And the Emmy goes to ME!!!!

This year’s win was the most gratifying of all the accolades I have received. I had won 2 previous Emmys for technical director but I had never won one for directing. This was my seventh nomination for Director/News (insert Susan Lucci joke here) and I couldn’t have been more surprised. I know people always say “this is so unexpected”. This year for me it was. I kind of just sat there for a second asking myself did he just say me. On the previous nominations I was always confident that I would win. I always thought my shows were top notch but this year I didn’t feel that way. I usually have some sort of acceptance speech in my head but this year as luck would have it I had nothing. It turned out fine considering it was all off the top of my head. If you would like to see what I came up with take a look at the show. I’m about 10 to 15 minutes in. This year was also the first time that I hadn’t directed the Emmy telecast in about 5 years. Although, I do enjoy directing that show it was nice to sit out in the audience for a change and relax instead of working. Well, mostly relax I of course critiqued the directing the whole show. It may be a little cocky of me but I think I do a much better job. Congratulations to Anne Holt on winning The Governors’ Award for Lifetime Achievement. I have worked with Anne for years and she is one of my best industry friends. I am very happy for her. Also, congratulations to Lisa Patton, Bob Mueller, Davis Nolan and Anne Holt on their win for Daytime Newscasts. Lisa and Davis worked their butts off when severe weather comes and they deserve some recognition. Here are some pictures we took.

Resolution in the Memory of my Cousin

I have never been much into resolutions. I believe in just doing what needs to be done. I don’t need a promise to myself to make changes in my life. I am making an exception this year. I am making a late resolution to stay more in touch with family and friends back home. Yesterday I learned that my cousin past away suddenly. She had been sick lately but I don’t think anyone saw this coming. We saw a lot of each other growing up but our encounters became few and far between after we grew up and I moved away. She had two sons that I really don’t even know. There have been far too many times that I have lost touch people only to have our paths finally cross under tragic circumstances. My half brother died several years ago and it had been nearly 15 years since we had seen or spoken to each other. It’s not that we didn't get along. He moved to Texas and I moved to Nashville and our paths never crossed again. He would come into town when I didn’t and vice versa. The point is I have to do a better job keeping in touch with people. I will see some relatives at the funeral that I haven’t seen in years and they live in the same county as my parents. I just don’t take the time to seek them out when I’m in town or call and let them know that I am coming. I am making a resolution to do better and if most people thought about it they probably could do a better job keeping in touch with family and friends themselves. I encourage anyone reading this to evaluate there personal relationships and see if there are people that they have lost touch with. If so make an effort this week to reach out to someone you love that you haven’t spoken to in awhile. You never know it might be your last chance.

Sleeping with the Enemy

Make no bones about it. I hate the Florida Gators. Their fans are by far the worst in the SEC. I have put up with years of abuse at the hands of these fans. There rude, cocky and obnoxious. I just got back from the Outback Bowl in Florida where the Tennessee Volunteers played Penn State. Do you think the Gator fans were supportive of the SEC fans who were there to take on a Big 10 team. No! Every where I went there was some Gator fan gator chomping at me. I wasn't bothering any of them. We weren't even there to play them. That's why I hate them so much. They always have to be a-holes. That's why up till now I was hoping that they get their butts kicked really bad tonight in the national championship game. The rest of family has been on board from the beginning. Saying that we support the other SEC teams. Which usually do but those Gators just tick me off. My brother had to make it a point to make friends with every Gator fan he saw in Florida. Even the ones chomping at us. I told them they were number one alright but not as nice as he did.(if you know what I mean) With that said I have found myself starting to change a little. The more I hear people picking against Florida the more it feels like they are picking against the SEC and that doesn't sit well with me. The SEC is the toughest conference in the country no doubt about it. Most people will tell you that. It's bad enough that the Vols lost to a big 10 team. We don't want them to beat another SEC team for the championship. So, I won't say go Gators but I will say GO SEC!!!

Best New Year's Eve Ever

I spent this past New Year's Eve in Tampa, Florida at the Outback Bowl with my dad, brother, girlfriend and sister and her boyfriend. To bad the game didn't go as well as the night before. We spent the early part of the day at channel side. Having lunch, a few beers and good conversation. There was a cruise ship getting ready to depart. It's amazing how something so big can still float. My dad especially loved that part. He has been after us for years to take a family cruise. Maybe next year. That night we took the trolley to Ybor city for the Outback Bowl Parade. The parade wasn't anything special both it was a good atmosphere with the fans from both teams present. The best part was after the Tennessee band went through. They were the last element in the parade and after they went by all the Tennessee fans flooded the street and followed them to the pep rally. Singing Rocky Top all the way. It was cool to be apart of that. Working in TV you get used to covering things like that but not getting a chance to take part in it. At the pep rally the UT and Penn State bands played and the cheerleaders danced on stage. Each band had an announcer to introduce each song. Retired anchor Bill Williams of WBIR channel 10 in Knoxville did the honors for Tennessee.

We stayed at the pep rally for about a half hour then found a bar to ring in the new year. This place was cool the dj played almost exclusively old school R & B with a little rock ,rap and Spanish music mixed in every once in awhile. Through the night he would play each teams fight song and challenge the fans to out do each other. I have to say the Tennessee fans won that battle all night long. The place was full of Vols fans. We did shots with a group of them and rang in the new year. If not for the early kick off the next day we probably would have stayed out all night. Great time great memories. Here are a few pictures from the trip. Go Vols in 2007!

Vandalism Update

I have posted here (1 2 3 ) before about the vandalism I had to endure last month. Updating this saga the 19 year old kid that was involved has now been arrested in this case and now he has a weapons charge to go along with it. He was on his way to the work last Monday when he pasted an officer without his seat belt on and not using his blinker. The officer pulled him over and then of course found that a warrant had been issued for his arrest. Upon being asked if he had any weapons on him or in his car he told he did and the officer found a LOADED gun. How scary is that. Just last month I was chasing this same kid through my neighbors back yard and he could have be packing heat.

My girlfriend and I had to go to a hearing the Friday before Christmaws where we both had to testify. The judge did find there was enough evidence to send him to the grand jury. She also shot down a request to lower his $35,000 bond. So he probably spent Christmas in jail unless his family came up with $3,500.

Although I am still really mad about what happen I can't help but feel a little sorry for him and a lot sorry for his parents. I met them the day after this happened and they seem like really nice, church going people and I know this has to be really tough for them. The day they came over I could see the heartbreak in his mothers eyes. I'm not sure why I feel sorry for him. He was being a little shit on the phone the day after and I would love to have 15 minutes alone with him in a back room some where. Maybe it's a black thing. There are so many black kids that go down the wrong path I hate to see one start his adulthood with the deck already stacked against him with a felony over something stupid like this.