I Am A Bit Spoiled

Good Morning Everyone, Frank Here...I was going to talk about the Bengals and Reds lost, of course the Reds had a great season and we are proud of them, but I think for now we must look forward and move on. So I will talk about how it is always great to go home! This weekend I took a quick trip to my parents for some rest and relaxation, now while my mom does not do my laundry, I am still a bit spoiled. Wow, what a weekend 12 hours of sleep Friday night and then 9 hours of sleep on Saturday. Mom made me my favorite meal of beer brisket and mashed potatoes, so good! However, the big topic of discussion was do we dress our pets for Halloween? Now while I love Mr. Benson, I do draw a line when it comes to Halloween costumes or any outfit for your pet. However, when mom was in Naples, Florida a few weeks ago she picked Mr. Benson up a costume, now I can't say no to mom so we tried on his new ROOSTER costume! Okay, it is kinda of funny and yeah he will enjoy it for about 5 minuets because he then was trying to take it off. That is why the picture is a bit BLURRY he was moving around. So that is where we stand with that! Okay, I am off to prepare for your FOX19 News Morning Xtra.

All About Comfort Food !

Dan Wells writing. I hope this note finds you well and in good spirits. It's Friday, fall is in the air and food is on my mind this morning. I think it has to do with a segment we had on the FOX 19 Morning XTRA....on Tuesday that delt with bean soup. Yup, BEAN SOUP...what a comfort food (at least for me). My mom used to make it during the fall and winters sports seasons way back in high school in my mind nothing is better. So that begs the question what are comfort foods? Here is what I found, they (comfort foods) are foods that soothe the psyche by reminding us of comforting childhood memories. For most of us, these foods are far from gourmet and generally epitomize home cooking. They invoke feelings of nostalgia, safety, and security.

Here are the top 25 comfort foods I found out there.

Did your favorites make the list?

Top 25 American Comfort Foods
• Apple Pie
• Baked Beans
• Banana Pudding
• Beef Stew
• Brisket Pot Roast
• Chicken & Dumplings
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Chicken Soup
• Chili
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Corn on the Cob
• Fried Chicken
• Gelatin
• Green Bean Casserole
• Hot Dogs
• Ice Cream
• Macaroni & Cheese
• Mashed Potatoes
• Meatloaf
• Potato Salad
• Pumpkin Pie
• Shepherd's Pie
• Spaghetti
• Tomato Soup
• Tuna Casserole

Voice your opinion on our message board.....Finally, I hope this quick blog has prompted you to eat well this weekend! Cheers Dan

It's Only One Game

Yes, it was a let down.  Yes, Roy Halladay had an amazing game.  But let's put it into perspective, it's only one game! Hi, it's Meghan.

Our Redlegs still have a lot of baseball to play.  I know Reds fans are ready to keep cheering them on.  When we win Friday, the Natiboys will be back at home Sunday and the hometown crowd will give them a boost.

Even though the game didn't go as I would have liked.  I still had a lot of fun supporting our team. I wanted to blog this week to give you a look at my activities on Wednesday, Oct. 6th, also known as the day that the Reds started their first post-season baseball in 15 years!

4:00 AM - Heading from the studio to Fountain Square to tell our viewers about all the food and drink specials I found at local bars and restaurants for the Reds game.  I'm also planning my own "pub crawl" later to see how different fans around Cincinnati cheer on their team!



Cream cheese, anyone?

8:10 AM - "My Mom Calls Me George" of KISS 107 FM has created a voodoo sculpture of Philly legend Rocky Balboa out of Philadelphia brand cream cheese, and he is going to destroy it using a Reds t-shirt cannon in the middle of Fountain Square!  Well, we learned a little about MMCMG's sculpting skills (2nd only to Michelangelo's) and the viscosity of cream cheese at 50 degrees (low enough to stop a speeding t-shirt apparently).  Nonetheless, the bust of Rocky clearly lost this fight, and the momentum and karma is surely going to help our Reds KO the Phillies in the NLDS!

MMCMG puts the final touches on CC Rocky, and the Reds Cannon of Destruction.



So maybe it didn't explode quite like we thought, but Philadelphia definitely got creamed. :)

4:00 PM - After my lunch, a nap, and a workout, I am ready to start pre-gaming!

4:20 PM - The In Between, Downtown

I was actually hoping to make it out to Maloney's Pub in Delhi, but I got a late start and didn't want to fight traffic.  Unfortunately, In Between didn't have any specials and only had about 8 people in the bar.  Disappointing.

4:25 - 4:45 PM - Skyline Chili, 4th & Sycamore
Got a free cheese coney!  Yum!

5:00 - Fountain Square, Downtown
Pretty decent crowd, food, drinks, and great weather, but the sun was setting right behind the big screen making it pretty difficult to watch the game.

5:05 - 5:30 PM - Rock Bottom Brewery
Bad start for Edison Volquez and the Reds.  And I didn't even like the beer I picked. :(  Good crowd of after work folks though!

5:55 - 6:45 PM - Brothers Bar & Grill, Newport
Hung out with lots of Reds staff members, my sister, and my friend Amy.   The Reds didn't perform too well, but the day was still a lot of fun!

Mr. Benson Has A City

Good Morning Everyone, I missed you...Frank Marzullo Here! First I want to thank Pat Barry and Dan Wells for taking over my duties while I was in a series of in depth, scientific, and intense meeting at the National Weather Association Conference in sunny and hot Tucson, Arizona. While I spent most of my time training on radar systems and learned about micro climate forecasting, I did have a little time to venture out and check out parts of southern Arizona. I had to make a quick drive over to Benson, Arizona. Why you may ask? Well of course my dog is Mr. Benson and I wanted to check out the town that was named after him. There was not much in Benson, Arizona but I did see the statue that was built to honor everyone's favorite weather dog. Another stop I made was a drive by the " Plane Grave Yard " which is in Tuscon. This is a large parcel of land where old planes come to die. It is amazing, to see the thousands of 747's, F-16, DC-9's, and other aircraft that are no longer in service. During the week you can take tours but on weekends you can just drive along the fence and view them from the outside. The biggest thing I learned about Arizona is that you have to stay hydrated, I have never drank as much water as I have in the past several days. All in all it was a great conference but I am ready to get back in the swing of things and say GO REDS!

Reggae Run

Frank is out of town on a "weather" conference, so we are all getting pushed up a day.

Hi guys. Rob here. Frank will be blogging tomorrow when he returns to the morning news.

This past Friday was the Reggae Run in and around Ault Park. Its a 5K started 1994 in memory of Maria Olberding. She was slain while running in the Mt. Lookout area. Her family started the run, which has now ballooned to nearly 5,000 runners. The Reggae Run is special to me. Not just because of the story of how it started. It was also my first 5K in Cincinnati. Anyone will tell you it is a challenging run. The first half is fast and downhill. The second half is the exact opposite.

Ironically, I didn't run it this year. It was cold, and with the Columbus Marathon 2 weeks away I passed. I however did go to the party. That's the great thing about the Reggae Run. It is great for non-runners too. There's food, beer, wine and great Reggae music which Maria loved. The money raised helps the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Too late for this year, but check it out next year. Make sure you check out the Oldberding's Chili. It is awesome.

Old West Fest

Howdy partner! Sheila here.

I spent the weekend having gunfights with my son Eric, after my husband Ric and I took him on a trip back in time. We checked out the Old West Festival in Williamsburg, just east of Cincinnati.

I should say it's in Dodge City because that's what it feels like once you step inside. The town comes complete with a saloon, covered wagon, and medicine show. Can Can dancers, a magician, and talented musicians entertain, and the kids can be sworn in as deputies by Bat Masterson.

At high noon, we saw a bank robbery and a shootout on on the main drag (complete with gun safety lesson). The cowboys and pretty ladies stay in character as they wander through town, and Eric introduced himself to almost every one of them.

If you dress up your kids in their cowboy gear, they could win a costume contest.

The food is pretty good too, and you can even get an old fashioned root beer. We had a blast, but you need to make plans now. There's just one weekend left for the Old West Festival, this Saturday and Sunday. Find out everything you need to know by checking out the website, http://www.oldwestfestival.com/

My Daughter The Lawyer

Good Friday Morning! Dan Wells writing. This morning I'm stealing from my wife's blog...because it cracked me up and I'm sure you parents out there can relate. Lawyers, they know what they want. They fight hard to get it. They argue for a living. This is the new stage that my young daughter is currently in. At her annual check-up a few weeks ago, our pediatrician placed this perfect label on her back. He said that is what he calls this age group and I couldn't agree more. I say "I love your dress" she says..."No, you don't." I say "We're going to a friend’s house to play today!" she says..."No we're not."I say "Aren't these cookies delicious?" she says..."No, they're not."

It's pretty annoying after awhile, but also pretty darn funny. I could tell her I'm going to buy her a huge princess castle and she would tell me I'm not. God love her. Happy Parenting!