The clock on the studio wall declared 37 seconds remained before show time. "Are you ready?" Nadine Bodett asked her friend and radio partner.

"No. I just took a big bite of Power Bar," Rebel said, chewing fiercely and swallowing.

The women stood in silence for a few moments, eyes cast downward. It would be the only time for the next four hours that quietness and stillness prevailed in the small studio. Three, two, one....

"How do! Welcome to the 5 & Dime!" said Nadine, suddenly springing to life. Merle Haggard's "Let's Chase Each Other Around the Room Tonight" poured through the speakers, the phone buttons lit up, and another Saturday night 5 & Dime classic country show filled the airwaves on KSCS (96.3).

People called in to chat, request songs for loved ones, and ask for tickets to a Tim McGraw concert. As the evening wore on, some callers began to show signs of inebriation. "Tell Nadine we want to see her titties," one man said. The verbal sparring among Nadine, Rebel, and their fans -- after editing -- provides much of the humor and spirit that makes the show popular. A listener called to say he was sitting in his backyard with his wife, drinking beer, and enjoying the show while shooting pellets at rats. "The other white meat," Nadine said.

Nadine and Rebel are the Thelma and Louise of Metroplex radio, free-spirited and ready for fun. They resemble the movie characters in ways that even many of their biggest fans don't realize. Domestic abuse dogged Nadine for years. The turmoil strengthened her relationship with Rebel, and they have become like sisters, especially in the past year, after Nadine was jailed, divorced, threatened, and separated from her two children. They cry on each other's shoulders sometimes, but when the on-air sign lights up, and the 5 & Dime show begins, they focus on the vintage country songs that offer tales of sorrow, joy, and redemption.

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