A 'lil HooHaa

Unless you’ve lived in a hole on this website, you’ve noticed several of us have jumped on the myspace.com bandwagon.

For those that have lived in a shell and have no clue what it is, myspace is basically a homepage for people. You can create your own page, friends add you and can leave comments etc. If you really want to be creative, you can do a lot of things with the page, which is neat.

Celebs, most notably musicians, seem to have official pages on there as well, as a way to interact with fans — which from a marketing standpoint is super smart, even if someone is doing the work for the celebs.

Anyway, I’ve found something out about myspace.

It’s freakin’ addicting.

Seriously, it’s crazy. I find myself searching for old friends; checking to see if any of the requests I’ve sent have been accepted and anything else. I search the music people looking for good new tunes or go parading around and looking at friend’s pages.

It’s nuts how cool it actually is.

Now I haven’t done a ton with my page. I’ve added a couple of photos and a song and that’s about it. For photos, I use the gallery here. Same with the blog. But, it’s pretty interesting.

I actually wish I had it when I was in college. It would have been pretty killer back then. No worries about the site or anything like that.

I’m just wondering if I’m the only one who is getting addicted to it? I’m not always on it, but when I’m home and online, I’ll have it up in one of the firefox tabs. I can check it when I want or go searching. Maybe it’s just because it’s new to me. But it’s pretty cool.

If you want to see some of the pages members here have made, check out the thread: HooHaa myspace thread.

Or heck, you could just join us: My Space

There’s a saying in Central New York about the weather.

Blink. It’ll change.

I can deal with most types of weather. Rain, snow, hot, freezing rain, sleet, whatever. Just as long as it’s consistent and in the forecast. You can plan.

Last night was just wacked.

When I went to work, it was fine. When I went to dinner, it was fine. The forecast called for snow showers and all. But there was a warning about the dreaded lake effect snow. However, we don’t usually get it as far down as we are. But, it will sometimes hit.

At about, eh, 9:30-9:45, we started hearing about minor accidents on the scanner in the office. They were all on this one mountain I have to go over to go home. Like three cars and a bus went off the road. Cops radioed in that they couldn’t get to one of the cars because it was so icy and couldn’t even walk over to them.

Goodie.

However, with two or more hours before I leave to go home, I knew super DOT would be on the spot salting and all that to make sure I’d be able to get home. No biggie. Been there done that.

At about 10:45, one of the news reporters leaves and informs me that “You shouldn’t look outside.” So, of course, I do. And now? There’s about an inch of snow on the ground and it’s coming doewn hard.

Snow showers my ass.

I don’t know if this was classified as lake effect snow or not. But being I’ve driven in the Syracuse area when they got the lake effect, this seemed like the same damn crap.

Deadline came and went, the paper was put to bed and I got out of there as quick as I could. On my car? About two inches. And when I got done sweeping the car, there was already a dusting on it again. So it was coming down pretty decently.

Needless to say, the ride home was just great! [/sarcasm]

First, let me say this: The Jetta is a champ in the weather. I didn’t make it much out of third gear most of the ride and went down to second several times, but man, that thing is killer in the snow. Now, on with the story.

I got lucky enough to get behind a truck for the ride home. Well, most of the ride. So I had tail lights to follow. Only problem was that there were times when the truck slowed down too much and it scared the hell out of me.

The snow was crappy. It was slightly windy and the road was completly covered. When I hit mountain No. 2 on the ride home, I knew what to expect. At the top is a flat and there are always drifts and the wind blows them hardcore onto the road and makes it hard to see.

We reached the top and bingo — just what I figured. The truck, you could tell, was scared. He ended up turning on a back road and I was all alone in the white. I got a mile down the road and it started to clear up. As I drove closer to sweet Delhi, it became clear. Flurries and a clean road. Unreal.

It’s like last year when I was covering three events in the Syracuse area. I left Oswego and things were fine. Got outside Syracuse and there was like seven inches of snow and it was hard as hell to drive. Lake effect at its finest.

Needless to say, I was happy last night when I got to shift to fourth gear. A 20-25 minute ride took me 40-45, so not too bad. And I made it home safe.

And I have today off, so that’s a bonus.

Ever wonder what it would be like if you weren’t where you are now?

Now I’m not talking about the old “Oh, whoa is me, what would it have been like if I had never been born?” line. I don’t buy that. My folks made me, I’m here and damn it, I like that I’m here. I just mean, paths you took in life and the consequences that came from those decisions.

For example, it was a 10th grade English teacher who told me I should follow writing as he thought I had the talent to be a good newspaper writer. Imagine if he hadn’t told me that and I didn’t buy into it? Where would I have gone or done? Would I be working on a road crew now? In some office? Fixing cars? Seriously, it’s interesting to look back.

Since that day, here’s what happened to me:

I started working for a weekly in 12th grade. I stayed with them for like nine years. During that time, I slacked off, but got my Associate’s degree and thought I was set for life. No need for anything else, right? Ha!

In 1999, I went back to school to Lock Haven. A friend from up here was going back to school too and went to Lock Haven, so we roomed together. Because he wasn’t getting in too many other places (he actually did some summer thing at Lock Haven just to get Lock Haven), I went there because it was the security of knowing someone (although I never saw him there cause he shacked up with a chick and always stayed in her room because he knew I couldn’t stand her). I had originally planned to apply to Rhode Island, Delaware and a couple other schools more south. But I didn’t. I went to Lock Haven.

Think of the spiral effect if I had, indeed, gone to say, Rhode Island.

On our board, DMac wouldn’t be a moderator and probably wouldn’t even be a member because — how the hell would he have found us? Same with metal — being DMac got him here. It’s odd in that way where little parts of people’s lives can change — even if it’s not going to a little website here and there — by your decisions.

I look at it this way. Every path I’ve taken has somehow done something in someone else’s life. As it is with everyone else.

If I had gone right on to a four-year program after getting my associate’s, who knows if I ever would have gone on for my Masters. Who knows if I would have been in newspapers. And if I was, who knows if I would have ever ended up back in my home area.

Hell, after getting my Masters, if I hadn’t taken the advice of a friend who was working at the paper I’m at now and called the SE, I wouldn’t have started stringing. And I wouldn’t have had the in to get the job I have now. By not doing that, I wouldn’t know some of the people I know now.

In turn, small differences could have been made to those people’s lives — whether small or big.

I had a tough day at work yesterday. So on the way home, to let my thoughts run, I was thinking about this. It’s kind of crazy how there’s like a spiral effect on every move you make. One little decision could impact dozens or hundreds of people. It’s nuts.

I just wonder if my path had been different in high school — what would I have done? If my grades had been better and if I applied to some good colleges out of high school and the like. What path would I have done? A different career? Different friends? Hell, would I have even created HooHaaDOTcom?

My one thing is to always have no regrets. I only regret a couple things in this world — two are athletic, one is a girl. That’s as far as I’ll go with that as those, in my mind, are for my thoughts.

And while I don’t regret the path I’ve taken in my life, I look back and wonder where I would be if I went to the left instead of the right. Would I be in a better situation I’m in now? More money? Wife and kids? Or would I be worse? Living in a halfway house or in rehab? I mean, seriously, as easily as it is to look back and say ‘Man, I could be rich now if I did this…” you could also say, “Man, I could be dead now if I went this way…”

It’s a two-way street when you’re thinking about the directions you chose in life. But, the path you take is usually one way. However, it’s interesting to look back and wonder.

Sometimes I wonder what the hell I’m doing with myself. Here I am, working for a small newspaper with ugly hours and low pay. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind it — for now. It has it’s ups and downs and all of that, but for the most part, I dig it right now.

However, I know I won’t be doing this the rest of my life. I can’t do this the rest of my life.

The bottom line is having some sort of a life plan is a good thing. It’s one I need to start working on because I’ve been in an endless routine that sometimes sucks the life right out of me. Don’t get me wrong, the things I’ve been doing to work on making life better is going well. But if I don’t figure out which direction I want to go in — and soon — I’m going to be sitting here in 10 years posting about how I just let it all stay the same.

Looking at the future can be scary. It’s something where you really have to know what direction you want to go in. I look at it this way — working 4 to 12 at this point in my life is something I can deal with. But it won’t be in a couple of years. There’s no life with this job and I don’t care what anyone says.

Any sportswriter who can look you in the eye and say they have a good, social and fulfilling life is full of shit. They might be true in the regard to a satisfying career, but everything else isn’t perfect, I assure you of that.

This is how I do it. I work 4-12. I come home and am up until 3 or so. (Think of it this way — people say ‘why don’t you go home and go right to bed?’ That’s like someone who works 9-5 coming home and going right to bed. You need to unwind and all).

I sleep until anywhere from 10-1230 the next day. I get up, eat, screw around online or run some errands, shower and head to work by 3:30.

Where’s the life? The worst part is I rarely get back-to-back days off. So you can’t even be in a normal routine for a couple of days. It’s basically a day where you recharge, then head back to work.

If I’m doing this two years from now, I’m going to be hating life. I like the people I work with, I like what I do, I like my beats — but the hours and grind wears. Which is how I know I won’t be doing it forever.

So, the question then comes up — how do you plan for a future? What do you do? How in depth do you get planning your next career move and how far ahead do you look into it?

I seriously have no clue which direction my life will take in the next two years. I’m not sure what I want to do with my next career step. But I’ve figured if I’m actually going to do something in a year or two, I need to start planning and thinking about where I want to be and what I want to do.

If not, in two years I’ll be back to posting and saying I need to make a change, but I’ll have no plan.

Ugh.

Isn’t the future supposed to look bright?

Apparently, things I am doing to improve my stress situation and not let things get to me as much is working. I didn’t realize it because I haven’t really checked in on things and haven’t been pressured that much. However, I got to test the situation on Monday.

It was a long day already. I was up early to drive 25 minutes to drop my car off at the shop. I got the loaner, went back home and took a snooze. Woke up, ate, did my normal things, showered and headed off to work for an early staff meeting.

En route, my boss calls and tells me he’s sick and won’t be coming in. Even worse is that it was supposed to be just me and him and no part-timer. So I had to get a part-timer to come in and thankfully, got one.

In the past if I got this news at 2:30 p.m., basically telling me I’m working a solo and all, I would have freaked out. Paniced, stress level goes up etc.

Instead, I basically said “whatever.” I got the section out before deadline and moved on. Now given, it wasn’t a big day by any means, but still making deadline was good and nothing was too bad last night.

Not that I want people calling in sick on me all the time, but still…

Add to the fact that if someone is really sick, stay away. I don’t want to catch it.

Several months ago, I added an entry telling a story of how I was driving to work and some old redneck flipped me off as I passed him.

Well, about three weeks or so ago, it happened again. With the same person.

I came out of Delhi and was behind some slow traffic. We came to the first passing zone and I passed one car and slid in behind another. The car looked awful familiar to me, then it hit me. I couldn’t help but smile.

I don’t know if I said this the first time, but you can tell that this guy is a redneck and thinks the world is his. When I pulled in between him and the car I passed, I was still a good four or five car lengths behind him. But man did he take off. Just gunned it. He went from doing maybe 55 to 70 or so. Then, after going through another passing zone, he slowed back down.

Now, with my whole new outlook, I’m also becoming a better driver. I don’t get annoyed, I stay a distance back — but I still pass cars when the speed is not satisfactory. Especially when I’m going to work.

So we hit the next passing zone, I pick it up and pass. And sure enough, he flips me off again.

I couldn’t believe it.

This time, I just laughed and waved as his finger stayed in the window. I have to assume he flips off any person that passes him because he doesn’t like getting passed. And for sure he’s an ornry old ass, so it is pretty funny. He probably goes home and bitches to his wife for three hours any day he gets passed.

For the last month or two, every once in a while, the endine light in my car would come on. I had it in the shop and they couldn’t figure it out. It happened in some other cars and Volkswagen was trying to figure out what the heck the problem was.

Finally, they figured it out.

So I dropped my car off yesterday and the process they have to do is nine hours long. They give me a loaner and I’m on my way.

What a difference having a Volkswagen is.

My last several cars were from a local dealer. They treated me well, but when I got a loaner from them, it was like a 1985 Olds something or other and not everything worked. Also, when something was going on, they explained it to me quickly and shrugged it off.

When I went in yesterday, the service guy explained the whole problem to me (I still didn’t get it all, but it’s nice they explain what they are doing and such). He also told me how they do what was going to be done — which was really interesting. Apparently, part of the front can be taken off the car, making it easier to get to where they have to go. Same with the doors when they need to do that. That’s pretty sweet.

Then, he gives me the loaner.

It’s a 2005 Jetta with fewer than 5,000 miles on it. Given it’s not as jam-packed as my car, but still — for a loaner? Holy smokes! Pretty sweet. Hopefully I can get my car back today, but if not, I’ll have it tomorrow! It will be nice to have it back.

Well, we’re coming up on the postseason for winter sports, so some traveling is going to have to happen. With having the wrestling beat, I don’t have to always travel a ton, but I will have to for sectionals and states. The one thing I am always worrying about is having to travel this time of year in crap weather.

For the most part last year, I was OK. But one trip was awful.

We cover schools basically in one section. One of our schools, however, is in another section. So I was sent to Syracuse to cover (in the span of two days) volleyball, wrestling and basketball.

The ride up was OK. A little spotty with some snow, but nothing major. I covered that and then headed to wrestling. Things didn’t seem bad and the roads were fine from Syracuse to Oswego. When I left the wrestling, it was snowing. And the roads (including the Interstate highways) were awful. I also found out later that my tires were pretty bad, too. Ugh!

I ended up going the wro ng way at first from Oswego (where the weather wasn’t bad and neither were the roads) and got to the Interstate (where the roads all of a sudden sucked) and all the way into Syracuse. I finally got to my hotel and couldn’t believe the weather. I walked to a Denny’s to get dinner and called it a night.

Sunday, I went and covered a basketball game. As is normal in Central New York, you blink and the weather changes. It was sunny and nice out. And the ride home after the game was totally fine. I couldn’t believe the difference of the day.

So I’m hoping the weather holds for me on weekends I have to travel, which will include Long Island for states in wrestling.

Finally, a quick note on the blogs and gallery on here. I know not many people use them and that’s fine. I’ve really started using them myself a lot more, which is good because they are being used. I’ve also found that putting all those photos in the gallery is sweet cause I can start deleting all those photos off my main web site.

If you’ve looked at the forums lately, you know I’m adding a portal to my website. That will eventually be the second page people see when they come to my website. I’m going to make it so my galleries are viewable by guests and likely the same with the blogs.

If you have no objection to your galleries being views by guests, let me know as I might make another gallery that is open to guests and one that’s not.

There also might be some people who will be registering (family, friends), who will be registering just for the galleries and blogs. That’s the beauty of the portal — you register for it and you’re registered for everything!

Back to what I was originally saying, however.

I’ve really figured after using the blog as much as I have been recently, I really enjoy blogging. It’s a good way to throw out some thoughts and such or whatever is on your mind. I’ve found it to be quite enjoyable to do. That said, while it’s cool that not everyone utilizes the blogs a ton, I always wonder if more than a couple people read it!

But, I guess as long as I enjoy writing, it’s all that matters. It really is a bit theraputic to be able to just throw random thoughts out there. I never realized that until I did it on a regular basis. Although sometimes, it’s hard to find something to write about!

That’s it for now. More later!