Forget the glitz and glamor...

It seems like a lot of the folks I come in contact with feel like my job is pretty glamorous. Well, I'll be honest with you -- it has its moments, but for the most part, what goes in to television news is nowhere near as polished as the product that comes out.

Today was a pretty good example. Because our Jacksonville bureau reporter, Laura Vesco, was on assignment, I got to go play on her turf -- and cover the Marines. They were taking part in training exercises in Jones County that will prepare them for their civil affairs duties once they get to Iraq. (For the story and video, click this link!)

Anyway, reporters Eric Mittenthal from Ch. 12 and Chelsea Donovan from Ch. 7 were there as well. They're both a lot of fun to work with and do very solid reporting -- although I am VERY glad you choose Ch. 9! We had to meet the Marine public information officer at 8 a.m. outside of Pollocksville. (I am NOT a morning person...) Once we were all there, we headed off to a staging area -- off the beaten path and deep into the woods of Jones County. When we got there, we had to wait around for the Marine convoy to form up before we headed out. And let me tell you, it was just downright cold! It must have been a sight to see a handful of television reporters from three competing stations huddling together for warmth deep in the woods of Jones County. Nowhere near as glamorous as you might expect.

And then came the hiccups -- for some reason, my camera simply didn't capture the first interview with did. (I swear I hit the "record" button.) Thankfully I noticed it before we all headed out, but I had to ask him to do it again. Rather humbling. There were a couple of other funny hiccups along the way, but thankfully the story came together.

All that's to say this -- there's a lot of hard work by a lot of dedicated people that goes in to bringing together the newscasts you see each day. It's generally a lot of fun for us, and we're glad you enjoy it. Sorry, this isn't a very deep post tonight -- I'm running on empty, and it's only Tuesday.

But feel free to let me know what you think of our coverage of any story -- or anything you'd like to see us do. Just click the "Comments" button below! Have a great one, and stay warm!