Gooooaaaaallll!

The Swinging Bridges of Brumley, Missouri

John and I traveled to the Lake of the Ozarks this weekend.  We stayed in a fine hotel and at a fine lobster dinner and we also enjoyed some of the local sights.  For hilarity, nothing beats driving across a rickety bridge!

We wuz robbed!

I took the day off so I could watch the match with people.   

I was, by far, the oldest female in the room.  Gary Lezak was there early, to give his daily weather report.  And what fun it was, especially after the Yanks tied the game!  Yes, the referee made a huge mistake.  There was no foul and this game was stolen from USA.  Frank Boal and John Holt were there, btw.  John looks good and says he's feeling stronger every day.

Thanks, Border Patrol, for hosting this event!

Getting ready for the USA match tomorrow

I'm taking Friday off so I can watch the USA/Slovenia soccer match somewhere and cheer for the Yanks.  Charlie sent me this song (Official World Cup Theme Song) and it's now on my iPod. 

I've become a K'naan stalker and signed up for his fan club.

I love you Dad.

I sent my mom flowers for Mother's Day.  I sent my dad a set of DVDs about Route 66.  He's a big fan of the Mother Road and I think he'll enjoy watching some of the anecdotes about the old days. 

I'm sad that when John and I retire, we can't really follow it from Chicago to L-A.

Warning.  We don't intend to have a home in our later days. 

We think we have enough relatives so that with our (still to be purchased) mobile home of some sort (I'm still saying a 5th wheel, John thinks more like a Winnebago) we can spread ourselves out with the sisters, brothers, cousins and friends so we can see the remaining parts of North America that have eluded us through the job changes since we started moving around in 1990.

But I digress (as usual).  Mom and Dad drove a portion of Route 66 last year in this Ford pickup my father restored.  I'm still dying to drive this baby but he's pretty careful about who gets behind the wheel. 

I don't blame him, even though I haven't had a car-to-car incursion since...welll....Christmas Eve, 2009 when the snow was falling heavily in KC and some youngster slid into me from behind.  Not my fault!

Anyway, I am so darn lucky to have great parents who loved us a lot, provided for us every day and taught us all the value of hard work.  My sister Paula says that if you want a job done, just make sure there's a farmer's daughter on the team.  We don't know when to quit.

I hope you are lucky enough to still have your dad with you.  I pray that as we honor dads this weekend, you can thank your father in person.

And if we still know each other in twelve years, can we park in your driveway for a few days?

Soccer mom

I watched every second of Saturday's World Cup match between the US and England with my laptop open and Tweetdeck bleating every second.  Funniest tweet was from some fellow who wondered if the game was being played on the back of a giant mosquito.  (Vuvuzelas)

I wasn't alone.  The ratings for ABC were the largest for a soccer game since 1994.  Nearly 13 million households.  And almost everybody I know watched the match in a bar, not at home, as I did.  (I am getting boring in my old age!)

"Since Thursday, fans have consumed more than one million hours of World Cup content on ESPN3.com, ESPN’s signature broadband network, which is available in 50 million homes."

The draw is made even more amazing to me as we await word of Tim Howard's ribs.  Broken?  Not?

Here in Kansas City, KMBC has to be happy.  The game garnered a 10.3 rating and averaged a 22 share.  Not too shabby.

By the way, I DO NOT AGREE that vuvuzelas should be banned, as this Gawker article suggests.  I've been watching soccer for almost twenty years and truly, the buzz becomes background noise after awhile.  I don't even hear it anymore.

Maybe that's another sign of my advanced age....

Happy Friday!

Promotion!

Many from our investigative unit are in Vegas for IRE this week, including Jenn Strathman who will soon (sadly for us) be leaving Kansas City.  Jenn is transferring to the Scripps station in Cleveland.  A larger market and closer to her family.  Jenn is an award-winning journalist and one of the hardest-working reporters I've ever known.  Here's the email I sent to the newsroom to announce her departure last week:

Cleveland scam artists should be afraid. Very afraid.

It is with mixed emotions that I announce Jenn Strathman is leaving Kansas City. She's transferring to the Scripps station in Cleveland, WEWS.

For more than five years, Jenn has been tenacious as she tracked down crooks, exposed fraud and fought for consumers. Her file includes a letter of thanks from John Coughlin of Overland Park. His spelling isn't so great but the appreciation shines through. He writes "If it had not been for her effort we would still be waiting for a $2,000 refund…she did an outstanding job of putting the pressure on. She is a real asset to your organization."

I absolutely agree, Mr. Coughlin. I'm sorry to see Jenn go but I'm happy that she'll still be in our company.

In the meantime, Keith King will take over the Call for Action franchise.  If you're a consumer reporter looking for a challenge please apply! (go to http://www.scripps.com/ click on careers)

Jenn will be here for a few more weeks so you can send your congratulations...just click here and scroll down to the "contact" section on the right side.

Hakuna matata, Jenn!

Sah-weet! More on Lew (say that last part real fast)

Just got around to reading some of the other blogs about the Amy-versus-Al-who-is-the-journalist kerfuffle from Monday and I really, really appreciate this breakdown from KC Confidential.

A tip of the hat!

Asking tough questions is part of the job

Reporter Amy Hawley caught up with KU AD Lew Perkins today and asked a very pertinent question about his job security.  Mr. Perkins didn't appreciate the interuption of his golf game, apparently: 
Lew Perkins gets upset in interview after questioned about recent KU scandal - NBCActionNews.com

Incredibly, a reporter from WDAF, Al Wallace, was also there, recorded the whole thing and presented it as a "confrontation."  We were all amused when during the 6pm news, anchor Phil Witt appeared to congratulate our reporter for her tenacity.

Amy did her job.  Can't say the same thing for Al.

I'm breaking the rules (and I'm not sorry)

A few days ago, I found this advice to bloggers and I know I've broken Rule#4 many, many times since re-launching this blog.

To the folks who check this every day, I apologize.  I need to do better.

Frankly, I think about stuff I want to post here all the time but I just need to find the time.

Now that my management team at KSHB is set, maybe, just maybe, I can find the time to make this a daily habit again.

And if I don't?

Maybe I'll just go back to writing my book or posting my random, silly thoughts on Facebook or Twitter.

(huh?)


Nahh.

IfItWasMyHome.com - Visualizing the BP Oil Disaster

IfItWasMyHome.com - Visualizing the BP Oil Disaster