Big Mike here ….. Over the past few weeks I had a lot of stuff to do and the best part has been meeting many listeners and making new friends ……… Had the chance to spend the day emceeing ARC/STOCK in Wampsville put on by the Madison-Cortland ARC a couple of weeks ago;  at this fun music fest I was given a CD of an originally local band called Love Scene Clear.  Tragically, the young lead singer of the band lost his life but the music is wonderful and if you ever get a chance, google Love Scene Clear on the web and check out their unique sound.  Also, at ARC/Stock got to hear a group called Flame; they are sponsored by the Fulton County ARC and all their members have a disability (made up of people with developmental/physical disabilities, including autism, Down’s syndrome, mental retardation and blindness) but you wouldn’t know it by listening to their great music. Remember the band Flame; they are destined for greatness (checke them out at www.flametheband.com ) ……….. I also emceed the Hope for Heather event all day last Saturday. Heather Weeks is a lovely and very talented dancer and singer and I was in a couple of shows with her (she was the lead in Miracle on 34th Street that i was in a couple of years ago).  Heather is 24 years old and has been dealing with colon cancer; her blog is amazing at www.hopeforheather.com  Well, a ton of great folks in the theater and performing arts community (including Todd Hobin, Doug Moncrief, Ashley Cox, Glass Slipper, Denise Weeks) got together and we raised around $20,000!!! Theater people are the best! ……. Looking forward to helping again emcee ARC-Race next Saturday, Sep 6 at Longbranch Park check out www.arcon.org ; it’s a great event. Maybe I’ll see you there? ………… Also spent some time at the Fair, at the Sunny booth, appeared on Bridge Street,  and cooking demonstrations with my pals Joe Whiting and Freddy Crittela on WCNY’s Food For Thought and at the Home And Art Center kitchen.  ……….. Add to that a quick trip to NYC: I walked around my old neighborhood in da Bronx (hate to say it, but since I left it’s gotten a lot nicer) and ate a cannoli on Allerton Ave.,  went to see the old bones at the American Museum of Natural History, visited Shea Stadium for the last time (got to see the Mets lose), dined at a Vietnamese restuarant in Flushing, a real Kosher deli (Ben’s Best on Queens Blvd) and lunched at the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park ……….. On top of all that, I’ve been at Todd’s Studio as we’re starting to put together our next benefit Christmas CD; more on that later!

I was at Gentile’s Restaurant last week having a delicious gourmet lunch and the place had a few open tables.  Hard to believe.  Should have been packed. For under $10, you can NOT get a better lunch, all prepared to order by the best gourmet chef in town (Chef Gentile himself). This is not a fast food joint, but lunch is served quickly and in a setting that relaxes and helps you feel better for the rest of the day. Most importantly, it’s the food … outstanding! Try a veggie pasta dish or his famous tuna wrap. The Post-Standard said on a scale of 1 to 10, Gentile’s gets an 11! Highly recommended and now open for lunch. Gentile’s Restaurant, 305 Burnet Ave, Syracuse … call for reservations: 474-8258 and listen Thursday mornings at 7:45 when Chef Gentile is on Sunny 102!

There are certain foods that have been proven to be able to actually alter our moods and make us happier. Here’s a list of foods that dieticians and nutritionists recommend if you want to be in a better mood:

–SALMON. Salmon has a lot of omega-3, which is good for your heart. But omega-3s can actually boost your mood and prevent depression.

–MILK. You already know that milk has loads of calcium that can help build strong bones. But calcium can also ease your nerves so you don’t feel stressed or anxious.

–COFFEE. The caffeine can make you feel happy . . . but don’t drink more than a small cup or you’ll get feelings of withdrawal when the caffeine buzz wears off. . . and that can cause depression.

–CHOCOLATE. Chocolate . . . especially dark chocolate . . . can cause you to get excited . . .  That’s why chocolate is sometimes called an aphrodisiac.

–BRAZIL NUTS. These nuts have B-vitamins, which calm you down. They also contains selenium . . . which is a mineral that can prevent depression and put you in a good mood.

–WHEY. This is the stuff you see in a lot of protein shakes. It contains tryptophan . . . which can put you in a good mood. (But it can also make you sleepy.)

–SPINACH. There are tons of minerals in spinach that stop anxiety and depression (–like magnesium).

–COMFORT FOODS. Okay, things like mac and cheese aren’t really that healthy for you . . . but they do make you feel good. That’s because we get emotionally tied to food, and when you reward yourself with food you like, you feel better. For me, it’s mashed potatoes and gravy. You just have to remember to eat comfort foods in moderation.

Tomorrow on Bridge Street ….

It was the fiercest season yet of Project Runway!! We have last seasons winner and designer extraordinaire Christian Siriano talking hair! Lucky I don’t have to listen!

Plus, do you need a daycation? Consider it on us! Your chance to win tickets to Seabreeze

And, are you having a hard time figuring out what to buy your loved one? A local women has the perfect solution… Asurprise4me.com will help you buy the perfect present.

174th Fight Wing Airmen Return from Combat Deployment to Iraq!!!

Airmen/women of the 174th Fighter Wing who are returning to Hancock Field Air National Guard Base from Iraq will arrive at the base later this evening as unit members return from Operation Iraqi Freedom… at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, 6001 E. Molloy Road, Syracuse, NY.

A BIG THANKS to all those who serve and to all the family members who had to cope with their loved ones in Iraq.  To Sunny 102’s Ted Bradford’s wife and Sunny-On-The-Go’s Bretagne’s boyfriend …. Welcome home!

Last night I had a great time hosting Sunny 102’s Party At The Pool at the United Inn on Buckley Road.  The band was The Billionaires and they are wonderful. Their playlist is made up of the kinds of great dance tunes we play at Sunny 102 (lots of Earth, Wind and Fire, Madonna, Kool and the Gang, Prince); so if you ever get the chance, catch The Billionaires. The weather was very nice and that helped bring out a large crowd. It was a very casual good time, sitting around the pool, enjoying a drink and food, listening to great music.  Friday nights this summer it’s the place to be! Next week it’ll be the music of SAMMY Award winners Stroke!

Am I the only one still blogging?