Arts Festival, iPhone and Prom Dresses

Good morning everyone!
It's Trisha - Pat's running off on assignment.

I'm doing the news at noon so I'll put a couple of thoughts together as we get a break.,

The DM Arts festival kicks off tonight at 4pm - any of you going this weekend? Be sure to stop by and say hi to us in the Ch 13 tent (we'll be handing out balloons)

I'll be there Sunday afternoon so all of you who are agonizing over a purchase, stop by and debate it with us before you go home...

I'm impressed to hear the Joffrey Ballet is doing a free performance tonight. Cool! Tons of bands will be playing, 150 artists will be showcased, and there are all kinds of crafts for kids to do, not to mention the food vendors. (I'm planning to take the kids to see their very first Nadas concert Saturday night... decked out in their band t-shirts to cheer on Daddy! )

Photos are courtesy of Cahill!
Jeriann and Jon were live at the Western Gateway Park all morning. Jeriann wore SHORTS even though she knew it would be a little on the chilly side. Here's a link to the Arts Festival Website for schedules, maps, and info. It's FREE - and the forecast is awesome.

WILD CHASE
Yesterday a wild situation unfolded at the Arts Festival site, involving a crash, a police chase, a shooting, and a car-jacking. I'll let Pat expand if he has time since he was anchoring the noon newscast yesterday when all this broke.
Maybe it's the mother in me that always makes me wonder when I hear stories like this - what went wrong in that person's life that led them to this moment? In this case police say drugs were involved. It makes me sad to see someone's life apparently slipped so far out of control that they'd do something this extreme.

LONDON BOMBING STOPPED
A potential car-bombing in London was prevented this morning -bomb was defused and the area cordoned off. Hard to imagine how things would have gone if authorities did not take care of this situation in advance. This was all developing overnight and we're sure to know many more details by tonight's newscasts.
by noon today police in London found two more suspicious cars that might be filled with the same thing. Fleet street was closed for a while this morning...now it's re-opened.

IPHONE DEBUT
A few tech-lovers lined up overnight at Jordan Creek to wait for the I Phone - which goes on sale at 6 tonight.
These look pretty cool, but way out of my price range ($499 for the cheapest model, not including the cost of getting the AT&T service)
Apple IPhone info here.

PROM PICTURES, ANYONE?
This morning after showing video of a kid who made prom outfits out of duct tape, Pat and I got talking about our prom attire. Which led me to pose this challenge to you blog-readers - who's brave enough to share their prom photos with the world???

Please email them to me at trisha.shepherd@whotv.com, and I will post them here throughout the day! Once I get home I'll try to get one of my old prom pics loaded in. Funny stuff.

(hint - double check the spelling of SHEPHERD or the email will get lost in cyberspace. I can't tell you how often this happens. There's an "H" in the middle - shep herd as in "herder of sheep," not shepard, shepperd, etc.)

I'll try to scan in the picture of Sally and I at Senior Prom...yes we went to the senior prom together. I also have a request from our Elvis freak to post these:

They're pictures from my good friend Tim Payne. His sister Jenny married her longtime boyfriend in Las Vegas. They were married at Bellagio along with an Elvis. Trish went nuts when she saw these TP. The last pic is Tim's adorable daughter Jilly. One word or Tim...Trouble...she's gonna be trouble TP.

NEWS FROM THE SHEPHERD KIDS

"Camp Grandma" is officially coming to an end today. My little ones are coming home - can't wait to see these faces again in person!

My parents sent me these photos yesterday - Calvin is showing off the new elephant hat he got at the zoo.

And Clara - my dad wrote, "Here's Clara... well... doing what Clara does." Have I mentioned before how much she and Jeriann have in common? Lately I've changed Clara's nickname from "Piglet" to "Porkchop." I have a feeling I should pick something nicer by the time she's old enough to get sensitive to these issues. I don't want to create a complex - it's just clear this child loves to eat! I guess she needs all that energy to go-go-go as most toddlers do.

Send me your prom photos - and have a wonderful weekend!

Trish and Pat

Arts Fest Traffic, Squad Car Hit

Good Morning...if you see Trish and Jeriann and I out on the streets of Des Moines this morning it's a project we're working on for the show. More to come on that, but our little field trip means we'll be brief with the blogging. Maybe I'll log back in and do a little more later.

ARTS FEST!

Here's a link to parking and shuttle info for Arts Fest. I'll see you there Saturday morning! Jeriann's on duty Friday night, Pat's there Sunday afternoon. Come say hi.
My Father-in-law in headed to Des Moines this weekend for Arts Festival. This is becoming a regular trip for Rick. Since the I-Cubs are usually in town for the weekend of Arts Festival, we usually combine the two for a great weekend. It looks like Jeriann is going to come through for weather.

ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND PREGNANCY

Here's a link to a fuller article on MSNBC on new research suggesting antidepressants are not as dangerous as feared during pregnancy. Still, it's critical that any expectant mother discuss medications with her health care provider.

KERMIT IS A GIRL

Kermit is the name my bro Kevin and his wife Kim have affectionately given to their soon-to-be baby, due in November. Yesterday, I learned via text that IT'S A GIRL! Kev says they'll have to start calling her Kermita.

I asked what she looked like on the sonogram. He told me, in his signature deadpan style, "Well, she's kind of gray, with a little bit of black and white."

That's a relief. It's not easy being green.



FRAGILE X SYNDROME

In reading up on the Benoit murder-suicide case, I found out today the 7-year-old boy who was murdered had a rare mental disorder known as Fragile X Syndrome. I hadn't heard of it, and found interesting info online. The site says it is: "the most common cause of inherited mental impairment. This impairment can range from learning disabilities to more severe cognitive or intellectual disabilities. (Sometimes referred to as mental retardation.) FXS is the most common known cause of autism or "autistic-like" behaviors. Symptoms also can include characteristic physical and behavioral features and delays in speech and language development."

VACATION

South Carolina was hot, muggy and full of golf. What more could you want? This is an annual excursion for me with some of the guys I went to University of Missouri with. We've added some people along the way who've become regulars on our golfing marathon. It's 36 holes a day for five days. I can't say I played well all five days but I can say I really enjoyed myself. I'll put links up to some of the courses we played and the company we used to book the trip. for our golfing blogger, they do a nice job setting up a golfing vacation in Myrtle Beach. The courses along the coast of North and South Carolina are really beautiful. It's a nice getaway, and while I can't say I'm well rested(not a lot of early nights for our group), I am refreshed.

Some other random thoughts from vacation....

Nightly News did a story about Summer travel saying it was going to be a tough year for the airlines. I saw evidence of that on my trip. Too many people traveling and not enough people to fly them or help get them through the gate is a dangerous combination. Pack your patience if you're traveling.

We actually lost one of the guys on the trip because his wife's water broke Sunday morning. Trisha's first question was, "What the heck is she doing letting him go on a golfing trip when she's that pregnant?" The rest of us on the trip decided we would not have, A:Had a wife so willing to let us go to South Carolina nine months into her pregnancy or, B: agreed to go so late in the pregnancy. The good news is, after a marathon trip back to Missouri Sunday morning, he was there for the birth of his second child. Mom and baby are healthy and happy. Congratulations Clay!

Fox squirrels: Have you ever seen one of these things. They're the size of a small cat and they're very friendly. I had one jump up into my cart. I got a few pictures....one of them a good representation of how hot it was. We saw this a couple of times...the squirrel would just lay down to cool off in the shade.

Ok it's off to work...Have a good one.

Des Moines Homicide, Past Lives & Phobias, Angel report

Good morning! Got a photo update from the kids..
The "angels" are doing well at their grandparents' house this week...can you tell they're siblings?

Now to the news...



NORTH SIDE SHOOTING
A shooting killed a man near 7th and Frankllin in DM at around 12:30 this morning. Right before the end of the newscast we learned the victim's identity - 35-year-old Michael Collins of Des Moines. No arrests yet. Lots of questions about what happened.

PAST LIFE KARMA
Call 255-5570 for more info on the lecture tonight at the School of Metaphysics on University near 37th. Starts at 7:30.
Any phobia or past life stories to share? Or do you think this stuff is all nonsense? Please share!

I'm deathly afraid of crossing train tracks. Don't really know why. I shake, my heart pounds, it's not a good feeling at all. Even when I can clearly see that no train is coming, I feel that panicky feeling. I can't stand seeing people stopping their car on tracks, or watching someone walk on train tracks. Our guest this morning, the lecturer who'll speak, says that could mean I had a bad encounter with a train in a past life. Who knows....
I'm off on assignment.. Dan will fill in a little more -

It’s D.W. here, and I can honestly say I had no idea during the drive to work that my worst fear would be exposed on the show, this morning. I admit it. I’m deathly afraid of SNAKES! I get the heebie jeebies just typing that word! I’m not sure where it stems from, exactly, but I think it has something to do with snake horror stories from my Grandma Winters. I’m not so afraid of the giant, slow moving python or say, a boa constrictor (although I still won’t get near one). It’s more the little fast snakes that creep me out, and I know a lot of people who feel the same way.

As far as the whole “past life” thing goes… I don’t buy it. What would be the incentive for a good and decent life lived to the fullest, if God were just going to give you another shot at it a few decades or a few hundred years after you die? I studied quite a bit of psychology in college… enough to know that our experiences and our brains hold a lot of explanations about our behavior, most of which we are unaware.

It’s been a fun to fill in for Patrick for the past few days, and I hope Pat was smarter than Ehrlich and actually wore sunscreen on his golfing trip. I hope you tune in on Saturday (Liz’s last day of her honeymoon) to find out how to have the best Des Moines Arts Festival experience possible!

Hot Summer Day, Law of Attraction, Drivers License station move

Morning, everyone!

It's an ice cream kind of day.

Had to put these recent pix up because I miss seeing these little faces. Cal and Clara are at "Camp Grandma" this week. My mom's a teacher and has summers off, so the kids are spending a week getting spoiled rotten.

I've been plowing away at home on cleaning, organizing, and gardening projects that have been sorely neglected! It's good to stay busy, because while I'm enjoying the freedom, I'm also starting to really miss these guys! I'll definitely have fresh appreciation when I see them Friday.

WWE DEATHS

Strange and sad story from the wrestling world. The WWE says it appears the deaths of a wrestler and his wife and son, are a case of murder suicide. They believe Chris Benoit killed his family members, then himself. He had been scheduled to appear in a pay per view event Sunday night - the night of the alleged killings. More details should come out after the autopsy report.

LICENSE STATION MOVE

The new Ankeny station is open today for drivers in Polk County. There's also a satellite station on Euclid in the Oliver Plaza shopping center, only for renewals. Any thoughts on the move?

LAW OF ATTRACTION
Thanks to those of you who responded early this morning!

What do you think of the Law of Attraction theory? Any experiences to share?

Dan Winters (in again for the vacationing Mr. Dix) said today during the show, he wasn't prepared for such deep discussions in a morning newscast! I told him that's why I make his coffee so strong - so he can keep up with us!

We're talking about this topic because recently I interviewed Michael Losier, the author of the Law of Attraction, by satellite.
His book gives you a step-by-step way to put into action the ideas made so popular by "The Secret."
He says everything you think about, worry about, talk about, daydream about, pray about, etc, sends a vibration into the world. Positive or negative, it comes back to you. He says by reframing your thoughts, you can attract mjore positive outcomes. Instead of worrying that you'll never meet the perfect guy or find the job you really want, focus on what you DO want.

I haven't tried this long enough to tell you whether it works. But I do know that I tend to be a worrier, and now I'm catching myself when I start getting hung up on "what-ifs." I try to think of what I HOPE will happen, instead of what I fear might go wrong. Whether it works or not, it feels better to think that way!

ELVIS PB CUPS

Our AM audio operator, Bill, brought in the new Elvis-inspired Reese's Peanut Butter and Banana cups this morning. LOVE the label -not sold on the product. Fake banana flavor is just icky. A real banana split is one thing, but banana flakes plus artificial flavors, not quite King-tastic.

Dan pointed out that if you ate the package of 2 cups, you'd ingest half your recommended fat intake for the day. And with this heat, I'm not about to go out and try to run it off!

Stay cool - see you all in the morning!

Trish

Cleaning up trees, Race Cars & Traffic, Beautiful Bride

Good morning! It's Trisha.


I'm gonna keep things quick because I have lots on my plate as usual!




STORM AFTERMATH


How many of you have branches to clean up? The storms left a few good ones in our yard. It was nothing compared to the mess in Norwalk. I pulled an early Saturday shift to cover the tornado aftermath live. As I stared at the wreckage of what used to be a beautiful home on a pond south of Norwalk, I couldn't help think - "And I thought I had a lot to be stressed about." Nothing like a natural disaster to give you some perspective.


The weirdest sight was the huge pieces of red plastic siding from the Casey's - intact 3 or 4 blocks away all over a neighborhood. Seeing corn flattened in a field was also a creepy sight.


I was fascinated by the witness descriptions of seeing all that stuff, along with huge tree branches swirling overhead. But I'm glad I wasn't close enough to see it for myself. Scary stuff.




IOWA CORN INDY 250

Since Dan got a chance to go out to the track (Saturday, not Sunday) I've invited him to offer a guest blog on race stuff this morning. Any of you stuck in that traffic jam? How do you rate the event overall?

DAN'S BLOG ENTRY:
8:55 a.m.

It’s DW here. I just snuck away for a quick breakfast at the Waveland Café with a friend of mine who’s in town from New York. Matt had the Mexican Skillet and I had the breakfast special (eggs over hard, hash browns, wheat toast, and sausage links). It drives me CRAZY when we talk about food on the morning show and I have to sit there and starve.

Back to the fact that Matt is from New York. Yesterday, we were getting ready to watch the Iowa Corn Indy 250 on the big screens at A.K. O’Connor’s in Beaverdale. What do you suppose I saw trotting down my residential street, when I opened my front door? A woman riding a horse! Matt thought it was so hilarious he had to snap a picture with his camera phone and send it to his friends in Manhattan. Several of them replied with sarcastic jabs about Iowa. All I could say was that a horse beats New York City traffic any day of the week.

Speaking of traffic, did you see the line of cars waiting to get into the Iowa Speedway for the big race? It’s a shame people had to miss the first green flag, because it truly is a spectacular event. My girlfriend, Shannon, and her parents and I went to the Indy Pro Series race and qualifying on Saturday. It was my first time to actually see cars speed around the track, and I have to say, “I AM AN INDY FAN!” It really is impossible to describe the rush… and the NOISE!

Well, I’d better sign-off and get ready for the noon show. I’ll see you Tuesday and Wednesday morning, as well. Good luck golfing, if you get a chance to read this, Pat!

BEAUTIFUL BRIDE





The highlight of my weekend was watching our colleague Elizabeth Klinge walk down the aisle with her now-husband, Derek. Beautiful wedding, beautiful bride.

Since Jeriann and I were both dateless (Rob and Ian were both out of town) we hung out with stand-in dates, Jon Cahill and Dave Price. Someone once actually mistook me for Dave's fiance, Emily Givens - I didn't see the resemblance until I saw a photo of her from a distance, and thought it was me.





Also in this group photo is AM photojournalist Dave Olson and his date, Laura. It's always nice to hang out with co-workers outside the newsroom!








HIP MAMAS NIGHT OUT
It was too dark to get any good photos, but I did head out this weekend with the Hip Mamas group for a night out on the town. Those girls know how to have a good time.


The highlight - watching a very confident single guy dancing up a storm all by himself in his Chuck Taylors.

The lowlight - when the 19-year-old "shot girl" found out I was 33, and told me, " Wow! You look really good..." (for your age was implied.) Made me feel like a senior citizen. I SHOULD look good! I'm ONLY 33, after all!

Gotta run - have a great Monday everyone!

What Not to Bring to the race, Stormy night, Cahill suits up

Good morning! It's Trisha today as Pat is off on an adventure.

I wish you could have seen Dan Winters' dramatic reaction during a commercial break to my paint-peeling batch of coffee this morning.
I am known for making it a little (well, a LOT) on the strong side. This morning, the water jug ran out halfway through the pot, so it was EXTRA potent. Dan's such a coffee wimp, he likes to WATER DOWN his coffee. So this morning, I filled his cup - fully leaded.

I hope he comes down from the ceiling by bedtime tonight.

STORMY NIGHT
Good thing Jeriann talked me out of painting the garage last night. My dad and I instead were stripping stain off the front door when the sky got black. We got everything in the garage JUST in time for that late-afternoon downpour. Cal and Clara stared out the windows at the rain and hail hitting the ground.
Calvin reminded me last night he does NOT like thunder. "It's too loud." Somehow the sound of his sticks bashing his drumset is totally tolerable though. Whatever, dude.
Any of you get slammed by storms?

SHUTTLE LANDING?
Atlantis could come down as early as 1:18 Iowa time if weather holds up. There'll be 4 other chances to land it today. Let's get that crew back on earth!

GET REAL GONE
I've had that Sheryl Crowe song in my head - it's the theme song from the movie "Cars" ...
With all the talk about the Iowa Corn Indy 250 in Newton this weekend, I'm actually getting more and more curious about the world of racing.
AM reporter Jon Cahill got to satifsy his curiousity - did you all see him suit up and go for a spin on the racetrack? He says the experience made him work up a sweat, even though he wasn't the driver, just a passenger!

Jeriann and I think Jon looks great in the racing suit.

Almost as great as Milka Duno. I hear jaws were hitting the floor in the newsroom when the racecar-driver beauty stopped in for an interview yesterday.

Cahil just confessed he's got Milka as his screensaver now. Maybe she was watching this morning and will give him a holla...

If you're going to the race here's a link to the Iowa Speedway's fan guide page with a list of items not allowed inside. Examples - coolers, lawnchairs, booze, lazer pointers, umbrellas.
What TO BRING? Sunscreen and earplus, according to Craig Armstrong with the Speedway.

(Right and above is a shot of him in front of the camera for this morning's live shot, with Roger Riley behind the lens)

Today he showed off the trophy they'll give out Sunday - a green old-fashioned Ethanol gas tank, with corn kernels in one transparent compartment. Clever - and someday, iconic, they hope.

LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS
Finally got to give Gen X Dads their due respect with a piece last night in the 10pm news. If you missed it, it's one of the homepage videos right now. It was very strange interviewing my own husband for the piece, but I think he did a great job representing a very involved (and sometimes overwhelmed!) dad. I'll invite him to share some more thoughts on the blog today - check back!

I also want to hear from those of you who ARE Generation X dads, or moms who are married to one.
How are expectations of fatherhood different now that they were in your dad's generation?
How different is pressure on dads from pressure on moms?
How do you keep your relationship intact in spite of all the time devoted to kids?
Please share!

COMING SOON.....
An entire website devoted to nothing but Gen X Moms (and some dads) content! All the pieces I've done so far will be there, plus some interactive forums, advice from a child psychologist, helpful links, AND - a new "Trisha's Gen X Moms" blog.
Looks like I'll have to stretch the day to 25 hours to get everything done!
Watch for this to go live early in July.

JERIANN CAN'T SLEEP

The girl is seriously cracked. The thought of losing her gorgeous new diamond ring kept her awake last night! She stares at the rock so much I think sometimes she'll forget to give the forecast! I found this shot of her with her now-fiance Rob, and Jon Cahill to share with ya'll - aren't they cute?

Maybe she should listen to this song -

Goodnight, Girl
I caught Dan Winters looking up the video on youtube of the last night at People's in Ames. As an ISU grad he looked almost teary-eyed. The song for the video, Goodnight Girl, is by the Nadas, who had their first gig at People's, and played there on the final night. My hubby, Ian, is now playing drums at many of the Nadas gigs, and was there that night - said the crowd and the whole scene was unreal. They actually let people help knock down walls at the end of the night.
Anyway that video was supposedly one of the top 30 or so most-viewed videos on youtube for a while - check it out if you're a People's or Nadas fan (or just plain nosy!) It made me feel nostalgic even though I'd never partied at People's!

Gotta run - have a great weekend and come back Monday with good stories to tell!
Trish

New U of I President, Gilbert Sentencing, and Work Guilt

Good Morning!
I'm blogging quickly because I'm running out the door at 7.

U of I president:

Sounds like they got a pretty good candidate. It took a while but if this is really the best person to lead the University, isn't it worth all of the argument over the process? This is why the search should be public.
Sally Mason is the likely pick, according to inside sources. She's provost and a biology prof at Purdue, with research background in the biology of pigment cells. We should find out officially from the Regents later today. TS

Gilbert:

I know people feel passionately about this...I'll only say, it will probably be harder for this guy to be on the streets every day than it will to be in prison. No one will ever know what really happened. Hopefully Dallas County can move past this.


It's a Boy for Brooke!


Just wanted to meantion that my former co-anchor Brooke Bouma had her baby last weekend. I'll let Trish post the pics of Evan Joseph. He's got mom's eyes! Congrats Brooke and Eric.

He's gorgeous, and his parents look oh-so-happy. I'm thrilled for this new family!

Work Guilt:

I'm going to let Trish take most of the rest of the news, I've got to go catch a flight. This is the weekend Sally promised my best man the weekend we got married. One weekend a year, the guys I went to school with get together for a weekend of marathon golf. Needless to say, I am the luckiest guy in the world both because I have a great wife, and because I have great friends that have been a part of this weekend for nine years now. Dan Winters will be in for the next few days. Enjoy! Maybe I'll blog from vacation just to say Hi!

No need for guilt, Pat, go enjoy! We've got you covered! TS

Windsor Heights Fire Chief
This story caught my attention today - the Fire Chief of Windsor Heights faces misdemeanor charges of supplying alcohol to minors and harassment, after an incident at a Clive after Five event where his teenaged sons (15 and 17) were allegedly drinking beer with their dad. Police say the chief got lippy about the fellow firefighters who tipped off police, that's what led to the harassment charge.
My thoughts... if this is true... it surprises me that someone in a high profile position of authority would take such a chance at such a public event. Just being a journalist, not even a public serveant, I always feel I must be extra careful not to do anything in public that might appear questionable, or tarnish my reputation.
What do you all think?

Gen X Dads
I hope some of you will watch my newest report in tonight's 10pm news on being a modern dad. I interviewed working dad Fred Scott, the husband of one of our Gen-X moms, Brette. They have the most adorable 10-month old baby girl, Evan! (that's them to the left after our interview)

Fred agrees with what research suggests, that today's dads are much more involved in hands-on parenting than his father's generation.

I also put my own husband, Ian, on the spot, and had him tell the story of our unique schedule that puts him in charge of the kids - on his own - every weekday morning while I'm at work. While it can be grueling (since as a full-time musician he's often up very late at night working), I know Ian realizes that the bigger picture is more important than the daily grind. Both he and the kids are getting a lot out of this schedule, and he won't look back and think he missed out.
I know this report will only scratch the surface of situations today's dads are in, but it's a snapshot of two dads working unusual schedules, and really diving into parenting head-first.

HIP MAMAS HAVING FUN!

I am so glad I talked myself into joining the Hip Mamas social group through meetup.com! Last night we had a "Margaritas and More" hangout - no kids along - and it was great to get to know a bunch more fun women in a very similar place in life!

To the right is Janet - a very outgoing hip mama! I have a feeling she's going to get me in trouble. We have a "night out on the town" dancing gathering this weekend, and she kept telling me with this mischievious gleam in her eye, "Trisha, you're going to have fun!" I'm bracing myself for a late and interesting night.

WE ALL FALL DOWN!

My parents have the magic touch with our kids. Yesterday my mom was in the back yard playing ring around the rosy with Cal and Clara. My little girl LOVED the falling down part so much, she couldn't wait for the end of the song. "Ring around the rosy...pocket full of po..... FALL DOWN!!!" (Hysterical giggles)

While Ian overhauled our messy garage, Dad and I spent a few hours in the home improvement store gearing up for a few days of extreme home makeover. I love doing these projects when there's someone around to keep the kids out of the way! Hopefully Cal had a good time on his campout last night -I can't wait to get home and hear the details.

NEW HOMEOWNER ZAVACKI!!

I had to share these amazing before and after shots of the new home of one of our star production crew members, Mike Zavacki! (Also known as the former angry intern from Soundoff...)
How about those floors underneath the beat-up carpet!

Mike's guest post:

Trish, use this however you want, use all or some of it or edit it if I sound like an idiot

As recent a homebuyer Trisha thought it might interesting if I shared my experience on the blog. My experience began about four months ago or so. I saw a house in Waukee and decided that the price was good and the house was really nice for how old it was. It was an old farmhouse and was about 100 years old. Long story short, between the change in my commute time and the work the house would require to maintain it I decided that this house just wasn't going to work for me.
Less than a week after I made the decision about the Waukee house, the realto I contacted said that he found a great house in a really nice neighborhood. So I went and looked at the house in the fairmeadows neighborhood of West Des Moines and I fell in love with it. The house had loads of potential and the work that needed to be done was all stuff that I could do myself. The former owner was a smoker and smoked in the house so the the carpets needed to be ripped up and the walls needed to be primed and painted, but besides that the house was in great shape.
Without going into too much detail, I signed the purchase agreement in early March with a closing date of April 30. Between personal problems the seller had and them being able to move out of the house we were going to call off the deal at one point. My realtor and I actually spent about four hours one afternoon driving around Des Moineslooking at houses that he thought I might like. The next day my realtor called me and said that things at the place in WDM were finally going to go through and the deal was back on.
So that's where we are today, we closed on the 30th of May but things have finally gone through and I couldn't be happier about the progress I've made on the place with help from my family and friends.
To prospective homebuyers I would suggest that you know what you're getting into before you do it and always be ready for the unexpected. Also, make sure you have money in the bank for improvements...things always cost more than you think and there's always stuff that you don't think about. Also, make sure you're ready to sign your name about 8,000 times at the closing.

See you all tomorrow! Happy Summer Solstice!

TS

Early Buzz: Battery Recall

Here's the information from the Gateway Battery recall:

GATEWAY COMPUTERS, AND THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION, IS RECALLING ABOUT 14-THOUSAND LITHIUM ION BATTERY PACKS.
THEY SAY THE BATTERY PACKS CAN OVERHEAT AND CAUSE A FIRE.
THE BATTERIES ARE ORIGINAL OR REPLACEMENT BATTERIES FOR SOME GATEWAY NOTEBOOK COMPUTERS.
CONSUMERS SHOULD STOP USING THE BATTERIES AND CONTACT GATEWAY FOR REPLACEMENTS...1-800-292-6813

Fire Suspect, Bloomberg Bolts GOP and Popping the Question

Good Morning...

We're without our regular producer Heather Lewis so Trish and I were in early helping out Wade Parsons with the show. One of the advantages to that is that we get a little more time to peruse the Internet for news. Today's blog will include some of those random finds.


I don't want to bury the lead in today's news. Jeriann Ritter is tying the knot! She told us as she came into the newsroom this morning. We'll let Jeriann guest blog about the circumstances, but needless to say, we were as surprised as JR was.
As the only guy on this blog, and the only one who's ever pulled off a proposal... I give Rob points for the way he asked and the execution of his plan....Way to go Rob...that's a story you'll be telling for years!




Congrats, Jeriann and Rob!! I'm thrilled to hear the news! Rob is a genuine, warm, funny, and smart guy - the best kind of "catch" out there! And the ring he chose is beautiful!

Jeriann promises to add some stuff to the blog today to share the details of the elaborate proposal! I suspect they'll be newlyweds before next summer.... TS


JERIANN'S GUEST BLOG


It feels weird having a new shiny sparkling weather pointer on my ring finger. I love it and the guy who gave it to me.

The proposal was a surprise and very romantic. The surprise on Tuesday afternoon was almost spoiled by my mother. I was doing the weather for the noon show live from the Science Center yesterday when my mom called to tell me to "accept." I didn’t know what she was talking about. Over the weekend, I had my “now” future husband Rob, install instant messenger and a web cam on my home computer. This allows us to speak with my dad over in Iraq. It also tells the rest of my family when I log in and out of the computer. My mom didn’t know Rob was the one logged in at my house ready to propose yesterday afternoon when she told me to accept.

Rob had taken off work to hide clues around my house. He knew I wouldn’t think it was coming on a Tuesday afternoon.
The first clue was taped to the door… it was very sweet and led me to the next one which was on a cookie dough ice cream cake in the freezer. This man knows I love food. The next clue was champagne in the fridge. The 4th clue was attached to a rose on my bed. The last clue and card was the sweetest… he installed a mirror so I could see the back of my hair in the bathroom. Long story… but when I looked in the mirror and I could see the ring. He got down on one knee and said just the right things to make me want to say YES.

This guy has the biggest heart and is the kindest man I know. I feel pretty lucky to have landed such a great catch.



Back to the daily grind around here...literally.



We wouldn't be telling any stories if we'd gone without coffee this morning. I'm afraid we disobeyed the signs posted on the coffee pot yesterday saying it was out of order. It's the pot the coffee pours into. The button you push to pour the coffee was stuck, so coffee spilled all over the floor. We remedied the situation by stealing the coffee pot from upstairs in the sales department (sorry guys). I think the folks upstairs would want us to be alert. We'll return the coffee pot later.
I nearly went into a panic when I heard it was really, truly, unusable. Coming off a few days' vacation is never easy, and coffee is not a luxury, but a NECESSITY. Thank goodness we were able to get some brew flowing... I don't think the show could go on without it! TS

To the News:
Fire Arrest:
Des Moines police say they've got a man in custody and they're charging him with intentionally setting five fires yesterday morning. We heard these fires through the early morning hours Tuesday and wondered. Our suspicions were confirmed by the arrest.

Bentler Sentencing
The judge had some particularly harsh things to say to Shawn Bentler as he gave the 23 year-old two life sentences for killing his parents and sisters. Bentler got an even more emotional verbal barrage from his family during victim impact statements. The Judge's statement was interesting though because he referenced a couple of things we didn't see and hear during the trial. On the 9-1-1 tape that helped convict Bentler, apparently you can hear his mother begging for her life. Disturbing.

HELP BUILD A ZOO PLAYGROUND
We had a live guest on this morning to explain how 1,000 volunteers will help build the Zoo's new playground this week (called Kids' Kingdom). They need more volunteers for Saturday. Here's how to help.

Mr Mayor to Mr President?
Michael Bloomberg is apparently switching his party affiliation again...sort of. The New York Mayor is now and independent. He switched from life-long Dem to the GOP when he ran for NY mayor. This is, of course, fueling speculation that Bloomberg is going to make a run at the Presidency. He says his plans for the future haven't changed.

Indy Invasion:
The Indy cars are starting to show up in Central Iowa as they prepare for the race at the Iowa Speedway this weekend. It should be quite an event. We're going to have a little more on the race every day leading up to it this weekend. If you're headed out there, we should have some good information for you. If you don't have tickets yet...it's standing room only for the race.

I LOVED Keith Murphy's piece taking an Indy car out for errands around town! He hit a bank drive-thru, a Sonic, the dry-cleaner's, a car dealership, etc. We showed the piece again early in the show... what a great idea, Murph! Who wouldn't love making the rounds in a sweet ride like that? TS


Internet Randoms:
I told you we did some surfing this morning before the show...here are some of the articles that didn't make the show....

Shuttle Coming Home
As space shuttle Atlantis crew members continued their return trip to Earth on Wednesday, they waited for results of a final inspection of the spacecraft to make sure its heat shield was in good shape. Engineers on earth want to study the images to make sure the shuttle can withstand the intense heat of re-entering Earth's atmosphere before they give final approval for it to land Thursday at Cape Canaveral, Fla


Housing Market
The worst is yet to come for the U.S. housing market.
The jump in 30-year mortgage rates by more than a half a percentage point to 6.74 percent in the past five weeks is putting a crimp on borrowers with the best credit just as a crackdown in subprime lending standards limits the pool of qualified buyers. The national median home price is poised for its first annual decline since the Great Depression, and the supply of unsold homes is at a record 4.2 million, according to the National Association of Realtors.
``It's a blood bath,'' said Mark Kiesel, executive vice president of Newport Beach, California-based Pacific Investment Management Co., the manager of $668 billion in bond funds. ``We're talking about a two- to three-year downturn that will take a whole host of characters with it, from job creation to consumer confidence. Eventually it will take the stock market and corporate profit.''


College Ranking Boycott
They didn't call for an all-out boycott, but presidents of dozens of liberal arts colleges signaled their intent Tuesday to stop cooperating with U.S. News & World Report's college rankings.
What that means exactly is not spelled out. Because most college presidents must answer to trustees, faculty and other constituents, "the decision to participate or withdraw from the U.S. News rankings rests with the individual institutions," says a statement released Tuesday by the Annapolis Group, whose members include 121 liberal arts colleges.







WHERE'S MY GIRLFRIEND?





I know I've mentioned before that Cal has a close buddy named Lily. He calls her his



"girlfriend," although I'm sure he doesn't really know what that means. Here's a shot of them last week dancing out at the Valley Junction Farmers' Market - they were freaking out! I did make him put his t-shirt back on later so as not to look completely rednecky. Hey -it was hot - I don't blame him!



Yesterday he really, really wanted Lily to come to the pool with us. I called and she was taking a nap after having what her mom describes as a "rough day."



I found Cal a little while later laying on his bed, head down, looking totally depressed. "Do you feel sick," I asked, knowing that whenever he's not in perpetual motion there is something very wrong.



"I'm just sad," he told me. "I want Lily to play. I want my girlfriend."



I told the lovesick little guy that we'd have to wait for another day.



Then I busted out some surprise good news to cheer him up.



"Guess who's coming to see us tomorrow??? GRANDMA AND GRANDPA! And... guess what they're bringing.... THEIR CAMPER! And if you're good, you'll get to camp out in it!"







The crisis was over. He's ready to toast some marshmallows and crawl into that sleeping bag!



They're seriously talking about taking him to a campground right in West Des Moines somewhere... just so he can experience "camping" for the first time. Too cute.



I have tons to get done today, so I'll wish you all a happy Weds and see you in the AM!



Trish

Offensive in Iraq, Bentler Sentencing, and Last Day with Liz

Good Morning,



It's the last day with Elizabeth Klinge before she heads off to get married this weekend, sorry guys. We appreciate the help she's given us this week as Trish is taking a couple of deserved days off. Jeriann tried a fun forecast for Liz's wedding day, but proved she's about as good a speller as I am by leaving the E off of Klinge.

Anyway, we wish Liz and her husband to be Derek the best as they head toward the big weekend. I'll miss attending as I will be otherwise engaged in an important meeting with a little white ball on a well manicured fairway in South Carolina.

To the news:

Overnight we heard about a big offensive in Iraq. 10,000 troops are headed to the Diayala Province to target Al-Qaida. The action started with air strikes early this morning and early reports we read this morning say US troops killed 23 insurgents.

Bentler Sentencing/New Trial?
Shawn Bentler goes before a judge again this morning for sentencing. He was convicted of murdering his parents and three siblings about a month ago. We know first degree murder carries with it a life sentence, so that's not going to be a surprise. Bentler's family will be speaking at the sentencing, and that will be an emotional part of the morning.
After the sentencing, the judge takes up Bentler's appeal for a new trial. His attorney argues that a 9-1-1 tape should not be admissible in court because it's hearsay. We spoke to a trial lawyer who says it has very little chance of working.


We had a bunch of overnight fires set in DSM...we'll be working on a story today. Police think they could be connected.

Sorry...it's 10:30 and I'm not done with this thing yet...it's been a hectic morning.
I'll cut it short.
Trish is back tomorrow.
PWD

Busy Overnight, Triathlon Success, and One More Thank You

Good Morning!
Trish and Jeriann are taking some much deserved time this morning so we get a visit from Megan and Elizabeth. Always a good time.

In the news

Overnight:
We had some overnight fires on the east side of Des Moines and it looks like some of them might have been set intentionally. One was outside a tire warehouse on E21st and Capitol, but there were a couple of sheds in the area and firefighters told out photojournalist on scene that the burn marks made it looks like someone had doused the shed with lighter fluid before it went up. We'll update the investigation later.

From Iraq:
More fighting, this time aimed at British Soldiers south of Bagdhad. None of their soldiers were hurt.
We found out a native Iowans was killed over the weekend in Iraq. A roadside bomb killed Michael Pittman. He grew up in the Quad Cities and went to High School in Rock Island Illinois.

U of I
Still no President for the University of Iowa. The Regents met yesterday and took the recommendations of the search committee, but could not come to a decision.

Hy-Vee
The Hy-Vee Triathlon looked looked like it was a complete success. Did anyone go down there this weekend? I would be interested to hear about it. SO far the reviews are that it was well run, and that a lot of people showed up for the armature race.

Whirlwind Weekend
I say one more thank you in the title because I'm happy to report we won the fundraising campaign Friday night! We were able to raise more than $15,000 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society in the last nine weeks thanks, in large part, to many of your generous donations. Your thank you's will be coming individually if you made a contribution, but please know that I am overwhelmed at the support our viewers and bloggers gave. As a group the candidates running this year were able to raise a record $360,000 for research, treatment and education in the fight to cure blood related cancers.
We had a great time celebrating Friday night. I was happy to have Trisha and her Husband Ian there with us. We hosted some of our friends and my brother Matt and His wife Amy were able to join us as well. I'm going top post a picture or two from Friday when I can get home and get them off my camera...so check back later!

By Saturday at 10am we were off to Chicago to say good-bye to my parents house and celebrate Mom getting her PhD. It was great to see all of the people who'd come into town. My Dad said it best. The house is only a place, the home is made by the people who are in it. All of the people who were at that party and a long list of others who couldn't come made that house a home for them (and for us) over the last 33 years. We'll miss it. I'll post some pics here as well later in the day.

What about Bob?
We refer to our blog lurkers every once in a while in this daily post, but I was surprised to learn that My Uncle Bob in Montana is one of them! Apparently Bob has posted here and hasn't identified himself...as we're fond of saying in my family, "C'mon Bob!".
Bob confused the heck out of Sally when she first met him...mostly because his family always called him Terry (he's Robert Terrance I think). So we always called him Uncle T. When we started talking about Bob...Sally thought we were referring to an entirely different person. When you come from a family of about 15 people total...and you have to keep 15 aunts and uncles straight...it's hard enough without having to learn nicknames.
So if Uncle T is out there...Welcome to the Blog Bob!

Hope everyone had a good weekend...we're in for another good one next weekend IRL racing at the Iowa Speedway!

PWD