Abby Grimmett's Blog

It's over...for now

2010-03-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I had been working on a feature story for KOMU about a piece of legislation that would increase the penalty for shaken baby convictions. Currently, law classifies the act as a Class C felony, which means offenders receive a maximum seven-year sentence. This legislation would change that to an unclassified felony and recommend a 20-year sentence.

I'd never been so nervous for a story to air, this was, after all, my baby. But, all things considered, I think it went quite well.

Monday, the bill came before the Senate Judiciary Committee. No one was there to testify against it, but considering we're in the second half of the legislative session, I wasn't shocked. There was also no vote on the bill because there were only two committee members present, one of which was presenting the bill, Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia). All of the people who were in my story were there to testify, and afterwards they approached me to express their frustration with the current status of the bill. I told them, from my experience, at this point in the session, there is no chance the bill will go through by this process, but the opportunity to add is as an amendment may still arise.

It meant a lot to me that after the story aired, the family told me how happy they were with the finished product, and no one sent emails criticizing it. I was confident with my work, but was unsure how the family would receive it, but they loved it. Win, win.

There's much more to the story, which you can read in the web version.

As I said earlier, I did go to the SJC hearing yesterday, and plan to stick with this story throughout the remainder of this session. Stay tuned for updates, because it ain't over yet, folks.

To sticking with it,

A story two months in the making...

2010-03-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

So, my HFR runs on KOMU tonight. What's an HFR you may ask? Hm, well technically it means a "hold for release" story - aka, a more in-depth, time consuming piece, which the station can air when they have room for it.

My 4:35 piece of broadcast delight is about shaking babies. And I mean that in the most literal term. It's rather sad - there is a bill making its fourth appearance in the Missouri Legislature called "Karra and Jocelyn's Law." The bill calls for stricter penalties for those convicted of shaking a baby to death, or endangering a child's welfare. The current law classifies the act as a Class C felony, which instigates a maximum seven-year sentence. However, offenders often do not serve that full-term, whetherr because they cut plea bargains or get out on parole. The bill would make it an unclassified felony, and recommend a 20-year sentence for offenders.

I spoke with the families of Karra and Jocelyn, two girls who were less than one-year-old when they were shaken and killed. For those of you who know me, I'm basically a rock when it comes to emotions. But this story definitely shook me up - no pun intended, friends. Both families shared their heart-wrenching stories with me. I just hope I can do them justice in telling it for them.

Needless to say, I'm nervous at this time. In less than four hours, a story that has taken me countless hours, beads of sweat and increased heart rates will air for all of Mid-Missouri to see. And I've packed it all into a 4:35 piece. Here's hoping it goes off without a hitch.

The families say they are so glad these babies will finally have a voice. No pressure, right?

I'll elaborate more on the story and the issues involved in it after it airs. I don't want to give away every detail!

To doing my job well and trying not to panic,
Ag

Making Short Stacks go a Long Way...

2010-03-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

I think I said that line a million times during my hits on Tuesday, February 23. I went live from Columbia's IHOP to tell Mid-Missourians about National Pancake Day - an event in its fifth year that benefits Children's Miracle Network. I actually covered the event for my final B2 story last year, and remembered it was around this time. It just so happened to fall on the morning of my live shift, brill! For KOMU, I usually don't cover news events like this, but it was a perfect topic for the morning show. It was also my first attempt at a live interview. Molly Myers, the CMN Coordinator from MU Children's Hospital was kind enough to join me on camera...

I think my live truck operator, Scott had a great time, too. We both had smiles at the end of the shift because we got most of the shots up, were warm inside with an endless supply of coffee, and even treated ourselves to a free shortstack. In fact, we ate the stack I used in my final wrap up of the morning.

After watching that, it seemed like everyone in the studio enjoyed the story as well.

To strategic pancake planning,

P.S. I highly recommend blueberry syrup. yum.

One step closer...

2010-02-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

Well, the past couple of days have been pretty amazing! As I mentioned in my last entry, I am hitting the pageant scene again after taking the year off. I competed in Miss Audrain yesterday and much to my surprise, I won! I'll be returning to Miss Missouri for the fourth year (a reminder of how much older I'm getting!).

I'm so looking forward to working with Bev, Megan and the rest of the Miss Audrain board - I think we'll be a perfect fit. Mexico is a great location since it is close to Columbia and my hometown of Perry, so I plan on making many trips there over the next year. The community has already been so supportive and receptive, I cannot wait to see where this year takes me.

I must say that last night, just a couple hours after winning I was walking to my car parked on the square. I was parked in front of the Hallmark store, and a gentleman was sweeping the snow off the sidewalk just outside of it. The man stopped for a moment and asked me if I was the new Miss Audrain, to which I excitedly replied "Why, yes! I am!" He then introduced himself as the owner of the Hallmark store and told me of his partnership with the Miss MO Org. He then proceeded to sweep all the snow off my car! This was an awesome gift to the new queen who was still wearing her open-toed high heels during a snowstorm (apparently my common sense went out the window upon crowning). So, thank you!! He also gave me a chocolate, which I gladly ate!

What was most exciting about yesterday was that my entire family was there to support me, along with some friends! Since the pageant was so close, they were all able to come, which is unusual for most locals I've competed in. I got so many hugs and well wishes after the crowning - it was indeed a memorable moment!

Many told me after the pageant, "Abby, we're so glad that you're back!" I am as well. Taking the year off last year really made me realize how much I missed this program, and I cannot wait to reconnect with everyone in the Miss Missouri Organization.

I don't have much time until Miss Missouri, so I'll be hitting the ground running. However, I'm so excited and feeling extremely motivated by the way things have worked out, so I couldn't be more thrilled to be doing so! So, stay tuned for updates on "Abby's Awesome Audrain Adventures."

To new adventures and wearing snow boots,

I'm Alive...but my blog doesn't know it

2010-02-11T14:46:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends,

So, obviously bloggity blogging has been on the back burner the past 6 months. In an effort to catch everyone up on my journalism and traveling adventures (because I know everyone and their pet iguana must be wondering what in the world I've been up to...) I'm simply going to post some links to stories, and find an appropriate montage of photos to document those months lost.

KOMU was an interesting experience last semester. I was GA reporting once a week, and turning a story each day. By that I mean I was at the station by 7:30 am, dragged a camera and tripod throughout Mid-Missouri, back to the station by 3 p.m., then wrote and edited pieces for the 5, 6, and 10 p.m. newscasts. Note that I never mentioned food in that lineup. Food was also on the back burner, well, at least on Tuesdays. But I digress...

You can see some of my stories by visiting KOMU.com or checking out my Vimeo page. I certainly have many more stories to upload, but if you must get your Abby fix right now, feel free to creep - I welcome it! Although it seems like I was depreciating the reporting process in the last paragraph, quite frankly I did enjoy it. I had many Monday nights where my stomach was in knots while trying to come up with enterprise story ideas and thinking about the stress I would encounter the next day, but each Tuesday when I returned to my humble abode, I felt so accomplished, and was happy upon reflection of who I met that day, what I learned, etc. So, essentially my day side "backpack journalism" experience was indeed a fine one.

I'm still at KOMU each week this semester. I'm currently doing live reporting for the Tuesday morning show (surprisingly love, love, love the morning show - even though we've had some ENG issues...) and anchoring the World View segment of the 10 p.m. newscast each Friday night. I'll try to keep updated posts about my ventures this semester.

I'm still kicking it at the State Capitol, reporting for KMOX and Missouri Digital News. I started reporting there almost three years ago (wow, I'm getting too old for this place) Last semester I didn't report often, but rather managed the newsroom and imparted wisdom on younger reporters (at least I'd like to think that). During the 2010 Legislative Session, I decided to take on a new job as the Producer for the weekly PBS segment "Jeff City Journal." I'm thoroughly enjoying it thus far. I love working with the host, Missy Shelton, and having that kind of responsibility. Though it is sometimes stressful (but what isn't these days?) it's worth every increased heart rate and bead of sweat on my brow. I could definitely see myself doing something like this for the long run.

So, yeah. That pretty much sums up most of my professional career. As for traveling and other totally random adventures - well, lets just say I'm missing the ability to jetset to Grecian Islands. I did manage to get my beach fix over winter break. I visited Los Angeles with my boyfriend, Ryan (duh, I'm def dating a Cali boy). I met his family, went to Disneyland, golfed and, of course, played in the waves one afternoon. So here are some fun pics...

Sidenote: I'm competing in pageants again! I'll be in my first competition this Sunday - Miss Audrain. I'm super nervous because I haven't competed in nearly two years. But this is definitely part of my "life plan" so I'm diving in.

That's all for now, and hopefully there will be more entertaining, relevant posts to come in the near future, as this one most certainly fails to meet both of those criterion.

To catching up and showing my bloggity-blog some love,
Ag

J'aime Paris

2009-08-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

My final European adventure was spent in Paris - and it was, once again amazing. Or should I say, cool? ;)

It was a semi-solo trip...meaning I traveled there alone but ended meeting with friends I've met while staying in London.

I've decided travling by train is the way to go. So easy, no hassle, quick and painless. And, you don't have to wait in customs for and hour and a half upon returing home.

I decided to take a day off from BLC and left Thursday afternoon. I arrived in Paris and was met by Mathieu at the train station. It was great to have someone along who knew the city, helped with translating, and was completely understandable of all my touristy moments. (I acted like a two year old every time I saw a notable landmark - can we say goosebumps upon seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time?)

Highlights of Paris

Basically everything, ha, but more specifically...
Eiffel Tower at Night: a fun light display, along with a nice lawn to sit out with my friend while drinking champagne makes for a very memorable night in Paris.
Montmarte: My hostel was located in the heart of this high part of the city. It was beautiful, dotted with bakeries and small cafe's. It was the perfect area, especially for someone traveling alone. If I had been staying in an area similar to where I stayed in Athens, I probably wouldn't have felt comfortable staying there!
Sacré Cœur: A lovely cathedral that hosts wonderful views of the city. Though, watch out for men trying to make you wish bracelets.
Champs-Elysées: The road that takes you from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre, The beautiful day, along with good company made it a walk to remember.
The Louvre: It was amazing to see all the iconic pieces. But, as expected, the Mona Lisa didn't amaze me all that much. Perks: I didn't have to wait in any lines.
I think the Musee d'Orsay would've been the biggest highlight for me, but unfortunately my sense of adventure and lack of phone credits caused me to miss the opportunity to see the works of VanGough, Monet, Manet, Renoir and Courbet. I suppose this gives me a legitimate excuse to visit Paris again.

My time was very limited in Paris, but I'm so glad I decided to go. It was an amazing two days and I cannot wait to revisit the city again some day - hopefully sooner rather than later.

I'm glad I drink Diet...

2009-07-28T06:24:00.000-07:00

Do you think congress should implement a tax on non-diet soda? Health agencies seem to think so - they say its a great move to combat America's obesity woes.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Maybe the kids on Capitol hill could consider a more European approach. The UK utilizes a traffic light food labeling system, that makes it easy for consumers to make sense of all those nutrition facts.

But when it comes down to it, I think the overall approach should be more focused on implementing lifestyle changes rather than creating excise taxes or assuming consumers will make healthier food choices if nutritional content is more comprehensible.

Consumers will most likely continue to pay to "open up happiness," regardless of the proposed 10 cent increase per can. Though, I do wonder - how much would they tax on bottled soda?

To blogging about random things while I should be monitoring Eurovision,
ag.

Czech it out!

2009-07-21T02:32:00.000-07:00

I probably made that joke 50 times over the weekend - easily. I traveled to Prague (Praha) in the Czech Republic. Many of my friends from MU studied there in the past, and during my time working in the CAFNR study abroad office everyone said it was one of the most beautiful places they had ever seen. So, I decided that I had to czech it out to see what all the fuss was about. (OK, I will quit the play on word games starting....now)

Five of us from the MLP traveled together. I had never traveled with this group before, but I had a great time with all of them. I feel like we all stood out among the tourists as looking like "Londoners" rather than a group of American students.

Highlights of Praha:

Amazing accommodations

Amazing views of the city

Amazing architecture

Amazing night life

Amazing company

Amazingly cheap - outside of the touristy areas, of course

Obviously the experience as a whole was, amazing. ha

I arrived Friday evening with fellow MU J-kid Mike Bushnell. As soon as we came out of the metro station, I was basically breathless. It was everything I had expected it to be and more. We could see the castle in the distance, WWI era buildings and the Charles Bridge. I was immediately hooked.

After our first dinner experience and walk around old town square we met up with the rest of the MU gang - Adrienne, and Katherine. Pam was meeting us the next morning.

We found our "hostel" and were pleasantly surprised to find out it was actually an apartment. It was so gorgeous - with tons of space, on the first floor, had a hot shower, full sized bed and even a small balcony. About 5 million times better than our flat in London, and about 5 million times cheaper as well.

I had been sick prior to leaving London, so I was definitely dragging around Saturday morning. We walked up to the castle and caught some amazing views of the city. We also walked through the cathedral which had some stunning stained glass.

We stopped for lunch at a random alley up in the high part of the city. The five of us decided to each order a unique Czech dish and then sample each others. Most of it was great - but whipped cream and berry sauce on meat was a little questionable.

I ordered chicken (of course) and it was topped with a peach, cheese, and gravy. Yes, a little questionable as well.

We ended up meeting up with a group of MU J students who were studying there for the summer. It was great fun seeing some familiar faces and catching up with their lives abroad.

Sunday I took some advice from a friend who had studied there before and went to the park. It was definitely a hike up the hill toward the "Eiffel Tower 2.0," but totally worth it. I stopped along at the orchards and picked cherries off the trees. Sat and took in the landscape and had a ton of time to clear my mind and my sinuses.

My trail took me back along to civilization where I ran into a lovely little cafe. There were only two people sitting in - who owned it. They fixed me a lovely takeaway lunch for only 35 crown (about 2 dollars). We also chatted about life in Prague and my journeys in London. I ended up going back to the castle and seeing a few more parts that we missed the day before. I also got to see some different views of the city and enjoy some beautiful gardens as well.

Although the trip was amazing, the journey home was not the case. Looking back it seems as though God was telling me to stay another day in Praha. I was so sad to be leaving in the first place, but still made my way to the airport. I arrived a little before 5 for my 7 p.m. flight. Upon checking in, I learned the plane was expected to arrive late. It's OK, I thought. I'll probably only have to wait another hour or so, right? False. 6 hours later I was finally on board my return flight. I also experienced what was quite possibly the roughest take of and landing in my flying history.

I was expecting to be back in central London by 9:30 or so. But I didn't end up getting in to Luton until about 11:30. At this point I knew I wouldn't be catching the tube home, since it closes at midnight. No big deal, I'll catch the bus. But first I had to make it through customs. Yeah, not so fun. It took more than an hour. Luckily I had no problems once it was my turn, and I was headed home. But the journey from the airport to my bus stop took about an hour and a half, then waiting for the ever so unreliable N97 at Hyde park corner took quite some time, too. Though - I hardly had any concept of time since my phone died. (Mom and Dad were probably quite worried at this point). Finally the bus comes - but oh, wait yet another road block. The friends I was traveling with accidentally picked up my oyster card when they left Prague, so I was left to pay for my ticket with change - which I only had 1.55. I needed 2 pounds, the driver had no change for the bills I had. Thankfully, he told me to "keep your 1 pound 55," smiled and I was on my way to Hogwarts road. I don't think I was ever as happy to hike up 6-1/2 flights of stairs to our decrepit flat.

At 3:30 I made the call home to my parents that I was alive. I think they were pretty happy. 11-1/2 hours of travelling for the day? Never again SkyEurope. Never again. No wonder it was so cheap!

I think it took a a week before I finally recovered from my journey. I think I'm getting too old for this stuff! But if you ever get the opportunity, I definitely recommend Czeching out fabulous Praha!!

Here's one of my favorite pictures from the trip - a scene from old towne square when I got up to see the sun rise...(so far on this trip I've been successful in seeing a sunrise in each country I've been to)

London Adventures, Cont'd: Prom, Parliament, Markets, Museums and Movies

2009-07-20T02:43:00.000-07:00

With only two weeks remaining (tears leak from eye), I've been trying to check off everything from my London to-do list. I, along with my flatmates decided early last week that we would make the next couple of weekends as eventful as possible, and so far, it's been a great success.

My work was slow last week. But the London highlights began on Wednesday on the opening day of Harry Potter 6: The Half-Blood Prince. We had booked tickets from a link one of the other CBS interns had sent me, but it wasn't until Tuesday that we realized we booked tickets for a theater in Leister, England instead of Leister Square in London. Double sadface. But, thankfully we were able to find a theater nearby that wasn't sold out! I had been anticipating seeing the film in London ever since I learned I would be here for the summer - and it was so exciting to see HP6 in the place where it is actually set. And, it was equally as exciting to see familiar scenes in the opening of the film.

Our weekend adventures started with a birthday celebration on Friday. Carla turned 22! I made cupcakes (fairy cakes) and Rachel and I decorated our flat with posters (OK, we scribbled on pieces of notebook paper) and surprised Carla when she returned home. I also had more fun in the kitchen later that evening preparing a Fiesta for all of us, and two of Carla's friends who are also part of the MLP. I'm not going to lie, I definitely reenacted an episode of "Iron Chef" just like my sister and I often do at home. But this time Rachel played the part of sous chef. She was brilliant. But I think everyone else was slightly confused by my stadium kitchen references.

After traveling through the monsoon, we arrived at the Royal Albert Hall for the opening night of the BBC Proms.

We were all entertained with beautiful orchestra music, and even got to hear two pieces featuring piano (was sooo excited). My favourite performance of the night was two girls who played the piano together. Again, reminded me of my sister. After the concert, four of us headed to the Waxy O'Connor for a low key night of birthday celebration.

On Saturday, April and I headed to the National Portrait Gallery. It was definitely more impressive than I thought I would be. But I confirmed the fact that 1500s paintings of British Nobles just doesn't stimulate me. We had all intentions of visiting Tate Britain, but due to a tube closure on the Victoria Line (Insert April's witty remark here) we decided to hit up Harrod's.
Located in one of London's poshest areas, Knightsbridge, Harrods is 6 floors of utter ridiculousness. They have everything from Prada to Peanuts, Tiffany's to Tea. Although I did imagine that the people inside would be the "poshest of them all" we seemed to fit right in. Our only purchase (and frankly probably the only thing we could afford) was two pieces of cheesecake. That night, we tried to go see "My Sister's Keeper" in some random place south of the river, but proved utterly unsuccessful. Quote from the night by muah, "Oh we're getting close!" April, "Really?" Me, "Well, this stop starts with a 'W'" We were trying to get to Wandsworth, but gave up upon seeing the golden arches at Tooting Broadway. Needless to say, that was the most expensive McDonald's trip I've ever experienced in my life.

Sunday could be titled "April and Abby's day of Weird Looks." We started with a visit to Brick Lane.

After going through the "grocery" part and buying a bucket of apples for a pound, we found some other interesting areas. Upside-down baby dolls, anyone?

My great find of the day was John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges" album. The record is in great shape and it was the complete package. I am thrilled I have some new posters to add to my collection.

After failed attempts at trying Indian food, April and I went to the South Bank to visit the Design Museum. After having a difficult time finding it, and some questionable exhibits, we decided on heading to Leister Square for Starbucks, an apple, and the movie we had missed the night before. Starbucks was a success, minus the fizzy water I bought on accident and our bag of apples breaking a rolling everywhere. The movie was also great. Although, if you've read the book, you're in for some surprises. As April said it best, "I'm sure Jodi Picoult is out there somewhere, really pissed off right now."

The Reubster gave us the day off from class Monday, so I tackled some more items. First was Tate Britain. It had some great contemporary galleries, and tons of historic British Paintings. I really enjoyed one of their special exhibits where the artist used random newspapers he found and turned the pictures from the articles into fabulous landscapes.

After that I was off for my special seat in Parliament. I had emailed my local MP, Sir Malcolm Rifkind and as a "resident" I was granted a reserved seat without waiting in the queue. It was so interesting to see the differences between the ins and outs of this government compared to what I've covered back home. In British Parliament there is a lot more glamour that would you would see. There was a grand procession for the speaker to enter into the House of Commons, and you won't see any MPs wearing bolos - the doormen all wear Tuxes. Everything seemed a lot more structured as well. Everyone knew what was going on, when someone had the floor or was making an inquiry, EVERYONE was listening. However, humor was evident just as in the chambers of the Missouri statehouse. I guess in politics you have to make some moments lighthearted in order to survive grueling sessions.

Topics of debate yesterday included the switch from analog to DTV, the 2012 Olympics and Swine Flu. British Health Secretary Andy Burnham made a huge announcement during the session. The NHS is launching a new website and hot line for swine flu. It sparked inquires for more than an hour, and however stimulating it was, I decided an hour of hearing advice on how to prevent getting the virus was enough. It was bringing back many memories of the day I attended Gov. Nixon's press conference when we learned of the first case in Missouri. He mentioned how it was OK to "go home and eat pork steak for dinner." Oh the joys of covering MO govt.

It's looking to be another low key week, filled with lots of London weather, movies from Maggie's work, and other TRLA's.

Random London Thoughts on a Rainy Night

2009-07-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

Lately, I feel it's been a constant battle against Flat 5. Every morning begins with a guessing game of whether our shower will be scalding hot or freezing cold, whether I'll hit the hair dryer rotation just right, or whether or not I'll get to the bottom of 6-1/2 flights of stairs and realize I've forgotten something.

To say the least, living in such close quarters (and in such undesirable conditions) has definitely taken it's toll on each of us in Flat 5. And I must admit that I have voiced complaints to my other flatmates, my mother and the extremely tolerant IE staff. But it's nights like tonight that I realize how much I will miss living here - uneven floors included.

It's hard to imagine not hearing the sound of the tube running behind our flat, sharing food so we can manage to fit a days worth of groceries in our fridge, and the frequent pitter patter of the rain on our cracked "skylight."

In three and a half weeks, these will all be mere afterthoughts of my amazing summer in London. It's only now that I realize these tiny annoyances are actually elements to appreciate.

A day in the life

2009-07-08T02:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went in to work still hopeful that I may be the lucky intern selected to go to the Harry Potter 6 premiere. Upon arriving, however, I learned that was not the case and instead would be following the Michael Jackson saga. Still?

I was a little upset, but followed the advice my favorite professor gave me before I left, "Roll with the punches." I went out to interview Sarfraz Mansoor, a music journalist. The interview is going to be used in a piece about Iconic Funerals - and putting MJ's into perspective with those of the past.

Back in the bureau, I learned I would be heading out to the o2 Theater in North Greenwich. This is where MJ's 50 part concert series was to take place. This was not a publicly announced event, but crowds gathered to watch the memorial on a big screen outside the theater. When they handed me their "lame" camera, I was thrilled - it was just like the ones we use at KOMU. Hellooo Sony HDXD - oh how I've missed you! To be able to go out with a camera, shoot video and interview people was such a blessing. Despite the torrential downpours, I was glad to be out in the field again - and finally felt like I was contributing to the newsroom. A correspondent in L.A. ended up using some of my material in his piece. Check out this video to see the my footage from London at the end.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Yeah, I'm proud to be an American

2009-07-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

Most of my flatmates were out of the country on the weekend of the 4th, but Carla and I enjoyed beautiful weather and good company in Londontown. I was definitely feeling a little homesick on Saturday - since each year the 4th is usually a time when my entire family gets together and enjoys fireworks and bbq, but thankfully the beautiful weather and new friends made the holiday in London one to remember.

I actually spent the day exploring Piccidilly Circus and Soho. I randomly stumbled upon a huge Gay Pride parade. When I popped out of the tube station I definitely was not expecting to see a party in Piccidilly. There were thousands of people, drag queens and apparrently By George even made an appearance.

I took quite a few pics with my Cannon 35 mm. Hopefully those will turn out!

After all that mayhem, I decided to walk along the South Bank. I went from Parliament all the way to Tower Bridge.

Then it was time to show off my American pride.

I met with Carla in Green Park to join friends she met in Ireland the week before. Although our plans to BBQ were shut down by a "rent a cop" park patrolman (500 pound fine for open flames in the park? I think not). But it didn't but a damper on our celebration. We still enjoyed burgers (from the inside grill) and even a flag cake - just like the one we make every year at home! I was pretty excited.

We decided to pay a visit to the Waxy O'Connor, a bar near Piccidilly. They were having an American night - complete with fiddle players, american flag balloons, and lots of ABBA and MJ music. Of course, I carried my mini American flag around with me all night. Yeah, I'm proud :)

Oopah! My Big Fat Greek Getaway

2009-07-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

Can I just say the word MAGICAL? Yes, my friends, Greece was indeed magical. In short there was a good mixture of good and bad experiences, but I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.

The Good:

Flights: B-e-a-u-tiful scenes flying in to Mykonos. The sun was rising, and we were on a very small jet, with Chocolate Croissants to boot.
Cab rides: We finally settled on taking a cab, and once we all piled in the back seat literally sitting on each other's laps, we began our Nascar-like excursion to Paradise Beach. Our driver pumped up the volume on our favourite European techno dance music, and went faster and faster as we went through the narrow winding roads. Do I need to mention again that this was around 7 a.m.?
Paradise Beach - crystal clear blue water, SUN, beautiful men, diving off rocks and beachy drinks (peach juice, anyone?)
Gyro Pitas: Only 2.50 euro and legit Greek cuisine. Filling too. The man who made them told me every day, "I will make it special, just for you."

My girls: A weekend with my girls Maggie, Rachel and April was much needed. We all know how to have fun, and spending several days relaxing on the beach was incredible.

The Acropolis (ακρόπολη): OK, I'm a huge Greek mythology nerd, so it was so satisfying to finally see this place. Again - MAGICAL. We rolled into Athens late on Sunday night and were able to see the Parthenon lit up. The next day we hiked to the top (sweat, anyone?) and ventured around. Although there was a ton of construction, it was everything I dreamed it would be.

The bad:

Flights: on our first layover in Athens, we had to check in again - only to experience people butting in line, prompting cursing all around us. If I knew any Greek swear words I probably would've joined in.
Cab ride: Albeit it was a blast, but I was definitely clutching on to the back seat for dear life. A tad scary.
Paradise Beach: Cold water, Men who know they're beautiful (uh hem, silly lifeguard doing pull-ups in front of everyone like it's in his job description), cuts on my feet from the reefs.
Gyro Pitas: OK, we ate these freakin' things every day. Yeah, they're amazing and cheap, but can a girl get some real food here (that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and have questionable ingredients?)
Acropolis: I'm not sure if it is always that crowded, but when we were going through the Propylaea, I was pushed and touched by hundreds of sweaty, hairy tourists. Ahh it was still worth it though.

The Experience as a whole:

Paradise Beach: amazing, but it definitely took an open mind. Between our "cabins," Italian men wearing diapers, and some obscene behaviour, I don't think it would be ideal for everyone. But I thought it made the weekend one of the best in my life.

Athens in general: We stayed in a horrible part of the city (where the cops even made me feel unsafe), we went to the wrong hotel (who knew there was a difference between the "Amyrillis Hotel" and the "Amyrillis Hotel Inn?" I also had an interesting personal experience on the Metro (perhaps the most uncomfortable moment of my life). But when considering all the history and amazing things I was able to see, it was again, an experience that makes the weekend one of the best in my life.
Cats: EVERYWHERE! Seriously, the Greeks would do well to take Bob Barker's advice. I can't tell you how many times we sat down to eat, then POOF there's a stray feline begging for your scraps. Nasty.

MEOW

So, after writing that, I hope I don't sound too cynical in many of the aspects of the trip. I'm merely trying to get a laugh out of our more "interesting" experiences. But overall, the time in Greece was too short, and I only hope that some day I can return!

"Real World" Journalism

2009-07-01T03:02:00.000-07:00

As my loyal followers have probably read, I went on a shoot last week to interview Robert Kraft. The dirt on this shoot: Kraft was in London promoting the NFL's move to schedule a regular season game in London each year - in which the N.E. Patriots will play. Kraft showed us the Jersey Sir Elton agreed to wear during his appearance at the game. Also cool that I was able to see the championship ring up close and personal. Can I say BLING BLING?

While in Greece this weekend, we randomly heard the news of MJ's death. At first we actually doubted our fellow American news bearers. After all - how would this news be discovered on some remote island? But a phone call later from my mother confirmed the rumors.

On Tuesday were doing 3 different interviews with Quincy Jones, who is responsible for jump starting MJ's solo career. We were setting up a "Live" interview with Harry Smith, and filming interviews covering two different topics for 48 Hours and 60 Minutes.

Mr. Jones was phenomenal. He was very warm and kind, and even when asked the toughest questions that he specifically said he did not want to discuss, he was graceful in his objections. It was amazing to me - being in the presence of a man who had such an influence on the music industry, and particularly hearing his experiences in crafting the pop star we were all mourning.

Here's the clip that aired yesterday morning. Though it cuts off at the end, just when it was getting to the best part...

Watch CBS Videos Online

At one point when we were in between interviews, he and the photographer (a nice Scott Lad, Andy Stephenson) began discussing world travels. This man is SO educated and knowledgeable about the world - he's brilliant. But the most humorous part of the discussion revolved around Haggis, where Andy kindly revealed the "non tourist" explanation of what the Scottish dish actually is. Needless to say, if I travel there, I will NEVER - I repeat NEVER try it. I will trust Quincy's observation that it is indeed, horrible.

I won't say much else about the interview for the entire world to read, but I will be willing to share my insights with friends if interested. I will, however mention one quote I found particularly beautiful. Quincy was talking about his own childhood, and how many parts of it mirrored Michael's. He was talking about how he grew up in a very dodgy area.

Basically he said the problem with many people (and perhaps MJ) is that they are ultimately a product of their own environment. He was around guns and violence and that's what he wanted - to be a gangster. He paused and said,

"Thank God I ended up finding a piano."

Yes Mr. Jones, thank God. And thank you for sharing all of your wonderful musical gifts with the rest of the world.

Just when you think it can't get any worse...

2009-06-25T09:55:00.001-07:00

So here's how my day started:

I fell asleep last night before setting my alarm. At 7:30 I shoot up and realize I have GOT to get moving in order to get to work on time. But, I cannot start getting ready because the shower is already in use (imagine having 5 girls sharing one itsy bitsy bathroom, who all have to be at work around the same time - not fun!). I usually avoid this problem by getting up before everyone, but clearly this didn't happen because of my first omen of the morning. So once I do get into the shower, BAM there is no hot water. And, I don't mean it was warm and steadily got colder, there was no water coming out of the faucet when I turned the knob for the hot. Grrrrr.

The rest of my "getting ready" went the same. Couldn't find anything to wear, hair was terrible, etc etc. Typical girl complaints, I know. I leave the flat around 8:40 and head to the tube station. I wait for my train, which didn't take long. However, once I was on the tube it kept stopping - and not at regular stops either. Every time we stopped came the voice of the silly British Lady who makes announcements in a robotic tone explaining that we were at a red light and would be moving shortly. Wait, the tubes get stuck at red lights, too? Grrrrrrr.

I finally make it off the musty tube and walk to CBS. At this point I'm thinking that this is going to be a long day. It's Thursday, I'm going to be late and all I really can think about it my flight to Greece that leaves at 10 p.m. tonight. A perfect formula for a slow day. It can't get any worse, right?

Normally, with my luck this would be false. My day would be terrible, horrible, no good and VERY bad. Fortunately, Claire, my assignment editor piped up when I walked in and said, "Do you want to go out on a shot for some NFL people?"

"DUH!" Well, I didn't quite say that, but enthusiastically obliged. Within 15 minutes I was off to go interview Robert Kraft. No, no relation to Kraft Foods, but rather, the owner of the New England Patriots. Even better, the interview was at the famous Berkeley Hotel. I will post details about why we were interviewing him and my experience when I have more time later, but to get to my second highlight of the day...

As we were heading outside with Mr. Kraft to go shoot some B-roll of him walking the streets of London, he stops and starts talking to someone. I wasn't really paying attention because I was lugging gear around. But then I took a better look, and who did I see standing two feet away from me? James Taylor!! Ahhhhhhhh. My first legit star sighting in London. So cool!

Also, kind of cool and random, while we were outside shooting video everyone was stopping what they were doing to stare at all of us. I think they thought they were going to get on TV. It made me feel semi-important :). Some people also stopped and wanted to talk to Mr. Kraft and they were actually from St. Louis. Small world eh?

Finally, to top off my interesting turn of events, we were in the area where I live, so our driver drove me to 40 Hogarth and bid me farewell for the weekend. Off work at 2:00 and it's 75 and sunny. Fabulous!

Now, I'm going to finish getting ready for our flight to Greece. T-minus 3.5 hours!!

Cheers!

Travels, Tube Strikes and other TRLAs

2009-06-24T04:45:00.000-07:00

BTW: TRLA translated is Totally Random London Adventures. Anywho...below is a compliation of the "Top 25 Things I've learned since my last blog post"...which was nearly a month ago. Epic fail on my part.

But to get on with it...

The English countryside is beautiful
People who live in the English countryside are lovely, as well as "church cats"
Long trips through the beautiful countryside have given my wandering mind time to reevaluate my life plan.
Drinking wine out of plastic cups and water bottles is perfectly acceptable.

Hostels can be great, they can also smell like old spaghetti and be managed by people who mirror Igor.
There is a reason the Beatles didn't return to Liverpool often, to say the least it is no English countryside.
I love the Beatles more than ever before.

Being adventurous has its perks, but also hold the potential to become disastrous - cow stampede anyone?

Having Carla along for these adventures, makes them completely worthwhile regardless of disappointing streams or "public footpaths" that randomly end.

Charge camera battery BEFORE going off on trips to the English countryside. Thank goodness Carla doensn't copyright her photos - yet.

ALWAYS have a camera with you.

It's OK to take a day off from life while in London - lazy days in the park are much needed recovery methods.

Londoners may think the tube strike is not a big deal - FALSE. Try a 2 hour commute when it usually takes 20 mins. Not fun.

The student union is an ideal atmosphere for making friends

Learn French to make certain conversations at the student union easier

The N97 Bus leaves from stop X and stop S. Useful knowledge when wandering aimlessly at 4 am.

Riding alone on the N97 Bus listening to locals signing Every Time We Touch, We Will Rock You, and Happy Birthday is priceless.

Riding alone on the N97 Bus and seeing the sunrise is the sign of a great night.

Again, ALWAYS have a camera so you can document these rare moments.

Walking home alone from the N97 Bus stop on Cromwell and watching the sun rise is, for lack of a better word, magical.

Getting only 3 hours of sleep therefore struggling to stay awake during BLC is TOTALLY worth it.

There are many great things to help homesickness: Oreo McFlurries, Chinese Food, and O'Neils.

A visit from my best friend will cure all signs of homesickness when the above fail.

Time flies while you're having fun travelling through England, watching sunrises and eating ice cream.

While time is flying because I'm having so much fun, regular blogging shifts to the back burner

I hope this kind of gives you an idea of my life since "Catching Up." If you would like to hear specific details about any of the aforementioned occurrences, feel free to comment here, tweet or facebook me.

P.S. I love life :)

Catching up...

2009-06-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

Sooo...it's been a week since I've blogged, and so much has happened. I'll try to be brief (because even though I know how interested you must be to read about every single aspect of my life you are most likely very busy and don't have much time to waste!) :)

Upon Margo's arrival, she and I planned out a busy week. I am glad to say we did check off most of the items on our to-do list. Our week began with a visit to Oxford Street where I FINALLY witnessed the monstrosity that Londoners call "Top Shop." Ohmygosh this place is huge, intense, overwhelming, and utterly fantastic. I absolutely hate shopping, but found myself going through every section and floor wide-eyed and loving it all. I must say it was most interesting to just watch the people there - mainly the employees. Their style is, how should I say, one of a kind?

On Tuesday I had a leisurely morning and then I was off to Gunersbury to find CBS News. Fortunately, I do not have to switch lines to get there - I can get on the District Line and travel directly there. However, it is all the way out in Zone 3, which means I will have a very pricey oyster pass each month. I'm hoping I can convince my employer to reimburse me for my transportation costs (many of the other students on the program have been fortunate in their efforts). I ended up meeting Maggie back at Earl's Court, and then we hopped on the tube to meet Jack and Margo for lunch. Our destination: Subway! It was great to finally eat an "American cookie" rather than a "digestive biscuit."

I then took on the role of a tourist (I don't mind, as long as I end up with some great pics/memories). We went to several places that afternoon...

The British Library: tons of original manuscripts including those from Jane Austin, Shakespeare, Mozart, Haydn and THE BEATLES!! I literally got goosebumps when I saw John Lennon's scribbles and doodles. An epic moment for me, indeed.
King's Cross Station: Dare I say we went on yet another Hogwart's adventure? Well, believe it or not, we found Platform 9-3/4...and I may have tried to see if the brick wall would let me through in order to board the train to my favourite school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As you can see, I managed to make it halfway through before the platform closed...
Westminster: It was a picture perfect day. We snapped shots of Big Ben, Parliament and Westminster Abbey all with blue skies in the background! Gorgeous!

After all our adventures Tuesday, Wednesday definitely ended up being super laid back. It's probably bad when the highlight was how Maggie and I talked about how we needed to blog for about 2 hours without even attempting a post.

Thursday was my first day at CBS News. I was definitely feeling nervous the night before, which prompted Margo's offer to travel with me that morning. She took pictures as if she were a mom dropping me off at my first day of school (presh). I will post those later when I get the files from her! It actually ended up being an eventful day. Britain's Got Talent is HUGE here, and there was a ton of controversy surrounding one of the main contenders in the competition, Susan Boyle (SuBo as the British Tabloids call her). The judges (sadly excluding Simon Cowell) were in studio doing interviews for the CBS Early Show and Inside Edition. We did a live shot with Piers Morgan which was extremely cool to help set up and watch. Later Amanda Morgan came in (who is a MAJOR star here) and we finished up interviews. I'm excited to see what the rest of my summer will entail as an intern here.

Friday was another gorgeous day (it's definitely been averaging 75 each day...FAB). After our BLC Class, filled with a history lesson of Britain's government evolving through the years (which I of course, LOVED), Maggie and I met Jack and Margo at Hyde Park. We picnicked and then ended up going to St. James's Park, which led us to Buckingham Palace. Of course, I didn't have my cam, but I plan of stealing some of Maggie's photos later to post.

Friday night was unbelievable!!! Our goal was to see the sunset over Parliament and Big Ben, but after a series of unfortunate events (running late, getting on the wrong tube line, etc.) Maggie and I ended up getting to our destination just after the sun was below the horizon. But I'm so glad we got there when we did. Everything was lit up beautifully against the light blue night sky. I literally got goosebumps, and once again had a moment where I realized how much I do love this city.

On Saturday I watched Chelsea beat Everton for the FA Cup, which is comparable to the our Superbowl. However, their version of "football" is obviously much different than ours. As a new resident of the Chelsea Borough, this was an excellent win for us! Everyone was in the streets, cheering and later even setting off fireworks.

But the most exciting part of that day, and arguably my favourite memory so far was seeing Abbey Road. For those of you who don't know me I am a HUGE Beatles fan (hence my excitement earlier in the post). There were four of us, along with Jack, who we put in charge of photog. We waited for traffic to clear then had our moment crossing, just like John, Paul, George and Ringo did years ago. I, of course, was the leader of the pack, just like John was in the famous album cover. However, I was mildly disappointed that I did mess up my pose by being on the wrong foot when Jack snapped the picture.

There is a ton of graffiti along the fence by the famous crossing. I really liked this line from someone named Tiago from Brazil, "Hey, Lennon I'm still imagining!"

There are some many more details that I could mention about my second week in London town, but I have already broken my promise to keep this brief, and in turn have missed my scheduled bed-time. This week will probably be mostly uneventful, but I am looking forward to my weekend to Liverpool and York. So, get ready for some more obsessive Beatles posts in the near future! For now, I'm letting this blog be...

Living long and prospering in London

2009-05-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Flatmates,

You will be the only ones who understand the context of this newest blog headline. Basically my formula for Saturday night was as follows...

Maggie + locals + a late appearance by April and Rachel = a barrel of laughs

I'm hoping this will be a reoccurring theme throughout my summer. I predict Wednesday Karaoke nights at Imperial's student union will ensure this is probable.

Anywho...

I finally slept in Sunday (OK, I would've if the psycho pigeons cooing outside my window beginning at 5 a.m. would flutter off into oblivion)! But, aside from that, I had a very relaxing day. The Fab 5 (6 girls + Ben + our newest addition to the group, Adrienne...(I'm a journalism student; I don't do math)) decided the 70+ degree weather prompted another walking tour. Sooo we hoped on the tube to the Richmond stop, only to realize we forgot our ever necessar

y guide book. But the lovely day could not be spoiled. We hopped back on the tube and went back to Kew Gardens. We didn't actually go into Kew Gardens because it cost 13 pounds, but instead went to a nearby park, watched a game of Cricket, then took a scenic walk along the Thames river.

I must say, we have been absolutely blessed with this weather. Before coming here, everyone told me they rarely saw sunshine. But we have hardly seen a cloud lately!

Our night concluded with another night in the flat. I lovvvveeee to cook, and Carla and Maggie let me cook for them. No matter the size and quality of a kitchen, a great meal can be produced - or so they say. I think they were pretty satisfied with my chicken parmesan(ish) creation. Mmmmm. Mom was also happy that we finally ate something substantial.

I woke up this morning to the sound of our intercom ringing. Jack and Margo arrived!! I wasn't expecting them until 10, but was so excited for them to be here! They will be spending the entire week here with me in London. We have a busy week planned, and it will probably be my most expensive week here, but it will be totally worth it.

Pluses to Margo coming:

She brought me two containers of real american peanut butter.
She and Jack have both been here before so they can show me around the city.
There are now 3 MU Kappas settled in at 40 Hogarth.

Watch out London!! Stay posted for all of our excellent adventures this week.

I swore I wouldn't fall in love while in London...

2009-05-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

...but I've already proved myself wrong.

On Friday after our first British Life and Culture Class (BLC) all of my roommates, along with our newly adopted friend Ben, went to Hyde Park. It is absolutely beautiful! We walked around the park for hours. There is one part of the park where there is a small lake and there are swans and ducks that you can literally walk right up to. I have heard many stories of vicious swans, and later, after a local pointed out one in particular called "Psycho II" I tried made sure to keep my distance. But it was amazing to find yet another peaceful place in this boisterous city.

We walked along different trails, coming across beautiful fountains and even the Peter Pan sculpture (Emily was sooo excited!) We also went along the Princess Diana memorial walk which took us to the fountain designed to reflect her life. Maggie and I took a long stop here to sit and dangle out hands in the water. It was so peaceful, and a much needed break from our hectic week.

I am absolutely in love with Hyde park and all that is has to offer. We have made plans to revist the park each friday after our lecture is over. I cannot wait to spend more time in this lovely

place while surrounded my my new "love babies." (Yet another Trudy reference, God love her)

All of us in Flat 5 decided to take it easy Friday night. We spent the evening gathered around our computers, looking through pictures and catching up on emails with friends and families.

On Saturday we took a 3.2 mile walk to Notting Hill to visit Portobello Market. I had so much fun walking around with my flat mates and browsing tons of fabulous jewelry,

posters and produce.

We went pretty early, which was a good idea

because as we were leaving it was so packed we could hardly walk out. Some of my roommates made bigger purchases, but I kept it low-key with avocados, coriander, and cherry tomatoes. When we got back I made homemade guacamole for all of my roommates. Apparently I am Flat 5's new personal chef, which I love!

Like Hyde park, we plan to revisit Portobello on a regular basis. I mean, what's better than a 7 mile walk with friends each Saturday while buying cheap food? Nothing in my book.

Love, love, love. The three L's of London.

Wizards and Wanderings

2009-05-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

One of my roommates, Carla, has a phenomenal book called 24 Great Walks in London. The book gives routes for 24 different trips in and around the city. Yesterday we decided to take one of these walks. Five of the six of us from flat five took off from the Earl's Court tube and set over to begin out tour near London Tower. We walked through Trinity Square and also walked by the Mercantile Marine Memorial which pays homage to the 24,000 men of the Merchant Navy and Fishing fleet who died during WWII.

Nearby is also the site of the ancient scaffold were more than 125 people were beheaded. According to a story told by our beloved Trudy, a ton of spectators died when the stand they were all standing on collapsed just moments before someone was executed. Apparently the man who these people were there to see killed started laughing at the irony of the situation moments before he was beheaded. Thus comes the phrase, "laughing your head off."

Then we walked past some other small places of

interest including the All Hollows-by-the-Tower Church, and St. Olave's Church. Olave's has an entry gate guarded by skulls and barbed wire, which leads to a garden of sorts. While we were out taking pictures of each other under the skulls, a group of british business men were walking by and jumped in the frame with us. As they were walking off the said, "I hope that doesn't end up on YouTube or something." We always seem to find ourselves having humorous encounters with the locals.

After passing by some other small places like the Crutched

Friars pub, and wandering through a mix of directions that led us through some parking garages and cute alleyways, we were finally at our most anticipated stop, the Leadenhall Market. This was used as the location of Diagon Alley in the first Harry Potter Movie! On a regular day though, it is just a marketplace.

We also went down Bull's Head Passage to place that was used as the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron in the film. I was a little disappointed because now it is just some random glasses shop and it used to be a pub.

Our first Thursday in London concluded with a trip with practically the entire Missouri group to a club near Pickadilly called Zoo Bar. It actually reminds me of clubs we would have back home, and there were a lot of Americans there. I'm thinking I will just stick to the pubs. They are a lot more laid back and cheaper!

Oh, I cannot forget to mention that I booked a trip to Greece! I will be traveling with three of my roommates to Athens and Mykonos Island the last weekend in June. It's going to be BRILL!

Ohmygosh

2009-05-21T03:09:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would write a quick post about some excellent news I just heard. I went in for my interview placement meeting and learned I will be working for CBS News this summer! If this isn't exciting enough, I also learned I don't even have to interview, I have a secured spot!

Going into this, it was one of my biggest fears that I would be offered an interview with a company, and then not get the job. So, now I have one less thing to worry about. Everyone else participating in the MLP will be doing their interviews next Tuesday and Wednesday...good luck to all of them! From what I've been hearing, everyone seems to be quite pleased with their placements thus far. So, not only is London becoming a fabulous place to live and play, it will now become a brilliant place to work as well!

I start working next Thursday. I will be doing a variety of work from what they told me - from web stories, packages to some kind of studio work or production. I'm soooo excited! YAY

Lesson Learned: Use the Buddy System

2009-05-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

It only takes one screw up to realize you should have listened to your mother.

Today was a b-e-a-u-tiful day in London. The locals say we are so lucky because it is extremely rare to experience a summer day with out "brellies." After spending most of the day in orientations and meetings, and a quick clean-up of the flat, I decided to go outside and enjoy it. It was just me and my camera off for an excellent adventure.

I walked to Westminster Cemetery, which is just past Earl's Court. It's absolutely gorgeous, very peaceful and the lighting provided some opportune moments for some photos. I used my "old school cannon" which uses film (I know, it's ancient, but I love it. Will post some once I get them developed). I had a great time, and after spending an hour or so walking around I decided to head back home. I decided to take an alternate route to see some new scenery.

BAD IDEA.

After walking past Earl's courts one and two, and speed walking through some sketchy territory I realized I had no idea where I was. Me, being much to confident in my navigation abilities, continued to walk about, trying to get my bearings and find my way home. About 10 miles later I decided to phone one of my roommates who then guided me home via Google maps. Whew...it was a relief to find W. Cromwell road once again.

Needless to say my legs are rather tired this evening. And, I learned the hard way that I should not venture off on my own, at least without a map in hand, until I've become more established in this city. I definitely should have listened to my mother's advice! You live and learn, I suppose.

Sidenotes:

Tomorrow I find out where I will be interviewing for my summer internship! I'm feeling slightly anxious...I'm just hoping I will be placed somewhere that will provide me with good experience. We were also all excited to find out that this coming Monday is a "bank holliday" which in turn gives us a day off! We have been in the process of making some weekend travel plans. It's looking like we're doing a day trip to Oxford on Saturday, and perhaps seeing the "Cheese Rolling Festival" in Gloucestershire on Monday.

Just Touched Down in London-Town

2009-05-19T16:22:00.000-07:00

I'm studying in abroad over the summer in London, England. I arrived early Monday morning, and it has been a whirlwind since then! The first day was spent moving two 50lb suitcases up six flights of stairs to my flat, finding my way around SW Kensington to Imperial College and "mingling with the locals and canoodling with the natives" at nearby pubs.

A quick word about our flat. It's very drab, but at the same time I

love it. We did not have hot water for an entire day, our smoke alarm goes off regularly, the floors are dirty and creak, the train rolls by at all hours. But it's "FAB." And, I feel like I'm going to get along with my roommates which will definitely make for a great summer.

My first meal was fish and chips, of course. This was at the Imperial College student union. I haven't quite decided how I feel about the food here. I went with two of my roommates to an Italian restaurant, De Mario, where we shared bruschetta and a margarita pizza. Delecioso!

Today we went on a guided bus tour of the city. We saw all of the touristy places, and had wonderful narration by our guide, Trudy. What a doll. Driving around our neighborhood she said, "Can't you just smell how posh this is." She also used many phrases throughout the trip including, but not limited to "That's brill," "Here love babies," and "Thanks a Mill." I am looking forward to her presence on our trip to Oxford this weekend!

We were able to step out for a bit and I snapped this picture of Westminster Abbey. I will definitely be returning soon, because we were only able to stay for abo

ut 5 mins.

After the bus tour we were dropped off and I wandered around with some friends. We went to the National Gallery where I saw "Sunflowers" by Vincent VanGough! I got goosebumps, it was absolutely amazing to see the painting in person that I've spent so much time studying! After our quick visit there we went to Pickadilly Circus. This is where I felt like I was in the "big city" for the first time. I also took my first trip on the tube.

Our night concluded with meeting two French men who offered to give us a tour of Paris this summer (pish posh) and some other American students studying here from Ohio.

I will be posting some of my early pictures later...but at the mo. I'm off to bed. We have another early morning tomorrow, and I want to get plenty of rest!

MO Legislature's final week

2009-05-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

This is perhaps the craziest week of my semester!! It has been spent running around Columbia...packing, moving, studying, reporting and saying goodbye to all of my friends.

My number one priority has been reporting for KOMU covering the Missouri Legislature's final week in session. Their top priorities as of Monday were health care, education and tax credits for small businesses. On Monday I did a preview of the upcoming week. I spoke with House Minority Floor Leader Paul Levota (D) Independence, as well as Senate President Pro-Tem Charlie Shields (R) Kansas City. I was not able to get a lot of visuals for the story, so as you will see I did an on-set in the new studio! I was an awesome experience and I cannot wait to do more!

My reporting shift Wednesday was also spent at the State Capitol, this time focusing specifically on what was going on in the afternoon and evening sessions. The health care bill was still on the top of the agenda, and the education bill was shut down by the house the night before. However, there were rumors that the abortion bill was to come up in the Senate that night, so I ended up doing a small preview of that bill as well. The senate did end up passing the abortion bill around 12:00 a.m. Thursday morning. However, it was passed without the coercion component, which made the bill unique in the first place. My story ended up being another onset, covering various measures that were addressed on Wednesday. I will admit I was slightly disappointed at the low-key environment at the capitol that day.

I off to finish studying for my final exams, wish me luck! I will try to do a preview of my trip to London. Visit often to get updates during my summer abroad!

Growing Mid-Missouri Businesses

2009-05-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

I've just finished my first reporting shift at KOMU. I must admit, I was rather nervous upon getting to the station, pitching story ideas amongst the veterans. Randy Reeves ended up putting me on a story about the grand opening of the MU Business Incubator. I had to do some research to actually learn more about the project and it's goals within the Mid-Missouri area.

I did have some difficulties with the story. The overall event wasn't difficult to cover. But I was hoping to get some kind of CCC, which proved to be difficult, and in the end I proved to be unsuccessful. You can read my web story and see the video but clicking here.

I will basically be living at KOMU next week in order to finish up my shifts. I will be working on Sunday and Monday, and I'm really hoping that I will be able to cover the legislature at the State Capitol. This coming week is their last week in session and I would love to cover it!

Student Composers

2009-05-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

Happy May Day!

This week I completed my final VO patrol shift at KOMU. My assignment: the MU student composer's recital. The event is part of a music composition class taught each year at MU. The program started nearly forty years ago when Dr. W. Thomas McKenney started teaching these composition classes. The different pieces were arranged by students in undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and preformed by friends and collegues of those who composed it.

Overall the story went well. However, it never did run on air. My broadcast professor says this sometimes happens with these kinds of stories, if the newscast is running heavy with hard news. But on the bright side, I will now only be doing reporting shifts that result in packages, which I am very anxious and excited to start doing!

Who knew I'd be going to Senior prom again?

2009-04-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I survived my first shift at KOMU Tuesday, and even managed a few laughs in the process.

During my first VO patrol, I was asked to cover the "Seniors for Seniors Prom" at Hickman High school. Albeit, this is not the kind of story I generally like to cover, but I had a blast doing it. Each year, Hickman students host a prom for senior citizens of Boone County, specifically those involved in the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). It was definitely not a hard-hitting news story, but getting to see these senior citizens "get down" with high school students was priceless. It turned out to be a great story visually, and I got a few smiles from fellow reporters.

I did learn a lot at my first shift. I am hoping I will become more comfortable with the camera with time, and also become a faster editor. But overall, everything went smoothly! Check out my Seniors for Seniors story and video at KOMU.com

In other news, the Chicago Tribune laid of 50 editorial writers. I found a blog by one of the writers who was laid off, Lou Carlozo. He had been covering the recession for the tribune, and his headline of his latest post reads "I am the news today, oh boy: A recession writer gets laid off." It is interesting to think how so many journalists are becoming the news. More and more we hear of layoffs, closures and struggles of those in the industry. This post gives a particularly good insight of someone who is actually in the midst of it all.

Indeed it is a scary thought, to have the possibility of actually being a part of these headlines some day.

Oh the times, they are a changin'

2009-04-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday I competed my final shadow shift for KOMU. Now all I have to do is complete my edit test and I'll be ready to begin reporting! My final shadow shift was spent working with the Tuesday 10 p.m. producer, Beth Ford. I realized after this shift, that I have absolutely no desire to be a producer! Although I did enjoy assisting Beth, sitting in the newsroom does not satisfy my craving to go out and chase a story. I find that I feel an extreme sense of accomplishment after shooting video, conducting interviews then putting it all together.

As I was enjoying this lovely Friday morning, sitting on my couch watching the Today Show, I found particular interest in one particular story. The story of senior interns focused on former big-wigs in the publishing industry, who are now unpaid interns. These people were making triple-digit salaries, and practically had it made, but lost their jobs in light of the declining industry and troubling economy.

This story took an interesting angle on what people who are out of jobs are now doing to get ahead and up to speed with the times. It touched a little light on how the younger generation has much more experience with various facets of technology, and that is one thing these particular internships focus on. I would love to see more stories like this. We hear too often about newspapers collapsing, anchors being laid off, and countless others. But what happens after these journalists lose their jobs?

Could you imagine being a 50-year-old intern? In the words of one of my favorite singers and songwriters, Bob Dylan, "Oh the times, they are a-changin'."

Banter on Blogs

2009-04-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

I'm back from spring break and feeling rather refreshed. Although I was sick with the flu for most of it, I did spend some time at my local newspaper, The Monroe County Appeal. I wrote a few stories and visited Paris as part of my Community Newspaper class. It was definitely an interesting experience, and it opened my eyes to a new medium of journalism. Let's just say I think I'll be very happy sticking with broadcast. Check out the website to view my stories on senior meals and a local winery.

Now that I am on the downhill slope of the semester, I am also starting to get exponentially busier. Greek Week preparation is in full swing (literally...I'm planning a charity golf tournament!) So B2 shifts will not be coming until after that is over. BUT, in the meantime I will be continuing my work in the class and in Jefferson City at the State Capitol.

Speaking of, I came across an older blog post of a fellow capitol reporter, Steve Walsh. Steve has always been a great help to me while I was beginning my political reporting endeavors so I keep up with his work. His posts talks about the importance of asking clear questions, and understanding (often sneaky) language that you often get in responses from press secretaries and spokespersons. However, what I found most interesting were the comments after the blog post.

There was a lot of dialogue between Steve and a reader about the content of his post. Many news outlets using the web for stories and blogs also have room for forums and commentary and this is a prime example of how it really connects readers and viewers with the reporter. I think it's a great thing, because it give us an opportunity to further clear up any muddy information. At the same time, I wonder if this can ever get out of control. Is there someone monitoring what comments can actually show up? Do reporters have to get approval from their editor or news director before they can post responses? In a techno age such as this, I feel we may all face a Negative Nancy from time to time. But I think we can all learn to stay professional and roll with the punches, much like Steve demonstrated in this dialog.

GOOD TO GO!

2009-03-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

I just got word that I am cleared for KOMU! This is definitely one of the landmarks in my college career. At this point, I will no longer have to do weekly packages for Broadcast 2, but instead will be completing various shifts at the station.

I won't be able to do most of my shifts until after spring break, because many are already taken, and a lot of my time will now be devoted to Greek Week activities. I will certainly blog each time I do complete a shift, as well as post links to each of my stories, so be watching out for those!

I was reading through some articles a friend sent me, and one in particular stood out. After a press conference, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D)-Mo. turned the tables on the reporters. She had a camera, set on video mode and began filming and asking the reporters questions. It was actually quite humorous. Many of the questions she asked involved technology, like Twitter, YouTube and blogging. It is interesting to see how journalists are utilizing these new networks and how high profile people like Sen. McCaskill do as well. To see the video from McCaskill, click here

I think these kinds of networks, whether it's twitter or bogging, are just one more way to bring transparency to our government and allow more people to be "watchdogs" of the real "watchdogs" - American journalists.

On that note I will also mention that I have indeed joined the twitter bandwagon. Check out my profile and begin following me!

Another week in the life...

2009-03-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

This week, I covered another bill. Senate Bill 368, sponsored by Republican Senator Bill Stouffer would allow motorcyclists to make a left-turn on a red light. Senator Stouffer said the legislation is needed to make intersections safer for motorcyclists.

When I originally came across this bill and interviewed Stouffer, I wondered, how could running a red light make things safer? Stouffer said allowing motorcyclists to run these lights would mean they will be less susceptible to being hit by a larger vehicles.

I did speak with one motorcyclist who said he was indifferent. He joked, saying he didn't make many left turns on his way to work. But he did say he often makes the turns when it is early in the morning, or very late at night.

The journalism Gods were working in my favor (for once) on my second day of shooting. The sun was out, there was minimal wind, therefore there were plenty of motorcyclists enjoying the day on the road. I did have to shoot my stand-up more than once. I was having audio problems the first day, and due to a nasty cold - had no voice! Fortunately, Friday morning my vocal chords were on the mend and again, was blessed with good weather. My second attempt at my stand-up was good to go.

On another note, I was watching Brian Williams earlier this week. (Yay, I finally had a moment to sit and watch a television broadcast!) One of the teases in the A-block mentioned something about an almost tragic event for planet earth. In the final block Williams said a earth had a close encounter with an asteroid roughly the size of a 10-story building that would have caused damage comparable to 1,000 atomic bombs. How shocking! The best part of the story, how Williams attributed the source - he said, "...they, again the people who tell us these things." I just found it rather interesting that the "scientists" could never be identified.

Oh, the roadblocks of journalism!

To see a video of the story, "Close Encounter" reported by Brian Williams on NBC Nightly news, click here.

Fat Tuesday benefit raises money for CMN

2009-02-27T07:20:00.000-08:00

For package three, I decided to cover an event. Last week, I spoke with other students in Broadcast 2 who covered events, and they comforted me with words like, "it's easy" "less stressful" and "fun." I don't know that I can agree this week's package was any easier or stress-free, but it was a ton of fun. But, I am a nerd and love meeting people and putting together packages.

This Tuesday, the 24th, which was also "Fat Tuesday," IHOP along with the Children's Miracle Network (CMN) held National Pancake Day. IHOP offered a free short stack of pancakes, but asked customers to make a donation benefiting CMN.

Nationwide, IHOP's goal was $1 million dollars. The Columbia location set a goal of $2,500, which dollar-for-dollar goes to the Columbia Children's Hospital. I have yet to hear the official amount raised. I've been in contact with Molly Meyers, Coordinator of MU CMN, who has been a joy working with and I'm hoping she will fill me in as soon as possible.

I went to the restaurant early that morning, and it was packed. The general managers said they prepared for the event months in advance, and some people said they only waited 10 minutes to get a table. Not bad.

I found there were tricky components to this story. I wanted to make it seem relevant and newsworthy. So I tried my best to make sure the story conveys the fundraiser is something that potentially benefits all Mid-Missourians. You never know if you'll have a child, grandchild, niece, nephew or friend that needs pediatric care. I found a man who's son received care from CMN at the MU Children's Hospital. Although, I could not get footage of his son or home, I had one sound byte that made the story a little more humanized.

Another difficulty I ran into was capturing footage of the children's hospital facilities. Because of privacy agreements, reporters can't shoot video in patient areas. So, all of my footage was from the actual event. However, I do feel like I had a few good shots and natural sound. I especially liked my closing shot - I utilized depth-of-field to make pancakes a little more interesting.

Week 2

2009-02-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

This week, I was back and forth between two different stories, because neither was coming together well.

My original story idea was to visit a small scrapbooking store in Mexico, Missouri. I was originally supposed to meet with the owner to talk about how her business is doing in light of the bad economy and competition from online outlets. However, our original meeting date and time became a conflict and there was no other time to do it this week. So, I moved on to staying in Columbia for the story.

I started making phone calls and set up a meeting at Hobby Lobby, where I was to meet with the store manager and hoped to find shoppers who were in to scrapbooking. I did manage to find both, but my next challenge was to find someone who would let me come into their home to shoot video of them scrapbooking. I talked to about ten people, got phone numbers from one woman who scrapbooks in a group and still had no success. With our stories, we try to find sources to humanize our story, to make it easier for viewers to relate. I was at a dead end. I tried the phone book "dart game," basically stalked people around Hobby Lobby and gave up. I decided to try for my backup plan.

The backup - a quick story on a bill that would remove "red light" cameras at intersections. I thought this would be a visually strong story and somewhat easy, but again ran into dead end's when trying to find a CCC.

Because of my deadline, I decided to go ahead with the scrapbooking story. Considering I don't have a solid CCC, filmed in one location, and one with poor lighting to boot, I think I managed well. A few colleagues looked over my script and were surprised at what I had come up in having so few material.

My biggest challenge was keeping an open mind. Originally, I went into the story with an idea of what I wanted it to be - in terms of content. But, when I actually started talking to people and researching, I discovered it would take on an entirely different angel. This is one of the things we learn. We must let the people tell the story, and not structure interviews in a way to the the story that WE want. That is not our duty.

The frustrations of Journalism

2009-02-10T23:53:00.000-08:00

Over the past two weeks, I spent every spare minute of my time working on my first package for Broadcast 2. I encountered more obstacles than anything else, but can honestly say I made it!

Choosing a story proved to be the easiest part of my quest. I am very interested in political reporting and agriculture. So naturally, I picked up a story about a new piece of legislation that concerns the agriculture industry.

Jackson County Republican Senator Matt Bartle sponsored Senate Bill 11, which would lift the requirement that all Missouri gas stations carry ethanol-blended fuel. The bill jumped out at me because I am familiar with Bartle's platforms, and the ideals of this bill didn't seem to resonate with his usual legislation.

I decided this is a great story for viewers because it affects everyone who has a vehicle, as well as the farmers who provide the corn used in ethanol.

I spoke with Sen. Bartle as well as a Kingdom City Farmer, Fred Atkinson. He too, was surprised to hear Sen. Bartle sponsored this piece of legislation because Bartle comes from an agriculture background. Mr. Atkinson provided very colorful soundbytes and definitely humanized my story. I walked around his farm - shooting video of various aspects of his operation.

We had a second chance to re-shoot video, which I definitely needed to do. However, nothing worked out for me this week. First of all, I couldn't meet with Mr. Atkinson due to scheduling conflicts, and because I have to attend an earlier lab session this week, I am not able to re-shoot video at the second hearing of the bill.

Regardless of the less-than-perfect package I produced, I must say I am glad to see my work come together. The story provides an insightful look on what normally may be a boring political story with "BOPSA" video. But through the things I learned in the course thus far, I took the story to a level that people can now relate to.

Newbie

2009-02-09T13:34:00.000-08:00

I am expanding my horizons in journalism by creating a blog of my own. I have blogged in the past through a web hosting created by my news director at Missouri Digital News (MDN). However, I'm hoping this blog will develop into a more long-term record. You can view my blog from MDN by visiting http://www.mdn.org/2009/STAFF/GRIMMETA.HTM

I am currently a Junior at the University of Missouri. I am majoring in Broadcast Journalism and am completing my second semester in the Broadcast sequence. As part of Broadcast Two, I will be completing weekly entries that review my journalistic experiences.

I am contemplating on creating a Twitter account as well. This way I can manage a formal blog dedicated to my journalistic experience, along with a more informal account of my random life thoughts.