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 126 of Firsts: Run the Bases at Citizen's Bank Park

Baseball is reassuring. It makes me feel as if the world is not going to blow up. ~Sharon Olds, This Sporting Life, 1987

Hey, I ran onto the field at the Phillies ballpark today and didn't get tased! WOO!

No seriously. NBC 10's Meterologist Dave Warren told me he was going to a media batting contest at Citizens Bank Park to promote the American Heart Association's 13th annual Richie Ashburn Memorial Home Runs for Heart.  I tagged along thinking it might be a good First for me.

So watch this. Dave hits a home run! Smacked it right outta there. Wait for it...wait for it.......



I'm so excited and Dave is just la, la, la...another day in homerun land. He won the competition!

Meanwhile, the Phillies let me take a little swing and run the bases for my First today.



Boy, I've never seen myself run before. SLOWWWW. GIRLYYY! Wow.  Well, it felt good while it was happening.

Alright, if you'd like to stand on home plate and hit some balls for a good cause on May 26th and May 27th just go to www.startphilly.org and click on Home Runs For Heart.

Day 35 of Firsts: No Blackberry!

Our only security is our ability to change. ~John Lilly

8:30 am

I am so anxious about not being able to use my Blackberry today.  I keep thinking, "okay, must tell my family, everyone at work, friends, tipsters...I will not be using my crackberry, er blackberry today".

AHHH. I'm panicking already.  I'm at the point I check emails, facebook, twitter on a constant basis through this thing.

Will I miss a story? a good tip? a pithy remark?  Have I lost it?

Wish me luck.

7:15 PM

You think I was freaked out? Look at the faces of our nbc 10 investigative interns as I tell them I will be "sans" blackberry today. It was almost 10 am and I was about to leave for a two hour road trip to get an interview.  From right to left: Danielle, Kristen, Eric and Ryan and finally Producer Ed Dress weighs in.



I did let important sources know they would have to call today, that I was on the road. Meanwhile, I felt like I had a nervous twitch for the first two hours where I would go to reach for my blackberry , then mentally slap myself. 

That thing has become my security blanket. I feel in touch, in the know, connected, constantly in the loop. My G-d it's exhausting! 

By the end of the day, I was better. I resorted back to "working the phone" to get things done. I have to say I now think email is often faster and more efficient.

At 6:30 I ran into the office, to my computer to check my email. My eyes got big.  Dozens of emails unopened! oh my! 

What did I miss??  As it turns out, nothing that couldn't wait.  Our smart and capable interns managed to call me with information I needed to know. There was not a complete melt down.

I might need to schedule more blackberry free days.