Did You Ever

Just have one of those days that exactly NOTHING happened on your shift???

Yeah, me too..

Better luck tomorrow.

Don't Ya Just Love

Getting sent out on wild goose chases?? Being sent out to the car accident that is an hour away and you are driving in blizzard type conditions which adds on about another fifteen minutes in traffic slowdowns. Oh and then add on the fact that it is morning rush hour, so add 20 more minutes onto that.


Well, there wasn't anything showing when I got to the "scene" of the crash. Granted that it was nearby my house so I was able to go home after checking out the scene but still, sometimes the desk doesn't have much sense when they send us out in conditions like that.

Ok, bitch session is over.

My Wife And The Car Accident

Last week, my wife was on her way to meet me at the podiatrist's office when she had a little car accident. She turned left at a light with traffic in front of her to come upon a car stalled in the intersection. The car had no hazard lights on, no brake lights, nothing showing. My wife had a left or right decision. She couldn't go left because of traffic stopped at the light so she turned the wheel right and scraped the other car's right side mirror down the side of our Explorer. She went up oer a curb and hit into the guide wires attached to an electrical pole.

The impact of the Explorer hitting the wire, snapped the top of the pole holding the electric wires. They hung precariously over my wife's car but didn't touch it. She called me in a panic, crying that the cops wouldn't let her leave the car. Telling her that the car was the safest place for her calmed her down a bit.

In a few minutes, the fire dept. showed up and rescued my wife from the car. Thanks to the Pepper Pike Police and Fire Departments.

The guy who was in the car that stalled was driving on an expired license. My wife gets cited for assured clear distance but we're fighting that. Plus the fact that $3200 damage was done to our car.

But all is well otherwise.

Back From Steel Town

Well, I'm back from Pittsburgh and feeling great!!! Well, emotionally that is. I'm on cloud freaking nine right now because of my Steelers are on their way to Detroit for Super Bowl XL.

(Side note to Colonel Corn...HELL NO!! I'm not a Browns fan. I was born in Pittsburgh, and I'll die a Steelers fan. I'd rather eat hot death than be a Browns fan.)

Now physically I'm a wreck. I've got a head cold that is just driving me insane. I'm in bed and feeling lousy. Can't unclog the nose, everything I hear sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher..waaaa waaa wa wa waaa waaaaaaw waa.

I'm going to try and mainline some orange juice and sudafed. I'll be back later to tell the tale of my wife's car accident. She is Ok, btw.

Headed To Steel Town

Well, I'll be away from the blog for a few days. I'm headed to Pittsburgh for a little R&R. Going to see old friends and decompress for a while. I'm also going to watch the Steelers-Broncos game with my friends. I might be able to get online sometimes enough to do a little blogging.

Just a note to stay tuned for my wife's car accident story. Car + electrical pole = broken pole and wires hanging over car.

Ahh...Sidelines

Seeing Colonel Corn post about his beloved Panthers (yawn), made me think about posting about my favorite football team, The Pittsburgh Steelers. I was fortunate enough last Christmas Eve to work for the NFL Network. I was able to stand on the sidelines, unencumbered of a video camera and extra tapes and batteries. I was able to watch the game between the Steelers and the Browns which the Steelers won 41-0.

I was able to snap a few pictures and I thought I'd show the Colonel what a real football team looks like. You know, one that actually plays in a real conference.

Pre-Game


Willie Parker Walks By


Steelers Return From A Touchdown


Charlie Frye Faces His Doom


I can't wait until this Sunday for the Steelers to beat up on the Denver Broncos. Then off to Detroit. I'm sorry to say that I feel for the Colonel that his Panthers will lose in a close game to the Seahawks.

Super Bowl prediction: Steelers vs. Seahawks

Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers 33 Seahawks 21

More Great E.P. Decisions

Since I posted last about the wonderful idea of our EP here's another one of his lame-brained ideas. It was last July and I was called to relieve the crew that was at a fatal drowning. A group of three guys decided to go fishing in the Cuyahoga River. Since it was in the mid 90 degree area and the humidity as about the same, they decided to go swimming. Even the guy who couldn't swim jumped in and well, you guessed it, he drowned.

So, I relieve our crew that was there waiting for the rescue crews to find the body. Around 2:00 a.m. the divers find the body and bring the victim out. I shoot the interview with the local fire chief and call back to the desk to tell them that the scene is cleared and that the body has been recovered. All the other crews stations have left and the last police vehicles are leaving.

The desk tells this to our EP for the morning show. This is the what I'm told by the desk that the E.P. wants.

Desk: Hey, the E.P. wants you to stay at the scene.

Me: Why? I'm the only one here.

Desk: Well, the E.P. says he doesn't want to miss anything to another station.

Me: ANOTHER STATION?? I'm the only one out here. You did tell him that, right??

Desk: Yes. And he wants you to stay there in case the police or fire come back.

Me: What???? What are they going to come back for?? HE can't be serious!!

Desk: I don't know but that's what the E.P wants you to do. The Live truck will meet you there.

Me: He's an idiotout of his mind but, if he wants it, ok. I can waste an hour and a half.

Desk: Take a nap. I'll call whe the truck is on the way.

Now normally I wouldn't have argued but the fact was that the other editor had called off in the morning and we only had one editor to edit for our morning show. I was supposed to fill in but since I have take home gear, I was sent out to the drowning straight away.

So, as I sat there in an empty parking lot checking my eyelids for leaks, our morning editor had to edit our morning news show by himself.

This is a pattern by our E.P. he's so obsessed with missing something to the competition in this town that he doesn't listen to his crews in the field. Same thing happened at a murder-suicide just a couple of months ago. I went to relieve the crew there. When I got there, the scene was clearing up and all the police and detectives were leaving. No other stations were there. They had left earlier.

Same discussion ensued. Stay there..we can't lose any information to the competition, etc.

Well, if I was sleep deprived, I'm making up for lost sleep with this E.P.

Executive Decisions

This morning for the MLK Holiday, my reporter Jacque, myself, and my partner Barry were sent to the local Marriot where a celebratory breakfast was going to be held. Our executive producer of the morning show wanted us inside the Marriot in their ballroom live...for a 7:30 a.m. breakfast.

At 5 a.m. in the morning..

In an empty ballroom...

With no one around...

No tables set up...

No chairs in place...

With locked doors to the ballroom...

No phones, no lights, no motorcars...oh, sorry, I got sidetracked.

Yeah, you're probably saying to yourself what I said to myself. So, we went live OUTSIDE the Marriot with actual people walking around behind us.

Oh My God!!!

That Colts-Steelers game today just wore me out emotionally. I've never been so upset then so elated.

Go Steelers!!!

Now excuse me, I'm going to go pass out after I throw up...

Ahh..High School

Not much went on today. Did the vacant house fire thing once again. Did the one car accident drive by. And did the man down scene. Drunk guy split his head open thing. BS'ed with the cops for a while. Not much went on.

For my morning shot I was sent to Brooklyn High School. A teacher assigned his 9th grade class the job of researching the porn industry. Yep, he assigned 14 year olds to research porn on the internet and then report eight facts on it.

Didn't go over too well with parents. That's why we were there.

After the shot was over, my reporter, Jacque, says "I need Dunkin Donuts coffee. My treat!" Now, who am I to turn down coffee paid for by a reporter. We go into the DD and Jacque is asked for her order. She can't decide so she tells me to order. I get a small coffee w/cream and sugar. The clerk goes and gets it, brings it back and asks Jaqcue what she'd like. As she says this, the clerk notices the debit card Jacque is holding. The clerk says, "Sorry..we're a cash only store."

Jacque looks at me. I open my wallet and a moth flies out. I'm tapped. I hand my untouched coffee back and the clerk says, "Oh no, you can have it..I'll just wind up dumping it." We walk out as I open up the tab of the coffee cup. "Thanks Jacque!! Your air looks tasty!!", I laughed.

"Shut your mouth and lets find a ATM.", retorted the caffiene deprived reporter.

She got her money and her coffee. I got a good laugh because as she walked into the DD again, on the door was a big sign that said

CASH ONLY

The look on Jacque's face was priceless.

How Many Times??

This morning I was sent out to a homicide. This is the sixth homicide in Cleveland and it is only the 12th of January. Going to be a bloody month. Anyways, I get to the scene and it's not a happy one. Seems that a good samaratin tried to break up a fight and got his throat slashed in the process.

As I'm shooting the scene, a Cleveland cop comes over to me and says, "You were at the E.126th homicide last week weren't you??"

"Yeah, I was."

"Did you see the victim??"

"No?!? What about him??"

"He was half in the house, half out of the window! Shot nine times!!!"

"What?? Nine times?? How??"

"A bunch of people were in the crackhouse and some dude just starts shooting the place up. People just started jumping out of the windows and the second floor. The victim made it halfway out the window when he died."

Jeez. Had I went around the corner of the house I'd have seen him. Glad I didn't.

Amendment To My Resolution, Plus A Foot

I recieved an e-mail today basically strong-arming me into posting to my blog today. I won't reveal the name but it rhymes with Lenslinger. But first I must make an amendment to my News Year Resolution (yes, I meant that). I need to amend that I may not blog over a weekend. Why?? Well, I don't work my weekends unless called in for spot news or the rare fill in spot. So, I'll pretty much have nothing to offer up. Not that I have much to offer up during regular days of the week. So....NYAHHH!!

Now, for my blog. I didn't blog yesterday because well, basically I'm in pain. I've been in pain for a long time but the pain is getting really bad. The problem is my left foot. My left little piggy is aching his way all the way home. Ok, it's not so much my little toe anymore. It's the pain radiating down the left side of my foot right to the arch.

I'm a barefoot person by nature. I love walking barefoot either indoors or outdoors on grass. Well, my affinity for walking barefoot indoors has led me to my predicament. My predicament is, is that I have two boys. And boys love their toys. Boys love to leave their toys out on the floor sometimes. And sometimes their toys are toy tractors. METAL toy tractors. Well, yours truly went walking barefoot across the dimly lit living room carpet one night a few months ago. My muffled scream was more than enough to say, "Hey dumbass, you just kicked a metal toy tractor with your bare foot. Actually, you fool, you jammed the toy up against the wall with your little toe as the jammer. Golly gee!!! Doesn't that hurt??"

In the morning, my little toe was black and blue from the tip of the toe down to the arch. My wife, a R.N. said, "Yup, it's broken. Nice work!" (Well, gee, thanks nurse Rachet.) A steady routine of ice and a wrap was treatment from her and I admit, it seemed to have worked.

Until a month ago where I was at a standoff and stood for a good six hours straight. I came home, went to bed after work and woke up about two hours later with pain shooting down my foot and across my arch. It's been hurting ever since the standoff, a dull ache really until now and I suspect that I may have cracked open a hairline fracture that I suffered originally when I played footsie with the toy tractor. I'll find out on the 19th when I go to the podiatrist.

Now, that being said, I've been asked to fill in occasionally as a studio cameraman for our stations's daily show, Good Company. It's a live show and it is overtime for me. Problem is, it runs an hour. Well, I'm damn near agony after a full day of work and standing still for the most part of an hour. Advil has become my best friend.

So, there is the blog for yesterday and today. Now excuse me, while I hobble off into the bathroom and freebase more Advil.

I Am The Harbinger of Death

Well, this morning was a bloody one for me. Seems wherever I went, I was searching out death. I sat on our assignment desk for the first part of the morning since we didn't have anoyone to cover it. At 2:30am, our executive producer Dave, decided to send me out to Beachwood, a predominently Jewish community, to cruise the local temples for any vigils that may have sprung up pertaining to the health crisis with Israeli PM Ariel Sharon.

When I left, the desk was left un-monitored...more on that to follow. I drove out to Beachwood to find what I thought I'd find....nothing going on.

I called back and told the girl at the desk (finally someone came in) that I didn't find anything.

I came back in time to load up for our morning live shots. I was told to shoot traffic because the weather didn't look good enough for our helicopter to go up. So, I thought, easy day. Nope. I was totally wrong.

I was only 20 minutes into my live shots when I get called to a homicide. Seems that police responded to a call for shots fired. They show up, don't find anything right away. They snoop a little and find a body on a semi-enclosed porch. The body was there for about an hour before the police found it.

While I'm at the homicide, I get a call to head 20 miles east of Cleveland to Mentor, OH for a fire at an industrial park. Luckily, the desk person called one photog who lives a few miles from the fire to shoot it and that she was sending the chopper. Guess the weather was good enough to go up after all.

Then, while I'm still at the homicide, I get a call to head to Parma for a murder/suicide. The desk tells me it happened around 2:41 a.m. It's now 6:10 a.m. (Remember back when I was at the desk, filling in and got sent on a wild goose chase?) If I'd been at the desk I'd have probably have heard the call over the scanner. Well, I got there too late and the scene had been cleared.

So, in a morning that I thought would be a quiet and easy show, I had three dead in the matter of an hour and a half. To make matters worse, I ran over a dead cat with my live truck on the way back to the station. Couldn't avoid it.

So, I'm just going to relax and forget that today ever happened. I'll just etch it into teh internets for posterity.

Busy Night

Ran around a lot tonight. First went to a stabbing. Guy stabbed in the chest..probably not going to make it. Then a house fire which was started by homeless people trying to keep warm. Live beauty shots after that for our morning show and then the breaking news of the resignation of John Collins, the Cleveland Browns president.

I had to deal with Obie, our morning reporter barking at me about that now, the Browns are on their way up.

Right...

41-0 loss to my Steelers and he's giddy as a schoolgirl. Some people never know how bad they really have it. I guess ignorance really is bliss, in his case.

2 Days Into 2006...

Well it is the second day of January 2006 and what am I doing? I'm blogging about my septic system. Yep, over the weekend, it decided to go back up on me and my family. So, we spent a lot of time at my in-laws while we waited for the weekend and holiday to go by so not to get charged double.

Right now, two plumbers are jetting out my lines and running cameras through them. There is a sneaking uspicion I may have aproblem with my leech field. Oh Joy...I may just shit myself curl up into a fetal position and suck my thumb.

Oh, and all I covered overnight was a two car MVA, one person injured. Then I did the live beauty shots for our morning show.

Now, where is my blankie??

Another Resolution I Won't Keep But..

I hereby resolve, this New Year's Day that I, newshutr, will blog every day or every other day. There, I did it.

Now, to keep it.