Today has been a better day for me. I woke up early enough to hold Blake and rock him to sleep while my wife was getting ready for work.
I got Blake to sleep while he was in my arms. I did one more thing better: I put Blake down in the pack and play for sleep. I witnessed him sleeping in until well after 9AM.
Ben didn't even wake up until just after 8AM. I read parts of the Sunday Atlanta Journal-Constitution, took some notes, warmed up Ben's milk, and he was still asleep.
I turned on the aquarium in his room to finally get him going.
I played cars, blanket fort, and legos with Ben.
I played exersaucer, swing, and play mat with Blake.
I fed Ben chicken strips and Blake some baby food bananas at the same time.
I showered, got ready for work, doubled back home to get my work badge, and made it to work with a bit of time to spare.
I'm going to rest up for the weekend and come back to work stronger than ever.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Journal entry for January 28, 2016
This would be a pretty bad day for me. I had to call in sick because I was not feeling any better after working with a cough and cold for the first three days of the week.
I seemed O.K. to pick Ben up from preschool. I was good enough to take care of Blake when I needed to.
I spent most of my free time dozing off and trying to get myself well.
I tried to help my wife with the boys while she was hard at work.
For the first time in a long, long time, I had the TV set on the same channel for more than five hours at one time at home (WSB-TV Channel 2).
We all ate together at the dinner table, and that was really awesome. We don't get to do that very often with our time schedules the way they're set up.
My goal for the night was to get some good sleep and come back stronger for tomorrow.
I seemed O.K. to pick Ben up from preschool. I was good enough to take care of Blake when I needed to.
I spent most of my free time dozing off and trying to get myself well.
I tried to help my wife with the boys while she was hard at work.
For the first time in a long, long time, I had the TV set on the same channel for more than five hours at one time at home (WSB-TV Channel 2).
We all ate together at the dinner table, and that was really awesome. We don't get to do that very often with our time schedules the way they're set up.
My goal for the night was to get some good sleep and come back stronger for tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Dreaming of a weird NFL scenario
This dream caused me to oversleep this morning. I was watching an NFL game between the LOS ANGELES BROWNS against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I couldn't believe what I was watching.
Never mind that Los Angeles already got one team back from St. Louis (the RAMS). I was watching a second LA team on my TV.
The telecast featured a 1995 graphics look to it. I felt like I was transported back to 1995 to watch the game on a fuzzy looking square 4x3 TV in my living room. I also felt like I was going back to my roots in Arizona.
The LA Browns were driving deep into Steeler territory. I couldn't make out who was on the field. I did not recognize any of the players that were involved in the contest.
In reality, I woke up. The Rams are back in Los Angeles after playing in St. Louis from 1995-2015. Cleveland has the Browns back (and rightfully so). I live in Georgia, and I have at least one HDTV to watch football (or anything else for that matter).
I hope Cleveland NEVER loses its NFL team under any circumstances again.
Here's a true fact: The Rams ONCE called Cleveland home until 1945.
Never mind that Los Angeles already got one team back from St. Louis (the RAMS). I was watching a second LA team on my TV.
The telecast featured a 1995 graphics look to it. I felt like I was transported back to 1995 to watch the game on a fuzzy looking square 4x3 TV in my living room. I also felt like I was going back to my roots in Arizona.
The LA Browns were driving deep into Steeler territory. I couldn't make out who was on the field. I did not recognize any of the players that were involved in the contest.
In reality, I woke up. The Rams are back in Los Angeles after playing in St. Louis from 1995-2015. Cleveland has the Browns back (and rightfully so). I live in Georgia, and I have at least one HDTV to watch football (or anything else for that matter).
I hope Cleveland NEVER loses its NFL team under any circumstances again.
Here's a true fact: The Rams ONCE called Cleveland home until 1945.
Journal Entry for January 27, 2016
It's been a tough day all the way around.
First of all, I overslept way to much this morning. You saw it here first. I woke up in my bed at 8:30 this morning. That it's not normal for me at all anymore.
I got Ben and Blake up with milk and diaper changes before 9am. I gave Ben a champions breakfast filled with Life Cereal, a Nutri-grain bar, and some blueberries. I simultaneously fed Blake his 5 ounce bottle of milk. He took a few takes to drink most of it town.
Sometimes I have my timing down to do simultaneous feedings, sometimes I don't like today. I had to let Ben up from his high chair before Blake was done eating.
I played blanket fort with Ben and I let Blake play on the play mat. As Ben played with his toys, I saw something most spectacular. I saw Blake begin to take the first steps of crawling on the floor. I video taped the moment on my iPhone. I'll post that historic video soon.
The hardest parts of my day are getting housework done in the noon hour, getting the boys ready for day care, dropping them off at daycare, leaving for work, and barreling through the 2.5 hours of news for editing.
Today was a most challenging day for me here at CBS46. I had to rush edit some helicopter video of a major traffic tie-up on the Southbound lanes of I-75 in Marietta. I also worried about my wife getting home on time.
The incident that shut down all the Southbound lanes of Interstate 75 (and two left lanes of the NB I-75) were the result of the shooting of a Georgia State Trooper.
Here's a link to CBS46's ongoing coverage of the mess that was I-75.
THIS JUST IN: All lanes on I-75 are re-opened. I think I can go home safely tonight.
I've been sick all day and I feel like I should call in sick tomorrow. It's a shame that I'm not getting any better and that my cough is getting worse and worse.
I'm still sick, sick, sick. It sucks.
I need a good night sleep to get me out of this funk. I even need to try to gargle salt water, hot salt water to see how good that will work. I'm ready to try anything.
First of all, I overslept way to much this morning. You saw it here first. I woke up in my bed at 8:30 this morning. That it's not normal for me at all anymore.
I got Ben and Blake up with milk and diaper changes before 9am. I gave Ben a champions breakfast filled with Life Cereal, a Nutri-grain bar, and some blueberries. I simultaneously fed Blake his 5 ounce bottle of milk. He took a few takes to drink most of it town.
Sometimes I have my timing down to do simultaneous feedings, sometimes I don't like today. I had to let Ben up from his high chair before Blake was done eating.
I played blanket fort with Ben and I let Blake play on the play mat. As Ben played with his toys, I saw something most spectacular. I saw Blake begin to take the first steps of crawling on the floor. I video taped the moment on my iPhone. I'll post that historic video soon.
The hardest parts of my day are getting housework done in the noon hour, getting the boys ready for day care, dropping them off at daycare, leaving for work, and barreling through the 2.5 hours of news for editing.
Today was a most challenging day for me here at CBS46. I had to rush edit some helicopter video of a major traffic tie-up on the Southbound lanes of I-75 in Marietta. I also worried about my wife getting home on time.
The incident that shut down all the Southbound lanes of Interstate 75 (and two left lanes of the NB I-75) were the result of the shooting of a Georgia State Trooper.
Here's a link to CBS46's ongoing coverage of the mess that was I-75.
THIS JUST IN: All lanes on I-75 are re-opened. I think I can go home safely tonight.
I've been sick all day and I feel like I should call in sick tomorrow. It's a shame that I'm not getting any better and that my cough is getting worse and worse.
I'm still sick, sick, sick. It sucks.
I need a good night sleep to get me out of this funk. I even need to try to gargle salt water, hot salt water to see how good that will work. I'm ready to try anything.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Journal Entry for January 26, 2016
Blake and I spent the majority of our morning hanging out together. I can't believe he's six months old now. Six Months Old!!!!!!
Happy half-birthday Blake.
Nothing else I did at work matters. Nothing.
If anything, I caught up on everything for the 11pm show and I caught up on my newscast DVD dubs up through tonight.
Wash, Rinse, Repeat, and come back stronger tomorrow.
Happy half-birthday Blake.
Nothing else I did at work matters. Nothing.
If anything, I caught up on everything for the 11pm show and I caught up on my newscast DVD dubs up through tonight.
Wash, Rinse, Repeat, and come back stronger tomorrow.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Journal entry for January 25, 2016
This morning did not go smooth as I'm used to seeing. I work up with a bad cough and I spit up some green stuff. I felt this same way early and late last year.
I woke up just in time to get Ben his sippy cup of milk. I was so happy to see him and give him milk, I let him go a little while without changing his diaper. I wanted him to be happy, fun, and talkative before I had to do my daddy duties.
The rest of my family were under the weather and weren't at our healthy best today, myself included.
We got the day going with some "Special Agent Oso" on Disney Junior. I mixed in some "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" and "Sesame Street" for Ben.
I ad the distinct pleasure of making Ben's breakfast of Chocolate Chip Waffles and Sausage rounds. I think I liked it more than Ben did. That should never happen, but he's two and he won't be as enthusiastic about breakfast like I am.
I'm writing this entry with about a little more than an hour to go before showtime for the 11PM Newscast on CBS46.
Ben said "Good Morning" clear as day, and he said "Brush Teeth" to where I could understand him.
I let Ben brush his teeth in order for him to get good at it. I let him play with the light switches as we were doing 'Brush Teeth'. He did so good at standing on his stool to get his job done. I even put water on his toothbrush as he called for it. He's good at saying 'water'.
At some point, I had to let him down and send him on his way to play out in the living room. As soon as that happened, Ben started screaming and wanted his way. I had to be the parent in this situation and stand firm in what I was doing.
I'm trying to get better and get rid of this cough, so it's time to wind it down and come back strong tomorrow.
I woke up just in time to get Ben his sippy cup of milk. I was so happy to see him and give him milk, I let him go a little while without changing his diaper. I wanted him to be happy, fun, and talkative before I had to do my daddy duties.
The rest of my family were under the weather and weren't at our healthy best today, myself included.
We got the day going with some "Special Agent Oso" on Disney Junior. I mixed in some "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" and "Sesame Street" for Ben.
I ad the distinct pleasure of making Ben's breakfast of Chocolate Chip Waffles and Sausage rounds. I think I liked it more than Ben did. That should never happen, but he's two and he won't be as enthusiastic about breakfast like I am.
I'm writing this entry with about a little more than an hour to go before showtime for the 11PM Newscast on CBS46.
Ben said "Good Morning" clear as day, and he said "Brush Teeth" to where I could understand him.
I let Ben brush his teeth in order for him to get good at it. I let him play with the light switches as we were doing 'Brush Teeth'. He did so good at standing on his stool to get his job done. I even put water on his toothbrush as he called for it. He's good at saying 'water'.
At some point, I had to let him down and send him on his way to play out in the living room. As soon as that happened, Ben started screaming and wanted his way. I had to be the parent in this situation and stand firm in what I was doing.
I'm trying to get better and get rid of this cough, so it's time to wind it down and come back strong tomorrow.
Dreaming of work again
Early this morning, I had this weird dream where I was doing poorly at work. I was working poorly fo rmy current employer CBS46. One of my bosses came over to my edit work station and told me that I needed to log more sound from Donald Trump. He caught me doing my own side projects instead of doing the work I was supposed to be doing.
I felt, sad, ashamed, embarrassed, and I wanted to prove that I was better than that. So after that talking to, I got to work and logged about 15 minutes worth of press conference sound from Donald Trump. I remember in the dream that he was standing in front of some navy blue curtains and there was a brown podium with a black microphone cover over the microphone. I don't remember if he had a sign or a banner on the podium.
Later on in my dreams, I returned to work for CNN as a video editor. I was working with a couple of supervisors that I used to know. They gave me some editing assignments on paper. They had the typeface of what I saw from my jr. high and high school report cards. I was told to edit some simple VOs and SOTs for different newscasts throughout the day. I felt privileged to come back to work for CNN and do my thing.
In reality, I'm firmly entrenched and employed here at CBS46. I don't have any more plans to return to work for CNN. I'm going to be the best something or another I can be as long as I'm here.
I'm ready to be the best editor and writer that I can be. In addition to that, I'm determined to be the best husband and father I can be. I owe it to Kelly, Ben, Blake, and Gandalf.
I felt, sad, ashamed, embarrassed, and I wanted to prove that I was better than that. So after that talking to, I got to work and logged about 15 minutes worth of press conference sound from Donald Trump. I remember in the dream that he was standing in front of some navy blue curtains and there was a brown podium with a black microphone cover over the microphone. I don't remember if he had a sign or a banner on the podium.
Later on in my dreams, I returned to work for CNN as a video editor. I was working with a couple of supervisors that I used to know. They gave me some editing assignments on paper. They had the typeface of what I saw from my jr. high and high school report cards. I was told to edit some simple VOs and SOTs for different newscasts throughout the day. I felt privileged to come back to work for CNN and do my thing.
In reality, I'm firmly entrenched and employed here at CBS46. I don't have any more plans to return to work for CNN. I'm going to be the best something or another I can be as long as I'm here.
I'm ready to be the best editor and writer that I can be. In addition to that, I'm determined to be the best husband and father I can be. I owe it to Kelly, Ben, Blake, and Gandalf.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Journal Entry for January 22, 2016
I woke up early for good just after 6:30 this morning. Blake woke up and I needed to hold him so that my wife could get ready for work. I worried about her traveling down into the city for work. I didn't know what to expect on the surface of the freeways this morning. I kept my focus on Blake (and on a movie on TV) in order to get me through the early stages of the morning.
Ben, Blake, and I watched cartoons after, and during, milk drinking sessions. We caught up on some "Special Agent Oso" and "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood."
Ben said "Brush Teeth" many times, and I let him practice that in the bathroom one time. I put water on his toothbrush to get him going and help him finish the job.
There were times I felt lacking as a parent. I felt that there were times that I didn't play with either one enough today. I was always seemingly on my heels trying to figure out which son to take care of next. I held Blake when he cried, and I played with Ben a little bit when Blake was content somewhere in the home.
Blake gave me the biggest diaper I've ever seen. I had to scrape the poop off his back and take his outfit right to the washer and dryer. Whoo-Whee!!!!! Blake P. Irwin.
It's always an honor to change Blake's diapers.
I read Ben a passage from Matthew in the bible. It says 'Love the Lord with all your heart and mind.' I'll work to do the same every day.
The hardest part of my day is to put Ben and Blake down for a nap, get them ready for daycare, and drop them off at daycare. I miss the little guys.
I drove in wet conditions to CBS46 this afternoon and made it to work on time. I saw a bunch of kids from North Cobb High School walking home for the day and riding the bus home.
Tonight, after work, I head home up I-75 and I'm hoping there's no ice to meet my tires. I do not need to slip and slide.
Tomorrow, I have to cover a special emergency shift from 6:30 to 11:30 in the morning for a special two-hour newscast from 9am to 11am. I worry more about getting into work safely.
Say some prayers for me.
Ben, Blake, and I watched cartoons after, and during, milk drinking sessions. We caught up on some "Special Agent Oso" and "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood."
Ben said "Brush Teeth" many times, and I let him practice that in the bathroom one time. I put water on his toothbrush to get him going and help him finish the job.
There were times I felt lacking as a parent. I felt that there were times that I didn't play with either one enough today. I was always seemingly on my heels trying to figure out which son to take care of next. I held Blake when he cried, and I played with Ben a little bit when Blake was content somewhere in the home.
Blake gave me the biggest diaper I've ever seen. I had to scrape the poop off his back and take his outfit right to the washer and dryer. Whoo-Whee!!!!! Blake P. Irwin.
It's always an honor to change Blake's diapers.
I read Ben a passage from Matthew in the bible. It says 'Love the Lord with all your heart and mind.' I'll work to do the same every day.
The hardest part of my day is to put Ben and Blake down for a nap, get them ready for daycare, and drop them off at daycare. I miss the little guys.
I drove in wet conditions to CBS46 this afternoon and made it to work on time. I saw a bunch of kids from North Cobb High School walking home for the day and riding the bus home.
Tonight, after work, I head home up I-75 and I'm hoping there's no ice to meet my tires. I do not need to slip and slide.
Tomorrow, I have to cover a special emergency shift from 6:30 to 11:30 in the morning for a special two-hour newscast from 9am to 11am. I worry more about getting into work safely.
Say some prayers for me.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Journal Entry for January 21, 2016
I got to sleep in early this morning. I woke up just after 8:10 A.M.
I got to take Ben to preschool while listening to a cacacophy of SIRIUSXM music channels.
After I dropped Ben off at school, I got a free cup of RaceTrac coffee. Lucky me!!!
I got to watch TV, hold Blake, fold clothes, and eat cereal and Egg rolls in back to back meals. I got the rest of my birthday cake for dessert.
I got a break. My wife picked up Ben from preschool for me. I got ready and made sure Blake was sleeping. He didn't. I got Ben's milk ready right before he walked in the door.
Uh-oh! Blake got in trouble at school today. At first I thought 'what did he do'? Did he do something so horrible I wouldn't forgive him??? Actually, he got in trouble twice for not listening to his teachers. I forgave him and gave Ben his milk and some lovins before leaving for work.
I made it into work just at the buzzer and seemingly worked non-stop from 2:40 P.M. until just before 6 P.M. on the editing side of things. It's slowed down a bit right now. I have to mind the rundown to see if there are any last minute items to take care of.
In the meantime, I will begin my media management duties by deleting some videos older than two weeks.
Right before I will leave work for the night, I got a few ideas on how to bolster my workout for the new year. I will do some sit ups beginning tomorrow.
I got to take Ben to preschool while listening to a cacacophy of SIRIUSXM music channels.
After I dropped Ben off at school, I got a free cup of RaceTrac coffee. Lucky me!!!
I got to watch TV, hold Blake, fold clothes, and eat cereal and Egg rolls in back to back meals. I got the rest of my birthday cake for dessert.
I got a break. My wife picked up Ben from preschool for me. I got ready and made sure Blake was sleeping. He didn't. I got Ben's milk ready right before he walked in the door.
Uh-oh! Blake got in trouble at school today. At first I thought 'what did he do'? Did he do something so horrible I wouldn't forgive him??? Actually, he got in trouble twice for not listening to his teachers. I forgave him and gave Ben his milk and some lovins before leaving for work.
I made it into work just at the buzzer and seemingly worked non-stop from 2:40 P.M. until just before 6 P.M. on the editing side of things. It's slowed down a bit right now. I have to mind the rundown to see if there are any last minute items to take care of.
In the meantime, I will begin my media management duties by deleting some videos older than two weeks.
Right before I will leave work for the night, I got a few ideas on how to bolster my workout for the new year. I will do some sit ups beginning tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Journal Entry for January 20, 2016
I work up twice this morning: Once around 7:10 A.M.; the other time was 7:40 A.M. for good.
I had to get up to get Ben's milk ready and to get Blake from out of the Pack and Play. He slept there up until I heard him stirring and moving around a bit. I could tell he wasn't sleeping. I could hear Ben waking up through the monitor and that was what got Ben out of his slumber.
Ben and I played cars, pull daddy by the finger, and say words on a page. He did good in all three.
One of my favorite moments of the day was when Blake touched the back of Ben's hair, and Ben didn't react badly to it at all. I'm proud of my boy. Good job Ben. Seriously, I think my two sons like each other.
One of my tougher times was around lunchtime. I had to balance feeding Ben and putting Blake somewhere secure. As Ben was eating his meal, Blake was sitting with his toys in his little booster seat. I had to tell Ben that "Doggy" had to sit just away from him so that he could be clean during mealtime.
I was so proud of Ben eating enough of his chicken nuggets and vegetables, I gave him some Ice Cream for dessert. He wore it pretty well and ate it up too. I had to change his nap time outfit because he got it so sticky. It's also my fault for not putting a nice little bib on him.
Thank goodness I had two cups of coffee in be during my home portion of the day. It helps me function and keep me going for the rest of the day.
Long story short, we all got out of the house at 1:17 P.M. and it was onward to daycare. I had to say good bye to both of them so that I could get to work on time here at CBS46.
I made it in the building with a couple minutes to spare. I had to reboot my AVID workstation, putting me about 10 minutes behind in the beginning. Somehow, I can catch up and get moving once I get started editing. I guess I have some "ninja" fast skills to get videos on the air.
I think I did something special for the 11PM show tonight.
I got to edit a package from scratch, something my line of work doesn't allow me to do very often. I can honestly say I'm tired and I'm drained from doing it. I feel good about what I put down on my editing timeline. I'll soon post my edited package on an Atlanta group of volunteers donating clean, bottled water to the people of Flint, Michigan.
My TV viewing consisted of "Family Guy", CBS Soaps "The Bold and the Beautiful" and "The Young and the Restless", Georgia Basketball, "Modern Family", "The Big Bang Theory", and Atlanta Hawks basketball.
Time for me to sign off for the day. I'll be back for more again tomorrow.
I had to get up to get Ben's milk ready and to get Blake from out of the Pack and Play. He slept there up until I heard him stirring and moving around a bit. I could tell he wasn't sleeping. I could hear Ben waking up through the monitor and that was what got Ben out of his slumber.
Ben and I played cars, pull daddy by the finger, and say words on a page. He did good in all three.
One of my favorite moments of the day was when Blake touched the back of Ben's hair, and Ben didn't react badly to it at all. I'm proud of my boy. Good job Ben. Seriously, I think my two sons like each other.
One of my tougher times was around lunchtime. I had to balance feeding Ben and putting Blake somewhere secure. As Ben was eating his meal, Blake was sitting with his toys in his little booster seat. I had to tell Ben that "Doggy" had to sit just away from him so that he could be clean during mealtime.
I was so proud of Ben eating enough of his chicken nuggets and vegetables, I gave him some Ice Cream for dessert. He wore it pretty well and ate it up too. I had to change his nap time outfit because he got it so sticky. It's also my fault for not putting a nice little bib on him.
Thank goodness I had two cups of coffee in be during my home portion of the day. It helps me function and keep me going for the rest of the day.
Long story short, we all got out of the house at 1:17 P.M. and it was onward to daycare. I had to say good bye to both of them so that I could get to work on time here at CBS46.
I made it in the building with a couple minutes to spare. I had to reboot my AVID workstation, putting me about 10 minutes behind in the beginning. Somehow, I can catch up and get moving once I get started editing. I guess I have some "ninja" fast skills to get videos on the air.
I think I did something special for the 11PM show tonight.
I got to edit a package from scratch, something my line of work doesn't allow me to do very often. I can honestly say I'm tired and I'm drained from doing it. I feel good about what I put down on my editing timeline. I'll soon post my edited package on an Atlanta group of volunteers donating clean, bottled water to the people of Flint, Michigan.
My TV viewing consisted of "Family Guy", CBS Soaps "The Bold and the Beautiful" and "The Young and the Restless", Georgia Basketball, "Modern Family", "The Big Bang Theory", and Atlanta Hawks basketball.
Time for me to sign off for the day. I'll be back for more again tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Journal entry for January 19, 2016
I got to sleep in this morning. I woke up at 7:50 A.M. Actually, I slept in a little bit before 7 in the morning. Blake didn't even wake us up in our room all night long. I heard him (or Ben) through the monitor. Nothing major happened, so I conked out again. I woke up to get Ben out of bed and ready for his milk and breakfast.
One of my favorite jobs is feeding Ben in the morning. Since I had to drive him to preschool this morning, I had to work quick to give him some breakfast. I served him fruity cheerios and a cereal bar. The new-look fruity cheerios have an earth tones feel to them. They don't look like they've been dyed in artificial coloring like the old ones did.
See a happy happy Ben eat his breakfast and play peek-a-boo with me at the same time.
We got "Doggy" to come along with us for the ride to preschool at Acworth United Methodist Church. It was so cold, I had to layer him up in a hoodie to school. On the way home, the staff layered him up in a jacket and his hoodie. I was still able to get him buckled into his car seat safely for the ride home. Taking Ben with me is one of the most important jobs I have for him.
One of the hardest jobs I have again is saying good bye to my family before heading into work at CBS46 in Atlanta.
Late in my shift here at CBS46, I'm editing and preparing for "Storm Watch." I need to get out of here just after the 11pm show and post-show meeting are over.
I'm proud of the re-track pkg that I edited for Ben Swann. Soon, I'll post that here on my blog. I've got a few skillz in editing.
Earlier tonight, I got to see Georgia State beat Georgia Southern in overtime in Men's Basketball. I feel bad for my wife's alma mater in the loss. I like the rivalry, and I hope Southern can win a few of these.
It's soon time for me to drink some water and some coffee for the rest of the shift and for the ride home. I've got my gear ready to keep me warm.
One of my favorite jobs is feeding Ben in the morning. Since I had to drive him to preschool this morning, I had to work quick to give him some breakfast. I served him fruity cheerios and a cereal bar. The new-look fruity cheerios have an earth tones feel to them. They don't look like they've been dyed in artificial coloring like the old ones did.
See a happy happy Ben eat his breakfast and play peek-a-boo with me at the same time.
We got "Doggy" to come along with us for the ride to preschool at Acworth United Methodist Church. It was so cold, I had to layer him up in a hoodie to school. On the way home, the staff layered him up in a jacket and his hoodie. I was still able to get him buckled into his car seat safely for the ride home. Taking Ben with me is one of the most important jobs I have for him.
One of the hardest jobs I have again is saying good bye to my family before heading into work at CBS46 in Atlanta.
Late in my shift here at CBS46, I'm editing and preparing for "Storm Watch." I need to get out of here just after the 11pm show and post-show meeting are over.
I'm proud of the re-track pkg that I edited for Ben Swann. Soon, I'll post that here on my blog. I've got a few skillz in editing.
Earlier tonight, I got to see Georgia State beat Georgia Southern in overtime in Men's Basketball. I feel bad for my wife's alma mater in the loss. I like the rivalry, and I hope Southern can win a few of these.
It's soon time for me to drink some water and some coffee for the rest of the shift and for the ride home. I've got my gear ready to keep me warm.
Monday, January 18, 2016
Journal Entry for January 18, 2016
Saturday was a very special day for me. I even got to sleep in until 8:22 A.M. in the morning. After I woke up, it was time for me to be a good parent for a while. I had to change a couple of diapers and make sure the guys were well fed and entertained.
Just before my mother-in-law and my nephew arrived for my birthday, Ben and I got some much-needed haircuts. See below before the haircut
See above just after the haircut.
Ben had a great birthday cake and some ice cream before he had his dinner. Only on birthdays can we get away from it.
I had a great time with my family in the afternoon. I got to have some cake and ice cream with my family before we all went out to dinner. My 40th birthday had a most delicious cake and some peanut butter ice cream to go with it.
We all went to dinner at Lulu's Firewater Grill (my plan B). My plan A, Longhorn, was full and people were waiting OUTSIDE just to get a table. I had to scrap that plan so that my wife and I could make our date to Taco Mac for the friends and friends portion of my birthday. It didn't hurt that there was an Arizona Cardinals playoff on TV that same night.
It took four quarters and some Overtime, but my Arizona Cardinals won their home playoff game versus the Green Bay Packers to advance to the NFC Title Game. I now know they're playing the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte on Sunday. I like their chances vs. the Panthers with a healthy Carson Palmer at Quarterback.
I woke up Monday Morning to a crying Blake. I rocked him to sleep as my wife was heading towards work. I tried to put him back in the pack and play, but it was no use. He woke up and stayed up for most of the morning.
I stayed up with Blake and got Ben ready for his milk and for his day of play.
I caught up on some cartoons like "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood", "Jake and the Neverland Pirates", "Doc McStuffins", etc. I try to make it fun for the boys when we're together at home.
One of the more beautiful sites of the day at home was when Blake was sleeping in the bouncy seat. I've never succeeded in getting him to sleep there until today.
The hardest parts of my day are getting ready for work, getting the guys ready for daycare, and leaving them behind at daycare. Thankfully, I'll see them soon.
I made my decision on my NFL fandom. I'm making the Atlanta Falcons my "A" team if the San Diego Chargers move to Los Angeles like this report says it would.
I hold out some hope that the City of San Diego and the San Diego Chargers can come together to the table and find a way to agree on a new stadium deal. I'm keeping my eyes open and my fingers crossed.
Just before my mother-in-law and my nephew arrived for my birthday, Ben and I got some much-needed haircuts. See below before the haircut
Ben had a great birthday cake and some ice cream before he had his dinner. Only on birthdays can we get away from it.
I had a great time with my family in the afternoon. I got to have some cake and ice cream with my family before we all went out to dinner. My 40th birthday had a most delicious cake and some peanut butter ice cream to go with it.
We all went to dinner at Lulu's Firewater Grill (my plan B). My plan A, Longhorn, was full and people were waiting OUTSIDE just to get a table. I had to scrap that plan so that my wife and I could make our date to Taco Mac for the friends and friends portion of my birthday. It didn't hurt that there was an Arizona Cardinals playoff on TV that same night.
It took four quarters and some Overtime, but my Arizona Cardinals won their home playoff game versus the Green Bay Packers to advance to the NFC Title Game. I now know they're playing the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte on Sunday. I like their chances vs. the Panthers with a healthy Carson Palmer at Quarterback.
I woke up Monday Morning to a crying Blake. I rocked him to sleep as my wife was heading towards work. I tried to put him back in the pack and play, but it was no use. He woke up and stayed up for most of the morning.
I stayed up with Blake and got Ben ready for his milk and for his day of play.
I caught up on some cartoons like "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood", "Jake and the Neverland Pirates", "Doc McStuffins", etc. I try to make it fun for the boys when we're together at home.
One of the more beautiful sites of the day at home was when Blake was sleeping in the bouncy seat. I've never succeeded in getting him to sleep there until today.
The hardest parts of my day are getting ready for work, getting the guys ready for daycare, and leaving them behind at daycare. Thankfully, I'll see them soon.
I made my decision on my NFL fandom. I'm making the Atlanta Falcons my "A" team if the San Diego Chargers move to Los Angeles like this report says it would.
I hold out some hope that the City of San Diego and the San Diego Chargers can come together to the table and find a way to agree on a new stadium deal. I'm keeping my eyes open and my fingers crossed.
Friday, January 15, 2016
Journal Entry for January 15, 2016
Today is one day before my 40th birthday. I know for sure that it will hit me tomorrow as I hit the BIG 4-0.
Today, The big screams and cries of Blake woke me up early this morning. I could hear him through the monitor in Ben's room. Ben woke up shortly thereafter.
I had to change Blake's diaper, and whoo-whee. He gave me the biggest diaper I've ever seen on him. It must have been his dinner and milk that he ate last night. Whatever he ate, keep feeding it to him as he sleeps throughout the night. The more Blake can sleep, the better sleep my wife and I get as parents.
I gave Blake three bottles of milk while Ben had Breakfast, snack of "fruit snacks", breakfast 2 (sort of, waiting impatiently for bak bak), and finally, lunch (bak bak came to him) and he ate his chicken nuggets up.
I caught up on all my cartoons and kid shows with my boys ("Mickey Mouse Clubhouse", "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, "Sheriff Callie", and "Jake and the Neverland Pirates.") I've got more TV to catch up on later. I'll have to wait until my 40th birthday to get that underway.
I'm now editing and watching the Atlanta Hawks basketball game on Fox Sports Southeast. Soon, I'll be done reading the Sunday Edition of the "Atlanta Journal Constitution" for January 10, 2016. I have a long way to go to finish up the Sunday, January 10, 2016 editing of the "Marietta Daily Journal".
For the first time this year, I played "Mafia Wars". I hadn't had the desire to play in quite a long time. I didn't feel the need to play until today. I'm going to try to play the game again from time to time. I will not make it an obsession like I did back in my early heyday with the game. Sometimes I fear that I let the game take over many aspects of my life. It's supposed to be just for fun.
I'm less than an hour from the BIG 4-0. I'm excited about what tomorrow and the future bring. I don't feel 40. I probably won't feel 40 anytime soon.
Mentally, I feel like I'm a big kid. I feel that I'm on a level where I can play with my two kids in any game that they want to play. When Ben and Blake get older, I want to be able to do the fun things that they do. I'll even teach them how to play some video games.
Today, The big screams and cries of Blake woke me up early this morning. I could hear him through the monitor in Ben's room. Ben woke up shortly thereafter.
I had to change Blake's diaper, and whoo-whee. He gave me the biggest diaper I've ever seen on him. It must have been his dinner and milk that he ate last night. Whatever he ate, keep feeding it to him as he sleeps throughout the night. The more Blake can sleep, the better sleep my wife and I get as parents.
I gave Blake three bottles of milk while Ben had Breakfast, snack of "fruit snacks", breakfast 2 (sort of, waiting impatiently for bak bak), and finally, lunch (bak bak came to him) and he ate his chicken nuggets up.
I caught up on all my cartoons and kid shows with my boys ("Mickey Mouse Clubhouse", "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, "Sheriff Callie", and "Jake and the Neverland Pirates.") I've got more TV to catch up on later. I'll have to wait until my 40th birthday to get that underway.
I'm now editing and watching the Atlanta Hawks basketball game on Fox Sports Southeast. Soon, I'll be done reading the Sunday Edition of the "Atlanta Journal Constitution" for January 10, 2016. I have a long way to go to finish up the Sunday, January 10, 2016 editing of the "Marietta Daily Journal".
For the first time this year, I played "Mafia Wars". I hadn't had the desire to play in quite a long time. I didn't feel the need to play until today. I'm going to try to play the game again from time to time. I will not make it an obsession like I did back in my early heyday with the game. Sometimes I fear that I let the game take over many aspects of my life. It's supposed to be just for fun.
I'm less than an hour from the BIG 4-0. I'm excited about what tomorrow and the future bring. I don't feel 40. I probably won't feel 40 anytime soon.
Mentally, I feel like I'm a big kid. I feel that I'm on a level where I can play with my two kids in any game that they want to play. When Ben and Blake get older, I want to be able to do the fun things that they do. I'll even teach them how to play some video games.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Journal Entry for January 14, 2016
I'm pretty pissed off about today. There's no need for me to into any details.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Journal entry for January 13, 2016
Ben and Blake made my day this morning and afternoon. There were just a couple of times where diaper changes were challenging for me (both Ben squirming on me). Blake was a pleasure to change. Neither had especially challenging diapers for me this morning.
Ben had a good mix of breakfast and lunch. I gave him some fruity cheerios and some blueberries. For lunch, I gave him some steak fingers and a fruit cup. He fed me a piece of steak finger and dipped it in the fruit cup syrup. I thought that was cute.
Ben said Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy while identifying some Disney stickers. He said Goofy the best and clearest of the characters.
We all caught up on some "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" and some "Daniel Tigers Neighborhood" on DVR. I caught up on the first Republican Debate and part of the 2nd Republican Debate on DVR yesterday and today. I think I learned something from those two debates from September in Simi Valley, California.
Blake slept for me for an hour before I had to get Ben up and Blake into his car seat for day care.
I had to make three stops after going to daycare. I had to go to an ATM, McDonalds, and a Shell Station/Convenience store so that I could go play powerball before coming into work.
I got into work later than I would have liked to, but it was worth it just for the chance to be a new millionaire. I don't think I'm going to be one when I get home tonight. I know, cue the tears.
I seemed to have eaten everything I got my hands on today. Where do I begin (why, with lunch of course). I had stir fry/fried rice (twice), a hash brown potato, salad with ranch dressing, a cookie dough cupcake, shredded chicken, 2 slices of Papa John's Pizza, yogurt, an orange, and a cereal bar.
Now I'm thirsty. I almost wrote that I was Thursday. Whoops!!!!!
I've got to wake up and do it all over again tomorrow and take Ben back to school.
Now, I'm going to try to read up on Sunday's business section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Ben had a good mix of breakfast and lunch. I gave him some fruity cheerios and some blueberries. For lunch, I gave him some steak fingers and a fruit cup. He fed me a piece of steak finger and dipped it in the fruit cup syrup. I thought that was cute.
Ben said Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy while identifying some Disney stickers. He said Goofy the best and clearest of the characters.
We all caught up on some "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" and some "Daniel Tigers Neighborhood" on DVR. I caught up on the first Republican Debate and part of the 2nd Republican Debate on DVR yesterday and today. I think I learned something from those two debates from September in Simi Valley, California.
Blake slept for me for an hour before I had to get Ben up and Blake into his car seat for day care.
I had to make three stops after going to daycare. I had to go to an ATM, McDonalds, and a Shell Station/Convenience store so that I could go play powerball before coming into work.
I got into work later than I would have liked to, but it was worth it just for the chance to be a new millionaire. I don't think I'm going to be one when I get home tonight. I know, cue the tears.
I seemed to have eaten everything I got my hands on today. Where do I begin (why, with lunch of course). I had stir fry/fried rice (twice), a hash brown potato, salad with ranch dressing, a cookie dough cupcake, shredded chicken, 2 slices of Papa John's Pizza, yogurt, an orange, and a cereal bar.
Now I'm thirsty. I almost wrote that I was Thursday. Whoops!!!!!
I've got to wake up and do it all over again tomorrow and take Ben back to school.
Now, I'm going to try to read up on Sunday's business section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Journal entry for January 12, 2016
I got up late this morning. For me, I got up late around 8:10am. I missed Ben's sippy cup and the beginning of breakfast. I know that my wife took care of Ben and Blake for me on my behalf.
I'm taking a long break after editing and deleting video for the first half of my day. I'm eating a healthy lunch (with some cape cod chips) and watching CBS46's 'The Gun Fight' prime time special.
I'm proud of the work my station does on such very important topics like guns. I hope my station does more important work like this throughout 2016.
Breaking news: I finally passed level 462 in Candy Crush Saga. Now I'm stuck on Level 463. I'm getting better and better at finding new levels to be stuck in. That's the beauty of this game.
I still have a dream that my Chargers will somehow stay in San Diego. There's still hope as of this writing at 8:34 PM. I've read and seen reports that the St. Louis Rams are moving back to Los Angeles.
This just in: My CHARGERS are STAYING!!!!! At least there staying in San Diego for now. That's making my work night happy. Let's hope the City of San Diego and my Chargers can come to the table and get a stadium deal done. Oh, and one more thing: FIRE MARK FABIANI!!!!! HE'S STEALING MONEY FROM THE TEAM.
I'm taking a long break after editing and deleting video for the first half of my day. I'm eating a healthy lunch (with some cape cod chips) and watching CBS46's 'The Gun Fight' prime time special.
I'm proud of the work my station does on such very important topics like guns. I hope my station does more important work like this throughout 2016.
Breaking news: I finally passed level 462 in Candy Crush Saga. Now I'm stuck on Level 463. I'm getting better and better at finding new levels to be stuck in. That's the beauty of this game.
I still have a dream that my Chargers will somehow stay in San Diego. There's still hope as of this writing at 8:34 PM. I've read and seen reports that the St. Louis Rams are moving back to Los Angeles.
This just in: My CHARGERS are STAYING!!!!! At least there staying in San Diego for now. That's making my work night happy. Let's hope the City of San Diego and my Chargers can come to the table and get a stadium deal done. Oh, and one more thing: FIRE MARK FABIANI!!!!! HE'S STEALING MONEY FROM THE TEAM.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Journal entry for January 11, 2016
I woke up from a scary dream about worms invading our home. In reality, no bugs or insects are present inside our house right now.
I felt really bad for Ben this morning as he dragged his monkey toy and tripped over the playmat. The monkey top bopped Ben on the left side of his face and left a mark on there. It was a purple mark . I've never seen Ben get bruised like that before. I felt worse (on the inside) than he did.
I redeemed myself by cleaning up some toys in the living room, saving him from disaster off his little mermaid car, and gave him a yummy breakfast and lunch.
I did good in meeting Blake's needs with the bottle despite the long spacing in between feedings. I fed him just after 8am and just before 11am. He didn't cry too much because of hunger. He cried because I didn't hold him as much as he wanted me to. I felt bad for him.
I'm doing good work editing for CBS46 this afternoon. I completed what I needed for the 4pm show just after 4pm.
I edited a re-track of a CBS Newspath package for the 5pm show. I adjusted a little bit of the video and I raised the level of the audio track from our anchor to help put it all together.
I got done with my editing around 6pm for the 4, 5, and 6 o'clock newscasts. So as of this writing, I'm spending some time deleting and killing media. The deleting that I do is essential in order to free up more space for future editing. One of my duties is to make sure there is enough space for editing and make sure that the space is not full. Should AVID crash at anytime because I did not do my share of deleting, editors (including myself) would be unable to work on videos at that given time.
I'm winding down my day with a cup of coffee, last minute editing, and watching the College Football Playoff National Championship game between CLEMSON and ALABAMA.
I felt really bad for Ben this morning as he dragged his monkey toy and tripped over the playmat. The monkey top bopped Ben on the left side of his face and left a mark on there. It was a purple mark . I've never seen Ben get bruised like that before. I felt worse (on the inside) than he did.
I redeemed myself by cleaning up some toys in the living room, saving him from disaster off his little mermaid car, and gave him a yummy breakfast and lunch.
I did good in meeting Blake's needs with the bottle despite the long spacing in between feedings. I fed him just after 8am and just before 11am. He didn't cry too much because of hunger. He cried because I didn't hold him as much as he wanted me to. I felt bad for him.
I'm doing good work editing for CBS46 this afternoon. I completed what I needed for the 4pm show just after 4pm.
I edited a re-track of a CBS Newspath package for the 5pm show. I adjusted a little bit of the video and I raised the level of the audio track from our anchor to help put it all together.
I got done with my editing around 6pm for the 4, 5, and 6 o'clock newscasts. So as of this writing, I'm spending some time deleting and killing media. The deleting that I do is essential in order to free up more space for future editing. One of my duties is to make sure there is enough space for editing and make sure that the space is not full. Should AVID crash at anytime because I did not do my share of deleting, editors (including myself) would be unable to work on videos at that given time.
I'm winding down my day with a cup of coffee, last minute editing, and watching the College Football Playoff National Championship game between CLEMSON and ALABAMA.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Journal entry for January 8, 2016
It's time for me to put my Powerball dreams to good use. I entered the pool with a simple $2 investment. I hope that's the "ticket" to victory for me and my family. As it stands now, the jackpot is an estimated $800,000,000. It will only get bigger, and I predict that the jackpot will climb to $1,000,000,000 by the end of tomorrow night.
I woke up twice this morning; the second time was for good at 7:50am. Ben was still surprisingly sleeping as I was getting his milk ready. Blake was sound asleep, so I didn't have to worry too much about him then. Of course I always worry about Blake. He's my little little baby.
Ben ate well for breakfast and lunch. I had some cocca puffs for breakfast and some honey roasted peanuts and Reese's mini-peanut butter cups for "lunch" before I packed a good dinner for work tonight.
Work went well again. I had a relative breeze of a day. My effortless editing and taking in of feeds made the show sail smoothly. I even helped my 6pm producer get some last minute video on the air since an original story idea died.
I love working with my 6pm producer. Heck, I like most of the producers I work with right now.
If I win a huge share of the Powerball jackpot tonight, I may not be making TV magic for CBS46 anymore. We will see how that goes.
Time to hit the road and see where it takes me (home).
I woke up twice this morning; the second time was for good at 7:50am. Ben was still surprisingly sleeping as I was getting his milk ready. Blake was sound asleep, so I didn't have to worry too much about him then. Of course I always worry about Blake. He's my little little baby.
Ben ate well for breakfast and lunch. I had some cocca puffs for breakfast and some honey roasted peanuts and Reese's mini-peanut butter cups for "lunch" before I packed a good dinner for work tonight.
Work went well again. I had a relative breeze of a day. My effortless editing and taking in of feeds made the show sail smoothly. I even helped my 6pm producer get some last minute video on the air since an original story idea died.
I love working with my 6pm producer. Heck, I like most of the producers I work with right now.
If I win a huge share of the Powerball jackpot tonight, I may not be making TV magic for CBS46 anymore. We will see how that goes.
Time to hit the road and see where it takes me (home).
Journal entry for January 7, 2016
I woke up in time for Ben's sippy cup of milk and for his 2-year doctor appointment this morning.
I got my morning coffee in my belly before I gave Ben his breakfast this morning. It is an honor for me to feed my little Ben. It's also fun to chase him around the house before hand. Even before that, he pulled my finger and dragged me from the living room and into another part of the house. I don't know what he wanted to do. He couldn't tell me.
Ben and I played some toys as we were waiting to get him examined for his two-year checkup. He grew to almost three feet. He gained a couple more pounds. I thought he'd gain more because he has turned into a champion eater. I think his champion climbing and running around has helped him keep the weight down. I think that's helped me keep my weight down since I quit going to a gym.
I felt bad for Ben on two fronts: he cried after getting his flu shot and he cried after we told him he could no longer play with the lights on a lamp at the doctor's office. He cried until we got to the car. After that, he was fine and clam all the way home.
Even Blake was good and calm when we were getting Ben going for his doctor's visit. Blake was along for the ride since he didn't have to have anything done to him today.
After my healthy dinner of PB&J, fruit, and vegetables, I'm ready to get back to editing.
In addition to editing the 11 pm show, I'm watching some "American Idol" on TV.
I got my morning coffee in my belly before I gave Ben his breakfast this morning. It is an honor for me to feed my little Ben. It's also fun to chase him around the house before hand. Even before that, he pulled my finger and dragged me from the living room and into another part of the house. I don't know what he wanted to do. He couldn't tell me.
Ben and I played some toys as we were waiting to get him examined for his two-year checkup. He grew to almost three feet. He gained a couple more pounds. I thought he'd gain more because he has turned into a champion eater. I think his champion climbing and running around has helped him keep the weight down. I think that's helped me keep my weight down since I quit going to a gym.
I felt bad for Ben on two fronts: he cried after getting his flu shot and he cried after we told him he could no longer play with the lights on a lamp at the doctor's office. He cried until we got to the car. After that, he was fine and clam all the way home.
Even Blake was good and calm when we were getting Ben going for his doctor's visit. Blake was along for the ride since he didn't have to have anything done to him today.
After my healthy dinner of PB&J, fruit, and vegetables, I'm ready to get back to editing.
In addition to editing the 11 pm show, I'm watching some "American Idol" on TV.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Journal Entry for January 6, 2016
I've been in a good mood all day today. I woke up to the sounds of Blake crying and stirring around in his pack and play.
After I changed his diaper, I put him on his play mat and got Ben his first sippy cup of milk today.
It didn't hurt that I started the day with two cups of coffee just as Ben and Blake were getting underway.
I had no trouble with Ben and Blake. The 'worst' of my day with them was changing their clothes and getting them ready for day care.
Ben likes to squirm when I'm changing his diaper and Blake squirms a lot when I change his outfits.
My best laid plans were still not good enough because I left home at 1:15 pm and somehow got them both to day care by 1:30 this afternoon. Blake has a new pack of diapers and wipes for his time at Discovery Point.
I had a good day editing VOs, SOTVOs, breaking news from the Gwinnett County hostage standoff, WalMart shooting, and Fred Kalil's Top 5 signs you'll be fired as an NFL head coach. I'll post my work of the TOP 5 in the next entry.
After I deleted some video for work, I got some Chick-Fil-A at the new location on Northside Drive in Midtown. It was pretty good and very filling for dinner here at CBS46 tonight.
Also, I found out that I got a pretty good four figure raise for this year. That will help me reach some of my financial goals for 2016.
BREAKING NEWS: Powerball failed me again tonight. Tonight's jackpot of $524,000,000 would have been really good to me and my family. It looks like I'll be coming back to work on Thursday.
After I changed his diaper, I put him on his play mat and got Ben his first sippy cup of milk today.
It didn't hurt that I started the day with two cups of coffee just as Ben and Blake were getting underway.
I had no trouble with Ben and Blake. The 'worst' of my day with them was changing their clothes and getting them ready for day care.
Ben likes to squirm when I'm changing his diaper and Blake squirms a lot when I change his outfits.
My best laid plans were still not good enough because I left home at 1:15 pm and somehow got them both to day care by 1:30 this afternoon. Blake has a new pack of diapers and wipes for his time at Discovery Point.
I had a good day editing VOs, SOTVOs, breaking news from the Gwinnett County hostage standoff, WalMart shooting, and Fred Kalil's Top 5 signs you'll be fired as an NFL head coach. I'll post my work of the TOP 5 in the next entry.
After I deleted some video for work, I got some Chick-Fil-A at the new location on Northside Drive in Midtown. It was pretty good and very filling for dinner here at CBS46 tonight.
Also, I found out that I got a pretty good four figure raise for this year. That will help me reach some of my financial goals for 2016.
BREAKING NEWS: Powerball failed me again tonight. Tonight's jackpot of $524,000,000 would have been really good to me and my family. It looks like I'll be coming back to work on Thursday.
Dreaming of "American Idol"
Early this morning, I had a dream about "American Idol." I had a dream where I was talking to my friend about the show. I spoke with such excitement about the FOX program I believed in what I was saying.
Later on, the conversation turned to where I could help donate to a fund for former "Idol" contestants. I said I wanted to donate to former contestants who were down on their luck. It sort of got to a point where I wanted to be the chair of that fundraising drive. That's not me in real life. I'm more of a donor.
Later in the dream, I told my friend that I loved watching the show. Something inspired me about those people performing live in front of an audience and chasing their dream. Who knows what lay ahead for them. Just like in the music business, it is up to the people to decide. I guess I could be one of those people.
In reality: I'm watching the season premiere of "American Idol" right now. Today's the first of two days worth of two hours of auditions and golden tickets. I'll be watching it again on Thursday as I'm sitting here in my edit bay working.
This is the final season of "American Idol" as we know it. I hope this is a good one. I'll watch as much as I can and I'll be interested to see if the next winner will be the next superstar in music.
Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, and Jordin Sparks are my top three breakout superstars from winning on that show.
Later on, the conversation turned to where I could help donate to a fund for former "Idol" contestants. I said I wanted to donate to former contestants who were down on their luck. It sort of got to a point where I wanted to be the chair of that fundraising drive. That's not me in real life. I'm more of a donor.
Later in the dream, I told my friend that I loved watching the show. Something inspired me about those people performing live in front of an audience and chasing their dream. Who knows what lay ahead for them. Just like in the music business, it is up to the people to decide. I guess I could be one of those people.
In reality: I'm watching the season premiere of "American Idol" right now. Today's the first of two days worth of two hours of auditions and golden tickets. I'll be watching it again on Thursday as I'm sitting here in my edit bay working.
This is the final season of "American Idol" as we know it. I hope this is a good one. I'll watch as much as I can and I'll be interested to see if the next winner will be the next superstar in music.
Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, and Jordin Sparks are my top three breakout superstars from winning on that show.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Journal Entry for January 5, 2016
I woke up to our Blake keeping us up a bit overnight. I feel bad for my wife where she has to sleep in the chair to keep Blake asleep. I wish I could do more to make our sleep situation better for all of us. Ben is at least sleeping well throughout the night.
I made Ben's milk and breakfast before he went back to school for the first time in 2016. My wife made Ben his lunch. I wanted to step up for the whole family this morning. I feel good that I did my part in driving Ben to and from school on this day. I got to bond with Ben a little bit while we were riding together. I wish I could have heard him say something, anything, to me. It doesn't have to be anything recognizable. I just want to hear his voice so that I know he is ok.
I started to get some more writing practice again this afternoon. I'm putting in my stories in my notebook before putting them down here on my blog. So far, I have a half-a-page down for today. I will write some more stories in my notebook later tonight.
Now I get to be a parental coach to my friend Phil. Be became a new father late last year. He's entering that special place where he has to take care of that special precious baby that will become a pooping and peeing and crying machine. For all of that, the one time she smiles will make it all worth while in the end.
Right now, I caught up on some Candy Crush saga for six games and lost. I am still stuck on level 461. I can't catch a break in that game.
I'm about to watch another "The Big Bang Theory" rerun on TV before eating some dinner. I've got to heat it up and eat it fast. The onslaught of videos to edit for the 11pm newscast will come fast and furious before you know it.
So far, it has been relatively easy to edit tonight's 11pm newscast. I was not as much in the land of VOs and SOT/VOs like I thought I was going to be. I had great help from my friend and co-worker Brett to get this show put together.
I have a producer that is making a video right for me. That video is about a baby crying app where it can tell you why the baby is crying. She is going to find me some video (along with some good sound) of babies crying.
After work, I'll be home, and hopefully, I'll have some happy babies :-)
I made Ben's milk and breakfast before he went back to school for the first time in 2016. My wife made Ben his lunch. I wanted to step up for the whole family this morning. I feel good that I did my part in driving Ben to and from school on this day. I got to bond with Ben a little bit while we were riding together. I wish I could have heard him say something, anything, to me. It doesn't have to be anything recognizable. I just want to hear his voice so that I know he is ok.
I started to get some more writing practice again this afternoon. I'm putting in my stories in my notebook before putting them down here on my blog. So far, I have a half-a-page down for today. I will write some more stories in my notebook later tonight.
Now I get to be a parental coach to my friend Phil. Be became a new father late last year. He's entering that special place where he has to take care of that special precious baby that will become a pooping and peeing and crying machine. For all of that, the one time she smiles will make it all worth while in the end.
Right now, I caught up on some Candy Crush saga for six games and lost. I am still stuck on level 461. I can't catch a break in that game.
I'm about to watch another "The Big Bang Theory" rerun on TV before eating some dinner. I've got to heat it up and eat it fast. The onslaught of videos to edit for the 11pm newscast will come fast and furious before you know it.
So far, it has been relatively easy to edit tonight's 11pm newscast. I was not as much in the land of VOs and SOT/VOs like I thought I was going to be. I had great help from my friend and co-worker Brett to get this show put together.
I have a producer that is making a video right for me. That video is about a baby crying app where it can tell you why the baby is crying. She is going to find me some video (along with some good sound) of babies crying.
After work, I'll be home, and hopefully, I'll have some happy babies :-)
I kept score for Braves/Rockies (watching on TV) for July 12, 2015
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| MY BRAVES LOST, GOT SWEPT BY THE COLORADO ROCKIES |
I sort of remember Blake being this little
This was one of the rare times that my Blake slept in his swing. He helped me get ready for my day as I was getting ready for work.
Not seen in this video: Ben who was asleep in his room.
Monday, January 4, 2016
Journal Entry for January 4, 2016
I woke up at 7:40 am with Blake asleep and me dragging myself out of bed.
I got up in time to have Ben's milk ready to go. He got to drink most of it and enjoy it before I had to engage him in a diaper change. Ben predictably fought me on the diaper change. I love him too much to leave him in a soggy overnight diaper.
Once Ben got out of the room, we played and we didn't have the TV on for a while. He played with his little people toy with the cars going down the ramp.
Later on, we played "blanket fort." Without him using words, he let me know with some whining that he wanted me to paly "blanket fort" with him. I call the fort "Fort Ben."
We jammed every imaginable toy and game inside the trunk where we play. He even wanted to put a box of crayons there. That was fine. I 'drew' the line when it came to coloring inside the trunk.
Ben had a good breakfast and lunch. He had a granola bar and some fruit and then he had 'bak bak' (Chicken nuggets), goldfish crackers, and a pea. I forgot to give him dessert, but I gave him milk as a treat.
I gave Ben some naptime just before I gave a crying Blake his bottle. He and I napped together just before the CBS46 noon news. I thought he was sleeping good, so I put him in the swing. Unfortunately, he didn't sleep well there. I tried, but I failed to get him to sleep. I made him mad by doing chores around the house and not paying enough attention to him. I failed him there.
The hardest part of my day is leaving the babies behind at daycare before sprinting off to work here at CBS46. Before I left, I donated some of Blake's old clothes and made sure Blake had extra clothes in case he had a blowout. At least I got him his milk for the day at daycare.
Late here at work, it's yet another mad scramble to get the show written and edited. My team of producers and writers seem to be playing catch-up yet again. I wish I had what it takes to get a break to write something just so I can speed the process along. I promise I am not the best writer, but I'd be one of the hardest working.
Work is done!!!!! Time to go home.
I got up in time to have Ben's milk ready to go. He got to drink most of it and enjoy it before I had to engage him in a diaper change. Ben predictably fought me on the diaper change. I love him too much to leave him in a soggy overnight diaper.
Once Ben got out of the room, we played and we didn't have the TV on for a while. He played with his little people toy with the cars going down the ramp.
Later on, we played "blanket fort." Without him using words, he let me know with some whining that he wanted me to paly "blanket fort" with him. I call the fort "Fort Ben."
We jammed every imaginable toy and game inside the trunk where we play. He even wanted to put a box of crayons there. That was fine. I 'drew' the line when it came to coloring inside the trunk.
Ben had a good breakfast and lunch. He had a granola bar and some fruit and then he had 'bak bak' (Chicken nuggets), goldfish crackers, and a pea. I forgot to give him dessert, but I gave him milk as a treat.
I gave Ben some naptime just before I gave a crying Blake his bottle. He and I napped together just before the CBS46 noon news. I thought he was sleeping good, so I put him in the swing. Unfortunately, he didn't sleep well there. I tried, but I failed to get him to sleep. I made him mad by doing chores around the house and not paying enough attention to him. I failed him there.
The hardest part of my day is leaving the babies behind at daycare before sprinting off to work here at CBS46. Before I left, I donated some of Blake's old clothes and made sure Blake had extra clothes in case he had a blowout. At least I got him his milk for the day at daycare.
Late here at work, it's yet another mad scramble to get the show written and edited. My team of producers and writers seem to be playing catch-up yet again. I wish I had what it takes to get a break to write something just so I can speed the process along. I promise I am not the best writer, but I'd be one of the hardest working.
Work is done!!!!! Time to go home.
Friday, January 1, 2016
Second Journal Entry for January 1, 2016
I woke up to the sounds of Blake. I overslept again and failed to get up early enough for Ben. I didn't panic. I got Ben's sippy cup of milk heated up and ready for him to drink.
I gave my wife an extra couple of hours to sleep. That made her feel better after Blake kept her up all night. Bless her heart. She's a great mom and is the unsung hero at our house.
I had a chance to feed Ben a granola bar and golden grahams for breakfast. He ate most of them and he did the cutest thing by feeding me some goodies.
I played cars with Ben and played with Blake's new alphabet toy. I had fun spelling Ben's name with three little blocks.
Speaking of threes, I got to show Ben three special steps from "Special Agent Oso." I think Ben learned how to buckle himself up in a car seat. We'll on that later on. Later, we watched "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" and saw 'The Baby is Here.' I wish I could have shown him that before Blake was born. At least I read it to him a few times.
I was running out of time to play with Ben outside. I wanted to take him out to our front yard area and let him ride his new 'Planes' toy. I tried to get him to ride in it in the house, but no dice. Ben did the same thing good over and over: Pull my finger to take me places.
Before lunch, I played 'tackle daddy' with him. He tackled me, gave me hugs, and he won. He won some lunch with mommy and daddy. We tried to feed him tacos, potatoes, peas, and mixed vegetables. I guess he ate enough lunch to get some ice cream. Ben can say Ice Cream. I ate some too.
After I said goodbye to Ben, I departed for work and got some new newspapers for the start of 2016.
It was a slow day here at work since it is New Year's Day and we had only two newscasts. It felt like a weekend day to me. I got to do higher quality editing while trying to get stuff done as fast as possible before showtime.
I even got to write a tease for a story in the third and final block of the show.
I'm a sucker for the animal abuse commercials. They make me sad. I can't believe there are people out there who intentionally hurt cats and dogs.
When I get home tonight, I will give Gandalf some lovin' time and pay attention to him.
I gave my wife an extra couple of hours to sleep. That made her feel better after Blake kept her up all night. Bless her heart. She's a great mom and is the unsung hero at our house.
I had a chance to feed Ben a granola bar and golden grahams for breakfast. He ate most of them and he did the cutest thing by feeding me some goodies.
I played cars with Ben and played with Blake's new alphabet toy. I had fun spelling Ben's name with three little blocks.
Speaking of threes, I got to show Ben three special steps from "Special Agent Oso." I think Ben learned how to buckle himself up in a car seat. We'll on that later on. Later, we watched "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" and saw 'The Baby is Here.' I wish I could have shown him that before Blake was born. At least I read it to him a few times.
I was running out of time to play with Ben outside. I wanted to take him out to our front yard area and let him ride his new 'Planes' toy. I tried to get him to ride in it in the house, but no dice. Ben did the same thing good over and over: Pull my finger to take me places.
Before lunch, I played 'tackle daddy' with him. He tackled me, gave me hugs, and he won. He won some lunch with mommy and daddy. We tried to feed him tacos, potatoes, peas, and mixed vegetables. I guess he ate enough lunch to get some ice cream. Ben can say Ice Cream. I ate some too.
After I said goodbye to Ben, I departed for work and got some new newspapers for the start of 2016.
It was a slow day here at work since it is New Year's Day and we had only two newscasts. It felt like a weekend day to me. I got to do higher quality editing while trying to get stuff done as fast as possible before showtime.
I even got to write a tease for a story in the third and final block of the show.
I'm a sucker for the animal abuse commercials. They make me sad. I can't believe there are people out there who intentionally hurt cats and dogs.
When I get home tonight, I will give Gandalf some lovin' time and pay attention to him.
Happy New Year! Journal Entry for January 1, 2016
I got home last night at 12:30am. It was too late for me to see the ball drop in time to ring in the new year. My family was asleep when I got home. At least, I thought everyone was.
As I got to my neighborhood, I saw fireworks shooting up in the air. Before that, I saw them near CBS46 and along I-75 heading into Cobb County, Georgia.
I was too terrified to go to my mailbox after I parked my car into the garage. Safety became priority #1 as I was waiting to get inside the door.
Not a couple of minutes went by when Gandalf started meowing at me, getting scared as the fireworks went off. He meowed, ran, scratched, climbed, and scratched some more as I could do nothing to stop the fireworks from firecracking.
I held Gandalf in my lap for about ten minutes before going to bed for the night.
When I got ready for bed, Blake woke up and was with my wife. I suspect the fireworks woke up baby Blake. That would be a bad dream for anyone who is trying to go to bed.
As I go to bed and fall asleep, I go nite nite to some classic rock. I would wake up a few times to me sweating and hearing baby Blake cry. I suspect he was teething throughout the night. Poor Blake :0( I wish I could take the pain away for him.
As I got to my neighborhood, I saw fireworks shooting up in the air. Before that, I saw them near CBS46 and along I-75 heading into Cobb County, Georgia.
I was too terrified to go to my mailbox after I parked my car into the garage. Safety became priority #1 as I was waiting to get inside the door.
Not a couple of minutes went by when Gandalf started meowing at me, getting scared as the fireworks went off. He meowed, ran, scratched, climbed, and scratched some more as I could do nothing to stop the fireworks from firecracking.
I held Gandalf in my lap for about ten minutes before going to bed for the night.
When I got ready for bed, Blake woke up and was with my wife. I suspect the fireworks woke up baby Blake. That would be a bad dream for anyone who is trying to go to bed.
As I go to bed and fall asleep, I go nite nite to some classic rock. I would wake up a few times to me sweating and hearing baby Blake cry. I suspect he was teething throughout the night. Poor Blake :0( I wish I could take the pain away for him.
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