston. He is ball obsessed and would often go after the ball and then refuse to drop it and would often go and attempt to take the ball swing out of their hand. I was working on distracting him by playing just with me but not before one owner started screaming at me about my dog. I will tell you that being screamed out in front of a bunch of strangers and their lovely dogs is not a nice feeling. When I asked her why she was being so hostile she replied “because I’m frustrated.” Aren’t we all lady. There is a small enclosed area which hardly gets used so I took Winston there while I worked with him not to be so aggressive while playing ball. I try to go at times there are not many people around but occasionally for what ever reason another dog owner wants to come in the small area I warn them about Winston and his challenges. Today a man who I have seen there before who has dealt with Winston and been frustrated with his behavior decided he wanted to join us with his dog. He was holding the ball thrower that Winston goes crazy over and I told him I didn’t think it was a good idea. He then blew up at me, screaming who did I think I was that I could have a whole pen to myself etc, etc, etc. This place that had charmed me with the good vibes of dogs and humans connecting and playing together was soiled with his anger and meanness. 

People are so disgruntled these days and acting out in ugly ways. It’s exhausting to be around.

Never Learns

I like to get toasted then write something that I do not edit or clean up and put it up on my blog. This is a blog right?

I know it is a stupid thing to do but it’s as crazy as I seem to get these days. My reasoning is nobody is paying attention to me or what I say so why not just have some silly fun?

Rough day at the office, first day back doing my Wed. show which has become quite important to me and bozos which I won’t name fooled around and we ended up with dead air and beating hearts as the blind leading the blind tried to figure it out. This kinda shit pisses me off. Turned out to be a long afternoon for me. But it’s over now and I did my best and that’s really all we can do, right?

November 21, 2023

I just figured out at the age of 73 that the reason I was always attracted to “bad boys” is because my daddy was a “bad boy.” Duh.

He also gave me my love and radio and music so no hard feelings daddy.

I mean I could have figured it out a long time ago. Timing is everything.

It’s that time of year when memories rush in, I embrace it, as it’s my story.

Have a pleasant holiday season.

RAdio

I was getting stale. Time to shake it up. I wanted to break down the walls that hold me. After awhile the listeners seem to expect a certain style, they are comfortable, I feel stuck. Whenever I decide to switch it up I question myself. What if I lose my audience? What if they hate it? Do what you know they like, don’t make waves, keep them happy.  Is that my job? To keep them happy, (all four of them.)

No. It’s not my job. I will help them find happiness but I can not let them control my creativity. I need to be experimenting and testing new sounds. The playlist is king. 

When I took writing classes I would ofter an explanation to a piece I had written especially if I was nervous about it. I learned to stop doing that and just do it.  I get nervous before I do something good. So today I did I show I knew my regulars might not like because like me they have become comfortable. An hour into the show I got an email saying “Awesome, awesome show. That’s all I needed. I did what I set out to do and at least one person got it. Looking up, moving forward.

Radio On!

Adventures in Pet Sitting

There is no better place to be reminded that there are a lot of strange people in the world then when you pet sit. Because you get to meet them all.

I mean think about it, people love their pets more than their kids, right?

I am pet sitting out of necessity but I must admit there is part of me that is enjoying meeting all the owners and their fine pets. I do have some new best pet friends. The owners? Not so much.

My current crush is Bella a puffy white Pomeranian with black eyes and a belly that Buddha would be proud of. Bella and I got along immediately. We have a lot in common, we both want to lay in bed and do nothing. We both like naps. We both love food. She just seems to get me.

It’s only rock and roll.

I did my first interview and it was okay.

Ken Jones did his homework and that helped. It seems that as my generation drops I am in demand for stories. I guess that is why I did Ken’s interview so the stories wouldn’t die immediately if I did.

Morbid but also my reality, the end is so much closer you can almost feel it’s breath on your neck.

Radio is good and lonely as ever. I seem to work totally on vibes, and like the weatherman can not always be trusted.

Of course I want to make them happy or enjoy our time together. Of course I have to do my thing when I do my show even if it’s bad.

Hell no I say I don’t do bad, you just need to catch up.

I love the holidays

Yes I do love the holidays, you know why? Because when I’ve been disappointed or heartbroken during this time of year, I did not let it define the season. I decided that would not set the tone for this time of year. Oh yeah, I could tell you some bad holiday tale. But you know what? old I like the good feeling of making my own “It’s a wonderful life.” Is this a grown up moment?

One thing good about getting old is you do “stop sweating the small stuff.” I know another one of those cliches’ that is true. I have been told numerous times in my life I was to “serious.” Is that another way of saying uptight? Who the fuck cares. Maybe I once did but I don’t anymore and it is so liberating. How many ways do you feel liberated?

2022. I’m ready let’s do this.

7 Years

It’s been seven years since the queen mum fell on her birthday and jumped on the rollar coaster that only goes down. Seven years, that is how long it has taken me to forget the bad memories and only want to think of the good ones. For Thanksgiving had always been a wonderful time of the year for my family. “My family,” that is also a memory from the past. It feels so strange to not have a family that you see or talk to. But that’s not what I am hear to talk about, what I realized is this time of year doesn’t hurt like it did for many years. I tried to do the “work’ but also I do think that age brings many challenges but also a freedom from the angst. Ok, maybe you were smart enough not to go on the angst train but not me, hey I was the kid that wanted to be a martyr. What a waste of good energy.

I have been working on forgiving the ones I gave my Love to but it wasn’t enough. More like they didn’t respond in the way I wanted them to do with the love I was throwing out. Both are Sagittarius, one a love, one blood. Both born on the same day. Chaos is laughing. I can work with chaos. I love the holidays because I believe in magic.

11/10/21

I think I became aware that males were more important than females when I was about one year old. I was the first grandchild and for a moment I was Queen of the universe. Then my cousin Tim was born and I felt the shift. A boy, the family has a boy to continue the family name. I felt that as much as they liked me I was not as valuable as a boy baby. It showed in the toys they bought at Christmas, I got dolls and a doll house he got an electric train. A train,  who wouldn’t want a train? Dolls. I never knew what you were supposed to do with them.  Soon I would have a baby brother, so I certainly didn’t need baby dolls., I had a baby brother.

I was angry when my cousin Tim got a train set and I didn’t, I’m still angry. I’m angry that I have been treated differently my whole life because I’m a female. This memory/feeling arrived on the day I found out that my dear cousin Tim Clark had died of a massive stroke (our family health history.)  We were not friends as adults but we spent those first baby years together with the big people making memories. He and I bonded if we liked each other or not.  RIP Tim.

Horseradish Polenta 

1 cup coarse ground cornmeal 

3 cups milk

2 cups water

1/4 cup heavy cream 

3 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon chicken base 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 

3 tablespoons prepared horseradish 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

Heat the milk, water and cream to a boil and whisk in the cornmeal. Add the garlic and chicken base. Continue whisking for 30 to 60 minutes until it’s tender. You may need to add more cream as you go if it’s too thick. Add the cheese, horseradish and butter and whisk until smooth. 

Times that I am happy I live alone:

Right Now.

I seem to be buying my winter wardrobe for Costco in the mens flannel selection. I can’t figure out the size difference so the clothes/ pjs are not flattering and usually too big. But I don’’t care because they are warm and fuzzy and that make me happy.