I’d like to spend another 600 words or so talking to you about parks and recreation taxes and federally mandated emergency radios.I’m just kidding.
None of us want to hear more on that right now, although we obviously will at some point. Just not here and now in this space. Let’s take some time to look at some more lighthearted matters ... *** I feel old. I’m not old, and I really don’t feel that way. But man, has my life changed in the past year. My wife Krystle and I welcomed our first child into this world, and he will turn 1 year old in less than two weeks. As such, tradition dictates we throw him a party, even though he doesn’t have any friends and he’s barely mastered the art of eating. This has been quite the experience to plan. My wife has opted for all sorts of goofy trappings. We opted for a baseball theme because I’m a big Royals fan, and they’re playing well and I want to impart this love for bad teams to my son. Might as well teach him about disappointment early. So my wife ordered custom “Team Cale” faux baseball shirts. Not a bad idea, until I realized Cale’s said “1” on the back and mine said “31.” Thanks for the reminder to all of the guests about my age, honey. This is why I feel old as I sit at my desk writing this column. *** I don’t understand cameras. I don’t mean that I’m confused on the process of developing a negative into an actual photograph. We have bypassed that technology with these fancy digital cameras. Yet, my experience is mostly with iPhone photos and your standard point-and-shoot model. When I took this job, I knew that I would have to take some photos, and the idea scared me more than it should. Unfortunately, I finished out my journalism degree at Missouri Western State University before the era of “convergent journalism. I just missed the cutoff on receiving mandatory but valuable training that would have made me a more well-rounded journalist, a valuable trait in the current job market. Instead, I bypassed initiative and opted to focus on what I wanted to do: write and design. I pretty much regret that now. I’ve been battling my camera, a nice Canon model, for weeks. I think I’m so frustrated because I like things I can master, things I can be good at. I think I’m getting better, but it’s frustrating to try and learn just enough to make photos look right in the paper each week. I’m pretty sure I’ll get better. Until then, compliment my photos if you get the chance — even if you don’t truly believe it. I need the motivation. *** I hate cars. The thing about cars is they require constant work. My particular vehicle — an aging Mazda 3 hatchback with plenty of miles and memories — has been overall reliable with few major problems. Except for one light: the tire pressure warning. I have zipped through at least seven tire pressure sensors, including multiple ones that have simply broke off. The mechanics say this is normal — but expensive for me. Another one broke while I had my oil changed the other day. The mechanic offered to put a new one in or use a plug without the electronics. I’ll just deal with that annoying little light on the dashboard.
Ross Martin is publisher of The Citizen. He may be reached via email at editor@plattecountycitizen.com. Follow him on Twitter @Citizen_Ross.