Preparing BEST OF 2008 issue...

Where does the time go? The December/Christmas issue is already on the streets and we're working feverishly on January's. We have been sorting through all the BEST OF 2008 nominations and votes in anticipation of announcing the winners in January. I always enjoy this process because it's interesting to hear about places other people patronize. Several new categories were added this year, such as best live music, best river, best scenic drive, etc... Lots of folks have written in nominations for unlisted categories like 'best fried chicken'. And for those of you who wrote in LA ROAD TRIPS for BEST MAGAZINE and listed me as BEST EDITOR, I really want to thank you! LOL Seriously, it's always a great issue and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Gotta get back to work...

The perks of being a writer...

I just spent a short weekend in Murfreesboro, Arkansas fly-fishing with professional instructor/guide Jeff Guerin and now I feel ready to tackle the world! This was strictly research for an article (ha!) that'll appear in the December issue. Here's a sneak preview... "After a couple (ok, several) hours of casting in the beautiful Little Missouri River, I landed a whopper – a 4 lb. 19” rainbow trout. You probably heard me shout with glee from your house as it was exhilarating to be standing in this crystal clear water surrounded by golden and orange leaves gently cascading down on the river. We were even graced with the presence of a bald eagle soaring nearby. Even if I hadn’t caught that monster fish, the gentle breeze blowing across the water and the sounds of nature engulfing me made it worth the drive. It was, after all… THE PERFECT DAY... About ten years ago I discovered that fly-fishing forced me to forgo multi-tasking, set aside deadlines and errands, and to simply live in the moment. The challenges of the last few years had sidelined me from enjoying these simple pleasures but this weekend put it all back in perspective for me. Being incorrigibly impatient and goal-oriented, I realized I sometimes just need to wet a line to get back in sync with what’s really important..." Hope you enjoy the entire article, with photos, including one of me and my fish!