Working inside has been quite the adjustment. It's 2:41 AM on a Sunday morning and here I sit in a corner in the room I share weekly with six other coworkers . I work in a television facility that is new, clean, freshly painted and full of technology. It's badass, and completely different from life as a news photographer. I've gone from working for a local television station to a full fledged national cable network covering sports that typically involve motors and wheels. There are some good things about that. I feel I have a little more job security, a higher salary and catered meals on busy days. There are also some bad things about it. I'm inside, I'm not shooting and I'm dealing with more mouth breathing than I thought possible. Thankfully I get to keep my same, "it's just tv" attitude and force it upon people who feel much differently. It makes for some awkward moments and general good times.
Life is different. My back hasn't felt this great in more than ten years. Wow! What a difference! I haven't even been to the chiropractor in three weeks, and I love going to the chiropractor. My schedule is different every week and I'm actually enjoying that. I get a good mix of days, nights and weekends. Jennifer and I have more time to ourselves and since sometimes I get bored at home I've picked up the guitar a few times recently and I haven't done that in a while. I also have some more nights free and since I don't work in news anymore, I can actually put my actions where my mouth is and get involved in politics. I've already been to one meeting. I've met some great people here at the new place along with some characters that make working in television great. I don't much care for being inside all day, but so far I enjoy the work. It was so much technology at the beginning, I'm just now getting a handle on it. Every time I figure something else out, it gets more rewarding.
Shooting news, you know every nook and cranny of your town. I still know Charlotte better than 98 percent of Charlotteans, but I don't feel like I'm connected to it much anymore. I drive to work every day. I drive to poker once a week. I've seen uptown maybe four times since I started the new gig. I don't really know what's going on in this town. What I miss most is just driving around. I have to pay for my own gas and drive my own truck if I want to that now. However, I didn't have to go to the airport when plane crashed 700 miles away. That whipped major ass.
I really can't complain too much. In a heinous economy I got a new job with a significant raise with a lot of new opportunities. I really miss Phat Burrito, though.
