Jersey Boys / Talking to the Dead

    

   I have a lot to tell you about a Broadway show coming here!  I spent the weekend in Cleveland and saw Jersey Boys.

It is fantastic! I can see why it won a Tony award for Best Musical. 

       You need to go ahead and buy a ticket now for the January show. If you have a man in your life you have trouble getting to go to a musical… *this* is the one to drag him to. He’ll love it.  I’ll be writing about this more tomorrow.  Click here to go ahead and get your tickets now before they’re gone. 

   I still have to download the photos from my weekend to show you… and since I didn’t bring my transfer cords to work tonight (my nighttime schedule still has me out of whack) … I thought I’d post this email I got today of something else coming to Pittsburgh in October. If you’ve ever wanted to talk to a loved one who’s pass away…. maybe, just maybe, this woman could help.  I have no idea which relative I’d want to talk to or what I’d like to ask.  I can’t say I believe in this…. but it does have me thinking. Have any of you out there had an experience from the “Other Side”? If so, I would love to hear about it! 

   In the meantime… here’s my email notice: 

Lisa Williams: Messages From Beyond

Tuesday, October 28th – 7:30pm | Byham Theater
Tickets on sale Friday, July 25th at 9:00am

Lisa Williams is an internationally acclaimed Medium and Clairvoyant who has an amazing ability to communicate with loved ones and friends whom have passed on to the ‘other side’. She is appearing at the Byham Theater on Tuesday, October 28th at 7:30pm. Tickets are $45.50-$75.50 and can be purchased at the Box Office at Theater Square (655 Penn Avenue), by phone at (412) 456-6666 or online at http://www.pgharts.org. Lisa Williams will be doing readings for members of the audience. Purchasing a ticket does not guarantee a reading.

Born in England, Lisa was discovered by Merv Griffin and currently has her own hit show ‘Lisa Williams, Life Among the Dead’, on Lifetime Television. As well as appearing on Good Morning America, Oprah and The Jimmy Kimmel Show, Lisa recently completed her first book. In addition to her readings in front of large audiences, Lisa does personal readings and is a trained Reiki and Crystal Healer.

She works with loved ones of the audience to help resolve past issues, inform them of situations that they may find themselves in, and give closure and healing. Lisa Williams shares these gifts through large audience readings.

My first golf lesson

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      I’m not sure what prompted this…. but I finally decided to take a golf lesson. I have no idea why.

       I grew up with my dad and brothers playing constantly. Actually my dad is rather awesome. But I’ve never picked up a club before other than to play putt-putt. But my kids both love to play… I normally take them to the driving range or putting green and relax with a good book while they practice.  

      But I thought I should give the game a try…. simply because my kids aren’t old enough to drive the cart themselves… and I have no idea which direction to drive. So right now we can only use the driving range or the putting green.  The first time I drove the cart and was trying to find the driving range… I actually drove up on a green with four people putting and they gave me a not-so-friendly look. I thought I was going the right way. Nope.  Then one of the golf professionals, Ed, quickly drove up behind me and quietly escorted us over to the range. I was so embarrassed!…. but not as embarrassed as my kids! 

       Frank Blazewick offered to give me my first lesson.  The membership coordinator took this photo and sent it to me.  I warned him that I’d be terrible…. and I was.  

      Just awful.

     When I told Mike Clark last night during the 11:00 news that I was taking my first lesson… he grabbed a pen on the news desk and showed me the correct way to hold the club. So during a commercial break I practiced.  Frank said Mike gave me great advice on my grip (so great job, Mike!).   But *that* was the only thing I did correctly. 

     We spent the whole hour just learning how to swing.  I did everything wrong. There is a lot of things to think about during that swing. Arms, hips, head, feet. And my hair kept falling in my eyes…. boy, was that annoying!     Believe it or not, he actually agreed to a second lesson next Thursday…. I’ll let you know if I improve.    

      Later I read Frank’s bio:  

      Frank Blazewick has been the Head Golf Professional at Highland Country Club since 1996. In his twelve years as Head Professional he has been very active in playing, teaching, and managing the golf operation at Highland. While in the position of Head Professional he has won three Tri-State PGA events, his last in 2003 at the Nike Classic held at Old Stonewall Golf club. Ina addition to his playing accomplishments, in 2003 and 2004, he received the Tri-State PGA’s Horton Smith Award for his dedication, leadership and outstanding contributions to PGA education. In 2007 he was recognized by Golf Digest Magazine for his teaching ability. In the annual Golf Digest list of top instructors, Frank was named 14th in the state of Pennsylvania. Frank has been married to his wife Kristin since 1990 and has two children, Ashley 13 and Matt 9. He is a graduate of Robert Morris College where he majored in Business Administration with an emphasis on Sports Management. While attending Robert Morris he was a two-time MVP of the golf team. After graduation he worked as an Assistant Golf Professional at Armco Golf Club, in Slippery Rock, PA from 1989 to 1992. From 1993 to 1995 he worked as an Assistant Golf Professional at Highland Country Club until he was named Head Golf Professional in 1996.

    Well, he should add on there that in July of 2008 he was named the “Most Patient of All Pennsylvania Golf Professionals” after providing a rather challenging lesson to a complete klutz.

Great Seats / Bad Timing

  We recently had GREAT seats in the Home Plate Club at PNC Park. Thanks to my friend who gave them to us when he couldn’t go to the game. 

  IT WAS AWESOME.

    The kids loved being so close to all the action…. and they loved the waitress who spoiled us by coming back often to see if she could bring them more food.

   But we learned timing is everything in baseball.

   Pitching.

   Hitting.

   Catching.

   Avoiding the Pirate Parrot. 

   Remember, how I’ve told you Ally’s fear of mascots?  Well, she’s pretty much over it. We’ve been many places where she’ll even get up the courage to get her picture taken with one. But the Parrot is HUGE. 

   So while she was having a fabulous time in our fabulous seats …. she was keeping an eye out for the big bird. 

   The Parrot was always up in the stands entertaining…. 

   And then we had to go to the bathroom.  As soon as we walked into the Home Plate Club……. 

THERE.

HE. 

WAS!  

 

  Ally was not happy. The Parrot recognized me and Zach insisted on taking our picture. 

   One moment sooner or later…. and we’d have missed each other. 

  But, of course, fate had us smack right into each other. 

   Ally recovered well…. but next time…  I bet she’ll hold it until we get home.

Rat Pack

Did you hear the Rat Pack is coming to Pittsburgh?

Click here to watch a preview of the show coming to Heinz Hall July 22 – 27. 

Thanks for your emails to Shane

  Thanks to everyone who sent in messages about Shane the soldier. I forwarded them to him and hopefully it will help him realize that people care. If I hear from him again, I’ll post it right away. 

   Also, I’m anchoring the 5:00 and the 11:00 for Wendy while she’s on maternity leave…. so these posts are coming at odd times. I used to post them when I got to work before the noon show… I’ll have to try to get into a groove with my new temporary hours now. I hope to see Wendy and Bobby and Chris in the next few days.. and I’ll be sure to let you know how they’re doing.

  Also many of you have asked about a story I did that helps your feet feel better. There’s a device called Yoga Toes that helps stretch your toes making them stronger and feel better. Click here to see how you can order them.

     And to make my hectic week a little better… I’m proud to report the hummingbirds have arrived at my house! I put up two feeders and the little things have tried out both of them. I will have to have my camera ready to capture the moment and brag to you. With my new hours I haven’t had a chance to ask Erin how her feeder is doing… I’ll try to do that. Thanks for all your suggestions… they worked!

Sad Letter from Shane

  For those of you who’ve been reading for a while, you know Shane the soldier. I met him in an airport saying goodbye to his fiancee as he was heading off to Iraq. 

   He just emailed a sad letter describing their breakup. Long distance relationships are tough.  He wanted me to post the entire email, but I don’t feel comfortable sharing exactly what happened without getting her response. So I’ve decided to share only part of it…. and let you know that Shane is having a tough time since his fiancee ended their relationship. Let’s remember him in our prayers… and all the other soldiers sacrificing so much for all of us. 

Michelle,

                    Unfortunately this will be my last E-Mail to you and all who read your blog.  I want them to know that I feel like I have become “friends” with not just your city but the state as well.  The E-Mails you have forwarded to me from your readers have truely meant the world to me while I’ve been here.  Please make sure they know that.  In the following paragraph I will tell you the reasoning for not writing anymore, and hopefully my “freinds” there in PA will understand.

Kennywood Day Fun

    The King of Kennywood Day signed autographs beside me for a while on WTAE day at the park. 

    Doesn’t Joe look great? I am reminded of my very first Kennywood Day. After only working here for about six months, I arrived to our autograph booth. As the shift changed… I took the place of Joe DeNardo. The crowd saw we were switching places and started screaming… “NO JOE.. DON’T GO!”.  Down I sat. And as the line moved through… person after person just wanted me to hand over a card of Joe… even though he wasn’t there to sign it. So rather than signing any photos myself… I just started handing out Joe’s photo. ; ) 

  

   Here’s the guy responsible for putting our day of fun on television, Art. 

   And here’s a reader of this blog, Ron! Thanks for reading! 

          Here is a great family….. The guy in the blue shirt works here, Jim.  Remember, he’s the guy who found the coffee burning a hole in the cups?  And ok…. so this next shot was long after the parade. Here’s Mike back in the newsroom with his daughter, Danielle (on the right) and her friend Brenna.  I wanted to take a picture of them during the parade but forgot. They rode in the parade right in front of us…. and we kept blowing our horn at them. I will only say that the driver of his car should get his exhaust checked out. (PHEW!) 

  Lots of familiar faces stopped by to say hello (Paula and Joe… it wouldn’t be the same without you!) …. and my kids had a great time in the parade. What a wonderful day!

Shawn’s Art Show

   

     If you’re ever on Ellsworth in Shadyside…. take a second to  go in the Mendelson art gallery.  My friend, Shawn Quinlan’s fabric art is on display. I stood on a chair to take this picture. The gallery owner, Steve Mendelson, was so worried I’d fall. I imagined what kind of picture *that* would be…. the perspective would be looking up at a bunch of panicked faces looking down and circled around me.

Click here to see more of the Mendelson Gallery.   or  Click here if you’d like to read more about gallery owner, Steve Mendelson.

   Here we are at the opening night reception.  Shawn is a video editor at Channel Four. We were hired the very same month almost 14 years ago and we became fast friends. I think his work is amazing both at WTAE and his fabric art. Photos don’t do him justice.. you really have to see it in person. 

   I stood out in the rain to take  this picture. I like the reflection of the neon lights on the rain-soaked sidewalk and street. You can see the reception going on in the back room.  Steve Mendelson had just gotten back from a two week trip to Beijing, China and had some amazing stuff. There’s a mirror that has a laser so when you look into it, a ghost-like little girl appears along with your reflection and she start putting on lipstick. It’s cool and creepy!  I told him it would give me nightmares.  He also had some other unusual pieces. One was rice art in a large frame… but when you turn it on, underneath you can see moving lighted figures running over rocks and behind a tree. When it’s off, it’s a beautiful conservative piece of art… and then you can make it into something much more modern when you flip a switch. There’s another one like it that involves an antique Chinese map.

     Here, Shawn is showing his work to my neighbors who joined me for the show. His art is edgy, controversial, and is sure to encourage conversation.

     Shawn’s work will also be in the Andy Warhol Museum as part of the 98th annual exhibition of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh August 1st – September 14th.

     As part of that show jurors give out big awards at the opening night reception July 31st…. so keep your fingers crossed for Shawn!

Cast Art

Meet T.J.

He’s a great WTAE photographer. But you can see by this photo… how his ability might be a bit limited now.

 

  Somehow he broke his wrist.  But check out his cool cast! He said they offer casts in all different colors these days.. but he chose white and then had Action News Reporter Marcie Cipriani’s husband, Chris create a design on it.  

  

  

     It’s harder than it looks because of the texture of the cast…. Chris did an amazing job.

    I told Marcie that Chris should open his own business of doing cast art.

 There are a ton of kids (big and little) that would love to sport a cool design during a tough time. 

  But we don’t want T.J. thinking he’s looking too cool…… we need him back behind the camera lens!

Gateway Clipper Fun

      We had a great time sailing the three rivers this weekend on the Gateway Clipper.

   Here I am with Captain Mike Graham. He did a great job with the tour. He was very informative the entire cruise and never even used a script.

    We also met the world’s best clown. I’m not kidding. In her spare time she’s a third grade teacher… but this weekend she sure entertained us. She remembered every kid’s name on the entire ship (how I’ll never know) and made balloons for all of them. Her creations were amazing!  

   It’s so nice to relax and see our beautiful city from a different angle.

   The Gateway Clipper is celebrating its 50th anniversary and we had a great time joining in that celebration. Click here if you’d like to join the fun.

Ally’s 8th Birthday Surprise

         For Ally’s 8th birthday…  my mom and cousin Lisa (remember her from the Drive Through Safari Fiasco?) planned a grand birthday surprise.  Our instructions were to wear Ally’s favorite color, yellow, and stand outside at 9:30 in the morning.  Look what pulled up!  

      Ally was waiting for someone to get out and maybe sing happy birthday…. but instead the driver told all of us to get in! The red carpet was rolled out for the birthday girl…. and the limo drove us to various stops around town. (They booked it before gas prices went out of sight!)  Lisa blasted Ally’s favorite music which included, of course, Coldplay’s song ‘Yellow’.  

 Ally was in heaven… and so was Zach.  I think they got the idea from the Hannah Montana song ‘The Best of Both Worlds’ with the line that goes: “You get the limo out front….”    Later that evening….  Lisa had us do this:

 

  Lisa made us wish on balloons and set them free.  One of my kids wished for health and happiness.. and the other wished for lots and lots of money…. I won’t tell you which.  

( Of course, I should thank Lisa’s husband, Wayne, and my Dad for getting those balloons untwisted from the ceiling fans first.) 

   

    We set them free in Virginia….. and Zach mentioned how magical it would be if they landed in Pittsburgh.  Wouldn’t you know… about a week later, somehow one of those exact balloons was tangled in my backyard tree!  AMAZING! ; )  When Zach found it he called Lisa right away.  She explained that could only mean one thing:  our wishes came true! 

      Physics – shmysics …..  Despite what any 5th grade science teacher may explain to Zach and Ally in class next year about the impossibilities,  we believe. 

Heath Miller Golf Outing

      Here are the photos from our fun night out with Steeler tight end Heath Miller’s Mini-Golf Outing to raise money for Project Bundle Up. We had a great time.. and it was wonderful to see Joe Denardo again! He looks great! Here are Amber and Marcie…

 

 And here are Heath, me, Andrew, Joe and Ashley

   I also think Heath Miller somehow managed to raise a little bit more money for Project Bundle Up than my children’s lemonade stand ; ) .  Heath is a fun person and it’s so nice to see how he donates his time to help the community. 

NAMI Helps People

  

 

 

   There is a local group working to help those suffering from mental illness. That includes everything from something as common as depression to things which aren’t so common such as schizophrenia. If you or someone you care about is battling mental illness, NAMI can help. This group works with families and communities to make a difference. Mental illness affects one in five families… that’s why there’s nothing to be ashamed about.

 Here’s some info I took from the NAMI website: 

Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life. Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and borderline personality disorder. The good news about mental illness is that recovery is possible. 

(Click here to read more about it.)

 That’s why it’s vital to families, employers, and leaders in our region pitch in. Please join us October 5th for a walk at the Heritage Trail on the South Side at 10am. Click here for more information.  Last year was the first NAMI walk and we got three times as many participants as expected! This year we’re hoping for even more. (So go ahead and write it on your calendar now.)    The picture is from the kickoff meeting as we were encouraging businesses to donate their time and sponsorship to a wonderful cause. 

   There is lots of help for people suffering from mental health problems. NAMI can help point you in the right direction. So if you need help click here to get started. If someone you love needs help, NAMI can help you confront the issue in a delicate way.  Mental health problems are not something to be embarrassed about… many people are going through the very same thing.  NAMI can also help family members who feel the impact…. husband and wives, brothers and sisters, parents and children. I’m so proud to offer my support! 

Hummingbird Help

  I can’t believe all the response I’m getting from the hummingbirds. It’s great! Our meteorologist Erin Kienzle is trying to attract them to her house… and I bought two feeders for my house and just hung them up yesterday. So far…. nothing.  I have no idea how my mom got so many at her house. She has that special touch of making everything look easy. I’m going to share some of your emails about it… but don’t worry, I won’t use your names or email addresses: 

 Please help me I cant get hummingbirds to come to my home.   I had 6 when I lived in Liberty Boro but since I moved to Mopnroeville, I can not get any.  Help.   I have the feeders and I planted petunias and columbine and other flowers to attract them but they won’t come.  I am very upset I love them and enjoy watching them…. But they won’t come.  Help! 

  Here’s another:

 Hi Michelle – We have lots of hummingbirds and do as your person posted does by making our own food — – store food doesn’t attack them as well.  To keep bees and ants from getting into the feeder rub cooking oil lightly over the yellow flowers on feeder. They also like it if feeder is near hanging baskets or flower beds.  My sister who uses 10 pds of sugar per week for her 100+ hummingbirds said to start making food a little stronger in the first few weeks then once they start coming in good you can level it off some. Have a great day!

 

  Please share your questions or advice. I have no idea what I’m doing… but I’m going to give it a try. 

 

Your Hummingbird Suggestions

 

Thanks so much for all of you suggestions on attracting hummingbirds. Our meteorologist Erin Kienzle and I were talking about how to get them to come to Erin’s new feeder. Erin is promising me pictures soon…. in the meantime here’s one of your how-to emails which we really appreciate.  The above picture I at my parents’ house.

I saw Erin asking for hummingbird help today on the noon show. I have swarms of hummingbirds and thought I’d try to help.  I mix a solution of 4 parts water with 1 part granulated sugar. (I haven’t had good luck with pre-mixed/pre-packaged hummingbird food.) I boil the water then stir in the sugar until dissolved. Let cool, then add to a clean hummingbird feeder (I don’t add red food coloring, but you could…the hummingbirds will be attracted to both.) I clean my hummingbird feeders every week to every other week.  Also, some hummingbird feeders have yellow ports…these might attract stinging insects, such as yellow jackets, wasps, bees, etc.  I usually keep half the amount of yellow ports on the feeder before hanging it where I can watch for feisty feasters.  The final thing I can suggest is that you keep your feeder free of ants, but do not use ant/insect sprays because that will harm the hummingbirds too.      Good luck and enjoy! 🙂

  I will post some more of your suggestions soon…. Right now I have to get back to preparing for the newscast tonight.