My Picture of the Moment

At one particular moment, Jim said I looked like a combination between my sisters Hyun Jeong and Yeon Jeong. These are my POMs (pictures of the moment.) I love these new pics of my sissy HJ.

Conditioning Our Minds to the Threat of War

It seems like everyone is wondering about the situation between North and South Korea (and let's not forget the U.S., Russia, and China...)



Today, I talked with a friend of mine who travels to Korea two to three times a year. She said something like, "Normally, my concern level is at a 2. But now, it's definitely more." To me, that's saying something.

Then, just a few minutes after that, someone at worked asked me, "Have you talked to your family in Korea?"

Clearly, it's on a lot of people's minds... well, at least if they're American.

When I got off work tonight, I called my sister, Hyun Jeong. And like usual, she said she is not concerned. Not concerned? How can this be?

Then, I talked to her husband, Glenn. He said he was a little worried, but his voice didn't have the same urgency as the voice in my head. Really?

It has occurred to me over the years that South Koreans really don't consider the North to be a threat. They don't believe that the North wants to really go to war. They are used to crazy threats from Kim Jung Il and his regime. They even shrug their shoulders at a torpedo now and then.



It's unimaginable to me. My parents were so concerned when Jim and I went to Korea back in November... I can't imagine what they'd be thinking now.

I'm getting off subject a bit, but generally Korean people are so hard to understand. In one regard, they're super healthy with the way they nourish themselves. The food seems so healthy. Yet, when we were in Korea, people kept sneezing on each other and us during the height of swine flu. Jim was outraged! No one taught them to cover their mouths?

The same thinking goes for the tense situation over there. How can people ever get scared? They live next to an unstable country with a leader who's eccentric and aging. What does he care if he starts a war? The countries never signed a treaty to end the war in the 1950s. They just signed a cease fire. UH, HELLO?

I know South Koreans are just used to this kind of behavior from their naughty neighbors to the north, but it sure scares the daylights out of me. South Koreans are (again, generally) such happy, pinky-ponky people. I worry about their internal threat meters sometimes.

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I've Stopped Buying Groceries

So... the last two weeks, I've played a game with myself. I've stopped buying groceries.

Why? Because I spend about $200 every time I go to Sam's, and I think--for what? Really? $200?! It seems crazy. I have enough basmati rice to last a year. The same goes for oatmeal.

I've had enough. Time to stop the insanity!

Just two weeks ago, I spent about $200 and was actually surprised. I was amazed at how out-of-touch I was with reality. I thought I had about $100 of groceries in my cart, but nope... it was double that. So, I decided I was going to start using what I had in my pantry.

How's it going? Well, tonight, I took my basmati rice and added butter, broccoli and cheese... next up, chicken sausage with basmati rice, onions, and olive oil. Not bad! I also gathered all of my veggies (potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, and garlic) to make vegetable soup.

Now, we're on a roll.

I make a bunch of food so that I don't have to cook for the rest of the week. I can eat the same two things all week long and so can Jim. I might make a bunch of tuna salad for him during the week, and then have one or two options for him for dinner. I do the same with me... usually, it's a cheese tortilla for lunch, soup or chicken for dinner. Our poor (future) kids... they're going to hate leftovers by the time they grow up.

The only problem with cooking late at night...is EATING late at night!

Anyway, I should add that in this game of ours, we can buy staples. Today after work, Jim rode the scooter to Dillons and bought $16 worth of groceries. Milk, eggs, bread and toilet paper. I think that's the first time Jim's been grocery shopping by himself since we've been married! Of course, I really think he wanted an excuse to ride the scooter...

Wednesday's Child: Joey

Please check out Joey! He is so adorable... and he needs a home!

Taehoo, My Niece...

WHAT A DOLL!!! I WANT TO EAT HER!

Wednesday's Child: Dalton

This is a very important new project I'm doing at KSPR-- I hope it changes lives! PLEASE DOUBLECLICK ON IT BECAUSE IT PLAYS WEIRD HERE!

Meet Dalton, an intelligent, energetic and determined young boy with a charming smile!

This all-American boy loves sports, especially football and basketball. Playing outside is another thing he enjoys. Outside or inside, you will see Dalton playing with Star Wars toys, which are his favorite!

Dalton is in the second grade and does well academically. He is very smart and is especially talented at reading.

Dalton currently benefits from counseling, which will need to continue after placement.

Dalton’s caseworker prefers a two-parent family for him; however, all family types will be considered. A loving, structured home environment would be the most beneficial for this young boy.

In the future, Dalton wishes to maintain contact with his siblings. Financial assistance may be available for adoption-related services. Call The Adoption Exchange for more information at 1-800-554-2222.

New Pic of Won Hoo... whoops!

This is my nephew Won Hoo... in Korea, there's no such thing as flippin' the bird... so, my sister has no clue how bad this looks! But, it's still so cute!!

My sister wrote, "Now he knows that he is taking a picture." Ha! Lost in translation...

Yo-Yo Champ is Actually...Kind of a Loser

This fake yo-yo champ has been duping TV stations... even in Missouri. I laughed so hard watching the video... apparently in St. Joe, this yo-yo guy hit himself in the head and the groin!

Scroll through some of the video to get to the good stuff... and read this story. *UPDATE* Apparently, the Wisconsin station pulled the video, but I found another! This one from Joplin!

What do you think? Should I book this guy on KSPR News at 4?

Deal of the Day: Free Gourmet Cupcake from Askinosie Chocolate

Can anyone honestly pass up Askinosie Chocolate? Tomorrow (Tues.), they'll be handing out free cupcakes to kick-off their new line.

The first 100 customers will receive a FREE chocolate cupcake with chocolate butter cream icing! From there on, Askinosie Chocolate will offer more flavors including chocolate, vanilla, banana, and red velvet each Tuesday.

Can you say YUM!?!?!

Here's an OLD story I did on Shawn in 2007. A little embarrassed about the way I sucked down some chocolate, but whatever. It happened.

Chickens in Springfield city limits AND why you can call me ROOSTER!

Is this a great idea? Is this a bad idea? Is this hillbilly or is this progressive? I've heard that we're actually behind in this movement.

If the city allows residents to own chickens, I hope only my good neighbors consider them. I have/had a couple of neighbors who can't/couldn't take care of their cats... they ended up pooping in my yard all the time and chillin' on my porch. Minnie thought their poo was "kitty candy."

And, I guess since I grew up in farm country, I'm kind of over it. My mom would tell me these awful stories of my strong, big-boned, great-grandmother chopping off a chicken's head and then plucking out all of the feathers so they could have something for dinner. I think she hated chicken for years.

Still, I also think having chickens and eggs would be kind of fun. Cost-effective? NO. But, kind of fun. And maybe a little smelly.

The woman in the story is a friend of mine. Actually, I hang out with her teen girls! Our connection is adoption, so the girls and I will get together a few times a year and do something fun. Last time it was Silver Dollar City!

Anyway, back to the chickens. I like chickens. We had some when I was a kid. I am all about sustainability. I just don't think it's for me... but again, you're talking about someone who killed off her garden a couple of years ago. I'm hopeless. I will, however, gladly accept some chicken eggs!



OTHER CHICKEN TALES: Chickens embarrassed me as a kid. How can that be? In high school, our mascot was a rooster. Seriously??? It was like I lived in a mocumentary--Asian girl grows up in a chicken town...with a rooster as a mascot. We were the Roosters and Chicks. You can imagine the jokes when we played ball against the Carrollton Trojans or the Lexington Minutemen. Try telling somebody your high school mascot was a rooster and see the response you get... that's all I'm sayin'. A former co-worker at KY3 (news producer and blogger Chris Replogle, a rival from Nevada) gave me the nickname "Rooster"... and it stuck.

One more story-- I once hit a chicken while it crossed the road. It was like a cartoon. A poof of feathers flew up in the air, and I couldn't see out my windshield for several seconds. I'm pretty sure I had two girlfriends in the front seat (someone always sat in between the driver and passenger back then--don't recommend it!) We screamed like any 16-year-old would... then we laughed. That's what happens when you live 15 minutes out of "town" and on a backroad. To this day, I still slow down over hills on backroads-- you could run smack dab into a chicken, a cow, a tractor, or much worse if you're not careful.