A few of my co-workers and I have decided we’re going to train to run a half marathon during the Glass City Marathon in 2010.

I’m pretty excited considering this is something I’d never thought I’d do.  The reason-not so much because of all of the hard work but because of my hair.

That may sound a little vain but due to my hair type I can’t wash my hair everyday so now I only workout on my days off but that will have to change.

My hair is chemically straightened naturally “curly” which means any moisture, especially sweat, is not good for my hair.  It will sometimes kink up and using a flat iron on sweaty/salty hair isn’t a good thing.

My hair is dry so washing it more than once a week will make it dryer and more brittle than it already is.

Now if I workout on a day (or the night before)  I have to work on-air my hair will not look its best or even worse will look a complete mess.

With all that said I’m trying to find the best option for my hair because training for this half-marathon will be quite intense at 5 to 6 days a week.

I’ve done so much research and yet I’m still not completely sure what I should do but I know I’m not going to let my hair stop me from successfully completing this challenge.

If you have any advice pass it along!

Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken’s sound bite is what set off this thread. He was talking about the reason why we’re not having a Children’s Wonderland display this year.

But after so many months of downturn and struggle, we sometimes don’t realize how much of our lives are affected by the economy, because it’s happened so gradually.

See if any of this sounds familiar in your life–
Sales projections are down.
All of your magazines now have headlines touting bargain gifts and budget friendly meal ideas.
Charity donation requests all say the need is up.
You’re driving your car longer and considering whether each repair is necessary.
Combining errands is the norm, forget joyrides.
You’ve gotten used to the potholes and no longer wonder when they’ll be fixed.

I’m sure you could add to this. Hang in there, and when in doubt, blame the economy.

The reason I’m blogging about this now, is because I just got done watching the story on “Good Morning America” which explores HER side of the story.  If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it, but not for any reason that would make the mistress, Brooke Hundley, look any better.

Shoot, she can’t look too much worse.  Ladies, even you have to feel me on this.  Steve Phillips is a good looking guy.  His wife is pretty hot, especially for her age.  Brooke?  Well, to quote Jay Leno in the clip used in the GMA piece… “What was he thinking?????”

If you google a picture of Brooke, you’ll see why that’s the general reaction.  Guys typically have a 1-10 scale when grading the hotness quotient of a woman.  Phillips’ wife is probably a 7.5 overall, a 9 for her age.  Brooke?  I’ve discussed this with friends.  Probably fair to say she’s a 2.5.

Personality-wise, she doesn’t seem to have the most redeeming qualities either.  She says in the GMA piece that she’s been called a homewrecker and that’s hurtful, but that’s kind of reality if you think about it.  She acted like a woman scorned – allegedly facebook-stalking Phillips’ son, and then driving to the Phillips residence with a letter detailing her sexual encounters with Mr. Phillips.

If that sounds like the personality of a real keeper, more power to ya.  It’s a free country.

Another thing in the  GMA piece – Brooke Hundley says she had established herself as a “media professional.”  As somebody in the biz with friends who are production assistants at ESPN, I know that those are jobs that anybody can get straight out of college that HOPEFULLY, but not often at all, lead to bigger things.  My point is that Ms. Hundley was trying to make herself out to be a little more than what she was.

I’ll also say Brooke Hundley is not alone in her faults.  Steve Phillips is equally to blame.  They had CONSENSUAL sexual relations.  She didn’t mind doing her thing with a married man.  He didn’t mind cheating on his beautiful wife.  This has led to unemployment for both and divorce proceedings, not to mention some HORRIBLE street cred in judgment for BOTH OF THEM.

So again…

WHAT WAS HE THINKING???????

Yes, I resort to still photography on my days off… here are some photos of Middleton Township, Troy Township and Pemberville-Freedom firefighters trying to knock down a house fire in Dowling.

Locovore: Defined as someone who eats locally produced foods.

In the green revolution, we used to hear mostly about organic foods, those grown without weed and bug killing chemicals. While organic can be a good thing, ask yourself this– Is it really good to buy organic foods that have to be shipped long distances around the globe? In addition to using fuel for transportation, that food isn’t so fresh anymore after all of that time and sitting around.

So that thinking has many people making more of an effort to eat what’s grown on local farms. The added benefit there being economic. You’re helping the local tax base and supporting your own neighbors as they try to make a living. At the same time you are rewarded with fresh, seasonal food that often tastes much different (better) than the average fare at local supermarkets.

Even the supermarkets are catching on to this trend. Lately I’ve been noticing more signs in Giant Eagle, Kroger and Monette’s pointing out that items are at least grown in Ohio or Michigan.

Sure, we’re busy. Sure, we don’t always have time to gather groceries at the farmers’ market AND the mega-mart, but if you’re out for a drive on the weekend and cruise past a farm stand, I urge you to take five or ten minutes. Stop. Look at what they have. Maybe grab a bag of apples and a vegetable you’ve never tried. You can find recipes for just about anything online. It’ll make you feel good. I promise.

And I tell you what, the best Toledo Chinese restaurant is only a couple of weeks away from making a comeback.Here’s the secret with Chinese restaurants in Toledo and Northwest Ohio.  They scale back their authentic cuisine because they know that authenticity doesn’t sell to a largely non-Chinese demographic.

Don’t get me wrong: I enjoy General Tso’s Chicken very much, but you can get that at your neighborhood Magic Wok.  In other words, it’s EVERYWHERE.

Authentic Chinese food is not everywhere around here.  Jing Chuan on Secor has some solid authentic cuisine, but as much as I love the ownership there, they do scale back the authentic selection even though they are quite capable of cooking authentic food.  New Empire has dim sum for lunch, which is tremendous, but those of us from big cities know that it’s not the authentic dim sum that’s pushed around in carts.  Rather, it’s pretty much thawed-out stuff and served to order, which is still delicious, considering you can’t get it anywhere else.  Other than that, Ipoh is respectable, but limited.  And the same with Flower Drum.

Wei Wei Noodles completely took it to the next level in authenticity.  They did it, so much so, that they had an entirely different menu of authentic Chinese food.  And this menu was extensive.  When my parents visited from Houston, the chefs at Wei Wei actually customized a vegetarian meal for my dad and my sister because they’re vegetarian.  They actually created authentic vegetarian food that my family has never had before and enjoyed very much.  To be able to do this is pretty amazing considering that it’s VERY convenient to eat Chinese vegetarian food in Houston.

Unfortunately, a few months later, and this was a few years ago, Wei Wei Noodles had a kitchen fire that had an estimated $50,000 in damages.

When it first happened, I was a little heartbroken.  After all, the owners and chefs there had always treated me with the utmost respect.  They treated me like family.  They welcomed me in during late hours and encouraged me to eat with them like a family.  I, in turn, was a frequent customer because they were the only restaurant to cook noodle dishes the way I like it.

I had given up on the restaurant ever coming back.  Turns out I was wrong.

Recently, I tweeted that I saw a “Coming Soon” sign on the Wei Wei building (http://www.twitter.com/ho_chen), and this definitely intrigued me.  Today, while driving by the restaurant on the way to Rogers High School to preview the playoff football team, I saw a few cars at the restaurant and decided to stop in.

Sure enough, Mike (the owner and executive chef) was there preparing his restaurant to be re-opened.  I can tell you that the lobsters are in the tank, ready to be used in dishes.  The kitchen has been re-modeled.  There are new stoves.  The dining room looks close to being completely ready, and the same goes for the bar area.

Mike told me that he’s been in the refrigeration business these last few years, and that’s been easier on him and his family.  Plus, it’s more profitable.  However, the restaurant business is like his baby.  He missed it.  So now he’s back, and the rest of Toledo should seriously be thankful.

In case you’ve never tried Wei Wei Noodles, it’s located on Reynolds close to Dorr, right next to the Japanese restaurant formerly known as Fujiyama (I think it’s now called Domo).

And no, I am NOT getting commission from this.  I just sincerely believe this is a restaurant that was only recognized by the few who appreciated authentic Chinese cuisine.  Others should totally try it.

And in case you’re wondering, yes you can still get your dose of General Tso’s Chicken there if you choose to.  It’s just on a separate menu.

It’s going to be interesting to watch Issue 3, Toledo’s race for mayor and Oregon’s too. Toledo City Council offers plenty of competitive drama, as do a long list of school levies, other taxes, school board races and contests for township trustee.

I was personally robo-called six times today and several more over the weekend. Elections are always stressful in a newsroom, so we’ll all be glad when the numbers and totaled and the results are history.

If you still have questions about who’s running for Toledo Municipal Judge or City Council or what Issue 2 (agriculture) or 4 (care of the elderly) are all about, you can watch FOX Toledo’s “You Decide 2009 Election Preview Special”, posted on our website among the top stories.

Maybe I’ll see you at the polls. Wear your ‘I Voted Today’ sticker with pride.

Back in June I cried when these metal things altered my appearance and made it so I didn’t speak the same and had to stop eating some of the things I enjoy.

Now its November and the doc says by Christmas these braces should be off!  Time sure flies!  And I tell you what…. I can’t wait!

Before:

Now:

Most, including me, are not.

That’s why you need a clothing buddy. A close friend, relative or spouse who’s allowed to tell you, “Those pants are not flattering.” or “You really should wear the coral, not the pastel green.”

You have to have enough trust in this person to know that they know what they’re talking about, and snipping at them with a defensive comment is not allowed. It’ll make them hesitant to tell you the truth next time. You don’t want that.

One of my clothing buddies is a fellow female reporter here at Fox Toledo. She’s always ready with an honest opinion. She’s stopped me from buying some things that probably would have been fashion mistakes. She’s told me when I look my best, so I can learn from those choices and try to repeat what’s good.

I have an event to go to Sunday, a fundraiser for the Anne Grady Center, a home in Lucas County for people who are developmentally disabled. It’s a fairly dressy event. I’m planning to wear a long black velvet dress, but had no solid idea what to do with shoes and jewelry. Just a few minutes ago I showed a picture of the dress to my clothing buddy. She had instant suggestions of items already in my wardrobe which would work.

Thank you clothing buddy. You’re so much better that those high-priced Hollywood stylists. And Buddy, keep wearing the jewel tones, they flatter your hair and skin.

son=like daniel son from the Karate Kid

WHOSA=kick butt!

So I was talking to my mother on the phone and she says “Tiffany I    think you need to look into a martial arts course and we’ll (my parents) pay for it.”

I said, “Mom, what happened in Cleveland now?”

Yes my mom loves the news and she watches/reads about different “events” and wants to make sure it doesn’t happen to me.  So she thinks I should take a few courses to learn how to protect myself.  Don’t get me wrong I WILL defend myself now, but learning a little more can’t hurt right?

So with all that said, if you have any suggestions on where I should go and who would be a good teacher let me know.

I’m ready to kick some butt and hey it could be a new kind of workout at the same time.

WHOOOOSA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!