Losing the War

I, like everyone else, have a problem with junk email. Up until now I had a tedious, yet effective way of ridding myself of it. I would open each and every item and follow the "unsubscribe" instructions. For the most part it worked. As the days went by and I kept up the annoying task, the amount of junk emails would dwindle down to nothing. It would stay like that for a while...that is until my internet surfing habits caught up with me...and new, unwanted items would show up in my inbox. It's been the same cycle for years...until now.

I've recently noticed more and more crap coming to me through email. A few weeks ago I started my diligent "unsubscribing" process. I had no reason to think it wouldn't work. But it didn't. I'm getting more and more emails and I can't seem to stop them. It's pissing me off. My old battle plan isn't working anymore and I don't know what to do. Maybe it's time for a new address.

And finally, THIS is a prime example of why we should all be a little more neighborly. Just a thought.

Gossip

I did some gossiping this weekend. And now I wonder if I should feel guilty. A 'Google' search on gossip provided some insight but it hasn't helped me in examining my moral compass. I'm not a mean-spirited person. I know this about myself. However, any fly on the wall this weekend may feel differently.

There were moments when I simply "wanted to know" something about someone. I'm not sure why. Why do I care who is sleeping with who(or is it whom)? What's the point of knowing mindless, banal information? I don't know. I just know I wanted to know it.

In other circumstances I was "gossiping" (if that's what you want to call it) to make sense of the world around me. A little over 5 years ago I was at the center of some relentless and juicy gossip within my circle of friends. I didn't know I was being talked about and when I found out...I was livid. I lashed out and said some hurtful (if not somewhat truthful) things to a few people. A friend sympathized with me but made no apologies for "talking" with others. She wrote in an email, "We share our feelings, our emotions, and our lives with one another because that is how we cope, that is how we understand and come to terms with events and issues that we have a hard time interpreting on our own. It's about support and love and trust." I was still angry...but her words have resonated with me ever since. But is she justifying gossip?

This post has a serious tone that I didn't intend to convey. My weekend was fun-filled and not at all dramatic. I was just wondering what everyone else thought of "gossip." Is it bad? Good? Neither? What does the word even mean?

Farewell Friend

An anchor team no more

It was Steve's last night tonight. I went through a similar goodbye when my former co-anchor Melissa left last year. It doesn't get any easier. We all work at a small-market television station. It's not like big city TV. We make lots of mistakes. We screw up a lot. We're even a little immature. But we also laugh a lot....and we're bonded in ways that most people don't get to experience.

More than any "TV person" I know, Steve is himself on camera. Some of us can convincingly "fake being natural" when we're on screen. Steve never had to. He's completely himself and it's always been a breath of fresh air. He's crazy. He's blunt. He's natural. He's likeable. He's Steve.

Steve, buddy....good luck in whatever you do. It's been a pleasure working with you. I, and everyone else in the newsroom, will miss those random outbursts from the edit bay. We'll miss the way you keep us grounded in what can sometimes be an alternate universe. Simply put, we'll miss you. Take care my friend.

My Own Private Montana

A few things:
I really, really like Ellen Degeneres. I think she's hilarious.
It should approach 60 degrees tomorrow in Bozeman. YES!!!
I've been having trouble sleeping lately.
Scooter Libby: Guilty....one of the few big news stories I have no interest in.
It's Steve's (our sports anchor) last day tomorrow. I dislike change.
I need more vacation time.
That's all.

There are some days when I'm head over heels in love with my job. Today was one of those days. I spent the day at a small Montana ski resort talking to an animated group of New Yorkers. They had won a contest where they got an entire Montana ski area all to themselves for a couple days...the first contest of its kind in the nation. It wasn't a real meaty, news-worthy story but it was one helluva good time. I got paid to snowboard and hang out with cool people. Here's the story for mom...and anyone else who's interested. (There's a "cheesy reporter" moment in here. Don't hold it against me).



I really want to be some sort of outdoor reporter. Maybe work for The Discovery Channel or National Geographic. I need to combine my love of the outdoors with my love of broadcasting. Hopefully someday.

High School Demons

Let's flash back to the mid-90's. I was in the middle of a 4-year stint at West High School. If I had to pick a word to describe my high school experience, I'd pick "fine." It was fine. It wasn't horrible. It wasn't stellar. It was fine.

I wasn't teased or bullied. I was also NOT popular. I existed...and even though that "existence" was generally "fine," I was very insecure. No self-esteem whatsoever. (You might be thinking, "oh shut up, it was high school...everyone was put through hell.") You're right. I'm not whining or even complaining. I'm simply providing a frame of reference. I was an insecure high school boy with little or no confidence.

For the most part, I'm over that. I got over it years ago. People who I looked at in high school with envy have looked at me the same way in recent years. But every once in a while, something will happen that makes me feel insecure and hurt...like the high schooler I once was.

The details aren't important. Suffice it to say recent events have left me feeling a little blue. Ten years I go I would have been sufficiently angry at the people (whether intentionally or not) who brought on my sour mood. These days I'm more angry at MYSELF for even caring. I try not to. But it happens. Which is why I ask, "does high school (and adolescence in general) haunt us forever?

The complexities of blogging

This is Sarah.

This is her blog.

She recently had a post in which she explained that management officials within her workplace had requested she "stop blogging." They found her blog and apparently didn't like what they saw.


You can visit her blog to find out why. From what I've read, she did nothing that would invite the wrath of management. Support her if you can.

I generally like my job and the place where I work. I've had disagreements with management but hey...who hasn't? My only predicament when wanting to blog about those disagreements....I'm fairly certain my contract expressly forbids me from such disclosures.

As for you Sarah...keep it up. You have a following in Utah as well as many places out of the Beehive State.

(Disclaimer: I have no permission to use Sarah's photo or even write about her. Sarah, if you mind, just let me know and I will gladly remove)

In Like a Lion...

I did a Google image search for "March" and found this. Not exactly sure what it means, but I like it.

I love the month of March. In my opinion, the year begins in March. Spring isn't too far away. Mild temperatures are first experienced in March. There's still enough snow to have fun for all the winter enthusiasts. My birthday is in March (along with several other friends and family members). Easter sometimes falls in March (although not this year) and I like Easter. St. Patrick's Day is in March. I also like St. Patrick's Day. I just like March. And when you factor in my sickness for the ENTIRE month of February this year, March is like a new beginning. I'm feeling good and I'm rarin' to go!

Sweeps is over in the TV business. This was quite possibly the worst sweeps period we've had at our station. The general mood this February was gloomy. Another reason I'm looking forward to March.

I got my Montana state tax refund in the mail tonight. Woohoo! Not much but when you consider how much I make...a little goes a long way. I can't wait for the federal refund...which should be much bigger.

Now, I shall settle in and watch the latest episode of "Lost" on abc.com. Goodnight.

Women Troubles

I'm having cramps.

Or at least that's what I'm comparing them to. One side effect of the antibiotics I'm taking is abdominal pain. Intense, painful cramping in my gut. It sucks. I imagined today that "this must feel what it's like to be a woman."

I thought I might get a little sympathy from my female co-workers when I said this. I was empathizing with them after all. Instead, I got this: (said in a mean, nasty voice).

"Now you know what it feels like. Now you know what I'm experiencing when I come in here once a month acting like a bitch."

My response: "What's your excuse every other time?"

I love you Beth. :)

Another rambler

At long last, I am starting to feel better. I've been sick since January 30. I would have called in sick on Friday but I had an interview scheduled. Only when I lapsed into an embarassing and violent coughing fit in front of that interview subject, did I think "okay...time to go to the doctor." I finished the interview, left work early (not that my dying voice would let me anchor anyway) and went to the doctor. I have some sort of infection. They put me on Z-pack or azithromycin...also known by it's complete, accurate chemical name:

2R,3S,4R,5R,8R,10R,11R,12S,13S,14R)-13- [(2,6-dideoxy-3-C-methyl-3-O-methyl -α-L-ribo-hexopyranosyl)oxy]-2-ethyl- 3,4,10-trihydroxy-3,5,6,8,10,12,14-heptamethyl -11-[[3,4,6-trideoxy-3-(dimethylamino) -β-D-xylo-hexopyranosyl]]oxy]-1-oxa- 6-azacyclopentadecan-15-one

Chemistry is ridiculous.

I'm watching the Oscars. Jennifer Hudson just won. Good for her...I guess. I haven't paid much attention this year. I did rent The Departed and Babel today. Haven't watched Babel yet. The Departed was really good. Talk about a movie where EVERYONE dies.

I'm doing some seriously random internet surfing tonight. I'm on my couch and on the wall above me is a map of the world. I've been picking out remote, unknown islands and looking them up on Wikipedia. The most interesting place so far: Campbell Island; a remote, sub-Antarctic island of New Zealand. Here's a picture:

Beautiful eh? Apparently there are feral cats and rabbits tearing the place up. They were introduced by stupid people along with rats. The rats were eradicated. As for people, it's uninhabited. There's a weather station there and the only human visitors are those on periodic research or conservation expeditions. I'm fascinated with far-off, remote places. I'd like to go there for no other reason than to say I've been there. There's something adventurous about walking where few others ever have. Someday.

"An Incovenient Truth" just won for Best Documentary. Duh. A shoe-in if I ever saw one.

It's still winter. There are more freezing nights and snowfall in Bozeman's future but for the first time today, I sensed Spring in the air. It was warm, sunny, and refreshing. I can't wait. I'm not going to waste a day this summer. Golfing, floating, hiking, playing in the park. I will make the most of what's potentially my last Montana summer.

Sick & Twisted

Warning: This post contains graphic, violent material. Reader discretion is advised.

So I had a nightmare last night...a nightmare probably inspired by the movie "The Devil's Rejects." I'm a fan of horror/slasher flicks and a co-worker recommended I see it. So I did. I'm not bothered by such movies and they don't really "scare" me. I can go to sleep just fine afterwards. But every once in a while, one of them sinks into my sub-conscious and causes me to have a nightmare.

The scenario was as follows: I, and a group of several other people were being held hostage by some nameless and faceless madman. People around us were killed and us survivors began to develop some sort of Stockholm Syndrome. We started to identify with this guy and befriend him. Sort of. Escape was still on our mind...on my mind. I guess he knew this or he just didn't trust me. I asked to go to the bathroom and he followed me in there. I was washing my face in the sink when he grabbed my hair, lifted my head up and cut my throat. Sick, I know. It was a dream so it didn't hurt. And apparently the wound was superficial because I played dead, waited for him to leave and saved the rest of the group by surprising him and ambushing him. That's all I remember. It was disturbing. Not scary, but definitely disturbing. The last dream I had that truly frightened me was a few years ago. That was inspired by "The Grudge." Didn't think much of the movie but it certainly worked its way into my psyche.

Another disturbing incident today: I was driving home from work tonight when I had to pull over for a fire truck racing down the road. A few moments later the truck pulled onto a side road and stopped...lights still flashing but siren off. There was nothing around so I wondered why the truck was stopped. I drove past, looked inside the windows and my mouth dropped. I clearly saw 3 firemen looking over a large piece of paper. The obvious assumption: it was a map and they were wondering where the hell to go from there. I could be wrong, but I don't think I was. Makes me feel very safe. :)

One last note: Just heard this little gem on Conan. "Britney Spears will reveal that she shaved her head to reduce aerodynamic drag as she plummets from fame."

Up and at 'em

It's about 6 a.m. and I'm wide awake. Not sure why. I've always been fascinated with being a morning person. There's something about it that seems so appealing. But I just can't shake my nocturnal habits. (My current work schedule doesn't help) I've tried though. It's a little easier in the summertime when daybreak comes early.

I just deleted a blog entry I wrote late last night. It was very long, rambling, and cryptic. When I started this blog I didn't realize how cathartic it would sometimes turn out to be. That was my goal in writing last night. My mind was swirling and I needed to empty it a little. I'm pretty conscious of what I should and shouldn't be writing about in the public arena. I was conscious of it last night. Still, I awoke this morning with a little hesitation and decided to err on the side of caution. Just know that it was work-related. I mentioned drama in a previous post and that's really what it was all about. But things are on the up and up and I should probably focus on that rather than complaining.

I'm heading into Yellowstone National Park this weekend for a story. Beth and I are working on a two part series about snowmobiling in the park. You'd have to have been hiding under a rock for the past 10 years not to hear about the Yellowstone snowmobiling controversy. We're being taken in on a snowcoach to Old Faithful to interview snowmobilers. I went in on a snowmobile for the first time 2 years ago and it changed my perspective a little bit. I was always anti-snowmobiling until I got on one for the first time. Now, I'm torn. Maybe this trip will clear things up a bit.

All right, I'm thinking about trying to go back to sleep. Otherwise I'll be very tired today. Good Thursday everyone.

Infested

I'm infested with germs. I have to be. There is no other explanation for the following:

I became ill (cold/flu-like symptoms) around the end of January. On this 19th day of February, I'm still ill. I thought I was getting better but...no dice. I seem to be re-living the first days of sickness. I'm getting annoyed. I just want to feel better.

In other news, the drama at work has started up again. We seem to go through some kind of drama every few months or so. Management vs. underlings. I'm sure it's a scenario repeated through millions of offices across the world. A part of life I guess.

I intended on writing more but as soon as I got home I downed some Tyelnol PM. (Thank you so much to Tyelnol for making a line of liquid medicinal products. For those of us who have trouble swallowing pills...it is a Godsend.) I'm feeling very sleepy as a result.

Good night.

MSNBC Debut

I've made my official debut on MSNBC.

My parents were scanning the msnbc.com homepage and noticed a headline about a Montana teen who survived an avalanche. Curious, he clicked on it and started to hear my voice. This is the same story I wrote about earlier in the week...the one where a 15-year-old boy was buried in an avalanche for 20 minutes and survived. The regional news director for our company sent the story to NBC Newschannel (a web based video server for NBC affiliates). It showed up on MSNBC today.

Here's the link. Lincoln's avalanche story I have no idea how long they'll keep the video posted so the link may not work after a while.

Happy Saturday.

Mind Vomiting

I have no interest in being a political reporter or war correspondent.

I was on a motorcycle kick nearly 4 years ago. On whim, I bought a Honda Nighthawk and drove it to Glacier National Park for the summer. In the fall, I sold it and never thought I'd want one again. Now I sort of do. I miss the feeling of riding one. Don't worry, mom. I obviously can't afford it.

I apologize for past rantings on how cold it is in Montana. I've tried to make it seem as though I'm suffering more than others in cold climates. On average, Bozeman isn't any colder than, say...Salt Lake. In fact I think we've been warmer. The arctic blasts we get are pretty severe but hey...they don't last long.

I miss southern Utah...Moab area specifically.

2007 is going by pretty fast so far.

Going to Wal-Mart late at night is an adventure. Restocking is in full force and it's a challenge to navigate through the aisles.

I'm going to Oklahoma City in April. Never thought I'd go there. It will be my first foray in to the midwest.

This post is boring. I'm sorry.

Alive

I have to share this picture with everyone.

This is a picture of Mark Hoffman and his son Kamron, both of Clyde Park, Montana. On Sunday afternoon, the two of them were snowmobiling with friends in the Crazy Mountains. They triggered an avalanche which 15-year-old Kamron got caught in. After the snow stopped moving, Mark and his friend began searching frantically for Kamron. They searched for 20 minutes. Anyone who knows anything about avalanches knows that being buried for 20 minutes will almost certainly kill you. Mark knew that too. He spotted his son's boot sticking out of the snow and quickly dug him out. Snow was lodged under Kamron's helmet filling his mouth and nose. Mark brushed it all away and watched astonished as Kamron started breathing again. The above picture was taken soon after Mark realized his son was still alive...pretty much against all odds.

I interviewed both of them today. I've covered a few stories now where people are killed in avalanches. I've interviewed many people who have lost loved ones...not only in avalanches but in all kinds of accidents or crimes. I'm well aware of how the news media focuses on death and tragedy. I'll admit that I've become numb to most of it. It's sad...but true. But I found out today just how wonderful and inspirational it can be to cover a story with a happy and miraculous ending. I had a great day. I was walking around with a smile on my face after talking to Mark and Kamron. This kid really did cheat death and it was amazing to see his parents grin from ear to ear knowing they still had their child.

Awesome, amazing story. I think the above picture captures it all.

Happy Valentine's Day

I have no strong feelings for or against this day. I am single...but that doesn't mean I walk around cursing a relationship-oriented holiday. On the flip side I never saw it as an overly special day when I wasn't single. (Not that I ever forgot it. I was always mindful of special occasions and holidays when I was with Erin).

My feelings on today: Eh...whatever.

On a somewhat related note, I'm wearing boxers with hearts on them. I have a pair of boxers for every holiday. I absent-mindedly put on a hawaiian pair this morning. Then I read hjustin's blog in which he mentioned Valentine's day boxers. So I changed.

And now, I too, feel a little weird about posting information about my underwear.

Even weirder that someone else's blog inspired me too.

Uh...gotta go.

Hey dummy

I had a really good weekend. On Saturday I went on up to Big Sky Ski Resort and a fun-filled day riding in the powder. I was also there to film the 3rd Annual Big Sky Dummy Jump. Every year the resort builds a huge ski jump for helpless, hapless dummies....dummies built by whomever wants to enter the competition. It was awesome. We aired highlights on the news tonight. Really good video!! Have a look.



It was awesome. Good to be there.

So, I'm being bothered by something that's really, really lame. I lost my debit card about two weeks ago and had to order a new one from the bank. I got it tonight in the mail and...well...I don't like it. Specifically, I don't like the design on the card. My old card had a nice picture of Lone Mountain at Big Sky Resort. A local picture from a local bank. I liked it. My new card has a dull, ugly picture of Crater Lake. I don't like it....at all. I know it's really petty and dumb, but I want my old card back.

I just got home, got on my computer, and saw on MSNBC.com the breaking news about a gunman on the rampage at Trolley Square. Scary stuff. I haven't lived in Salt Lake for a while but I got a pain in my gut when I read about it. Praying and thinking about everyone involved.

Anna Nicole Smith

Is it wrong that I feel no emotion whatsoever about Anna Nicole's death? I was a little stunned at first when I heard it but then I thought, "okay onto work now...I have a lot to do today." I just don't care.

On a related note, I was a little embarassed today to be a part of a company that made the "death of Anna Nicole" the Top Story in this evening's newscast. Lame. We just had a plane crash that killed three beloved medical personel, and we lead our show with the death of a former Playboy playmate. Lame. Not my decision...I promise.

What the hell?

It's only Thursday? Are you kidding me? This has been a long, slow, draining week.

Watched the latest episode of Lost this morning on abc.com. Ahhh....muy bueno. Good to have it back. Is it strange that I'd like to be stranded on an island with these folks?

My apartment's dirty. I'm still slightly sick. It's snowing outside. I want a dog.

Um....that's all.

Thoughts on TV news

There are 2 main television stations in Butte and Bozeman that put on nightly newscasts. Ours...and the competition over at CBS.

We're friendly with each other. We hang out. We joke. We complain about work. We get along.

We also compete. There's no getting around it. Each station likes to edge out the other. First on the scene, exclusive video and interviews, inside information, well-placed sources, and everything else that goes with being, or trying to be, the best.

We win some. They win some. We've got our fans. They have their fans. Sometimes we kick their ass. Other times they kick ours. In the past 24 hours, it definitely went back and forth.

A medical aircraft crashed near Bozeman last night. Big story. In those moments when it was breaking news, we kicked their ass. We were on scene first. We had the info first. We reported it first. Today, though, they kicked ours. Every media outlet in town was clamoring for footage of the crash scene in a remote area near the mountains. Who finally got it? Them. We tried but things didn't work out.

I was pissed and upset. But hey, it's a constant battle. We'll win some battles down the road and they will too. No big deal. I shouldn't get upset....but I know I will the next time they win.

P.S. I missed Lost tonight. Damn.

Video Vault

I am technologically illiterate. I like posting video to this blog but the only way I've been able to do it is to throw the footage on a DVD, pop it into my computer, film my screen with my digital camera, upload that data to my computer, and share the crappy footage with all of you. Inadequate at best. So, for the past few days I've been working on a better way. I finally found some software that will convert DVD's I burn at work into files I can upload to YouTube or MySpace. In honor of my achievement, I share 3 short news clips with you.

First, footage of that fire I wrote about in my previous post.


Second, a shout-out to my buddy Chris Erickson. He built his own ice climbing wall near Rockford, Illinois. I had just done a big story about ice climbing in Montana and I thought it would be a good idea to profile Chris's endeavor.


And finally, a little spat we had on the anchor desk the other night. Disclaimer: I am a big Harry Potter fan. If you aren't...you probably won't understand what we're talking about.



That's it for now. I'm exhausted...and still a little sick. I can't seem to shake it. It was 65 degrees in Bozeman today. I loved it. Bring on summer.

Ready, Aim, FIRE!!!.....oh...and a Survey

I had a crazy night. Hopefully I'll post some video soon that illustrates that. But I was too tired. I finished the news last night and was about to go home when I started to hear some interesting traffic on the police scanner. Something about a manhunt in a nearby town. Intrigued, I got a camera ready and headed out to see what was up. To make a long story short, I didn't get anything on the manhunt...but I did end up in Belgrade watching a big hardware store burn to the ground. AWESOME sight to see. I've seen my share of raging forest fires. This is the first structure fire (that I can remember) that just blew me away. I got great video of one of the largest fires in Gallatin County history. But I didn't get to sleep until about 4 am. I'm tired. Therefore, I will forego a meaningful post and complete the following survey. Enjoy. (Or don't. I'm not offended if you don't read it).

1. Height? 5'10
2. Have you ever smoked heroin? No
3. Do you own a gun? No
4. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? No
5. What do you think of hot dogs? I approve. I don't eat them that often but I like them
6. What's your favorite Christmas song? Oh Holy Night
7. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Ice cold milk
8. Can you do push ups? Yes
9. Is your bathroom clean? Yes
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? I do have a jade necklace I bought in New Zeland that I sometimes wear. But it's not girly.
11. Do you like painkillers? I suppose. But I don't pop pills often.
12. What is your secret weapon to lure in women/men? Um...I'm not sure...but I think it's broken.
13. Do you have A.D.D.? Sometimes
14. Middle Name? Riley
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? a) I'm extremely tired but I have to stay up and watch the latest episode of Dirt. b) I have way too much to do at work in the next two weeks. c) I kicked ASS in covering the biggest Gallatin County structure fire in at least a decade last night.
16. Name the last 3 things you've bought? a) Gas for my car b) An Irish Cream latte c) a beer
17. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? a) Water b) Milk c) Orange Juice
18. Current worry? Deadlines at work
19. Current hate? Being poor
20. Favorite place to be? Physical place - Glacier National Park. Emotional place - with good friends.
21. How did you ring in the New Year? Hopefully with good friends
22. Where would you like to go? Number one place: Patagonia
23. Do you own slippers? No
24. What shirt are you wearing? A dark gray T-shirt
25. Do you burn or tan? First exposure of the summer - burn, then everything else is a tan.
26. Favorite color? Dark green
27. Would you be a pirate? Sure...why not?
28. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't sing in the shower
29. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? Freddy Krueger
30. What's in your pockets? I'm wearing pajama pants. No pockets
31. Best bed sheets as a child? I think I had smurf sheets. Not sure though. If I did, I know I liked them.
32. Worst injury you've ever had? I cut my finger while slicing potatoes for Thanksgiving one year. Bad news.
33. How many TVs do you have in your house? 2
34. Who is your loudest friend? Jenny Prendergast
35. Who is your most silent friend? Brandon's a quiet guy
36. Does someone have a crush on you? Not that I know of.
37. Do you wish on shooting stars? Usually
38. What is your favorite book? A Brief History of Nearly Everything
39. What is your favorite candy? Chocolate
40. What song do/did you want played at your wedding? Um...don't care.
41. What song do you want played at your funeral? Depressing...I don't know.
42. What were you doing @ 12 AM last night? Watching a local hardware store go up in flames...really, really big flames
43. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? I've only had 2 hours of sleep.
44. Do you like your job? Almost always.
45. What job would you be doing if you didn't have your current one? I'd probably still be a bellman somewhere.
46. Where is the most beautiful place on Earth? Glacier National Park
47. Are there any people out there that dislike you? Probably. I can think of at least 2 Gallatin County officials.
48. Are you a leader or a follower? Depends on the situation.
49. Are you a good friend. I think so...except when it comes to keeping in touch.
50. Do you like reading or filling out these surveys? Sometimes. I have to be in the right mood.

Holy Crap

This is a concept rendering of a home expected to be built at Yellowstone Club, a private ski and golf community about an hour south of Bozeman. What's special about it you ask? When built, it will be the world's most expensive house.

Price tag? $155 million

If we all pool our resources, maybe we could buy a part of it. You know...like a lamp shade or something.

Urban Deer

I got home from work tonight and headed straight to the mailbox. I grabbed my mail and started thumbing through it as I walked towards my apartment. Before I reached the stairs, I looked up and saw this.

Not a huge deal...I know. I've seen plenty of deer before...even in the middle of Bozeman. What's funny is what went through my mind when I first spotted them.

You see, my co-worker Andrew is a Connecticut native who is terrified of deer. He thinks he's going to hit one on the highway one of these days. More specifically, he thinks the deer is going to have some vendetta against him and run out in front of his car on purpose. I can only imagine the fear he would have felt had he been in my shoes last night. Oh Andrew. You make me laugh.

Hi-Def Porn and Bison

Once again, we've managed to anger viewers in southwest Montana.

First it was Jenny's tie incident. (see previous post). Then, on the 10 o'clock news two nights ago, I chose to run a story about how the porn business is dealing with Hi-Def technology. Apparently, people in the business are finding that it's showing too many imperfections that weren't previously seen. It wasn't a long story...a 20-second blurb at the most and it was at the very end of the newscast.

I'm not stupid. I knew it could be a little controversial. But I ran it for 3 reasons.
1. It was the late news. I wouldn't have run it at 6 o'clock.
2. It came from our national NBC News feed.
3. Controversial or not...it was interesting and unusual.

What I really wanted to do was segue from that to some brief anchor chatter on how hi-def technology is changing things in the broadcasting business too. Because of hi-def, people are beginning to see just how ugly people in TV can be.

I guess that was lost on some people...or they just didn't care. A story about porn is inappropriate...no matter what the story is. Some say that's the attitude in Montana. That may be true to a certain extent but I think the story would have gotten complaints no matter which city it was shown in.

Then, on last night's news, we showed video of a bison near Yellowstone National Park being shot and killed. (For those who don't know, bison hunting is a hot-button issue in this part of the country). The hunter had shot at the animal 4 times. The first 3 shots were legal as it was on public property. But the bison starting running and jumped a fence before the last shot was fired. The final shot was on private property...which is a no-no. We had video of the incident and people weren't happy we showed it.

I've always heard that it's better to have angry reaction than no reaction at all. I agree. Whether people are happy or not, I feel like we're having some sort of a dialogue with the community. I like that.

The Lady Wore Red

It seems my co-anchor, Jenny, struck quite a nerve yesterday with the southwest Montana viewing audience. The reason? A red necktie. Have a look.

We do occasionally hear from viewers. Whether it be through email or over the phone, sporadic feedback comes our way. But 6 different calls during a half-hour newscast is unprecedented. They all called to say they hated Jenny's tie. "How are we supposed to take you guys seriously," said one caller. "You need to teach your female anchor how to dress," said another. They were pretty ruthless.

I was dumbfounded. Not that people had an opinion about her tie but that people would actually take the time to call us and say they hated it. I have a feeling that we could falsely accuse some well-known politician of a crime and we wouldn't get nearly as many calls as we did last night.

As far as the tie is concerned...I'm ambivalent. I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of it, but if you know Jenny like I do, you'd realize she's the kind of person that can pull it off.

What do you all think about women wearing ties? Is it really that big of a deal. Would you call into your local news and complain about it? I'm curious so let me know. Be truthful...but be nice as well.

Long time no post

It has been a while. I've been busy with work and I just never got around to updating this thing. But here I am.

I finally caved in and got high speed internet hooked up in my apartment. I should have done it sooner. It makes life so much easier. And because I have easily accessable internet service, I went to town on my myspace page and blog. (At least I thought I did. I'm having some technical difficulties with things so don't be surprised if both pages look a little strange. I'm working on it). I know I said I was going to "rid myself" of Mypace. I had every intention of doing so. But I decided against it. I am bad at keeping in touch. But that doesn't mean I should throw the recent re-connections I've made out the window. On top of that, a flurry of new friends found their way to MySpace in the past week or so. So I'm sticking around. I can't guarantee my "keep in touch" habits will improve but I'll try not to freak out about it.

There was an interesting bit of news out of Missoula recently. It's a little morbid but I couldn't help but laugh a little too. It's definitely one of those stupid criminal stories. Take a look.

Frozen Feet

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I guess I should feel bad for this guy. In a sense I do. He didn't deserve to die. But hey...teaches you a lesson doesn't it?

Chlamydia

No...I don't have it. I swear.

But it is on my mind today. We've had this inane little assignment at work where we call around to 10 different counties in southwest Montana and ask stupid questions like "Where am I most likely to get my car stolen in your county?" Never mind the fact that some of these very rural places have seen ONE stolen car in the past 4 years. I still have to ask.

But perhaps this assignment wasn't so inane after all. The point is to discover possible story ideas in our viewing area. I was so pissed at having to make these calls that I convinced myself nothing was going to come of them. I was wrong. One of my questions was, "what is the most reported disease in your county?"

The answer? Chlamydia

And this isn't juse one county. It's nearly all of them.

Some of the people I told weren't surprised by this. I was. This isn't the most common STD. It's the most common disease...period. Am I naive? Does this shock anyone else? I was kind of blown away by it.

So despite the fact that I hated this assignment, I'm now planning a special story on STD's in Montana.

On an unrelated note, I have OFFICIALLY decided to rid myself of MySpace. It should be done within the next couple weeks. It was fun while it lasted but...the ride's over.

The Awkward Phase

You know what's amusing?......watching someone at the gym trying to use a machine they've never used before.

There's a lot of newbies at the gym these days. I suppose it's all those New Year's Resolutions. It's really been a pain in the ass because of how crowded it is. But at least I've been treated to some fairly comical happenings.

I can't ridicule these people too much. I've been in the same boat and it's a pretty embarassing boat to be in. But as I watched a middle-aged man fiddle with one particular machine for more than 10 minutes...I couldn't help but chuckle.

Random new year musings

2006 flew by. I can honestly say I have never experienced a faster-moving year. I hope the rushed sensation of 2006 was an anomaly. I don't want my life to go by so fast.

I've also never had a year so dominated by one single theme....that theme being my job. It was all-consuming. There wasn't an aspect of my life in which my job didn't make an appearance. I'm okay with that...for now. I truly enjoy what I do. But I don't want to become that person who has nothing but their job. A successful career is great...when you have other things going on in life. When it's all you have then you should probably worry a little bit. BUT...this was the first year at a job I've dreamed about since I was a little kid. I think it's natural for that realized dream to become dominant...at least for now.

I don't have specific New Year Resolutions. But there are things I want to do in 2007:
Spend more time outdoors
Run the Bridger Ridge Run
Do more of my own cooking (meaning less TV dinners)
Be more humble, yet confident and say less but mean more
Value people
Be more honest with myself and others

It's a short list and I'm sure I've left things off. I just don't believe in making big, specific resloutions. I just want to be more well-rounded in general.

I'm going to be 27 this year. Yikes! Where did my youth go? Ah...well. As long as I can keep most of my hair and fix my worn down teeth, I think I'll be okay.

Finally, this will be a year of preparation. My current contract expires near the end of 2007. More than likely I'll be looking for another broadcasting job in a bigger American city. I have no idea where I'll end up or what I'll be doing...but by the time 2007 ends I could be well on my way to bigger and better things.

Then again, life has a way of surprising us all. On any given New Year's Eve, I like to wonder where I'll be and what I'll be doing for the next one. I'm always surprised by the final outcome. So who knows where I'll be a year from now? That's what makes life exciting. I like the unpredictability.

myspace fatigue

I'm getting tired of myspace.com and I'm heavily leaning towards deleting my profile very soon.

I just don't see the point. Myspace was new and exciting when it was...well...new and exciting. But we all know the great feeling of a new toy/experience/town/etc. wears off eventually. That's how I feel about myspace.

I did find old friends out there in the world. But after the excitement of reconnecting I was left to wonder, "now what?" The only thing we have in common now is the fact that we knew each other at one point in our lives. It's good to see how you are and what you're up to but...there's just not much to share anymore.

My problem is that I've never been very good at keeping in touch. Ever since I joined myspace I now have a constant reminder of all the people I'm not keeping in touch with. I don't leave comments on other people's pages because I want to. I do it because I feel like I'm supposed to. It's nerve-wracking. There's too much pressure. And don't get me started on updating my own page. I see everyone else out there doing it and I'm filled with anxiety over how my page has been the same for (GASP!) months! You'd think I could just be happy with things and not worry about living up to the expectations of others. But I can't. Not when I see how much work others are putting into their own pages. I'd rather just call it quits.

A dumb little webpage should not be causing me this much stress. But it is. So while I haven't made a final decision on what's going to happen to my myspace page, I'm pretty sure it will go the way of the dodo.

National Holiweek

Disclaimer: I'm stealing a bit from hjustin. I saw his blog which reminded of a long held thought of my own about "Dead Week."

We have plenty of holidays. Can't we have at least one holiweek. A full, solid week to wind down, regroup and get ready for new horizons. There is no better time than the week between Christmas and New Year's.

Plenty of people have already found ways to turn the last week of the year into one mega-holiday. Let's just make it official and give everyone else the right to take a week off from work. Consider it a reward for making through yet another year. I'd start the holiday on December 24. We wouldn't have to go back to work until January 2nd. That's a full 9 days off. Drastic, I know...but just think how great it would be. We're all pretty much in limbo anyway after Christmas. We're just waiting for the year to end. I would even venture to say the days between Christmas and New Year's aren't "real" days. They're wasted. There's no point in going back to "real life" on "wasted days."

Who's with me?

Merry Christmas

As another Christmas winds to a close, I thought I'd leave you all with this little gem of a picture.
Priceless. Just priceless.

Season's Greetings everyone!

Thoughts on Being Home

I love The Gateway. I know there's been controversy surrounding the area ever since the plans were first announced. I know downtown Salt Lake City is dying and The Gateway probably doesn't help matters. Even I was a little pissed at The Salt Lake Tribune when they touted the importance of going "downtown"...and then moved their offices to The Gateway. I know it all and yet...I still love The Gateway. I'm not even sure why. I don't even shop that much. I just like the atmosphere down there. And it's nice to see an outdoor mall bustling in the winter time. I realize Christmas has a lot to do with it but I remember being at The Gateway in the wintertime when it first opened. There was NO ONE there. I thought, "How the hell is this place supposed to thrive in the winter? I think they made a huge mistake." I guess they knew what they were doing.

I DON'T miss these stupid Salt Lake inversions. I'd really like to see the mountains when I come home for a visit. Just once please...before I leave on Tuesday.

Long time no blog

Hello everyone. I took a little 10 day break from blogging. Not by choice mind you. It's been a hectic couple of weeks. News in a small town is never consistent. For the most part...nothing happens. But when it rains....it pours. Lots of local news over the past couple weeks. That's bad because it's been busy. It's good because that's why I love my job. But that's all behind me. I drove home to Salt Lake last night and that's where I'll be for the Christmas holiday. I have no plans other than to relax. That's all for now. Later.

Blue Planet

I rented 4 movies this past weekend. Thank You For Smoking was excellent. The Da Vinci Code was okay. Pulse sucked. But Deep Blue was...awesome.

It's a documentary about the sea and the creatures that live in, near, and in some cases on, the world's oceans. As someone who can easily become entranced by any type of nature documentary on various cable channels, this was a special treat. I recommend it to anyone.

I think I have a second calling to work with animals in some way.

A Fighting Spirit

I've been a news anchor in Bozeman for just over a year now. In honor of that milestone I had my 1-year employee evaluation yesterday. Here's a taste of how my boss views me:

I have a fighting spirit
I like to challenge authority and policies
I go over people's heads (like my boss's)
I don't follow protocol
I use my "leadership position" in a negative way

From what I've written it would appear I was berated during the hour-long meeting. But I wasn't. There were many positive accolades thrown my way as well...mostly dealing with my job performance as a working journalist and anchor.

The gyst was this: I'm excellent at my job. But when it comes to things I don't like (policies, rules, etc.) I deal with them in the wrong way.

Whether I deal with those things in the "wrong way" is up for debate. I think it's a matter of opinion. Yes, I've done some stupid things...(name calling comes to mind)...but in most cases it was in the heat of the moment and I later realized I should have kept my cool. But I don't think my "fighting spirit" or "questioning attitude" is a bad thing. If I'm told of a new rule or policy I don't agree with, I'm going to stand up and tell you why I don't like it. If you don't do anything about it, I will go over your head to the next person in line and express my frustrations. I'm not an idiot. If the boss to end all bosses says, "no, Lincoln" then I'll back down. But until all my options are exhausted my "fighting spirit" will live on. Part of that spirt is "rallying the troops" so to speak. I'll get everyone on my side and go from there. I guess that's where I mis-use my leadership position. Again, I don't think getting people on my side is a bad thing. But I do see where doing that can lead to an "us against them" environment. Things shouldn't be like that.

The moral of the story, for me anyway, is to use my "fighting spirit" in a more productive manner. I'm the type of person to speak up and give my opinion. I'm not going to suppress that. But I do realize I can use it in a better way.

All in all, my evaluation was a positive experience. I was given an enormous amount of praise in the quality of my work. Yet again, I've been validated in my career choice. But in other areas of professional growth, I have a lot to learn. I know that.

No matter what...I'll always get a little pleasure being a pain in management's side. I just need to make sure I'm being a pain for the right reasons.

Grrr...

I'm in a bad mood.

For the last 5 or so years I've considered myself a fairly healthy, active person. I hiked. I snowboarded. I worked out. Hell, I still do all those things.

And yet...I seem to be falling apart.

My teeth are so badly worn down from grinding them that I need thousands of dollars in dental work to fix them.

I was reminded today just how bad my eyesight is when I couldn't find my glasses for a short period of time. (There is nothing more frustrating than LOOKING for something when you can't SEE.)

And let's not forget that I'm in the early stages of a receding hairline. Yup ladies and gentlemen, I'm going bald.

I'm a pretty vain person so I would have no problem paying to fix all this stuff. Oh..but wait. I'm living below the poverty line. I can't afford anything.

I suppose the icing on the cake would be to start getting fat. Maybe I should just forego all physical activity and just let nature take it's course. It's already starting to anyway.

Family Time

It is time, once again, for the annual Graves family Christmas extravaganza.

No, that's not the official name. I just came up with that. I'll be heading home to SLC tomorrow for our big family Christmas party. (But Utah standards my extended family is not large. My grandma had seven children. By other standards, some are convinced I belong to a polygamous enclave. And while, on a side note, I am connected to polygamy like every other person in Utah...my extended family is not made up of polygamists. Just so you know.

I'm excited to see everyone. I haven't been to one of these in a few years. I know by the end of it I'll be looking at aunts, uncles, and cousins and wondering how in the world I'm related to such oddballs...but hey...they're family and I love 'em.

It will be a quick visit but I hope to catch up with a few friends. I will of course be having an Olive Garden dinner with Ms. Kathryn. I'll be hoping against hope that Chocolate Lasagna has returned to the menu...even though I know, deep down, that isn't the case. Poor me.

What a jerk?

I'm referring to myself. Whether it was via text message, MySpace comment, phone call, email, actual letter or blog reference, I received many Thanksgiving salutations. And did I respond? No. (well except for the personal interactions and phone calls in which I sort of had to say something back). I'm not a mean person. I was just lazy. I figured, "I'll wish them well a little later." But I never did. So I'm scolding myself publicly and apologizing for not responding to the well wishers. Sorry.

On to other tidbits:
Ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you I'm not a football fan. I've never cared about it and I barely know how the game is played. BUT...believe it or not, I've gotten into lately. It all started with going to a Bobcat (Montana State University) Football game in our station's company suite. The free food and alcohol helped me enjoy things but as I went to each game week after week, I started to get into the game. Then when MSU played their arch rival in Missoula, UM, I watched on TV. And then, yesterday at the Bobcat playoff game, I was cheering with the best of 'em as they crushed the competition. I even called home to see how my alma mater, the U of U was fairing against BYU. (Although I was saddened at the Utes' loss I was disappointed that I had missed what was apparently a very good game). The moral of the story: I probably won't be watching NFL football anytime soon, but I have a new appreciation for football.

Did I tell everyone that my former co-anchor Melissa already got promoted at the station she works for in Oklahoma City. She's now the noon and 4 pm anchor Monday thru Friday. I may have mentioned that already but I want to show you these pictures of her station's new set.

I'm a bit of a TV news geek so I may be the only one who cares...but this is an awesome news set. "Sexy," as Melissa put it. I couldn't agree more. Although my station's humble little news set is pretty nice for small-market television...I can't wait to sit with the big boys at the grown-ups table.

I'm in a coffee shop right now and there's a girl across the room with quite possibly the most annoying laugh....ever. It's loud, not at all infectious and several people are cringing. Just thought I'd share.

Big issues at work these days. It's not appropriate for me to delve into them but I'm really annoyed. I'm not perfect but I feel like one of the few sensible ones. All I want is to be given the tools needed to do my job and to stop being treated like a child. Is that so much to ask?

Snow moved into Bozeman last night. I was on call so I was downtown filming the scene. It was picure perfect. A scene from a postcard. The snow falling lightly. Children running up and down Main Street in their coats. Not too cold. Everyone having a good time. It's those moments when I really like winter.

Happy Holidays everyone. Cherish that greeting because I don't hand them out very often.

"Scattered throughout the nation like candy from a pinata."

That's the expression used by my dear friend Katie to describe where her friends are. I'm in the same boat as Katie for I was a seasonal worker for 4 wonderful years. And while it's cool to have all those friends in all parts of the country (and the world for that matter)....it's also a little sad. We see so little of each other. For a time, we were together 24/7 while working in our respective seasonal jobs. Then...when the season's over, the reality of life sets in. We all must go our separate ways and wait for the chance meetings that occur because so and so is passing through so and so. (Just this past weekend, Heidi passed through Bozeman).

I can't complain too much. I'd rather know these people while they live in Texas, Missouri, or Oregon...than never have known them at all.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

All Stars!!!

I have a new obsession. And I suppose I'd better get my fix because this one isn't going to stick around for much longer.

During a sleepless night this past weekend I happened upon Food Network's All Star Thanksgiving Special. All of the network's biggest stars (Emeril, Rachel Ray, etc.) cook a dish of their choosing in their own kitchens. Then...at the end of the show they all come together and show off their creations.

I have no idea why but I was....entranced. Seeing Emeril give an excited Paula (the southern grandma type lady) some alcoholic sorbet made me giggle.

I certainly don't cook. But I love the Food Network. And seeing everyone on there together in one kitchen made me happy.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to pop a HotPocket into the microwave and have lunch.

True or False?

I don't usually do these but I kinda liked this one. So here ya go. Copy and do it for your own blog.

TRUE OR FALSE
Appearance:
I'm short: False
I have scars: True
I tan easily: True
I burn easily: False
I wish my hair was a different color: False
I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color: False
I wear glasses or contacts: True
I'm legally blind without them: Extremely close to true.
I have 5 or more piercing: False
I have/had piercing in places besides my ears: False

Relationships:
I miss someone right now: False
I've gotten divorced: False
I've had a crush on a teacher: True
I've hugged a stranger: True
I like my bubble: True

Embarrassment:
I've laughed so hard I've cried: True
I've glued my hand to something: False
I've laughed till some kind of beverage came out of my nose: True...it was milk.
I've had my pants rip/drop in public: False
I was born with a disease/impairment: False
I've sat in a doctor's office with a friend: True
I've had my wisdom teeth removed: True...It was awful
I've had a serious surgery: False
I've had chicken pox: True

Experiences:
I've gotten lost in a city: True
I've seen a shooting star: True
I've wished on a shooting star: True
I've gone out in public in my pajamas: True
I've pushed all the buttons on an elevator: True
I've been to a casino: True
I've been skydiving: True
I've played spin the bottle: True
I've drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour: False....who does that?
I've been in a car crash: True...not a serious one though.
I've caught a snowflake on my tongue: True
I've sat on a roof top at night: True
I've played chicken: False
I've played a prank on someone: True
I've ridden in a taxi: True
I've seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show: False
I've eaten Sushi: True...I don't consider it real food.

Random:
I own something from Hot Topic: False
I own something I got on E-Bay: true
I own something from Abercrombie: True
I own something from American Eagle: True
I own something from Anchor Blue: False

More Random:
I've stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant: False
I watch the news: True
I curse regularly: Okay, okay it's true.
I sing in the shower: True
I'm a morning person: Ha ha! False.
I have listened to more than 30 CD's in a day: False
I've worn pajamas to school: False
I know how to shoot a gun: I have before but probably false.
I laugh at my own jokes: Sad...but true.
I am really ticklish: True
I play video games: False
I'm good at remembering names: False

Lost...Found Again

I've jumped back on the bandwagon.

It's been about a year since I stopped keeping track of the television show Lost. I started my new job and all TV viewing sort of fell by the wayside.

But I was inspired this weekend to play a little catch-up. I was in the video store when I saw Season 2 on the shelves. "Why not?," I thought.

So now I'm in the middle of Season 2. I'll probably have to wait until this season appears on DVD in another year but whatever.

I'm just happy to be back. What a damn good show.

A Long Week

It has been a long, tiring, and exhausting week. I am so happy this election season is over.

I've said before that I hate politics. I still do. But my excitement always builds on Election Night. This past Tuesday was my first real Election Night coverage as a broadcast journalist. It was awesome. It was a fly by the seat of my pants, non-stop 4 hours of live coverage. Yes...4 hours. We were on the air from 10 p.m to 2 a.m. To be fair, I played a fairly minor role. Our coverage was a regional newscast originating from Missoula. The main anchors there carried the show and they tossed to us, reporters across the state, for live coverage when they needed it. It went well. I was tired and exhausted...but I had so much fun. It was also a big deal for us considering the big role Montana's Senate race played on the national scene. NBC even used our reporters for national live shots. What a night.

In other news...big flooding at my home away from home.

It's hard to tell from this picture but water poured into the ground floor of the Many Glacier Hotel. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love this building. I basically lived there for 4 summers. I haven't heard how bad the damage is but the lake rose several feet...more than enough to flood the building. Going-to-the-Sun road was also washed out in several places. It's the worst flooding in the park in about 100 years.

That's all for now. Two more weeks of November Sweeps and I have another short vacation coming to me. Woohoo!!

Vote

I'll make this brief.

I don't care who you vote for today.

Just vote.

And if you decide not to...don't bitch when things don't turn out your way.

If you don't vote...you don't have the right to an opinion on how things turned out.

Go vote now.

Identity

When meeting new people I usually share the following tidbits about myself.

1. I am a news anchor.
2. I'm from Utah.
3. I live in, and love, Montana.
4. I worked in Glacier National Park for 4 summers.

That's it. Tonight, I'm realizing that I'm a fairly lame person. Isn't there anything more to me? Don't I have more of an identity? Apparently I don't.

I need more of a life.

Little Annoyances

I'm not necessarily in a bad mood but...I'm annoyed.

My glasses broke recently. The frame, right around the top of the lens, just snapped. I really liked those glasses. Now I'm wearing my backup pair. They suck. I hate the way they look. The lenses are scratched. The prescription isn't quite strong enough. And now I have to go through the process of getting new glasses. I hate that. Getting an eye exam, picking out frames, paying for the damn things, and of course getting used to a new pair. I always get headaches when I get a new pair. Annoying.

November Sweeps is here. For those who don't know, it's a big time in television. Networks put on their best programming. Local news outlets do their best special stories. That means I'm busy. Very busy. Thankfully, Thanksgiving (no pun intended) is right around the corner. That's when my hectic schedule will slow down a bit. Annoying.

I have the teeth of a 90-year-old. I'm not kidding. I went to the dentist yesterday for a check-up and cleaning. I apparently grind my teeth so badly, in the daytime and nighttime, that my teeth are severely worn down. My gums are healthy. The teeth themselves are generally healthy. But I was told, and I quote, "Lincoln. This is the worst case of wear I've seen in a 26-year-old. Those teeth should be in a 90-year-old's mouth." Well thank you very much. I didn't realize I was such a decrepit old man. Depressing. I guess I'll be getting a nightguard soon. Although I tried that once and it didn't work out. I would take it out in my sleep. I think it eventually broke. We'll see though. I have another appointment next week to fill the two cavities he discovered. Icing on the cake and....Annoying.

No...I don't have direct deposit. And if one more person looks at me with an astonished "why not?" look, I'm going to punch them in the face. I LIKE going to the bank. I LIKE depositing part of my check and getting cash for the other part of it. True, that makes me the ONLY person in the office actually needing and looking for my paycheck on payday. I'm the only one who's frustrated when they don't show up for some reason. And when that happens someone will inevitably say, "you should get direct deposit." Shut up. I don't want it! "Well then don't complain when your check doesn't arrive on time." Again...shut up. I will complain and I have every right to complain. It's my company's responsibility to make sure my check gets to me on time. Now leave me alone. You are becoming...Annoying.

I'm not going to elaborate on this one but...for the record...I AM NOT A WEATHERMAN. Not that there's anything wrong with meteorologists. I'm just not one. And yet some still think I forecast the weather. Annoying.

Politics. I don't want to see any more political ads. I don't want to see any more campaign signs. I don't want to interview any more politicians. Political season...is....Annoying.

And I'm probably annoying you. So I'll shut up and stop whining...for now.

For Mom

During my last visit home, my mom asked me if I had brought pictures of my new apartment. I didn't. I told her I'd go back to Bozeman, take some, and then post them on the blog. So here you go mom....and anyone else who cares.

The Living Room

The Kitchen

The Bedroom

And the best part...a view of the Bridgers from my bedroom window

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."