Erin Off Camera

Facebook... Sandra Lee... Basement & Batman...

2008-07-21T13:55:00.002-05:00

Hi gang!
Can you believe it's Monday already?
We just wrapped up what Sonya likes to call a "lost weekend." There can be many contributing factors, but the outcome is this ... nothing. That means my to do list continues to grow. I think I'll just throw it away. The failure is killing me.
I've decided that this Facebook business is probably the biggest drain on productivity that exists today. By last Friday I had to log off the darn thing in order to stay focused on my job. That little "ding" that tells you one of your gazillion friends is online and wanting to chat is just too hard to ignore. Michael finally showed me the function that allows you to stay logged into your page, but go "offline" and it's been a lifesaver. If I've gone offline on you during the past week between the hours of 1:30pm and 10:30pm I apologize. Don't take it personally, it's just that I can't manage the distraction! How do the rest of you do it? Or maybe you don't? How much of your workday gets wasted because of your online fun? Be honest. And maybe remain anonymous in case your boss is reading this. :)
Did you make it to the Sandra Lee event last Thursday? Oh my gosh, this woman is a riot! Frankly, I was prepared to dislike her. Have you visited her website? She has ideas about, and is good at everything from gourmet cooking to gardening and gobs of stuff in between. I, on the other hand, am the furthest thing from "crafty" and although I can follow a recipe just fine, you will never find me whipping up something to eat off the top of my head. Needless to say, I did not think we would have much in common. What I didn't know is that Sandra Lee is just plain fun and she could make conversation with a stick. We had a blast together and I'm excited to tell you she'll be back in the metro in the fall. I'll keep you posted on event details.
Did you get stuck in any of the severe weather over the weekend? Sonya and Steve and Michael and I did on Saturday night, and when we arrived at our place in the middle of the torrential downpour guess what we found? A flooded basement! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I'm really sick of this stuff. Our escape from the Shop-Vac and bleaching the floor was to go to a movie last night. If you haven't seen "The Dark Knight" yet, work it into your plans in the coming weeks. I'm no movie critic, but this was just plain great.
And now, I'm just plain out of time!
Have a great week - it's been fun meeting so many of you on Facebook!
EEK

Sushi... Facebook... Sandra Lee

2008-07-14T14:32:00.005-05:00

Happy Monday!
I had grandiose ideas about what I was going to accomplish this weekend and guess what? Very, very, very little got done around my house. Oh well. Sometimes you just have to tell yourself that it doesn't matter if the bathroom is dirty or the laundry isn't done. At least that's what I'm telling myself today!

There are several reasons for my to do list remaining largely undone. The first was an impromptu outing Saturday night with Dan Winters and Jon Cahill. Michael and I have been craving sushi and we convinced Dan and Jon to give it a try. The four of us went to Miyabi 9 in the East Village. I highly recommend it. Delicious! And, if you're like Dan and Jon and not sure that sushi is for you, don't be scared ... you'll probably end up loving it.
Another discovery that's preventing us from getting much done is Facebook. I know most of you are probably thinking, "Geesh ... you're just now finding out about this?!?!" Well, not exactly. I've known about it for a long time but never even looked at the site because I figured it was something that "kids" are doing. But recently more and more people my age have been sending me emails asking me to be their "friend." I thought we were already friends, but whatever. So, Michael and I have joined Facebook. I'm still trying to figure it out, but I've quickly realized it can be addictive. Just what I need, another means by which to procrastinate!

Finally, if you are a Food Network junkie like me you'll want to come to a fun event Thursday night. Follow this link for details http://www.iasoybeans.com/whatnew/sandraleeflyer.pdf
Sandra Lee will be whipping up all sorts of tasty items and the event is going to be very interactive and tons of fun.

For more info on Sandra Lee: http://www.semihomemade.com/sandra-lee/biography.htm

I've always thought it would be a blast to host one of these Food Network shows. The only problem is that I'm not a great cook. However, I could easily host a show where other people do the cooking, and I do the tasting. Eating is one thing I do very well!

That's it for now, have a great week!

EEK

Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com

80/35 Festival, the Keith Murphy library, Iowa women rock!

2008-07-07T19:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday, gang!
Can you believe the big fun happening in downtown Des Moines these days? Back-to-back fantastic events like the Arts Festival and the inaugural 80/35 Music Festival prove that it's no longer "Dead Moines!"

By now you know that I'm not the most accomplished photographer, but here are a few of my pics from Saturday's event in Western Gateway Park. If you want to see some really awesome photos by people who know what they're doing, check out www.dmjuice.com.Meet our friends Chanda and Dave ... so cute and so fun! Dave kept saying over and over, "I can't believe this is Des Moines! This is awesome!" By the way, Dave is a producer for ESPN's fantastic show "Outside the Lines." He's lived and traveled all over the place so it's pretty neat to hear him make comments like that.

You know these two ... Shannon & Dan thought the event was cool, too!

Our friend and neighbor, Tony Lemmo with Michael. Tony owns two yummy places you should visit if you like Italian food. Frank's Pizza in the Drake Neighborhood, and Cafe di Scala in Sherman Hill. The man can cook, and he thought the festival was great for his hometown.

Who are these gals?!? No idea, but they were having a blast in the Red Bull tent so I took their picture. Thanks, ladies!
Lubbers and my buddy Jon Cahill. For the record, this was taken after Jon's shift.

What a blast! We love Des Moines!!!

In other news ... Murph keeps loaning me books. First it was "Rules for Aging." Then "The Last Lecture." Now he's given me "The Kite Runner." Should I be concerned that two out of three could be categorized as self-help reads? Hmmmmmm. Oh well, I am well aware that I can use all the help and advice anyone is willing to offer me, on many fronts. I still highly recommend the first book, definitely preferred watching Randy Pausch's lecture via YouTube over the somewhat preachy book, and have yet to dig into the most recent loaner - but I'm expecting great things since the movie was outstanding.

Finally, I don't know about you but I can't get enough of Shawn Johnson and Lolo Jones. These women amaze me every time I watch them compete. I love that intense look that crosses Shawn's face when she takes off running down the mat toward the vault, or preps for a flip on the beam. I'm usually holding my breath during her routines because what she does looks impossible and death-defying. And when Lolo crosses the finish line pumping her fists and jumping for joy, you can't help but celebrate with her. Her attitude and joy are infectious and beautiful. So, I was tickled to open this month's Fitness magazine and find both incredible Iowans profiled in the section devoted to female Olympians. I'm hoping this link works - I had trouble finding the ladies in the online version. If you click this and see swimmer Natalie Coughlin, you are in the right place - just click through the slide show and you'll see our home-grown elite athletes.

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/superstars/covergirls/2008-olympic-athletes/

That's all for now ... have a great week!

Playing catch-up

2008-06-23T14:48:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone!
It's amazing how much things can change in just a matter of days, not to mention two weeks! I was looking at my last blog thinking how ridiculous it seems in hindsight. Who would've guessed that rivers all over Iowa would get as high as they did, flooding major cities and small towns all over the state. The pictures are gut wrenching and a lot of you continue to ask how you can help. Check out the flood resource center on our homepage, or visit these sites:

www.unitedwaydm.org

www.desmoines-redcross.org

Michael and I both felt like we'd been through the wringer by the middle of last week, and had planned on recovering and getting organized over the weekend. That didn't really happen. I'm blaming Sonya and her husband Steve. We went out with them Friday night and Saturday night, so our recovery was a bit more intensive and cleaning and organizing kind of got thrown out the window. I did get a lot of random paperwork sorted and thrown away and Michael stained our back deck, but the to-do list remains long. Another reason for that is a long bike ride Sunday afternoon. Thanks to our friends Chad and Kim, we dragged our bikes out of the basement for the first time. Chad is doing RAGBRAI and thinks Michael should join his team. When this came up Saturday night, it sounded like a great idea. If Michael's butt and legs feel anything like mine do today, he might be rethinking that week long trek across the state, especially since it's less than a month away. I'll keep you posted.

Sunday night is usually reserved for making dinner and watching a movie, and last night we watched "The Bucket List" with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. I loved it. It makes you think a lot about how you're living your life and how you want to be living your life. Plus, I love both Freeman and Nicholson.

Along those lines, America lost a great comic yesterday. Do you know anyone who didn't laugh out loud at George Carlin's routines? He was constantly pushing the boundaries and usually offending someone, somewhere but he was funny and pretty insightful too. I get a lot of forwards in my inbox everyday and a lot of them get deleted, but his one I've kept. I have no idea if Carlin really said these this, but it's good stuff. Enjoy!

George Carlin's Views on Aging:
Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. 'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five!
That's the key You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. 'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16!
And then the greatest day of your life ! You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away.
Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone. But wait!!!
You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would! So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!
You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there.
Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'
Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!' May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimers.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, what ever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them , at every opportunity.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. And if you don't send this to at least 8 people - who cares? But do share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

Flooding

2008-06-09T15:16:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday everyone!
Do you have water in your basement?
At this point the more appropriate way to phrase the question might be, "Who doesn't have water in their basement?"
What a mess!
For some time Michael and I have tossed around the idea of finishing our basement, and now we are so glad that we never got around to that project. Thursday night in the midst of the three hour rain event we decided to take a peek downstairs before going to bed. I can't share with you what was said because both of us were spouting some creative sentences filled with four letter words. That's because there was about six inches of standing water and parts of the walls looked like water fountains. We have no sump pump and a ridiculously small shop vac, so the cleanup was long and frustrating. In fact, we're still cleaning up. I have that moldy, nasty, damp smell stuck in my nose. That, and Pine Sol. Lovely.
I'm trying not to complain. After all, we aren't dealing with wet carpet or ruined furniture. In our newscasts, we've been showing you video of folks who've lost lots of valuables because of the rising water - some who've recently remodeled and are now having to literally throw away their investment. Think of the folks in New Hartford. Two weeks ago they were hit by a tornado and now flooding is wiping out a lot of what's left in town. It's reaching the point where everyone is afraid to ask, "What's next" or to say, "It can't get any worse."
If you lived here during the floods of 1993 you know how bad it can be. We're all hoping that won't - or can't - happen again.
Speaking of weather, I need to get busy going through our early shows.
Stay safe,
EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com

Memorial Day, weekend storms, painting

2008-05-26T16:19:00.008-05:00

Hello everyone, and Happy Memorial Day.
I hope you took time to honor those who've died in service to our country, even if it was something as simple as a moment of silence. Those men and women are certainly deserving of at least that small gesture.
Many of us spent today thinking about people who are dealing with tragedy after tornadoes ripped through their towns Sunday night. The images coming out of Parkersburg and surrounding areas are mind boggling. If you've missed them on the air because of the holiday, you can see video at www.whotv.com in the video player, and also in the 13 Raw section. Also, feel free to share your severe weather experiences. I know I will never forget a horrible hail storm that ripped through my home town in 1986. I still get nervous anytime I hear the thunk, thunk, thunking of hail on the roof.
I was oblivious to the weather on Sunday, because I was trying to wrap up a project that turned out to be more work than I anticipated.

It started out innocently enough. I wanted to paint the upstairs bathroom. Our friends jokingly call this the longest remodel in history. When it is totally finished I will devote an entire blog to this space in my house, but for now I will just tell you that it's been a project that's lasted far longer than it should've. It's a product of the fact that Michael and I are never home. Speaking of Michael, he said "As long as we're painting the bathroom we might as well do the ceilings, the hallway and our bedroom, too."

So, I started taping everything is sight. The only problem is ....

The hallway is HUGE. This photo doesn't adequately capture it's size or Michael's role in this project, but I think he might've killed me if I'd taken a photo of some of the crazy maneuvers he pulled in order to reach the far corners of this twenty foot high space. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time holding my breath, praying that he would not fall off the ladder and down these stairs. He didn't, and the ceilings and hallway look great. Whew!

Then it was on to the bedroom, a space that was poorly painted when we moved in nearly six years ago and desperately needed a new color and a good paint job. It's finished now too, thank goodness!

It's always nice to finish these sorts of things, but now Michael and I are so sore we can hardly move. The other bad thing about any home improvement project, is that it inevitably leads to more home improvement projects. Next on our list, the spare bedroom, the kitchen and the downstairs bath. Scratch that. Next on our list, the upstairs bathroom. To be continued ...
Have a great week!

EEK

Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com

Thank you

2008-05-19T15:35:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone!

First, a thank you to everyone who posted here, called me or sent emails about our "Equal Access" stories. As a reporter you never know what kind, or how much of a response you'll get once your stories hit the air. I'm always a little bit nervous when I do an investigation, because they usually make someone angry. I was a little surprised at the number of calls and emails this series generated - so here are just a few excerpts.

A few UNI students and alums sent notes about the story, including Christine - who helped form a disability awareness group there in the early nineties. "While I did encounter some problems with accessibility, I found that the university administration was more than helpful in accommodating my needs, and the needs of other persons with disabilities." Christine echoes the sentiments of the family profiled in my story. Ryan Dennis and his family were very happy with the University's response to every complaint they had, but they aren't pleased with the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act ... they think it doesn't do enough.

I was somewhat surprised by the number of emails I received from people who are not disabled, but know and care about people who are. Many say everyone should have to spend a day trying to get around public spaces with someone who's confined to a wheelchair, just to get a sense of how frustrating it is.

I also heard from a number of people who are wheelchair-bound because of recent injuries. Bonnie has had eight knee surgeries and writes, "These difficulties are not something I would wish on my worst enemies. You are not only frustrated, you are demeaned and made to feel totally less than equal." Dawn is another viewer who used to be able-bodied, but hurt her back twenty months ago. "Until my injury, I took many things for granted, including the ease of opening doors or the availability of parking," she writes in her email. "I hope your report has opened many eyes as well as doors for the disabled."

Some viewers rightly pointed out a mistake in part one of our series. "I must say I was a bit disappointed with the integrity of the latter half of the handicap story you aired last night," writes Jim. "The video contradicts what was being reported about the library parking lot." I wrote back to Jim and others, thanking them for being such astute viewers and letting them know they are absolutely right! In part one of the series I point out that there are no handicapped parking signs at the East Side Library in Des Moines. However, in subsequent shots you see handicapped parking signs! I'm embarrassed that I missed this when I watched the story before it aired. There are now handicapped signs - but only because we asked the city why there weren't any. The video showing the new signs should have appeared only in part two of the series. I hope that makes sense. Your comments and questions are always welcome.

There are a number of other topics I intended to touch on tonight, but my stomach is growling like crazy so I'm going to wrap up here and get something to eat!

Happy Monday.
EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com

Knobby Knees, new grill, Chrysalis and Equal Access

2008-05-12T15:45:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday!
Saturday I got to judge a Knobby Knees contest at a Celtic Festival at Living History Farms. What an experience! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, it involves men in kilts. Use your imagination.
We bought a new grill this weekend, and it's about time. Our old one was literally falling apart. Michael is already putting the new cooking utensil to good use, and I'm lovin' it!
Tuesday we celebrate the Chrysalis After School program with an event called HerStory. It's free, at Drake University's Olmsted Center from 4-6pm. We'd love to have you there to help us make a difference in the lives of Central Iowa girls and women.
Finally, I hope you'll tune in Tuesday and Wednesday nights for my special reports on the Americans with Disabilities Act and the struggles some Iowans are still facing everyday. "Equal Access" airs during our 10 o'clock show on both nights.
It's 9:45 and this anchor needs to slap on some lipstick and spray the do.
Have a great week!
EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com

Pets... Michael Buble' ... Weather ... Movies

2008-04-28T15:04:00.005-05:00

Welcome to a very random Monday edition of "Erin Off Camera!"
First, thanks to all of you for the great vacation ideas. Now, I just need unlimited time off and a big chunk of travel cash!
On the radar this week - pets. Mine had to make a trip to the vet last week to have some blood work done. She was already in a bad mood since Michael and I had been gone for ten days, and the vet visit nearly put her over the edge. When Marley is unhappy, she makes sure we know about it... usually by whining incessantly and destroying things. Her latest trick is using a closet in our basement as a litter box. It is disgusting. I cleaned it up this weekend and Michael doused the room with Pine Sol so we're hoping that solves the problem. Do your pets have any lovely stunts they like to unleash on you? Do you discipline them in any way? Marley is spoiled rotten ... I think I've created a monster.

Did any of you go to the Michael Buble' concert last Friday? I loooooooooove this guy and would've loved to have gone to the show, but we're in a ratings period right now and that means no time off. Even more painful was finding out from my hubby that good friends had offered up not only tickets, but the chance to go backstage ..... waaaaaahhhhhhhhh! This begs the question, had I known about this offer would I have used a "mental health day" on Friday? Likely not, but I probably would've done everything in my power to make it over to Wells Fargo Arena in between the six & ten o'clock shows!

This weather stinks!!!! I am ready for some warmth - how about you? I'm actually wearing one of my winter coats today because I know it's going to be freezing when I leave work at 10:30 tonight.

We had a bit of a "movie marathon" at the Kiernan house this weekend and each flick was really good, in very different ways. Saturday night we watched "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead." It is one of the more disturbing movies I've seen in a long time. Philip Seymour Hoffman is creepy and amazing. After that, we watched "Juno." I was bracing myself for something that would have me in tears for an hour and a half straight, but instead the writing had me laughing ... until the end. Then I cried. Last night after an outing with Sonya and her hubby we watched "Resurrecting the Champ." Parts of it were a little overdone, but overall it's a pretty good movie - especially if you have any interest in journalism and/or sports. What have you seen lately that you like? Any oldies you'd recommend when new releases are lame? Fire away.

Have a great week!
EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com

Vacation

2008-04-22T21:21:00.005-05:00

Sigh.

It is always tough to come back to reality after any vacation, but especially difficult when you've done absolutely nothing but lounge around for a week.

Michael and I just returned from Florida, where the weather was great and we were beach bums and pool slugs around the clock. I think the most ambitious thing we did when we were there was go for a few short walks. We are both kind of anti-itinerary types. I think it might be because our lives at home are so jam-packed. When we get away we like to do nothing, or fly by the seat of our pants. During this trip, we did a little of both and it was good therapy. It didn't hurt that when we left Des Moines it was 26 degrees and raining!

How do you like to vacation? Do you plan every minute of every day, or just take it as it comes? Do you have any suggestions for great vacation spots or cool places to see? I'm not very far along on visiting all fifty states, and it's one of my goals so reading your recommendations will be fun.

Finally, I want to let you know that I have accomplished one of my life goals ... I AM MORE TAN THAN JOHN BACHMAN!!!!

EEK

Big bash

2008-04-07T15:13:00.005-05:00

What a difference a year makes!
This is my little niece Olivia last year, during her first hours of life.

This is Olivia on Saturday, celebrating her first birthday!
In case you can't tell from the photo, Miss O loooooooooooooves cake.

Not only did she dig in with both hands and get in all over her face ....

She got chocolate cake all over her body ... and all over Dad!

After getting hosed off and putting on a clean set of clothes, it's time for pictures with Mom....

And opening presents .... like these super-cool pink Converse shoes! Olivia got lots of cute clothes, some Hello Kitty accessories and some sort of Elmo Driving School toy that makes hilarious comments. I know at this age birthday parties are more for the grownups than the kids, but who cares - it's a riot!

Do you have favorite childhood birthday memories? One of mine is a Holly Hobby cake my mom made, although I can't remember which birthday it was.... young enough that I was still excited about being a year older!

Happy Monday!

EEK

Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com

Rules for Aging ... Forgetting ... Vegas

2008-03-31T15:23:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday Everyone!
Days like today always have me humming "Rainy Days & Mondays" by the Carpenters. How cheesy is that? Very.

Is the weather making you crabby? Do you need a good laugh? Do you like to read? Then run out and get yourself a copy of "Rules for Aging" by Roger Rosenblatt. Keith Murphy loaned it to me last week, and it is fantastic. It's a quick, entertaining read with parts that will make you laugh out loud and others that will make you think, "I wish someone had told me this a long time ago." I plan on buying several copies of this book, one for myself and others for friends. Do you have any "must reads" to pass along to the group? Please share.

Speaking of aging, I am having the hardest time remembering things. If I don't write down what I need to do or buy or tell someone at the very moment I think of it, then it's gone. This blog is a prime example. All sorts of random topics go through my brain, but it's usually when I'm driving, or working out or blow drying my hair .... you get the idea. If I can't write myself a note I can't remember. It's horrible. For this reason there are sticky notes all over my house and my desk. Someone once told me a good way to remember something is to say it out loud ten times in a row. That's all well and good, but you can't really do that in public unless you want people to think that you're crazy. Any tips for remembering (or strengthening your brain in general) are welcome on the blog.

I think I'm forgetting things today because of the three days I just spent in Las Vegas. It was a great impromptu trip with Michael and my folks, but that town will wear you out! I feel like I was there running around like a maniac for a month. We covered a lot of ground and did a lot of different things, in part because my parents hadn't been to Vegas since the early 80s. During that trip with my Grandma and Grandad Moody, I got in big trouble. My Grandma hit a jackpot of some sort on a slot machine and she and I started grabbing up coins as they came pouring out ... a big no-no when you're only six or seven years old. I think I got dragged out of the casino by a floor manager. Maybe I'm embellishing. Maybe I just got scolded by someone. See ... I keep forgetting things! Either way, it was a traumatic experience and probably explains why I don't really enjoy gambling. But, I love to eat and shop and sunbathe and go to shows and people watch and there is a lot of that in Sin City. I am spent!

It's nearly news time, so I need to wrap this up.
Thanks for reading, posting and watching!
EEK

Belated and bothered

2008-03-25T19:40:00.003-05:00

I apologize for the belated post. Yesterday I was on assignment during the afternoon and then short on time the rest of the evening, and today has been busy as well.

I spoke to a Drake University broadcast journalism class this afternoon and I feel OLD. I'm constantly amazed at how worldly and "ahead of the curve" so many high school and college students seem these days. I don't think I was that bright or driven at that age.

I'm feeling so bothered by the Sueppel case in Iowa City. We cover horrible stories all the time in this business, but some stick with you more than others. This particular case appeared terrible from the beginning, but the information police are releasing now makes it all the more horrific. I keep thinking about those four kids and wondering how things could seem so bleak that their father thought it was best to kill them. There will probably never be an answer that makes sense.

I know this is a terribly depressing note one which to close the blog, but it's consuming my thoughts today.

Be grateful for your life, and tell those you care about how much they mean to you.

EEK

Happy Birthday Mister Rogers

2008-03-20T16:04:00.001-05:00

He would've turned 80 today.

"The real issue in life is not how many blessings we have, but what we do
with our blessings. Some people have many blessings and hoard them.
Some have few and give everything away."

Mister Rogers on conflict

2008-03-19T16:22:00.000-05:00

"It's very dramatic when two people come together to work something
out. It's easy to take a gun and annihilate your opposition, but what is
really exciting to me is to see people with differing views come together and
finally respect each other."

More wisdom...

2008-03-18T14:24:00.003-05:00

The Mister Rogers quotes will continue through the week, since it is officially "Won't You Be My Neighbor Days."

A young apprentice applied to a master carpenter for a job. The older
man asked him, "Do you know your trade?" "Yes, sir!" the young man replied
proudly. "Have you ever made a mistake?" the older man inquired.
"No, sir!" the young man answered, feeling certain he would get the job.
"Then there's no way I'm going to hire you," said the master carpenter, "because
when you make one, you won't know how to fix it."

Irish

2008-03-17T15:46:00.003-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Everyone's Irish today, but I happened to marry a genuine Irishman. He's so Irish, he proposed to me on St. Patrick's Day seven years ago. We aren't doing much to mark the occasion since it's a Monday, but Michael had flowers delivered to the station today.
Do you have any St. Patrick's Day traditions? I know a lot of people will be hitting places like Flanagan's and Cooney's tonight (if they're not there already)!

A lot of you have sent emails letting me know that you're enjoying the Mister Rogers quotes, so here's one for a dreary Monday:

"Deep within us - no matter who we are - there lives a feeling of wanting
to be lovable, of wanting to be the kind of person that others like to be
with. And the greatest thing we can do is to let people know that they are
loved and capable of loving."

Drugs

2008-03-13T16:10:00.002-05:00

Last night I was in so much pain I went to a walk-in clinic on my dinner break.
One of the little gals working there came up to be in the waiting room and told me that if I needed an x-ray, they couldn't do one. I told her I didn't want an x-ray, I wanted drugs.
Now I have some heavy-duty muscle relaxants, steroids (?) and Sonya's heating pad so I'm thinking I should be able to move normally soon.
Speaking of Sonya, her investigation into Petland this week was great. If you missed the stories, you can watch them online and give us your thoughts on our "Hot Topic Blog" on our homepage. Sonya's work makes this Mister Rogers quote relevant:

"I hope you're proud of yourself for the times you've said 'yes,' when all
it meant was extra work for you and was seemingly helpful only to somebody
else."

Hump Day

2008-03-12T15:30:00.002-05:00

Hi gang!
I still have the kink in my neck/shoulders but the gas leak is fixed.
Yesterday was rotten from beginning to end and today has to be better.
It's Hump Day, and as Mister Rogers reminds us ... great things often come out of or after horrible ones:

"How great it is when we come to know that times of disappointment can be
followed by times of fulfillment; that sorrow can be followed by joy; that guilt
over falling short of our ideals can be replaced by pride in doing all that we
can; and that anger can be channeled into creative achievements ... and into
dreams that we can make come true!"

Mister Rogers Quote of the Day

2008-03-11T13:28:00.002-05:00

I didn't sleep worth a darn last night, I've got a gigantic kink in my neck that's giving me a killer headache and I've spent my entire morning/early afternoon dealing with a gas leak at our house. So far, it is NOT a good day. But, as Mister Rogers would say:

"There is no normal life that is free of pain. It's the very
wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth."

Flying ... Welcome to the 21st Century .... Won't You Be My Neighbor

2008-03-10T15:35:00.013-05:00

Flying!
Some of you may have seen this on the news last week, but I just had to post some pictures of Sonya and me going "flying" courtesy of the Iowa Dance Theatre's Peter Pan crew.

First, a professional helps you get into these lovely harnesses ...It's as uncomfortable as it looks, but well worth it when you get to do this ....

Soaring over the stage at Hoyt Sherman Place was exhilarating....

And a little unnerving. Sonya tells me the harness is a lot like what you wear when you go skydiving, which is on my list of things to do. If you've done it, let me know what it's like.

Welcome to the 21st Century

Michael and I spent most of our weekend setting up a computer that we purchased a loooooooooong time ago. I'm embarrassed to admit how long ago, so I won't. I will tell you that these sorts of endeavors make me feel like my head is going to explode. As I've explained before, technology is not my thing. The exciting thing is that I'll now be able to use the i-Pod that I've had for a year and a half (I know - way to finally get with the rest of the civilized world) and I can download pictures at home instead of bringing my camera to work all of the time.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Finally, if Fred Rogers was still alive, he'd be turning 80 on March 20th. The date is being recognized as "Sweater Day" and Rogers' hometown of Pittsburgh is declaring March 15-20 "Won't You Be My Neighbor Days." Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was one of my favorite shows as a little kid, and in recent years my mother and a friend gave me books quoting the host. For the next several days I'll be sharing excerpts with all of you ... it's good stuff, whether you're five, or fifty.

"Some days, doing 'the best we can' may still fall short of what we would
like to be able to do, but life isn't perfect - on any front - and
doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of
ourselves or anyone else." - Mister Rogers

Happy Monday!

EEK

Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com

Sleepless nights and random stuff in my brain

2008-03-03T19:49:00.003-06:00

I'm battling insomnia and I'm about to lose my mind.
If you have any get to sleep/stay asleep tips please send them my way.

This winter is NUTS!
Are you going anywhere warm or doing anything fun to brighten up the time between now and spring? My dad's favorite hobby these days is telling me what the temperature is in Arizona. It was funny the first dozen times. :)

One of the things bugging me the most about this winter is the toll it's taking on my skin. A few weeks ago, my hands were so dry I was bleeding in spots. Gross, I know. All the lotion in the world wasn't helping. Murph said, "You need some Wolverine." I said, "What the heck is that?" He told me it was this salve for super dry skin. I looked and looked and looked, but couldn't find it anywhere. Turns out, Murph meant "Badger" not "Wolverine." I forgave the mistake because he bought me some and it is great.

I just started changing up my workout plan. I'm in pain, but in a good way. What do you do to stay motivated? To keep my fitness instructor certification I have to take continuing education courses. Saturday I took part in a training to teach a class called Hip Hop Hustle. It is a blast. It may be awhile before I can teach it adequately, but it's something new and that helps me stay on track. If you're interested in trying it, we'll be adding some classes to the schedule at Walnut Creek this spring.

Happy Monday!
EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com

Hot ... smokin' hot

2008-02-25T14:45:00.002-06:00

A hot topic, that is.
Smoking.
It looks pretty likely that some form of a statewide smoking ban will be passed this week and those of you who are regular Channel 13 viewers have seen our promos for tonight's "What's Bugging Andy." We're already getting emails on the topic, and the piece hasn't even aired yet. Here are a few:

"Why is our State Government dicussing smoking bills instead of dealing with important issues such as Illegal Immigration? By the way, Why do we have an asthma epedemic in young children, when fewer people are smoking ?? Why don't you find out whats really killing us ?"

This is part of an email from a gentleman who calls himself, "A citizen for freedom of choice." He's sending this to our state senators (and the all caps are his, not mine).
"DO NOT PASS THIS!! BANNING SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES!
I MAY BE JUST ONE LITTLE GUY BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF US! AND YOU WILL NOT GET MY VOTE NEXT TIME AROUND! AND I WILL NOT CARE WHAT YOUR RECORD IS OR WHAT YOU VOTED FOR, THIS IS THE ONE VOTE THAT WILL STAY IN MY MIND WHO VOTED FOR IT AND WHO DID NOT! THE ONE THAT VOTES FOR IT WILL NOT GET MY VOTE NEXT TIME AROUND NO MATTER WHAT!!!"

"I was shocked when the comment was made that if a bowling alley can go smoke-less why can't everyone else? Why don't you say that to the state about the Casino's in Iowa? It goes both ways."

What do you think about the debate? Are you for the ban, against it, don't care? We want your comments on the issue - and Andy's story tonight at 10.

Happy Monday!
EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com

You know you're getting old when ...

2008-02-18T15:02:00.002-06:00

You talk about movies, music or tv shows from your youth (ie: Knight Rider) and some of the people you work with either have no idea what you're talking about or they say "Oh - I wasn't born yet!"
You refer to those people as "kids."
You worry about people when they travel and anxiously await the phone call that tells you they arrived at their destination safely.
You'd rather clean your house on the weekend than go out.
You look at the latest fashion trends and see recycled versions of what you were wearing fifteen or twenty years ago.
You start sounding (and looking) like your parents.
You no longer get carded.
Do you have anything to add to the list? If so, post it or drop me an email.
Happy Monday!
EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com

For a good cause, expiration dates, no new ideas

2008-02-11T15:18:00.000-06:00

Hi gang!

It's been years since I've listened to, or participated in any karaoke singing but that's what we did Saturday night for a good cause. Sonya and I sang (more like screamed) Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" with a bunch of other ladies at Maddy's in West Des Moines. I think we should stick to reading! However, if you've got a good voice and $25 bucks, you should enter the contest. All proceeds to to the Variety Club of Iowa. Hit Billy Joe's this Saturday at 4pm and next Tuesday, the 19th at 9pm.

How do you deal with expiration dates? Are you the type to pitch a food item if it's even a second past the "use by" date, or do you sniff and nibble and finally take your chances? I just got done eating a bag of salad that had "Use by 2/09" printed on the front, and some cheese that needed to have a bit of mold cut off the edge. I just hate throwing food away, it drives me nuts. If I'm not on tv later this evening, you'll know why.

My husband is freaking out everytime he sees a promo for "Knight Rider" and not in a good way. Michael is ticked off because the car in this new version is a Ford Mustang.

It's a hot car ... but this is a serious departure from the orginall KITT, which was a Trans Am. Plus, I don't know who the guy is in the 2008 "Knight Rider" but he's no David Hasselhoff!

I suppose it's kindof how I felt about a new "Bionic Woman." No one can replace Lindsay Wagner. I was also a little ticked off when Jessica Simpson got to play Daisy Duke in "The Dukes of Hazard" and she didn't even dye her hair. Daisy is a brunette, people! What do you think of remakes? There seem to have a been a lot of them in recent years. Do any live up to the originals? Were the originals just as lame, but our nostalgia overshadows how bad they were? Deep things to ponder, I know.

That'll do it for now, it's almost time for the five o'clock show. Don't worry, Sonya and I will be talking - not singing!

EEK

Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com