Old Lang Sign

Yeah, I know it's Auld Lang Syne. But when I was little, that's how I thought the words were spelled. I still have no idea what the song means.

For many, many people...2008 sucked. I'm sorry for that. I truly am. But speaking personally, I don't know how to classify this year. I guess I'll call it the Year of Boise. Although I moved here in February, I knew I'd be relocating in the beginning of January. From that moment on...Boise (and everything about my life here) has been the center of my world.

As for how it went....eh. It's been okay. Nothing earth-shattering. Nothing spectacular. Nothing maddening. Nothing ridiculous. Nothing heart-breaking. Nothing euphoric.

I've learned a lot. That's always good.

As for 2009...well...maybe I'll write about that tomorrow.

Since I'll be asleep when the new year rolls in...Happy New Year everyone.

Options

A few questions for you to ponder.

Would you rather be beaten to death with Tinker Toys or killed in an avalanche of dice?

Would you rather live in a world where it it rained bouncy balls or where people had Mr. Potato Head-style facial features that could be removed and exchanged?

Would you rather lie down naked on a Benihana table or have your mouth stretched around the part of a lawnmower where the grass spits out while it mows high grass?

Would you rather be able to fight and kill masterfully with Yo-Yo's or with Frisbees?

Would you rather be machine gunned to death with Lite-Brite pegs or assassinated by cabbage patch dolls?

Would rather have your cell phone ring function set to airhorn or Taser?

We are Also Family

Here we are...15 (I'm behind the camera again) members of the McKee clan on Christmas Day. This is mom's side of the family, and for the most part, we're all here. My brother, his wife, and their kids were not...but that's an entirely different story. It's a dysfunctional family but we love each other.

Although I was only home for about 30 hours, it was a good trip home. Perhaps it was the perfect amount of time. Enough hours to catch up...but not enough time to get annoyed with everyone. I jest, I jest....sort of.

One highlight of this Christmas: a LONG-overdue present.

Yeah, that's a Teddy Ruxpin. Remember him? I do. I wanted him when I was 5 years old. I really wanted him...a lot. But for some reason, Santa decided I didn't deserve him. I'm not sure why. I got everything else I wanted. What was the big problem with Teddy Ruxpin? Over the next 20 or so years I never let my parents...uh...I mean Santa...forget the fact that I never got a Teddy Ruxpin. Well, at the age of 28, the issue has been rectified. I opened up a Teddy Ruxpin on Christmas morning.

The entire trip would have been great had a storm not blown into Salt Lake the night I was supposed to leave. As soon as I got to the airport, the snow started to fly. The plane that I was supposed to ride on back to Boise wasn't allowed to land in the blizzard and was diverted to, of all places, Boise. I didn't get home until 1 am. But compared to other travel delays across the country this past week, I'm sure I got off easy.

Merry Christmas (by the way...I'm sick of people saying Happy Christmas. When did that get started? It's Merry Christmas people)

Bits & Pieces

I apparently spoke too soon when I wrote this post about Boise not getting much snow in the winter months. While it's true I haven't seen much snow outside my apartment door, other parts of the Treasure Valley have gotten slammed. More snow is on the way too. Besides the freeway and some major main roads, I've been driving on snowpacked roads for the past week or so. All I need to do now is make it up to the slopes.

There are people who call the station and ask to talk to the weather guy. When someone calls, one of two things will happen. They will either criticize you for the inaccurate forecast you gave that day. Or they're calling for a personalized forecast. Believe it or not, it's the latter that I find most annoying. Instead of listening during the news, they want you to tell them personally what the weather is going to do. I'm sorry people. I'm not your personal butler. On top of that, I'm not even a trained meteorologist. I just play one on TV.

When I was in middle school we had the opportunity to fly the friendly skies for free. Our school had a partnership with a now defunct airline in which free tickets were given to hundreds of students a year. The point was to give them the opportunity to ride in an airplane. A few of those flights were all-day trips. I went on one to Seattle. We left early in the morning...toured the city for the day...then flew back that night. But most of the trips were "turnaround flights." We'd fly to the airport...wait a little bit...and then fly back. They were short and pointless...but kind of fun. I only bring this up because I'm about to take a very quick trip back home to SLC. I'm flying out tomorrow and flying back Christmas day. Good story huh?

I was in Barnes & Noble a few weeks ago saw a book display set up titled "World Affairs." EVERY SINGLE book was about Barack Obama. I'm happy he won but there has be more going on in the world than his election.

Merlin has gotten quite big since I got him this fall. He really is a damn cool cat. The best word to describe him: Chill.

Finally, I stumbled upon a Christmas song that is apparently a classic. I heard it on the radio today and thought it might be some sort of a joke. Then I looked online and learned "Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey" has been around for decades. Have a listen...if you haven't heard it already.


Merry Christmas

We are Family

Here we are...31 (I'm taking the picture) members of the Graves clan. Frankly, this was a dismal showing at our annual family Christmas party. There were quite a few who didn't even show up. Some had good reasons for not being there. Others did not. Either way, it was good to see everyone. Still, being with the family reminded me of how much things have changed. My young cousins, the ones I used to chase around the house at family get-togethers, are now in their teens. I was floored when I heard that one of my cousins was "with her boyfriend." Boyfriend? Isn't she too young for that? Actually, no...she's not. I can see their faces changing...as they get get older. They look like adults now. I'm sure people saw those same changes in me as I grew up. It's strange to see them myself. I was also reminded of how this big family has never really been the same since its matriarch died. Grandma Rosie was the glue. She'd be 86 if she were alive today. But it's been 15 years since she's been gone. I was 13 when she died. Her little, non-descript, blue house on Salt Lake City's west side was the epicenter of our family. I have so many memories from that house...not the least of which surround holiday family gatherings. Things have definitely changed since she's been gone. We've all pulled back a little. There's not as much closeness as there once was. It's sad. It's also inevitable in many ways. As a big family grows larger, more and more members move to the periphery. It certainly doesn't help when some people move away (myself obviously included).

But we're all still smiling in the picture above. I think we're all genuinely happy to see each other. It's not like we hate each other (most of the time). Things have just changed a little. That's okay though. We all know we're family and there is genuine warmth in the hugs we give each other.

The moral of the story: savor all your family time. Things will change before you know it.

Goodbye Utah, Adios Montana

I got pulled over this week for not making a complete stop at a red light while exiting the freeway. An ISP trooper just happened to be in the right spot to catch me. It happened on the way to work. I guess a car speeding off the freeway at 3 in the morning arouses suspicion. Whatever.

I wasn't worried about getting a ticket for it. I was worried at what the trooper would say to the facts that I didn't have an Idaho driver's license and my registration was expired. Overall, she was pretty cool. She gave me a ticket for the registration because it was the cheapest. She let the other two things slide...as long as I promised to make a complete stop next time, and get a new license.

That's what I did today. I surrendered my Montana license and my Utah plates are no more. It's kind of sad. I was attached to my Montana license and I liked the simplicity of the Ski Utah plates. Now I have plates that say "Famous Potatoes." Kind of lame. In fact...I found some guy's random blog entry which makes the case for a new Idaho plate.

Incidentally, Idaho makes you take the written driver's exam if you're coming in from out of state. I was a little nervous but I passed. I passed the motorcycle test as well so I could keep my motorcycle endorsement. On top of all that, I still have a CDL. I'm all set if I need to head back to Glacier and drive the Reds.

Substitute

I was all set to sit down and blog about my trip home. I wanted to analyze the strange behavior of the Graves family which I saw at our annual family Christmas party. Alas, I left my camera at work and I feel any recollection would be subpar without a couple photos I took. So I'll leave that post for later.

For now...how about some of my favorite entertainment courtesy of YouTube.

This made me cry...seriously.


I think this is the stupidest, most ridiculous thing anyone could ever buy. And frankly, it creeps me out a little.


This is by far one of the best news bloopers I've ever come across on the internet.


The Soup is an obsession of mine. This is one of the better clips of late.


And finally...this is pure magic. These are the lyrics some English-speaking dude hears when he sees this Indian music video. This crap belongs on MTV.

Snowbound No Longer

Winter 02/03 - Winter Park, Colorado and The Canyons, Park City, Utah
Winter 04/05 - Big Sky, Montana
Winter 05/06 - Bozeman, Montana
Winter 06/07 - Bozeman, Montana
Winter 07/08 - Bozeman, Montana

A winter storm is scheduled to move through my neck of the woods this weekend. In my opinion, it's long overdue. For the past 5 out of 6 winters, I have been blissfully snowbound. (The winter of 03/04 doesn't count because I was in the southern hemisphere. Summer ruled the day). I've been in a place where the snow flies all the time...and it sticks around well into the spring. I've complained about winter several times on this blog. But I truly am a 4 season kind of guy and I need my fill of wintry weather. Boise just doesn't deliver in that regard. It's very much like Salt Lake. Sometimes it snows in the valley. I remember some big snowstorms when I was little. But when it does snow, it doesn't stick around for very long.

Then I left Salt Lake and experienced winter in cooler climates. I got used to it. But now I'm back in a Salt Lake-like climate. The snow sometimes flies in the Treasure Valley. But when it does, it doesn't stick around for long. I so miss Bozeman in that respect. By springtime, the snow is irritating. But in the dead of winter there, you expect the snow. You like the snow. You embrace the snow.

Here I am ready to embrace it again. But I don't think it's coming.

I'm still fortunate. I can head into the mountains for my wintry fix. I guess that's better than nothing.

On a sidenote, check out this beautiful description of winter by Dainon. It strikes a chord.

99

I don't typically participate in these. But this was a good one. I borrowed from Amanda.

The ones I've done are in red.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo - only if I count my disasterous A'cappella audition
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Italy
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run - does an infield home run count?
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Received flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Whoa....How you doin?

So Shania's back. I guess she came back about a month ago at the CMA's but I hadn't heard. All I have to say is....damn, she looks good.

I never really listened to much music growing up. I did, however, go through a country phase in my teenage years that lasted until I was about 21. That is, of course, when Shania Twain burst onto the scene. I immediately became infatuated with her. Ask some of my friends about the Shania Shrine in my high school journalism class. Better yet, ask Kathryn about it. I'm sure she has a story to share.


My Shania obsession has faded quite a bit over time. Still, it's good to see her again. And for those who don't know, here's a little tidbit of information. I sang onstage with her at a concert in Salt Lake.


True story.

Doom & Gloom

It was a bad day at work.

Our general manager made the rounds and informed a handful of people that their jobs were being eliminated.

We've gone through several months of empty positions not being filled but these are the first layoffs. Now everyone is wondering if more are on the way.

It is not a good time to be in the news business.

Although I feel very secure in my position (though I know anything could happen) the trickle down effect is hard. Quality suffers. Morale suffers. We're being asked to do much more with much less. It's difficult to keep your head up.

I know I'm not alone in this. Every other business out there is suffering. But I'm starting to personally feel the effects of this economic meltdown. It's no fun.