December 15-18th

2011 FCS Semifinals: Georgia Southern vs North Dakota St

Thursday – Travel Day

Columbus > Fargo, ND

This was my first trip to North Dakota.  There are only a few states left that I haven’t been to – so this was exciting!

My Producer insisted I watch the movie Fargo – so I downloaded it to my iPad and watched it on the way out.

No snow on the ground…  but crazy cold.

I checked into the hotel and told the girl it was my first time there – so was there anything I “had” to see.  She told me about a sporting goods store with a Ferris wheel inside.  Um… ok.

I found it and that was perfect because Dave wanted a NDSU t-shirt.

Yes, there is a Ferris wheel in the middle of the sporting goods store; which you can ride…  but it’s pretty sad when this is the one thing “you have to see” when visiting Fargo.

This billboard was near my hotel.  I finally had to take a pic when I was at a light.

Really?  The best soup and salad bar in town is at a gas station?

Friday – Set Day

So it did snow overnight.  A lot.  This is what it looked like from inside my car this morning.

Am continually thinking – “Why would anyone want to live here?”

I am not with my crew this weekend – they are at Sam Houston St.  Some of us got split up   However, I am with my former football crew from a few years ago – the Big East Syndicated crew.  So it was nice to see everyone and catch up!

In the evening, we walked across the parking lot to a place called Redbirds.

It was delish!

Saturday – Game Day

The game was fine.  Just really weird not working with my SEC crew.  Feels very bizarro. 

Went to bed early – it’s gonna take 3 flights to get home tomorrow.

Sunday – Travel Home

I had two connections today – but I don’t mind at all.  That extra flight is gonna likely seal the deal on me getting “Diamond” Status on Delta.  Fingers crossed.

While waiting for my flight in Atlanta, I did a triple take at this sight….

OMG!  Yes, there are lit up Christmas lights on the luggage, including a wreath.

And it’s a Delta flight attendant!

Wow.  That’s something.

Thanksgiving Special

For whatever reason, I forgot to post these – they are from Thanksgiving day on the boat.  We started a new tradition and decided to celebrate Thanksgiving on Wednesday, so we could relax on Thanksgiving.

It's been a few months, but the pups LOVE time on The Sh'Ed II !!
Salty dogs :)

Here's the fam...  Me, Mom, Dad and my brothers...
Hamish & Hadrian

College Basketball: Cincinnati at Wright St

When I took this game a few months ago it was slated to be a simple game on the internet.

Well, a couple days ago some Cincinnati players got into a brawl during a game vs Xavier; suspensions followed and here we are today – the team’s first game back – minus several players.  Needless to say, this went from being on the internet only to being nationally televised.

Not that big of a deal – other than I had a ton of legal statements to type – always nerve wracking because they have to be just so and then approved by the news editor standing over your shoulder.

The day went well and I headed back to Columbus afterwards.

December 9-11th

NCAA Volleyball Regional

Friday – Travel/Work/Double Header

Orlando > Gainesville

VERY short night last night.  Like only a couple hours in my room to pack, sleep, shower and leave.

Thankfully, my friend Mike is drove us up to Gainesville for our volleyball game.  We were a little late, but it was expected.

Lots of Coca-cola and candy got me thru the double header.

Saturday – Game Day

Got some sleep and then headed in for the game.  

All went well and in the evening, I sat on the patio of the hotel with my friends Mike & Barb around the firepit.

Sunday – Travel Home

Whirlwind week – glad to be going home.

December 6-8th

College Football Awards Show

Tuesday – Travel/Set Day

Columbus > Charlotte > Orlando

Up at 2:30a; yah!  Had to leave at 4a.  Good times.

Once in Charlotte, I wandered to my gate to Orlando, where I met up with a bunch of my friends/co-workers from the Charlotte office.

This worked out well because then I had a ride once in Orlando and didn’t need to take a cab.

Got checked into the hotel and then walked over to site.

As I arrived, I walking and talking to the Director and before I knew it, I was on the ground!  Totally tripped over a sandbag that was holding down a barrier fence.  Fell REALLY hard and had my 30lb backpack on…  the director helped me up and I quickly knew I was hurt.  

Wobbled into the truck where I pulled up my pant leg and found a bloody knee with all my skin stuck to the inside of my pants.

My boy Mike got out the first aid kit and fixed me up good.  We had to do it quickly because of management discovered it, there was gonna be endless paperwork to fill out.

Before long, my graphics counterpart arrived – Pete.  We headed for a walk on the boardwalk and caught up on gossip and such over ice cream (for lunch).

Afterwards, we got our machines set up.

In the evening, I met up with my friend Mark for dinner.

Wednesday – Rehearsal Day

Not much to report – just a long day of building graphics and rehearsing

My knee is not doing well.  It’s hard to keep it bandaged – it needs air too.  But as soon as scabs start to form, I have to move my knee and they rip open again.

Thursday – Show Day

Nice walk in the morning and breakfast with friends.

This show really stresses me out.  It’s very important to the company; therefore I put a lot of pressure on myself to be flawless.

Thankfully, I was able to ‘nail it’ again this year.  Whew!

Some photos from the past few days.

December 2nd – 4th

Friday

Columbus > Cedar Rapids, IA > Detroit > Cedar Falls, IA

Today was my first Friday off in months.  It was weird.

Had to get up early though because I wasn’t at all ready for my trip to Iowa (ie: laundry, packing).  Plus I had to go to the physical therapist and chiropractor.

Got to the airport on time.  Wow!

Flights were fine.

Landed in Cedar Rapids just before 5pm.  Then headed out on the hour drive to Cedar Falls.  

Got checked in to the hotel and then met up with a co-worker, also from Columbus, that I never get to see on the road.  We went to dinner and had a nice time swapping gossip and stories.  

It’s very cold in Iowa.

Saturday

Wofford vs 5 Northern Iowa

Patience.  That is the theme of today.

Can’t really get into details, but my goal today is to have patience.  It’s the only way I will get thru the day without being hauled off to prison.

Thankfully, I had several old friends working on my crew to help me giggle the day away!

At lunch, I had some time to check out the UNI-Dome.  I have been here before, but never had a chance to see the football side.

Where I put those photos - who the hell knows?

(Sorry)

After the game, my friend Matt and I tried to eat dinner at several places; but ended up at Panera because every place was packed.

Sunday

Cedar Falls > Cedar Rapids > Minneapolis > Columbus

I tried to get on earlier flights, but they were all sold out.  Now travel is literally going to take all day.

November 28th-30th

Regular season football is over, so now I have to really work for a living!  Meaning I have to do several games a week to equate the weekly pay of football season.  Which also means I usually travel a couple times a week.

3 days…  3 states…  3 hoops games…

Monday: Long Beach St vs Louisville

Tuesday: ACC/Big Ten Challenge - Duke vs Ohio State

Wednesday: ACC/Big Ten Challenge - Virginia Tech vs Minnesota

Too tired to write – other than share this pic of the drawing my fellow graphics op drew of me in Minnesota.

November 25-27th

Friday – Travel/Work

Fort Myers > Lexington

We are treated on this final week of regular season – we are allowed to stay home on Thanksgiving and celebrate the holiday with our families.  So awesome!  However, it makes for a crazy long day on Friday.

Most of us have to make a connection to get to our destination.  That means getting up around 3am to make a 530a flight!

But connecting is always fun – all of the crews are doing the same exact thing. So be it Atlanta or Charlotte – as you pass thru the airport, you see so many people you know.  We ALL are taking the early flights this week.  Whereas normally we can travel at any point on Thursdays – so we sometimes see people we know in the connection cities, but not always.

In order to get to Lexington today, I had to fly on US Air – ugh.

But sometimes you ‘have to take one for the team’.

So we have this tradition…  each week we write the “Quote of the Week” on a Styrofoam cooler. It has a special spot in the follow van where it resides during the week.

As a part of our end of season crew dinner, each quote is read and the back story of how it became the quote of the week is recapped.

Well…  that caused a touch of controversy because there was at least one quote made by an announcer who didn’t like the fact that they were being mocked by the crew.  Believe me, it deserved mocking.

Speaking of which, we have this dinner on the last Friday of the regular season – which was tonight.

One of our camera guys edited a totally awesome video recapping our season and it was shared after dinner.  And again this year, there were speeches made that left most of us in tears.  Andre, our analyst made one of those speeches.  Which only proves what an amazing man he is.  A lot of announcers don’t know our names, let alone attend a dinner with their crew.  But to stand up and thank us and point out all the little things we do for him – so awesome!

Such an amazing group of people - It makes me sad that I only get 14 weeks a year with them.  

Saturday – Game Day

Tennessee vs Kentucky

This is it – the final game of our season.  We do have post season games in December – but we won’t all be together.  Some of us are there for the post season – some are not.  The reason being our post season (ie: Bowl Games) schedule is not released until next week – which means a lot of us have already been booked on other shows.

As tradition dictates, after breakfast today, the boys held a “race”

So warm ups started as soon as we were finished eating – we eat in a field house at Kentucky – hence the reason a race is always held here.

3634

Who wins, doesn’t really matter – there is always cheating and technicalities involved.  It’s the fact that it’s become a tradition that really matters.

It’s followed by the final camera meeting…

On the way back to the truck, we saw tailgaters with this GIANT chair….

Of course this prompted our resident giant, to sit in the chair.  (Thomas)

Believe me, he is tall!  So the fact that he appears small in this chair – only reaffirms the enormity of this chair.

After the game I hung out with some of the guys… watching football and then dinner at a local pizza joint.

Can’t believe the season is over.  I love these guys so much.  Who knows what will happen 9 months from now….  Will we all be together again?  It’s a huge gamble and odds are usually not in our favor.

I thank each and every one of my “followers” for joining me on this journey.  It’s boring at times, I know.  But I hope at times you have enjoyed the posts.

Am hoping you will all continue to join me on this journey – cuz doing it alone is not any fun!

Plus, the only way you will find out if I am back “with my boys” for SEC 2012 is if you continue to check back!