All of us on Good Morning Indiana hope you have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend.  Dan is definitely ready for a break.  He’s been working a split shift all week.  You see, our new evening anchor team doesn’t start on the anchor desk until September 10th.  As you’ve probably heard, they’re busy touring Central Indiana right now.  So, Dan has been anchoring the morning news, a couple of newsbreaks and then heading home to take a nap.  Later in the afternoons, he’s been heading back to the station to anchor the 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m. newscasts.  I actually did the split shift a few times before I had the kids and it’s tough!  Even though you get a break during the day, it’s hard to come back to work, do another hour and a half of news, and then go home and try to get some rest before your alarm goes off at 3 a.m. again.  Dan, however, is handling it all in stride.  He has family coming in this weekend, so that will be nice.  He’s also singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the 7th inning stretch of tonight’s Indian’s game.  It was very smart of Dan to invite his family and friends to the game.  I’ve found that when you sing to a large crowd, it’s always a good idea to have a built-in fan base.  Good luck, Dan.  Be sure not to scream too much before the 7th inning.

I’ll actually be the only “regular” working on Labor Day.  Tom is off and so is Paul.  Crystal will be sitting in for Paul, so it’ll be the Grace and Crystal show.  I don’t mind working Monday.  My husband has to work, too.  By working Monday, I earn a comp day that I can use at a time when my husband is off, too.

So, whether you’re working, heading to the pool, or hitting the roads… stay safe and enjoy your weekend.  And if you’re heading to tonight’s Indian’s game… give three cheers to the guy singing during the 7th inning stretch.  I have no doubt he’ll come out swinging.

It’s not always easy to get yourself together and ready to be on the air for a 5 a.m. newscast. Paul proved that point this morning when we realized he had forgotten… of all things… his pants! You see Paul, in his effort to look pressed and polished for the newscast, wears shorts and a casual shirt to work. He brings his suit, shirt and tie and changes at the station. You have to applaud his efforts to stay neat. Unfortunately, however, while carefully loading the car this morning he forgot to include a pair of pants. We all got a good laugh out of it… but we all know, it could happen to any of us.

I rarely if ever wear my suit jacket in the car. The seatbelt can sometimes wrinkle my jackets and of course, I always wear my seatbelt. In any case, my biggest fear is that I’ll forget my jacket at home. I try to leave an extra jacket at the station, but sometimes I forget to replace the spare. Smart, huh?

I’ve been pretty lucky. The only thing I’ve forgotten over the years is my watch. As unimportant as that sounds, I still felt just a little off that day. I don’t know why. It was just a watch and we are surrounded by clocks at the station.

I have had those terrible dreams of showing up at work with rollers in my hair… and then going on air without anyone telling me to take them out. That’s just another reason to be nice to your co-workers… especially when you’re in this business.

They say when you’re considering a move, location is everything.  My boss is probably reconsidering the location of my desk in the newsroom.

You see, several months ago, the RTV-6 newsroom was renovated.  The producers, the people responsible for putting the shows together and writing many of the stories, sit in the middle of the newsroom.  The assignment desk is at the head of the room.  The people who sit at this big, circular desk listen to police and fire department scanners all day.  They’re also responsible for dispatching reporters and photographers and keeping track of where our crews are throughout the day.  Circling the room are the desks of reporters and anchors.  After the renovation, my desk moved to the entrance of the newsroom.  As everyone is entering the newsroom, they get a great view of the back of my head.  And I get to see reporters and photographers as they leave the newsroom for their assignments.

It’s hard for me to let people come and go without saying hello, how are you, what’s new, etc.  It reminds me of my elementary school days.  My teachers used to tell my parents that I’d be a great student if I didn’t socialize so much.  (Thankfully, I matured and focused in high school and college.) 

Now that I’ve reached my career goal, however, I think I’ve regressed a bit.  Once again, I’m constantly talking and laughing with co-workers and guests as they make their way in and out of the newsroom.  I kind of feel like the newsroom “greeter.”  Julie sits across from me, so we always enjoy sharing parenting stories before she leaves for her assignment.  Dan just moved into the desk beside me.  Lucky for him, he’s used to my constant jabber, so it shouldn’t take him too long to get used to his new surroundings.

So, if you ever call or email me and I don’t get back to you right away, don’t worry.  I’ll get to you soon.  I’m probably just busy socializing

It is arguably the most popular entertainment website in the world. Now TMZ.com is taking its celebrity coverage to television.

TMZ, stands for the The Thirty Mile Zone, the area around Los Angeles. The format will feature a newsroom format with reporters talking about the latest stories.

The show premieres September 10 and will air weekdays.

Comedian Jim Carrey has a new video out. And it’s not funny at all. In the video on YouTube.com, Carrey makes a plea to free Aung San Suu Kyi.

She has been confined by the Burmese government for 11 of the last 17 years. Suu Kyi is under long-term house arrest.

She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her nonviolent efforts to bring down the oppressive military regime that rules over the Southeast Asian country.

The actor calls her an “unsung hero” as he spoke on behalf of the Human Rights Action Center.

Image: AFP