I’m sure most of you out there have normal offices at work.  Maybe you have a lot of awards or photos on your walls, loads of important papers waiting to be signed.  An in-box, and out-box, a stapler.  Well, my office here at QED is a little different.

First off, my office is on the first floor here at QED. (There are 4 floors total)  I live right next door to QED cooking legend Chris Fennimore.  He’s the program director at WQED but everyone knows him as the “cooking guy.”  We call him Cookie.  If you have any questions about a recipe, let me know and I’ll ask him though the wall.       So here’s my desk.  Pretty clean ‘eh?  Some highlights above my desk is the fish mobile in the upper left, my collection of press passes including my most prized possession – our Super Bowl XL passes.  I got Fuzzy dice, and genuine New Orleans beads, and an FBI hat from the FBI training academy.  There is some legitimate work stuff but if you look above the computer monitor, you’ll see a red blur.  This is the Bloody Bison.  My daughter Madison came in one day when she was about 3 and drew that picture.  I think she meant for it to be a dog, but it looks more like a bloody bison so that stuck.

Ok, next wall over is my black velvet Dogs Playing Poker.  I got this when I was in college and for some reason after I got married, my wife Pattie allowed me to take this to work instead of displaying it at home.  Below that is my “rolodex,” which involves about 23 post-its and various pieces of paper with phone numbers written on them.

On the opposite wall is my bobbleheads underneath my black velvet paintings.  If you’ve seen our Belt Show, we stopped at a garage sale in the South Hills during the blue belt or maybe the green belt story, and I got these Reyes paintings.  Between them is the pig catapult, which I successfully kept out of my kids’ hands.  On the left if a map of Pennsylvania which is where we are going for our state shows.  Around the map is lots of fan mail that I saved including a guy who says our show helps with hangovers, and one guy who wanted us to help build him a house. 

I like to think of it as dorm-room-chic.  Someday I promise that I will grow up.

No dust mites were harmed in any way during the writing of this blog. – Dave R

I collect bobblehead dolls.  I didn’t mean to, it just happened. 

About 5 years ago, my sister-in-law Carol gave me a Joey Fatone N’Sync bobblehead doll for a Christmas present.  I think it was a joke, but I thought it was funny so I brought it into work.  And as many people have pointed out, it bears a striking resemblance to the other Dave.  Since then, the collection has grown to over 30 bobbles.  I didn’t buy any of them, they just seemed to find me.

I even got a bobblehead doll of myself thanks to a shoot a few years back with Walt Srocki.  This segment just happened to generate the most feedback of any story we’ve done because Walt will make you a one-of-a-kind bobblehead doll if you send him a few photos.  It’s bigger than your normal bobblehead and he will only make one copy – he won’t make a mold because he sees it as a work of art.  I really like mine.  If you want one from Walt – you can call him at 412-782-5551.

Here’s a couple I really like.  I was able to strong-arm OnQ’s Tonia Caruso out of her Tim Solobay bobbleheads.  Mr. Solobay is the PA State Representative from the 48^th district.  I actually have 3 Solobays, in 3 different action poses. 

Of course, the Pirates have about 77 bobblehead nights a year so I got a lot of forgettable Pirates on my shelf.  I got future Hall-of-Lame players like Ronny Paulino, Oliver Perez, Mike Gonzalez, and Craig Wilson.  I even have a Potato Pete who is one of my 4 favorite pierogies.

I do have some really famous people like Plaxico, Jimmy Krenn, Jesus, George Bush, The Woodright Shoppe’s Roy Underhill, Bill from the Red Green show, the Empire carpet guy and Rosie the Robot.  Oh, if they could only talk, the conversation they would have….

Of course, these guys are just a small part of the strangeness that is my office here at QED.  Tomorrow, I’ll show you the rest, in all of its insane glory.  You’ve seen “MTV’s Cribs” right?  Ok, this is just like that, but without the pools, home theaters, and Escalades.

No bobbleheads were harmed during the writing of this blog. – Dave R

So, beginning tomorrow, March 18th, you hopefully will find 10 new posts and I will win this challenge or you can vote me off the island.

And since I’m calling this my March Madness – I will kick it off by telling you how to win your office NCAA tournament basketball poll – guaranteed.

- Dave R

So wouldn’t you know, I get this email a few months back from a T-shirt company in Vancouver, Canada. (beauty ‘eh!)  The company is run by 2 guys named Dave and they make T-shirts using the name Dave in catchy new slogans.

So these guys were nice enough to send along 2 shirts for us, because that’s what guys named Dave do, they look out for each other.  (No – this is not either of us, although I’m wishing I was on that beach!)

Here are their top ten selling slogan shirts right now:

10.   I want to rock and roll all night and party every dave.

9.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the dave.

8.   This is your lucky dave.

7.  Dave dreamer

6.  Dave in and dave out.

5.  All dave all of the time.

4.  G’dave mate.

3.  The first dave of the rest of your life

2.  Some daves are better than others

1.  A dave at the beach.

So you see, pretty clever stuff and if you know someone named Dave and want to surprise him with a unusual present, this would probably work.  Check them out at www.davewear.com

Dave R

10.  Build an exact replica of Larry King’s TV set with a Light-Bright.

9.  Try to look tough while applying Chapstick.

8.  Invent something cool like cereal.

7.  Find out what the hell an ‘eminence front’ is.

6.  Never say “Me Three” after someone says “Me Too.”

5.  Punch anyone who uses the phrase, “outside the box.”

4.  Always order my high-fructose corn syrup on the side.

3.  Freak people out by constantly emphasizing the wrong syl-LAB-le.

2.  Find out whether there are in fact IHOP’s in places like Morroco or Iceland.

1.  Paint my car like the General Lee and take the backroads to and from work while being chased by the local cops.

-Dave H.

Music is of course very subjective, but since I’m an expert, you’ll just have to trust me with these picks.  Some go way back… and some are relatively new additions.  But they all have one thing in common… they make the season more seasonable!

12.  The Platters “Blue Christmas” – they out-Elvis, Elvis by a snowy mile.

11.  Vanessa Williams “What Child Is This?” – a favorite song done beautifully.

10.  Beach Boys “Little Saint Nick” – can still see the album I had in first grade.  A classic.

9.  Los Straitjackets “Sleigh Ride” – instrumental bliss.  Impossible not to love.

8.  Ray Charles “This Time of the Year” – really nails the emotion of the holiday.  Beautiful.

7.  Neil Diamond “Little Drummer Boy” – great song (Joan JEtt has a cool version too) & Neil kills it.

6.  Tony Bennett “My Favorite Things” – kooky kool lyrics and Bennett-smooth.

5.  Stevie Nicks “Silent Night” – Sarah McLachlan has a great version too, but Stevie’s voice really rings.

4.  Peggy Lee “Happy Holiday” – just one of a pile of great Peggy Lee classics.

3.  Bing Crosby & Rosemary Clooney “Silver Bells” – the Christmas duet.

2.  Andy Williams “Do You Hear What I Hear” – the sweater man rules!  All his holiday stuff is must-have.

1.  Dean Martin “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” – everyone who has a fireplace should be required to own Dino’s Christmas tunes.  Fun, nostalgic and just plain cool.

It was hard to leave out other holiday heavyweights like Frank Sinatra, Lou Rawls, The Carpenters and so many more, but if you crank up my top 12 your eggs will be noggin for sure!  – Dave H.