by Bob Harris
Columnist

As we close out 2013, I sat back for just a moment and thought about New Year’s resolutions and whether I’ve made any and did I keep them. I’m talking about the whole year now. In all my years on this earth and all the resolutions I made I’ve keep one for the full year. I had promised to not drink a certain soda pop that as Uncle Larry Ristvedt told me once, “That’s pretty high octane stuff you’re drinking Bob-Oh.” He meant a lot of sugar and of course Larry was rarely wrong. I cut the soda out of my life for a full year. I can honestly say not a drop touched my lips. When I stepped on the scale, let me tell you, it showed. I had dropped over 10 pounds. You’ll have to believe me on this but I didn’t change my diet (which needed serious adjustment) and my exercise routine changed little if any. But it still showed on the scale that I lost weight, and I’m convinced it was because of one thing, drinking too much of a drink that someday could have put me in diabetic shock. And I’m not diabetic.

Every year people make a resolution they are going to stop cussing or swearing. While I don’t swear like a sailor or truck driver or any other one whose been given that moniker over time. That resolution only lasted about 12 hours or so. Honest, it’s something I’ve been trying to break over the years but Son of a—- oops it just ain’t going to happen. I tried to quit using ain’t too.

No matter what resolution you’ve made over the years, chances are you didn’t keep it for more that a week. And that’s absolutely normal.

There’s always people saying “My New Year’s resolution is to quit smoking.” Easier said then done. While I’ve never smoked in my life I had a father who sometimes could puff away two packs a day. I never understood the addiction to it. But he tried and he tried. Then it happened. Heart surgery. And the doctors said no more and he quit “cold turkey.” But when my mother got sick he picked up the habit again to “help calm his nerves.”

The other big one (no pun intended) is to lose weight. How many times have I made that resolution but then pick up a big piece of birthday cake when my sister has her birthday the first week in January.

There’s people who think that a New Year’s resolution is to quit something, but that’s really not true. You can make a resolution to start something and stick with it. Learn to play a musical instrument, take knitting, gardening, writing columns for a local news paper (shameless plug for this column) learn a second language.

If you stop..stay stopped. If you quit something, try to keep it that way. When I stopped that certain high octane soda pop I actually saw results. Just stick with if folks.

Uncle Larry’s

Everyone within the listen area of KFGO know we lost Larry Ristvedt recently after a long battle with ALS. He was a true gentleman in every sense of the word. Extremely intelligent and had the nose for business as well. Loved by all and had a great family with Sue his wife, Rich and Trish his children. But those of us in radio also lost another Uncle Larry this week. Larry Lujack, who was the morning personality on WLS in Chicago for many years. When I was going to broadcasting school, my commute into Thief River Falls was about 12 miles and I could pick up the station on the way in on those early mornings. He was the guy every kid in radio wanted to be like. A great voice, sharp and quick witted and had some of the best jokes, and corny ones you ever heard. Bits like “Animal Stories” Krank letter of the Day.” If you were up at five in the morning I’m sure at one time in your life you tuned to Uncle Larry Lujack on WLS in Chicago and not only laughed but listened to some great rock and roll on the way to work or school.

We lost Uncle Larry Ristvedt at age 71, Uncle Larry Lujack at age 73.

bob.harris@mwcradio.com