TRICIA'S TIDBITS

2010-12-02T16:34:00.007-07:00

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times - KISS FM has the best listeners in the world! Not only do we ask you to donate money and baskets to our Easter Basket Drive, we ask you a few months later to donate money and school supplies to our Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive. This year we also asked you on the spur of the moment to donate bicycles to the Child Crisis Center after their bikes were stolen - and you came through with flying colors!

This week we kicked off our second annual Christmas Act of Kindness. We had some extra money left over in our bank account and decided to pay it forward with your help. We are getting emails filled with stories of amazing people who need help to make ends meet during these tough economic times, and we have given three of these people 250 dollars to help them out a little. But we have also been geting calls from our listeners who want to help even more! We've gotten calls from people who want to donate money, clothes, even Christmas dinner!

So thanks to all our KISS FM listeners for all the help you give us throughout the year bringing smiles to little kids faces, helping them celebrate Easter and do well in school, and thank you for your generous offers of help to those who need it most at Christmas time.

KISS FM has the BEST LISTENERS IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!

2010-11-30T08:30:00.002-07:00

Well, the turkey is just a memory, the Christmas lights are in a jumble on the garage floor, and Mike and I are back at work! The week we took off for Thanksgiving was great, but getting back into the groove of things this morning was just as fantastic because we really do have the best job in the world! Where else can you get paid to say snarky things about celebrities who can't answer back, make fun of people who really are stoopid!, and drink coffee and surf the web?! Not to mention talking to listeners who were so sweet and told us all morning how much they missed us?! Yup! I love my job!

2010-10-27T16:26:00.002-06:00

Next Tuesday, 93.1 KISS FM is hosting A Taste of Home Coooking School at Grace Gardens. You can check out all the details and buy tickets at kisselpaso.com. There are other locations around town where you can pick up tickets. A complete list of those sites is on our website as well.

But Tricia, you say, I already know how to cook. Well, so do I, but I can't wait for Tuesday for the same reason I watch the Food Network and the Cooking Channel. I love to learn new stuff! Cooking is all about applying techniques to ingredients, it's that simple. But where do you go to learn the techniques? A recipe, a lot of times, looks complicated and it might get put in a drawer without you ever trying to cook it. But Tuesday night, the experts from Taste of Home magazine will show us how to whip up Bacon and Cheese Scones! And Upside Down Banana French Toast! And COOKIE DOUGH TRUFFLES!!!!!! They'll show us how to take every day ingredients you have in your kitchen and turn them into showstopping goodies for your family! And you'll get all the credit!

Now, could I check out the recipes and do them myself? Maybe. But I love to see someone run through a recipe who has cooked it before. They turn a page of printed instructions into a party in the kitchen! How do you turn flour, bacon, and cheese into Bacon and Cheese Scones? Come to Grace Gardens on Tuesday and find out! Don't know how to cook a banana without making it banana moosh and ruining your Upside Down Banana French Toast? You'll find out Tuesday night at a Taste of Home Cooking School!

We'll have fun, get a chance to sample some delicious offerings from El Paso restaurants like Dominic's Italian Restaurant and learn how to make dishes that will WOW your family and friends! So come out to Grace Gardens and learn how to create some magic in the kitchen with a Taste of Home Cooking School!

2010-10-18T20:21:00.003-06:00

I LOOOOOOOVE BASEBALL!

I'm at home right now, watching the Texas Rangers play the New York Yankees with Darren. In the seventh inning stretch, the National Baseball League honors our men and women in the service by having someone sing one of my favorite songs of all time, God Bless America. Now, I know they don't do it only for me, but I hope that the parents of other service men and women feel the pride I do when the whole game is brought to a halt to honor our brave soldiers.

I first heard God Bless America when I was a kid. My grandparents would tear up when the indominable Kate Smith would belt out the tune at the end of virtually every variety show on tv, and in the 70's when I grew up, there were a lot of variety shows! That song makes me cry each and every time I hear it. I wrote a column about it one Fourth of July when Ryan was in Iraq. It is a song that makes my heart soar, and the National Baseball League blows me away by having someone sing it at every game they play.

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Baseball is America's pasttime, sorry football. Much as I have grown to admire the mechanics of football, baseball has become my favorite sport because it celebrates our nation's heroes, the men and women of our Armed Forces.

As the mom of a son who will probably be put in harm's way once again, and someone who has talked with and heard the stories of countless soldiers and their families stories, the fact that the National Baseball League thinks enough to stop a game and salute our soldiers, makes me want to hug every person who works for the League.

So whatever Cowboys, get lost Steelers, The Sport of America is BASEBALL!!!!!!!

God Bless America!

2010-10-04T07:22:00.002-06:00

We kick off our annual Pink Ribbon Week this morning! Check out kisselpaso.com for the locations where you can pick up important information about breast health this week. You can get a pink ribbon for your lapel, or a pink antennae topper for your car, as well as pick up some Yoplait yogurt! They have the pink tops on them in commemoration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. When they are turned in, Komen for the Cure gets a donation from the fine folks at Yoplait!

Breast cancer isn't a comfortable subject to talk about, but not talking could have deadly consequences. Every woman should learn how to do a monthly self-examination so she knows her breasts, that way, if there is a change, she can catch it and bring it to the attention of her doctor. Breast cancer may not be preventable, but it can be caught in it's early stages and that gives you a fighting chance to beat it.

Some women think that because breast cancer has never happened in her family, they don't have to worry. The problem with that logic, however, is that there will be a first time in every family. Breast cancer doesn't discriminate - it will strike rich and poor women, it will strike women with a history of breast cancer in their families, it will strike women with NO history of breast cancer in their family. The only way to fight it is to be informed! The way to be informed is to stop by any of the locations around town this week where KISS FM and Komen for the Cure will be.

We know our listeners come through for us with our Easter Basket Drive, the Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive, even with bicycles for the kids at the Child Crisis Center. You guys rock! We know we can always count on you to help out, so we want to make sure we help our listeners out with this FREE information.

It's important, it's your life. Let's help each other stay healthy!

2010-09-20T18:17:00.002-06:00

Are you ready for some football?

How 'bout them 'Boys?! (I know, I know, they lost, but bear with me!)

Ok, that about exhausts my knowledge of football sayings.

The Cowboys played and lost this weekend, so there are a lot of fans in mourning right now, and a lot of women who can't understand why their guys take this stuff so seriously. I know it bugs Darren when the Cowboys lose, but thankfully, he doesn't take a swan dive into the pit of despair the way some guys do. He hopes for the best and bitches when they lose, but he does realize that the sun will come up again. But there are guys who really do go crazy when their team loses. And I have friends who make their men feel silly by not understanding their pain, and worse, make fun of it.

They can't understand why their man sits in his La-Z-Boy and tosses his football in the air slowly, replaying in his mind each and every bad play of the game. They ask him why he insists on watching SportsCenter for the rehash of their team's loss. They tell him, "It's only a game!"

By the way, Kim Kardashian had her dog neutered.

So What's Love Got To Do With - well, there is no other way to put this - Balls?

Guys love balls. They love to throw them around, they love to run down field with them, they love to spike them. They loooove to display them, especially when it's a game winning ball. Because most women have never played sports, we don't get it. Of course, I'm talking about uncoordinated dweebs like me here, not women who have actual athletic prowess! The problem with men and their balls though, is women always seem determined to take them away, and we want them to be happy when we do.

We want guys to hold our purses when we shop. We want them to pick up their underwear off the floor. We want them to curl up on the couch with us and watch Lifetime all weekend while eating microwave popcorn. So when football season rolls around and our man suddenly becomes glued to the tv and espn.com, we want to clip those suckers off - if you know what I mean, and I think you do - and we want to do it in front of everyone so our superiority in the relationship is unquestioned. The problem is, guys aren't peeing on the carpet, so to speak, when they become obsessed with football. They are just in Deep Dude Mode.

DDM makes your guy tell you he's "going to have a beer with the guys", but in reality, he's really heading to a "gentleman's" club. DDM makes your guy not only NOT pick up his underwear, it makes him wear them an extra day or two to get them extra nasty for when you finally pick them up yourself. DDM makes your guy demand that you make him a sammich and get him a cold beer in front of the guys while they watch the game. That cackling and high fiving you hear when you deliver the food and beverage and leave the room? It's DDM.

I've been married a couple of times, okay, three, and if there is one thing I've learned, it's not to fear DDM. Men, try as we might, are really not domesticated animals. They'll go with us to Home Depot and look at carpet samples, they'll even hold our purses while we shop, but the truth is, what they really want to do is run around, run into each other, and play with a ball. So don't do what Kim Kardashian did to her dog and take your man's balls away. Just take mental notes of all the football food you provide from the first game of the season to the last moment of the Super Bowl.

Lifetime makes plenty of movies. Go Cowboys!

2010-09-02T13:25:00.002-06:00

A little background first - I got this email from a listener who was offended that Mike and I suggested that kids from Juarez who get a free education should have to pay tuition in order to use El Paso schools. Personally, I think that if we did charge a reasonable tuition for students from Juarez, we would no longer have a budget deficit in our school districts, and who knows, we might even turn a profit. So I got this email, which I included first, and then below that is my response. Feel free to email me at tricia@ksii.com if you would like to weigh in, or you can alway head to the Morning Show's Facebook page at kisselpaso.com. By the way, I didn't edit either email. They are both published in their entirety.

Thanks for listening and reading!

The e-mail:

Sometimes I wonder how people can be so stupid. They are trashing the kids that are coming to El Paso to go to school from Juarez. And now they are saying stupid stuff that is not right about how things are in the Juarez school system. I was trying to find a way to send them an email telling them how full of it they are. I hate it when people start saying, “I pay for this school with my property taxes”….there are thousands of people in this city that pay property taxes for the school districts and have NEVER sent kids to school, so they can complain too… ugh! Oh and don’t get me started on what they were saying about the kids coming over that don’t speak English….aaaaaaiiiigggghhhhhh I am thoroughly disgusted and am officially never listening to them again, ok? They are being racist, they are being mean…they are being ugly. And I don’t’ know if it’s just to get people’s goat, but I don’t think so…not the way they are trashing the Mexican people. Como si sus abuelos no vinieron de aca…jerks! Submitted By: C. Lopez

My response:

C - Good morning! First of all, we never called anyone stupid or jerks, so forgive me if I think you are a jerk as well.

We are not trashing the kids who come to El Paso for the chance at an education, we were trashing the school districts for not charging for the privilege of attending our schools. I don't think it is too much to ask that people pay for the services of which they take advantage.

As a taxpayer, I paid for the privilege of sending my children to our schools. It is neither here nor there that my children attended private schools. I had the means to send them to schools I thought were better for them and I paid for the service I used. That is what I would like people from Juarez to do with our schools - pay for the service.

You say there are thousands of people who pay property taxes in this city and have never sent their kids to the schools. It begs the question, why should we pay for something that we don't use? Why shouldn't people who use something not be required to pay?

As for kids coming over and not speaking English, my great-grandparents came to America from Lebannon in the early 1900's and spoke only Arabic. They traveled to American through Mexico and learned Spanish along the way because they had to in order to maneuver through the country. When they came to El Paso, they learned English as well. They didn't expect anyone to work around their lack of knowledge of the language of the countries they were in at the time. They knew that knowing the language of the country was the only way they were going to be able to earn a living.

I do not think that expecting people from Juarez to at least be able to converse a little in English is too much to ask. After all, El Pasoans are constantly being told that because we live on the border with Mexico that we need to know Spanish. I agree, as long as people from Juarez learn English because they live on the border with the United States.

As for being racist, if I had called people names or said I didn't want anyone from Mexico coming over to the US, that would be racist. All I said was that I want people to pay for services rendered. And no, I don't say the things I say to get people's goat. I truly believe this is the greatest country on Earth. I also believe in following the law. I only ask that everyone else follow the law as well.

One more thing - it doesn't matter from what country my grandmother or any other family member came. What matters is they saw a better life in the United States of America and became proud Americans, not Mexican Americans or Lebanese Americans or Italian Americans. If you leave your home country, for whatever reason, and go to another country in order to better your life, then you are beholden to that country. Learn and obey it's laws, wave it's flag, learn it's language, or stay in your home country and try to make your life better there. . jerk.

2010-08-24T08:12:00.003-06:00

Regarding this morning's show - I read a story about a Republican woman who said the President gave the appearance at a speech last year in Cairo to the Muslim world that he is Muslim. She said the President said in that speech that he IS a Muslim, even though he has repeatedly said he is a Christian. Now, I don't think I'm shocking anyone by saying I have a bit of a Republican bent. I think I am way more conservative than liberal in my viewpoints, but really, this kind of thing makes me do a palm to the forehead smack.

First of all, I doesn't matter what religion the President practices. That is the beauty of living in the United States - you get to choose, and, theoretically, it's not supposed to matter to whom you bend your knee because our Founding Fathers said you can worship whomever you please. However, because of the War on Terror, we equate Islam with terrorism. That is a dangerous leap to make because next thing you know, people will say that all people of Mexican extraction are drug dealing illegals. How's that work for ya?

The plain fact of the matter is that you have to defend people's rights whether you agree with their particular position or not. You don't get to choose who or when someone should get the full and equal protection of the Constitution. We all do all the time, that's the beauty of being a US citizen.

Now, do I think that a Muslim community center should be built near the site of the worst terrorist attack on US soil? No. I think it is in bad taste and more than a little disingenuous for the group who is going to build it to think that there would be no backlash. I also think that the people who have a problem with the community center should be allowed to voice their opinion just as much as I think the people who want to build it have a right to build it. This is America, people, love it or leave it. If you have the right to say they have the right to build it, I have the right to say indeed they do, but not so close to the World Trade Center site.

Discuss. . .

2010-08-19T17:16:00.004-06:00

I was surfing the web and ran across the funniest clip of one of my favorite actors, Jerry O'Connell. He is that super mega hunk who is married to Rebecca Romijn who used to be married to John Stamos! He is the super hottest guy and in this clip from the Jimmy Kimmel show, he only makes me love him more by being so honest about his kids.

We all have moments, and sometimes entire days!, when we think our kids are never going to get it, but instead of saying it, a lot of times, we just pretend we always think our kids are geniuses and everything in our house is nothing but Gerber baby time. I would imagine being a celebrity only makes you more apt to do that because once you're rich and famous, everyone assumes that your life is peaches and cream.

But Jerry lets us into the little goofy and seriously high-larious things his daughters do and his reaction to them. It shows us that even though you're impossibly gorgeous, rich and famous, and give your kids the kind of genetic magnificense that is Jerry O'Connell and Rebecca Romajin, sometimes your kids are still going to be a little deedee-ree!

Enjoy!

2010-07-26T05:37:00.003-06:00

O. M. G. Friday night was a COMPLETE bust! As you know, I dig me all things Kardashian, but Friday night, I found out Miss Kim Kardashian doesn't dig her fans as much as we dig her. Let me explain. . . .

First, Miss KK showed up more than an hour late to Wet Ultra Lounge. The VIP area of the club was JAM PACKED with people who paid a WHOLE bunch of money to see her, and she's late? After we all saw her show up to the airport early in the afternoon? Ohnoshedidn't!

Then when she finally did show up, she, and her ridiculously large entourage, sat for 15 minutes while everyone struggled, and I do mean struggled, to see her. Specifically, there was some total DB guy who put his narrow butt directly in the line of vision for Kim and wouldn't move it! She was sitting on a couch and looked up maybe twice in the first fifteen minutes for a couple of seconds before she buried her nose again in her Blackberry! If you watch Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, you know Kim has a problem with her Blackberry usage - well, girlfriend, believe it! She messed with that dang thing the whole time! She was taking pictures of herself and some blonde chica who was with her while people were getting crushed while trying to get a blurry picture of her. Not cool, Kimmy! These people paid ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS for the privilege of seeing you and you said a couple of words into a microphone and that was it!

As you know, I was going to try and have a badonkadonk off with Miss K, but since she said she wouldn't be talking to media of any kind right before she bothered to show up, there was no badonkadonk off! And I wore stripper heels and EVERYTING! I think she was just scared because my booty was lookin' FINE! Actually, I think Miss Thang is pregnant.

WHAT?! you say? She was late because her peeps said she wasn't feeling well. And you know how girlfriend is all about the hair and makeup, yeah, well, not so much Friday night. She also looked a little unsteady on her feet. Oh yeah, and if you watched Kourtney and Khloe this weekend, you saw Kimmy talking about wanting a baby. I know, I know, she also said in an interview recently that her nephew, Mason, is the best birth control. I don't buy it. I think Kim Kardashian is PREGGERS! You heard it here first!

Ok. I feel better after my rant. Tell me YOUR Friday night with Kim Kardashian experience. Respond here, or email me at tricia@ksii.com.

2010-05-30T16:05:00.002-06:00

This past week we had a heck of a time trying to get some infomation out of UTEP. Seems the university thought it would be a great idea to fly the United States flag at half staff for two students who were brutally murdered in Juarez as they were traveling back to the US from a retreat. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the young men. By all accounts, they were there only for a boy scout-like retreat, and their families are now having to deal with their loss because of a stupid turf war. When I read the story during a news break, the question came up as to whether UTEP should be flying the US flag at half staff. I mistakenly thought they could, but upon further investigation, Mike and I discovered that according to US flag code, unless UTEP had a proclamation from the President of the Unites States or the Governor of Texas, they should not be flying the flag at half staff for the two murdered students. We tried to contact UTEP and ask them if they did indeed have the proper permission to fly the flag at half staff. We were met with stonewalling by UTEP's Public Information Officer, former KFOX news reporter, Arlene Barrios. We also got a lot of phone calls and emails from people telling Mike and I that we were not being fair to the families of the young men who were killed. Ok, now you know the back story, now let's advance this story a bit.

I have been stopped at remotes this past week, taken phone calls from listeners, and my dad has even had to answer questions from people at the Courthouse when he's been there trying a case. I don't have anything against the two young men who lost their lives. My heart goes out to their families and friends. I can't even imagine what it must be like to bury a child. I imagine the mothers of those young men must be shattered into a million pieces with grief. I pray for them and their sons. The questions we had about the flag were questions for UTEP, and UTEP only.

UTEP is a public university funded by public, meaning your, tax dollars. I am really tired of people who run for public office and public entities that are dependant on tax dollars for their survival, feeling like they don't have to answer questions from the public! If you take money from taxpayers or voters, I feel you don't have the right to duck questions from those taxpayers or voters! If you don't want your life to be public, don't ask for a vote or take my tax money!!!!!!!! I learned very quickly when Darren was arrested on the side of the road a year ago just how public my and his lives are! And yet, here I am, still behind the microphone, still taking shots from people who think I'm a xenophobe and hate Mexicans! I'm not and I don't!!!! But I have enough, well, you know!, to stand and answer any question that is thrown at me. That is what I wanted UTEP to do. I just wanted them to pull up their big girl panties and have enough cajones to answer the question for God's sake!

As of this posting, they haven't. I don't imagine they will, either, but I do thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to rant. Thank you, and God bless our fighting men and women all around the world. May God keep them safe and bring them home soon, and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!!

2010-04-14T11:50:00.002-06:00

I was at Walmart right now and a lady walked up to me, well, let me restate. I was at WalMart right now and this lady locked her tracking beam on me and almost FLEW down the aisle at me! Her face was red, she was walking like in a manner that suggested that I was about to get punched! I was steeling myself and wondering if she was going to blast me for my political views, because that's what I usually get blasted for! So here she comes, laser beaming me with her eyes, looking like a linebacker about to sack the quarterback, or whatever sports phrase would fit here.

She suddenly stops in front of me and says, "Tricia! I just wanted to tell you that you are so right!"

Ah! vindication! My politics ARE appreciated by our listeners!

"Lady Antebellum's song ISN'T a booty call!"

Ok, so maybe my political views aren't on our listeners minds after all!

"Mike and Cesar really need to listen to the sentiment BEHIND THE WORDS! That poor woman singing is baring her soul to this guy. He should FALL ON HIS KNEES for being so lucky to have a woman like that!"

I nodded in agreement because I think she's right. Need You Now is the ultimate "what a fool I was to walk away" song. It is the classic sitting around eating Chubby Hubby and looking at all the old pictures of you two and then not being able to stand it anymore and not caring that the sun is going to come up in the morning and you'll regret making that late night phone call but doing it anyway kind of song.

The woman at Walmart and I were really connecting and telling each other the times we've felt exactly like the song when I told her, "And the guy in the song is so sweet, wanting her to come in and be there with him."

She kind of looked at me funny and replied, "Not even. He's a pig as all men are pigs. They only think about one thing. What song have you been listening to anyway?"

Come to think of it, I think I saw a pint of Chubby Hubby in her basket.

2010-03-09T13:53:00.001-07:00

My best friend, Yvette, and I were sitting at my kitchen table a few nights ago drinking a glass of wine and catching up on stuff when her daughter, Vanessa, walked in from watching tv in another room. She sat down at the table and Yvette laserbeamed on her and said, "Tell Patricia about the boy at school that you like." Vanessa is a sophmore in high school and as cute as bug in a rug. She is an A student, a cheerleader, a swimmer, a good kid. She blushed and told me that the boy in question is a senior, a swimmer, and is going to go off to Brown in the fall. To become a doctor. Sounds like a dangerous character, right?

Vanessa told me all that, Yvette let her finish and then said, "Yeah, but he wants to take her out. On. A. Date.", and she stared at me across the kitchen table like I was supposed to say something like, No way young lady! So I turned to Vanessa and said, "Is he cute? Where are ya'll going? Is he going to take you to prom?"

I thought Yvette was going to fall out of her chair she was so shocked! She started wagging her finger at both of us, saying that Vanessa was too young to date and this boy was a senior and had I lost my mind? I just said, calm down Carmen and put that finger back where it belongs! Carmen is Yvette's mother and believe me, when we were in high school and I was the evil influence on Yvette, I saw Carmen's finger wag at me many, many a time! We all laughed until I suddenly realized that Yvette and I were our moms! We were the ones sitting around the kitchen table worrying about our kids and their choices, wondering where in the hell did they get their fashion sense, taste in music, and what is the deal with that hair? I gotta tell you, I raised boys, and this whole worrying about daughters and their crushes is brand new to me. It was kind of cool, however, that Vanessa seemed to think that it was cool that I was asking questions about "the boy" instead of freaking out like her mother.

Vanessa talked with us a little while longer and then went off to text endlessly with her friends about "the boy" and Yvette and I sat for a while drinking our wine. She looked at me and I looked at her and we both shook our heads and laughed. "Oh my God, I'm Carmen," she said as she finished her drink. I nodded and said, "Yup, and I'm your cool friend who gets to talk about boys and stuff with your daughter!" As they left, Yvette hugged me and said, "Just don't show her how to sneak boys into my house the way you showed me!"

2010-02-10T14:37:00.001-07:00

I got a lot of grief from some girlfriends after today's show. A couple of them called and told me that I need to stop saying that it's my job to make Darren a sammich and get him a beer while he watches the game. They agreed with Mike when he said I set women back when I say stuff like that. Whatevs!

Valentine's Day is this Sunday, and those very same brats(!) will be making their men's lives heck if they don't come through with some bling or a really high end designer purse, and why? Because it's the guy's job to get us bling or a really high end designer purse because Valentine's Day is all about us girls! Ummmmm, then why can't Super Bowl Sunday be all about the guys? Or for that matter, any other day when he is hanging with his homies in the man cave?
And What Does Love Got To Do With A Sammich And A Beer?

Women have fought long and hard to be dealt with fairly in relationships with men, but along the way, we seem to have lost our sense of fair play with our men. If we expect guys to remember to send us flowers, help with chores around the house, and hold our really high end designer purses while we shop, then we better step up to the plate and do a little for them, too! That means no griping when he asks for a sammich and a beer. This is not an invitation to be jerks, fellas! If your lady is going to do the whole 'little woman' thing, you have to be respectful while she's scratching that itch for you!

So the next time I say it's a woman's place to get her man a sammich and a beer, don't hate! If you listen to the show, you know that Mike is always saying I'm a man in a woman's body! I strongly believe in strong women who can take care of themselves. I just also happen to believe that taking care of my man is also a sign of strength - the strength to show him, and everyone else around him, that he is the most important thing in my life.

BTW, the next time you see me out, check out my purse. Woohoo!

2009-11-29T18:01:00.005-07:00

I'm sitting in front of the tv switching back and forth between the local news and critiquing how they bring us information about what is going on in our city and county.

I'm terrible about that because I used to produce the news at 7, so I feel like no one can do it better than I did!

My obsession with politics bugs the crap out of Mike, though. I can see him rolling his eyes when I get going on a rant, so I've tried to tone it down a bit. To me, politics is a contact sport, and I watch it with as much passion as men watch their favorite football team!

That's why I hope our listeners understand that the thing I enjoy best about political talk is finding out someone else's opinion. I certainly don't know everything, and I'm like everyone else when I get blinded by my own biases and emotions. Those things color the way I look at politics, but someone else's viewpoint could be the thing I need to hear to change my mind and see the way someone else see's the same subject.

The freedom to speak your mind is a powerful thing, but sometimes I forget to use my inside voice! So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, thank you, dear listeners, for bearing with me when I get on my soapbox and forget that I'm not Empress Patricia! But if you wanna talk politics, call me at the station. I love to argue!

2009-10-04T20:13:00.002-06:00

NO LONGER A PHONE NERD ... So my birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and I got a cool present - a new cell phone! Now it might not seem like much to you, but to me, who was carrying around a cell phone that had no camera, no video, no ability to download music, it's pretty huge! Darren said it was time to get me a cool phone when he saw my four and nine year old nieces making fun of me because they have cooler phones than their Auntie Titi!

It's a Blackberry and I can take pictures and video, download music, really keep my schedule together with a cool calendar, even text without having to hit a button four times to get to the letter I want! The good thing about the camera capabilities, of course, is being able to send stuff to Ryan in Iraq. He was laughing because I sent him some pictures from the night we celebrated my Mom's, my sisters, and my birthdays. My Mom and I were born on the same day, my sister a day before us. We were all at my other sister's house and I was taking pictures and sending them to Ryan.

Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out why the pics were so cloudy, like they were being taken through a veil. Well, my eleven year old niece walked by just as I was complaining that this whole taking pictures with the phone thing wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She asked to see my phone and took the protective film off the back and handed it back to me without saying a word. Yeah, I'm a phone dork.

So now I've joined the cool kids with the cool phones, but I get the impression that they still won't let me sit with them at the cool kid table at lunch! Oh well........

2009-09-20T08:05:00.003-06:00

CHECKIN' OUT THE CHICK MAGS: I check out the chick mags because there's never enough time to read all the good stuff in line at WalMart!
GLAMOUR: FALL FASHION UPDATE:

Fall is right around the corner, and the ladies at Glamour tell us that the hottest footwear this season will be thigh high boots! Yowzah! So how do you wear them without looking like a hookah? DON'T wear them with a mini-skirt! You want to look hawt, not for sale! Pull those bad boys on over a pair of skinny jeans and keep the rest of your legs covered up!

MARIE CLAIRE: How To Deal With Your Football Fan

If you don't want to be a football widow again this season, try these strategies from the gals at Marie Claire ~

Don't take the non-cooperation approach and refuse to take part in any football-related activities, unless you want to be a lonely girl! Instead, power share your man with his team!

Let him have his four hour blocks of time when his team plays, but then remind him that turnabout is fair play and he has to hang with you for the same block of time! That should keep him from doing too much footballage!

AND FINALLY FROM THE MINXES AT COSMO: Tackling Your Man's Style, or Lack Thereof!

Cosmo says if you want to change your man's look, DON'T throw out his favorite t-shirt or jeans that he adores but make you throw up! Instead, bury them at the bottom of the laundry hamper. Then buy stuff to replace the crummy stuff! Men are like puppies - if they don't see something, they'll forget it exists!

Then, when he is wearing something you like, shower him with praise! When he picks something you hate, don't mention it! Pretty soon, he'll remember that you liked one thing and not the other, and since he wants you to be all over him, he'll wear the stuff you like to make that happen!

That's my first installment of Checking Out the Chick Mags! Stick around for more tidbits from the mags you can't put down!

2009-04-27T15:11:00.002-06:00

There is some scary stuff going around, and they call it the bird flu. There is a lot of information out there, but here are some quick answers. As you can tell from reading, there are a lot of unknowns in this outbreak - that's because this is a brand new virus. As more information becomes available, we'll keep you up on it. Read on . . .

1. Whats the deal with animal flu's in humans?

The influenza virus constantly mutates that's why we can't get full immunity to the flu.
Flu virus' in animals - like the bird flu - swaps genes with other viruses a process called reassortment, and jumps to human beings.
The bird flu doesn't pass easily from human to human to another, and is a phase 3.
A phase 4 is a new virus that begins to pass easily from person to person.
Since it is apparently causing large-scale outbreaks in Mexico, along with cases in the U.S. and Canada and suspected cases in other countries, it looks like the criteria for phase 4 has already been met.
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2. What happens if this outbreak is classified as a pandemic?
Serious containment actions would have to be taken on the national and international level.
That could impact the global economy, and freak out the public, so doing that is a matter of not only science, but politics as well.
Meanwhile, the opportunity to contain the disease at its source has passes because the virus is already crossing borders easily.
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3. Why have the U.S. cases been so much milder than the ones in Mexico?
No one knows and what worries officials is that in Mexico, swine flu is killing young and healthy people who can normally fight off the flu.
Officials say the true severity of the swine flu is still not known.
A 1918 flu pandemic began with a fairly mild wave of infections in the spring, but a much worse strain of the virus came back a few months later.
The current swine flu virus could evolve also and become even more dangerous to people.
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4. How ready is the U.S. - and the world - to respond to a flu pandemic?
Better prepared than it has ever been, thanks to concerns over the bird flu.
Millions of doses of antivirals have been stockpiled.
We can identify new viruses faster than ever before, and we have life-saving technologies - like artificial respirators and antivirals - that weren't available back in 1918.
But we are also fighting against international air travel which means that infections can spread very quickly.
And even though a new swine flu vaccine can be developed quickly, it could take months for the pharmaceutical industry could produce its full capacity of doses - and even then, there wouldn't be enough for everyone on the planet.
The U.S. is particularly vulnerable because only one plant here makes flu vaccine which could pose the problem of trying to get other countries to give us some of theirs when their people need it too.

SYMPTOMS OF SWINE FLU

Swine flu symptoms are similar to regular flu symptoms and include cough, sore throat, fever, chills, headache, and fatigue. Some patients have also reported nausea and diarrhea. There is no easy way to distinguish swine flu from other types of flu or other germs. It takes a lab test to tell whether it's swine flu, so if you feel ill and are worried, call your doctor.

Scared yet? Don't be. Just keep an eye on the news, cover your mouth when you cough, and wash your hands!

2009-04-23T05:36:00.002-06:00

Warmer weather is here, and that means summer is right around the corner and kids will be getting out of school and spending their days at the pool to try and keep cool.
But before all the fun can begin, the city will be temporarily closing three pools in East El Paso for maintenance before the busy summer swim season.
The Therapeutic & Instructional Pool at the Multipurpose Center at 9031 Viscount, will be closed this coming Monday and Tuesday.
The Hawkins Aquatic Center at Hawkins and Montana will be closed this coming Wednesday and again on April 30th.
Marty Robbins Pool at 11-600 Vista Del Sol will be closed May 7th and 8th.
General admission for city pools is $2 for adults up to age 49, $1 for youths, and $1 for seniors 50 and older.

2009-04-06T18:05:00.002-06:00

Ok, so now I feel better! Turns out Kathy Ireland, one of the supermodels of the eighties, let things get out of hand, too! Apparently, she developed a serious sugar habit while she was busy raising her kids, being married to an emergency room doctor, and just generally living her life. I think we can all understand that! I mean, my kids are way older now, Ryan is 23 and Sam is 17, so it's not like I have little ones at home who need to be tended to, and still, before I knew it, I was heavier than I've ever been!

Which leads me to thanking everybody for all the nice emails of support after my last blog. I got lots of great suggestions about where to find jeans to fit my booty and "you-go-girl's" in regards to trying to lose weight.

A little update: for the first time this morning, I put on my pair of jeans that were just out of the dryer . . . and I didn't have to do deep knee bends to stretch them out! Don't you hate the way your jeans shrink in the dryer? I do! So I took it as a great little victory that they were comfortable right away. *heavy sigh* I guess that means that eating fewer brownies and drinking fewer Cokes really does work, so I'll have to keep doing it. Oh well, it's worth being able to feel smug in the morning when I pull on my jeans! Stay tuned!

2009-03-17T08:23:00.002-06:00

So, here is the new Dora the Explorer. What do you think? I think she's way to grown up, even for tweens, but that's just me - you decide!

2009-03-12T14:46:00.002-06:00

Ok, I admit it. I bought a pair of jeans for comfort and not because I thought they made me look good. They are even, dare I say it, vaguely mommy jeansish. You know the kind. The pockets are a little too high on the butt and the zipper is a little too long. As a matter of fact, if they zipper was any longer, I'm afraid the waistband would be flirting with my underwire! I'm embarassed to say that I noticed all these flaws when I bought them, but I pulled out the plastic and brought them home anyway. I've been wearing them and telling myself, you know, they're not that bad. And no one really knows what the back looks like because I wear a big shirt of Darren's over them and that covers up a lot of the mommy jean details. That is until my niece Belle pointed out that I look like the mom of a friend of hers. Oh the humanity!

The mom in question has completely gone over to the dark side of mommy couture. She has the full on mommy jeans, lightweight turtle neck with quilted vest, matching headband, and of course, loafers with white socks.

Thank God Belle was just talking about my jeans that day, but it was bad enough! So why did I slide toward the mommy side? Well, honestly, my butt is huuuge and those were the only pair of jeans that didn't make me feel foolish. I had tried on a zillion different brands of jeans and couldn't find a pair that looked good. Of course, if I just worked out and stopped eating handsful of chocolate chip cookies, I would probably stand a better chance of finding a flattering pair of jeans, but I digress.

So, I'm making a pledge to myself on this blog. I am going to make the time to begin working out again. It's been so long since I got on a treadmill that I think I forgot how to work one! I'm a size 12 and want to be at least in a 10 by the end of May. I can do it. I've done it before. But in the meantime, are there any size 12 ladies out there who know of some flattering, sexy, not mommy in the least jeans? Let me know. I'm desperate! E-mail me at tricia@ksii.com.

2009-02-20T08:07:00.002-07:00

So, this Sunday is the KISS FM Love Affair and Bridal Expo and I have been letting my eyebrows go all week so I could go get them waxed on Saturday, right? Well, yesterday I was at the mall getting some Spanx, the best invention of the century!, and I ran into a girl I went to high school with. You know the one I'm talking about - the girl who was super cute, thin, and popular, and has stayed cute and thin and married the hot guy with a ton of money. I hate that girl. Well, I was dressed for work, which means sweats and a t-shirt with my hair in a ponytail, and the previously mentioned furry eyebrows. And what was the super cute, thin, well married girl from high school wearing? A fierce business suit, perfect hair and makeup, and killer heels. We hugged hello and talked for a minute, but the whole time I knew she was laughing at the caterpillars above my eyes! Needless to say right after I walked away, I called my eyebrow girl and told her I was on my way! Man, I hate running into people I used to know!

2009-02-02T08:11:00.002-07:00

You really missed something if you missed the Ladies Night Out at Sunland Park News and Video! We hear there might have been as many as 800 ladies at the store that night. We had so much fun checking out all the well, you know, accessories! Big thanks to the nice people at Sunland Park News and Video for having me, Monika, and Teresa from our sister station, The Q, out on Friday night. Thanks to the Chocolate Lady from Mesilla with her sexy treats! Lots of ladies found out everything there is to know about Aruba Tan and how to get that golden glow! And thanks to the lovely ladies from Foliage. We gave away bikini waxes, hair cuts, and relaxation facials from them, and believe me, they were the prizes to have!
We'll do another Ladies Night Out next year, and hopefully we'll see you there!

2009-01-29T08:58:00.002-07:00

In case you haven't heard, it's time for our Ladies Night Out at Sunland Park News and Video! Sunland Park N and V is near the Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino at 199 Appaloosa on the west side. They sell everything you and your man will need for a sexy night with each other.

Valentines Day is right around the corner and it's on a Saturday, so swing by Sunland Park News and Video tomorrow night between 6 and 10 for Ladies Night and do some shopping girl!

Monika and I will be there from 7 - 10pm with great prizes and the best part is you won't have to worry about any guys being around while you check out all the toys, lotions, videos, and accessories, if you know what I mean, and I think you do, because it's LADIES ONLY! Woohoo! We'll see YOU there tomorrow night!

2009-01-29T08:35:00.002-07:00

Did you hear about the credit card processing company that got hacked into? It is one of the biggest security breaches in history, and GECU members may have been affected.
We spoke to GECU officials on the air earlier in the week and they say everyone has been notified, but if you are still worried that your account might have been compromised, GECU's website is gecu-ep.org, or you can call 778-9221 to ask any questions you might have.

2009-01-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of really great things coming up for our listeners, things like the Komen Race for the Cure, the KISS Bridal Fair, the chance to surprise your man with a visit from Stupid Cupid, and our annual Ladies Night Out at Sunland Park News and Video! In case you've never been to Sunland Park N and V and don't know what they sell, well, let me tell you, it has nothing to do with anything you'll see on CNN! It's Disneyland for adults, or rather an adult Disneyland.
Monika and I will be at 199 Appaloosa on Friday, January 30th, from 7 - 10pm and you won't want to miss this event. All kinds of toys, lotions, videos, and accessories, if you know what I mean, and I think you do!, will be yours for the buying and the best thing is, the night is ladies only! No pesky men staring at you while you take a look at battery operated goodies and check out the latest in fun couples, or singles!, stuff!
So check out KISS FM's Ladies Night Out, Friday, January 30th, at Sunland Park News and Video, 199 Appaloosa from 7 - 10!

2009-01-12T15:10:00.002-07:00

I feel like I'm cheating. Cheating on my morning cup of coffee. I know it sounds odd. See, I really love coffee. I love the way it smells when you grind it, I love the way it smells when you brew it, I love the way it smells when you pour it into a coffee mug. So why has my head suddenly been turned by another? Why have I fallen in love with tea?
I mean, I've always liked tea. Flavored teas, iced tea, mint tea when my tummy is gurgly. But ever since I got sick with this upper respiratory infection from hell, I've pushed aside my beloved cup of coffee for English breakfast tea.
I can't help it, it's delicious. It makes my throat feel better like coffee never could. When I get into the station around 4ish in the morning, I can't wait to drop a tea bag into my mug and fill it up with hot, steaming water. And there's a pot of coffee, staring at me, wondering what it all went wrong between us.
This morning, I forgot tea bags. My throat got scratchier just thinking about how long the morning would be without my tea fix.
Well, there's always coffee, I thought to myself as I walked down the long hallway to the station kitchen. I poured the jet black liquid into my cup, added a decent slug of milk and a couple of teaspoons of sugar and took a tentative sip. It tasted delicious, just like I remembered. I drank a couple of cups this morning and got through the show.
And then I came home, and put a dozen tea bags in my backpack.
I know it's wrong, but I can't help myself.

2009-01-06T15:46:00.002-07:00

It's the new year and I'm supposed to be trying to get back on track to losing all the junk in my trunk. So I went to the grocery store yesterday and got lots of fruits, because I'm going to snack on that instead of on cookies and chips. I walked by the display of Cokes and didn't buy the three packs for whatever price they were trying to tempt me with. No frozen french fries that are my secret afternoon snack. No Pop Tarts, my chocolate friends. Nothing bad for me, nothing yummy or crunchy or sweet or bad for me. It sucked.
I got home with a smug smile on my face and put away all my healthy, non junk in the trunk inducing snacks, made a salad with a fat free dressing and poured myself a big glass of calorie free water. Then I broke into my secret stash of Russell Stovers and ate six pieces.
Don't look at me that way. I saved a lot of calories with that salad, so it all evened out. Kind of liked buying stuff on sale, right?