Behind the Scenes At Channel 9 December 31, 2008

Add some frosting...some fondant flowers...and you've got yourself a wedding cake.

One of the more popular questions I get from viewers I meet out in the field is: “why do you look so much taller on TV”?!  I thought I’d explain.

Around here, I’ve become infamous for my desk-drawer, full of shoes.  Heeled shoes, flat shoes, sandals, boots…snow shoes…the works.  As a reporter, you never know what kind of shoes you’ll need for the day’s story.

When there’s a pant suit which requires flat shoes…that’s when the boxes come out.

You’re looking at the “weather plasma“– which is where we stand sometimes to switch things up.  When Joel stands over there, he uses a small, skinny 3-inch box. Kris Ketz is a bigger guy– he doesn’t use a box at all.

For me, <sigh>. One box isn’t enough.  I usually stack the tiny black box on top of the gray one– which can be scary!  No meandering!  Keep your balance! 

Can you imagine if I don’t focus and fall off the tiny box?  This would be a YouTube video for YEARS!

Happy New Year’s everyone– like I said during FirstNews today:  I’m celebrating New Year’s at 6:30pm, with my significant other, my two puppies and a glass of 1% milk! 

See you on TV tomorrow…that is for the people who wake up early tomorrow, or those who haven’t gone to sleep. 😉 Cheers!

Lobsters + Nikki’s $2.50 Blazer December 29, 2008

Our perky in pink promotions person (all that alliteration, love it) in her $2.50 Isaac Mizrahi blazer she is so proud of this. Heck, I'M proud of her!

This photo is from before I went on Christmas vay-cay.  Nikki is proudly displaying the price tage from a Target, Isaac Mizrahi blazer she originally thought was 9-bucks, but when she got to the register…was only $2.50!  That’s less than a Happy Meal!  (Do you love how I compare things to Happy Meals?)

(according to Nik, the store’s discontinuing the I.M. line. — who knows what else can be found!)

This break I went to Boston, my old stomping grounds to visit friends and my family (who’ve moved back from China…hooray!).  I’m amazed at this:

Seriously, the grocery stores steam the lobster for you, so just slap some butter on that fellow, add some lemon juice, and now we're talking!

We ran a story a few months ago about the prices of lobster decreasing in New England…and I remember lobsters being about 6 bucks a pound, but $3.99…that’s cheaper than beef!  (This is about the same as a McDonald’s value meal, if not less!)

Needless to say, I satiated  my need to feed on the crustacean.

Until next time–

Dion 🙂

Oil Change, Part Deux December 22, 2008

Update: going to the dealer was actually the better thing to do.  They included a hand-wash carwash, filled up my windshield fluid and did all those “billion-point inspections” (or whatever the number happens to be)

BUT: They were out of snacks in the waiting room.  (Like I said before, this is usually one real cushy waiting room, but lack of snacks when someone hasn’t eaten in 6 hours is a minus!)

Dion 🙂

Mine isn't the "hot" variety...I got the reduced fat kind, hoping it'll help prevent my body from becoming "sausage-like".

PS:  Hy-Vee had the BEST offer yesterday– the Jimmy Dean sausage rolls were on sale for $2 each, and right below them were manufacturer’s coupons in a little machine. The coupons were for $1 off, and ta-da!  A 3-dollar sausage roll (maybe they usually cost more, I dunno) for $1! 

(This means I’ll be eating a lot of sausage-related meals.  Sausage and eggs, sausage and stuffing, pretty soon I’ll LOOK like a sausage…)

You Want HOW MUCH For An Oil Change? December 19, 2008

Ok, see, I know Kris Ketz demonstrated this for us a few months ago, at how *easy* changing oil is...but 'ut-uh. Let me bask in the waiting room, cup of hot chocolate in hand. THAT's my idea of an oil change.

See, I’m not the one who usually brings my ride in for servicing.  Usually my partner in life/crime does it while I’m at work. 

However, today because of a scheduling thing, I’m bringing my car to the dealer myself. 

I’ve been to Firestone, and Jiffy Lube and all those oil change places in the past, and they seem to have worked just fine.  Today though– I thought I’d call the dealer.

Holy Moly.

The oil change, NOT INCLUDING PARTS AND LABOR will run me $54.95. That does include a cushy hour, spent in the guest lounge.  (The lounge, I will admit is rather plush, full of flat-screens, beverages and snacks.) (Maybe I should bring a knapsack to get $54.95 worth of Pure Life waters!)

A quick call to Jiffy Lube later…

$34!  However.

However.

There’s a $27 upgrade to synthetic oil. They offer a bunch of great services like the dealer does…but doing the math, it’s 6 of one…half a dozen the other.

But there’s coupons for JLube, and I can’t find one for the other. 

Oy.  Enough of this oil change drama mama.

***

On a completely other note…check out www.couponcravings.com a good list of coupons.  Reception diva extrordinare, Denice and I are coupon buddies, and share tips like this almost daily. (i.e.: this woman got an entire shopping cart full of groceries for FREE once!) for

I don't remember exactly where, but on a trip to NYC awhile ago, I discovered one place who called the measurement of cream cheese a "SCHMEAR". I like both the SCHMEAR plain, or with chives and lox. (No capers please.)

I like Coupon Cravings, because it’s not just supermarket coupons, but deals on things like free breakfast sandwiches at Einstein Bros. and free bowling deals.

Have a great weekend everyone– T-minus very, very few days until time off for me. Hoo-rah!

D

🙂

Happy Free Shipping Day! December 18, 2008

Working on a big list of things to blog about tomorrow– but for now…

Enjoy free shipping at about 200-different online retailers today!  Lots of sites offering free rush delivery as a last push to get you to spend before Christmas.  (Certainly worked for me– I don’t shop anywhere I can’t get free shipping!)

Until tomorrow–

D 😉