Welcome to Doni’s Slightly Damaging Diary. My name is Doni and I work as a radio host middays on WCSX. I have never been able to work from home until recently. During Covid, I would go to the radio station, do my shift, and leave without seeing another person for days at a time. It was crazy. With some recent changes in my company’s technology options, I can now work from home… which is exceptional timing.
I named this “Doni’s Slightly Damaging Diary” because I will talk about some things that are… less than flattering, but what’s the point if I just slap sunshine on it every time and don’t talk about the rest?
Why Am I Working From Home?
Great question, thanks for asking. I have a genetic issue that has led me to need hip surgery. The leg affected is my right (driving) leg. It is painful to drive and the extra walking at work doesn’t help either. I have surgery scheduled, but it got pushed back. Additionally, since it’s my driving leg, I can’t drive for two months after surgery. I’ll be working mostly from home for a while.
I love being out on the streets for WCSX. Joel and I have had plenty of adventures with City of the Week. I don’t love being grounded for the moment, but life is what it is. As the Yogis say, sometimes you have to go through it in order to get past it.
My slightly damaging diary is also a place where I can work past some of what needs to be gone through… hopefully with some humor. Laughter really is the best medicine.
I don’t tend to speak of my health much on-air because it’s a conversation that takes more than the minute or two I have to chat with you. I’d rather spend the time telling you about the cool things going on with WCSX or talking about the music.
Doni’s Slightly Damaging Diary is a place where I can tell you some funny experiences or talk about something that I wouldn’t bring up on air. Also, I’ll tell you now, I regularly I tend to do dumb stuff. I’m sure you’re laughing with, not at me, so it’s all good.
Without further ado, scroll on to meet my four-legged friends and peek inside my slightly damaging diary entries. 🙂
Doni’s Slightly Damaging Diary
Teams Meeting With Daisy
Doni’s Teams meeting from home had an unexpected visitor… her cat, Daisy. Doni felt the cat upstaged her by looking more interested than Doni did. Working from home definitely has its challenges. (Photo courtesy of Joe Winner)
3-18-24 Both my cats do not respect my space. Especially my work space. Both Peach and Daisy will come up on my desk and flop over. Sometimes they hit the keyboard. I have lost hours of work because one of the cats has hit the keys. However, new territory was found on how my cats can jack my work day.
Every couple of weeks, we have a training session to help us create strong content. Ain’t nobody who wants to read poorly put together content on the innerwebs, friend. During today’s training, the cats both felt the need to jump up on my desk, at times completely blocking the screen. My favorite shot though, was sent to me by my co-worker, Joe Winner (such a great name). Check it out…
Thanks, Daisy! I felt bad afterward. I didn’t realize how many people saw the cats. I thought, “50 people. How many will possibly see my screen?” I should have known when my friend, Erica, side messaged me asking, “Is the cat taking notes too?”
I felt unprofessional since I was a distraction, but also… hilarious. This is a great example of how I tank myself. I think something is funny, but sometimes management disagrees… strongly. Having said that, thanks for the picture, Joe! HILARIOUS!
Taking Notes with Peach
Peach doesn’t like to sit directly on a counter or table. Instead she will sit on whatever is on the counter or table. In this case it’s my note pad.
3-19-24 – Peach is my alpha cat. The dogs and Daisy all get out the way when Peach is passing by. Peach probably weights around 2-3 pounds. I am not kidding and she stinks at recognizing boundaries. She will crawl right up on me if she feels like it.
In this instance, I set my pen down for two seconds. As soon as I was no longer writing, she sat down atop my notebook and looked around like, “What?” She isn’t likely to sit on the actual table, but the little tiny notepad? Yes, that looks purrrfect.
Peach also purrs loudly. I’ve been able to keep it under control so far, but she will rub her cat face up on my microphone and purr loudly. I can hear the purring through my headphones.
As I am typing this, she has decided now is a good time to lay her head on my forearm. This cat doesn’t give a crap about what anybody else wants. Having said that, she is also very sweet and sleeps next to my head most nights.
My Coworkers, Chewy and Biscuit
My coworkers, Biscuit (left) and Chewy (right) oversee my work from the couch. It’s a ruff life.
3-21-24 – My coworkers, Biscuit and Chewy keep an eye on my work. Unlike most bosses, these two wouldn’t mind at all if I screwed around on the clock. To set up this picture better, Chewy (right) is totally cheesed at the moment. She usually lays down on the blankets on the left side of the couch, but Biscuit beat her to the spot.
After I took this picture, Chewy continued to give me the eyeballs. I know she wanted me to move Biscuit out of her spot. Biscuit doesn’t stay still long. He jumped off soon after and Chewy moved over.
Chewy is with me throughout the day. She moves with from room to room. Chewy really is my favorite four-legged coworker except when someone drops off a package or walks past our house. At that point, guard dog, Chewy, comes out to do her job. Chewy barking her tail off while I’m trying to introduce a song doesn’t really make for a strong mix.
Hey! All this dog talk reminds me of Mutt Madness! Congratulations to Bella! She was voted cutest pooch!
Unnecessary Snow
WTH? I know. It’s third winter and we’re on our way to mud season. Live Daffodils! LIVE!
3-22-24 – I knew snow was coming but I really thought it would just be a dusting. It’s the tail end of March for God’s sake. Michigan doesn’t care. We got enough snow/slush to end up with multiple accidents. The ONE day this week I had to drive into work and it took me an hour and a half. lol fml.
My daffodils do not look amused by this snow. We should be warming up into the ’50s over the next few days. Warm weather can’t get here fast enough. One thing I know about Michigan winters… when you think it’s the last snow, there’s still another snow coming.
Was this that snow? Or will be get snow again before the 3 days of spring followed by summertime in Michigan?
Seasons in Michigan are more than the standard four. You have first, second, and third winters… mud season. I don’t know the whole list but it comes up on my FB feed often this time of year.
Confession of a Smoker
I do not like to talk about my smoking. I recently quit. I have been using a nicotine-free vape since then. Obviously, there are some conversations about the concerns of vaping, but this has been working for me so far. This is not meant as advice nor sponsorship. I’m simply saying the path I chose.
3-25-24 – I have struggled with smoking for decades. I very much enjoy smoking. I also dislike myself for smoking. I don’t need to go over the list of why smoking sucks and is bad for you. We all know the list. I recently quit smoking. Pain is an amazing motivator.
When I found out I needed surgery for my hip, I also found out that I need to be a minimum of 6 weeks nicotine-free before the surgery and for 6 weeks after. Since I need to be nicotine-free, the patch, gum, etc. weren’t options. I chose to buy two vapes: one with nicotine and one nicotine-free.
I started using the vapes and finished my pack of smokes on a Saturday. I did not leave the house. I am laughing as I write this, but it’s the truth. If I wanted nicotine, I allowed myself the nicotine vape, but I kept mixing the nicotine-free one in there too.
I stayed away from going into gas station stores for a while. I ditched the nicotine vape after a week or so but I still hit the nicotine-free vape when I crave a cigarette. I know there is some controversy around vaping as well, but I’m nicotine-free, so I’m happy with this baby-step.
I don’t know that I would have quit smoking if it wasn’t for the pain in my hip. I know I sound like an a$$ hole, but I’m being honest. Now that I have quit smoking, I plan to stay strong and not pick it back up. That is the plan. Truly, I am taking this one day at a time.
I still want to smoke, but I also wanted to quit for decades. I’m past the physical addiction. The psychological, that is going to take a while… or forever. One of the two.
Friends and family have been very supportive and that helps. It’s weird though. I had to quit or else I had to live with the pain in my hip. I chose to quit, but it didn’t really feel like a choice. So I don’t know that it feels like such an accomplishment.
I’m worried about once I get past the surgery by a couple of months. At that point, I’ll have the option to smoke. I’ll have to choose not to smoke and I feel like I’ll need to make that decision every day.
Diet: You're Doing It Wrong
Doni’s lunch. Mixed greens, strawberries, and grilled chicken with a poppy seed dressing. She eats healthy for lunch and breakfast… after that it’s a slippery slope.
3-26-24 The weight is a struggle right now. I can’t really exercise much. I just quit smoking. It’s not a great recipe. Plus the first month that I quit smoking I ate like a fool. There were a lot of Doritos and M&Ms involved. The scale was quickly rising and I freaked out.
I’m still overweight, but now I’m at least trying to keep the dogs at bay. Most days, I eat very healthy from breakfast until late afternoon. Then I make a series of bad choices… and M&Ms may still be involved from time to time.
The beauty of working from home is that you can eat whatever you want. The danger of working from home is that you can eat whatever you want.
My surgery was originally scheduled for tomorrow. It’s a pretty big bummer knowing I have to wait another 5 weeks, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t start to heal until I have the surgery. It makes me feel like my life is just in limbo.
I should make a batch of my healthy chili. It’s low in sodium and sugar, but it still has as much kick as you can handle via poblano peppers. Click here if you would like the recipe.
Put Your Butt Someplace Else
Why Daisy? Doni’s cat, Daisy, stretches out on Doni’s desk. Daisy’s butt is dangerously close to Doni’s microphone.
3-28-24 These @#$@ing cats. I’m surprised the purring hasn’t been caught by the mic yet. Today Daisy stretched out on my desk. I took the photo and realized how close her butthole was to my microphone. I am not well with that.
I think Daisy is a beautiful cat, but even after years of giving her a home, the bobtail retains its uniqueness. It’s just this cute little stub. Peach has more of a ball on the end of her bobtail. It’s like the tail was rolled up in there, but didn’t actually unroll.
Side note: Working from home has allowed me to be caught up on laundry at all times. lol I love multitasking. Being able to put a load of laundry in and then go back to work is amazingly Zen. My dog, Chewy, loves a blanket fresh from the dryer. She is in heaven.
My Plate Is Full
My friend, Kim, made me this piece of decor. She uses plates, glass bowls, drawer pulls and a spoon to create her art.
4-2-24 My friend and co-worker, Kim, stopped by to dee me on Friday. She brought me this plate. She puts them together using plates, glass bowls, drawer pulls, and spoons.
I think it’s super cool. I love the repurposing aspect and I think it is adorable. Most of all though, I love this piece because Kim made it for me and brought in to give to me. When friends give of their time and talent, to me, it’s the greatest gift you can get. I don’t know if I’ll hang it in the house or garden, but this baby is going up. Kim, you made my day. Thank you.
She also had great timing. Friday was very hectic and I’m not long on patience even when I’m not in the condition that I’m in. I haven’t talked very much about my leg pain here. I feel like the conversation isn’t a fun one… obviously. lol But I also appreciate when people have understanding and that’s hard to have if I don’t talk about it.
Since October, I’ve been limping from the pain in my right hip. The limp and pain got worse over time. I can say that I feel like it has finally stopped getting worse, but it hurts all the time every day. Most times the pain is just a dull background pain. Other times it hits me good.
I feel like my life is in limbo right now. I can’t walk very well or very far. I see people on social media on fabulous vacations or running, walking etc. and I feel envy. I feel envy because I can’t do those things. And then I realize that there are plenty of people out there living their lives with pain… Or people who won’t get to walk freely again. Then I feel selfish. So that’s where I’m at and that’s why you won’t hear me talking about it on air. In a nutshell: it’s depressing and self-focused. I’d rather talk about the music, fun local events, and random awkward things in my life… but only if it’s funny. I have standards.
The Solar Eclipse Party of Two
The gnome and I are ready for the solar eclipse with our shades. I can’t see anything through the glasses.. except the sun.
4-10-24 The eclipse went through on Monday. Even though I was at home, my gnome and I could feel that big planet energy. I got some certified viewing glasses. I figured they’d be crap. I was surprised. I couldn’t see a thing in these glasses… except the sun.
The sun showed up as a small orange ball. I was able to see the moon cover the sun to a good 98%. All the pets did not seem bothered by the events.
I was surprised that the elementary school behind my house brought out so many kids to see the eclipse. That must have been cool for the kids and terrifying for teachers. Keeping 20+ kids in line and making sure they don’t look at the sun without proper gear. My hat is off to them.
I made an eclipse playlist! What would you put on your classic rock eclipse playlist? You can check it out HERE.
That's My Daughter!
I could not be more proud. My daughter, Mackenzie, 100% has my sense of humor.
4-15-24 Let me explain why my childish a$$ thinks this is funny. The “Do Not Enter” sign is lining up within the Halo of Sterling Heights. I love the halo! I think it looks great. However, every so often, I can’t help but call it the golden butthole. If Sterling Heights was looking for something that would draw attention and conversation to Hall Road, my God, they did it and then some.
Parents always hope that their kids will take after them on the good stuff. My messed up, sometimes inappropriate sense of humor can’t always be considered “Good stuff,” but, my daughter, consider it my gift to you. 🙂
I enjoy getting texts and pictures from friends and family out doing things. With the status of my walking (still a heavy limp a lot of pain), I don’t tend to go much of anywhere these days. I’m counting down the days until my surgery and praying that it fixes my leg / hip and relieves the pain. The omnipresent pain is a pretty big downer. My radio show helps a lot because it forces me to be in a better mood. It’s a slippery slope staying away from self-pity and depression over current conditions. For now, I’m trying hard to keep my head up until my surgery. At that point, my healing truly begins. And I quote Tom Petty, “The waiting is the hardest part.” Man, I love Tom Petty.
Aries Are the Most Argumentative
Doni tries to choke Ryan during a fun day in the studio. No DJ’s were harmed in the taking of this photo.
4-17-24 Shocker, but also, HEY. Don’t start none won’t be none. I read this article on Zodiac signs. They are the ones who made the “most argumentative” claim. I read on though to find out that Leo and Sagittarius rounded out the “most argumentative” category. All three fire signs? What are the odds. I enjoy reading and learning about Zodiac signs, but much of it is subjective. Does star alignment affect who we are? I don’t know, but back when everybody got the newspaper delivered to their door, I enjoyed reading the horoscopes.
I have always felt like I am a true Aries… the good and the bad. I am impulsive. I open my mouth before completely accessing a situation. Sometimes it 100% works out. Other times, not so much. A friend of mine had an astrology book that they brought to lunch years ago. It broke down your personality traits based down to the time of birth. It told me I was a chain-smoker. This pissed me off, but there wasn’t much I could say since I was a smoker. Side note: it is pretty cool to say, “I was a smoker,” rather than, “I am.”
The no smoking is… going. I still would like a cigarette pretty much every day, but since I don’t have any, I don’t smoke. I can’t. If this surgery got pushed back again, I don’t know what I would do. Walking super slow with a giant limp sucks. All my flowers are coming up and my flowerbeds need clean-up and I just do what I can. Also, the weight-gain sucks. I’ve probably gained 15 pounds since Since I stopped consuming nicotine on February 1st.
Tomorrow is my birthday, but it doesn’t feel like it. It just seems like life is still in holding-pattern. I’m waiting to start healing. I’m hoping that this procedure will allow me to walk normally and without pain. We’ll see. On a much lighter note, I’ve been sending Big Jim videos of dad jokes while using Snapchat video to match my topic. Yesterday I sent him broccoli. It’s sounds weird (and it is). To see the video, click HERE. I laughed harder than I have in a really long time last night. Making ridiculous videos of dad / mom jokes was really good for my spirits.
I Feel Like I'm Going To Regret This Later
I may have lost it. My new favorite thing: telling dad jokes while using a matching Snapchat filter.
4-27-24 Not a lot is making laugh right now. It’s not that I don’t still laugh, but the dumb, ever-present pain in my leg thing stinks. I laughed the hardest I have in months a couple of weeks ago. I used a broccoli filter on Snapchat and told broccoli dad jokes. I sent it to Jim O’Brien and he called the “weird.” The nerve of that man. lol
I ended up doing a series of dad joke videos with filters. My favorite being Bready Mercury. Enjoy.
Ouch and Thank you.
Another mouse that Doni’s cat, Peach, couldn’t care less about. Peach is sleeping… maybe she’s dreaming of a mouse?
5-3-2024 I had my hip surgery just over a week ago. It was pretty intense. I had a total hip replacement done on my right side. I would like to say thank you to Dr. Knapp at Motor City Orthopedics and Ascension Hospital in Novi. I can’t even imagine what it takes to do what they do. Hip replacement is extremely precision work. Dr Knapp was all-around amazing and so was the everyone else at Ascension. The healing certainly doesn’t happen over night and the first week of recovery was not easy. Having said that, I am so glad to actually be on the path to recovery and see light at the end of this tunnel. I spent 7 months limping with considerable pain and surgery was the only option to make it better. When they say you don’t know someone shoes until you walk them, it’s no joke. People who live with chronic pain… it can be soul-crushing. I’ve always considered myself an up-beat person but living with this pain and being extremely compromised in my ability to walk… it’s changes the way you look at things. I took 10 days off from work. I’m looking forward to getting back on air. Most of my work day will still be spent with my feet up and Peach sleeping wherever she pleases. I’ve already seen my leg improve greatly. The pain I experienced for the last 7 months is gone. I get emotional when I think of it because I can’t believe it’s actually gone. I’m sharing one of my new favorite Peach pictures – I call it “Cat and Mouse.” Peach has been my number one buddy during recovery. I’ve been working from my laptop on the couch so I can keep my leg up and ice it. Peach is right in there.
The WCSX Anniversary Show!
Your WCSX on-air staff: Ryan Logan and Jim O’Brien of Big Jim’s House… Donielle Flynn Midday and Screamin’ Scott in afternoon drive.
06-17-2024 I actually got out and about! Saturday, June 15th, 2024 was a GORGEOUS day. I haven’t done a live broadcast since last summer. It was so great to be out. The energy at Pine Knob was spectacular. Having some face to face time with Jim, Ryan, and Scott was a shot of sunshine. The crew drove me around the parking lot in the WCSX Rockin’ Ride so I could visit some tailgaters. You can check out the pics HERE.
I’m still recovering from my surgery, but I can walk so much better already… and it doesn’t hurt to walk. Those are two big life upgrades. I’ve been continuing to broadcast from home during my recovery. The commute will never be better.
I do like that I can roll out bed and start working 20 minutes later, but I miss seeing my co-workers. I really love our WCSX team. Next week I plan to return to the station a couple of days a week to see how my leg holds up with driving. The drawback is that I can’t turn a load of laundry over when I’m at work anymore. 🙂
