BEHIND THE SCENES- to my viewers & co-workers

severe storm team coverage

im really demanding

BUT...

it's because of my co-workers and our viewers

i'm demanding because i can be...

i can present the most difficult challenges to my co-workers

and somehow... it just becomes a fun group challenge that ends up building team work and friendship

you see

i don't only anchor the morning show,

 i also write/produce a 2 hour show

i was presented a "challenge" overnight

it proved to me...

what i already knew...

i have the best co-workers 

in difficult, stressful times...

 my co-workers get it done

with pride, joy, and eagerness...

to keep our viewers safe and informed

after 1.5 hrs of sleep (busy day of mtgs & an appearance)

I come into work around 10:30pm... 

i find my news director, ed reams,

eager and excited to keep our viewers safe

he hasn't slept yet.

he doesnt plan to

coffee and energy chrystal light.. in our future

we have "twitter" wars to see who can get the info first to viewers

we maintain this war overnight.. he helps me stay awake

assignment editor, terrance kelly, babysits the police scanner

thank goodness (this is usually my job)

he's on the phone left and right

he's getting information on deadly fires, accidents, etc

but he does this with a passion to help

desire to work hard to keep our viewers safe

our First Alert Storm Team meteorologists are yelling out warnings

the production staff gets them on air immediately

11pm anchor, val thompson, is such a trooper

he pretty much worked a 15 hr shift

no complaints, just smiles and determination

our morning reporter, amanda crawford,  comes in 2.5 hrs early

bearing a box of homemade muffins and a contagious smile

she sits down... i do not need to ask...

she's my assistant

somehow she reads my mind

and gets things done

the asst news director, kay norred,

 comes in wearing an ABC hat, WHSV tshirt

she's ready to rock and roll

she brings out a bunch of snacks on the table

and she's helping me left and right

making phone calls, etc

she's a cheerleader despite only 3 hrs of sleep

during my twitter wars with my news director

we find other co-workers eager to help

reporter todd corrillo is off

but he's on the phone, he's outside getting photos, footage, information

because of his desire to help keep the Valley safe

two of our whsv photojournalists are called in

they immediately come in to work

smiles, laughs, good spirits

i get a call from daybreak meteorologist mallory

she can't sleep because of all the weather alerts

its in her nature to get the information to viewers asap

she comes in super early to help josh, who had been in overnight

(josh worked more than 14 hrs too)

they tag team with our anchors

and we air five hours of wall-to-wall severe weather coverage

new this morning anchor, ed, is on the desk

he's on his cell, he's making his calls

he gets information most journalists can't

my twitter, email, facebook and phone are flooded with messages

sources give us the inside scoop

viewers and friends give us their news stories

whsv viewers are in their basements, with their tv audio on

they follow along, stay informed, stay safe

all night and into the morning

they are sending us encouraging and informative messages

it's really overwhelming

but it the best way possible

the feeling you get...

when you ask yourself, 

"how did i get so blessed?"

the morning production staff comes in

without skipping a heartbeat

they're making miracles happen

they never tell me... something can't be done

it's always done

my director goes with the flow

with the "challenges" his producer (me) presents to him

he allows me to be demanding

let's just say...

my production staff has spoiled me rotten

i'm demanding because our WHSV viewers expect the best

 it's because our Valley viewers... practice the Golden Rule

they keep their neighbors safe

with the information we provide them

they hold us to the highest standards

and why shouldn't they?

they depend on us

to get late breaking news

and they are loyal

when josh asks, "take cover"

they take cover

when mallory asks, "stay away from windows"

they stay away from windows

but our Valley viewers do not stop there

they tweet, they facebook, they call, they email

not just us... but their fellow neighbors

they keep their neighbors safe

as we aim to do here at WHSV

i know i'm demanding

i only expect the best from the people i work with

but it's only because they can provide the best

and have yet to prove...

that i'm "too" demanding 

I want to thank all of my hard working co-workers

you all truly impressed me today

not only did you work hard

you worked hard with no sleep

but the best attitude

the morning news coverage

was a lot about keeping our viewers safe

from the deadly storms that ripped through Virginia

I want to thank our viewers

not only for watching

but for your trust, your information, your support

you give us the "wind" beneath our wings

so until you expect less of us

i suppose...

we will just keep on... keepin' on

Thanks YAW =)

why do i stress about paper?

all i did... was PAPER today

i am the american psycho

as in the character played by christian bale

but only when it comes to paper

i spent the last 12 hours

contemplating

ecru? soft white? ecruwhite?

textured? embossed?

debating

calligraphy? engraved? thermography? letterpress? digital printing?

which im sure no one could tell the difference

at least i wouldn't be able to tell the difference

but what about the weight?

medium? heavy? ultra?

oh, definitely ultra heavy

has to be 110lbs.

really?

do i care?

is it worth spending 12 hours deciding?

apparently it is

i had an easier time buying my first house

my second house

finding and accepting my television job

and now...

im left to contemplate...

do i want double envelopes?

daycay at SNP~ it's free this wknd!

watta is one of the dogs

who has a mini closet that includes doggy couture (yes, juicy)

people often mistake him for a girl

(perhaps its the pink leash)

but... one trip to the Shenandoah Natl Park

changed his life

he became a REAL manly dog

SNP is one of my favorite parts of living in the Valley

it's full of beautiful hiking trails

and dozens of gorgeous creeks and waterfalls!

watta was scared at first on the hike

we even ran into a black bear

people ask me, was it a cub or mother bear?

i tell them, no... he was a teenage bear

anyways

watta was very afraid at first

making sure i was right behind him

but after his first hike

he became a brave hiking dog

not afraid of bears

not afraid of rabbits

nothing!

i credit SNP for making my dog so brave

and i highly recommend

taking a daycay this weekend to your national parks

after all, we do pay for them

and it is "FREE" this weekend for all!

trust me

you may feel lazy heading up there

but once you get to the top

take a deep breath

enjoy the beauties

and watch out for that teenage bear!

Behind the Scenes- Brats who work for WHSV

random newsroom coversations at 2am

in light of the courtroom battle between Barbie and Bratz

Amanda Crawford and I had an enlightening discussion

...human coffee tables & ET swings...

although the Judge decided against Barbie yesterday

we all know... Barbie is better than Bratz

at least she is to me.. and amanda

my first toy bought on american soil

is a Barbie

she had a sparkly long light blue dress

a long faux fur matchin coat

and in one press of a button,

she brushed her hair

my Barbie colletion grew to dozens and dozens

i even had a Michael Jackson Barbie (w/a white glove)

including a walk-in closet that was used as a Barbie community

equipped with everything a little girl dreams about

except an elevator

amanda and i are conversing about Barbie & Bratz at 2am

we both find out..

we were kinda jipped!

we must be the only two girls who never had a Barbie elevator

the ADD conversation turns into a "who was more bossy" contest

amanda's submission starts with her childhood tea parties

as the first born,

she would script out what her little sister and brother would say and do

that includes her brother's role as a human "coffee table"

she told me this... while i was drinking water

(so i spilled water all over me, thinking of Borat... just sayn'...)

i start my submission with my ET swing

i used to have the coolest ET swing inside my bedroom

my little cousins always wanted to swing in it

i thought i was so cool, standing at the top of the stairs

i'd lure my little cousins with candy and the swing

they'd crawl up the stairs

and after the halfway mark

i'd yell, "who told you to come up. go back down"

after they made it back down, frightened and scared

i'd smile and lure them up again

over... and over... and over again

btw. my ET swing completely freaked amanda out

she thinks ET is scary

my mom did, too

that's why i was only allowed 1 stuffed ET and 1 ET swing

i suppose amanda and i were bossy

don't blame us

blame our birth order!

but isnt that what you expect of first borns or only childs?



so, Barbie or Bratz?

i used to know how to ride a bike...

i got pretty good at riding my bike

i was pretty cool...

riding a bike w/ a pink banana seat and basket

i even mastered the "no hands" method

i remember a mosquito flew into my eye one day

when christina and i were riding our bikes in elementary school

it was her dad who taught me how to ride a bike

she was my sister, her dad was my uncle, her mom was my aunt

her pesky little brother..
well...

he was my pesky little brother who always asked so many questions

we used to find jars of mold behind the couch 

they were bill's experiments

our parents always called us fish

because we would swim every day, sunrise to sundown

we were as tanned as we could be

we didn't care

we swam, and swam, and swam

unless we were making clothes for our little dolls

after the pool

christina's mom would wash my hair

i loved it when she washed my hair

she put conditioner on a comb

made sure my hair was detangled from the pool

but christina liked it when my mom washed her hair

my mom would splash massive amounts of water

i suppose she thought it was "refreshing"

i thought it was annoying getting water in my ear and all

those are my most vivid memories of elementary school

christina and i were like forest and jenny

really

we even wore the same clothes

made by her mother...

special one of the kind dresses

except christina always looked like a model

because she was (really, she was a model!)

i always looked like a ...

ok. we can skip this

christina and i were inseparable

until i moved to virginia

twenty years later

i find christina

on facebook

we talk

i cry

some things never change

we are still sisters

and she is still as beautiful as i remember

but some things *do* change

i no longer know how to ride a bike

as many daybreak viewers saw at the shenandoah speedway race*

(dont believe it when people say "it's like riding a bike")

that's a lie

*last year, i was in a "celebrity bike race" at the shenandoah speedway half time show... i had to ride a tricycle

no joke