Car Quirks

For those of us with older vehicles, the quirks are many. I drive a 1996 Toyota Camry and just wanted to give you a brief rundown of how my car behaves.

1. The radio antenna is broken. It's an automatic one that's supposed to rise and fall when the car's turned on and off. For some reason it won't rise. That doesn't mean it won't try. Because of that I'm treated to a very loud grinding noise every time the car is turned on. It lasts for about 30 seconds. The best part is seeing the reaction of people who get in my car for the first time.

2. The electrical lock system works...for the most part. Something happened with the driver side...meaning I can't unlock the doors from my door. But on the bright side, the passenger side lock button still works.

3. My odometer is malfunctioning. Instead of a mile turning forward on the zero...it does it on the six.

4. Perhaps 7 times out of 10, when I turn on the car, a thick, blue smoke puffs out of the exhaust pipe for about 30 seconds. Yes...my car burns oil...and lots of it. Great for the environment. I'm adding oil every month.

5. I have no right, front turn signal thanks to a car accident in Bozeman back in December. (Special thanks to the idiot who decided to run a stop sign causing me to run into him. On the bright side...you should have seen his car).

I guess that's it. Theoretically, I guess I could afford a new car. But when you have one that works fairly well, why spend the money. At this point, a Prius seems like the only good option because of the high cost of gas. However, I'm soon gonna need new brakes and tires. Come this fall, I'm going to have get the turn signal fixed so I can pass inspection. So should I put all that money into a 12-year old car that has 150,000 miles on it? I don't know. We'll see. For now, I'll keep driving the gold beast...waiting for the latest quirk to pop up.

Trouble in Dodge

Dodge being Bozeman...and boy am I happy I got the hell outta there.

Don't get me wrong. I love all things Montana. Overall my old station was very good to me. But there is some serious drama going on at my old stomping grounds. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a little gratifying to know things went to hell after I left. But I'd be delusional if I thought the drama was really caused by my exit. Things were set in motion long before that.

In the time I've been gone, my former co-anchor abruptly left and a reporter was fired...(unjustifiably I might add). Then they bring in a "big name" anchor from Billings to save the day. Turns out she was a diva who wasn't up to dealing with the realities of super small market television. So now she's gone.

Just two on-air people are left...the two sports guys. They're both good guys and I'm sorry they have to deal with all the crap there.

It really does make me sad. I had a lot of pride for that station and it's depressing to see how much trouble they've had recently.

Alas, it's not my problem anymore...and I'm just glad I got the hell outta dodge.

Food

For as much cooking as I do (extremely little), I can't understand why I'm so fixated on the Food Network. You know how we all have our favorite channels? The ones we check first when we turn on the TV to see if something good is on? Food Network is right near the top of my list. I love it. But I don't get it. Sometimes I think about making something I see, but I'm usually satisfied just watching.

My favorite shows:

Paula's Home Cooking - I wish she were my grandma (no offense to my current grandmother).
Everyday Italian - I have a serious crush on Giada de Laurentis.
30 Minute Meals - Some love her, some hate her...I happen to like Rachel Ray.
Tyler's Ultimate - Has anyone noticed how much weight Tyler Florence has gained?
Barefoot Contessa - Another woman I was was a relative of mine.
Nigella's Bites - I like watching her cook with "liters" and "grams."

One complaint of mine though...Rachel Ray is nuts if she thinks the rest of us can cook the meals she makes in 30 minutes. What takes her a half hour would take me an hour and a half. Don't deny it.

So while I may never make something I see on the Food Network, I will keep watching. I'm addicted.

Settling In

I have to admit something.

Over the past few weeks as I've woken up around 2:30 in the morning to get ready for work, I've thought, "why did I do this to myself?"

Of course, the ungodly hour has played a big part in my...oh, let's call it uneasiness. But there have been other little things as well. A lack of self-confidence at work, the annoyance of not really knowing anyone here, not knowing my way around, dealing with new and difficult personalities at work...it's all tiresome and frustrating.

BUT...things are getting better. I had a great day at work today. I've gotten some good viewer feedback. My boss handed out some decent compliments (something I don't get the sense he does all that often). We solved the glare problem with my glasses. The "new & improved" morning show starts in two weeks. Starting next week, I won't be alone anymore on the anchor desk. I'm getting into a groove. Hitting my stride my take a while...but I see progress. Oh...and I've done some cool interviews. Last Friday it was Ty Pennington.


Things are slowly getting better on the homefront as well. I finally bought a real couch. I didn't mind living sparingly when I was working seasonally. But now that I'm living permanently in a big city, I'd like some nice furniture. My crappy Walmart futon just isn't cutting it anymore. Here's a picture (sort of) of what I bought. It's the same style but my sofa is a little longer and a nice green color. (Unfortunatley, I have to wait about 4 weeks to get it delivered. It took me forever to find one I liked so I don't mind the wait).

I'm still on a mattress and box spring with no bed frame. My clothes are still being kept in milk crates stacked on top of each other. But hey, a new couch is a start...right?

And last, but not least...a dog.

I don't have one yet...but I feel like that purchase is coming soon. Although winter is stubbornly holding on here in the Treasure Valley (very irritating), warm temperatures (when they occur) are bringing lots of people out and about. I'm seeing all the people outside with their dogs. I really, really want one. I think it's gonna happen soon. Still, it's a big commitment, and I'm a little nervous about it. I don't necessarily need a big dog, but I want one that can play in the mountains with me.

Of course, you can expect pictures of said dog when he or she joins my single household.

80's style

I borrowed this from several people. I encourage you to participate.


1. How old were you in 1980? I was born in March of that year.
2. How old were you in 1989? 9
3. Were you a Toys R Us kid? Yeah, but we went to Kaybee's too.
4. Did you watch Transformers? No.
5. Did you see E.T. on the big screen? No
6. Did you own a Lite Bright? I can't remember if I had my own or if I just played with my sister's.
7. When someone says ' Who you gonna call? ' You think? Duh...Ghostbusters.
8. What was your favorite toy? Hmm. This is a hard one. Probably my Micro Machines.
9. Did you have a Pogo Ball? Yup. I think it was yellow and orange.
10. Did you listen to New Kids on the Block? No.
11. Which New Kid did you have a crush on? None of them.
12. Did you play M.A.S.H? Yep. Many times.
13. Did you watch The Care Bears? No...but I had one when I was little.
14. Did you have Jelly bracelets? No.
15. Did you have a charm necklace and/or bracelet? No.
16. Did you own a glo-worm? No.
17. Did you ever own a slap bracelet? Yep.
18. The Breakfast Club or Sixteen Candles? Sixteen Candles.
19. Did you have a crazy hair style? No.
20. What was your first bike? A yellow and black Huffy.
21. Name one thing you still own from your childhood? Nothing with me currently, but several items (including my Micro Machines) in storage in Utah.
22. Did you have a Cabbage Patch Kid? No...but my sister did.
23. Did you dress like Madonna? I hope not.
24. Did you watch Miami Vice? I remember one episode where one of the main character's wife or girlfriend died in an explosion.
25. Did you own a pair of Jelly Shoes? No...why are these questions geared towards girls?
27. Did you own a Trapper Keeper? Oh yeah...it was awesome.
28. Atari or Nintendo? Both...but mostly Nintendo.
29. Did you play Pac-Man? Yeah.
30. He-Man or She-Ra? Both.
31. What movie scared you the most? A Nightmare on Elm Street...I had many bad dreams involving Freddy Krueger.
32. Did you try to dance like Michael Jackson? I hope not.
33. What Is The First Thing That Comes To Mind When You Hear 'flux copassitor? I have no idea what that is.
34. What other colors did Pepsi come in? Crystal Pepsi of course. I really liked it...I don't know why it didn't catch on.
35. Roger Rabbit Or Howard The Duck? Howard the Duck...but only because I had a crush on Lea Thompson.
36. Did you ever beg your parents to have your school picture taken with the LASER background? No.
37. Do you know what the Ninja Rap is? No idea.
38. Favorite slang word(s)? i still (over)use? Dude, totally, and awesome.
39. Can you name the family members from National Lampoons Vacation movies? Hmm...I think the kids were Audrey and Rusty. I don't remember the parents names.
40. Did you have pump sneakers? No.
41. Did you own HYPER COLOR shirts? No.
42. Did you watch Smurfs? All the time. I wish it was still on.
43. What is the most annoying 80s style? Really high bangs.

Vexing Vision

I have never had such a problem with eyeglasses.

It started when I got to Boise, and my news director didn't like the glasses I had. I was okay with that. New glasses on the company? Why not? Unfortunately, they haven't worked out. They attract an enormous amount of glare in the studio...even with the anti-reflective coating that was put on them. Take a look.

I was immediately confused. I didn't have a problem with glare in Bozeman...and my old glasses seemed to avoid it in the Boise studio. Thus, I have become very good friends with the people inside Eyemart...a Boise eyeglass shop similar to Lenscrafters or Eyemasters. For the past three weeks, a woman named Shelly has diligently worked on the problem for me. She has watched every morning to study the problem. She's ordered 4 different sets of lenses...all with different types of anti-reflective coating...all to no avail. We just couldn't get rid of the glare. So we tried something new...different frames. Because my off-air glasses didn't have a glare problem, we figured the size of the frames (thus the size of the lenses) was the problem. I found some half-rim frames that were the same size as my off-air glasses. With much anticipation, Shelly put some lenses in those and we thought we'd be good to go. I wore them this morning. Still a lot of glare. Take a look.

We're trying one more thing tomorrow. Shelly adjusted the angle of the frames slightly. Seems like a minor adjustment, but I'm hopeful that will do the trick. If it doesn't, the next step is to adjust the lighting in the studio. That's sort of a problem because if they adjust it for me, there's a chance it could negatively affect the other anchors. We'll see.

If that's a no-go...I think contacts might be the solution. I hate contacts. I don't want to wear them. I like the way I look in glasses. But it may be the only option.

Stay tuned.

Now THAT'S a morning show

I took this job in Boise based in large part on the fact it was morning TV. Yes, there's some cheesy crap that goes on in the mornings. But it's free-wheeling and you learn quickly (that's my hope anyway) to be fun-loving, quick on your toes, and ready for anything. I'm still working on all that but at least I know the ingredients are there for the job environment I wanted.

This morning's show was packed. I've been anchoring alone for the past week or so due to the fact my co-anchor is ill. That said, it would have been nice to have some help but...it kept me moving.

First, an interview with two people on the dangers of online social networking websites and what parents can do to be more informed.

Then, I donned a kilt for "Wear a Kilt to Work Day." The Glenlivet Whiskey Company donated a thousand bucks to Direct Relief International for every on-air personality across the country who wore a kilt. I thought, "why not?" That's our main weather guy doing the bit with me.

And then...the best part of the morning: ice cream for breakfast. John Harrison, the main taster for Dreyer's Ice Cream was in Boise and he stopped by the show. This guy's a big deal. He's the man who invented the Cookies 'n Cream flavor...and dozens of other flavors over the years. His taste buds are apparently insured for a million dollars.

You can see the whole interview with him here.

It was a good morning. I'm still getting the hang of this thing but I'm happy with the progress made.

Oh...and tomorrow...we're bringing a live bull into the studio. Should be fun.