HAPPY 2009!!

Happy New Year to everyone! With the the holidays behind us, (oooh, bummer, I love Christmas) life should return to normal sometime soon .. whatever 'normal' is. Don't know about everyone else, but a 'new normal' is evolving in my life.

So how 'bout those New Years' resolutions? Lose weight, exercise, lower that cholesterol, get more sleep? Yep - all of above. And finish painting the interior of my house before my birthday ... clear away some of the overgrowth in the yard and redesign the landscaping ... figure out how to somewhat insulate a 110-year old house ... all on almost no budget. Then, of course, remember to call my mom every Sunday ... respond to emails before they become ancient history ... and reconnect with old friends before any more of them die. Not kidding.

Oh yes -- and get Photo Tip of the Week back on track.

Well, I spent most of December traveling ... and not taking many photos. Gave my achy, gimpy shoulder a rest. But this is one of my favorite recent photos. Me and the stinky stray kitty driving to an assignment at the Hamilton rodeo arena. I had - literally - snatched this kitten off the road and out of traffic the night before while driving north on Second Avenue on the way to shoot the Brookstone football playoff game. I was in the inside lane, and as I passed a dimly-lit cross street, I saw this teeny dark ball in the outside lane and knew immediately that is was a kitten. I JUST SCREAMED IN MY CAR! There was on oncoming traffic, but I made a fast u-turn, zoomed back and made another quick u-turn onto the cross street, all the while flashing my lights. I threw the truck into park, jumped out waving my arms at oncoming traffic - and prayed - fast and out loud - PLEASE DON'T HIT THE KITTY, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T HIT HIM!!!. Two cars slowed as the cat tried to move, but they kept him between their tires. I then reached out and snatched him up as a large SUV approached. My heart was just pounding - it all happened so fast! I tossed him onto the front seat and drove off. He (or she) was just crying away. It's impossible to imagine how terrifying that would be - such a tiny little critter.

I shot the game (the Cougars lost to Turner County), and came back to find him snuggled in that little space on the dashboard above the steering wheel. How cute. He came back to the newsroom with me and charmed all of the copy desk gals, but no takers. So he came home with me and spent the night in the sunroom with my three cats planted at the door sniffing and pacing and looking back at me. No, don't get in a tizzy, he isn't staying.

The plan on Saturday was to find him a good home -- I figured that with all those outdoorsy horse-people types, someone who couldn't resist this cute little guy would also be able to take him home. Sure enough, he slept in the warmth of the the sun on the front seat, evoked a chorus of 'oohs' and 'aahs,' and became an early Christmas present for a couple of young kids.