My Marines

Dinner Break 3.2.12

I wrapped up filming my package for the 11 earlier than expected and was able to take a dinner break!
I stopped at Publix, grabbed a cookie cake, and went over to the Clark's house.
Philip's brothers of the 1/6 marines were there.
The guys just got back from their second tour of Afghanistan.
It's crazy how time flies-- I met Nick, Hyun, Adam, and Roman about a year ago.

Clark BBQ 2011

I produced two music videos for the Clark family after covering Philip's death and memorial services in May of 2010.

I remember Nick telling me how much they meant to the guys when they were fighting overseas-- seeing how Philip was being honored here gave them strength.





Tomorrow the guys are heading up to Georgia to visit the family of another brother who was killed in October.
Their strength and love for one another is inspiring.

Click here to see my package from tonight.
I have some trouble saying "Thornebrook Village" in the tag...I blame it on the jet lagggg.
Happy Friday!

RED EYES

I made it back in one piece! 3.2.12

My former intern, Chris Gilmore picked me up from the airport this morning dressed like this:

Why was I at the airport on a Friday morning? I was coming back from California after DOING THE ELLEN SHOW LAST NIGHT!

Ellen said she loved "Awkward Kristin" so much, she wanted to meet me in person! My boss gave me off Thursday, so I flew out Wednesday after the six.

It's amazing I made it back in one piece.

I almost didn't make it there, (over two cans of country vegetable soup).

Don't worry- I documented my adventure and will be uploading my material this weekend.

Stay tuned!

Catch me on the Ellen show on Monday, March 5!

Blame the parents?

Ocala, FL

Pam Ayers, Passionate Ocala Grandma

Marion County School Bus Beating 1.6.12

I interviewed an interesting woman tonight in Ocala.

I was following up on the school bus beating story- the Marion County School Board decided to expel the seven students involved, for one year.

They're accused of beating a 14-year-old girl unconscious on January 6.

The video is pretty disturbing.

I caught Pam Ayers, an Ocala grandmother, before she walked into the school board meeting tonight.

"It's always the parents, the parents should be raising the children...we need to have the parents start parenting again," she said.

Watch what else she had to say here.

My Rhino Story...

After 20 hours in my edit cave, and a solid two months of research, interviews, and trips to the country, I finished my investigative piece on the Yamaha Rhino.

My Station's "Awkward Kicker"

My producer Carl Dotson, is responsible for the glorious "Awkward Kicker" on our show tonight.

I'm so grateful for these guys!!



Hopefully my news director is cool with me acting like a hyena behind the set...

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Hey Ma, I'm on GMA!

The morning news anchor at my station woke me up at 7AM, saying Good Morning America was on the phone.

This is cray cray!

Mama G was on her drive to work so she missed my GMA appearance, but Cosmo, (my dad) caught the broadcast.

I know my showbiz grandma, Gilda Rizzuto, aka "GiGi Mayo," a comedian and amazing performer, is smiling in heaven. <3

"Dare to wear the foolish clown face," Frank Sinatra

AWKWARD KRISTIN ON REDDIT?!?!

So I'm sitting in my edit cave at work, trying to put together my sweeps piece, when my producer informs me of AWKWARD KRISTIN BEING POSTED ON REDDIT!


MY CAREER IS OVER!!!! CREDIBILITY OUT THE WINDOW!!!! LOL Well, I hope not... I promise I've learned a lot since college: I've gotten really good at ducking behind printers, and I work well with deer.


Check out my first blog post about "Awkward Kristin" here.
AND PLEASE, NEWS DIRECTORS OF THE WORLD, HAVE MERCY ON ME!

Fluffernutter Friday

It's Friday.
Well I got out of work technically on Saturday a little after midnight, and decided to stop at the grocery store to pick up a few things, (all I have in my fridge is a Brita and a block of gouda cheese).

I just made myself a fluffernutter wheat wrap, (peanut butter and Fluff).
It was delicious.
I've been trolling my YouTube channel, specifically the latest two videos I posted, Girls' Racist Rant Goes Viral, and Racist Teens Ousted.


I'm in genuine disbelief at the comments people have been posting.
Do these people not get tired of HATING each other?

Hate is like metal chains cinching your heart.
You can't truly experience the joys of life when you're holding onto the wrongdoings of others.

You think the arguments you make hiding behind your computer justify your hate?
It takes STRENGTH to love those who are hardest to love.

Peace comes when you learn to accept what you can't change, and let go of the past.
Some things aren't up to us to fix.
All we can do is be a light in the sphere of influence that surrounds us.

The comments posted under my YouTube videos have reminded me of the dark world we're living in.
However, I'm encouraged.
My heart is free from the chains that bind others.
Hate is not crippling me, or holding me back from chasing my dreams.
I'M FREE.
The sky's the limit.

GIULIANI

My Girl Scout Troop leading Rudy Giuliani in NYC parade

Rudy Giuliani, UF Accent Program, 1.26.12

Whenever I think of Rudy Giuliani two things come to mind- the day my Girl Scout Troop lead him in a New York City parade, and September 11, 2001.

When the towers fell, I was in my 8th grade classroom at M.S.172 in Queens.

I probably couldn't tell you if Giuliani was a Democrat or a Republican.

It didn't matter.

I was too busy processing what happened.

Trying to wrap my mind around the gravity of the situation- my classmates were crying-- many were lining up to use the telephone to call their parents who worked in the towers.

Everybody knew somebody who was there.


I'm not sure how many days later- or if it was the following day, but I was watching the news in the living room of our "Archie Bunker" Bellerose house when I heard my neighbors voice from the kitchen..."Moira is missing."



Moira Smith was the only female NYPD officer killed on September 11th.

Here she's helping Edward Nicholls before returning to the towers to help others.

This picture is the definition of heroism.

It takes me back to a summer afternoon, sitting on my neighbor's stoop.

I was just a kid... telling Moira my love for writing and dreams of becoming a news reporter.

I remember her saying I could do anything.

My best friend Giulia, (the girl waving her right hand at the camera) was killed crossing the street when we were 15.

We'd all live to see September 11.

I'm reminded of a verse, Hebrews 13:2:

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing some have unwittingly entertained angels."

We never know what obstacles we'll face, or what's written in the stars for those we stand beside.

All we can do is live, and learn from everyone-- embracing those opportunities God gives us; whether it's shaking hands with the mayor or a conversation on the stoop with the cop next door.

You never know how those moments will shape your life-- those moments where the only picture you have to remember it all, is the one you keep in your heart.

Sunset

Waldo, FL
1.4.12

Driving back to the station from my story, I watched a beautiful sunset.
I pulled over and took some video... to make it last longer :)

Hit-and-Run

Today I covered a story about a woman who was hit by a motorcycle while crossing a busy street. Her right foot was severed. The driver kept going...

The crash happened on Monday night, around 8:00 in front of the Taco Bell on US129, a few miles south of I-1O. Troopers were unable to locate the driver or the woman's foot.

I met a trooper at the scene late this afternoon. After our interview, I asked him to escort me to the median on 129, and "watch my back" as I got shots of the spot where the woman was hit.

On our walk there, we found the woman's right foot.

Victim's foot found along southbound lane of US129

Mic slip...

My mic slipped down my shirt on my run to the set this evening. Click here to see the aftermath of my shenanigans.

NO MIC MIC!

In other news, my good friend and former co-worker Robert Bradfield made a stop in Gainesville today. He's a reporter at WPSD Local 6, covering stories in southern Illinois.

Robert and I went to UF together. He was a year ahead, but I got to work with him at our school's TV station, WUFT, as well as on several ABC News on Campus projects.

Robert and I anchoring, 2008

It's crazy how time flies SO. FLIPPIN. FAST. I guess the lesson is: you don't have to run through life. It's not a race. There's no fire you need to get to. It's okay to stop sometimes, take a look around, and smile at what you see. You may even catch a mic issue in the process. If you don't, no biggie- at least you'll have something silly to blog about.