Behind The Desk With Pete Scalia

After the Show and Between the Breaks. Get behind the scenes access with Morning Show Anchor Pete Scalia. He'll give you the inside scoop on show interviews and news thats happening in the Miami Valley.

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one more thing....
02/15/10

...anyone know where you can still find a sled?? Seems like everyone's sold out! I'm tired of seeing all the neighborhood kids have all the fun. I want in on some downhill snowy excitement! (Preferably on a nice, steep slope - with no trees.)

I Officially Hate Snow.
02/15/10

And somehow, I don't think I'm the only one... Maybe we're not dealing with a few feet of the white stuff, like they are in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. -- but enough is enough! Of course, if we didn't have all the snow, I wouldn't have been able to bust out my rendition of "Snow on the Ground" last week. (For those of you who missed it, you can watch it here.) Thanks for all of your emails and comments! Originally, I was going to do a more in-depth analysis of "Pants on the Ground" and why young people insist on wearing their pants that way (according to my research, the fad started in prisons...where prisoners wanted to make themselves more "available" to fellow inmates...maybe kids wouldn't be so keen on the idea if they knew that?) -- but after the first couple rounds of "Snowmageddon 2010," I figured we could all use a laugh (and judging by all of your comments, I was right!)

I've had a few requests to make a full-length music video of "Snow on the Ground" -- might have to try and pull that one off before all of the snow melts (which, at this rate, ought to be some time next July.)

Hopefully you had a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend! Sure, it was cold -- but at least the snow held off long enough for folks to get out of the house and mingle a little bit! Amy and I started the day with a nice breakfast, cooked by yours truly: strawberry waffles, scrambled eggs and goetta links! Of course, I left quite the mess in my wake (check out the photo below)

Good luck getting through this next round of snow -- hopefully it won't be all that bad. But just in case, we'll be live on ABC 22 starting at 4:30AM Tuesday morning, to bring you the latest conditions. So hunker down, and keep warm. And we'll see you on TV! Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Life Moves On...
02/03/10

Good morning, everyone! Hopefully you're having a good week so far. The past week or so has been a challenging one for me, for a number of reasons. I thought maybe I'd share one of those reasons with you; maybe some of you have experienced something similar.

Yesterday was a very difficult day for me. My grandmother bought her home on Cincinnati's west side back in 1955. Last year, she moved into an assisted living facility. The home's new owners close on the house at the end of this week. This will be the only other family to live in the house since it was built....and as you can imagine, our family has over 50 years worth of memories associated with that house.

For more than five decades, Gram's house was our quintessential family hub. We spent every Christmas Day at her house, without fail, until 2009. Aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors -- everyone would come, and no one was invited. They just kept showing up, and all were welcome. My grandfather, who died when I was only one year old, built a bar in the basement (a metal fabricator, he was incredibly handy from what I know of him...in addition to being very, very Italian). My cousin Wayne, a few years older than my Dad, served as the family bartender every Christmas for as long as I can remember. He died unexpectedly in his early 50's around 15 years ago now. Ever since then, his son - my cousin Tony -has handled the honors. Relatives from as far away as Florida would come and stay for the holiday. Some of my very first audiences were family members who would sing along while I played Christmas carols on Gram's Kimball organ. I remember sitting there for hours -- watching Perry Como and Andy Williams Christmas records playing on the console stereo, waiting for the turntable to automatically drop the next record into place... For generations, that house has been "home" to many, many people -- all in the same family.

There's an in-ground swimming pool in the backyard that was installed in the early 1960s. Just about everyone in my entire family learned how to swim in that pool. I always tried to be the very first person to jump in every year (and my Dad did the same thing before me). I remember how cool it was to dive for pennies in the "deep end" of the pool. I spent countless hours trying to dive the "perfect" dive, making the smallest splash humanly possible. And it took all I had to make it across the full length of the pool, underwater, without taking a single breath. From my infancy to well into my adulthood, Gram's back yard and swimming pool has always been THE summer gathering place.

We've always been a very musical family -- my Dad played with numerous bands in the basement and the garage, all the way back to the mid-1960s. I remember going downstairs to sing and play music with him (and my mom) in the late 1970s and early 1980s as well. For a while, I even had my "recording studio" in one of the upstairs bedrooms. And when my buddy T.D. Clark and I toured with Bad Company and Ted Nugent, whenever we came through Cincinnati that summer, the whole band crashed at Gram's house. I don't know who had more fun -- Gram or the guys in the band.

I was born in Cincinnati, but we relocated to Chicago and elsewhere in Illinois for a few years when I was very young. My sister was born in Chicago, in fact. But we returned home to Cincinnati in 1979. The housing market wasn't so hot back then, pretty much like it is right now. So the four of us moved in with Gram -- all five of us sharing that small house on Morrvue Drive. It's the first address I ever had tolearn to memorize in school. It's the first phone number I ever remembered. And it was ALWAYS an essential stop on the way to any prom,homecoming or other adolescent function.

It broke my heart that Gram was not well enough to attend my wedding on September 27, 2008 -- which also happened to be her 81st birthday. But as the limo carried me -- and my groomsmen -- from my parents' house to the Bell Event Centre, I made to stop by Gram's to say hello, and tell her I loved her.

Tuesday afternoon, I stopped by that same house on Morrvue Drive one last time. It just didn't seem real. I hear the people moving in are really good people. In fact, one of the guys that'll be living there has a band himself (I listened to their CD...they actually sound pretty good.) I wonder if their family will establish that little house as the center of their world, too?

It's amazing to me how something made of wood, brick and mortar can take on a life of its own. Wherever this life takes me, wherever I may go -- that little house on Morrvue Drive will always be my "home." Even if it is only in my mind.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you have a great rest of the week.

Pete

What Goes Around...
01/22/10

Good morning! <<sniff>> <<cough>> I finally managed to drag myself out of bed and make it to work this morning. I've been trying to weeks to avoid catching whatever illnesses have been floating around the station -- but this week, I couldn't hide any more.

Starting Tuesday night, my body finally succumbed to whatever nasty cold-flu-like-sinus-infection-type-thing that's going around these days. No fun. But after spending a couple of days in bed (alongside my canine counterpart, Dino) I'm starting to turn the corner. It seems like no matter how many times I washed my hands -- no matter how much hand sanitizer I slathered all over myself -- I just couldn't avoid getting sick. Oh, well.

On a lighter note, Tuesday night my general manager Dean Ditmer and I were guests on the "Rob Dennis Show" -- a cable access program produced at DATV. Rob was a most gracious host, and I had a really good time. Paul Ellis from 99.9 Lite FM was another guest on the show, and the two of us competed against each other in the "Rob Dennis Show Quiz" (using questions from "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader.") It was amazing how little we both knew, compared to those borderline genius 5th graders -- but I answered one more question correctly than Paul did -- so I was the big winner (of a huge fruit basket from Kroger). If nothing else, all the vitamin C in that fruit basket has certainly come in handy over the past few days :-) Thanks again to Rob for having us on the show. (And thanks to "Larry the Camera Guy" -- whom I frequently mention on our morning show -- who served as director of the "Rob Dennis Show" that night!)

I plan on getting some more rest once I get home today -- my in-laws are coming into town, and we're spending some time at my brother-in-law's house tonight (to see my little niece, Sara!) Beyond that, I see a lot of sleeping in my future this weekend. Or at least I'll try to -- it always seems like there's something going on...

Anyway - I hope you're managing to fend off the nasty bug that's floating around. And I hope you get to enjoy the warmer weather this weekend! (I'll take rain over ice and snow any day, Mike Terwilleger!) Have a good one - I'll see you on TV next Monday!

New Year, New Blog...
01/05/10

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a safe and enjoyable holiday season. It's hard to believe we're already a full decade into the 21st century... Where did the time go? From the Y2K bug and 9/11 to the 2008 election, Michael Jackson and health care "reform"...what will the next ten years have in store for us?

Personally, I'm ready for the new decade. And I've got a great feeling about 2010. After spending a festive and relaxing Christmas and New Year's holiday with my family, I'm ready to get back to work. (Not to mention a January 1st birthday thrown in there, too...)

Christmas has always been very special to me and my family. We've always been a tight-knit bunch. My wife Amy and I celebrated our second Christmas together as a married couple, and our third with our puppy Dino. It was also our first Christmas as Aunt Amy and Uncle Pete, to little Sara Paige Saunders -- who was born just a few short months ago. As our family continues to grow, I think of how grateful I am to have aunts and uncles who have always played such an important role in my life -- I hope to do the same for little Sara Paige.

Regardless of any insignificant transgressions I may have had in 2009 (and next to Tiger Woods, I'd say all of us guys are looking pretty good right now...) I somehow found myself on the "nice" list this Christmas. Knowing how close I am to our little pooch, Amy got me a very thoughtful gift -- a pair of cufflinks featuring miniaturized paw prints from my own little Dino boy. Too cool. Amy is a huge Jewel fanatic -- and had a really cool autographed poster she got from Jewel's solo acoustic set in Merrillville, IN a few years back... I snuck the poster out of the house and had it professionally matted and framed.. It looks really cool, and is all set to be mounted on our "Hall of Fame." She also dropped a lot of hints about wanting a bike for Christmas -- we have great video of her closing her eyes as I wheeled her gift out by the Christmas tree... It was better than watching a 6-year old kid get his/her first bike :-)

My friend Nancy Cartwright also sent me a very thoughtful Christmas gift -- during a trip to L.A. a few months back, she took me to a read-through of an upcoming episode of the Simpsons. For Christmas, she had everyone in the entire cast sign it for me. As an aspiring voice actor (and general fan of cartoons in general) I thought it was an incredibly thoughtful gift. (So thank you again, Nancy!)

For New Year's Eve and New Year's Day (which also happens to be my birthday), we try to do something special every year. One year it was Paris, the next it was Niagara Falls... We stayed home the following year, and last year we spent NYE in Venice -- as part of our Italian honeymoon... This year we opted to go low-key, and stayed in a cabin off the beaten path, just outside of Gatlinburg, TN.

I have to say -- after a rough and tumble action-packed year like 2009, we needed to just unplug from the world and reconnect with each other. It was also our first "family vacation" -- we brought Dino along for the ride this time -- and he seemed to enjoy the trip just as much as we did. (I think that photo pretty much says it all.)

We came home well-rested and ready to tackle the new year. I hope you're ready, too. Best wishes to you and yours for a prosperous and happy new year.

Pete

Jingle Bell Run photos!
12/15/09

Hey, everyone! Just thought I'd post a couple of photos from last weekend's Dayton Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis.

We had a GREAT turnout -- and a wonderful time. Thanks to everyone who came out to support the Arthritis Foundation and all the great work they do!

Here are the photos of me and Elena McCarthy -- our 2009 Jingle Bell Run honoree. What a cutie! http://tinyurl.com/yc49hpe and http://tinyurl.com/ydjfonj

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Jingle All the Way!
12/11/09

Good morning! Hopefully you've been able to keep warm over the past few days... I know it's "that time of year," but I can never seem to get used to the drastic change in temps every year. (I'm starting to think Rhonda's onto something with the whole "moving to Costa Rica" thing...) Who knows - if we win the $100 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot tonight, maybe we can make that happen...??

If you saw the show this morning, you got to meet 4-year old Adele McCarthy -- she's this year's honoree at the 2009 Arthritis Foundation Jingle Bell Run! (Or "queen," as she puts it!!) I am serving as MC of this year's event, and sincerely hope you can join us tomorrow morning for a really good time, all for a great cause.

I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis about 7 years ago -- and remember how awful it was, trying to figure out what was wrong with me; what was causing the pain I was feeling all over my body. Then I look at children -- like Adele -- who have to experience that at such a young age. Adele was diagnosed when she was 1 1/2 yrs. old... yet she is so cheerful and spunky! She and the other children I've met who are living with JRA truly inspire me. When my RA flares up and starts to bring me down, I think about kids like Adele and how they face the same struggles I do -- but are so young, they don't know any different. They didn't ask for the disease. They didn't ask to be subjected to the pain and all of the treatments that sometimes make you feel lousy. They are the real reason I am actively involved with the Arthritis Foundation -- to make sure that one day, we can prevent children like Adele (and adults) from ever knowing the pain of arthritis.

I hope you will join me tomorrow and help the Arthritis Foundation as they continue to provide support, treatments and research -- with hopes of one day finding a cure.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today -- hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Welcome to Winter!
12/07/09

Wow... What a morning! While the official start of "winter" isn't until December 21st, we sure got a taste of it this morning. What a difference 1/4" of snow can make... Just about everyone I know - here in Dayton and in Cincinnati - was running late for work this morning, stuck in standstill traffic. And this is just with a dusting of snow that stuck to the roadways! (anyone else wonder what that first ice storm's gonna be like? I shudder at the thought...)

On a MUCH lighter note - I guess the snow can serve as a reminder that Christmas is almost here! And that serves as a reminder to me (procrastinator that I am..) that I need to get cracking on my Christmas shopping. I, for one, am grateful for the Internet <--- waiting in long lines and fighting for parking spaces at the mall just doesn't appeal to me. Although I have to admit, in my younger years, I worked retail during the holidays -- even though it was stressful, it was also a lot of fun. There's something about all the hustle and bustle that gets you into the holiday spirit.

One final note before I go -- it was on this day in 1941 that the Japanese attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor -- a day which President Franklin Rosevelt proclaimed "will live in infamy." It was the attack that launched the United States headlong into World War II. We lose more and more of our WWII vets every day -- I think it's important to make sure future generations never forget the sacrifices the "Greatest Generation" made for our freedoms.

On that note -- our extended broadcast this morning put me a little behind schedule -- so I had better get back to work. I hope you had a fantastic weekend... See you on TV!

Good Golly, Miss Molly!
11/23/09

Good morning! I'm waiting for some video we just shot at Dayton's "Tech Town" to be ingested into our video system so I can write a story about it <---- all part of this week's "It's Where You Live" series. Pretty cool stuff going on there - look for it tomorrow morning!

In the meantime, I think it's appropriate for all of us to pause and wish the one and only Little Richard a very happy birthday today! He's 77. There aren't many of the "founding fathers" of Rock 'n' Roll left these days...even fewer are still as flamboyant as Mr. Richard Penniman.

While today's youth considers anything pre-1990 to be "classic rock" (wow.. that didn't really hit me that hard until I saw my own words on the screen... yikes!) I grew up with a real appreciation for those who got the whole Rock 'n' Roll movement started. Guys in the 1950s who changed popular music forever. While I'm a huge fan of big band music by the likes of Louis Prima and such -- Rock 'n' Roll was a totaly game-changer. While today's musicians might reference bands from the 1970s - 1980s as some of their biggest influences --- THOSE guys (and gals) were influenced by people like Little Richard. (Even the Beatles covered a few of his tunes - like "Long Tall Sally" -- love that one!)

I heard an interesting bit of trivia the other day -- that in the beginnings of Rock, guitarists used distortion as a way to emulate the sound of the saxophone -- to get that same gritty timbre without bringing along an entire horn section. I can see that.

Anyway ... Looks like my video is ready, and I have a story to write. But if you get the chance, crank up a little "Good Golly Miss Molly," "Lucille," (one of the first songs I remember that were written about a CAR!) or maybe even enjoy a big scoop of "Tutti Frutti." And throw in a yelping "woooooo!" for me. Thanks for stopping by!!

Bathroom Catastrophies!
11/16/09

WHO DEY!!! Good Monday morning, everyone. Oh, and my condolences to Terry Bradshaw and every other Steelers fan out there who said it couldn't be done ---> the Cincinnati Bengals pulled of a HUGE win AT HEINZ FIELD (which happens to be IN PITTSBURGH, btw) to secure their top spot in the AFC North. Oh, what a glorious day it is for all of us Bengals fans. 5-0 in their division this season. Whodathunkit? Well, if you saw this season's "Hard Knocks" on HBO, the Bengals knew they could do it - and now, they're delivering. So a HUGE congrats to Coach Lewis and all the guys on the team. You've worked your butts off - and it's paying off big time. Playoffs here we come!!!

The ONLY thing that put a slight damper on the Bengals big win yesterday in the Scalia household was lots and lots of water (not to mention tons of wet drywall) in our first floor bathroom... After a fun Saturday evening with my parents, Amy and I (and Dino) decided to stay the night. When we returned home Sunday, we encountered this. Apparently, a clogged toilet on the second floor kept running - causing it to overflow...all..night..long. So we came home to a HUGE mess. I'm heading out a little early this morning to meet with insurance adjusters and get the rebuilding process started. Fun.

But after YEARS of being a die-hard Bengals fan (including the few years my little sis was a cheeleader for the team!) watching the Bengals clinch the top spot in the division helped make running the ol' shop vac in the bathroom a little easier..

Thanks for stopping by - hope you have a great week!

Asteroid Interference
11/12/09

Good morning, everyone! Wow...how time flies. Somehow, we've found ourselves in November <--- a long time since my last blog posting...

Maybe I was distracted by the fact that Earth was almost creamed by an asteroid last week. OK, maybe that's an exaggeration, since it was only about 23 feet across, and stuff that size apparently zips past our planet more frequently than I care to realize... But still, kinda makes you think, doesn't it? Especially with another crazy disaster flick coming out soon (just in time for the Holidays!) After seeing the movie trailer for 2012, should we be worried that instead of Bruce Willis, the fate of the world lies in the hands of Lloyd Dobler from Say Anything?

Speaking of Say Anything... It's hard to believe that 1989 was twenty years ago. 20 years! I became instantly aware of that fact on Monday. 20 years ago, on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. I was a sophomore in high school, and I'll never forget it. In fact, in my yearbook from that year, there are pictures of my classmates (who were studying abroad in Germany at the time) shaking hands with East German border guards through holes knocked out of the wall. When they returned, they brought chunks of the wall to school with them. I got to hold one. I was overwhelmed by the historical significance of the graffiti-stained chunk of concrete in my hands. Us "Gen-Xers" were the last generation to know the "Soviet Threat." We grew up with movies like War Games, Rocky IV and Red Dawn (which I hear is being re-made...this time we're fighting the Chinese?) ... That sort of entertaining propaganda something that's lost on generations since. While terrorism is certainly something that might keep plenty of people awake at night, to me it pales in comparison to the threat of total nuclear annihilation. But hey, that's just me.

Speaking of movie remakes -- has anyone seen the teaser trailer for Clash of the Titans? Man, I hope it's good. Referring again to my fellow Gen-Xers ---> why do directors continually feel the need to totally mess with our childhood? (Transformers, G.I. Joe, Dukes of Hazzard <--- I have a hard time forgiving them for that one...) IMHO, it'll be hard to top the original Clash of the Titans -- stop animation and divine mechanical owl and all. Now I hear a movie re-make of the A-Team is in the works, too? *sigh* What would Mr. T say? (All together now: "I pity the fool!")

While I'm feeling nostalgic, I figured I post a link to one more random childhood memory. All that talk about the Berlin Wall and communism and propaganda conjured up memories of -- get ready for it -- consummate patriot Hulk Hogan taking on Nikolai Volkoff in WWF wrestling action! The fact that I distinctly remember watching that match makes me feel, well, not old -- but kind of grateful. Grateful that I have such fond memories of my childhood, and grateful that our world leaders were able to get their s**t together and prevent The Day After from ever happening. (Although I guess we can't go back and take back that awful TV movie...)

Anyway - hope you've enjoyed this little trip down memory lane. Any other nuggets I've forgotten? (I know there are...) Send them my way! For now, thanks for stopping by. See you on TV!

One Down...A Lifetime to Go
09/29/09

This weekend I experienced one of many "firsts" in my life. And perhaps one of the most memorable. It was one year ago, on September 27, 2008, that I married my best friend, Amy. We've been together a little over four years now, and what an incredible first year we've had together as husband and wife.

We both have what can be described as "strong" personalities - a fact that's reflected in what we both do for a living: me as a television personality, and Amy as a publisher and editor-in-chief. While that's one of the many things that attracted me to her in the first place, it also makes for some rather interesting exchanges (for example, those moments when she momentarily forgets that I am, in fact, always right). It hasn't been easy, working diametrically opposed schedules (I'm usually getting up for work when she's ending her day) - but it makes the time we do have together all the more worthwhile. Even the little moments we share on the days she's able to work from home (one of the benefits of running an online publication) make all the difference (and I know that our hyperactive puppy, Dino, certainly appreciates the additional "family time").

We had a great first anniversary weekend - complete with family time, alone time, and the aforementioned "family time." We also got to spend a couple of hours with my grandmother, whose birthday falls on the same day as our anniversary. It was pretty cool to see three generations of "Mrs. Scalias" in the same room - my grandmother, my mom and now, my wife.

I know we're just getting started. I know the road ahead of us is long, and sometimes bumpy. But it's everything we're going to encounter along the way that makes the journey worthwhile. It's knowing that all of the exciting things life has in store for me will be shared with the one person who knows me best. My partner. My best friend. My one true love.

With that, I want to wish my beautiful wife a Happy First Anniversary. Thanks for putting up with me this far. And good luck with that in the future :-)

Thanks for stopping by. See you on TV!

Catching up....
09/21/09

Wow! Can you believe today is the last full day of summer? Already? Where did the time go? I have to say, autumn has always been my favorite time of year - but, all in all, this summer has been pretty awesome.

Between exciting trips to L.A., spending time with Amy and Dino outside in the summer sun, and working with the best morning crew in the business - I have to say, this summer has been a total blast. It's also been pretty humbling.

Going back a few weeks, I was honored to have been a part of this year's MDA Labor Day Telethon. I know that WKEF has a long-standing tradition of being the MDA's local broadcast partner, and it was truly humbling for me to be co-MC of this year's telecast. I met some truly amazing people, whose lives have been forever changed by neuro-muscular disease. And yet, they're some of the most upbeat, positive people I've ever met. The family members and volunteers I met this year humbled me with stories of triumph over adversity - choosing to help others live life to the fullest, rather than allowing them give in to defeat. I just want to thank the MDA and our station for giving me the opportunity to take part in such a meaningful event.

Speaking of "meaningful events," this weekend was homecoming weekend at Kettering Fairmont High School - and I got to take part in the festivities, as the narrator of the school's production of "If I Were You" - a "reader's theater" radio-style drama starring Fairmont grad Nancy Cartwright in the lead role of "Little Tom Little."

Director Ross Taylor first contacted me months ago about doing the show. I thought it was such a cool concept - to do the show like an old-fashioned radio drama, complete with music and sound effects. And, thanks in part to a fantastic cast and crew, the end result was nothing short of spectacular.

Student actors Tim Green (Jerry Gordon), Katherine Ygbuhay (Betty), Jay Kain (Hermann Schmidt), Kevin Erman (the Professor & other voices), Allie Dyer (Mrs. Johnson) and Caroline Grogan (Maizie Little) were amazing to work with. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on stage with them. And, of course, it was a real treat for all of us to work with Nancy - just as I'm sure she enjoyed returning to the Fairmont stage!

WYSO in Yellow Springs recorded both performances, and will be re-broadcasting the entire show sometime in the future. I'll be sure to keep you posted. Of course, everyone who came to our shows over the weekend got an extra special treat - witnessing the actors in action, delivering their lines in a way that really made you feel like you were back in the 1930s; witnessing all the action under the "big top." Everyone did an outstanding job, and I am honored to be a part of the Kettering Fairmont theater "family."

Thanks again to everyone who came out to see the show. And thanks for stopping by to read my blog! Hope you enjoy the last day of summer... I'm looking forward to the first weekend of autumn 2009! See you on TV!

Your Morning "Soap Star"
09/03/09

I thought you might get a kick out of this... You know how I met the guys behind the website welovesoaps.net at the Emmys in L.A. last weekend? Well, check THIS out:

http://www.welovesoaps.net/2009/09/frank-valentini-photographer.html

I thought it was pretty funny :-)

Hope you're having a great week! And watch out for that full moon tomorrow (and repeated Warren Zevon references from me and Mike Terwilleger!)

Hoo-ray for Hollywood!
08/31/09

Good morning! Glad to be back after an exciting trip to Los Angeles. I left after the show last Tuesday, and got back late last night (Sunday) ... So forgive me if this rambles a bit - I'm pretty sleep deprived at this point!

I had an incredible time in Hollywood last week! Once again, I stayed with my good friend Jeremy, who lives just a couple of blocks from the strip on Hollywood Blvd. I also met up with Kettering's own Nancy Cartwright (Bart Simpson herself!), who served as THE best Hollywood "tour guide" ever!

I spent the first couple of days just unwinding and savoring the feeling of - dare I say it? - sleeping in! But Thursday, Nancy had quite the Hollywood "tour" planned for me!

We started the day at FOX studios; Nancy invitewd me to join her at a Simpsons "table read." Essentially, that's when the actors all get together and read through an upcoming script - in character - to get an idea of how the jokes will flow, the overall timing of the show, etc. And wow, was I in for a special treat! The entire cast was there: Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Grandpa, others), Julie Kavner (Marge and her sisters), Nancy (Bart, Ralphie, Maggie, etc.), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Harry Schearer (too many character voices to count), and Hank Azaria (ditto). For someone who's dabbled in voice acting here and there, it was truly amazing to see these gifted actors switch character voices on a dime. After the reading, I had the chance to meet Harry, Hank, Julie and even Matt Groening - the Simpsons' creator! He drew Bart on my copy of the show's script (which Nancy is having the entire cast autograph for me today, during their studio recording session!) While the actual episode they read won't air until some time early next year - I can tell you this: it's hilarious! Judging by the laughter in the room, there's a reason why the Simpsons is the longest-running sitcom in television history.

After the table read, Nancy and I met up with her good friend Peter - a very talented writer/producer/jack of all trades that has collaborated with Nancy on numerous projects (one of those projects being a live reading of the story "If I Were You" that Nancy and I will be performing in a couple of weeks! More on that later...) They took me on a tour of "Author Services" - the company that's basically in charge of the literary works of pulp writer L. Ron Hubbard. I know that when most people here that name, the book "Dianetics" may be the first thing that comes to mind. But what many people don't know is that, during the 1930s, Hubbard was one of the most prolific pulp writers of all time. Writing thousands of stories under his own name (and 15 different pen names), one of the stories is "If I Were You." Since we'll be performing a live version of the story in September, Nancy and Peter wanted to give me a little more backstory on Hubbard's pulp writing. The tour was amazing - there were original copies of numerous pulp "comics" that Hubbard had written in the 1930s (when reading was one of the main forms of entertainment) .. It's for that reason - literacy - that Nancy is performing the show with me next month. It's a fun way to get kids to read (and benefits a great organization, Project Read) I'll have more on the event as the date draws near.

After our tour, we decided to grab a bite to eat on Hollywood Blvd. On our way, we passewd in front of the Kodak theater - where the Simpsons "star" is located on the legendary "Walk of Fame." As we walked by, we noticed a group of German tourists gathered around the star, posing for pictures. Nancy walked up to them - and Peter introduced her as "Bart Simpson." They weren't quite sure what to make of the situation - until Nancy busted out "hey, how's it goin', man?" in Bart's voice. Before we knew it, a small crowd had gathered around us. Nancy took the time to pose for a few pictures and sign a few autographs. But unlike many celebrities whose faces are shown on television or in movies - Nancy has the ability to walk away, safe in her anonymity. Once we walked away from the Simpsons' star - people walked by completely unaware that the voice of the world's most famous 10-year old boy was standing right next to them.

Originally, I didn't have any plans for that night (Thursday). But Nancy changed all of that. She got us tickets for a special night at the Laugh Factory comedy club - with the cast of the hit FOX TV show "24." Hosted by Mary Lynn Rajskub ("Chloe" in the CTU!) - who started her career as a stand-up comic, btw - numerous cast members got on stage and shared stories about times in their lives they told a lie...and the consequences of that lie. Needless to say, it was hilarious. One cool side note: we watched a good portion of the show with Nancy's good friend Jenna Elfman, and her husband, Bodhi (who are both incredibly nice people!)

I knew that on Saturday, Nancy was presenting a few awards at the 36th annual Daytime Creative Arts and Entertainment Emmy Awards. Little did I know that she had her PR person, Jo-Ann, add me to the guest list. So - not only did I get to go behind the scenes of the Simpsons and hang with the cast of "24" - I was also going to the Emmys! (Which meant, of course, I had to go buy a suit - quickly!)

Thankfully, Macy's was having a big sale over the weekend...they were able to fit me on Friday and have my tailored suit ready for me by Saturday afternoon. After spending Saturday morning at Manhattan Beach with Jeremy (and our friend Ari and Will), I headed back to town to pick up my new suit and get ready for the awards ceremony!

While many of the acting Emmys are given out on live television on Sunday night, a slew of them are given out the night before...honoring people who work hard behind the scenes - writers, animators, directors...There were also awards given out for music, lighting and a couple for hosts of various TV shows (including "Christina" from "Christina's Court" - who was a presenter that night AND won an Emmy for best "judicial" program!

Since I was Nancy's guest - and she was presenting that night - I got to sit among the other presenters....and right behind our host for the evening - Mr. Jeopardy himself, Alex Trebec! I was surrounded by TV types, including a number of well-known soap opera actresses (who were kind enough to stop and pose for a picture with me!) The coolest thing about that picture, though, has to be the fact that - in addition to posing with Michelle Stafford (Young and the Restless); Susan Flannery (a soap opera legend, currently on Bold and the Beautiful); Finola Hughes (from General Hospital, numerous film appearances - and now host of a show on the Style network); and Lesli Kay (also from numerous soaps, including General Hospital) -- the photo was taken by Frank Valentini - executive producer of One Life to Live (it was an honor to have him take our picture - especially since he had just won a handful of Emmys for his show! Thank you, Frank!)

The night was truly incredible. But before I knew it, it was over. (Not before I met two great guys behind the website welovesoaps.net...who were interviewing soap stars all night long -- Roger and Damon showed me who was who, since I haven't really watched many soaps these days...)

Next thing I knew, the whirlwind was over - and I was on a plane back home. The trip was truly amazing, to say the least. And I have the uber-talented and incredibly kind Nancy Cartwright to thank for making it such a memorable one.

Stay tuned for more information on our live performance of "If I Were You," coming up on September 19 and 20!!! In the meantime, thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a great week. (And in honor of the Wizard of Oz being re-released in theaters next month, I guess I have to admit - there really is "no place like home." See ya!)

Leavin' On A Jet Plane (again!)
08/25/09

Good Tuesday morning! Sorry if you encounter any typos in this blog entry...but it's awfully hard to type while eating Tumbleweed fajitas! Always look forward to their visits in the FOX 45 kitchen!

This afternoon, I'm jetting back out to L.A. to visit a college buddy who works as an entertainment lawyer on the west coast. I'm also lucky enough to meet up with Kettering native Nancy Cartwright while I'm out there -- of course, she's probably best known as the voice of Bart Simpson! Nancy is taking me behind the scenes on the FOX lot this week - as someone who's done a bit of voice work over the years, it's a HUGE honor to meet the people behind the voices of some of my favorite cartoon characters!

So...try not to miss me too much while I'm gone (I don't know how Mike, Kylie and Rhonda will get by...hahaha) Have a great week - I'll see you in September!

Back to School!!!
08/17/09

Well, here it is...the first day of school is finally here for many kids in the Miami Valley! Hard to believe summer is almost over. It's around this time every year I seem to have the "back to school" song from Adam Sandler's Billy Madison stuck in my head... (of course, this has to me my favorite scene from the movie...)

I hope everyone had the chance to enjoy the last weekend of summer vacation... I thought mine was off to a pretty good start, until Saturday morning. I was just about done mowing the grass in our back yard when a yellow jacket stung me in the right calf. (The little sucker was still attached to my leg when I bent down and tried to swat him off...) I've been stung by bees numerous times before, and never had any sort of reaction - until Saturday.

When I finished mowing the back yard, I could feel my lips starting to tingle and swell. I also noticed my skin turning bright red, and it was getting hard to breathe. So I headed inside to cool off and check things out. Amy and I watched in real time as my lips swelled up, my left elbow swelled out so much I could hardly bend it, and just about every square inch of my body was covered with a blotchy red rash and massive, spotty hives.

Amy got my parents on the phone, while I called my family doctor to see what I should do. Thankfully, my mom - who has a nasty shellfish allergy - had an emergency epinephrine shot (an Epi Pen) in her medicine cabinet. She and my dad rushed it over to my place.

I downed a couple of Benedryl and jabbed the Epi Pen into my leg (I give myself an injection of Humira to treat my RA every week - I have to say, it's NOTHING like jamming an Epi Pen into your leg, through your clothing. Ouch!) My doctor called back and said that we did the right thing; that I should continue taking Benedryl every 4 to 6 hours, and keep an eye on things. He also told me it was a good sign that I was able to talk on the phone - and that everything should be just fine.

Here we are, two days later - and my right calf still itches, and my foot is still a little swollen...but other than that, the rash and hives are gone, and things seem to be back to normal. But for a while there, we were certainly worried! My mom left another Epi Pen at our house - just in case. I have to tell you, as someone who's never experienced a serious allergic reaction before - that was some scary stuff, believe me!

Not much going on behind the scenes this morning. Kylie was off again today, so I solo anchored the ABC and FOX shows. Bed Bath and Beyond stopped by with some ideas for college students moving into the dorms this fall... and I have to say, college kids these days sure have it a lot easier than I did when I was their age (wow - did I really just type that out loud?) I remember when I was at OU, not all the dorms had air conditioning - and we certainly didn't have high-speed internet in our rooms! (Come to think of it, I don't even think "high speed" internet was around back then...) I think I'd better close for now...before I date myself too much... Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week - and best wishes to all the students out there for a great 2009-2010 school year!

Tiger Woods I Ain't...
08/11/09

Good Tuesday morning! Hopefully you didn't need a boat to get home from work last night... What a rain storm!

Thankfully, the rain held out just long enough for our foursome to get in 17 holes in this year's Arby's Charity Tour golf outing (lightning sirens sounded just as we were about to play our final hole...) Our GM Dean Ditmer and Director of Sales Chad Kemper played rather well -- despite Sports Director Nathan Baker and I doing our best to break triple digits for the round (but I have to admit, we had a GREAT time!) Of course, I'm sure we would've played much better if it weren't for all the humidity yesterday...(and my new clubs are sweeeeet! I can't wait to get back out there and play again soon!)

It was great having Kylie Conway back with us this morning! True to her competitive nature, at the end of the show (on FOX 45) Kylie and I had a pizza box folding competition (courtesy of Sparky's Pizzeria in Urbana, OH) ... Naturally, my superior hand-eye coordination won out -- finishing two pizza boxes just as Kylie struggled to complete her first... (of course, no matter what on-air competition I win, I'm always reminded of that on-camera wakeboarding face plant of mine at Wake Nation earlier this year...)

Now that Kylie's back, I'm planning an exciting trip of my own for later this month...Still finalizing a few things, but it's really cool stuff! I'll be sure to post an update once things are good to go.

In the meantime, thanks for stopping by! See you on TV tomorrow morning.

Wow! What a Day!!
08/06/09

I guess you can say it's a pretty "Extreme" day here in the Miami Valley! After a week's worth of hard work and an outpouring of support and dedication, the Terpenning family will finally get to see their new home in Beavercreek THIS AFTERNOON!

Just watching the progress along the way has been nothing short of awe-inspiring. Not even torrential downpours could slow down the work of the volunteer builders - or dampen their spirits.

And I don't think words can even describe what the Terpenning family will experience when the crowd shouts "Move that bus!!!"

If the process alone has been this emotional, this inspirational...I can only imagine what the finished episode will be like when we're all invited inside the family's new home this fall.

Then - just down the road from Beavercreek - the new Cincinnati Premium Outlet mall opens today in Monroe! With all of the news of stores closing and people being laid off left and right, it's so great to see an entire retail complex OPENING its doors in the area.

Not being one who's shy to admit the size of his wardrobe...I know I'll be stopping by the outlet center quite a few times in the very near future. Hopefully, thousands more will do the same thing. Regardless of what the federal government does to try and help the economy, let's face it - there's no better prescription for what's ailing our local economy than pumping money into it the old fashioned way: by consumers spending money and supporting local jobs. And hey, if we can get some killer deals on designer fashions in the process - that's a pretty sweet bonus!

Today I confirmed that I'll be playing in a golf outing next Monday with our GM, our director of sales, and sports director Nathan Baker. By saying that I'm playing in a golf outing, you might get the impression that I'm a pretty good golfer. Well, let me put that thought to rest right now. There are good golfers. There are average golfers. And then, there are people who walk around golf courses, occasionally taking a swing at balls - hoping to get them somewhere in the vicinity of the correct green for the hole. If I say I'm a "sub-par" golfer, I don't mean it in the Tiger Woods sort of way. Granted, there are folks out there who are a LOT worse than me... Guess we'll just have to see how things pan out! (And it just so happens I'm waiting for my new set of irons to come in. The guy at the store called them "game-changing" clubs. Let's hope that's true - in a very good way.)

Speaking of golf - I can't post it here (since this is a family-friendly blog and all) ... but if you ever get the chance to look up Robin Williams' stand-up routine on the origins of golf - complete with Scottish accent - it's priceless. (The origins of the word "stroke" alone make the whole routine!)

Hope you're having a great week so far! And thanks for stopping by my blog. See ya!

Welcome Back to July!!!
07/27/09

Good Monday morning, everyone! Hopefully you got the chance to get out and enjoy the weekend... Looks like a beautiful day today - if it weren't for the neverending pile of laundry and home improvement tasks that await me today, I'd much rather spend some time doing this...

Some good news just came into the newsroom... A 2-year old girl and her 8-month old little brother have been found safe, after missing for over 12 hours. Granted, they were found in a dumpster - but they're probably going to be okay. (When I first heard two children were found in a dumpster - I wasn't sure what to expect...) I'm sure we'll have more on our evening newscasts..

Not sure if any of you are into gadgets and gizmos like I am...but as a long-time Apple computer user (aka "Mac Geek"), I'm pretty much salivating over persistent rumors that Apple is going to release a tablet-style computer some time before the end of the year. While it might not be too high on the list of life's necessities - it's still pretty high on my "man, I've gotta get one of those without Amy finding out" list. (Wait..she reads this blog... Dangit.)

It was great seeing so many familiar faces at this year's Dayton Arthritis Expo on Sunday! I headed over to Orthopedic Associates of SW Ohio (at the Southview Hospital campus) and checked out the latest in arthritis treatments, gadgets and exercises. (A personal favorite was the cooking demonstration, featuring a chef from Rue Domaine!) As someone who lives with RA, I know that sometimes getting around the kitchen (or the rest of the house) can be a real pain - literally. It's always nice to talk with other people who are going through the same thing...sometimes you can learn about new therapies or treatments you didn't know were out there! And this year, being a car nut, I was pumped that one of the doc's organizaed a cruise-in - full of classic hot rods and muscle cars (I wish I had a few pics to post - but my camera died!)

When I got home, Amy, Dino and I headed out to the dog park. He's so funny around other dogs... Of course, he also continues to amuse us at home - his latest thing is climbing into the tub after we get out, and licking up all the excess water. Those daily shower cleaners have nothing on Dino's magic doggy tongue!

I hope your week is off to a great start.

Man (and Dog) Week
07/07/09

Good morning! I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend. I spent my Independence Day at my aunt and uncle's place, in Hanover Township for a graduation party. Two of my cousins, Brittany and Jeff, just graduated from Ohio University (my alma mater!). Sometimes things like work get in the way of spending time with the people who are most important to you - so it was nice being able to spend time with family (rain or no rain!)

Unfortunately, my wife Amy wasn't able to go - since she was soaking up the sun in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! Amy has gone to SC with her parents every year since she was a little girl. She's made some great friends down there, too. Since I was unable to get away from work, our friend Renie made the trek with Amy this year... I've already heard some great stories on the phone - I'm sure they'll have plenty more when they get back!

So while the girls are away, Dino and I are living it up in our "Man Cave" for the week. We started things off Saturday morning (before the graduation party) with a trip to our family farm just outside Georgetown. We would've gotten a much earlier start, but the battery in my (seemingly indestructible) 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee was completely kaput. And since the battery terminals were pretty much permanently corroded to the battery posts, I had to buy a new battery, cut the cables, install new posts, and hook it all up. Not to mention that we were in a race against the rain... By the time we got all the way out to the farm, the rain had already started to fall - ever so slightly. But Dino and I drudged on through the woods, hiking a good couple of miles through the trails. The rain was coming down pretty good by the time we got back from our hike. So we hopped into the Jeep - soaking wet - and headed home. By then, Dino was wiped out. Nothing like a few hours hiking through the woods to tame the hyperactive Vizsla! (I'll be sure to upload a few pictures when I get the chance!)

The past couple of days, when I get home from work, Dino and I play in the back yard for a while, then sit on the couch and watch movies. It's been GREAT! I'm one of those people who sees a movie trailer and thinks "oooh, I want to see that one!" Then I totally forget about it until it comes out on DVD or on-demand. So far we've watched Tom Cruise in Valkyrie, and the Cohen brothers' movie Burn After Reading with Brad Pitt and George Clooney (which is a GREAT movie, btw!)

Meanwhile, our basement is undergoing a complete renovation. When I lived in my own place, I had a room dedicated to my project studio and recording gear.. Once Amy and I moved in together, we just didn't have the room for me to set up all of my gear. Now, thankfully, our basement recording studio (and separate laundry room) is nearly complete. I can hardly wait!@ Music has always been such a huge part of my life, and I can't wait to dig in and start writing and recording again. Not to mention my voice work - I recently did numerous voices for a cartoon called "The Lounge" with my good friends at Barking Fish Entertainment. The show is currently being shopped around Hollywood - I'll be sure to keep you posted on whatever happens there!

Anyway - since Dino and I are home alone, he's locked in his kennel a lot longer than what he's used to - so I had better get out of here and let him out! (I know how hard it is to try and hold it for 10 hours straight myself - I can only imagine what it's like with his tiny little bladder!) ... Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog. See you on TV!

Awkward First Day on the Job..???
06/29/09

Just off the wires... the Supreme Court has ruled 5-4 overturning Judge Sonia Sotomayor's ruling on the "reverse discrimination" case involving firefighters in Connecticut..

Just curious - if and when she's confirmed to fill Justice David Souter's vacancy on the court, wouldn't that make for quite the awkward work environment??

Hopefully Sotomayor knows how to play nice...Guess we'll find out!

What a Long, Strange Week it's Been...
06/29/09

Wow. The past week has not been a good one for celebrities. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and - unexpectedly - Michael Jackson. Then, for those of you who believe the superstition that "bad things come in threes" ... you were one-upped by the unexpected death of Billy Mays.

We all knew that Ed McMahon had not been doing well, and that Farrah was rapidly losing her ongoing battle with cancer. But the sudden death of the "King of Pop" - followed by Mays' death a few days later - were fairly shocking, to say the least.

Say what you will about his personal life, but Michael Jackson left an indelible mark on popular music. Without MJ, there would be no Justin Timberlake. No Usher. MTV banked off of Jackson's inventive and groundbreaking music videos (anyone else remember camping out in front of the TV for the world premiere of "Thriller?") I'll never forget watching his performance of "Billie Jean" live on the Motown 25th Anniversary show. These days, awards shows are full of full-blown staged productions. But on the Motown show, Michael Jackson was alone onstage, with nothing more than a microphone and a shiny, silver-sequined glove. Then he proceeded to moonwalk his way into music history.

One of my fondest MJ memories was rocking ou with my little sis to the "Thriller" album on her Fisher-Price turntable. The built-in speaker go just loud enough for us to dance on the other side of the room (but we couldn't jump around too much, since the record would skip!)

I, for one, find Michael Jackson's death tragic, to say the least. It's easy for those of us who were brought up in "normal" homes to point our fingers and gawk at his outlandish behavior. But what else did he know? He never knew what it was like to be "grounded." Nor could he. He was an entertainment machine - programmed at an early age to entertain us. And he did - for over 40 years. But when things got ugly - when he seemed to reach out the only way he knew how, we turned our backs on the icon we had created. For sure, Michael Jackson was far from "normal." Then again, he had nothing to go by. The man who longed to recapture some part of his lost childhood is now free. And hopefully, he can find the peace - and sense of "normalcy" that eluded him during his lifetime. Rest in peace, Michael. Long live the King of Pop.

As for Ed McMahon - I spent many late nights in front of the TV with him and Johnny Carson. (Many times on school nights, when I should've been in bed!) He was the quintessential sidekick. Ironically, years later, I saw an interview with Billy Mays on the Tonight Show - and Mays said he learned how to be such an effective pitchman from watching guys selling things on the boardwalk in New Jersey - the dying breed of old-school carnival barker types, like Ed McMahon (who apparently got HIS start doing the same sort of thing...)

Little synchronicities like that amaze me. It's almost like things really do come full circle, sometimes in ways we would never expect.

If we can learn anything from these highly publicized deaths, it's that life is short. That it's fleeting. We're only given an undetermined amount of time in the world to leave our mark. And to laugh, live and love. Sometimes we're reminded of just how precious life can be, when those we love or admire are taken from us way too soon.

I know each of us has very fond memories of each of these people who have passed - and many more of us might be mourning the passing of someone very close to us in our own lives - that won't be getting any coverage on national television. Whatever the case may be, make the most of this life. Leave your mark. Make the most of every minute of every day. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed. But we do have today. And I am very thankful for that.

Thanks for stopping by! See you on TV...

There [is] such thing as a free lunch!
06/18/09

One of the best things about my job has to be the unfettered access to my favorite kind of food - FREE. Yesterday, Kylie and I headed out to Fairborn for the first Lite 99.9FM Free Listener Lunch of the year! Not only did we get to hang out with Jeff Booth - the newest addition to the Dayton's News Source First Warning Weather Team...but it was great meeting the folks from Lite 99.9 - and so many of our viewers!

A number of years ago, I put my "face for radio" to good use as a DJ and morning show producer at WARM 98 in Cincinnati. Imagine my surprise at yesterday's free lunch when I ran into Lite 99.9's Brian Michaels - we actually used to work together at WARM around [mumble mumble] years ago! Yet another reminder of what a small world it really is - especially when you're in this line of work...

Our good buddy Bruce was kind enough to take some photos of the event...Just click on the following links to check them out!

There was a great turnout - grown-ups, kids, even cows. Of course, if there's one cow hanging around, surely there are two! (It kinda looks like Jeff just stepped in a cow pattie...) Kylie and I got to be on the radio, too - which was pretty cool. It ended up being a beautiful sunny day - and Kylie definitely had the coolest shades around (you're welcome, Conway) Finally, when giving out free food, it's always important to practice safe serving.

Also - something I learned on this morning's show...If you're going to be using Mrs. Dash on ANYTHING - make sure you're careful. Those holes are larger than you think.

Hope you have a great day! Thanks for stopping by.

Tu Vuo' Fa' l'Americano
06/17/09

Buon giorno, tutti! And a Happy Hump Day!

Hopefully you didn't have to take a boat to work this morning...I know a few areas got hit pretty hard with rain overnight, and Mike says the torrential downpours are likely to continue through the rest of the work week..(and by then it'll be so hot and humid, it'll feel like we're living int he middle of the Amazon rain forest.)

Due to an unforseen computer "glitch," yesterday's blog entry mysteriously disappeared - so I'll do my best to get everyone back up to speed...

You probably noticed I was out of town for a few days last week...Thanks to weather delays at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, I had to spend Wednesday night at the airport Hilton (a big combined "thank you" to both Mother Nature and United Airlines for that one...) .. Of course, Wednesday also happened to be my wife - Amy's - birthday. So I made arrangement for us to have a nice, romantic celebration on Friday night. Little did she know a large group of our friends was also invited - we pulled off our impromptu surprise gathering without a hitch!

After a little dolsot bi bim bop (Korean food) action...we checked out a friend's band playing near Cincinnati. Being somewhat of a cigar aficionado - once I lit up a fine Gurkha, Amy and her girlfriends thought they'd try and get in on the action...which was pretty funny to watch.

A few years ago, through the Arthritis Foundation, I got involved in the Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance car show - the seoncd-longest running Concours in the entire country (second only to Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance - where Jay Leno often shows off his prize Dusenbergs and other classic rides) .. Now, every year, Amy and I participate in the events leading up to the big show on Sunday.

On Saturday night, our friends Ed and Janet Hermes hosted the annual "Garage Party" - an event that gives avid car enthusiasts a "behind-the-scenes" look at classic car restoration, along with an incredible spread of catered food (provided by a rowdy bunch of gourmet chefs with a penchant for Woodford Reserve) and a silent auction (with all proceeds benefitting the Arthritis Foundation). And then, there were the cars. This was the first year the Garage Party was held in one of the warehouses featuring the incredible collection of Cincinnati businessman Tom Stegman.

When we were asked which car we'd most like to take home with us (like we'd be able to choose just one, if we could), I chose a recently restored 1972 Lamborghini Miura (which, according to Mr. Stegman, is so easy to drive that his 16-year old grandson could handle it on the open road...lucky kid!) Amy's was a Ferrari 575 SuperAmerica. The perfect GT car for touring the countryside (that is, if you don't mind racking up the miles on your quater-million dollar Ferrari) .. Of course, I pointed out the fact that Amy doesn't know how to drive a car with a manual transmission - but for a Ferrari, she responded simply, "I'll learn."

Sunday, Amy had to attend the funeral of a great aunt, who lived to be 100 years old. After assuring me I didn't need to go with her, my good friend Mike and I met my Dad, my aunt Sonya and uncle Joe at Ault Park in Cincinnati for the Concours d'Elegance. And wow - what a show. The rain held off all day long - until they were just about to wrap up the awards ceremony. Most of the cars (that have never seen a raindrop) were able to get to the safety of their trailers before the skies really opened up, and the rain came pouring down. But for the ones that waited a little too long, they were stuck in classic car gridlock - and had to wait as a few million dollars' worth of collectible automobiles tried to make their way out of the park)

I think I may have mentioned that our dog, Dino, is named after the vintage Ferrari and Fiat cars of the same name...(Alfredo "Dino" Ferrari was Enzo Ferrari's son - who died at a young age due to complications with muscular dystrophy) It seemed only fitting, since Vizslas - like Ferraris - are sleek, fast, and...red. Last year, we had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Andrew (Andy) Manganaro - who seems to have some of the coolest cars in the show every year. And he also has two Vizslas himself - Enzo and (of course) Dino!! We couldn't believe that someone else would have the exact same breed of dog, with the exact same name - for the exact same reasons (the main difference being he already owns several Dinos - and I'm still saving up for #1) ...

Two of Andy's Ferraris won awards at this year's Concours - a gorgeous black 1972 Ferrari GTC/4, and a 2009 Ferrari Scuderia. But the coolest thing - to me - was that Andy's trusty Vizsla, Enzo, rode shotgun with him as he drove up to accept his awards (which is pretty impressive, considering what a hyper breed Vizslas can be!) I reminded myself that one day, I hope to take *my* little Dino for a ride - in our *own* Dino. (A guy's gotta dream, right?)

Keeping with the Italian theme of today's blog posting - last night was our annual meeting of the Cincinnati Order Sons of Italy in America. Even though I've been working up here in Dayton for over a year now, I was re-elected as a trustee in the Cincinnati Order (which, from what I understand, is MUCH smaller than the Dayton order! I'd love to attend a meeting - so anyone who could hook me up, let me know!)

I made sure I took a nice, loooong nap yesterday, so I'd be rested up and ready for our meeting (and the incredible home-cooked Italian meals that always follow!) Thanks to Mike, Joe and everyone else in the kitchen for the great eats - and the well-deserved stomach issues I've been dealing with all morning long...

On that note, I'd better get out of here for the day. Kylie and I are meeting up with our newest meteorologist - Jeff Booth - for a radio appearance on Lite 99.9 FM. It should be a good time! So if we don't meet up on the radio today, I'll see you on TV in the morning! See ya!

No Way, Man!!!
06/05/09

Cowabunga, dude! This morning, Bart Simpson herself stopped by the show - Kettering native Nancy Cartwright joined us on FOX 45 in the Morning today!

I've always been a Simpsons fan (and a huge fan of cartoons in general) so meeting Nancy was a real treat! I'm sure we'll have video of our interview posted on the website - she even busted out Bart, Nelson, Ralphie and numerous other characters during Mike's seven-day forecast at the end of the show!

Of course, for me, the highlight was getting to do a voice of my own, with Nancy. In my wide-ranging (nice way of saying ADD-enhanced) career, I've dabbled in voice acting here and there. One of my best impressions (or so I'm told) is Homer Simpson. So -- after all those years of "honing Homer," I couldn't do an interview with nancy and not ask her if we could talk together, in character.. When I brought it up on the air, she said (in Bart's voice) "Aww, dad!" and I answered back in Homer's voice. After laughing at first, she told me it was actually pretty good! Of course, I'm sure after 20+ years of voicing Homer, Dan Castellenetta has nothing to worry about :-) But it was such a treat, nonetheless.

Nancy is scheduled to be back in the Miami Valley later this fall, for an upcoming show benefitting "Project Read" - an organization that promotes literacy and reading. And, lucky me, I've been asked to play the role of the narrator! I'll be sure to keep you posted as details become available...but to do a full show alongside one of my voice acting heroes? Ay caramba!!

I have to say, it was a real pleasure speaking with Nancy - someone who never forgot where she came from, and is so kind and approachable. We really enjoyed having her on the show, and hope she'll stop by when she's back in town this September!!

Not really sure what Amy has planned for me this weekend (other than mowing the lawn...I may have been putting that off for a little too long...) but it'll be awfully hard to top today's show! I hope you enjoyed it as well, and that you have a great weekend! See you on TV Monday morning!!

Allergies Bite!
06/02/09

Good morning! Well, at least a better morning than yesterday...You may have noticed my eyes looking a little puffy the past day or two. Growing up in southwestern Ohio, I've always had horrible allergies (two allergy shots a week was a lot of fun for a little kid, let me tell you) .. But when I woke up Monday morning, I knew something was wrong...

Usually once a year, I get a nasty sinus infection (Bad allergies + immune-supressing RA meds = not fun) At first, I thought maybe that's what was happening. But when I looked in the mirror, I noticed how swollen and puffy my eyes looked - and how hard it was to swallow. I thought maybe things would improve by the time I got to work, but they didn't... I did what any male schooled in the art of TV makeup would do, and tried my best to cover the puffiness with white concealer - but it still looked like I was staring directly at the sun all morning long. i also felt really lethargic and tired. I felt a little itch behind my left ear, but didn't think anything of it.

I got home, popped a Benedryl, and took a nap with Dino. I ended up sleeping all day long, waking up just in time for dinner, a little play time with Dino, and then another Benedryl and back to bed.

When I woke up for work this morning, I turned on the TV to a show about animal and insect bites. That's when it dawned on me.. Like most people, I've been bitten by insects before. Upon closer examination of that itchy spot behind my ear, sure enough, that's what it was. Something must have bitten me in my sleep (always a pleasant thought).

Since Benedryl tends to knock me on my butt, I couldn't take any before driving to work this morning. So again, I just slapped on the makeup and made it through the shows. Hopefully the swelling will be gone by tomorrow (if not, a few folks here at work suggested throwing a little Preperation H under my eyes to reduce the swelling...I've heard from numerous people over the years that it actually works! Kinda gross - but ya gotta do what ya gotta do...)

Kylie and I are off to volunteer at the House of Bread in Dayton this afternoon...I know it will be a humbling experience. Just like my work with the Arthritis Foundation, volunteering reminds you that - just when you think you've got it bad, you realize there are people out there getting by with much, much less, and going through a lot more than you could ever imagine. I find their stories inspiring, and humbling. And I look forward to meeting a few of those people today.

On a personal note, the matriarch of my entire family, my grandmother, was admitted to the hospital last night. While she seems to be stabgle for the moment, your thoughts and prayers are certainly appreciated. I'll keep you posted.

I'm also gearing up for my trip to Washington, D.C. next week - to speak before members of Congress on behalf of the millions of people living with arthritis that are having trouble covering the rising cost of healthcare.. More to come on that, for sure! Until then, i hope you have a wonderful Tuesday. See ya!

A Real "Reality Show"
05/28/09

What a day! In case you missed it, I solo anchored the 5:00 and 6:00 hours on ABC 22 this morning; Kylie got to sleep in a little bit, since she was in Springfield last night for the David Cook concert at Clark State.

Not only did she get to schmooze with last year's American Idol winner, she also got to introduce his opening act - Ryan Star (Ryan was a finalist on the reality show "Rock Star: Supernova") And speaking of "Supernova," what the heck ever happened to them? (I tried visiting their website...it doesn't look like it's been updated since 2007! I'm sure Tommy Lee has been busy touring with Motley Crue...)

[As a side note, that reminds me - I am about halfway through Motley Crue's autobiography, the Dirt. Anyone ever read this thing? Keep in mind, it's not for everyone - and most certainly not for kids - but wow. Words can't even begin to describe the debaucherous lifestyle those guys lead. And when i read thte things Ozzy Osbourne did to TOP them? Just...wow.]

Here's a little-known (and scary) tidbit of knowledge for you: for the very first season of "Rock Star" (featuring INXS) I was the very first person in line for auditions in Chicago. I've always been a big fan of INXS (Michael Hutchence was one of the reasons I decided to grow my hair long in college) so I figured I'd give it a shot. My buddy T.D. Clark (the guitarist I toured with back in 1996 on the Ted Nugent/Bad Company tour) accompanied me on guitar.

While we were waiting in line, some guy started talking to us, and asking questions. Turns out he was a reporter for the New York Times- the whole interview is chronicled in this article. While I obviously never even made it onto the show, it was a pretty cool experience! There were some unbelieveably talented people there - and in the end, I have to say winner J.D. Fortune was the perfect choice to replace Hutchence on the resulting tour (however, it looks like things haven;t really worked out all that well for Fortune - check out this article from realitytvworld.com! From INXS to living in his truck. Wow. I bet the other contestants suddenly fell MUCH better about themselves...)

Anyone out there ever audition for a "reality show?" Other than something music-related, I don't know if I could ever do it (even auditioning for a music show was a stretch...) I know most people either love or hate American Idol, but you have to admit - some pretty amazing talent has come out of that show - even if they didn't win!

Hope you're having a great week (and that your A/C is working!) I have an exciting trip in the works - I'll be sure to clue you in as soon as everything gets worked out. Until then.. see ya!

A Quick Update
05/26/09

Good morning! I'm just about to head out the door to shoot a behind-the-scenes look at LaComedia Dinner Theater's performance of "High School Musical."

Early this morning, I got to experience something most guys never (nor should ever have to) experience.. Ladies, tell me - does the cashier at Walgreen's give you the same funny look when you go in to buy your Revlon ColorStay makeup at 2:30AM?? Just curious...

Today's show was a lot of fun. We couldn't stop laughing at the video of those crazy Brits chasing a wheel of cheese down a 200ft. hill. Wow. If you haven't heard of this yet, you've got to check it out.

For now, I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! See ya!

Glad to be Back!
05/22/09

Hey, everyone! You may have noticed I was out the past couple of days.. Seems I caught the cold bug that's been going around lately. But two days of R&R seemed to be all I needed to bounce back (just in time for the weekend, too - so you can't beat that!)

Everyone at the station is gearing up for their Memorial Day weekend plans.. Amy and I aren't sure what we're up to just yet - but honestly, I kind of like it that way. (Although I'm sure at some point, there will be grilling a-plenty, and Dino will be running around trying to steal people's napkins!) After a few weeks of planned shoots and whatnot, it'll be nice just to kick back and relax.

Before I head out for the weekend, I wanted to take a moment and acknowledge a member of our crew who is leaving Dayton's News Source for other opportunities. Justin Barbarino was already a seasoned production vet here at ABC 22 and FOX 45 by the time I arrived on the scene. A fellow Italian (OK.. he'd be the first to point out he's SICILIAN, not merely Italian..) we hit it off right away (of course, that also means we may have butted heads a few times) I always appreciated Justin's direct approach and no-B.S. attitude. His frank yet constructive criticism certainly kept me on my toes during my first year here, and I thank him for that. He's an incredibly talented guy (and a fellow musician to boot) and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

That being said, I hope all of you have a wonderful memorial Day weekend. And a very special THANK YOU and God bless to all of our men and women in uniform, who keep us safe and defend our freedom every day. See you next week.

The Sneeze Heard
05/19/09

Good morning! I know it's been a while since my last post.. We've had a lot going on around here!

Obviously, I told you about Kylie's and my wakeboarding excursion.. Since then, we got to hang out with "Biff" from Back to the Future and "R-Truth" from WWE Smackdown; we went head-to-head in an archery competition (thanks to Sunwatch Indian Village); and this morning, Orvis stopped by to try and teach me how to properly cast a line while flyfishing. Pretty cool stuff!

Of course, with all of THAT going on, Mike, Kylie, Seth and the rest of the crew choose to dwell on the fact that I just about sneezed my head off on live television this morning. Great YouTube fodder, I know. Around 8:30 this morning, I was about to toss out to Seth's live shot - when it hit me. Now that we're fully into allergy season (and with the H1N1 virus and all), all of us have been sneezing around here lately. And when I do, somehow, I usually manage to wait until the camera is off me, and my mic is turned off. This morning? Not so lucky.

I held up my hand (as if to tell Seth to "wait just a minute") before it came. And it was a big one. Of course, being live TV, there isn't much you can do about it. Just accept it, acknowledge it, and move on. Which I did. Honestly, moments like that make the job fun. To me, in this line of work, you can't be afraid to make a fool of yourself (and if you've ever watched our newscasts, you know I'm certainly not afraid of doing that...) So..that's got to be the funniest thing to happen (on-air) in quite some time..

Behind the scenes, however... With the hours we work, sometimes it's hard to stay awake. Not just for us on camera - but as someone who has worked behind the scenes as well, it's even harder to be the person stuck back in the corner, scrolling through the TelePrompTer...watching all those words roll by your eyes...and not nod off. Being the helpful soul I am, I thought I'd do my part and help everyone stay awake - with a little help from a handheld air horn. Words can only say so much...stay tuned. I'll be sure to post a video link soon.

I'm also hoping to upload a bunch of pics as well. I'll let you know as soon as they're up!

In the meantime, I hope you're able to get out and enjoy this BEAUTIFUL spring weather! Talk to you soon.

A Rude a-WAKE-ening
05/06/09

Good Wednesday morning! Hope you've enjoyed the past few days of sunshine. I know Mike and I finally got around to cutting the grass (not a problem for Kylie, who doesn't have a yard!) But now it looks like we're due for some rain - so it can all grow right back. Ah, spring.

Speaking of sunny weather, Kylie and I are still a little sore from our trip to "Wake Nation" - the midwest's only cable-driven wakeboarding facility. This place is awesome. For anyone who's ever water skied, kneeboarded or wakeboarded - you HAVE to check it out. Instead of a boat, wakeboarders are pulled by a complex pulley system around a man-made lake in Butler county.

In case you missed the video yesterday, Kylie didn't have much trouble getting up on the wakeboard...yours truly, however, seemed to have a hard time NOT face-planting into the water on every attempt. (Which was shown over..and over..and over again by our crack editing/producing staff. Thanks for that.) Still - even with a nose full of lake water, I had a great time!

In other behind-the-scenes news, I got a new cell phone over the weekend, thanks to an unfortunate mishap involving my old phone - and a toilet. Apparently, those two items don't mesh very well with one another. I found out the hard way.

My new phone is an HTC Diamond Touch Pro - a pretty cool device, if I may say so myself. It has touchscreen capabilities, with a slide-out keypad (a must for me - as a long-time Apple devotee, I wanted an iPhone - but the virtual keypad drove me nuts. That and the fact that I use Verizon as my mobile carrier - and you can't get one yet, anyway)

What kinds of phones do you use? It's pretty amazing what you can do with cell phones these days. Certainly not the old Nokia bricks of yesteryear...

Anyway - I hope you're having a great week. I'm curious to see who gets booted off of American Idol tonight - especially since America (and the judges) seem so smitten with Adam Lambert (personally, I think the shrill, high-pitched "floating" vocal thing is getting a little old.) But more than anything, I think everyone will be watching with baited breath as Paula Abdul takes the stage, performing her first new single in over 15 years! Whether it's a success or a total catastrophe, you know it'll be good TV.

Thanks for dropping by! See you on TV!

It's Swine Time!!
04/28/09

Good morning! First off, I guess I should apologize.. I know it's been a while since my last post. But there's been a lot going on lately! We're in our ratings "sweeps" period right now, so behind the scenes, just about everyone is scrambling to write, produce and shoot their stories (and meet our deadlines!)

My first "sweeps story" airs tonight on FOX 45 news at 10:00. It's based off of concepts in the book "You Can Negotiate Anything" by Herb Cohen. If you work in sales, there's a pretty good chance you;re already familiar with the book. But for the uninitiated, I wanted to offer some tips on how to successfully negotiate almost anything - buying a new home, haggling at the flea market, you name it.

If you get the chance, check it out and send me your comments! I'd love to know what you think. If you miss it tonight, I know we'll be airing it on tomorrow (Wednesday) morning's shows as well.

Today we spent a lot of time following the "swine flu" outbreak. What makes this strain of flu so unique is the fact that it's a combination of several strains of influenza - and we don't have effective immunizations available yet. While there's no real reason for people to panic, you can never be too safe - make sure you wash your hands constantly!! According to the pediatrician we had on the show this morning, that's probably the best means of prevention.

Today we also ran a story about the annual running of the California Mille - the American tribute to the legendary Italian Mille Migla thousand mile road race. Around 70 vintage race cars are taking part in the trek across California - and as a collectible/vintage car buff, I can't tell you how exciting it would be to be a part of the event!

And speaking of classic race cars, I came across a vintage ride that would MORE than qualify for the Mille. Of course, you'd have to feel pretty secure driving a multi-million dollar car around the course...

Tomorrow morning, our executive producer Tim tells us we're going to have our "celebrity look-alikes" on the show.. (Personally, I think Kylie is a dead-ringer for Hayden Panettiere - a brunette version, but they could certainly be related!) Should be interesting to see who the computer says I resemble - but I can tell you right now, if it picks Carson Daly as my double, I am NOT going to be happy. :-\

I hope your week is off to a great start! Thanks for stopping by. See you tomorrow morning!

Love Roller Coaster
04/20/09

Good Monday morning! I hope you had the chance to enjoy the AMAZING weekend. Mine got off to a GREAT start Friday morning, when I got to check out the new Diamondback roller coaster at King's Island!

The media and coaster enthusiasts from all over the country descended upon the park Friday morning, to get a "sneak peek" at King's Island's latest $22 million attraction. With over 5,200 feet of track, stadium-style seating and speeds right around 80mph, the Diamondback is one serious thrill machine.

If you saw the show this morning, you saw how nervous I was *before* hopping on the ride, and how excited I was afterward. What you may have missed, though, was the reaction of our chief photographer, Lee - who rode the Diamondback with me. Not a big fan of roller coasters (to say the least), Lee braved one of the meanest coasters in the country (mainly for bragging rights in his family). God love him - he wasn't feeling so hot shortly after the ride, but once we were back on solid ground, his skin color came back pretty quickly. Lee, you rock!! And for anyone wanting to check out the park's latest attraction, it's definitely worth it! (Although I hear that, on opening day last Saturday, some people waited as long as SIX HOURS just to ride! Crazy!!)

Friday night, Amy and I met up with my parents at the annual "House of Blues" party at Western Hills Country Club in Cincinnati. Dick and the Roadmasters provided the bluesy entertainment, and were kind enough to have me (and my dad) sit in for a few! It was a great time..and of course, we were the last people to leave!

Saturday, we headed out to the family farm. Dino and I went on a hike, stumbling upon 8-10 deer who had bedded down inside an old barn on our property. At first, Dino took off after them.. But once he realized just how big they were (compared to him!) he came running back to my side, just watching them from a distance. Too cute.

Sunday, we had band practice at my parents' place for upcoming Snidely Whiplash gigs in Cincinnati. (As I mentioned before, we'll be playing at the finish line of the Flying Pig Marathon again this year! So if you're running the race May 3, stop by and see us - if you can still walk!) Two nights before that (Friday, May 1) we'll be playing at the Havana Martini Club in downtown Cincy. We haven't hit the club scene in quite some time - so it'll be great to see all of our old friends once again.

So that pretty much gets us up to date. Also, I want to extend a personal note of thanks to everyone sending me blog comments welcoming Kylie Conway to our morning show. She's certainly a welcome addition, with a laugh and smile that are unbelievably contagious. And when you work the crazy hours we do, that's always a good thing. The more you get to know her, I think you'll agree - she's a lot of fun. Now that she's a regular part of the show, I'll be sure to post incriminating behind-the-scenes details right here on the blog...so stay tuned for that :-)

Thanks to you for stopping by!! Hope you have a great week.

KIDZ in the HOUSE!!
04/09/09

They're not really old enough to "rock 'n' roll all night and party every day," but the self-proclaimed "world's youngest KISS tribute band" can seriously ROCK!!!

We've aired video of "KIDZ" on the show before, but this morning they joined us for a live performance on FOX 45 in the Morning! And I have to tell you, these kids really do know how to rock. The oldest member of the group is still a few years shy of getting her driver's license - yet this group is probably the most solid "tween" rock band I have ever heard. In fact, I think if I would THAT good at age 13, I might still be out on the road today...

The Kids played the KISS song "Deuce" on the show today, complete with drum solo intro (which TOTALLY rocked, btw) The drummer is solid, with the bass thumping along in time. And the guitarists? They can totally shred. My friend, Chicago guitarist T.D. Clark, would be proud (he's the guy I toured with the summer we opened for Ted Nugent and Bad Company)

And speaking of Ted Nugent - Mike Terwilleger asked the Kids if they knew who he was. Not only did they answer verbally in the affirmative - but the lead guitarist answered a resounding "yes" by busting out the opening lick to "Cat Scratch Fever." They're not even old enough to drive, yet they know Ted Nugent? Guess it goes to show that rock 'n' roll truly transcends age and time..

Anyway - our photographer, Pat, is waiting to go with me to La Comedia dinner theater, to shoot a "look-live" package that will air on tomorrow morning's show - so I had better get moving! Thanks again for stopping by. See ya!

Goin' Back to Cali...
04/06/09

Good Monday morning, everyone! While it feels great to be back home after my extended weekend trip to Los Angeles, I have to admit - this cold, dreary weather has me dreaming of those warm, sunny days in California. From temps in the mid-70s to a rain/snow mix and wind chills in the 20s. Throw in a little jet lag for good measure, and you've got yourself one heck of a Monday morning!

Last Thursday I hopped a flight out to L.A. for some much needed R&R. I stayed with my good friend (and fellow OU alum) Jeremy, who happens to work in the entertainment industry (more specifically, he's a lawyer for Playboy Entertainment) Saturday morning, he told me he had to "drop something off at a friend's house" before we went to breakfast. Little did I know that "friend" was Hugh Hefner; and the "house" was the Playboy Mansion!

While I didn't actually get to meet Hef (he was resting up for his birthday party in Vegas later that night), I did get to tour the grounds. And I have to tell you, the place is truly amazing! Peacocks, egrets and other exotic animals roam around freely. (You have to be careful pulling up the driveway) I even got to visit the Grotto. It was a peacful and quiet place on a Saturday morning - but the stories of what has happened there over the years are the stuff of Hollywood legend.

I wanted to pop inside and have breakfast with Hef - but Jeremy advised me that probably wasn't the best idea. But still, getting a personal guided tour of such an iconic place was the real highlight of my trip.

Other than that..it was nice just hanging out in L.A., enjoying the sun and catching up with an old friend. But it's always nice to come home. So, in closing, it's great to be back with you on Opening Day 2009!! Here's hoping the Reds have a winning season - and that everyone going to the game today (and everyone in the parade) are able to keep warm! Thanks for stopping by my blog. See you on TV tomorrow morning!

Getting "Bamboo-zled"
03/30/09

Howdy! And welcome to another Monday. After yesterday's wet, cold, dreary weather, the blue skies and sunshine are certainly a welcome sight - especially on a Monday morning!

This morning, Asa and I (along with the rest of the crew) were catching up after the weekend. Nothing too exciting to report. I sat in with the band "Marsha Brady" on Saturday night, just down the road in Liberty Township. Their drummer, Derek, also plays drums for me and my dad in our band "Snidely Whiplash." (Snidely should be familiar to any fan of Dudley Do-Right or the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show) Cool news there - we just found out that we will once again be playing at the finish line of this year's Flying Pig Marathon on Sunday, May 3 at Sawyer Point in Cincinnati. It's always nice to have such a captive audience, too - after running 26 miles, everyone pretty much passes out on the lawn in front of the stage.

This morning, Bill Birkett from "Eco-Sox" joined us with pairs of athletic socks made from bamboo. Yep, bamboo. Turns out, you can do a lot with the stuff: Mike and I both had bamboo fishing poles as kids..but you can also eat it, build shelter and boats from it, and yes, even wear it. I've seen catalogs offering bamboo bedding before (anyone ever try it? Is it really all that soft?) but haven't seen too much in the way of bamboo clothing. Bill claims you can wear his socks for up to a week - without even washing them. Apparently bamboo has natural, built-in odor- and fungus-fighting properties. As sweaty and nasty as my feet get by the end of a single day, I'll just have to take his word for it. (TMI, I know...)

Anyway, I hope you had a great weekend.. Thanks again for stopping by my blog! See you on TV!

Back in the Saddle Again
03/24/09

Good morning, everyone! Hope your week is off to a good start. I'm glad to be back on the set this morning, after not feeling so well Sunday night and all day Monday. There seems to be one of those infamous "work bugs" floating around the newsroom. I'm not a mysophobe, by any means...but with the immune-suppressing drugs I take for my rheumatoid arthritis, I try to steer clear of anyone who's been out sick recently, and make sure I'm constantly washing my hands. Despite my best efforts, something triggered a nasty flare-up of my RA which, thankfully, died down quickly enough for me to get back to work right away! (Since I honestly love my job, I hate missing work for any reason. But sometimes, you have to listen to what your body is telling you and take it easy for a day or so.)

Other than the above, not too much happening on my end the past few days. Dino and I went out to the family farm again over the weekend. I know I say it a lot, but every time we go, I am totally astounded at the amount of energy he has! I remember reading about Vizslas well before he became part of the family, and just about everything I read mentioned that they're a "high energy" breed. Trust me, that's an understatement. But he certainly earns the breed's other nickname - the "Velcro Dog" - as well. Wherever we go in the house, there he is. And if two people hug in front of him, he goes nuts - unless they let him in on it. Pretty funny stuff. I know Amy and I have both caught some of his antics on video - I'll have to see if I can post some links on here in the future.

I'm about to go back into the studio and tape a few segments for our promotions department. Jason, Danny, Bruce and Cathy are all very creative people - we usually have a lot of fun on our shoots together. They're the ones behind the clever promos you see for ABC 22 Good Morning and FOX 45 in the Morning. Not sure what they have in store for me today - but I had better get moving so we can get to work.

As always, thanks for stopping by to read my blog. And keep your comments coming! I apologize if I haven't gotten back to everyone just yet. But trust me, I'm working on it. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!
03/17/09

Top o' the mornin' to ya! And happy St. Patrick's Day! What a fun couple of shows we had this morning... Somehow, all of the behind-the-scenes craziness on FOX 45 in the Morning came together in a cohesive, fun show (thanks in no small part to our producer, Kristy, and our directors, Garrett and Andreea!)

On the ABC 22 side, things were pretty straightforward. There isn't much time to fool around when you're trying to give people the information they need while they're scrambling around the house every morning - making breakfast, getting dressed, making sure the kids are up and getting ready for school... But we still managed to have a little fun - Mike had a story about young children in Columbus who set "Leprechaun traps" overnight (as I said on-air, I saw the movie with Jennifer Aniston - so hopefully, for the sake of those kids, they don't find anything in those traps this morning!) And naturally, we had to make sure Seth Bauguess wasn't adding anything other than cream and sugar to his morning coffee, as he previewed local St. Patty's Day events in the Miami Valley.

Our 8:00 hour on FOX 45 in the Morning was jam-packed, to say the least! Mario and Ann were in to break down all of last night's action on Dancing with the Stars (and Ann's little baby boy, William, made his on-camera debut as our own "leprechaun" of the day! Too cute!) .. We were treated to the fancy footwork of the Nugent School of Irish Dance (I have no clue how their legs don't simply fall off after moving that fast..); Tumbleweed stopped by the kitchen for an abbreviated segment showcasing their "green drink" specials for St. Patty's Day; and finally, Asa George sat down with Dayton TV news legend Carl Day, for an update on his health, his plans, and of course, to talk about his time as an anchor right here at channel 22! (On a personal note, my heartfelt thanks go out to Carl for taking the time to stop by this morning. I know he has been through so much over the past year - and as someone living with a chronic disease, I appreciate his strength and determination. He's an inspiration in many, many ways.)

Now, while all of this may seem totally seamless on-air, let me assure you - behind the scenes, it was nothing short of pure "organized" chaos. But for me, that's just one of the things that makes this job so much fun! Our crew was running from room to room, setting up camera shots for our interviews and making sure Asa, Mike, Rhonda and me are in the right place at the right time. meanwhile, our producers and directors are rolling with the changes as they happen - if a segment runs a little long (or short) they have to make up the time, so we go to commercial breaks (and end the show) on time. Somehow, some way, everything just seemed to fall into place, making for what I would call "good TV." That's why I love live television. I thrive on the energy surrounding our shows every day. SOme are more stressful than others - but in the end, you can't beat it. Honestly, there's nothing like the rush you get when it all comes together - and you're able to connect with your viewers in a way that leaves them informed, enlightened and of course, entertained. I sincerely hope that comes across every day - and that we obviously love what we do.

I'm about to head out and tape another "Cool Schools" segment. But before I go, again, I want to wish you a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Yippee Yo Yippee Yay
03/16/09

Well, here it is - another Monday morning. And a pretty exciting one here at Dayton's News Source! Rapper, producer, actor and entertainer Bow Wow joined us on FOX 45 this morning.

Even if you're not familiar with his music, chances are you know his name. He was discovered by Snoop Dogg at the tender age of 5, exploding onto the hip-hop scene as "Lil' Bow Wow." He starred in the movie Like Mike - about a kid who becomes a basketball star, with a little help from a magic pair of Jordans. Now 22, he has dropped the "Lil'" from his name.. and is getting ready to release his seventh studio album, New Jack City II. (and as a quick side note: it's amazing how much usage the music business has gotten out of George Clinton's "Atomic Dog," isn't it??)

Bow Wow pulled up in his massive tour bus, completely covered with ads for his new album (set to drop March 31) and upcoming clothing line (set to debut this fall). Unfortunately, we weren't able to get an "inside look" at the bus. His crew told us it was "too messy." (Translation: "We weren't prepared to give anyone a live look inside our bus. And being that Mr. Wow's mom might be watching the show this morning, there's no way in heck you're coming on board with cameras.") It still looked cool from the outside, nonetheless.

Bow Wow was a very gracious guest, making sure he pointed out that - no matter what age you are - make sure you always respect what mom has to say (or face her wrath). Thanks again to Bow Wow for taking the time to stop by this morning (and for posing for pictures and signing autographs during Mike Terwilleger's weather segment following the in-studio interview LOL)

And thanks to you for stopping by the blog today. But before I go, make sure you wish reality TV star/former fictious member of the California Highway Patrol Erik Estrada a very happy birthday today. I hope John got Ponch something nice.

Have a great day!

Have We Been Anoop'd???
03/12/09

Happy Friday Eve! Just one more workday to go until another weekend is upon us. And thankfully, Mike assures me it'll be significantly warmer than today...

Have you been following American Idol this season? As you know, every Wednesday and Thursday morning, Ann Reynolds and Scott Sharp join me to break down the previous night's episode.. Last night we saw the first two eliminated from this year's top 13 - Jasmine Murray and Jorge Nunez. But could there be an Idol conspiracy? (gasp!)

During voting Tuesday night, it was revealed that fans of Anoop Desai (the lucky fella who managed to squeak back into the competition as Idol's "lucky" 13th finalist) were accidentally routed to a phone sex line when they tried to call in their votes. (Ooops.) Fast-forward to last night's results show.. when Anoop and Jorge are called out front for the second elimination of the night. Here's where the possible conspiracies come into play: first, do you think the Idol judges purposely kept Anoop over Jorge because of the phone glitch? (I wouldn't be surprised).. Or, as Scott mentioned this morning, maybe there's a sort of "Sanjaya Effect" - where voters are purposely voting for a less-talented finalist, just to skew the show's results? Ah, the complexities of American Idol. It boggles the mind.

Last night, my wife Amy and I met up with my sister, Melissa, to take my mom out to dinner for her birthday! Granted, I had to take a nap once I got home (since I knew I'd be up well past my usual 7:00 pm bedtime!) But hey - when you're talking mom's birthday, staying up late isn't such a big deal, right? So once again, Happy Birthday, Mom!!! I hope you had a great day.

Today happens to be my executive producer Tim's birthday. I hear he's somewhere between 27 and 59 years old today. Granted, when you're an EP, age is more than just a state of mind...In fact, I think it fluctuates on a daily basis. Given all of the police chases and breaking news we had going on this morning, I'd say he's significantly older than he was when he got to work this morning. So happy birthday, Tim. No more coffee for you.

Hope you have a great Thursday! I'm off with photographer Chris Roberts to shoot another "Cool Schools" segment. See you on TV tomorrow morning!

Dancing with Chuck Norris
03/10/09

Good Tuesday morning! I hope you've been able to enjoy the spring-like weather the past few days. Sounds like things are going to cool off quite a bit starting tomorrow.. Guess we'll have to break out those Snuggies again!!

Ann and Mario were back in the studio after last night's season premiere of Dancing with the Stars! What do you think of the cast this season? I know my wife, Amy (a self-professed "Jewel-a-holic") was disappointed that singer/songwriter Jewel had to bow out before the show even started. Initially, she thought it was only tendonitis - but later found out she had fractured both of her legs while rehearsing for the show! (Just another reason why yours truly doesn't dance.) Jewel was replaced by one of Hugh Hefner's ex-girlfriends, Holly Madison - which should be interesting since she's famous for, well, being Hugh Hefner's ex-girlfriend. (Does that make you a good dancer?) Oh, and sorry for the link - Wikipedia was the only family-friendly site that came up in a search for Holly!

I was curious to see how Access Hollywood host Nancy O'Dell (hello, BIG hair on the website!) would fare in this year's competition, but she's out as well - replaced by the Bachelor reject Melissa Rycroft. (Wow. After being dumped on national television on one reality show, she's ready to give it a shot on another? Guess she's hoping for the sympathy vote.)

Let's see..what else is new... Dino and I had a GREAT time hiking with my dad at our family farm over the weekend! Dino is so full of energy, it's unbelievable. I mean, it's one thing to read about what an energetic breed the Vizsla can be - but to see them in person, and chase one around your house every day - wow. Of course, by the end of the day, he was pretty pooped out, and ready to go home. I even heard a little "thump" in the backseat as he literally fell asleep on the ride home...

Before I go, I'd be remiss if I didn't wish the one and only Chuck Norris a very happy birthday today! In honor of this special occasion, for the uninitiated, please check out this list of Chuck Norris Facts. You never know when they might come in handy.

Have a good one - and I'll see you on TV!

Doctor of Beatlemania??
03/04/09

Good morning! If only they would've offered a class like this when I was in college... Across the pond at Liverpool Hope University, they're offering a Master's Degree in "The Beatles, popular music and society." Say wha..??

There have been countless books written about the Fab Four, with hundreds of "authors" offering "behind-the-scenes" access to arguably the most popular and influential band in music history. But it wasn't just their music that changed popular music as we know it today. Their mop-top hairdos and fashion sense had a definite impact on 1960s youth. (And if you saw Coldplay at this year's Grammy Awards, the Sgt. Pepper look is apparently still en vogue...) Some music historians say the band's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show taught aspiring rock bands how a proper (rock) band was supposed to look - drummer in the back, up on a riser, with the supporting members out front.

The Beatles permeated nearly every aspect of society - film, television, pop culture as a whole... Their influence on rock/pop music is undeniable. But four 12-week modules (and a dissertation) dedicated solely to John, Paul, George and Ringo?? Sign me up! I've often thought about adding the letters "MBA" after my name - I guess if it stands for "Master of Beatles Arts," it would certainly suit me well.

In fact, maybe we could talk with other reputable universities around the world, offering in-depth study and analysis of other popular/influential musicians? I mean, after having spent a summer on the road with Bad Company and Ted Nugent, (the embarrassing photos are out there, if you look for them...) I'm thinking there could be a Bachelor's program in "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasies?" Or maybe a class in "Nugentology?" (With extra credit provided for anyone mastering the skill of shooting flaming arrows at Paul Reed Smith guitars onstage?? Or riding bareback on a buffalo?) Just a thought.

For now, I hope you have a Happy Hump Day... See you on TV in the morning!

Gettin' Ziggy With It
03/03/09

Good Tuesday morning! Sorry for not posting yesterday.. In the infamous words of the Bangles, it was "just another manic Monday." Right after the show, our chief photographer Lee and I headed out to shoot an upcoming "Cool Schools" segment. (If you're a parent or student and would like us to feature YOUR school in an upcoming segment, drop me a line and tell me why! We might choose your school as one of our "Cool Schools" this month.)

Since I'm a day behind, I'll start with a recap of this weekend's festivities. Friday night, my good friend Eliot Sloan and his band Blessid Union of Souls did a hometown show in Cincinnati. It was great seeing Eliot, Tony, Bryan and Shaun again. They rocked out a string of hits, including "I Wanna Be There," "Light In Your Eyes," "Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me For Me)" along with Eliot's stirring solo rendition of the band's first big hit "I Believe." As a performer, I can only imgaine how it feels to have so many people singing along to songs that you wrote - word for word, note for note. They also played songs off their latest release, Close to the Edge. Many of the new songs are personal and introspective - with a nice rock edge. Classic BUOS for sure!

On Saturday, Amy and I met up with a close group of friends for some Indian food (we had been craving it for a while.. and had to give in!) It made for interesting dinner conversation since two of our friends are pregnant (one for the first time!), and another couple brought their 5-month old son, Max (too cute!) So that pretty much made Amy and I the only couple without kids (yet). Of course, this led me to joke that there's obviously something in the water - whicih must be why Amy has been stocking up on Brita filters lately...(just kidding!!)

Today was an exciting day for me on the show. On FOX 45 in the Morning, I got to interview Tom Wilson - he's the cartoonist behind the comic strip character Ziggy. His new book, titled Zig-zagging: Loving Madly, Losing Badly - How Ziggy Saved My Life just came out this week. It's a very personal, behind-the-scenes look at how Tom grew up with Ziggy (the character was originally created by his dad, also Tom Wilson); and how the loveable little big-nosed character unknowingly helped Tom through some of the toughest times in his life. I've always been a fan of Ziggy (and his little dog, Fuzz!) He's not overly funny. Ziggy just sort of is. I like the simplicity of the comic, and how Ziggy deals with the same everyday stuff we deal with every day. I also think it's pretty cool that the little cartoon character with a big nose not only provides his readers with a daily dose of humor - but provides an outlet for his creator as well. (Special thanks to Tom for the autographed copy of the book, too!)

Thanks for stopping by to read my blog today. In closing, I'd like to thank the late "Uncle Al" Lewis for keeping me (and so many generations before mine) entertained with the Uncle Al Show. I was a huge fan as a kid - and was always jealous of the fact that, while I got to attend a taping of the show, my little sister actually got to be on the show (on the birthday merry-go-round with Captain Windy, no less!) Rest in peace, Uncle Al. "Ala-kazam one, Ala-kazam two, Ala-kazam three, and POOF!"

Live from Villa "no-fun"
02/27/09

Happy Friday!! We've finally made it through another week - and almost another month! (And quite frankly, I'm ready for the rest of the winter months to move on out...) Speaking of time flying by, it's hard to believe that next week marks the start of my second year here at Dayton's News Source. My first year here has been pretty incredible - I'm looking forward to everything the next year has in store for me!

This morning, Rhonda is making last-minute rounds for anyone who wants to get in on a Mega Millions ticket. Have you bought yours yet? I mean, even if you're not into playing the lottery - a $171 million jackpot is certainly enough for me to throw a buck into the pot!

Yesterday, I went down to the Dayton Convention Center to tape a few segments at the 13th annual Dayton Home and Garden Show (they aired this morning on FOX 45). I have to say, it blows my mind how much effort goes into remodeling all of the "rooms" and "gardens" they have on display down there...only to have the whole things torn down a few days later. Especially the landscaping companies. It honestly felt like I was standing in someone's back yard - running water gardens and everything! Of course, walking around a home remodeling show naturally made me think of all the projects Amy and I still want to do at our own home. I'm quickly learning that there's always a never-ending list of projects and to-do lists...

This morning we had comedian Steve Trevino on the show. He got his break opening for Carlos Mencia on the road (and being a part of the Comedy Central show "Mind of Mencia") Man, is he funny. And a true professional. We were talking a bit before the interview, about jet lag (he flew in from L.A. to do a show at the Funny Bone at the Greene last night) and trying to get used to life in different time zones. He was admittedly tired - until that little red tally light came on. As soon as we were on the air, he snapped right into character.

When I'm interviewing comedians, I like to ask questions that lead into their material. Steve caught on right away, and just ran with it. It was awesome. And funny!! When I was prepping for the interview, I saw a news clip online about Steve being removed from campus - in the middle of his act - at Villanova University, for telling off-color, "racist" jokes. So naturally, I had to ask him about his "fans" at Villanova. (My producer Kristy just about had a heart-attack...hee hee) His response? He referred to the school as Villa "no-fun" (which I thought was pretty witty).

We talked briefly after the show about the incident, and about how comedy is supposed to be the one medium that bridges all the gaps we might live with in society. No matter what the topic, try to find the humor in it. Maybe this is strange, but I'm one of those people who reacts to terrible news with laughter. It's kinda weird. If I know someone is going through a hard time, I'd give anything to see them laugh. I know it's cliche, but sometimes laughter really is the best medicine.

When it comes to "questionable humor," where do we draw the line? One of my all-time favorite shows is "All in the Family." Norman Lear broke all the rules, using humor to take on one of society's biggest taboos - racism. Would a show like that even be allowed on television in today's politically correct society? Probably not. Many ciritics consider Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles to be the funniest comedy film ever made - and it drips with sarcasm and race humor. They say that the best comics take every day life - and just point it out to the rest of us (Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby...) I think part of what makes a joke truly funny - what makes life funny - is when we can take what is most embarrassing about us as a people - and learn to laugh at ourselves. Not only can we learn from it, but we can enjoy a good, cathartic laugh in the process. Just my two cents.

Anyway - I hope you have a great weekend. I always look forward to Friday - since Amy and I hardly get to see each other during the week! Our schedules are diametrically opposed to one another...so we pretty much live for the weekends. Have a good one - and I'll see you in March!

Getting Over the Hump...
02/25/09

Good morning, everyone! Sort of a quiet news day today.. Aside from the obvious effects of our current economic situation (and it seems to be affecting pretty much everything these days), there isn't much else going on right now...

People often ask me what I like best about my job. As I've said before, I really like the fact that we learn something new each and every day. But in addition to that, we also get to meet some pretty interesting people. In my first year here at Dayton's News Source, I've had the privilege of interviewing everyone from Phil Donahue (one of my first interviews here) to Pauly Shore (whom I'm quite sure was under the influence of something other than coffee while he was on the show). We talk with government officials (like Mayor McLin and various congressional reps and senators), prominent members of the Dayton community (like Dr. Benjamin Schuster, whom I had the pleasure of meeting on this morning's program), but my favorites have to be the musicians and comedians.

Last year, I got to interview singer/songwriter Marie' Digby - who rose to internet stardom for her acoustic version of Rhianna's hit song "Umbrella." She performed an acoustic version of the song "Say It Again," from her then upcoming album Unfold. A couple of weeks ago, I was trying on suits at Macy's when the song started playing over the store's P.A. system. I thought it was cool that we got to hear a live, acoustic version of the song before it was even released!

Thanks to everyone who's been sending me comments on the blog. Keep them coming! If there's anything you'd like to know, please drop me a note. I look forward to hearing from you!

As always, thanks for stopping by. Hope you get the chance to enjoy this beautiful weather!!

Everything "Old" is "New" Again
02/24/09

You know at some point, someone had to say "Hey, I've got this great idea!" Have you noticed the "new look" of Tropicana's orange juice cartons? Apparently, consumers sure have - and a good number of them don't like it one bit. The "new" cartons have only been on grocery store shelves for about a month or so.. but apparently PepsiCo, Tropicana's parent company, received a large number of complaints from consumers - saying that the new brand is "ugly" or "stupid," and makes Tropicana juice nearly indistinguishable from "generic" or store brand juices. So, by this time next month, you should start seeing the "old" Tropicana cartons appearing on store shelves once again.

Wow. Talk about a sign of the times... In our 21st century world of instant information, PepsiCo was able to get real-time feedback from consumers about the new packaging. Of course, what I find most fascinating is the fact that Pepsi owns Tropicana - and going one step further, the irony that Pespi's largest competitor experienced similar consumer mutiny when they introduced "New" Coke back in 1985. Do you remember the height of the "Cola Wars?" The "Pepsi Challenge?" (I have to admit, I took the "challenge" a number of times as a kid, and preferred Pepsi hands down, every time.. I even liked "Crystal Pepsi" when it came out in '92 - only to die a silent cola death a year later...)

Do you have a cola preference? I know there have to be some die-hard RC lovers out there. Diet Rite, perhaps? (Was that the Six-Million Dollar Man?) Or maybe even - dare I say it - "Tab?"

Along those lines, I recently came across "Pepsi Throwback" (and the Mountain Dew variety) online.. It's a truly "old school" cola formula, using cane sugar for sweetening instead of high fructose corn syrup. Sounds pretty sweet to me!!

For me though, some days when I get home, after countless cups of coffee all morning long, the last thing I need is a caffeinated beverage of any kind. Instead, I prefer to snuggle up with Dino and take a well-deserved nap.

But whatever your cola preference, you may want to "sweeten" your drink with something a little stronger tonight, when President Obama adresses the nation during his first State of the Union address (9:00pm on ABC 22 and FOX 45). It'll certainly be interesting to see what adjective the president will use to describe the state of our union. (I can't remember a president ever using a word other than "strong" during the speech - can you?) Whatever your take on the "enormulus" bill (a term I accidentally coined on the air a few weeks ago) .. something tells me our nation is in for one heck of a rollercoaster ride. But that, most certainly, is a topic for another blog ;-)

For now, have a great Tuesday! See you on TV tomorrow!

I'd Like to Thank the Academy...
02/23/09

Good Monday morning! Did you watch the Academy Awards last night? Personally, I watched some highlights online when I woke up this morning (since 8:00pm is waaay past the ol' bedtime).

To me, it's always great to see an underdog come out on top - or, in this case, a "Slumdog." Not your traditional "Bollywood" fare, Slumdog Millionaire swept the night with eight Oscars, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" and "Best Adapted Screenplay." Sean Penn thanked the "Commie, homo-loving sons of guns" in attendance for his "Best Actor" award (although personally, I would've liked to see Mickey Rourke continue his incredible comeback with an Oscar nod). I mean, Mickey's such a loveable train wreck.. How could you not root for the guy?

You couldn't help but feel moved as Heath Ledger's family accepted his posthumous "Best Supporting Actor" award on his behalf. I remember seeing Heath for the first time in A Knight's Tale. When I first heard about the movie, I thought "what the heck is this - a movie that takes place in medieval times, with David Bowie in the soundtrack?" Say what you will about the flick, but you couldn't help but love Ledger's character. The whole gist/context of the movie may not have been very believable - but his character certainly was. To me, that was just a glimpse of what Heath Ledger was capable of. Sadly, we'll never know where his abilities could've taken him in his career.

Have you seen any of the movies that won last night? As I mentioned on the show this morning, whenever I see the trailer of a movie that looks really good, I think "wow, I really want to see that!" Then I usually forget all about it - until awards season rolls around. Now I've got a whole new batch of movies I want to see. Out of this year's crop, I'd say Slumdog Millionaire and The Wrestler are tops on my list, as well as the film Man on Wire (which won "Best Documentary Feature.")

On a more personal note, today I have my bi-monthly doctor's appointment with my rheumatologist. As I have mentioned on the show, I have been living with rheumatoid arthritis for almost six years now. While some days are better than others, I've been fortunate enough to find a "pharmaceutical cocktail" that seems to work pretty well for me. (As many people living with arthritis will tell you, sometimes it takes long enough just figuring out what the heck is wrong with you, let alone a suitable way to treat your individual symptoms!)

There are a lot of misconceptions about arthritis (for example, I'm your average thirtysomething male, not a 75-year old lady). I have found the Arthritis Foundation to be an invaluable source of information. I try and get involved with just about every event they put on in the Dayton/Cincinnati area. If you have any personal questions, I'm always willing to talk about the disease. Just shoot me a note!

In the meantime, thanks for stopping by! In closing, I hope you'll take a moment to wish 1980's synth pop icon Howard Jones a happy birthday today. He's always been one of my favorites. I mean, who can forget songs like "No One is to Blame," "You Know I Love You... Don't You?" and "Things Can Only Get Better?" (If you heard the "whoa whoa whoaaaa" chorus of that last one, you'd know it in a second.) Personally, I've always liked "Like to Get to Know You Well," featured in the 1985 John Cusack movie Better Off Dead. Now there's a movie worth renting!

Snuggie Mania!!
02/20/09

Did you happen to see how cozy Asa looked on the show this morning? A while back, we were talking about ways to keep warm (more specifically, I think we were talking about ways to keep warm outdoors during winter football games) .. Naturally, our conversation turned to the "Snuggie" - basically a fleece blanket with arms. If you haven't seen the infomercial, it's comical, to say the least (if not a little bit creepy).

The commercial shows people (looking eerily similar to Star Wars Jedi Masters) snuggling up at home on the couch watching TV, reading a good book, even sitting in the stands, watching a football game (that's outdoors - in public). Now, I'm no expert, but the idea of using a "garment" that's basically the oversized, fuzzy equivalent of a hospital gown - while sitting on cold, aluminum bleachers - doesn't seem very practical to me. Not to mention the fact that, in the infomercial, everyone at the game looks like they're taking part in some sort of "monk field trip."

But I have to admit, the darn thing did feel awfully soft and comfy. Asa and Mike say it certainly kept them warm in the studio this morning - in addition to looking tres chic. Who knows...it's been a little chilly in L.A. the past few days. Maybe we'll see a few celebs wearing them on the red carpet at the Academy Awards this Sunday night!

Before I close for the weekend, I want to share a YouTube video my wife sent me yesterday. But before I do, think back for a minute. When you were a kid, did you ever pick up a book - full of pictures - and make up your own stories? Well, that's exactly what one little girl did. And with that, I present to you "Kittens! Inspired by...Kittens!" Have a great weekend!

Reunited (and it feels so good!)
02/19/09

Good morning everyone! Well, we've made it through to Wednesday.. but Mike says the warm temperatures we've enjoyed over the past few days are on their way out of here - and we might even see a little snow by this weekend. I don't know about you, but regardless of what that little punk groundhog said a couple of weeks ago, I'm ready for winter to be over!

Speaking of Mike, it was great having him (and Asa) back on the show this morning! In case you missed it, at one point, when all three of us were on camera, I said how great it was to be "reunited" with my morning show "family" - which led Mike to bring up the Peaches and Herb song of the same name. (Being a big fan of random musical references, I thought this was pretty funny) Mike tried to get Rhonda to sing us a few verses, but she would have none of that (I'll keep working on her, though. I mean, if she's willing to bust a move when Studio Zumba visits the show, surely she'd be willing to sing, right?)

During the break, Rhonda also pointed out that "Herb" (of the aforementioned "Peaches and Herb") does, in fact, pronounce the "H" in his name. Naturally, this prompted me to start a discussion regarding the proper use of the silent "H." For example - Just like Peaches' pal, "Herb Tarleck" from WKRP in Cincinnati also uses the hard "H," while those tasty little plants many of us grow in our home gardens drop the "H" completely. Maybe it was my fifth or sixth cup of coffee talking at that point, but I found this two-minute conversation truly fascinating :-)

As you can see, we like to do whatever we can to keep each other entertained throughout the morning. Four straight hours of reading news can be a little taxing on the brain at times, not to mention exhausting. But I'd say our crew probably has the toughest job of all. For four hours every day, they have to keep things rolling behind the scenes, no matter what we might do or say on air.

As someone who started out running TelePrompTer many years ago, I know first-hand how monotonous it can be to read along with the words the anchors are saying - and somehow manage to stay awake. Our directors, Andreea and Garrett, manage to juggle all of the individual elements of our shows, while I make faces at them on camera (when we're not on air, of course). But the real maestros are our producers, who, in the immortal words of REO Speedwagon, know how to "Roll with the Changes." All those words we read have to come from somewhere, and while Asa and I do plenty of writing and re-writing of our own, Kim and Kristy keep running tabs while we're on the air - they keep the train moving along, on track and on schedule.

I do what I can to keep everyone's energy levels up while we're on the air. I'll be the first to admit, if one of us had to be labeled the "class clown" in the studio every morning, it would probably be me. Through all of the stresses of each of our jobs, we manage to stay a pretty tight-knit group. And I have to say, I consider myself pretty darn lucky to work with such a great group of people who are not only consummate professionals, but people I proudly call my friends.

Oh.. One more thing before I go. Ms. George just walked by my desk, and wanted me to tell you she says "hello." I think she'd also agree with me that, before it gets really cold again, you might want to consider buying one of those fleece "Snuggie" things they sell on TV. Those seem to be pretty popular around here these days...

Deja Vu (All Over Again!)
02/19/09

Well, if we needed a reminder that it's still February, it certainly came this morning! What a difference a day makes. Yesterday's spring-like rain and 50-degree temperatures gave way to bitter cold, blustery conditions (and the occasional blast of snow!) On my way into work this morning, I could feel the wind blowing my car all over the road. In fact, at one point this morning (during ABC 22 Good Morning) Seth Bauguess and our photographer, Chris Roberts, had to "power down" our live shot, since the wind was blowing the mast (antenna) and rocking the van too much!

Later, during the 8:00 hour of FOX 45 in the Morning, you may have noticed a live shot we took alongside I-675, that showed clear (but windy) conditions - followed by a live shot right outside our building with huge flakes of snow coming down! Crazy stuff. But, as the saying goes, "if you don't like the weather in (southwestern) Ohio, stick around for 10 minutes. It'll change."

Speaking of changes.. During the breaks this morning, at one point Asa told me about an old friend of hers from high school who had recently e-mailed her. Before you know it, we're reminiscing about our younger days, and how much people have changed over the years. How some of the craziest people from our youth are now married, with respectable jobs and children - living a life we never would've imagined in a million years.

Working in television in or near your hometown, it's amazing how many people come out of the woodwork. I've gotten e-mails from people I haven't seen in years. High school. College. Even grade school! One of my favorite stories happened a couple of years ago, at my high school reunion. I was working in Cincinnati at the time, and an old friend of mine (going all the way back to grade school) said the first time she saw me on the news, she had just gotten out of the shower. Startled, she said she grabbed her towel and jumped into her closet - saying "oh my gosh! I can't let Pete Scalia see me naked!" (Which I thought was hilarious since, well, we obviously can't see you while we're on the air...)

It's funny how the older we get, the more we seem to have in common with people we hardly even knew when we were younger. Maybe it's because so many of us are married, with kids and a mortgage. Somewhere along the way, we've all "grown up" (as much as some of us can, anyway). Yet the more things change, the more they seem to stay the same. Someone I consider one of my very best friends, Jeff, has lived in South Carolina for the better part of 10-12 years now. He got married about 8 years ago, and has a beautiful little girl named Ashley. Being someone who's absolutely terrible about keeping in touch, I don't get to see them nearly as much as I should. But every time we talk on the phone, even if it's been months since the last time we spoke, it's almost like no time has gone by at all. We're still the same goofy teenagers we were when we played in a band together back in high school. Maybe there's something that intrinsically bonds some friends to us forever, while others seem to float in and out of our lives. I don't know.

Without getting too deep here, I think it's pretty amazing that, no matter what's going on in your life, there are always people out there that can bring a smile to your face - just by being themselves. Pretty powerful stuff. What's that old saying? Something like, to the world, you might just be someone - but to someone, you're the whole world. I like that. In fact, I'd say that's a pretty good place for me to wrap things up for today. Hope you manage to stay warm over the next few days. And if you get the chance, with all of the craziness going on in the world today, pick up the phone and call that person you've been meaning to call for months now (or maybe even years). There's a pretty good chance they'll be glad you did :-)

Welcome to "Behind the Desk!"
02/17/09

Hi! Thanks for stopping by and checking out my new blog. I'll be updating regularly, giving you a "behind the scenes" look at what goes on in the studio and newsroom every morning, as well as random tidbits of information I think you might find interesting (if not entertaining!). It's all so we can get to know each other a little better, and to give you a glimpse at the inner workings of my very busy (and often times random) mind..

Somehow, the "organized chaos" of a four-hour morning news program seems to really fit my personality. One of my favorite aspects of the job is that I learn something new each and every day. The world is a constantly changing place; around the globe, around the country, and right here in the Miami Valley. It's pretty exciting to bring all of the little pieces together and share them with you every morning. I know you wouldn't invite just anyone into your home...I certainly appreciate you giving us the opportunity to wake up with you every day!

Things were a little different on ABC 22 Good Morning and FOX 45 in the Morning today, with Kylie Conway in for Asa George, and Lindsey Kurtz filling in for Mike Terwilleger. Each member of our team brings their own personality and way of doing things. And I know for each one of them, working with me presents its own set of challenges :-)

I really enjoy getting to interact with some of the nightside and weekend folks here at Dayton's News Source. Since most of us work completely different schedules, it's the only time we get to see each other!

Anyway - my executive producer, Tim, is ready for our daily post-show meeting, so I had better close for now. We usually recap this morning's shows, and prep for the next day. I know one of the big things we'll be talking about tomorrow morning on FOX 45 is "American Idol." Tonight's the first night we get to VOTE!!

Thanks again for stopping by. Talk to you soon!

02/01/10

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