Who me? Are you sure that's a good idea?

I was recently asked by my alma mater, Freed-Hardeman University, to deliver the commencement speech for graduation ceremonies May 14th. When the invitation came in the mail, I had to look twice to make sure it wasn't a mistake. The first question that shot through my mind...me? Really? I likely should credit "you know who" for the boost in my popularity. I assume when one of your graduates-who goes on to be a rather good reporter- becomes a viral sensation there is an obligation perhaps to invite them to campus. ;) Don't get me wrong, I consider myself honored. I hope those in attendance will enjoy whatever life advice, bitter and crusty though it may be, that I share.

Inauguration events....

Monday January 17, 2011 I had the honor of covering the inauguration of Alabama Governor Robert Bentley for WAFF-48. It was a historic moment watching Governor Bentley take his oath of office on the Capitol steps. Here are a few still shots of the Alabama Million Dollar Band, Auburn University March Band, Haleyville High School band, and inauguration events.

"Mr. Bluebird On My Shoulder..."

A sign that warmer days are ahead...sweet blue bird and red bird hopping in the yard.

Out with the old...

And in...with a new look! After many years I decided to update my blog page...not that I think anyone actually reads it. I've done a sorry job keeping details of my life posted. I plan to do a better job with that.

Stop by and visit. Tell your friends to follow me. If nothing else maybe my words will inspire, bring tears to your eyes or just give you something to do during your downtime at work ;)

Happy 2011 all!

Dynomite!!

Growing up I was a big fan of the sitcom "Good Times." I liked JJ, as most people. He was sooo funny with his quick wit and famous one liner-- Dynomite!

Today, I met a whole new generation of what I call JJ Walker's. This guy looked a lot like him in body structure but was entirely different beast. Let me explain.

We were sent out on an assignment to cover a burglary where a man broke into an apartment in the projects and crawled in bed with the woman sleeping there. The brother, who reminds me of JJ, tried to help his sister but was just a bit too, well, feminine to do much more than pull hair. Anyway, we didn't have an exact address and happen to see a group standing outside. We stopped and I asked if they knew the person. Bingo! It was the place where the attack happened. The victim talked on camera and so did her brother :)

I knew he was a character as soon as he opened his mouth. He had on a red do-rag, had long thick nails, a wife beater and shorts on and, here's the best part, a pair of pink hiking boots with a bling type buckle on the side. I felt like I needed a hepatitis shot just standing next to him. Anyway, he was hysterical with his snaps and quirks and girly type threats! I tried not to laugh at him during the interview because he could have scratched my baby blue eyes out with his cat like nails. Despite his confusing gender, he was nice to us and we were able to turn 2 good stories out of it.

JJ Walker is a thing of the past but I feel certain the guy I met today has a future in sitcom comedy! Thanks for the laugh!

Coming back to life...

I am feeling better from the crud I picked up. Antibiotics are great, but evil. I think they can make you feel worse than actual sickness.

Biggest Loser is going well. I am very proud of the progress I've made. Not so much in pounds lost but as in fat toned up :) I bought a new suit Monday and I was pumped when the 2 sizes I tried on that I've been wearing lately hung off me. I haven't wiggled my way into a smaller size in a long while. I was very happy with the flattering fit.

I've also discovered my love of the elliptical machine. You have to get into a certain mode to keep the momentum going but once you start, its hard to stop. And let me tell you there is nothing more motivating than sweating to death exercising and looking out at the pool and seeing people who should never wear a bathing suit in public. It really gives you a reason to keep moving!

Tonight, swimming. My favorite exercise. Try running in the pool and then turn around and try to run back the opposite direction. You talk about a work out. That will get your goat.

Green Team if you are reading this...hope you are keeping up the good work. Don't want another team pulling ahead of us. Keep exercising, eating right, and of course swigging down that water (ha/ha)

Under the weather...way under it.

I know I'm behind on posts but I have been ever so sick. I have walking pneumonia and man let me tell you that mess will make you feel BAD! I'm on a 10 day round of very strong antibiotics. I'm hoping that will clear it up. So far, I just feel yuck.

So you may wonder how that affects Biggest Loser. It doesn't really. I just can't over-do-it or work out in the heat. I can stay indoors and do Wii or medicine ball. I can swim too but only late in the evening. I will manage to get my points in for the week, its just not going to be as intense a work out as usual.

This week's challenge...write down everything we eat. I wonder if 2 Vanilla Wafers really counts as a breakfast?!?!

Walk This Way...

Today I bought a pedometer. This baby is like the Lexus of all walking calculators. It tells you each step you've taken, distance walked, calories burned. I bought it not only to see how far I walk in a day but to measure the distance around my apartment complex. The Greenway is starting to creep me out somewhat since I watched a drug exchange there a few nights ago. (more on that on a slow day).

Last night, I swam for 45 minutes. It was intense. Have you ever tried to run in the pool and then turn and go the opposite directions. Hello shin splints! You certainly get a good workout! The water was bubbly hot too. That made the swim even more exhausting. One thing about it, you sleep better afterwards.

This week's 2 point challenge is anything outdoors with a ball. I'm thinking about soccer. If I go to mom's (which is off limits during Biggest Loser I realize but didn't get to see my dad for Father's Day) I got 22 acres to kick that thing around all I want. If I don't and I stay here, I feel certain I will fall victim to the couch and my ceiling fan. Which, after laying there for a few hours, takes energy to get up. Is that considered exercise??

The fruits of my labor...

As you know I planted a garden this year. So far, so good.

This is the first squash picked. Soooo tender and yummy! My watermelon and cantelope vines are out of control and I've got green tomatoes and a few little peppers.

Revamp...part 2

This morning, I ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast. For lunch I had grilled salmon, a big salad with a little ranch dressing, and several glasses of unsweet tea with a lot of lemon. It was very tasty and healthy. Dinner is still up in the air.

I rearranged my exercise plan. I haven't done cardio in a while so I thought I would start back last night. I worked out for 45 minutes. I did everything from dance to passing basketballs to volleyball to running track. I can tell my running skills are getting much better since we started "Biggest Loser." I'm not out of breath as bad and I can run for a longer time. Tonight, I will swim for 30 minutes.

THe weight loss is slow and I have days where my motivation is wimpy but I am enjoying the results. Lane measures me every other week and I can see a BIG difference in my curves :)

Revamping...

I think I've hit my plateau. Now may be a good time to change things up. I've done well with losing inches and I'm certainly proud to be down one pants size but I'm still not satisified with my results. I exercise almost daily and I can tell I've picked up muscle mass. What is not changing so much are the numbers on the scale.

So this week I am tweaking my diet and changing up my workout plan. I am hoping that gets 5 pounds off by weigh day of next week. I love the way I feel and I'm seeing great results I would just like to see a bit more come off the scales.

So the challenge to myself is...5 pounds off by next Monday and different exercises for the week.

Rock on Green Team!

Home sweet home...

I'm back from a hard 2 day trip to the Gulf. We left at 5:00 Thursday morning for Bayou le Batre. We hit the jackpot on the first stop we made. Got great interviews and video about how the BP oil spill has impacted the fishing industry. So sad to see these people suffer. Really heart breaking.

When we finished up there we stopped in Fairhope to Skype a live shot back to Huntsville. We couldn't get a strong enough signal out plus it was lightning so we scraped it. Todd and I headed to Foley to check into our hotel. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. The hotel itself was really nice. The fact that the AC didn't work in my room and the second room they moved me into was total aggravation. Third time really was the charm. A room with AC spewing out cold air at 68 degrees. Ahhhhh felt wonderful.

I hit the gym at the hotel to make sure I got my exercise in. It helped stretch my tired body too. I walked/ran on the treadmill for 20 minutes and peddled my legs off on the stationary bike for 30. I met my 3 point challenge for the week and I got a good workout. After a hot shower I slept like a baby.

We got up the next morning, ate breakfast, checked out of our hotel and drove south to Orange Beach. The weather was hot, humid but beautiful. We got to the beach and both of us were amazed at how few people were there. We got our camera equipment out and walked out to the water. The stinch of oil hit us like a brick wall. The water was dirty and greasy. The coastline is stained from the oil. And the beach was basically empty. We shot a ton of video and 2 look lives. When we finished up there we drove to WPMI to feed our stories. That's a really nice television station. Quitest newsroom I've ever been in. They would never survive the loud voices filling the air where I work ha/ha

When we left WPMI we grabbed a late lunch/early dinner then headed north. We got home around 9:30. I was happy to be back. It was a great trip though and I'm glad I got the opportunity to go.

Today I'm feeling very lazy. After all that walking on the beach my legs re tender ha/ha Today I've got to walk or swim. Can't afford to lose any exercise points :)

Happy Saturday!

Chewing gum vs drinking water

If you know me, you know I'm not much of a thirsty turtle. In fact, my theory is this...chewing gum makes up for missed hydration. When I walk 4 miles at the Greenway, I do so with gum in my mouth. And by the time I'm finished, even though what little moisture in my body is pouring on the ground, I stick another piece of gum in my mouth. To me, that's like swigging down a bottle of Gatorade. Refreshing somehow.

My coach, which also doubles as my GM, believes that lack of water may be causing me to hold on to excess weight. So she has challenged me to 8 glasses of water a day....not a week. I drank a cup shortly after I left her office. 7 more to go and I should be well on my way to flushing out the fat :)

I love a good challenge!! And it motivates me when one is issued. Something about pushing yourself to the limit. Makes you feel better when you reach that goal.

And, just to make sure I am sticking to the water regiment I will be tracking my intake.

Watch out Olympics! I'm a swimming goddess :)

This weekend I spent ALL day in Lane's swimming pool. I ran laps, swam laps, dove, pulled him around in the water, and got into a fight with a raft, which, embarassingly the raft won :)

Swimming is such a great way to burn calories but let me tell you it will wear you out! I got a good work out and a good tan in the process.

Here's a picture of me doing handstands on the bottom.

It was a great day!

Gourmet? Perhaps not. Delicious? Oh yea!!

When I was growing up, my genious brother came up with the most yummy after dinner treat. Chocolate ice cream with Funyun Rings. Yes I said it and I'm not ashamed. 2 favorites combined into one. Its something about the sweet cold of ice cream and the salty onion of Funyun rings that goes so well together. I'm not talking about sugar free. I'm talking about that gallon ice cream bucket you buy at the store. The kind that takes up an entire freezer shelf. Dang you Biggest Loser. Dang you! My cravings are severe and the only hope I have of curbing them is that one sugar free banana popcicle left in the freezer.

I will not indulge. I will not indulge. I will not indulge. I will...ok you get the hint. I refuse to fall off the wagon. The craving will pass and I will look back on this temptation as just that...my little evil side wanting something unhealthy.


So I will do one of the following things tonight...
walk 4 miles
OR do cardio Wii

I will not be beaten!

I will survive

"I Love A Rainy Night"

Is one of my favorite Eddie Rabbitt country songs. And as much as yes I love to hear the rain outside my window its really putting a hurt on my workout routine.

Last night my blood pressure was skyrocketing after sitting through the Huntsville City School Board meeting. I planned to blow off steam at the Greenway with an intense walk and let the sweat pour off me. On my way home to change clothes lightning bolts started exploding. The sky over Jeff Road was blazing with thunder clouds. I pull into the parking lot and the bottom falls out. It was so stormy I had to sit in my car and wait until the lightning calmed down enough to jump out. About 6:30 the power went off. Great! I was right in the middle of scrambling an egg. I had no flashlight so the only source of light I had was a dim Iphone screen. Needless to say, no power, no cardio on the Wii. Lightning=too dangerous to walk. I was bumed out! Looks like I'm going to have to change my routine and hit the trail in the morning before the tsunami hits in the afternoon.

This is week 5 of Biggest Loser and I am still having fun with it. Some days I don't have as much "go get em" as others but I guess that's to be expected. Kermit the Frog pegged it best when he said, "It ain't easy being Green." ha/ha

I'm very behind on working out. The only day I've really worked up a sweat was Tuesday. I got out in the garden and pulled weeds out of my walking rows. Then I hoed dirt around my tomatoes and stirred the cow manure around my other vegetables. I want to go swimming tonight...if the weather cooperates. We'll see.

So mother nature if you are reading this...how bout a break in the rain. I know my garden would thank you as well as my behind and thighs. They need a workout!

Hunger comes in many forms...

and today my craving is STRONG for some hot wings smothered in a spicy sauce with a side of hot salty french fries. Even as I type this I am resisting the urge to run out and place an order. Instead, I chmped down on a Subway sandwich...tuna on wheat, no cheese or mayo, with pickles, tomatoes and black pepper. Instead of french fries...baked chips and a small bag of apples with an unsweet tea. Gag me. It was really tasty and while I am glad it filled me up it wasn't what I wanted. I am on a mission to drop 4 pounds this week so if I am going to conquer my goal I can't let the visions of sauce all over my face and fingers get to me.

Speaking of hot wings, have you tried "Wings to Go" on North Parkway. Let me say that's some good stuff!




Good news...The Green Team has pulled ahead. We are now in 1st place in pounds lost!! Very exciting stuff.

This week's challenge is to walk/run 5 miles. I got that one. I will go to the Greenway tonight and knock out 4. I will go again Friday and Saturday and do 4 more each day. Last night I worked out with the medicine ball and hoed the weeds out of my garden. Today my stomach muscles are a little tender. Bring on the burn!

The 4 pound challenge...

This week I lost 0 pounds but on the flip side of that coin, at least I didn't gain! My boss issed me a 4 pound challenge for the week. So its back to the grind with the Biggest Loser competition.

I've also been banished from my mother's house until after August 9th, when the competition ends. Apparently I ate like a race horse the 2 1/2 days I spent there. To my defense, let me say I exercised. I did everything from walking to fishing to paddle boat to plumbing. I tried to burn off all the excess calories I took in. My sweet mother is such a wonderful cook. I can't resist the meals she prepares, especially breakfast. Fried ham, sausage, biscuits, eggs, grits, and fruit. Sooo yummy!

I did cut the calories on Friday when we made 2 batches of homemade ice cream. Mom made Butterfinger. I made sugar-free strawberry. I could have stuck my head in the ice cream bucket and ate my way back out. Wait. I think I did. That strawberry was so good. Nice to know diabetics can have ice cream too...without the added sugar.

So...when I weigh again I am hoping 4 pounds will be sliced off the scales.

Green Team if you are reading this...good luck this week! Hope you are staying strong.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

It's growing-all thanks to a heavy fertilizing-with rich, dark cow manure. I noticed my garden was a bit lack luster a few weeks ago. My grandma, when she was able to plant crops, always put down a load of chicken manure on her plants. Her gardens would thrive.

The man at the co-op, even at my dirtest, recognized me from the news. When I asked for 3-50 pound bags of manure, he seemed quiet perplexed. I told him I wanted cow manure to work into my garden. Its gentler on plants than chicken fertilizer. He asked me if I knew much about manure and I told him where I come from its considered black gold :)

He loaded 3 heavy bags of the stuff in my car and I took off for the garden. I worked ALL DAY spreading cow crap in my vegetable garden. It was back breaking, knee grinding, sweaty work but in just a few short days my plants were exploding with green leaves and blooms.

I chose block style gardening. It makes it easier to hoe weeds plus everything has clean lines and looks neater. I've planted flowers, broccoli (which is bait for pests and worms at the moment), squash, cantelope, watermelon, peppers and tomatoes. I'm very proud to say things are looking great.

Here are a few pictures of my hopeful harvest. Note: I planted my garden a little later. I should have produce through late summer. :)

Reeling em in....

Friday morning I got up early to fish. It was overcast and rainy but apparently the fish were hungry. I snagged a 10 pound catfish. It stripped the line from the reel. It was so heavy I had to get my dad to help me pull it out.

The second cat of about the same weight I drug to the bank, and got the hook out of its mouth myself.

The third cat, again of about the same weight, broke the reel into. I had to stand on the line until my mom could get to the pond. She helped drag the fish up to the bank. Man was that fun. After breaking 2 of my dad's rods and reels I decided it was probably a good idea to quit while I was ahead :)

Here are pics of my catch so you don't think its just a fish story :)