Ms. Vera

As the season winds down and kids head back to school, the garage sales will decrease..

I love garage sales and I'm going to miss the summer sales season.

So tell me, what's the best thing you've ever found at a garage sale? I got a nearly brand-new car seat for $5. Yes! $5. I got it during the tri-city sale in Brentwood (and those other two cities nearby)!

What's your best yard sale/garage sale find?

Check this out:

The nation's largest greeting card company is rolling out same-sex wedding cards -- featuring two tuxedos, overlapping hearts or intertwined flowers, with best wishes inside. "Two hearts. One promise," one says.

Hallmark added the cards after California joined Massachusetts as the only U.S. states with legal gay marriage. A handful of other states have recognized same-sex civil unions.

What do you guys think?  The full article is found in the link below.

Now On The Hallmark Aisle: Gay Marriage Cards

This story is so crazy...and gross...

Read this & watch:

Restaurant workers are always asked to wash up before starting work. But one Ohio Burger King employee has gone too far. The worker who calls himself "mister unstable" posted a four-minute video on MySpace showing him bathing in the restaurant's sink as his fellow employees and the store manager looked on. The video eventually made it's way to the local heath commissioner who's now investigating. All the employees involved in the incident have been fired.

Oh my. I woke up Saturday morning and was watching FOX News when they broke in and said Bernie Mac had died.

Then last night, I was watching and the report about Issac Hayes' death.  Whoa...

I felt really bad that two good people and good entertainers passed away this weekend. But now I can't help wondering about the old folktale that death comes in threes...

Who's next? Do you guys believe in the three rule? 

Also, take a look at this picture from Issac Haye's Official website about an upcoming project. Pictured is Bernie Mac (passed on Saturday), Issac Hayes (passed on Sunday) and Samuel L. Jackson (uhhh...that's scary!)

If I was Samuel L. Jackson, I'd be watching my every move...

 

I recently took a trip to Chicago for a journalism conference and one thing I learned very quickly is the way to get around is by taxi...

While I did do a bit of walking (I like to walk) and even took a couple of buses to get to the Oprah Store (yeah, sure did)

most of my travels to and from the conference were done by taxi. Well, there's some things to know about taking a taxi in a big city:

1. If you find a good cab driver, HIRE him!!: Boy, if I knew that the first night, I would've kept the driver who took me to my hotel. So, I get off the bus (I rode the Mega Bus for $10!! can you believe that??) and flagged down a cab driver. He was very nice and talkative. He asked me where I was from, I told him St. Louis but said that I had been to Chicago many times (well, I've been a few times) just so he would think I knew where I was going.
Well, I didn't have to fake it with him. I noticed that he took me the route I knew as the quickest route to the hotel. Thank goodness! And I enjoyed his conversation! We got there in like 6 minutes, I paid him plus a tip. He asked, "do you need a driver while you're here." I said, "oh no thank you. I'll be fine! THanks alot!" My mistake. It leads to my next point:

2. ALL CAB DRIVERS ARE NOT CREATED EQUALLY: not that I thought they would be but I had no idea they would be so different!! I went from rude, to barely english, to mad if you told them there was a quicker way.
On my second day, one cab driver tried to get over on me...I told him where the conference was and he headed towards the hotel. Well, it was a huge conference and there was a sign outside for parking for taxis. This driver decided he was going to circle the building. When I said, "you can stop right here," he made up some excuse saying no, he had to go around to the back way, I said no," that's the sign right there, that's where I'm going."
So he acts like he's going to turn around! No! I told him "pull over right here." I got out, paid him without a tip! Geez. He thought I was dumb.

Another guy talked and talked to me and my friend as he got on the highway to go somewhere I KNEW wasn't that far away! It costs us $13.00 to get there but only $9.00 to get back with another driver, who went through the city...charged it to the game.

3. CAB DRIVERS HATE CREDIT CARDS: Oh my goodness...you should've seen the look on some of thier faces when me and my friend would pay for the taxi with a credit card. You see, going back and forth from the conference for my friend was "expensible." That means the company paid for the transportation because my friend was working the conference. Well, we got the dirties looks when ever the credit card came out. And I don't blame them....credit card company charges them like 5 %. I might be a little ticked off too! But don't take it out on the customers. And we heard it all. "You no have cash?" "My Card machine not plugged in" "I don't have any receipt paper." The list goes on and on...
And them most of them who were paid by credit card asked: "are you going to give a tip?" And they didn't ask in a nice way either. By the end of the trip, I wasn't tipping anyone who was bold enough to ask. Hey, call me wrong, but tipping is "TO INSURE PROMPTNESS", not compensate you for a form of payment you're required to take in the city of Chicago.
I don't make the rules.

Anyway, it was just interesting to see all the different dynamics, and here the stories, see how they think they can get away with charging more, and see ALLL the different people were just trying to make thier everyday living. Some were talkative. Others didn't speak a work other letting me know it was time to pay. It's an interesting experience....that I don't entirely look forward to again. Next time I'll keep the first nice guy I find.

So, after being on blogging sabbatical, (they keep me pretty busy at FOX 2), I’m back! My last blog post was in May about how much I hated folding laundry. Since then, the clean piles are so big!  But anyway, now….I have nothing to write about?!!  News..nah.

Politics…nah. Weather…nah.. I have no idea. So, I’ll just use this as a springboard to say hello to all my long-lost blogging buddies!! I told you I wouldn’t stay away forever.

 

And to all the newbies who don’t know me, don’t worry, I’m the nice one!!

 

Love to all!

 

Have a blessed day!

I was on my way to work this morning and thought I had to readjust my sight when I saw the sign - $3.59 for Gas on Hampton Avenue near the Berthold.  Huh?? It's was $3.69 just the other day at the same station!

Hallejuah! Pass the pump!
Who ever thought we'd be happy for $3.59 gas? I remember when gas was $2.00 and I thought the world was coming to an end, but now...oh I'm going to treat my car -- Regular Unleaded PLUS~~  Yes.. Midgrade~!
My car can take regular unleaded, but the manual suggests premium for the "high performance engine."  Well that when out the door when we got to $2.50 a gallon.

Since gas prices have dropped significantly in the last week, I filled 'er up!  Like a bandit!
Now, I'm thinking of taking a short trip up the road this weekend to see some friends. That's right, ACTUALLY leaving town again...what a concept, right?
Anybody else taking advantage of the lower prices?
By the way, if you don't know where to find them, just remember, we've got a gas tracker page right "er :  myFOXstl.com Gas Tracker

...Well technically, it's all clean but the problem is I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT!!!!

HELP ME OUT HERE....

Okay, here's my dilemma: I am totally bad at folding laundry and putting it away.
Washing clothes?  No problem at all. I can wash all day like clock work.
As soon as one load's out of the wash, the other's going in. And if the clothes in the dryer aren't dry, I start hanging some of the wet clothes just to keep the process moving.

BUT....when it's time to fold and put them away, my enticement with clean laundry seems to stop right there with the laundry basket.

Yes, I have baskets of cleaning laundry crying to be folded. I've actually considered hiring someone to fold it and put it away for me!  I hate it that much!! I have to put on a movie to watch just to commit to folding.

AND, I don't seem to really have room to put everything away when I DO finally fold it.

So, what should I do??? Looking for some suggestions here to make my experience less painful...
I mean, I can't be the only one with this problem....
Do you guys wash and fold a load a day? Do you tackle all the laundry in one day?
Do you wash one day and fold another day? Are there other method's you've learned that works for you?

Help a mommy out here. I up to my neck in unfolded laundry -- literally!!

Hello bloggers!
Just wanted to drop a line and say thanks for all the good blogs.
But we'd like to feature more of you but we don't have your avatar pictures!

All you have to do is click on your "my info" tab in your blog and "upload a new avatar."

Show us those beautiful faces to we can feature you in a spot just like me!

Thanks!

Ms. Vera

Why does coffee smell better than it taste?

So, this morning shift has claimed yet another victim - me. And now I'm resorting to the cure of coffee. It's not so bad, but I just don't see what the big deal is.
I know tons of people who "have to have it."
My grandmother used to be that way. It was a bit funny sometimes because she really couldn't function if she didn't have that first cup.
Then, she'd only take a few sips and be done. I know, right.

So, what's the big deal? Tell me what you guys like.
I, being a new coffee drinker, dumped some type of MilkyWay Moco latte, sugar and creme into my cup (hey, at lease I'll be awake ;-).

Holla at me!

Ms. Vera

Partying and Parenting - Please Just Pick One Current mood: angry A Tennessee mother is charged with negligent homicide after leaving her children, ages 4 and 7 children alone in an apartment while she went to a New Years Eve party and the children died in a fire. Are you ready - because here I go... What the 'freak' is wrong with people.

There is something wrong with our world, generation and good common sense when a mother, a 29 year old mother at that, feels it's more important to go out and party on New Years Eve than it is find a capable sitter for her child, or yet, just stay home.

Rule of thumb here, if you can't find a baby sitter, guess what - you can't go! I'm going through a transition of my own right now and for the last three years I haven't done much.

Now, I'm not the party type anyway, but I do like going to hear live bands, sit a the coffeehouse and meet up with friends. I've been out a little more than normal the last few months, but that's going to calm here soon because it's just not my thing.

With that said, enter Christian - my sweet baby: most important man in my life. He's three years old and needs the love and attention of his mother. But if I want to go out, my mother & father, his grandmother, or two of my friends (there only two I'm comfortable leaving him with) will watch him.

I think everyone knows I don't go out much, so usually they'll watch him. Also, they know I'm here alone and I'm not trying to pull some "poor single mom" card, but I kick butt at taking good care of him, playing with him, disciplining him, and taking time out just to spend with him. So, I deserve a break and some adult activities every once in a while (you can only take so much Chuck E Cheese)

But when I do go out, I am responsible. I know where he is and decide before hand what time I'll most likely to return (unless he's spending the night). Is it me, or is this too hard for some people? If I want to go out and my mother doesn't want to watch him, guess what - I stay home. If there's somewhere I really want to go, I may ask one other person, but I'm not calling 20 people to watch my kid just so I can go shake my butt.

So, it gets better. The now 4 and 7 year old fire victims are dead. But get this - they don't even live with her! They live with their grandmother in Mississippi and were visiting their mother for the holidays! So, you mean to tell me that you don't even get to see your babies everyday, they come up to be with you for the holidays and you STILL have the audacity to leave them home alone while you go out and "get yo' party on?" If she were a man, I'd still be pissed, but I'd would expect it. Men do [...] like that. "Oh, I miss my kid."

But soon as they pick 'em up and spend like an hour with 'em, they drop them off at the momma's house so they can go "kick it with they boys." But this is a mother. You birthed these children, and now they're dead because you failed at your only job - the preservation of their live. Parenting, apparently, wasn't as important as partying. But it hasn't be a priority for her anyway considering they live in another state. Bottom line: you don't leave children to party.
That goes for people who do find babysitters too! Yeah, I said it! I'm talking about these folk who feel the need to go out "EVERY" flippin' night and not be there to read a book, or put your child to sleep. Like Chris Rock said, "if you said more to him than 'mommy be back'" maybe he'll turn out to be worth something.

All I'm saying is stop. Take a look at what's important. They need us. Men, you need to stop too. Just because your girl is home with your baby don't mean it's okay for you to go out all the time. Grow the hell up and help a sista out.

I'm done.

Fire at will....

Another Great Parent: Just read. I'm not going to say anything.

CYPRESS, Texas -- Authorities are investigating after a Harris County woman apparently left eight children -- six of her children and a neighbor's two -- home alone while she went to Nigeria to marry a man she met on the Internet, leaving the youngsters with little food and no money. "It's just terrible," said Lt. John Martin of the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

 Martin said that a deputy making a welfare check on Wednesday evening at the home in this town just outside Houston found six children between the ages of 1 and 9 alone. The woman, whose name was being withheld Thursday, reportedly flew to Africa on Monday. "At first the children would not answer the door, but the deputy managed to persuade them to let him in," he said. "What he found inside the house was just deplorable conditions. There was trash everywhere, roaches everywhere. He said every item of clothing in the house was dirty and there was very little food."

The children told the deputy that they didn't know how to reach their mother, Martin said. Later that evening, a 15-year-old girl arrived and told authorities her mother flew to Nigeria on New Year's Eve. The teen said her mother left her in charge of four siblings -- a 1-year-old boy, a 7-year-old boy, an 8-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, said Estella Olguin, a spokeswoman for Child Protective Services. The teen was also caring for a neighbor's 3-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl, Olguin said.

Investigators spoke with the neighbor, who said he regularly left his two toddlers at the woman's house while he worked. The neighbor, who told investigators he drove the woman to the airport for the one- to two-month trip, said he didn't know the conditions were that bad in the home, Olguin said. The 15-year-old has a 16-year-old sister who spends most of her time with friends and her 14-year-old and 18-year-old brothers are serving time in juvenile detention and prison for robbery and aggravated assault, respectively, Olguin said. "There was no food in the home and mom didn't leave them any money," Olguin said. "The 15-year-old said she had to steal food and diapers."

The neighbor said the woman told him that her sister would arrive by bus from New Orleans to care for the children. But the sister had not arrived by the time deputies discovered the children. Olguin said that investigators are in the process of contacting the sister and other relatives to confirm the story and find out what happened. She said that CPS is also investigating the neighbor. She said that in the meantime, the children have been placed in foster homes.

Olguin said that the family apparently evacuated to LaPorte from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and then evacuated to Houston from LaPorte after Hurricane Rita.

Well, let it be known that I am always about supporting the home team and right now, I think the Missouri is doing great to be ranked number one in the country and I actually want to watch their bowl game. But there's just a little too much Black and Gold in St. Louis, in Missouri, in the freakin' news room I work in! I think 50% of the people I work with went to Mizzou and I love them a lot but if I hear "Miz-zou Rah!" on more time I going to paint myself Orange and Blue, plop down at my desk and play the Illinois Fight Song until Christmas! Yeah, that's for you, Conroy!

I love you guys so much but there's a stopping point. I just think if Illinois was in the top spot, we wouldn't be getting THIS much attention in St. Louis. Chicago, probably so, but this is Mizzou country by a slight margin. My complaint isn't the coverage so much as the fact that we have to cover it for another month! That's because of the upcoming bowl game. So I say, thin it out a little bit.

Overkill is overkill, no matter what it is. We did four, yes FOUR Mizzou segments in our Morning Show on FOX 2 Thursday. Oh, by the way, our morning producers all went to Mizzou, but I won't hold that against them

All I'm saying is I love the Illini and I'll support Mizzou, but someone please send me some Illini ORANGE AND BLUE LOVE! I need to hear the drums play and see the Orange Krush! I need Krannert and the Assembly Hall! I'd love some ice cream from the Illini Union and listen to the bell toll at noon on the Quad. I'd love to see Jordan's son running up and down the court in those shorts, yes!

I wish I could have some Gumby's pizza.

I've give anything to just sit in Foellinger Auditorium for just one more lecture.

How about an Italian soda and croissants and Busey's Coffee House with Grandma and Grandpa Miller?

Timisha, don't you want to go Wal-Mart and rearrange their merchandise like we used to do in undergrad when we got bored?

Laura, let's have a midnight snack at the Steak n Shake on Neil Street. Oh, I forgot, you'll be in Grainger studying all night.

Brad, come pick me up so I can do laundry for free in what used to be known as Melrose. Aww, I can hear the Black Chorus singing.

Hey, does anybody want to go dancing at Kams, Home of the Drinking Illini??

ANYTHING to save this Illni's orange and blue heart. I'll take whatever you've got. Just save me from the Miz-zou Rah Mania!

What kind of communion bread to you use?
We were in a planning meeting for Dan Gray's "In Good Faith" piece about people who 'police' communion in the Catholic church. There is some debate whether or not a person should be able to tell you if you can take communion or if it should be solely your choice.

Dan Gray's story on Communion Police airs Sunday night at 9 p.m. on FOX 2.

But check this out: many churches and congregations use different kinds of communion bread and wafers. What kind does your church use? Does it matter?

A pastor Taste-test communion wafers: Here's an interesting wafer 'taste test' we found on Godtube.com. Some people think it's funny, some people think it's sacrilegious.

What do you think? I wonder what the communion police will think of this guy?

 

 

And, have you ever really though about how the wafer taste?

Other Links:
What are wafers made of?

 

Watch Sean Conroy's Story on myFOXstl.com

Southwest Airlines is eliminating it's "Families First" policy where families with small children could board first regardless of when they bought their ticket or printed their boarding pass, or arrived at the gate.

I've always thought families should board first, not because I have a child, but because I figure no one else wants to be bothered with my child.

Trust me, families getting on first, I think, is better for all passengers.

When you're carrying an infant, a carseat, and a diaper bag, getting on and getting seteled works better when you aren't reaching over people.

Same goes for people with toddlers. You've got a little kid whose probably going to try and run away and if he's picky like my child, he won't want to sit where you put him. He's going to want to pick his own seat, and for the sake of peace and the other passengers, you better believe that I'm going to let him choose. Trust me, you'll have a better flight that way.

So, I think some people just thought parents were getting preferential treatment but I don't see it that way. When I fly alone and I see a family with two or more kids, I think, good, let them get on and get settled. Because what if they get on the plane, and there are no seats together?

Hopefully, someone nice will get up and help arrange some sort of seating but then you're still bothering passengers.

I like flying Southwest - it's low fare and family friendly. Well, it's still low fare, but apparently, things change.