Friday, December 5
Hello! I'm back for my whopping one-day work week...I had four vacation days this week. And boy did I get a lot done!! The nursery for Baby Caitlin is all finished. Clothes and blankets are washed...I even have diapers and wipes in place....batteries installed in the bouncy seats and baby monitors, etc. Plus, we decorated the Christmas tree and I managed to get all of my holiday shopping and wrapping done..except for maybe one or two things. If I sound proud of myself...it's because...I AM!!! I always take vacation time this time of year specifically to get all the holiday errands done. Because as you well know, weekends just aren't long enough. And when you add planning for a new bundle of joy to the list....it gets even busier. But it was nice getting to sleep in a bit and do things at my own pace.... Hope you and yours are enjoying the holiday season, too!!! There are so many fun things to check out over the next few weekends. Dickens of a Christmas gets under way tonight. I think we're going to try to get down there either tonight or one of the next few Fridays..but Leo says it's going to be really cold tonight. If we do go, I'll definitely be in search of hot chocolate!!!! And as Bob Grebe showed us this morning...."Sesame Street Live" is back at the Salem Civic Center this weekend. Christopher and I will be heading there tomorrow. I can't wait!! I mean, HE can't wait.....
Monday, November 24
Good Morning! Hope you're having a fabulous Monday..after all, it's a short work week for most folks....followed by the holiday shopping rush. It'll be interesting to see how Black Friday goes this year, considering all of the troubles with the economy. Let's hope things turn around soon.
I had a great Saturday...my two best friends threw me a baby shower for little Caitlin Brianna. The theme was pink and chocolate...two of the best things ever!!! And there was plenty of both. I got several adorable pink outfits...and there was lots of chocolate goodies to eat...complete with a chocolate fountain. Believe me, Baby Caitlin was kicking up a storm after the chocolate-covered strawberries...truffles...cake, etc.. Yum!! It was great to be there with close friends and family...that's what makes this time extra special. I only have about six and a half weeks to go before my inducement date of January 8th....the official baby countdown is on!!!
Tuesday, November 18
What a gorgeous winter wonderland we woke up to this morning! I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when I opened the door and saw the ground and my vehicle covered in white.. I was thinking we'd just see flurries...but there were some big fat flakes coming down on my way into work today. Perfect kind of snow around here...sticking to the grass..not the road. Of course, it's a very different story in the higher elevations...some spots in WV have about half a foot on the ground. Will we have a white Thanksgiving...who knows? Speaking of giving thanks, it's easy to do that when you see how lucky you are compared to others. You may have seen my story last night at 6 p.m. on Roanoke's changing homeless population. I profiled a local woman named Joanne Lewis who's been through foreclosure, fire, homelessness, and domestic issues....and may find herself without a home again. Hearing stories like that definitely make you grateful for what you have. If you missed the story, you can catch it here.
Friday, November 14
Friday's finally here...and so is the start of Stocked Market. As you may have heard this morning on News 7 Mornin', Your Hometown Station will have a booth at this year's event all weekend. We'll be handing out Salvation Army stockings to fill for needy children in our area. And this year, as you know, there's probably even more demand because of the economic situation. I'll be at our booth on Sunday between 2:00 and 4:00, so be sure to come by and say hello!
One story that really piqued my interest today was Justin's piece on the proposal to make teenagers stay in school and graduate in order to keep their driver's licenses. Roanoke's school board chairman David Carson wants to suspend a teen's license if they drop out before they turn 18. I think it's one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time. Why shouldn't we expect kids to finish high school? Even if they don't end up with a 3.0 or a 4.0, they can still get that diploma. It's tough enough these days in the job market for folks that have a Bachelor's or Master's degree...if you don't at least have a high school diploma, your job prospects are almost non-existent. And as Carson said...driving is a privilege, not a right...and if the incentive of keeping their license drives kids to stay in the classroom, it's all worth it.
Monday, November 10
Hello!! Hope you had a great weekend...Mine was awesome. Saturday was my birthday (Not going to tell you what number)... If you were watching News 7 Mornin' on Friday, you might have seen the birthday photo they showed at the end of the newscast. It was from a Halloween party, where I was dressed as a shotgun bride...Yes, it's right here on my blog. I should have known they would put that on the air!! Hahaha!!! Anyway....my husband rewarded me with a spa gift certificate, which I took full advantage of Saturday morning ....massage, nails, etc... Then we went out for a date night that evening..dinner at Blue 5 downtown and a movie. And yesterday, I took Christopher to see "Madagascar 2"...Very cute!! I do always wonder why they show so many previews before a kids' movie, considering how short their attention spans are. But hey, as long as he has popcorn and candy, Chris is thoroughly entertained...
Monday, November 3
Greetings!! Hope you had a fantastic Halloween weekend.... We had a busy, whirlwind of a Halloween. First was Christopher's party at pre-school. His classmates were so adorable in their costumes. Chris, of course, was Batman...and it was cute because his teachers were all calling the kids by their "alter egoes." After that, we came here to the station for the annual WDBJ kids in costume event on the Skytracker 7 Weather Deck. That's a fun tradition...we always welcome the opportunity to show off our children on TV!!!! After that, we headed home and I attempted to get Chris to eat dinner (yeah, right)...after sweets at school and treats on the weather deck, he wouldn't even touch pizza. That's right....not even pizza!! His tummy was primed for sugar and that was it!! Bob Grebe and his wife brought over their little ones, so their son Emmett and Christopher got to troll for candy together in our neighborhood. I think Chris would have walked all night getting candy!!! He was like "Let's to go this house...let's go to that house!" Hey, the more houses, the more candy....it's just good economics... He doesn't have his first dental appointment until March...we probably need to speed that one up after this weekend!!!
Monday, October 27
Halloween's almost here, and there's definitely a chill in the air....Leo's talking about highs tomorrow only in the 40s with gusty winds....ouch!!! But I'm happy that it's supposed to warm up in time for Halloween. Trick-or-treating with a coat over your costume is NO fun!! And I think I'd have a REALLY tough time making Christopher wear one over his Batman ensemble.....Superheroes don't get cold!
My husband and I went to a costume party this weekend. What did we dress as?? The obvious choice..... I was a shotgun bride and he was my gun-totin' dad. It was Kevin's first time in bib overalls...I think he secretly liked it! My costume came with an inflatable tummy (for those who aren't actually expecting)...but I, of course, have the real thing. If I'm brave, I'll post a picture or two....
Wednesday, October 22
Hello!! It's been a shortened work week for me, since I was off on Monday for filling in last Saturday morning for Joy Sutton. It was great having a three- day weekend. It took me until today to get back in the groove, etc. We had lots of fun on Saturday at Layman's Farm down in Montvale. We took Christopher and met up with his best buddy from school and his parents for some old-fashioned pumpkin pickin' and pumpkin blasting... There's something empowering about firing those pumpkin and corn cannons!!! And the boys had a blast riding the cow train, hiding from us in the corn shack, and playing in the "corn crib." We saved choosing the "great pumpkin" for last.. After nearly three hours of running amok, Christopher was pretty much done. He chose a big pumpkin and a little pumpkin (the only one I've actually been able to carve)...It's a respectable- looking bat, if I do say so myself.
Today promises to be a bit less fun...Chris has a flu shot scheduled for this afternoon... Just a reminder, pediatricians now recommend young children aged six months and up get their flu vaccine.
Friday, October 17
It's a soggy Friday..but a Friday nonetheless. And boy, what an eventful morning we had here on News 7. Of course, there was the preview of Senator Barack Obama's campaign visit to the Star City... But the BIG story of the day was a bit closer to our hearts. Our good friend and longtime News 7 videographer Steve Claris is leaving us after 25 years at Your Hometown Station. He and his lovely bride, Robin are going to go work as missionaries with the United Methodist Choctaw Mission in Mississippi. They'll be working with members of the Native American community. We're so happy for Steve..but we're certainly going to miss his experience and can-do attitude around here! He's the salt of the earth, and will do many good things down in Mississippi. We dedicated much of News 7 Mornin' to his farewell...even bringing back our old co-hort, Steve Pardon to help dig up some fond memories. Good times..good times. And in true News 7 tradition, there was an awesome farewell breakfast catered by Little Chef. So yes...prego here has a nice full belly today..and so ready for my afternoon nap.
Monday, October 13
Hello! Hope you had an awesome weekend....the weather sure was great! We took Christopher to the fall festival at Cave Spring Elementary School on Saturday and he had a blast in all the inflatables...and just running around on the playground. And of course, they had the mandatory face-painting, tattoo pasting, etc...
If you were watching News 7 Mornin' today, you may have seen my interview with local author Chris Manning. He's written the book "One Team, One Dream" about being a part of William Byrd's 1997 state championship baseball team. And as you know, I'm a Byrd alumna and very proud of my Terriers. Plus, the football team won again on Friday night...hurray!!
Monday, October 6
Another Monday's arrived...how is that possible?? Oh, well..it was a great weekend. Another busy one for us. Saturday we took Christopher to the Harvest Festival on the market downtown. He had a blast decorating his own pumpkin and of course, getting his face painted as part of the record- setting 40 faces in 40 minutes event. No, we didn't eat lunch in the newly re-opened market building. My husband had his heart set on Alejandro's, so we ate there. Saturday night, he and I headed to the Roanoke Performing Arts Center and nearly cracked some ribs at the Ron White concert. He is such a hilarious guy!!! A bit filthy...yet still hilarious....My husband has a couple of his DVD's, but there's nothing like experiencing his comedy in person. And on the completely OPPOSITE end of the entertainment spectrum, I took Christopher to see the William Byrd High School production of "Seussical, the Musical" yesterday afternoon. You might recall Bob Grebe did a preview segment on it last week. It was fantastic!!! These students can really act and sing! And the costumes looked quite professional... You can tell why this group of performers is nationally ranked. As a former member of the Byrd Drama Club, I couldn't be more proud. And Chris was excited that he got his picture taken with the "Cat in the Hat," as well as "Thing 1 and Thing 2".... it's not every day a three-year-old gets that kind of brush with fame...
Monday, September 29
Howdy to ya! I hope you enjoyed your half-soggy, half-sunny weekend. It was a rare TWO- MOVIE weekend for me. Friday night, I went to see the new Richard Gere-Diane Lane film, "Nights in Rodanthe"....so awesome!!! I won't give away the plot, but it was one of the most romantic movies I've seen in a long time. And it definitely makes you fall in love with Richard Gere all over again.... Saturday, we took Christopher to see the kid movie, "Igor". It was cute..but I think Chris was far more enraptured by the popcorn than what was happening on screen. Still, I think he enjoyed it...I heard some chuckles... And yesterday, we battled the crowds at the PBS KidsFest at the Salem Civic Center. Thank goodness we got there a few minute before it started. It was a madhouse!!! Anytime you combine the words "free" and "children's event," that's often what happens. But it was really nice...free books...free face painting...free snacks...and of course, the kids got to get up close and personal with the likes of Elmo and Clifford, the Big Red Dog. We were never able to maneuver our way to Elmo, but Chris did get a picture with Clifford. And I was excited to meet Mr. McFeely from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood...I don't think Chris knew who he was...but I was an avid fan of Mr. Rogers as a child...and anyone connected with that show is A-OK with me! He was just as sweet and endearing in person as his character on the show. But Chris and his buddy did enjoy hopping aboard Mr. Rogers' "trolley" that was nearby. Hopefully, it was all worth it to the poor folks who arrived later in the afternoon and were waiting in HUGE lines outside. That's a true test of parental patience if there ever was...
Friday, September 26
Color me sleep-deprived, yet Razzle Dazzled. I did without my normal "healthy" six and a half hours of sleep last night to see the Broadway in Roanoke performance of "Chicago" with my friend, Laura. It was fantastic!!! I'd seen the film version several years ago with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger, but had never before seen the show on stage. At first, I had to get over the fact that the actress portraying Roxie Hart resembled Catherine Zeta-Jones, while Velma Kelly's portrayer looked more like Renee Zellweger...sort of a flip flop from the movie there....But both actresses were phenomenal....especially the one playing Roxie Hart. I'm always amazed by how physically conditioned these performers are. To dance and belt out tunes for more than two hours is so demanding. They really would have to train several hours a day, just for their bodies...not to mention learning lines, lyrics and choreography. My favorite numbers..."We Both Reached for the Gun", in which attorney Billy Flynn is holding Roxie like a marionette..great song and super complicated choregraphy there...."Mister Cellophane" featuring poor downtrodden Amos Hart...and of course, "Cell Block Tango" featuring Velma and all the other incarcerated ladies...awesome!! Kudos to them for a great show....and "all that jazz." Two thumbs way up!!
Monday, September 22
Hi there, and welcome to Fall!! I'm typically not one of those people eager to usher in autumn and say farewell to summer...but this year, I am....as I continue the countdown to the arrival of baby number 2. It's going by fairly quickly this time, since I have Christopher to keep me busy...but four months still seems like a ways away....
Anyway, fall is bringing lots to do in our area...fall festivals...hay rides...There's also a PBS Festival coming up this Sunday at Salem Civic Center. You have to love any chance to come face to face with Elmo!! And on the other end of the entertainment spectrum, my buddy News 7 Mornin' producer Kim Ortiz and I will attempt to gather some culture on Thursday night at the Broadway in Roanoke performance of "Chicago." I can't wait!! I loved the movie...which I have, along with the sassy soundtrack. And who didn't fall in love with Richard Gere all over again as Billy Flynn? I'll offer my review of the musical for you on Friday morning. Now, on with the show!!
Monday, September 15
Hello!! Hope your weekend was all you wanted and more... Mine was nice. But I am officially ready for fall to get here. It was actually a bit too hot for me this weekend. Yeah, I know, I'm the lover of summer. But even those of us who love basking in the sun get our fill sooner or later...especially when it gets harder to fit into the old swimsuit. In case you missed my announcement last week, I'm five months' pregnant and definitely have the tummy to show for it..hahaha! Yesterday I squeezed into my one-piece, non- maternity (but one size larger than usual) swimsuit, and took Chris to the pool at the gym. It felt great, as long as I was in the water, but boy was it hot outside!!
On Saturday, my husband and I took him to the Cole Bros. Circus, you know the one under the big top...the SWELTERING big top. I loved the show, but I think I must have sweat off at least a pound or two. A big tent...lots of people...90-plus degrees...yes, it was hot. The highlight for Chris, besides the motorcycle riders braving the "globe of death," was getting his face painted by a clown. He chose to get a tiger done, and it was truly the best face painting he's ever gotten...Yes, he's had his face painted at many a festival...I'll post pictures as soon as I can. Well, time to get back to work!! The way the stock market looks today, it appears we'll all be working a lot longer than we planned....
Wednesday, September 10
Just call this "Spill the Beans Day".... If you were watching a little after 6:00 this morning, you may have heard me reveal that I'm expecting! Yes, there's a reason for all the empire-waisted duds...I'm expecting a bouncing baby girl around the 19th of January, which makes me close to five months along. We're very excited! I had an amnio done, which really wasn't bad at all.. It's just the waiting for the results afterward that's tough. But everything looks fine, and I'm having a good time getting to buy pink!! I think Christopher's excited too...we're trying to talk about his future little sister a lot, just to get him accustomed to the idea. I was off on Monday for my Labor Day holiday, so my mom and I took him to the new Build-A-Bear Workshop at the mall. He had a great time making himself a "Spiderman" bear...and we also made a little ballerina bear for his little sister. I'm sure there will be some sibling envy in the beginning, but he has such a sweet disposition that I think he'll enjoy looking out for his little sis. And did I mention...I get to buy pink things now!!! As time goes on, I'll provide baby blog updates on how everything's going...and growing...as in my waistline...whew!!
Friday, September 5
Happy Friday to ya!! It's been a busy week..whew!! If you were watching this morning, you might have caught my interview with the "Subway Guy" Jared Fogle. He's marking his 10th anniversary of losing 245 pounds..wow! He's also in town for a couple of school visits as part of Subway's Fresh Fit Video and Poster Competition...Plus, he'll be rallying the Hokie nation tonight at the big pep rally at the Roanoke Civic Center. It was great meeting him, since he is a part of our pop culture...very cool. If you missed it, you can catch the story here.
Also, I had a great time visiting my old stompin' grounds, William Byrd yesterday. As I mentioned to you before, I was just there last Friday night for the game against Hidden Valley. They just can't seem to get rid of me! Yesterday morning I had the opportunity to chat with the Freshman class about my experience at Byrd. Obviously, it was a good experience, since I keep coming back. I basically just told them to work hard and get involved in everything they can. There's so much competition now for colleges, jobs, etc., you have to have an edge. Hopefully, what I said made sense to at least some of them....Ah....it seems like only yesterday I was sitting in those auditorium seats myself. But it's actually been almost 20 years....arrrgh!!!!!!! How did that happen??? Anyway, have a great weekend, and do something that makes you feel YOUNG.
Wednesday, September 3
Hello...hope you're enjoying this "Hump Day" as our old friend Mike Stevens used to call it... I'm just checking in today to let you know that I am including a link to my kids and cell phones story from Friday's 6 pm. newscast. I've received a couple of comments about it...feel free to let me know what you think about this topic! Or, if you have any other story ideas, let me know. Have a good one!!!
Monday, September 1
Happy Labor Day! Hope you're enjoying your day off (or your day IN for those of us working, like myself). It's supposed to be a gorgeous day, and I'm cookout-bound, as soon as I get of here this afternoon. It's hard to believe that today marks the unofficial end of summer...sniff sniff... But I'm kind of ready for the cooler weather. Yesterday was nice... we played outside with Christopher just about all day. He's going to be such a jock when he grows up. He went from hitting his tee ball to shooting baskets, to playing with his golf set to kicking around the soccer ball...and of course, he also took time out to ride his bike. And Friday night, my little football fan accompanied me and my husband to William Byrd's first game of the season. It's always fun cheering on my alma mater!! It was a close one...but the Terriers managed to pull it out over the Titans.
Whatever you and yours do on this holiday, be safe and have fun!!!
Wednesday, August 27
Greetings from Congestionland....at least that's where I feel like I now reside. Yuk! I was out sick for half of Thursday and all of Friday, and my head still feels full of gunk. But at least I can talk again. I lost my voice Thursday and really didn't start getting it back until Sunday... which is tough to deal with, especially when you talk for a living. Anyway....I jumped back into the grind this week and before I knew it, it was Wednesday!
Last night, I caught my second episode of "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" on ABC Family. What actually drew me to it was the fact that it stars my beloved Molly Ringwald....see, I told you I was a child of the '80s. Of course, now she's playing a MOM. And not just a mom, but the mother of a pregnant teenager...Yikes!! Anyway, it's a good show with a pretty talented young cast..especially Shailene Woodley,the young actress who plays Ringwald's pregnant daughter. It is, however, a bit of an age reality check to see Ringwald in such a grown-up role. That brings me to another show I'm anxiously awaiting...the new "90210." Of course, the only thing that made me interested in checking this one out is that both Jennie Garth and Shannon Doherty are going to be in the cast. Imagine..after all these years...Kelly and Brenda together again! Of course, Kelly's a guidance counselor at West Beverly, and I believe Brenda's supposed to be directing a show at the school....
Ahhh...all the great teens have grown up....but I would find it much easier to deal with if Dylan or Brandon also decided to drop by West Beverly....
Wednesday, August 20
Greetings! I'm battling a horrendous head cold (or maybe it's allergies)...either way, I'm so congested and I keep anticipating my voice is going to give out. But enough about me..haha... I received an E-mail today in response to my mentioning a story that I'm working on for back to school related to young children and cell phones. I'll give you a heads-up as to when it'll be airing. In the meantime, let me share the E-mail with you...
Hi Kimberly: I agree with you as well that three years old is a little young for a cell phone. My son is nine years old and wants a phone but my decision is no on the subject. I’m sure as he gets older the need for one will come about but definitely not at three years old. My true feelings on this is at three a child is either 1) at day care, a babysitter’s, or is being cared for by a family member or friend 2) is at home with a parent…so why would a three year old need a phone to check in. My point being with a child being that age you should not have to worry about calling. I know there are people who have different views on this subject and I like to think I am a open minded person so I should listen to what other people have to say. Keep us informed with what you find out! Also, you do a GREAT job with the news. You are very professional and I don’t know how you do your shift with a small child. I work 8-5 and feel like sometimes the hours spiral out of control.Sincerely, Cindy Hodges
Rocky Mount Thanks Cindy! As always, feel free to E-mail me about this or any topic you see on the air or on my blog. Now, let me pop another Halls cough drop into my mouth....
Tuesday, August 19
Hi there! Hope you had a great weekend. Yes, I know I'm checking in a day late on the whole "weekend" thing, but I just never got around to blogging yesterday. Forgive me!!!! We had a good one. My husband and I took Christopher to the big kids party Center in the Square hosted this weekend. He got to attend the "birthday party" for Center's mascot, Super Square. As I've told you before, my son is a mascot freak. He has to hug Super Square, the Valleydale Pig, Mugsy from the Avalanche, etc. at least twice at every event, plus do the obligatory high-fives. Anyway, it was nice. They had pizza and cake and gave out goody bags to the little pint-sized guests. We wanted to get Christopher's face painted, but the line stretched all the way to Elm Avenue (I'm exaggerating)...but it was long. So, we skipped that and went outside to enjoy the live music another other fun stuff on display.
I'll actually be on assignment later this morning, working on my cell phone story I told you about in Friday's blog....So, Mr. Bob Grebe will be keeping the anchor chair warm today at noon. I'll see ya tomorrow!
Friday, August 15
Hello and welcome to another Friday! This week seemed long, since last week was a short one for me, with vacation days, etc. I've started working on a back to school-type story that'll air in the next couple of weeks. It's on kids and cell phones, and how younger and younger children are getting them. I read on cnn.com that children as young as three....yeah, THREE, are getting cell phones. My son is three, and there's no way I would buy him a cell phone at this point. I try not to even let him play with my phone. But there are those who would disagree, so that's what I'm delving into..I'll also find out the best types of phones to get...what parents should find out before buying their kid a phone...important safety features to look for, as well as other pro's and con's. Feel free to drop me an e-mail at kmcbroom@wdbj7.com with your thoughts on this.
Have you been following the Olympics?? I haven't gotten to watch as much of it as I'd like, since I have to go to bed at dusk. But it's truly amazing to see what swimmer Michael Phelps has done to bring renewed excitement to the games. He's won six gold medals so far....will he reach his goal of eight? It's just another example of how badly in need we are of heroes. With so many celebrities, athletes, political figures, etc. falling from grace on what seems like a daily basis, we're always so eager to grasp on to someone who appears to embody everything that we aspire to be. Let's hope that Michael swims his way deeper into the history books, and doesn't end up another tabloid headline. Go, Team USA!!!
Tuesday, August 12
Hi there! Whew..it's been a busy start to the week, so I'm just now getting a chance to blog. Nothing too exciting..just checking in after a fun weekend.. I took Christopher to Summer Blast on Saturday at Green Hill Park in Roanoke County. We met up with his little best buddy and his mommy for a three- hour extravaganza of free entertainment and fun. I honestly think their favorite part was the display of fire trucks and other city and county vehicles. They each kept hopping into the driver's seats and posing for the camera (which, of course, is ever-present). Chris managed to get not one, but two of those little red plastic fire hats. And it took some careful maneuvering to avoid the fireman's foam..or as I call it..the kiddie trap. I didn't feel like walking around with a soaking wet child all day. But there were so many other booths there, I don't think the boys noticed. Chris did almost go into full meltdown mode at the wooden toys table. They each got a free wooden toy car, but Chris was not budging until he came away with something else. Yes, I know, I gave in. But if buying him a four-dollar truck keeps him happy for the rest of the day, I can deal with that. Everything else was free, which was great. The boys jumped themselves silly in the inflatable, and really loved getting to ride a pony. But honestly, I think if we'd have just stayed around the fire trucks, Chris would have been as happy as could be.
Friday, August 8
08-08-08....Ohhhh!!! For all your numerology fans, it's a big day! The Chinese consider it a very lucky day..therefore the Olympics Games in Beijing are getting under way as we speak.Of course, I've always had a penchant for the number 8, because I was born on November 8th....How LUCKY is that!!!!! I did a little on-line research (very little) and found the website virtuescience.com, which has all kinds of interesting little factoids on the number 8. Did you know that 8 is a Fibonacci Number? Yeah, I didn't know what that meant, either. 8 is also an octagonal number (okay, I did know that) and 8 can be partitioned in 22 ways. Think about that for a while...I tried, but my head started to explode. A mathematician, I am not. And did you know there are not 8, but 7 films with the number 8 in the title? " 8 Crazy Nights", "Butterfield Eight", "8 Mile", "8 Seconds", "8 Women", "8 mm" and "8 1/2". I'm having too much fun with this, I know... Can't wait until 09-09-09.... Wednesday, August 6 Hello there!! I'm back from a mini-vacation, and it was SOOO nice. I didn't go anywhere this time..just got some stuff done around the house, spent some time relaxing at the pool, slept in, etc. I kept Christopher home from pre-school with me yesterday and we spent some quality time at Chuck E. Cheese. We got there right before 11, and I couldn't believe how crowded it was on a Tuesday morning. There were two school busloads of kids, so the restaurant had the chaotic vibe of a Saturday afternoon. Of course, what's a trip to Chuck E. Cheese without some chaos? Yesterday also brought Christopher's first trip to the dentist. It was actually my semi- annual cleaning appointment, but I wanted him to come so that he'll know what to expect when he has his first appointment next year. I had the dental hygienist on one side of me and Christopher on the other. He was totally fascinated by all the tools, asking "What's that?" every few seconds or so. And of course, he was appropriately "grossed out" by all the food particles that were removed from my teeth. I assured him that when it comes HIS turn, there's no telling what the hygienist will find...hahaha!
Thursday, July 31
Yesterday was a bittersweet day around here at News 7. As you know, it was our good buddy, sports director extraordinaire Mike Stevens' last day with WDBJ. He'll be as missed in our hallways as he will be on the airwaves. Since moving to the dark and early shift more than a decade ago, I didn't get to work with Mike that closely over the last several years. I would mostly see him in passing. He'd be in a rush, cruising through the newsroom, preparing to cover a bowl game or some other big event. I'd get his trademark peace sign gesture, and a "How are ya, K-Broom?" And he'd always be smiling and full of energy. That's our Mike. When I first started here at Your Hometown Station, I was working nights as an associate producer, which meant rolling the TelePrompter for the evening newscasts. When we'd get to the sports segment, I'd just try to hang on and keep up with Mike. When I call him the king of ad-lib, I mean it. This guy knows his stuff so well...he really didn't seem to need a TelePrompter at all. Back in those days, he'd jokingly refer to me as the "best dressed TelePrompter operator in America." My theory was 'dress for the job you want, not necessarily the one you have.' A lot's changed since then, but one thing that hasn't changed is my admiration for Mike as a great person and a great professional. He's deserving of every accolade he's received the past couple of days, both on the air and off. I consider him one of the best people I've ever had the privilege of working with, and he fits right in at a place known as the "City of Champions." We'll miss you, Mike.
Monday, July 28
Happy Monday to ya!! I helped contribute to "The Dark Knight's" 300- million- dollar plus earnings this weekend, and was happy to do it! It's so nice when a film actually lives up to the hype, and in my opinion, this one certainly did. I didn't see "Batman Begins." That movie didn't really appeal to me...but you really didn't need to see that one to get the gist of "Knight." The acting was superb, which I totally expected it to be, considering the great cast. Of course, the late Heath Ledger stole the show as the Joker...but I thought Aaron Eckhart was heart-breaking as the ill-fated Harvey Dent/Two-Face. And legends like Morgan Freeman and Michael Kaine definitely didn't disappoint. Maggie Gyllenhaal's performance as Rachel Dawes was good, too...although we didn't get to see her enough. Of course, last but not least Batman himself, Christian Bale...absolute perfection. He has that dangerous vibe about him anyway that worked well in this role as well as others I've loved him in ("American Psycho" anyone?) And I when I say dangerous, I mean his on-camera persona..No comment on the current allegations that he assaulted his mother and sister. We'll have to wait and see how all that works out...So, if you haven't braved the crowded movie theatre yet... go. This film, at least, is actually worth the price of admission.
Wednesday, July 23
Hey there...a little programming reminder here. Coming up today on News 7 at Noon, I'll be doing an interview with child advocate and "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh via satellite. He'll be talking about ways to keep your "tween" safe online. I was just going over some stats for the interview and it was really eye-opening. 90- percent of kids who fall into this age bracket are online by the age of nine...And more than one in five post information about themselves, including pictures and details about where they live. And that, of course, invites danger into their lives. Anyway, if you're a parent or grandparent, be sure to check out the interview today. And remember, if you can't get to a TV at noon, you can always join us online, since we're now live- streaming News 7 at Noon at WDBJ7.com. And in another bit of "housekeeping," you can now leave comments and rate stories on our Web site. So feel free to leave me a comment about something you read here on my blog! You know I love hearing from you...
Monday, July 21
Happy Monday to ya! Hope you had a great weekend. Mine was fine..and busy. I took Christopher to see a movie Friday...No, not the new Batman movie. Three years old is a bit too young for this version...besides, my husband and I are planning to see it this coming weekend. No, I took my boy to see "Space Chimps," which I don't think has had any promotion at all. Of course, opening the same weekend as "The Dark Knight," they probably figured, why bother? It earned a "D" in "Entertainment Weekly," but I actually thought it was pretty cute, and offered several laughs on an adult level, too. Chris enjoyed it....along with the popcorn, of course! Besides, what's not to love about chimpanzees flying through space and saving the inhabitants of another planet?? On Saturday, we headed to Bridgewater Plaza at Smith Mountain Lake and had lunch. It's so beautiful down there...Chris had a blast just watching the fish swarming around for crumbs of bread people were tossing from the pier. All in all, a fun summer weekend. We have to soak them up while we can...I can't believe we're already in the latter half of July. Summer's going by WAY too fast!!!
Wednesday, July 16
Good Morning! Hope you're having a swell day so far. I had to put in my two cents' worth on the Vinton Skating Park matter. As a former Vinton resident myself (and proud William Byrd graduate), I'm very pleased that Vinton Town Council voted last night to keep Gearhart Skate Park open...at least until late September, as long as there's adult supervision. Let's face it, there isn't a lot of options for teenagers to occupy themselves. Yes, they can hang out at the mall (until 6 p.m. on weekends), or attend school functions or sports (which are great)...but there should be other outlets for kids, especially outdoors. While it may bring some noise and the occasional incident of vandalism...at least you know where these kids are hanging out. Isn't it better for them to have a designated spot for skateboarding, as opposed to being on the streets or behind a shopping center somewhere? I also have to applaud the skateboarders who showed up at town council last week to plead their case. That was a great display of initiative....and a wonderful way for them to see first-hand how local government works....all in the middle of summer vacation!
Monday, July 14
Okay, so the pressure was really on this morning to update my blog, thanks to our banter on News 7 Mornin' today. Bob was doing a story on Roanoke councilman Dave Trinkle's blog, and KEPT mentioning my blog....So... I HAD to update it today, but I was planning to do it anyway...Honest.
We had a nice weekend..we made it to the Salem Fair yesterday. Christopher and I met up with his best buddy and his parents, along with a couple of his older cousins. We got there right when the gates opened at noon, and the boys spent the next two hours riding everything that allowed those 36 inches and taller to hop aboard. Of course, my speed-obsessed son had to take a whirl on the race car ride three times. It was so hot, I had to forgo my annual funnel cake and opted for ice cream instead. Speaking of weather, the skies darkened just as we were getting ready to leave and then they opened up big-time as we were heading to the parking lot. It was a mad dash of parents and kids making the exodus out of the Salem Civic Center. And of course, my son wanted to jump in the puddles of our driveway when we got home...guess it just wasn't wet enough for him...
And speaking of family stuff...congrats to Brangelina on the birth of their twins this weekend..Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon. I love the girl's name...not sure about the boy's name, though. Of course, it's not as weird as some of the other celebrity baby names like say, Apple or Banjo or Sunday Rose..which is what Nicole Kidman named her baby girl, who by the way, was born on a Monday. Go figure....
Friday, July 11
Happy Friday to ya! Another weekend is upon us, and there's so much to do!! Of course, the Salem Fair is wrapping up on Sunday. I'm planning on heading over there with Christopher for our annual dose of funnel cake. I don't even want to know how many calories and fat grams are in those things....they're delicious! And we'll spend at least 20 minutes at the petting zoo...with plenty of Purel on hand, of course.
I'm sure you're as happy as I am that the whole scandalous Christie Brinkley divorce case is over. And yes, every graphic detail was played out for the media. But that turned out to be a wise thing for the supermodel. It's just hard to imagine why someone married to such a gorgeous woman would be addicted to internet porn. What was he thinking?? During testimony it was revealed that Peter Cook had spent up to three thousand dollars a month on porn. It's mind-boggling how that's even possible. The out of court settlement seems fair....Christie gets the kids and more than a dozen properties...Peter gets just over two million dollars and visitation rights. And as always, it's the children involved who are the real victims. How embarassing for them....
Tuesday, July 8
Hello there! Hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend! After working my normal shift on July 4th, my husband and I took Christopher to a pool party at our old friend, Steve Pardon's house. Lots of fun....plenty of barbecue and friends!! It did rain on us a couple of times...but no worries...I don't think the kids even noticed who were still playing in the pool! I wanted to make it down to the fireworks, but we were all pretty tired after swimming all afternoon that we just headed home. I watched some of the fireworks on TV..yeah, not exactly the same thing...but still patriotic. Speaking of which..Christopher's pre-school did a nice job with its annual July 4th parade and picnic. Each class proudly waved flags...sang songs...and got to eat lunch with their parents. Our parent committee even rented an Uncle Sam costume for the occasion....our thanks to the good sport who agreed to wear it!
Monday, June 30
Welcome to a new work week...of course, it's a short one for most folks, with July 4th coming up. I'll be working a half day on Thursday, the 3rd to attend Christopher's July 4th picnic and parade at his pre-school. It's so cute!! Each class dresses up and waves flags...some classes do songs or skits...quite adorable! I'm also excited that we'll actually get to go see the fireworks this year, since the 4th falls on a Friday and I can actually stay up until dark to see the light show.
Speaking of shows...my mom and I went to see the Miss Virginia pageant Saturday night. And if you were up early yesterday, you got to see the latest crown bearer, Miss Arlington Tara Wheeler, live on News 7 Sunday morning. It's always fun to try to predict the winner...my mother actually had her pegged early on. My original choice, Miss Apple Blossom Festival didn't make the top 10..but my second choice, Miss Greater Franklin County came in a respectable 4th runner-up. My hat's off to all the girls who put themselves out there and "go for it." It takes courage to do that (especially the swimsuit competition!!). Hopefully, next year we'll have a local representative, Miss Roanoke Valley. She was sorely missed this year...especially since the pageant itself is held in Roanoke.
Monday, June 23
Hi there!! I'm back from vacationland...Boo Hoo....Actually, to be a Monday and my first day back, it hasn't been bad. Today's actually gone by pretty quickly so far with my normal work, plus trying to catch up on E-mails. There's always a slew of them after a weekend...but after being gone for a week...it's more like an avalanche.
Myrtle Beach was great!! We were fortunate with the weather...it was sunny and warm every day. It rained a little on Friday afternoon...and there was a storm Saturday morning as we were packing to leave. But since we were leaving...who cared! We were busy the whole week (which is how it works when you travel with a three-year-old). Besides playing in the ocean, which Christopher LOVED, we hit the attractions at Broadway at the Beach. Chris enjoyed all the rides from the old Pavilion that are there...plus we toured Ripley's Aquarium. It's very cool...there's a part where you go through a tunnel and can see the sharks swimming all around you... Plus, we did Alligator Adventure. There was some excitement there. One of the gators escaped and ended up in the duck pond. They managed to capture him and "hog tie" him, and the handlers walked right by us as they were walking him back to his area. Let's see..what else. Oh, we spent Friday morning at the Nascar Speedpark. Chris loved it, since he's obsessed with cars. Of course, there were only a couple of rides that he could get on by himself. My husband rode some of the others with him...his favorite was a race car simulator that went around and around...When they got off, Chris was like, "We went really fast!!" That's my boy...little speed demon. We got home Saturday night and spent yesterday just catching up on housework and laundry...whew!! Now, I'm ready for another week off!
On a work-related note, I was excited to find out that we're now live streaming News 7 at Noon. So, as you're sitting at your desk cruising the net at lunchtime, check us out!!! Let me know what you think....
Friday, June 13
Hello there...it's Friday the 13th...ooohhh!!!! But I must stay, I'm feeling anything but unlucky today. I'm going on vacation next week...hooray! We had an especially fun-filled News 7 Mornin' show today featuring live musical segments from up and coming country music artist Johnny Napp. If you haven't heard of him yet, you will. He's quite talented, and you can catch his performance tomorrow night at Cattle Annie's in Lynchburg. And speaking of young musicians....I got to interview the extremely-talented Josh Groban Tuesday via satellite during our noon newscast. I genuinely enjoyed talking with him...despite his awards and accolades over the years, he remains very down-to-earth and was quite gracious during our interview.
I suppose that's all the news from here. Again, I'm just gearing up for a lovely week off. My husband and I are also celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary next week....Oh, wait....that was another Number 13 reference....ooooh!! creepy!! Hey, enjoy your Friday, the 13th and don't walk under any ladders....just in case...
Monday, June 9
"Sex and the City" Spoiler Alert!!!!!!! Don't read if you haven't seen the movie..unless you don't care how it ends.....
As promised...I am here with my "Sex and the City" review. One word sums it up-- awesome!!!! It was a lengthy movie...close to two and a half hours, but I was engrossed the entire time. Seriously...I didn't want it to end. I was hoping the projectionist would just segue into a marathon showing of "Sex and the City" episodes. It had just the right mix of funny moments (i.e. Samantha with the sushi...and all of the scenes with her lusting after her new neighbor)....along with moments that made you want to throw things at the screen (i.e. Steve cheating on Miranda and of course, Big leaving Carrie at the altar at their "first" wedding). But in true Hollywood fashion, there's a happy ending and Big finally marries Carrie. So, two "Big" thumbs up from me for the romance, the humor, and of course, the Fashion!! I couldn't help but notice the huge presence of the color yellow...could be because of the fact that my friends and I all ended up wearing yellow cocktail attire..and NO, it wasn't planned....just beautifully coordinated. Carrie Bradshaw...er....Carrie PRESTON would approve.
Friday, June 6
Another Friday has finally arrived!! Hurray! Tonight, several of my friends and I are going to see the "Sex and the City" movie. It's been tough this week avoiding all reviews/interviews/spoilers, etc. I DO know that despite earlier rumors, they don't kill off Mr. Big. And hopefully, they don't kill off anyone...but we'll find out tonight. We're dressing up..doing dinner beforehand, the whole nine yards. So yes...it's an event...And I'll write my review on Monday.
Let's see...what else is happening...I took Christopher to see the "Backyardigans" Wednesday night with his little buddy. Chris isn't as HUGE a fan of that show as he is say, anything on Playhouse Disney and PBS Sprout....but he still liked the live performance. But I have to admit, I'm not exactly sure what the "Backyardigans" are supposed to be. Are they animals, insects, fairies??? Whatever they are, they sure can sing, and kept us pretty entertained for the hour and 15 minutes they were on stage. Afterwards, we had to stop by the souvenir stand (always a scary proposition), but Chris chose wisely this time....a C.D. And I have to admit, it's pretty good. We'd almost worn out his Laurie Berkner Band CD...so this one will be a good addition to the kid music rotation.
Tuesday, June 3
Hello...and thanks for stopping by! If you're able to, try to catch News 7 at Noon today. We're doing a live interview with not one, but two authors who've written what you'd consider "politically- incorrect," but quite humorous books on funeral customs...that's right, funerals. When I first heard that we were doing the interviews, I kind of wondered how it would come off..But then I read some of the reviews and these ladies have really hit upon something that most of us have likely encountered....the "competition" among ladies to for the tastiest after- funeral fare...the uncertainty over how to word "Thank you" notes and obits, etc. But these authors write in a way that's informative, with just the right amount of comic relief. Jessica Bemis Ward's book is titled "Food to Die For," and of course, it includes over 100 great recipes for comfort food. Charlotte Hayes' book "Being Dead is No Excuse" offers the same type of information with a touch of humor. Tune in for the interview, or check it out online and let me know what you think....
Thursday, May 29
Hi there! Sorry this is the first time I've blogged this week. I was off on Monday for Memorial Day, and just hadn't had a chance to chat with ya until today. Hope you had a great holiday weekend. Mine was nice...pretty laid back..we went to the pool a couple of times and I took Christopher to Festival in the Park Saturday to meet up with his little buddy. We were there for three hours!! I think that's a new festival record for me. But when you have a child, it's easy enough to get caught up in the array of shows...one right after the other. We started with the Captain Jack Sparrow magic act...then segued into the show poodles performance....then of course, the Ronald McDonald Show. You'd have thought it was Hannah Montana, the way the kids were crowding the festival stage, my son included. He managed to get Ronald's autograph..but was extremely bummed that he didn't get to give him a high-five. You see, giving and receiving high five's are VERY important to my little fellow...especially when mascots are involved. (See earlier notes about Chris' obsession with the Salem Avalanche's Mugsy).
It's been a pretty good week so far...and a short one, thank goodness! I am counting down the days until my girlfriends and I go see the new "Sex and the City" movie. We're planning on going NEXT Friday night....so be on the lookout for my amateur movie review. As long as Mr. Big is front and center for much of the film, it'll get two "Big" thumbs up from me....
Thursday, May 22
"American Idol" rocks! Yes, if you've read my blog before, you know that I'm very pleased with how last night's vote went...and very surprised. After all the fawning Simon Cowell & Co. did over David Archuleta Tuesday night, I just KNEW that he was the one who would walk away with the "Idol" crown last night. Therefore, I watched the first hour...then let the DVR take care of the second half. I didn't want to sacrifice precious sleep to stay up until 10:00 and watch the younger David win. Nothing against him...he's very talented and has a bright future in music ahead of him...but I didn't think he was the BEST singer in the competition. And I didn't want to be even MORE sleep-deprived this morning watching him win. So....I didn't find out about David Cook winning until I came into work this morning and hopped on the Internet. What a great way to start the day!! Imagine...the singer who actually deserved to win the competition WON it. In my opinion, that hasn't happened in a couple of seasons...Of course, my first top pick to win Season Seven was Carly Smithson. But she, along with my other choice, Michael Johns, was booted out far too early. I was so happy to see the producers had the good judgment to let the pair actually sing together last night. What a fantastic finale it would have been had they been the last two standing. But I digress....I'm happy with how the show turned out. So now I can watch the final hour on the DVR, and NOT dred seeing the end....But I AM dredding the fact that we have to wait until next year for our next batch of wanna-be "Idols."
Monday, May 19
Hi there...hope you had a fantastic weekend. Mine was full!! I love being busy on the weekend. But then by Monday, I feel like I need another weekend to recover from my weekend. Make sense? Probably not...after all, it is Monday, and I could use another hour or two of sleep...
I took Christopher to Local Colors on Saturday, and what a perfect day it was to be out in Elmwood Park! I wore a long-sleeved shirt with walking shorts..and literally within about 10 minutes, I was regretting that decision. It warmed up in a hurry!! Anyway, Chris was fascinated by these cool little twirling toys at the Japanese booth, so we bought one of those..and of course, we had to hit the face painting booth. I took his picture in front of the Ireland and England displays..as a nod to his heritage...and we enjoyed the Parade of Nations for a little while before it was getting too close to lunchtime. Later that evening, Christopher, his dad and I went out to the Salem Avalanche game. Again, perfect weather...We enjoyed jamming to one of our favorite local bands, Key West, before the game started. What can be better than singing along to Jimmy Buffett tunes before a baseball game??
Thursday, May 15
Well, well, well...all the "American Idol" pundits were right. (But what qualifies one to be a 'pundit'???) Anyway, it's going to be David versus David in next week's season finale. I'm not surprised..but I was hoping the lovely and very talented Syesha Mercado would have been in the finals with rocker David Cook. As I've blogged to you before, I just don't get the David Archuleta appeal. Maybe, that's because I'm not 12...Still, anyone with eyeballs can't help but notice that the poor guy looks (and sounds) like he's about to pass out at any moment. And given his tender age of 17, who wouldn't be freaked out by all that scrutiny?? Are "Idol" voters doing this kid a disservice by k, eeping him in the competition this long? I wonder...Of course, those of us who have been watching this show since the beginning know that you don't have to win the title of "American Idol" to get a big money recording contract, so both the David's will come out of this thing just fine...and so will Syesha...and likely, so will Michael Johns and Carly Smithson. Of course, from a TV biz standpoint, there is something delicious about the "David vs. Goliath" set-up heading into the season finale...More mature, confident rocker vs. young, timid child prodigy....who wouldn't want to tune in to that??
Speaking of items TV- related...yesterday during our noon newscast, I got the opportunity to do a live satellite interview with CBS News Correspondent Kimberly Dozier. She's written a new book, "Breathing the Fire..." which chronicles her heroic recovery after being caught in a car bombing nearly two years ago while covering the war in Baghdad. She's not only a great journalist...but quite a tough, determined lady to have endured such a long, painful physical and emotional recovery that she has. I was also surprised to also learn that she still has a home in Jerusalem. I admire her fighting spirit so much, and am even more a fan of hers now than I was before. She's a true class act in our business.
Monday, May 12
Hello everyone! Welcome to yet another Monday...yeah yeah, I know. Hope you and yo, urs had a great Mother's Day. Mine was very nice. We went out to brunch yesterday with my Mom. I don't even want to think about all the calories I consumed, but it was delicious!! I got not one, but two cards from Christopher. One he made a pre-school (with some help from his teachers). I have so many scrapbooks of his artwork, daily report sheets, photos, etc... By the time he's 18, I'm probably going to need a storage building JUST to house all that stuff. I'm a packrat by nature. I've pretty much kept every letter, card, note, school assignment, etc. that I've ever had. My mom has a few boxes of it..but I have plenty. Every time I run across those things, the more practical side of me says, "What are you keeping this for???" But the sentimental side says, "You've kept it for this long....why throw it away now?"
Also this weekend, we took Christopher to the skating rink for his best friend, Sheldon's birthday party. They had the best time. Instead of skating on the "sl, ow r, ollers," kids were asked to bring their riding toys. They were adorable...Christopher had fun hopping on a motorized bike..once he got a handle on the accelerator pedal..there was no stopping him! Yep, my boy has a need for speed...
Thursday, May 8
To all my fellow "American Idol" fanatics..can I just say "Thank Goodness"!!!! If you watch the show, you already know what I'm talking about. It was bad enough that Jason Castro was in the top 10....then the top 5...but when he ended up in the top 4, I was seriously considering not watching the show anymore (at least not this season). I actually told my husband yesterday that if Jason didn't get voted off this week, do NOT under any circumstances, let me tune in again this season. Since I'm addicted to the show, I'm really glad I won't have to boycott it. But seriously, how many pre-teens texted in votes for this guy, just because he's cute?? I understand the appeal, to a certain degree. But come on guys...he CAN'T SING!!!! He would sound fine at a beachfront cafe, while patrons are sipping margaritas. That's about it. I figured he would ha,, ve at least found his niche with the Bob Marley song..but even that was atrocious. Just so I'm not a total hater, he seems like a cool fellow, so maybe he can parlay his Idol experience into a successful career....just not as a major recording star. As always, feel free to E-mail me at kmcbroom@wdbj7.com with your opinions about "Idol" or anything else. I love hearing from you!!!
Monday, May 5
Happy Cinco de Mayo to you! Yet another occasion after an absolutely jam-packed weekend....Thanks to everyone who stopped by our tent at Elmwood Park Saturday at the Chili Cook-off! We heard over and over again how our chili was the BEST...of course, the ballots said otherwise..Hahaha! But hey, it's all in good fun and a great benefit for Greenvale School. And for the record, I thought our chili was even better than last year's. Leo and I also got a chance to meet Big Tom from "Survivor." He was out and about sampling chili and signing autographs...and yes, he too told me our chili was the best he'd tried so far... Later on Saturday, several of us from News 7 attended the annual Kentucky Derby party given by our dear friends Steve and Nicole Pardon. Steve used to be one of our Mornin' co-horts....The party was lots of fun...complete with Mint Juleps and a Derby hat contest. Of course, later I was saddened to learn that Eight Belles had to be put down immediately after the race, because she'd broken bot, , h front ankles. To race as well as she did, and then have that happen right there on the track is so tragic. I'm just glad I didn't see it when it happened...
Friday, May 2
Hello...hope you're having a great Friday. Mine's been fine...just passing by very SLOWWWWWLYYYYY. I always feel that way when there's a lot of things coming up on the weekend. Several, of us at News 7 will be servin' up chili tomorrow at the annual Chili Cookoff in downtown Roanoke. Leo and I will be there from 10:00 a.m. until noon, so get up early and have some spicy chili for breakfast!! Leo says the weather should be nice for at least most of the day. Of course, it seems every year there's at least one shower/thunderstorm on the event.
This will be a DOUBLE public appearance weekend for me...I'll also being emceeing the exciting performance by the Golden Dragons Chines, e Acrobats at the Jefferson Center on Sunday afternoon. I checked out one of their shows on-line and they're phenomenal! Whatever you decide to do this weekend, hope you have fun!
Monday, April 28
Hi there, and welcome to yet another work week. Boy, the weekend flew by! I'm having a tough time waking up today, with the rainy weather. But it sure felt like summertime on Saturday. We took Christopher to my old stomping grounds, the former William Byrd Junior High School, where the Vinton Dogwood Festival had its carnival set up. I was so proud of him..he actually won a big stuffed penguin throwing darts at balloons. Of course, with a three-year-old, you don't always know where the dart might end up..but he was on his good behavior and actually aimed where he was supposed to aim. There were also lots of rides, and of course, Chris conned us into buying more tickets than we'd originally planned. He rode the "choo choo" train a couple of times, and even talked me into riding the miniature rollercoaster with him. And yes, I still closed by eyes on that one. I can only imagine the number of rollercoasters I'm going to end up riding once he gets old enough to ride the BIG ones at Kings Dominion, Disney World, etc. My favorite rollercoaster is still Space Mountain at Disne, y, World. The best part about that one...it's so dark in there you can't tell what's coming up (or down)...
Friday, April 25
Another Friday is upon us, and what an exciting week it has been here at Your Hometown Station! Yes, we're now in HD! It took a lot of hard work and elbow grease to make the switchover officially on Tuesday evening. Kudos to our operations staff and those from other departments who also pitched in to make us look so good! Oh, and hopefully we do look good... We had a makeup consultant come in last week to give us each an "HD makeover." I scribbled down notes from her as quickly as I could, so hopefully I'm using the triangular cosmetic wedges and makeup brushes correctly!
On another TV note, I have to share my rant about "American Idol" this season. What is up with the voters this year?? Firs,, t, they vote off the talented (and yes, very hot) Austra, lian singer Michael Johns. This week, they voted out the most talented of the female singers, Carly Smithson. I just don't get it...we're left with Jason Castro, whose appeal I really DON'T understand and poor Brooke White, who's a good singer in a Sheryl Crow sort of way, but not a vocal powerhouse by any means. Now that Carly's gone, I have only David Cook to root for. He has the ability to make each performance interesting and memorable..and could possibly have a successful rock career along the same lines of Chris Daughtry (my all-time favorite Idol). So, I'll keep watching, as long as David Cook's around...after that, I may boycott. Oh, who am I kidding...I'm hopelessly addicted to this show....no matter how far down the talent pool has dwindled... On that sour note, have a great weekend!!
Monday, April 21
Greetings...hope you enjoyed your weekend. We had a jam-packed Friday night/Saturday morning. Mayberry Night was lots of fun at Salem Memorial Stadium Friday. Christopher was excited that he not only got to hug Mugsy (at least three times)...but he also g, ot a written "citation" from Officer Barney Fife at the ballpark. The drawback to those perfect nights at the stadium..the concession lines are so long! And of course, when you have a little one...there's the initial trip for the hotdog that you're fairly sure he'll eat....then the subsequent trip for the second hotdog that he'll ask for and MAYBE eat. Then there's always room for Dippin' Dots..and yes, another line. But it's all in the name of family fun..and weather was absolutely awesomet that night. On Saturday morning, Christopher and I met up with his best buddy, Sheldon and his mommy at the Kite Festival in Green Hill Park. Again, Mother Nature was on our side. And the breeze was just right for so many kites that were waving proudly. Alas, ours was not one of them. I think the Elmo kite kit I bought was a bit too sophisticated for my lack of kite-flying skills..and we spent a large part of the day untangling the string. Note to self...next year, seek professional kite-flying counseling. And I'll share another humorous tale...the kite festival also provided Christopher with his first experience with a porta-john. B, less, his heart, he was actually looking for a sink to wash his hands in. Than, , k goodness for Purel...
Monday, April 14
Hey...thanks for coming by the blog. I can't believe it's already Monday. The weekend literally flew by!! Now that it's spring-time...it seems there are festivals every weekend. So..as we launch the Festival 2008 tour....Christopher and I went to the spring fest at Oak Grove Elementary School Saturday morning and had a great time. Of course, he had to have his face painted, but we stopped short at spray-painting his hair. They had a good variety of games for the smaller kids, i.e. coin toss, as well as those ever-popular giant inflatables. They'd moved everything indoors, since we were expecting rain...but it turned out just lovely!! Our next planned, stop on the "festival tour" is the kite festival this coming Saturday at Green Hill Park. Let's cross our fingers that we'll have great weather like we had on Saturday. My husband grilled dinner and we played basketball and "baseball"...i.e. Chris hitting the baseball from his tee ball stand. He has a great pitching arm..but tends to want to bat with just one hand... which is also how he likes to swing his golf club...I'm SURE that's how Tiger Woods started out, too. By the way, we were pulling for Tiger to earn another green jacket yesterday... but no such luck...
Thank goodness spring is here and summer isn't far away...just doing simple things like playing outdoors is the best therapy after a long, busy week.... Hope you enjoy YOUR week...
Friday, April 11
Hello there!! This is my first chance to blog this week..it's been a busy one around here. Tuesday morning, I had the opportunity to do a one-on-one interview with Virginia Tech President Charles Steger. He offered some of his reflections on the April 16th shootings, now that we're coming up on the one year anniversary. That interview will be among the special pieces we'll be airing as part of our anniversary coverage. I also put together a timeline of events of that day. While reviewing the video and interviews from that infamous week, my emotions were again stirred. But I think the Tech community has made huge strides in getting past the tragedy, while still h,, o, noring those who died as a result of it.
On a much lighter note..how about the awesome summer weather? I took Christopher to the park yesterday, and neither of us really wanted to leave. It was just so nice to feel the warm sunshine..but of course, Jay Webb mentioned this morning that the warm temperatures will be short-lived..and we could actually see some flurries Sunday morning. Say what??!! Oh well..at least the warm weather will return next week sometime.
Last weekend, several of us from News 7 attended the wedding of our Digital Media guru Mike Episcopo and his lovely bride Laura Whitaker in the picturesque Hinton, WV. I'd never been there before...very pretty scenery! However, our motel accomodations were less than four-star. I kept looking for Norman Bates to come visit me....AAARH!!! All kidding aside, we all had a great time dancing and toasting the happy couple! Congrats to them...and we happily welcome Laura into our little WDBJ family...
Hope you and yours have a great weekend!!
Tuesday, April 1
Happy April Fool's Day!! Be on the lookout for pranksters..We have a few here at the station, so I'm staying on guard today..hahaha! If you were watching News 7 Mornin' today (and I'm sure you were)..you might have caught Bob Grebe's preview of the show my alma mater will be performing on the Great White Way. That's right...the William Byrd Players are one of only a few schools chosen out of hundreds to take part in the National Performing Arts Festival in New York City. They'll perform a 20 minute rendition of "School House Rocks, Live!" The group had to raise over $20,000.00 to go,, and they did it. As a former member of the William Byrd Drama Club (long before the "William Byrd Players"), I'm very proud. Of course, back when I was there (Class of '89), we didn't do musicals..just straight dialogue plays. We had the best time rehearsing and making our own props (yes, our budget was tight). My , senior year, I got to star AND direct in a one-act version of Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite." I had so much fun getting to call the shots...although it's a lot harder than it seems. And there's nothing like getting that immediate response from the audience in live theatre... You know when you put just the right humorous punch on a line...They laugh. And when a joke falls flat...dead silence. So break a leg, Terriers!!
Friday, March 28
Hey there..Happy Friday to ya! It's been a pretty good week...especially with the warm weather. That always puts an extra spring in my step! Christopher and I have been to the park three times in the past six days. I think I enjoy playing on the slides and swings as much as he does! And I think that's true in general. I genuinely enjoy all the "kid" stuff..i.e. Circus, Chuck E Cheese, carnivals, going to see live performances of "The Wiggles" and "Disney Playhouse Live." It's a chance to re-live the fun parts of just being a kid. And y, ou don't really get that opportunity until you HAVE a child. Of course, you can go to all those things without kids...it just might look a bit odd... Anyway... there is a show in town this weekend that's more catered to adults..the annual Home Show Better Living Expo starts today at Salem Civic Center. Get those "Honey Do" lists ready! Some of us from News 7 will be there. Your Hometown Station will have a booth set up in the lobby. I'll be there for a little while this afternoon.....if you get a chance, come by and say "Hello." Have a great weekend!!
