Fill-in!

I had the opportunity to fill-in anchor on Saturday!
It was an awesome experience.

                                

Kristin Giannas anchors 11pm 122212 from James Cavanaugh on Vimeo.

UPDATE: I got to fill-in again on 12.29!
Here's the link to the show: http://vimeo.com/56538777

12-12-12

It's my birthday... well in ten minutes.
Keeping with tradition, I'm listening to Ol' Blue Eyes as we head back to the station from our story.
I'm grateful to have made it another year.
God willing, I'll see 12-12-13!

Bad idea...

That double shot pepermint mocha latte before my 11PM live shot probably wasn't the best idea...

It's almost 4 in the morning and I'm wide awake!

I guess the good news is I'm blogging?

RTDNA @ UCF

Sharing some one-man-band stories with journalism students at UCF.
So grateful for the opportunity.
Thank you for having me!

Water Tower

Reporting from the top of a 135-foot water tower...

Upset parents...

Man saves dog from gator

Work shoes

Trendy? No.
Practical? Yes.

Aftermath

Destiny Hembree, 8, looks at pictures of her father who was murdered in the driveway of their home on Monday.

Ela Stavro!

Stavro is the monk's pet goat at the Panagia Vlahernon Greek Orthodox Monastery in Williston, Fl.
I was there this weekend.
Beautiful place.
Just got to work.
Happy Labor Day, from the newsroom. :)

Koulourakia!

SNAKES ON A PLANE! (almost)

So this guy tried to sneak snakes on a plane.
Check out my story that aired last night at 11:

WATCH: Man tries to take 27 snakes on plane at Orlando International Airport

Ma Ma Ma Cousin!

So I have the coolest cousin in all the land...
Gia McKenna... here's her face ~>

She is an amazing DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/CAT LOVER/MOVIE MAKER/ETC.

and this morning Gia sent me this HILARIOUS Ma Barker music video:





Gia is the Co-Founder/Managing Partner of 1909 Productions. 

Where she directs cool videos like this:

Ma ma ma cousin is the coolest.... 

My Story on CNN!

CNN picked up my story!
(Shot & edited by the talented GOOSE).

Check it out! 

CNN: Notorious Barker shootout house for sale

Gangster's Paradise

I was at Ma Barker's house...well, the house she rented 77 years ago as a hideout.
It's also where the longest FBI gun battle took place.

Check out my story: House in Ma Barker shootout for sale

"Pussy Riot"

Why does standing up for the Orthodox Church mean "intolerance of dissent"? There's a place for "pussy riots" and the church is not one of them.

CBS: Russian female punk band Pussy Riot found guilty of hooliganism over Putin protest at church site

The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Moscow, Russia

Scrabble Scandal

One-man-banded today....
Scrabble story in the 6 & 7:00 shows.
I'm scrabbled out.
G-O-O-D  N-I-G-H-T!

Watch: Scrabble player caught cheating at national tournament

Kalo Paradiso

The Dormition of the Theotokos  

Annunciation of The Theotokos Greek Orthodox Monastery

 Reddick, FL

 Τῇ ὑπερμάχῳ στρατηγῷ τὰ νικητήρια,
ὡς λυτρωθεῖσα τῶν δεινῶν, εὐχαριστήρια
ἀναγράφω σοι ἡ Πόλις σου Θεοτόκε.
Ἀλλ΄ ὡς ἔχουσα τὸ κράτος ἀπροσμάχητον,
ἐκ παντοίων με κινδύνων ἐλευθέρωσον,
ἵνα κράζω σοι· Χαῖρε, νύμφη ἀνύμφευτε.

Andrew Lee Scott

Watch: Family of man killed by deputies speak

Family visit

I made peace with the swans at Lake Eola this weekend.
There were no attacks, just love.
 

Here's a picture of my dad and I feeding the swans.
Family was up for the weekend.
Mom did my laundry, (she's such a gem).

 My brother in front of St. George Orthodox Church, downtown Orlando

Goose got the sniffles...

Just ran to a CVS and got Goose a bottle of DayQuil and some berry flavored Airborne for myself.
Hopefully Goose gets better and I don't get sick!

President stops for lunch

On his way to Rollins college, President Barack Obama made a pit stop for some yellow rice and roast pork at Lechonera El Barrio, a Dominican restaurant on North Semoran Blvd.

I interviewed the owner, (pictured above) Rafael Vasquez, who was very proud.

"There's a lot of big restaurants in the area, and he picked mine," he said.

^ Check out my live shot from the restaurant ^

Kids at a church camp next door heard the commotion, and ran out to meet the president.

I also interviewed 8-year-old Daniel Harrison, who told me the experience was very cool.

"I didn't think he was going to be so tall," he said.

Monastery

Panagia Vlahernon Greek Orthodox Monastery

Williston, FL

Women's Monastery Entrance

Pano, Georgio, and Stavro the goat 

Goose

Worked with Goose today, (his parents didn't name him Goose everyone just calls him that).
His real name is James Gosselin and he's an awesome photog!

Lightning

The Nightcam (Scott Rates) and I are stuck in a lightning storm.
(I've had to go to the bathroom since noon)
Ahhhhhhh!

Homeless Kids

The number of homeless kids in central Florida is expected to increase by ten percent next year.

That means there will be close to 10,000 kids sleeping in cars, motels, homeless shelters, etc.

Today I had the honor of telling Jayde Wiley's story.

She's only nine-years-old, and already she went from living in a car, to a motel, and now, a house.

Check out my story here. 

                                         

One of the organizations that is helping kids in Seminole County is Families in Transition.