Wizard Cat

Scared Yet?

Just after Halloween, I always seem to hear people remark, "Are they advertising Christmas already?" It doesn't take stores more than a day to create the Christmas "spirit" by taking down the Halloween displays and erecting the Christmas ones. Still, it's never seemed that odd to me. But Halloween preparations in mid-August?

I was driving home late last night and passed this giant inflatable pumpkin on top of a Halloween store near the mall. We've still got a month of summer left. It was 80 degrees at 11:30 last night in Boise. The pumpkin seemed horribly out of place. Are we really trying to get into the Halloween spirit in the heat of the summer? 

Seems strange...no?

Leftovers

I never wrote much about my recent trip to Glacier. In the absence of anything else of substance...here you go. 

The above photo is perhaps the lamest summit photo I've ever taken. I'm on top of Elk Mountain in the southwest portion of the park. You don't hear much about Elk Mountain. I've never seen any description of it in any trail books. You can see the trail on a topo map but good luck trying to find out any other information about it. The only reason I knew it existed is because I passed by the trail junction on a previous backcountry trip. I remembered it because of the distance on the sign. Elk Mountain - 2.5 miles. That's not very far to go for a summit. But my camping buddies and I were exhausted on that first trip and there was no way we were going to hike it. So I kept it on file in the back of my mind. This time around...I went for it. Now I know why the distance is so short. It's, by far, the steepest trail I've ever been on in the park. It goes straight up. I also hiked it at the beginning of my recent respiratory illness. I'm sure that was a bad idea. On top of all that...the clouds moved in as I got close to the summit. By the time I reached the top...I was in the clouds. I couldn't see a damn thing. But I think it's bad luck to be on a summit and not take a photo. So the above photo is what I came up with. I guess it's got kind of a spooky quality. 

At one point during my trip, I pulled off the road along Highway 89 to talk on the phone. I was looking out my window, admiring the view, when something occurred to me. This photo accurately displays how most tourists see our national parks. 
Very few of them ever get out of their car. They're able to see beautiful things...but they only scratch the surface. Ahh well. More space for me in the backcountry. 

By far the best part of the trip was this:
It's my buddy Dave proudly standing guard over the beginnings of his new cabin. A mutual friend, Danny, is building it for him. I'd heard about the cabin for a while and I have to admit I was skeptical. But in seeing what they have so far, I was impressed. Now hurry up Danny. I need a place to stay when I come next year. 

Silenced

I've lost my voice before. When it's happened in the past, I didn't think much about it. It was almost a kind of novelty. Besides that, it never lasted long. But for the past week and a half, I've been effectively silenced. I got sick (likely bronchitis) while on vacation in Montana. Nearly two weeks later, my voice has still not fully recovered. Most of my other symptoms haven't been that bad. I've had a few choice coughing fits, a sore throat, and some congestion. But the loss of my voice has been the most vexing issue. It's actually depressed me a little. The simple medical problem of hoarseness means I...can't....work. I've never really thought about how much I depend on my voice for a living. But when the ability to speak is suddenly taken away...that simple fact is much more obvious. I'm at work tonight and it's going okay. I'd say my voice is functioning at 80 to 85 percent of normal. But I've missed five days of work so far because I can't anchor a newscast. I tried pulling it together Wednesday morning. Forty minutes in to our two hour show I had another coughing fit and had to call it quits. This work absence comes on the heels of my week long vacation to Montana. I've basically been off work for two weeks. I hate the feeling. Sometimes I complain about my job but there's no better way to be thankful for it than when you want to work and can't. I've got to make it through another half hour newscast tonight and then I have four days off in a row. I'm sincerely hoping I'll be ready to anchor come Wednesday morning. If not...I'm going to have myself a pity party. Never again will I view a lost voice as some kind of novelty.

Twister: SLC Edition

I'm sure some of my midwestern friends have their own tornado stories. I've got my own...and I grew up in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. 

Ten years ago today, I drove right through a tornado...and didn't even know it. I worked at a library in Salt Lake's Avenues neighborhood at the time. I remember it being a gloomy day as I left for work. At one point, I started to notice lots of debris flying through the air. My first thought was that a dumpster had perhaps tipped over. I was only a minute or so away from work when I looked my rear view mirror and saw a tree topple over into the street. "Wow, it's really windy," I remember saying to myself out loud. I wasn't nervous or scared. I was mesmerized more than anything else. Branches, leaves, boxes, a strange blue styrofoam (which I later learned came from a nearby construction site), and garbage was flying everywhere. Hail was coming down hard. I saw another tree fall over as I parked along the street in front of the library. I ran towards the entrance and saw my manager holding the door open screaming, "Hurry!" She closed the door behind me and said, "you're a lucky guy." "Why," I asked. "You just drove through a tornado." They were listening to a news bulletin on the radio. We closed down for the day and I slowly made my way home. Later that night I took my nephew Ricky and drove up to the state capitol building. These were some of the pictures I took. 

I remember people asking me why I kept driving through the storm. What else was I supposed to do? I didn't grow up with midwest psyche of "seek shelter." The possibility of a tornado was the furthest thing from my mind. Luckily, it all turned out okay. 

Lonely nights

Most people don't travel at night, especially when they have to drive. Sometimes, I prefer it. If you're lucky, you'll see some cool things that wouldn't be that impressive in daylight. I headed home from Glacier last Wednesday evening. The plan was to get through at least half of my Highway 12 route, stop at a pullout along the Lochsa River, and sleep in my Jeep. I didn't count on not being able to sleep. After 40 fitful minutes of trying to doze off, I said, "screw it." I got back in the driver's seat and kept going. 

Much of Highway 12 through Idaho is a frustrating and beautiful drive. It's 150 miles of windy, curvy roadway. There's a lot to look at but if you're in a hurry, it's the road that never ends. There's also a long, long stretch between any kind of services. It's a lonely road. Lonelier at night. I could count the number of cars I saw that night on one hand. Imagine my surprise then when I rounded a corner and saw a bright light ahead on the roadway. Beneath the light, a lone flagger holding a stop sign. It was a strange sight at 2:00 a.m. in the middle of nowhere. Eerie is a good way to describe it. As I inched closer, the flagger turned out to be a middle aged blonde woman with a big grin on her face. 

"A pilot car will be along in a little bit to take you through," she said. "Bet you didn't expect to see me tonight, did you?" 

I don't think most people normally roll the windows down and chat with construction workers but under the circumstances, it would have been weird not to. This woman chose the night shift so she wouldn't have to stand in the heat of the day. She told me about the time her construction light suddenly went out. She turned the headlights of her car on so drivers would at least see her. 

"But then I thought that was a bad idea," she explained. "If I was driving through here at night and saw somebody in construction clothes lit up by the headlights of a car, I wouldn't think it was legit. I'd think somebody was trying to stop me so they could rob me or kill me." 

I laughed nervously at that one. 

"You're fully awake aren't you," she asked me. 

"Yeah, I am." 

"The other night a guy rammed right through here because he fell asleep. I had to dive out of the way. He hit the rear view mirror on my car. I think that woke him up. If I hadn't been here he would have gone right into the river."

I'm sure she would have been happy to have someone to talk to for the rest of the night. But the pilot car came and escorted me through. I never got a picture of her. The photo at the top is of another roadblock I came across minutes later. This guy wasn't in the mood for conversation. I eventually got through this last road block and continued driving. Thirty minutes later, I was treated to one of the most incredible lightning shows I've ever seen. Lots of electricity, no rain, and virtually no thunder. Very cool. Consider traveling at night if you can. You never know what strange experiences you'll have. 

Escape

I'm going here for the next week. Glacier National Park. "Pick a different vacation spot already," I hear you say. The answer is...no. I'm simply too nostalgic for my own good, and therefore must visit my old stomping grounds. Hopefully, I'll return with adventures to share. For now...adios.

Snape Kills Dumbledore

When you watch this video...you'll understand the title of this post.

I've lambasted the Snuggie before. But let me reiterate. It's a stupid product. But I realized yesterday I've never posted this Snuggie parody. It's been around for a while but it's good.

Company

This is my favorite photo of the past week...and there were a lot taken. It was a whirlwind 6 days. An old friend and my parents came to the City of Trees to see me...and it reminded me how exhausting it can be to have company. Don't get me wrong. I love it when friends and family come to visit. But it is exhausting. 

The seasonal life is, of course, nomadic. I think the wandering spirit of a seasonal worker (no matter how long they're in that world) stays with them forever. Part of that spirit is always being on the run...always taking the next step. It's a life of movement. Because of that, friend and family visits never seem to last long. I know that was the case for me when I was still in the seasonal world. I'd stop by and see people "on my way" to somewhere else. I usually stayed for no more than a day. It's the same story for those who've visited me since I started "real life." They stop in for a day or two...and continue on their way. That's why it was so nice to have Siri come stay with me for 4 days. I met Siri my second year in Glacier. Here I am, back in my Glacier glory days, holding a water gun to her head. 
She was on her way up to Glacier and stopped throw B-town to see me. We had a blast too. Explored Bruneau Sand Dunes. Hiked to Sawtooth Lake in Idaho's Sawtooth Wilderness. Drove to Silver City with my parents (more on their visit later). Ate at plenty of good restaurants. We got a little picture happy too. Have a look.

Good place to meditate...no?

A badger with his/her dinner

Siri has the look of a little kid here

Walking along the ridge of one of the dunes

Sawtooth Lake

The handstand of death

Mom & Dad also came to visit. They went to Silver City as well. We saw Harry Potter on Friday. Then I took them zip lining earlier today. I apologize for the lack of pictures on this front. I took a couple with my camera but I had some trouble getting them loaded to my computer. I'm waiting for dad to email me some of the ones he took. Suffice it to say...we had fun. (Dad...sorry for not having more faith in you as you came in for a landing on that one zip line. Although...I can't wait to see the pictures of you slamming into me and knocking me to the ground.) 

Merlin was glad to have all the company too. I'm sure he thinks I'm boring now. 

Anyone else want to come visit? 

Montañas!

I'm trying to balance on a rickety fence post. This is about as close as I got to actually standing up. 

Went camping for the weekend. It was awesome. Those are the Sawtooths behind me. I'm headed up again this week with Siri...an old friend from Glacier. This is her and I back in 2003. We were acting like bad asses outside Ptarmigan Tunnel. 

Not much else to report. My parental units are visiting at the end of the week. That's all I have to report. Sorry for the sporadic posting. It goes in waves. Sometimes I'm good about it...sometimes I'm not. 

Until we meet again. 

Googly, googly

I walked into Walgreen's last night to buy some milk. I passed by a large bin containing the above merchandise...basically a giant Koosh ball. When I saw what it was called, I laughed...out loud. It was advertised as a Massive Googly. I can't explain why I think it's so funny. I guess it's just the word "googly." Can you think of a word funnier than that? I am incredibly amused by it. 

In completely unrelated news...I've finally figured out how to get recorded footage from my DVR onto my computer for editing. (This is important in the process of making a resume tape as I begin the hunt for a new job). I've been trying to do this for months and I haven't been able to figure it out. As it turns out, the solution was pretty simple...a small, easy-to-use (although expensive) device I bought from the Mac store in Boise. It works wonders. I tested it out yesterday and decided to post my appearance on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. 

For anyone who doesn't know, I had a 1/3 of a second (literally) cameo on Conan the other night. Watch the clip below. Pay attention though....blink and you'll miss me. 

A Good Day

I can't say for sure...but this might just be the best Independence Day holiday I've ever had. There was nothing overly grandiose about it. I just had a very good day. I started early...about 6:45...by going to the gym. Then I headed off to Zip Idaho for half a day of zip line tour guiding. The morning was beautiful. Temperatures in the mid-70's, bright sunshine, cool guests, and the speed/adrenaline of Wild Turkey (the zip line...not the drink). I drove home...making sure to stop at Baskin Robbins for a Cappuccino Blast with extra whipped cream. Then it was off to a BBQ with good friends, good food, and good conversation. After that...a brisk 25 minute walk with more friends down to Ann Morrison Park for Boise's annual fireworks display...sponsored by the station I work for. It was quite a good show too. 

The importance and significance of today was not lost on me. I thought about America constantly today. Problems abound...but I'm happy I live here. 

Yesterday, July 3rd, was Idaho's birthday. I'm happy to be here for the moment as well. There's a lot for me to complain about but I developed quite the soft spot in my heart for Boise tonight. Community gatherings (like the thousands gathered for fireworks) do that to me. 

Oh...and did I mention the fireworks. I love fireworks. 

Happy Birthday America. I hope it was a good one for you. It was for me. And even though the following has nothing to do with Independence Day...I thought I'd post it anyway...because hey...I love things that explode in the sky. This is, hands down, the best fireworks show I've ever witnessed personally. It was at the closing ceremonies for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. This is coverage from the Canadian Broadcasting Company (btw...Happy Canada Day back on July 1st!) but it's the best clip I could find on YouTube. Mega-fireworks literally exploding up and down the Wasatch Front. I was in the stadium for this. What a damn, good, explosive show. 

What would you do?

I hope this never happens to me. Although if it did, I'm not sure I'd shove the guy's face on live TV. I love the anchors' reaction.

Oldie but a goodie

I've spent all day trying to pretend I know something about computers and file transfers and editing and digital video and blah, blah, blah. I'm irritated now. I'm simply trying to get old programs saved on my DVR transfered onto my computer so I can edit them. That is much, much easier said than done. 

Anywho, I needed a break so I went Youtube browsing. I came across this. Many of you might have seen it before but it's still worth another look. This is the "God Warrior" from Trading Spouses. This one crazy, crazy lady. It'll make you thankful for the mother you have. It gets real good about a minute in.

Yikes.

Peevish

On long Interstate drives...when the cars around you can't maintain a steady speed. Why do they have to pass me...then watch me pass them a few minutes later...then repeat the cycle. Cruise control people! I'm using it so I know you are not.

People who call attention to their own birthdays. One or two mentions are fine...but don't go overboard. It really ticks me off when they say, "What are you doing for my birthday?"

Overly sweet coffee or tea. Why do Starbucks baristas look at me strange when I ask for just ONE pump of syrup?

Waking up early...although my definition of early has changed since I started waking up at 3:00 am.

Slow hikers. I'm destination oriented. I'm sorry. Just accept it and let me book it. Please don't ask me to slow down or "wait up." If I'm hiking with you I know I've already warned you that I like to go fast.

People who don't accept alternative lifestyles...and by that I simply mean those who think you're abnormal because you're not married and raising a family.

Chronic tardiness. It isn't that difficult to be on time. I promise.

Reporters who say, "take a look behind me" or "just over my shoulder" in live shots.

People who don't like animals. How is that even possible?


I think that's it for now...but I reserve the right to add an addendum to this post.

Wow

I guess everyone's weighing in on Michael Jackson's death. I will too. Whoever first referred to him as Wacko Jacko couldn't have said it better. He was a bizarre human being. But it's obvious he had a HUGE impact on the entire world. I'm not exactly sad. Just shocked I guess. 

Like many people, "Thriller" is always the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Michael Jackson. I don't remember a childhood transfixion more confusing than that video. I was scared of it. I was drawn to it. I remember a little panic attack when it would come on the TV. Yet I'd never leave the room to avoid watching it. For some reason, I'd always focus on one specific female zombie in the group dance. (I'd have to watch it again to tell you which one it is. I think she was wearing white). My "favorite" (or the most terrifying) part was when the girlfriend barricades herself in the house and they start breaking in. What a video. 

People will remember him in many different ways. I think it would be awesome if everyone did their best to learn the "Thriller" dance and then let 'er rip in a big group performance. That idea brings a smile to my face. 

Preggers

Here's the deal. 

Back on June 1, I officially had 9 months left on my current contract. I made that realization and immediately thought, "that's the length of a pregnancy." I've taken that theme and run with it. 

It's an interesting time for the news biz. I have no idea what I'm going to do early next year. I suppose I'm torn between several different goals and aspirations. I won't go into them here. I just know that, like a pregnancy, I've got to be ready when the time comes. Much like a soon-to-be parent, I feel unprepared. 

So yeah....I'm pregnant. 

If I throw myself a baby shower will people bring me presents?

Why I Caved

I'm a tweeter. 

I've been one for about 4 hours now. I expected to feel more ashamed about it but...I really don't. Over the past few months I told many people that I wouldn't join Twitter. Honestly, I'm not quite sure I ever believed myself. I was hoping for the Twitter hype to die down and then feel comfortable with my refusal. Then, two things changed my mind: the Iran election drama and the social networking password controversy in Bozeman. 

We've known for a while how a site like Twitter can enable "citizen journalists" to spread information quickly. I, like many others, was able to see it as a dissemination tool. But I looked at it as a divider of sorts. It divided the "citizen journalists" from the "real ones." You could get little bits of information from people on the scene of a breaking story. But if you wanted the best "coverage" you should look to traditional media. In many ways, I still believe that. But with the two recent events I mentioned above...I saw the flaws in my argument. When Iran cracked down on media coverage, Twitter became vital pathway of information dissemination. The traditional media were looking to Twitter (among others) for the best coverage. As for the Bozeman drama (quick background: a reporter at KBZK uncovered the fact that the city was asking job applicants to disclose login information...including passwords...on applications. A worldwide brouhaha ensued...and the city dropped the policy days later in embarrassment) a BIG part of the story was how the Twitterverse was exploding with criticism. As someone very interested in the issue, I was shut out of a lot of the back and forth....simply because I wasn't on Twitter. 

As a personal social networking site, I'm still skeptical of Twitter. But as a journalist, I now realize it's a valuable tool to have at my disposal. I would hate to be involved in a major breaking story and not have Twitter in my coverage arsenal. 

So I joined. I feel good about it. I'm going to try to keep it more professional than personal. 

My Twitter handle is LincolnGraves. Check it out and become a follower. 

Miss Spud State

People are often surprised when I tell them I'm scared of public speaking. "But you're a news anchor," they say. Yes I am. Put me in a studio with a teleprompter and I'm fairly comfortable. I'm even fairly comfortable without the teleprompter. Even though people are watching on television, I'm able to feel safe and comfortable in the studio. But put me in front of a large group of people and I get nervous. 

It's gotten better over the last year and a half. Taking this job in Boise has given me some opportunities to overcome that fear. I took the biggest step last weekend as co-host of the 2009 Miss Idaho Pageant. I didn't know what to expect but I must say...I had a really good time. It helped that my co-host was someone I'm already comfortable with...my co-anchor Mellisa. Here we are all dressed up. 

It was a two night event and I got more comfortable the more I did it. I got a lot of good feedback after the show as well. I'm going to assume it was all sincere. It made me realize that I should look into hosting gigs when it's time to look for another job. Granted, host jobs are even tougher to come by than news jobs...but I was never interested in them before this event. 

Here's Mellisa and I on the first night with Miss Idaho 2008.

And here we are with Miss Idaho 2009. 
I know people are skeptical of pageants. They have a cheesy reputation that will probably never disappear. But by the time we got down to the end and were ready to announce the winner...I was genuinely excited and happy for the girls.

Mellisa tells me I may have gotten a date out of the whole thing too. She's with-holding information until she knows for sure...whatever that means. 

More than anything, I'm grateful for the experience. It made me much less nervous to accept a debate moderator gig I've got lined up for next month. 

Under Fire

I've been able to do a lot of cool things since I got into the news business. My latest adventure was Fire OPS 101...a firefighter training event put on by local fire departments in the Boise area. It was the inaugural event...designed to give local media and elected officials a taste of what it's like to be a firefighter. I've gotta say...it was awesome. We were in groups of four...each "amateur" shadowed by a real firefighter. We searched for victims in a smoke filled room. Attacked a blaze head-on with a fire hose. Sawed into the roof of a building with a chainsaw. Climbed a 100 foot tall ladder truck. Used the Jaws of Life to cut open a wrecked car. Watched a flashover demonstration. Here's a picture of that. 

I'm not sure most people really understand what a firefighter does each day. Until this event, I didn't. I was worried about going through all the exercises without wearing my glasses. (You can't wear a firefighter's mask with eyeglasses). It turns out vision wasn't the sense I needed most with some of these exercises. There's nothing like crawling around on your knees through a smoke-clogged room, breathing oxygen from a claustrophobic mask...to make you appreciate the sense of touch. And while I like to think I'm in reasonably good shape it's exhausting to drag a 150 lb. dummy from a "burning" building. I had also never operated a chainsaw before. It's not as easy as it looks. I'd have to say the coolest part was cutting apart a wrecked car. The "cutter" and the "spreader" are AWESOME....and very, very heavy. 

It was a really good day. I was drenched in sweat by the end of it...but I only felt the good kind of exhaustion. 

There were several local elected officials there. As for the media...a news anchor from each station in Boise came to play. It's not often we all get together at events like this...so I had to take a picture. 

Three morning anchors, Tammy, me, Doug (left to right) and one evening anchor, Natalie. Oh, and we got to keep those helmets too. They even put our names on them. 

Good times.