Wheels

Take care if you see a silver Jeep Liberty heading your way.

If you don't like the way I drive, please - stay off the sidewalk.

My decision to buy this small, used SUV hinged on my need for something that would protect me from the many bicycles in Eugene, Oregon.

The New Kid

I started work today and loved every minute of it. Wow. What a breath of fresh air to sit in a newsroom and listen to the police scanners screaming. I guess I just thrive on it.

My co-workers are incredibly friendly and helpful. KVAL's General Manager and News Director even sent flowers. I feel very welcome and blessed.

On the Oregon Trail

I have been so busy each day searching for an apartment, car and cell phone. My blog has suffered and I apologize to my readers. All is well, however, and I had a lovely dinner tonight with my News Director, Executive Producer and Co-Anchor. They are all welcoming, professional and full of vision for news. Very encouraging!

Meantime, I've rented a brand new, affordable apartment (which is a bit hard to find on the West coast) and bought a car. My head is spinning from the activity but I'm dreaming of heading to the coast to see the ocean this coming weekend. The country here is beautiful but the weather - just as strange as in London. Today I witnessed blue skies, sunshine, rain, ice and snow in the space of one hour. Then the sun came out at dusk and there was a gorgeous sunset.

Much love to you.

Back In the Saddle

How to prepare to anchor newscasts after 2 years out of the chair:

1. Buy all new MAC makeup for TV (check)

2. Order custom ear pieces for IFB (check)

3. Have hair highlighted by Master stylist - miss you for professional reasons as well Kings - (check)

4. Inventory TV attire and add a few new suits (check)

5. Listen to pep talks from friends in the TV News Biz (check)

6. Move cross country to work for KVAL (check)

7. Step off the plane, drive the city and witness a beautiful rainbow (bonus)

P.S. Eugene (Lane County) is known for its covered bridges and I'm excited to see a few.

picture from Paul at http://travelswithamuse.blogspot.com/2007/07/bureau-of-land-management-row-river.html

The Fam

I must say the overall wham-dinger bonus of being back in the states (even though I miss my darling) is spending time with the fam. My little bro, Dannen is facing a personal medical crisis and I'm glad I could be here for him just to chill and visit and play some mean rounds of Eucher (card game).

We all went for dinner on Saturday to celebrate the miracle of my Master's degree. It was a nice time to talk about the year ahead and laugh about the trials we managed to eek through this year and the victories we've each won in our careers.

I leave for Oregon tomorrow morning on the red-eye flight and even though I have to leave the family again, I have enjoyed rejuvenating our relationship by spending quality time together this week.

A Traditonal Recipe

Don't forget the sugar! About a teaspoon of sugar and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, tablespoon of yellow mustard and a half of cup of Miracle Whip. Don't forget the egg yolks. Of course the eggs will be hard boiled and cut into halves. Some people sprinkle Paprika on the eggs when they are finished for a nice touch. Enjoy!

Happy Easter

Kingsley's mom was asking me what type of Easter traditions my family recognizes.

My little bro Dannen and I always looked forward to Easter because we would go to my great-grandma Wise's place for an Easter egg hunt with the extended family. We would attend church in our Easter finery and then load up the car with dishes my mother had prepared and drive to Clarksdale, Missouri.
Great-grandma lived in a retirement community at that time and would reserve the club house for our dinner. There were usually about about 25 or so family members who would gather for the occassion.

It felt like hours as the kids tried to sit quietly while the adults finished their coffee and desserts. Then, my uncle Stacey and dad would take plastic eggs filled with little treats outside and hide them all around the property. The kids would race out and try to find as many eggs as possible. Somehow we always all got about the same amount. Here's to wonderful Easter traditions. Blessings to you.

Local 12 Girls

Sasha Rionda (third from the right in the purple shirt) is leaving Channel 12 to present her own Spanish show at CNN called Details with Sasha.

She and her husband, John Scott are moving back to Atlanta for this new opportunity. She asked a few people out last night to celebrate and I was able to catch up with old friends: Kate, Cara Mia, Sasha, Lenna and Nancy.

I am very proud of Sasha and remember when she first came to Cincinnati a few years ago. Best of luck to you hon!

Cincinnati hasn't changed much since I've been out of the country but I stopped by a few old haunts such as Half Price Books, Joseph Beth Booksellers, Larosa's and the Pub at Rookwood. I didn't have much time at all to be in town so didn't get a chance to contact everyone. It was nice to be back for awhile and drove home to Columbus in a steady snow this morning.

Cincinnati

I'm headed to Cincinnati this evening to visit my dear friend Kate the Great. She is going through a tough time right now. Her tiny niece is in the hospital undergoing open heart surgery today. Please say a prayer for her. Thanks.

UPDATE: Katy's young niece is doing well. She had the surgery and the left side of her heart is okay but the right side is not. The docs are very positive about the future but they kept her chest open for an extra day in case there were complications. Thank you so much for your prayers and kind thoughts. xxx

A Lucky Girl

My darling Kingsley surprised me today by sending roses. They are so beautiful and they cheered me up so much!

This variety is fragrant and makes the room smell luxurious. He is generous and such a sweetheart. Thanks, pook.

Snow

I haven't seen snow since the winter of 2006 so I was pretty excited last night when we had snow showers in Columbus. Pardon this horribly boring video but I wanted to share the big, fluffy flakes.

Sore

I have never experienced such sadness. Kinglsey used the word 'sore' when describing his grief. That is exactly what leaving someone you love feels like. My heart is sore and I don't know if it will heal. I miss him, our cooking adventures in the evenings, cups of coffee in the morning, picking my herbs in the garden... so much it hurts. The city of London is like no other and I grieve for my dear friends and my life there.

Annoying Travel Trends

JFK airport is gross. I waited there for 12 hours between flights and it was not nice. Feeling the need for some shut eye, I curled up on my suitcase and tried to keep from falling off for about an hour.

With a major crick in my neck, I struggled to reach 'awake' stage and came-to listening to a woman talk on her cell phone while it was in speaker mode. I could hear her side of the conversation as well as everything the other woman was saying. This seems to be a trend at JFK. People put their phones on speaker and talk while allowing everyone in the vicinity to listen to the conversation. Why? Have you noticed this?

The other annoying habit of travelers seems to include a 2008 version of a gettoblaster. One man strutted around Terminal 4 playing Micheal Jackson's 'Beat It' over and over until I thought I was going to lose it. It was playing from his iPhone (I think). Why wouldn't he wear headphones? Some other guy was listening to rap on his cell phone without headphones. This can all be pretty annoying when you are trying to get some sleep in the food court at 2am.

An Email from Dad

My family knows the difficulty I am facing leaving London. This has been my home for quite some time and I have made a life here with expectations, love and adventure. My father sent this email to encourage me to continue seeking no matter what happens along the journey:

There were two people that lived almost two centuries apart. Both were very adventurous - they had courage, intelligence and an understanding that their goals were just over the horizon. The long term goals were not real clear but the path was - journey to the top of the hill and then the journey will become clearer. The older went West the younger went East. The older left the cities and traveled to the Great Mountains and beyond to a land of warm lakes and geysers. The younger traveled to the great cities of Europe and beyond to other countries and great oceans.

While they were gone their families missed them, worried about them and longed to see them. Communications were greatly anticipated. The older could send letters a couple times a year - the younger used emails, cell phones and BLOGS. After they had traveled and learned many things they sensed it was time to come home and prepare for a new Journey. The older climbed on a horse and headed east the younger must gather all her courage and climb on a plane headed west.

Now the older traveled to Texas and became a pioneer Texas surveyor and the founder of Dallas County. The younger is just completing a great journey and planning the next adventure.
As it tuns out both were writers and told great stories. The older stories are told in his book LIFE IN THE ROCKIES and newspaper columns. The younger tells her stories in BLOND ACROSS THE POND and magazine articles. The older produced the first written account of Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park - the greatest work of the younger has not yet been done. The older was Warren A Ferris the younger is Denae D'Arcy. The older's great grandson was the younger's grand father.

New Blogs to Check Out

My sweet friend Emma and I walked Clapham Common yesterday and enjoyed the signs of spring. We stopped off at the Windmill and had a lovely lunch. She has been an inspiration to me because of her strong work ethic and generous nature. We just worked on a blogspot for Emma yesterday and she already has it up and running. Check it out: http://ems-in-london.blogspot.com/

My other closest London gal, Thabi has known me since the day I landed in London. We have survived wonderful times and horrible times together...never giving up and always finding the humor. Thabi has also developed her blogspot: http://thabangmotseiblacksnow.blogspot.com/.

London Town

My darling friend Kate The Great sent an email with this advice and I couldn't help but share:

"Take long walks. Enjoy the sounds of your clicking heels as you walk the cobbled streets and the paved neighborhoods of your choosing. Listen to the sound of Big Ben. Really LISTEN. Stop somewhere and marvel at the deep, magnificent bellow that old bell shares with one of the most stunning cities in the world. Do not rush yourself - take time to really appreciate your favorite places and moments of the city.

Breathe in the damp, brisk air of London. Let that misty rain kiss your cheeks and the cool breezes chill your skin - but not your loving appreciation of such a fine metropolis.

Talk to the people - be they strangers, friends or your lover. Take these last few moments and really glean what last few pearls of wisdom you can about the human experience and our connected journey in this universe. Listen to the way the people "over there" say tomato and sorry and righto. Take advantage of these last few hours to let someone teach you something about yourself, and also for you to make an impression on them.

Taste. Have long, delicious conversations over warm beer in out-of-the-way pubs. Grab a fork and knife and dive in to the last bites of British flavor you can enjoy for a while - meat pies, fish and chips. No doubt you know there are some things the Brits do better than we, and as such you should take advantage of your last few meals. Get drunk on the sweetnes of London.

Ingrain the many smells in your brain. Whether it be flowers at the tube market in Putney or the smell of expensive perfume at Harrods - the sense of smell is actually the strongest and most easily recalled by the brain in later years. Some day when you are an old woman you will have forgotten the color of something or the specific moments of an encounter, but you will remember the smell of a favorite bar or meal or person. Let's just hope that when you're in the nursing home you're not reliving the putrid odor of some sweaty, swarthy beast's armpit.

Stare at the many wonders of London. Walk across Tower Bridge and admire the stunning panorama of history and future - the amazing modern architecture as a backdrop to the Tower and other legendary landmarks. Examine the sheer brilliance of Christpher Wren's designs. Look at the lights and how they flicker across the Thames."

Third Time's a Charm

Beware this is not a delicate post.

Yesterday I went to central London to give a donation for a drug screening. (Interviewing for jobs in the states requires things like this.) I arrived a few minutes before my appointment and felt like I needed to go so it was good timing all around.

The technician Eric takes plenty of time making small talk and explaining the process to me in detail. No worries. I wasn't in a hurry. He gives me the cup for the sample and I tripped off to the loo. After doing the business I came back acting as casual as you can while holding a cup of urine. Eric takes one look at it and his face falls. "Uh, sorry that's not enough. I need at least 60 ml."

Oh no. I don't have to go anymore.

He suggests I go back into the waiting room and drink some water. By now the pressure is on. I drink 6 cups of water and he's back in 10 minutes asking me to go again. The problem is, I don't have to go. He waits another 5 minutes and comes in to ask how I'm feeling. This is getting embarrassing. I agree to give it a try and stay in the bathroom so long trying to make it to the 60ml mark that the temperature of the cup is not right when I come out and that sample isn't usable either.

You have got to be kidding me.

The thing is, the drug testing facilities are at Regent's Park. I live in East Putney and it takes an hour to get there and an hour to go home. Not to mention the peak day travel card cost which is £7.10 now ($14!!! to ride on the Tube). A bit frustrated, I agree to come back the next morning and promise not to use the toilet beforehand.

I put my coat on gather my bag and walk to the door. Then it hits me. I have to go!!

I rush back into the office: "Eric, can I give it one more try?" I actually need to use the bathroom anyway. Those 6 cups of water finally hit me. The sample was fine and Eric even held it up and saluted it. That might have been taking things a bit far but it was after 5pm and he wanted to get out there as much as I did.

Windy City

London suffered 80 mph winds yesterday and it was pretty nasty today as well. In Putney we had sun then rain then sun then hail then sun then rain all in the space of an hour. I've reported on weird weather events many times but this was unbelievable.

Today the morning news programmes were testing the strengths of different umbrellas and almost every newspaper had pictures of dedicated citizens walking to work with brellies inside out. I opted for a jacket with a hood yesterday and didn't even try using an umbrella.

Next time the wind and rain strike I could try a model called Nubrella. Not only will it stay right side out...it's hands free. Fashionable? Not really but it would be useful for those live shots when you need to hold a mic and your notes.

One of My Biggest Decisions

For as long as I can remember I have had an ambition to use my journalism skills in tv news. I was lucky enough to land a CNN internship out of college that led to my first anchor job at WYMT. I couldn't wait to push to a larger market and get my hands on bigger news stories and more responsibilities. From WATE in Knoxville my good friend and mentor Gene Patterson introduced me to Rob Braun, an iconic WKRC talent who has led the station to top ratings for years. He helped me get an interview at WKRC and I was hired.

I have always admired those two as well as other anchors for the way they know their news, represent a station and bring in viewers with their sincerity, experience and professionalism. To win a full time anchor position, you have to set yourself apart. Almost every on-air talent is competing for a full time anchor gig and if you don't take a job someone is waiting in the wings to do it for a cheaper price.

Because of the competitiveness of the industry, I decided to move to London, earn my Master's degree, travel the world and gain some world perspective. With another degree under my belt, I planned to hit the job search at full force and win a full time anchor job. That was my ultimate goal.

Plans changed when I fell in love with London and my guy, Kings. I decided to put my career on the back burner and see what I could do in London. This year I landed a good job writing copy for a company which reviews credit, energy, broadband and other consumer options. I tried to settle into it but find myself pinning for tv news and the job I ultimately want, have experience in and was pretty good at.

Enter Greg, the general manager at KVAL in Eugene, Oregon. He called me in London one evening and asked if I was interested in a full time job as their 11pm anchor. Wow. This knocked me for a loop but after taking a deep breath I told him I had decided to stay in London.

Weeks later I was still thinking about the job and began researching the city. Eugene is in the Williamnette valley one hour from the west coast and about an hour from 2 well known ski resorts. It is a small city (compared to London!!!) but has an arts base, the University of Oregon and several wineries. Nice area.

I seem to be between a rock and a hard space. I want to get back into my career, use my new degree to make excellent news and step out with my personality to represent a station in the community. But I don't want to lose my love. What to do?

Such a hard decision but I'm leaning towards heading back across the pond. I landed in London September 12 2006 and could be leaving soon. My heart is heavy but I have twinges of excitement when I think of being a news journalist again.

Rush Hour Rock Star

I know what rock stars, actresses and popular politicians must feel like.

As I stepped out of my tube at Kings Cross this morning at the height of rush hour, I heard the dreaded words: “The Piccadilly Line services are cancelled due to …(garbled explanation).” I huffed it over to the east bound platform just in case I was hearing things but no. The first 3 trains were showing: Service Cancelled on the message board.

Great.

Following the Way Out signs, I rode the escalators to the busy lobby area of Kings Cross. My only choice at this point was to find a bus headed to Caledonian Road.

Going up the stairs to street level, I could hear what sounded like hundreds of people mumbling about the Tube. As my eyes adjusted to daylight I noticed a mass of angry commuters standing behind closed gates at the top of the stairs. There was a tiny path open for commuters who were leaving the station. The entrance was guarded by Tube personnel (wearing security-like yellow jackets) and everyone stared as I reached the top of the stairs. Walking through the crowd I almost felt like I was on the catwalk because the waters parted for those on the path to the buses.

Thank goodness no one gave a care about me but there were hundreds in the crowd pushing against the gates and they wanted an explanation.

Imagine coming up the stairs and all of those people are there to see YOU. Whew. Obama, Hill and McCain must be exhausted. No wonder Britney is so crazy. It’s tough facing the mobs.

No More Free Plastic Bags

If you do your grocery shopping at Marks & Spencer in London you now have to pay 5p (.10c) for just one plastic bag. This is part of a new initiative to become a greener company. Plastic bags are not recycled very easily and clog up landfills for ages. Plastic bags also litter the streets here.

In South Africa all grocery stores operate this way and have for the last 10 years. You have to pay for plastic bags so most people bring their own with them to the stores. Some shops don't offer bags at all so if you don't have a way to carry your wares home, you simply grab as much as you can and take it to the car. I certainly didn't see plastic bags floating along the streets or stuck in trees and shrubs.

Charging for plastic bags doesn't bother me and I see it as a way to cut down on unneeded waste. Other people in the city are furious because people fear less 'posh' grocery stores such as Tesco and Sainsbury will follow suit and get even more money out of shoppers by making them pay for plastic bags.

Do You Have Backup?

Don't make the mistake of trusting your PC. My hard drive crashed over the weekend. Luckily I backed it up recently. However, I'll lose a few pictures and Word files that I can't replace. Sniff...sniff. Back up your computer as often as you can. An external hard drive these days is pretty cheap. $25 (£20)? It's worth it.

Going With The Flow

Talking with one of my best girl friends the other day, we found a slight analogy between success in life and using London public transport.

We were swapping stories about getting onto an over-crowded Tube, smashing in, and almost vomiting because of someone's body odor. (Regular commuters have stories like this to share almost daily.)

I was explaining an instance where a man pushed onto a Tube at Oxford Street literally crushing me against another man. Usually quiet, I snapped into something like "Mate, you're absolutely crushing me! Wait till the next train. Is this your first time on the Tube?" Because they couldn't actually turn their heads, everyone in the cabin looked at me from the corner of their eye like I was nuts. The guy of course couldn't fit on, was almost smashed in the doors and stepped off the train. My blood pressure was up and I had broken the unspoken rule about speaking on public transport. No one else said a word and I wish I would've remained silent because the guy was never going to be able to fit on anyway.

Point being, what's the goal while taking the Tube? Reaching my final destination.

Whether or not I yell at other passengers, stay silent and absolutely fume inside or stress out because the woman next to me insists on reading the paper in the isle while others are crushed because she won't move an inch, it doesn't matter. If I'm on the train, it's moving and I have a place to stand in relative comfort I will get to my stop. It is a waste of time and energy to try to fight the flow. If you fight it you also end up looking like a jerk.

Another example: I was on the train from Putney to Vauxhall the other morning and it was very crowded. A woman got up from her seat where I was standing and rules dictate whoever sits down first gets the seat. Down the isle another woman was yelling, "Hey, girl! Hey, girl! I'd like to sit down!" I couldn't believe it. Who did she think she was and why would she address me as 'girl?' On instinct I said in a hateful tone "Well I was going to sit down but just GO AHEAD!" As she pushed her way through the crowd it was obvious that she was very pregnant. I couldn't see that at the time she shouted for the seat. I looked like an idiot for being prideful and talking back in an ugly way. I didn't really need to sit down and should've just stepped aside without incident. For some reason I felt the need to fight. Unwise. The woman wasn't getting in the way of me reaching the Caledonian Rd. stop.

It's apparent that the regular commuters have learned the lesson and simply ignore everything that goes on around them. This helps because by the time you get to work an hour later you aren't frustrated and angry. The lesson can apply to life. Why fight a small battles which might give you an inch of space or a seat but stir up frustration inside yourself and others ?

By keeping the ultimate goal in mind we can save our energy by passing on the meaningless tifts along the way. Well-oiled commuters put their head down, let people push in where necessary, cut others off when they have to and keep moving. They get to work in a good mood becasue they go with the flow.

Same thing for Salmons swimming upstream for spawning. Scientists say they all crowd in and go with the flow because it uses less energy and they have to have enough left after the journey to reach their ulimate goal: spawning. If there is a rift in the current, they swim to the side.

I write all of this to remind myself to keep my eye on the goal. As I've matured from a hard-headed young American 20s reporter I realize only some battles are worth the fight. The things that get in the way of the goal could be worth standing up to. But really, even if the train is too crowded and it seems you can't proceed, there's another train on the way. No need to panic. We need to save our energy for the goal. A little patience and taking a step back from our egos always helps.

A Spot of Bubbly

Thabi and I met at St. Pancreas International after work yesterday for a glass of champagne at the longest champagne bar in Europe. We ordered a glass of the French De Nauroy Brut NV. The service was impeccable and the bubbly delicious. We also walked around the new St. Pancreas train station and admired the new shops. A nice start to the weekend.