Holiday Excitement

I can't believe it's been a week since I was writing from the Denver airport. Boy does time go by fast. I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays. It's hard to believe 2009 is only a couple of days away! Christmas with the family was nice. We had a pretty eventful Christmas Eve. It's been a tradition of ours to go to church then have dinner at Outback Steakhouse. Well, while we heading to Outback my mom called to put our name in. After she told the hostess party of 5, the hostess responded with 65 minute wait then all of a sudden scream into the phone, "fire in the kitchen!" and hung up. We ended up driving across the street from the restaurant to Carrabas and low and behold fire trucks were speeding to Outback and the entire restaurant was evacuated. The excitement didn't stop there... The manager of Carrabas apologized because our wait time ended up doubling which wasn't that big of a deal. Then, once we started to get our food, Matt found a piece of a a broken ceramic plate in his salad! Our waiter was a friend of his and said he'd let the manager know. As soon as she made it to our table, she said, "Not you guys again!" It was pretty funny. Luckily for her, we weren't too worried about either or the troubles. The manager chatted with us for awhile joking about how after Outback caught on fire all of the customers headed to Carrabas and a waiter walked out after venting to his table that he wasn't having a good day. Needless to say, the manager had her work cut out for her that night. Christmas day was spent with my dad's brother and his family in Kentucky. It's always nice to spend time with them since we don't see them a lot. My car was dropped off Christmas day too. All it needed was a big bow on top :) Just my luck though, I still haven't been able to drive it. It was fine when the mover dropped it off, but somehow yesterday morning the entire back windshield was shattered. It's being fixed tomorrow morning.
That's all the holiday excitement for now. I can't believe how warm it is here. Washington is getting inches and inches of snow and it reached nearly 60 degrees yesterday! I'm not complaining, it was definitely nice out, but just strange since it is the end of December. And, for anyone who's wondering, yes, I plan to keep this blog up as I continue to look for a new job. I'm sure I will have plenty of stories to tell, plus I with new friends across the country it's the perfect way to keep everyone in the loop.

This is what "boothing my show" means. It's the producer's desk in the control room where I follow along with the script and make sure everything is on time. I have a headset to listen and talk to the director. The long microphone is how I can talk to my anchors and let them know about any changes as the show evolves.
This is the view from the doorway leading into the control room. You can see another producer sitting at the desk and then on the right hand side is the director, graphics operator and audio person. Way back in the corner is where the tapes are handled.
And last, but not least a picture from our final farewell dinner. A handful of us gathered at PF Changs Saturday night to have one last outing together. What a great group of people to work with-I'm going to miss them!

Airport Nightmare

I am writing as I sit at the Denver airport. After running through the Denver airport to catch my connecting flight I made it on the plane only to be forced off soon after. The pilot announced there is mechanical problems and everyone must leave the plane. They said it could take an hour or hours before we get back on. All I know right now is that there is some problem and a part is being shipped to the airport. According to the screen at the gate, we were suppose to re-board the plane 10 minutes ago. That's obviously not happening.

It's amazing all the announcements for other flights and number of standbys listed. I just heard an airport official announce a plane is overbooked by 14 people and the soonest she can get those on standby a flight to their destination is Tuesday night! What a stinking nightmare. I don't even want to imagine being here for 2 more days. Well, my battery is going to die and I can hardly keep my eyes open. I haven't slept since Friday night and that was only a couple of hours. I hope your weekend before Christmas is running smoother than mine.

Sinking in...

I had hoped to post more pictures of the packing process, last days at work and the snow, but unfortunately, I canceled my Internet Tuesday and only have access from work. Therefore, I will have to post pictures from home.

But, I'm going to have to make this quick. It's starting to sink in that I only have one more show left, plus I just said goodbye to my news director. I'm taking tomorrow off to be around when the movers arrive and he's off the rest of the week. I'm excited to be closer to family, but saying goodbye is definitely going to be harder than I thought.

Winter wonderland

Yes it is. Snow and ice took over the area this weekend and boy is it cold. I drove to the station this afternoon to print some things out and make some more copies of my resume tape and it was as though no one plowed the streets overnight or this morning. I was really surprised how bad the streets were considering it hadn't snowed much at all today. I'm use being at home and having the plowers out salting the roads even BEFORE it starts snowing. O well. Other than that, my weekend as been extremely low key. Lots of packing. It's hard to believe I only have this weekend left and then I will be back home. The time has flown by pretty fast.

Friday evening...Sunday night...
It might not look like a big change, but I can promise you it is. What you see is almost all of my things. I really don't have that much - not surprising since I haven't been living in WA for too long. The movers come Thursday, so I don't have much time left to get things done. Luckily, all of my cabinets are empty and my clothes are all off their hangers. Once I can get my clothes sorted out between what I want to have with me and what I don't mind missing for two weeks then I will be good to go. The last thing I will take apart is my bed. Everything else.... is pretty much packed :)
I hope your weekend was a bit more fun than mine. I'm sure I will have some interesting stories in the next couple of days. I'm not sure if I will see a movie this week. I couldn't see "When the Earth Stands Still this week due to the timing. The schedule changes at the station left our reviewer watching the movie during the morning when I was working. Luckily, he said it was not worth his time... it just stood still on screen - no excitement. I have no idea what the movie is or what it will be this week. As soon as I do, I will let you know.

Two weeks and counting...

I really dropped the ball on blogging this past week. It was a really busy week for multiple reasons. I'm not sure how this week is going to go either since more people are beginning to take their vacations and it mixes up the staff a bit. Hopefully I can stay focused at the end of the work day and get my packing out of the way this week so I can enjoy the last week as much as possible with my friends and co-workers without too much stress. In and effort to make up for my lack of blogging I wanted to add some photos. PUPPIES!!!!!!
My friend from the station was (still is) fostering a dog who gave birth 2 weeks ago to SEVEN male puppies. Aren't they cute and little?! They are just now beginning to open their eyes. The first picture is all of them nursing.Besides playing with the puppies I did do some cleaning, baking and job hunting. My fridge and freezer are full of buckeyes! Everyone at the station is excited to try one. Most of them have never even heard of a buckeye before so they have no idea what I am even trying to bake. But first, I need some more space in my freezer before I can dip the rest of the peanut butter balls in chocolate. Unfortunately, none of this is too exciting since things are winding down. I should though have a movie review for you this week. I passed on "Bolt" last week because I had too much going on and needed my evenings. I'm not sure what the movie is yet for this week, but I'll either see it tomorrow or Tues. The reviewer is now doing weather for the Wed-Fri night newscasts and can't see a movie at the regular Thurs night time. Like I said earlier, work schedules are all over the place right now. In that case, I need to get myself ready for bed so I can be bright eyed tomorrow morning!

Giving Thanks...

The day is almost over, but I want to make sure I wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. I can't believe a year ago I was rooting on the Hoosiers in Chicago (no, I won't get into the scores of the games). Boy does time go by fast. Fast forward 12 months and I am all the way across the country, working and making turkey sandwiches/salads with my co-workers. It was a lot of fun and nice not being alone - gathering together and laughing over movies, songs, and whatever else came out of our mouths. Simple, but enjoyable.
It was definitely a strange work day. Driving to work it was a ghost town. No one was on the road and all businesses were closed. I even had a hard time finding a station open after work to get gas. I can't remember what it's like back home because my mom always cooks, but in the area I live in here in WA, all of the restaurants make a pact to close.
Luckily, the reporters were still able to pull out some stories out for us. I even had the chance to report the top story for the 5pm. Talk about a crazy show... starting out on camera fronting the top story and then racing back to the control room to produce the show. It was a crazy thing that happened, one of my reporters covered two important stories that I wanted a reporter on camera for, but I couldn't have him do both so HE suggested I do the first one instead of him. I've anchored webcasts, but this was the first time I was introducing (or fronting a story) standing up at what we call the hot dog. Unfortunately, things didn't go 100% smoothly. My IFB (ear piece) didn't work so I couldn't hear my time cues and I haven't had a chance to watch the aircheck, but I was told the Top Story animation wiped across my face - not resume material. Needless to say, it was fun and I appreciate having the opportunity to step on camera for a bit. I have a lot of practicing to do before I am truly comfortable.

I hope everyone enjoyed their day and took some time to reflect.

Weekly Movie Review: "Four Christmases" was cute and full of laughs. I must add that it was a bit strange at points too. Almost as though the writers or actors were trying too hard. I normally like Vince Vaugh, but he seemed almost too over the the top and annoying. I'm not sure disappointing is the right word for it because I didn't have huge expectations, but it could have been better.

That's it for me now. Be careful if you are planning to shop tomorrow - I'm holding myself back because A. I have to work and B. sales tax is WAY to high here!
I will update you again over the weekend.

Twilight Time...

I saw the movie Thursday night and I am hooked. (It probably helped to that while other viewers were jammed in sold out theatres, we had our own theatre to ourselves to viewer the movie - I'm going to miss these perks, and the company of my friends) The only thing I knew about the story line before I saw it was that it's about Vampires. There were slow parts of the movie and I could definitely tell it was based on a book, but ever since then it's all I can think about. The movie reviewer and I both want to learn more - we're intrigued by the vampires. I know they are geared towards a younger audience, but I want to start reading the books. Right now I'm working on "Marley and Me" which will hit the big screen in December. I'm not too far into it, but so far I like it. This week's movie is "Four Christmases". It's out on Wed. so we'll get to see it tomorrow and NOT at midnight. Those late night showings totally mess up my sleep patterns.

One thing I realized over the weekend is how much the surrounding culture effects your social life. It sounds obvious, but it didn't occur to me until this weekend. Everyone was excited about the big Apple Cup football game. The Apple Cup or "Crapple" Cup which many sports fans call it is between the University of (Washington Huskies) and Washington State University (Cougars). The game was Saturday and it was the topic of conversation both Saturday and Sunday. Bars were full and offering game specials. I didn't know anything about the event and didn't have any desire to watch it because I have no ties to any of the teams. On the other hand, I don't know if I want to be associated to the Oaken Bucket game (IU vs Purdue). Boy was it ugly. The Hoosiers lost 10-62. And, to make the weekend even better (sarcasm noted) Xavier's basketball team beat Memphis in the finals of a Puerto Rico tournament. I, of course, had a phone call from my dad. They are definitely a good team and it will be interesting to watch them excel. At the same time I am curious to see how the new coaching staff at IU will evolve. Regardless, I will be back in the Midwest soon enough to watch them on TV.

One Month and Counting...

I can't believe I'll be home in a month. I know the time will fly by quickly. The moving company brought over a ton of boxes yesterday. I will have plenty to keep me busy. It's funny, at first I was excited to get started and pack things up, but now that I have the boxes I don't have any motivation to fill them. I just keep staring at them. I guess I'll have to see how the weekend turns out. Tonight is another midnight movie. We're going to see Twilight. It was between that and Bolt. I wasn't too excited to see Bolt so the movie reviewer agreed to see Twilight. I found out this week that a part of the movie takes place in a Washington city. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name off the top of my head.

What else is going on... It's beginning to get chilly here. It was cool and a bit rainy here today, but not cold enough for snow. And, gas FINALLY fell below $2! It's about time. It does have me wondering when it will bottom out since it's obviously lower in other areas of the country. The air is still dry and killing my hair. It feels like straw. I'm hoping new shampoo and conditioner will help bring my hair back to life.

Changing thoughts again (sorry, I'm drained and can't think to come of up with good transitions) I have a new guilty pleasure TV show, Knight Rider. I know, I know, it's pretty cheesy, but there is something about it that I like. Not to mention, the car is amazing. If only a car like that really existed. Well, Grey's Anatomy is on now, so I'm going to focus the little concentration on that and whatever comes on after. It's going to be long night... I'll fill you in on Twilight tomorrow :)

So close to the weekend!!!!!!!

Finally...photos!

Here are some pictures I had saved on my camera for some time. I didn't have the disk for the camera program until this weekend so I wasn't able to load anything to the blog until now...

A beautiful sunset from a month or so ago. I don't like how dark it gets so early now. It feels like bedtime at 4:30pm.

Then, there is my friend's puppy, Audrey, who loves the taste of pumpkin. She could not get enough of the juices. She ended up biting off a piece of the eye on my friend's pumpkin. Other than that, she behaves wonderfully.

My witch... I have some more that I will add later. I don't want this post to get too long, plus I'm sleepy. It's been a long day and I am still catching up from Thursday night. I saw the the midnight showing of the new James Bond movie. I don't know if I was tired or the fact that I'm not a Bond fanatic, but I was not impressed with the movie at all. The consensus from those 8 of us who went is: bad directing and a disappointing storyline. Interestingly enough, there does seem to be reviewers and people who did like it, so this might be one for you to judge yourself. The sad thing is that it will cost you $7-10 depending on the time and theatre. Alright, time for bed. I've got a lot to do tomorrow. Only five more weeks....

Blowin' in the Wind

Boy is it windy here! I thought it was spring time the air was so warm, but the wind... it was as though you could feel a tornado brewing. We didn't have one and luckily we didn't have rain either. It has been raining like crazy in Western Wash. We had some bad days during the first part of the week but no flooding. Other areas are on high alert.

Things are starting to come together for December. I will be home the 21st. It's hard to believe that once that day comes, I will have been away for 6 months. It seems longer than that in the sense that I feel like I haven't seen my brothers in FOREVER! It's probably because it's harder to find good times to talk and catch up on the phone. Right now I need to focus on packing and getting my resume tape out!! There are just not enough hours in the day. The past two nights I've been asleep by 9/9:30. Even now as I type this, it feels much later than 10 after 9. Regardless, it's been nice to wake up refreshed. I'm hoping the weekend will be successful. I know a couple of the reporters have things in the morning Saturday so I'm going to try and get to the station early enough to do my editing. If only it was as easy as typing up a letter and using Spellcheck ;) I did get in contact with a news director in Dayton and luckily the station isn't hiring until Sweeps is over in December. That saves me a little time. Plus, I've talked to a handful of friends and sorority sisters who are helping me make contacts.

That's it for now, I can barely keep my eyes open. Enjoy the rest of your week and thanks again for all of the positive thoughts and advice! I can't wait to see some of you soon, or at least be on the same time zone ;)

Weekend wrap-up

It's been a pretty low-key weekend here. I've been searching for job posting and working on my resume tape. I'm hoping I can get a hold of a couple master tapes of newscasts I don't have saved to add those to the most recent newscasts. Once I take care of that, I'll just need to polish up the tape. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to work on the tape today since the weekend crew was using the editing booths. I'm still waiting to get an estimate back from a moving company that came by on Thurs. and another one is coming tomorrow morning.

Thursday night I saw "Role Models". While it's an obnoxious comedy starring Seann William Scott and McLovin from "Superbad", it was exactly what each one of us needed... to laugh out loud at the most ridiculous things. If you're having a bad day or just need to laugh then I say go for it and see the movie. Your mood will definitely perk up. I wouldn't recommend paying full price though. Yesterday, I saw Madagascar 2 with some of the girls. I've never seen the first one, so I didn't really know what I was in for. It was cute. The little kids around us loved every minute of it. I did forget how much movies cost, even during matinee. In an effort to stay out of the house I stopped by TJ Maxx and found some cute, inexpensive Holiday cards to send out in a couple of weeks. I suggest doing the same if you want to keep your cost down.

I've spent most of today doing laundry and cleaning things up. I also started packing. It's going to be weird when my accessories and decorations start disappearing. The place is going to be completely white and empty. I don't have a lot here to begin with so when the extras are packed up it's going to be sad looking. I will say, I am looking forward to spending some time with my family. It's like I've been given a "get out of Washington" card. OK that's a little harsh, but I watched the Sex and the City movie last night and I got so happy and excited thinking that might be able to meet a friend for coffee. Or have someone special to spend New Year's Eve with. I have nothing against living in Washington or the people I work with, but I do miss my family and friends more than I let myself believe. It's going to be a frustrating and stressful process leading up to Dec. 19 and I am trying to remember that things happen for a reason. Only time will tell what's in store for me...

What a day

... it definitely was a long one. I won't even mention how many hours I spent at the station because I feel lucky to be a part of an election year. Election day only comes around once every four years so the extra time is worth it.

I have to say, no one knows what the future holds, but I have NEVER seen so many people excited about one event. The video from New York reminds me of New Year's Eve. Chicago too is overflowing with people. It's really unbelievable how many people this election has brought out from both parties.

On a humerus note, it might be because I work in TV, but did anyone else notice all of the mistakes tonight? I can't remember exactly what stations they occurred on (definitely ABC) but so many times the anchors tossed to a reporter who wasn't ready or didn't have their mic turned on. One station even tossed to a reporter standing in front of the green screen without an image for almost 15 seconds before the image was added. All of us in the newsroom got a kick out of it. It's nice to see that even major networks mess up.

Thank you to everyone who has called or e-mail me since Friday. I really appreciate it. I promise I will get back to you if I haven't. I've been a little preoccupied with preparations for today and trying to get things figured out for the next month. I know the time will pass by extremely fast and I have a lot of things to think about and do before then.

Please continue to keep in touch and I will do the same!

Wasn't meant to be...

I'm going to need a new title for this blog...

I was informed late this afternoon that I am being laid off along with close to 20 other people. The station just does not have the funds it needs to keep us employed. There will also be a lot of changes to the shows and the number of shows that will air. This is all a complete shock to me. I have 90 (Jan. 29) days until my contract is terminated, but due to the holidays I have the option to leave Dec. 19.

The response from my co-workers has been nothing short from disbelief and sympathy. I've already had two people offer to write a recommendation for me. Right now I think I am still in shock. I refuse to let myself cry over the situation - things happen for a reason, but I do feel as though my spirit is broken. I practically just unpacked.

Don't hesitate to call or ask questions. Mentally, I just can't write anymore today.

Happy...

...birthday Adam!!
And happy Halloween to everyone!

I hope everyone is enjoying the last day of October. The year is sure flying by fast. The newsroom is decked out in orange and black which is fun. I opted for a black top and orange ribbon in my hair. Rumor has it "Count Corey" will give the weather tonight. I'm not sure if I will be able to hand out much candy since I work into the evening, but it will be interesting since there isn't a curfew here. I just hope little kiddies aren't ringing my doorbell at all hours of the night. I will be sure to post a picture of my pumpkin as soon as I can. I don't have my camera disk to load the program onto my computer, but I can always have my images loaded onto a CD at Target. Anyways, I will be sure to write again tomorrow or Sunday to fill you in on the week/weekends activities and give my weekly movie review. I saw Changeling last night with Angelina Jolie.

Thank you Kelli for the wonderful Halloween card - it made my day!

My car and I miss the Midwest

I can't believe I moved away from this... to pay almost double!!

TGI the Weekend

You know you are tired (and blind) when you wipe your eyes with the liquid blue nail polish remover instead the blue make-up remover. Ouch! Yes, I did that the other night. Luckily the smell caught my attention and I didn't break out in a rash or anything. Needless to say, I'm happy it's Saturday.

Thursday night's movie, "Pride and Glory" was good. It's about a family of New York City police officers that get caught up in twist of good cop/bad cop. What's interesting about it is you really have to pay attention to find out the entire story. The writer doesn't reveal all of the past information/events that effect the characters at once. It's strategically pieced together as the movie unfolds. It's very dark, but at the same time very realistic. I definitely thought it seemed long, but then again I could have just been tired. (All of the screenings I see start at 10pm.)

I don't have a lot planned this weekend. I want to pick up a pumpkin to carve and maybe visit a haunted house or corn maze with some friends. It's a pretty nice day here so anything outside sounds great. Thanks for reading and keep in touch!

Long Time No Blog

I can't believe it's been almost a week since I last wrote. It's been a little weird not having a computer. I do have Internet access at work of course, but once the 6:30 show is over I just want to get home and curl up on my futon. The 6pm producer has the week off so the other producer and I have had a little more work to do. I fill in when and where I can. I'm looking forward to the weekend; maybe some pumpkin carving, hiking, and a bit of relaxing. I definitely need to catch up on my TV shows. I'm behind from going to bed early and not having a computer to watch them on. Tonight I'm going to my weekly movie screening. We're seeing Pride and Glory with Edward Norton and Colin Farrell. Should be interesting. The movie screenings give me something to look forward to at the end of the week.
Too bad I can't be in Indiana this weekend for Homecoming. It's always a fun couple of days. Sometime down the road I will be a returning alumnae. I'm counting on it.
It's hard to believe it's almost Halloween. Thanksgiving will be right around the corner and then bam! it's 2009. I won't jump ahead too much though. There are still plenty of days to get through first. Sweeps begins Oct. 31 and runs through the entire month of Nov. So, there are plenty of things to think about before the year is over.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday. I will be sure to update you on the movie when I can. Enjoy your weekend!

Weekend Wrap Up

First off, I want to say congratulations to one of my best friends Emily for auditioning and making her medical school's a capella group "Say Ahh!". She's an AMAZING performer and I'm so happy she is pursuing both her passions: music and medicine.

My computer is still acting crazy. I'm really frustrated because when I called Apple's technical line the guy told me that my warranty expired which includes phone help. So needless to say he couldn't help me. He also added that even if I still had a working warranty my computer is old (4.5 years??) and he wasn't educated in the model. He did give me an address to a place around here that does work on Mac's. Hopefully the store is open tomorrow. I don't know what I'll do if it's only open during the week since it is not near the station at all.

Enough about computers. Thursday night I went to see "W". I must add that I was extremely tired by Thursday and didn't stay asleep during the entire thing. I kept falling in and out of consciousness. It's hard to comment on the film because I don't really know what happened during White House meetings or whether or not things really happened the way Oliver Stone portrayed them too, but I will say Josh Brolin had George W. down. He played the character perfectly. The voice, mannerisms and above all W's laugh! On the other hand, Condoleezza Rice was somewhat creepy. Her character just came off really odd. Now, all of us who attended the screening did agree that we felt bad for George W. The movie had a way of reminding viewers (us) that he is just a regular person trying to make the best decisions for the county. He doesn't have super powers, but instead makes mistakes like you and I, unfortunately some of those mistakes were shared with the entire country. And, knowing that his approval rating is dropping each day, I only hope that the real relationship he has with his father is NOT how it is portrayed in the movie. The absolute worst part of the movie: the ending! In a nut shell, save your money and wait for it to come out on video.

Last night I attended a hockey game with a couple of co-workers. The Ams were playing Seattle and someone from the station offered us tickets. It was a nice way to unwind after a long week - cheering for a group of grown men slamming each other into the Plexiglass walls.
Today has been quite low key. Not surprising since I slept until 11:20.... oops! I never realized how much time I use to spend doing homework.... I really need to get a hobby ;)

Enjoy the weekend

Good & Bad News...

I will start with the bad news first...
My computer is in a coma right now and I can't use it. I've had battery problems with it for a while, and now it refuses to stay on for much time. The screen goes black, but it doesn't shut off. Almost like it is in sleep mode and won't wake. I took it to the Best Buy, but they don't have a contract with Apple so they wouldn't look at it or even ship it off to Apple. One of the engineers here offered to look at it which is GREAT. I'll just have to wait to see. I just wanted to explain if my blogging or e-mails seem to lack.

And the good/exciting news is that I had the opportunity to do a little anchoring today. The producer who usually puts together the webcast for the day is filling in for the night producer/anchor. I asked the news director yesterday if I could take a shot at it and he gave me the OK. Not a bad opportunity considering I've been here less than 3 months. So, I will fill in the rest of the week and one more time at the end of the month when she fills in for the morning show producer.

Alright, back to work. It's crunch time before the 5pm show.

Article From Yesterday's Link

I was informed that the link in the Spell Check post yesterday doesn't work anymore so I decided I would just post the article. That way a new link can't disappear later.

Big ballot boo-boo: Osama for president?
Rensselaer County gaffe makes national news after absentee ballots misspell Barack Obama's name

By BOB GARDINIER, Staff writer
TROY — It could have been Ovama or Ofama. Or even Olama.

But with one "s" the Rensselaer County Board of Elections turned a single wrong letter into a national embarrassment Friday.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's last name is spelled "Osama" on some 300 absentee ballots mailed out this week to voters in Rensselaer County hilltowns.

Is it a Freudian slip, intentional gaffe or a mistake? Voters are sure to have opinions, and one politician pointed out that the letters "s" and "b" are not exactly keyboard neighbors.

"Of all the letters to hit by mistake," County Democratic Chairman Tom Wade said. "Unfortunately it is a mistake which negatively impacts our Democratic candidate for president."

The typo was first reported Friday on timesunion.com, and quickly grabbed national attention.
"It was crazy, everybody across the country called," said Edward McDonough, the county's
Democratic elections commissioner. He said calls came in from The New York Times, the New York Post, Daily News, Wall Street Journal and Court TV.

McDonough said he was one of the people who received a misspelled absentee ballot at home, and he didn't even notice it.

Elections officials on both sides of the aisle insist a simple typographical error caused the national embarrassment. "It was a mistake innocently done," McDonough said. "We catch almost everything."

Republican officials were apologetic. "We have three different staff members who proof these things and somehow the typo got by us," said Republican Commissioner Larry Bugbee. "We really apologize."

On Row 1A, Barack Obama's name is spelled Barack Osama — a name bearing an unfortunate resemblance to terror mastermind Osama bin Laden - but further down on the Working Families line it is spelled correctly.

The Obama camp took the controversy in stride.
"We're glad officials are working to correct this error and we assume it won't happen again," Obama spokesman Blake Zeff said.

McDonough said the absentee ballots with the error went out to voters in Brunswick, Nassau, Sand Lake, Schaghticoke and Schodack. Three voters called to report the error.

By day's end, officials decided to issue new ballots to all 300 voters. They realized some people might cross out the misspelling and write in the correct spelling.

"Election law is quite clear that any corrections done on a ballot will nullify the vote, so to be safe, we re-issued them," McDonough said.

One Sand Lake resident who caught the misspelling, and who asked to be anonymous, was skeptical. "It's a little suspicious and at least grossly incompetent," the voter said.
District Attorney Richard McNally said the incident is unlikely to produce a criminal investigation.

"Both sides are saying this is an honest mistake, so unless we find out otherwise, I don't see it going that way," McNally said.

Rensselaer County is the only county in the state that prints ballots in-house.

"It saves the taxpayers a lot of money," McDonough said.

Wade said it might be time to rethink that practice.

This is Why You Can't Count on Spell Check

I found this on the AP wire today. It's the perfect example of why...
A. you can't rely on spell check and
B. you should take your time on things.
It also showed up on the Seattle pi... take a look!

Have a great weekend - stay warm!

Playing by the Rules

I know I've mentioned a couple of times about how this is such an interesting and exciting time to be a part of the media and have unlimited resources into the events and facts of the day's current events. I don't know if it's the fact that I'm working and swimming in election information or that I finally reached the age when presidential elections really mean something and are intriguing to follow, but this one seems a bit over the top. I find myself upset with things that I'm hearing and reading. Case in point, this CNN article. Campaign parties aside, this is SO wrong! It really angers me to learn about events such as these going on around the country. Similar things were/are going on in OH. A group registered homeless people multiple times in multiple counties. What happened to playing fair? I can't remember a time when voting and registration was this bad. Although, this is only my second election.

And, as it is my second time voting I'm extremely disappointed that I still won't get to go to a voting poll. I was in school four years ago and while I am a resident of WA, the entire state votes absentee - how bazaar is that?! Why would anyone want to open and count ALL the ballots by hand when it could be done by a computer? Those people who have mailboxes near the street could have their ballots stolen and someone else could fill it out. Then there's always the possibility that when the ballot is mailed back it could get lost in the mail.

Wow, I can't believe I just went off on a voting/election tangent. I'll leave you with a funny e-mail I received from a great friend...

Edge Designs is an all-women run company that designs interior office space. They had an opportunity to do an office project in NYC. The client allowed the women a free hand in all design aspects. The client company was also run by all women execs...
The result...We know men never talk, never look at each other and probably never laugh much in the restroom...it's a serious and quiet place...Now, the men's restroom is a place of laughter and smiles.

Smart Shopper

I stopped by the grocery store today during my "lunch break" to pick up some stamps (it's closer than the post office) and I saw this in the parking lot...

My first thought was to take a picture, then I wondered where this person was going to put their groceries. Not only is it a small car, but it has a teeny tiny trunk if there is even one at all. I apologize it is not the best picture... I was in a hurry.

Yesterday I received my first invitation to a Theta alumnae event. It's a potluck dinner for next week and a reminder about a Christmas party in December. Unfortunately I won't be able to make it because it's too far away for me to drive to after work. It did put a smile on my face to receive mail that wasn't a bill and to know that there are events to look forward. My mom did send me a package over the weekend so I do get fun stuff once in awhile. She sent a couple of books I plan to get started on. I will give you a full review when I can.

How Ironic...

O. J. Simpson is found guilty on 12 counts of armed robbery and kidnapping today, exactly 13 years to the day he was acquitted of the murder of his ex-wife and Ron Goldman. He could face life in prison...
I did not attend Flash of Genius last night. I opted to get some sleep instead. I did learn that it's based on the story about the American windshield wiper inventor. However, according to our movie reviewer it's not worth seeing at the theatre. He says to save your money and rent it. On a side note, I just found out that Hollywood Video gives you a dollar back when you return a movie the next day. That's definitely something to keep in mind when you want to rent a movie.
Not much else to say. It's getting late and my brain is fried from the hectic day (There were so many problems today. My newscast was a mess!) I apologize if so many of my posts are about news stories or news topics you may or may not be interested in reading about. I will try to find and add more pictures and visually stimulating items.

October, Really?

I don't have a lot to write about. I've been sick since Friday and am finally starting to feel better. Although, I'm still waiting for a good night's sleep. I'm hoping it comes tonight. If not I have all day tomorrow to catch up. The news director gave me the day off since we only have the 5pm show due to the VP debate. It looks like the 6:30 producer and I will trade off for the next two debates since she had last week's debate day off. So tomorrow I will have plenty of time to do... nothing :)
Last night I did try to have a little fun . A couple of us from the station got together for a homemade dinner and a movie. It was fun and relaxing at the same time. We watched Iron Man which I have never seen before. It was different than what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it. The special effects were amazing! I'm sure soon enough the technology showcased throughout the movie will be mainstream.
Tomorrow night is the weekly movie screening. I still haven't decided if I will go. It depends on how I am feeling and what I can learn about the film: Flash of Genius. Please, if you've seen a preview about it let me know what you think because I haven't seen a single thing about it and I've seen a lot of previews over the past couple of months.
Well, it's about time to take off these heels and just relax for the night.

Nights in Rodanthe...

is a great life lesson movie, but the pace was a bit slow for me. I hate saying that because I am a fan of both Diane Lane and Richard Gere. It was frustrating to watch the two of them slowly move along for the first 45-60 minutes of the film. Maybe I just had high expectations because The Notebook was such a fantastic movie.

Luckily, Friday was a low key day with the debate. Once the 5pm show was over I was done. I wish I could say I've enjoyed my weekend, but I'm definitely sick. I've spent Friday night and all of Saturday on the couch watching TV. Today will be the same. In that case, I don't really have anything exciting to write about.

Proposal...Denied!

There's nothing like breaking news to put a producer on her (or his) feet. Not more than 2 minutes before we were about to go on air did news show up on the AP Wire that disagreements over the proposed bailout plan had occurred. So of course I literally ran to production to prepare for the show to find the key board unplugged not letting me re-type the script to include the new information. Luckily there wasn't a lot of details and I was able to get by just by changing the tense of some words. I didn't, however, have enough time to get into the next script and change some facts about McCain's campaign being excited over the proposal and optimistic that everything would come together so he would attend tomorrow debate. The rest of the show went smooth with no problems. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow, if a plan is accepted and the debate goes on. I will say, after continuously viewing and editing video of the meetings for the bill, I have so much respect for legislatures. I may not always agree, but I can't imagine the patience they must have to sit through, listen and find a common ground. I consider myself a pretty patient person, but I have a feeling I would get pretty irritated and frustrated throughout the process...not my dream job.

Alright, I need to get myself moving so I can stay awake through the night's movie. I'm a little sad I'm going to miss Grey's, but that's what the Internet is for. Thank you ABC ;)

A Slap in the Face...

Mother Nature does not mess around here. Monday was the first day of autumn and it definitely showed. The temperature went from the low 90's Sunday to highs in the mid 70's... a complete slap in the face. Today was a little warmer, but I of course only enjoyed it on my quick break to the bank. It's getting dark much earlier and is extremely cool in the morning so I really feel the warmth during the day if there is any.

The President's speech made for an interesting day. He came on right at the start of the 6pm newscast. We knew about it early in the day after seeing it on CNN's news ticker, but we weren't sure just how long he would talk. He ended up talking 5 minutes longer than we expected so I worked with the anchors to determine what stories to cut as the show progressed. No big problems came from it, just a lot of decisions to make on the fly and a few things to re-write.

Then there is McCain who wants to cancel the debate on Friday. I don't think it will be cancelled because Obama says the economy problems is more of a reason to debate. I have to say that makes me happy. The debate happens here during our 6 and 6:30 shows which means I am done after the 5. Short days don't come around too often - I'm looking forward to it.

I will also have another movie review for you Friday. Tomorrow night's movie is "Nights in Rodanthe" with Richard Gere and Diane Lane. It should be a good one. Until then...

Weekend Review

First, "Lakeview Terrace" review... It's Samuel L. Jackson's newest thriller that I suggest seeing on video. I thought the characters were really hard to relate to and like. There really wasn't one character to root for, each one is disappointing in some way. The overall plot consists of a mixed racial couple who moves into a new neighborhood and their neighbor, Jackson, is not accepting of their relationship. Thus, rifts occur and you find out why Jackson is so angry and then the movie comes to an end. Jackson does play a bad villain, so if you are a huge fan, then maybe you will feel strongly about the movie. Keep in mind... you can't pick your neighbors, but you can pick your movies...so choose wisely.
I took it pretty easy Friday after work because I drove to Washington State University the next morning. The drive wasn't too bad, although there is literally NOTHING around. It was completely barren desert. I did find it pretty, but if I ran out of gas or had car issues, I would be in BIG trouble! I'm not sure if I mentioned it or not, but I am now an advisor (education) for the Theta Chapter at WSU. I ventured to the campus to meet with the other executive advisors for a training session. I had the chance to see their chapter's house and meet some of the women. It was quite different in terms of structure and definitely a weird feeling being there. Driving back, all I could think about was how much I missed everyone, but am so blessed to have wonderful friends in my life. It's during the quiet times during my day that I tend to think/over think too much and the distance sets in.
Luckily, I met with some friends later Saturday night and enjoyed a low-key evening of dessert, chatting, and Scategories.
Today has been all about relaxing with lots of Sex and the City episodes, cleaning and actually enjoying the day (something I don't do often being in a windowless newsroom). Although, I still have quite a bit of laundry to put away. I'll get back to that, and until my next blog....have a wonderful day.

Isn't She Cute!

I need a news "mind break".
One my friends here just bought a puppy, a baby havanese. This isn't her dog, but it looks identical...

This area really is a great place to have a dog. There are so many wonderful parks and trails to go on a walk. If only I knew how to care for one...
Once the work day is over and I have a chance to relax I'm going to a movie screening. Samuel L. Jackson's new movie "Lakeview Terrace" comes out tomorrow and some of us get a sneak peek tonight. I really need sleep, but it looks like a good one so I will wait to catch up on my sleep this weekend. I'll give you the thumbs up/down tomorrow on whether or not to spend the money. Movie tickets are so expensive nowadays I have to take advantage of these sneak previews! Back to work for now

I'm Not the Only One Who Loves IU's Campus

Is that not a beautiful campus or what?!

I found the picture while looking for story ideas. It is part of an MSN article that names the top 10 "Beautiful College Campuses".

While the slideshow says no particular order, this wonderful picture is #1. (A good journalist always provides a source.)

On a side note, my heart goes out to everyone in the South and Midwest who are dealing with the effects of Ike. I've been reading about and watching video of the damage all day and the images are unbelievable. Add in the bank issues and this is a rough time for everyone.

Keep in touch, and keep smiling.

Into Perspective...

Before I took my car to get an oil change I stopped to fill up on gas. I had a little over a quarter of a tank left, but prices are the lowest they've been since I got here ($4.25 when I got here, now... $3.83). As I filled my tank I couldn't help but feel guilty. Here I am wanting to fill my tank before prices increase from Hurricane Ike and there are people in the south who are leaving their homes with the possibility of returning to nothing. I am worried about a couple of cents and there are people who will have their homes destroyed. My job might be stressful at times, but I am so grateful for the awareness it has given me of everything going on in the world. I've gained a much broader view of the world.

On a lighter side, Adam and I were talking this afternoon and he mentioned the world "homework". Boy did that sound foreign to me! I can't believe I haven't had to think about homework for over four months and won't have to anytime soon - what a wonderful feeling! (Finding story ideas doesn't count, I find myself doing it naturally.) And, what a wonderful day. It is 85 degrees and sunny...a perfect start for the weekend. If OSU loses it'll be even better ;)

Is it Saturday Yet?

I swear it was the day of a full moon. The day cannot be over soon enough. I am back from the Chicago Musical and am looking forward to snuggling in my bed. As soon as the day started the roller coaster began. I saw first hand how rough this business really is. The event definitely caught me off guard and startled me at the same time. I was extremely motivated to do a good job because there is always someone right behind you who is capable of doing the job, maybe better and for less. The rest of the roller coaster continued throughout the day with stories dropping left and right and new spot news stories taking their places. At one point I had no idea where my reporters were or what they were covering. I think the chaos began with an attempted murder announcement on the scanner, which brought the SWAT team out and never did end with an arrest. I was completely behind on my tasks (without a lunch break) and was writing headlines 30 seconds before it aired - not good! That was frustrating considering how wonderful yesterdays newscast went. I received so many compliments during and after yesterdays show, but I guess that's "show" business. To say the least, I am ready for the weekend.
Chicago was OK. I was disappointed in the choreography. And, although it was only a little over 2 hours WITH an intermission, it seemed really long. I just don't think it's my kind of show. I didn't even get through half of the movie when it came out, but I am always willing to give something a second chance - which I did.
Too bad I have to get up early to take my car in. Sleeping in sounds great, but knowing me I will be up before the alarm at 7:30. O, well. The rest of the day is mine to do nothing! That's about it for today. I hope everyone is planning an enjoyable weekend

I Won!

Today is my lucky day...well sort of. I won tickets to see Chicago on stage this weekend. There were some extra tickets sent to us and I submitted my name for the drawing. I just got an e-mail saying I am one of the winners. The show is Friday night. Now, who to take....?

Back to work for now. Still have a 6 and 6:30 show to help with.

After furthur consideration

I decided to remove the previous posts. Sorry, to those who are just now looking. I will continue to keep blogging I just have to be careful about what I say and can't make it as detailed as it was because most of my friends are in the public eye....anchors and reporters. But, I will continue to keep you updated, just on a little more subtle description.
Have a wonderful day and enjoy last night's sunset!