My Other Job(s)

Well, I think I've lost my mind, but I am now in the midst of trying to find "extra" work so I can make "extra" money.

We are going to Korea in the fall, and that means I need to save about $3000 in about 12 weeks. I have some money already saved, but you know, it's just never easy to save what- you- need, when you need it!

So, my first extra job: Dog sitting.

I start Friday.

The funny thing is that I posted an ad on Craigslist. It said something like, "Young professional, looking for extra money, not weird, just need cash fast for an out-of-country wedding..." At least, that was the gist.

When I showed up at the woman's house, she already knew it was me. We have mutual friends, and I think we may have even met before. What a small world! Her dogs are really sweet, too, so I'm thankful for that.

I look at this like a fun experiment. We'll see what happens!! OH, and if you have someone who needs a dog sitter, email me!

P.S. I still hate this economy. I'm not buying any more suits until 2010.

The Extreme Explosion...

Check this out! The Extreme Makeover Home Edition team blew up Chris and Niki Hampton's house live on KSPR News at 6. Talk about good timing! They were a few hours behind schedule, but it worked our perfectly for news purposes!



Here's another clip from 10 that shows the explosion from three different angles.



Joe Daues told me this is only the second time in Extreme Makeover history that they've blown up a house.

It's OFFICIAL

My sister Hyun Jeong and her fiance, Glenn, are getting married!!  

The special date is October 24th in Korea.

I am so, so happy!!  October is my favorite month because I love the fall.  My birthday falls in October, too, so I have all of these great childhood memories from October.

I used to tell people, "My birthday falls on the scariest day of the scariest month of the year."

Any guesses?

October 13th.

My birthday fell on a Friday on my 16th and 21st birthday.  How cool was that?!  Too bad I wrecked my car five days after my 16th birthday.  I mean totaled.  My dad was so disappointed.

Anyway, I got off track.

OCTOBER 24TH!!  My sister's big, fat Korean wedding!!  Can't wait!!  I really hope we can swing the trip and that nothing crazy will happen between now and then.

Extreme Makeover is Coming!

I think this is going to be so cool. The family is within 30 miles of Springfield... who is it? Keep it a secret, otherwise ABC could back out!

1) Thousands of volunteers are needed to do anything from construction to pass out water.

2) The producers say between 10 and 15,000 people will attend the "big reveal"... where do those folks come from?

3) There will be a spectator area. Tailgate, anyone? JK.

4) The local folks need to raise $70,000 to help the family with their mortgage-- go online (click here) for details.

5) A little tidbit: The show's producers told the builder that they were impressed with generosity in the Ozarks. When the builder and the producers met for the first time, the builder already had 70% of the house donated. Sam Clifton from Millstone Custom Homes says the number is closer to 90 or 95% currently.

Reporter Assaulted? or Reporter Assaulted!

This is from a station in Las Vegas. Two things: 1) Why didn't the producer get out of the live shot earlier? 2) Did the reporter think he couldn't be seen? 3) Was it necessary for the anchors to then talk about it?

Mark "Maverick" Sager on KSPR

I had to confront a convicted killer this week. It was a little intense for my liking, but it was inevitable (since we were at the same place at the same time.)

Mark "Maverick" Sager was convicted of manslaughter in 1977 for the death of a 14 year-old Missouri girl. The case is an interesting, difficult read. The injuries to the teen were horrifying. Sager's response was also chilling.

Fast forward to 2009: Mark was known around the Indian Point Marina as "Maverick". He told people he was a former ATF agent. Authorities say he carried a gun, a radio, a pager, a phone, and handcuffs on his belt. He even outfitted an old car with lights, sirens, and a radio. He assisted law enforcement with cases as well.

That is, until deputies became suspicious. After running a background check on him, they arrested him for impersonating an officer. That was this week.

At the time I encountered "Maverick", I was not aware of the extent of his past conviction. Had I been informed, I may have asked some harder questions. Or perhaps, I would've walked the other direction, out of fear. I was concerned that maybe I had taken it too far by waiting for him and following him out to his car.

I don't want to think about it anymore. I just hope he doesn't watch the news. Or read the internet. Or visit Springfield.

Tracy's Beautiful Wedding...and My Musical Debut

A dear college friend got married this weekend. My friend Tracy married Matt... and now they are on their way to Maui--the same place we honeymooned!

It was a beautiful wedding in downtown Oklahoma City. The Cathedral was gorgeous, but more importantly, the bride was stunning! I was a complete wreck because I was so nervous. Tracy asked me to sing (she asked last year at my reception, I think...) Although I was glad to do it, I was afraid I would mess it up and ruin her wedding. I learned the Latin about three weeks out, and it was fine... but I had to sing it in a lower key so that my voice wouldn't crack.

I am happy to report that all went well with the singing... and I hope I can do it again! All I need is a little liquid courage, and I can do it. I'm not proud of that fact, but hey, it beats coming in dead last at your first high school track meet. (Long story.)

It makes me want to cry thinking about my college friends because I don't get to see them enough. And as soon as a big event like this is over, we all go back to our normal lives. Often, we lose touch until it's time for another big event. Eventually, though, I'm afraid we'll run out of big events... isn't that what happens when you get old, buy a house, have kids, work a lot? I hope not. The plan is to do something in celebration of all of our birthdays this year, since most of us will be turning the big 3-0.

Anyway, this wedding was the end of our summer-wedding-marathon...and it was a great way to end it!

For anyone who knows us, this was a tribute to Tracy-- the glow stick dance. Rush 1999, perhaps?

The song was Red Alert by Basement Jaxx. "The way you shake, shake, shake!"

KSPR Earns Recognition in 2009

A big thanks to The Turner Report for commenting on KSPR's continual progression.

I know, I know... here I am talking about work on my personal blog... but often, work is pretty personal to me.

I can't say it enough. KSPR continues to be a great experience. It's challenging and very rewarding. I've been fortunate to have an endless amount of opportunities there, and I think we're making good on our promises to viewers.

Jim (my husband, who is the chief photographer at KY3 and KSPR) tells me he likes the "vibe" we have over at KSPR... and I would agree. Even my former KU professors said they liked the feel of the newsroom because there wasn't any "fake anxiety"... not sure what that means, but when my former professors tell me I have a good thing going, I believe it. They hear complaints from former grads practically every day...and they've taught there for several years!

Anyway, long story short: KSPR has been very fortunate the last two weeks to receive recognition from the Missouri Broadcasters Association and the Kansas City Press Club.

KSPR received four MBA awards and four awards from the KC Press Club/Society of Professional Journalists. The neat thing about SPJ is that KSPR competed against stations in Kansas City and Wichita. And of course, everyone in Missouri sent in material for the MBAs.

Yay, go team!

I'm really proud of our station, like a proud mama bear... I don't want to jinx KSPR, but I am just happy to see hard work pay off. We are on a long journey, but this is a nice pit stop!

What's Happening...

I haven't been posting very much since Minnie ate my camera. We want to buy a new one, but we don't want to spend more money.

Anyway, a lot is going on.

1. Got my braces. or Bray-shes on Tuesday. My teeth hurt a little, but it's more just like an annoying feeling because something is on top of my teeth. Invisalign is awesome, though. Love it. Call Dr. Rosen in SGF. Sometimes you can watch me on the news and I'll have them in. Usually just the topical promos, though... not the newscast.

2. Going to another wedding this weekend. This time, it's Jim's cousin Emily! We can't wait! Even Minnie's going to make the trip with us.

Next weekend, we're off for Tracy's wedding in OKC... and gasp, I'm singing!

3. We won a party at Fox and Hound. So, if you're hungry and want free food, DM me.

4. My mom took her first plane trip by herself! She was so nervous on Thursday... but she landed safely, and all is right with the world.

5. Minnie is at least 65 pounds now, and she really likes our neighbors. I think this is a good thing, but I feel sorry for our neighbors. Minnie needs constant affection.

6. I am back to sewing. Which reminds me, you should check out SHE'S CRAFTY! Anna re-taught me how to sew, and I'm also taking one of her classes! You should take them with me!

7. OH, and the biggest news of all: MY SISTER HYUN JEONG GOT MARRIED!!

I just found out a few days ago. Originally, we were supposed to go to Korea for the wedding in the fall, but I guess they needed to get married sooner in order to live together in Korea. I'm so happy for her and her new hubby, Glenn. Now, if I could just get them to move to the states, that would be awesome...but I really want to go visit them first!

8. OH, and another thing... my little nephew, Won Hoo, had his 100th day celebration... and I forgot. OMG. Terrible auntie. BTW, Yeoun Jung is preggers again!!

Tracy's getting married!! And odd lessons learned.

I just had the most awesome weekend ever with a bunch of college friends...and new ones, too!

My friend Tracy is getting married in three weeks, so a bunch of us celebrated in Monkey Island, Oklahoma. We went out on a boat (where everything's better), shadow danced, and sang karaoke with a couple of cowboys.

Her family friends were incredible. They always kept us entertained and well fed! And Tracy's mom is adorable. Very sweet!

Anyway, we learned a lot of things this weekend that are worth sharing:

1. Never leave your keys on the back of the toilet.

2. Your keys, as heavy as they are, will flush down the toilet.

3. It's a good idea to keep a spare set of keys in your car in case you do flush your keys down a toilet at a gas station.

4. RSVP literally means: répondez s'il vous plaît

5. "If You Seek Amy" by Britney Spears is code for: F-U-C-# ME! Woh!

6. Bedazzled jeans are still not in fashion.

7. Never let your friends allow you to sleep at a bar. (Poor random guy)

8. Pear Absolut and club soda don't exactly taste good together.

9. Obey the speed limit. (My warning ticket was a nice souvenir, though.)

10. Good friends need to hang out more often.

"The Face"

My sister-in-law's boyfriend (Erika and Mike)

posted some pictures of me on Facebook...

and it just reminded me of this stupid face I make when I start dancing.

WHY?!

It is uncontrollable.
I really don't do it on purpose.
I basically make this face all the time, I've discovered.
The best pic is from my bff Leigh's wedding...
it's at the bottom. Sorry, Leigh.

UNDERSTAND that if I come to your wedding, I WILL make this face.
My apologizes, in advance.

DO YOU HAVE "A FACE"?

This is the face.

This is the face with an olive in it.

This is the face with my eyes closed.

The face with the booty shake...and Jim doing the "white guy dance"

I left my heart in...Des Moines?

I would have never guessed that Des Moines was so cool.

I mean NEVER.

When I think of Iowa, I can't think of one thing that stands out.

I think of corn.

However, thanks to my husband's cousin, we went to Des Moines over the holiday weekend.

We went because Tina got married to a wonderful guy named Kent!

In fact, they're enjoying their honeymoon as we speak.

Kent and Tina: great couple!

Anyway, I'll tell you why DM is so cool.

It has a real downtown. We went to the farmers' market on Saturday, and it was awesome! It was HUGE! I would bet it's about four times bigger than the tent-spread at Artsfest. Vendors from all over were there-- fruits and veggies were sold... but what impressed me was the ethnic food choices. Indian food at 9 a.m.? What about Hmong eggrolls? I bought about a pound and a half of morel mushrooms. Pretty impressive.

It seemed clean. Maybe I wasn't watching closely enough, but it certainly felt clean.

Anyway, there are probably more reasons, but honestly, we were there for the wedding... so we were devoted to that. What a great weekend!

I killed a bunny

This is what I got when I googled "bunny roadkill"--

and this is actually what it looked like.

So, I left work... on my scooter...

I saw a little tiny thing scoot across the road near St. Louis and Weller. If I had to guess, it looked like the size of a tennis ball. I thought, "Hey, that looks like a little, baby rabbit!"

Next, I see a fairly larger rabbit.

Boom!

I practically flip over my handlebars. I decide to keep going, but then about a block later, I decide... I have to turn back. What happened? Did I really just hit what I thought I hit? Perhaps the bigger bunny escaped with just a banged up leg.

I turn around.

I see something in the road. Perhaps it's trash.

Nope.

It's my bunny. And it's twitching. It's little eyes are wide open. It won't blink. It just lays there and twitches. I think... "Maybe, I should pick it up and put it out of its misery." But with what? My scooter?!

I drove home at a snail's pace. I tell Jim, and he proceeds to tell me that it's the bunny's fault for running out into the road. I respond with a, "So, the bunny should just die because it ran out in front of me? This is serious!" He says he's glad I didn't swerve and wreck. Point taken, but I'm still grieving...

I don't think I can stand to see the bunny there on my way to work tomorrow, and I'm not even sure I can drive the scooter for a while. I was just telling my co-workers that I can drive the scooter really well! And an hour afterwards, I'm a bunny-killer.

I have hit things before (chickens, birds, a cat, one dog, and one deer...) but that was in an automobile. I mean, OMG, I killed something with my scooter!!!!!! Do you know what that feels like? The bump alone is too intense. I'm surprised I didn't propel off my scooter.

This is a major tragedy. I think I killed a mama bunny.

Happy Mother's Day and Giardia

Horrible combo in the title, but I wanted to tell my mommy Happy Mother's Day!

Moving on... my daughter has giardia. What's that? Oh, it's a bacterial thing that causes you to poop like a fountain. Or better yet, explosive diarrhea. Ek!

We went to the vet, and she told us that it's a waterborne thing. She sometimes likes to drink puddle water, so I think that's the answer. Good times, good times.

Funny thing is, as much as she likes water, Minnie freaked out when we took her to Busiek Park last night. We met a couple of our friends (and their dogs) last night, and Minnie looked like a big baby. She would barely go in the water!

With my best Mommy Dearest face, I told Minnie she embarassed me. Shaming her didn't work, either.

Braces

I'm going to get braces. I am so excited!

I always wanted braces, but my parents said no. Now that my teeth have shifted again (and Jim can pay my bills--joke), it's going to happen.

Jim and I have a lot of jokes about the whole thing... but I'm so happy he's supportive.

Oh, I'm not technically getting a metal mouth. I'm using invisalign, so no one will be able to tell. I'll have my teeth fixed in a year!

Ahh!

PERTURBED

Minnie ate my camera. God love her.

She is so cute, but she's really going through this crazy phase of taking stuff off
tables and then eating them. Today, it was a Sharpie.

Then I came to work.

St. Jude

Dallas Houtz, Me, and Dori Olmos

We just got back from St. Jude, and I am so glad I went. I had no idea what a great place it is.

I actually expected it to be sad and depressing with so many sick children, but it was completely the opposite. I was told there are sad days, but overall, there are so many more happy ones. I believe it!

The place doesn't even look like a hospital once you get inside. It's very light, colorful and cheerful. And the kids there really are getting the best cancer treatment available.

If you have a chance to watch some of our stories about St. Jude, you'll see. I'm running a story this evening on St. Jude, but there will be more to come. I would tell you to go visit the campus in Memphis, but they have that place pretty secure, so I doubt it's an option. It is a cause worth supporting, that's for sure.

I'm in Memphis Right Now!

I am pleasantly surprised by Memphis. It's weird how that works.

Before I went to San Francisco, everyone told me I wouldn't want to come back. But you know, I did want to come back. I loved California, but I think my mind told me it wasn't the end-all, be-all... because other people had hyped it up for me.

Then, there's Memphis.

Memphis is such a cool, little city. Beale Street is an ecclectic mix of blues and young folk... big beers and music. The city has a lot of history, and it's just a great town to kick back.

Anyway, if you want to see some of my pictures and videos, click here. I especially like the little Asian kid running after the ducks. What a cutie.

Weekend Project

Minnie and I worked on a weekend project-- we changed the fabric of an old chair I bought at a garage sale a few years ago. I can't remember if the chair cost $1 or a couple of bucks. After I bought the paint, the fabric and the fringe, it probably cost about $10.

The latest fabric cost about $10 for a yard at FM. I still have plenty left for a pillow! Anyway, it's all done, and Miss Minnie and I feel like somewhat crafty creatures.

Our First Easter! (Excuse the Bed Head)

Wow! The Easter Bunny left us something at our door!

Jimmy and Minnie must've been good to get all of these treats. The Easter Bunny left Minnie some Dingo balls, a chew toy and some Dingo rawhides. The EB also left Jimmy chocolate eggs, Peeps, egg-shaped gum, Sweet tarts and Sprees (Jim's favorite!) How did the Easter Bunny know what we liked?