At UMass Amherst's Mullins Center

I'm here with Joe and Lee for the Hofstra Basketball game.

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It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

The 5:00 p.m. forecasts for tomorrow's snowfall...

Depending on the channel, my area is going to get 3-6", 4-7", 1-3" or 2-4".

So, anywhere from 1-7".  I always like narrowing it down.

Snow's on the Way

Looks like not much is expected for our area...

$1.93 Gas

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Lack of Professionalism

I was just watching CNN Newsroom a few minutes ago and witnessed this exchange wrapping up a live report:

Don Lemon (anchor in Atlanta): Are you joining us later, Poppy, tonight [at 11:00]?

Poppy Harlow (financial reporter in New York): I, I'm not, Don. I actually have a life and have some plans.  I'm sorry about that.

Then they laughed.

Perhaps I'm a bit too serious but, as a viewer, I saw this as a lack of respect for the product.  Granted, it was an odd question for Lemon to ask if he wasn't sure that the answer would be in the affirmative, but I thought it was an even worse response.  Harlow could have left it at a "No," but the "I actually have a life" part irked me.

This comes as the network has gotten rid of on-air veterans like Miles O'Brien (16 years), Jamie McIntyre (20 years), Kathleen Koch (18 years) and Kelli Arena (24 years), and countless others behind the scenes.  One must wonder if there is a correlation between letting so many experienced faces go all at once and giving increased airtime to very green (and I don't mean "Planet in Peril") personalities.

I mentioned this to two of my friends.  They both work in TV news.  One called me a prude and the other asked, "Why aren't you watching football?"

Maybe it's just me.

Why Go to School? Just Buy Your Degree!

I have absolutely no idea why my Gmail would automatically send such an important e-mail into my "spam" folder:

Subject: NO Degree NO Job?? Buy a Genuine College Degree at cheap price & deliver to you in 2 weeks, No study needed

Tired of hearing:

: No Degree, No Job!
: What's your Degree in?
: Where did you go to school?
: You don't Qualify for it!
: With a Degree we could offer you a higher salary & etc ....

Now you can finally Have the degree you deserve based on Your "Life Experience"
No examination, No study, No Books

Prestigious Non-accreedited degrees
"No one is turned down"

Our degrees are Available for all country residents (US, Europe, Asia, Middleeast, Africa all are welcome)

: Read here for more info
We also provide Degree Verification and official Trancripts in writing when requested by employers and others authorized by YOU. This official College & University transcripts meet the highest academic standards printed on premium diploma paper, bearing the Official gold raised SEAL of the awarding University or College

: Our Credit For Work
Experience and Accreditation process. Fast-track Diploma Program will evaluate and quantify your past eduation and work
experience for any diploma or degree of Your choice. Thus, you do not have to repeat or take basic courses in areas that you have already been mastered. Credit for work experience allows students to upgrade their qualifications that relate to advancing their professional career without going back to school

:: Your Confidentiality Assured
The more degrees you Have the better your Chances & prospects in life. That is the way life is. It is a competitive world. Don't delay to contact us today

That's a shame.  I apparently wasted four years of my life.  I could've just purchased my degree!

(I also apparently didn't learn that words such as "Your," "Available" and "Have" should be capitalized in the middle of regular sentences.  I guess those who simply buy degrees also buy that Intelligence.)

Waking Up to a Winter Wonderland

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Snow in the Backyard

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First Real Snow

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Finally Below $2!

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Just got my Hofstra yearbook!

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The dangers of being a post-Halloween pumpkin

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Gas Price Update

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Election Day is Here!

Well, it's finally here.  The only poll that actually matters is being taken right now.

Despite working until 11:00 and getting to bed just before midnight, I set my alarm to wake up early and head to the voting precinct so that I could be there when the polls opened at 6:00.  I was 22 days too young to vote in 2004 so I was beyond eager to cast my ballot this time around.  The turnout at that hour in the morning surprised me but I still wonder if we'll actually see the huge turnout that everyone was expecting ("they" said the same thing in 2004 and I think it stayed just about the same).

So we'll see what happens.

Come along with me as I vote:



Here are some widgets to help follow the election...

Election Day is Near!

I don't know if you've heard but there's a big election coming up on Tuesday.

You probably know who has earned your vote for president but there are a bunch of other seats available: U.S. House of Representatives, State Senate, State Assembly and judgeships.  There are even a bunch of propositions on the ballot.

If you're voting on Long Island, check out Newsday's 2008 voters guide (they didn't use an apostrophe so I guess I won't) to learn about the candidates and the issues.  Don't head into that voting booth without knowing anything.

To find out which districts you're in, click here for an interactive map provided by the New York State Board of Elections.

I'm looking forward to voting in my first presidential election (I was 22 days too young in 2004) and I hope that you exercise your right (and, frankly, your duty and responsibility) to vote on Tuesday.

Obama Supporters on Jericho Tpke Yesterday

I'm sure this is a very influential demonstration.

Sent from my Palm Centro smartphone.

Gas Price Update

It came down two cents overnight.

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The Way It Was Supposed To Be

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Gas Update

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Little Kids are Funny

I got e-mails this weekend from some of the kids I spent the summer with upstate (the ones that I like to think of as my little cousins).

Victoria, who recently turned 11, sent this to me and some other people, mostly family:

hey guys guess what???
during school on oct 3rd 2008 i climbed 4320 ft above sea level!!!
On the highest mountian in vermont!
Me along with 1 other girl an 11 other boys realized that 
we could do anything when we set our minds to it!
 
thanks 
Vicky

Not to be outdone, her nine-year-old sister Abigail sent this exactly five minutes later:

hi,
I had a hotdog at my friends b day
abby

TBS needs a grammar check

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Let's Go Mets!

Right after I took this, Pedro gave up a homer to Hoffpauir. Sounds like Wrigley here.

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And I didn't zoom in at all!

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Umm, awesome seats

Courtesy of Uncle Eric.

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Shea Stadium Again

Here with Laura, Mike and Rachel... Carlos Delgado hit a grand slam to put the Mets up 5-1 but the Mets quickly gave up the runs, now tied with the Cubs 5-5 in the top of the 7th.

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How I Lost 20+ Pounds

I was picking out my clothes the day before my job interview with News 12 last week. My mom suggested that I try on the pants. At first, it seemed like a strange suggestion. I last wore these dress pants in mid-May. Why wouldn't they fit me now?

But they didn't fit. They were too big. So I had to go out and quickly buy new pants. (The belt also didn't fit -- not enough holes.)

It was the first time I had physical proof that I had lost weight.

May 24th was the date I chose to start "changing my life." Losing weight had always seemed like a good idea but I never felt all that motivated. Then, toward the end of my college career, I was talking with my buddy Matt Levy and he inspired me. He became my "coach" and I told him everything I was doing and all of the results. I picked a date after graduation and went with it.

The major change in my life would be the way I ate. I never liked to go hungry and that meant snacking whenever I had the urge (and my house has always been terrible for this -- there's junk food all over the place!). If I found myself eating out, I went with the chicken fingers and fries, sometimes opting for a burger instead. Not exactly longevity food.

So smaller portions of everything became the new rule. At restaurants, I usually now go with the caesar salad with grilled chicken (and dressing on the side so that I could be in control of how much). We're talking about someone who hated salads less than two years ago but I started ordering them at Hofstra University's Bits 'N' Bytes and started loving them. These days, I actually have cravings for salads. I know, what a turnaround. Also, my habit of snacking had to be severely cut -- I try not to snack more than three or four times a week now. And those snacks are smaller. Sure, sometimes I fail, but I try not to let that become the norm.

I had heard about how keeping a log of what you eat every day is helpful in eating less so I figured I'd give it a try. It actually was very helpful because it made me more aware of what I was eating. I only had to do it for the first month or so because I really got the hang of it after that.

The other big change would be the exercise. I started out using the elliptical in the basement for a half hour every day for almost two weeks, then cut it back to every other day. It was very tiring but I really felt like I was accomplishing something. Plus, I was able to get my cable news fix while doing it so I wasn't bored. (This routine unfortunately stopped after a few weeks. I went upstate with my grandparents on July 1st, then broke my toe four days later. I tried getting back on it last week but my toe bothered me for the next two days. I look forward to starting that up again, though.)

Matt said that cardio exercise was good but that I should also try ab exercises. Not something I ever would have thought of. So he had me Google that and find some things that would work for me. I went with the sit-ups and the "bicycle" (yes, I know it looks silly but it's quick and easy). And yes, I'm actually seeing some results.

Weighing myself every morning became a new routine for me as well. I'm not sure the last time I had weighed myself... and that was part of the problem: I wasn't aware of my gradual weight gain. On May 24th, the day this started, I weighed in at 165.0 pounds. Then I actually gained a pound over the next day or two somehow but Matt relaxed me by saying that he read that happens to people sometimes (yes, he read books about this and gave me the summaries). I didn't notice a whole lot of change with my weight for the first few weeks, basically going between a .5- and 1.5-pound loss. Not exactly the kind of results I was working so hard for. But the results came. June 20th was the first day my weight dropped below 160, measuring in at 159.5. It's milestones like that that helped encourage me. By July 16th, I was down to 154.5 -- down more than ten pounds. It felt good. And last week, for the first time, I was down 20 pounds. 20 pounds in 15 weeks... not bad!

So, a quick summary of how I did it:

• Eating smaller portions (it can be done gradually -- no need to stuff yourself!)
• Eating healthier foods: salads instead of fried stuff
• Snacking on less, and snacking less often (chewing gum actually helps)
  
• Keeping a food log
  
• Cardio and ab exercising
• Going on the scale often
• Having a coach to help and inspire you
  

Thank you, Matt.

(By the way, about the job: I got it. I start training for my position as freelance production assistant next week and will hopefully work my way up through the ranks.)

Last Play at Shea

My family's last time at the big blue stadium.

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So Long, Summer

Seeing the summer come to an end is always a sad moment.  When it's on its way, you can feel the excitement in the air.  And then it's gone before you know it.

It feels just like yesterday when I went upstate with my Uncle Eric.  We arrived late at night in the middle of June.  It was quiet and somewhat chilly.  Most of the people hadn't yet gotten there but I knew that they would, and soon.   I kept thinking about having the whole summer to look forward to and spending many weekends up at Brant Lake.  That's why Uncle Eric and I "summerized" our trailer and cleaned up everything that had fallen (leaves, branches and even kitchen ceiling tiles) over the winter.

I went up again with my Grandma and Grandpa on July 1st, two days before the rest of the family would arrive for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.  And it was a great weekend with the family (despite breaking my toe) and, by the end of that weekend, I made the decision to spend another week up there.  I spent that week hanging out on the beach with some kids that feel like my younger cousins.  There were also the two kids Nick and Tyler, who met me every morning at 10:30 to take the boat out for a few hours to go swimming and again at night to look up at the stars (while somehow fitting intense games of Uno H2O and Monopoly in between).  I just felt like a kid as I had no schedule to follow and could play all day and night.

Later that month, my friend Dylan from Milwaukee made the trip out here.  He had never before been to New York City and so I got to be his tour guide (though I'm more tourist than guide).  We checked out, among others, Times Square, Bryant Park and Top of the Rock.  We also toured ABC News/ABC 7, CBS 2 and CNN -- all very fun.

A week later, I went with my friend Chris as he moved to Philadelphia ahead of starting dental school.  Helping him settle in to his new place was fun but the highlight was going to a Phillies game at the last minute -- so last-minute that we could only get standing room tickets.  Seeing Citizens Bank Park really makes me look forward to Citi Field next year.  (And the Phillies lost in extras!!)

Then the next week, my sister and I drove up to the Boston area to visit some friends.  Jaclyn spent two nights with her old roommate and I hung out with my friend Kim.  The second night, Kim's awesome family brought me along to a Red Sox game.  Wow, Fenway is really cool.  I couldn't believe I was really there.

Other than that, I've just been hanging out with friends and going upstate a few more times.

People like to call Labor Day the unofficial end of summer but I think my summer ended the weekend before, the last time I was upstate.  I saw a bunch of people taking their boats out of the lake, a sure sign that the summer has come to an end.

There's always next summer...

At the Taconic Deli

So until a few years ago, I used to get this word confused, too.

This is from the gas station deli in Hopewell Junction.

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At America's Oldest Major League Ballpark

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Handicapped Parking Sign

Since when did we start to need our "please" and "thank you"s for these?

At least it's not one of those "person first priority parking" signs that don't make any sense.

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Top of the Rock

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Mets Win 10th in a Row, Tied For First

I thought the Mets played baseball...

Brant Lake Sunset

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Broken

There's this place we call "the Black Hole" about 25 minutes away from the trailer up here. I'm not sure if that's an official name or if it's just what we call it. But whatever. It's hard to describe without showing pictures but it's off to the side of a dirt road. You climb down a trail slowly and eventually reach a cliff that's about 15 or 20 feet above some water. I think it's sort of a river or a creek that runs over rocks. It's kind of like rapids, except I think too many rocks for anyone to actually take a boat or raft down over. The water is always very cold. I've been going there since I was much younger, watching my cousins and maybe my dad and Uncle Eric take the plunge. Yes, even my sister has done this a bunch of times. Last year, I finally worked up the nerve to jump, and did so only when I was sure that my cousin Kristen would take a picture of it (it's not worth doing something like this without a cool picture as a souvenir... at least that's the way I think of it).

So today, the idea of going to the Black Hole emerged and I helped push the cousins into turning this talk into action. It was the five cousins (Matt, Gretchen, Kristen, my sister Jaclyn and me) going and it was our first "unsupervised" trip there (we had 29- and 28-year-olds going and Jaclyn was the younger at 19... it's not like we're kiddies anymore). Of course all of the moms reminded us to "be careful."

Matt was the first to jump, of course. Then Jaclyn eventually went, followed by Kristen. Gretchen walked down to the water without jumping, leaving no one to take the picture for me. At least that's what I kept telling myself. Well Matt eventually came back up so I finally decided to jump. I counted to three and there I went. And Matt got me the picture. I swam around with Kristen and Gretchen for a bit while watching some of the other people (yes, there are others) jump in.

It was finally time to get out. We usually go to the left and carefully climb out over the rocks over there but it's always kind of scary because they're slippery and I can definitely envision something going wrong. So this time, we decided to go right because it looked easier and safer. Gretchen went first, then me, and Kristen was following. It was my turn to get out but I somehow slipped on this rock in the water and I guess jammed my foot in a small hole between a bunch of other rocks. Yeah, it hurt. Kristen asked if it was "stubbed-toe hurt or broken-toe hurt." I said stubbed because I had never before broken anything, but then I realized that it might actually be worse than stubbed. I still had to get out of the water though, now afraid and also unable to put weight on my right foot. Kristen and Gretchen helped me get out and I basically had to pull my way through. At this point, something felt almost numb and I still had to get out of the area and up to the road. They all helped me get out of there and it took me a long time to do that.

We stopped at Stewart's to buy medical tape and also some ice cream sundaes. It was a challenge hopping into there and embarrassing because of the other people around to watch. But we enjoyed the ice cream and then Kristen taped my two toes together and Gretchen retaped them once we got back to the trailer. I also got some medicine and the pain went away significantly.

We pretty much think my right "ring finger toe" is broken, with the "pinky" also at least bruised. Yes, it hurts and getting around is very difficult. Now I have to ask others to help get me things, just like Grandma and, to a lesser extent, Grandpa oftrn ask me to help them. It's a very weird position.

Of course the first time we go "unsupervised" to the Black Hole, someone gets hurt. And of course that someone had to be me. And of course my story is kind of wimpy... it happened while getting out, not jumping in. (We actually decided to tell my parents at first that I got into a fight with a grizzly bear to save my sister.)

Perhaps the worst part is that I'm mad at myself. I'm mad that I let this happen to myself. I don't think I ever take physical risks and was proud of the fact that I had never really seriously hurt myself, let alone break anything. And I still don't think I really took a risk today. I just slipped.

I really hope this thing heals quickly. In the meantime, I'm just going to keep on hopping and hobbling along.

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Jaclyn's Fourth of July Foods

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Boating and Stargazing up at the Lake

We left Grandma and Grandpa's house at around 10:30 Tuesday morning... Stopped at three rest stops, plus a Denny's at 3 and Glens Falls to pick up their prescriptions and stuff. So we didn't get to the trailer until a little before 7. I drove the van for about 45 minutes between two of those rest stops to let Grandpa get a quick nap in. The steering was a bit different but I got the hang of it. Grandpa and I went for a walk at around 9 and we hung out outside the Howards' for a bit. Then Grandpa went back and I told him I'd visit my friend Nick up the hill. So I checked in with Nick and decided to stay for a bit and called the trailer to let them know. That's why I was surprised that, at around 11:30, a van pulled up outside Nick's place. Grandpa was in it and was looking for me because he and Grandma were worried. Nick and I hung out until around midnight and we went to the beach to look at stars because it was nice and clear. We saw a few of those shooting stars that you're not quite sure if they were your imagination or not.

And then today at around 12:30, I went down to the beach and hung out with everyone there until a little after 7. It was a really nice day. The weather was perfect and it was just awesome. I think it was around 4:00 when Nick and I decided to take the boat out and go swimming. Justin came with us, too. We were on there for like an hour and a half. It was the first time that I was the oldest kid on the boat... I was the responsible one. I had to come back to the trailer for dinner but went back out to hang out with the kids at around 8:30. Then from around 9 until 10:30, Nick, Tyler and I took the boat out again to look at stars. I found three satellites in about 10 or 15 minutes. Then Tyler found two. And then he kept finding more, I think a total of five. So I felt like the mentor, teaching Tyler how to find those and Nick on how to find the shooting stars and they were finding a whole lot more than me. And then we did more stargazing until 11 because one of them actually has a bedtime (they're both 13, come on). So I came back to the trailer and watched some WRGB/CBS 6 News with Grandpa before convincing him to come outside with me to look at the stars. He found one satellite and we both saw the same two pretty decent shooting stars in the 50 minutes we were out there. The only thing better than seeing a shooting star is seeing one with someone else.

I'm having a ton of fun up here... and I feel like I could stargaze all night long. Tomorrow's weather might not be so nice, though...

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Manuel and Beltran Ejected

MLB.com's Gameday thing is great, but it can't possibly convey what the TV showed:



Whatever. The Mets lost to the Mariners, the worst team in all of Baseball, 11-0. They've been outscored 16-2 in the two games of this series so far. The Mets are now 37-39.

Maybe I should listen to my buddy Doug when he says, "This team just isn't good."

Gas Update

The one right by my house... It's stayed the same for the past few days.

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On the Minne-Ha-Ha

Uncle Eric's friend Emmet is in this band called The Electric Dudes and they're playing on Lake George's Minne-Ha-Ha steamboat. the name means "Laughing Waters" in a Native American language.

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On the Beach

My phone's camera doesn't really do this justice at all but Uncle Eric and I are sitting on the beach at Brant Lake by the boat and we're looking at an almost full moon on this first night of summer. Life is good.

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Willie Fired: Front and Back Pages

The Mets Turn a New Page

I'm mixed about what happened with the Mets. I went to bed last night with an 8-3 lead and woke up to find out that Willie was fired. We've been talking about it for weeks but I was still surprised that it finally happened. They've been so indecisive that I thought it might never happen. A few weeks ago, I thought that he had to go, but lately I've been hoping that they could turn it around and that no one would have to be fired.

Most fans, though, wanted Willie gone but now everyone feels bad for him and is criticizing the team. Way to go. They couldn't even pull off making a decision that the consensus wanted. That takes a major screw-up.

I think Omar Minaya has to start fearing his own job security and, if they Mets don't turn it around, he could be gone before next season. He loaded up the Mets with so many aging players and relied way too much on Alou being healthy. There was no backup plan until now that he's on the DL for the third time before the first three months were done.

I've got to wonder if what happened at the beginning of tonight's game (with Reyes showing that he was slightly hurt, Manuel deciding to replace him with Easley, and Reyes storming off the field and throwing down his helmet) was possibly a stunt to show that he's boss and that he's not Randolph. But I'm probably being too cynical.

Still, I'm kind of excited about this. We needed something. It almost feels like a new season and I'm curious to see how different Manuel's managing style will be.

Stewart's Stop

Ice cream before the four-and-a-half-hour ride home.

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Here Comes the Rain

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Live from Brant Lake

Okay, so maybe the videos won't work but these pictures should.

Life is good.

Though it looks like rain could be on the way.

Sent from my Palm Centro smartphone.