Single and Starving

Dear Cousin Gobo,

Usually when the holidays come along, people tend to go all out. They take days off. Invite the whole family over to enjoy a delicious meal. Some will even close their business to make sure that they have plenty of time to waste. Well, not this SuperPhotog! News doesn't take a day off. And if it did, it wouldn't take Thanksgiving off. Why would it want to do that? Because that's what everyone else does?



So you may ask why would I work on a day which most do not. I'm glad you asked. There are a number of reasons. One, I get paid double on holidays for usually half the work. Since everyone likes to take these days off there is nothing ever going on. Meaning that the night will most likely be an easy one, unless a natural disaster occurs. Probably the only way you'll get PIO's(public information officer) to answer a phone call anyways.

Two, there is always free food. The managment feels guilty to make people work on holidays, so they charm the workers with a catered meal. As if getting paid double wasn't enough. Plus no clean-up. What a deal!



After I having two giant servings of free turkey, food always tastes more delicious when it's free, I discover another reason I like working holidays.......no mangagers.



When there are no managers around, slowing the clogs, things seem to flow much smoother. Look at these hard workers slaving away; searching for news stories.



Wait a tick. Are they playing video poker? Yes. Yes they are. Well, I guess there is another reason. You can play video poker at your desk and Lumbergh is nowhere to be found.

Wow, a Royal Flush!

Benka won it. He was very pleased with himself until he realized that he just wasted his luck on a free online game.

After I finished my second piece of pie, I headed off to my only scheduled shoot of the evening. The opening night of the annual Magical Forest. You see in the desert people like to pretend that they live somewhere else. It's very annoying.

Hey, check it out Santa showed up! I was told by Santa himself that this was his first stop of the season. Hey, some other kids believed it too!

I also found the impossible. A real L.V. snow flake falling. Isn't it beautiful?

So I had my fill of Holiday season for one night. I talked to Santa. He knows I want one billion dollars. We're square. I got other news to cover. Like this...

"Breaking news.......a car was stolen......there was a child in the car, also taken.....go find it! " Those are the words my cell phone usually likes to say to me.

So I drive out to.......I don't know.....it was far that's all I know. It always is. Why can't people commit crimes that are closer to my current location? Geez!

A friend of mine says that on every holiday two things always will happen. 1. a house fire. 2. a domestic violence crime. This would probably fall under the domestic violence crime just for neatness. Anyways no big deal. Kid was found. So was car. Metro started search for suspect. Another civilian saved by SuperPhotog.

Lastly, while I was out on this on the possible kidnapping. I found mailboxes in the middle of an empty lot. Who lives at an empty lot? Well, obviously Tony Estes does, and he likes to keep his mail secure. I just thought it was wierd that there would some mailboxes in a lot with no houses or any bulidings around.

Strange

T.C.B., Baby!

Travelin' .... Let's Begin!

Dear Cousin Gobo,

Today is going to be a turning point in my life. I know in my last entry I told you about how I may disappear for awhile. Well that was before I received a surprise in the mail.



Who says the government doesn't work fast? I was expecting this to be sent in a couple months, but I never thought it would be less than two weeks.

Some people may view this as no big deal, but for someone raised in a small town of the Montana Rockies it is very much so. I always wanted my friends and family to see the world through my unique eyes. Now here is my chance. I've already experienced so much. More than most in my hometown could dream. My family already believes that I'm brave by being able to pick up and move to a new place. Knowing no one or nothing about it. I don't see it that way. My name wouldn't be Travelin' if I wasn't reaching for the next adventure.

A friend told me that all I need to do is take the "leap of faith". Buy the ticket. Get a passport. The rest will all fall into place. I'm almost ready. I don't know when it will happen, within the next year I hope. This is going to be the beginning of my next great adventure. I'm not just talking about taking a quick vacation trip to a foreign land. I'm looking higher. By now you have to get that I talking about moving to another country.

That's it. All types of people want to live here. Well I want to live there. This will all happen within the next year. And I'll take you with me.

Isn't it exciting!

T.B.C. Baby!

Goodbye Sunshine

Dear Cousin Gobo,

I'm really sorry! I know I just recently told you that I would make a much needed effort to return to this posting. It was just two days ago that I thought I found a flow that would get me right back into the blog.

Well that was before today, when I got my own copy of the highly anticipated....

Super Mario Galaxy.

I already have a schedule adjusted toward the night-time. Now I just don't think I'll be seeing daylight anymore. Well not until I clear the game, which might take some time.

Though, I vow to return. Just keep you eye on your mailbox.

T.C.B., Mario!

Rough Morning

Dear Cousin Gobo,

I saw this on a friend's posting, thought I would try it out. Today was not a good day.

I woke up quite late because I was covering the Frontier Implosion last night. Sorry no pictures



This is too bad because I have alot to do and no time to do it.



Hopped in the car, went for a quick drive



Had to let a girl out through the gate at my complex. Why was she waiting? How come she couldn't get out? Who cares.



Went to the store. I needed a few things. Yesterday someone at work got me sick. That combined with the dust cloud at the implosion most likely



So I picked up these.

Now I know someone at work got me sick because I was fine all day before I went in to work. I went to the gym. I was fine. I went to get lunch. I was fine. I go to work, and shortly after I start to feel my throat getting sore



I also pickup some Zicam just in case this sore throat turns into more.



I should get this instead. I bet that would kill every virus in my body



The shitty part is that how can anyone be sick on days like this? One down side of living in the desert. The best part of the year is ususally the winter, and that is the when most people will get sick. But not me. I am going to fight it to the death

T.C.B., Baby!

Addiction

Dear Cousin Gobo,

I know I've been neglecting you lately. I apologize for that. But you don't understand, I have an addiction. No it's not drugs or alcohol. Not steroids or food. It is something that is more powerful and harder to shake that all of those other addictions combined.

You still don't know. Well I guess I have no other choice than to show the bane of my existance.



Look at it! Take a long long look. Soak it up! This is the thing that has consumed my life. I don't sleep. I won't eat ...unless this is in front of my eyes. I'm afraid to be alone in the room with it. It's controlling, demanding, intoxication, and I CAN'T BEAT IT! At least not yet.

Still have no clue what it is?

The Legend of Zelda

(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh)

The original! The game that brewed my love for all video games. It has been twenty years since this game first came out and still it one of the best I have ever played. You won't find a 5-minute clearing of this game on youtube. It takes hours, days, maybe weeks of game play to finish this classic.

Have I mentioned how awesome the Nintendo Wii is? If it wasn't for the Wii I don't think I would have ever been re-united with my favorite game of all time.

So if I disappear for awhile, just except the fact that I am getting my fix. I'll try and give you a new update soon.

T.C.B., Link!

The Best Mario Level Ever!!!

A Much Deserved Rest

Dear Cousin Gobo,

After the last few weeks I had, I am in need of some time for myself to get re-adjusted. Middle of last week, I awoke to discover some hooligans broke a window out of my work vehicle. The thieves took only the stuff I needed to do my job properly: a camera tripod, a light kit, and a box of various cables.



These things are useless to anyone who doesn't shot video professionally. I have no idea why someone, other than a meth-head looking for quick cash, would steal this stuff. So I had to deal with police reports, serial numbers, annoyed supervisors, and a voilated self-esteam. Eventhough my chief kept telling me it wasn't my fault, in a way I thought it was. I was emotionally distraught. Then...



I was told I was working my last weekend shift. Yeah! When I was I told you ask? How about on Monday. Yes, I was called on my day off and told my new shift started that day. So I guess I'm going to work ten straight now. The shitty part was I didn't get to tell my reporter/friend that I wasn' t going to be working with him anymore until Friday. Damn

So after a week of dealing with some new paranoia and another week of work with out any days off, I'm alittle drained. I couldn't think of a single event that could refill my spirits, reignite my upbeat energy. Until...



I saw this. Now I'm not much of a fan of musicals. But...



this one stars The Danza! Yes that's right, Who's the Boss? star Tony Danza is probably the only one with the power to cheer me up. I don't know, there's just something about envisioning Tony Danza singing and dancing that makes me laugh. I'll keep you updated when I go to the show.

T.C.B., Baby!

A Change in the Water

Dear Cousin Gobo,

Today I held witness to the power of water. It started to rain today. Okay, I've certainly been it places that it has rained many times before, but the rain here was a completely different animal.



What started as mere drops soon developed into a rage of flooding. In less that thirty minutes rivers were flowing through the desert. Roads were completely overcome by the water. Many were amazed by this act of nature, including myself.



Now I've seen flooding before, but I've never seen it happen so fast. It wasn't even that much rain. I've seen rivers rise above it's banks destroying homes. I've seen roads blocked by massive mudslides. Usually it happens over the course of a few days of constant rain. I've never seen it happen in twenty minutes.

The desert ground doesn't absorb the water like most places. When it rains the excess water has nowhere to go. Plus you can't predict where or how it will flow. How will you know where it will rain? Once a neighborhood road, now is a easy path for a river. To help prevent the destruction of many homes the officials in the L.V. valley have built very large detention basins to hold all the flooding water. With any luck, the natural flow will move it in exactly that direction.

Today was a lucky day. The rain came fast and hard causing a few roads to be blocked, but no one was injured. And as quickly as the large river formed, just as quickly did the sky clear up and all the water trickle down to a stream.

T.C.B., Baby!

Cleanup???

Dear Cousin Gobo,

The mayor of the L.V. wants to cleanup the downtown area. This is not a surprise. Downtown is filthy. Homeless, drunks, and drug addicts litter the streets. Goblins, dirt bags, and nightwalkers try to sell their services for less than fifty dollars. It's dark and creepy, even during the day. Only the bravest souls would even venture down there after the sun sets. The strangest thing, the area which I'm talking about is a only a few blocks from a very popular tourist and "family" attraction.

With all that said, how is the mayor planning to cleanup this neglected area?



Brand new old signs.



Yes, this is a brilliant plan. I have complete confidence that as soon as all these new old neon signs are up and turned on....all the filthy elements of downtown will simply disappear. There will be no more homeless men asking you to pet their giant rabbits. No more two dollars hookers offering three dollar hand jobs. No more free shootings with every illegal drug transaction.

You see the problem isn't that it is too dark. A few very bright neon signs are not going to turn everything around. The area sucks because there is nothing down there. All the store fronts are empty and smell like urine. Business don't want to move there. Why would they? It's just a bad enviroment.

The only good thing that will come of these new old signs, all the great pictures. As you can see I was pushing my luck. Taking pictures at dusk, so close to nightfall.

T.C.B., Baby!

Weather?!

Dear Cousin Gobo,

It is indeed a rare event. Actual weather other than sunshine has come to the desert. Today in the afternoon, the sky darkened.....clouds built up....and it started to rain. Yes rain!

It is monsoonal season, and I couldn't be more excited. Don't get me wrong....I like the sunshine. I got a great tan. It's just after about ninety days of 110 + degree heat you get a little "burnt" out. I'm waiting for a change......any change.



As everything else in the L.V., change will have a price. Sure it is awesome to get a break in the heat. There's slight humidity in the air because it is still like 90 degrees. It will probably rain alittle, but not much rain is needed to cause flash flooding. You would think that ground would soak that rain right up. Wrong! The desert hates the rain. The ground doesn't soak up rain like most people think it does. It's the things living in the ground......namely plants. Not too much plant life in the desert. It would be a the desert if there was...right!



Still seeing giant clouds roll over the mountains is very cool. And the lighting! The lighting is AWESOME! It is fast, intense, frequent, and loud! Well actually the thunder is loud. But still it a cool sight. Total darkness, and then FLASH, FLASH, FLASH, FLASH.......BOOOOOM.

I'm hoping to get either getting some video or cool pictures of the lighting..........soon.

T.C.B., Baby!

Snow Patrol

Dear Cousin Gobo,

Ears ringing...heart pumping....voice lost.

One great thing about living in this beacon within the desert, alot of special events enjoy coming here. Especially concerts. I recently attended a concert of Ireland's finest.......Snow Patrol.

This show was awesome! Surprisingly, since I lived here, I have yet been to a show that isn't the groups' best possible performance. I am unsure if there is something in the water, or maybe it's all the excess oxygen pumped in by the big casinos. A show in the L.V. is always great!



For about a good two hours, this band rocked the roof off the house. Eventhough, I may have misplaced my professional camera, this adventurer was able to still grab a few shots with a slightly lesser grade camera.







Plus my friend Ken-G and I met four Irish girls. Now these weren't girls who were merely Irish, they were girls from Ireland. Though, they didn't like how I claimed to be Irish. "Are yee from Ireland?" they asked. "Well no", I responded. "The you're not Irish then are yee" Good point!

Regardless we all had a fun time together. It's just a pity that after the concert we couldn't have partied together longer. It was probably a dead end anyways, right.

T.C.B., Baby

Lucky # 7's

Dear Cousin Gobo,

Saturday was 7-7-07, and thousands upon thousands of people migrated to the desert just to get married by the one and only..........Elvis.



That's right the King of Rock n' Roll was presiding over holy nuptials. Only Elvis wasn't performing just any ol' marriages, he was conducting Lucky 7 7 7 Las Vegas marriages.

Many believed that this once in a century, made up psuedo-holiday would bring not only everlasting good luck, but also an easy to remember most wonderful moment of their newly bonded lives. What any other reason would you need. Boy.... let me tell you, Elvis was dancing up a sweat all day long. Punching out accerlerated "I do's" in seven (of course) minutes flat. Singing hit after hit as the revolving door of bride and groom couples marched in and out. It was an exciting, entertaining, in-expensive day to remember for many newly weds

What can be more memorable than your minister singing Only Fool's Rush In at your first (I'm guessing) of many weddings to come?

T.C.B., Baby

San Di-ego

Dear Cousin Gobo,

I needed some time away from the arid desert, so I decided to hit the beach. SoCal here I come!



Welcome to San Diego. Beautiful city. Very clean, hip, friendly, and all around awesome!

The weather was perfect. Sunny and warm. It sure wasn't as HOT as the desert. Scenery was great. Just look at all those plam trees. Oh yeah, the BEACH....

The Beach was bitchin'!!!! The water was warm, the sand was smooth, and the sun was shinning. I had a blast. I swam the ocean...I boogied the the board...I tanned the hell out of my skin. Say hello to the skin cancer. Now I am burnt red! OUCH!

I loved San Diego. I'm totally going to head back there very soon. There is plenty more for me to explore. Balboa park, Petco Park, Sea World, Comic Con.....also beach, beach, beach.

Just check out this cool statue along the water.

T.C.B., Baby

Take Home THIS!

Dear Cousin Gobo,

No longer will petroleum industry hold me as it's slave.

After more than a year of living in the very HOT desert. My station has decided to give me....my very own take home company vehicle.

Today I say goodbye to high gas prices. Hello company gas card!

This is a long time coming. I was told it took so long because no one has left our staff in over a year. Lucky for me, the company needed a few new trucks. In turn, it meant that I would get one of the hand me downs.

I'm not complaining. I don't have to keep racking up miles on my own personal car now. First order of business, get this sweet ride detailed. Maybe upgrade for a pair of 20's. Oh yeah! and some spinners.

Viva La Raza!!!

Hail to the King, Baby!

Dear Cousin Gobo,

This pass weekend I decided to go the CineVegas Film Fesrival and watch some really crappy independent films. Most of the films were poorly made, badly written, and.....well they really freaking sucked balls.

But there was one movie which I wanted to see the most above all.

My Name Is Bruce

It was the newest movie to be created by the Greatest "B" Movie actor of all time Bruce Campbell

I was planning all week to go see this movie, but then I heard about the fact that Bruce himself was going to attend and introduce the film. Well hello Mr. Fancypants! I couldn't believe it. I may have a chance to actually meet the Man. I've seen all his movies, I read both his books, damn I even bought video games because he did the voice over work. To say I idolize him is an understatement.

So I went down to CineVegas and bought my ticket, which had some small print about "no guaranteed seating". This made me nervous. The people with all access passes had first crack at the theater, then the ticket holders had to wait in line to see if there was enough space left. Lucky for me I was able to get a seat.

While I was in line waiting, Bruce showed up. He walked down the 15 foot long red carpet, posed for a few photos and then headed into the theater. I was so excited. I was going to be in the same theater as Bruce, watching his latest movie, which I found out that day that it wasn't completely finished. It was a "work in progress", meaning not all the audio transtions were cleaned up and there may be a few editing mistakes.

As I walked toward the theater, my friend pointed out that Bruce was still standing in the hall. So I walked up to him and said, "Hi". He greeted me back, and then I took the picture of him showing above. Why was I so nervous? I didn't even ask him to take a photo with me. I've met famous people before. I taken pictures with them using little effort. But this was BRUCE. You don't just demand audience with The King. Maybe I'll could get a picture with him after the movie?

Like I said the all access jokers got first shots at the best seats, so I had to sit in the second row. But I wasn't going to complaining. That just means I would have a better view of Bruce when introduced his film. BINGO, on that one!

After a short intro by Bruce the film started. Now it wasn't the greatest movie ever made. I wasn't even expecting it to be good. Let's say it was very entertaining. It was funny, and it was stupid. Exactly what you would expect from a good "B" movie. I'll probably buy it when it hits DVD.

Following the movie, Bruce went back to the front of the theater to do some Q&A. This was the best part of the whole night. The Man is funny. He would take a question from some stupid moron...he would repeat the question in a sarcastic tone...then answer the question making fun of the person asking it. I was rolling. My friend suggested that he should go on tour just doing that. I agreed. Here a few samples of the idiotic questions asked.

Q: Bruce, when are you going to give us fans what we all been waiting for...a "Full Frontal shot"?

BC: What?! You want to see my penis?! Are you gay?

Q: I'm writing my college thesis on you and your work, Who would win in a fight between you and a Velociraptor?

BC: Who would win? Your imagination would win!

Q: Do you ever get a chance to hang out with Kevin Sorbo?

BC: Yeah, we both go over to that guy's house, and pull out our dicks and play with them in front of that gay guy.

Q: When you release this movie, will you be going on tour?

BC: Yeah, there's going to be a tour. Coming to a theater near you! Cuz I really need to know what the people in Dickfuck, Kansas think about it.

Damn he was funny. Well I wasn't able to get photo with him afterwards. He went to the back of the theater, I was trying to go against the current of people. I think he was going to go out a back door anyways. I missed my chance, but I did get to see him. I also sorta met him. I can probably die happy now. When he returns for his book signing, I'll get my picture then.

T.C.B., Baby

Twin City Trouble

Dear Cousin Gobo,

The Cherry was on the Spoon....the best way to describe my recent adventure to the Twin Cities of Minneasota. I was not in Minneapolis to go sight seeing, gaze at art, nor map this lake filled region. Instead I had a greater purpose. I was to take part in a celebration....a speical holy union.....



a Marriage



The Bag, my long time good friend, finally decided it was time to start his new life with his beautiful bride. I was asked months ago if I would be a Groomsman for this wonderful occasion. Naturally, I said yes. Weddings are great! They are filled with fun and excitement. People are always happy to celebrate weddings. What's there not to be happy about? Plenty of food and drinks to consumer. Plenty of partying and dancing to partake.

Of course, there are also the Bridesmaids



Meet Chrisy and Lee, two very beautiful Bridesmaids, and very single....at least for the weekend that is. Being a Groomsman of Wedding gives you an unique opportunity to not only meet the Bridesmaids but also build a comfortable rapport with eachother. Since both Groomsmen and Bridesmaids must attend all the activities that prepare a wedding, there is plenty of time to make a connection, and to be seen more than just the man standing there across from them. That is exactally the intention of myself and my "Wing" Guido, the Bestman.



The best time and place to make this all this happen is at the reception. During all the wedding preparation is the time to ask...where are you from.....what's your job.....what do you like, dislike....are you single? The reception is when you close the deal. You must be confident, fearless, energetic, entertaining, humorous.....you must hold nothing back. Both Guido and I knew this, so we acted as eachothers' "wing". We backed up eachother, instead of showing up. We danced, we laughed, we had tons of fun with these girls. Surprisingly, it all worked.

After the reception, we walked the girls back to their hotel room, and they invited us inside.

We helped the girls take down their hair. Lee had 47 bobbie pins in her's. The girls changed their clothes, the guys removed their suit jackets and vests. There was massaging, laughing, horseplay....we were there...we were SO CLOSE, but after a few hours of this....the feeling began to fade. Everyone was starting to get tired and uninterested. What went wrong? Was it the time? The morning hours? Maybe the alcohol.....maybe not enough alcohol. Regardless, Guido and I said our goodnights, and returned to our hotel room. The both of us later agreed that there was a lack of separation. We spend plenty of time with these girls. Each one grew interested in one of us guys. But we couldn't get the two separated. This was key at that moment and we both knew it.

The next morning, Guido and I slept through most of the post-wedding brunch. We showed up close to the end of it. The girls were departing that day, we were leaving the next. Trying not to look so hungover, we smiled and talked to the others. Many questions were asked about our wild night. Apparently, everyone knew of our escapes. The girls were talking about us.....that was a good sign. The two girls came over to say their goodbyes. They told us that they had alot of fun, and we each recieved a hug and kiss on the cheek from both of them. A small victory, but victory none the less. Given one more night the posiblities could have been endless.

T.C.B., Baby!

I Hate Radio!!

Dear Cousin Gobo,

I can't stand listening to local radio stations!

I thought moving to a larger market that the radio stations would improve.....I was wrong.

It is the same junk all over. The same lame songs are on a constant three hour loop. The same lame DJ's trying to be funny. Same overloaded crappy commercials.

So that is why I went the way of the iPod. Since I drive alot for my job. I needed to listen to something better. I went out and bought all the gadgets and gismos that come with owing a mp3 player, only to be disappointed again.

I picked up one of those FM transmitters. Finally I can eliminate those damn radio stations! Wrong!

Living in a larger city means more stations. Meaning less dead air space for the FM transmitter. So as I drive around town my little transmitter gets blasted out the countless number of small time latino radio stations. That's right LATINO stations. The Latino market here is huge, and everyone wants to make a few bucks from it, so they flood every market targeting Latino consumers.

At first I thought it to be comical. I liked listen to the spanish speaking stations, it helped me practice my own spanish. But soon, it stopped being funny. Why in the HELL did I buy this thing, if it's not going to work?

Few have claimed that maybe I didn't buy the right one, or that I wasn't on the right frequency. Let me tell you over the past few months....I TRIED THEM ALL!! Same result, lost of signal to another station spilling over on the dial.

I HATE RADIO!!!! Stop trying to control my mind! I don't want to your continuous looped play of crappy songs. I don't want to hear your retro noon-time playlist of song that sucked worst in their own time period. Always trying to tell me what music is better than the rest, because some record company is paying you to do so. And I'm tried of all you morons out there, calling in to request these shitty songs. STOP IT!

Strange Sighting

Dear Cousin Gobo,

I've been living in this desert oasis for a year, and I've seen some amazing things. I also seen some very strange things...or should I say people. Take this guy for example...Meet Mr. TVG



This man has many names but the one that describes him the most is T.V.G. or as I was told Typical Vegas Guy. There is a sighting of him almost everyday. He can be seen walking laps in the parking lots near my news station. That's right plural....parking lots. He walks around in the sun for hours, doing laps in the either the Catholic Church parking lot or the the Blair House parking lot. We are unsure where he comes from. Many think that he lives at the Blair House, a shitty low price apartment complex next door to the station, because we never see him in a car. I am not completely sure of that.

Also I can't figure out his pattern. He's not out seven days a week, but it has to be close to 5 or 6 days. I sometimes see him is on a weekend, but not every weekend. He also isn't seen at the same time of day. You may see him first thing in the morning, or maybe around lunch. It's rare but you can even have a sighting of him close to sunset. Here is the stumper...You can never tell which parking lot were he will be walking. I tried for months to track his process by making mental notes, like Monday, noon, church parking lot. But the next few Mondays he wouldn't be there. I think he operates on a version of the Mayan calender.



You may ask what makes this man a T.V.G.? Well that is another puzzle. I've been told if you live here long enough you will become just like this man. Just look at him. He is muscular, but it is that flappy creepy old man muscle tone. He has a great tan, but also probably has extreme case of skin cancer. And his hair is bright white. If living here causes this then how long does one have to live in the desert sun? 20 years? 50 years? 100?? This is not a human! He is like a comic book villian from outerspace.

If it is true that this is what becomes of all Vegas people who live here too long, then I have some theories. I believe the sun gives him his power. Like Superman. Only he needs to walk around in the sun all day because he is dying. Yes dying, but the sun slows the process, because he is a right old age of 342 years. He wears only short shorts because the more surface area of skin exposed, the more UV rays absorbed. Plus lying in the sun isn't enough. You have to move, hence the walking laps. The energy from the sun must also need to be circulated throughout the body by the blood stream.

This is alot to look forward to. I must learn his ways. If I want to survive for 300 years

T.C.B., Baby