This is it: The final day of 2006! This year has been great to say the least. It started off better than any man could hope for with Alyssa’s birth in February.

It’s also ending on high note. Alyssa had her first Christmas, and boy did she rack up. We were on the road from the 22nd to the 27th, and we’ve been at home since then. However, we’re still sorting out the toys and gifts. It was a wonderful Christmas with all three families. We all got lots of quality time and great gifts.

If that last sentence isn’t structured well, that’s okay. I’m very sleepy at the moment.

It’s been great being away from work. I really haven’t had a vacation since last Christmas, and I haven’t missed the station at all. Don’t read anything negative into that, but it’s been nice not having to come up with stories every day. It’s just been relaxing.

I did go to the station in Columbus last night, though. I went to hang out after work with some buddies I haven’t seen in a while. A couple of them are basically heading out the door to other jobs in a few months, and that breaks my heart. I’ve had two great years with them, and I know our friendships will always be there.

I also went with Brian to see “We Are Marshall” today. I did a story a couple of weeks ago with Mike Morehouse. His dad, Gene, was the radio guy when the team plane crashed. Spending that evening interviewing his family really made me want to see the movie, and it did not disappoint. It was a very touching movie, and it’s definitely one I’ll buy when it comes to DVD.

I guess that will do it for tonight. We’re all pooped, and I’ve got two more days of freedom. I’ll go get some rest so I can enjoy them. Happy New Year!

This is kind of a copy-and-paste post from last year with a few adjustments. It’s Friday night, and I’ve still got a lot of packing to do. What more do you want?

With that said, from my family to yours, have a safe and merry Christmas! We wish you all of God’s blessings and mercies this holiday season. This blog shall return when we do. We’ve got a few days on the road, then a few days at home to relax.

And the best part of it? We get to watch Alyssa tear into paper and boxes Christmas morning. This is what life should be like all the time.

Breaking at 10:10 a.m. CST:

This is a story I covered at my old station in Tuscaloosa:

Body of Heaven LaShae Ross found

I’m glad her remains have been located, but I feel so bad for the family. I interviewed them a few times after she went missing in 2003. I went to several vigils and events for her, and it’s sad it ended like this.

I hope there is justice for Shae.

I’ve updated the photo galleries on my personal site, BrockP.com. They’re Flash files, so they’ll be easier to update. I’ve been asked by several people to update Alyssa’s pictures more often, so maybe these will help.

And just for grins…

Greetings on this fine Saturday night. It’s been a week since the last post, but I won’t get into how this week has been. I’ll just say it’s been good, but boy… I cannot wait until Friday again when I start my vacation. I love my job, but I haven’t had a string of days off since Alyssa was born in February. It’s time.

Today was a relaxing day. The females of the house went to Macon to see a friend, and I did basically nothing. That is, until I went shopping shortly after 10:00 a.m.

I have wanted a DVD recorder for the last four years. We were living in Tuscaloosa when they first hit the shelves. I drooled over them, but I wasn’t ready to jump at the $800 price tag they were commanding.

Since that time, I have adapted and overcome. We’ve had TiVo for more than a year, and it’s set up with a wireless connection to my computer. I download the shows and transfer them to DVD with my PC’s burner.

Needless to say, it’s a lengthy process when a two-hour show takes about three hours to transfer through the air. I’m keeping a lot of my reports and newscasts on TiVo, but space is becoming a precious item. I needed a way to get them onto DVD more quickly.

All that’s been said to talk about my “deal of the day.” The recorder I’ve been looking into costs $170 at Best Buy (which I’m a proud “Reward Zone” member). The last three weeks have been good to me concerning BB.

My “Reward Zone” membership landed me some gift certificates, and it also gave me a 12 percent off coupon in the mail. Throw in a couple of gift cards from the station Christmas party, and I’m in good shape.

Today, I bit the bullet. I marched in there, picked up the recorder and headed to the cashier. Poor girl never knew what was coming as I whipped out two WTVM Visa gift cards, a gift certificate, the 12 percent coupon, cash and a check card. Yes, you counted correctly: Six forms of payment.

She just looked at me, and I immediately apologized. She laughed about it and told me it was the funniest thing she’d seen all day (glad I could make her smile). I watched with delight as she knocked all the “free money” off the price.

I thought I would still wind up with paying a bit out-of-pocket, but the total of my hard-earned cash came out to $0.76. I bought a $170 DVD recorder for less than a dollar. Even Amy was amazed to see what I pulled off when she got home.

So, I now have that recorder, and I’ve put it to good use. I’ve already burned nine stories off the TiVo, and it’s breathing easier with the extra room. However, the funniest part of the deal is I ran off from home and forgot my change on the kitchen counter.

I had to put the $0.76 on my check card.