Good Eats!

Can't say I've ever really been a fan of eating food outta the back of a truck. Editing news stories outta the back of a truck is one thing... but something just seemed unsettling about the whole thing. Is this a fair bias? Probably not, but after today I will say that my mind has been forever changed... for as I pulled into work this morning, what should I see but this grand orange beheamoth offering nothing but items from my favorite food group: the grilled cheese!!


Skidding to a stop, I jumeped out of my vehicle and dashed over to this glorious contraption, hopping back and fourth from foot to foot as I waited for the morning show to finish their live hits with the cooks. I could barely contain my excitement as they offered up several different gormet takes on the classic, including a grilled brie, apple and walnut sandwich and a grilled s'mores sandwich. Wash it down with some sweet potato fries and you're ready to start your work day! Oh, this was shaping up to be a quality day of journalism.

So I wander into the station and inquire about the day's stories... only to find that I'm gonna be making my way down to the State Capitol to interview some guy... I think his name is Guy. Actually I'm a fan of his work, including such shows as Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and the carnival sideshow Minute to Win It. Stuffed to the brim with various grilled sandwiches, I grabbed my reporter and we headed down to lawmakers' land.

So yeah, Guy Fieri was there with some government folk to make some sort of resolution that parents should cook with their kids. They went as far as to delcare it "Cook With Your Kids Day," hoping that parents will teach their kids the importance of eating healthy food. Like perhaps a grilled cheese with apples and walnuts?


Following a little to-do about the resolution, we swooped in so I could get a few questions with the Guy himself. Which is to say, I asked Guy Fieri where I should go to lunch. I thought that was kinda funny, although he probably gets it from everybody. After listing his own two restaurants, he said Jamie's is the best in town. I didn't take him up on it, as the s'mores grilled sandwich was starting to give me indegestion, but the advice was apprecited. He also paused for a quick picture with my reporter:


I always wondered what Guy would be like in person, as his tv persona makes him seem like he might be kinda douchy (although it may just be the hair and backwards sunglasses). But he turned out to be a really cool guy, who seemed totally happy to take a few minutes for a one-on-one interview (and that's not usually the case with recognizable personalities). He said he was trying to use is brief time in the spotlight to do something good, which is what this Cook with Your Kids was all about. I'm usually quick to disapprove of people, especially if they're more famous than me (which, to be fair, is most everybody), but Guy seemed like a genuinely nice guy (and he was amused by the whole Alfonzo bit), which earns him the coveted Photocalypse Seal of Approval.

Here We Stay... There They Go?

Wednesday night, the Lakers were in town to play the Sacramento Kings. But this wasn't just any old NBA game... this could very well be the last game ever for the Sacramento Kings. Despite the noble efforts of fans, including the groups Here We Stay, Here We Build and Here We Sit (I really wanted to write "Here We Piss" over a urinal at the arena...), it appears as if the Kings are outta here. Of course I wasn't about to miss out on this monumental moment in Sactown history (or the chance to be on tv...) so I headed down to Arco Arena (I mean Power Balance Pavilion... yeah, I know...) to get a front row seat for the action.

But before the game started, the real action began. As we were setting up our live shot for the evening news on the court, Kobe arrived (hours before the game) to do some warm-ups (Note: Ron Artest arrived maybe 45 minutes before the game). Guess that's why they pay him the big bucks, right?


Now, mind you, I'm not used to seeing big-time celebrities around this place, so I was sure to snap a picture of the guy. But don't be mistaken, I'm no Lakers fan (and to be fair, I don't much follow the NBA (Maybe if we had a better team in town I would! (sorry, that was inappropriate))), but the guy's a big deal, and I had to keep my Facebook street cred up with the other photogs. He seemed cool with the picture snapping, as everyone else in the pre-game arena was doing the same thing.

After warming up, I noticed one of my photog bretheren was sitting only feet from the guy. Figuring he might get a kick out of having a few shots of him sitting next to Mr. Bryant, I started rolling. Seemed reasonable, but ol' Ko-Ko disagreed...



It was weird... as soon as he started yelling at me (I suppose I use the term "yelling" loosely...) my finger hit the record button to stop the camera. It wasn't that I was scared, it was more out of shock that he acknowledged my existence. The entire time, he ignored the cameras and fans as he warmed up, so as I was shooting him, it was more like watching him on TV. When he suddenly looked up and told me to knock it off... it was like having a tiger at the zoo glare at you and say, "move along, ya jackass!" Totally unexpected. Clearly, I'd never make it as a TMZ cameraman (and to be honest, I don't see that as a bad thing).

Once our sports guy arrived, he filled me in on Kobe's recent events in the media... which is probably what he was talking to those guys about (he was fined that same day). Whoops.


In the end, the Kings lost in overtime and Kobe didn't beat me up. Will they stay or will they go? It's still up in the air (as of press time). But if nothing else comes from this night, at least I can claim that I had an "exclusive 1-on-1 interview with Kobe Bryant."

Twister!

So we were preparing a fun little tale about a dog stolen from an animal shelter (with security video!), when word came across the wire that a twister had touched down a few miles from our location. "Holy crap!" I eloquently proclaimed as I grabbed my reporter and ran for the live truck. After the beast had passed, we slowly climbed out to survey the damage, and it was brutal.

BAM!! Fence knocked down!

POW!! Tree into salon!

SHAM!! Another fence knocked down!

WOAH BITCH! Roof panels fell off!

As I surveyed what remained of the Fairfield suburb, I stumbled across a NOAA storm chaser. "Good sir!" I pleaded. "Tell me, what brand of madness has devastated this humble burb?!

He explained to me that a tornado had indeed touched down. A devastating EF-ZERO tornado. Thinking back to that Jan de Bont film that I watched as a child about a disaster... what was it called? Speed 2: Cruise Control? Anyway, I seemed to remember that the big tornadoes were EF-FIVE or something? EF-ZERO doesn't sound nearly as cool (unless it involves some sort of futuristic racing!). Upon hearing that, my dreams of beginning a career as a TV storm chaser were dashed. It was brutal.

But it's just as well, cuz I don't really like getting rained on (once those socks get damp, they ain't gettin' dry till you get home). Oh well, back to stolen dogs I guess.