Monthly Archive for January, 2007

The Waiting Game

Posted January 31, 2007 at 2:33 am // 6 Comments

Thanks to everyone who’s been praying and sending good wishes for my attempt to get an apartment. I’ve given the rental agents all the info they need, now we’re waiting on the credit and employment checks to go through and if they do (and I expect they will), I get me a new home.

Tonight at work was really fun. I know a lot of other photographers would say it’s all in a day’s work, but I was excited to be able to roam freely around Portland and shoot video for four voice-over stories (voice-overs, or commonly called VOs in the biz, are just little snippets of video that the anchors read over). Three of them were for news and one was for sports…and I shot and edited everything in the span of less than six hours. Not a bad first day on VOB Patrol.

It seems my work schedule is going to change shortly, and I’m going to be working Friday-Monday. With the bad (not being able to see Aftan very often) comes the good (being able to attend church on Sundays and Wednesdays). Plus it’s four days a week that I’m guaranteed to work for the foreseeable future so praise God for some schedule stability.

I’ve been poring through my site stats and noticed that numbers are up, and that means I’ve attracted some new visitors to my blog. Welcome and I hope I don’t scare you off.

It’s 2:30 AM and past my bedtime. I shouldn’t have eaten dinner so late. Thanks Aftan for the “tortellini.” :)

God bless, everyone.

A Very Important Update

Posted January 29, 2007 at 12:35 am // 6 Comments

My housing situation has improved greatly!!! Today I applied for an apartment in Hillsboro, and they reserved it for me…the only things they have to do are the credit check and employment verification. It’s a two bedroom, two bathroom, third-floor apartment with a spacious patio, which is good because it means I have no one above me and 970 square feet of space. All at a relatively good price too, especially for Hillsboro.

Cris Birch and I talked yesterday and felt it would be better to pursue housing individually…it took me awhile to realize that moving to Washougal wouldn’t have been good for me in terms of distance to and from work. But the apartment complex I’m looking at is only 10-15 minutes away from work and I don’t even have to hit any major highways.

So I gotta ask you guys to please pray for me, that everything goes through and I can get this apartment as soon as possible. I can’t wait to be out on my own in my very own living space!!!

So I was wondering as to what I should get for the apartment. Undoubtedly I’ll get some cheap furniture but I’ll also get an HDTV of some sort, a nice computer desk for my iMac and related accessories, and some nice movie posters (think “Hoosiers” and “Back to the Future”) to decorate my new living space with.

I’m excited. Heck I’m even excited to go back to work tomorrow. I really like my job so far, the people are great and it’s a great work environment. God is definitely blessing.

Kevin Twitchell, if you read this, thanks for the phone call tonight. God bless you man.

Everyone else, God bless you too…and I’ll holler at you tomorrow.

The World Is About To End, Part 2

Posted January 27, 2007 at 3:19 pm // 0 Comments

Breaking News. Aftan has just informed me she actually enjoys the new Paris Hilton CD.

Congratulations Aftan, you’re turning into a nerd and sorority skank (that’s your terminology I’m using there) all at the same time. God bless you in your newfound lifestyle.

(Members of the general public, please be advised that Aftan was indeed looking over my shoulder at this posting.)

The World Is About To End

Posted January 27, 2007 at 12:55 am // 0 Comments

I never thought I would ever hear Aftan tell me she has become a Star Trek fan. Thanks Rachael for corrupting my girlfriend’s taste in entertainment.

I thought only single overweight males over the age of 35 watched and wasted their time on that show but I guess I am wrong. I guess female college students do too.

It would be better for my girlfriend to watch endless episodes of Knight Rider and talk my ear off all night about how attractive David Hasselhoff is or something like that, than to get hooked on a show about some people wandering around in space like the children of Israel. Or for her to rub the Beavers 2006 Civil War football victory over my beloved Oregon Ducks in my face. Or to tell me that she won’t see me for another month.

All the above, I could handle. But not her becoming a Star Trek fan.

Pray for us, this relationship has rocky times ahead. :)

I’m Still Alive, Right?

Posted January 25, 2007 at 2:18 am // 4 Comments

Three whole days have come and gone and I have had nary a chance to update my blog. For that I apologize. I actually have a job now and it’s a good one at that.

Speaking of the job, it’s going along very nicely. This week they’ve had me “shadow” some photogs and reporters going out and shooting stories. Monday’s travels included a story on how people in Salem are dealing with graffiti, Tuesday involved a teen that killed himself and his parents were suing the Yamhill-Carlton School District, and today was a convenience store that was robbed by two teens toting…airsoft guns. Wow.

Continue reading ‘I’m Still Alive, Right?’

Winter Retreat Photos & Videos

Posted January 22, 2007 at 1:00 pm // 2 Comments

This is a small selection of what I have so far…check back later for more.

Photos are online at my Multimedia section. I didn’t get too many of them, but others did and I’ll see what I can do to get my hands on them.

I have put together two quick videos: a montage of shots from the inner tubing run, and a bonus video about a curve on Highway 12 we all call “Amen Corner.” Make sure you have QuickTime on your computer or these won’t work.

Enjoy the videos, and to read the account of what happened at Winter Retreat this past weekend, check out the blog post directly below this one.

Event Review: 2007 Washington COGOP Winter Retreat

Posted January 22, 2007 at 2:06 am // 0 Comments

EDITOR’S NOTE: Continue to check back on this website over the course of this week for Winter Retreat downloads, including photos and video of various events such as the tubing run, church services and organized recreation.

To continue reading, please click the link below.

Continue reading ‘Event Review: 2007 Washington COGOP Winter Retreat’

Looking Forward To Winter Retreat

Posted January 18, 2007 at 12:44 pm // 3 Comments

First off before I say anything about Retreat, let me wish my mom a happy birthday. She’s XX years old today and still looks really young (God blessed me with young looking parents). Love you Mom, have fun on your day!!!

Campers and staff all across the region are awaiting the Church of God of Prophecy’s one-of-a-kind event, this weekend’s Winter Retreat at Grace Brethren Camp in White Pass. The retreat, which starts tomorrow and ends Sunday afternoon, will host around seventy campers and twenty staff members for a weekend of fun, food and worship.

Washington is one of the few states in the U.S. in which the COGOP sponsors a Winter Retreat. It is among the most well-attended, with an average attendance of 65-70 campers age 13-19 each year. Not only does the retreat give campers a day off from school, and for many, their only chance to play in some serious snow for the winter, but for nearly everyone who attends, it’s a great time to receive spiritually from the Lord and worship with friends they might not otherwise see throughout the course of the year.

Anticipation for the retreat itself is strong, but anticipating the driving conditions is a different matter entirely. A Tuesday snowstorm that dumped two to five inches of snow across western Washington and Oregon has left some roads slushy on the valley floor, which could spell out a dangerous commute for those making the trek up Highway 12. The Washington Department of Transportation is requiring chains to be put on all vehicles traversing White Pass, as the snowpack reaches a depth of six to seven feet in unplowed areas.

One can never forget the winter storm of 1998, which dumped snow across Washington state for days and made driving treacherous across the entire western half of the state during the weeekend of Retreat. Tim Woodard and Robert Murkerson escaped serious injury when the vehicle they were driving slid off Tieton Road just miles before entering Grace Brethren Camp. The LaCamas Valley youth group reported the trip home took nine hours instead of the normal three and a half. At the retreat, massive ice and snowpack made even the simplest of tasks, such as walking, dangerous.

Regardless of the weather conditions, churches all across the state are praying for Winter Retreaters to have a safe trip to the campground and receive what they need from the Lord this weekend. Historically, Winter Retreat has seen many teens healed, delivered from vices, and many saved — and expectations this year are higher than ever.

As for me, I’m leaving for the campground today. Cris Birch and Jon Hash are driving their respective vehicles and carrying a few passengers including myself, so pray for our safety. I’ll be back on here in a few days to update how the retreat went, so be good while I’m gone!!!

My First Couple Days At Work

Posted January 18, 2007 at 11:36 am // 2 Comments

Boy did I ever get a crash course in commercial TV news. Tuesday was hectic with all the snow that blanketed Northwest Oregon, and the resulting live TV coverage until 8 PM.

I arrived at the KPTV studios at about 12:30 after an hour and a half of navigating Highway 30, I-405 and Hwy. 26. I made it up without chains, as many other vehicles were unsuccessful in doing. It amazed me how many people here in Oregon cannot drive in the snow to save their lives.

Once I got to the studio I immediately started editing, all the while being shown by our editors, Gordon, Jason, Derek and Alex, how to route feeds and send the finished news packages up to air. Seems the work I did turned out to be helpful because I finished six news pieces that ended up airing either during the breaking news cast or the 10:00 cast.

There was no way I went home that night due to road conditions. Fortunately they provided us with hotel rooms for the night just a couple miles from the station.

I worked yesterday from 1 PM-11:30 PM…I took some training courses on how to operate a satellite truck, then I shadowed a couple of guys shooting stories and live standups for the news. They knocked out three stories in the span of eight hours. We were out in Gresham to get stories about a robbery at a bar, safety while walking on the ice, and a local American Idol contestant who made it to Hollywood.

Suffice to say the last two days have been a good learning experience. Now it’s time for a three day break for Winter Retreat, then I go back on Monday to train some more.

My initial impression of the place is awesome. Great people, great work environment, great everything so far. God definitely provided and I’m thankful for my new job!

It’s Snowing Again (On My First Day At Work)

Posted January 16, 2007 at 10:06 am // 4 Comments

I could be in for a trial of fire — er, ice (and snow) — today at work.

We’ve got three inches of snow on the ground here and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon. Some weird weather system moved in last night while we were all sleeping here in the Portland area and socked us.

What’s even more interesting is the fact that today is my first day of work at KPTV. They’ve been on the air all morning with traffic, weather and news updates related to the snowstorm and it might be a hectic day there. Could be a pretty neat first day if you ask me!

Pray for God’s protection upon me. It’s not too long of a drive into Beaverton, but with the weather being as bad as it is, I’m leaving two hours early. Roads in Portland are an all-out mess.

Anyway I snapped some photos so enjoy. Be sure to check back here tomorrow so you can read about how work went for me.

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