Thank You Big Country!!!

To all of the friends I have made in the Big Country,

Wow. Usually blogging comes naturally to me but this one I admit is a struggle.
First and foremost, I want to thank you for the past three years. Reporting and anchoring for KRBC has been a dream come true. I came to Abilene right out of college expecting to come here and just gain experience in the television business. But, it didn't take very long for this place to turn into "home". The people I have met, the friends I have made, and the family I have gained make it difficult to leave.
However, as an aspiring journalist it is time to move on to the next great job opportunity. For me, that will be at a new TV station in Lexington, Kentucky.
There are so many people I owe big thank yous to for helping me learn, to grow, and even become a better person. I have enjoyed sharing your stories and bringing you the news every day at 5 o'clock. I have also enjoyed being a part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization in Abilene and coaching youth cheerleading while living in the Big Country. I will miss my "Little Sister" and my cheerleading teams dearly.
The three years I have worked at KRBC have flown by. I am lucky to have worked alongside such amazing people at the station. My co-workers have become family and it will definitely be hard to say goodbye. I also want to thank my boss for seeing potential in me and allowing me several platforms to take advantage of at KRBC.
While I will no longer be bringing you the news, I will not be a stranger to the Big Country. I am engaged to an Abilene man and his family resides here in the Big Country so I will be back often.
Again, I want to thank you for being a part of my life and allowing me to be a part of yours.

Sincerely,

Brittany

My Eating Habits During the Work Week are Weird

So, I am totally one of those people that eats on the go; many times in the car. Today, I picked up Subway and had about 15-20 minutes to eat before my scheduled interview. Instead of sitting inside the restaurant (like a normal person) I pulled into a random parking lot off of a south Abilene street. It was just down the road from where I had to be, so it seemed like the perfect spot. What prompted me writing a blog about it is the reaction the neighbors gave me. Just across the street from where I was eating inside the car, some residents were returning home (probably to eat lunch). The way they looked at me, I got the impression they thought I was a creeper; peering into their homes. I really wasn't though. I was minding my own business, eating my Subway sub, and listening to music.
I have another confession. This is definitely not the first time I have seen this reaction, and it's obviously not my first eating in the car experience. I frequent several dining spots in town (including the car parked in Redbud Park). I am obsessed with time management. I've learned with my crazy schedule of reporting and anchoring; you've got to do what makes the most sense and can save the most time. As my producer, Mark Moseley loves to mock me "not much time for lunch, not much time to stop and breathe". Now don't get me wrong, this isn't a complaint blog. It's more of a laugh with me blog.

'The Voice' Auditions in Abilene=Huge Success!

Judging any kind of competition is typically a tough job but when you have to judge 130 different singers based on their vocal skills...well let's just say it's a whole new toughness. I was thoroughly impressed with the amount of people confident enough to sing in front of a theater full of people.
As I was talking to some of the contestants tonight, it was funny how most of them were nervous to talk or do an interview on tv but yet allow them to sing their hearts out, no problem! I am the complete opposite. I never could have stood before a theater, let alone a room full of people and sing. I admire those that had the confidence to perform tonight.
Having to keep my back turned towards the singers until I had already given them a score was also really challenging. Now I know how Christina Aguilera felt having the urge to turn around the chair, but not being able to until a decision was made. Tough stuff.
I am really excited for viewers to get the opportunity to vote online and help send five people from Abilene to have their shot at being on the next season of 'The Voice!'

Wiener Dogs Galore

Last nightI had the opportunity to judge the 2011 Rescue the Animals Dachshund races. It was my first wiener dog race. The turn out was amazing! I still can't get over how many dachshund's live here in Abilene!
Before the races, the dogs were judged on a variety of categories. The contestants cracked me up. I love how into it the owners get and I can't wait to be a dog owner again, myself (when I have the time). Here's some of the pictures I snapped from the event. Enjoy!

Troubled by Toddlers & Tiaras

Okay, so I have to admit that several months ago I got sucked into TLC's Toddlers & Tiaras. It was an accident, really. I was never a pageant girl and I didn't know anyone that was when I was growing up. I think I initially was fascinated by the families that were so sucked into the crazy lifestyle of pageantry (at least it appears that way on TLC).
For the most part, I laughed off the stereotypical pageant mom's. The over-dosing of the girls with pixie stix before a pageant irritated me, but other than that I had the attitude, "to each his own".



However, after watching the last episode I was heart broken. There are a brother and sister pair, Braxton and Alaska. The mother and step-father were absolutely awful. They did not treat their kids equally. Both the boy and girl were put in pageants. The mother and father continuously complimented Braxton and always neglected and even put down Alaska. I felt awful for the little girl.






She was not only beautiful, but she seemed to be a great kid. Regardless, no child should be treated the way that they treated Alaska. To really understand the scope of just how bad these parents were, you'd have to watch the whole video. While Braxton typically wins the pageants they both enter, this grand finale he did not and his sister won. Of course, the parents ended up adoring her because she won. It was awful. I couldn't get over that having a title was what made a mom love (or at least show love) to her own daughter. I know you're probably thinking, why did you keep watching if you thought it was so awful. The best I can explain is that it's like a scary movie, you want to look away at certain parts but you also don't want to miss anything.

http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/toddlers-tiaras-season-4-videos/

The Love Bug is Biting

So, if you keep up with my blog you know that I am happily engaged and wedding planning is in full-swing. But, my own wedding is not the only planning that is going on in my life. Two of my closest friends (both from college) are also engaged and getting married in 2012!!! I am so excited for them and us just to be able to experience all of this stuff together.
So, I am going to be a bride first, a maid of honor second, and a bridesmaid third but all before the end of 2012. : )

Here is Mary and her fiance, Andrew. Mary lives in Florida and is going to school to be an elementary education teacher. She is amazing with kids and will be a great Mom one day! Mary and I met in college by fate. She moved into the empty suite next door to me my junior year. We instantly clicked. We both cheered in college together for the Barry Buccaneers. We were pretty much inseperable from the time that we met. We coached cheerleading together, traveled together, and became part of each other's families. Honestly, Mary is like a sister to me. I am an only child but she definitely filled that role. Her family is like my family and visa versa. It's so nice to have a friend like that. Mary is spontaneous and free-spirited. She has always been a good friend and is always fun to be around. I was honored when she asked me to be her maid of honor. : ) Believe it or not, I have never met her fiance, Andrew! He is in the Army Florida National Guard. So she is having to plan on a wedding on her own while he is Iraq. As her maid of honor, I wished I lived closer to be more of a part of her planning. But, I know it will all work out and the wedding will be even more meaningful since they have had to have a long distance relationship for so long.



And here is Jamie and her fiance, Scott. They live in New York. Jamie is an event planner. She is amazing at what she does, but luckily in college she thought she wanted to get into broadcast radio and we had most of our classes together. Jamie, also known as "Roomie" because she was the first roommate I ever had. (I'm an only child so that is a big deal) ha. Jamie and I met before freshmen year of school in a program that the university offered to introduce all the newbies. We instantly became friends and even kept in touch in the weeks leading up to starting college. It was so comforting knowing someone before entering that chapter in my life. We have so many memories throughout the four years of college but even after. Jamie is such a caring and honest friend. She is also a ball of fun. Again, I have not met her fiance, Scott either. Unfortunately, that is what happens when you live far away from your college friends.



These two girls mean the world to me and it really does make me so happy to see them so happy too! I have to be honest though, one of the the reasons I am most excited for all of these weddings is for us to all be together and to meet these two Romeo's of my friends.

P.S. I wouldn't be surprised if I have to update this blog with two of my other closest friends getting engaged. (I'll refrain from details because I don't want to jinx it) But, I'm telling you, the love bug is biting. But at the same time, I also know we are "at that age" when it's all about the weddings. In a few years, we'll be planning the baby showers and all that fun stuff. Believe me though, I am in no rush. I think I'll enjoy the wedding festivities for now! Cheers to my fiance and my good friends and theirs!

Saying Farewell to a Dear Friend

For many of us here at KRBC, we move to Abilene to jump start our career in journalism. My journey began 2.5 years ago and a week after I started, Maria Oliver (KRBC's former weekend anchor/weekday reporter; most recently assignments manager)started too.
We instantly became friends. We were probably each others first friends here, since the first week is just a lot of adjusting. It was so nice to have a close friend so quick after moving to a foreign place. Maria helped make that transition easier for me.

We have had so much fun together and made so many memories over the past 2.5 years. Today is her last day at KRBC and in Abilene. She is moving on to Alabama for the next adventure in her life. While, she will be dearly missed. I am really happy for my friend. I know that Maria and I will continue to be friends no matter where we live. Best of luck to you, Maria. : )

Is Nikki's Swirl Shoppe Taking Over?

If you watch me on KRBC or follow my blog here, it's obvious that I have a sweet tooth (especially for frozen treats). The past two summer's in Abilene, I had a snow cone or two every week.




Several snow cone owners in town will even tell you, we became friends based on the amount of times that I went for a snow cone.
When snow cone stands started popping up this year, I was anxious to go (and I did...maybe two or three times). For me, that is very unusual. I haven't had the cravings like I used to in the past (could it be from the cavities I had filled?) or it is the new Nikki's Swirl Shoppe?
My boss had mentioned the possibility of people ditching the snow cone stands for the new self-service frozen yogurt bar. I didn't really think of that as a possibility.



I am not a regular at Nikki's, but I have been a handful of times since they opened in Abilene.
Nikki's frozen yogurt satisfies the sweet tooth and offers a fun atmosphere (which is obviously why it is so successful. Now, I'm curious to know how you would compare snow cones to frozen yogurt?! What's your guilty pleasure?

He proposed and I said Yes!

The day I have been dreaming about since I was a little girl arrived on May 7th 2011.
We've been dating for one month shy of two years. I've known he was the one for a long time now, but was definitely surprised when he popped the question. While I'm going to keep much of the proposal a secret, I will share where it happened. We were in Fort Worth for the weekend (last weekend) and it happened inside the Fort Worth Gardens. Neither of us had been there before but it was gorgeous and the whole thing was perfect.



I am such a lucky girl. I came to Abilene in September 2008 to gain experience and jump start my career in tv news. Little did I know, that I'd find the love of my life on top of finding a job that I love. Now I know to some, this blog may be sappy but hey you can't blame a newly engaged girl, can you?

Loving the Voice

So I've never been a fan of American Idol, America's Got Talent, or basically any other show that has the same audition format. However, the previews of "The Voice," sucked me in. Even in it's debut week, it didn't disappoint. I am thoroughly impressed with the amount of talent displayed on the show. I never knew there were this many talented singers just waiting for their big break.
I'll be honest, I have a terrible singing voice. That doesn't mean that I don't like to sing but let's just my friends have told me to zip it even during karaoke. So I guess because it is something I am really pour at, I like to live vicariously through those that have amazing voices.



Every time, I picked someone who I thought was my favorite, the next singer changes my mind. As for the judges, I love the variety. The producers did a really great job casting and bringing in musicians of all genres. I still haven't picked my favorite judge just yet. It's hard to compare. I guess the one comment I have to single one of the judges out is Ceelo! Is it just me or is he girl crazy?! He finds some flirtatious comment to say to the majority of the female contestants. His comments are pretty predictable too.
What are your thoughts of the show? Do tell.

Meet the Parents

So since you get to see me every week day on KRBC First at Five and the News at six, I figured I'd introduce you to my lovely parents. My mother lives on the East Coast of Florida and my Dad lives on the West Coast of Florida (not bad places to visit the parents, is it)?

As an only child, I never had to share these two with anyone else (am I spoiled? Maybe just a little). No, but seriously these two are great. Although there are some things that they tell me they wished they did differently as I was growing up, I'm thankful for all that they did because I wouldn't be who I am today.

Both my Mom, Laurie and my Dad, Marc are my biggest fans, my biggest cheerleaders and I am very thankful for all of their love and support. I love my parents very much.

A Secret of Big Country Firefighters

Firefighters in the Big Country are without a doubt heroes in our community. But, something that you might not know about them, many are camera shy. There are a select few, (public information officers) that talk on camera with us on a regular basis. Getting in front of the camera is not easy, so we do appreciate their willingness.

But here's what the other firefighters tell me happens if they agree to an on-camera interview:

Abilene firefighters have to buy icecream for everyone on their shift.

Hamby firefighters have to buy steak for the shift if they are at a house fire and snowcones at a grass fire.

So not only can it get intimidating to talk to the media, it can also get expensive.

A stranger bought the meals of two Airmen

This is one of the many reasons why I love Abilene. I went to United today for lunch. Two airmen were ordering before me, and a woman immediately goes up to the two men and offers to buy them lunch. The guys thanked her for the offer but told her that it wasn't necessary. She insisted. They were very appreciative, but she also expressed her appreciation for their service to this country. It's just so neat to see complete strangers show their appreciation for those in the U.S. military that are fighting to keep us safe and to continue having the freedom that we are so lucky to have.

Justin Bieber in Sweetwater?

Here's a cute story. Yesterday, I went to Sweetwater with Jessica Reyes to judge the Miss Snake Charmer Pageant (lots of fun, by the way). Driving through town, we passed by the movie theater, where instead of displaying Justin Bieber's movie "Never Say Never," the sign just said Justin Bieber at 7:30 Friday night. Jessica and I laughed about it in the car. But what made it even funnier is when we were sitting inside the local coffee shop, and the owner starts talking about how girls in Sweetwater were getting all excited and thought that Justin Bieber was really coming to town. Of course, the girls dreams were crushed within moments. But hopefully, they'll still be just as excited to see their Hollywood crush on the big screen. : )

P.S. Sorry Max, he's not going to be thirty minutes away from us!

Life Really is Too Short

Today I received a heart-breaking phone call. I learned that a man that I met just last week had suddenly passed away. He's a man that many people in the Abilene community were blessed to know...John Beall. John was a well-known developer in the Abilene community. He built over 500 homes, including Mesquite Forrest in South Abilene, where he and his wife lived.
Mr. and Mrs. Beall were kind enough to invite me into their home and share a story with viewers about how they came to call that place home.
Within seconds of getting to know John, I learned he was an amazing person. He was so warm, kind, and selfless. He lived for his family and his friends.
I left his house knowing I'd made two new friends, Paula and John.
The next day at work, I returned from lunch to find yellow roses and a card from the Beall's...thanking me for doing the story. The only thank you that was needed was from me, allowing me into their home and sharing their story. But again, that just goes to show you the type of people the Beall's are.
Learning today about John's sudden death, I'm shocked and my deepest sympathies go out to wife, children, family, and friends during this tough time. Life really is too short. Abilene has lost a great man, and I feel so blessed to have met him. He made a lasting impression on my life.

Chik-Fil-A Lunch time Madness

So I know that long lines at Chik-fil-a during the lunch hour are nothing new, but is it just me or are they getting worse? I get it that this fast food chain is a popular spot. I frequent there often, myself. While I used to be one to wait in that long drive-thru line, I have graduated to parking and going inside and taking my food to-go. This used to be an efficient way to get my delicious lunch in a timely manner. This was not the case for me yesterday.

Now first and foremost, don't get me wrong...the staff working at Chik-fil-A could not be any better. They are some of the nicest people and hard workers in Abilene (from what I have seen). But there isn't much else one can do when you you've got a line of people out-the-door and cars stretched out on Southwest Drive.

Now, I have been to one other Chik-fil-A in Abilene (inside the Mall) but on a lunch break, I'm not going to go to the Mall. Now the third location in Abilene, I have never been.

But if you're a chik-fil-a fan like me, I'm thinking Abilene could use another Chik-fil-A restaurant with a drive-thru. What are your thoughts? I think it would be a profitable business for whoever has the money upfront to start one. Much easier said then done, I know. ; )

Fun and Freezing at the Same Time

So when it comes to covering severe weather, the experience as a reporter is bittersweet. While it may be terrifying to be one of the first to drive on the icy roadways, if it keeps one more person off the road to avoid an accident, it's a big reward.



Yesterday, my photographer, "Goose" and I were literally on the verge of frostbite after standing outside for two long, but when we had the opportunity to warm up in the live van...it was an adrenaline rush, I guess you could say. It can be fun getting creative with live shots to demonstrate to viewers just how serious the road conditions are. But perhaps what the most fun about wall-to-wall coverage, is the team bonding that goes that on. I know that may sound cheesy but it's true. On a daily basis, reporters, anchors, and producers don't have too much time to hang out together. But on these days, we're together from dusk until to dawn, and then some.
Everyone is tired and working hard to do the best that they can to bring you everything you need to know in severe weather,; from dropping temperatures, dangerous road conditions, and school and business closures.

Hope for Hailey's Safe Return

From sunrise to sunset, people are searching for her. Some are family and friends (that know Hailey well) and others are complete strangers that just want to find the missing thirteen-year-old girl.
It's been amazing to see the outpouring of support not just from the Big Country area, but around the country. But in all of it's amazement, it's frustrating for most people knowing that they've searched acres upon acres for clues and still three weeks later, no sign.
So many of us cannot imagine what it's been like for the people that know Hailey. So many people are impacted by the disappearance of Hailey because she is just thirteen. She has so much to look forward to and the world is just beginning for her.
Prayer and hope are keeping family and searchers strong. Most people continue to hold onto the happy ending of this frightening scenario.
So many people that I have been speaking with over the past few weeks have shared how Hailey's disappearance has imacted their lives and how they hold onto their kids a little bit tighter because something like this could happen to anyone.
Many people are expanding their search efforts and their strategies to bring her back, and I know there may be search efforts that even the media is unaware of. If anybody knows of efforts that we may not, please let us know. As I am sure, you've noticed on our website and during our newscasts, we're trying to put Hailey's face and story out there as much as possible, hoping for the best outcome. Thanks for reading this blog. Please, feel free to share any thoughts or comments you might have about Hailey Dunn.

My Love for Sharky's

Shortly after moving to Abilene (in September of '09) I was introduced to Sharky's burrito joint on Judge Ely Blvd by a former photographer named Allen. I was instantly hooked. The food is fresh and delicious, staff are nice as can be, and the place is clean.

I used to live on the South side of town, so going to Sharky's for a bite to eat was typically only on rare occasions (or whenever I had a story set on on the North side of town). Now, I live on the North side, not far from Sharky's which means I dine there a lot.

My boyfriend and I grabbed to-go order's the other night. Once we got home, we opened the box to find these clearly marked burritos..."His and Hers". I thought it was cute. Just the little things that local businesses do to make you smile.