Local church receives a face lift

I think I can let the genie out of the bottle and post a few photos of the uber secret renovation work done on a local church. I doubt many of the parishioners or even local residents regularly read here. If I'm wrong, make sure to drop me a note. :)

I just finished the article for the morning's paper and was going through the photos to pick the one that will go with it. I realized just how gorgeous it was and had to share with others. The rest of the town won't be able to see it until April 14 at their re-dedication ceremony, so consider yourselves special insiders!

The ceremony is open to the public and begins with a Mass at 7 p.m. A meet and great is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. in their social hall. If you're going, please let me know. Would love to add your photo here and maybe in the paper (If you'll pose with the Bishop).

The church is St. Leo Magnus Roman Catholic Church and the $1 million renovation was thanks to the generosity of Rose and Denny Heindl. They are very community-minded and regularly donate to the school, community and their church. They are also just nice people. I talked to Rose this morning when she called about my health. Not something that is necessary, but she's just such a sweetheart.

So, enough of that and onto the photos:

Girl reporter just wants to sleep

OK, so I can't sleep again. I was up all night and was back downstairs to watch the DVR shows until Randy gets home from work. When that happens, it's never good. It's about 7:45 a.m. when he calls, "GET DRESSED! THE CHINESE PLACE IS ON FIRE!" What? I'm still pretty foggy and not sure I'm hearing him right, but the tone gets me moving. I grab the first thing I see as I'm running to our room. My right shoulder needs surgery, so it kills me to even life it slowly. The fast way it's torture, but I throw on my Team Damon shirt, black jeans and a pair of ripped black slip on shoes and my Alice in Wonderland hoodie. Yes, I'm a true fashion plate!

I'm running down the steps yelling to let the kids know I'm going to work and what's going on. Daughter comes flying down the steps looking for shoes. She thinks I need a ride. Good thing Randy was driving because there is no way on the face of this earth she's going outside in her jammies. She's not a little girl anymore.


The fire is out when we get there, but the damage is undeniable. The blackened building, water everwhere. The smell is unmistakeable. Burned wood and worse. I find the fire chief and he walks over. I think it's almost a relief for him to have someone to talk to. His eyes showed the weariness and something worse. He begins to talk, slowly at first, then the words just tumbled out at the end. There was a fatality, one more flown to Pittsburgh in critical condition and possibly two still unaccounted for. The one who died, jumped from the third story window as the fire became too much for him. His brother is a fireman in the department and he couldn't save his brother. He'll never be the same again.

We're well beyond the police tape, but I might as well be invisible. The firemen and police just look past me. I'm at the fire truck talking to my cousin who is in the department. Randy goes closer to the burned out shells that were once a Chinese restaurant, a financial management office and many apartments. One State police officer challenged him, but quickly let him do his work. One look at the camera and a word from the firemen and he's part of the brotherhood. If you look & act like you belong, you'll be left alone. We've learned that over the last 17 years I've had this profession.

I'm home now, frozen solid. I'm grateful the loss isn't closer to me. While the one lost is part of our community, he isn't family. I'm ashamed to even have that thought, but there's no way I could write the story if he would have been any closer. I've turned down assignments when it hits to close to home.

Next time you read the top of the fold news, it's not only the subject that suffers, it's the reporter, too. Contrary to popular opinion, we are human and do have a heart.

New Update with work photos

Just have a second before I run out the door. Have to go photograph a log cabin that burned early this morning. It's about 50 miles round trip.

My MIL is doing well. She's healing and getting around. Thanks to everyone who left words of encouragement as well as all the prayers. I do appreciate all of you!

I'll post photos from Christmas when we get home later tonight.

Here are a few of the photos from the fire scene. Pretty sad to see a family lose everything right after Christmas. :( It took about an hour to find the place, after driving through back roads. One was even named "Bob's Road", yes, I said that. Thank the electronic deities who created GPS or I'd still be roaming the woods trying to find the place and my way home again.

My experiences with foreign nationals and interviews

I was scheduled to interview a Saudi Arabian business representative today. It had been scheduled for over a week now. No problem, I have LOTS to ask about their country, etc...

I get there a littler early and had a muffin while the rep got set up. When I get back to her table, she asks when the story will run, I said tomorrow or Saturday, whenever there's room for the feature. Then she drops this tidbit, "It has to be approved by the commission (insert government there)." HUH??? You wait til NOW to tell me that? Well, not gonna happen in this life or the next. This is America and we DON'T play that game. Only my editor sees articles before they're printed.

The hostess of the export program came running and checked with others and it's true, those are the rules. Would have been nice to know that oh YESTERDAY!!! I felt bad for her, she was so embarrased. It wasn't her fault at all. Nobody could have anticipated that. I've never been faced with that situation before. I obviously said, it's not going to happen. Got me thinking of what it's like to be a "reporter" in that country. I can't imagine having to have the goverment approve every word I write. It's truly an eye opener for those of us in the business. Have any of you been faced with that situation?

The hostess was wonderful and immediately took me over to speak with a business rep from Chile. He was fun to talk to and gave me all sorts of information about the country, how the program works, etc... I'd happily interview him any day of the week and will continue to cover the annual event. I always enjoy meeting the various reps and learning more about their country and culture.

Just wanted to share my experiences and get some feedback on how you would have handled it. Would you have given in and done the interview with those rules? Would you have walked away, too?

Valentines Weekend

We had a good Valentines weekend. I didn't take my meds, so I was able to enjoy the weekend. Isn't that something? The stuff they give me to function makes me so miserable I can't stand up most days, but it's for my own good? How does that work?

Anyway, we went to see Friday the 13th and Taken on Saturday and met the kids for dinner at Hoss's. Yes, my kids were on a double date! How did that happen? Stop laughing Kim! They all went to see Friday the 13th when we were at Taken.

Yesterday, we went to State College for a minor league baseball winter welcome back festival and met some of the players and coaches. Arielle's boyfriend went with us. Got lots of autographs in my scrapbook and on posters and schedules. Took a ton of photos. I interviewed the new head coach of the State College Spikes. Gotta love a press ID. I'm a freelance writer/photographer for those who don't know and people who work with media always mark me as a reporter. Guess it's the huge camera around my neck and the way I look? I don't know. :) Anyway, the All Star game is being held in State College in August and the general manager has me on the list for press credentials for that! Woo Hoo!!!

We stopped at Hot Topic, of course. I had seen a Twilight bag last weekend when I was there and was so good and didn't buy it. Mentioned it to Randy and it was my Valentines' present. (I'm a purse addict for those who don't know) I just love it! Got another fairy shirt, too. We went to my favorite restaurant for dinner Outback Steakhouse and I ate way too much. I always share a meal with Randy. We had prime rib this time. Oh, it was soo good! We went to a few stores and stopped by to see my new little cousin Layken on our way home. What a great end to the weekend! She is such a little sweetie! Can't wait to start spoiling her. That's my job in the family. All the cousins' kids call me when their parents won't let them get something. They know I'll find it and they'll end up with it for a birthday or Christmas. That's the only positive about being so ill, nobody has the heart to yell at me for spoiling them. Of course, I use that.

Back to real life

All good things have to end and our vacation time is over. I have to get back to work today. My editor has sent numerous emails and phone messages wondering if I'm still alive and going to get my assignments done. SIGH!

I've already started returning calls and setting up interviews for next week.



Tonight I have to cover the annual Republican summer meeting. It's a picnic gathering, so it should be pretty informal. Just the usual speeches from the candidates hoping to get re-elected. I can handle that. I know all of them and they are petty decent people.

Tomorrow will be the bad day. I have to spend the entire day in court. It's a preliminary for a murder trial. The murder/rape happened eight years ago and they finally caught the one who did it or at least that's what the DA says. He and I generally butt heads on everything, so I'll wait til I hear the evidence before I make up my mind. The case all hinges on a former druggie girlfriend who claims that guy confessed to her that he did it. He was 20-something at the time and the victim was in her late 50's. Sad and sick. :( I feel horrible for her family that has to relive all that.

Demo Derby Time

Our County's annual fair is this week and tonight was the first of three demolition derby events. For those of you who have never heard of this, cars or trucks are stripped down to the bare essentials to run, then they are put in an arena and smash the tar out of each other until only one vehicle is left running. It's like bumper cars with attitude.

Randy and I had pit passes (thanks, Roy, you're the best!), but I stayed up in the stands with our son T. He had never been to one before and wanted to see it. Didn't want to risk him being so close to the action.

Each round took about 10-15 minutes, then they had to bring in tractors to tow out the losers.

Just as the final round was about to begin, the sky opened up and just poured. I went running for cover and forced T to go with. He was not pleased. Being a 12-year old boy, the thought of sitting in the rain, watching cars beat each other to a pulp is his idea of a great time. Randy was under the stage, so he was dry. Muddy, from the cars and trucks tires spinning in the mud, but dry.

When the rain eased up a pinch, the kids and I went running for the truck and waited for Randy to get there. After downloading over 400 photos, I sent the best to the paper and now want to pass a few on to you.

Big D and the Kids Table Concert

I got out of that meeting last night just in time to see the final two bands at the Elk Rack Entertainment concert. Skunk 11 from Pittsburgh and the main event. I did miss the first two bands, so hopefully I'll be able to catch them another time.

They weren't exactly my type of music, but they had a lot of energy and the kids there sure enjoyed it. (OK, anyone under 25 or so is a kid to me) There were a few songs I liked.

Randy and our daughter were there for the entire thing. This was her first concert, so I got her a tee shirt of Big D. She's wearing it to band practice this morning. Our son went to see Survivor in concert when he was about a year old. He doesn't remember a thing about it, of course. He went to a CD release party last year, but didn't enjoy it very much. He has had ear problems his entire life, including almost a dozen surgeries to rebuild eardrums and hearing bones. The loud music hurt him, even with earplugs in.

Between Randy and myself, we took a couple hundred photos during the concert. I'll add a couple of my favorites. I need to go through all of them and print out the best for my portfolio and scrapbook.

Today is a much calmer schedule, just catching up on writing a few articles and getting the photos up to the paper. Still have the headache. The high humidity always sets them off.

Just another Manic Monday

If you grew up in the 80's you'll know the song and artist that line came from. Today sure fits it.

Woke up late with another wonderful headache. Couldn't just stay in bed and make it go away because my daughter had to be at band practice at 9 a.m. and didn't have anything for lunch, so it was stop at the store and race to the school.

Then it was call the neurologist to get the prescription refilled. (Not that the stuff works). Then time to make sure our credentials were set for the Big D and the Kids' Table concert tonight. Then another interview, write a couple articles and fix lunch for my little man.

He's pretty upset because his XBox 360 died this morning. It couldn't happen at a worse moment. This week is packed with stuff for work.

I have an interview to do at 5, then concert starts at 7:30 tonight, but I have a meeting to cover at 7 that I can't miss. Hopefully I'll get out of there before the main group starts at 9 p.m. Randy is going to go and photograph the opening bands and do a few interviews with the other bands til I can get there.

Then I'll have to fly home (Luckily, I drive VERY fast) and get everything written and downloaded and sent up to the paper. I won't make deadline for the morning paper, but they'll have it for Wednesday morning's edition.

I do love my job, but sometimes, I think it would be nice to have a quiet week or at least spread things out a bit.

If you want to know about Big D and the Kids' Table, you can check out their homepage at: http://www.bigdandthekidstable.com/pages/

Election Day

Here it is going on 11 p.m. and I'm sitting here waiting for the final election results to come in, so I can finish up my article and get some sleep. One race is too close to call, with the second and third hopeful only 8 votes apart. Only two will make it to the November election, so that race just shows how important every vote is.

I do vote in every election and have for as long as I can remember. My 12-year old son has gone with me since before he was born. He knows it's important to vote. Of course, the fact that we always go for donuts afterwards might have something to do with it. We do talk about issues and he knows what his party will be when he turns 18 and can vote himself. He has learned a bit by reading some of my articles and going to the websites I visit regularly. That might not be a good thing, but at least he has chosen a side and it's not the dark side! I'm sure most people know my thoughts if you've read this blog even casually or have ever talked to me. :)

Only one precinct left to come in. I can't even begin to imagine what those two people are going through right now. I know I wouldn't have any fingernails left.

VA Tech slaughter

I just had to do the hardest interview ever. One of the students who was slaughtered down there is from our area. Jeremy Herbstritt was a 27-year old graduate student who was a really good kid and could have done a lot had he been given the chance.

I had to call his grandparents and have them relive that horror of finding out their pride and joy had been murdered. :( The grandpa started crying, so I started crying. I felt like a fool, but I couldn't help myself.

This is the part I really hate about my job.