9-21-12
Just call me the crazy dog lady! When
people talk about their kids, I'm the one who pulls out my phone to show
pictures of my "child", aka Riley. Mr. Skry and I got him when he was
6-8 weeks old. Look at him as a puppy....how can you not just squeal
with an "awe" or "oooohhh"?
He's been a huge part of our lives, been around
for 6 1/2 years of the 9 years the Mr. and I have been together. Riley
has been across the country and back. He made the move from Michigan to
Idaho, then back to the Midwest. Do you think we confused him much?!
Sure, I have my days with him. You can't leave ANYTHING on the counter
or he will consume it. If we leave our pantry door open, he will clear
the shelves....sometimes eating the food, other times playing hide and
seek by leaving bags of bread/pretzels/etc in various rooms. I have
really considered buying a home security camera so I can see what he
does when we're not home (My guess is sleep, mixed with a lot of
pacing).
Check out the two pictures:
Yes, we now have a stainless steel trash can that
he can't get in. And the second picture, that was an Easter basket sent
by my in-laws. He really enjoyed the chocolate and peeps...and
surprisingly did not get sick, even after consuming the chocolate AND
the wrappers!
Ok, so let's get to the point of today's blog
post. I am so lucky that I can share my crazy love for animals with so
many people. Our newsroom is extremely "pet friendly". We often spend
our days talking about the funny things our dogs and cats do. Every so
often, a coworkers dog will be roaming the halls of WAND and everyone
stops to play. It's not just in the newsroom, the entire community seems
to care so much about animals. We team up with the Macon Co Animal
Control And Care Center weekly to help get the word out on adoption.
Each week I get home from work and the first thing
my husband says is, "did you bring home another dog?". That's usually
followed by Riley sniffing my clothes and giving me a look that says,
"Mom, I know you cheated on me.". I sure hope you can tell how much
these volunteers care about the animals. Shirley Stanley and others
spend countless hours volunteering at the shelter and help find homes
for each and every stray animal. They're passion and love for the
animals is contagious! So, a big thank you to those in Central Illinois
who allow me to be that "crazy dog lady". I love hearing your pet
stories, keep them coming!
9-10-12
I don't know about you, but this past weekend had
me longing for autumn. The air was crisp and the temperature was just
perfect. For the first time in months (thanks to a summer of unbearable
heat), I pulled out jeans and a cozy sweater. Normally, I spend every
Sunday in the fall/winter making a pot of soup. But, with the
temperature back to the 80's this week, I figured I would settle for
homemade apple bread.
Yes, the aroma of apples and cinnamon consumed my
kitchen last night. I discovered the recipe years ago and it's a huge
hit in my house and the newsroom. Mr. Skry ate several slices in one
sitting and my coworkers gobbled up the rest in a matter of minutes!
Just email me or send me a message on Facebook if you want the
recipe...easy to make and delicious!
So what
is it that I love about fall? Growing up in San Diego, the palm trees
don't lose their leaves and the temperature doesn't vary too much (I
always laugh at the ladies sporting scarves when it's sunny and 72 on
the beach!). Mr. Skry and I spent several years living in Northern
Michigan and I can easily say that's when I really fell in love with
fall.
This picture is from our engagement shoot years
ago. I think it sums up the scenery pretty well. People flock to that
region in the fall for "color tours". It's a perfect weekend
outing--driving along the lakeshore, admiring the changing trees and
sipping on warm cider from a local farm (pumpkin donuts are also a
must-try!). While I loved growing up in such a great California city, I
have to say that I prefer the four seasons over palm trees and the
ocean. There is something about a lazy afternoon, getting cozy by the
fireplace and sipping hot cocoa, all while the dog plays in a pile of
leaves outside.
So wherever you
live...whether it's the warm beach or the cool Midwest...take a few
minutes on your weekend to appreciate your surroundings. I tend to find
beauty wherever I live and I'm sure you can too!
8-27-12
While most people love the summer, I spend the dog days counting
down to September. This week is like Christmas for me....Football season
has finally arrived!!! For the next 4-5 months, I will be completely
engrossed in college football. My weekends are spent mapping out which
games my husband and I will watch, pretty much planning things around
the pigskin. Last year, I even left my husband at home, so I could
travel to Dallas with my dad to watch my beloved Oregon Ducks lose to
LSU (Yes, I'm still bitter!).
I'm sure some of you think I'm crazy. Who would
spend hours of their weekend in front of the tv? While some of you live
and breathe MLB or NHL, it's all about football for me. I always tell
people that it's the reason my husband married me! I definitely have my
"girly" ways, but come autumn, just call me "one of the guys". So how
did I grow to love the sport? I have to give credit to my dad. He grew
up in Chicago, making him a huge bears fan. I remember when I was a
child, sitting with my dad watching Da Bears, eating my mom's delicious
bean dip.
But, it wasn't until college that I
found my true calling. I went to the University of Oregon during the
Joey Harrington days (Yes, you may remember the "Joey Heisman"
campaign). There is something about the crisp fall air in Eugene,
thousands of fans cheering in their green and yellow at a jam
packed/rowdy Autzen stadium...oh, and that lovable duck mascot Puddles.
There is something about college football that I like better than the
NFL. Don't get me wrong, I spend every Sunday watching the NFL,
screaming at the tv and staring at my fantasy football lineup. But for
some reason, I'm more of a college fan. Football is everything at the U
of O, partially thanks to Phil Knight (We like to call the Nike CEO
"Uncle Phil"). Those flashy uniforms, the unbelievable speed, the jaw
dropping facilities.
Fast forward more
than a decade and I'm still that loyal fan. My love for football has
turned into a wonderful bonding experience with my dad. As I've
mentioned before, I'm extremely close with my family. I talk to my mom
and dad several times a day. And with my father, you can bet that at
least one phone call a day will be to discuss sports. A year ago this
week, we traveled to Dallas to watch the Ducks. This year I'll be
heading to LA with my dad to watch them play USC. It's great having such
a close relationship with my father and I'm so lucky he gets as excited
as I do over football. If we're not on the phone talking football, we
are going back and forth, emailing articles about any and everything
football.
So here's to another wonderful season of football.
As life unfolds and we face our up's and downs, at least we can escape
every weekend as we cheer on our favorite teams. Go Ducks!!!
PS--Yes, that's a Husker game I'm at with my dad. We don't
discriminate...I married into a Husker family!
8-16-12
Being from California, I've always heard about the kindness of
Midwesterners. This week truly showed me how great people in Illinois
really are. I'm in the middle of broadcasting live from the Illinois
State Fair this week (thank goodness our boss canned the live shots
today...it's rumbling and pouring outside!).
I have met
hundreds of wonderful people there, all with such unique stories. First
off the viewers: Boy, we are so lucky to have such kind viewers! No
comments of "lay off the fried food". No "We don't like you on TV"
mentions...only sweet people sharing how much they enjoy our station. I
can't tell you how nice it is to hear those comments. As I've
mentioned before, I have grown a hard shell to criticism in this
profession. So, It's really refreshing when we get the positive
comments. So often it's only complaints we receive.
I have done countless interviews this week. I met farmers who
have been serving up local produce for decades. I met the sculptor of
the famous "Butter Cow". I met a beekeeper sharing his story of
generations of people enjoying his honey ice cream. I saw little
piglets born, milked a cow, even learned the tricks to becoming an
auctioneer. Each person told a different story, but not one was more
important than the other. They each are a piece of the Illinois State
Fair and I'm so lucky I was able to take part.
It
takes a week like I've had to remember how great my job is. We get
into our groove and have our ups and downs. But, when we get to step
away from the anchor desk and out into the community, it gives us
newsies a different look at our job. How many people can say they get
paid to eat fried food? Ride down a massive slide live on TV? Milk a
cow? I'm having the time of my life this week and I am so thankful to
work with such wonderful people who make it possible. My coanchors Dawn
and Sean are amazing. Along with our producer Denise, I don't think we
have ever laughed so hard at work!
So it's back to the fair tomorrow for one last
hurrah. Look for a smorgasbord of fried food for our fair finally...and
of course, get ready for more laughter. You never know what's going to
happen on live TV! I posted a few pictures from our week below.
7-25-12
While most of you are just
getting to work for the morning, I'm almost done with my day. I'm
filling in on the morning show this week, which means my alarm is going
off around 2am! I figured this is the perfect opportunity to give you a
glimpse of life on the dark side (or shall we say morning side) from an
outsider looking in.
That's a snapshot of my phone this morning.
Picture me yawning as you are sound asleep, dreaming of cooler weather
and rain (right?!?). In the course of my 20 minutes it took me to get
ready for work, it was crystal clear that I'm not used to this shift.
First off, I walked from my bed to the shower in a daze and slammed head
first into the wall. Oops! Maybe should have opened my eyes to see
where I was going (Hope there isn't a bruise tomorrow!). I then showered
and brushed my teeth, only to realize I used my husband's toothbrush
instead of mine (Sorry Mr. Skry!). At that point, my dog woke up clearly
thinking it was morning and he was ready to play. After a few minutes
of staring outside into the dark night, he realized it's time to sleep
and hopped into my side of the bed acting like it was his place...not
mine.
It's now about 9 in the morning. I'm on
cup #4 of coffee, scrounging around for something for lunch (yes, it's
lunchtime on my clock!) and counting down the moment until I can commute
back to Springfield and start counting sheep for a nap. Three days
down, two to go.
Here's the strange
thing-- I used to be a morning anchor. I spent about 6 years on the
morning shift. I was the girl with the massive amount of velcro rollers,
driving through town with no shame. I absolutely loved the show and the
laid back attitude of morning television, but I also absolutely hated
the hours. I don't know many people who can easily program their bodies
to wake up in the middle of the night. I'm a morning person, meaning
that I normally wake up anywhere from 5am-7am...but that 2am alarm is
brutal.
So, I wanted to take this week's
blog post to show my admiration for our WAND morning crew. Mark,
Stephanie and Greg have great chemistry and truly look like they enjoy
themselves on the news. I picture Mark waking up every morning with
Disney birds and butterflies chirping as he sings some upbeat tune. How
is he always so happy?!? He has to have a down day sometime, right? As
for Greg, I remember the first week meeting him and thinking "this guy
is crabby". Ok, so maybe he has his crabby days, but I think I mistook
it for his witty personality. He's got that dry sense of humor that
comes across hilariously when mixed with Mark and Stephanie. And
Stephanie, she has to be one of the most down-to-earth people in our
newsroom. Always so kind and always looking like a million bucks at 5am
(how does she do it!?! Tips please...). And that's just the talent you
see on air. There is a whole crew behind the scenes producing, editing
and directing. They make what happens on the air look effortless. So,
thanks to the entire morning crew for welcoming me into your club, even
if only for a week. This "outsider" looking in sees an all star cast of
characters, working together to create magic on television.
E-mail Stacey: stacey.skrysak@wandtv.com
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