We're not Bitter But...

We're not bitter but...Stephanie and I think we should have won a prize for a pretty creative-believable costume!

Before this picture misleads you...it's from last Halloween. Stephanie Harris and I dressed up like Wayne and Garth from Wayne's World! (to work). Stephanie was still on mornings at that time, so she was already done for the day. Me, on the other hand, I was on the clock, and my News Director looked at me, laughed...and said something along the lines as, "you better hope there's no breaking news, Brittany". Luckily, I already had most of my work done before I dressed in the grunge look.

I know Megan Dobbs recently blogged about the pressures to wear "sexy" costumes, but I think you'll probably agree that "sexy" wasn't what we were going for. It was a lot of fun dressy up as the guys from Wayne's World and unexpected for most people who see Stephanie and I dressed business-like most of the time.

Unfortunately, with Halloween falling on a Saturday this year...we didn't get to dress up to work! : ( I am excited to be home tomorrow for all of the trick-or-treaters though! Have a safe, but FUN Halloween, everybody! : )

Oops! Guilty as Charged!

Guilty...guilty as charged. So tonight on the 5 o'clock news...I made a mistake. We were talking about the annual Reading Rodeo event that goes on at Bowie Elementary School (which is an awesome event...getting to read to the kiddos) and of course, I had to go and mess it up on tv and say, Rod-eo (as in Rodeo Drive in California). I must have had shopping on the brain or something. No really...I don't know why the slip-up.

Of course, here in Texas it would be rodeo. I guess I'm becoming a Texan slower than I hoped...and I'm clearly not quite there yet. I'll have it be known that I've never actually been to a rodeo so that is on my to-do list. I've only seen them on television or heard about them through friends. I'm not trying to make excuses but maybe after I go to a rodeo, I won't mess up saying the word again. ; ) So to my fellow Texans, please forgive me for my mess-up!

Here's a picture from today's Reading Rodeo (I swear I said it right in my head this time).

This was a group of kindergartners that I read to. Such a great class. We had lots of fun reading Halloween stories and then they shared all of their costumes with me! Such fun!

Missing Mints at Abuelos

If you dine at Abuelos, one of the things you probably look forward to after a meal there are the mints (I know I do). So, I went there for dinner tonight with my co-anchor, Randy Turner after the 6 o'clock news and when the bill came, there were no mints. When the waitress came back to get the booklet, I asked her if they no longer gave out their mints and she quickly responded, "No, we still have them. They're now kept upfront because the waiters/waitresses were eating them all".
This immediately sent Randy and I cracking up. Apparently the mints have such an appeal that Abuelos servers can't control themselves. If I worked there, I might have the same problem too. They are addicting.
So sure enough, when we went to walk out. We asked the hostess for some mints. She gave us a handful and said we could have as many as we liked. I wanted to know if there were a lot of customers that asked for the mints when they don't show up in the bill...the hostess says most people forget that they even offered mints. But for those of you that don't forget (like me) you can get all the mints your heart desires on your way out! ; )

To Get the Flu Shot or Not to Get the Flu shot?!?!

To get the flu shot or not to get the flu shot...that seems to be the question for many Abilenians. I think we can all agree that not a day goes by where the flu, or swine flu is NOT mentioned.
So many are racing to get their flu shots, others are boycotting it, and others are debating. I think the most that I've heard of are people that have already gotten or plan to get the regular seasonal flu vaccine, feeling better safe than sorry.
I've also ran into others that say they've gotten sick (very sick) from getting a flu shot in the past and that they're not interested in doing it again. Some feel that the whole vaccine is pointless; that is not accurate.
Then of course, the Swine Flu scare. Ever since the H1N1 virus made headlines, many health clinics and doctors offices say they've seen an increase in patients even wanting the seasonal flu shot (despite the fact that it doesn't protect you from H1N1).
Now to the fear of needles...I am curious to know how many people cringe when they see a syringe. If you have any advice for those afraid of needles, leave it for them on my blog. Also, I'd love to know if there are any or many people that simply were able to get over their flu shot fears this season because of all the attention on the flu and the H1N1 virus.

My Next Chapter

For the past month, I have been filling in for KRBC's morning show, Abilene Today while Stephanie Harris transitions into her new role as main anchor here.
It's been quite the adjustment, waking up well before the sun for the past month. I've filled in for Stephanie a hand full of times in the past, but doing it every day for a month if tough stuff.
For the most part, I have been waking up between 2-2:30 every morning to get ready and hopefully be into work by 3-3:30. When I say those numbers to people, many say, "what the heck do you do up there at the TV station at the hour, when the news doesn't even start until 6?"
I probably thought the same thing before, but it didn't take long to realize just how much work goes into the morning show. As the morning anchor, you are also the shows producer, (responsible for putting all of the content, editing, and director's cues into the show). Plus, it's KRBC's longest newscast (an hour long as opposed to the normal half hour shows we have). That's a long show, or as Stephanie often refers to it, as a "beast of a show". Granted the second half hour is essentially a repeat for those that might've missed the first half, but there are still plenty of differences.
The only thing I really struggled with filling in for the past month was the initial getting out of bed part when the alarm clock went off. After you're up...you're up. I get a little sleepy in between Abilene Today and Abilene Midday...and then following both shows, I am beat.
The morning show is a fun show to anchor though. I had a blast doing it. The morning crew we have is amazing. They make it fun to be up at crazy hours and frankly, they are a bunch of goofballs. I am going to miss working with them without a doubt.
But, I am excited for the mystery anchor to debut on Monday. I think she brings great talent to KRBC and a new kind of energy to wake up and start your day to.
Now to Abilene Midday. Abilene Midday, I like to call my baby. It's how I got my start anchoring, and while it's only been my job since April 20th to anchor it, I have learned so much.
It was a great experience producing and anchoring a brand new show for KRBC, since it had been at least 20 years since KRBC even had an afternoon newscast. So, I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to kind of set the tone for a new show. Abilene Midday is a fun and hip show with it's facebook feedback segments. Viewers seem to really like it, and it is unique to be the only newscast in the Big Country that lets viewers share their opinions live on TV. I think as time goes by more and more people will catch onto the new style newscast and hopefully will become a fan of the show.
The mystery morning anchor will also be taking over as midday anchor.
Now as for me, my anchoring days are not over. I am just moving to a different spot. I will now be co-anchoring with Randy Turner come Monday. I am looking forward to having the opportunity to work with him. I will also be getting back in the reporting game; reporting for the six o'clock news. I feel pretty lucky to be able to get the chance to both anchor and report in just a days time. Don't get me wrong, it's going to be a lot of work but it's also going to be great experience.
So here's to my next chapter here at KRBC.

Time Flies When You're Havin' Fun

Yesterday marked my 1 year Anniversary here at KRBC. And I guess I'd have to say, "Time Flies When You're Havin' Fun!" Because boy has time just flown right by and yes, it's been a lot of fun. It literally feels like it was just a few weeks ago that I was planning my big trek across country from Miami. At the same time my life feels so settled here in Abilene and I do feel at home. I didn't just start feeling that way though, when I went back to Florida for a visit a few months ago, I felt like a visitor/tourist. And just a year ago, that was what I considered home. Being a TV news reporter is definitely an adventurous job. Over the summer of 2008, I applied to about 100 TV stations all over the country...not knowing where I'd end up...nor did I really have a preference because I was always told you have to go wherever you could get your foot in the door. So when it came down to decision-making time, I obviously chose Abilene because it sounded like the best fit for me and sure enough, I think it was. Looking back, at Fargo, North Dakota and Lincoln, Nebraska as options...the decision to come here to the Big Country was a pie of cake.

A Silly Switch

So, if you're like me...you get really excited when Friday rolls around. I am all about the TGIF. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy with my work week, as I love my job. However, I do love my weekend time. So after the morning show, Abilene Today was finished this morning...I thought it would be fun if Meteorologist, Nance Burgin and I did a little switcharoo. Just for fun, of course. Nance was at the news desk, anchoring the news...and I gave the green wall a shot, attempting to forecast the weather. While I clearly embarrassed myself with my lack of understanding where to stand and point, it definitely was amusing. I don't think I'll be forecasting KRBC weather any time soon...but, I will tell you that this won't be the last time that I give it a go...hoping to at least conquer the directions at the green wall. And yes, I did make mistakes even in my ad-libbing...guess I was concentrating just a little bit too hard. Enjoy.



Here's the completed Silly Webcast.