Turn out the lights, the party's over

I've been accused of being in the dark many times, probably rightfully so. That was literally the case Thursday night after covering a boys' basketball game between New Underwood and Oelrichs in the New Underwood gymnasium.

After my post game interviews, I asked and received permission to write my story in head coach Stacy Finkbeiner’s classroom (at least I think it was his classroom as that’s where we went for the interview). I needed about a half hour and I told Finkbeiner to make sure no one locks me in.

The half hour came and went and just as I had trouble this fall sending a football story online from New Underwood with the Journal’s I Phone connection, it happened again Thursday night. Another 15 minutes later – which passed our copy deadline – I decided to just book it back to Rapid City.

As I left the classroom, I found the rest of the school about as dark as dark can be. I somehow found my way through the gym and to a door and exited the building, only to be met outside by a gentleman who was very suspicious of why I just left an empty, dark school. I don’t blame him a bit, I would be suspicious too. It took a little convincing and proof by my Journal press pass that I was who I said I was and I was just doing my job.

I hurried my way back to the Journal with my story. I won’t say if I fractured the speed limit on my return, but I won’t say that I didn’t. On second thought, I drove the speed limit at all times.

This was the second time that a school janitorial staff had shut the lights off on me before I could file my story. The first time was in Spearfish last fall for a high school football game at Lyle Hare Stadium. At least I had the moonlight to guide me out of the stadium.

Be thankful, because you can

I was going to write today on Facebook what I was thankful for -- on Thanksgiving -- but who am I kidding? There is not enough room on FB for that, so on the blog I go.

I realize that I am a little late in doing so tonight, but I have pretty much been in bed all day sick. That, I'm not thankful for.

But I am thankful that, although I kind of ruined my Mom's Thanksgiving get-together being sick, I am thankful that she is still with us after our little scare this summer and that I was here this week and my mother was able to take care of me. You're never too old to have your mom take care of you.

I am thankful that the Rapid City Journal had enough faith in me to hire me, bringing me to the Black Hills again after being away for 30 years. I say that because it became apparent that nobody else in Wyoming had the same faith in me despite all that I accomplished there.

I wouldn't have been able to come to Rapid City if not for my brother, Ralph, and his wife, Sharon, as they have brought me into their home without hesitation. With my house in Laramie, there is no way I could afford two residences. Thank you, Ralph and Sharon.

I'm thankful for all of my friends and especially my family who have always been there for me.

I'm thankful that Teresa's parents, Frank and Pat Poindexter, still consider me part of the family and call me on occasion just to see how I am doing.

One blog (to be) gone, one to stay

A couple of years ago I started this blog after my previous sports blog, Wyomingsports.org was retired when I went to work for the Cheyenne Tribune Eagle.

Originally, it was just an opportunity to ramble about sports in an unofficial capacity. Later, I began to write about Teresa's and my struggles with her health and began another blog, Wyomingsports, on Wordpress to separate them a bit, especially when I quit my job at the Tribune Eagle to be at home when Teresa was discharged from the hospital in Denver.

Even after her passing, I kept it up with both blogs, but mostly with the sports blog when I was freelancing and especially when I was not freelancing and still writing on my own covering University of Wyoming sports.

Now that I am a sportswriter for the Rapid City Journal, I no longer cover UW athletics. I guess it is time to retire Wyomingsports. It's kind of funny, looking at my stats, even with a disclaimer on the front page, I still get a handful of people now and then looking at it, likely expecting a UW story.