A Better Attitude

I've whined a lot about winter on this blog and I feel a little bad about that. I've always loved winter. Where did that love go? I'm not exactly sure. But I woke up this morning, saw the mountains covered with freshly fallen snow, and vowed to get excited about winter again. So I went on a short hike. Here are some highlights.

It was a good hike. I'm excited about winter again. The snowboarding. The crisp air. The way freshly fallen snow muffles all sounds. The beauty of snow-covered mountains. I'm ready for it. I know I'll be sick of the cold by February but I figure I'll try to embrace winter and just go with the flow. Who's with me?

Bad coffee?

Here's the scenario:

On Sunday evening I went to my favorite Bozeman coffee shop, Rockford Coffee. I ordered a non-fat, Irish Cream latte and hopped on the internet for 45 minutes. I slowly nursed my latte the entire time. I wrapped things up and headed back to my apartment for a night of TV watching. Within 15 minutes of sitting on the couch my insides started to squirm. I quickly developed the chills and body aches crept over me. It wasn't long before I felt like I had to vomit. So...vomit I did. Afterwards I crawled into bed and spent a sleepless night tossing and turning.

I woke up the next morning feeling weak. My stomach was feeling better but I had no appetite. I tried to determine what caused my night of sickness and the only conclusion I could reach...bad coffee. But can coffee do that to someone? Was it the milk? I have no idea.

I haven't felt 100% all week. Yesterday I felt like someone was squeezing my head from all sides. I couldn't get rid of the pressure. To top that off, I walked around all day light-headed. Today is treating me a little better. (although I'm feeling slightly queasy eating a plain bagel with cream cheese and raspberry jam right now). Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

I'm skeptical of one latte kicking my ass. And yet...I don't know that I'll touch any type of coffee ever again. I think I've developed a coffee aversion by merely speculating that it could have made me sick. I think of coffee now and I get queasy.

I guess it's a good thing. I've been spending way too much money on lattes anyway.

Hoodwinked

I don't like being tricked.

That said, I feel as though I was manipulated into seeing "Man of the Year," the new Robin Williams movie. How was I tricked you ask?....by the damn movie trailer.

I saw the preview a couple weeks ago and thought it would be a funny movie to see. It wasn't. I'm all for carefully structured movie trailers where the entire plot isn't given away. I am NOT for a trailer that completely misrepresents what the movie is about.

Despite this tirade, I really did like "Man of the Year." I recommend everyone go see it. BUT...if you're expecting a comedy you will be disappointed. There are funny moments but this movie is definitely not a comedy. It's more of a conspiracy minded drama. Just be warned.

I wouldn't even be complaining about it had I not been in the mood to laugh last night. That's all I wanted. A good laugh. I didn't get that. So despite the fact I DID like the film, I can't help feeling gypped.

I was tricked...and I don't like being tricked.

A Re-Posting

I've chosen to re-post one of my blog entries for two reasons. One...I'm lazy and I'm having a hard time finding the motivation to write anything. I'd call it writer's block but it's really nothing of the sort. Two...it's been on my mind lately. In recent weeks, I've had several conversations about Mormonism. Sometimes it's hard to articulate myself in these conversations. I feel the following post best exemplifies how I feel about the Mormon religion.

I first posted this on March 20, 2006. Title: Mormonism

Ahh the Mormons. I am one and I'm not one. It all depends on how you look at. I almost prefer to look at Mormons as a race of people. I'm certainly not a Mormon in practice. However in a cultural sense, I will always be a part of the race. I've got Mormon blood in me. But like a lot of people who feel conflicted about their relationship with a certain group, I myself have a love-hate relationship with Mormonism.

I don't go to church anymore. I don't want to and I don't feel guilty about it. I'm just way too liberal for such a conservative religion. I think abortion should be legal. I believe gay people should be allowed to tie the knot if they so wish. I don't see a problem with premarital sex. I enjoy my Irish Cream cappucinos and I think a beer or a glass of wine are acceptable beverages. My views don't mesh well with Mormon teachings.

And yet...

I don't want to be known as a former Mormon. I don't want my name removed from membership rolls. There's something comforting about being a part (even if I don't play the part) of such a unique and often mis-understood crowd. There's something rebellious and satisfying about telling new friends that I have polygamy in my family. I can walk into any Mormon church in the world and know that help is waiting for me if I need it. I can still walk the grounds of Temple Square and feel a tremendous sense of peace.

And yet...

I can be critical of "The Church." I can roll my eyes at that whole priesthood revelation of the late 1970's. I can snort when young Mormons refuse to see a movie because it's rated "R." I can cringe with embarassment when I explain the whole "undergarments" thing to Mormonism rookies.

And yet....

I'm the first to defend "The Church" when someone makes fun of it. I get exasperated when the ignorant try and tell me Mormons still practice polygamy. I can get irate when someone tries to tell me that Mormons aren't Christians. I can tell the story of Joe Smith and what he's all about and I get frustrated when the listener's eyebrow raises and they say, "What is this crap?"

I don't particularly understand my relationship with Mormonism. Am I believer? Probably not. I'm at a place now where I feel more personally connected with God than at any other time in my life. I got there by doing my own thing...not following Mormon doctrine. But Mormonism isn't just a faith to me. It's a culture. Sometimes that culture is too conservative and over-bearing. But I know that if I ever turn to it for help...I will be received with open arms; even if I do see things a little differently than they do.

But I suppose my relationship with Mormonism is a bit like my view on religion in general. We're all individuals and what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. That's how I see things. That's why I'll understand those who faithfully follow that Mormon lifestyle just the same as those who shun it with ridicule. Believe what you want to believe. I'm in the middle and I'm happy staying there.

What is News?

Hatchfest is a cool film/arts festival that takes place in Bozeman every October. Yesterday I had the honor of participating (in a very minor role) in a panel entitled "Journalism: Telling Stories that Inspire." The real guests of honor were some producers, reporters, and anchors from CNN, CNBC, and other national media outlets. The discussion turned towards the state of today's media. While not attacking any media reps personally, there was definitely an anti-media diatribe coming from the audience. I understand all the complaints and criticism. Sometimes it's hard for me to refute them. But I will say this: News has changed. Everything IS news. I grew up watching newscasts that contained stories about school shootings AND celebrity break-ups. I'm not defending coverage of either topic. I'm just saying that that's what news has become. Is that a bad thing? I don't know. Regardless of the subject matter, those of us in the media are still telling "stories." We're storytellers. Sometimes the story is about a crazed gunmen who shoots 5 little Amish girls. And sometimes the story is about TomKat. Love it or hate it...that's what "news" is these days. I'm okay with that.

Halloween Memories

I used to be freakishly obsessed with Halloween. Just ask my old neighbors.

I believe it started in my early teen years one October. I was looking through the garage and found a very old prosthetic leg that somehow ended up in storage. I proudly planted that leg upside down in the garden in front of our house. Then I nailed two pieces of wood together, wrote "Danger - Quicksand" on my new sign and placed it near the leg. With that, my Halloween decoration obsession was born.

A 13-year-old's attempt at outdoor decorating can be pretty feeble. And although all my decorations have been very low-budget, my displays got more impressive over the years.

I did all kinds of things for my craft. I stole cornstalks from nearby farms. I made headstones out of huge pieces of styrofoam. I saved stacks and stacks of newspapers to crumple up, stuff inside some clothes, and bring dummies to life. Here's an old picture of my nieces and nephews surrounding one dummy.

And over the years, my displays became more elaborate. The neighbors loved it all. Even when it got a little grotesque. (I'm sure a few people were put off by the dummy impaled on a 25 foot pole in the front yard.)

But, like many childhood obsessions, my Halloween fixation has faded. I don't really care anymore. Perhaps I'll get back into one day if and when I have kids. I don't know. For now I can only muster up the energy to hang a skull from my rear-view mirror. It's a sad reminder of what I would have done years ago.

Malicious Intent

Do you remember the Rhode Island nightclub fire back in 2003? 100 people died and 200 more were injured. The clubs owners, two brothers, were sentenced today. One of them got 4 years in prison. The other got probation. They'll both have to complete countless hours of community service. Earlier this year, the third person involved, was also sentenced to 4 years in prison. Family members of the victims were, and still are, outraged at the light sentences. I, however, am not.

I've thought long and hard about this aspect of crime and punishment. How should you punish someone who commits a "crime" but had no malicious intent? What is the appropriate sentence for an accident?

First, a disclaimer: I've never lost a loved one to any type of crime. I don't know what it feels like. But my opinions on crime and punishment haven't changed much. I've always gravitated towards a more forgiving approach. I still do...especially when it comes to accidental crimes. (Pre-meditated crimes are a different story and I won't delve into that now).

I feel as much sympathy for those two nightclub owners as I do for the victims' family members. I know people were lost. But those responsible do not deserve to spend 10, 15, 20 years in prison. They never dreamed of hurting anyone. And for most, the weight on their conscience will have more of an effect on them than any lengthy prison term.

I don't know that I have a point. I just wanted to share my opinion. I don't know if that opinion would change if I was affected personally by a tragedy. I'd like to think my forgiving attitude would triumph. Hopefully I'll never have to test the theory out.

OVERLOAD!!!

I have so much to say, so much to write about, and so much to contemplate. My head's about to burst.

First of all, I enjoyed my trip back home. I'll be heading back to Montana on Tuesday afternoon. (Fortunately the vacation's not over. I'll spend the rest of the week in glorious Glacier). It was fun but it was stressful. I always stretch myself too thin when I come home. Everyone wants to see you and everyone wants you to spend time with them. So, in an effort to please everyone, I end up pleasing no one. It was overwhelming. And to everyone I wasn't able to hang out with...I'm sorry. Perhaps we'll have more time together if and when I live in this city permanently. (It also would have been nice to meet some of you blogspt acquaintances out there and share a cup of coffee. Alas, that's for the future.) Moral of the story. Keep it simple when you're on vacation. You'll thank yourself later.

My sister is evil. I went to the restaurant where she worked and she guilt-tripped me into ordering a drink called the Death Star. It's huge and it contains a lot of alcohol. It is tasty but WAY too much for me.

I miss my cat. Lame, I know. But I do. My parents just don't have the time or energy to look after him in the same way I did for so long. He's gotten so fat. He's not very active...and that's saying something for an animal that normally sleeps 23 hours a day. I want to take him home to Bozeman with me. But I can't have pets in my apartment. It's sad. I just get the feeling that he's depressed and there's nothing I can do about it. Does this mean I'd be a bad parent?

I watched a little TV when I was home. I'll agree with urban princess and say ABC does have some damn good shows. I'm a fan of Brothers & Sisters. Luckily for me, it's on Sunday night's so I'll be able to watch. (On a side note: Here's a strange little TV news fact that no one will care about. Some TV stations have started to have their main anchor teams work Sunday through Thursday nights because of primetime line-ups. In essence, Fridays are being abandoned.)

Every family has drama and mine is no exception. I'm not one to air dirty laundry though. Let's just say there are issues that I only discovered in coming home for a little while. We'll get through it just fine though. In thinking about it all for the past few days I've only reached one heartfelt conclusion: Sometimes it's hard to love troubled people...and yet it's the troubled ones that need the most love. That answers no questions. I just believe it's an over-arching theme to keep in mind when dealing with familial issues.

Kathryn and I did what we normally do when we get together. We went to The Olive Garden. I've expressed disgust at what was done with my favorite OG dessert. After complaining, the company basically said, "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Here's a gift card to find a new favorite." I attempted to do just that. I'm still not happy. The two new dessert items could be found anywhere at ANY restaurant. Chocolate Lasagna was unique. It was special. No one else had anything like it. And now it's gone...to be replaced by drab concoctions that Applebee's, TGIFriday's, or Chili's could come up with. I'm sorely disappointed. (I did like the new pasta dish I tried. :)

I've been eating like a pig since I've been home. Frankly, I don't care.

"Wow Lincoln. That's so cool that you're doing something you've always wanted to do. You've followed your dream." Countless people have expressed that to me ever since I started my job as a news anchor....and there was a new round of congratulations during my visit home. But I'm not quite sure how to respond when people say that. In my head I'm thinking, "yeah...it is pretty cool. What about you?" When people comment on me landing my "dream job" they do so with an air of wistfulness...as if they themselves can't follow their own dreams. There's a lot I'd like to say about this but for now, I'll keep it brief. I realize we all live under our own set of circumstances. But dammit people, if you have dreams...go for them. You'll come out better in the end.

Home sweet home

I arrived in the city by the salty lake on Friday afternoon.

Say what you will about Utah, it's capital city, or the many Mormons who live therein but I happen to like this place. I've missed it.

In driving around the past day or so, I'm overwhelmed at how big this city is. I realize it's because I've spent so much time in "remote" areas the past 5 years. Bozeman seems like a quaint little village compared to Salt Lake. Yet life in Bozeman seems like life in the "city" compared to living in national parks. It's all very strange. I find it exhilarating. I find it depressing. I find it vibrant. I find it crowded. I find it welcoming. I find it scary. I guess I just don't know what to think of it.

There is one aspect of city life that terrifies me. It's the ability to get lost. I'm not speaking directionally. I can find my way around almost anywhere. By lost, I mean overlooked. Cities seem like they can swallow a person. Individuality is lost. The mass of people that dwell within the city is just that....a mass. One person is inconsequential. I don't like feeling inconsequential.

My fears are a little absurd. Most of us have connections with people that make us feel needed and appreciated. I, myself, have my entire family in Salt Lake so I don't know that I'd ever feel "swallowed" in this town. But what about those lonely souls who don't have anybody? To me, they appear more lost and forgotten within a big city.

And I'm only talking about Salt Lake. I may feel even more discouraged if I went to New York.

BUT...I still like being home. A huge part of me wants to live in Salt Lake forever. For now though, I'll just be content with my short visit. Mom and Dad are happy to see me. My cat purrs happily in my lap. The dusted Wasatch Mountains feel welcome and comforting.

It's good to be home.

Everything Ends

I'm obviously late in my accolades but can I just say the last season of Six Feet Under was awesome. (More than that, the last 5 minutes of the last episode...I got chills)

I was a Six Feet Under fan the first time it debuted on HBO. I was loyal in my viewership right up through season 3. Then, as I begin to wander and live the seasonal life, my favorite TV shows fell by the wayside. Six Feet Under was no exception.

Fast forward to a few days ago when I was in the video store. I saw the final season there on the racks and thought, "well no time like the present to catch up." (I mistakenly believed I had seen season 4. Now I realize that's not true so I'll have to go back and watch that as well. I hate doing things out of order). So I spent last weekend in my apartment watching the final season. What a damn good show. I have a serious crush on Lauren Ambrose.

In other news, I am comin' home this weekend. I'm excited to see my family and my cat. Although I'm sure he either hates me or doesn't remember me.

It's raining in Bozeman. I dislike the rain. I don't mind sunshine. I don't mind clouds. I don't even mind the snow. But rain...is just...too wet.

One final thought: Does anyone know anything about the broadway musical Wicked. I'm intrigued by it and I'd like to know more.

"Summer" in Montana

I love AND loathe Montana for the following reason.

It is still technically "Summer" and yet this is what it's supposed to look like this weekend in the mountains around Bozeman.



I'm not exactly ready to freeze my ass off.

Man, summer was short.

A New Day

While I've been annoyed to no end by those "It's a New Day!" ads for the Today Show, I've decided to play copycat once again and use it to talk about the new beginnings at the station I work for. Above is a picture of the new and improved anchor team. Steve's our sports director/anchor. He's been around for a while. The new addition is Jenny. We're all very excited to have her with us. She's doing an awesome job...but it is interesting to see someone go through the rookie learning curve that I did. Hopefully the three of us will be together for a while.

On to other news though.

It's getting cold. I can feel the air changing. Summer is short in Montana. While I'm not dreading winter, I am sorry to see summer go. It's been a good ride.

Having my own place is AWESOME! It makes me wonder how I'll be able to share space with someone if I ever get married. I'm growing dangerously accustomed to my very own space.

I've mocked MySpace even after joining. Now, I'm realizing the benefits. It really does put you in touch with old friends. The level of communication with these long, lost souls probably won't improve much. But at least we can check up on each other and see how life is going.

Kathryn admitted to me today that she's taken up jogging. (Sorry if that's a secret Kathryn) I nearly laughed my ass off. Perhaps if Kathryn can grow to love exercise, she can grow to love Montana.

I hate politics. So much of what I do as a journalist is political in nature and I hate it. I'm dreading Election Day.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I'm now riding my bike to work. Well I recently met a girl who got pulled over for not completely stopping at a stop sign. $130 ticket. Only...she wasn't in a car. She was on her freakin' bike! I was stunned. I didn't even know that was possible.

I want a dog....or a cat. I want some sort of animal companion. But I can't get one.

Why does traffic in such a small town like Bozeman suck so bad?

Oh...and I broke a mirror today. A big one. I found out the bad luck superstition came from the Romans. Stupid Romans.

Smoked Out

For the past week or so I've woken up, looked out my bedroom window, and gazed upon a thick, brown, smokey haze hovering over the Gallatin Valley. The Bridger Mountains, normally visible, seem to have disappeared.

So much for Montana's clean air.

I'm sick of the fires. From a journalist's perspective, I love covering them. From a citizen's perspective, it's disgusting. The smell of smoke is getting old. My eyes burn all the time. People around town are coughing constantly. It's making me crave the crisp, cold air of winter. Anything to get this haze out of the air.

In other news, some of my Glacier friends and some of my work friends traveled up to the Garnet Mountain Lookout Tower for an overnight stay.

It was awesome. I've known you could stay in Forest Service cabins and towers for year but I had no idea how luxurious they were (well....as luxurious as you can get for an old cabin at the top of a mountain). The hike was intense but the view was well worth it.

A few other thoughts: Goodbye Steve Irwin - I wasn't what you'd call a loyal fan but I was sad to see you go. Reliving 9/11 - I still think about what happened that day and I'm shocked. What a horrific day...and yet as a journalist, I wish I could have been there covering it. Coffee - I've been drinking too much of it. I need to stop.

That's all for now. Later.

Copy Kat

So I introduced the love of my life to a new game. She, being the queen of all things blog-like and cool, decided to share the the game with all the world on her own blog. I, being the one who has followed and copied every single one of Kathryn's blogospheric ideas, decided to do the same. The game is called:

(Your name) reminds me of

1. Go to Google.
2. Type in "(Your name) reminds me of." (Make sure you put you quotes around the whole things)
3. Pick out the funniest entry that you can find and post it in the comments.

Since I don't have as big of a fan following as Kathryn does, I don't expect many replies. But I know there are some of you out there who read this blog and never leave your input. (That includes you, Mom.) So, take a stab at something different, and play along.

As for my own results. I found the following beauty:

"Lincoln reminds me of a president, a car, and a city in Nebraska. I definitely wouldn't choose it as a name for a child."

Laughing at Myself

You have to be able to laugh at yourself.

I think that's true for everyone. But I think it's especially true if you're somehow in the public eye. Whether you give speeches, or you're an actor, or a politician, or in my case...a news anchor...other people are going to laugh at you at some point. You might as well join them.

With that said, I present a montage of bloopers from my 9 months and counting on the local Bozeman news. It's not just me. The whole news team is included. And they're not all mistakes. I've included some moments that just made me chuckle. (And yes...that choking fit I wrote about in an earlier blog entry is included. It's at the beginning.)

So I will watch this and laugh at myself...because I know you're going to.


Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Bikes, Milk, and Sinus Infections

I have started to travel to work...via bicycle. It's pretty awesome. I'm doing it more for health benefits but the money I save on gas is nice. I've joined a large crowd too. I never realized how many people ride bikes in Bozeman until I hopped on one myself. I encourage everyone to do the same.

Stay away from "thickened" skim milk. I was grocery shopping the other night and they were all out of regular skim milk. They did have something called "Viva Skim Delight." I got home, poured me a glass, and was disgusted by the thickness. Skim milk isn't supposed to be thick. Then I read the ingredients and saw they add thickeners and artificial color (is there really such a thing as white food coloring). I didn't like it. But I drank it all. Without being too graphic, I'll just say it does wierd things to your digestive system.

I went to the doctor today. I got sick about 3 weeks ago and I haven't been able to shake it off. Mostly it's just been my throat and my voice. It isn't enough to make me feel miserable but my on-air performance is suffering. (It's the reason behind my choking fit which I wrote about in an earlier blog entry) My sinuses started to hurt yesterday so I decided to go in. The doctor believes I had a bacterial infection that never quite went away. He says it's decided to travel up to my sinuses and try to hide there. Now I have some antibiotic medicine which is supposed to take care of it. We shall see. I'm anchoring alone tonight which makes me a little nervous. That's a lot more talking I have to do and my voice has been on the verge of failing several times since the choking fit. I'll be sure to let you all know if things go awry.

p.s. Doug Miller, the outdoor reporter for KUTV in Salt Lake died. Very, very sad. I wasn't a loyal fan but I share his love for the outdoors and the desire to combine that with television broadcasting. Nice job, Doug. We'll miss you.

S.O.A.P

Yes I saw it.

I have not been a part of the Snakes on a Plane hype but I did go see the movie on opening night.

It was not a good movie. But it was good fun.

I recommend everyone go see it. And although I was sober, I recommend being slightly intoxicated when you see it. You might enjoy it a little more.

p.s. Julianna Margulies is hot. I never thought so when she was on ER. But now...I have a little crush.

myspace & video

I've jumped on the bandwagon.

After months of being pressured, I finally created my own myspace page. I realize myspace is the domain of pre-teens and teenagers everywhere. But I caved in anyway. Kathryn has said myspace has no point. She's right. It's an incredible time waster. Still, it's fun to post pictures and find old friends in the myspace network. So if you care to visit my new myspace page go for it. The address is www.myspace.com/glacierlink.

But don't foresake this blog. I've come to love it and it will always be my chosen communication with the outside world. Myspace has actually provided me with a way to make this blog even better. I'm now able to post video. I've decided this would be a good way to let everyone see some clips of me anchoring. I took a low-tech approach to do this. I transfer video at work to a DVD. Then I play the DVD on my computer. Then, using my digital camera, I take video of the video playing on my computer. Then I can transfer the file from my digital camera to my computer. Then I can upload that movie file to my myspace page. Then I can take that link and post it to my blog. The result: video on my blog. I'm sure I didn't have to take such a complicated approach. But I know of no other way. So without further delay, I present random clips of me being a news anchor over the past several months. Because of the low-tech approach, sound and video quality isn't great. But at least you get the idea. I hope it works. Let me know if it doesn't. Enjoy...and don't hate me for joining myspace.



Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Let me know what you think!

Ridge Runnin'

Ridgeline of the Bridger Mountains

I first heard about the Bridger Ridge Run early one morning near the top of Sacagewea Peak. I was descending from my early bird hike when a man hiking up stopped me and asked, "Do you know which direction the Bridger Ridge Run goes?" I had no idea. But I went home, hopped on the internet and Googled it. Turns out it's a 20-mile race traversing the Bridger Mountains ridge line. The Bridgers tower over Bozeman...much like the Wasatch tower over Salt Lake.

Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Mountains

Bozeman and the Bridger Mountains

My first thought was, "a 20 mile run over rugged terrain? No way." I love hiking. But I detest running. I'm a wimp. I just can't do it.

Fast forward to yesterday...date of the annual Ed Anacker Bridger Ridge Run. I decided to climb up Sacagawea Peak early in the morning (Brandon, our station's technical director came along) to cover the race for our station. We were both expecting it to be nice. It was for most of the night. But by race time, the cold moved in. As the runners approached the peak, brief little snow squalls passed over. Snow in August. Part of living in Montana I guess. Anyway it was miserable. The runners faired a little better. They were working their asses off after all. I'm sure that kept them warm. I was freezing. We headed back down the trail eager to get out of the wind and cold. It wasn't until later that day, when I was interviewing some runners as they crossed the finish line that the first inkling of desire popped up.

I kind of want to do this. I hate running but I think I may sign up for the Bridger Ridge Run next year. It's really just accelerated hiking after all.

Right?

p.s. The winner of the caption contest from my previous post. Definitely slcurbanprincess with "It's rabbit season, really."

Bunny Wabbit

I have no idea why but this picture makes me laugh my head off. This little bundle of fur is no doubt adorable. I also find him hilarious. Again, I have no idea why. Perhaps it's what may be going on his head. I have an idea. I want to know what you think. Let's play the "Caption This" game? What is this little bunny thinking? Even if you don't normally comment on this blog, leave your thoughts. You don't have to be a "Blogspot" member to do so. Just click on comments and leave an anonymous post. That's all for now. Adios.

TV Viewers

So apparently people really do watch the news.

I was out on a story today and I had several different people come up to me and mention my choking (and my co-anchor's uncontrollable laughing) incident on last night's newscast. (see previous post.)

Everyone was good-natured about it. They all thought it was hilarious.

I guess it is when you look back on it.

Good times.

Another Live TV Disaster

I've had several stupid moments on Live TV. Nearly all have been due to some level of a lack of self-control or experience. I said the wrong thing. I laughed at the wrong time. I messed up the words.

Tonight, I can say without a doubt that it wasn't my fault.

I was in the middle of a script when my voice...simply stopped working. I tried to cough it away but it was to no avail. Nothing would come out. Things would have been fairly okay had my co-anchor taken over and explained my predicament.

But no.

He knew I had a sudden throat spasm but thought that it passed quickly. He assumed my turning away from the camera and my inability to speak was due to a laughing fit I was having.

I was not laughing. I was choking.

But he thought I was laughing. Which in turn made him laugh...a lot. Luckily we were close to a commercial break. He was barely able to get through it. I can't fault him though. I may have reacted the same way.

I couldn't even continue with the news. I tried but my voice failed me. I've always wondered what would happen if I had to sneeze or if something happened to my voice in the middle of a newscast. Now I know. It wasn't pretty.

Run Ragged With A Full Plate

I'm sick, tired, and I have too much to do.
First the sick part. I felt it coming on yesterday. By the evening, I had a sore throat and it hurt to talk. I muddled my way through the two nightly newscasts. I had a pretty good feeling that I would be calling in sick the next day. Lo and behold, that's what happened. Now it's 11:30 and I'm lying in bed waiting for the Tylenol PM to kick in.

I should have used my day today resting. While I did do a lot of that there are other things I need to take care of. First and foremost...moving. I need to be out of my current place by Friday. Normally that would be fine but climbing up and down stairs while carrying my belongings and wheezing takes its toll. My body hates me. I've made a few brief trips between the old place and the new place. The car is loaded up with yet another load which I hope to take in the morning. The big stuff...my bed and futon...still needs to be taken care of. Hopefully Friday morning.

Why did I get sick? I don't know. It may have something to do with the hectic weekend I had. I ventured on up to Glacier this past weekend. It was the 3rd annual Babbfest (a local music festival). It promised to be a big Glacier reunion as friends from years past would be making an appearance. I was looking forward to it. Then work came calling. A wildfire that had started the day before exploded in just a couple hours. I called the office and made sure they knew about it. They not only knew about it but were gleeful when they learned I was in the area. They had already sent the satellite truck and another reporter to the scene and they thought the "team coverage" they could have would be awesome. I wasn't mad about it. I was pretty excited in fact. I've seen some big wildfires in Glacier before and here was my chance to report on one of the worst. My friends were a little pissed. Understandable. But events like this were the reason I got into the news business. It just validated my career choice.

So I worked and did a live report from the scene at 10 o'clock that night. (FYI: for those interested the Red Eagle forced the evacuation of the town of St. Mary Saturday. Everyone got to go back tonight.)

I spent the next day catching up with people. I left for Bozeman early Monday morning with Whitney in tow. I got home and had to go to work in an hour. Then some friends came into town. I entertained them that night and the next morning and sent them on their way. That's when I started to feel the sickness coming on.

Oh, and I'm going to Glacier again this weekend. A camping trip that's been scheduled for a few weeks. The check engine light in my car's on now. It came on during the last drive to Glacier. I have every intention of getting it looked at. But with moving and being sick...the time is hard to find. Oh and I can't afford it anyway. On the 1st, I wrote out 3 different checks for approximately $1,400. Rent for the new place. Deposit for the new place. Rent for the old place. I still have some money left in the checking account...but not a lot.

In other news, my friend and former co-anchor Melissa began her new job in Oklahoma City. Here's a picture of her first live shot there.

I guess that's it for now. I'll wake up in the morning and see if I'm well enough to go to work. Wish me luck.

The Perks of Being Poor

There are few advantages to making the pitiful excuse of a salary that I make.

But I've found one.

I qualify for affordable housing. I'm moving into a new apartment next week.

Affordable housing can mean the "projects" in larger cities. Not in Bozeman. These are nice, brand new apartments made for the people who have too many zeroes missing from their paychecks.

That's me.

The best news, I'm moving out of my current place. It's been a fine place to live but I'm really sick of having roommates. I want my own place.

Now I'm getting it. Woohoo!

Long time no blog

It's been a while. Sheesh.

Where do I begin? How about the President. In my last blog I wondered why everyone cared so much that the president said "shit." A co-worker of mine, Shawn, agreed and then said everyone should be focused on the disgusting way Bush was shoving food into his pie hole and talking with his mouth open. I agreed. He seemed like a bit of a slob.

I have a new co-anchor. She starts August 30th. There were 3 finalists for the job...including my current co-anchor, Beth, who had been filling in since Melissa left. I was rooting for Beth. She does a great job and I thought she deserved the position. The powers that be felt otherwise. I'm confident things will work out and I am excited to meet my new TV wife...but at the moment I feel for Beth and her disappointment.

I saw "An Inconvenient Truth." Excellent movie. I highly recommend it. Why did Al Gore have to become so cool AFTER the 2000 election. We could have used the coolness factor back then. Anyway, go see it. It's worth it.

The Olive Garden followed through on its promise to send me a gift card. A $10 one. I was surprised by the amount. I was expecting $5. Now if only they'd build a restaurant in Bozeman.

I suppose that's it for now. Adios.

The Sh_t Heard 'Round the World

So the president said "shit."

Big deal.

I am no fan of of President Bush, but I like him just a little bit more tonight.

Everybody swears. EVERYONE. I don't care how religious you are. I don't care how inappropriate you think swearing is. At the very least...when you are alone...you swear. You know it.

So our president is no different than us.

So let's attack Mr. Bush for every other stupid thing he's done...but not for the use of a four-letter word.

The Olive Garden's Response

Dear Lincoln:

We understand your disappointment with the removal of Chocolate Lasagna from our menu. We make decisions about our menu based on guest demand, along with an effort to keep our menu fresh and interesting. Guests help determine what remains on the menu by ordering those items, and conversely help determine what is eliminated from the menu by not ordering those food and beverage items. We regularly review the preferences of our menu items and make additions or deletions accordingly. Please be assured that we are interested in your comments and have documented your preference for Chocolate Lasagna for future consideration. In the meantime, in the hopes that you may find a new favorite, we are sending a complimentary gift card to try one of our other menu items.

Erich

Olive Garden Guest Relations

(I'm still somewhat unhappy but at least they responded to me. Plus I'm getting a free gift card. :) Now if only they'll build a restaurant in Bozeman so I can use it.)

The Waters of Madison County

I've been in Bozeman for almost 8 months now and I finally took part in a local tradition of sorts. I floated the Madison.

(Disclaimer: I have no idea who the people in the picture are. It's a random one I found in cyberspace.)

The Madison River begins in Yellowstone National Park and meanders for 133 miles before converging with the Gallatin and Jefferson rivers to form the mighty Missouri. There's a small whitewater section along its path but for the most part the Madison is a gentle, wide waterway.

Every weekend during the summer, hundreds and hundreds of people, (mostly from Bozeman) grab whatever flotation device and jump into the river. Coolers of beer get their own inner tubes.

A lazy day of floating down the river. It was awesome. I'll be doing much more of it I'm sure.

I'm also nursing a nasty sunburn. It's been a while since I've had one.

It hurts.

A Sad, Sad Day

I have devastating news.

The best dessert in the entire world has been discontinued. Olive Garden officials, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to stop selling the beloved Chocolate Lasagna. Is there even a reason to eat there anymore? (Not that I can that often anyway because in another brilliant business move...they have yet to build a restaurant in Bozeman).

Kathryn broke the news to me this afternoon. She, more than anyone, knows what Chocolate Lasagna means to me.

This news has so upset me that I even sent a message of complaint to The Olive Garden on their website. I don't do things like that. Even when I was a kid and my favorite microwave snack, Suddenly Smores, disappeared off the supermarket shelves, I didn't take the news this hard.

I encourage all of you to contact The Olive Garden and demand that they bring Chocolate Lasagna back to the masses.

Please. I beg of you. Help me in this important endeavor.

Roadkill #2

Ahhhhh.....Isn't he cute? Well, cute and dead that is.

I'm an animal lover. So don't think I'm just casually talking of Mr. Squirrel's death as if I don't care about him. I do.

But damn....these are some stupid, stupid animals.

They are Columbian Ground Squirrels for those who don't know. They look like prairie dogs. They act like prairie dogs. They are NOT prairie dogs. I promise. They are however, dumb.

I killed two (and watched a third one dying) on my way home from Glacier over the weekend. I've killed countless others in my four years spent in the Big Sky state. They just can't seem to learn that the roadway is a dangerous place. They'll trot out into my lane...and sit there. The imposing edifice of my Toyota Camry (I'm sure from the ground a Camry looks imposing) racing towards them doesn't seem to phase the little bastards. They will simply NOT MOVE. Don't they see the car coming? Are they just blind? Are the processes in their tiny little brains not working fast enough? I don't know. What I do know is they appear to be on suicide missions. They run into my lane and simply wait to die.

What's worse is that the rest of the Columbian Ground Squirrel family will quickly choose to devour their fallen comrade. It's disgusting. They in turn stand a great chance of also being run over. I've seen it happen. It was a little squirrel graveyard. A squirrel would die. Another would try to eat it. Said diner would also be hit and killed. It's a never-ending cycle.

They are dumb, but I feel bad for them. I've never intentionally hit one and I never would. They are fairly adorable. But come on guys...smarten up a little.

I also hit a bird again. I've started to feel less sorry for them. If you can FLY and you still end up being hit by a car, you aren't using that flying privilege to its full potential.

My Rambling Mind

In an earlier post on this blog I lamented on my hatred of Spring. I love Summer, Fall, and Winter (usually) for very different and distinct reasons. Spring is just...blah.

Good news though. It's often been said that Montana has two seasons: Winter and Summer. Apparently it's true. As I was enjoying the nice summer day yesterday I wondered, "what happened to Spring?" It seemed like it was winter and then all of sudden it was summer. Oh well. Fine by me.

In other news I don't get play anchorman for a while. An expensive piece of equipment was fried in a power surge at our parent station in Missoula. The details are boring. What it means is we don't have a local newscast for at least a week. Instead I get to play reporter and do live reports for Missoula every night. I love anchoring but this will be a nice change.

I want a pet. I want a dog and/or cat. However, I don't have the time for an animal and I can't afford one anyway. But it would be nice. A cat would be the most logical choice but I'd really like a dog I can take to the park and play fetch with.

New Zealand is an amazing country. I spent 6 months there and I miss it quite a bit. Everyone's friendly, the landscape is hard to beat, and life seems so carefree. I recommend everyone go there at least to visit. The North Island is cool but the South Island is where IT'S at.

I have a crush on Allie MacKay...the morning reporter for KUTV Channel 2 in Salt Lake City. I realize she's rather polarizing. You either love her or hate her. I happen to love her. I watch little clips of her segments on the Internet. She's hilarious. Perhaps I'll work with her some day.

I guess that's it. Later.

Farewell Friend

She's gone.

We sent my co-anchor Melissa off in grand style tonight. (These are pictures from tonight) I'm fairly certain I wasn't supposed to give as much time to her "goodbye" as I did, but she deserved it. Better to beg for forgiveness later right?

She was my colleague...and a damn good one at that. More than that though, she's also my friend. I will miss her terribly.

Keep your eye out for this woman everyone. I have no doubt that we'll all see her on network television a few years down the road.

Good luck Melissa! Go make us proud.

Roadkill

Are there more critters in Montana or are these animals just stupider than elsewhere?

I'm not sure what it is but I've killed or almost killed more animals in the past couple months than I have since I first got my license. Here's a rundown.

Deer: Luckily there have been no collisions but I almost ran into a few of these guys on my home from Glacier a couple weeks ago. It's a little frightening when you're barreling down the freeway at 85 miles per hour and you suddenly see animals in the roadway. I braked....hard. Which, I found out last week, is the right thing to do. Apparently most drivers instinctually swerve which is bad....or so I've been told.

Ground squirrels: These little cannibals are everywhere in Montana. They're idiots too. I ran over many when I worked in Glacier and I saw plenty more smashed into the roadway. I guess Bozeman's no different. I was driving home the other day and a doofy little ground squirrel came trotting out onto the road. I grimaced and drove right over him. I mean that literally. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw the dumb little bastard standing up on his hind legs like, "what the hell just happened?"

Birds: What the hell? The only animal on earth that can FLY and I've hit 3 in the past couple weeks. In one case a couple of blue jays were fighting in mid-air. One of them decided to quickly back off but ended up too low...and smacked into my windshield.

Snake: This one's a little different in that a) I don't know if it's dead and b) I ran over him on my bike. It scared the crap out of me though. It was probably a little garter snake but he hissed like hell as my tires ran over his tail.

Anchors Away!

I knew it was coming but it doesn't make it any easier.

My co-anchor, Melissa, (that's us being stupid and acting "newscasterish") is moving up in the world. She's been at the station much longer than I have (2 and a half years to be exact) and the time has come for her to move on.

I remember working at Big Sky Ski Resort in the winter of 2004/2005. I've always been a news junkie and I made sure to catch the local news wherever I was. Big Sky was no different. Bozeman was only 40 minutes away thus that's where the local news came from. During my first few days there I juggled through the local channels trying to decide what I liked best. Maybe it was fate that I finally settled on Melissa. Back then she was a solo anchor for the 10 o'clock news. I liked her style and preferred to watch her over the competition. My friends knew of my news ambitions and they knew that I'd one day leave the seasonal world and pursue my dream of being a news anchor. I remember a prophetic statement made by one of them. "Lincoln? What if you start looking for a job next year and you get to work in Bozeman with her?" I tossed aside the notion back then.

Now look at me. I've been sitting next to her for the past 6 months.

Melissa, our time together has been short. But I've loved every minute of it. You have taught me a great deal on how to be a good anchor and reporter. I will miss you and I know Butte and Bozeman will miss you. Watch out Katie Couric. She's on her way.

Perspective

I went to Glacier over the weekend. Most know of my love and adoration of all things Glacier National Park. This is the first summer in 4 years that I won't be spending within the towering mountain walls of the Many Glacier Valley. That fact has worried me for quite some time.

The seasonal life can ruin you. Most don't understand that because most don't take part in it. Once you do indulge however, the lifestyle becomes dangerously addictive. Why work in the "real world" when you can "just have fun." I spent my last four summers hiking and hanging out with friends. I spent my winters snowboarding and seeing New Zealand. Sure I worked in these places but when you're living that life, being a bellman doesn't seem like work. The whole experience was like college. Only for me there was no school involved and I lived within the most beautiful mountains on earth.

Thus, making the transition to "real life" can be a little traumatic. I thought my experience might be a little different though. I landed a dream job of sorts as a TV news anchor...my lifelong ambition. Not only that, I found that job in Montana...a place that cast a spell over me nearly 5 years ago when I first came to Glacier. So obviously, some good things have happened to me in the past 6 or 7 months.

But that pesky little thought lingered in the back of my mind
"I'm not in Glacier."

So I was a little nervous to go back. I expected something heart-wrenching. It didn't happen. I stared out over the waters of Swiftcurrent Lake and smiled. I was happy to be back. But something was different. I felt like a bit of an outsider. Normally that would dismay me. Glacier is "my park" after all. But then my intuition spoke loud and clear. "You feel like an outsider because you don't belong here. You've moved on."

So I'm relieved. I can go back as much as I want this summer and I know I won't be disappointed that I'm not living there.

My time there is over. And I'm okay with that.

It's hopeless

I had an epiphany today.

Unless I marry someone who gets joy and comfort out of cooking for me...I'm going to become one of those people who eat out...all the time...every meal.

It's not that I can't cook. I believe I have decent culinary skills. But my drive and ambition to cook is...well...absent. I just don't want to put forth the effort. It's so much easier (and tastier) to drive to the Naked Noodle and order me one Gaucho with Red Snapper.

However my habit of eating out does have financial implications. To put it simply...I can't afford it. (Here's a sad, sad side note. I discovered today that new hires at the Bozeman Taco Bell are making more than I am. (Another side note: Yes I went to Taco Bell because I didn't want to cook). Granted there is a serious labor shortage in this town and even fast food chains are providing some impressive incentives. But come on.) Therefore I've been forcing myself to cook a little more.

I started this morning. Scrambled eggs with salsa and cheese. Yum.

Bozeman's Beautiful!

That's a little jingle from local radio station. It's very catchy. It's also true...most of the time. See for yourself. Isn't it purty?

Actually it wasn't this weekend. My parents came to visit for the weekend. It rained...and rained...and rained some more. It sort of pissed me off. And of course on the day they leave...it clears right up. Figures. Stupid Mother Nature. Is she on her period?

On a completely unrelated and random note...do people really care about Brad and Angelina's (oh wait...Brangelina's) baby? How is it possible that a picture of this little kid could fetch $5 million. It's a freakin' baby. Don't they all look the same anyway? I just don't get it. I do however like the idea of combining the first names of celebrity couples. It saves us all time and it's kind of a novelty. Has anyone started referring to Jennifer and Vince as Jennivaughn? If not we should start now.

TV

I find it ironic that I watch less TV than ever since I started working in the TV business.
No more Lost. No more American Idol. No more CSI.
I will catch the ABC Sunday night line-up. (With the exception of the god-awful Extreme Home Makeover). That's about it.
So as everyone I know freaks out about the American Idol finale, I sit back and wonder, "Who the hell is Taylor?"

Turmoil

Today is Mom's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!

Onto the subject at hand.

It is so easy to be angry. Why do people fight with each other? Because it's easier than sitting down and actually communicating. It's easier than telling someone some painful truths about them. It's easier than learning painful truths about yourself. Why sit down and tediously work through the issue when you can be pissed at each other? Because being pissed off is easier.

But as with all things in life, the easy path usually isn't the best one to follow. Avoiding the easy path may just help you grow as a person and help other people grow.

I'm trying to remember this as I deal with a difficult person in my life right now. Given a choice I'd say forget it and simply avoid their poisonous attitude. Unfortunately, that's not a possibility. Circumstances are such that I must interact with this person every day.

I'll let you know how it all turns out. I am vowing to be mature and reasonable. For now, I take comfort in the fact that I, and everyone else around me, know this other person is the irrational one. And if nothing changes, I know that they'll lose in the end.

Stupid President Bush

Oh sure I think he's stupid for many reasons. Tonight, however, I'm pissed at him for addressing the nation and thus causing a very embarassing moment for me.

Mr. Bush spoke at 6 pm local time. Our newscast usually starts then so we were pushed back by 25 minutes...or so we thought.

The president finished early...which meant were were starting our show earlier than expected. We didn't know that though. I was sitting at the anchor desk getting ready for the show. There is a TV in our newsroom that usually has NBC on at all times. I happened to glance at that TV and was puzzled at first to see myself.

"Hmm," I thought. "That's not right. Melissa was sitting next to me, putting her microphone on and getting ready as well. Then I realized....I'm on TV...right now! It was not good. We had no freaking idea what to do. Our production crew in the back wasn't ready. We all got caught with our pants down. Eventually the screen went black, we started our show and pretended nothing had happened.

But man oh man it was embarassing. You gotta love small market television news.

I blame the President.

Eden

This is a picture of Mt. Wilbur. It was taken from the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake in Glacier National Park. For the past 4 summers this was the view I was treated to every day. I've written of Glacier several times in this blog. I know, I'm obsessed. I'll spare you the "Glacier is Great" testimonial this time. I'm only mentioning it because now is the time for all my Glacier buddies to be heading back up to the park. Several have stopped through Bozeman so far and more are on the way. Six months into new career (at least I hope will turn into one) as a news anchor, I'm still conflicted about not going back to the Many Glacier Hotel. Don't get me wrong. I love my job and I'm lucky to have it. But it is....a job. There's no escaping that fact. In a perfect world I'd be independently wealthy and do whatever the hell I wanted. But I digress. I'm simply hoping this picture, in some small way, explains why Glacier is a place hard to let go of. Unless you hate everything outdoorsy. In that case we'd probably never get along. Unless you're Kathryn.

On a side note, I am 5 hours away from Glacier. As I'm traveling up there nearly every weekend will I be enriching myself with the spirit of the park...or, like a bad breakup, prolonging the inevitable?

Will my job get me out of this?

As soon as I saw the police car flip around I knew it was coming for me. I resigned myself to being pulled over, turned a corner, and parked on the side of the road. Sure enough, the cop pulled up behind me...and I waited.

But the wheels were turning in my head. I wasn't wondering how to get out of this ticket. I was simply curious as to whether my job would do it for me...or even make things worse. Bozeman is a small town. My face is on television here twice a night, 5 days a week. I deal with the police all time in my job. I even recognized her. She had to know who I was. The only question is whether she'd give a shit. The answer: No.

Don't get me wrong. I wasn't expecting to get out of a ticket because I'm on TV. I was just wondering whether she'd be lenient with me because of it. If that were the case, I'd drive away and think, "ahh, the perks of my job."

But, alas, it didn't happen. In fact, she gave no indication she recognized me at all. She asked me where I lived, where I worked, and how long I'd been in Montana. I got a ticket for going 43 in a 25. I then got a stern warning for not having a Montana driver license and Montana plates. Then I got sent on my merry way.

So now I have to pay the ticket, get a new license and shell out a lot of money to have my car registered here. All for having a lead foot.

So no...my job didn't get me out of it. I'm still a nobody.

The Question

I've been alive for a little over 26 years now. Only recently have people started asking me "the question."

When you're young, they ask you because it's a cute thing to ask. They like to see how a little kid responds.

When you're in your early teens, they ask because you just might be reaching the point in life when you're actually interested in the topic.

When you're a full-fledged teenager about ready to tackle college, they ask because they want to know who the "flavor of the month" is.

When you're a finally an adult, they ask because, apparently, that's what I should be focusing on now.

So to answer this question once and for all...NO. I'm not currently seeing anyone. When I am, I'll let you know. But to satisfy the murmurings in your mind, I'll delve into this topic further.

I am not interested in dating. Dating is a foreign concept to me that I want no part of. I have never dated. I am not dating now. I don't see myself dating in the future. (Could happen I guess, but don't count on it.) Now don't mistake me for an aesexual eunich. I don't want to be alone. I would like someone special in my life. I've had a significant other before and I loved how it felt.

BUT...I'm not a fan of actively "dating" to find that someone. I won't go up to someone I find attractive and ask them if they want to "go out on a date." I'm just not comfortable with it. I prefer to meet people simply by living my life. I can meet people at work and slowly get to know them. Sometimes that can lead to some sort of relationship. I can hang out with friends and, over the course of a given amount of time, meet new and interesting people. Sometimes, a relationship can emerge. You never know. I just want to live life and see what happens. I don't want to be active about this whole thing. Perhaps that's the wrong way to go. Right now, I don't care. That's how I do things.

So for all those reading this (and I realize that's not many) don't ask me "the question" if you ever get the urge to. It irritates me.

If and when I find someone, I'll let you know.

Musings

Ahh life...

I was home for the Easter weekend. You know something...I like Salt Lake. I really do. I guess it's just because that's where I grew up. It's home. But I really like it. The mountains are gorgeous and enormous. They tower over the city. I think people who live there often take them for granted. The city is, for the most part, nice and clean. People are friendly. And, above all, it's more cultured than people think. Would I love to be the next Tom Brokaw and work out of a studio in New York City? Sure. But if I stay in the news business, and I'm working in local news for the rest of my life...I'd rather it be in Salt Lake. I could work for KUTV for the rest of my life and be happy I think.

On the other hand, I'm liking Bozeman more and more these days. It's getting warmer every day. I'm becoming more and more social. A couple long, lost friends have resurfaced in this town. Things are going well. My co-anchor is fast approaching the end of her career here. She's flying down to sunny Florida for a job interview at a station there. She's good and I have no doubts she'll go far....but it's gonna be sad without her.

Kathryn and I ventured to Olive Garden while I was home. For some reason Ms. Kat wanted me and the waiter to be best friends. She wanted us to have more of a conversation. She wanted me to invite him to sit down so we could all learn more about each other's lives. He'd say, "How is everything?" I'd say, "Great, thanks." She'd say, "That's all you have to say? Couldn't you be more creative?" I told her her mom was fat. For some reason I can't quite pinpoint, Kat and I always have the strangest interactions with the waitstaff wherever we go. It gets doubly weird when Liz is with us.

Danny's a freakin' musical genius. He's gonna be country superstar soon. He's got a website now, www.dannymcintosh.com. Check it out. He's got some good stuff on there. I like to think I'll be anchoring the Today show one day and Danny will be part of our summer concert series.

I suppose that's all for now.

Me in action

This picture doesn't have the best quality but I thought I'd post it and show you all what I look like. Granted, there's probably only one person out there who reads this blog and doesn't know what I look like...but whatever.

This is a picture of my co-anchor and I at the anchor desk just before a show.

I love my job.

The road to being a slob....

....is paved with good intentions.

I have so many of them. The warmer weather and the sunshine have inspired me.
I want to rise early every morning and go for a jog.
I want to hike into the mountains and feel at one with nature.
I want to go to the gym and work out with the best of them.
I want to eat right and exercise and take care of myself.
I want to be confident and have people notice it.

But, alas, I wake up in the morning and think....

...I want to stay in bed.

So I do.
I'm pitiful.

Linco

Love & Marriage

Okay, here's the deal. I have this friend who's fallen in love with a married woman.
And seriously, it's a friend of mine. I'm not using one of those "i have a friend" lines to cover up the fact the story is really about me.
So yeah...he's fallen in love...with a married woman. Apparently she feels the same way about him and tells him that she's been drifting apart from her husband for quite some time. They've only been married for a couple years. She now says it was a mistake to marry him and that, at the time, she assumed she knew what love really was. Now she says she's discovering the truth...she's found out what love is supposed to be like.
These are not crazy people. I know all three of them. They're not the whacked out type that pops up on Jerry Springer from time to time. They're all well-grounded, well-behaved, honest, down-to-earth, caring individuals.
Physically, this girl has not strayed from her marriage. Emotionally, she has.
My friend took a step in the ethical direction and told her that they probably shouldn't see each other anymore...at least until she figures out where she wants to take her marriage.

I'm torn. If I didn't know these people I wouldn't have much respect for this girl or the man squirming his way into her marriage. Then I hear how he talks about her. I hear his genuine remorse and how the girl's husband is being treated. My friend's a good guy and he doesn't want to hurt anyone. He's just fallen for a married girl and doesn't know what to do.

Marriage is supposed to be sacred, I know. He should take the honorable road, stop seeing her, and remove himself from the situation. And yet, on some level, I'm rooting for him. Is that wrong?

Cheating takes place all the time. People are pigs and jerks and don't care about other people. But aren't there times when something that just isn't supposed to happen...develops? What if you fall in love with someone other than your spouse? Do the vows you took trump everything else? Does the realization that you married the wrong person even matter?

These are genuine questions I'm asking. I don't know.
My friend feels horribly guilty for what's happening. Yet, he can't help the way he feels.
I suppose I'm in the same boat. Logic and ethics tell me that he's a home-wrecker. And yet, on some level, I can't help but wish that his dreams become reality.

Advice?

Lincoln

Bed

Why is it so, so hard to get out of bed?
Every night I have these grand intentions of rising early and starting my day off right. Whether that be going to the gym, or doing laundry, or getting other errands done.
Every morning I look at the clock and refuse to leave the warmth and comfort of my bed. I end up sleeping a couple hours longer than I should.
I just don't get it. It's like I'm addicted. I simply CAN'T force myself to get out of bed unless I absolutely have to. I've harbored dreams of being a morning person for years. There's just something about it that I'm drawn to. But I can't do it. I just can't.
Does anyone else have this problem? Maybe my bed's too comfortable.
Ah well. It's about 11 am so I'm gonna get up now. But I promise. Tomorrow I'll be up by 8.

Who am I kidding?

Lincoln

Mormonism

Ahh the Mormons. I am one and I'm not one. It all depends on how you look at. I almost prefer to look at Mormons as a race of people. I'm certainly not a Mormon in practice. However in a cultural sense, I will always be a part of the race. I've got Mormon blood in me. But like a lot of people who feel conflicted about their relationship with a certain group, I myself have a love-hate relationship with Mormonism.

I don't go to church anymore. I don't want to and I don't feel guilty about it. I'm just way too liberal for such a conservative religion. I think abortion should be legal. I believe gay people should be allowed to tie the knot if they so wish. I don't see a problem with premarital sex. I enjoy my Irish Cream cappucinos and I think a beer or a glass of wine are acceptable beverages. My views don't mesh well with Mormon teachings.

And yet...

I don't want to be known as a former Mormon. I don't want my name removed from membership rolls. There's something comforting about being a part (even if I don't play the part) of such a unique and often mis-understood crowd. There's something rebellious and satisfying about telling new friends that I have polygamy in my family. I can walk into any Mormon church in the world and know that help is waiting for me if I need it. I can still walk the grounds of Temple Square and feel a tremendous sense of peace.

And yet...

I can be critical of "The Church." I can roll my eyes at that whole priesthood revelation of the late 1970's. I can snort when young Mormons refuse to see a movie because it's rated "R." I can cringe with embarassment when I explain the whole "undergarments" thing to Mormonism rookies.

And yet....

I'm the first to defend "The Church" when someone makes fun of it. I get exasperated when the ignorant try and tell me Mormons still practice polygamy. I can get irate when someone tries to tell me that Mormons aren't Christians. I can tell the story of Joe Smith and what he's all about and I get frustrated when the listener's eyebrow raises and they say, "What is this crap?"

I don't particularly understand my relationship with Mormonism. Am I believer? Probably not. I'm at a place now where I feel more personally connected with God than at any other time in my life. I got there by doing my own thing...not following Mormon doctrine. But Mormonism isn't just a faith to me. It's a culture. Sometimes that culture is too conservative and over-bearing. But I know that if I ever turn to it for help...I will be received with open arms; even if I do see things a little differently than they do.

But I suppose my relationship with Mormonism is a bit like my view on religion in general. We're all individuals and what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. That's how I see things. That's why I'll understand those who faithfully follow that Mormon lifestyle just the same as those who shun it with ridicule. Believe what you want to believe. I'm in the middle and I'm happy staying there.

Everyone has their day

Just for a moment picture the state you live in. Does your state have a city or town that's become the "butte" of all jokes. Are they the "butte"hole of your state? Does everyone hate that place and make fun of all who live there?

I'm sure you can think of some place.

In Montana, that place is Butte. It's a town of about 35,000 lying in the heart of southwest Montana. It's called the "Mining City." They got that name because mining was, and in some cases still is, the town's economic foundation. In many ways it's your typical American town.

But they get no respect. For some reason, no one has anything nice to say about Butte.

That is except...for today.

For reasons unknown to me, Butte is the location of one of the largest St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the country. I never knew that until I moved to Montana. But apparently, it's true. I've heard out-of-staters talk about St. Patrick's Day in Butte like it's some sort of pilgrimage.

This just goes to show you that everyone has their day. Even those cities and towns across America that most people like to make fun of.

No one's laughing at Butte today.

Tomorrow will probably be a different story.

70 percent

They say about 70% of what a television reporter or anchor projects into a camera actually comes across on TV. Watch a news anchor on TV and they're talking normally. Watch the same show, live in the studio, and the anchor seems to be shouting at you. Emotions, voice, and projection are all diminished in the journey through television. After tonight, I've decided that might be a good thing.

I had my first real laughing fit on television tonight. I've had one before but I was never on camera and was only laughing while our sports anchor did his thing. Tonight was different. It's a little scary to know that I can't control my giggling fits even when I know I'm live on television with thousands of people watching at home.

We were in the middle of our show. Our weather guy was showing people the forecast while Melissa and I patiently waited for it to be our turn to talk. Tara, our camera operator for the night, said something funny and set both Melissa and I off. We laughed and laughed and then APPEARED to pull it together before the weather guy tossed it back to us. Then Melissa flubbed a line, and for some reason...we lost it. She couldn't get the rest of her sentence out. I lost it and muttered something incoherent about cigarettes in an upcoming story. And that was that. Melissa decided it was best if she left the desk because we were afraid we wouldn't be able to get through the next segment. It was pretty damn funny.

Probably funnier to us. We watched the tape after the show, and while it was very noticeable and very funny, only about 70% of the idiocy we projected, actually showed up on TV. So I figure that 30% of material left out might be a good thing.

Linco

2 weeks?

Is that really all the vacation I get? Two freakin' weeks. There's one more aspect of the real world that pretty much sucks. That's not nearly enough. I think everyone deserves at least 4 weeks of vacation a year. Possibly more. I'm just used to having so much time off. Not only did I get one to two months off between seasons during the past four years, but I had a lot of time off while I was working as well. As a bellman at the Many Glacier Hotel, I got three days off a week. Three days! And I could have those days back to back with the next week and get 6 days off in a row. It was awesome. But back to reality. Now I get 2 weeks a year. That sucks.

March & Fame

The subjects of my title have nothing to do with each other. They're just the two topics I'll be discussing in this rambling post.

First up: March.

I'm so happy it's here. First, my 26th birthday is this March. And it's my Golden one. I'll be 26 on the 26th....in 2006. Although I guess it would be cooler if it was 2026. But whatever. I'll take it. I'll be flying to Colorado for my birthday and hitting the slopes at 3 different ski resorts. Not only that, I'll be hanging out with my friends from Glacier. It will be good times for all I'm sure.

Second, I'll be getting a break from work when I go to Colorado. Don't get me wrong. I love my job. I'm lucky to have it. But things have been go, go, go ever since I started back in November. It'll be a chance to look back and reflect on what's happened to me in the past few months.

Third, Spring begins in March. I can't really recall a time when I've been so happy to say good-bye to Winter. I'm just longing for the hot summer nights (we get a few of them in Montana) and the ability to walk outside without a jacket.

Fourth, when March begins, February ends. And this February has been non-stop. Some good things happened, but just like Winter, I won't be sorry to see February go.

Fifth, one of my favorite holidays is in March: St. Patrick's Day. I'm not really sure what you're supposed to be celebrating on St. Patrick's Day. I don't really care to know. I'll just stick with the belief that it's all about the color green...which does happen to be my favorite color. And on what other holiday are you allowed to pinch people who aren't being festive? Sounds good to me.

That's all for my ramblings on March. Now for a few things about fame.

I'm not calling myself famous. I'm a news anchor in a small town in Montana after all. But I am often recognized in this small town. I've always wondered what fame would be like. Frankly, it's kind of unsettling. What is the protocol when someone approaches you and says they watch you on TV every night? I have no idea. When it happens, I feel very sheepish and the urge to get away quickly overcomes me. I was at the gym one day on the treadmill when a commercial for our station (with several shots of me) came on the TV. This was the gym remember so it actually came on 4 or 5 different TV's. I wanted to die. The guy next to me turned his head with a look of recognition and smiled. I avoided eye contact. I was embarassed. I don't know why. I shouldn't be. But I was. And for every person who recognizes me and says something, there are others who keep their mouths shut. That creates further problems because they still give me that look of recognition without the explanation. Therefore I'm thinking this stranger is giving me a dirty look for no reason and I return the favor. It doesn't occur to me that they recognize me. I'm just thinking they're jerks. So then they go home, tell their family they saw the "news guy" at the store and then say, "he was kind of a jerk. He gave me a dirty look." Then there are people who recognize you, but they're not sure why? That happened tonight as my co-anchor and I went to Cold Stone. We're at the counter and the girl says, "do you guys go to Grace Bible Church?" Melissa says no. She says, "then why are you guys so familiar?" Melissa and I look at each other and smile. Then she leans over the counter, puts her hand to her mouth as if to conceal what she's about to say, and whispers, "We're on the news." So then the girl yelps, "oh wow! I knew I knew you from somewhere." That brings attention to us and again...I want to die.

The moral of the story: I'm not really sure I have one. Maybe it's this though: People say they want to be "rich and famous." I'll take the "rich" any day. I'm not so comfortable with the "fame."

Linco

Busy

I'm busy.
Very busy.
It's February sweeps right now. Some outside the TV world know what that is. Some do not. I'm not going to explain it. Suffice it to say that during this time, we are working overtime. A lot of it. I worked 32 hours of overtime last week.
Therefore, forgive my sporadic postings.
Not that I entertain anyone with my ramblings anyway. Just thought I'd explain.
March is SUPPOSED to be better. I'm praying for that.
Adios

Randomness

Why is it that most Olympic sports are only popular during the Olympics? No one gives a crap about ski jumping or speed skating or bobsledding at any other time. But suddenly, once every four years, we're glued to the TV rooting for the American team...probably not having any clue who's actually on it. Or if we do know who the team members are, we soon forget about them after the games are over. Just wondering why.

My iPod stopped working the other day. Well...maybe "stopped working" isn't the right way to put it. It's more like my approximately 750 songs...disappeared. Seriously. I picked it up, turned it on, and...nothing. Everything was gone. How the hell did that happen? No one else has touched it. It hasn't been hooked up to a computer in months. I had listened to music only a week before. There is no plausible explanation. I called Apple and even they didn't know and suggested I take it to an Apple store. Good luck finding one of those in Montana. Maybe it's a sign that I should get one of the video iPods.

The heat went out in the house I live in. The upstairs thermostat just stopped working. I woke up the other morning, crawled out of bed, shivered, and then saw my breath leave my body. That's not acceptable. You shouldn't be seeing your breath inside your own bedroom. So I went to Costco and bought a space heater since the problem wasn't supposed to be fixed til Monday. It worked well. And then, with our thermostat ripped off the wall and lying in pieces on the floor...the heat started working. Now it won't turn off. So I find myself in the awkward position of baking in my bedroom with the temperature hovering around 10 degrees outside. Irritating.

I love Wal-Mart. I know I'm not supposed to. I know the people who run it are evil, evil people. I know they've completely changed the landscape of worldwide business...and not for the better. But everything they sell is....so....damn....cheap. I can run to Albertson's and buy a box of Great Grains cereal for $4.78. Or I can get the same box at Wal-Mart for $2.45. I can stop by the gas station and buy a gallon of milk for $4.69. Or I can buy the same gallon at Wal-Mart for $2.58. It's amazingly affordable. I'm sorry everyone. I feel like I'm supporting terrorism or something but I just can't help it. Forgive me.

That's all for now. Adios.

Linco

I'm scum

...or at least I can see why people would think so.

Today I approached a woman and asked her if she could elaborate on the fact that her husband may be under investigation for child molestation.

I felt awful about it. I didn't want to talk to her about it. But at the same time I knew there was a story there. I won't go into specifics but if such allegations are true, there are many in the community who could be affected. I truly believe it's an important story to tell.

But it didn't make it any easier for me to approach her. Not much was said. I tried to be sensitive. She was courteous. Nothing of value came out of it.

This isn't an easy job. It IS easy for others to sit back and judge what I do. I have to come to terms with the fact that I may have to approach people I don't want to approach and ask questions I don't want to ask. But I'm making myself a vow to never do that unless I feel it's justified. I won't do it to be sensational.

"Reporters don't care about people." Maybe some don't. I, however, do. Even when I'm making someone uncomfortable and they'd just as soon spit in my face as talk to me...I still care. I promise.

Holy @$%#...

...I said something tonight that scared the crap out of me. When it popped out of my mouth I gasped loudly in shock. How could I have said that? What does it mean?

What did I say?

As I was watching our little monkey president's state of the union address I blurted out...

"you know, I think he's growing on me." :-0 NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

20 Years

It was 20 years ago on Saturday when my dream of being a journalist was born.

I was in kindergarten 20 years ago about ready to head home for the day. I remember grabbing stuff off my desk and then heading for the door. I noticed my teacher staring up at the TV with her hand over her mouth. I looked up at the TV and my 5 year old mind processed what it could. Then another teacher came in, looked at me watching and said, "Isn't it sad?" I remember nodding and then walking out the door.

After I got home that day I sat in front of the TV watching news coverage of the Challenger explosion. I couldn't stop. The image of the shuttle exploding fascinated me. The reporters on the scene fascinated me. The anchors in the studio fascinated me. (I suppose I should admit this was the moment my childhood crush on Michelle King began as well). As I watched all of these people on television, I thought to myself, "I want to do that."

Twenty years later, hear I am. Who knows where the future will take me? For right now, I'm just happy my childhood dream's been realized.

Linco

Good People

Here is just a small sampling of people I like. (in no particular order)

Kathryn - a friend since high school. we survived kelly roberts together. that could bond anyone. however it is our love of the Olive Garden which really joins our souls. who would have guessed that she would be the most constant friend I have in life? only 5 more years kathryn...until our self-imposed nuptuals. are you ready?

Heidi - could turn out to be my closest Glacier friend. she whines a lot and has thus led me into the habit of whining. also one of the only people I feel comfortable giving an alien-type stuffed animal to as a christmas present...with the knowledge that she'll love it. Thank God we both have Verizon, otherwise our nightly chat sessions would be drying up my bank account.

Chris - I won't be climbing Mt. McKinley with him anytime soon (yes he's done that) but I have found a fellow "useless bit of information" connoisseur in Chris. If I ever have to share a mundane fact that most would find boring, I know Chris will be a receptive audience. He's also got some creative "yer mom" jokes up his sleeve which is always appreciated.

Erin - Oh Bean. What can I say? It's quite a history we share. Lots of ups and downs. However I still fondly recall sitting in your living room, both of us bored to tears wondering what to do for the night. We hear the phone ring and our ears perk up. We look at each other and we both wonder aloud, "Friend? Friend?" Then we rush to the phone to have our hopes crushed.

Danny - My big-headed friend from Michigan. And I'm not talking about ego. I'm talking about the size of his head. It's abnormally large. People notice it. It's a little wierd. But I love him. He came to Glacier a few years ago a naive, pretty-boy from rural Michigan. Of course his "prettiness" did nothing to hide the "hick" that lies within him. He's come a long way though...even educating himself by watching the news....even if it is just to mock my anchoring abilities.

Audrey - She's a bitch. No lie. She knows it too. Everyone who meets her says the same thing. Even the few that can push through her bitchy barrier and make her actually like them (thankfully I'm one of them) will say she's a bitch. But she's one of those people you can love and adore anyway. Maybe you don't want to like her but you can't help it. She has a charm that's irresistable. Perhaps is some sort of brainwashing from the Devil.

Liz - Oh Liz. I still remember the days of The Visit. Our friendship was forged (along with a feud between you and Bean) during my acting debut. I didn't have a big part but because I was your friend, I was cool. Cool by association. Is there anything better? I can't believe you have a baby. I wasn't sure your ego would leave room for a baby, but it's become apparent that you are one hell of a mother. Good job. I might be a news anchor but my greatest job will always be the time spent as your boytoy.

Whitney - "People don't want to like me, but they can't help it." Oh how true Whitney. At one point in life I was to take Whitney out to breakfast at one of the most expensive restaurants in Salt Lake City. Unfortunately she didn't show up. The reason? She got too drunk the night before. Oh I wanted to hate her. But she has a knack for making you love her. So I do.

Hmm, I guess that's all for now. I'll update at a later date with more people I like.

Linco

Breaking News...or not

Oops.

Tonight, in the middle of the newscast, Melissa and I told our friendly Montana viewers that "we had breaking news." There had been an earthquake measuring nearly 4.0 on the Richter Scale "just minutes ago." We went "live" to our reporter Andrew "for the latest" on this "breaking news story." Andrew tells us the quake was felt "over a wide region of southwest Montana" and that it just occurred."

This was all fine and dandy....except that we were wrong.

Very, very wrong.

There was a quake but it was nearly 12 hours earlier. A viewer called in and said "uh, you guys have it wrong."

We felt stupid. I won't get into the details but I will say that while we were wrong, it was a legitimate mistake. We don't have a big staff and all of the initial information led us to go ahead with the "breaking news story." If we had a few more people working for us, it might have gone differently.

So tonight was fairly embarrassing. Oh and let's not forget my cell phone started to ring as I'm telling Montana viewers about this quake. We work in a small space and my cell phone could easily be heard on the air. After the show I get a message from Kathryn stating, "I just realized you're probably doing the news right now. I hope I'm not interrupting some breaking news story or something like that."

I laughed out loud.

So to summarize we lied to the viewers tonight and they were treated to a cell phone rendition of the Gilligan's Island theme. Woohoo!

Linco

Big Brother Is Watching

My boss is critiquing me.

Every day he is sent a tape of the previous night's 10 o'clock newscast. Then at 2 in the afternoon, me, my co-anchor Melissa, our producer, Steve the sports anchor, and our local boss sit down for a conference call with the big boss who's in another town 3 hours away.

We listen on speaker phone as he watches the newscast. It's an unsettling experience. I haven't been told that I suck, but to listen in as he scrutinizes my performance is nerve-racking. I don't like it when Big Brother watches me.

Summer

I long for it. I want to wear shorts. I want to hike in the mountains. I want to drive my car with the window down. I want to leave my jacket at home. I don't want to see my breath anymore when I breathe. I'm tired of the sun setting at 5:30.

I long for summer.

I don't know why really. I've always been a 4 season kind of guy. Well 3 season I guess. I've never thought much of Spring. As Spring approaches you're tired of winter and you just want it to be warm. You don't have the patience to put up with Spring. But as for the other 3 seasons, I've always liked them. So what is this sudden annoyance with winter? I guess it's the fact I'm working through it. In the past I've had fun all winter long. I could snowboard everyday. I had the opportunity to play ALL THE TIME.

Now I work. Now I drive through the snow. Now it's just something I put up with. How sad. I hope my fondness for winter isn't gone forever. I'll worry about that later. For now....

...I long for summer.

Linco

Happy New Year

Where will I be in a year?

I ask that question every New Year's Eve. Inevitably, I always find myself looking back and thinking, "a year ago, I never would have guessed THIS is where I'd end up." For instance, I found myself on my town's Main Street when midnight finally came. I was crouching on the ground, video camera upon my shoulder, taping a group of people counting down to the new year. Later, as I was walking away, I smiled to myself. "I never would have guessed a year ago, this is where I'd end up."

So where will I be on December 31, 2006. I have no idea. I've decided uncertainties like that are what make life intriguing.

But let's back up. Let's reminisce on 2005. In all honesty this past year could be the best year of my life so far. I started it in Big Sky, Montana. For the first few months of the year I snowboarded to my heart's content and made a lot of money toting the bags of rich folks around. I also got to know some pretty amazing people. The Holy Trinity of Chris, Josh, and Brian came into my life. Good, good guys. Nicole became one of my favorites as well. Established friendships were tested but ultimately nurtured. And I began to sense that my seasonal life was coming to an end.

I moved on to Glacier for my 4th consecutive year in May. Deep down I knew it was my last extended stay in the park so every magical moment there was amplified a bit. There was more of the same here. New people entered my life. (Hello Heidi) Old friendships were strengthened. (Dave, Audrey, Ron) I spent a lot of time with the park. She knew I was sad about leaving her so she was pretty good to me. No major mishaps. No bad weather. No bears. No miserable hikes. I left in September with a bittersweet taste in my mouth. I knew I was moving on and I was thrilled about that. But it's never easy to leave something that works so well for you.

Fall came. I got serious about the job hunting. To be honest I wasn't optimistic. My credentials were 4 years old and I was afraid no one would care to take a chance on someone out of the game for so long. But they were all I had so I went for it. The response was more than I could have hoped for. I got a lot of replies and eventually ended up where I am now. I'm living my dream as a news anchor and curiously wondering what 2006 has in store for me.

Happy New Year everyone.