I'll never forget...

...the thick cloud of purple smoke that covered the New York City skyline like a blanket.
It was after the towers fell, I was looking out of my classroom window at M.S.172. 
I'll never forget hearing my next door neighbor's voice from my kitchen, "Moira is missing."
Moira Smith is the only female officer among the 23 NYPD cops who died on 9/11- she helped people out of the twin towers- and was killed after she ran back in to try and rescue more.
Today I'm thinking of Moira and her beautiful family, and all the heroes and men and women who died that day. 

Syria

My friend's family was driven out of their home in Syria and have taken refuge in a monastery. She posted this on Facebook:

Homeowner shoots at burglars

 Lake Mary homeowner, 72, fires 2 shots at burglars
Watch story here.






To my left- almost every station in Orlando going live from the home at 5 PM.

Family time

Overheard in the Giannas house: 

Little brother: how many ounces are in a cup?

 Me: ummm...eight? Hey ma, it's eight right? 

 Mom: YOU DON'T KNOW THAT?! 

 Dad: and you went to college...

 (Little brother getting ready for first day of school) 

 Dad: I gave you a backpack. 

 Little brother: I'm not wearing a Snap On backpack with a wrench on it.

 (Kristin blogging) 

 Me: is backpack one word or two?

 Little brother: one 

Dad: call Kristin, she went to college.

Pete's first day of 10th grade!

DeLand police officer suspended...

Happy Birthday Coast Guard!

I am proud to say my brother is a member of the United States Coast Guard, (which is celebrating its 223rd birthday today). 
He's stationed in Delaware.
We don't get to see him too often, but he's back in Florida this week!

With my brothers, Peter and William 

Pulled this video from the Coast Guard Compass. 

Closest or cleanest

I don't know why I always do this to myself. 

I decide to drink a gallon of water en route to a story that's in the middle of nowhere. 

I swear I thought I was going to pee my pants before the 6:00 news. 

My photographer must have seen the pain behind my eyes because he broke down the truck faster than the lightning that almost killed our live shot. 

"Closest or cleanest," he asked.

"CLOSEST!" 

I didn't care what the gas station looked like- as long as it had a toilet. 

I must say, the sign outside the women's restroom was...comforting.

Hey, when you gotta go you gotta go. 

It rained...

#reporterproblems

You sound like you're from London

As the Duchess of Cambridge was giving birth at St. Mary's Hospital in central London, I was running up and down International Drive in Orlando looking for British people to comment on the royal baby.

I-Drive is a BIG tourist destination and on any given day you will run into people from the UK.

Not on Monday.

My assignment didn't sound too complicated- go to I-drive and interview British people.

Imagine: crazy lady with a camera and mic, running up to random strangers asking, "are you from the UK?"

At one point, this kid wearing a blue shirt that said "BRITAIN" walks past me, I ask, "are you from the UK?" and he shakes his head no, and starts walking faster!

I kept thinking of the scene from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," when the surfing instructor says "you sound like you're from London!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znW6bHxzExc

After almost an hour of rejection, I found three couples, (two from Scotland, one from England) to comment on the royal baby.

CBS: Prince William and Kate debut royal baby boy

Three little birds

I was reporting out in Daytona Beach tonight.

Live at 6 with a story about a beach patrol officer who has been put on paid administrative leave after he allegedly shared  racially charged Trayvon Martin cartoons on his Facebook page.

I filmed the interviews, edited the story, fed it back to the station via FTP, and just before the 6, a photographer met me out at the beach to run my live shot.

All that being said, I was able to drive myself back to Orlando as soon as I finished going live.

The weather was terrible.

Severe thunderstorms with crazy lightning the entire way back. 

By the time I got to the station, unloaded the gear, put the keys to the news van back in the cabinet and got in my car, it was late. 

Friday night plans...shot. 

For the past hour, as I listened to the sound of rain drops hit the windows in my apartment- I did the dumbest thing I could possibly do alone on a Friday night. 

Go on Facebook.

The cliff notes version of my Facebook news feed- vacations, engagements, marriages... 
So this brings me to my next point.
I'm adopting three finches.

I thought about getting a dog, but realized it would probably die in my apartment because I'm never home.

Tomorrow I'm picking up a bird cage from a lady named Judy who lives in Winter Park.

I found her on Craigs list - she's selling it for 15 bucks.

As I ponder the fact that I'm going to be a bird lady at 24, I'm realizing just how much you sacrifice when you're in this career, starting with a social life. 

But that's not everything. 

I have a lot to be grateful for. 

I'm learning not to worry about the little things... 'Cause every little thing gonna be all right. 

I'm in a commercial!!

I just found out about my station's new commercial.
I'm up for a second (reporting on the beach) so you can't see the sweat dripping down my face YAY!
Check it out:

"Thank God"

I let out a "Thank God" at our morning meeting, right after my assignment manager said I would be working with a photographer.
It was supposed to be an internal, say-it-to-myself, "Thank God" but it slipped out.
My fellow one-man-bands can relate- some days you're just wiped out.
Lugging around your camera and tripod, knee-driving yourself all over town while on the phone setting up your story, (praying that Siri doesn't get you lost, again), getting soaked by afternoon showers as you're trying to film your look live, and scrambling to find an outlet to plug in your dying laptop so you can write and edit your story before you miss slot....it's not a walk in the park.
If anyone tells you one-man-banding is easy, I ask that you repeat the following: "Kristin Giannas says you're a liar."
Yesterday I was reporting on the fireworks at Lake Eola for the 5, 6, 7, and 11 PM shows.
It was a lot of fun, (great place for people watching) but to say I'm tired today is an understatement.

So, Thank God I get to work with the talented James Gosselin (aka Goose).
We're heading to Daytona Beach for the Coke Zero 400.
See you on TV!