This past Saturday, Tracy, Jeff, and I gave out FOX Toledo goodie bags at the Penn Station in Sylvania (the one next to Bed Bath and Beyond). We had a great turnout, enjoyed an amazing lunch and got to meet some really great people! Thanks to everyone who came to say hello and I’d like to give a special thanks to the owner, James, for everything.
If you haven’t been to Penn Station yet, you should definitely go and try the Philly Cheesesteak. As a Philadelphia native who has had some of the best Cheesesteaks ever, I can say that Penn Station knows what they are doing! YUM!

I was flipping through my cable guide the other night trying to figure out what to watch, and it got me thinking. As I kept stopping on re-runs of television shows and movies that I had already seen, I realized that while I could watch something new, I chose to watch something that I knew I would definitely enjoy…something I had already seen. Now I suppose it could have just been the mood that I was in at the time, because I do love watching new movies and TV shows (especially if I have them in bulk on DVD), however I thoroughly enjoy the re-watch.

I mean if you think about it, you wouldn’t buy a movie to add to your own DVD collection unless you knew it were something you’d like to watch more than once again (otherwise you could just rent it and send it back into the world). Think of your favorite movie…how many times have you seen it? Think of your favorite sitcom…does it ever get old? I mean I can watch Friends every day and still laugh (along with all of the shows on The Zone obviously). I need to watch It’s a Wonderful Life and Home Alone every year around the holidays or it’s just not the holidays.

I think it is partly the sheer admiration for the object of your cinematic affection that inspires the re-watch, but I also think that it’s partly the nostalgia for the time and place and company that you first watched it in that can impact it’s re-watchability. For example, right now I am watching Definitely, Maybe, a pretty good, heartwarming film. When I watch it, I think of the Valentines Day when my friends and I went out for Sushi, got to the movie late and almost didn’t get seats…but we did! It was a good night, a pretty good movie, and therefore a delightful option for a re-watch.

What do you think? Are you a fan of the re-watch?

Since it is almost Game 6 of the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees, I think it is appropriate for me to say a few things. First of all, if you have been following me on Twitter, you probably know that I am a Phillies fan, and I’d like to say sorry to anyone I have annoyed with my excessive tweets (especially if you are a Yankees fan). With that, I have to tell you why this Series is so exciting to me.

I guess I should start by explaining why I am such a big Phillies fan. The Phillies have been a part of my life, well, forever. When I was really little I remember watching the games on TV with my Grandpop while he told me stories of all of the different players. When I got a little bit older I went to my first Phillies game in the rain and I’ll never forget the blue ponchos that we wore, the peanuts that we ate, the peanut shells that we had throwing contests with, and my first ice cream in that awesome plastic red hat cup (that I still have).

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Check out my day at the Toledo Zoo!!!

This is my dog, Dolly, last Halloween!

So it might be safe to say that I am obsessed with holidays… more specifically the celebrations and festivities that go with them. In fact, in the month of most holidays, I become slightly infatuated with the traditions and holiday fun that go along with that particular time of year. Having said that, Halloween is in one week, and I am already feeling sad that it’s over, as if I am running out of time to celebrate it to it’s fullest! I mean I suppose I can still burn my pumpkin spice flavored candles until Thanksgiving (thank goodness) but still! It’s not as fun to watch horror movies and all that jazz after the 31st .

So this week is dedicated to Halloween everything! So far this weekend I have watched two scary movies, I need to locate and watch my favorite childhood Halloween movie: Hocus Pocus, at some point the pumpkins on my deck will be carved (with a corresponding video blog), I must complete my Halloween costume, and still go through at least one more haunted house. And oh my goodness, I just realized I have not yet eaten candy corn this year…so I’ll need to get some of that as well! Let me know if you’d like to join the madness!

The 2009 American Cancer Society’s Cattle Baron’s Ball was a success! There were so many people supporting a wonderful cause and having a great time doing so in authentic western gear! The Franciscan Center on Lourdes College Campus was a beautiful venue, the band was awesome, and the food was delicious! Laura Emerson was a great announcer throughout the night, and Bruce Slusher and I participated in the celebrity dealer contest in the casino room. I was eventually persuaded to ride the mechanical bull (something I had never done before) and it was actually really fun…check it out!!

So apparently I am way more easily scared than I may have thought. From the time I was little I have been going to the same haunted houses: ones that rarely changed from year to year. Every year I would become less and less afraid because I knew exactly what to expect. Well, I had never been to Terrortown prior to last Friday, and I was very nervous about the haunts. And while I do love being scared by way of scary movies, books and haunted houses, I totally made Julia go first! It was so much fun, very scary, and I recommend going if you have not already this year! Check out this video to see and hear the frightfully good time that we had!

This weekend I took a trip up to Middle Bass Island and Put-in-Bay to experience the
lake!

The first day on Middle Bass was extremely dark and rainy, but that didn’t keep me from touring the island and attending an annual clambake and after party with some friends.

The next day the sun came out, along with everyone riding around on golf carts from place to place, which I loved. Around noon my friend Renee and I took a boat over to Put-in-Bay for Oktoberfest, and I absolutely adored it there. It reminded me of the Jersey Shore towns that I grew up vacationing to with a little more of a storybook vibe.

Everyone was really sweet and I’m excited to visit again in the summer! Although I’ll have to bring some burned DVDs of FOX Toledo because it’s just not right for anyone to go more than a few hours without watching.

Watch the Faces of FOX Toledo experience the Oak Harbor Apple Festival Car Show! It was a beautiful October day for FOX Toledo trivia, really cool cars, and learning a little bit about a day in the life of a volunteer firefighter!

Ecstatic! Excited! Elated! There just are not enough positive words in the English dictionary to describe how happy I am to be the new Face of FOX Toledo!!!! I have my ultimate dream job for the next year in the wonderful city of Toledo…it is so amazingly surreal! Since I found out that I am the new face, I just keep thinking of the most cheesy movie lines in history: one in particular is the final scene of the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when Mr. Wonka says to Charlie Bucket, “Don’t forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted […] he lived happily ever after.” And then they fly up and away in the great glass elevator…so cheesy, I know, but I’m so happy that I feel like Charlie Bucket (glass elevator…Glass City…see there’s a sort of similarity).

I am also so lucky to have Julia Johnston as my predecessor! Not only is she an amazing Face, but her warm and welcoming personality has made such a positive impression on Toledo; when people hear “Face of FOX Toledo,” they immediately think of the pleasure they have had seeing and working with Julia and the station. Thank you Julia for setting the stage, and I promise to continue the positive vibe with my great enthusiasm for this job!

I can’t wait to sink my teeth into everything Toledo, and I am excited to apply my background in broadcast and love for television to the position! I love everything about this job, I am so thankful to have this wonderful opportunity, and I will do anything to be the best Face of FOX Toledo that I can possibly be!