My little intern

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Mr. JB himself came and visited me at work last week. I was the lucky one who got to watch the little guy while his parents went on a Capitol dome tour. He was quite the hit as we roamed up and down the halls of the Senate office buildings. It's not every day you see a baby on Capitol Hill. I think he needs to come visit more often. I also think he thoroughly enjoyed his time on Capitol Hill. Something about us hanging out always seems to wear him out...

(Yes, this is my desk. No, mom, it is not normally that messy, and yes I watch FOX News all day long).

James had his first encounter with a United States Senator while we were roaming the halls, you can click here to see who. (P.S. Friendly man, but not my favorite senator) During JB's visit we dropped by my bosses office, so he could mingle with a senator who is a little more conservative.The senator just happened to be in Utah on that particular day, so we just made ourselves at home in his office. (The senator is nice and accomodating like that) It may be too soon to tell, but I think James may have found his calling in life...

Isn't he just the cutest?

This Takes the Cake

HOBOKEN, NJ-- Everyone has their "things."  Mine is cake. (And donuts. And all things  pastries.) This past weekend a few friends and I took a "mini" road trip north to Hoboken, New Jersey... home of Frank Sinatra and Carlos Bakery. You might know the place from the popular reality TV show, Cake Boss. And oh wow... it did not disappoint AT ALL...  Check out all this good stuff... I was in pastry heaven!

For those of you who don't watch the show... the bakery is run by an Italian-American family. The star of the show is the son, Buddy, but the rest of the family is quick to point out that, "he's not the only one who works here!"  The crew might be famous now, but they still know how to work hard. We spotted a few of the stars working behind the counter. 

Here I am with "mama." She was as friendly and spunky as could be. 

This place is known for their creative, fancy cake decorating. These cakes on display were pretty standard...

...but we did see a few deluxe ones come out as they were being put into boxes for delivery. 

This picture below was the only time of the day we saw where there wasn't a line pouring out the door. Most of the day the line ran out the door and down the sidewalk. I'd have to say it is worth the wait.

We also happened to be in town the same day as the annual Hoboken St. Patrick's Day parade. Here's a picture of New Jersey's U.S. senators marching down the parade route.

  (don't worry, I let them know how I feel about their health care bill). 

The day was well spent. Definitely a real treat! (pun intended)

"Snowmageddon" Hits the Nation's Capital

WASHINGTON, D.C.- By now, I'm sure you've all heard about the BLIZZARD currently moving through the East Coast. The snow was more than knee-deep as I was shoveling this morning and it is predicted to keep falling until late tonight. Even though I grew up in a snowy climate, I have never seen anything quite like this.

I remember once when I was in sixth grade it snowed a few feet of snow and school was cancelled. That was the first and only time that ever happened growing up. So, it's not like I haven't ever seen this much snow before... it's more the response to all the snow and the region's reaction to it that is most amusing. Take this scene for instance:

In preparation for the big snowstorm, (which the news just called a "monstrosity") my roommate and I headed to the grocery store, only to find half of the community, many bare shelves and long lines running all the way down the aisles. We waited in line for more than an hour to buy our food.... It was amusing to say the least. Airports also had already begun to cancel flights, all before even a snowflake fell. And then there's scenes like this:

Amy and I were both ordered to work from home on Friday, even though the snow hadn't even started falling yet. So, we decided to make the most of our "teleworking" and hit up the gym. Afterward we decided to go look at some of the shops nearby. But... that idea was quickly shut down (pun intended). The snow was just barely beginning to fall and the "closed" signs were already up, lights off, shops desolate... not an employee in sight. Laughter ensued. And more amusement followed, when we woke up to this today... and spent hours digging ourselves out.

Yes, no matter where you grew up, more than two feet of snow was a lot to fall in 24 hours. It helps to think that next weekend, for my birthday, I will be enjoying sunny Florida beaches here:

...that is, if the airport doesn't close down again. More snow is scheduled again for next weekend. So, unless I can dig my car out of this mess sometime soon, it looks like I'm stuck for awhile.

Yes, that is my car. Where, you ask? Look closer, it's there.

Winter Wonderland on the Way to Work

WASHINGTON, DC- It snowed. Again. As much as I hate the white stuff it sure looked pretty on my commute to work this morning.

If you look closely you can see the Washington Monument and top of the Jefferson Memorial drapped in white.

And now I'm ready for it to melt.

The Adventures of Babysitting

WASHINGTON, D.C. - My cute, little nephew James experienced his first adventures in babysitting this weekend. It was also his first time to D.C.  I think it's safe to say he had a good time with Amy and I. 

He got in a few naps:

Had some visitors:

Enjoyed some good meals.

And it was all smiles while we video chat with his uncle and aunt in Sweden.

Word on the street says he was a little fussy today. I think he just misses his aunts. 

Thoughts on Haiti

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Everyone who knows me knows how much of a news junkie I am. So, you can only imagine that I've been completely glued to the TV watching the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake. After watching it for two days straight, I still stayed up until 12:30 last night watching clips on the internet. I just can't get enough of those heart-wrenching stories and pictures.

It is horrific to watch the poor people of Haiti dig themselves out of such a mess, only to uncover their family members and friends who have died from the collapsing buildings, or who have been injured and unable to be cared for because their hospitals no longer exist.

It's times like these that I really miss being a reporter. I watch the reporters covering the amazing and devastating stories of the aftermath, and I crave to be the one finding and telling those incredible stories. I imagine with how many people who have been affected, it wouldn't take but a second to find some pretty miraculous stories to tell.

Reporters are more or less trained to leave their emotions at home, develop thick skin, and not to get emotionally involved in stories, otherwise their jobs would leave them complete emotional wrecks in a matter of minutes, all the time, especially in this day and age. To some reporters it is easy to act like stone when the only stories they cover are devastation after devastation. The stories that are the most tragic are the ones that lead the newscast and make the headlines... the bigger the tragedy, the bigger the headline and the better the ratings. Sadly, a common motto in newsrooms is "If it bleeds, it leads." And soon those nightmarish scenes become just another story and another headline. As a crime reporter my first few years on the job, I never liked covering those types of stories. Most of the bad things that happened seemed so petty. I always craved to tell happy, human interest stories instead. But sadly, those kinds of stories were rarely approved by my producers. They just don't pull in the ratings like misfortune does.

But I guess at the end of the day people are just people. And sometimes, leaving your emotions at home is pretty hard to do, even when you've encountered so many human tragedies. I've seen that happen numerous times as I've watched the coverage of the earthquake aftermath in Haiti. In fact, I was watching FOX News yesterday, as I do everyday at work, and saw this clip. I couldn't stop thinking about it. As much as I wish I could be down there covering stories and helping the people of Haiti, I can't help but think I would have the same reaction, if not more so, as this reporter, Steve Harrigan. Sometimes human emotion gets the best of us, even when we're doing our job. I teared up as I watched his report, his reaction, his emotions no longer concealed, and massive crowds of Haitians mesmerized by a bulldozer digging through piles of rubble containing their loved ones.

Goodbye 2009

SANDY, UT- It was fun while it lasted.... but as the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end." Here's a look back...