Day 162 of Firsts: Give Out Hugs to Flyer Fans

A hug is like a boomerang - you get it back right away. ~Bil Keane, "Family Circus"

It was a sad day in the land of Philly. Something had to be done. Folks dragged into work today feeling pretty blue.  I decided I needed to do something for all the faithful Flyers Fans around me.

I put out an email at the station advertising Free Hugs.  Here's what happened.



Chief Photographer Jim Friedman was the first to come in for a hug. (He's a good hugger!) Then one of our new interns, Jen. (Sorry Jen. Didn't get your last name.) I offered the 10 show audience hugs and had many sweet, warm, takers. Photographer Bob Ertel is always a hugger.  Sports Anchor Vai Sikahema came into the office looking for a hug and I wasn't there so I went and found him later in the studio. (What a love.) Renee Chenault Fattah came up for a hug too.

But the most important hug went to intern Will O'Donnell, my professor of hockeyology. For the past two weeks he's tutored me in the Flyers song and hockey game rules.  He was inconsolable about the loss of the Stanley Cup to Chicago and didn't want a hug.  Finally, I had to give him one before he went home.

Ahhh.   I'll tell you what.  If you're having a bad day, just try hugging a few people.  Yes, they will think you're weird.  But I gaurantee you, you and everyone you hug will feel a little better.

I think this is one of the best Firsts I've done.  I highly recommend this one.  

Day 160 of Firsts: Go to "Hockey School"

Ice hockey players can walk on water. ~Author Unknown

I've watched more hockey in the last two weeks than I've watched in my entire life. Still, I don't know much about the game. Regardless, I live in Philly so I'm swept up in Flyers Fever.  I need to know.

You might remember a couple weeks ago NBC 10 intern Will O' Donnell taught me that classic Flyers song. (ooh,ooh oh, oh,oh,oh,oh,oh.... Who could forget those lyrics?)

Anyway, I asked him to teach "Hockey School" today . I think he explains the game pretty well. So if you too don't know the rules or you need to educate some other new fans  feel free to share this video.



This is a shortened version of the entire Hockey lecture by Hockeyologist O'Donnell.  If you would like to share other Hockey rules I should know, feel free to send them along.  Looking forward to a new appreciation of the game tomorrow night.

Go Flyers!

Day 150 of Firsts: Facing Fear of Green Monster

A fruit is a vegetable with looks and money. Plus, if you let fruit rot, it turns into wine, something Brussels sprouts never do. ~P.J. O'Rourke

We're in LA visiting our daughter and my husband Phil is going nuts watching the Flyers.  I can't show you most of what he is saying and doing, but I had to give you a little snippit of video. (I don't know what that little dance is.)

Meanwhile my daughter, Alexa, told me for my "first" today she wanted to make me a "green monster".   I'm bleary eyed from no sleep and the long flight. She says this will make me feel better.

Oh Lord.....it's pea green spinach stuff !



Flyers lost but the Phillies look good and what I thought was going to be horrible tasting was quite wonderful. I'm even getting a second wind from the green smoothie thing. Not bad. 

Day 149 of Firsts: Learn the Flyers Song

Hockey is figure skating in a war zone. ~Author Unknown

Look, I don't know a lot about hockey. In fact, I hardly know anything about hockey. What I do know is that the Flyers are in the Stanley Cup Finals and this city is proud.

So I figured it's time to learn the Flyers Song.   I asked big time Flyers fan and NBC 10 intern Will O'Donnell to help me with this.  Jillian Mele came in with some tips too.




So from what I can tell the words are: OOOOH, OOOH, OOOH,  OOOOOH, OOOOH, OOOH, OOOH, OOOOOH...(repeat)

I've been practicing all day and I think I've got it, (though our executive producer told me it sounded like I was in labor.) 

Let's Go Flyers!