I'm leaving on a jet plane....

I have to admit that until recently, I was completely unaware of the significance of the "Blue Angels." Sure, I'd heard of them. But I had no idea they had such a following. In the days before and after my Blue Angels flight, I've had several people come up and say, "wow, I am so jealous of you. You're doing something I've always dreamed of doing." I'm not really sure how to respond. There's a twinge of guilt in knowing that I flew with the Blue Angels...even though I'm not "part of the club" so to speak.

All I can say is that I'm a lucky guy...and I know that.

Without further adieu, here's the story I put together on my flight. I'd say it's probably my favorite story I've done while working in Bozeman. Have a look. It's pretty funny. I pass out several times.



Maybe I can ride with the Thunderbirds if they ever come to town.

Another one bites the dust

A year and 8 months at my station and I just sat through my 3rd farewell. Andrew Capasso had his last show tonight. He's moving on to a station in western Pennsylvania. I've scratched my head over many of Andrew's quirks, behavior, and work habits. At the end of the day though, Andrew is as genuine a person as I know. You can wonder where his head's at but you never have to wonder whether Andrew is really being Andrew. There are plenty of fake people out there. Andrew isn't one of them. I admire him for that. Andrew, we will definitely miss you. Good luck in all and go take Fox News by storm.

In other news...

....I took my Blue Angels flight today. Um............wow. I'm not even going to begin to describe it right now. My story will air Thursday night. I'll post it later that night. Let me just say it was the ride of a lifetime...and I'm a little embarassed. (NO, I did not throw up). I'll explain it all in my next post. For now, here's me before I left on the flight.

Have a good one.

Harry & G-Forces

I've finished the last Harry Potter book. Wow. Very, very good. I want to talk about it but I know there are people who read this blog that haven't finished the book. Therefore, I won't spoil it for them.

I will say two things. First, I expected a little more sadness. I think the fact that "major characters die" was built up to the point that people expected a bloodbath. And while there was some serious carnage, I thought there may be more. Second, I have loved these books. I know millions of people out there feel the same but I sometimes have to defend myself against those who don't "get" Harry Potter. I'm 27 years old and I love nothing more than descending into Harry's world and getting lost in it. It's amazing. It really is. I have so much respect and admiration for J.K. Rowling. I don't know how someone is so imaginative that they create such a richly detailed world. I make no apologies for being a Harry Potter dork. I'm sorry the series is over but...it was one hell of a ride. At least we have two more movies to look forward to.

Guess what else I have to look forward to? Tomorrow at 4 o'clock, I will by flying high above the skies of Bozeman in an F-18 fighter jet.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, I have been chosen to fly with the Blue Angels. I was an alternate candidate in the beginning and I didn't think my chances were very good. But someone else was eliminated because of medical conditions and I got the call. I'm excited beyond belief. I'm hoping I don't vomit.

Wish me luck. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Blackhawk Cruisin'

Yesterday was another one of those days where I love my job.

I got to ride in a blackhawk helicopter. We were doing a story on a group called ESGR...or "Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve." It's an organization that helps national guard members and the employers they work for resolve differences that arise when a guard member gets deployed. Nearly 100 employers from around the Gallatin Valley were invited to attend. The helicopter rides were part of a big promotion for the whole thing.

Here's a brief video clip of the ride:



We went on a 20 minute flight over the Gallatin Valley...chopper doors wide open. It...was...awesome!

Now if only I can get that Blue Angels flight I wrote about a few weeks ago.

Desolation

Remember the creepy poplar tree farm I saw on my trip to Oregon? After driving home from Glacier on Sunday I've decided to make a tradition out of finding creepy looking places on my road trips.

It was early Sunday...I was only 20 minutes into my drive when I came upon this:

It looks like an abandoned school on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. I can't put my finger on it but...I didn't like the looks of this place. Perfectly still, rusting playground equipment on dead, bone-dry grass. The group of horses huddled up next to the boarded up schoolhouse windows and doors didn't help improve the ambience.

Just a general creepy place. Agree?

Wilbur Ascended

This past Saturday, I climbed this:

It's Mt. Wilbur in Glacier National Park. The Blackfeet Indians know it as Heavy Shield. The picture doesn't do it justice. While not "super-tall" (9,321 feet) it nonetheless towers over the Many Glacier Valley. Whilst living there for 4 summers, I looked up at Wilbur dozens of times every single day...always wanting to stand on the summit. But because of its reputation for being somewhat of a sketchy climb, I always forewent Wilbur for easier peak bagging in the park.

No more.

The opportunity to climb the bad boy presented itself this weekend (with Glacier buddy Ron)...and I took it. I'm not gonna lie. I was a little anxious. Some people told me it was awful. Others said it was a piece of cake. Regardless, I did it. It wasn't awful...but it wasn't a cake-walk either. There were at least 4 times when I was legitimately nervous about climbing a particular section. This was one of them:

We didn't use ropes...and frankly we didn't need to. But there was plenty of equipment already stashed on the mountain for those who brought ropes or webbing. As we got closer to the summit the thought of coming down kept weighing on my mind. Most of those thoughts disappeared temporarily after getting to the summit and seeing these views:

Looking down on Iceberg Lake; Glacier mountains in the distance

The Many Glacier Valley (Look closely...you can see the hotel)

Ron & I on the summit

The trip back down was scary at times...but not as bad as I thought it would be. The worst part came near the end when we were almost back to the trail. Ron looked down the slope and saw two giant grizzlies foraging in the brush. We were a good distance away (a couple hundred yards maybe) and they didn't notice us. Unfortunately they were right where we needed to go. Eventually we started yelling in hopes of scaring them off. Didn't work. One of them just became curious and started to mosey on up the hill towards us. We took off at a brisk pace in another direction and ended up bushwhacking through alders, thimbleberry bushes, and aspen before finally reaching the trail...tired and sweating profusely.

All in all, it was a very good day. We ended it at the Park Cafe with a plate of nachos, a gypsy burrito, and a piece of strawberry-rhubarb pie.

We also saw this guy on the climb:

I zoomed as far as I could go so I lost some picture quality. But I still think it's an awesome shot.

I love Glacier.

Late Night

Yes, I saw "Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix last night.
Yes, it was a midnight showing.
Yes, I was giddy like a little schoolgirl.
Yes, I'm a "Harry Potter" dork.
Yes, the movie was excellent.
Yes, I missed boot camp this morning because I got home so late.
Yes, I have a crush on Hermione.
Yes, she's only 17.
Yes, I'm 27.
Yes, that may be wrong on many levels.
Yes, I'm excited for the 7th book to come out.
Yes, I'll be holed up in my room reading it.
Yes, I'm counting the days 'til Nov. 2008...when movie 6 comes out.

No, there's nothing wrong with me...at least in my own mind.

Best....video....EVER!!!

I would like to share something amazing with you. There are many "viral videos" circulating on the internet. It's not hard to come across one that entertains. But I have, without a doubt, stumbled on the BEST one out there. I know I saw it on somebody's blog. But for the life of me I can't remember where. Forgive me for the lack of credit I could be giving someone.

It's not actually one video. It's a whole series. Posting them all would be nearly impossible. So here are my three favorites. They're from the BlendTec company (based in Utah)...a company that makes blenders. They've come up with an ingenious marketing tool meant to show the world how amazing their blenders are. Have a look.







Is that not some of the coolest crap you've seen on the internet? Go to YouTube, search "Will it blend" and waste away the day seeing anything and everything torn to bits in a blender.

Oh...and the marketing works. I really want that blender.

What I learned on my trip to Portland

The drive from Bozeman to Portland is soooooooo much longer than I anticipated. Driving 27 out of the past 72 hours is not cool.

When I drive for a long period of time, the area between my spine and left shoulder blade starts to ache and then goes numb. That can't be a good thing.

Have you seen "The Hills Have Eyes?" The terrain in that movie is fairly scary and creepy. Hot, dry, rocky desert. I found the strange, arid, brown hill country of southeastern Washington to be just as creepy.

Guess what else is creepy? A poplar tree farm. Rows and rows of identical trees in perfectly straight lines. Sort of like a forest...but way too uniform and organized. Kinda cool but a little eerie. Take a look.

What's with the speed limit in Oregon? 65.....on a freeway!? Are you kidding me? I thought it was 75 everywhere. The highways were even worse...coming in at 55 and 60. Not nearly fast enough.

Lewiston, Idaho and the Tri-Cities area of southern Washington (Pasco, Richland, and Kennewick) all sort of smell funny.

I used to think Montana rivers (like the Madison, Gallatin, Missouri, Yellowstone) were impressive. That's until I saw the Columbia, Willamette, Snake, Lochsa, and Clearwater rivers. Freakin' huge.

I want to own a boat. I want to be a part of the boating/waterskiing/sailing/anything having to do with water sports culture.

I first drove through Spokane two years ago and came away with a less than favorable impression. I won't go too into detail but I rolled through town about 7 a.m. on a Sunday and encountered many creepy people (including a drugged up prostitute swaying back and forth while sitting on the sidewalk). But on my second trip through the city...things seemed better. The city seemed cleaner and more pleasant. Perhaps the town was waking up from a drunken stupor 2 years ago. I shouldn't have judged it so harshly.

From what I saw of Portland...I like it. I've questioned my taste for "city life" for quite some time now but I liked Portland. It was overwhelming at times, but I'm not against living there.

For months I have wondered how to say "Champoeg" State Park in Oregon. (That's where the wedding was held). Never did I consider the correct pronunciation was "Shampooey." Go figure.

The wedding itself was great. It was a small Glacier reunion of sorts. Good to see everyone. Here are some pics.

The bride and groom; Shelly & Jason, otherwise known as Shelson

A picture of Tim...taking a picture

Great photo of Shelly. (Nice job Jessie)

The Glacier clan

I'm tired. I spent way too much money on gas. The drive probably wasn't good for my car. The trip was way too short. But....it was all worth it. Good luck Jason & Shelly.

Independence Day Musings

This isn't the best picture of a bald eagle. But it's the best sighting of one I've ever had. It was about a month ago along the Gallatin River in Montana. I thought it was appropriate for today. Happy Independence Day.

There's a lot to be said for how screwed up our country...and world for that matter...is right now. I'm not going to argue with any of it. We're killing the earth. The population is exploding. Species are dying off. My view of the future is not optimistic. At the same time, I was driving to Big Sky this morning for breakfast...with a grin across my face. It's the 4th of July. The weather is gorgeous. Montana is beautiful. At least for a moment...all was right in the world.

I leave for Portland later today. Friends from Glacier are getting married. It should be a blast. A big Glacier reunion. I can't wait.

And finally, call me egotistical but I love this picture:

It's a picture of Jeanette's daughter playing in her grandparents living room. (Jeanette is a sales representative at our station). The picture was taken at just the right moment...capturing me on TV. Good times.

Have a good holiday everyone!

Home sweet home

It was a great weekend. I returned home (in more ways than one) for a friend's wedding. It was pretty much a Glacier reunion. Dave, Audrey, and Danny drove down from the park, picked me up in Bozeman, and we continued to Salt Lake. I hadn't seen Audrey in about a year. In Glacier we knew ourselves as "The Family." Like most families do, we picked up right where we left off. I remember sitting in Dave's Explorer as we were driving to Salt Lake. Danny was reading. Audrey was sleeping. Dave was driving. I looked around and smiled. I felt "at home." It was actually strange to think I hadn't been living with these guys for nearly the past two years.

The wedding was at the Rustler Lodge in Alta. Wow. Gorgeous place for a wedding. Siri looked beautiful.

Nice wedding. Good food. REALLY good wedding cake. I had three pieces. Don't judge me. Afterwards, we goofed around on a ski lift.

For a while, I forgot I would be going back to Bozeman and they would be going back to Glacier. I just assumed we'd all be returning together. I miss those guys.

I also miss mom & dad...that was the second homecoming I had. I hadn't seen them since the Holidays. It was a quick visit but they took care of all four of us.

We headed back to Montana on Sunday...stopping along the Gallatin River for a little rest and relaxation.

Good weather. Good friends. Good times.

Wedding #3 is this weekend. I leave for Portland on Wednesday for Jason & Shelley's wedding. Should be fun.