Faith Works Is Moving

Hi, it's Sheila.
One of the unfortunate parts of being a journalist is reporting on terrible events and circumstances. That's why I am so happy when I'm working on my Faith Works series.

Faith Works reports are something I started last year to tell the stories of how local people are putting their faith into action. They are stories about people who probably would never be recognized for making a difference in the lives of others. And they are stories which inspire me every time I meet these people.

In the next few weeks, I'll profile the Elder High School Spiritual Boosters program, and the principal of Notre Dame Academy, Sister Elaine Winter. I also have great stories planned about the Pure Fashion club for girls and a local couple who spent their honeymoon on a mission trip in Africa. I hope you'll find inspiration in these stories too!

My Faith Works reports air on Friday mornings at 8:25 a.m. on the Fox 19 Morning News. Starting this weekend, the stories will also air on the Sunday night 10:00 News. And you can find all of them on our website http://www.fox19.com/. Just look under Faith Works on our homepage.

Not Only in Vegas

I never thought my first Cirque Du Soleil show would take place right around the corner from my house. I thought that was something that only happened in Las Vegas or Orlando.

Sara Celi, here.

I was wrong.

Last night, my good friend Katie Scheidt and I had the pleasure of being in the audience for Cirque Du Soleil's "Alegria" opening night show at the Bank of Kentucky Center. Not only was this my first Cirque show, it was also the first time I had ever been in that new venue.

If you've never had a chance to go to one of the shows, it's hard to describe. There's not really a plot. There's more of a focus on acrobatics, amazing costumes, dancing, and gymnastics. In between the acts, clowns entertain the audience. It's truly an experience.

We were lucky enough to have tickets on the floor level, with seats on the second row. That also made the show so amazing, and I really had a chance to appreciate the amazing venue that is the Bank of Kentucky Center. I really could tell the designers of that event space clearly thought thought acoustics, layout, and performance areas.

"Alegria" is playing for seven more performances at the Bank of Kentucky Center. If you can, check it out!

감사합니다 "Kamsamnida"

That means thank you in Korean.

Hey everyone. Rob here.

A Brit named George has been stuck in Cincinnati visiting his brother Nick.

His trip is lasting 10 days longer than expected because of the volcanic ash which covered much of Europe.

Well, he goes back to England tomorrow so we decided to send him off with a great meal. Let me tell you the meal was better than expected at Riverside Korean in Covington.

The meal starts with a whole bunch of small dishes. Some are sweet, some savory, all tasty.

The entree I chose was the Dolsot Bibimbap. Rice, beef and vegetables come in a super hot stone bowl.

There is an egg on top which our server mixes into the meal. I got it super spicy.

In fact it was so spicy my head started to sweat. It was perfect.

I don't think there's a bad thing on the menu. The restaurant has been around since 1995 in the 500 block of Madison Avenue. Only bad thing: I'm too old to sit on the floor for too long.

Sunny, Frosty, Foggy, and Crisp Start

Good Morning Frank Here...

A little bit of everything this morning bright sunshine, temperatures in the low 30's, and even some patchy areas of fog. Check this picture out, from Loveland Madiera Road, where patchy fog moved in this morning. Grab a extra cup of joe this morning! We are experiencing some of our coolest air in sometime here in the Tri-State this morning, however this is not totally out of the normal for us. Officially so far we got down to 32 degrees at the airport and 31 degrees in Hamilton. We usually average our final frost / freeze around April 21st so this is pretty much on schedule. However, temperatures at 32 degrees have been reported as late as May 25th here in Cincinnati. Lets hope we do not see that trend this year! The nice thing with all of this sunshine we will warm up very quickly today with a high of 63 degrees and then 73 degrees tomorrow.

Miley Cyrus & The Reds Make Wishes Come True

Sheila here.

Teen sensation Miley Cyrus is making a local girl's wish come true today.

Nine-year-old Chianne from Fairfield will be part of a monumental celebration when her wish to meet Miley is granted in Los Angeles as part of the first-ever World Wish Day put on by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Chianne will be with 29 other wish kids at The Grove, a popular entertainment, dining and shopping district. Her wish experience will include a private meet-and-greet with the star of Disney Channel’s "Hannah Montana" and the movie "The Last Song."

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. I've had the honor of meeting many parents whose children's wishes were granted at a the hardest time a family can face, when a child is ill. Wishes are a chance for them to put aside the doctors and medicine for awhile and just enjoy being together and having fun.

You may have seen stories in the news recently about some other local wish kids. Last week Zack from Florence got to announce the Pittsburgh Steelers' first round draft pick, live on ESPN.

And earlier this month, a wish was granted to a little boy from California. Tyler is a huge Cincinnati Reds fan because his dad grew up here. Tyler's wish was to meet Jay Bruce. Make A Wish flew his family to Cincinnati, and the Reds rolled out the red carpet for Tyler. Not only did he get to meet Jay, he tossed the ball with his favorite player, and spent the day with the team on the field and in the luxury of the locker room. It was a dream come true for his whole family.

The Make A Wish Foundation grants about 20,000 wishes every year across the U.S. You can help in small or big ways. Some fun options for getting involved can be found on my blog from Monday. Just scroll down on this page if you want to find out more, or log onto http://www.makeawishohio.org/

Strong Armed

I have a problem--- a fitness "hang-up" if you will, and it's starting to bother me more and more.




Good morning, Sara Celi.


Try as I might, I can't tone my arms. Trust me, I'm trying. When I started running in earnest, and working out with a fitness plan about two years ago, I watched my body really change. My legs became more defined, my stomach flattened, and my hips shrank.



My arms hardly changed.



It's not that I'm neglecting this part of my body. I lift weights and do cross training. I've even had my personal trainer do what he calls "Arm Busters" with me during our sessions.



So why can't I have Michelle Obama arms or Madonna's amazing muscle? I don't want jiggly fat anymore!



Help me, fitness buffs! I need your tips!


* Photo of Madonna courtesy: ABCnews.com

Bad Mr. Benson

A Angry Frank Marzullo Here...GOOD MORNING!

He has been behaving so well the last month or so, but we had a set back last night. Yes, I am talking about our favorite weather dog Mr. Benson! If you watch regularly you will notice sometimes I wear my glasses and sometimes I do not, depending on allergies, tiredness, and if I am out of contacts. Well for some reason Mr. Benson decided to lash out at me last night as I was getting my weatherman sleep, he decided to jump on the bed and walk to the night stand. He then decided to make a snack out of my glasses. I woke up about 1am for my usual glass of cranberry juice, before I sleep for another 90min or so, and that is when I found him chewing my eye wear. I got a tad angry and he looked at me and then I just grabbed the glasses and crawled back into bed. What am I going to do with him? He is just a puppy so it's okay, but still Mr. Benson do not chew my glasses. These are my favorite that I picked up at York Vision in Kenwood, I may have to make a visit to Cliff York and his shop to see if we can buff out a few of the chew marks on the lens and the end of the frame. However, the brains behind our morning news, our Assistant News Director, Marita, just told me you can not even tell he chewed them. I say yes you can I know I am kinda of obsessive when it comes to these things. Anyway have a good day everyone!

A Weekend Of Food, Friends, And My Mom

Frank Marzullo Here...

What a weekend in the Queen City, where do I start? I know as any city when you live in a certain place you forget how much there is to do and see, and our city has plenty to do and impress out of town guests. On Friday two of my really good friends from Cleveland came down to visit there old weatherman friend Frank, and I had a chance to show them how great of a city Cincinnati can be. One of my friends Jason, he and I have been great friends since college, in fact he to is a meteorologist at the ABC station in Cleveland, so we both had to deal with this weekends on and off rain showers but it did not damper our weekend plans.
On Friday we met friends downtown for a great meal at Nada next to the Aronoff Center. Sometimes after a year or two of being open great restaurants loose there appeal and quality, not Nada one of my favorites, I love the grilled chicken tacos and the Mexican mac and cheese. Then I took them up to Rob Williams neighborhood, Mt. Adams, and we took in the atmosphere and history at the Blind Lemon. What can be better than LIVE music and friends?

Saturday morning we walked through Hyde Park square and enjoyed the fresh morning air with some coffee. Then the afternoon found us out at Great American Ball Park, cheering for our Reds, unfortunately our cheers did not get us a win, but it is still always nice to head to the park, especially when the rain holds off, and to get visitors opinion of the city and the ball park, ALL POSITIVE! I did realize though that I own a chain of hotdog stands at the park called, Frank's Franks! Then it was time to get the "Casino Blazer" on and head off to Hollywood Casino and the Grand Opening of the Final Cut Steakhouse, where my friends and I joined my FOX19 colleagues for a great dinner and my first trip to Hollywood. It is a great alternative to the several restaurants already at the Casino, I had the fillet it was really good. The atmosphere made it a really nice evening.

My friends left early Sunday morning and I have to say, why is it when you have friends in town you always eat more than usual, it's like a mini vacation for yourself. Then the topper was Sunday morning brunch downtown. After they left, I met my mother, aunt, cousin, her daughter, and her mother in-law for brunch at Orchids in the Hilton Cincinnati Netherlands Hotel. They were all going to Mary Poppins and wanted to start the day off with a great meal, so I joined them and so glad I did. That by far has been the best brunch I have ever had. I was excited by my food that I was texting Sheila about the meal because I know she celebrated her anniversary at Orchids a few weeks ago. I could sit here list all the items, but it would take forever, it was fresh and delicious. The place was packed and I never saw the food once picked over or low on something, they constantly kept it fresh and delectable. From fresh waffles, to homemade omelets, to crab legs, to rack of lamb, to prime rib, and of course the very large table of fresh desserts and my favorite bread pudding!!!! It was all so good and as I sit here on a Monday morning I have to say I am stuffed and my belt is just a little tighter this morning!

So the next time you think your bored of our fantastic city then call a friend from out of town and host them for a weekend, you will be a big fan!

BY THE WAY: Happy 90th Birthday Virginia Wood, I ran into her Saturday evening celebrating with her family, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY Virginia!

Make Wishes Come True

Do you see yourself as a Cincinnati Jack Nicklaus? Like walking for exercise? Or do you love lasagna, spaghetti or tiramisu?

Sheila here, and if your answer to any of those questions is yes, I have some ideas for things you can do in the next few weeks to make wishes come true for kids with life threatening illnesses.

Our local Make A Wish Foundation chapter has several things planned this spring and summer to raise money to grant wishes and give local children hope, strength and joy.

First up, the Walk for Wishes on Fountain Square downtown on May 15.

The top fundraiser this year will win a new roof!

It's a 5K non-competitive walk/run through downtown Cincinnati. It's a lot of fun, doesn't take long, and rewards you at the end with a big party. The family friend Wish Reunion Celebration will feature games, food and entertainment for all ages! You will also have the opportunity to meet current and past wish families. For further information, contact Leslie Lucas at (513) 745-9474. If you would like to Volunteer for the Walk for Wishes please send a completed Registration Form to Kevin Allender.

Hungry? Eat a Dish for Make A Wish® at Maggiano's Little Italy right now! From now through Wednesday, May 26 Maggiano’s in Kenwood (and all over the U.S.) is raising money to grant wishes with special menu items and customer donations. Patrons can also buy wish stars in the restaurant, and Maggiano's will donate $1 for each new, valid email address collected in-restaurant and online, up to an additional donation of $150,000.

And two local Make A Wish volunteers are hoping you'll sign up for a little golf. The Drives for Dreams golf outing is asking golfers and sponsors to get signed up for the event on August 2nd at Western Hills Country Club. Chris and Lisa Baker founded the Drives for Dreams, and they hope to raise enough money to grant at least one wish to a local Wish Kid. All of the money they raise will stay right here in our area. You can get registration form or find out more by emailing Chris at chris.baker@eulerhermes.com

And you can always find out more about Make A Wish by logging onto www.makeawishohio.org and I thank you!

Homemade from the Heart

Rob and Sheila here.

We want to introduce you to two inspiring local girls. Emma and Amy Bushman are third graders who founded Bake Me Home. It's more than a charity. It started as a way to show a little bit of support for domestic violence victims.

When victims leave shelters to set up their own homes, they're often given care packages of household items. Two years ago Emma and Amy started adding fixings for their delicious chocolate chip cookies to those care packages, and since then they've donated sweet treats to nearly 250 families, and they've recruited about 100 volunteers, who help them fill their cookie jars.

Now the girls have been inspired to expand their efforts. When a friend sent some of their cookies to American service members in Iraq, Bake Me Back Home was born. For a $30 donation, Amy and Emma will bake their famous cookies, and send them overseas. Amy says it's the least they can do for the men and women who are giving so much for our country.

The girls are asking for your help this weekend at a fundraiser at the Coldstream Country Club in Anderson Township. It's Saturday from 5:30 until 9:00 p.m. at 400 Asbury Road.

You can find out more about Amy and Emma's efforts at http://www.bakemehome.com/

Cincinnati's Number One Restaurant

Hi, it's Sheila.

This past weekend the best husband in the world and I celebrated our wedding anniversary, and we decided to find out why Cincinnati Magazine calls Orchids at the Hilton Netherland Hotel downtown the city's number one restaurant.

Food Editor Donna Covrett writes, "Right from the start, Orchids synergizes comfortable luxury with a seduction ritual." I'm no foodie, but I can see what she means. First, you can't beat the atmosphere of the Palm Court at the Netherland. It's like walking back in time. You can almost hear the jazz era music playing and see the elegant crowd. You really can hear jazz on Friday nights starting at 9, and the crowd these days is more an eclectic mix of young couples, travelers, and groups of old friends catching up with good conversation and an elegant meal. But it's elegance without pretension.

Maitre d' Sean Garner and our wait staff, Steven, Joel, and Michael provided some of the best service I've ever experienced. Steven was schooled under Jean Robert de Cavel at the Maisonette, and it shows. All are friendly and attentive without being intrusive. Joel's descriptions of the food were almost an art form, and we stayed after our dinner was over to watch Steven preparing a meal at a nearby table. Watching these gentleman work is a bit like watching a wonderful piece of choreography. One of the nice personal touches was Sean's presentation of champagne to toast our anniversary.

And then there's Chef Todd Kelly. I've met Todd several times

during his appearances on the Fox 19 Morning News. He's such a regular guy, the father of two daughters who love Asian food (according to Todd). However, tasting his food is anything but a regular experience. Covrett uses words like "luxuriate" to describe it, and says his dishes "stunned us into hypnotic silence." I wish I had her writing skills to tell you about the Maine lobster salad or the New Zealand lamb with Morel mushrooms. They were visually impressive, and the taste of everything from the housemade breads to the passion fruit souffle (by Pastry Chef Kat Kessler) simply blew me away.

Ric and I don't often get to sit comfortably for more than 15 minutes and just talk and enjoy each other's company, and that may have been the best part. Orchids is a perfect spot for a date night. Even if it's not a special occasion, the folks at Orchids will make you feel like it is. Comfortable luxury? Oh yes.

Mickey Mouse and Our Reds

Marzullo Here...

Well our Reds have not had a really great start to the season, but remember it's a young season so far! So let's continue to support and be true to our team, in fact there is a great new offer for you to support our Reds, especially if you a Disney Fan or collect everything baseball. I wanted to show you what came in the mail to the weather center yesterday.

In honor of this years Major League All Star Game being played in Anaheim, California in July, MLB and Disney have unveiled Baseball-Themed Mickey Mouse Statues. Each one of the 30 MLB clubs have statues with there team colors and logos plastered all over the worlds most famous mouse. In total you can collect 36 statues including special All Star Weekend painted statues. These are replicas of much larger statues, 7.5 feet and 989 pound statues, that will be on display outside the ballpark in Anaheim during MLB All Star events taking place of July 9 - 13th. You can own your very own Cincinnati Reds themed Mickey by going online to http://www.mlb.com/ and through various retailers. Retailers in the Tri-State that will have these one of a kind statues are MLB stadium shops, Walgreens and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Also I would love for you to check out the mention Rob and Sheila made on this mornings show with our minature Reds Mickey. Click Here To Watch: http://www.fox19.com/global/Category.asp?C=151146&clipId=&topVideoCatNo=15048&topVideoCatNoB=109491&topVideoCatNoC=104760&topVideoCatNoD=141804&topVideoCatNoE=142722&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=4717563&flvUri=&partnerclipid==

So while our Reds maybe in a slump, and we hope it's short lived, we need to keep the energy up and support our hometown team!

For the Fashionably Minded

You might not have heard about this, but Cincinnati is hosting it's own Fashion Week.

Hello, Sara Celi, here.

Cincinnati Fashion Week is the brainchild of Nathan Hurst, a local designer who felt for years that the city was missing something. So for the last year or so, he's been working to put a week that highlights not only local designers, but national and international lines. It truly is a grass roots effort that Nathan built from his ideas. I've had the pleasure of talking with him a few times on the phone, and I can tell you that Nathan is really passionate about what he's doing. He loves fashion, and it shows!

Now, Fashion Week is here!

Cincinnati Fashion Week officially kicked off yesterday with some special discounts from area retailers, but the real parties start tonight. Tonight is a Designer Meet and Greet at FB's downtown. Doors open there at 8PM. Then on Thursday, Cincinnati Fashion Week presents Fixed on Fashion. It's a party celebrating about five local and out of state designers, all inside Suite at Blackfinn. That part starts at 7.

Then on Friday, Cincinnati Fashion Week is hosting a big finale. The Fashion Finale will be at the Hyatt Regency downtown, and it sounds to me like it will be the party to end all parties. If you like fashion, you'll want to be at this one. The Fashion Finale promises to be an unforgettable evening of runway shows, and it all kicks off at 7PM. You'll be able to see designs from those who are the present and the future of fashion. Perhaps most notably, David Meister will showcase some of his amazing designs. He's been seen numerous times on Hollywood red carpets and is known for his elegant designs. St. Louis based designer Trashbiscuit will also show during the Finale event.

Throughout the week, there are ways to give back during this celebration of fashion. Cincinnati Fashion Week partnered with several charity groups, like Kenzie's Closet, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, and Dress for Success. All are worthy organizations that work hard to make Cincinnati a better place to live, work, and play.

Personally, I'm pretty excited about this event. I think it's neat that someone in our city is trying to something that you'd mostly see in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Milan. This the first year for the event, and that means it's all the more critical for thing to go well and for people to support it. You only get one chance to make a first impression! Hopefully Cincinnati Fashion Week will come out on top.

*photos on this blog post are courtesy Cincinnati Fashion Week

That Time of Year!

Being cheap paid off last week.

Hey everyone. Rob here.

Last Thursday, I drove to a gas station off the Norwood Lateral which has cheap gas. I tried taking a shortcut as I drove home and got lost. I'm just whipping through the back roads of Norwood looking for something familiar. Then, I see something of an Oasis, Norwood's Delite Creamy Whip stand. I said to myself, "Is it already that time of year?" The time of year when stands like this one open all over the tri-state. The time of year when a bus load of kids descend on places like that after a game. Usually, I hit Putz's Creamy Dairy Whip off of I-74. I haven't tried the one in Norwood so I decided to change that. When it comes to ice cream, I'm a purist. I like vanilla. I don't like sprinkles, sauces, or nut. So I order a small vanilla whip which gets a thumbs up from me. Also, the prices are right and you can sit outside and enjoy the weather.

Meeting an "Idol"

Ok. I try to play it cool sometimes when I go out to LA, but this weekend, I got put to the test.

Hello, Sara Celi here.

I was in town this weekend, visiting my husband and getting ready for his move to Cincinnati. We decided to join two of our friends, Branden and Christy Dawson for dinner on Saturday night. They are also from Cincinnati, and happened to be out in LA at the same time as us.

Wanting to show them a good time, I made us reservations at Ketchup on Sunset Blvd. It's a restaurant owned by the Dolce Group, which also owns LA hot spots Les Deux, Wonderland and Geisha House. Sean and I have been there once before, and really enjoyed the food. We hoped our second experience would prove just as good.

Branden and Christy met us in the bar of the restaurant and as we headed to our table overlooking Sunset, I realized something.

Paula Abdul had a seat at the table right next to us.

It took about half a second to recognize her. She's that glamorous and that gorgeous. In fact, she's even prettier in person (people always say stuff like that, I know).

As we sat down, I tried to act normal. It was hard. As a kid, I pretty much loved all her music. I had all her tapes (yep, I am that old) and I knew all her songs. I have memories of making up dances with my friends to her music. Before American Idol, she was my idol.

And suddenly, there she was.

I fancy myself a fashionista sometimes, so I noticed what she wore. Paula had on a gorgeous black dress and amazing bracelet. She looked like she was at dinner with her family, as I noticed a beautiful older woman who looked just like Paula sitting next to her. Several other people also were with them.

We ate our meal and enjoyed ourselves. I thought a few times about if it would be possible to get a photo with Paula, and I pretty much ruled it out. Instead, I focused on the laughter with Branden and Christy, the great steak skewers, the drinks, and the french fries with six different kinds of ketchup (the restaurant is called Ketchup, after all).

Then it happened. Paula got up to go to the restroom, and had to walk across the whole room. Basically the rest of the room now noticed she'd been dining there. She started taking pictures with people, and suddenly we had our moment.

When she came back the table, about to leave, I simply got up and asked her for photo. She said, "Sure," and was so nice about it all. She even posed twice. And that's how I wound up standing next to a woman I never thought I'd ever meet.

Just one of the reasons I love visiting LA. Anything can happen, and often does.

Walking For A Cause

How was your weekend? Frank Marzullo Here...

Sunday evening I had a chance to spend time with a great group of people in the Gas Light District, at Aquarius Star Cafe, all to bring awareness for a wonderful cause. A gathering of 20 some got together over hummus and a chat with Johnathon Stalls and learn about his mission to raise awareness for a organization called Kiva. Johnathon is walking across the country on a journey that started March 1st in Delaware and will eventually end in California. Kiva is a organization that empowers individuals to loan money to entrepreneurs across the globe in poverty stricken areas. It works by combining microfinance with the internet. Microfinance is defined as a loan that empowers individuals in order to participate in their community. In short lets say someone loans 25 dollars, that money is then used and paid back, you can keep it in your account and it will continue to get recycled and paid back. It's a constant positive cycle that helps those in need and gives opportunity to those less fortunate. The value of Kiva loans has reached up to $131,840,735, and the great part is that the loan repayment rate is 98.56% .

A native of Denver Colorado, Johnathon and his dog Kanoa are traveling by foot with one back pack and along the way are meeting new friends, sometimes staying with host families, or pitching a tent in small towns across the country. He experienced Skyline, Graeters, and the landscape of our Queen City. He did a mix of the mint chip and carmel and gave it two thumbs up. Last night at the gathering we also experienced dancing in a drum circle at the Aquarius Star. I of course could not pass up the chance to grab a drum and tambourine. It was a awesome experience, I felt like a kid again. It was quite a site to see walking by the large picture window I loved the reaction of people watching us dance and play our musical instruments.

Johnathon and Kanoa are now on there way through Kentucky and Indiana and will continue to make there way west, you can follow his journey here at http://www.kivawalk.com/.

Notre Dame Academy tragedy

Sheila here.

We all have families, and those of us who are very lucky have more than one.

My daughter Katie, along with my husband Ric and I have been blessed us with two school families, first at her elementary school, and now at her high school, Notre Dame Academy.

This week our school family is hurting in the wake of the death of senior, Maria Schaffstein.

The car crash which killed her also injured 5 of her friends. My daughter Katie is a sophomore at NDA, and while she doesn't know the girls well, Notre Dame is a tight-knit community, so this tragedy is affecting all of the students, their parents, teachers, and the Sisters of Notre Dame.

Prayer services this weekend were a way for the Notre Dame community to come together and hold each other. I went to one of them, and I came away so moved by the strength of the Sisters and the faith of the families whose children were injured, or in the case of the Schaffstein's, taken away from them too soon. I don't want to invade their privacy by posting what we heard at the prayer service, but I will share that NDA President Sister Shauna Bankemper talked about how the power of prayer is helping these families get through a horrific situation.

I never dreamed when I sent my daughter to Notre Dame that she and her school community would have to deal with something so sad. Parents always wish to spare their children from pain. However, I am grateful for the people leading the girls through it and showing them how to use their faith when life is difficult.

I also ask for your prayers for the families of Maria Schaffstein, Katie and Jessie Russo, Krista Noll, Catie Ammerman, Megan Berberich, Megan Downing, and Jordan Zumdick, and the entire Notre Dame community.

Lack Of Words This Week

Good Morning, Frank Here, and I will be honest I have a hard time blogging this week. However, I am going to try this morning, it was just one of those weeks. I had a hard time thinking of topics, I am sure nobody wanted to hear about my acid reflux that I had earlier in the week. I guess I am getting older. If you know of anyone or if you suffer from it, wow it can be awful. However, the Doctor hooked me up so feeling a bit better, we will leave it at that.

Then we have Mr. Benson to talk about, oh yes my dog Mr. Benson, if Rob is reading this he is probably rolling his eyes and in about 5 seconds will shout across the newsroom " Stop Talking About Your Dog! " or he will say " Nobody Cares " hahaha ...Well, I could of talked a lot more about him this week but I am sure nobody wanted to hear that he had the "procedure done" and I was kinda of concerned. While I know it's pretty standard, I still felt bad dropping the little guy off at the vet, but he did great and I get to pick him up after the show today. I have been told he will a tad calmer now after " the procedure " I wonder if he will be mad at me and grouchy this weekend? Since it will be cooler maybe he and I will hug the couch watching the DVR this weekend.

I told you, it was hard for me to blog this week, because of these two things. So I promise next week to BLOG AWAY!

Before I Go, I wanted to share with you that I visisted DoJo Gelato at Findlay Market yesterday, and I loved the Carmel with Sea Salt. Soooooo Goooood.....I love Gelato smooth and creamy and refreshing! Go Get A Scoop!

Happy Friday :) It's Meghan.

Have you done your spring cleaning yet? It's fairly easy to bag up clothes and household items and drop them off at St. Vincent DePaul or Goodwill.

But what about your old electronics? If you have any computers, cell phones or printers that need to be recycled there's a place to take them this Saturday. The Whole Foods in Hyde Park and in Mason are holding an E-Cycling event. It's from 10-3.

Ecycling recovers valuable materials from old electronics and uses it to make new products. Doing that helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, energy and resources by extracting fewer raw materials from the earth.

So you can help save the enviroment! Plus get rid of that clunky old computer that's been sitting in your basement;)

Have a great weekend.

A New Challenge

I have decided to train for the Cincinnati Triathlon, but there's a major obstacle in my way. I can't swim.

Big problem, I know. Hey it's Rob.

After 10 marathons, I decided to change things up a bit. The triathlon happens the last weekend in July. I've decided to tackle the olympic distance which is a 1350M swim, 40K bike and a 10K run. The swim isn't too long but when you can't swim its pretty daunting.

A swim coach has signed on to help me. I've tried this before and after 2 lessons I became frustrated and gave up. It also shocked me just how bad I swam. This time at least that shock isn't there. I was also complete honest with Craig, my new coach. I said, "If you can teach a rock to swim, then you have a chance with me." Maybe its a mental thing or a timing thing. I can tread water, swim on my back or side, but the freestyle freaks me out. I can't see, I can't breathe and ultimately can't swim.

My lessons start next week. I will keep you posted.

Golden Good Times

Hi it's Meghan:) All women love jewelry...especially GOLD. But how much do we really know about it? I learned some fascinating things last night when I went to the Museum Center's GOLD exhibit.

It really does dazzle. There are so many "wow" pieces. From ancient Egyptian figures to a Eureka block pulled from a shipwreck that's worth millions.

The event I attended was hosted by Cincy Chic and was called Girlfriends, Glamour and Gold. Tickets are $10. Guests can enjoy a happy hour-style experience with snacks, a cash bar and fares for sale from local boutiques.

One of them was Paolo - A Modern Jeweler - from Clifton. If seeing all the gold..inspires you to buy some he has beautiful quality pieces that are very unique. Here's a link to his website.

Click here for details on the next Girlfriends and Gold event on May 12th.

A Spoonful Of Sugar

Good Morning Frank Here...

What about this weather? With temperatures in the 70's yesterday I took Mr. Benson out for a walk and I got my first Graeters of the season, mint chip with chocolate sauce! YUM! Just a perfect stretch of days and temperatures will continue to flirt with 80 degrees until Friday, when thunderstorms will bring us cooler air in the low 60's this weekend.

While the weather has been perfect I did take a little time to spend indoors Friday night watching Mary Poppins at the Aronoff Center downtown. WOW, What a show! No matter if you have children or if your a kid at heart I am confident you will enjoy this show. Not only did the music bring back so many childhood memories but the production value of this Broadway musical is a TEN! It was like taking the moving out of the television and putting it on stage. Remember the songs, Spoon Full Of Sugar, Feed The Birds, and Step In Time?? I highly recommend this show it will be here in the Tri-State until Sunday April 25th.

By The Way: On Wednesday's show Meghan and I will learn a dance from the cast and later this week I will be taking you behind the curtain of this hit musical.

Bye Bye Winter

It was time. Hi it's Meghan:) Yes, it was time to say good-bye to my winter coats. They've kept me warm in the cold for months now. But believe me I'm welcoming spring with open arms and short sleeves!

But my delimma is storage. I have big plastic bins that are heavy and cumbersome to carry down my basement steps. This year I went to the store to buy another one..and came across the greatest invention ever!

I have heard of the vacuum seal storage bag before...but my big concern was - would it work. The answer is yes, very well. The one bag not only fit half my jackets it was light and easy to carry downstairs.

Only problem..take a look at the photos. I'll have some wrinkled coats come fall. Oh well, I'll just break out the iron.

Glee Auditions

I can't sing; I can barely dance.

Hope you had a nice weekend. Rob here.

I hosted the the "Glee" auditions finals on Friday. 19 Finalist were vying for a chance to be seen by Glee producers and casting directors. 10 of the finalist were chosen from hundreds after auditioning for judges late last month. 9 were chosen from online submissions. Most of them from the tri-state, but few traveled hundreds of miles to perform. There was an 11Th grader who traveled all the way from New Jersey and a student from San Diego.

It was held at the Patricia Corbett Theatre on UC's campus. There were 3 judges. Tim from KISS 107, Sonja with the Symphony, and Aubrey Berg. He's the Chairman of the musical theater department at CCM. Now he was tough, and reminded me of James Lipton of "Behind the Actors Studio.

They all sang well, but in the end the judges chose Max Chernin as the winner.

He will now be seen by "Glee" producers who are creating 3 characters for next season. They're hoping to cast unknowns. BTW Fox19 reporter Corey McConnell brother if a finalist in St. Louis.

"Glee" back on Fox19 tomorrow at 9:28 after "American Idol."