Finished Product

Thanks for all the comments on the promo spot from the previous post. Here's the actual story. I have to give a lot of credit to Eric Turner. He's the photographer who shot most of the footage and edited the story. He did a great job. Journalism (however featurey it may be) is so much better when a reporter and photographer come together for a great collaboration. One man banding may be the wave of the future...but quality is going to suffer along with that. I love Halloween.

BRAINS!!!

I like doing fun stories at work. In honor of Halloween, I've got a fun feature story that's airing this weekend. I haven't seen the finished product yet. But I did get to see the promo my station will be running for it. Our promotions guy did an awesome job. I'm already getting flack for it at work but who cares? Enjoy.

Starbucks Stats

I have a very embarrassing story to tell you. But first, let's start off with another story. 

I like lattes. While I enjoy small, independent coffee shops I still appreciate a coffee giant like Starbucks. When I'm in a hurry and I want my latte fix I know I can find a Starbucks fairly easily. I know what I'll be getting when I go there. I know I'll like it. Yet I've slowly come to realize there's an issue with Starbucks. I should have noticed it a long time ago. But I never thought about it long enough to notice the pattern. That pattern is this: Starbucks gets my order wrong about 20% of the time. I always order the same thing...a tall, one pump, vanilla, nonfat latte. There are two ways to screw this drink up. They can either add way too much syrup or use whole milk. It doesn't matter what method they use. My drink still gets screwed up...20% of the time. My problem is that I don't immediately notice there's something wrong with the drink. I'm not an everyday Starbucks drinker. I'd say I get a latte about twice a week. I don't think I get one often enough to spot the bad seeds immediately. But I'm getting better at it. I'm paying more attention. My vow to myself is this: I will take one sip of that latte and immediately know whether Starbucks has screwed it up. I will then return it and ask for another one. 

This brings me to that embarrassing story. I order my usual latte this past Saturday on my way to work. I went through the drive up window. I got my coffee, put it in the cup holder, and drove off. I finally tasted it a couple minutes later. It didn't taste right. I had other things on my mind so I chalked it up to "too much syrup" and thought, "I can live with it." But over the next 30 minutes I kept trying to put my finger on what exactly was wrong with my latte. The taste was just..."off." Finally, after the drink was nearly gone, my mouth dropped open. There was no espresso in it. My latte wasn't even a latte. I was drinking steamed milk...with a little vanilla flavoring. How I didn't notice...well, that's beyond me. But I'm noticing from now on. 

One other note about lattes. While it's probably a good thing for my checkbook, I'm very irritated at the fact there are no 24-hour coffee shops in the Boise area. I would love to grab a latte every morning at 3:30 on my way to work. No such luck. 

Discoveries

I discovered three things about Merlin today. 

While his shedding irritates me beyond belief...it's gotten a lot better as we head into winter. Here he is laughing at me when I vacuum. 

It suddenly occurred to me that I've had him for just over a year. This is the first picture I ever took of him. 
He also likes beer.

Morning Jaunt

Have I tried as hard as I can? No. But over the years, I've made somewhat of an effort to become a runner. I do okay. It just never takes hold. I never embrace the intensity I should. I'd describe my efforts as a little more than half hearted. Therefore, it's no surprise I was a little nervous about running a 10K this past weekend. I wasn't worried about finishing 6.2 miles. I was worried about the hit my pride would take if my time was dismal. I was concerned I'd somehow injure myself due to a lack of sufficient training. Things went better than expected. I finished in under an hour (barely) and while I was sore Sunday and today, I don't think I hurt myself. The best part is that I actually had a good time. I didn't have to battle my way through it. I felt pretty good. That's motivated me for another race. I know that if I actually train a little harder, I can run faster. My goal for the next 10K (probably in December): Under 50 minutes. Not too ambitious, I know. But it's something. 

We finished the race by running into Boise State University's Bronco Stadium and taking a lap around the Smurf Turf. Here I am on the 30 yard line. All in all...it was a good day. 

Changing Seasons

Ahhh...Fall is here. I guess that's good. Snowboarding is right around the corner. That does, however, mean the end of zip lining for the season. I might have one or two weekends left as a part time zip line tour guide. I took these photos last weekend. With all my gear on I'd normally look like a badass in the second photo. Unfortunately, I'm too much a of a dork. I'm so glad I've been able to do this. It's been a lot of fun. I'll do it for my third season if I'm still in Boise next summer. But that's another story. 

It's been over two weeks since my last blog entry. I used to feel much more guilty about not posting new stuff. But besides my parents, a few close friends, and a sprinkling of other acquaintances, no one really reads it. Still, I'll try to be better. It helps when my life is a little more interesting. For instance, I'm being made up to look like a zombie tomorrow night and I'm acting in one of the Boise area's most popular haunted houses. It's for an upcoming story on my station. That should be fun. 

Oh...and I'm running a 10K on Saturday. A distance of 6.2 miles may sound like a lot to some people...a little to others. I know I can do it, but I haven't been training like I'm supposed to. Right now, I'm simply hoping to finish in under an hour. Wish me luck.