This is what I’m eating right now…

This is what Sonya’s having…

This is what’s sitting a few feet away… crazy delicious looking doughnut type things from Creme’.

I don’t see a lot of prime time television because of my work schedule, but I’ve been watching this show the past three nights.

Blake Shelton is one of the reasons I love it.  I really loved last night when he had The Swon Brothers perform “Fishin’ In The Dark” by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.  This song immediately sends me back in time to my youth in Nebraska.  You may or may not like country music – but this is a great song.  It cracked me up that Usher, Shakira and Adam Levine had never heard it before.

So I have a crush on Blake Shelton.  I also have a crush on Michael Buble.  My husband knows this so he knew I would love this duet.

Who’s your crush?  Let’s stick with musicians and singers for consistency.

I think Dan and I have both been feeling that way lately.  He’s absolutely exhausted with a new baby at home and a lot on his plate here at work.  At least it hasn’t been having an impact on him on the air.  My schedule and lack of sleep took a toll on me for a moment during the six o’clock show yesterday.  We were chatting and then it was my turn to take over the next script and I just sat there looking at Dan with a blank look on my face. Brain freeze.  Ugh!

Here’s some of the fun stuff that’s been going on in my world….

Tonight’s “Workout of the Week” takes us back to Kees Camp – this time for a class owner Jen Kees calls, “Hip Hop Abs”.  We look hip hop ridiculous trying to do it but it was a blast and it was a great workout.  Thanks to photojournalist Randy Schumacher for not laughing too hard while shooting this one!

We’ve continued our fitness routine with personal trainer Irene McCormick with some brutal outings at Gray’s Lake.  The gals from the Lululemon showroom in the East Village joined us for a trampoline workout.  Tough stuff – but fun!

Last weekend Ed and I had the pleasure of hosting the Des Moines Metro Opera’s fundraiser.  Much of the evening included amazing performances by the very voices you can hear this summer.  The season begins June 21st and runs through July 14th.  Attend a show – you won’t regret it!

Sunday was a fun Derby-themed bridal shower for Emily Carlson.  Doesn’t everyone look fancy in their hats?  Afterward, Sonya and I celebrated her birthday a day early.  Speaking of which – did you see the adorable dog guessing her age yesterday?  Check it out!

No – this is not the prelude to a joke.

What do you think of this story?  The blogger has reportedly been fired.

Sonya and I think calling the cheerleader in question “chunky” is outrageous.  We have a saying we use often. “That’s what mirrors and friends are for.”  We use it when we’re critiquing ourselves, or asking for a critique, and yes – we are guilty of using it when critiquing others. However, I don’t think any mirror or friend (or enemy for that matter) could honestly say this woman is “chunky”.  People are crazy, and cruel.

We’ve learned to check pride at the door after doing “Workout of the Week” segments for more than three years.  Tonight’s has us trying Aerial Fitness.  It’s not pretty – but it’s pretty funny, and the gals who really know what they’re doing are amazing.  Catch it at five o’clock or online.

These are from a book called “Disorder in the American Courts” and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while the exchanges were taking place.

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, ‘Where am I, Cathy?’
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
_______________________________
ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
____________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
____________________________________________
ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth?
WITNESS: July 18th.
ATTORNEY: What year?
WITNESS: Every year.
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: How old is your son, the one living with you?
WITNESS: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can’t remember which.
ATTORNEY: How long has he lived with you?
WITNESS: Forty-five years.
_________________________________
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget..
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
___________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn’t it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn’t know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
____________________________________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the 20-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: He’s 20, much like your IQ.
___________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
_________________________________________
ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Getting laid
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children , right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
____________________________________________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death..
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess.
___________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I’m going with male.
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
______________________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor , how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
_________________________________________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral…
_________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 PM
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.
____________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?

______________________________________
And last:

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No..
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

The last several days/week have been awful, haven’t they?  There’s been so much death and destruction and sadness and sometimes it feels overwhelming.

This morning while teaching one of my fitness classes a few participants said, “Geesh – why are you torturing us?!?  Are you mad or something?”  I laughed, but once I got home and started really thinking about it, I realized that I am mad.  Really mad.

I’m mad at people who deliberately hurt others and create fear.  I’m mad at people who beat and kill children and those who just don’t take care of them.  I’m mad that there are so many people who would love to have children, but they can’t.  I’m mad that the world is filled with so many hateful individuals who enjoy causing misery. I’m mad that there are so many people complaining and so few doing.

I’m mad – but I refuse to be bitter.  Instead, I’m going to try to do my part to be kind and encouraging.  I will try to be a person who causes joy instead of sorrow (or at least ease it when I see it).  I will try to complain less and do more.

Will you try, too?

More than a year after Emily Fazzino was found dead in her Boone home, her husband is arrested and charged with murder.

A Des Moines woman is accused of killing the family dog by hanging it from the rafters in her garage.

Ashley Oakland was murdered two years ago.  It’s hard to believe that much time has passed and hard to believe no one’s come forward with information that could lead to an arrest in the case.

Stories like these often leave me thinking a lot about life – and death.  One place I go to get fresh air and a workout is a good place to mull over such heavy topics.  It’s a local cemetery.  Does that seem morbid to you?  I just like that’s it’s a peaceful place and there aren’t many people there.  I look at all of the headstones and wonder about the people they represent…what their lives were like, how they died, the families they left behind…

It can make segments like “Workout of the Week” seem trivial – or like a welcome break from all of the doom and gloom, depending on your perspective.

The reason I’m posting a picture of the heels I wore yesterday is that this type of footwear is what’s to blame for tonight’s “WOW – Staying Fit While Inured”.  Tune in at five or catch the story online to find out what happened to Sonya and how she didn’t let it get in the way of staying fit.  We’re dedicating this segment to our boss, Rod Peterson.  He broke his leg and had to have surgery last week, which has derailed his marathon training.  Ouch, and bummer!

Also on the topic of shoes – I saw this idea in a magazine and thought it was brilliant.  If you have limited storage space at home, use a hanging shoe organizer for things other than shoes!  This photo demonstrates how you can put this to use in a bathroom, but I just utilized this concept on the door that goes to our basement for pantry items.  I cleaned out cupboards (which always feels good) and now I can actually see what I have on hand.

Finally, let’s end on a happier note than the one on which we started … this story from the Nebraska spring game will probably make you smile (although it also makes me cry).

Part of it is the cold weather, part of it is the fact that I ate to the point of being uncomfortable at Easter dinner last night, and part of it is … well, I’m not sure!

I’m a big believer in (trying) to adjust my attitude when I’m feeling crabby.  A couple of things help me do this.  First – I do my “I’m grateful for ________” list.  It’s usually very long.  Second – I think of people I know who are always negative and crabby. I don’t want to be like that.  Third – I get moving.  Today I didn’t have a choice because I had to teach at the Y, but ya know what?  My mood was dramatically improved by the time I left there.

Tune in tomorrow at five for our “Workout of the Week” segment.  Joel Jones has a great attitude and as you can see – a great success story to share.  Find out how he dropped 200 pounds, how he’s keeping it off and what he’s doing to help other people stay motivated.

Do you think heart rate monitors are accurate?  I use one of the Polar systems.  Sonya has a Body Bugg.  We often get wildly different readings in terms of calories burned.  I know how to figure in age, weight, etc, to account for some disparity but I feel like something’s off.  Thoughts?

I am so sick of clearing spam out of my inbox.  From improved credit ratings and sex drive to lowered cholesterol and dream vacations, it is out of control!  And really – who the heck clicks on the links in this junk anyway?!?

We finally watched Lincoln.  Amazing.

Last night was the season finale of The Walking Dead.  Shocking!

I did not see the Kevin Ware injury.  From the sound of things – I don’t want to.  I’m the type of person who covers my eyes if I’m watching a sports program and an announcer even mentions Joe Theismann.

I thought this article about waking up early was interesting.  Here’s the thing though… what’s “early” to me and “early” to you are likely very different.  There are some people who give me a hard time about groaning and moaning about a 7am workout.  But here’s the thing – with my schedule, that’s like asking someone who works an 8 – 5 shift to hit the gym at 1am.  Make sense?  Regardless – I’m making an effort to at least get up a bit earlier and at roughly the same time every day.

It turns out exercising outside is good for you in a lot of different ways.  This article highlights some of them.

Some types of outdoor exercise are “hotter” than others.  Michael and I watched Top Gun earlier this week.  That volleyball scene … still classic.

Walking to work meant wearing one pair of shoes…

… and toting another …

These are not the new shoes I mentioned in my post earlier this week.  My new shoes don’t match today’s outfit.  And yes, for those of you who are wondering – Sonya, Dan and I do communicate with regard to color scheme.  It may sound silly, but there have been occasions when our outfits clash so badly is it distracting.  Although sometimes I think it looks like Dan and I are going to a school dance or getting a family picture taken because our outfits are so coordinated.

Speaking of coordinated outfits…

I received an Easter package from my mom today and she included some old pictures.  That’s us, wearing outfits she made.  This look isn’t as coordinated ….

… but my dad is rocking that pink suit.  How funny.

Michael and I made these cute Easter treats last night.  They are delicious, but be forewarned if you decide to try making them… the Rice Krispies Treats are simple enough to make, but the molding, stuffing and squishing to make the eggs is more time-consuming than we thought it would be.

Happy Easter!

Maybe some day your boss or the head of HR will be peeking in the lunchroom fridge to see what you’re eating.  I saw this story last week and meant to post it, but got distracted … please weigh in on this topic (pun intended).  Should your employer be asking for this sort of information?  Do you think it makes sense or does it fall under the “none of your business!” category?

Tune in at 10 for Sonya’s story about some spring cleaning that you should be doing – but probably aren’t.  It will save you money and could save your life.

Last week I bought some super cute shoes that were way on sale.  Now I just need it to act like spring so I can wear them!  Sonya and I think we should have “shoe cam” during the five o’clock news.

Last weekend we took Michael’s mom to “Million Dollar Quartet”.  It was AWESOME.  We were all clapping and singing along during the performance and I’ve had several of the songs stuck in my head ever since.  Earlier this week Dan Winters’ sent me this article on earworms.  Interesting.  I’d definitely rather have Johnny Cash stuck in my head than Lady Gaga.

I love Easter.  Do you do Easter Baskets for your kids or did your parents give you one each year?  I always enjoy a traditional sunrise service, though some years were miserable because it was freezing outside.  Riddle me this – why do workplaces observe Christmas, but not Easter?  I mean – I know the virgin birth was a big deal, but isn’t rising from the dead pretty amazing, too?  That’s always puzzled me….

Enough… I’m hungry!

How was your St. Patrick’s Day?

We didn’t exactly “celebrate” it, but we did eat pork loin and roasted vegetables at Sonya’s house last night.  Not exactly the traditional Irish meal of corned beef and cabbage, but delicious and shared with good friends.  Perfect.

My nieces celebrated by wearing green, enjoying Shamrock shakes and just being adorable.  Saturday night Michael and I babysat while Olivia and Ella’s mom and dad enjoyed a date night.  “Uncle Mike” always brings the best food, and Saturday night it was cute little personal pizzas from Papa Murphy’s that the girls got to make themselves.  What a brilliant idea.

On movie nights, we eat in the living room.  We watched “The Princess & The Frog” – very cute and great music that had Ella dancing.

SUGAR HIGH

We also had shamrock-themed cookies from “The Bake Shoppe”.  If you’ve never enjoyed treats from this place, you’ve got to put it on your list.  If you’re looking for Easter goodies they make amazing mini Easter Egg cakes.  Yum!

SHAKE IT UP

Friday was a full “Workout of the Week” day for me and Sonya and photojournalist Joel Girdner.  We started with some awesome interval training in Sonya’s living room with personal trainer Amy Drefke.  We ended the day with a Power Sculpt class with my friend Caryn Lee.  We’ll be highlighting both of these wonderful women and the workouts they provide in the coming weeks.  Remember – if you miss the “WOW” segment on Tuesday at five o’clock, you can always find what we’ve done on the Channel 13 website under the “Sports” tab.

My best friend lost her best friend.

Oliver was one of the coolest cats I ever met.  My friend Beth is devastated by his death.  Losing a pet is so hard.  I have vivid memories of our family dog dying.  The most vivid is my dad’s reaction because it was the first time I saw him cry.  My folks got Marka shortly after they were married – she was so little that my dad brought her home tucked into his coat.  I didn’t come along for another seven years so this animal was like a child for my parents.

I feel the same way about this crazy old cat.

Marley is standoffish and skittish (even for a cat) and she’s the main reason Michael and I were dragging our feet when it came to getting that adorable puppy I told you about a few weeks ago.  In fact, we never got around to meeting her and now some other family has adopted her.  It makes me sad, but it’s probably for the best.

As hard as it is to lose a furry friend, I can’t imagine going through life without having pets.  If you’re thinking about getting one I hope you’ll consider this organization.

I just had one.

I was looking at NBC’s website and saw a blurb announcing that “Pretty in Pink” came out 27 years ago today.  If you click that link you can watch the trailer.  I love the scene in the record store with Duckie singing “Try A Little Tenderness”.

A few weeks ago my “How can that be possible?!?!” moment happened when a former Channel 13 employee wrote this to me:

Hi Erin,

Are you aware it’s our 10-year anniversary today? I know that’s creepy but let me explain…

In our story meeting today, we talked about the 10-year anniversary of the space shuttle Columbia explosion, and I happened to remember that was the day I job shadowed you at KCCI. And I thought I would just let you know how thankful I am for that job shadow all those years ago and how encouraging you were to me at WHO.

This wonderful “kid” is now a reporter in Kansas City and I feel old!  Except I don’t feel old.  It’s strange.

What’s your “How can that be possible?!?!?”  moment?

The event benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Sonya and her fellow fundraisers do a ton of work making it come together.  It’s always fun sitting near Andy Fales during this thing since he is something of a chili connoisseur.  “Oh – that’s Cincinnati Chili,” he said after one taste.  “Geesh, there’s liquid smoke and vinegar in this one,” about another.  Do you have a killer chili or cornbread recipe?  If so – share it here.

********************************************************************************************

Saturday I was saying, “What IS that?!?!?” and not just because of the gastrointestinal distress I was in after consuming so much chili the night before.  I came home from hot yoga and could hear something rattling around in the basement.  I went downstairs and walked toward the corner where I could hear the noise and then saw something zoom across the room.  I confess, I did not stick around to get a good look.  Instead I sprinted up the stairs and proceeded to call a place called “Critter Control”. 

We have a lot of raccoons in our neighborhood and I had convinced myself that’s what was lurking in the basement. They might look cute, but they’ll chew your face off and that’s what I was afraid of.

Wade, the nice man who showed up with giant gloves and nets and cages to deal with the mystery critter said, “Well, in this area it could be about anything!  I’ve caught coons, possums, rats, bats, cats, squirrels, birds…”.  You get the idea.  After a few hours he discovered the thing creating the ruckus.  It was not a raccoon.  In fact, it didn’t even have hair or TEETH!

It was a starling!  I was so disappointed and embarrassed, but I had to laugh.  I don’t know how this poor thing ended up in our basement, and ultimately inside the HVAC duct work but it scared the snot out of me.  I hope he’s OK after dealing with my screeching, my cat’s yowling, and Wade’s hunting and eventual capture.

When I was a kid we had run-ins with a wild cat and a bat at our house.  What’s the craziest animal encounter you’ve ever had?

This morning Kelsey Michelsen lost her fight.  As her dad wrote in a text, “My beautiful daughter went to dance with the angels in Heaven.” 

Kelsey taught a lot of people a lot of valuable lessons.  Stay positive.  Keep fighting.  Cherish every day.  Tell the people you care about how much you love them.

A young man I did a story on eight years ago was the same way.  Trent Miner also had a brain tumor.  He was also a great kid from a wonderful family.  He also died far too soon.

Of course this week the entire state is grieving for Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins.

Why do such horrible things happen to such good people?  To such young people?  There’s no way to make sense of it.

I can’t imagine losing a child.  What’s really amazing is what I’ve had the opportunity to witness firsthand when families and communities are going through these situations.  People come together to support those in crisis.  The people in crisis exhibit extraordinary strength.  Those left after a child dies almost always do something to honor their memory and help others.

Sonya has a story about this sort of spirit tomorrow night at ten.  You’ll meet two mothers who lost their sons in a car crash.  What they’re doing now will astound you – especially when you find out who they’re working with to spread a message of forgiveness and overcoming adversity.

If you don’t remember Kelsey Michelsen from SE Polk, you can watch her story here.  She’s in the ICU at Blank right now.  I saw her this afternoon and her folks say she’s doing better than she was when she was admitted yesterday, but the roller coaster ride continues.

The students and staff at SEP and the entire community continue to rally … here’s what dance coach Marianne Mayo wrote to me about the latest fundraiser:

“At the game this Friday, we’re going to wear our new sweatshirts that we sold to the community.  The game is going to be a “pink and purple-out,” and people are supposed to wear their “Team Kelsey” shirts (either the purple tshirts or the new pink sweatshirts) if they have them, or any pink/purple if they do not. 

We are also doing a 50/50 raffle.  People can purchase tickets and then we do a drawing at halftime.  Whoever wins the drawing gets 50% of the amount of money collected, and the other 50% goes to Kelsey’s family for expenses.”

Happy Monday, everyone!

December 3rd.  It’s December 3rd.  IT… IS… DECEMBER… THIRD.  What?!?!?  It was 69 degrees today and felt like April or May.  Crazy.  I keep adding more Christmas decorations to our house in an effort to make it seem more like the season and we may be approaching “Griswold” territory.  I love Christmas.

SWEETS

I also love trying local spots for shopping and eating.  The weekend after Thanksgiving I indulged with my friend Michael Mackie…

Here we are splitting a sweet treat at Creme.  If you haven’t been there, you MUST go.  It’s on 28th Street, just off Ingersoll.  Four of us tried the sampler (you pick three desserts) and we got Sonya the Chocolate Caramel Pecan Cake.  I ate most of it.

SALVATION

Saturday we spent a few hours ringing bells for the Salvation Army…

We were all struck by how NICE shoppers were.  In our line of work we report a lot of bad news and we receive a lot of snarky, nasty, rude, hurtful feedback.  It was lovely to spend a few hours laughing and smiling and saying “Merry Christmas” and feeling good about doing something that benefits people in need.

If you dropped money in our kettle or just stopped by to say “hi” – thank you!

STINKER

Boy, oh boy… You may have noticed that I was sporting my Husker gear on Saturday. 

Luckily, we went to The Nadas show that evening so I missed most of the game.  What a massacre!  Yesterday I asked my dad what happened and he said, “Our defense never showed up!!!”  I guess I should have known that since the score was 70-31.  I’m glad I’m not one of those people whose mood is influenced by how my team plays.  It’s just a game, right? 

Michael and I usually make the rounds – we started out at his brother Pete’s house where we grazed with family.  After a few hours we left and went to see the Lacona family.  Yes – the Lacona family as in Noah’s Ark.  Yum.  Check out the bird Mr. and Mrs. Lacona pulled out of the oven….

Doesn’t this look like something you’d see in a magazine?  These people are amazing cooks and we’re lucky that they invite us over for dinner on a regular basis. 

I couldn’t pass up snapping this picture of Mr. Lacona and the family dog.  Mojo is no dummy – he jumped up there just in time for dessert!

Speaking of dogs – look at the freebie Sonya picked up for her pets when she was buying dog food.  Remi was less than thrilled.

Spot was mad.  This is the only picture I took that isn’t blurry because he was shaking his head around trying remove those antlers.  Do you think this is a form of torture?  One year my best friend Beth and I put a Christmas sweater on my cat.  Marley just flopped down on the floor and started making those terrible cat noises.  You know, like this.  That was the end of any sort of cute costumes for my pet.

Attending the game in Iowa City was sort of like torture (can’t you tell by Michael’s face?!?) … it was so cold, I thought we were going to be frozen to our seats.  Plus, neither the Hawkeyes nor the Huskers played very well.  There is a bright spot, though.  I’ve been reading about how many extra calories you burn by shivering and it makes me feel better about the ridiculous amount of food I consumed on Thanksgiving.

Have a wonderful week!

EEK

The “Old Guy”

Part of my fatigue is due to last week being so eventful.  Election nights are always fun, but afterward we are all dragging.  On the heels of hours of live coverage, many of us were working on stories about John Bachman, and feeling a little emotional about him saying “goodbye”.  It all adds up to feeling pretty pooped.  People keep asking me, “Why is John retiring?  Is he even old enough to retire?!?”  We like to give JB a hard time about being old, but it’s really just that we’re all jealous about how stinking good he looks.  I’ve never known anyone who gets better looking like this.  What the heck?!?!  Anyway – you can still see the “old guy” this week during the six o’clock news.  John’s sharing really interesting tidbits about big interviews he’s done over the years. 

The “New Guy”

Most of you know that Dan Winters is taking over for John.  It really is a seamless transition.  Dan’s been filling in for JB for the past several years so today I said, “Don’t be nervous – just think of it as one of JB’s long stretches of vacation!”  I know it’s hard not be nervous, but Dan is great.  We’ve been friends a long time and he is one of the smartest, funniest, wittiest people I know.  You can trust Dan to be thorough and fair.  He’s also a very talented reporter and I think that makes someone a better anchor.  So – welcome the “new guy” who really isn’t!

A Total Jerk

From two lovely gentlemen to a complete idiot … Last week I received a ranting, raving voice mail that went on for several minutes.  The guy said something like, “Yeah, MIZZZZ Kiernan – I just heard you doing some ad on the radio for a story ya’ll are doing on civility.  I just wanted to call and say I think that’s total BULLL S*#T after all the money you people made on negative ads for the election.  I mean – how dare you do a story like this?!?  What hypocrites you people are – making all that money and you’re gonna get a bonus.  That’s BULL S*#T!”

I’d like to make a few points about this.  First – it was not me doing a radio ad, it was not me doing a story on civility and the story was not airing on Channel 13.  It was Lynn Melling on Fox 17.  Second – really?!?  You’re calling to tell us we’re in the wrong for doing a story on civility and you swear and call me names?!?  That’s priceless.  Third – grow up.  If you’re going to go to the trouble of calling me, leave your name and number.

Have a great week!

EEK

FUN

I don’t know exactly how Murph & Andy ended up on the Star Wars kick on their radio show last week, but I was flattered when they told me that their listeners picked me to play Princess Leia in the Iowa version of the movie.  I mean – what woman wouldn’t be thrilled to be compared to this gutsy character?

But then there’s the hair.  The “cinnamon bun” hair.  When Keith texted me last Friday to tell me that listeners were offering cash to the charity of my choice for me “doing the Leia do” I cringed.  Then I laughed out loud.  Then Sonya and I were cackling like crazy ladies in the bathroom as I did this with my hair….

Thanks to promotions producer Kevin Rivers for helping me with this picture and rounding up Chewie (hey – Mr. Potato head had to work in a bind, just like my puny buns). 

An even bigger thanks to local realtor Mark Charter who started this whole thing with his $250 pledge.  I think we ended up with $350 total for the John Stoddard Rally Against Cancer.

FOOD

It’s no secret that my husband and I love to eat.  We also both like to cook, though Michael is far better in the kitchen than I am.  We don’t go out to eat a lot, but in recent months we’ve stumbled upon three relatively new restaurants that we love – and they’re all in the same neighborhood!  If you haven’t been in Valley Junction lately here are a few good reasons to visit the historic area:

Chisme

Cooper’s on 5th

G. Mig’s 5th Street Pub

FITNESS

The bad news about loving to eat … is trying to work it off.  The older I’ve gotten the more “trying” has become the operative word. 

To that end, Sonya and I and several of our friends are having trainer Irene McCormick   put us through the paces.  This is different from our usual “Workout of the Week” segment and we’re inviting you to try the program with us. 

On Wednesday at five you’ll see the first steps in this journey – fitness testing and body measuring.  We’ll tell you exactly what to do, both on the air and online.  Once we get to the workout sessions, we will give you detailed explanations of every exercise so you can do exactly what we’re doing.  Our hope is to increase the viewer benefit of this segment and get us all through the holidays without having to wear our fat pants! 

Of course we’re grateful to Irene – because of her generosity and genuine interest in improving people’s health you’re getting her expertise FOR FREE!!!

Don’t forget to vote!

EEK