100% Pure Montana

We had a unique Montana experience today....the annual Three Forks Horse Roundup. Every year the Mantle family of Three Forks, Montana (a town about 30 miles west of Bozeman) move their 400 horses to summer feeding grounds. They've been doing it for years. The route they use just happens to pass right through Main Street in downtown Three Forks. In the past it was a little known horse drive that locals were amused by. Today...it's a full fledged event that draws thousands of spectators. It was pretty cool. It's not everyday you see hundreds of horses running through town in a big herd. Unfortunately, this may have been the last year. The family is looking for newer property that would probably eliminate the need for a horse drive. Ah well...it was good while it lasted.

The roundup draws everyone....including the competition. This is my arch rival, Andrea. She works as an anchor at the other station in town. As you can see...we hate each other. (Please note the sarcasm).

Summer

Ask anyone at work and they will tell you I wasn't the happiest person to be around this past Monday.

I had just gotten back from Oklahoma City. I had just seen the inner workings of a "real" TV station. Being back at my station (in television market 192) was a little depressing. Our limitations were all I could focus on. Don't get me wrong...I am incredibly fortunate and happy to have my job. But....it's time. It's time to move on. I need new challenges. One of the only things sustaining me right now is the fact that a Montana summer is right around the corner. Despite my whining I do, and always will, love Bozeman and the rest of this state.

The temperature is supposed to reach 80 degrees this weekend. I'm stoked. It will be a weekend full of hiking, golfing, hanging out and maybe, just maybe, a trip to the Olive Garden in Billings.

It is still April so chilly weather is still in my future. But before I know it, I'll be floating down the Madison River getting a sunburn. I love summer.

One more thing I love about summer:

The countdown is on. Another Harry Potter movie AND the final book in the series will be released. Amanda believes having the countdowns on her page is a bit...geeky. I completely disagree. I support you in posting them Amanda. I will celebrate my Harry Potter obsession with no reservation.

Caption Time

I found another picture I can't stop laughing at. Care to caption?

When Worlds Collide

Although my feet have been planted firmly in the ground of TV news for a while now, I still consider myself a seasonal wanderer in some ways. They are two very different worlds. One involves a long, sought after career choice that's full of responsibility and commitment. The other is a carefree, nomadic slice of American life that few get to experience. On my weekend trip to Oklahoma City, those two worlds collided...with me hanging out with friends from both. Luckily...the real collision occurred about a year ago, when my former co-anchor, Melissa, left Bozeman for a news anchor job in Oklahoma City. A good friend from Glacier, Stephanie, just happened to live in OKC and I wound up introducing the two, by phone, to each other. Melissa, a good friend from my new professional life, left Montana and moved in with Stephanie, a good friend from my old, seasonal life. It was a little strange to me. Even wierder...this is where they moved to.

After that strange coincidence...a picture seemed mandatory.

Both of them now live in Oklahoma, and while they both have some OK pride, they aren't above making fun of the state. It's a little strange. For one thing....it's flat. Very, very flat. That was odd. I have lived in the mountains all my life. I can't imagine looking outside and not seeing mountains. But there are no mountains in Oklahoma.

There are no mountains, but OKC is still a vibrant metropolitan area. It's a big city and that means big city TV news...exactly what Missy moved there for. I was able to go into her station and watch a live show. Awesome. They have a real newsroom, a big staff, a helicopter (which was leaving for breaking news when we arrived) and a very sexy studio.

Of course, Oklahoma City has seen its share of big news. A trip to the Oklahoma City National Memorial is almost mandatory. Stephanie took me there. It was pretty powerful. There have been major disagreements over what a September 11 memorial should look like. Maybe they should look to OKC. It's beautiful. There's a memorial chair for all 168 victims of the 1995 bombing. All chairs lie in the footprint of the old building. There's a nearby museum that's pretty depressing to walk though. Depressing...yet everyone should go there. Here are some photos of the memorial.

Remember that picture on the right? The fireman was carrying a baby girl named Baylee Almon. It sort of became the photo to symbolize the the whole tragedy. The chair on the left is her memorial chair. All in all, it was a sad to be there. The 12th anniversary was just the day before. But it was well worth it. I'm glad I got to see it.

We had lots of fun though too...even experiencing a famous piece of Oklahoman culture. Have you ever heard of Ken's Steaks & Ribs? It's a cool, little restaurant in Amber, Oklahoma...about 45 minutes outside of Oklahoma City. I guess they get a lot of big name guests who come to experience the only 5 menu options: ribs, steak, brisket, chicken, and prime rib. They're only open 3 nights a week and Ken himself is the one who keeps things organized. You stand in line to wait for your table and Ken walks up and down the line getting your name and chatting with you. There's usually a wait to get inside so Ken doesn't tolerate guests staying after dinner to chat. Once you're done eating he will tell you to go. He's awesome. He particularly liked our foursome...well he liked the 3 girls. They, of course, got all his attention. But whatever.

And that's a brief summary of my trip to Oklahoma. It was good to see my midwestern Glacier buddies Stephanie and Katie (who drove down from Kansas City to join us). It was also good to catch up with Melissa and get a vague idea of what I can expect from the broadcasting world when I find my next job.

My two worlds collided in Oklahoma...where the wind comes sweeping down the plains...and it was damn windy there.

Sensitivity, overreaction, and guilt

I was at the gym Monday morning when the news of the Virginia Tech shootings came blaring across all the TV's in the cardio area. I immediately thought of the "Guns are cool" post I wrote a few days ago. I felt guilty. So I removed it when I got home.

I've since put it back up. I don't want to write about gun rights and how guns should be viewed in light of the rampage. I just know that taking the post down seemed like the right thing to do. I intended to put it back up anyway.

Some whacko decided to slaughter 32 people. He used two guns to do that. I'm sure there's something to be said for more gun control. I won't get into that now. But as far as my previous post goes...it's still accurate. There was something cool about shooting a gun. I hope that doesn't make me insensitive.

(Not so) Good Eats

I'm a little disappointed.

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Food Network. I've been excited for the Food Network awards for a while now. But as I'm watching them right now...I'm not impressed. They weren't what I expected them to be. I thought they were going to give out awards TO the people on Food Network. Instead it's the people ON Food Network giving awards to restaurants, people, and businesses I've never heard of. Whatever.

I saw the following video on bestsaria's blog. I have no idea what it is or where it came from but I, too, can't stop watching it.



Anyone know anything about this guy/actor/sketch?

Confession

Forgive me father, for I have sinned. I am coveting the following object.



I have never been a gun person. I don't come from a gun family. I have no reason to own a gun. (I don't hunt, I don't kill people, and I don't go to shooting ranges). I've shot a few guns in my lifetime but the memories are hazy. Frankly, guns have always intimidated me. BUT....I went shooting today...and....IT....WAS...........AWESOME!

A couple weeks ago I told my friend Danny (an avid hunter from Michigan who has many guns) that I wanted him to teach me how to shoot a gun. I'm not sure why. I'm just a little curious. More than anything I want to feel comfortable around guns. I doubt I'll ever buy one of my own but in the event that I had to handle a gun in the future, I want to know what I'm doing.

Danny happily obliged. In fact he was downright excited. So we headed into the woods and he taught me how to shoot a .357 Magnum (see above photo) and a 30-06 rifle. The rifle was cool. Nothing special...but cool. (I'm still experiencing some kick-back pain in my shoulder) The .357 however was...well....there aren't words to describe it. I'm a little frightened at how much I liked it. There's just something attractive about having such a powerful object in your hands. Danny's a good teacher too. We covered many gun safety issues before he let me touch the thing. (Mom, I swear to God) As far as target practice went, I performed admirably. Much better than Danny expected.

I'm not sure there's a moral to this story. I have no intention of buying a gun. But I want to do some more shooting. I wasn't raised in a gun hating family but still....I feel a little rebellious for wanting to handle them.

I sort of like guns. Is that a bad thing?

DUH........

I do good work at the TV station that employs me. I'm a good anchor. I'm a good reporter. I can write well. I can edit well. I can handle myself well in an interview. I've received great feedback and praise from many people. I was even my station's employee of the year last year.

However, there are still moments when I'm reminded of 3 very important things.
1. I'm still a rookie.
2. I still have a lot to learn.
3. There is still much experience I have to gain.

Consider tonight's newscast for instance. As it drew to a close we had a sudden problem with our video server. Long story short: video wasn't rolling and we (Jenny, Jeff, and I) had to fill a minute and a half of showtime with "anchor banter." There was no other option.

In my ear, the director said, "Don't toss it." I sort of heard him, but it didn't really register. By that time I had made the decision to say "that will do it for us tonight." That was followed by ".....uhhhhh." Idiot, Lincoln.

Jenny saved my butt. She rescued me...and I thank her for that. I've been beating myself up about it thinking, "I'm better than that." I guess that's not true....at least not yet.

On a related note, I would normally post a clip of what happened. However, my screw-up just happened to fall on the same day we all got an official email forbidding anyone from posting anything that appears on our station....on the internet. The basic gyst: they own our news programs and my image and likeness. A little frustrating...but I will comply.

Open mouth...insert foot

I was talking with someone today about embarassing moments. They asked, "what's the most embarassing thing you've ever done." I didn't have to think very hard. Without further ado, I present the most embarassing moment of my life.

For two summers (2002 and 2003) I was a tour bus driver in Glacier National Park. It was an awesome job. I spent my day driving a cool, vintage bus across Going-to-the-Sun Road...arguably the most scenic drive in the country. I also met lots of cool people. One such group of people were affiliated with the Montana Hope Project. The Montana Hope Project is an organization that caters to children, and family members of children, that suffer from physical and mental illnesses. Every year, the Project is taken on a tour of Glacier...with the help of nearly 25 tour buses and their drivers. I was one of those drivers in the summer of '03. The tour lasted most of the day. The buses criss-crossed the park in a big caravan stopping at various points of interest. At one point, we all stopped to take a look at Running Eagle Falls. It was a long stop...about 45 minutes. A total of about 75 people were all standing near the bank of the river milling about. A few of us drivers were near the water's edge chatting. My friend Dave decided to pick up a large rock and throw it in the river...splashing water all across my leg in the process.

I didn't even comprehend what was about to come out of my mouth.

In a group full of MENTALLY CHALLENGED children, and their families, I yelled at my friend, "YOU RETARD!"

It was almost as if the waterfall we were all looking at decided to stop running. It was silent. Completely silent. Or at least that's how I remember it. I was mortified. I was afraid to look at anyone. I'm not even sure how many people noticed. I avoided all eye contact and walked back to my bus.

Besides my friends, no one ever said anything about it. Still, it was...without a doubt...the most embarassing moment of my life.

Nothing to say

I've sat in front of my computer for an hour now trying to think of something meaningful to write. Nothing has come to me. Therefore...I present a random survey. It's the ultimate cure for any kind of blogger's block.

Your senior year in high school.

1. Who were your best friends? Erin. There were a few others but Erin was pretty much my life in high school.
2.What sports did you play? Ha ha ha....like I played sports in high school.
3. What kind of car did you drive? 1985 Dodge Ram Pickup - Light Blue
4. It's Friday night, where were you? David's hot tub playing the "Scary Hot Tub Game."
5. Were you a party animal? Not at all.
6. Were you considered a flirt? By some.
7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? No...and don't even ask me about my A'cappella auditioning experience.
8. Were you a nerd? At the time I would have said "a little bit." I look back now and realize that yes...yes I was.
9. Did you get suspended/expelled? Nope.
10. Who was your favorite teacher? Mrs. Craigle of course.
11. Where did you eat lunch? The Journalism Room
12.What was your school's full name? West High School
13. School mascot? Panther
14. Did you go to Prom? Yeah. We had A LOT of dances.
15. If you could go back and do it over, would you? Tough question. If I knew then what I know now...maybe for a little bit...but just for a brief visit.
16. What do you remember most about graduation? Not much, really. I can't even remember what I did that night. It was obviously uneventful.
17. What were you involved in during High school? The school paper and TV West. That's about it.
18. Where were you on senior skip day? What the hell is senior skip day? We didn't have that...at least I don't think we did.
19. Did you have a job your senior year? Hmm. I don't think so. I can't believe my memory is so vague.
20. Have you gained weight since then? Not really.
21. Where did you go after graduation? University of Utah for broadcast journalism. Graduated in 2001. Worked at the Olympics. Went to Glacier. Wandered for 4 years.
22. When did you graduate? 1998
23. Who was your Senior prom date? Erin...I think. Like I said, we had A LOT of dances. I'd have to check the pictures.
24. Are you going to your 10 year reunion? I'm not opposed to it.
25. Who was your least favorite teacher. Mr. Eckberg.
26. Were you popular? No
27. Did you get picked on? Only by my friends...whom I picked on as well.
28. Was high school a good experience overall? The last two years were pretty good. The first two years were less than stellar. I truly remember very little from those first two years.
29. What would former classmates say about where you are in life now? They'd probably say "cool...that's what he always wanted to do."
30. What advice would you give to present day high schoolers? Probably something stupid about "having fun being young." But I'm convinced that it's sort of ridiculous to give advice to kids and teenagers. Everyone needs to grow up their own way and make their own mistakes. We all "get it" eventually.

Wierd Moment

The following conversation took place tonight at the supermarket. I approached the check-out stand with my groceries and was greeted by the female employee. It was about 11:40 pm.

Checker: How are you tonight?
Me: I'm good. How are you?
Checker: I want to go home.
Me: (slight chuckle) That good huh?
Checker: I'm not a night person. Of course I'm not a day person either.
Me: Um...so what do you do about that?
Checker: I sleep...a lot. I take it your a night person because you're here at this time.
Woman: (she had just gotten in line behind me) He doesn't have a choice.

At this point I realize the woman recognizes me. The checker appears confused from here on out.

Woman: I guess since I'm here at this time I didn't watch the news tonight.
Me: I suppose. Although I'm here and I worked tonight. I just finished.
Woman: Well as long as I wasn't on the news. That would be a bad thing.
Me: Yes it would be.
Woman: And sometimes I CAN be on the news.

Checker and I exchange "huh" glances.

Me: What do you do?
Woman: I'm a city prosecutor.
Me: Ahh...I see.
Checker: (looking at me) What did she say?
Me: She's a city prosecutor.
Checker: (looks panicked in the woman's direction and chuckles nervously) Oh..um...pretend I'm not here.
Woman: Do something bad?
Checker: I'm always in trouble. That's why I moved here. To stay out of trouble. I got involved with the wrong guy.
Woman: That's what usually happens.
Checker: He was a bad deal. He had a spell over me and I can't explain it. I would have died for that man. I hated him when I first met him but something happened. He cast a spell over me. He could charm the pants off a nun.

By this time, the pace at which my groceries were being rung up and slowed to a crawl.

Checker: (looking at me) I knew you looked familiar. I didn't want to say anything. (thinks for a moment). You've never read my name on the news have you?
Me: (slightly uncomfortable) Not that I know of.
Checker: (looks at the attorney) See? I told you I've stayed out of trouble.

She handed me my receipt and I left...wondering what had just happened.

The End

Commitment

I've done it.

I've signed up for the 2007 Bridger Ridge Run. It's a 20 mile run along the ridgeline of the Bridger Mountains (that's an aerial photo above...this is the range that towers over Bozeman). I decided to do this last August when I covered the Run for a story.

I am not a runner. I don't particularly like to run. But in covering it last year it didn't really seem like much of a "run" to me. It was more like fast-paced hiking. I can hike. I love to hike. And it's not that I CAN'T run. But I've hiked a lot....up to 30 miles in a day. So I figured I could do this. I'll run when I can. I'm certainly not expecting to be the first across the finish line. In signing up they ask how long you think it will take for you to finish the race. I said 6 hours. We'll see how accurate I am.

In other news...

...the seasonal migration has begun. Although I have removed myself from world of seasonal work (for now) all my friends are in the process of moving from winter season work to summer season work. For most of them, this means an annual migration up to Glacier National Park. Lucky for me...a few of them stop in Bozeman. Dave was the first as he stopped in Big Sky/Bozeman this weekend. Amanda also came down from Whitefish. It was a good weekend. Snowboarding, dinner at Buck's T-4 and good times all around. More friends will be stopping by over the next month or so. I can't wait.

And finally....

...what is your sexy name? Mine:

Get Your Sexy Name

Happiness

Katie is the inspiration for this post. And because I had a minor pity party for myself tonight (details not important) I figured I should suck it up and think of happier things. So here goes.

Things that make me happy:

The fact that summer is not too far away.
The latest episode of "Lost." All I can say is "Whoa. Didn't see that coming."
The weekend is finally here.
My two new, cool oversize wall maps I just got. (I'm a geek...I know).
My job (most of the time).
Glacier National Park.
An Irish Cream latte from Rockford Coffee.
Cats & Dogs.
Floating the Madison River.
Driving home after a long absence and seeing the Salt Lake City skyline.
Seeing old Glacier buddies for the first time in a long time.
Giving someone a gift or a compliment they didn't expect.
Powder days at Big Sky.
Hiking to Delicate Arch in the middle of the night and waiting for the sun to rise.
Any and all kinds of breaking news (more of an adrenaline rush than happiness but whatever).
Chocolate chip cookies.
Doing a good job at work on a specific story.
The Olive Garden (and by default Chocolate Lasagna...weep, weep...R.I.P my favorite dessert).
My friends (even though I see them rarely).
The Park Cafe in St. Mary, Montana.
Swinging on a swingset at any park on a hot, summer night.
Fireworks.
Hiking.
Seeing any and all wildlife while hiking (especially moose and bears).
Sleeping in (especially on a dreary, rainy day).
Reminiscing on the old playground slang of yester-year. Thanks hjustin.
Game Show Network, The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, The Travel Channel, and Food Network.
Mom & Dad.

Dirt

Anyone else a fan of the FX show "Dirt?" The critics have sort of panned it but I've watched from episode 1, and I'm a fan. The season finale was tonight. Good, good stuff. I'm a little obsessed with Courtney Cox.

I haven't talked about "Lost" in a while. Again, the critics have been harsh on this season but, whoa...last week's episode was goooooooood. I'm forbidden from talking about it at work because some of my colleagues haven't seen the latest episodes. Very frustrating. Anyway, I love that show as well.

Um....that is all.

Numb from Novocaine

Sarah's post from today dovetails nicely with a story of my own. I went to the dentist this morning. My eroded teeth are being filled with tooth-colored fillings. It's sort of a patch job until I can afford to get permanent crowns for my teeth. Anyway, I was lying back in the dentist's chair with a strange device (it keeps my mouth open for me) lying on my chin. I was fairly vulnerable and could only grunt to communicate.

Really...could there be a better time for my cell phone (complete with The Legend of Zelda ringtone) to go crazy on the window sill next to me? It was slightly embarassing. Especially when it rang two times in 2 minutes. The dentist just laughed and continued torturing me.

Celebrated my my 27th birthday yesterday. Okay, I didn't really celebrate. It was just like any other day. I woke up. I went to work. Nothing special. No big deal. I would have gone out to dinner but the night shift prevents that. Thanks to everyone who called or sent me messages. I appreciate it.

Back in the Saddle

Spring is in the air.

I went on my first official hike of the season yesterday. Hiked up Storm Castle Mountain in Gallatin Canyon. Not too hard, not too easy. Just right. It was beautiful up there. That's me admiring the view. I think we may get some snow this week but that's okay. As far as I'm concerned...summer is here.

I've seen it before but every time I do, I shake my head in disbelief. Someone smoking a cigarette on the trail. What a huge oxymoron. I just don't get it.

I'm still sick. But I'm getting better. I've received lots of advice on my problematic sinuses. I appreciate it all. Like I said, I'm feeling better but I won't declare myself cured until I go a couple weeks without getting sick again.

Two notes of interest: I'm going golfing today. Woohoo! I love golf...even though I suck at it. Also, Giada De Laurentis of Food Network is amazing. I love her.

Relief

They say working in TV news (or other various professions) can desensitize you to the trials and tribulations of the world. You become so used to death, misery, and destruction that you're not fazed by human suffering. Basically...your heart dies.

I'm relieved because I'm pretty sure my heart isn't dead.

In the past day or so I've seen an adversary of mine (and I use the term loosely) brought down several pegs. It's been hard for them and I'm seeing real, genuine angst and sadness.

I hate it.

I don't like seeing them like this and I offered my support. No matter what anyone does to me, I don't want to see them sad or depressed. I take no comfort in it. It does me no good. So despite past (and very possibly...future) differences, I wish them happiness and all the best.

In other news....

I completed that dreaded sinus irrigation. It was not so bad. There is a fleeting sensation of drowning (everyone's felt it when water gets sucked up the nose) but it passes quickly. There's nothing particularly enjoyable about it but I'm not scared of it anymore.

I'm a map geek. I love maps. I just got a really cool one in the mail yesterday. It's a huge, topographical map of Montana. I'm in love with it. I have another one coming soon. Don't judge me.

Thank you to Liz for pointing the following video out to everyone on her blog. I thought I'd post it on mine as well. Very amusing.

Sinus Irrigation

Has anyone ever had to irrigate their sinuses with a saline solution?

I went to the doctor today and she told me I should do that...then gave me instructions. Frankly, I was terrified. Then Beth told me it was possible for me to drown with just one tablespoon of water. I have no idea if that's true or not but the info didn't ease my fears. So if anyone out there has had to do this...a little advice is appreciated.

I suspected I had sinusits. The doctor says I don't. She says I've developed seasonal allergies which are contributing to chronic, mild sinus infections. I hope she's right. I hope her plan for a cure really works. I'm now supposed to take Alavert every morning along with a spray of Flonase in each nostril....plus the irrigation to start things out. Blech.

I had an embarassing moment on the news tonight. It was the end of the show. Jenny read a story about the new Skywalk at the Grand Canyon. We talked about it at the end of the show and Andrew and I were apparently reading each other's minds. Him and I have had other embarassing moments together...worse than this. But here, we were like a married couple finishing each others sentences...or saying them at the same time.

Grrr....

Getting sick again.
Going to the doctor.
Might have sinusitis.
Pretty pissed off.
That's all.

The Greatest Post...EVER

In the past few days I have experienced countless moments of giddy euphoria....all from re-living long forgotten moments of my childhood. It started when I was writing the previous post on this blog. In it, I mentioned that I really wanted to see some TV shows from my youth...specifically "Zoobilee Zoo" and "You Can't Do That On Television." As I wrote that, a thought occurred to me. In this age of web use and YouTube, I'm sure I could find something online to satisfy my thirst for nostalgia.

I had no idea.

The past few days have been filled with glee. Sub-conscious memories that had disappeared long ago, suddenly broke to the surface. I was astounded. I've always been the type of person to suffer from a black & white memory. But in reviewing some of my favorite childhood TV shows (the vast majority on Nickelodeon) I'm remembering songs, plotlines, and episodes I didn't know I had ever seen. It's been remarkable. I even shared some of these memories with people at work. They were just as excited as I was. It's obviously a matter of timing as to whether someone is familiar with these shows. Most, but not all, aired on Nickelodeon during the 80's and early 90's.

Those were the days.

You can find complete episodes of certain shows online. But for me, nothing brings a smile to my face more than the theme songs and program intros I used to see daily.

"You Can't Do That On Television" - In my mind, the ultimate Nickelodeon classic. It's my all-time favorite.


"Hey, Dude" - A close second to "You Can't Do That On Television." I was obsessed with this show and I had a huge crush on Melody (who later went on to play Marcia Brady and then marry Ben Stiller).


"Heathcliff" - One of the most memorable theme songs...besides "Hey Dude."


"Salute Your Shorts" - There were two versions of this intro. This is the newer one.


"Clarissa Explains It All" - Again, two versions of this intro. This is also a newer one.


"Picture Pages" - I don't remember anything about this show (or was it a segment) other than the song.


"Today's Special" - I don't ever remember being a fan of this show but I know my older sister was.


"Pinwheel" - Again, don't remember anything but the song.


"Inspector Gadget" - I had a crush on Penny


"Fraggle Rock" - I don't think this was on Nickelodeon...but whatever.

"He-Man" - I loved the show and I had the toys...although my cousin always had more and I remember being very jealous.


"Smurfs" - What a freakin' classic.


"Zoobilee Zoo" - I don't remember anyone else ever watching this show. But I know I loved it as a little kid...so I'm including it.


I'm probably forgetting some. But for now, this is enough to keep me happy for a while.