A picture -is- worth a thousand words...

This is by far the most hysterical picture I've ever had the priviledge of being photographed in. This was taken in August of 2003 by Decatur Daily Photographer Gary Lloyd. We were sitting in the hallway of the Limestone County Courthouse, most likely waiting for a verdict to come down. John snapped this pose and sent it to us. To this day, it still hangs on the bulletin board in our office.
Please note the stinky look on Juergen's face. As for me, I look like somebody just slapped the white off my cheeks.

Enjoy!

A little spare time in my day...

I'm caught up on my work so I thought I would blog. I've had trouble launching my posts. Hopefully, this one will go through.

I had to go to Cullman today and cover a church break-in. Truly, there was nothing that exciting about the video. They got in through an unlocked door, broke into a storage room, stole musical instruments and left. What made this story "shocking" was the fact that 'revival' services were going on next door. The pastor found the storage room door kicked in when he was locking up. He called us the next day to come down and do a story. He was really nice. I hope they get there equipment back.

The funny thing about church breakins and vandalisms is you hardly ever hear of it happening to a Church of Christ. Think about it. We have no expensive equipment, little money and no fancy decorations. What do we have that a thief would want? A few tracts about hell, plastic juice cups and some left over crackers? I doubt they are interested.

The weather was so nice today. The sun was shining bright. The sky was blue. And, oh yeah, the wind was howling right up my skirt! It could have been very embarassing if I hadn't held on to my hem during today's press conference. Word to the wise, pants are best when there are gale force winds a' blowin.

So how many of you watched the news about Louisian's Super Dome reopening? Its amazing they finished this 9 + million dollar project just in time for football season. The dome has all the bells and whistles. New stadium chairs (for the obvious reason), new lighting, new turf, new flooring, etc. But wait!!!!! What about all the debris still piled up in neighborhoods, houses untouched, cars rusting, mold, yards full of thick briars and bushes. Nothing has been done to clean up that mess. Yet, we drop millions into a structure that probably should have been torn down. I believe in getting life back together and generating revenue. Come on now. What about all those families that have nothing and have had to move away to start all over. I wonder how they feel about sinking that kind of cash into a football stadium.

Time for me to get ready for the news.
Hope everyone is well.

Baby, its cold outside...

At least when the sun goes down. My friend Emily and I found that out the hard way Sunday night. I worked my annual 2 hour mandatory celebrity appearance at Big Spring Jam. I signed a ton of autographs and had my picture made with crazed stalking fans. You would be surprised what a person would do for a black and white glossy of there favorite tv personality. I don't even want to think about what they do with those pictures when they get home.

You can tell its getting close to Halloween. The horror movie previews are already on television. I've never been a fan of flicks like "The Texas Chainsaw Masacre" or "Freddy Kruger." My friend Kristen loves scary movies. When I would spend the night with her when we were younger, she would pop one of those haunted movies in and we would stay up all night watching. I couldn't sleep for a week!

There is a pretty awesome haunted house at the old Limestone County Jail that is supposed to scare you right out of your underwear. I was reading about it online last week. The myth is the old jail is haunted by inmates who have been killed or died while behind bars. Jailers have told me before they moved to the new location, that they were scared to death at night because they would hear blood curdling screams and when they went to check on where it was coming from, there was nobody around. The haunted house is sponsored by the Athens Police Department as a fund-raiser. They've been working on it for months. I bet it will be bone chilling frightening knowing those guys. As for me, I'll read about it in the reviews. haha!

Its almost 10:00 and I need to wash dishes and call it a night.
Hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday...
EG

bathing beauty...

If only I still had this figure. Eat your heart out super models! Notice my green shades coordinate with my green bathing suit. haha!

Its just another manic Monday...

Finally, I'm kicked back relaxing. Nothing much is on television. I need to throw a few loads of laundry into wash and straighten up around my place. Instead, I plan to go upstairs after typing this blog entry, crawl into bed and take a nap...at least an 8 hour nap :)

I had a good weekend. I went home to see mom and dad. Mom and grandma got back last weekend from a trip out west and to Canada. They brought me back some pretty cool stuff. In fact, if the weather gets cold I'll have a warm sweatshirt to pull on.

The weather was wierd today. One minute, the sun was shining the next it was drizzling. Crossing the Tennessee River heading back into Decatur the sky was gorgeous. The clouds were a dark shade of blue and gray on one side. On the other, there was clearing. A cold front is supposed to slide through and drop the temperatures. Oh how I love warm weather! I am going to miss open toe heels, short sleeves and skirts. Good bye summer! Hope to see you soon :)

Tomorrow night I'm going to some type of house warming party with my friend Emily. She is really sweet. Her brother, Chad and I went to college together. I'm sure we will have fun.

I don't have much to blog about tonight. Nothing interesting anyway. Hope everyone reading this is well!

P.S. Happy Belated Birthday, Kris!

my favorite childhood shirt...

This is it. My favorite shirt. I used to wear it when I was a little girl. Mom bought it for me when we went on vacation to Cherokee, North Carolina. Some things from childhood should be preserved and cheerished. This is one of them. It reminds me some of the most wonderful times spent as a kid.

Quacks like a duck, eats like a pig...

This beautiful creature is Gene. You can see he will eat bread right out of your hand. In fact, he'll even sit in your lap. He knows his name when he hears it. He'll waddle to you just as hard as he can so you'll feed him. What a talented little fella!

Pay no attention to the date on this picture. I've got something set wrong.

The picture you've all been waiting for...

This is Momma Kitty. No she is not upside down. I took the picture standing over the rail of the deck as she looked up at me. Isn't she lovely?



This is her "friend" Gray Kitty. Gray is skiddish and doesn't care much for humans. However, he does tend to warm up when a can of cat food is opened. We aren't sure if Momma Kitty and Gray are an item but if she comes up with a big belly, we'll know they've been doing more than sharing dry food.

now let me introduce our special guest...

Remember my post Saturday about the missing finishing mower piece? Good news!!! Its been located. My dad called me Sunday bursting at the seams. He even sent an email describing how he found it. i had to post his email because I thought it was so funny! Please welcome my special guest and the best daddy in all the world!


"Well I decided I would go back track my every steps yesterday to see if I could find the missing piece of my finishing mower. Liz knows it was quite small because she saw the one I had yesterday. Well I walked, walked, walked,walked and as I was walking I looked at the stump in the center of the pond and there was a turtle sunning on top. So I had my rifle with me and I stopped to take aim and I stepped on something and as I looked down guess what it was? no guess again well it was that stupid part we went all over Huntsville to find,oh the turtle got away. I was so happy to find it I forgot to shoot the turtle. Now tell me Miracles dont happen in the year 2006..What a relief."

Ain't he something! I love you dad!

the power of the press...

I finally got time this evening to sit down and type a new blog entry. My camera guy, Juergen, or photojournalist as they like to be called, reminded me I haven't posted in a few days. So, Juergen, this one's for you!

I decided to write about what I do for a living and clear up any misconception that the life of a reporter is glamorous. No. There is no one to do my makeup or my hair. In fact, by the end of the day sunglasses holding my tresses back and a smear of chapstick is about all I've got time for. When the weather is bad, usually an embarassingly oversized rain coat with plastic sticky logos on the front and back is what you will find me in.

I work in an office on the 6th floor of a bank. The view is pretty nice. I start the morning at my desk, armed with a Diet Grapico and a bag of meat skins, making telephone calls. Around 9:30-ish our Huntsville folks will call me. After a few giggles, we talk about what -2- stories we will turn from our area. Normally, we turn 2 separate stories in 2 different counties while fighting to take a one hour mandatory lunch. Its not easy but in the famous words of Larry The Cable Guy, we "get-er-done."

On a good day, I try to make sure everything is on tape by 2:30. That gives me time to pick interview sound bytes, write both of my stories, then hand them over to Juergen to be edited. I write everything that has to do with my stories. Some producers will write the reporter's lead-in but not at this shop. that's fine. i would rather do it myself.

We work in what is called a bureau. Our schedule is different than that of most reporters. We have a lot more ground to cover (four counties) and sometimes we barley make the show. Today for example. This morning we spent our time stalking a bunch of divers off the Tennessee River. We got a tip they were searching the waters for evidence in a recent murder case. Turns out they were diving for mussles. NOT a lead story. After wasting time at the marina, we went to Bob Gibson's for lunch. Then it was on to Brookhaven Middle School to do a repeat story from last week. When we left the school, our other 2 stories fell apart. Thank goodness we got a copy of a 911 call from a carbon monoxide poisioning that happened a few weeks ago. The competition picked up on that one. It would have been bad if they aired it and we didn't.

When we got back to the office...more drama. Engineering came over to fix something. They thought it was our transmitter but turns out it wasn't. I didn't get the fully skinny on what the problem was.

On a lighter note, we were talking this morning about some of our adventures. Juergen and I have worked together about 4 or 5 years. He jokingly tells people we spend so much time together its like being married. I often beg for a divorce. Sure, we've had our fights. Some in the office, some right out in public. We've called each other every name in the book, thrown things at each other and have been so mad we wouldn't speak. When it comes right down to it, if something bad happened, we would be the first one at each others' side, carrying a loaf of fresh baked bread. I guess its true what they say, your co-workers become family.

I hope everyone has a safe Thursday.

better than i expected...

Here's a pic of today's banana bread. It turned out nice. Crunchy and golden on the outside, soft on the inside. Of course, the consistancy of the dough when you are mixing it is nothing like regular bread. Thankfully, the banana, shortening, eggs and vanilla give it some moisture. Otherwise, it would be a dry brick. I sliced and wrapped it in foil for my dad to eat on this week. He likes sugar-free treats.

Speaking of dad, he came to Decatur today. We had a really good time. We went to Athens and Huntsville looking for a part to his finishing mower. We didn't find one. We did run into a bunch of sales people who had virtually no idea what we were talking about. That seemed to be in abundance. It was so nice out today I really enjoyed the ride. We came back through Decatur so he could pick up his banana bread. Then we went to Moulton to eat at The Steak House (also known as the silo). DELICIOUS!!! We had a fresh crisp salad, the most tender cut of chicken and some of the best tea you can find.

My brother, Chris, likes to eat at The Stockyard in Moulton. The name says it all. I can't get past the smell to order meat. Its a virtual stockyard, built around a restaurant, with messy smelly cows and horses. It makes the Courtland paper mill smell like flowers!! Sorry bro.

TV Land is running a commercial for Family Table night September 25th. They will not show any television shows during a certain time of the evening so that families can sit around the table, eat dinner, and talk. When did we have to set aside a date for that? Growing up, my mother always prepared dinner (and every other meal) and set us at the table. We talked, laughed and enjoyed time together as a family. I never knew parents and children didn't eat together. I'm older now and eat wherever I'm standing. I still enjoy the time spent with my family around the table.

Time for some television, then bed. church is tomorrow and I need to do laundry. More later...

good food vs overpriced food

I love to watch the Food Network. I get a lot of good recipes from Paula Dean. I try to always watch her show (if I can make it home for lunch at just the right time) or I will log on to www.foodnetwork.com to check out her latest dish. I got tickled watching another one of my favorite cooks while I've been off. Rachel Ray cooks 30 Minute Meals. Sometimes, what she fixes looks kind of nasty. This particular show she was making a meal for when you return home from a wedding. It was French sandwiches with a fried egg on top along with a few other not so tasty looking dishes. She was talking about a wedding she had been too where the food was very expensive but not very tasty. I remember a wedding I went to last year where the couple had this huge catered reception. The menu was something like salmon crepes with caper dip and spiced coconut shrimp with mongolian sauce. The chocolate covered strawberries even had a bad taste (I later learned they had been marinated in champagne). There is no telling how much money was spent on all that food that left me hungry when I got home. Now I can see why Rachel came up with an after wedding feast.

If and when the big day ever happens for me, you can be guaranteed there will be good food to eat. In fact, this guy my mother works with smokes the most delicious butts you've ever put in your mouth. I know for sure I would like to have that. Don't worry. There be cheese and fruit galore! No salmon or coconut crusted shrimp at this affair ( i hate coconut). Just plain old down to earth good food.

My dad is coming up today to take me out for supper. Problem is I can't decide between the delicious swiss and mushroom chicken from O'Bryans or a hearty hamburger steak from the Steak House in Moulton. Tough choices.

I'm waiting for a loaf of banana bread to come out of the oven. This is a sugar-free loaf, made with Splenda. Splenda is advertised as being just like sugar. I got news for ya. Not when it comes to baking. My dad is a diabetic and has to eat sugar-free foods. I am supposed to do the same. I just don't eat bread like that because if I can't have the real thing, I just won't eat the imitation. It smells delicious but it was like trying to stir wood putty when I was mixing it up. Keep your fingers crossed it turns out yummy (or at least edible).

October 1 is the Fiddler's Conventino in Athens. I love the Fiddler's Convention. Not so much for the music but the awesome booths they have set up. You can buy almost anything you want. I go to find good Christmas gifts. Thousands of people attend. You can't hardly find a parking place. Last year was the lowest attendance because the weather was kind of bad. That was fine by me because it takes a while to make it through all the booths when there is a crowd.

Labor Day will be here Monday. That is the "unofficial" end to summer. I love the hot weather and always dread to see the winter come. I do enjoy fall. That is one of my favorite seasons. This has been a hot, dry summer. I'm enjoying the cooler temperatures.

Its almost time for banana bread to come out of the oven. I'll let you know how it turns out :)

for the seafood lover in ME!

I love seafood. Lobster, shrimp, crab legs, crab cakes, fish. The only seafood I'm opposed to is scallops. I think they are gross. Since I don't live on the Gulf Coast where the seafood is freah and abundent, I have to rely on Red Lobster to ease my seafood cravings. It wasn't that long ago when the Admiral's Feast (crab legs, shrimp scampi, and lobster) cost less than $20.00. Now, that same delicious platter is nearly $25.00!!!!! That doesn't include the nearly $2.00 diet beverage I normally order. Add tax and tip and you've got an overpriced platter of shellfish. I haven't eaten at Red Lobster probably since Christmas and there is a reason for it. Its ridiculous how the cost of gas has driven up the price of my favorite restaurants. 2 people can can only eat there maybe once a year...unless they are millionaires.

I saw a funny billboard in Madison yesterday. It probably wouldn't have caught the attention of many drivers but I was stopped at a red light and happened to stare up at it. It was a billboard of a cosmotology student. Someone had climbed up and painted her 2 front teeth black. The caption, which I can't remember because I was distracted by the Bubba look, went so well with the vandalism I giggled all the way to the hot wing place. hahaha! I wish I had taken a picture but my camera was at home. :(

I guess mom and grandma are exploring all that Canada has to offer. I bet that's the best part of the whole trip.

I'm going shopping today. Maybe I'll see more interesting billboards along the way.