Writing is such sweet sorrow....

Man, just when I thought that I had become a good writer, I discover that I am struggling to write news.

Granted, news is an entirely different beast. It's a prepositionally challenged, detail oriented, shortened version of storytelling. But it's something that I've dabbled in before with no real problems.

You would think that if I could write entire Sports shows, 30-minutes and hour versions, that I wouldn't have any problems. You would think even more so if I told you about the book (which is about to go to print)...but then again, it was a sports book. You would definitely think so if I told you that I've written tons of reporter packages for News....so it is not like I've never done it.

((Writing on the computer//Courtesy: clipartguide.com))

But I'm struggling for some reason. Stylistically, I've adjusted. I get the format. A sentence to set up and then write your voice-over. Yeah, I can do that. I can summarize just about anything in 30 seconds or less. But I've been sloppy.

It's my own fault, I know better. And as someone with a ton of experience, I'm the only one who can make it stop. Still, it's a struggle.

I've never had a problem expressing myself through writing. Never. Even as a kid when I was painfully shy and didn't talk much, I wrote. Wrote about everything and expressed myself well.

All through school and even in college, I was a good writer. Loved essay tests because even if I didn't know the subject that I had to write about well, I could fake my way through it.

Maybe it's the OSG Sports blog. I don't know. The rules don't totally apply there and I can add dashes and doses of humor and opinion.

We will see. It's time for me to make the adjustment and make it soon. I'm expected to write 5-7 stories a day along with doing all of the research for them. The research has been a challenge and very time consuming, but it isn't an excuse. Sure, I had a similar issue when I was learning to shoot, I was wildly inconsistent and I know that. There were days where my stuff was "Holy Crap" good and other days when it was just "Crap". I grew out of it. It took awhile, but I did.

I don't have the luxury of time with it now. No, I didn't get chewed out at work, but I did get a subtle reminder that I need to pick it up. Nothing else I guess, really needs to be said.

So, in the spirit of this being Friday, enjoy some Todd Rundgren. Thanks You Tube:

Getting old.....Must Excercise

As much as I like to think that I'm still oh...somewhere south of 30 in age, the fact is, I'm not. When I was younger, I was a pretty decent athlete, moved pretty well for someone 6-5.

Now, I don't move nearly as well as I used to. I'm still trying to stay active without having to dish out money or sign a contract for a health club.

No, I haven't found some folks to play golf with though I have found an ok driving range. I don't, well really, can't play basketball much any more, which isn't such a bad thing. I'd love to find a softball team here, but I haven't.

So in the meantime, I run. I've blogged about running before, so I won't go into too much detail. I was running on a treadmill for a good while and really started running out in the neighborhood for most of the past year and a half.

((See look at the gray in my beard//Courtesy: TLB))

On the good side, I lost some weight. I was in very good condition and just generally felt better. Really, I hoped there wasn't going to be a downside, but it is now showing up. I missed most of the past two weeks due to tendinitis in my left foot and ankle and I'm just trying to get back up to speed.

That is all good, but my foot still hurts after I run as does my right ankle (the one with 2 bone spurs). I'm guessing that means it is time to give in. If I want to try and stay in shape I'm going to have to go to a health club. Running on the pavement, I knew would eventually get to me, I was just hoping that it would take longer.

I hate doing that mostly because I don't want to be tied to a contract. But, I don't want to be out of shape again. I got up to 270lbs when I got married in 2007, I'm down under 230 now and want to stay there.

Maybe it is just age, I don't know. Things don't come as easy and the hurt a lot longer, but the work is necessary. I could just take the lazy way out, particularly since I've been really busy, but I don't want to. I like being in decent shape. I like being able to move. It affects the energy level each day. Really it does.

Enjoy today's music of appropriateness: We have Van Halen....need we say more. Thanks You Tube:

The Love of Being Busy...

You know...there was a time, not too long ago, where I complained that I was too busy, that I had too much to do and that I just wanted to do nothing. I will never do that again. After being essentially unemployed for 7 months, I'll do every...and anything.

The past two weeks...they've been real busy and quite honestly....I've loved every minute of it. I'm working full-time again and loving every minute of it. I'm learning every day and its a challenge, there isn't much else that I can ask for is there?

((The Wonder Dog has been missing me//Courtesy: TLB))

I'm making the transition into writing news. It's been a bit of a challenge, but I'm getting there. The style and structure of how news is written as opposed to sports is 180 degrees different. There is also a big difference between writing full-fledged packages (stories with reporters voices) and writing anchor voice-overs.

The tough part has been the editing. The workflow for it is totally different than the last place that I worked as is the actual editing program. I'm starting to pick it up and actually cut a package on Friday in less than an hour, which surprised everyone...including me. But I already knew how to edit, I just needed to figure out how to get the program to do what I needed.

I've also been posting stories to the station website (WCPO.com). Needless to say, this has been a little easier to learn since I post here and on the Onlinesportsguys websites. But, its kinda fun to able to say that I am technically a web producer as well.

The other time eater has been school. Yes, that's right...I'm taking classes. Computer Web Design to be specific. I had class this past Monday and Tuesday which were my off days. That's why I've been so busy and haven't been able to post much.

Class has been interesting. I've learned how to use Photoshop and Dreamweaver and some programming language. I get the concepts, I just have to start getting in there and start practicing...though I also need the money to buy the programs (they ain't cheap). But that too will come. I'm patient. I'm not in a hurry. No, I'm actually enjoying the thought of being busy again. You don't really know how much you miss it...until you aren't busy.

With all of the Dreamweaver jokes flying around since I posted on Facebook about taking a class in the program...it's only appropriate that I post the song. Enjoy Gary Wright playing live...Thanks You Tube:

Craziness!

Whew! You know I really never thought that it would be "Big City" crazy living in Cincinnati, but I'll be damned if the city isn't trying to prove me wrong.

Last night (Saturday) at work was one of the strangest shifts that I've worked in my going on 22 years in the News business.

Starting at 2pm yesterday we had: 4-people shot, 2 of whom are dead, a murder-suicide, a 2-alarm house fire and another homicide.

Now I realized that we live in troubled times and all of that and yes, I know that I've been working mostly in Sports over the past 10 years. But geez, the only thing missing was a plane crash (Maybe I shouldn't say that out loud).

((Me at a Reds game//Courtesy: TLB))

I'm hoping that it won't be like that all of the time. Heck, even in Atlanta we didn't have many days like that.

Somehow, even with very limited weekend staffing, we got it all covered. Even with only one reporter and one nightside photographer. The dayside guy was able to keep us going with the stuff in the afternoon, that freed up the night shooter to do the other stuff.

Whatever unsure-ness that I had about being back at at a TV station and not in the field pretty much has now gone away. Between running the dayside desk by myself on Friday and dealing with yesterday, I feel much better.

Now it is on to learning the producing systems. I'm beginning to post stories and video to the website, which is now a very big deal and I'm getting more comfortable writing for news. It is a little more difficult than I thought. Writing my own Sports stories and an occasion News package isn't too difficult, its the breaking news voice overs and the re-writes of poorly written wire stories where it becomes a challenge.

But, as they say...challenges are good. It is a lot more fun to be on the upside of a learning curve than the down side. At least for me...it keeps me involved and pushing forward. Learning is always a challenge and that folks...ain't such a bad thing.

Enjoy your accompanyment music...Ozzie does the "Crazy Train":

Different Food for Different Folks....

When you live in an area that is different from the area of which you are from, you sometimes notice differences. Granted, sometimes they are subtle or cultural, but they are all the same still differences.

TLB (The Lovely Bride) and I spent part of a warm, sunny Memorial Day afternoon at the Taste of Cinicnnati food festival. We consider ourselves somewhat enlightened on good, quality food and we expected nothing less at "The Taste".

((Me and a Peroni beer//Courtesy: TLB))

The Taste of Cincinnati is one of the country's oldest "Food" festivals. It's held in the downtown area, spread out along 5th street for about 6-8 blocks.

I guess that I should take the time now to point out that...well...we ain't from this part of the world. Granted, Cincinnati is more Northern Kentucky than a part of Ohio, but either way it is a pretty good distance from most of the world that we were raised in. Much like people in the North tend to mock the Southern lifestyle, that works both ways.

We've been to a couple of "Festivals" on the streets of downtown Cincy and quite honestly, though it was a somewhat strange event, we thoroughly enjoyed the "Oktoberfest Zinzinnati" event back in late September. How can you not love a 6-block long street party to celebrate beer?

So we went to the "Taste" with an open mind, looking for some adventure. We found it. We started at a pizza place. I had a sub with some pretty good Italian cold-cuts, TLB, a slice of their 4-cheese and spinach pizza. Yummm...pretty good stuff.

We made our way down the street noting places and items that sounded interesting. By the time we hit the mid-point of our walk, it was time for something else. Our choice "Bumble-bee stew" from a restaurant called J-Gumbo's. I was a mix of rice, corn, black beans, tomato's and a honey sweet broth. Yes, it was every bit as good as it sounded.

((Sauerkraut balls//Courtesy: TLB))

The next stop came after we finished our 1st lap of the festival. We stopped at a Thai food place (I can't remember the name) and got something called "Golden Delight". It essentially was a dumpling wrapped in a noodle shaped like a pouch and tied at the end. Combined with a spicy-sweet dipping sauce, it was pretty good.

After re-stocking the beer supply at the Blue Moon booth, we rolled on. Our last stop took us to something that we both had been curious about. When at the Oktoberfest event, we noticed that all the German places sold "Sauerkraut Balls". **Note to my friends** please stop snickering here.

We decided it was time to try the "Sauerkraut Balls". Thankfully, they were about what you would think they'd be. Think "hush-puppy" stuffed with Sauerkraut and you'd be pretty spot on.

Needless to say, some of this you would never find in the South. I don't think I am being disparaging in saying this. We've been to the "Taste of Atlanta", it was nothing like this. Well, actually they had a bunch of restaurants serving their foods too, the foods were just a tad bit different.

I won't totally go on record as saying that they have some odd tastes here because there are some really good eating places in town if you know where to look. What I am saying is that it is just different.

The food here is good, it is just mostly fried. It's mostly the heavy stuff, though we've found some awfully good hamburgers in this part of the world.

I'll also add that the beer selection is fantastic too. They have the usual people and places that don't expand there repertoires past Budwater and Millwater Lite, but not nearly as much as they do down south. No, there's some seriously good, deep, wide ranging beer taste's here, something that makes someone like me, who's into the craft beers....very, very happy.

Just because this is a kind of cool song...and there are some latent cultural differences in play too. Enjoy your music fix featuring Sweet singing "Ballroom Blitz". Thanks You Tube: