Thunder Moon

What happens when a car and a motorcycle meet? Usually it's never good.

Sunday finds myself and LJ, comfortably buckled into Unit 2, rolling north to Conroe. A man named Rex had been killed while riding his scooter the night before, and those who knew him are both mourning his death and celebrating his life. Sounds like the same old story, except Rex was the proprietor of Thirsty's Ice-House, which is where we are headed, and the gathering place of his extended family of fellow two-wheelers.

The bar is busy with bros and their old ladies who have nothing but praise for the man who presided over their chosen watering hole, and to hear them tell it, his heart was bigger than he was. Rex organized charity rides for children and got big, burly bikers to bring teddy bears to seniors for Christmas. The dichotomy of that imagery calls for a story to be done.

While we're wrapping up our second interview, the final response is drowned in the concussive rumblings of more motorcycles arriving. This group literally brings the thunder, revving their engines in a throaty tribute as one rider ruins his rear rubber in a cloud of smoke and heat. Those looking on alternately cheer and cry for the life of the man they've lost.

 

What didn't make it into the story is the shot of the full moon, plus rocket, which I can only assume was one guy's tribute to Apollo 11. Also left out were the racist comments being liberally thrown about regarding the illegal immigrants accused of the hit and run. LJ had to bite her tongue more than once as some of the guys said really nasty things, without realizing her hispanic heritage. To say we made short work of it would be an understatement.

Hot Story

Last week I was getting back into the swing of things after the vacation and ended up with two stories to shoot concerning the local dry spell.

The first was about fireworks retailers preparing to open for the July 4th sales season, and the second was just on the dry conditions. We didn't get anything develop until 5:30pm, and it was the fireworks story, so by the time we were done with that, we didn't have much time to shoot the second one.

We drove into a neighborhood, looking for dry yards and sprinklers, when we found a house with a sprinkler and people sitting around, enjoying the evening. The following story was shot in 30 minutes, split equally between b-roll and interviews.

Free Floats

Two years ago Sonic's free float night heralded the eve of the worst week of our lives, though we wouldn't know it until the morning.

Chloe and Claire were two weeks old and it was the first night of the NBA Finals. Erica and her mom were out and I was settling down to eat dinner and watch the game between feedings. Looking back on that night, I wish I had spent more time with the girls, but I don't know what I might have done differently.

It was time for them to sleep, so I moved them to their room where it would be a little quieter. Looking back, I'm sure that Chloe was already ill by now, but a call to the doctor's office resulted in a wait-and-see response, because she had no symptoms other than not eating well. Would I have noticed anything sooner if I had kept them in the living room? Probably not, but I still feel like I didn't do my job.

These are the thoughts that were the first to spring to mind when I heard the ad on the radio. I ought to think, "Free root beer float! Mmmmm, I know where I'll be tonight." Instead I knew where I wasn't going to be. I didn't have the heart to go, and couldn't even get excited about tasting one. It's strange how something as insignificant as free float night is now inextricably linked to such a significant time in my life.

Claire is now two years old and knows that going to Sonic means she's going to get an ice cream cone. She would have loved to get a float last night, but we didn't go. I have such pride in her when I look at her and realize that she's learned something new. We're actually able to have conversations. Admittedly I usually have to lead her through them, but she responds with a confident 'Yeah' to my questions. Now she's trying to use full sentences. Her face scrunches up as she's trying to get the words from her mind through to us. It's great, but I can't help thinking about how much better it would be if I could see it twice as often.

That worries me also. I don't want her to feel inadequate because she's the only one here. I hug her as much as I can, but I wonder if she's beginning to realize that something/someone is missing. Hopefully she'll tell us when she's able to communicate better. Yesterday she and I went to CiCi's Pizza for the first time. It was a good trip and she was well behaved as ever. I didn't even have to cut her pizza. I showed her how to hold it, and she learned and did the rest. Hopefully it's just the first of many daddy/daughter lunches.

Maybe we'll even get a chance to talk over root beer floats.

Driving Notes

Wil Wheaton narrowly avoided a wreck the other day, and he wrote a blog post about it.

In the first few comments I found this link with some sobering insights on the world of highway driving, and how best to not get killed in an accident. Since I've been to a few fatals myself, I try to do my best not to become one, but I do have my lapses at times. The link above is a well-written must-read, though it has some salty language, just to warn you.

I suggest reading both Wil's post and the second one, and please try to drive as aware as possible.

*edit 6/5/2009* Last Sat. I saw a semi with no trailer lock his brakes and spin out on dry pavement. He did a 180 degree turn, across 3 lanes of traffic, heading towards the I-59/I-610 interchange, and didn't hit anything. It's the most amazing moment of divine intervention that I've ever seen. Looked just like Optimus Prime in Transformers, except a lot more uncontrolled and scary.

The Shot

Everyday as a visual storyteller comes down to one goal - besides getting the story done.

No matter the subject matter, we are all looking for that one, specific, moment that crystallizes what the story is about. Yesterday I spent all day driving from the Galleria, to Downtown, to the Woodlands, for one story. When 8:15 rolled around all that work became a weekend hold due to a jet with a case of hot foot out at Hobby airport.

We were the second to last crew to arrive, but found one man who had been standing in baggage claim for about an hour, waiting for his wife and six month old child who were on the plane. Surprisingly we were the first crew to talk to him, which led us to the exclusive video of his reunion with his wife and child. You can be sure that the other crews were quite upset that they missed out on that video. I did what I do best and caught the emotion of the moment.

Not a bad night, especially since no one was hurt in all the commotion.

New Job

I've mentioned it on Twitter and Facebook, but I seem to have forgotten to blog about my new job.

I recently joined the crew at KHCW Ch. 39 here in Houston. You can find us online at 39online.com. We're working our way up in the ratings, but the people seem happy to come into work, and we're still hiring. I can't name another station that is doing that right now.

Now that I've updated that, here's the brand new blog of one of my new reporters, Andrea Nguyen. Try not to judge our stories too harshly right now. We're a bit understaffed and having to crank out two stories a night to feed the beast. I'm trying to make them the best I can, but I haven't found a story where everything comes together yet.

I've got an even better light kit than I had when I left 'BRZ, but I haven't been able to put it to use. I still feel like I'm treading water, so when I get comfortable, my stories should improve.

Thank you for all the well-wishes and prayers that allowed me to find this position so quickly. I think it will be a good fit, once I break it in.

Molding Update

*UPDATE Picked up the molding yesterday. Apparently it arrived on Thurs., but no one thought to call me.*

Here's an update. I'm still waiting. The piece I ordered came in about a week after I ordered it, but it was damaged beyond my use, so they refunded me the cost and ordered a new one. I am still waiting on that one.

I believe the store manager has a meeting with me in his future. To be fair these pieces are coming from another company, but he will be hearing from me, since I cannot contact them directly.

It's beginning to get on my nerves looking at that one last section of wall with the speaker wire that should be neatly hidden.

*Edit* GAH!!! I just realized that the previous post was made over a month ago. It looks like I will have to "strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger" those who attempt to delay and impede my order. For they will know, that my name is the O, when I lay my vengance through the BBB.

Molding Matters

Our new home needed a touch up, and I found an opportunity to try something new.

When we bought our new home, we noticed that crown-molding was conspicuously missing from our living room, even though it was already in the study and dining room. This worked out, though, because I needed to place the rear surrounds in my home theater, and needed somewhere to hide the wire.

I thought I could fish the wires behind the wall at the front of the room, but it proved to be just beyond my reach, so I had to call someone. I was trying to do it the hardest way possible, plus I had a Cat5e wire to run from an upstairs bedroom, and it wasn't gonna happen for me. Now the wires are neatly located in the wall and all I have to do is run the crown-molding.

My in-laws came to visit with Crumbsnatcher this weekend, and my father-in-law helped me with the installation. I also had the help of Tom Silva via the articles and vidoes on This Old House's website. They were very helpful, but they neglected to cover corners with angles greater than 90 degrees, and I have two. I also ended up just under 2 feet short, so I have to find another piece to be able to finish.

I could have finished today, but the big blue hardware and lumber retailer doesn't have the same molding in stock as the kind I special ordered from them. Writing that sounds wrong, but the only reason I special ordered is that they didn't carry 16' lengths. When we were trying to mock-up a corner we discovered that the piece I bought to finish one wall was slightly different from the rest. Hopefully I won't have to order more, because the pieces that I just got took nearly 3 weeks to come in, and I don't want to wait another 3 weeks for one piece.

What we did get done looks good, though I still have to finish it with some caulking and paint so it will match the rest of the house. I only had to cut a couple of small notches for my wires to exit the molding, which you can't see when the speakers are in place.

In all I'm proud of the work we did, and I did it much cheaper than someone would have charged me. Now I have a better idea of how to fish wire, so I can try it again the next time I need something like that.

Moving Expenses

Okay. It's been a while since I wrote a post, but I've got a good excuse. I've been busy with the job search and moving into our new home.

It's been a busy month. Two days after my last post we moved everything out of our house in Denham Springs. Three days later we closed on that sale. One week after that we closed on the new house here in Houston. That weekend we moved everything from the storage unit to the house, and we have been in the process of moving in since.

That has shifted the job search from my primary focus to making calls when I have time, but I had a phone interview a week ago that went well, and I'm now waiting for a call-back to a sit-down. In the meantime I'm working on getting our vehicles legal in the Lone Star State. I do have a small gig Saturday with the rodeo. I'll be filling in for someone who, unfortunately, has to attend a funeral, but I talked to him the other day, and I can feel good that my being here is a blessing to him in that he can now attend that 'home-going' for his loved one.

We got our Comcast HD Triple Play hooked up on Tuesday of last week, left for the weekend, and had to have it re-connected two days ago. Thankfully we are a little closer to the transmitters here than in Baton Rouge, and I was able to use my 15 year old pair of rabbit ears to pull in the local digital stations. While watching that Monday night, we must have seen between five and ten commercials for Comcast. I swear it was like they were mocking us with an ad in every other break! Comcastic.

Our furniture made it through the move with minimal damage. Only a few items had noticeable scratches, but those were on the back or mostly out of sight areas. What didn't come through okay was our laptop.



This little notebook has made it through multiple trips across Louisiana, from Louisiana to Texas a couple of times, Houston to Cleveland and back, and all the way to Las Vegas and back. What it couldn't take was a five minute ride from my uncle's house to this one. Crazy.



Now I have to buy a replacement screen, but I found a company that is, surprisingly, located here in Houston. Screentek is down in the area around Reliant Park, so I should be able to make it down there to pick it up and save myself the cost of shipping. They have instructions with photos on their website, and it doesn't look too complicated to replace. It'll cost about $260, but that's cheaper than the cost of a new laptop, and I don't have to spend the time transferring files.

Through it all, though, it looks like we came out ahead. We were able to put 20% down on the new house and had some left over from our profit on the old house, so we can make some upgrades in the near future like painting, patio, and/or countertops. I don't know what everyone else is concerned about. The housing market has been very good to me.

At Last!

Some of may think by the title that I may have finally found a job. Not quite.

To hear the radio these days, it seems as if the bloom may be off the rose where President Obama is concerned. His picks are coming under fire for unpaid taxes and his stimulus (or stealfromus if you listen to W&J) is getting bogged down in the senate, and bloating the longer it sits.

It seems to be a bad week for Democrats all around, as Nancy Pelosi is on record saying, for every month the stimulus package is delayed, 500 million Americans lose their jobs. That's a lot of people losing work each month - it's almost 200 million more than the U.S. population.

Most interesting to me, though, is what the talented Ms. Etta James had to say. She is most unhappy with the President's choice of singer at his neighborhood ball. In fact she's called out Beyonce for daring to sing the song for which she's known, 'At Last.'

Ms. James is old school, and you don't mess with old school.

Vegas Voyage

It's been a while since we got back from Vegas, but I've been trying to keep tweets coming on at least a semi-regular basis on the Twitter sidebar.

So, to make up for it, here is a photo-dump from the past month.

We went all the way to Vegas, and the first place we eat is the Raisin' Cane's a block from our hotel. It's sad that we had to go there to find one less than a 20 minute drive from us, but such is the life we have chosen.

The Christmas decorations were still up at the Bellagio, and I just had to take this shot.

Of course the outside of the the Bellagio is where the real show happens, when the fountains do their thing.

It really is one of the best free shows in town.

We also got to take in the sights and sounds of the Sirens of TI.

It's a pretty good show, but I think they could use some more lighting. If you're gonna try to take pictures, you need a really fast lens. Also, I think they should look into heating that lagoon. All the men end up in the water at some point, and it was in the 40s and 50s when we were there. They actually had to cancel one show on Tuesday night because it dipped into the 30s.

In the Venetian we found the Gondoliers, but didn't take a ride, because they want way too much money to sit in a boat and take a ride.

They also wanted way too much money for one of these enormous candy apples. I don't care if they are as big as grapefruits, thirteen dollars is too high.

So that was our trip to Vegas. We saw Mystere, the Cirque du Soleil show at Treasure Island, and it was a good one. We've decided that, should the two of us ever go back, we should make it a trip to see all the shows.

Vegas, Baby, Vegas

First trip to Las Vegas. Looking to have fun.

The Mrs. and I are departing for our first trip to Las Vegas, which is the first time both of us have left the Crumbsnatcher behind with someone who is not us. We'll be back in a few days, but it's a big deal all the same.

For myself it's not such a problem. A year ago I was in New Orleans for the BCS championship game, and I had to spend a few nights there. For her, though, it's the first time she's spent so much as a night away from the munchkin. Separation anxiety is high, to say the least. I won't say that I don't have some butterflies myself, but this is a major step after all we've been through.

The Li'l One will be fine. We'll probably come back and she'll be spoiled rotten by my aunt, uncle and cousins. In the meantime, we'll try to have fun and not miss her too much.

Fine Powder

We managed to find some snow to play in.

Twenty-five minutes after my tweet saying that it was snowing, the ground was covered in a fine coating of snow.

It thickened as we got the little one dressed for the occasion.

As you can see, she liked getting dressed a lot better than posing for pictures in the snow.

We tried catching snowflakes on our tongues.

But settled for just catching some memories.

Then I got creative.

Oh, and I got cold this time, confirming that it must be the humidity that contributes to that bone-chilling nature of Louisiana cold temperatures.

What Cold?

I was in Houston and missed the snow in Baton Rouge.

We got excited when the flakes began falling in NW Houston. It had been a few years since I had seen some snow, and it was the Li'l Crumbsnatcher's first time. I'm not sure she really knew what was happening, but she seemed to have a good time anyway.

Not much accumulated, but that was okay. We were happy with what we had. We were, that is, until the next morning, when the big set began beaming news reports of three inches of snow on the ground 20 minutes east of us.

As I watched the weather system slide eastward, I turned to the interweb for the scoop on the Cap City. Wouldn't you know it, two weeks after we move from Baton Rouge, they see some great snowfall. C'est la vie.

Now we're spending some time in Cleveland while the Mrs. undergoes some training for her new job. A winter storm warning is in effect begining at 4 p.m. EST for the area, so we may get some of that white stuff that caused such a ruckus last week. I'm looking forward to it, though it may keep me here at the hotel all day, rather than taking in the city.

L.C. and I went for a walk around the block earlier, and while it was cold, it didn't seem too bad. Imagine my surprise when I turned on the noon news to find that it was 23 degrees! My hands weren't even cold in my gloves! I've been on the sidewalk of a 3 a.m. crime scene in the upper 20's that felt colder than this. It must be the humidity in Louisiana, because the cold just seeps right through whatever clothing you happen to be wearing and settles right on your skin. It never mattered what kind of gloves I wore, because they would never keep my hands warm. Today I wore the same pair of gloves and they stayed warm the whole hour I was outside.

You can give me this kind of cold any time of the year.

Thank you, Everyone

For some more than kind words about me, check out this post by Turdpolisher.

It's true, I have dropped the Deuce after spending nearly 6.5 years roaming the marbled hallways, mostly because I was lost. That place can be a maze!

It is with some sadness that I take my leave, because I believe the news dept. there has a chance of getting back on top in the ratings. The competition's grip is slipping, beginning with splitting up an anchor team that has dominated for decades.

Some of the recent hires at Channel 2 have the potential to take them to the top. The city also has great potential, and if it gets its act together, I may return in a few years.

I'd like to say thank you to all the great people I'm leaving behind. Many of you have taught me how to be a better journalist, while others have just been there for me and my family in our time of need. If I took the time to name names, I'd leave someone out, so I'll just say that if we talked at length, you were someone special.

Thank you all for a great ride.

Big News

Well, Ike sloshed the Gulf of Mexico into my parent's home. The good news is that it was about five feet less than the storm surge from Rita. It also seems to have risen slowly, so it didn't do as much damage to well built houses. Mobile homes didn't fare as well; once the water came up, the pressboard that makes up the walls disintegrated.

As far as the town is concerned, its recovery is coming along faster, since most of the infrastructure is still standing and connected. Nearly all the powerlines had to be restrung after Rita, but they were still there after Ike. Mom and Dad are actually living there right now. They are back in their loft over the garage while working on getting the house back in shape.

As for me and the family, change is coming fast. The Mrs. just accepted a job in Houston, and we will be moving soon. I've turned in my resignation at the Deuce, though I don't have anything lined up at the moment. I have faith that I'll find something great. I think I need a break from news, though. I've stared into the abyss, and all that jazz, and things were beginning to get pretty dark for me. I feel an exhilaration at not knowing what's coming. The future is bright with possibility.

Those that know me personally know that this move has been coming for a long time. Little Lost Robot just happened to beat me to it. Maybe he and I can get together and find some work.

Wish us luck!

Not Again

Those left alive after Hurricane Audrey hit Cameron in 1957 thought they had seen the storm of their lives. They were wrong.

In 2005 Hurricane Rita made landfall on the western coast of Cameron Parish, bringing more damage than Audrey, but far less loss of life. Fifty years of technological advancement allowed the people of the parish to know exactly when the storm would arrive, helping them to leave well ahead of it. Many said they never thought they would see another storm like Audrey, and some of them left the lower part of the parish for good.

For those who made the choice to stay and rebuild, the hope was that it would be another 50 years or more before that kind of damage would be dealt again. They got three.

Hurricane Ike is currently gliding across the Gulf of Mexico on a collision course with Galveston Island, TX. The national media is focusing on the devastation that may come to the fourth largest city in the nation. What is being left out is that Cameron Parish is predicted to receive nearly the same amount of storm surge as it did three years ago; a tide high enough to submerge most of the buildings that survived the previous storm, and may take some of the homes built to the higher flood elevation after Rita.

The few people who remain there tonight are packing their lives once more into their vehicles. They will try to sleep tonight, and leave early in the morning. A 6' tide is expected tonight: one that will not recede. As those few sleep, a full complement of sheriff's deputies are patrolling the parish, watching the water to alert them should it reach a threatening level. As they lie in their beds, awaiting slumber that will prove fitful at most, they hope and pray that the predictions are wrong.

Please, God, let them be wrong.

Gustav: Aftermath

It's been a week since the storm hit, and operations are returning to normal.

Last week, as I drove home, each night brought more and more signs of recovery. A full blackout the first night, then a couple of streets the second night, and so on, to where power outages in the metro area are now isolated, rather than widespread.

We got power late Friday night, as I had predicted, and cable came back Sunday night. After peering through the snow of my rabbit ears, the HD signal from cable never looked so good. I really need to get a decent antenna for this kind of situation.

Last week was a busy week, with my shortest day being only 10 hours or so on Friday. I got a break over the weekend, but I could use a few more days to recover.

I've been eating decently, but yesterday realized that I haven't had my post-storm MRE. It's become almost a tradition to have one after covering a storm in a hard-hit area, and BR was hard hit. I guess I'll have to keep an eye out for one.

My work e-mail was full, with over 70 storm related messages. I only got time to put them into a folder of their own, so I'll be going through them later, and maybe blogging the highlights.

As for work, we are S.N.A.F.U., per usual. It was good to just go out an do stories last week, without having so much oversight. Now we're back to being told what to do and how to do it.

My first story of the week is from Denham Springs, and the supply line there. I like the first half, but the second half suffers due to time constraints.

D.S. Depot

Now, it's a look forward to Ike. It looks like it could be just as bad as Rita in the Cameron and Lake Charles areas. Hopefully the storm surge predictions are artificially high, and they won't see 10' of surge...hopefully.

G-day +1

It's Tuesday and I slept well. The coverage of the aftermath begins today.

I pick up my bedroll and make my way to a bathroom to brush my teeth. Unfortunately that route takes me through the newsroom, and being the first photog in sight tags me with the 9 a.m. presser being held by the Governor.

I make my way there and discover that my tripod has not made it there with me. The last place I remember seeing it was at LDWF the day before. Time to improvise. Thankfully the presser is set up next to a counter, which I put to great use to get a rock solid shot.

After the Governor leaves by helicopter, I get saddled with babysitting Mobile 31 and the GOHSEP, until the Governor returns from his helo tour of the southeast part of the state. I believe I have related the demise of Mobile 31, but it was revived to become a shadow of its former self. At any rate it carries me through the traffic to retrieve my sticks, then to a refueling near the station.

I can't believe how many people were on the roads today; many of whom had no business doing so. Lines formed at supermarkets and gas stations, which caused traffic jams on the nearby streets. All the traffic lights in town are out, and anyone who has driven in Baton Rouge knows that the drivers here don't know what to do if a signal isn't working right. They blow through dead lights and stop at flashing cautions.

Getting back to the GOHSEP, I find a working fiber line, which almost negates the need for my presence. So I settle in and grab a bit of Wi-Fi to update the blog.

Jindal just finished his briefest briefing of the storm, and he is going to be putting the whip to the power companies to get the people juiced quickly.

Tonight I'll be headed home. I know I can get there, because my wife and daughter already have. We have no power, but we also don't have any damage. I'm not supposed to report to work until Noon, so maybe I'll get to spend some time with them and the hum of the brand-new portable generator.

Gustav Strikes

After a night on the extra firm mattress that was the conference room floor, I woke with the light of day coming through the windows. It's G-day.

I pulled on my rain gear and left the station to meet up with the crew who had the sat truck. We left it with them in Dutchtown, and got it from them at the U.S.S. Kidd in Baton Rouge. Obviously I was dealing with a rookie, since the truck only had about a quarter-tank of fuel and all the cable connectors were wet. Not a good way to start the day.

After filling the truck, we were sent to the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries, where the agents were staging for Search and Rescue operations. The got started earlier than they expected.

At the height of the storm, a man drove up to the entrance to the parking lot, which was blocked by a tree, felled by the wind. He leaped over the tree and yelled to the agents watching the storm's fury, "A tree fell on a house, and people are trapped!" The agents sprang into action grabbing hatchets and chainsaws and loading up into 4x4 pickups to help. Chris N. and Ken B. followed them to report. Unfortunately two of the three were crushed and killed by the 60' tall red oak that cut through the home like a knife.

I stayed with the truck and shot video of the wind whipped rain lashing the assembled trucks, trailers, Hummers and boats. The wind also did a number on the Christian Life Acadamy ball field next door, and dropped another tree that I was able to record.

When the guys got back they cut a package, then I pulled the truck into the shelter of the building to put the dish up and access the satellite. Cell phones and Nextel were next to useless, and I had to try three times to access, because the phone kept dropping the call as I was trying to raise the power.

As the wind died down to a dull roar, we ventured out into the nearby neighborhood to get some video of the damage. Through streets had been turned into dead ends and intersections became cul-de-sacs with the number of trees that had fallen. As I was driving, a tree fell right next to me, with the branches hitting the roof of the van.

We set up for our last live shot of the day in front of the house that had become the story of the storm. Crews were beginning to remove the tree to recover the couple pinned beneath it. These people had evacuated to Baton Rouge from Abbeville to escape the storm, but it found them anyway.

After getting back to the station, I headed home to assess the damage, if I could get there. Baton Rouge was in a blackout. The only lights visible outside of the downtown area were the lights of the vehicles on the roads. As I crested the overpass at 4-H Club Rd., I saw a welcome sight. Range Avenue had power, and the businesses near the interstate were a shining beacon in the darkness.

The darkness took over at the end of Range, and it was slow going as I worked my way down Hwy. 16. I managed to get a half-mile from my subdivision, but was finally stopped by a power pole blocking the road.

I turned around and headed back to the station, and my little spot of floor in the conference room, which I found two hours earlier than the night before.