… and I don’t actually have a joke for that.

What really happened is that three governors walked into a room  and a bunch of journalists wrote down what they said and took their pictures.

Gov. Martin O’Malley held a press conference in December to give the formal OK to a controversial state growth document called Plan Maryland.

The gov called in two high-powered Democratic buddies to bolster his case (and probably draw some more media attention, too): former Gov. Parris Glendening and former Gov. Harry Hughes. That’s half of the living former governors we have in Maryland — the other two are Gov. Marvin Mandel and Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.

Three governors in one place about five minutes from the newsroom meant that we definitely needed to be there.

I see Gov. Hughes at environmental events from time to time. He did a lot of environmental work when he was governor in the 1980s, and he remains connected with environmental causes.

Gov. Glendening, however, has kept his life much more behind the scenes. He’s not often at public events, though he’s still active in the smart growth issues he first championed as governor.

In addition to covering the press conference and writing about the controvery of Plan Maryland, I took the time to make a few pictures of Gov. Hughes and Gov. Glendening. It’s nice to have photos showing the post-gubernatorial life of these guys for our archives.

And also, it never hurts to have up-to-date pictures of people who might be in the news. They might say or do something interesting, and if we don’t have a camera there, at least we’ll have recent pictures.

Gov. Parris Glendening

Gov. Harry Hughes

Journalists love press contests. And we hate them, too.

January is contest time of year in my newsroom. By Monday, we have to turn in a list of our best stories for about 8, 724 different categories for the state press association.

(OK, technically it’s the press association for Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia … three small states combined is kind of like one normal-sized state. And it’s technically not 8,724 categories, of course.)

The categories really do seem endless: business story, environment story, feature story, profile story and so on. There’s now even a category for weather and natural disasters. (That should be an interesting competition this year!)

Sometimes journalists would like to skip the whole contest thing altogether. But you never know how much current bosses or prospective bosses might like to see those awards on your resume. So it’s smart to take the time to thoughtfully enter contests.

It’s daunting to sift through 200-plus stories to find a few gems.

The best of the best are obvious. Off the top of the head, I immediately thought of my profile of a skipjack captain and my many stories on the late Gov. William Donald Schaefer as my best work of 2011.

But what about other good — but not necessarily spectacular — stories?

Often, reading through old clips reminds me of stories I enjoyed reporting and writing. Or I find stories that were better than I remembered. I remembered meeting Orioles superstar Adam Jones at the local Boys & Girls Club. And I remember how a budget dispute highlighted how power works in the state capital.

But are those stories good enough for awards? Maybe, maybe not.

One thing I thought I did well this year was covering many citizen challenges to a proposed crematory. I covered every step of the way and I felt my stories were thorough and readable and fair. Other news outlets covered the issue somewhat, but no one was as comprehensive as my newspaper.

But is that worthy of an award? Or is that just what I should be doing every day? Solid work isn’t worthy of awards.

So the self-evaluation will continue.

In between interviews and meetings and phone calls, the reporters in my newsroom read and reread. And reread some more.

And after Monday, we’ll breathe a sigh of relief.

Newspapers, like most of us, tend to do the whole looking back/looking forward thing when the new year rolls around.

And it’s always someone’s task to compile a list of the top stories of the year. At The Capital, members of the newsroom submitted our own lists of top stories to an editor, who tallied them all.

I didn’t see everyone’s list, but I’d venture that most of us had at least six or seven news stories in common on our lists. It was usually the last few stories on the list, or stories on our own beats, that we thought were more important, but others may not have thought about.

This year’s list in The Capital includes 10 stories and five honorable mentions. The Maryland Gazette also has a north-county focused list.

You also can check out a year’s worth of awesome pictures from staff photographers Paul W. Gillespie, Joshua McKerrow and Laura-Chase McGehee.

In working on our lists, many of the reporters noticed how many stories were repeats from 2010, including the craptastic economy and politicians in trouble, including County Executive John R. Leopold. I suppose that’s an illustration of the old saying that the more things change, the more they stay the same. (Or, maybe it means we gravitate to the same stories over and over again, and maybe we should seek out new stories?)

I was heartened to see that many of the stories I contributed to made the list, although some of that was due to my stint filling in on the state politics beat for a few months. I was on the beat during a busy time, including the death of former Gov. William Donald Schaefer and the heart of the petition drive to overturn the Dream Act.

I also happened to be working when some of the stories happened, such as the Blue Angels cancellation and some of the (too) many deaths on the water. Others were all-hands-on-deck efforts that involved the entire staff, including the earthquake, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

My only quibble with the list is the same one I have every year, which is that my biggest story — that the Chesapeake Bay’s health continues to be poor despite intense efforts to save it — didn’t make the list.

It frankly worries me a little that the thing I write about 90 percent of the time never makes the list. I guess part of the problem is that, to many, it’s sort of the same thing all the time, like the economy.

I thought 2011 was an interesting year for the Chesapeake Bay. The new pollution diet was immediately challenged in court and concerns about implementing the diet grew throughout the year, even from people who support the effort. Also, out of seemingly nowhere, rockfish poaching through illegal netting became a huge story. Then in the fall, a significant die-off of oysters in the upper bay was discovered. It was so bad that the last remaining skipjack captain on the Western Shore called it quits and sold his boat.

I think the bay is a compelling story. I’ll continue to write about the bay’s ups and downs, the politics of saving the bay, the stories of the people who work on the water. Maybe the bay will make the 2012 top stories list.

For the first time since I was in high school, I don’t have to work this week. I’m actually on vacation.

So first, I’d like to give a big, warm shout-out to all of my journalist friends who are trying to scare up interesting stories when the whole world seems to be on vacation. There are no government meetings, sources are out of town and even the police blotter is usually pretty quiet.

The last couple years, I was fortunate that there were big Dec. 31 deadlines for parts of the Chesapeake Bay “pollution diet.” The pollution diet is a federally-mandated program that requires states to cut pollution that harms the bay. So I had some news.

But I’d like to share one of my favorite last-week-of-the-year stories. I found a local yoga center that cancels its regular classes and holds special yoga classes for charity. It was a smart business move to keep customers connected and it benefited local charities, so that worked out pretty well for them. It also was a fun feature to write.

Happy New Year!

What’s the best winter holiday you’ve probably never heard of?

In my mind, it’s Bill of Rights Day, which falls on Dec. 15.

There are lots of great things in the Bill of Rights — the right to bear arms, the right to a speedy and fair trial, protection against unlawful search and seizure — but my favorite part is the First Amdendment.

Let's hear it for the Bill of Rights!

As a refresher, here it is:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The First Amendment makes my job as a newspaper reporter possible.

Not only do Americans have freedom of speech in this country, but we can write down information and opinions and distribute it through the press — and the government generally can’t give us crap about it.

And the First Amendment makes sure we can do other cool stuff, too, like allowing us to worship (or not worship) as we please, to stage rallies and protests, to petition our government to change laws.

I won’t go on my First Amendment soapbox, but I do encourage you to check out the “1 for All” campaign that’s designed to raise awareness of the importance and awesomeness of the First Amendment.

I had a neat opportunity over the weekend to volunteer with a cool nonprofit effort called Help-Portrait.

It’s a nationwide — and actually, international, too — movement to help others through photography. Photographers, makeup artists, technical gurus and not-very-talented people like me join together to make portraits for people in need.

Each person who comes to a Help-Portrait event gets a free, professional 8×10 photo of themselves or their family. No strings attached.

The Help-Portrait Baltimore group set up two locations: Captivate Church near Patterson Park and the Helping Up Mission.

I baked cookies and worked with the hospitality crew at the church. Mostly, I sat and chatted with guests as they waited for their portraits to print. I got lots of kids hopped up on sugar and made plenty of cups of hot chocolate.

Believe it or not, I’m not really an outgoing person. I’m actually an introvert! So I was a little nervous at the beginning. But I put my reporter experience to good use. After all, I joke that I am a “professional question-asker.” I asked the guests questions and got them chatting about their families, why they came, what they were hoping for in their pictures.

Most of the folks who came were from the neighborhood. It’s not a great neighborhood, but it’s not a terrible one, either. The neighborhood has those blue-light police cameras and too much litter blowing down the streets. The folks didn’t seem to be in terrible straits, but they’re the kind of folks for whom a real professional portrait is probably out of reach. Some hadn’t had a nice photo done in years.

All of the guests really seemed to enjoy the experience. And so did the volunteers. The photographers, especially, really put a lot of time and attention into the event. They set up all their shots with crazy lights and reflectors and backdrops. I could tell they put just as much effort and heart into these photos as if they were being paid hundreds of dollars per family. They also were generous with their knowledge, explaining things to me as they were setting up and when there were breaks.

If you’re interested in Help-Portrait, I encourage you to check them out on their website or on Facebook.

One of the first things I do each day is scroll through my e-mail, the AP wire and my Twitter and Facebook accounts on the phone.

The other day I saw this intriguing tweet from the local Salvation Army:

I talked to the Salvation Army and it turned out to be a nice little warm-and-fuzzy story for the holidays. It’s not the biggest deal in the world — and this tends to happen from time to time in the Salvation Army’s red kettles — but it’s nice to write about positive things sometimes.

(As opposed to writing about, for example, this guy who is accused of bilking local schools by promising Ravens players for assemblies and then failing to deliver.)

Here are a few, um, creative spellings I spotted shopping recently. These are from different chain grocery stores.

The sweet “potatoe” fries remind me of good ol’ Vice President Dan Quayle and his spelling gaffe. I was about 14 at the time — old enough to understand it and remember it.

We’ve been bombarded the past few days with stories about Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.

All that coverage reminded me of a time a few years ago when I was on the weekend shift right before Christmas. The editors wanted some sort of holiday shopping story.

Rather than do the typical thing and go to the mall to interview harried shoppers (which is not much fun anyway), I sold my editors on a contrarian* story idea: Go to unusual places to shop.

I stopped at a garden center, a hardware store and a fishing/hunting store and worked up a fun little feature story.

I pasted the story below in my original post, because I couldn’t find it online to save my life. I’ll keep it here, but I’ve now got a link to the original (courtesy of my colleague Eric Hartley) — So would you mind giving me and my newspaper a few clicks?

Trying to avoid holiday crush?

Stores off the beaten path offer unique gifts for everyone on your list

By PAMELA WOOD, Staff Writer

There are just two days left until Christmas and you’ve suddenly realized you still have gifts to buy.

Maybe you got news that your uncle just decided to join your family’s Christmas dinner. Or maybe you accidentally left a cousin off the list.

At this point, it doesn’t really matter why. What matters is how you’re going to solve the problem.

The first thought is to rush to the malls, right?

The malls may have lots of stores, but they also have lots of people, people, people and nary a place to park.

There are plenty of other retailers out there you might not consider for last-minute shopping. Ones that have ample parking and friendly employees, too.

The Capital has done some legwork, and we’ve drummed up some unique gift ideas at unusual stores.

So now you have no excuses – get shopping!

First stop: the hardware store.

Clement Hardware employee Sue Alascia can point out potential gift ideas in nearly every aisle of the Severna Park store.

“Tool sets are always good,” she said, picking up a $25 set with a utility knife, level, measuring tape, flashlight and batteries.

Even though the shop is a hardware store, there are gifts for more than just home fix-it types.

Bird feeders range from $5 to $34 and old-fashioned oil lamps sell for $9.50. Be sure to buy “ultra pure” oil for refills.

“They are so popular right now,” Ms. Alascia said.

You could pack a bucket full of car wash supplies and Armor All wipes for a new car owner or a car enthusiast.

Other hardware store ideas: battery-powered touch lights ($10.80), five flashlight set with batteries ($8.50), long handled grabber to reach the top shelf ($25).

Second stop: the garden shop

At Gary’s Garden Mart in Severna Park, most of the floor space is occupied by Christmas trees and poinsettia plants.

But there are other gems to be found in the shop, according to employees Melissa Avenius and Brittany Benewicz.

Ms. Avenius is a fan of the miniature log cabins that burn incense ($9.99 to $12.99). She even bought one for her mom in Florida.

“You put the incense in and smoke comes out the chimney,” she said.

Gary’s also sells bird feeders, scented candles and the staff can pot pansies or decorative cabbage into pottery for you.

Another idea: blooming orchids that sell for $24.99.

“That’s a really great deal,” Ms. Avenius said. “The blooms last a long time.”

Last stop: the hunting and fishing store

Angler’s off of Route 50 is hopping this time of year, mostly with waterfowl hunters needing gear.

But it’s not all camo and ammo at the venerable outdoors store. There are plenty of gifts for outdoors enthusiasts, cooks and even little kids.

“Why would you want to go to the mall when you’ve got all this parking and all this great stuff?” asked owner Charlie Ebersberger.

Surprisingly, Angler’s has kids offerings such as plush animals (including rockfish) and kiddie rod-n-reel combos. The fishing rods run $18 to $20 and feature the likes of Spiderman and Barbie.

There’s also outdoor apparel for men and women, Under Armour gear and ladies’ sweaters and shirts. There are gifts for cooks, such as a box set of Old Bay seasoning and a decorative glass shaker for $24.99. There are crab-themed cookbooks and platters.

Angler’s offers binoculars from $20 to $1,400, high-intensity xenon flashlights from $40 to $100, and even high-end, durable Filson luggage.

Plenty of other options exist for frantic shoppers.

Other ideas include video store gift cards (pair them with a bowl, popcorn and candy from a drugstore) or car wash gift cards (paired with car cleaning supplies and fun air fresheners from an auto parts store).

Anyone with a car can put gasoline gift cards to good use. And liquor stores sell gift sets of alcohol and matching glassware.

And these days, you aren’t even out of luck if you wait until the very, very last minute. Nearly every convenience store and grocery store sells gift cards to a multitude of stores.

Best of all, many are open on Christmas Day.

Published 12/23/07, Copyright © 2011 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.

***

* When I’m stuck for story ideas, thinking contrarian is a fun way to brainstorm. I picked up the idea from a writing workshop many moons ago. So often, we think to write about things that are typical, usual, normal. The things everyone is doing. But what about the unusual things? The things that only a few people are doing? The opposite? One of my favorite contrarian stories was when I wrote about how Thanksgiving dinner can actually be quite healthy, if you skip the gravy and pies.

This is just about the cutest thing I’ve seen in a long time.

A reader of the Maryland Gazette bought a “celebrations” ad — where we usually have weddings and anniversaries — to propose to his girlfriend:

The good news is that she said “yes.” Here’s the follow-up story.

It’s certainly not the first time the newspaper has been used for a marriage proposal. I bet it’s happened tons of times over the years.

Take, for example, this columnist. He wrote a whole column about his girlfriend and ended it with a marriage proposal. She said “yes,” too.

And one of my reporter friends just proposed to another reporter friend using a mock-up of a front page. (Journalists love mock front pages … we make them all the time for special occasions.) Oh yeah, she said “yes,” too.