Happy New Year!

What else is there to say?

We are about to embark on a new year, a new decade and hopefully a fresh start --stronger than ever!! And I know stronger than ever because of what I and we all have had to endure in 2009.

It may sound silly, but for me, the onset of the New Year, the Lenten Season, and the Advent Season ushers in a new opportunity to try again, improve oneself and become a better person. I know I should not have to wait for these three pivotal seasons, but they motivate me more than anything else and give me a renewed hope for the future.

This year's economic uncertainty has affected all of us. At the beginning of 2009, I never imagined that everyone I know, including myself, would become so familiar with the term 'furlough,' as well as downsizing as I still cringe seeing how my 401-K has vanished before my very eyes!

Many of my friends have lost their jobs and it's a given that the 'raise' as we once knew it is long gone. Staying with the same company your entire career seems to be a thing of the past, tragic as that may be.


I'm still speechless and shaken up at the catastrophic event which occurred back on March 25, 2009. Mind boggling. My life was changed forever...my property destroyed....my peace of mind and sense of security violated--all as I innocently sat up on the news assignment desk just doing my job.


Amazingly enough, at the time I thought 'that' single incident was one of the worst things in my life. That was until October 26, 2009. My car being totalled in the parking garage while I diligently worked pales in comparison to my Mother and best friend dying.



Just as I personally try to forge ahead through hardship, overcome adversity, tie up loose ends, wrap up last minute obligations, and clear the slate, the same holds true here in the newsroom.

We've been airing stories that our reporters have been researching and compiling for weeks --various year-enders ranging from the amazing medical success stories coming out of Cleveland's world renowned hospitals to the rocky year for not only our County Government but the Cleveland Catholic Church as local churches continue shutting their doors....a close look at the accomplishments of the Cleveland Municipal Schools as well as improvements still necessary to get our kids up to par with the nation, and the same old song and dance which sounds like a broken record year-in and year-out --the 'wait til next year' mantra surrounding all of our Sports teams!


I say goodbye this week to an excellent intern as he heads back to OU--wishing Brad Appleton the best of luck with his studies and a very bright broadcasting career ahead!


I continue passing out cards, gifts, and holiday greetings to my fellow co-workers.


I move into the New Year knowing I have gone above and beyond and have given my all at work to wkyc and wkyc.com...I have excelled on the news desk and in all of my duties....I've tried to be the best co-worker, friend, family member and most importantly, I hope I've used all of my God-given talents to the best of my ability and have made my maker proud.


I am excited for what's yet to come in the new year --the opportunities ahead, knowledge to be learned, meeting new people and making new memories!


Finally, I wish you a safe New Year's Eve and a perfect start to what will be a 'hope-filled' year overflowing with happiness, success, joy and laughter to you and those you love.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

We still get everything done!

The shows must go on.

But it's definitely a different feeling, mood, working with a total skeleton crew.

I drove into the parking garage which was only 20 percent full.

Co-workers have been exchanging holiday cards and gifts all week and will continue doing so until everyone gets back from vacations.

And as always, the newsroom food table is at full capacity. We are never lacking for tasty treats and have all been on a sugar high for the last week and a half!

I said it before and I'll say it again, I really do wish we could bottle the 'feeling,' the 'mojo' which emanates throughout. It's a wonderful feeling!

I wish you all the best holiday season, a very merry Christmas and hopes that you all are surrounded by the love of family and friends in the coming days and the new year!

Can there be MORE food in the newsroom???

The news must go on--just as the 'official' start of the 'holiday' of your choice has kicked into full throttle.

It's been a long week.

Everyone I've run into in the newsroom has given a huge 'thank God it's Friday' sigh. And of course I have my 'Happy Friday' sign from Chris Tye on display!!

This week and the next two to three weeks that follow will be filled with gift giving and receiving, the exchange of holiday cards, politically correct holiday greetings, a daily check of the schedule as staffers take end of the year vacations, and more food than usual on the newsroom community table --if you can believe!

Today when I arrived, there was a huge meat tray with the works: potato salad, pickles, olives, meat and cheese....on top of the cookies, Malley's candy, and hopefully a full bottle of Pepto Bismol, Tums, or Pepcid!

I made a final trek to the WKYC Company store to get the latest goods--the newest t-shirts, a very cool new sweatshirt that says WKYC Staff, and a few other mugs, caps and mouse pads. You can never have enough wkyc garb. I hope my family feels the same way!!

I've always thought how great would it be to bottle up the feeling of gladness and joy that engulfs the world the few weeks leading up to Christmas. Honestly, we're pretty lucky. Working in a newsroom so close with your fellow co-workers, I think we do capture this feeling year round. Not a bad gig!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

Today's Hidden Gem: Michael Symon's B Spot

If you've read any of the entries in SBAS or have paged through a sampling of the Hidden Gems, you know that I am a huge fan of not only Iron Chef Michael Symon, but delicious cuisine, the Food Network, C-town, and the thriving Cleveland Restaurant Industry.

So it was only a matter of time before I made Michael's new restaurant, B Spot, a Hidden Gem.

And I give it two thumbs up, a 'three cheers,' and a 'high five.'

What can I say? When he shared the concept behind B Spot, he said he was putting together some of his favorites: Burgers, Brats, Bologna, and Beer!



I say he's hit on many people's faves, right out of the ballpark!



I was lucky enough to partake of the B Spot experience last weekend for my birthday dinner. The whole family went along and every single person loved it!



There WAS something there for everyone!



One in my party took a picture of the great chandelier. Another person took a picture of the great wall of beer cans. I took a picture of the juicy food!

Just going around the table: Various cheeseburgers to each person's tastes, fried bologna, any type of beer you can imagine and the famous Lola Fries. I must admit, on this visit, we did not try a Brat but we all love them. Gotta save something for next time and the time after that!

I tried the 'Symon Says' which consisted of a burger with bologna, cole slaw, whip sauce and American cheese. Medium Rare. It was PERFECT!

My Aunt and Uncle both ordered the 'Old School' bologna sandwich. We all jumped out of our skin when it arrived. This is no 'thinly sliced' bologna sandwich. Holy cow! The slice of bologna must have been at least 2 inches thick!



My Uncle had to take 1/2 of it home. He NEVER takes a doggie bag.



Michael's hilarious humor comes through even on the menu:

'Why?? vegie burger, blue cheese, pickled onion, arugula (add bacon...free of charge!!)'



B Spot is at ETON on Chagrin Blvd. It's closer to the eastern portion and you can enter via the Mall or the outside of ETON.




They do not take reservations so there may be a short wait. But there are chairs in the mall area just outside the B Spot entrance.



They try to please everyone. They do not sit you until your entire party has arrived. They serve the everyone all at once. The best part which many restaurants don't do anymore is that they serve any where from RARE to Well Done and everything in between. The service was very good and there was hardly a wait from the time we ordered until we received our food.


Another masterpiece by Michael Symon. I will be going back. I'm fairly confident everyone in my party will be making another visit.

The new spot in town appears to be Michael Symon's B Spot. I give it an 'A' and I guarantee if you dine there, you too, will see why it is this week's Hidden Gem!

News desk nuggets

I've tried sharing the top of mind stories and happenings as they've unfolded up here on the News Assignment Desk over the last number of weeks.

It's been a bit more of a challenge, but I've done a pretty good job of hardly 'skipping a beat' with the death of Mom--both here at work and in my home life.

Honestly, I've done a much better job at work (my house is a mess, I'm not ready for Christmas and ......my 'to-do' list is endless!!) as I've stayed on top of my game, continue cranking out story idea after story idea (my Pee Wee kids from Shaker, Vermilion grinch, Lakemore folks coping with Thanksgiving under a boil alert, LeBron's new book...), contributing to our daily product, as well as handling website work on a daily basis.

Last Saturday I worked the night shift, and if I say so myself, kicked some booty. It was fun working with the weekend crew. A different perspective, an expanded way to experience my little 'slice of heaven!' I did my thing of running the desk and keeping on top of what was happening in Cleveland and the surrounding burbs including a wall collapse at East 99th and St. Catherine.

Working on the desk is a crap shoot day in and day out. Some days are so busy you do not have time to breathe. It's rare when there is a slow day, but thankfully Saturday was very low key. I told producer Carrie I almost showed up in my pink plaid doggie pajamas!!! (Just kidding!) It gave me the opportunity to prepare for the week ahead as well as taking the reins of wkyc.com. I take great pride in all of my work, including my contributions to wkyc.com.

We were a cut above the rest Saturday with fresh content and tons of local and national stories throughout the evening.

Though I have shared my experiences on Swing by and spray, there are some tales I've yet to tell during this challenging personal time for me. I thought I'd whip up another edition of News desk nuggets to catch you all up over the last few weeks.

A few changes of scenery. We were lucky enough to get flat screen computer monitors up here on the news desk. We are gradually getting up to speed. Baby steps go a long way!!!!

The videographers are into the holiday spirit as they started decorating the photog lounge. It's quite soothing. If the day gets hectic, it's worth taking a quick jaunt into the 'ready room' to get back to the peaceful zone!

It's the holidays, and more so than ever, we have to be smart utilizing the crews we have to the fullest. I guess the saying is "get more bang for your buck." There was a great story we wanted to cover but we were down a reporter so I sent Videographer Dan Medsker to shoot a photo essay on the AIDS Quilt which was wrapping up at MetroHealth Medical Center and heading back out on the road. Medsker did a fabulous job! It's great to think out of the box and let our co-workers use all of their amazing talents!

AND, it would not be a Browns-Pittsburgh Game if we did not pull out a 'special edition' Thursday Night Fever. Editor Pat Woodside, a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan, actually took the initiative to call on his day off and volunteer to make his famous Con Queso. That alone can sustain any newsroom party. The rest of it fell together quite nicely INCLUDING a Browns win!!!

Finally, I'd love to end my News desk nuggets with the story attached to the lead picture on this edition. That rainbow is the gift my Mother sent me on Thanksgiving morning. Our Pastor took the picture as he was heading to Thanksgiving Mass. My family knows it's for us because the rainbow was directly over our house. Now, I am just looking for that pesky pot of gold that accompanied the rainbow. I'm sure it is not far behind!!!! Thanks Mom!

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

Today's Hidden Gem: Gray House Pies

I must admit, I usually choose my Hidden Gems from personal trips I've taken, events I've attended, and exploring I've done on my own discovering the "Hidden Gems" all around Northeast Ohio which have inspired me or impacted my life.

I'll be honest.

I stole this week's Hidden Gem from a story we aired on wkyc and wkyc.com.

Now, I didn't just rip it off without investigating and doing my own leg-work, talking to the owner, and tasting the pies myself. But, I did get the initial vision the minute I put a bite of the pie into my mouth.

Jeff Maynor headed out to Gray House Pies for a 'What Works' segment and opened all of our eyes to the essence of a delicious, natural pie.

I dialed up Gray House Pies and said, "I'll take an Apple Crumb, a Cherry, a Chocolate Malt, and a Bananas Foster.

While I was there getting the lowdown from owner Joe Schlott, he filled me in on his transition from the Mortgage Business to Pie-Making! He's an inspiration and a perfect example of grabbing the reins and making your dreams come true!

Not only does he whip up the most delectable pies, but when you are browsing in his store, you can treat yourself to coffee, purchase a single serving of your favorite pie or quiche, or take home a full quiche as well --goat cheese and caramelized onion, goat cheese and apple, ham and cheese, cheesey potato, or cheddar and apple.

But wait, there is more. He sells his 'slice of heaven' to wholesalers who may own their own store, coffee shop, or restaurant.

Schlott uses all natural ingredients in his pies and his quiche. No transfats, no preservatives, often times organic and Ohio home grown. When it comes to the quiche elements, only the best --cheeses, fruits, vegies, local eggs and milk.

Schlott began selling his home made pies on the front porch of his gray house. And, that my friends, is how an idea is born, and spins into a very lucrative business.

Now, keep your eyes peeled when traveling on Lorain because Gray House Pies is very unassuming in the midst of a strip mall at 22560 Lorain Road in Fairview Park.

It's worth the trip from wherever you live.

You don't have to wait for the next holiday, treat yourself. Take a spin over to Gray House Pies and, you too, will see why they are this week's Hidden Gem!!