Hi Andy, That really depends because I dated someone older than me and we didn't have much in common. But I married someone much younger than me & I am divorced. I think truly what matters is hobbies, values and goals. If those things line up, it has a shot. But do as I say, not as I do. I am no guru of dating. That's for sure! The marriage is what brought me here so something good came out of it. And we are still friends.

I think dating even for younger people may be just as difficult (just a different set of problems and issues). Would you date someone younger?

Still waiting for someone to bring up fathers rights. I am a good guy but ex thinks she created daughter by herself. Pretty sad when you have a 24 year old daughter that doesn't know you. WI. is very much against helping fathers with their children. If I were to miss one payment, in I go for contempt. When she won't let me be a part of my daughters life, I get told she is in contempt but I need to hire a lawyer to get it in court. Even after numerous times, she can still say no and be in contempt hoping I will run out of money for lawyers. By the way, keep doing what you do, great show, great person. That date (man) will fall into your lap when you least expect it. Try a week in Florida, it will do wonders for you.

Let's just talk about you. I'd love to listen to how you ended up in Wisc. Why Political Science? (I did the same thing and ended up a Plant Manager), tell us more about you. Likes/Dislikes...etc....

Hi Sara, I have read 2 good, but very intense books lately. "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah and "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi. I really enjoyed "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston too.

Christine, do you have a MySpace page? If not you should create one. They're a fun way to keep up with friends!

OK Christine, we know you enjoy DVDs and seeing live music, but what do you like to read? What are some of your favorite books? Who/what are your favorite authors/subjects to read about? Hope you had fun at your concert!

Ooooo that Brian guy is cute!!!! :) JIM, that is exactly why I don't go to dog parks. Too much risk involved with all those dogs trying to run around and "own" the same free space. Not to mention you don't know how other dog owners take care of their dogs; what if one has kennel cough? What if one has fleas? Its too risky for me! I just take her to my dad's backyard.

He is at QSL tonight. I graduated with him back in 1984 at De Forest. He also just played at the De Forest July 4th celebration and did great. He was quite the character back then. Hope he makes it big some day. Have fun tonight!

Now I hear that Brian Stace is playing at QSL at 5:30pm. I guess his website is wrong.

Hi Jim, That is just terrible. I am sorry it happened to your puppy. Did the dog bite your dog or did it just roll him to establish who was in charge? If the owner did nothing about it and the dog was hurting/biting other dogs, I would have called the authorities. Also, I try to keep my dog away from dogs that don't seem friendly. Most owners know that off-leash parks mean that the dogs should be good with other dogs. I also go on off-peak hours to avoid a crowded scene where there are too many dogs and things can get out of hand. I really haven't had any problems. Just stick close to your puppy is my best advice. Don't let it discourage you. Dog parks are so good to socialize your dog and have fun with others.

On the subject of dog parks, I took my Lab puppy to a certain dog park, he was brutilized by a out of control dog. The owner of the dog did nothing! I hear that you take your dog to a dog park, how has your experience been. i will probably never go back, ever!

Oops. I just went to www.brianstace.com and it says he starts at 9pm.

Brian Stace. I think he starts at 5:30pm. Nice guy. He has been on the show a few times.

Christine: Thanks for your input on my post. And regarding your last comment--and being in a similar boat--I have to agree with you. Madison, once you're past 30, is a couples town. Thank God for the DVD, eh?!

Christine, what band are you going to?

Hi Al, Yes I do! I mostly do things with Charlie Shortino in big groups downtown or meet before football games. Sarah, when she can get a babysitter, will also join us. I am trying to get Sarah to get a sitter tonight so we can go listen to a country music band. I also have lunch with Amy Carlson & hang out with Michelle Riell when our schedules allow! My former producer, Kara Mckinney, is also a good friend of mine and she always gets invites when I have my annual Winter Potluck or Summer BBQ parties.

Hey Christine, do you hang out with anyone from work in your spare time(anchors, producers,etc)? If so, who? What do you guys like to do?

Hey Tom, I had to think about this answer. I believe the hiking and how amazing the environment really is out here is so underrated. Wisconsin has such a "so so" reputation nationally as a place to go on vacation. It really is the most diverse, beautiful place I have ever lived. Lakes, rivers, bluffs, farms. Just amazing. Overrated? The liberal, "free" aspect of the city as it relates to the University. I grew up in Berkeley, CA so "been there, done that." I think the University does bring a lot of culture, medicine and great restaurants to town, however. One more thing...I think Madison is the WORST city to find a date if you are single and in your 30-40's. I would rather live here with a family or as a couple than as a single person.

Network News? Seriously, I didn't even know that Christy Brinkley was news anymore. However, every day I get to hear about her nasty divorce. If I had never heard about her divorce, I wouldn't have cared less.

Hi Four Paws Drive! In Wisconsin, I have learned to call my "rainy day" pleasure my WINTER SEASON pleasure. My hours really stink. I am home by noon so I have to be creative. I will go to yoga for an hour and I love to meet friends for LONG lunches. Also, I like to watch my favorite dvd's and make a good meal. Or a bad meal. 2 winters ago "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" the series got me through the winter. Last year it was "Sex and The City" the complete series. One day, I hope to spend the winter days with a good man who will travel with me or even just sit by the fireplace and read. Thank God for my pets!

Hey CB. What's your rainy day guilty pleasure? Reading? TV? Radio? How do you feel about the former radio serials, like superman and jack benny? Prairie Home Companion? What about board games? On a rainy day, what board game would your viewers find you and the gang playing? Give the pup a scratch for us! Oh, and the kitty too! Me and Four Paw

Some ideas for 10 year olds that jam to science is the UW space place. They have cool projects on Saturdays, and on certain Wednesday nights during the summers (the first and third I think) you can watch graduate students use the telescope on observatory drive... which is downtown, so you can tour the children's museum, capitol, fire station number 1...

Great topic! Anyone with some ideas to take a ten year boy for fun let me know. My son is up from SC and we would like to do something other then the Dells and regular things. Any ideas would be great. He is into science, math and physical activities - just not sports.(I hope I can change that someday!) Thanks everyone.

Hi Christine, I totally agree with you on the network news issue. But what really got me were your views of reality TV. I could not agree more that that type of TV is just toxic to everyone. Along the same vein, I'm curious to know if you feel the same about internet chat rooms and their ilk? I ask this because I'm starting to think that our society is becoming less able to communicate respectfully and effectively because we don't really deal with people face-to-face anymore. Instead we rely on email (or blog postings) and it seems like some people see this as an opportunity to basically lose any modicum of respect for others and hide behind an online persona instead of treating people as one would were the interaction happening in person. I'm a psych/sociology student, and I spend a lot of time thinking about things like this (because people fascinate me)and I'm always wondering what other people think. So now what are your thoughts?

Hi Sara, I agree. There seems to be some kind of "dumbing down" of network news. What drives me nuts are these pretty women on the anchor desk who have never reported in the field first and it shows! They are just thrown on the desk. Viewers see it and that's why the networks are not doing well. Some of the hires baffle me. They really do. As for celebs, I don't care much about them. And everybody wonders why the Oscar viewership is down! They are so out of touch. I like watching what they wear. I have to admit that. Reality tv is just terrible. It shows how low class we have become and how rude we can be to each other. What do you think?

Don't feel bad Sandy, I have to get a new pair of jeans every week cause when my thighs rub together when I walk cause my jeans to start on fire from the friction.

Hey Christine ~~ Yes, I do have a dog but she's such a pain to take on walks. All she does is sniff and pee on everything which causes me to have to stop for her when her retractable leash reaches the end. See, making excuses again!!! HAHA I do love the Copps salad bar; they are pretty yummy! I've switched to eating various things like 100 calorie packs of snacks, peanut butter on bagels, Special K meal bars, yogurt (even though I hate it) and I only allow myself to cheat once a week. I'm on Week 2 of this new diet and am only down 2 lbs but I have been told that's normal. I'll get there!

Hi Sandy! Good question. I spent almost $350 on Nutri System 2 years ago. I spent all this time picking out the food I wanted sent to me. When it arrived, it was all the wrong food because they were "out of stock" of the good stuff I wanted to eat. What a waste. I hate working out too, if you must know. I do a mix of physical stuff. Do you have a dog? I walk my dog for a mile or two at dog park, I will also take a few yoga classes a week because it is fun and I like to hike. Just get active. Even if it is a hard walk a couple times a week. I also have been on a water kick. I drink 8 glasses a day and some milk, too. I love a good salad. I go to the salad bar at Copps and fill up a container with the all the fixings. I buy the salad in a bag. So for the next few days, I just dump the fixings on my salad. I hate to cut up veggies. Not my thing. I buy different dressings so it always feels like a new meal. I hope that helps!

Let's talk about WEIGHT LOSS. I am on a mission to lose 50lbs, but HATE to workout. I can handle eating better, but I'd rather drop bricks on my feet than workout. Even going for a simple walk is not appealing to me in any way. Any suggestions for me????? I cannot afford any of those programs like Weight Watchers or LA Weight Loss or Nutri System, so those are not options. I want to be thin again!!!!!! Do I just have to suck it up and start working out?? UGH.

Hi John, Because it hit too close to home for someone and I don't want to hurt anybody on my blog. I just wanted to bring up good topics for discussion.

Just curious...why did you pull the last topic from the blog????

Christine, it seems like generally people have responded to your blog when you've either discussed politics or something going on in your personal life. I'd prefer to leave politics for later in the year and I'm not that nosy about your personal life. So how about: You are a California girl relocated here (I assume) for work. So I'm curious: generally, people from Madison are pretty full of what a great place Madison is (and as a native, I include myself in this characterization). From your perspective (i.e. with some time under your belt but not a native), what do you think is the most underrated aspect of living in Madison, and what is the most overrated? I'd love to read what other people's nominations are on this issue. For me, the best part of Madison is the cosmopolitan opportunites in a city of Madison's size (dining, the arts, variety of people). Most overrated? So called "progressiveness." Madison, less UW students, rarely lives up to its progressive image. What do you think?

I want to talk about EVERYTHING!! Seriously, you do a pretty good job about picking topics that people (including myself) have a lot to say about. Maybe you would want to talk about the decline of quality news coverage within the national media (I don't watch TV because I find that there's too much time wasted on frivolity, so thank goodness for web news)? Or how about our bizarre obsession with all things celebrity? Or what about thoughts on what to do about gas and food prices being so out of control while wages seem pretty stagnate? You could also pick something light and fluffy too, to keep things from getting too deep. I don't know- I rather enjoy reading what you post, and I also think it's really cool how you look at every post and respond when necessary. So do keep up the thought-provoking topics; I look forward to seeing what you have in store for us all!