Archive | June, 2012

Wedding Day Disasters

27 Jun

A few weeks ago I had a dream.  It was my wedding day.  Things went downhill from there.  For one, my dress was pink.  Not nice, pretty, “oh that’s different” pink like this:

Image via Brides.com

It was a pink, ruffled monstrosity.  Kind of like this:

Image via thefabpinkbunny.blogspot.com

In addition to my hideous dress, I had no shoes to wear.  I know, at this point in the dream shoes should be the least of my worries.  But I’m so looking forward to finding the most perfect, fabulous wedding shoes, so that’s probably why I didn’t have any in the dream.  I also didn’t have a photographer.  And I don’t mean a no-show.  I just plain didn’t hire one.   Probably for the best, considering the dress I was wearing.

Anyway, I woke up in a panic and quickly realized that it was all a dream.  It was all in my head.  My wedding is still ahead of me, with plenty of time to get it right.

A few days ago I got an email in my Inbox that was so disturbing that I just had to click on it.  Of course, having signed up for an account on theknot.com approximately 12.5 seconds after the ring was on my finger, I get the occasional email from the site reminding me of all the things I haven’t done yet.  (Thanks a lot, Knot.)

The subject of this particular email was “Ten Wedding Disasters.”  Are you kidding?  I should have just deleted it then and there.  My first thought was, “Really?  Only ten?”  The intent of the email is to force encourage brides to think ahead to prevent these disasters from happening.  But being a Worry Wort with a capital W, now all I can do is worry about the DJ getting a corrupt version of our first dance song, which will cut out in the middle.  WHO worries about that?  The people at The Wedding Channel, that’s who.

I know there is merit in being prepared.  I was a Girl Scout, after all!  But I’ve also learned in my short time on this planet that when you think positively, good things happen.  Thus far, I feel good about all the vendors I’ve hired, and have had nothing but great interactions with them.  I love my dress (which is ivory, by the way), I have plenty of time to find the perfect shoes, and I’m marrying a guy who takes things in stride.

Besides, if our first dance song cuts out in the middle, we’ll just do the Cupid Shuffle.

Anyone out there have a “wedding disaster” story?  How did you deal?

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Dish Read: Rescue

26 Jun

Thanks to my next door neighbor at work, I was able to bust through my reading slump this weekend.  About  a week ago, I reported for duty and discovered this book on my desk:

Image via Tower.com

I finished Rescue, by Anita Shreve in a little more than two days.  I read most of it on the beach.  It’s about an EMT, Peter Webster, who falls in love with a patient, Sheila Arsenault.  She is a wreckloose, who crashes her car while driving under the influence.  (I know.  So romantic.)  Their whirlwind romance takes a sudden turn toward commitment and sobriety when she becomes pregnant.  But in the end, her alcoholism is a stronger force than her new family.  She leaves, and their daughter, Rowan, stays with her father. 

Fast forward 18 years later, and Rowan is about to graduate from high school.  She’s also starting to display some troubling teenaged behavior that Peter worries could be dangerous.  The question becomes… will finding Sheila help Rowan?  Is it even possible?  Is Rowan destined to follow in her mother’s footsteps?

This is my third Anita Shreve novel.  I loved The Pilot’s Wife and I also really liked Testimony.  I thought both were very thought-provoking novels, and forced the reader to ask the question, “What would I do in this situation?”  While I zoomed through Rescue, it didn’t give me the same stimulation.  It was an emotional love story.  Whether it’s a relationship or something else, I think we can all relate to wanting something we know is wrong, or bad for us.  I guess the lesson here is that it’s never too late to try to set things right, no matter how many years have passed.  But when I finished the book I guess I was hoping for some more insight.  While the book was narrated from Peter’s point of view, I wanted more from Sheila and Rowan. 

Bottom line: It’s a quick and enjoyable read, but it’s not Shreve’s best work.

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Back to work… with a workout!

26 Jun

OK, I’m back from a brief blogging and working hiatus.  Mondays are never fun, but this one seemed especially excruciating after three days of looking at scenes like this:

…and eating things like this:

Of course, being a slug on the sand and devouring enormous sundaes doesn’t really do much for my workout mojo.  I did run once at the beach, and it was a gloriously flat and beautiful six miles.  I swear, the salty air killed the last of my lingering cough.  My co-workers commented today that I’ve sounded healthier than I have in weeks.

As nice as that run by the ocean was, when the alarm went off this morning I wasn’t so keen on running this morning before work.  I didn’t even hit the snooze button.  I straight up turned it off and pulled the covers over my head.  With such a busy work week ahead of me, (lots of people on vacation, meaning more work for the poor suckers who aren’t on vacation) I didn’t sleep well at all.  But after a few minutes of lying there I dragged myself out of bed and dubiously laced up.

As usually happens, around two miles in I hit my stride.  The aching in my temples caused by sleep deprivation faded, and I was suddenly grateful for whatever it was that convinced me that the open road is a much better place than under my covers.

A full week of work seems far less daunting when you take deep breaths and take it one day at a time… and when you start things off with a run to get your blood flowing!

How do you ease into a full week of work after a long weekend?

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Love and Light

21 Jun

I try to get to yoga class once a week.  When I’m pressed for time I’ll try to practice at home, but there are really too many distractions in my house for me to really focus.  I’ll remember something I forgot to do or my phone will ding (or beep, honk, quack, etc.) with some kind of potentially-life-altering notification.  Not a yoga-friendly environment.

So I like to go to class where I can walk in with just a mat and a bottle of water.  Much better.

Image via lotusmoonmansfield.com

The class I go to most regularly has a fabulous teacher who makes the practice both physically challenging and spiritually fulfilling.  When I first started practicing yoga, I did it because I was a runner with tight legs.  I wasn’t too keen on all the “hippy dippy meditation” stuff.  But the more I do it, the more I appreciate the chance to listen to my body, think about what’s stressing me out, and use the workout to better align my body and mind.

During each lesson, our teacher always tells us at some point to take a moment to give thanks to our Creator for everything we have and the chance to practice today.  Just being able to walk out of the house and twist around on a mat for an hour is not something everyone is able to do… something easily taken for granted.  She also tells us to take a moment to think of someone, and send “love and light” to that person who needs it.

For some reason, EVERY time we do this I think of someone who makes me unhappy.  Someone who let me down, or belittled me, or is just plain annoying me as of late.  No matter how hard I try, they just pop into my head.  I don’t think of my dear fiance, or my wonderful parents.  Nope… it’s someone who makes my blood boil.

Well, when I was in class a few days ago, she actually TOLD us to think of someone who is a challenge in our lives, and send THAT person some love and light.  She said many times, those “difficult” people are put in our lives for a reason, or to make us stronger.  It’s those people who need our positive energy the most.

Now I don’t know that our “love and light” exercise actually does anything out there in the universe.  But after class this week I had a better understanding of what it’s all about.  I will continue to think of that person who bugs me the most at any given time, and send love and light their way.  Even if they never send it back in my direction… they probably need it more than I do!

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Dish Read: I NEED ONE!

20 Jun

As you may have noticed, the Dish Reads have been absent as of late.  I started a book about a month ago called “Serena,” by Ron Rash.

Image via rusoffangency.com

This one caught my attention because it’s being made into a movie staring two of my favorite people: Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.  (Mr Dish and I both have crushes on Bradley Cooper… and Jennifer Lawrence.)

Double swoon! (Image via insidemovies.ew.com)

It’s about a newlywed couple who travel to North Carolina in the 1920′s to start a timber empire.  He’s a successful businessman and she’s a strong-willed, independent woman with a haunted past, who also comes from a background in cutting and selling timber.  Scandal ensues in the wilderness.  (After her role in “Winter’s Bone,” Mama Dish says Lawrence “is in danger of being type cast as the tough Appalachian chick!”)

Here’s the problem.  I started the book about a month ago, I’m a few chapters in, and I haven’t touched my Kindle in weeks.  I just can’t bring myself to go back push through it.  The writing isn’t grabbing me, too many characters were introduced too quickly, and I don’t feel a real connection to any of those characters.  It’s been a month, and I’m calling it.  I’m walking away.  Sorry, Serena.

So the search for my next Dish Read has begun, especially since I’m going to the beach this weekend!  (Is it Friday yet?  No?  How about now?)  Laying on a blanket in the sand with the sun overhead listening to the ocean is my nirvana.  Just give me a book and a bottle of sunscreen and I’m good for the day.

My deskmate gave me a few suggestions, which I have put on my to-read list.  (“Rescue,” by Anita Shreve and “Carry the One” by Carol Anshaw.)  But I’m always looking for a good book, especially a good beach read!  Who’s got one?

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1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut Recap

19 Jun

It’s time to tell you about Saturday’s half marathon: The 1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut Half Marathon in Northeast Philadelphia’s Pennypack Park.  Once again, my partners in crime were my dear MOH and her hubby.

Three races together in three months.  These kids are going to get sick of me soon.

This hidden gem of a race had all kinds of German touches… it’s organized by Uber Endurance Sports, after all!  Because of the limited parking at Pennypack, we parked at the Canstatter German Club just a few minutes away.  A bus shuttled us to the start with very little wait.  We also picked up our race bibs that morning!

No line! No stress!

We also drooled over the gorgeous clocks which would be given out as awards!

Way cooler than a plaque.

There was even this sign to greet us as we pulled up to the starting area:

Aaah, it takes me back to my days in high school German class with Frau Parks.  Unfortunately, the only things I remember how to say are: ”Ich habe durst” (I’m thirsty) and “Wo ist die bier?” (Where is the beer?)

Anyway, about 700 runners participated on this gloriously cool Saturday morning.  We could not have asked for better weather in late June.  The course itself was beautiful, and most of it in the shade!  I’ve been to Pennypack Park many times, and I had forgotten how beautiful it is.

A few manageable hills in the beginning/end kept things interesting.

Part of the course took us through a grassy field and then on a trail.  The “Mount Cuckoo” portion about half way through wasn’t as bad as I expected.  We were lucky the course didn’t see much rain the week prior to the race, because I can see how the trail can easily become a muddy mountain in soggy weather!  The trail is on an uphill, and it is narrow so it was difficult to pass runners in front of you.  I was happy when it was over, but the three of us agreed it wasn’t as bad as we thought it was going to be.

Towards the end, MOH got a burst of energy and zoomed ahead, just barely squeaking in under the 2:00 mark.  Mr. MOH and I finished with a respectable 2:02.  It was a time I was not expecting, considering we set out to do this as a “fun run.”  (“We don’t care about our time.  We’re just doing this for fun!” they always say.  Riiiiiight.  My quads don’t believe you.)

Once we crossed the finish line, THIS lay before us:

Must. Eat. Everything.

A smorgasbord of cookies, fresh fruit and homemade baked goods.

Homemade chocolate chip banana bread. Yes, please.

The finishers medals were totally sweet…

Love the colors!

…and to top it all off, MOH found a four-leaf clover.

Luck o’ the… German?

Just when we thought this race couldn’t get any better, we took a bus back to the German Club, where a free bratwurst and beer were waiting for us!

Das ist gut!

Mama Dish is so proud of how much Deutsche I’m remembering right now.  Anyway, we sat and enjoyed our wurst and the sound of Edelweiss played on an accordion.  It was lovely.

I would absolutely run this race again.  The course, the amenities, and the organization made for a wonderful experience.

All smiles after the race!

My only problem now is that I’m not signed up for another race until Steamtown in October!  Any suggestions?

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Happy Father’s Day!

17 Jun

After a hearty breakfast, Papa Dish took me and my brother to one of our favorite fishing holes along the Neshaminy Creek.

As I described in this previous entry, it’s really not always about catching fish.  Fortunately, we DID catch fish today!  Lots of them!

Because this spot is to picturesque, I couldn’t help but take a few nature shots…

We had a great time, and fished until we ran out of earthworms!  Happy Father’s Day to all the papa’s out there… especially mine!

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The Craziest Thing I’ve Ever Done

15 Jun

I’m going to come right out and admit that I got today’s blog idea after I read Andy Palumbo’s blog today.  In a nutshell, Sunday is his 14th anniversary at WNEP.  I can’t imagine working for the same employer for that long, and I hope I get the chance to do so.  I have a hard time believing I’ve been at WNEP for 4+ years.

After I read his blog, I looked at the date.  June 15.  And then it hit me… today is a work-related anniversary for me.

It was on June 15, 2005 that I stepped through the doors of KRTV, the CBS affiliate in Great Falls, Montana for the first time as a paid employee.  Today is the day I consider my anniversary of being a professional journalist.

Scared doesn’t even begin to describe it.  I was fairly confident in my reporting, shooting and editing skills.  The University of Maryland had taught me well. I was to be a “one-man-band,” or a reporter who shoots and edits her own video.  They’re often referred to as Multi-media Journalists now, or MMJ’s.  Everyone was nice and welcoming, and there were quite a few reporters there who were from different parts of the country, just like me.  But I was still more than 2,000 miles from home in a place I had never been before.  I knew no one, other than the news director I had only spoken with over the phone.

To this day, moving to Great Falls two weeks after I graduated from college is still the craziest thing I’ve ever done.

After four days of driving, I had made it to Big Sky Country! (The sky really did seem bigger, believe it or not!)

I was only there for about six months.  I wasn’t placed under contract at KRTV and as winter set in, I was lucky enough to get a job offer at a station in Savannah, Ga.  It was a larger market in a much warmer climate.  It was kind of a no-brainer decision.

But I don’t regret a single thing about my experience in Great Falls.  I made a lot of mistakes.  A LOT.  I did my first live shots, learned how a newsroom works, and did the first stories of which I was truly proud.  I also did some stories that could have been a lot better.  I made some connections I still treasure to this day.

I don’t think I’d want to live in Montana again, but I’d love to go back to visit.  It is a gorgeous place!

The “Great Falls” for which the city is named.

It’s a very nice city with lots of wonderful people.  It was just too isolated for me.  My family – and my heart – will forever be on the East Coast.  But I think one of the most important things I learned in Montana was that I could make it on my own.  I didn’t need my parents within driving distance to survive.  I may have been 22 years old, but I was an adult none-the-less.

Like I said, it was the craziest – and maybe one of the most important – things I’ve ever done.

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Catch (up) and Release

14 Jun

Look what I bought today!

Licensed to fish!

I know, I’m a little behind.  Usually I’ve obtained my license in time for the opening day of trout season, which is usually in March/April here in PA.  But this year, schedules got in the way, and for the first time in quite a while, I did not get up at 5:00 a.m. and sit by the creek with Papa Dish to “save our spot” and sit by the water shivering until it’s officially legal to drop your lines in at 8:00 a.m.  Trust me, it’s a good time.

So I figured Father’s Day weekend would be a good time to finally get my fish on with Dad.  Though I don’t do it often, I do love fishing.  It’s relaxing, it’s messy (in a good way) and it’s always exciting when you hook something.  While I have my own rod and little tackle box, I never go fishing alone.  The idea of solitary fishing always seems like a good idea.  It’s not really a team sport.  You’re not supposed to talk too loudly anyway.  I can tie my own hooks, bait my own hooks, and get a fish off my line without pulling its guts out.  My dad taught me all of these things at a young age so I could fish on my own, should I chose to do so.

I’m in it mostly for the companionship and conversation, really.  I think guys fish in groups because they need some kind of an activity to be the center of their gathering so they don’t have to talk about anything of substance.  Guys need a sport, or fire at which they can stare, or beer cans to crush, or tangled line at which to curse.  Us gals?  All we need is a bottle of wine and a couch, and we have all we need to gab for hours, sharing our inner-most secrets.

Mr. Dish will come home from the baseball game, having spent 4+ hours with his Best Man, and when I ask him “what’s new” with Mr. Best Man he’ll say, “I dunno,” or “Nothing.”  Really?  You didn’t talk about ANYTHING but sports that whole time?  (Don’t answer that.)

Now to every rule there is an exception.  Papa Dish and I have had some great heart to heart talks as we’ve stared at our bobbers, not catching anything.  That’s why I love it so much.  I could have a tackle box filled with fancy lures and a stringer full of trout, but it’s never really about the fish.

Unless I catch a fish that’s bigger than Dad’s… in which case… it’s totally about the fish!

What are YOUR Father’s Day plans?

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To China… or Not to China?

13 Jun

Mr. Dish and I have not started our registry yet.  But I am keeping a list of utensils/appliances in my iPhone.  As we come across something we don’t have in our daily cooking, we add it to the list!  But this registry business isn’t as simple as all that.  Turns out, something we’ve been debating is also a fairly hot topic in the wedding world: Should we register for china or not?

Obviously, formal china is a very traditional wedding gift.  The chosen pattern made a personal statement about the couple and a place setting was a very popular gift for the bride and groom.  There’s a whole china primer on theknot.com!  I must admit, it is a nice thing to have for “special occasions.”  I remember setting our holiday tables quite well, always with Mama Dish’s china.  But how often did we really use it?  Because of its delicate nature, not that often.  Given my lack of hand-eye coordination in the kitchen, I fear any gorgeous place settings may get smashed to smithereens if they’re used too often.  Surely, I will pass along my clumsiness to any little dishlings with whom we may be blessed.

I prefer a more robust dish, something that can survive a clink on the counter without disintegrating in my hands.  Mr. Dish already has a full set of sturdy, quality dishes we use everyday.  There’s just one problem:  they’re boring!  White.  No texture.  No pattern.  No nothing.  I need some COLOR in my life!

Recently, Mr. Dish and I stumbled upon something that may have solved our conundrum for us…

A dear friend of ours recently lost her grandfather, and so – as often happens – her family was tasked with cleaning out his home and finding new homes for possessions.  They found an old set of china that no one in the family wanted.  Vintage, in good condition, and nearly complete… 12 place settings!

Pattern: YBRY by Noritake

Some may call this pattern “dated.”  But I’ve always been a sucker for a Victorian flourish, and I was totally thrilled and flattered when this gorgeous set was offered to me.  Based on our research, we think it’s from the 1920′s.  It is also extremely delicate.  I’m amazed at the shape it’s in.  (Only one broken teacup, easily glued with Mr. Dish’s surgical precision!)

So this beautiful and unexpected gift changes the game a little bit.  I’m still tempted to register for another set of regular old dishes… something with a little color that’s still sturdy enough to use everyday.

I’m open to all the registry advice I can get!  What was one of the most valuable things you received from your registry?  Did you register for china or another form of dishware?  Are you happy with your decision?  I’d hate to suffer from a case of registry remorse!

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