Friday, December 31, 2010

Keep the Sabbath Day Holy


I was going to eat lunch at Chick-fil-a in Pigeon Forge, TN for lunch, but the line was out the door, so I left. On the way out of the parking lot I saw this sign on their gate. I liked it and have become an even bigger supporter of this fried food establishment.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

December Vacation




I just saw these photos from my trip to Texas and Louisiana on my mom's blog, so I stole them.

A drive through Gatlinburg

This week I have spend a lot of time in Gatlinburg, TN. They get a lot of snow up in the mountains, so it caused a lot of cabin dwellers to get stranded. I also got to go to Ober Gatlinburg, our only ski resort in the area, to do a ski lift safety story. Did you hear what happened in Maine. On my way up to Gatlinburg I thought it was really cool how the snow froze on the trees. Take a look . . . (I don't recommend using your iPhone to get video while driving on curvy mountain roads)

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Sunday Morning Snow



It will not stop snowing . . . . yesterday it didn't stick until late in the evening. This morning the white stuff is still coming down. Church has been canceled, and I am on-call at work. I am hoping they don't call me in. Here are some photos I just took when I walked outside this morning.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Josh and Frosty


I hate working on Christmas . . . I was thinking . . . this is my 3rd Christmas in a row to work. I think I need a break. Today wasn't all that bad . . . I got to do a story on snow, and look who I got to work with today.

Merry Christmas!


Merry Christmas everyone! We were supposed to wake up to a white Christmsa, but it's just wet outside. Thank you mom and dad for my presents . . . a TV reporter can't have too many ties! Hope everyone has a great day and an even better 2011!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Josh VS Yellow Vest


I got scolded at this week for not wearing my yellow vest when I did a live shot on the interstate. A couple of years ago it become law for TV reporters to wear them, so we won't get hit by cars. On Friday, the yellow vest was back on . . . how do I look? Do you think it would be better to just be hit by a truck?

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Natchitoches Christmas Festival Fireworks 2010

Home for the holidays




I am sitting at my desk at work and just remembered I never updated my blog since my vacation to Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana a week ago.

I had the best 9 days off. I had to work Thanksgiving Day, but as soon as I got off I got on the road (headed to Texas). I drove all the way to Arkansas the first night and spent more than $100 at a hotel in Forrest City, AR. I was so excited to get home I got up at 4 AM and checked out.

I made it to my parents home in Nacogdoches, TX by 10 AM. My sister Amber, and her family (who live in Corpus Christi, TX) were home for Thanksgiving, and didn't really know I was coming until the last few minutes. It was good to see them.

On Saturday, I got to spend some quality time with my sisters Abby and Megan. Abby got married in March, so it was good to see her new husband, Chris, again. My younger sister Megan is always fun to be around. We are still the only single ones in my family. We went to the Nacogdoches Christmas Festival. We took a hay ride, and got to see one of Santa's reindeer's.

The adventures continued after church Sunday. My mom agreed to be my travel companion, and we drove to Dallas, TX to see my sister Ally. She has lived there for the past 3 years, and I had never been there. It was good to see her and her family.

On Monday, we were on the road again to see my sister Ginger. She lives 5 hours north in Pea Ridge, Arkansas (near Bentonville - where Walmart was started). We spent two days there. It was almost my first time to see them in their new home. She has 5 children. I got to go to my nieces basketball game (where she made a very important basket) and buy donuts with two of my nephews.

The last important stop on my vacation was to Natchitoches, Louisiana. This is where I went to college (Northwestern State University). The first Saturday in December is always the Christmas Festival. Big parade at 2 (which I thought was at 10), and a HUGE firework show at nightfall. It is something you have to experience once in your life. You almost get crushed every time you go with the amount of people that attend.

To top off the trip, my dad helped me get a new vehicle. He was kind enough to trade in his Dodge, so I could get a better deal on my new 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. It is very nice. He is going to keep my Isuzu Rodeo. It was nice driving all the way back in my new car!

The weather was great all week, but by the time I got back to Knoxville it was snowing! I already miss Texas.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Ault Road


I know I have already posted some photos of Ault Street in Knoxville, but don't forget about Ault Road. I stopped at a traffic light there today, and had to take a photo.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

General Robert Neyland


The former UT Head Coach General Neyland finally has a statue in his honor at UT's stadium named in his honor. I covered UT's big win over Ole's Miss today, and took a photo with the new statue.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Josh in Newport, TN


I got our chief photographer to take this photo of me Friday. We had a crew in Newport to cover the Megan Maxwell investigation. Maxwell went missing when she was 19-years-old. Her car had been set on fire. Her body was found almost 2 years later, about 5 miles from where her car was found. I spent the day with the family - interviewed the mom and grandmother. It was very sad. No one has been arrested in the case.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Chattanooga and Election Night




It was a long night Tuesday - after doing some election work in Knoxville, I traveled to Chattanooga to cover the Fleischmann/Wolfe congress race. I was the only Knoxville reporter in Chattanooga. It was a fun night, but didn't get in bed until after one in the morning.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

6th 5K COMPLETE!



It was a very cold morning to run . . . but it sure felt good! I just finished my 4th 5K in Knoxville just about 30 minutes ago. It was called Race for the Cure - breast cancer awareness. There was supposed to be a group from the TV station running, but I never found them. The course started at Worlds Fair Park and went all around downtown Knoxville. The best part was organizers got bands, cheerleaders, and choirs to set up at different parts of the race. It sure made it a lot more exciting, and got you pumped to run. I really wanted run it in 25 minutes, but crossed the finish line at 32 minutes. It feels so good to run . . . you should try it!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

My new hot chocolate (coffee) table




I don't know why I am so excited about this, but I got a new hot chocolate table (or coffee table). To explain to those non-Mormons out there - I don't drink coffee. I have been wanting one for awhile - because I get very tired of having no where to eat when I am in my living room. On Saturday, I saw this furniture consignment store, and went in. At first the lady said she didn't have any, but then from out of no where a customer said, "Here is a coffee table!" We went back, and it was perfect. The price tag wasn't too shabby either - $50. It is kind of large for my small apartment, but I like it. It makes using my laptop and eating so much simpler.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

What do you think about this?


Every Saturday, when I go to do laundry, I see a couple of people preaching in front of the old Kroger in Fountain City. Today, there was a man, with three young children (the youngest had to be 3 or 4). What do you think about this? I talked with a couple of people who feel it makes Christians look crazy, others like myself, thinks it great - makes you think about Christ. I wasn't too sure about the young kids though - It was a little cold this morning. Tell me what you think.

Friday, October 15, 2010

My Shoes


I had to go cover the big crowds in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park today. They are expecting 1.5 million visitors in the next few weeks. To make things worse, there was a rock slide near Cades Cove (the #1 visited spot in the park. I was stuck in traffic for a long time, so I got bored . . . and took this photo of my shoes.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Bad Day

I am not good about taking criticism . . . I will be honest . . . I hate it. I think think about it over and over again. I guess you could call me a dweller. I won't go into details since this blog can be read by the entire population on earth, but I was criticized for something I did at work. I, personally, worked hard on it, and didn't think it was awful. It just irked me. If you want to tell someone they need improve make sure to start with a positive, then go into what you think needs to be improved . . . it eases the pain for those, like me, who hate criticism. Thanks.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

General Conference 2010






Twice a year my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has a general conference for all of it's members. It is held in Salt Lake City, UT, but everyone can watch it via the Internet or satellite TV. Last weekend was conference, so I decided to drive over to Asheville, NC and watch it with my family there. My two nephews, Hunter and Harrison, went with me. I had just got my iphone, so we weren't reverent and took some unauthorized photos inside the church. On the way back to Knoxville it was raining - I decided to risk my own life and take a photo of that.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Dead Dogs + Freezer


Today was very unusual - I saw my first frozen dog. A couple of weeks ago, several dogs were found at a home in Sweetwater, TN. I was the one sent out to get video of the house. Today the property owner, who had rented the house out to a couple called and said she was taking everything out of the house and wanted me to come get video. I went . . . . and could not believe what I saw. It was horrible. The entire house was covered in dog feces . . . even the top of the couch. Plus, the dogs were still in the freezer on the back porch - wrapped in a blanket. The family had disappeared several weeks ago, and their landlord was beside herself with having to clean up the mess. She hired some guys to burn everything. I felt really bad for her. The sheriff's department has decided not to charge the renters, and the health dept. isn't going to do anything. The worse part of the whole day was when I got done video taping inside I was covered in FLEAS - I went straight home and took a shower. I hope my apartment does not get infested.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

I-Phone 4 owner: Josh Ault


I don't know why I did it, but I did. I got an urge to buy an I-Phone today. My old phone was doing it's job, but new technology is always intriguing. I am never one to run out and get the newest thing, so I am a little behind the craze. I paid $199 for the phone, plus a $35 cover, so it won't break. I like it so far - I can now use the Internet from my phone. This is the first photo I took from my I-Phone. The quality is supposed to be pretty good. If you want give me a call . . . so I can make sure it works.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Time is just flying by!


I can't believe October is already here! I moved to Knoxville, TV in October - it is amazing how fast a year can fly by. I am currently at work - I am a reporter for WATE 6 News, the ABC affiliate in Knoxville. I have about an hour and a half of work left to go. I did a story at a block party on Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. The block that was celebrating had been shut down for more than a year due to construction. I also got to go to the Pellissippi State Hot Air Balloon Festival. High winds caused a delay in getting the balloons inflated (not blown up - I was corrected), but by 8 they were able to do their big crowd pleaser - the GLOW! (Photo included). It is going to be interesting how this next year will go, but I am really enjoying my time here in East Tennessee.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Goodyear Blimp UPDATE






Even though I didn't get to ride in the Goodyear Blimp -- I got a photo beside it. After the game it landed at the Island Home Airport in Knoxville, TN.

Goodyear Blimp


The Goodyear Blimp made it's presence known in Knoxville today. They tried to get me a spot on it for an up in the air adventure, but it was denied. Maybe next year!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

2010 Marine Mud Run


I finished my 5th 5K race today. It was the 2010 Marine Mud Run in Knoxville. All the proceeds went for Toys for Tots. This wasn't your basic 5K - they set up obstacles throughout the course. There were a couple of mud pits, two times you had to run in the river, you had to go under ropes and logs, and to tire sprints. I am scared on my knees, elbows, and hands. It was so much fun . . . to make it even better was it rained all morning, so the course was nice and muddy. I didn't get to take many photos, but here is a shot of my shoes oozing with mud. When I got home I had mud in every crevice of my body - including my ears and nostrils.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

A sea of ORANGE


If you have never experienced a day in Knoxville on Game Day you are missing out. These people are die hard University of Tennessee fans. I have never lived anywhere where people are so dedicated to their team. At my university we had a hard time filling the seats. I did my story about the economic impact of the game on local businesses. An estimated 100,000 come to these games.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

P90X Saturday

I did back and legs Saturday.

My diet wasn't that great - after my morning workout, I had my protein shake, then had Taco Bell for lunch, and a frozen pizza for dinner (plus I had a ice cream smoothie from Rita's, and 2 grape sodas at work). I was really thirsty after the rally.

I am glad it's Sunday, so I can rest!

Neo-Nazi Rally - Downtown Knoxville





On Saturday, I covered my first neo-Nazi Rally - a group with the National Socialist Movement came to Knoxville to protest illegal immigration. An even bigger group came to protest the rally. The Knoxville Police Department, along with several other agencies, did a great job keeping the peace. Three people did get arrested - 2 on weapons charges and one for disorderly conduct. Here are some photos from event.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

P90X Thursday

Breakfast - Smart Start cereal, glass of OJ
Lunch - The NEW Diablo sandwich at Subway
Snack - Power Bar while editing
Dinner - Protein Shake, Chicken breast, and veggies

P90X - Shoulders and arms, and ab ripper (my legs are killing me from yesterday)

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

P90X Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

I have fallen behind with my blogging.

I have done P90X faithfully . . . my diet on the other hand has suffered.

I bought a small supreme pizza for dinner Monday night. Had it for dinner Tuesday night too. I drank my protein shakes after my workouts.

I am getting back to healthy food today, but lunch suffered. I had a grape soda, crackers with peanut butter, and a beef jerky stick. I plan to have veggies and chicken for dinner.

What did you eat today? I want to hear what is in your diets.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

P90X Saturday and Sunday

Back and legs today - the workout was really good.

Food: 2 Krispy Kreme donuts, and a bottle of milk, tuna fish sandwhich, sun chips, protein shake, grilled chicken salad from Zaxbys, and honey/butter toast.

Sunday - REST

I had Smart Start cereal (with honey) for breakfast. After chuch, I had Ramien noodles, chicken breast, carrots, tomatoes, and Sun Chips. Lemonade to drink. Plus, a handful of almonds.

Friday, August 6, 2010

P90X Thursday and Friday

Thursday - Shoulder and Arms

Food: Shredded Wheat, Wendy's Asian Boneless Wings, baked potato (sour cream and chives), lemonade, McDonald's fruit smoothie, grilled chicken sandwich, strawberry milkshake, protein shake

Friday - Yoga (I tried Yoga, but wasn't flexible, so I went and did a spin class at the gym)

Food: Eggs and toast, can of tuna, sun chips, protein shake, had dinner at Bella's Kountry Kitchen - small salad, steam veggies, fried catfish, and shrimp, strawberry/banana yogurt

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Tennessee Politics



Today I was busy covering politics . . . First stope was in Lenoir City, TN where I meet a cool politcal supporter. I then traveled 3 hours to Nashville and did live shots at the Vanderbuilt Marriott with Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey. He was running in the Republican Primary (He didn't get enough votes to go on).

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

P90X Day 2

Just got done with Plyometrics - in it there is a move called the Mary Katherine (if you have ever seen the movie Super Star you know what that move is). I hope I don't bother my neighbors jumping around in my apartment.

This is what I ate today: Shredded Wheat, Honey, milk, roast beef sandwich, cup of fruit, potato chips, Brownie, chicken breast, cucumber, cottage cheese, Sun Chips, glass of OJ, protein shake, almonds, and power bar.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Josh's P90X Challenge

For years, I have been debating on buying P90X (a DVD workout program, heavily advertised on TV). You are supposed to get ripped in 90 days. I finally fell to the pressure and bought it. I started it today . . . 89 days to go. I have changed my diet (no soda, more veggies, protein shakes, etc.) I have also decided to keep track of what I eat here on my blog. If you see me slacking off . . . let me know. Let see if this works!

TUESDAY


Workout: Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X

Today's Food: Smart Start Cereal, Honey, and Milk
Power Bar at work
2 McChicken Sandwhiches, and small Strawberry and Banana Smoothie
Chicken Breast, cucumber, cottage cheese, Sun Chips, and Orange Juice to drink
Protein Shake, and almonds

Dad and Mom come to visit




It was so great to have my parents come to Knoxville. I love them so much. We were able to go visit some ancestors that are buried in Knoxville, and take a photo by Ault Street. It was a great visit . . . come back SOON!