After 8 months, most with braces all with spaces,  my dental work is complete.

I’ll have to post a picture later because for some reason I can’t upload one….until then watch FOX Toledo news to check it out and as always follow me on twitter.com/tiffanytarpley
Random, I know:)

Real estate shopping. A combination of fun and frustration.

Thanks to a referral, I just found a realtor who seems really good. A woman who’s been in the business for a while and seems truly excited about helping customers to find their dream property. So that’s a major hurdle out of the way.

Saturday we looked at 5 places. Two are possibilities. 3 won’t work at all.

Each time we drive up to a place and I walk in I tell myself to keep an open mind.

Sometimes it’s the feel, or Saturday, the smell of a place that’s a huge turnoff. Sulphur, dog, smoke that makes you think that the woodburning fireplace might kill you with its fumes.

Then there are the unfinished projects. Granted, we all have things we intend to get done around the house, and life only allows for so many. But in some homes you see a pattern, a series of home improvement projects started and never finished. Wouldn’t it be worth it to hire a handyman for a few days to finish them up and get the place sold? I guess the seller never knows which thing will be the objection, the deal breaker for a potential buyer. Makes me a little concerned about my to do list before putting a ‘for sale’ sign in the yard.

I’m also off and on hopeful and hopeless about finding the place that matches my wish list. Maybe I’ve ranted about this before but I love real kitchen ventilation hoods and I hate the microwave above the stove. Trend, yes. Useful for real cooks, no. Hopefully it’ll go away as standard practice very soon.

Meantime, I keep looking, realizing I might have to live with a misplaced microwave for a few years until I save up for a proper hood.

Not a deal breaker, just an annoyance.

Until next time, I’ll try to keep doing my part to stimulate the local real estate market.

Flooding is a coast to coast threat to the United States and its territories in all months of the year. National Flood Safety Awareness Week is intended to highlight some of the many ways floods can occur, the hazards associated with floods, and what you can do to save life and property.  National Flood Safety Awareness week is March 15th-19th this year.  Click here to learn more about the dangers of flooding and get valuable information on Flooding preparedness.

A lot has changed in my household over the past week.

My husband Luke and I decided to get a puppy! This is something we have talked a lot about but finally acted on. When we finally did, everything happened so fast.. and as we speak I have a dog roaming around my kitchen as I sit here at work.

Olive is a weimaraner and we found her in the Cleveland area where I am from originally.

Let me just say, even though we talked about taking this step.. I have found it has been

much more work than I thought. Owning a puppy and being responsible for a puppy are two

different things.   (I know, no brainer right??? However, it’s kind of easier to realize this when you are experiencing the situation.)

Growing up my family had dogs, but my dad was pretty much the master and they were also outdoor animals. Needless to say, I wasn’t the one responsible for the dogs… so you can imagine how this week has been a wake up call.

The first couple of days were brutal. Poop on my floors, a whimpering puppy before work, and constant chewing are what I became used to encountering. I cried a couple of times…  and freaked out.

Probably most important detail… I realized that Olive was making me itch and break out in a slight rash. The first day with her I also had watery eyes. I thought, great… I’m allergic to the dog.

After talking to some co-workers I basically had it in my mind that I would try and convince Luke to sell the dog after 48 hours.

Let’s just say that plan didn’t work out.

I kept coming home from long days of work and hanging out with Olive, and I just became attached.   It’s hard to ignore all of the fun moments

At this point I have invested in some Zyrtec-D and my allergies have gone away for the most part.

I also spent the weekend with her and realized that she will eventually learn to obey.

I feel bad that my first instinct was to just ‘cut and run’ so to speak… but after a week, I have a very positive outlook.

Hopefully the feeling stays the same. Check back with me next week. ha!

Sam and I were at the Chop House talking and listening to Jazz for hours.  After a while we both caught ourselves humming and swaying to the smooth notes of At Last strumming away in the background.  We smiled into each other’s eyes and shared a moment of pure understanding and camaraderie.  It was the most relaxed I’d been in a long time, there were no grand expectations from either of us.  We just enjoyed being together.

Chapter 8:  At Last (Present Time)

As Sam and I walked back to the house we heard the strains of that old jazz tune filtering out to us on the beach, through an open bungalow window not far from our own.

Sam reached over and squeezed my hand.  “Ohhhhhh, now I get it!  I didn’t want you to pay, but you insisted,” he whispered, while scrounging his toes in the sand as he walked.

“Oh so now you remember?”  We held hands all the way back gently speaking to each other about how different life would be when we got back.

When Sam and I made love that night, it reminded how beautiful our love for each other has always been.

That Night (Flashback)

Another year has passed, Gray was long gone, and Sam was fresh in my mind.  After the night at the Chop House, Sam and I talked via e-mail during the day and by phone during the night.  Our relationship was changing and we were becoming closer, I loved the conversations we were having and I know he enjoyed them too.

I was now a political reporter for WPPK,  in Washington DC.  It’s a great job, and it pays really well, Yolanda, had graduated top of her class and was now in medical school at Howard University.  We talked every now and then when we both had a free moment.

I was back to my old self again, everything was just right.  Thanks to God, and the help of Dr. Daniels.  After a few more months we canceled our sessions.

Sam was doing wonderful as always.  He now heads one of his father’s law offices in Virginia and we’ve been dating for a year. We haven’t been romantically involved yet,  I think that’s what’s making our relationship very different from the so-called one I had with Gray.

I trust Sam.  We’ve been everywhere from symphonies, movies, plays, to concerts.  He likes almost everything and loves when we explore together. Tonight we are going somewhere special, but I have no clue where.

I bought an evening dress from Raffaello’s because I wanted to look my best.  He said we’ve never been to this place before so I knew it was somewhere special.  It’s almost eight o’clock and no sign of Sam.  I’m ready but he’s late.

A knock on my door

“Who is it?” I asked knowing it it’s him.

“Prince charming,” he answered sarcastically.

I opened the door only to find Mr. Samuel Shine in a three-piece suit.  I love men in suits and he knows I do.

“You’re late,” I explained.

“No I’m not, it’s eight o’clock right on the dot,” he said confused.

All I could think was Dr. Onabam’s saying.  “Well think of me as Dr. O,” I said “If you’re five minutes early you’re on time, if you’re on time…”

“You’re late, yes Lee I know,” Sam interrupted.  “Come on Leeanne Smith be late with me then.” Sam said as he extended out his arm.

There was a limo parked outside of my apartment. It was a lovely night and I felt as if nothing could go wrong.

“Good evening Ms. Smith,” the driver said as he got out of the limousine.  The voice also sounded vaguely familiar.

“Thank you,” I replied.

As I thought about that voice – it abruptly came to me and I paused.  “Thank you,” I said again.

It was Gray’s old driver from two years ago.

“I’m sorry Lee, do you know this man?” Sam asked.

“Yes, I met him one day on the street, across from the basketball arena,” I lied.

I hate lying to Sam, but the past must remain the past forever.

We pulled up to a lovely hotel on Connecticut Ave.  Limos were all around and Congressmen and Senators were all escorting their wives inside.

“Where are we Sam?” I asked excitingly.

“The President’s dinner,” he said with an impish grin on his face, he anxiously awaited my response.

Now as a journalist I knew about the President’s dinner but it was hard to get tickets, which were usually reserved almost a year in advance.

“How did you get invited to the dinner Sam?” I asked, wonder in my voice.

“Easy, you must have forgotten that my father is now a New York Congressman,” he laughed.

I had forgotten about that.  Sam’s father is a big wig in New York.

When Sam opened the door, he took my hand to help me out of the limo.

I received admiring glances when I walked up the stairs and into the building.

The dining area was packed with all sorts of people actors, congressmen, lawyers, athletes, OH GOD, and musicians, who were mingling with each other. Sam’s mother and father were sitting at the table with four other couples, I recognized all the men as Senators from several states.  Sam made me feel like a princess, he introduced me to everyone he knew.

“Lee, let me introduce you to one of my buddies,” Sam pointed. “Lee, this is Carlos Perez, you know the musician.”

“Yes I know who Carlos Perez is,” I said embarrassed.  “Nice to meet you Senior Perez.”

“Pleasure is all mine,” he said kissing my hand.

“Will everyone please take their seats,” said the announcer over the microphone. “Dinner is ready to be served.”

Sam is still talking to Carlos but I couldn’t hear what the two were talking about.  He then took my hand and we walked to our table.

The dinner was absolutely delicious.  Stuffed chicken breast with chopped onions, diced celery and rice.  After dinner, dessert was served, I had a chocolate ice-cream cake, and Sam had a sweet tart that he took one bite of.

Everyone started to clap as the President walked up to the podium.  I’m impressed, I haven’t been to a gala since college, and that was nothing in comparison.

“Good Evening everyone,” the president said.  “Thank you all for coming, it’s great to see each and everyone of you,” the president continued.

The president’s speech lasted for an hour. His wit and dry humor kept everyone laughing and at ease.

“Now before I go, I have one more announcement to read.  The other day a good friend of mine, Julian Shine, congressman from New York, asked if he could read this letter to you all, but I’m going to read it instead” the president continued.  The note says  ““Her eyes are as beautiful as a sunset.  Her beauty is as glamorous as a starry night.  The sound of her voice is as powerful as thunder.  I love this woman, with all of my heart.  I want to give her the world I want to be her caregiver and her protector for the rest of my life.  I want to be with this woman forever,”” the president finished.  “Now Julian, come on up and really tell your wife how you feel.”

It was so sweet to hear Mr. Shine write those lovely things about his wife.  It almost brought tears to my eyes.

“Good Evening everyone,” he said nervously as he approached the mic.  “Actually, Mr. President, my wife, are all of those things plus more, but my son wrote the letter to the woman he intends to ask to marry tonight. Sam, where are you?” his father asked scanning the room.

“I’m right here dad,” my Sam stood up and shouted.

“Sam go ahead and do your thing son,” his father encouraged.

Sam walked towards me and our eyes met as we shared a smile.  As he got down on one knee he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a black velvet box.

“LeeAnne Smith…” Sam began to speak.

“Wait Sam, someone get this poor young man a microphone,” one of the senators ordered.

The room shouted with laughter.  One of the servers gave Sam the mic, and he began to speak again.

“LeeAnne Smith, you are everything to me.  When you hurt I hurt, when you’re happy I’m happy.  You are everything to me, and I love you very much.  At Last I found you, and I pray every night that you have found me to be your knight and shinning armor,” he said with tears in his eyes.  “You believed in me, you always have. You’re words are why I am what I am today.  I love you Lee.  Would you do me the honor in being my wife?” he finally asked.

I couldn’t say anything.  I was speechless.  How do you respond to a proposal like this, especially one that was made in front of the President of the United States of America.  This man has offered me the world and I would be a fool to turn him down.

“Yes I will marry you,” I answered.

As we kissed passionately the audience began to applaud.

When dinner was over everyone congratulated us.  I love Samuel Shine I really do.  Words can’t explain how I feel about him.

The whole way home Sam held me tight in his arms.   I couldn’t help myself but all I could look at was my engagement ring, a cut center 6 baguette side diamond.

“Lee, what are you thinking about?” he asked me.

“Why do you love me so much? What did I do to deserve…” I stopped and started to cry.

Sam starts to kiss me in a way that’s melting my heart with love.  The limo stopped, we were at my apartment.  I didn’t want to let him go I wanted him to stay with me forever.

“Lee, God only knows how much you mean to me.  If it weren’t for this case, I would marry you today, right this moment,” he looked me in the eyes as he walked me to the door.  “I want to give you so much more, I want to give you…” he continued.

I couldn’t take it anymore.  We hadn’t been intimate  yet because I told Sam it would mean a lot to me if we waited.  At the time I was still raw from my experiences with Gray, but I couldn’t hold it any longer.  I kissed him with all the passion I felt.

“Lee,” he said as our kiss went deeper, and our breathing became harder and faster. “Lee,” he said again pulling away from me and inhaling deeply. “I thought you wanted to wait,” he said.

I smiled and stepped towards him. As I grabbed his hand I led him into my bedroom.

——

Tune in next week

At the very beginning of my unusual broadcasting career – as in, 8th grade, when I shot my first house fire – much of my knowledge about this business came from watching the news and compulsively reading TV message boards.

Tips and critiques from professional photojournalists over at b-roll.net gave me a better understanding of what makes a good shooter, while simultaneously loading my brain up with industry slang and a basic understanding of the inner-workings of a television news department.

Sure, that didn’t teach me everything – without getting hands-on experience, I never would have made the countless mistakes (and taken heat from more experienced co-workers) that, in the end, just challenged me to improve.

I’m still making educational mistakes today, but I’m definitely in a comfortable spot.

That’s made jumping out of my bubble that much more intimidating as I start learning the basics of being a firefighter/EMT. This is the first time I’ve really started from the beginning and felt what it’s like to be the new guy.

And, man do I feel like the new guy.

I take the anticipated jabs when I don’t know where to put a piece of equipment, or when I accidentally lock myself outside whatever ER we happen to be at (I do this every time – Every. Single. Time.)

Yet, for each verbal poke and prod, the same jokesters can turn around and calmly explain a vital skill with the patience of a tortoise waiting for a train to clear the railroad crossing.

(Except, the train can’t usually figure out an effective way to move at first. The caboose falls off the track a little, maybe the engine dies. Then it resets, backs up and tries again. Then again. Once more. Then finally passes.)

And while my learning process can, at times, be as frustrating for me as it is for them, the chance to learn a whole new set of skills is an exhilarating challenge. It’s my answer to the question Doug posed about dreams.

When I was a kid, I dreamed of being a news reporter. And a firefighter. And a police officer. And an astronaut. I was an indecisive little brat.

And, today, I still am – and that’s exactly what’s keeping life so interesting. I’m constantly learning, testing my own abilities and having a heck of a time living out several of my dreams at once.

No, I never expect to give astronauting a try – yes, I made up the word “astronauting” – but I can find smaller, more do-able dreams here-and-there that will let me set goals for myself. Whether I learn how to save a person’s life with a few aspirin, a mask and some oxygen, or I just end up with an awesome story to share, it’s worth it to me.

I was happy in my comfort zone. Now I’m happier pretending I don’t have that option.

If anybody had any doubt about Tiger Woods’ impact, one needs only to check what happened on Wall Street when, during his speech, trading went down.

That’s CRAZY.

One can also look at the situation and fault Tiger for having such a controlled environment – just a statement, no questions, surrounded by people of his choosing.  I mean, there is no question that any hype machine in America is the same thing as pushing propaganda the way that certain hated governments allegedly are alone in pushing.

But this was something that needed to happen.  No matter how scripted some of the pauses seemed, no matter how controlled the environment was, this was an apology that needed to happen sooner rather than later.  Despite the lack of tears, I’d rank this apology above Mark McGwire’s.  The reason?  Spring training was around the corner for Big Mac.  He HAD to get it out, otherwise he’d face the wrath of the media coverage and become a huge distraction.  On the flipside, it seems like there’s still an indefinite period of time before Tiger can be expected to make his return on tour.  This makes the apology more his own choice.  There’s something to be said for that.

Also, no matter how scripted the speech may have been, he acknowledged fault.  There’s no question that it’s hard to speak to a worldwide audience about letting everybody down with an embarrassing number of transgressions.  Now that he’s done his part to at least apologize to the public, the public hopefully will not and should not be a distraction as Tiger focuses on fixing the thing that truly matters – his family.  I’m not sure if that part of his life will ever be fixed considering the broken sense of trust that is nearly impossible to win back.  Who cares about winning back the public’s trust for his off-the-golf-course values?  What matters is to get back to being a good husband and a good father.  However long it takes, Tiger needs this time to get things right.  Golf may need Tiger for the good of the game, but that’s all secondary.

From now on, Tiger will never exactly be looked at the way he was before November 27.  He will never be looked at as a role model off the golf course.  Parents won’t be pointing their kids in Tiger’s direction saying, “Hey, be more like Tiger Woods!”

However, the part that will always remain a constant, hopefully, is that Tiger should still be remembered for his superior athletic and golfing abilities among his peers.  He is still arguably the best golfer of all time.  Maybe he’s not the most morally-sound golfer around, in any era, but at the very least, his game on the golf course is still fantastic and should be regarded as such.

Former Michigan Wolverine Jalen Rose put it best from an athlete’s viewpoint when he said that Tiger’s not the president of the United States.  He doesn’t owe the public an apology.  Rose is right.  Tiger already apologized to the public, who should NOT expect at ALL anything more because today was trial and tribulation enough.  Tiger DOES owe his family more than an apology.  Like he said in his speech today, that apology will come with not with words, but with his actions.

My hope is that the sporting world will allow Tiger that time and that privacy to get his life back together.

I was in the Walgreens on Reynolds the other day. I had a sinus infection and had to get a prescription filled for an antibiotic and a nasal spray.  When I walked up to the drop off window, a sign directed me to proceed to the next window. It was only a few feet away. When I arrived, a pleasant pharmacy assistant was there to greet me. She took my prescription and my insurance card for verification.  After typing in my information and confirming I’d been there before she asked if I would wait for the prescription or come back to pick it up. She said it would be 15 minutes or so to fill. I decided to wait. She then handed back my insurance card. I didn’t see “it” then. You’re probably wondering what “it” is. We’ll get back to that in just a bit.

By the way, Walgreens isn’t exactly an ideal store for window shopping. As I walked the isles killing time I looked at foot treatments, hand treatments, nail treatments, hair care products, etc… When I felt like I had loitered close to the 15 minutes wait time I made my way back to the pharmacy. My name was called shortly after getting back there. The pleasant pharmacy assistant brought my prescription to the counter and rang me up on the cash register.  She asked me if I had any questions about the medicine. I did not, but this kind hearted pharmacy employee suggested I take the antibiotic with food as it has been known to cause stomach aches. My total was $20, I swiped my credit card and she attached my receipt to my prescription and handed it to my.  It’s then that I saw “it”… “It” was a small aqua marine colored tattoo on her left forearm. I don’t know why, but I asked her what is said. She said with a smile “Dream.” Here I am standing there with my head all congested and a nose full of snot and I had to pause and think about that simple tattoo.

I had to ask myself when was the last time that I really dreamed? What about you, do you have dreams? I’m not talking about the dreams you have while you’re sleeping.  Don’t get me wrong those are nice too, but I’m talking about the dreams that lift you up from your lowest points, the dreams that can propel you beyond human capability. I’m talking about the dreams you share with a spouse or a significant other. Some people share their dreams with family and friends allowing them to be a part of the joy in looking forward to the outcome of these dreams.  I don’t know why this simple tattoo sparked such a profound reaction to my brain but it did…

 I remember when I was a kid; I used to dream all the time. I dreamed that someday I would be a private detective. I used to dream of being a soap opera actor. That dream faded away as I got older and realized I didn’t have the looks to be a soap opera hunk. That and I was more predisposed to science than drama. Don’t get me wrong, I can be dramatic.  The point is, when I had dreams life seemed so much more exciting. Dreams give you something to look forward to. Dreams give you something to strive for, to work towards.

I don’t know why I don’t dream as much anymore but I appreciate that pleasant pharmacy assistant for reminding me to do so. Thank you Walgreens pharmacy assistant.

Now I wonder what you dream about???

I know you can just look at my calendar on the Face of FOX Toledo Home page, but I wanted to personally tell you about my exciting weekend that started last night!

The Toledo Free Press is launching an awesome new weekly magazine starting around St. Patrick’s Day, and I was fortunate enough to be chosen to be on the cover of the first issue! So last night, we went around to 8 Irish bars in Toledo in our green St Patty’s gear and explored the fun options for the upcoming holiday! (Vlog will be posted in the next couple days so you can see for yourself!)

Tomorrow morning I will be at the New Glass Bowl Lanes at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Ohio’s Bowl For Kids’ Sake event at 12pm! Come see if I get a strike or a gutter ball (it’s hit or miss with my athletic skills these days)!

Then tomorrow night I will be attending and hosting the St. Michael’s We Care Telethon from 4pm-8pm with Shaun Hegarty, Tiffany Tarpley, and Doug Moats! Tune in to support the organization, which provides financial assistance to families facing life-threatening illnesses. I can’t wait!

And then finally, come Monday, February 22, I will be turning 23!!! So if you start to feel sad that the weekend is over, you can think of my birthday and that’ll make you feel better (haha maybe not…but you never know)! I could not ask for a more exciting Birthday Weekend! I hope to see you around town!