Breakfast with Mark and Kim... I love them!!!

Took a while for me to type this up, but Wednesday was a great day...

On Tuesday morning I heard on Kost as I was running Steph to school to e-mail the station if you want to attend a breakfast with the morning DJs Mark & Kim on Wednesday morning. I listen to Mark & Kim every morning and they were at the new CBS/KCAL broadcast center. I figured that would be a once in a lifetime thing to see, so I shot them an e-mail. I want to go into journalism/broadcasting, so I couldn't pass up the possibility of getting to do this. I got a call at 3p.m. on Tuesday saying I won and am invited to go. Told my parents and there was some jealousy.

Anyways, I went to bed at 9 Tuesday night, fell asleep by 10, and was up at 3:30a.m. I figured out I could have slept another 45 minutes, but because of all the freeway construction I played it safe. Anyways, I got to the CBS studios at 5:45, 15 minutes early. I was the 2nd person to arrive. Went to the conference room and soon enough people started showing. Surprisingly it was people my age for the mostpart- a junior who goes to CSUF, her friend, and another girl who I recognize cuz I've seen her enough at Disneyland (I think that's sad when I've gone enough, I know the employees on a certain ride). I thought the target age of Mark and Kim's audience was 25-44 or something like that. There were about 10-15 of us. Mark and Kim did their radio show and came back and forth while all of us were in the conference room. They talked to us and made random smalltalk. They served bagels, muffins (good muffins at that), grapes, strawberries, and a bunch of other fruit. I was kind of expecting eggs, sausage, and whatnot, but it was neat and it was nice that they fed us, so I had no complaints.

At 6:10, they asked us to go into the broadcast center with Mark and Kim because we were going to be on TV. They had us line up behind Mark and Kim who were sitting at the news desk and they talked back and forth to the anchors. I was behind Mark's head the first time. The 2nd time around we were on air from 6:50-7:00a.m. when Suzanne and Kent were talking to Mark and Kim. I was behind Kim this time, so everyone could see me. I was on TV today... yay!!!

CLICK TO SEE ME ON TV--- IT IS THE LAST 2 LINKS ON THE RIGHT OF THE PAGE.

At 7:00a.m. Suzanne Rico came out and talked to Mark and Kim on their radio show and talked to the guests (us). She was sooooooooo sweet. She really was. She was full of energy and just the sweetest lady. I will admit, seeing her on TV at times, I got a different vibe, but she really was so sweet. She wanted to take us all, show us the anchor desk, the weather green screen, the control room, EVERYTHING. She did. We got to see her do her Early Show cut-in for the weather, traffic, and news. Vera Jiminez, the traffic reporter was just as sweet and showed us how she does the traffic and all the technology that she has now that they are in HD. We also saw the KCAL 9 studios.

I saw Kent Shocknek in the hall, Jaime Garza walking to and from his desk, new reporter Dave Malkoff, Rick Chambers, Randy Paige, and Dave Gonzalez (all anchors and reporters who I've watched for many years). After seeing those people and getting to walk around, we came back to see Mark and Kim, they had KOST goodie bags for us with t-shirts etc. (very cool), and CBS also did commemorating their new studios. Very cool also.While sitting there I also got to see Jackie Johnson and Sandra Mitchell. Sandra Mitchell was also just as sweet as can be. She seems like she is on camera, but this just confirmed it. It was amazing to see all the work Mark and Kim are doing during the breaks operating the computers and stuff like that... it was just crazy!!!

By this time it was 10:00a.m. and time to leave, but it was so cool. YAY!!! It was so worth getting up at 3:30a.m. I'd do it again if I could. It was just amazing. I'm mainly just describing who I saw because people who read this blog probably know the names more than anything, but the technology was incredible. The control room and all the computers, all the desks for the news writers, the HD studio, the SIZE of the new studio for KCAL and KCBS both are about 5,000 square feet. All the technology for the traffic- it sometimes changes as Vera does her traffic reporters. The feeds she gets will say traffic is moving at 65mph in an area, then suddenly 35, so it changes as she was on air. All of the cameras at KCBS/KCAL are now remote control and so nobody is operating them, which was an incredible thought all in its own. Got to see the teleprompters in motion and how sometimes they go really fast, and other times really slow. It was crazy. Something I may get to read one day... heh... we can hope. Totally worth missing a day of work... 3.5 hours to go to this...

Puff, The Magic Dragon

RULES:
1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

To show everyone my broad musical interests...

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?Kryptonite- 3 Doors Down

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?Words of Love- Buddy Holly

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? Fast Car- Tracy Chapman

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE? Don't Take The Girl- Tim McGraw

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?Down in Mississippi (Up to No Good)- Sugarland (That's a good motto!)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?He Aint Heavy, He's My Brother - The Hollies

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?How Forever Feels- Kenny Chesney

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?Carlene- Phil Vassar

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BESTIE?Big Man's World- Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?Foolish Little Girl- The Shirelles

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?Have a Nice Day- BonJovi

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?Soul and Inspiration- The Righteous Brothers

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?Dilemma- Nelly and Kelly Rowland (How true!)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?Beauty School Dropout- Frankie Avalon (I'm disturbed they think of me this way)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?Ready to Run- The Dixie Chicks (Isn't this the video they run away from their wedding in?)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?The Happening- The Supremes

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?Surfer Girl- The Beach Boys

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?I'm In a Hurry (And Don't Know Why)- Alabama

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?How Do You Get That Lonely- Blaine Larson

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?Let's Live For Today- The Grassroots

WHAT WILL BE THE SUBJECT WHEN YOU REPOST?Puff, The Magic Dragon- Peter, Paul, and Mary

Recuerdos de mi ninez

In my Spanish class (Spanish 5, thank you very much), my teacher said we had to write an essay about childhood memories. I spent a lot of time at my grandma's house, therefore my essay focused on that. I thought I'd share some of my memories. I wrote this out last night as I was brainstorming my essay because I'm a nerd, like that.

My grandma had a really cool french fry making machine and so everyday about 2:30 she'd tell my sister or me to run down to the storage bin under the refrigerator and bring up 2 potatoes. Then she'd make french fries for us. They were sooo good!!!

I remember watching "American Gladiators" with my grandma and sister.

I remember my grandma always rooting for the Minnesota Vikings.

I remember my grandma always used to say "gee my crimeney."

I remember all the ducks my grandma used to have, a pheasant, a goose named Henrietta that she'd let out of the pen everyday to roam her property, 3 dogs (a dalmation named Fritz, Smokey (named after Smokey the Bear) Australian shepard, and Norweigan Elkhound named Kia), and tons of cats.

I remember my grandma's 5 turtles... only one had a name. His name was Herman and he was orange.

I remember my grandma's parakeet Danny and the other bird BB, which is the reason I'm scared of birds. There... I'm not too chicken to admit it.

I remember every Friday morning my grandma would water all of the plants in the house (there were LOTS) and clean out the bird's cages.

I remember helping to clean BB's cage many times, he'd come out of the cage, I'd try to pet him and he'd bite me, then he'd fly when the cat came in the room, and flew after me a few times.

I remember my grandma used to have BB trained to walk up her fingers, arms, and stuff like that.

I remember the cats Blackie and LuLu and how they lived in their pins in the barn and were let out during the day. I remember LuLu was a fat cat with a stumpy tail.

I remember it snowed just for a few minutes when I was about 4, I noticed it when we were in the house. My grandma said we could go out and play in the barn and watch the snow. The only problem was my sister refused to put her jacket on, so by the time we got out to the barn the snow stopped.

I remember during a bad thunderstorm when I was about 5, my little ride on red car was outside and we had to put it away before it rained. My grandma told me to go round up my toys to put them in the shed, I did, I remember running VERY fast and then tripping and falling on the yellow wooden planter outside the rec room and I got a huge scar on my leg, which is still there above my knee cap today. It's not so big now... maybe an inch long now.

I remember sitting watching Prime 9 News at 12:00 with Paula Lopez, Kerry Kilbride, and Diane Barone. (Later Kerry and Terri Merriman) My grandma always used to comment on Kerry Kilbride's eyes and how beautiful they were.

I remember spending MANY nights at my grandma's house when I was little when my parents were getting their teaching credentials and taking night courses. We'd spend the night at my grandma's often times. It was sooo fun!!! We'd go to Jack in the Box or something and get food, bring it home, watch TV. At 7:00p.m. it was Jeopardy and time for candlelight. We could not miss Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune. My grandma always had candles around. She'd light the candles, turn off the light, she'd sit in the chair in the bedroom, then my sister in I would sit at the kitchen tables with the candles in the dark snacking on Cheetos, Fritos, or strawberries dipped in whipped cream or chocolate. At 8:00p.m., the lights came on, then KCAL 9 News came on. At 8, we also got our baths and there was always a fight whether my sister or I would blow out the candles. Then we'd get our baths afterward. My grandma would always supervise... give us a bath cloth and soap, tell us to lather it up, then wash ourselves, then we had to wash behind our ears, get all the toe jam out, and stuff like that.

I remember one Saturday night about 1997 I'm guessing, we were watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, then my grandma asked what we wanted to watch. Howard Stern's show Private Parts was on. I remember standing over at the TV trying to turn on USA to watch it. My grandma sat in the room with her chair and said no, that it would make her sick to see a guy's private parts. I later found out it was his biography, and yes, I have watched it.

7-UP is the cure for EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. Upset stomache, headache, anything. 7-UP, 7-UP is a wonder drug. 7-UP and crackers. My grandma recommended 7-UP to everyone and would pass it out to people like it was holy water. She still swears by it today.

I remember that my grandma always pronounced everything like they do from West Virginia. Saturday is Saredee. Washington is Warshington. Wash is warsh. Envelope is involope. Tuesday is Toosdee. Monday is Mundee. Thursday is Thursdee. Interested is enterstid.

I remember going across the street to the shopping center with my grandma practically everyday to eat, shop, or something. We'd j-walk across the street since my grandma liked the exercise from having to run across the street and dodge cars. She'd push the stroller with my sister in it and I'd walk along next to her.

I remember what was supposed to be my first day of 1st grade. We were spending the night at my grandma's house because my parents had night school. It was too crowded with my sister, grandma, and I on the same bed, so she woke up about 4:30a.m. and fell off the bed. I was completely asleep and didn't wake up until about 6:00a.m., my sister got my grandma a cover to sleep on the floor and my grandma just told my sister she was just going to sleep on the floor. Then when my grandma woke up she told me she didn't feel well and to call my dad. I called my dad (and it was his first day of work at a new school, which he was late for and got in quite a bit of trouble since he came to help my grandma), then 9-1-1, then my grandpa. I remember my grandma was in the hospital for several weeks and we'd go visit her at the military hospital. My grandpa stayed at her house the whole time she was in the hospital. She broke her hip.

I remember I got the citizen of the month award for that in the month of September in 1st grade and my teacher told everyone what a heroic thing I did.

I remember when my grandma fell while out working in the yard by the swing and fell onto a rake and stabbed her in the chest. I remember she called my mom at work, then my mom picked my sister and I up from school like 1:00p.m. and we went to the ER. I remember this was when cell phones were first became available to the public and so expensive, but my parents had them because they got a special deal on them for being teachres. I remember calling my dad at work trying to tell him where we were.

I remember when my grandma broke her arm. I don't remember how. I remember she had the meanest cast I'd ever seen on someone and all the pins in it. I remember she had a walker at the time and this was the first time my aunt from Nor Cal started her yearly visits.

I remember my grandma going bowling every Thursday morning. I remember standing on the back porch waving at her in her truck as she drove by.

I remember going to the military base with my grandma and we'd go the scenic route through the military housing. There was always tons of wildlife in that area... roadrunners... foxes... cranes... rabbits... everything and so we'd go really slow and look. I am so sad they have demolished all the military buildings recently to make room for some development.

I remember going to the military base every Thursday with my grandma to go the BX and commissary (I love that word... commissary). I loved how I'd always get to pick out the cookies and cereal for my grandma.

I remember my grandma's truck's name was Jenny and Jenny needed oil every morning. When Jenny wouldn't start, which was often, my grandma would sit there turning and turning the key in the ignition.

I remember it seemed like every Thursday when my grandma went bowling she'd get the truck tuned up with Merv.

I remember her saying practically every week that Jenny needed a tune up, then she'd say how great it was running every week.

I remember always asking my grandma why the radio in her truck didn't work. It had a speaker randomly sitting on the floor of the cabin.

I remember packing the back of the truck with groceries with my grandma and she'd insist we arrange them so they don't fly away.

I remember we'd take all the groceries upstairs to the kitchen, put them on the table, then use the paper bags to make a fort over by the kitchen door.

After the truck was unloaded my grandma would always take me and my sister for a ride in the back of the truck. We got to ride in the back of the truck and we'd crawl in the opposite direction she was driving. My grandma would drive forward in the driveway and then backward. She'd always ask how fast she was driving backward in the driveway for us since she couldn't see, but the speedometer wouldn't show, then she'd argue with it and say it was wrong, she was driving really fast. (My grandma has a LONG circle driveway).

I remember the 2 or 3 times in 20 years my grandma drove her Cadillac. I remember the car had a strange leather smell to it.

I remember nobody could drive my grandma's truck except her... not even my mom. I remember my mom's car broke down once and she needed to get to her hair appointment. My grandma was soooo upset about us not having a spare car for my mom to drive and how she needed the truck. There was a big argument between my mom and grandma, my mom won, got to drive the truck. My grandma drove up to our house, then since the truck only seats 3 my mom and sister rode in the cabin, then my grandma and I laid down in the back of the truck talking while my mom drove us back to my grandma's house so she could go get her hair done.

I only remember my grandma coming up to our house 2 or 3 times in my whole life. That was one of them. The 2nd was when I got a key to our house and I forgot my homework one morning, so she came up and came in with me. The 3rd time was when we cared for her in the summer of 2005 when she was sick.

I remember walking to school every morning with my grandma and sister since she lived down the street from the school. I remember how my grandma knew practically every parent at the school it seemed because they always saw her around with us and how she was always at the grocery store or drug store across the street from her house.

I remember about 4-6 grade my grandma drove us most mornings. Every morning about 8:00a.m. she'd go out to the garage, put oil and transmission fluid in the truck, then Jenny would warm up, and we'd leave about 8:30.

I remember my grandma used to flirt with the custodian at the school every morning since we'd get there as he was opening up the gate to let parents drop off their kids... she'd bring him oranges, lemons, stuff like that. She was not afraid to tell him he was hot and had beautiful blue eyes... there was quite an age difference between grandma and the custodian...

I remember my grandma had a video of Elvis Live in Las Vegas. My grandma was a HUGE Elvis fan. The video started out with him singing "are you looking for troubles...?" My grandma would say "yeah man!!!" Then Elvis said "well you came to the right place" and my grandma would dance around and try to look down the TV screen to see Elvis' tight pants. She'd only watch the beginning of the tape, but watched it a lot. Anytime my sister and I wanted to watch a VHS tape Elvis came out first.

I remember I hated Thanksgiving when I was young. My grandma ALWAYS made my sister and I sit at the little kids table next to the oven. ALWAYS. We got to sit at the grown up table the rest of the year, so why was Thanskgiving different? I don't know. I remember that made me so mad I tore down the screen separating the bedroom and the kitchen... it was never replaced. I also remember my grandma would always close the screen when we were little on Thanksgiving and Christmas because she insisted she needed to have a talk with the grown ups and my sister and I couldn't be in the room.

Snakes!

Last Tuesday night I watched my dad mow. He ran over a snake and cut it in half. How do I know it was a snake? It was black and had the mouth of a snake and it kept opening it up as someone came near it. A lizard doesn't do that. My dad said it was a lizard.

I saw more of those lizards on Wednesday as I was chaining the dogs up since the contractors were at the house. There were 2 little black ones side by side, sticking their collective snake tongues out, slithering back and forth. I got the shovel, cut them in half... let them slither, then disposed of them. This was just outside of our back door... I walk on the grass here 4-5 times a day at least... be assured I'm going to be on the lookout.

On Friday I go out to my car parked in front of the garage. The dogs are hovered around something barking. I look, see a 6 foot beige and black snake. That was a scare for sure! I grab the dogs and drag them to the tree to chain them up. By the time I get back I see the snake slithered into the garage (thankfully there is no entrance to the house through the garage). I wasn't going to go in after it, so I left for work.

On Saturday, my dad heard the dogs barking in the front yard, goes out and sees a 6 foot yellow and black snake and the dogs going after it. My sisters dog struck the snake a couple times. My dad pulled them away and then went after the snake, but the snake got away. We know where this snake's hole is... thankfully. This snake just had a good meal according to my dad.

About an hour later, my mom was leaving to go shopping and had just opened the gate. She looked over to see a 6 foot yellow and black snake in the palm tree next to the gate. This was at the other side of the yard. He stayed coiled in the tree for about 30 minutes according to my dad. My mom, the snake expert in the family said both were garden snakes.

Today I was weed eating and saw two 6-12 inch snakes while out on the hills outside of the gate. I did chop both of them... partly on accident... partly for my own sanity.We may see a snake or 2 a year... this year I guess its going to be worse, because its so dry and they're looking for water.

I have a lot to say...

So I started a blog for people to hear me through if they care to.