Could be the end?

I'm seriously considering shutting this blog down. Not because I'm tired of it, but I've decided to start a new one that's hosted on my own server. I will more than likely cross-post to this one, but who knows. There will probably be more content on the new one, though.

If you'd like to head to the new destination (as I sarcastically realize this is a powerhouse and must-read blog anyhow...), check it out below, and update your bookmarks accordingly. :-)

http://blog.brockp.com

I've still got a lot of customizing to do to it, but I hope you stop by and enjoy!

Sunday night

We're finally home after a long weekend at Mom's place. We went down there to deliver some computer items to make her "technology life" a little better. By the way, thanks for letting us use your truck, Brian!

While there, we also got into and cleaned out her storage shed. I've had stuff in there since middle school, and it was time to finally clean it out. We freed up half the space in there, and we made room for a gun cabinet my grandfather made. It will be making its way to our house in the future.

One of the best treasures we found was an original Nintendo system, and it still works. I love my 360, but it was awesome to sit down last night and play Super Mario Bros. Yes, it will be hooked up to my TV here along with the 360. You've got to have some nostalgia in your life.

We also visited with my grandmother today. She is 90-years-old, and not doing well at all. Unfortunately, we weren't able to stay long, but I hope we can see her again soon. She's the last grandparent between Amy and I, and it's not looking good.

It was a pretty eventful weekend to say the least. We're all tired, so I'll close for now. Sorry for the sporadic updates. Sometimes life just feels like a routine.

Why I love Microsoft

The title of this post is simple: "Why I love Microsoft (or, Customer service gets it right)."

My cherished Xbox 360 died a couple of days after Christmas. I took it to my in-laws so we could play, then the "Ring of Light" flashed a bright red. I was prepared to break out the shovels and bury it six feet under.

Alas, it would not come to that. I called customer service because I read Microsoft extended the warranty for the machines built in 2005. They've had a high rate of failure, and the date on the back of mine said "December 2005."

The service rep was extremely nice, and I explained the symptoms. He then stepped me through a process that would eventually make me proud to be a Microsoft customer. He told me they would repair it at no cost to me. Sweet!

He told me to look for a box in the mail. A few days later, a box showed up with instructions. I was to place my beloved "time waster" in this box, apply the seal, slap on the pre-printed shipping label and send it to them.

This past Thursday, another box came to the house. I open it, and there she is! My 360 was home! Or... was she? She looked a tad different. My 360 was shipped to them without a faceplate. There was a brand new one staring back at me.

Curious.

I immediately flipped it around and didn't recognize the serial number. I looked at the manufacturing date: July 2006. My jaw dropped.

How could this be? My 360 died, and instead of charging me $150 like everyone else to repair it, they sent me a box (free shipping), told me they'd fix it (for free) and did, in my mind, the unthinkable.

They didn't repair my 360. They sent me a brand spanking new one for nothing... Not one cent. Customer support... Microsoft... treating the customer with the highest respect?

Yep. I've never heard of such a corporation going to these lengths. They usually want some money to take care of problems.

So, I sit here with my new 360 (a lot quieter than the old one, too), and I couldn't be happier with Microsoft. Unlike a lot of people, I've always liked MS products. Now, I can say customer support actually thought of the customer.

Kudos to you, Microsoft.

Hi

Haven't posted in a few days because I've got nothing to talk about. That means this is another meaningless post.

So... Hi.

New "Geico" Commercial

I couldn't resist throwing this up here. I have good friends who are Tennessee fans, so please forgive me for this one.

You've seen the Geico commercial with the caveman on the moving sidewalk in the airport? Well, apparently here's the version from Knoxville.

You're on notice!

Welcome to Alabama! Everyone else, you're on notice! :-)

We've got him!!!!!!

Welcome to Tuscaloosa, Coach Nick Saban! Welcome back to the college ranks!

Saban rolls with the Tide

Yes, he denied becoming the Alabama coach, but he did so because reporters kept bugging him about it. He had to protect his job. It's common for coaches to do that these days (Remember Fran to TAMU and Tuberville to Auburn?).

Will he be at Alabama long? Who knows, but at least we have him for now. He wasn't the greatest in the pros, but he's a great college coach.

Mal Moore can now retire with a little more class.

The fun is over

It's getting mighty close to January 2, 2007. That means in about 14 more hours, I'm heading back to work after a 10-day break.

It's been a great vacation. It's the first one I've had since Christmas 2005, and I don't count that week Alyssa was born as vacation. :-) It was joyous, but hectic with everyone constantly at the house.

I love my job and station. I'm very blessed to be in a place I enjoy with people I enjoy even more. That being said, I did not enjoy November or December 2006 at work. I haven't told a lot of people because no one really wants to hear my complaints, but there was hardly a day I was happy to be there.

I imagine it had a lot to do with the holidays rolling around and being anxious for some time off. On the other hand, there were only a couple of stories I really got fired up about (the big one being the local "We Are Marshall" piece). Outside of that, every day was just "eh."

My two big resolutions this year are knock a dent in the debt and relax more at work. Some would say, "Relax? In news?" Yes, because I can handle the stress better than some. If you've never been in a TV news environment with a deadline and breaking stories looming, you've never seen stress... :-)

Not everyone can be on television where people recognize you and trust what you tell them. That's a blessing, and I love it. I just want to capture that fire I had. Now that I've been away for a few days, I know it'll show up again.

Here's to a great 2007!

Adios, 2006!

This is it: The final day of 2006! This year has been great to say the least. It started off better than any man could hope for with Alyssa's birth in February.

It's also ending on high note. Alyssa had her first Christmas, and boy did she rack up. We were on the road from the 22nd to the 27th, and we've been at home since then. However, we're still sorting out the toys and gifts. It was a wonderful Christmas with all three families. We all got lots of quality time and great gifts.

If that last sentence isn't structured well, that's okay. I'm very sleepy at the moment. :-)

It's been great being away from work. I really haven't had a vacation since last Christmas, and I haven't missed the station at all. Don't read anything negative into that, but it's been nice not having to come up with stories every day. It's just been relaxing.

I did go to the station in Columbus last night, though. I went to hang out after work with some buddies I haven't seen in a while. A couple of them are basically heading out the door to other jobs in a few months, and that breaks my heart. I've had two great years with them, and I know our friendships will always be there.

I also went with Brian to see "We Are Marshall" today. I did a story a couple of weeks ago with Mike Morehouse. His dad, Gene, was the radio guy when the team plane crashed. Spending that evening interviewing his family really made me want to see the movie, and it did not disappoint. It was a very touching movie, and it's definitely one I'll buy when it comes to DVD.

I guess that will do it for tonight. We're all pooped, and I've got two more days of freedom. I'll go get some rest so I can enjoy them. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

This is kind of a copy-and-paste post from last year with a few adjustments. It's Friday night, and I've still got a lot of packing to do. What more do you want? :-)

With that said, from my family to yours, have a safe and merry Christmas! We wish you all of God's blessings and mercies this holiday season. This blog shall return when we do. We've got a few days on the road, then a few days at home to relax.

And the best part of it? We get to watch Alyssa tear into paper and boxes Christmas morning. This is what life should be like all the time. :-)

At the end

Breaking at 10:10 a.m. CST:

This is a story I covered at my old station in Tuscaloosa:

Body of Heaven LaShae Ross found

I'm glad her remains have been located, but I feel so bad for the family. I interviewed them a few times after she went missing in 2003. I went to several vigils and events for her, and it's sad it ended like this.

I hope there is justice for Shae.

New photo galleries

I've updated the photo galleries on my personal site, BrockP.com. They're Flash files, so they'll be easier to update. I've been asked by several people to update Alyssa's pictures more often, so maybe these will help.

And just for grins...

Deal of the day

Greetings on this fine Saturday night. It's been a week since the last post, but I won't get into how this week has been. I'll just say it's been good, but boy... I cannot wait until Friday again when I start my vacation. I love my job, but I haven't had a string of days off since Alyssa was born in February. It's time.

Today was a relaxing day. The females of the house went to Macon to see a friend, and I did basically nothing. That is, until I went shopping shortly after 10:00 a.m.

I have wanted a DVD recorder for the last four years. We were living in Tuscaloosa when they first hit the shelves. I drooled over them, but I wasn't ready to jump at the $800 price tag they were commanding.

Since that time, I have adapted and overcome. We've had TiVo for more than a year, and it's set up with a wireless connection to my computer. I download the shows and transfer them to DVD with my PC's burner.

Needless to say, it's a lengthy process when a two-hour show takes about three hours to transfer through the air. I'm keeping a lot of my reports and newscasts on TiVo, but space is becoming a precious item. I needed a way to get them onto DVD more quickly.

All that's been said to talk about my "deal of the day." The recorder I've been looking into costs $170 at Best Buy (which I'm a proud "Reward Zone" member). The last three weeks have been good to me concerning BB.

My "Reward Zone" membership landed me some gift certificates, and it also gave me a 12 percent off coupon in the mail. Throw in a couple of gift cards from the station Christmas party, and I'm in good shape.

Today, I bit the bullet. I marched in there, picked up the recorder and headed to the cashier. Poor girl never knew what was coming as I whipped out two WTVM Visa gift cards, a gift certificate, the 12 percent coupon, cash and a check card. Yes, you counted correctly: Six forms of payment.

She just looked at me, and I immediately apologized. She laughed about it and told me it was the funniest thing she'd seen all day (glad I could make her smile). I watched with delight as she knocked all the "free money" off the price.

I thought I would still wind up with paying a bit out-of-pocket, but the total of my hard-earned cash came out to $0.76. I bought a $170 DVD recorder for less than a dollar. Even Amy was amazed to see what I pulled off when she got home.

So, I now have that recorder, and I've put it to good use. I've already burned nine stories off the TiVo, and it's breathing easier with the extra room. However, the funniest part of the deal is I ran off from home and forgot my change on the kitchen counter.

I had to put the $0.76 on my check card.

No Time For Panic

Cecil Hurt is the sports editor for the Tuscaloosa News. He's also one of the only people I trust to accurately report on Alabama athletics. The rest of the people I trust are those on that T-News staff, along with Paul Finebaum (I may catch heck for that name).

That aside, Hurt has a great head on his shoulders when it comes to looking at the future of Alabama football. All you have to do is read his article below.

Now is not the time for UA to lose focus

Kudos, Cecil.

No Coach Rod

Well, Coach Rod decided to stay at West Virginia. That's where he and his family are originally from, so I can't fault him. Best of luck to you guys.

Bama moves on in the coaching search. I think I'll be a little more patient this time. We'll get someone who's right for the job.

If not, ESPN has all the more ammunition toward us.

The clock ticks down for Coach Rod

What a week it's been. We've seen Shula fired, now we are anxiously waiting for these next three days to pass. According to ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel Tuesday night, Bama will decide whether or not to offer current West Virginia University Coach Rich Rodriguez the head job within 72 hours.

I watched the WVU-Rutgers game Saturday night with Dad. Am I impressed with him? You'd better believe it. From everything I've seen and read, I'm all for this man to take over the Crimson Helm.

Spurrier would've been nice. Saban, too, but I think we're about to have a quality and disciplined man leading our team.

I hope we can soon say, "Welcome to Tuscaloosa, Coach Rod."

SHULA FIRED!

Wow... It's just after 1:00 a.m. Monday morning, and Tuscaloosa News is reporting Mike Shula has been fired as Alabama's head coach.

I hoped for it, but didn't think it'd happen. I like Shula as an individual, but he wasn't cut out for the job.

So... Who's our new coach? Spurrier? Saban?

Tick, tock, tick, tock...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, it's a day early, but I won't be thinking about this blog for the next few days. I know I don't post daily, so you probably won't even miss it. :-)

I've got to work on Turkey Day, but I've got a three-day weekend after that. My plan is to sleep in Friday, then we're heading to Mom's place Saturday morning. I'll head to the in-laws tomorrow night for T-Day dinner, and then I'll come home while Amy gets up early to go shopping (or whatever she's doing).

Anyhow, remember to be thankful for all you've been blessed with. There's always someone worse off than you are.

True?

First of all, let me say I was at the Iron Bowl, and I wasn't upset Auburn won again. Will it have an impact on Shula's future?

That's the rumor flying around radio and chat boards right now. Many are saying the Board of Trustees has met and decided Shula will not return next year. Even Finebaum this afternoon was "90 percent" sure Shula's as good as gone.

Now, everyone has an opinion. There's no need for me to dive into that old saying about rear ends and opinions. Rumors fly and they disappear. However, if Finebaum's hinting at it, I'd put a small dose of credibility into it.

Here's the thing: The Board can't fire Shula. They can only make a recommendation to the president and AD. They voted to keep Mike Price, but Dr. Robert Witt walked him to the chopping block.

Who knows what will happen. Interesting times are ahead once again for Bama. Can they just get a good coach in there and keep him for a while?

Please?

Can I borrow some money?

The big news of the day seems to be people waiting in line for the new PlayStation 3. Are they crazy for being in line for a couple of days? Not really.

Some of the reports I heard today came from college kids lined up outside the stores. The best part is many of them are not wanting the system for themselves. They're going to resell it on eBay.

Why wait? Because over the last few days, eBay buyers have been bidding upward of $2,500 for these systems. Yep. A $600 system for $2,500.

That's the smart portion of waiting two days in the cold. However, the buyers on eBay are pretty dumb sometimes. Here's where patience pays off.

Remember the Xbox 360 shortage last year? I was certainly one of the many who wanted to get my hands on it. I didn't go on eBay to get mine though. I played it smart.

When my family and friends asked me what I wanted for Christmas last year, I told them cash and Best Buy gift cards. My master plan was in motion. I was going to get the money and basically have someone else pay for my 360.

Fast forward to the beginning of February 2006. It just so happens I did get enough in Christmas gifts to buy my system. I walked into Best Buy one morning while they were still having the shortage, and I asked about the next shipment.

The employee graciously said, "Be here at 10:00 tomorrow morning. We'll have about 10 on the floor." Lo and behold, he was right. I waited outside until the doors opened, and there they were. I picked mine up, and I've been in love ever since.

The morale of the story? These systems come out in November, and there's going to be a shortage right off the bat. I basically got a free 360 for waiting until three months after the debut. Christmas is a beautiful thing (for many more important reasons than just gifts...).

Patience is key if you want one for yourself, but kudos to you guys in line looking to make an insane profit. I hope you walk out with one Friday morning.

To you guys buying one on eBay for that price? Suckers. :-)