Operation Tulsa

In case you're interested in keeping up with my move to Tulsa, you can check out all the related posts at Operation Tulsa.

Hurrah!

Home is Where.... Where is Home?!

So now I am trying to find a home. Been checking out all the online apartment search places, but quite frankly I don't really care to live in another apartment complex. But I realize it's something that I will have to do, for at least my first year in Tulsa.

So there are about one billion apartment complexes in Tulsa. What's annoying is I find one I like (I have to have a W/D in the apartment. I'm too old for this laundry mat shit) and then I ask my people in Tulsa how the area is and they run around telling me I will certainly be murdered if I move to that complex.

Quite frankly the idea of me being murdered in Tulsa tickles me. It's irony, as I am move there to get away from the thugs and rif-raff in Vegas.

Anyway, Got recommended a place and it's beautiful. About $50 more than I cared to pay, but whatever. As Dyckerson would say, less Twinkies for me. So now I will apply and of course learn that I have been declined because my credit sucks and I am a deadbeat, ignoring my 2.2 years of flawless on time rent payments here in Vegas and instead focusing on collections from 5 years ago.

On a lighter note, the owner of my condo is being nice and is allowing me out of the lease that the HOA bullied me into signing (long story). He said as long as I leave the place in good condition, he'll return most of my security deposit. That's very nice of him. Now all I have to do is make the place not smell like someone has been smoking in here for the past 8 months... And of course some how convert it back into 'good' condition.

Worse comes to worse, it's Extended Stay America for me!

Whatup?

I haven't blogged in a while and there are a couple of reasons for this.

Reason number one. I've been a little frustrated with various events, and as I have learned before, it's best not to blog when I am like that. I'm not just talking about work events, but other events as well. Political, personal... Plus I have been really fucking busy.

Which leads me to reason number two. I'm leaving Las Vegas.

Yup. I finally caved in to my old homeboy from Springfield, Chad Mahoney and sent a tape over to KOKI in Tulsa, where he's an assistant news director. They apparently liked it and last Thursday flew me out for an interview. I enjoyed the city, it reminded me a lot of Springfield, which now that I am not there I realize I missed. The station and all the people who worked there were very nice... I just hope when I arrive I don't find out that they are actually Cylons...

Anyway, was going to accept the offer they gave me (more than I was expecting!) when by random coincidence, Matt - my chief here in Vegas - did my annual review and gave me what I will call a 'wow' raise. So I told Tulsa that I couldn't accept the offer. I was trying not to make it about money (I was, and still am taking a pay cut), but the differences in the two salaries was to great to ignore.

Tulsa counter offered. Something I have never had happen to me before, and had I known that they would have counter offered, I would have asked for more! (Yeah, it's capitalism. Suck it.) At any rate, the counter offer made up for the increase KLAS gave me (in fact, it moved me above what I started at KLAS for), so I took the job.

Quite frankly even though I am taking a pay cut and moving down in market, I think the quality of life improvements will make up for it. Everything is cheaper there; gas, food, rent, my car insurance bill is dropping from around $120/month (that's with a spotless driving record, mind you) to about $200/6 months. Why?

No southern Californians in Tulsa. That in its self makes up for over half the pay cut.

There are many other advantages as well. Oddly enough, many having to do with food. 6.5 hour drive to Springfield (free food!), Steak 'N Shakes (best Midwestern chain restaurant ever), Waffle Houses (smothered and covered, beeyach), four seasons (fall, summer, etc., not the hotel), tornadoes (yes, I do count that as a positive), and actual community (despite what many of the people who live here say, there is no sense of community in Las Vegas, with the rare exception of when someone like a police officer dies. Outside of that, no one gives a flying fuck about anyone else.)

I will miss a few things about Vegas. I'm not ready for a teary goodbye yet, so I won't talk about the people I met. I will miss 24/7 booze. I will miss half nekkid women on all the billboards. I will certainly miss the fact that during even the coldest winter months I can survive with a sweatshirt and my KLAS issue jacket. And I will miss people who I meet on the internet thinking I am somewhat cool because I live in Las Vegas.

So that is that. My last day at KLAS is on April 11, and I will be moving to Tulsa the weekend of my 29+1 birthday, April 22. I'll talk more about things as the next three weeks progress, but for now, this is the end of this post.

Time For A Sexy Party!

Priceless...

Cop seeing you pull up to an accident and not saying anything... Free
Sitting in the spot for 5 minutes without the police saying anything... Free
Getting out of the car and getting camera out, now to only have the police man demand you move back behind his car... Free
Getting into a shouting match with said cop... Free
Finally not really caring and moving to where the cop told me to... -1 cool point
Heckling the cop and yelling at him, demanding he moves the lookie-loos... +1 cool point
Cop finally getting annoyed with me, and goes up to his supervisor who orders him to allow me to move back where I was... Free
Taunting the cop until he actually said 'Yes, back where you were in the beginning.'... Free
Having another cop call that cop an asshole... Priceless.

Sometimes the payoff can outweigh you pussying out and complying with an illegal order from the police. For the record, I was going to move back to where I was once that cop left anyway, but this was much funnier. And no, I didn't roll on it because I am not going to roll on me disobeying my own advice not to get mouthy with the police. The funniest part I think was when he first started yelling at me, I yelled back "WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" and continued about getting my gear out.

Who says police oppression can't be fun?

Strange...

This last week I've had a lot on my mind, and I finally came to a realization. This photo thing... This is my career, whether I like it or not.

Don't get me wrong, I like it. But it's weird to tell yourself 'You know all that other stuff you've been thinking about doing? Yeah, not going to happen.'

I'm a month and a half from 29+1. There's no changing directions now.

I guess now I am going to start having to take my job seriously and... become good at it...

Yikes.