I’m back! The flu is gone! And while my house may not be totally clean, I believe it is at least disinfected. (And the mountain of laundry sitting by my dryer is, in fact, all clean.)

Whew! What a nasty bug that was. And add it to major freelance projects in various stages and a big trip out of town? Something had to go – and it was the blog. (Fine. And the dishes, and the Bible study, and . . . fine. I had to let a lot of things go. It happens.)

I wasn’t about to miss posting today, though, because I have a Very Important Message for you.

I’m kidding. No deep thoughts or important messages here. But I do have a fun top 10 list of my favorite radio stations (also known as, the presets in my car).

The photo above is actually of my old car, but just look at how worn down some of those preset buttons are! Obviously, I’m a flipper. While I go crazy out of my mind when my husband flips stations, I am guilty of doing it myself when I’m in the driver’s seat. (Big surprise, it’s a control issue for me. Shocker!) And my flipping clearly – just look at that picture – tends to involve some stations more than others.

A couple days ago I was thinking about what a person’s preset radio stations says about her. Sadly, some of mine might just say that I’m getting old. I refuse to accept the words “middle-aged” in relation to myself, but the driver’s license doesn’t lie.

Again, I kid. Of course it lies. My driver’s license hasn’t had an accurate weight since the day I finally passed my driver’s exam (it only took TWO tries, okay?) when I was 16. But, the birthday? The AGE part? That’s accurate.

Anyway, all I’m saying is that just because I happen to have two (yes, TWO) oldies stations programmed into my car stereo doesn’t mean that I am an oldie. It just means I appreciate classic tunes. Or something.

I don’t really know what my presets could possibly say about me. I’d like to think they say I have eclectic tastes. Well, I’d really like to think they say I’m intelligent and interesting and – hey, why not – thin, but I’m afraid there’s not an NPR station to be found on my list or in my car.

So, I’ll leave it to you to decide what – if anything – my favorite radio stations say about me. But before you start pointing and laughing, you’d better be ready to share which preset buttons you’ve been pushing!

Top 10 Radio Stations {in my car}

(In order of where they appear on my presets, which is kind of in order of their dial location. Not that stations are actually on a dial anymore. Perhaps anyone who says “on the dial” in relation to radio stations is an oldie? I DON’T KNOW.)

• 88.5 FM – This is the local Christian station. When it’s not playing sermons, it plays great CCM and announces local events.
• 97.3 FM – This is our K-LOVE station, so it’s more Christian contemporary.
• 93.3 FM – It’s a top 40 station, okay? Yes, I listen to poppy-teeny-bopper-dancy music. I do. And I like it.
• 99.7 FM – I like it even more on this station, honestly. Mainly because this station is actually “hot adult contemporary” and plays older songs, too. Not as often as when it was (briefly) GEN-X Radio, but often enough for me.
• 94.1 FM – Okay, don’t throw objects at the screen, but this is a country station. And it’s the country station that often plays old, “classic” country. I might tease my husband about his love of Johnny Cash and Hank Williams (either one), but really, give me a little Don Williams or Kathy Mattea, and I’m a happy [country] camper.
• 94.9 FM – This station may not call itself “Oldies 95” anymore, but it is. I mean, if it smells like a rose and walks like a duck – wait, what? You know what I mean. I love listening to this station, because I do love music from the 60s and 70s. It’s just fun. However, I don’t really want to talk about the fact that music from the 80s – as in, my childhood – is played on the oldies station. I just don’t.
• 101.1 FM – Classic rock, straight up. Now, granted, many of the songs played on this station remind me of commercials for jeans, trucks or prostate medication. But the truth is, I find myself enjoying this station more and more.
• 102.1 FM – Currently my favorite station on the dial (AHEM.), this one is technically categorized as “adult album alternative.” What that means is that it plays a lot of great music from every decade – including a lot of stuff you don’t normally hear on the radio. It reminds me of the short time when 97.3 was The Planet, which I loved. Much as I love music, I’m not great about finding new artists (mainly because I enjoy the radio so much), so a station that plays new or lesser-known bands is fantastic. I’m a big fan of singer/songwriter type of music, and I can usually get my fix here.
• 104.3 FM – This is my other country station, the one that’s way cooler than the “plays classic hits” one. Back when I had a commute, I listened to their morning DJs every single day. You can see evidence of that in the photo above.
• 105.1 FM – More adult contemporary, this time with attitude. This is a JACK station, so they play what they want, according to their sarcastic tagline. I like what they play (and I like sarcasm), so I’m okay with that.

There you have it! Those are my top 10 radio stations.

Of course, they don’t get played nearly as often as they used to, now that I have small [impressionable] ears in the car with me most days. When Annalyn’s along for the drive, we listen to the Christian stations or – if she has her way – one of her CDs. The Songs from What’s in the Bible has been in heavy rotation lately, along with occasional appearances by Seeds of Faith, Yancy, and half a dozen Veggie Tales audio books we got from Chick-fil-A kids’ meals.

But when I happen to be alone in the car? You better believe I rock out to my stations . . . even if my station happens to be an oldies station playing soft rock from the 70s.

What are YOUR favorite radio stations? (And if you’re brave enough . . . what do your music choices say about you?)

This post includes affiliate links, and it will be linked to Top Ten Tuesday at OhAmanda.