Hello! It's Been A While...

It's been so long since I posted that I almost forgot HOW to do it.

Yikes!

I guess you can call this post a life update of sorts even though nothing major has happened in my life lately.

To put it in simple terms, it's been busy. Really busy.

Just looking at the last few weeks, I've had some pretty cool adventures here in Siouxland (for those not from the tri-state area, Siouxland refers to the Sioux City, Iowa area and surrounding cities in Nebraska and South Dakota).

Anyway, we have a military base here in town, the 185th Air Refueling Wing. A few weekends ago, they held an open house for the community and had some of their airplanes on display, including these massive planes from other air bases across the country. Massive doesn't even begin to describe these plane. Many of them they had open for us to walk around in, sit in the cockpits and bunkers, lay down in the refueling hub.

I've always had a fascination with these airplanes. The airbase is across the river from where I grew up so I've spent my life looking at these planes from afar, watching them fly overhead from my backyard. To get the opportunity to see them up close was magical.

With my job at the television station, I was able to get a sneak peak of sorts at their open house the day before. I had a personal tour of the base as they were bringing in planes and jets, watching them land and practice flyovers. At one point, I found myself standing underneath the tail of a refueling plane, watching a bomber jet land and taxi in. As the jet taxied down the runway and onto the base to be parked for the event, I was blasted by expelled jet fumes.

It. Was. Amazing.

I ended up going to the open house the next day and the amount of people who came out to support the base and the airmen on the base put a smile on my face. Thousands of people showed up, of all ages.

I won't even begin to describe what I saw, so I will just show you.

For two hours, on a Saturday afternoon, I was in heaven. Sitting in the cockpit of these planes, just imagining what it feels like to fly.

Okay, enough about the planes... for now.

Last week was an adventure in itself and one of the most challenging weeks I've had in quite some time.

I found myself filling in as the morning news producer at my station. Now, this wasn't the first time I've ever produced a morning newscast. In fact, I learned how to produce on a morning show at my previous station... 18 months ago.

Yeah, it had been a while.

The think about morning shows is, you are working overnights. This is something I had done in the past but to transition it overnights for just a week, it was a challenge in itself.

And I loved every minute of it.

Between the new hours, the challenge of producing a 2-hour show versus a half-hour newscast, plus working with a team I hadn't had the privilege of really working with before made for a fun week full of many learning opportunities.

Along with a shifted schedule, I also found myself standing on top of a 12-story building in the middle of a Sioux City afternoon, peering over the edge at the people below.

Don't worry, I was strapped to a harness. 

I had the opportunity to participate in a fundraiser for our local chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters called "Over the Edge" where fundraisers go "over the edge" of a building, repelling solo down 12-stories with people looking on.

It was absolutely terrifying.

I had quite the cheering squad waiting for me at the bottom and knowing they were there helped calm the nerves just at tad.

After I was harnessed up, went through a quick training, I found myself literally standing over the edge of this building with nothing but a harness and a rope holding me up.

I began my slow descend down and nearly seven minutes later, my feet touched the ground and I couldn't have been happier! Now, I'm not scared of heights, but just the thought of stepping off the edge of a rooftop gives me the shudders.

Here is a photo my friend Nate took just moments after I landed back on solid ground. My face says it all.

There are a few videos from this, including the GoPro footage from my helmet so stay tuned for those! And when I do get around to posting them, don't mind my language in the beginning :)

Anyway, that's the life update of sorts. Nothing too exciting... yet!

KC