Finally, some snow!

We had snow last night! ;) Around 6:30 last night, I thought I heard rain...so after seeing a snow flurry earlier, I ran to the door like a little kid and guess what?!?! It was SNOWING! HEAVILY! It was raining a bit, too...but nontheless, it was SNOWING! Too bad it wasn't sticking, but it was nice to look at. My 13 year old niece was at the house, so I made her come out in it too! She tried to make a snowball from the snow that was on the back of my car...just not enough though. I shot a little video with my crappy digital camera, but you can't see it really well...since it was quite dark by this point.

I found more property for sale...in an area I've been looking in. I might have to track this one down...and see what I can do about getting a house built... I'm prefering the house over an apartment by far...and I don't think I'll be moving off too far from this area any time soon, so it would be a good investment (pending I can afford it). So I'll be looking into that in the next few weeks...

Work will probably prove to be tiresome this week...too much crap to deal with...

I have internet again

Well, after a three-day hiatus (nearly) I have my internet connection fixed.

So for now, the short answer for why I'm not going on my trip to GA at the moment is because a week from Monday, that website will be added to my current work load. The person I was going down to train has resigned, and there's no sign someone else will be hired to replace her. Just what I needed at this point...more freakin' work! As if I had any time for myself...I'm really not going to have any! Grr!

No snow

Well crap! I go into work at 3:15 this morning for nothing! Not even a flurry...from what I saw at least. It did, however, rain like crazy atop Red Mountain...so I suppose it could have been really bad today had the temperature cooperated. I got to booth the weather updates at one point, so that was fun. I kept threatening to make the weather guy laugh by talking to him during the cut in's...but I held back! ;) I needed to make the morning a little more exciting.

So I came home after a 10-hour shift and went to bed... So I'm up now, still sleepy and about to go back to bed.

Nothing else really going on...this morning went awfully fast...fastest Monday I've been through in a while...

Snow day!

Is it really?? Could it be??

As if it really matters...I'll be missing most of the "snow" anyway. I get to be at WORK at 3AM!!! Grrr! Can we say, "Michael will be REALLY chipper tomorrow?!!?" (please note the large amount of sarcasm in that quotation! ;)

Better than what I thought I was going to have to do. I was afriad I'd be spending the night in my office on an air bed.

I believe as most of the staff attempt to come into work, I'll be hiding outside with some snowballs (or ice balls...whatever is there)! ;)

The trip I had planned to Georgia has been indefinitley delayed...

Well, it's 7pm... Off to bed! Gah!

Holding pattern

I was headed to Georgia to help out a colleague at a sister station, but that seems to be on hold at the moment. Seems there's a new threat for snow?? Yep, you heard it! Snow! Sunday night into Monday morning is the fear right now, but for those of you who know Alabama weather...you know to take that with a grain of salt.

So it looks like I'll be doing some of my training over the phone...which is fine...but I was looking forward to scaring some people! ;) I'll probably go at the end of the month...we are just starting sweeps (ratings period)...

I've felt really crappy all week...like I'm coming down with something. I think I just need more sleep...I haven't gone to be at my normal time lately...

It puts the lotion in the basket...

Interesting...I particularly like the part about "my wrath!" ;) Gee, who would have thought?? Muahahaha! Oh, yeah...in case you're wondering about the title...I watched "Silence of the Lambs" on Bravo this weekend.

You Are Wind

Strong and overpowering. A force to be reckoned with, no one dares cross you. You have the power to change everything around you. You are best known for: Your Wrath Your dominant state: commanding

What Type of Weather Are You?

My desk is still clean! ;)

Shocking! I haven't destroyed it yet! And my cat is happy she can walk freely across it so she can climb on top of my monitor to sleep... ;)

I had a slow day today...not a whole lot to do at work, so I spent part of the day investigating prices on website building software (dreamweaver is freakin' expensive!!) and found something comparable that wasn't too expensive. Also found some basic video editing software called Adobe Premiere Elements...which I definitley need, even if I hate Premiere (that's what I use at work...but it is an older, crappy version). I'm thinking of buying a DVD burner soon...so all that's left that I need is a camera! The question is what am I going to do with it all?? Another ghost documentary?? A different sort of genre of TV production?? I need to find something to occupy my time so I don't get rusty on what I spent all my time in college doing.

Later this week should prove interesting. I'll be going to the Survivor casting call to take pictures for the web... I have a feeling the nutjobs are going to show up for this one. I hope they do, I need some compelling video and pictures! ;) I love doing something fun at work...it tickles me...plus I hate not enjoying work...I really want to make it fun.

I finally cleaned my desk!

It should be considered an olympic sport. If any of you ever saw just how bad my desk can get at home, you'd be amazed...and probably impressed. All that matters is that it's clean now and I can find crap again.

I saw both Lori and Jill Thursday...Jill was in town to visit and to ride back with Lori on the plane...also saw a few other former co-workers... It was a tame setting, more or less, seeing as how we were left waiting over an hour for a table...then found out we'd been skipped! Not cool...though the manager gave us a discount.

Friday was quiet...nothing big went on. I ended up coming home and finding out Jonathan wasn't going to be on his way from Laurel until 7:00...meaning Nixie didn't go out until Saturday night. No matter...my 11 year old niece decided to come up for a visit...so I ended up playing video games with her and complaining about being forced to watch "made for teens" television. Gag! I'm keeping the remote away from her next time! ;)

Had Ruby Tuesday on Saturday night...after Applebee's tried to kill Jonathan last week. We've decided not to go back there ever...they've made one of the four of us mad at one point or another, so screw them! I need to find a new restaurant...

Interesting

I've never had one... Is this an omen?? ;)

You Are a Mai Tai

You aren't a big drinker, but you'll drink if the atmosphere is festive. And when you're drunk, watch out! You're easily carried away.

What Mixed Drink Are You?

No more driving in heavy rain...

It was a rainy day today...this morning it was raining rather heavily. I venture out the door on my way to work around 7:45. I decide instead of driving my normal route down 216, I decided to drive down below the house and jump on the interstate. I drive about 55-60 mph from there almost all the way to work due to the heavy rain...

However, about 15 miles into my trip, I get a big, fat, freakin' scare of a lifetime!!!

I'm driving down the interstate and am already paranoid about water building up on the road...and have to hang on tight to the steering wheel a few times... I get to the Tuscaloosa/Jefferson County line when my day nearly becomes REALLY bad... I hit a big, REALLY BIG patch of water. I find out real quick I'm not going to stop my car. It was all I could do to keep the car in my lane. Well, this story could be almost identical to any story about someone hydroplaning on a road.

Of couse, this must go one step further.

On this particular section of interstate, there is a large barrier in between the east bound and west bound lanes... As I'm sliding across the water...I see HEADLIGHTS...AIMED AT ME! Apparently a car hit the same patch of water going much faster then I was...and had spun around...and ended up on the far left side of the road...aimed the WRONG WAY... Due to hydroplaning, I was headed for the far left side...thinking I was about to hit the barrier...but then notice the headlights and the car!!!! The last thing I remember thinking as I was doing my best to control my car, which was out of control at this point, was, "Oh God, this is it"...and I started to prepare for the huge impact that was coming!

Somehow...my tires gripped the road as I was about 15 yards from the car...and I was able to get back on my side of the road... I came within 3 feet of actually clipping the car! I can't imagine what was going through the mind of the person in the other car!!!

My......God..... I thought I was going to have to stop the car and throw-up. I came so close to being hurt really bad...if not killed! My back was hurting so bad afterwards...since my body was preparing for impact. I hope the unfortunate person who spun around and was probably waiting to get back in the road when I came by made it out of there ok...

Thank God I'm a somewhat steady driver... Not many people would have been able to manuver through that!

The rest of the day was rather exhausting...I'm planning on going to sleep a little early tonight.

Yawn.......

I'm so SLEEPY!! ;) I was up a little too late last night...and today has just drug on so slowly.

I'm beginning to hate work again...maybe it will pass...if not, I might be job hunting sooner or later. I'm getting a little tired of the spiteful, jaded world of news...

I'm watching the Lincoln documentary on The History Channel...pretty good stuff! Looks like something I'd try to produce if I had the time and money!

I can't leave for a few hours...

I send an email in to work Saturday morning...some breaking news occurs overnight and I caught wind of it. I go to the website and of course...no mention of anything. I send an email in and tell someone to POST IT! Is it posted?? No. Am I going to pitch a fit? Hell yes! I am NOT HAPPY about this... All someone needed to do was copy and paste this...maybe make a few cosmetic adjustments...that's about it. I will be "laying down the law" in regards to this and other things this week, though. A mandate from the corporate goons was that "this is the year of multimedia in the media biz." This means I WILL NEED HELP! If I don't get coorperation from that blasted newsroom, I will bring in some "forces" and I will "take care of it!" My goal for 2006 is to beat the other stations as often as possible on the web to just about everything. So far I was getting the job done! Grr!

Zook and I took a trip down to Brock's house in Opelika Saturday. This was the first time I've seen him since we graduated (May 2004). I think I was out of the country when he moved down that way...and I just haven't been able to get down there like I probably should have already. It was good to go down for a visit, and his wife was nice enough to cook for us! I'll probably be making another trip down there soon due to work...and if I want to visit again any time soon, I'd probably have to anyway...his wife will have their baby in about 8 more weeks!

And this week I'll be seeing more friends... Jill will be coming into town for a visit and to pick up Lori...and they'll be flying back to South Bend on Thursday. I haven't seen Jill since July...so it'll be nice to pick on her a bit... I saw Lori back in December...but it's always nice to see old friends occasionally (and for all of us TV people to find another restaurant we could potentially be kicked out of! ;)).

Word... ;)

Another busy day...now I feel like crap! All three of my sisters kids have been sick with some sort of bug...and I'm afraid I might have caught it. I need to shake it soon...I'm planning a trip to Opelika Saturday, and I'd like to be well! Otherwise, nothing all that big going on lately...

I've been so freakin' busy this week...

I've only worked two days this week and I've already worked myself into exhaustion! It's not because I took the rest of my vacation left over...all this new work that's popped up that needed attention is getting me.

*WARNING...I'M ON MY SOAPBOX FOR THE REST OF THIS POST!* ;)

By now, most of you have heard about the mine disaster in West Virginia...and the "debockle" over whether the miners were alive or dead. I watched a few pundits (I don't call them journalists by any means) discuss it. In one instance, it almost seemed like one network placed all blame on anybody but themselves. However, as one professional that was interviewed put it, couldn't everyone have said "they are reportedly alive?" This person went on to say the term "unconfirmed" would have been just as useful...just to be on the safe side...until they saw the miners brought out ALIVE!

Being a former news assignment editor, I know the value of MAKING DAMN SURE your right. But, speaking as a professional in the news business, there are too many "hot dogs" out there who have to be FIRST...even if they're not right. But what happens to these "hot dogs" when they have to retract a story?? Do they apologize?? Do they say to themselves and their newsroom, "Folks...we need to do better...and make sure we know damn sure next time!" It's always been my belief to above all be correct...even if you're not first...because I've seen first hand news people in my market botch something not quite as serious...but there are probably next to no ramifications... Should something be done about this?? Should news outlets be held accountable??

On the flipside...I can't completely complain about the newspeople getting it totally wrong...seeing as how the freakin' coal company had the wrong information too (so they say)...and after they found out for sure there was only one survivor...they still waited longer then they should have before telling the family. I call that flat-out wrong!

But back to the media...I did see where most networks and local stations had crews at the local hospital...where, caught on video, hospital employees said they had heard more survivors were coming...but none had shown up...and nobody had called them saying more were coming or "nevermind."

After hour one, a good old "hang on just a second..." should have been uttered...and a good producer should have asked the question, "What the hell??" If I was a producer doing live coverage of this, I would have had everyone in my newsroom on the phones looking for the "survivors." Why did only one ambulance with one survivor leave and no others?? Something would have defintley not been right...at least in my mind.

My opinion? The mine is primarily at fault...but eveyr blasted media outlet should apologize for jumping the gun...and I mean every single network to every single tv affiliate...to every single paper and magazine who got it wrong!

This is very similar to the 1972 olympics in Munich...where several Israeli athletes where held hostage...and killed... Everyone got that wrong, too...except one sports announcer, whose name I cannot remember... It's called being very, VERY careful with what you say...especially in situations like this.

And as the son of a coal miner who witnessed a very similar tragedy in my own hometown, my thoughts are with the families...and may God have mercy on the soul-less coal company executives!

Happy 2006!

Yipee! It's 2006! Whoop-dee-freggin'-doo! ;) So far so good, at least...this being January 2!

Not much of anything has happened in the last few days... It has been kind of quiet. Well, in a few more days one of my last close friends will be moving off somewhere. Only three hours away, as opposed to a 14-hour plane ride to China to see the other one...but he'll be back sometime in June. It's looking like I'll be waiting until around August (no thanks to him!! :P) before I go on vacation. I can't do another late March/early April vacation again. When I go to the beach...I like it hot...without all the dang rain.

T minus about two weeks (give or take...maybe it'll be next week) before my trip to Columbus GA to do a little work at another station. Gotta work on getting a few things organized, operational and implemented. The ole "nixie the nazi" attitude may come out on this trip...only because the management at this station makes me think they'll drive my counterpart crazy and she'll run screaming! I just want all bases covered...because if she goes...I get to deal with the work...and I've got plenty to deal with where I am.

Here's a summary of my holiday:
*Ate
*Played video games with the newphews and nieces
*Ate pie
*Watched TV
*Ate again
*Made my neighborhood sound like a "war zone" (New Year's Eve...shooting of the fireworks!)
*Managed not to drink too much this New Year's...though nobody who was over did...
*Looked back and decided I ate waaaaay too much!

Oh well...I think I'll live! ;)

Where did October go??

You mean to tell me today is December 20th? 2006 is almost here??? Geez! I remember 1986 pretty dog gone well... Dang I'm getting old.

Let me just say, it was FREAKIN' cold atop Red Mountain this morning. The sun had been up for two hours when I got there and it was still 23 blasted degrees! I've made my Dad fill all our propane tanks and gas cans...so that when the freak ice storm hits, we'll be covered! ;) I can almost assure you...Alabama will see either a lot of snow or ice between now and March 15th. I'm almost willing to put money on it...it's been way too cold way too early.

Well, I'm going to be a little busy between now and probably the middle of January. Of course, work takes up most of my time these days...mostly due to the fact I normally just want to go directly home afterwards because I'm tired...or people I might hang out with from work are just getting to their lunch hour. Oh the trials of having "bankers hours." However, I'm thinking of taking a couple weekend road trips this coming year. None of my friends are going to be nearby anymore...and I've got all the time in the world to goof off and do what I've wanted to do for a long time. Get in the car with a suitcase and not know exactly where I'm going to end up.

Things at work are going just peachy right now. I got a raise (a nice one) after only six months in this current job. I am, however, finding myself a little more bored than usual. I almost think I'm better suited to work outside instead of inside... However, on cold mornings like this was, I'm pretty glad I have a nice, sometimes warm, office to work in.

Now that I got the raise, the question is will I move closer to work? Until I get my first paycheck with the raise attached, I would have to decline. I'd much rather go out and buy a house, but I still don't know if I want to stay right where I'm at right now...which is the other big reason I'm not prepared to waste my time and money on moving a few miles... What I really want to do is fool with commercial production or documentaries...and I'm not seeing too many jobs for those out there at the moment. I'm beginning to think I'd like to just wash my hands of this station and company all together. The station itself I'm still uncomfortable around... It's sad...because I like some of my co-workers there...and my co-workers at other stations I'm fairly fond of... But I've just never felt that good feeling about where I'm at...so some changes may be coming in the next year.

What do I have planned to resolve next year?? Here's a list of what I have planned out (don't laugh...too hard ;)):

1.) Get out and travel a little more (without a hurricane in the vicinity)
2.) Lose 10 lbs. (doubtful)
3.) Get a girlfriend (I dunno...I've been out of the dating scene a while...a long while...we'll see)
4.) Go to at least ONE movie (if there are any good ones this time...last year was kind of a let down...)
5.) Eat more pie
6.) Find world peace
7.) Eat more pie

Blah...

I need some excitement... I don't think I'll go as far as fly somewhere...but I'd get a kick out of it if I did. This is all probably due to the fact that I was FRAZZLED by Friday of last week and, for the first time in a while, was LOOKING FORWARD to Friday ending. I feel better now...and am ready to get back to it.

I had some "suits" to deal with last week. My first time dealing with people from Richmond on my own turf, but I think it went pretty dog-gone well. They got to see me do a lot of different things, and helping out other websites that I don't normally do (in this case...it was breaking news). I'm glad they're gone...I couldn't deal with more "ideas" on how to make that site better. I have plenty of ideas...getting them implemented is a whole different story. There will probably be a few considerable changes to the site this week... I've gotten a few things done and still waiting on approval for a few others.

I'm finding myself getting more competitive about this job...and the fact that I'm trying to stay ahead of sister-stations! I've noticed ever since I began posting a video forecast on my site, other stations have followed suit (yeah, thanks...no I don't mind...it was my idea and all...I know you're copying...I was scanning every website for a few weeks before getting THAT little video forecast going). It doesn't matter...the sales management can't get enough of me right now...which means I can get them to sell the site more...thus getting me a raise soon. If I said I was leaving, I think a few of them might cry! I'm pleased that I've made a few friends along the way now...

I started eating at a favorite old restaurant a few weeks ago. I was dismayed when things went bad there...but they're very much on the up and up... My friends and I are rather pleased by this...because it was always our favorite place to eat and get hammered. I haven't gotten "hammered" in a while...maybe that's what I need?? ;)

I'm going to decorate the outside of the house at the end of next week (after Thanksgiving). I haven't done it in a while...look out, I'll have to post some pics of "Nix Airport!" Lets see how many fuses I can blow this year (my record is about 12...but who's counting??). ;)

I can't get those damned orange/chocolate chip cookies from Ireland out of my mind!! I think I need to go pick-up a few bags!

You're kidding me, right?

I have got to get on my soap box now...this is just unreal to me...

I'm sitting at work today and decide to check on what the competiting stations' websites are looking like in my market. I go to check out what my old station is up to and see new weather graphics...

"Not bad," I say to myself. Though later I notice they've changed the station logo... Ok, this logo sucks...but whatever. My old boss at that station had made a rather nice logo a few years ago to use when the current owners bought...but they didn't want to use it. My suggestion is this would have been the time to use his stuff!

Anyway, I call my Dad and tell him to watch at 6 to see what they've done. He decides to record the whole thing for me (how entertaining this was).

I get home and he and my Mother tell me "You've got to see this!" He rewinds and low and behold...new animation, music and lower thirds...right out of the early 80's!!!

They are TERRIBLE!!!!! The music SUCKS!!!! Whose decision was this?!?!?! The station's up the road will most definitley be laughing more at them when they see this... You can only use the color YELLOW so much in broadcasting, but not ALL THE FREAKIN' TIME!!

I heard better news music in the 90's! I know I left that station with more than one news-music package that sounded much better then that garbage! The opens for weather and sports are EXCEPTIONALLY bad...the happy "out in a forest at sunrise in front of a lake" music doesn't do well with sports, nor does it do well with weather!

I think I could have plucked out a few nice chords on a casio keyboard and came up with better music! My earlier work with photoshop looked much nicer then this crap!

Why am I concerned?? Even though I was surrounded by idiots in certain departments I did try to leave a nice legacy...small things that would try and make them look a little more professional. Some things didn't do so well, but others did... I demanded a standard look to everything...even a standard sound in regards to music!!! Everything matched as well as it could (considering the circumstances). I really hope the new man in charge and my old boss weren't that crazy about these graphics and music. I'd expeced more from these folks... If this is what they're going to try and sell, you won't see me back at home any time soon!!!!!

Ok, off the soap box, I have big things planned for my current station's web site...stuff that will most likely give me almost complete job security... I can see the hits going up even more between now and January...stay tuned, more at 6! ;)

Near Death Experience

For those of you who know about the root canal and my recent tooth pain...this isn't about that.

So I get to leave a few minutes early today from work thanks to working late due to elections. Whilst minding my own business on the drive home (on a certain state highway that needs work) I wander through a one-mile area infamously known as Dead Man's Curve (yes, it's curvy the whole mile...many people have been killed in this one-mile stretch of road).

I'm on the last curve of that section when, as I'm beginning to bear to the left, a jeep comes around as if it's about to hit me head on! I hit the side of the road as fast as I can and see this jeep come within inches of hitting me as it goes by my driver-side window!! This idiot may have even missed the fact he almost hit me...because as I look back quickly to try and get the tag number, he's IN THAT LANE! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE!?!? I almost needed to pull off the side of the road to catch my breath and slow down the blood pressure...

I've driven this route almost a year to the freakin' day I started on a regular basis and this makes the first time something like this has happened! I'm willing to bet seriously that it was one of those stupid high school students who can't drive to save their lives! I either need to drive a different route (unlikely) or move (unlikely again) or find another job! I might move if I could afford it...

Rable rable rable!!

I'm not as big of a sports nut like many of my friends, but I'm quite happy with my dear old alma mater and the football team therein after this weekend. They did rather well...which impressed me. The last few years made me think they had about given up...or that just being on the team was a bigger high than actually winning. Well, I think that's a load of crap! As competitive as I am, I could care less about being on the team if it was me...rather, I'd prefer running someone over for the pure hell of it!! ;) Just the cold-hearted side of me...which peaks out every so often!

So it's going to be a long, freakin' week for me. Got to go to the dentist...twice! Bah! I hate the dentist!! Also got a new newscast for another station to do...and our newsroom doesn't have enough editors yet... I think the new people are hired...they just can't start until later for some reason. Therefore, I'll be editing my a$$ off for a few days along with my normal work.

And speaking of my normal work, I find out Friday around 4pm that our station is going to begin running a contest...of which there needs to be a page on our website devoted to it...complete with advertising... HA! So the national sales manager and the HR coordinator have to cool me down because it looks to them like I'm about to kill someone's grandmother!!!! Nobody there has seen me get "irritated" as of yet...until Friday! My boss, who takes care of all advertising stuff, will be in meetings in VA and FL for several days...and may not be able to do anything with it.

Has this left me in a bind?? Maybe. Will I make people miserable? If you know me, that's a stupid question!!! ;) Will this ever happen again? I don't think it will...I DO believe they now know not to screw with me...or next time... muahahahahahahahahaha!!! :P