THE WRATH OF FROZEN PIPES

My husband and I recently returned from an out of town trip where we were gone for six days. We found a note on our door saying "call me asap, i cut your water off." So we called the man... Who told us over the weekend several homes in our neighborhood had pipe problems and when they were at our neighbor's house, they were working on the water flowing out the back of his home, when they heard water at our house. He described it as Niagra Falls coming out of our back siding. We obviously weren't home so he turned our water off in case there was damage on the inside. Well, there was. Our living room ceiling was bowed down with water weight and our brand new carpeting underneath was wet. We thought the problem stopped there, but when the experts came out, they water tested 5 rooms... All were soaked. When they ripped up the floors we saw all the water and it was horrible.

Because it sat for three days, it had time to soak through even the dry floors. So the areas that looked fine to us were full of water underneath. We had dryers and humidifiers set up for days. And now we're preparing ourselves for the rehabilitation. I'm not looking forward to it, but it could have been worse. We made it out without damaged clothes or any significant furniture damage. We mostly just need new ceilings, walls, and floors! Come to find out the builders did not insulate the outside pipes properly and it's the same story for most of the homes in our neighborhood. We took all the right precautions before leaving town, but it didn't matter. I believe a lawsuit is in the works against the builder... Should be interesting!

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE GPS

I am all about GPS systems. In fact, I recently purchased one. But I fear they are leading drivers into a sense of mindless wandering. I call it obsessive compulsive gps disorder... Or OCGD. You probably know someone with OCGD. Symptoms include pure panic if the GPS is not nearby and fully charged... Setting the GPS when you are three blocks away from your home and know where you're going... And any other obsessive behavior when it comes to the device. Sure, they are helpful when you are traveling, in an unfamiliar area, or even a familiar area, but want to scope out what's near you for food, gas, atm's, etc. But there are people who set it NO MATTER WHAT. They could go to the corner gas station, and they search it in the gps and set it before taking off. It worries me that these people are taking their OCGD to such a level that they will become incapable of driving without it. If the electronic voice you've named Monica, or Janice, or Lucy... Does not tell you to "stay right" or "recalculate" if you've missed a turn... Will you drive indefinitely wondering where you are, where you're going, and what your name is??
Maybe that's a little extreme, but still... Don't be annoying! Do not set your GPS when you don't need it. Maintain your ability to drive.. and make u-turns... And veer left all by yourself! Thank you kindly.

HANNAH'S HOPE

She found light at the end of the darkest tunnel.
It's a story about a teenager who's level of faith is inspirational. She battled cancer through high school and even in her hardest times... Thanked God for choosing her. She has shown incredible strength, bravery, and hope while facing a death many of us would wallow in. A story as incredible as Hannah's tells itself, but it is equally important for the storyteller to allow her inspiration to shine. This story by News Channel 7's Connie Legrand touched my heart in a big way and I hope it will reach you as well. This story is only three minutes long and will stay with you a million times that.
Just click to catch a glimpse of Hannah's Hope.

EXCELLENT BIRTH CONTROL

This is from a press release from Christina Elston. She writes the Health-E blog on Parenthood.com. I read this and thought, "whoa"...

Your precious new bundle will cost you a bundle, and bring you both joy…and anxiety! It's estimated the average family will spend more than $10-thousand dollars on child-related expenses this year - much of that on medical and child care!

I do not have children but I would dare to say that is a conservative figure. Add up clothes, food, school activities, birthday parties for classmates, trips to chuck e cheese, the list goes on.... and of course medical costs...
I bet your children take in much more of your salary than that! Anybody feel like guessing how much their child costs them a year?

I WANT MY KIDNEY BACK...

There's a story out today on CBS News where a man is suing his wife during divorce proceedings... Because he wants his kidney back! He donated a kidney to her several years ago when hers were failing. Then a couple years later she had an affair and filed for divorce. He says he's hurt, angry and humiliated. He at least wants from her whatever the value of his kidney is because it saved her life. I think his lawyer is planning on more than a million dollars. This is the first time I've ever heard of something like this. Obviously, no judge will require her to remove the kidney, but I do wonder if he will be compensated for making such a sacrifice just to be the victim of infidelity. The claim is pretty out there, but wouldn't you feel the same? Wow, so many variables going on here...

I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Hear from the broken-hearted "want my kidney back" man here.

GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR

Let's start by listing a few I know I can keep:
1. Eat more ice cream.
2. Find a church that I like.
3. Be a good wife to my new husband
4. Encourage my love of cooking
Now the tougher ones:
4. Get active in some way.. working out, dancing again, etc.
5. Find a way to be near my family & friends
6. Finish my house!

Old-Fashioned Love

I watched a piece a few days ago on an 80-something year-old man who says the cure to his wife's Alzheimer's is cuddling. He's an inspirational individual who met his one true love very young and says his advice to other couples is to crawl in bed and cuddle as much as possible. It all sounds heart-warming, but is there any truth to it? Doctors say yes! They say touch can help patients like his wife, and she has certainly shown a dramatic improvement since he began holding her every day.

An article for the Boston Globe states the following:
"Rita's agitated behavior may be improving because Sol's touch is decreasing her levels of cortisol - a stress-related hormone, said Lynn Woods, an assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Nursing."

You can watch his story here:
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/touch-may-counter-alzheimers/1258649488

Stories like his are captivating, not only because it's so wonderful to suggest human touch may actually help her condition, but it's an astonishing love story. It got me thinking about the older couples I know in my life. My parents, for example, starting "going together" in 8th grade! My mother went out with him to make another boy jealous and says "he just kind of grew on her." He walked several miles out of his way to pick her up and walk her to school every day... through snow, sleet, whatever. My older brother first proposed to my sister-in-law the first day of kindergarten! I was talking about this with a fellow producer who said her parents are high school sweethearts and every year return to the place they had their first date in their hometown. I sincerely hope love is still like that now. It seems all the amazing love stories are from times far away from our own. They tell stories of parents, grandparents, maybe aunts and uncles. I wonder if the rules of love are changing...

Perhaps the way the world is today creates a whole new medium for people to meet and fall in love. The internet, of course, plays a huge role. The need to go to college probably makes a difference as well. People were married earlier, started families earlier... all out of high school. Would those same couples have stayed together through the college years? I certainly hope so, but I think our way of life today creates a hard atmosphere for old-fashioned love. I hope everyone can still find it somehow. I know I have : )

RETAIL BREAKDOWN

It's no surprise the economy is a mess and retail outlets are suffering. I, personally, spent more this holiday season than any other I do believe. I didn't exactly keep track but I spent more on my nieces and nephew this year because they're getting older and the stuff they're into costs more. My husband and I also make more than we did last year at this time, so it seemed to make sense. But the same is not true for most people. I did notice a lot of people walking the mall, but not many people were checking out. Lines were not long, things were not crazy. I have to say Christmas shopping was not stressful and I actually enjoyed it. The future of this country, though, scares me. The fear for most people is the worst part because everyone will pull in the reigns just in case they end up on the chopping block or get laid off. It's the smart thing to do but it won't help the economy any. We've backed ourselves into quite a corner, or "they" have or whomever. Regardless, I have a feeling we are all about to see some things that will make us very uncomfortable. We'll no longer be on top, seem so untouchable, or live beyond our means. A large reality check is in store for us all. Working in news, I obviously have fears of my own. My news company has seen layoffs and there is a sort of cloud looming over us wondering if there will be more and if it will affect the news department. This is a bad time for news right now. Not only are we struggling with the internet, and people changing the way they get news, but newspapers are struggling. Most stations own newspapers, so cuts must be made across the board to make up for those losses. Right now, my husband and I are thankful to have a job, any place, anywhere. Here's to hoping for all of you as well!

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

I tried to see some holiday lights in South Carolina during our first Christmas away from Illinois. I must say everything you see here is small potatoes compared to the Festival of Lights in East Peoria. You really can't get much better than what they do. The lights we went to see were made to be a pretty big deal, but it was a lot of blow up decorations and I really felt like I was driving through Creve Coeur. Most of the decorations could have come from a local store... And although there were a ton of lights, it was nothing special, a lot of trees lit up, etc. It made me really miss home. Be thankful if you are in the Peoria area this holiday season! Although I can't complain about the 68-degree weather we had Christmas Day : )

HANDICAPPED PARKING

It's always been a pet peeve of mine when people park in handicapped spots and they're not handicapped. It seems to happen more around the holidays. Parking is a nightmare, so people think they are somehow better than everyone else and deserve to take these spots. Especially when crazy holiday shopping is happening, should these spots stay open for those who really need them. Then there are the people who have the little handicapped tag because they often transport a family member who can't walk far. Those people are not with them, but they use the spot anyway. They bother me too. Don't take advantage of your loved ones' disabilities. Is it so horrible to walk a little? I don't think so. I think I should become one of those citizens who is able to write tickets to people like that. I would go crazy & spend a lot of my time busting these people... LOOK OUT!

ELDERLY ATTACKED

Today we covered a story about a home invasion where a 19-year-old was accused of breaking into the home of an elderly couple. The 80-year-old man jumped up to defend his wife and was beaten for his wallet. It breaks my heart to see an elderly couple, still best friends of course, be treated this way. It seems more elderly people are being targeted for robberies lately because they are most vulnerable. It's a despicable truth that makes you sick to your stomach. I don't know how anyone, especially the teenagers who are usually doing things like this, can find it in themselves to hurt someone who would never be violent back. They often steal the wallet and then beat them.... When they could steal it and just run away. It's bizarre and sad and I feel like they should maybe be punished more harshly for attacking someone who is unlikely to defend themselves.

JAMAICA MON!

I just returned from Jamaica with the most wonderful husband on this planet. It was a wild experience on so many levels. First, the excitement of going on a honeymoon... Then the warm beach, the ocean view, the hammocks, and an all-inclusive resort. It was so strange to walk in to nice restaurants, order from a menu, be waited on hand and foot, and then not pay. We all know we really did pay of course because the trip wasn't cheap. But still...
I was a big fan of the big green flag they give you to stick in the sand when you need something. We stayed at Couples Swept Away... A 10-acre property with just about everything you can imagine. We didn't feel the need to take any day trips because everything was right there... Parasailing, snorkeling, a cruise, glass bottom boat tour, sailing, etc. I was perfectly happy laying on a raft in the ocean, although I was a fan of the hobie cats... Little mini sails for two only. They were a little tricky to get the hang of but pretty fun. When we wandered off the property even just a foot, people of course were offering us all sorts of illegal activities. But at least they don't hound you when you say no. They kept telling us they would show us "the real sunshine." Whatever that means... Lol.
Can't wait to go back!

MARRIAGE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

I was recently married and throughout the planning process came across the road blocks, and speed bumps many brides do. The real struggle is whether or not you will turn those bumps into bridezilla moments. Most of them are small, and if you are a sensible bride you recognize them as such and move on. A few of them make you angry and you decide they are important enough to make a fuss about. But throughout the blood, sweat and tears, I was lucky enough to remember how special the day is for my groom and myself. Every second of it is about the bride and groom... So straying from tradition was not so scary for us. First, was the battle with the church. The Vatican is pushing for more strict rules in the Catholic Church and this includes outlawing the unity candle. Every ceremony I've ever been to has one so I didn't see what the fuss was about. We ended up having one, we just had to call it a "remembrance candle."
Then was the issue of taking pictures before the wedding. It was an evening ceremony so daylight pictures after the ceremony were not possible. Should we see each other before the wedding and break tradition? We decided to go for it because we didn't want to feel rushed getting to the reception. To make it special, the groom started off with a blindfold (someone's sock because we forgot the real one) and we took pictures of "the unveiling." We're so glad we did this, and for any brides who battle with the decision, it did not in any way take away from the moment when I walked down the aisle. As my mom told me, it's about the whole scene, the people, the church, the lighting, the music, and everyone standing for the entrance. The whole setting creates the feeling where you know you are about to marry your best friend. Seeing each other for some pictures before that can't touch that feeling with a ten foot pole.
We set the tone for our wedding from the very beginning. Our invitations were a little unique:
__ Will attend with bells on
__ Will attend, free of bells
__ Will attend, undecided on bells
__ Will not attend; have heard there will be people wearing bells
__ Will not attend, regardless of bell controversy
The end result -- our families and friends surprised us with bells they started ringing as my father and I walked down the aisle. What a great way to break the nerves! It seems everyone already knew what kind of event it would be.
The ceremony was incredible. Our priest was fun, sprinkling more water on the best man's face than the rings during the blessing, and pointing out to the congregation that he was thoroughly enjoying it. He ranked our kiss a six and said last week's couple was an 8 and dared us to beat them.... We did! People laughed and cried and the catholic mass really didn't seem as long as it was.
Our reception entrance was different as well. Our wedding party pretended to run slow motion in to chariots of fire... .Then the bass kicked in for the bride and groom, walking in to the hip hop song "swing" by Savage Garden. After our wedding video, which had surprises even for us (we taped some things ahead of time that neither one of us watched), we surprised our guests. After tears throughout from our last video/slideshow song.... My groom stated there was one more thing about me... He shouted baby got back and the music began! That was our first dance. Everything else was pretty traditional, the cake, the father/daughter, mother/son dances, the boquet and garter toss, etc. But what was so important was setting that tone. We had so many people tell us they had more fun at our wedding than any other. And I think it's because we broke the ice right from the beginning. I certainly don't want to take away from the importance of a marriage celebration, but your guests should know they are free to be themselves. I think showing them we were relaxed about the whole day encouraged them to kick back and really enjoy themselves.
My wedding was not like any wedding I have been to either, but I think it's close to where more brides and grooms are headed. We may have some very fun times ahead because marriage in the 21st century is a blast.

WHY?

Why do stores/manufacturers put sticky labels on the part of a product that will show? Why not put it on plastic wrapping or cardboard packaging or something you remove anyway? Of all the things we have invented in this world, you would think such a simple thing would be doable. I am tired of peeling away at those stickers to get them off my decoration/new plate/picture frame!

Responsible Journalism

Today, I was forced to run a story I thought had no business being in the newscast... and certainly not off the top of the show as a "news alert." It made me think about responsible journalism. I always tell myself... You do not have permission to waste a viewer's time. Those are words from the very wise Al Tompkins. Al says a million brilliant things a day but this one rings true to me. It's true, we... in media... do not have permission to waste someone's time. They turn on the news expecting to get relevant, important information. But I wonder how often this actually happens. I'm going to do an experiment. I'm going to watch a few news programs and count how many stories I felt were a waste of my time. I encourage you to do the same. If you do, write a post or email me and tell me how many there where and what they were. I'm worried too many people are obsessed with what is "new" even if it's not relevant, close in proximity, or important to any of our viewers. In fact, I don't think anyone would have known where the story was taking place or what it meant, but someone "Just now" said it, so we get to add bells and whistles and call it an alert. Too much show... not enough relevance = waste of time. Call me old school but I think people would rather hear about something that had happened locally that is important to them... even if it a whole hour ago.

Catholics & Their Rules

I think Catholic churches may have a rule to make it hard for people to get married in them. Marriage is a sacrament, of course, so there is a certain standard of sacred the ceremony itself should be held to. But since when does the Vatican decide you can't have a unity candle... and the soloist must be trained as a cantor by the Catholic Church?? All things I've recently learned in my quest to get married.... seems to me the Vatican should have more important things to worry about than whether or not I'm allowed to have a unity candle at the ceremony. Being the journalist that I am or was (that's really a loaded question)... but anyway.. I started researching the unity candle and just what is the problem with it. Most of what I found assumes people look at candles in church as "pretty lights" that are there for the look of the church... when in fact each candle in church symbolizes Christ. I say to those people, "Thank you for assuming our ignorance." I have never looked at a candle in church as if it were a "pretty light." And I certainly don't think that's what a unity candle is... and just because you blow out a candle, it does not mean you are signifying death. I think this is a perfect example of people reading too far into things and that's something that can drive people away from the church. There are people who have dedicated blogs to this topic... and people's "pretty lights." Below is one I found infuriating. Here is the link , but part of it is pasted below:

"You may see a few more candles about that have not been mentioned in this series. Some are simply not prescribed (but not necessarily banned) by the Church and there may actually be a few more that I have missed. (If you think of any, please let me know save for vigil candles which will round out this series next week.) But you will have marked that in each case they candles represent Christ. That is our symbolic language and unlike some of our symbolic language, these symbols are coded. This is why so many priests frown upon the unity candle. These candles do not represent Christ or His consuming of Himself on our behalf, but pretty lights that represent two people. The snuffing out as part of the ceremony comes terribly close to signifying death or the loss of Christ – or at least the loss of the idea of “a flame divided but undimmed.” It certainly is dimmed. Two people have just been obliterated. Then when the final candle is lit, it too does not represent Christ as does every single other candle in the sanctuary. It represents the new couple but to what end?It is possible to make up all kinds of symbolism for this ceremony and decent symbolism at that, but it will always be in competition with what is happening liturgically. Of course, even after coming to an understanding of all of this there will be people who still want to add this to their wedding though occasionally some will move it to the reception where it is most fitting. In the end the Catholic Church will not be destroyed by the Unity Candle but we should have a very clear understanding of what it is we are doing when we do use it in order to avoid falling into the error that all of the candles used in Church are just pretty lights to do with as we wish."

The Never-Ending Beat

You know what's annoying... when radio stations take a popular song that's either slow or medium speed, and decide to put the same techno-style beat behind it. They do it to everything these days, and it's kind of a slap in the face to the original version. I get so excited to hear the song coming on, and then i hear it "club-style." Does it work for some songs?... sure. But let's keep it under control. I'm tired of hearing every song there is put to the same exact beat and then played for the 20-in-a-row party theme on friday nights.
I'm just sayin...

A New Career?

It's been way too long. I'd love to say I moved away, got swept up in all the happiness and excitement of a new life in a new state.. But that's not the case.
Moving is traumatizing if you don't enjoy where you are. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of great things. But what happens when you hit a wall... The inevitable decision wall, where you're not sure if you want to continue down your current career-path, despite all the satisfaction you've gotten from it. If you're still young enough to choose something entirely different without affecting a family and changing all their lives... Do you do it? And how do you find those answers. Just a few things on my mind lately... And now that things have calmed down I hope to return back to my blog on a regular basis.

VERY BRAVE GIRL

If you have a moment, take a look at a very powerful message written by a young lady who's family was recently in the media. Here's the background: a stepfather was charged with animal cruelty. Police say he came home drunk and mad that his kids didn't take care of the family's pets. That's when police tell the media he came outside and shot the family's dogs in front of his children. Because tv stations and newspapers have websites now where everyone can give their two cents... This young lady saw a glimpse inside the souls of some of her neighbors.
Well, she fired back. And what she had to say made me think about a lot of things. We all have something to say about things like this, but none of us know every detail that surrounds a situation. However, even if we did... It's times like these that today's world of feedback causes a lot of pain for people. And how about the media... Should a story like this even run in the news? I'll keep my opinion to myself but I'd like to hear what others have to say.
What a very courageous girl for defending her father. I think she's mature beyond her years.
Read the article and her response.. here. You'll have to scroll down to the post from "one of them."

THE DISTURBING "CHOKING GAME"

As if parents didn't have enough to worry about...
Don't let the title fool you... This is no game. It is very serious and it's deadly. Kids around the world are choking themselves or their friends to get a high from passing out. The high actually comes when the blood rushes back to someone's head after they've been choked. Unfortunately, young naïve minds end up dead from this so-called "game."
We just ran a story where a mother found her 13-year-old daughter dead in her closet, and had accidentally hanged herself while trying to get high. Parents are often naïve in these situations as well. Experts tell parents to watch out for the slang terms that can mean their kids plan to do this...
Blackout
Passout
Space Monkey
Flatliner
California High
Airplaining
Tingling
Parents should also look for warning signs their kids are doing this. They include: bloodshot eyes, burn marks around the neck, severe headaches, and bungee cords, ropes or neckties found in odd places.