Sad about Snowcone Season Coming to an End

I'm not afraid to admit it; I'm like a little kid when it comes to snow cones; might even be unhealthily addicted to them. While I have always been a fan of the refreshing treats, living here in West Texas has definitely increased my sweet tooth for them. With the hot temperatures all summer long, it was such a nice way to cool down. Also, the snow cone stands that I've visited here in Abilene all have such friendly people working there. I was also intrigued at just how many different flavors that each stand has. I set out a goal to try all the flavors by the summer's end but quickly realized that was not possible, as each snow cone stand has their own set of original flavors.
I will say that I am up there for the list of people who have had the most snow cone's throughout the summer, though. It seemed like no day was complete without one. And as small as it might appear to be, a snow cone was often the highlight of my summer days. Whether it was from a long day of work, after rollerblading, or basically just a craving, it put a smile on my face. And how could I forget about my snow cone live shot opportunity...And although, ice cream is a nice cold treat too, I'll argue that snow cones are better.
You get to satisfy your sweet craving and you don't get too full. And I'd say they're a little bit healthier, even though there's lots of sugar in them.
So with summer coming to an end, I know that means the same for snow cone season in the Big Country, I guess I'll have to find another guilty pleasure.

Movement on Midday

So for all of our Abilene Midday viewers, you've probably noticed that after each commercial break, we move to a different spot in our studio. It's something that may look pretty simple but actually requires some work...but it's fun work.

I am partial to Abilene Midday because it's how I got my start anchoring and because I had a clean slate to work with (since KRBC hasn't had an afternoon newscast for so many years).
Since I am the producer of Abilene Midday, I am responsible for the content and the style of the show, which is why I started switching it up since our debut on April 20th.

For Abilene Midday, we have one camera operator, Richard (who is absolutely awesome). Don't get me wrong, Mario (our old camera op...was fabulous as well)...but, now Richard is left with the responsibility of moving one camera between the main anchor desk, the plasma wall, and the sports/Abilene Today set. On top of moving the camera around for me, he also is responsible for running both Nance or Chris's (depending on who's forecasting that day) camera. Richard also seperates my scripts for each block of news...making it especially easy to move to each set location.

Not to mention, that each commercial break is around 1 minute and 30 seconds. Switching shots also includes moving cords and even moving furniture (like with our high top chairs). It definitely keeps things interesting because it's a race to actually be in front of the camera in time to be on air.

And here's a little behind the scenes preview, I always have two pairs of shoes on set with me. A pair of flip flops, which are essential when running around the newsroom. And a pair of heels for the shots that my feet appear on camera. Not really sure if other anchors do the same thing but it's something I've just gotten used to doing.

Another inside detail, when standing over at the Sports/Abilene Today set...some of us stand on a platform because we're too short for the desk.

Picking the Pom Pon's Back Up

Picking the Pom Pon's Back up...well not actually. But, close enough for me. Having been a cheerleader since the 3rd grade until my senior year of college, and coaching since 12th grade through college, this past year without any of it has felt like something has been missing.
Shortly after moving to Abilene, I knew that I wanted to get involved coaching some cheerleading team, but realized that I needed to first worry about getting adjusted to a new job, a new lifestyle, and an entirely new place before being able to devote time to a cheerleading squad. But, now that my one year anniversary in Abilene is approaching, I found the perfect fit.
I just started coaching Pop Warner cheerleading in Abilene.

However, since my schedule working in the wonderful world of news can be sometimes unpredictable, I knew that I didn't want to ever leave a team of mine stranded. So instead, I spoke with the Cheerleading Organizer and we decided I'd be the cheerleader choreographer...where I wouldn't just work with one group of girls but instead the entire league. That way, each team would still have their own individual coach but I'd be able to help everyone out by offering some new material and an overall different cheerleading experience.
I started helping out the "Jets", the littlest girls in the bunch (the youngest being 4). There are only about 9 of them, but they are too cute. You can't help but smile when you hear their high pitch voices. Their attention span doesn't last too young and I can already see that the coaches struggle with teaching them new cheers, jumps, and stunts in an hours worth of time. I've worked with girls as young them before, so it was nothing I wasn't prepared for.

I taught them a few cheers, an organized way to jump together, and a stunt to a cheer. Then at the end of practice, we played a game that happens to be a great positive reinforcement mechanism. It's a silly game that resembles Simon Says, that kids everywhere just seem to love. Since the game was such a hit with the girls...we told them that if they wanted to play it every day at practice, they'd first have to pay attention to all of the things that we learn and review in practice.

So far so good. It's always a rewarding experience seeing how much fun they have learning new things and how hard they work to remember them. It really makes me miss when I was on the sidelines...especially being that young. Because when you get to High School and College cheerleading, the sport of cheerleading takes on a whole new meaning; with it's competitiveness and level of difficulty; ultimately adding another element of danger. Hence, why I tore my ACL my Junior year in college while stunting, winding me up in the operating room for surgery and preventing me from cheering my Senior year of college.

Since I can no longer be on the sidelines or on the competition mat, it makes me really happy to see so many other girls enjoy it just like I did. So, I look forward to continuing to coach the Jets as well as the other cheer squads in the league.

High Heels Hurt

High Heels Hurt!

Society often leads many women to believe that when a female dresses up, heels are a "must". But, when guys are in a suit and tie, most people don't expect them to wear heels (although, I've heard some male dress shoes aren't always comfortable either).

I happen to have a shoe fetish, don't get me wrong...but, I've officially decided when I'm at work, out and about and on my feet all day, I bring a pair of flats or flip flops. I've learned the hard way that toting around a camera and tripod in stilettos isn't fun. Some of my coworkers make it look effortless doing the same things I do in heels, but my feet are so much happier with me at the end of each day if I wear flip flops instead. I'll admit sometimes I look silly with a full suit and flip flops...but really who's looking at your feet anyways?

Forget about, "beauty is pain"...I'm all about being comfortable!

Being a Big Sister

Being an only child definitely had and still has it's pros and cons. When I was little and my parents were still together, I had "only child syndrome" where I was spoiled and somewhat bratty...and not wanting to share my toys, along with wanting to be my parents, "one and only".

Luckily, it was just a phase and I realized playing Monopoly and playing Barbies was not as fun solo.

Of course, it wasn't until my parents divorced that I thought it would be cool to have a little brother or a little sister...so by then it was basically too late. Growing up, I didn't have close friends that were only children like me, so I lived vicariously through them. Whether it was the older brother who bullied them around or the big sister that dressed them up like a live-Barbie doll. I was jealous as much as my friends complained and said they were jealous of me. It's funny how we always seem to want what we can't have.

Now that Abilene is home and I am settled into my career, I decided to join Big Brothers/Big Sister's in Abilene. In addition, to getting the sister I never had...it's been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I'd always considered helping out a girl in a program but was traveling and moving around quite a bit, which I thought wouldn't be fair to a potential little sis.

So, it's been about six months that I've spent time with my little sister. We've done lots of unique things together and it's amazing how much a 10-year-old and I have in common. She is so much fun to be around. It's very rewarding to know that I have such an impact on her and can really serve as her role model. For anyone that has thought about becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister...I highly encourage you to sign up. There's nothing to lose and only something to gain.

Rabid Reporting

So when I signed up to be a reporter...I knew risk-taking would be involved. I've seen plenty of YouTube videos and heard stories of reporter's getting into different types of trouble.

And I guess you could say I got into some trouble of my own yesterday. Here, I am out on assignment, trying to put together a story about a bobcat found in an Abilene neighborhood that had rabies. Animal Services picked up the wild cat after resident's found it in their very own backyard...after testing it, sure enough the bobcat had rabies.

So a rabid bobcat in Abilene...clearly instills some fear in pet owner's and resident's. Many dogs are kept outside on a leash through the day and even night, quite possibly being exposed to the rabid bobcat just there.

So, here I am in this neighborhood, where the bobcat just was...knocking door to door...hoping to talk to some resident's about how they feel knowing about a bobcat with rabies in their backyard. The first house that I go to...I have to go through a gate to get to their front door. I think as a natural reaction, I look for a Beware of Dog sign...didn't see one. So, as I am opening the gate to the front yard of this person's house, I notice that in the front door there is an opening (homemade doggy door) but didn't really understand how it would open through the material of the door. So, I knock on the door and not even a few moments later, two dogs about the size of me come charging out and barking very loudly.

The next few moments were kind of a blur to me...The two dogs came at me. I backed away and guarded my face. And a few minutes into the "escape"...I felt something sharp in the back of my thigh. I don't think it really hurt as much as I was scared out of my mind. It felt like it took the owner forever to come out and get a hold of the dogs. He called the dogs off and I felt the dog's tooth ease away from my leg. My heart was going a mile a minute.

But being the dedicated reporter I am, I decided to stay in the front yard behind the fence to talk to the owner about my story. Sure enough, he wasn't into being on TV so I walked (racing heart beat and all) away to the next door. On my walk, my leg started to hurt a little bit...so I checked and sure enough such an open pinhole-sized marking in the back of my thigh.

Now don't get me wrong, anyone that knows me knows that I am not a hypochondriac...but when I saw I had an open cut and that I was doing a story on rabies, I wasn't messing around...nonetheless didn't quite feel like taking any chances.

So, I called Animal Services to ask what to do...and they routinely have to take any dog that bites a human into custody to be quarantined and tested for rabies. I felt awful because I didn't tell the owner that his dog bit me because truthfully, I didn't know until I had already left his home. I was too afraid to knock back on his door because I knew the dogs were not leashed. So, I felt like I was being deceptive by carrying on a conversation with the dog owner, after having his dog's tooth in the back of my leg (basically playing it off as if nothing had happened) then leaving and shortly after, having Animal Services come to pick his dog up and take him away.

I had to go back to the neighborhood after being checked out by Animal Services...to finish out the story. I saw the Animal Services truck there and the owner did not look happy at all.

So I was a big newsroom joke, (KRBC's Rabid Reporter) out on a story about rabies and then myself having a rabies scare.

The worst part of the whole experience was just the racing heart and anticipating the worst from the two dogs that were likely just protecting their owner and their home...However, it all brings me to the importance of pet owner's having a: Beware of Dog sign. I think that should be a law. Had I seen a sign like that...it definitely would have made me think twice about entering the yard. The scenario might not have been any different at all but I think it's the owner's duty to be responsible for their pets.

In the end, I don't think I'll be going through any more fences just to get to a front door. And I've got to say despite having a traumatizing set-back in the day, I still took it like a champ...putting together my story for the 6 o'clock news. Rabies or not...that shows dedication in my book!

Pet Peeves

Pet Peeves...everyone has them...and many people like to complain about them.

So in an effort to let people vent about things that bug them...I thought I'd share some of my personal pet peeves.

Now don't get me wrong, there are much worse things in life then the things that I'm about to list but sometimes it just feels good to get it all out.

I started writing this blog on a raining day, and with the bad weather...I was taken away from my blogging time...so what prompted me to even begin writing this blog was my soggy, wet pant legs. No matter how many times I plan ahead, it never fails...the bottom of my pants get soaked from the rain and puddles. I learned my lesson at the beginning of this business to always come prepared...and yes, I do own a pair of rain boots now...but I always second guess the weather and think I won't need to take them with me, since I anticipate coming right back. But it never fails, I'll roll my pant legs up to try to prevent them from getting wet but they never seem to stay up! And then of course, they get soaked. Now wet pant legs are one thing but the wost is that it takes forever for them to dry and then you're stuck the rest of the day with wet pant legs which ultimately keeps you cold...and you just feel soggy.

In addition to wet pant legs, the smell of wet dog! Now, don't get me wrong, I am totally an animal lover and can't wait until I have a dog of my own (once I have more time and space to devote to one). On this same rainy day I referred to above, I did a story out at the Abilene Animal Shelter. Whether the dogs were wet or had all just been given a bath, they didn't give off the best aroma. Now I know they're dogs and they can't help it...but the worst part of it all was when I left, I smelled like a wet dog. I was driving back to the station and it was all I could smell so I knew that that meant it was me! And comical to some, my co-workers in the newsroom continued asking what the heck that smell was and if there was a wet dog in the building. No wet dog in the building just me! I laugh about it now but I can remember that afternoon wanting noting more than to get out of work to change and take a shower. I had enough of wet pants and wet dog.

Now these are really minor pet peeves of mine. Surely, I have more...But, for the most part I try not to let little things bug me. My grandmother always told me, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" and that everything in life is small...and I totally think this is great advice but again, as I stated in the beginning, sometimes venting is the best thing to do to help you get over things.

Please feel free to share some of your pet peeves with me and how you handle them. Instead of getting mad about something, vent to me by posting to my blog!