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:

Winner, Winner....Chicken Dinner!

I love that line. John Bucigross from the 4-letter (ESPN) uses it all the time. Today, I'm borrowing it.

Finally, my short-term goal has been achieved. I got a full-time job. It's been 8 months since I last worked a 40-hour week, next week I will do it again.

Without a doubt, this was the hardest thing that I've ever had to do. I learned, learned a lot about both the job search and even more about myself.

((The WTLV-TV Rally Dogs, Circa 1992 (media league champs)//Courtesy: Jeff Imperial))

I've always been very goal oriented and that really was helpful. You have to be. The hardest thing for me was the networking. I've said it many times on this blog, job searching is a total different beast than it used to be.

One of the first things I did upon arriving in Cincinnati was to get involved with a couple of networking groups. Through them I met some people who introduced me to a few more people. Will they be long term friends, I don't know, but without them I could never have gotten my name out there like I was able to.

No, I didn't search the "New" textbook way. Though I did apply some of the things that I learned in and through those groups.

I went back to one of those groups this past Tuesday. Mostly to thank Pat Frew, the moderator/creator of the group who extended me an unbelievable amount of courtesy and help.
Pat spent some time in the TV business and is perhaps one of the most connected people in the greater Cincinnati area. I will never be able to thank him enough for his help.

I've always been one who is willing to help others. I always will. I want to know that people that I know don't go through what I did. I don't want them to take a demeaning job like I did for a period of time. I want everyone to find something that they are happy doing. I want, even if the national unemployment rate is hovering around 10%, for the people that I know, the people that I like to be happy. I want John Bucigross to look at them and be able to say "Winner, Winner...Chicken Dinner".

Enjoy your music clip. Cheap Trick doing "I want you to want me!"....

Restlessnessnessness.....

This is just kind of a random thought that I was wondering about. Ever since I started working again, my days at work go really fast and my days off go really slow. Why is this? It certainly didn't feel that way before I was unemployed.

Maybe I'm just restless. Maybe it is the excitement and newness of working again. Or maybe it is just that I am not spending all of my time when I'm not at work....looking for work. More than likely that is what it is.

((Extreme Close Up of Me//Courtesy: TLB))

The funny thing is I jumped right back into a routine. I started working right before we left to go on a short vacation. When I came back I had to work the next morning and then had 4 days of class once I finished my weekend. That got things moving at more of a normal speed.

Now I sit here anxious to do something on the days off. Granted, I did get some things accomplished today, but it has reeeaaaallly dragged out.

Sure, I posted a couple of stories to the OnlineSportsGuys website, I went to the bank, ran 3 miles, got the people who own the house we are renting to replace our broken microwave and arranged to go take a test. And I still have part of the day left. But Michelle will be home soon, we can have a beer or two, sit down to dinner and watch some TV tonight.

You know, as I write this, I'm beginning to think that it sounds like I am complaining, I am not. I do relish having time off and I am fully aware that I should be careful what I ask for.

This week will be better than last. I have a class tomorrow at the Computer school. Wednesday I have to go to the station and take my writing test (apparently I have to do this so they can promote me to full-time next week).

Before I know it, Friday will be here and I'll go back to work for three days. Next week I have 3 days worth of classes.

I'm about to go back to being a full-time employee. I'm going to have to drop a few of my classes, but not all of them. My time, even though it sounds like I'm complaining I have too much of it, will soon be gone. I relish the thought. I relish the challenge and I'm looking forward to doing much, much more than spending most of my day at the house...sitting in front of the computer.
(yes, I know i won't be able to post as much/that has slowed anyway)

Enjoy your STYX fix: Thanks Vevo and The You Tube

Long Nights...True Stories

We've finally begun to settle into a bit of a routine up hear in Southern Siberia and that is, I think a good thing.

This weekend I finally got cut loose and was on my own working the Assignment Desk Saturday and Sunday night. I can't say it was the greatest experience I've ever had...because it wasn't. Mind you it wasn't bad and I don't want it to sound like a complaint because I am really quite thankful for the job.

I never really had to work on the Desk much before this. Sure, I filled in on occasion...a shift here, a couple of hours there but never really had to do it regularly.

In some respects, its kind of interesting. You'd be amazed at the wide variety of people who call TV stations, particularly on the weekends.

My favorite thus far is Keith. He calls every Saturday and Sunday night, he's always drunk and he's always being chased by the KKK who are trying to beat him up. The conversation is usually quick, "I'm Keith (I can never understand his last name), I want to report that I'm bein' chased by the kkk and they is tryin' to beat me up". "Hi Keith, Okay, I'll look into it, I've gotta go, thanks for the call".

My other is the guy who wants to know why we aren't investigating the government making us a socialist state. Not "in the process of" for all my crazed republican friends but rather, "already done it". He also calls every weekend. "You do know that we've been taken over by a hostile force don't you?" "Why aren't you investigating them?" and "Don't you want to save Democracy?" . "Well sir, I can't start the investigation myself, but I will pass your concerns on to the I-Team, thanks for calling I've gotta go".

Love it. I learned a long time ago that when you get callers like that, you give them a minute and when they want you to say something...which they always do, you give them a long, run-on sentence that finishes with "I've gotta go" and hang up. Works every time.

Of course there a wide variety of others. I think that a lot of people believe that TV folks work 24-7. I got a call about 10pm this past Sunday..."I need to speak to someone on the I-Team right now". "Well, ma'am, they aren't here tonight, I can send you to their voicemail". "Why aren't they there?". "Well, they usually work during the week". "When should I call?". "Try after 10am on Monday".

There are other weird things that go along with this, most of the job involves either calling people or in a lot of cases police departments and taking calls from people.

This past Saturday, I had to try and get some information on a shooting that I sent a photographer to. He tried, but couldn't get much information. This happened in one of Cincinnati's smaller "Townships" (for those who have never been here, there are hundreds of them, some have their own PD's, some don't). I called the "Township" Police Deparment...not once, but seven times trying to get some information or at least someone who could tell me something. On the 7th try, I finally got a human being. "We can't release anything" "We'll be sending a release to you by no later than 2300 (11pm)". That release...showed up...at 2pm on Sunday.

Really, in some respects it is kind of fun. But it is also kind of sad. I always knew that people randomly called TV stations about pretty much every aspect of their lives, but over time you forget that. I never really understood it and I never really considered that a large view of the audience. It just I guess is a statement on people in general, there are always bad and strange, but I also know that there are plenty of good and normal...they are the ones you don't hear from.

Enjoy one of the truly great Classic Rock Groups...Styx featuring our Fav Tommy Shaw...singing about the "Blue Collar Man". Thanks You Tube:

Back to School....

I always wondered what it would be like to go back to school.

I was never a great student. Sure, I did pretty well when the spirit moved me...or if I was challenged. But more often than not I cruised by, did well enough to move along...but that was about it.

By now, you are probably tired of reading about me returning to work. I won't go into it, but I will say that part of my plan involves going back to school. No, not to get my masters. Quite honestly in the Journalism field...or more specifically the video world, a Masters Degree doesn't mean anything except that you are probably in debt.

((Computer picture//Courtesy: Clipartguide.com))

No, I am taking courses that would help me in what I do. Or at least something related to what I do. I am trying to get my Web Design certification. Partially because I just think that it would be good stuff to learn and partially because if I am decent at it, I stand a chance of making some money along with redesigning both this site and my production companies sites.

It isn't costing me a fortune and I'm not going to be in debt by taking the classes. Heck, I got a package deal at the Computer School that I'm attending.

The schedule is simple...sort of. I'm taking 17 one or two day courses at 8 hours per day. If you are thinking that is a lot you are right, it is. I'm doing this because the school offered a package deal that allows me to take as many courses as I can for 6 months at a set rate.

The 1st class was this week. Photoshop 1. You might be asking "You are paying for that?". Yeah, I am. I am because it showed me things that I would never know trying to learn the program on my own.

The classes are good. The 8 hours fly by. Rather than just listening to 8 hours of lecture, we are in front of a computer actually working with the software doing training exercises. Really, that is the best way to learn.

I think the last actual class that I took in College was in the fall of 1987. That's a long time ago. A lot of things have changed. Never mind the fact that I'm older, most of the things I want to learn didn't exist. That is what makes it fun though. That is what makes it a challenge. That is what makes this a worthwhile adventure; the chance to learn and the chance to apply what I've learned. It doesn't get much better than that.

In the spirit, enjoy a clip from the 80's classic Rodney Dangerfield movie Back to School. Thanks You Tube:

Waking Up in Vegas....

Well, I can't say that I haven't been there any more. I have. And I now see why every grown up that I know holds the place in such high regards.

You know it's funny, when we got there it the visual imagery kind of hit me several different ways. On one hand, I just kept harkening back to Stephen King's usage of it in the movie The Stand. On the other hand, the biggest impression that I got was that I stepped into a hybrid of South Beach, Panama City, Adult Disney World and Cancun...kind of all mixed together.

((The strip at night//Courtesy: Me))

Of course I am talking about Las Vegas. In case any of you didn't know, that is where I've been all week. That is why you haven't been subjected to my wonderful blogposts.

It is probably a good thing that I didn't go there until now. Really, had I gone when I was in my early 20's, it wouldn't have been good. Sure, I would have had fun, but I would have been in trouble...bad trouble.

Just walking around, it is obvious. Everything goes. The beer and drink supply...endless. And it's cheap. Inhabitions...forget about them. Publicly doing things you'd never normally do...absolutely.

Since we are a bit older, we had more of a mellow trip. Yeah, there was a good amount of beer drank, but not a ton. Sure, we gambled a bit, but not much. Probably because I lost $40 bucks in about 5 minutes playing Blackjack.

((Me and TLB at the Wynn/Courtesy: Lisa Hart))

But damn! Anything you want to do is there. It isn't cheap. It's ballpark/vacation expensive....everything costs more there. But there is more of it. More food than you can imagine. Frozen Drinks, mixed drinks, cheap beer, imported beer....everything...and oh so much more.

Really, we didn't do much of that. We ate. We ate well. Very well. Gambled a bit and walked...a lot. And oh...we went to check out some Pawn Shop that a TV/Reality show is done in. I didn't get much out of that one, it looked like a smaller version of any generic Pawn Shop you could walk into.

But perhaps my favorite thing....or at least funniest is the handout guys. Mostly they are illegal immigrants or homeless folks trying to make a buck.

What do they do? They stand up and down the sidewalk trying to hand you brochures. Okay, cards or fliers to "Call Girls to your room" or "Girls at xxx Club". It cracks me up because when you are about to walk by, they "clap" the cards together and then try and shove one in your hands.

((Daytime Vegas/Courtesy: Me))

Are they annoying? Sort of. They don't actually stuff them in your hands. They back off if you ignore them...but they are funny never the less.

It probably could have been more fun with more money, but...you do what you can do with what you've got. I really did enjoy the trip. TLB (The Lovely Bride) and I had a lot of fun. Mostly we tried to relax and not think about our world at home...and that was a good thing.

Sure, the flight out sucked. 4 hours in an airplane is tough for me, most planes aren't built for people over 6-feet tall or people with broad shoulders. But it was worth it.

I'd go back. I'd go back in a minute. I'd go back armed with more money. I wouldn't go back for a long period of time because I did learn a lesson. As great a place as Vegas is, no, I wouldn't want to live there and I also wouldn't want to stay longer than the 3 nights that I did.

Enjoy Katy Perry's Waking Up in Vegas...the Unplugged version: Thanks Katy Perry.com/You Tube