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Election Day

6 Nov


 

Seems like I lucked out when I voted around 1:00 p.m. this afternoon. I walked into my polling place and had two people in front of me. I heard the poll workers asking for ID so I had mine out and waiting when it was my turn. I asked the guy in charge if it’s been slow. He said I came at the perfect time. Things had been slammed since the polls opened at 7:00 a.m. Just after lunch was their first chance to breathe. I was voter number 413.

Tonight, as it usually does, promises to be an interesting one in the newsroom. I’ll be stationed at Kathleen Kane’s headquarters in downtown Scranton. If she’s elected she will be the first woman elected Attorney General in PA, and the first democrat elected to the position.

She is heavily favored to win over her Republican challenger David Freed. You have about two more hours to cast your ballot if you haven’t already. Even if you don’t consider yourself a politico, there’s no denying politics are exciting on election night. We’ll be on the air on WNEP2 from 8:00-10:30 p.m. Then of course there’s Newswatch 16 at 11:00 on good ol’ WNEP.

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Sandy’s Still Here…

30 Oct

I’m looking at a radar map of PA right now and the entire state is either green or yellow. Still, meteorologists are saying the worst is over. Still, tens of thousands are without power in our region. It may be days before electricity returns.

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I spent the night last night in Wilkes-Barre and other spots in Luzerne County. Public Square in WB was eerily quiet, except for the objects being blown around. A mandatory curfew was in effect for the city. (Except for emergency responders and journalists, of course.). Power surges at our Wyoming Valley Newsroom severely hindered our ability to get video back to the station. Fortunately, we were able to do all of our liveshots and get the curfew and shelter information out.

Just before we went back to the station, we heard an 8-year-old boy was killed by a tree limb in Susquehanna County. It was a sickening piece of news.

Last night was a tiring and frustrating shift, but those days of work in the news business are often the most important. I hope you, your family and your home made it through the storm OK.

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Waiting for Sandy

29 Oct

The strength of Hurricane Sandy being felt in Spring Lake, NJ. (Image via http://www.NJ.com)

While the New Jersey coast is getting pummeled, we are waiting for the storm’s arrival here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  While the scene outside my window is cloudy and calm, it is eerily quiet outside.  After the massive flooding last year, I think people are fearful, and rightfully so.  They’ve been through Hell and back. So far, our meteorologists at Newswatch 16 DO NOT think we will see widespread flooding like we did a year ago.  Wind damage and power outages will be our biggest foe, it seems.  Right now we are doing hourly cut-ins on WNEP… we will increase our coverage if conditions worsen.

The line between hype and awareness is a tough one to walk.  I may be biased, but I think Newswatch 16 always takes a stellar approach: tell people what they need to know and how they can prepare.  That’s it.  Information, not speculation.

Updates will be coming all day on wnep.com and over the air if you’re in our viewing area.  Be safe!

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Being the Match

21 Sep

Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts had her bone marrow transplant yesterday.  Hearing about her procedure reminded me that I had signed up to potentially “Be The Match” for someone who needs marrow!

Good luck, Robin! (Image via abcnews.com)

Robin has myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS.  It basically means her bone marrow isn’t producing enough healthy blood cells.  Her sister happened to be a perfect match.  You can read more about her transplant here.  Reading about the treatment she’s going through made me very grateful for my good health!

When Robin was diagnosed, she teamed up with the National Marrow Registry to encourage people to donate bone marrow.  I remember I went  to the website the day I found out Robin’s mother died, and signed up.  It sounds a lot scarier than donating blood (which is still a little scary!), but I decided to suck it up, especially when I found out my future sister-in-law was already on the registry.  Peer pressure can be a good thing sometimes :)

I actually filled out the questionnaire in the car when I was down the shore, from my phone.  (No, I wasn’t driving!)  It was very easy, and only took about 15 minutes.  But that’s just the beginning.  The next week, I got a package in the mail.

Tissue-typing kit, eh? This sounds scientific.

In order to determine if you’re a match for someone, the folks at the National Marrow Registry need a tissue sample.  Fortunately, you can provide them with said sample using a cotton swab and your cheek!  No blood, no needles, no scalpels.

 

Four cotton swabs are used for four spots on the inside of your cheeks, and that’s it.  Pretty foolproof.  Then you label them and send the kit back!

Swabbed and labeled!

So now I wait for my kit to be processed and then I should be notified that I’m officially on the marrow registry.  I’ll be notified if I’m a match for someone who needs marrow, and then we go from there.  Who knows?  The 5 minutes of swabbing and labeling could end up helping someone!

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I Remember…

11 Sep

Sitting in German class on a Tuesday when someone interrupted the lecture saying something about a plane crash.  The professor kept teaching.

Walking over to the College of Journalism to drop something off after German class.  I opened the front door to the building, and gasped.  The lobby was packed.

Watching the burning towers on every one of the TV screens on the “news wall” in the journalism lobby.

Nervously walking back to my dorm after finding out all classes were cancelled.

Not being able to call my parents… or anyone.

Students crying.  Those from New York were frantic.

An RA coming around our hall to see if anyone needed to talk.

Being glued to the TV, watching Diane Sawyer.  How calming her voice was.  The endless coverage affirmed for me that I had chosen the right major.

Hundreds of sheets draped across McKeldin Mall on the middle of campus with messages of grief, support, and hope written in marker.

Grabbing news cameras from UMTV, the campus TV station, and shooting footage of the observances on campus with my friend, Kate.

Needing to be around news.  Needing to write.  Needing to feel like I was doing something.

Being horrified at how many people died, how many buildings and lives were destroyed.

Thinking that one day my children will learn about this day in history class.  Another fact, another date to memorize.

Feeling fortunate, grateful, and terrified at the same time.

Being proud to live in the greatest country in the world.  I still am, and always will be.

Never forget. (Image via abcnews.com)

 

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Top Five Things I Liked About High Fidelity

22 Aug

This is one of those, “I can’t BELIEVE you’ve never seen that!” movies.  No one has ever made me watch it and I admit it – I never really knew what it was about.  So this weekend, Mr. Dish finally made me watch it.  I’m so glad he did!  In honor of one of the movie’s themes, here’s a Top Five list from yours truly!

Image via forbookssake.net

1.  It’s full of lists.  I love lists!  I constantly have some kind of ongoing shopping or to-do list in my iPhone.  I also enjoy writing list blog entries.  Rob’s lists also made for great conversation and reflection.  It was kind of fun running through our own “Top Five Most Epic Break-ups”… now that they’re over!

2. It’s about relationships from a guy’s perspective.  Girls are always trying to get into guys’ heads.  This movie didn’t just tell the story of a break-up, it dissected it down to the very emotional baggage that was picked up when Rob was a teenager!  After all the times I’ve thought to myself, “UGH!  What was he THINKING?” …watching this movie felt like a guilty pleasure.

3. Jack Black.  

Image via sallyy13.wordpress.com

He did not disappoint as the plucky sidekick just waiting to throw out a zinger.  Hilarious.  Sure, he’s had some flops over the years.  But 9 times out of 10, adding Jack Black to a movie only makes it better. (Honorable mentions go to Catherine Zeta-Jones and Lisa Bonet.)

4.  I didn’t like Laura.  I know, at first this was a bad thing.  When the movie ended, I said to Mr. Dish, “But I don’t like her!  I don’t want him to end up with her!”

One look at those BANGS and I knew I was going to have an issue with this girl. (Image via rottentomatoes.com)

Rob was made out to be a doormat, and I didn’t like it.  After some discussion, though, I realized that it made the scenario more real.  They both did some stupid things to break the relationship and in the end they were both willing to do the work to repair it.  (Even though I still get the heebie jeebies when I think about her running off with Ian.  EW!)  If she was Little Miss Perfect, it would have been a no-brainer.  But he wasn’t exactly Mr. Perfect either.

5.  It’s a book.  By Nick Hornby.  It may very well be a Dish Read in the near future!

Image via amazon.com

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A Stone’s Throw

10 Aug

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I was digging around in my oversized purse yesterday at work and found the stone pictured above.

Now when someone asks me, “What do you carry, rocks, in that thing?” I can answer, “Why, yes, I do!”

Seriously, I knew exactly where it came from.  It was from a recent trip to the Jersey Shore.  For some reason, when I find a nice, smooth stone in the sand, I have to pick it up.  Several are in the bottom of my beach bag.  I don’t know what I’ll do with them.  I don’t know how this one manage to sneak into my everyday purse.  But I’m glad it did.

At the risk of sounding like I should be on the A&E show “Hoarders,” I love keeping mementos from happy places and happy times.  Here are some of the items currently residing in the front console of my car:

  • A wooden keg bung (plug) from the Yuengling Brewery tour Mr. Dish and I took last year.
  • An empty tube of bubbles from the send off at my cousin’s wedding.
  • Several beach stones from N.J.
  • A rock from Badlands National Park in South Dakota.  We stopped there on our way out to Montana in 2005.

For the record, I know you’re not supposed to take rocks from the Badlands.  I was going through a rebellious period.  I consider it the coolest thing in my car, if it makes you feel any better.

Back to my purse-diving expedition… in the middle of my work day, the stone served a reminder of my upcoming mini-vaca.  I think its home will be on my desk next to the pictures and thank you cards.  All I need is a sling-shot and I’ll be set to defend myself against grumpy photographers!

What objects do you keep around to lift your spirits?

Tea Time Wisdom

8 Aug

My tea bag had a message for me yesterday as I was preparing my cup of cocoa chai.

 

This one resonated with me.  Not because I’m uncomfortable with myself, but because lately I can appreciate the need to stand behind decisions made, which is much easier done with a strong sense of self.  Planning a wedding, attempting to merge your life with someone else’s, making professional decisions… each move makes a statement.

Mark Twain was a literary icon and a humorist.  I can only assume he would want us to embrace our true selves with a good dose of humor.  So, over my cup of chai I resolved to be me by remembering what’s important and finding humor in all the rest.  (Is it acceptable to bring your wedding gown to the limo service to make sure it fits in the vehicle before booking?  Because I kind of want to.)

Cheers to being YOU!

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Ten Lessons from Dad

24 Jul

So I’m about an hour late.  Papa Dish’s birthday was Monday, and his birthday blog will be published on Tuesday.  At least his card was on time.

Papa Dish has taught me some valuable and fatherly things over the years.  Here are ten of them:

  1. When it comes to garlic, you can never use too much.
  2. If you can fix it, don’t throw it out.
  3. Always keep a quart of oil in the trunk.
  4. Try any and all foods at least once.
  5. Whoever reels in the fish gets credit for it, regardless of who hooked it.  (I still don’t know about this one, but it was the rule growing up.  I abide by it to this day.)
  6. Don’t spend money you don’t have.
  7. Spend the money you do have on things that are really fun.
  8. In the end, your family will always be on your side.
  9. Work hard.
  10. Do what you love.  Life’s too short to do anything else.

Dust off that tux, Dad, you’ll need it this spring!

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Wrained out at Wrigley

18 Jul

The day before Wendy and Joe’s wedding, we had the customary rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.  But before that, the couple invited us all to go to a Cubs game that afternoon at Wrigley Field!

Hello, Wrigleyville!

I’ve been to a Cubs game before, and while I do enjoy the game, one of my favorite things about visiting this stadium is relaxing on the patio off the upper deck and looking down over Wrigleyville.  The bars, shops and streets are bustling with people.  I love the energy.

We were lucky enough to go to a promotional game… free Cubs coozies for our beverages!

Also doubles as a slap bracelet! (remember those??)

Sadly, just as the game was about to start, a storm rolled in… and it was a doozy!

Rain, rain, go away!

This wasn’t a regular old rain storm, by the way.  This was a raining sideways, thunder so loud the concessions workers were dropping things kind of storm.  We happened to be on our way back from getting a snack when the storm kicked into high gear.  Everyone who was in a seat was soaked to the bone.  Children around us were crying in their ponchos.  Mr. Dish and I huddled in one of the concrete ramps to wait out the storm.  We may have occupied the few feet of dry space on the whole upper deck!

Rain’s not so bad when you have a hot dog.

We stayed in this spot for a good 15 minutes.  People crowded around us, trying to get in on our awesome dry spot.  But we stood our ground!  Fortunately we had reserves with which to refuel during the storm.

Rain delay survival kit.

Even after the monsoon let up, it became pretty clear that we were not going to see any baseball that day.  We had to leave to get ready for the rehearsal dinner and the field was still a mess.

The tarp came off… and then went back on again.

The game did start after we left (almost 4 hours late!), and the Cubs ended up beating the Diamondbacks 8-1.  As for us, we dried off, and got our rehearsal on in preparation for the big day.  See you next time, Wrigleyville!

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