Can I Get Those Last 2 Hours of My Life Back?

A word of advice, if you really love the old "Land of the Lost,", DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT see the new one. I'm not a film critic, but I know a PIECE OF CRAP when I see one, and this new movie is a giant one.

This Sunday, I'm hangin' with my kids (wifey's at work) and we were eating in lower Bricktown. I thought "Hey, let's see if there's a movie we can catch while we're here." We head over to the theater and the only movie that we could catch right then was "Land of the Lost."

Now, I have said over and over that I would not see this new one. Because I really really love the OLD Saturday morning show, and I knew this would be a parody of the old show.

But, it was our only option (without waiting around), and I thought the kids might enjoy it.

It started off bad, and only got worse. I kept thinking "SURELY it will get better." No such luck.

I expect a few cursewords here and there, but not a steady stream. And no, I'm not prudish in the least bit. But when my little girl looks at me in horror every time they drop an F-bomb, it's a little disappointing, embarrassing actually. And there was more crude stuff than that. Totally juvenile.

Yeah, the old "Land of the Lost" was kinda corny, and it had some really BAD special effects, but it was never something you'd be afraid to let your kids watch. And yeah, I know, it's a Hollywood movie, but it's MARKETED TO KIDS.

So if I can't get those 2 hours of my life back, at least I think I'll swear off Will Ferrell movies for awhile.

The guy is a comedic genius, but I fear he's gone the Eddie Murphy route. That is, cranking out at least 7 terrible films for every mediocre one.

Maybe he'll do "Anchorman 2."

The Waiting Game

"They're comin'...no, never mind. Wait, here they come now...no, that's someone else."

That's a drill that most news photographers go through multiple times a day. Perp walks, press conferences, ribbon cuttings, parades, you name it--they ALL involve waiting.

I have been waiting for years--for the Governor to get to the podium, for the bad guy to get out of the police car, for the President's airplane to show up, for the Secret Service dogs to sniff through my camera stuff so I CAN wait for the President's airplane. That one always seems to take the longest, by the way.

I've probably spent at least half a dozen years of my TV career just waiting. In the snow, in the rain, in the heat, in comfortable chairs, and on back-spasm-making benches.

I've gotten very used to propping myself up or sitting just about anywhere. Matter of fact, when there's a high profile court case going on, you can catch 4 or 5 TV photogs lounging in all sorts of creative ways in the Oklahoma County Courthouse hallways.

Some guys read books, others play games on their cell phones. Some guys get brave and go get lunch or visit the bathroom. Those can be risky moves, though. I can't tell you HOW MANY TIMES I have made a bathroom run, just to get back and have to fight my way into the media scrum just to get a profile shot of the guy I waited all stinkin' day for.

Man, I HATE when that happens.

And even though I've been out of the day-to-day news mix for a little while now, I STILL find myself waiting with camera in hand very often.

Most recently, at a wedding I was shooting for a good friend. You see, every event has certain shots that you absolutely must get. Just like you've got to get the bad guy being walked out of the courtroom, you've got to get the new couple walking back down the aisle. Now that's not really a wait, because you're shooting the ceremony anyway. But...

WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

The new couple walking into their reception to all the cheering, the cake-and-punch stuff, the garter coming off, throwing the bouquet--now those are real waits. And the piece de resistance-the walk out of the reception, complete with rice being thrown, or bubbles, or whatever.

Now THAT'S a REAL wait.

And it's one you cannot deny. No matter how much you anticipate it, it will happen in its OWN TIME. It's not your day anyway, you whiner, it's HERS.

Now THAT'S one to remember.

Maybe I should change this blog to "Waits With Cameras."

CONGRATULATIONS RACHEL AND BLAKE!

Random-ness

Well, crap. Missed a whole week. Didn't mean to do that. But like I said earlier, I've only got one (1) follower, and I don't think the well-educated masses will be too disappointed if I miss a few days.

On to the random-ness...

Had the windows open tonight, and the wife says, "What's that noise?" I told her I thought it sounded like a storm siren (although why would we hear a storm siren at 10:30 PM in June?) Of course, it WAS a storm siren, from just down the road in Norman. Crap. Now I gotta pause the movie that the kids were watchin' and turn on trusty ol' NEWS9. Hook-echo-lookin' thing near Lake Thunderbird. Fairly close, as far as ROTATIONS go, but it was moving away from us. Good. I love Oklahoma, but man, does it EVER stop?

Interviewed Wanda Jackson a couple days ago. THE "QUEEN OF ROCKABILLY." Very cool lady. I mean, she toured with Elvis, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash--how could she NOT be cool? She's still goin' strong at 70-somethin. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. She even sang "Fujiyama Mama" for me sittin' in her living room. How many people can say that?

Sometimes it seems my life is a never-ending stream of cut-off notices. You feel me, dontcha? C'mon...don't be ashamed...I'M RIGHT THERE WITH YA!

Sometimes, "Money's Tight, Don't Feel Right." (By the way, that's another Earth, Wind, and Fire reference--look it up.)

And when you pay by phone, because you ain't got TIME, you gotta put up with that stupid automated voice--"Is that correct?" Yes. "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that." YES. "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that." YES! And so it goes, and so it goes.

Man, it can only get better.

And here's proof--the online story I posted about Wanda Jackson. http://www.news9.com/Global/story.asp?S=10518140

Bang Yo' Head...

I shot some video and stuff at a high school football camp today. What? Football in June, you say? Yep. Ten teams from across Oklahoma participated in this particular 3-day camp.

And those guys were hittin' hard. It looked like fun.

I guess if you haven't played since December (especially if you didn't make it to the playoffs) you feel like knockin' a dude's head off, especially if he's wearin' a different color jersey.

Wish I could say I remember those days, but I don't. I mean I did wear a uniform on Friday nights, but it was a band uniform. PAUSE FOR LAUGHTER...

But I had fun nonetheless--absolutely. Friday nights were a blast, man. High school football games were, and still are, a huge social event. See and be seen. And PERFORM, man!

I remember I used to drive to all the home games with my friend Duane. We always needed some McDonald's grub before the game, but he hated being seen in his band uniform. HOWEVER, I thought my drum major uniform was MUCH COOLER, so we always WENT IN instead of the drive-thru. He hated that. Good times.

And I still have fun at football games, only these days I carry a camera. I still get to "perform" in a sense, shooting video and interviews for News9.com. And I present it from a fan's point of view. That's really the only way I CAN do it, since I'm not really a sportscaster or anything like that. I just try to show you what it was like to be there.

And I don't do it with a goofy uniform on.

Here's a sampling...till the season starts.

http://tinyurl.com/or4s9w

http://tinyurl.com/o34v4q

http://tinyurl.com/qv4g87

http://tinyurl.com/ryps47

In the Stone

Every man I meet is walking time,

Free to wander past his conscious mind,

Love will come, and take you home, yeah...

Love is written in the stone.

OK, OK--I don't meant to get all philosophical-like or anything. But this Earth, Wind And Fire song just came to me as I was looking for a title for this post. If you've never heard the song, click here. It's one of my favorites.

Anyway, the song came to me as I was posting the goofy-lookin' picture you see here. The history of the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge, the environment, the animals, the people--EVERYTHING that happened in this area was witnessed by these BIG OL' rocks. Just like the one I'm sittin' on.

In the stone, man.

I took that picture last Friday, when I was shooting a story about the old ghost town at Eagle Park. Quanah Parker's star house still sits at the park, surrounded by other old buildings and amusement park rides.

I interviewed a woman who is the main tour guide for the old ghost town. She told me the story of how her family knew Quanah Parker's family, and how the star house got to its present location.

A guy named Herbert Woesner Jr. moved all these old historical buildings to Eagle Park so he could preserve them for future generations. But Woesner died last year, and most of the buildings are falling into disrepair. There's hope though, that some grant money will be made available soon from the Dept. of the Interior.

Life experience a passing day,

Time will witness what the old folks say,

Getting stronger every day,

Strength is written in the stone.

The coolest thing about it, and I shared this in my online story, is that Quanah Parker and Herbert Woesner were two dudes that lived a lifetime apart, but they both knew that preserving the past was vital for the future. I mean, what good is it to tear down an old building (or an old culture) and then read about it in a book? Wouldn't it be much cooler to see it, touch it, and experience it for real?

Well DUH!

The world needs more dudes like Woesner.

In the stone, man.

Here's the story I posted online: http://www.news9.com/global/story.asp?s=10470594

We Don't Need No...Education...

That line from Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" came out I think when I was in 9th grade. Sang it ALL THE TIME, especially the closer we got to school being out. The IRONY cracks me up.

A double negative?

Still, the song takes me back.

Back to the days when summertime seemed to last a LONG time. Back when no one was afraid to get a TAN. Back when an 8 hour day meant 5 hours at the pool and 3 hours cruisin' up and down Air Depot.

Of course, the older you get, the shorter each summer seems. I mean, 3 months is a relatively short span when you're an adult. It seems like forever when you're a teenager.

My kids just got out of school a couple days ago. They've already begun the stay-up-late-and-wake-up-late routine. Man, I'm really jealous.

However, I remember the summer after I graduated high school. Every day I got up late, hung out at my friend's pool, and then we wasted gas driving all around Midwest City most of the night. I kept waiting for my dad to tell me to GET A JOB, since I had worked the summer before. I even felt a little guilty, asking for gas money and stuff. But he never did.

A few months later, after I did finally get a job, I asked him why he never PUSHED me into it. "Son, once you start working, you probably won't quit for a LONG TIME," he said. "I just figured I'd let you enjoy THIS LAST SUMMER."

Wow, he was right. Thanks, Dad.

I really hope that I can remember to do the same for my kid.

A Whole Week...or is it WEAK?

This blog is now officially a week old.

Break out the streamers! Go get the Silly String! Bring out the dancin' girls! More wine!

I'm finding more and more that I actually enjoy this thing...having a place to jot down my thoughts, no matter how stupid they may seem at the time. It's rather therapeutic. And I'm not delusional enough to believe that thousands of folks are following this thing. Actually, I have ONE follower as of today, that's my buddy Bob...thanks dude.

I haven't Twittered yet, but I AM a Facebook addict. It's amazing just how many people I know are on it--I find more almost every day.

However...

It seems that quite a few folks use FB as an excuse to "narrate" their everyday lives. That's a little much. I mean, I don't think that people really care when I'm headed home, or go to get a haircut, etc. That's the main reason I DON'T Twitter yet. When I think I've got something semi-interesting, I'll GLADLY let you know!

But hey, that's just me.

Gotta go...gotta go send the dancin' girls home, crack open a Bud Light, and...read some more minutiae.

Cheesy Like Monday Mornin'...

Marshall, Will, and Holly, on a routine expedition...
Met the gr-e-a-test earthquake, ever known...
High on the rapids, it struck their tiny raft...
And plunged them down, down, deep below...

Come on, join me on the Chorus...

TO THE L-A-N-D OF THE L-O-S-T(lost lost lost lost)

Man, that's some good stuff, and I mean the memory, not the show.

I caught some of Sci-Fi Channel's "Land of the Lost" marathon on Memorial Day, and here are a few observations:
1) That show is a lot worse than I remember
2) Special effects on television have come a LONG way
3) It did have some background story stuff ala Star Trek, and other sci-fi serials
4) Those Sleestak costumes were just silly
5) I got a kick out of all those BIG vegetables
6) Did they ever shower?
7) I really miss OLD SCHOOL Saturday morning kids shows

My kids are incredulous when I tell them about the OLD DAYS and having to get up early on Saturday morning to catch the good shows. If you're anywhere near my age you remember when we had THREE (3) TV stations--the ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliates.

Remember when we were all freaked out over this brand new thing called HBO? Man, me and my friends watched it ALL THE TIME--didn't matter what show it was--it was REAL MOVIES ON TV! Sometimes we got lucky and caught an R rated one! "This program has been rated R, by the Motion Picture Association of America..."

Those were the days.

Now I sometimes find myself flipping through about 200 channels, and sayin' "THERE'S NOTHIN' ON TONIGHT!" Amazing.

Happy Memorial Day...remember to give thanks to/for ALL THOSE WHO SERVED, AND ALL THOSE STILL IN HARM'S WAY.

Well, It's Friday....A Dichotomy

di·chot·o·my [ dī kóttəmee ] (plural di·chot·o·mies)
noun
Definition:

1. separation of different or contradictory things: a separation into two divisions that differ widely from or contradict each other


Today started off on a sad note for me. Arriving at work I learned that a longtime friend and coworker had died this morning. He was just 5 years or so older than me.

Everyone here at work felt like they'd been kicked in the gut.

Nick was a loyal employee, a hard worker, and a great guy. I looked forward to seeing him every day. We'll all miss him greatly.

THEN--

This afternoon, I went to my son's 5th grade awards ceremony and watched him get his medals for reading. My daughter got her 2nd grade awards yesterday. Very proud of both of them.

It's a VERY COOL thing to be a dad and watch your kids achieve stuff. But, WEREN'T THEY TODDLERS JUST LAST WEEK? Wow.

Life comes at you fast and without a whole lot of warning...so does death. Maybe you can't ever be fully prepared, but don't let that keep you from TRYING....IN EVERY WAY.

Now THAT'S What I Call a Funeral...

I got sent to Tulsa today to cover elements of Wayman Tisdale's funeral. More specifically, the procession from the funeral home to the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa.

Hundreds of people lined the streets to say goodbye and get a glimpse of Tisdale's casket in its own horsedrawn carriage.

At the BOK (Bank of Oklahoma) Center, I was standing outside when a colleague from our sister station KOTV came out and said the service had just started. She said Fred Hammond was singing "This Is the Day."

"Did you say Fred Hammond?" I asked dumbfounded. I took a look at the funeral program that she had, and it also listed other music giants. I had to go in.

Inside I grabbed a spot just in time to hear Wayman Tisdale's band perform with Marcus Miller, Kirk Whalum, Jonathan Butler, and Fred Hammond. Dave Koz was there also, but I didn't see him play. They stood Wayman's bass guitar up in front of his casket. Outstanding.

But as awesome as that performance was, the most memorable part for me was something Koz said a few minutes earlier. He was actually quoting someone else ( I don't remember who, but it doesn't matter.)

He said basically: When you look at someone's date of birth, and then the date of their death, both are obviously important, but the REAL important part is that DASH in between. That's where the good stuff is.

Wayman Tisdale
JUNE 9, 1964------------------------------------------------------------------MAY 15, 2009.

HERE'S WHAT I SHOT, EDITED, AND POSTED... http://tinyurl.com/p6gs49