Oh, I forgot...

Another thing I'm looking forward to in September:

Newtwork Television News!!
So, tonight Katie made her first appearance on the CBS Evening News.  It was like a goodbye hoorah for Bob Schieffer. (he seems so gracious and sweet) Did you guys see it?  It was so WEIRD to see her on CBS.

Speaking of Katie, did you hear about the slimming scandal?  Apparently there are these posters of Katie promoting the new CBS Evening News, and she's been all airbrushed.  Note to the wise:  If you're going to whip out the airbrush, use it on someone who needs it.  Katie Couric looks great and she seems to only be getting better with age.  Seriously, put away the airbrush -- or use it on Nicole Richie to add lbs.

And the countdown for "A new day on Today" now stands at 12 days, 9 hours, 2 minutes and 32 seconds.  That's straight off Today's front page on msnbc.com.  I secretly wish I could stay home from work to see Meredith Vieira's full first day.  Oh, and word is "Today" may be going to 4 hours in the future!! (not within the next year or so)  Perhaps they will be looking for producers from Pittsburgh who dream of working at NBC by the time they're 30? 

September

Hello All.  Sorry I haven't blogged for your reading pleasure in a while.  It's not that I haven't had exciting adventures to share... it's just, well, who cares, right?  Excuses, excuses.

Tomorrow is September 1st.  Yay!  I am looking forward to September for the following reasons:

1. New season of Gilmore Girls

2. New season of Grey's Anatomy

3. Real football and fantasy football

4. Kenny Chesney's new CD

5. Season 6 of Gilmore Girls on DVD

6. Fall clothes (bring on the brown)

Is everyone ready?! 

Here are some of the highlights of my life that I meant to blog about but didn't.

Last weekend I saw my dear friend Ann for a post-birthday/back to school shopping extravaganza.  I won't disclose her real age... partly because I am a real friend and partly because we all know that everyone's on myspace and if you want to know their age, you already do. Sorry Ann.  Ann and I discovered a fabulous new store called "Janeville." Cute clothes!! But there's no Janeville in Pennsylvania, and I checked janeville.com... not worth the work to type it in.  Hello people, get a real website!  I visited a Pottery Barn outlet for the first time in my life (this could have been amazing, had I had the funding) Oh, and Brokaw is now the proud owner of a Coach collar. (please hold your comments... we all know this dog is rotten, ruined, spoiled and the light of my life)

Let's see... what else did you miss?  Well... are you sick of hearing about Brokaw? No? Good.  Well, I'll have you know he has become quite active in the community.  He graduated from puppy school with a 4.0.  (shout out to John -- the world's greatest dog trainer) He has started attending "small dog socials" alternating Mondays... he went to "pup night" at PNC Park the other night and he has a hawaiian shirt.  That's just about it.  I don't have much of a life to report but my dog is livin' large.

Check this out...

My creation
Originally uploaded by missdanalbrown.

You can make your own motivation poster. You know, like the ones in offices?! I stole this idea from Christin's blog... you can make one for yourself too.

Always check your blind spot...

Wednesday @ the YMCA

Tonight I went to the gym.  When I finally get there, I really like it.  Last night I worked out to a DVD in my living room.  It's just not the same.  I like to rock it on the elliptical machine with my ipod and my Newsweek.  Ahh. Love it.

Tonight I had to do it without my Newsweek.  What the heck?  It always comes on Tuesday and yesterday, no Newsweek... today I checked the mailbox on my way to the gym, sure it was there... and it wasn't.  So I caught up on my celebrity trash at the YMCA.  Old issues of In Touch Weekly and Star magazines, you know, all crinkled up from many different sweaty palms turning the page, relying on that page to get them through the next :30 seconds.  Here are my observations:

1. Matthew McConaughey is and forever will be the Sexiest Man Alive.  None of this Taylor Hicks business. MM has the throne until he a)gets old and fat (not likely) b)someone else hotter comes along (equally as not likely)

2. Someone needs to hook Nicole Richie up to a feeding tube. Stat. And give her a milkshake and a double stack.

3. Is the girl that was in Phantom of the Opera more famous than I realized?  She was on like every page and I didn't know she was all that.  She is beautiful.

4.  Jennifer Aniston is sooooo much prettier/cuter/better than Angelina Jolie.

5.  I think I am falling more and more in love with Jake Gyllenhaal.  We both have a puggle.

One more thing.  I saw a woman workout for an hour, with her purse on her shoulder.  Wow.  You know, they do have lockers.

Let me introduce you to one of my new, dear friends: Duper.  Starbucks doubleshot light. The light one on the right.  We have been together for about 2 weeks now and it is pure bliss.  70 calories. 4 grams of fat. Oh.... yessss.

We're still in that cute stage where everything is new, exciting.  Invigorating. It's fun to get up each morning and see each other.  We can spend hours together without saying a word, but enjoying every moment.

Some other things I just have to share:

Are you kidding me?  On a couple of different levels. 1. Are you kidding me that I can't even take lotion onto a plane and this guy is chillin' like a king?

2. Are you kidding me that this is "Breaking News"?  I understand that 2 of the 3 major cable news networks may not even be around if it weren't for the JonBenet Ramsey story... but please.  Breaking News? That the guy had a glass of champagne and a fried king prawn?  No.  Interesting.  Infuriating... however this is NOT "Breaking News" in my opinion.

Oh... ladies like me, you'll appreciate this:  The New York times says we should throw the tweezers away... bushy eyebrows are in.  Seriously?  This has the potential to change my life!  I was born with caterpillars just above my pretty blues.  I somehow don't buy this line from the NYT, although it is a very respectable newsprint in which I wish I had an old school paper and ink subscription to... I just don't think the editors are right on this one.  Or the "skinny jeans" are cool again line either.  I will keep pumping out $10.00 every couple of weeks to mow down the pillars and keep pulling up my low rise boot cuts until they are officially back again.

One more thing before I go:  Dear friends, please pray for my mayor "Everybody's Mayor" as they call him here in Pittsburgh, Bob O'Connor.  A great guy, even for a Democrat.  He's in an all out fight against a rare form of Brain Cancer.  He has 4 tumors.  The city is pulling for him but we can feel him slipping away.

Concert Pics!

Hey Y'all!  Sorry for the delay... I have been so busy since I came back to the 'burgh.  Here are some pictures from the concert:  I had a blast!! We had a mini-family reunion right there on the lawn of the Virginia Beach Amphitheater!!  It was VERY Chesapeake.  I think Kenny would have had a blast if he was out there jammin' with us on the lawn.  He was AMAZING by the way -- hands down, the best concert I have ever been to. Yes, better than Harry Connick Jr., different of course, and yes, better.  I am admittedly now a little obsessed with Kenny.

Jimmy is in love.

Not only with Tracy.

Jorden with his girlfriend... gosh, he's so grown up!

Chris and Jo-Lyn, his girlfriend.  There was a lot of love there on the lawn.  She is beautiful and seems really sweet.

The best part was watching these two.  It brings such joy to my heart.

Yee-haw!  And Tracy was not as smashed as she looks here.  She's the victim of bad flash timing.

It was really overwhelming.  This sounds like something straight out of a country music video... but it's for real.  We were all in the same moment together for the first time in a long time and it was moving, poetic, it brought tears to all eight of our eyes.

"There goes my life..."

Okay, enough emo talk... get this: a black guy, in a Dale Earnhardt jersey, at a Kenny Chesney concert!!  I love Hampton Roads.

My name is Brokaw, people freak out over my extreme cuteness. Use caution when viewing my photo.

welcome back to the real world

  this is the true story. of one girl. who was off for four days in a row. and is now back to work. this is what happens when people stop being polite. and start being real.  the real world. pittsburgh.

or something like that.  it was just flowing out of me so I let it flow... hope you didn't mind.

So, yeah... I had 4 days off in a row and I didn't hit the road.  I just chilled here in the 'burgh.  I had some sweet time with the puppy.  I was ultra-productive.  I have a perfectly clean SUV and an empty garage to prove it.  I got caught up on just about every aspect of my life.  It's so refreshing.  Now, if I can just keep up... hmm.. we'll see how that goes.

Can we talk for a minute about bad drivers?  I feel like I used to be more patient, but now, not so much.  You know how little kids get shots.. then when they're about 12, they get boosters?  Well, I suggest a merging booster for people who are at or around 50. Seriously, is it metabolic?  Do people suddenly forget how to merge?  Is there some kind of hormone output that forces their right foot DOWN ONTO THE BRAKE?  whew, thanks, I needed to get that off my chest

I took Brokaw to a pug meetup.  He's only 1/2 pug but he crashed their party.  He was welcomed and made a few new friends!!

He seemed to gravitate towards the black pugs.  I guess he figured they were the minorities... and since he was the ONLY puggle there, he'd run with them.  They seemed to have a blast.  I will definitely attend another event. 

Oh.... guess who I am going to see Sunday?!?!?!

Yee-haw!! That's right, Kenny Chesney!! My sister hooked me up with some tix so my dad will be my date and I'm really looking forward to it.  Kenny, you bring the cowboy hat, the tank top, the jeans and those arms and I will bring myself, my smile, my digital camera and hopefully a fresh sunburn. 

I still don't understand how Renee' Z could have ever broken up with this man? Just look at him standing there on the ocean, by the beautiful mountain.  Man. He makes me want to be on vacation.  So, Sunday, I shall pretend.  Hours later, I will be back in my SUV, likely wondering why I have yet again decided to drive 500 miles for 2 days.  Oh well, it will be worth it, and I will get to see the people I love the most on this planet, so I'm pumped.

4 days off... 3 days of work... 3 days off again... I could get used to this!!

In other news... this week marked a year since a couple of things.  1.  Peter Jennings died.  I can't believe it's been a year!   And it's so crazy how much network news has changed since.  Come September, Katie hits the mix so it could get interesting.  Also one year ago, I broke up with my boyfriend, which was one of the most difficult things I have ever done.  Looking back though, it was definitely the right decision.  I think we are both happier people for it.  Random reflections, I know... but remember where you are.  :)

Until next time..

FFF

I hereby declare today and every following Friday from now until frostbite conditions ensue, as Flip Flop Friday.

Rough Start

I am like a newborn baby.  Get me off my sleep schedule, and you'll pay, for at least a week.  So I'm tired and grumpy and I have had 3 really bad hair days in a row.

Hi :)

This morning I had plans for a beautiful am brew at Panera with one of those blissful cinnamon crunch bagels topped with low fat hazelnut cheese.  Yeah right.  20 minutes of struggling with my problem mane.. and I ended up having to make a pit stop at Sheets.  Okay.  Decent coffee.

Then... I got behind this perfect girl.  She had the body of an Olympic athlete, the tan of a teenage lifeguard and perfectly straight hair.  Did you get that, perfect hair -- on a hot, humid, hazy day that is so HHH we're under an advisory.  It's difficult for some people to breathe in this air, and very difficult for others to have decent hair.  So there I am, in line with my Star bucks double shot in one hand and my XL construction worker-sized styrofoam Sheets cup of coffee in the other hand (yeah, I was THAT tired) and I'm behind a shorter version of Gabrielle Reese buying a giant bottle of Evian.  Ew. Get a real job!  No self-respecting working professional buys a bottle of Evian at 8:15 in the morning. 

Anyway, so that forced me to call my sister, who, right on cue, completely agreed with me that we should hate that girl.  So we do. Her and her Evian.