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.