First, it's Memorial Day. Thank somebody who took time to protect your butt.

Second, Memorial Day notwithstanding, I don't much care for my morning routine being messed with. It's nothing too big or serious, but I like listening to the Bob and Tom Show. Their site says they'll be running a "Best of..." show. But 102.9 has instead decided to play "music."

Maybe I'm older than my time, but a lot of the music they play today doesn't do anything for me. I don't mind the White Stripes and the Coldplay they every hour or so. And I'll give them their due because they've played a couple from Johnny Cash's American IV. But beyond that, they haven't played a whole lot that does much for me.

Problem is, none of the other radio stations around here are much good to me, either. It's Country Music Heaven around here. I like Johnny Cash, and a lot of the older stuff. But the stuff they play on the new Country stations is just as bad as what they play on the new rock stations. There's nothing to anything that they play. Is bubblegum country an apt enough description?

There's an oldies station that I listen to when I'm feeling down. It's the stuff that my folks listened (and still listen) to, so I know all the words. When I'm down, I can just drive and sing along with all that stuff. They play a lot of bubblegum, too. But maybe given enough time, even bubblegum becomes credible.

The classic rock station doesn't bother me. And they've even veered slightly from their hardcore southern rock stance slightly. But they're very big on Rush, Zeppelin and Tom Petty along with the southern standards: Marshall Tucker, George Thorogood and, of course, Lynyrd Skynrd. This was the station that led the mourning charge whenever Dale Earnhardt died.

I washed my work shirt in the sink last night, and I don't think I washed it well enough.

Also, there's an 80's station. But I think they play the same 40-50 songs over the course of the day. Which is fine, but you can only hear "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" so many times before you totally lose it bawling at work.

And then there's the River. All your soft rock classic for nonoffensive work listening.

There's an urban/rap station in there, too.

But all that is in the face of about 12 country stations.

Yep.

Nine days until I'm done with Goodwill.