We are in NYC for a quick trip and it's certainly exciting and bittersweet.
I've had a lot of fun catching up with my great friends and WISC cohorts Susan Siman and Colin Benedict. We are here to celebrate a highlight in our careers, accepting three national Edward R. Murrow awards. Receiving one is fairly remarkable but three is hard to put into words. We are taking home Murrows for overall excellence, newscast and feature reporting.
Even though it's great to be honored for our work, I feel conflicted. This year our best work comes from someone else's worst moments. The feature report I wrote and edited centered around Skylar Lee, a transgender teen who took his life. His mother Joanne is haunted for not being able to fully accept Skylar while he was alive. I called the story "Ashamed to Advocate" because it shows how Joanne has evolved. I believe her story changed a lot of minds and for that, I can accept this award with more peace.
Winning for newscast and overall excellence is also tremendous because it shows the dedication and teamwork coming out of the WISC newsroom. We showed a variety of hard and feature news along with some of our best interactive moments. I miss working in that newsroom every day. I suppose it's easier to say looking in the rear view mirror but I was very open about having a hard time leaving.
Being in New York has also allowed us to see people and places. Although Jim works remotely in Seattle as a developer, one of his companies is based in Manhattan. It was great for him to spend some face-to-face time with the people he only sees online.
I also had a drink or three with two of my college friends, Carrie and Monica. It's been years since we've had the chance to get together but we picked up right where we left off. I'm proud I can call these intelligent, funny and beautiful women friends and so grateful they made time for me out of their busy weekend!
There will be many more pics and videos on social but I'm having all the feels right now in Manhattan. I can't wait to get back to work in Seattle but for now, we've really tried to make the best of our time in New York. I hope we leave here feeling inspired to make a difference in our communities through storytelling and journalism.
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This week my husband Jim and I celebrated eight years of marriage. We had grand plans this year but unfortunately I came down with a severe cold on the actual day of our anniversary. So we spent the weekend laying low and watching television. Eight years seems like nothing when you compare it to our parents -- both of ours have been married to each other for 35+ years. Granted, back then it seemed like more Americans were getting married before they were age 20. But frankly, that's even more remarkable. For those of us who have signed the dotted line, we know that marriage is wonderful. But if someone tells you it's easy, they are either an anomaly or full of it. It takes commitment, patience, forgiveness and much more. One of my friends is engaged and recently asked me about the reality of marriage. I don't think they had cold feet but actual real life concerns about what is a good marriage -- how we endure the tough times, how we savor the good ones. Is it really worth it? I'm not an expert but I thought I might give eight reasons why I think our marriage has worked for these last 8 years. I'd love to know what has worked if you're currently married or in a committed relationship. 1. Determine divorce is not an option That's about it in a nutshell. Once you determine it's never going to be an option, it won't be. Hard times are seasons - you don't know when the season will end or how you'll come out of it, but once you establish you're not going to quit, you won't. When we say something stupid, we correct ourselves. It's always a work in progress. Faith is also a big part of that. 2. Say I'm sorry and try really hard to mean it Jim and I recently got into a dust up because I said I was sorry but followed it up with an explanation that I only apologized because I thought it made him feel better. As you can imagine, it didn't go over well. I was trying to rationalize that even though I wasn't really sorry, I wanted to apologize to him because it meant something to him. Still didn't go over well. Long story short - apologize often, mean it and move on. 3. Forgive often Forgive your partner; forgive yourself. We all say and do stupid things and we just need to dust off our shoulders and go forward. Jim and I call out each other when we forgive but bring it up later. I don't like the phase, "I'll forgive but I won't forget" because I don't really believe that is actual forgiveness. My belief is that I'm a better human for being vulnerable than being hardened -- life is more genuine that way. 4. Remember patience is more than a virtue Patience is a learned trait. If I say something like, "You're always _____", Jim will quip back with something like, "And yet you're always surprised." It's a slow burn but you know, he's right. If your partner struggles with being on time then it becomes your fault for not back-timing the day better. Jim has a lot of patience with me because I have tendencies to over-schedule or see things idealistically over reality. Patience is a two-way street. 5. Find your love language I don't read a lot about self help but I do occasionally dabble. A friend of mine actually got me thinking about love languages after I gave them a small gift -- they told me they were so grateful because I was speaking their love language! From there, I discovered my own love language is acts of service. It helps partners communicate better. Take the test for yourself. 6. Remind each other you're a real, stand-alone family I often think married couples compartmentalize their family. My family. His family. Our family. The question I sometimes ask is are we even a family since we don't have kids? Sometimes society says no. That can hurt because we are a Dual-Income-No-Kids family that wants kids. Jim reminds me that no matter what, we are a family. 7. Seek help through loved ones, churches or professionals Before Jim and I got married, we had to go through pre-marital counseling through our church from a couple who'd been married for at least 40 years. I thought it was going to be a headache but it was actually inspiring. I wish we were somehow mandated to do go again. We haven't had a consistent church since we got married but I would like to keep that door open. Also, hearing real-life marriage talk from our parents now that we're in our late 30s and early 40s is really interesting. Friends who are trustworthy and honest about what a daily marriage looks like also keeps us in a fit marriage. 8. Show gratitude I think this one goes without saying but for us, we really do try to take a moment to thank each other. I try to show Jim gratitude for doing laundry. Sometimes he goes big and thanks me for choosing to spend my life with him. It can be subtle or obvious but showing gratitude goes a long way and ultimately, it's just for you two. Hopefully Jim and I will lead long, healthy lives together. We are not experts in marriage but we are experts in our own marriage. We don't have all the answers but we have been getting better at finding answers that work for us. If anyone has any thoughts on their marriage, we'd love to hear (going back to #7!) And we want to thank so many of our loved ones for supporting us for the 13 years we've been together!
Apparently, getting your car broken into is Seattle's way of saying "welcome". When I posted a couple of pics of my beat up car, more people than I care to count said, "Oh yeah, that happened to me when I first moved to Seattle!" Here's what I learned: 1. Don't leave anything in your car. Ever. I wish the thieves took my workout bag but unfortunately they took all the goods in my backpack - my work earpiece, my iphone, my electronics, etc. Eveything had been covered but my backpack was visible. I should have just taken it with me. Next time I will. I will still leave my gym bag in the back just in case someone wants to steal it and I can't workout. 2. Don't bother calling the police at the scene We sat in the parking lot for an hour waiting for the police to even answer the non-emergency line. We gave up. They're busy; they don't care that you lost your backpack. Go home, call the number again. You can try to file a report online but even then you might discover your crime doesn't qualify (mine didn't) -- so stay pleasant and stay patient... and keep asking for guidance from an operator. Non-emergency: (206) 625-5011 Make a report online: http://www.seattle.gov/Police/report/default.htm 3. Take picures of everything. Please don't make me explain this to you. Just do it so that you don't have to remember anything because chances are you will forget. 4. If you're going to put duct tape on your car, go all out. Also, make sure you criss-cross it otherwise you might have to pull over on the side of the road to fix it. So, it was great that my husband put a trash bag on my window and cleaned out the inside but when we got going down the interstate, it came undone. I had no choice but to buy this lovely chevron duct tape for $1.99 at the gas station. My only wish is that I had more. Oh, you should also criss cross the tape on the inside of the car, too. Keeps the air from blowing up the bag like a balloon. 5. Stay positive
I mean, I feel like I shouldn't even put this in here but it can be so stinking stressful losing all of your personal belongings (my checkbook was in mine, which can be disastrous.) But I kept telling myself that the person who wanted my stuff must've been desperate. It must've sent some good vibes in the universe because hours later a security guard from Pier 57 found my backpack on a bench. He thought a homeless man took my bag because a particular man had been next to it earlier in the day. It didn't really matter either way. Oh another short tip - leave some sort of ID in your bag... I had my name and phone on a datebook plus I had business cards. I got my bag back despite some missing items - the person took my TV earpiece but left behind my checkbook. He took my Trident but not the bite size Snickers I snagged from the KING free-for-all snack table. He left behind my HD makeup and took my iphone. My makeup was the biggest relief believe it or not. Side note: backpacks wash quite well. I have never been so happy to see my backpack! Everything but the kitchen sink. Here are the ingredients and if you want to watch this Facebook livestream, you can. You'll get the jist after about 3 minutes but you can watch to the end if you want to see the payoff! Ingredients
3 cups cold/old rice 1/2 cup kimchi (if it's sour, it will also work) - diced 1/4 cup onions 1/4 cup pork or any protein 3T grapeseed oil (peanut or canola will work but I keep grapeseed in my pantry) 2 eggs 2 T sugar WATCH: https://www.facebook.com/mlitv/videos/1214008875276097/ Has it really been a month since I started at KING? I am really trying to make it and it's just crazy right now. We are slowly but surely coming up for air... but I bet we've got a couple of months to get it together. Jim is doing really well - he is still working for the same company remotely but he's figuring out his new space in our home. Minnie and Piper love the new house because they don't have to deal with stairs and they love exploring the backyard. Having a good fence also keeps them from getting distracted with bunnies and random walkers. Here's what I've been learning about moving this time around (not counting the details of a new newsroom:) 1. I have to get healthcare through the exchange. WHY? Because we have to join SAG/Aftra and you have to make $30,000 in the union before you qualify for family coverage. So, that means for now I have to either get Cobra at $1,500 a month or use the exchange. NOTE: Do not go to healthcare.com -- pretty sure I almost got scammed... Stupid. Me. I just googled healthcare in Washington and got dumb and dumber on the phone. WATCH my first day 2. Buying furniture sucks. We have been using the floor and sharing one chair. Enough said. I went to IKEA two days in a row because of an ordering snafu... so hopefully I'll have a new couch by Thursday. Also, you get lost a lot on the way to buying furniture but the awesome views help you forget some stress. My second drive to IKEA allowed me to see Mt. Rainier... which really just looks like a hologram in the sky. 3. I'm pretty sure I'm about to drive with expired tags. If you narc on me, I will find you. I'll get to the DMV... eventually. 4. My parents are planning a trip. My friends are planning trips. I am excited but also like... heyyyyyy we lived only a day's drive away in Wisconsin for three years and all...I guess Seattle is perceived to be cooler. One good thing about living in the PNW is reconnecting with friends who've also left the Midwest. 5. I need to go to bed at 5 p.m. Oh, did I mention it's 6:30 p.m.? 6. Hiking can be intimidating. Everyone says it's easy and then when you do it, you nearly die. Granted, some friends are a little advanced. Joanna is a pretty athletic person and I always have to remind her that I get winded getting out of the car. She never believes me until I get cross-eyed walking up a hill. So, I'm working on it. So it is baby steps. Baby. Steps. We will get there eventually but we are really moving and grooving out here. It still doesn't feel like this is the new place we've chosen to be our home but we'll get there. And hopefully you'll come out for a visit this time!
:) Michelle
If you can survive moving with your spouse, I'm pretty sure you can survive anything.
This is the third time we've moved in six years (how is that possible?) In 2010, we moved from Missouri to North Carolina. In 2013, we left North Carolina for Wisconsin. And now, we are getting settled in Washington.
First of all, the drive was amazing and brutal. (Given our self-imposed time challenges.)
We left a little late from Wisconsin because we were trying to get our Madison home ready for closing. We left Tuesday afternoon and wanted to get to Seattle by Thursday. We also added about two hours every day for stops with the dogs.
Jim and I had to caravan -- I was loaded down with our stuff; Jim drove with the dogs.
We stayed the night in Sioux Falls and Billings. It was such a gorgeous drive. Also, if you want hassle-free stays with the dogs, we ended up staying at LaQuinta both nights. No dog restrictions, no pet fees and free breakfast.
Some of my video even made the news in Billings, though it wasn't for anything good. (Turns out everyone was okay.)
We had a difficult time getting through the Snoqualmie Pass -- it was dark and started storming pretty bad. I had to put on my hazards and drive about 30 miles an hour. By the time we made it to our new rental home, we felt exhausted. In fact, we canceled our hotel and camped out on the floor with our only blankets -- the one we had used for dog beds all week. :/
But when we woke up Friday morning, we could see our new place and were totally in love.
Minnie's arthritic body was really sore but both she and Piper needed to catch up on sleep. They love the new house so much -- especially the big backyard! You can't see it all in the pic but there's a side yard from the cement patio on top of a second grassy area behind the wooden fence.
We will be unpacking for quite a while but we do love the area. We are staying about 15 miles north of Seattle and love our house and our landlords, Pete and Patti. They've been great about Minnie and Piper and we couldn't be happier about our living situation.
We can also walk to our grocery store, Starbucks, the pharmacy and the pet supply store. And our grocer carries Wisconsin cheese - so no worries there!
Anyway, it's a little late and there's still so much to share about the new job and the house but for now, we're here! And we're going to be ready for guests soon. :)
It's natural for people to forget about me but I will carry you with me wherever I go. My last day at WISC is June 17th and it is truly bittersweet. When we moved to Madison three years ago, we thought we would likely make this our home for several years, if not indefinitely. We are from the Midwest and this genuinely felt homey. We drank the Wisco kool-aid, cheering on the Packers and Badgers and eating cheese and cheese and cheese. And beer. And ice cream. And sausage. WATCH the Facebook announcement 13 pounds later, I found myself immersed in the Sconnie food scene, chatting about the latest restaurant openings, asking questions about sustainability and writing about it in Madison Magazine. I will really miss the food... the pounds not so much. We became true wannabe Wisconsinites. We embraced the cold. We fell madly in love with the summers. My mom even said I picked up a slight accent. They say Madison is a place where you can achieve your dreams and we certainly believe it. My husband went back to school full-time (thank you Madison College) and is now working as a developer for a news corporation. He had so many mentors here and I know he will miss the friendships he made working at UW or going to school at MATC. This community is full of smart, progressive and creative people. Thanks to you I became a more thoughtful journalist and believe I worked smarter as well. I am incredibly proud and humbled of the work we did. I'm indebted to Madison for helping me be more comfortable in my journalistic skin. Jim and I are leaving with heavy hearts. We have already wondered if we'll ever be able to capture this experience again. That part is scary. At the same time, we know that life is about moving forward. There are few places that we'd want to live outside of Madison but we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to move to one of them. At the end of June, we'll be moving to Seattle. I have accepted a job at KING-TV. KING has a reputation for leading the industry in storytelling and news excellence. I am humbled and honored (and sometimes baffled) they picked me to be a member of The Home Team. My new boss even expanded my role to include reporting, anchoring and working on company wide digital projects. It seems there are lots of opportunities to tell meaningful stories on several platforms. READ: Deleste, Lewis to take on new roles at News 3 If you remember, my sister Hyun Jeong and her husband Glenn moved to Wisconsin a year after we did. My sister has graciously volunteered to help us for a while in Seattle while Glenn continues his studies. It makes me giddy. I also can't wait to see my friend Joanna, who works for KIRO, the CBS affiliate. She is the one who started it all, asking me to come to Seattle for a visit and "even meet my news director." I won't be working with Joanna again but she has helped us make this move work. Thank you, Joanna. We're very sad to be farther away from our family in Missouri but we know they're happy for us and we can't wait to show them around Seattle. My parents are already planning a trip! Plus we do have some family in the Seattle area so it will be nice to catch up! Thank you for everything, Madison. You have not heard the last from me but I do hope you'll stay in touch on Facebook. We weren't here long but you certainly left a lasting impact on us. We'll be back! Bierocks rock! Bierocks are essentially cabbage buns. And they are delish! I fell in love with these thanks to my friend, fellow Jayhawk and former roommate Megahn. Megahn and I went to Kansas together and eventually she worked as a news producer with me in Missouri. There were about three things she loved: Rolling Rocks, cheesecake and bierocks. Bierocks consist of bread, cabbage, onions and beef. They are little pockets of goodness and I'm pretty sure they are historically German. I don't care because this Korean gal likes them a lot. I'm sure you can get real uppity about the dough but Meghan and I always used dough from a can. Sometimes we used pizza dough. And sometimes she would make the dough. BTW, I never measure for this recipe. I just take a pack of lean beef, an onion and a maybe half a cabbage... but I just eyeball it.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. I love this recipe with all my heart... when Megahn got married, she gave us all a small book comprised of her family's recipes. I kept it for years because I loved her bierocks that much. I have since lost the book but I will always remember the good ole days with Megahn and the bierocks she'd make for me! I don't ask very many people to make me something but Megahn's bierocks were an exception!
Thank you so much for racing or walking with us over the weekend. It's hard to describe how emotional the day is unless you've experienced it for yourself.
This is the second year we've broadcast the race in a 90-minute special. Last year it was a complete monsoon (but great memories)... this year the rain held off for most of the morning.
WATCH Race For The Cure 2016
If you ever go, watch for those wearing pink shirts - they are breast cancer survivors. I met a 90+ year old woman who was also a 40+ year survivor. It was and is truly inspiring.
One of my favorite moments was seeing Sarah Ripp -- she was only 28 years old when she was diagnosed and she let me follow her throughout her surgery and treatment. This weekend she crossed the finish line, which also marked the one year anniversary of learning her diagnosis.
There are so many people I wish I could have spent time with on Saturday but for now, thank you so much for helping the cause all year long. Our local Komen chapter helps so many families dealing with breast cancer. 75-percent of money raised stays local with the rest going to research. And good news - often much of the research money comes back to UW.
Great to see everyone and don't forget about our Buddy Check 3 project! We've got to keep up the work all year long. Sometimes I think I love cookbooks more than the actual act of cooking. If you write a cookbook without pictures, then forget about it. I need to see artificial food styling before I can even consider cooking the recipe. I used to have about 50 pounds of cookbooks in my house but over time, I've donated several of the ones I don't use. Like... have I cooked anything out of this? NO...okay, it hits the donation pile. Right now I'm really into utilizing the Madison Public Library -- you know it was recently one of 10 libraries honored by the White House, right? Well, here's how I hack the public library system. It's actually not a hack at all but because I have so few friends who utilize our libraries, it might seem like one. First thing, though, you will need your library card. 1. Go to NYT Best Seller list and search for cookbooks 2. Go to the Madison Public Library website, sign in 3. Search for the book in LINKcat 4. Place a hold on the book. (Or as I like to do, post several holds on several books.) 5. Wait for a notification that your book is ready to be picked up! I love, love, love libraries. If you want, you can also check out books electronically but there is always something special about physically going to a library and picking up a book. I come from a generation of readers who like to feel the pages.
I also do this for new CDs coming out (I have a hold on Beyonce's Lemonade) or audio books on self help, bestsellers or language programs. I know I could go out and buy everything I wanted, but I actually enjoy waiting and getting the call that my materials are ready for pickup. When was the last time you went to the library? Do you have any library pointers? I would love to hear how the library is part of your life! I just loved going to the library as a kid and can't imagine it not being a part of our lives today. |
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