Hoagies and Back Pain

Ok, so no word on hoagies. This tells you my state of mind right now: Random stuff, all fluff.

I'm in quite a bit of pain. I was climbing up in a tree Monday morning to clear out some big limbs, and one came down, twisting my back in the process. I went to the doctor that afternoon, and I may have a torn/severely strained ligament in my middle back.

I took Monday and Tuesday off work. I never take sick days, but I couldn't even stand without hurting. I came back to work today (forgive me for writing during work hours, but I'm eating dinner), but I probably shouldn't have.

I'm woozy thanks to muscle relaxers and pain relievers, and my back still hurts a lot. It was extremely hard to do my story today, but thankfully it's done. I have to shoot all my own stuff, so I had to haul my gear around.

I've got an appointment Monday morning with a specialist. I've had these problems before, but not like this.

Okay... I think I'm finished whining. :-) Have a great night, see X3 and kiss May goodbye!

X-Men: The Last Stand

I just got back from seeing the new X-Men tonight. I am absolutely floored. I refused to read any reviews or any plot details before I went. That's not like me at all, especially since I've been patiently waiting on this one for a while.

I guess I didn't want to read the differences about Bryan Singer and Brett Ratner's directing styles. I'll just say that I am impressed with this one. I watch an awful lot of movies, and nothing really phases me. However, I felt my chest get heavy on more than a couple of occasions watching this one.

I highly recommend it, but only if you've seen the first two, or know the comics really well. They did take some artistic license, but it was worth it. I will be making a return trip to the theater very soon.

Awesome quote!

Just found a great quote about Jessica Simpson:

"Considering God gave her a walnut for a brain, it's a wonder she's not covered in burns from trying to shower in the oven."

Sometimes, you just find some gems on the 'Net.

Wednesday Thoughts

--Not a whole lot going on right now. I've been thinking a lot today after a conversation I had with a friend at one of the police departments. We always talk about a variety of subjects, and today got into divorce and what it means for the nation.
Anyhow, I always enjoy talking to officers because my dad was an Alabama State Trooper for 34 years. I have a lot of insight to those guys, and it does me good to be around them.

--Taylor Hicks won "American Idol," another home state guy. That was the first episode I've watched all season. I normally watch the really bad singers at the beginning, but working at night keeps me from a lot of things I enjoy. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a morning person. I've been day side all week, and I can't wait to sleep in again.

--I left a message for my boss today concerning my contract. We talked about it at length three weeks ago, and I still don't know the status. I now have less than four weeks left, and I don't want to leave or look for another job. I'm perfectly happy where I am and with what I'm doing. Thank goodness, though, sweeps is now over. Maybe we'll all have a little more free time to talk.

--Amy's officially a stay-at-home mom. I can't remember if I mentioned that in a previous post, and I'm too lazy right now to go back and look. Her school board approved a year's leave of absence so she can be home.
Come August, it's going to hurt financially. I don't mean a dull pain, either. I mean it's going to be a "rip my arms off and slap myself with them" pain. Hence, the worry over the contract.
If you're wondering why we're taking this risk, don't. If you don't have a child, you might not realize the benefits of having a parent at home to raise him/her. Alyssa will be better off in health, and we can instill our beliefs in her instead of some day care worker.

--I think I'm done. I know people from work read this, and I don't want to seem like I'm complaining about some things. I'm not. I'm just not in a good mood at the moment. My mind weighs heavy from time-to-time, and co-workers don't see enough of me to understand the funk I get in once in a blue moon. Writing just helps me work my thoughts out.

Have a great night.

Pardon this post...

...but the guy who took his laptop with sensitive information home should be castrated and fired.

Thieves Steal Personal Data Of 26.5 Million Vets

I normally don't get emotional over a story, but this bonehead possibly had my information on his laptop. I was honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1998, and the data stolen is for vets released after 1975.

Idiot, idiot, idiot...

Mother's Day 2006

Taken 5/13/06: 11.5 Weeks Old

Oh, man...

This had to be one of the most tiring, if not the most rewarding, weeks I've since I've been at WTVM. Everything hit big on Monday, and it didn't stop until after 11 p.m. Friday.

I'm not going over too many specifics, but here's a quick breakdown:

-Monday: Time problems from the start. I basically worked two stories, which threw everything and everyone off. I had my story, plus helped on someone else's. To top it off, I had to go to Columbus and replace my camera's power supply.

-Tuesday: Had to come into work early, shoot two stories and feed stuff down to our sister station, WSFA. Easy enough day, but my boss came over to take us out to dinner. Before our meal, we get filled in on some developing changes. Pretty cool stuff is happening.

-Wednesday: Get a great story with the police and state attorney general. Bad weather sets in, knocks out our feed from the bureau and I have to head back to Columbus for the third time in five days (about a 45 minute drive both ways).

-Thursday: Go up to cover a search for a missing airplane. Get great stuff up there and head back to the bureau (thankfully it's back up and running). Do my stuff, get off work and go shopping for Amy's Mother's Day gifts. Less than an hour later, they find the plane. Voluntarily, I head back to the crash site, get more stuff and report live that night. A double-shift, but a great story.

-Friday: Go back to the crash site, and the sheriff lets me get close-up footage of the wreckage. Because I stayed out there all day Thursday and Friday morning, they keep everyone else away from the wreck, giving me the exclusive! :-) Back to the bureau, getting packed to go home and a semi hits a school bus. Head out there, get a great story with a kid (You're welcome for my interviews, WSFA! :-) Your stuff also looked awesome, Charlie!) and report it live that night. Yep, second double-shift in a row.

I had overtime every day this week. Total hours for the week is 52.5. I think that's the most I've pulled in quite a while. That's what you have to do when it's sweeps and you're a one-man-band. :-)

I pray next week is more relaxing. I am still burned out even after a full night of sleep.

In other thoughts, I did get Amy's gifts put together today. Also, Alyssa is learning more about her hands. It was awesome watching her sitting on the couch playing with her fingers.

Pictures in the next post!

Wake me up inside

You ever just have that day where you don't know if you're coming or going? I'm sure you have. If you haven't, don't worry. You'll get out of your teen years before long.

Today was one of those days for me. I can't even recap what happened. That's how muddled my mind is, but I do know I went to dinner tonight with Sean and Hayley down in Columbus. I really enjoyed that.

I don't get to Columbus too often. I lived there for three years before we moved to Tuscaloosa, and I'll reserve my comments on it. Let's just say we really love Lee County.

When I do get down there, I get to see everyone at the station. I really like that a lot. It's nice to see people instead of just talking over the computer or phone with them.

Anyhow, I have a lot of things I'd really like to talk about. Again, I'm going to reserve comments. This is my "professional" blog, and I'm not about to say things about certain topics. Not all of it is "shop talk," but some of it is.

Before you ask, or get any ideas, none of my vents have to do with my station or the people that work there. The pain of being a nice guy sometimes is wanting to lash out at people, but you just don't have the heart or voice.

"I've tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn't even matter." --Linkin Park

Random Thoughts

-- I'm very tired tonight. I'm physically and mentally drained. It's that time of the week when I pull early-morning duty with Alyssa, and I work until near midnight. I wish more than anything I could take a day off work.

-- I was watching SportsCenter at the crack of dawn yesterday, and I saw one of the best stories ever produced. It was a special on the Challenger Football League. This league is for mentally disabled and terminally ill kids.
They put them in wheelchairs while their parents push them toward the goal line, or they run the ball in themselves. I cried watching it because I had Alyssa in my arms, and I was completely moved since I'm now a dad. Kudos to ESPN for that one.

-- I officially, kinda, sorta entered into contract negotiations today. I've only got seven weeks left until mine is up, and I want to stay. I called my boss to basically set up a time for me to go to Columbus and meet with him.
He caught me by surprise when he asked what I wanted. I've had a figure in my head for a while, especially since Amy and I have been talking the better part of a year about her being a stay-at-home mom. Needless to say, I wasn't prepared to say it today. I'll let you know how it goes.

-- We're both beyond exhaustion. Have a great night.