It seems odd, doesn’t it?  The weather is wicked, the roads are treacherous and people are urged to stay home.  At the same time, you see reporter after reporter standing out in the cold saying… “yeah… it’s really bad out here.”

As strange as it seems, it is our job to be your “eyes” in the morning and show you what’s going on.  When the going gets tough, we have to get tough and get going.  The first things people want to know when they get up in the morning are… how is the weather… how are the roads… and will I be able to get to school and/or work?

And so, to serve our viewers, it looks as though we’ll get an earlier start in the morning and begin the show at 4:30 a.m.  There is at least one benefit to getting up so early.  There will be very few people on the roads as we’re driving to work.  So, if we do a little fish-tailing here and there… we hopefully won’t run into anything or anyone.  I’m also thankful that tomorrow is Friday.  We’ll all be able to sleep in on Saturday morning… that is, until some of us are awakened by our children who want to rush outside and finally build a snowman.

Please take it easy tonight and tomorrow morning.  You can trust that Paul and the rest of Storm Team will keep you updated on what you can expect overnight and during Friday’s early drive to work and school.

O-K.  I have to amend yesterday’s blog.  Tom didn’t get much sleep last night.  Apparently he was pretty tired yesterday, so he decided to take a “little” nap.  Tom says he fell asleep around 1 p.m. and the next thing he knew, it was six hours later.  Unfortunately, he couldn’t fall asleep last night.

I must admit, I didn’t sleep very well last night either.  The kids were great.  They fell asleep with no problem.  I kept hearing the wind and tree limbs blowing against the windows.  I tried to relax, but I just couldn’t turn my mind off.  I’m thankful that my neighborhood didn’t sustain any weather-related damage.  I feel bad, though, for those people who have to try and clean up and pick up the pieces… in sub-zero wind chills!

Dan says the weather wasn’t that bad in his part of town.  He slept last night with few problems.  Paul also didn’t experience many problems at his house.  He says the system moved through very fast.  He and his wife went out and enjoyed a walk before the bad weather moved in. 

Now, we’re bracing for what could be a tricky Thursday night and Friday morning.  Paul says we could see anywhere from three to six inches of snow.  The good news is… the weekend forecast looks quiet.  And after all is said and done this week, we’ll deserve it.

As you might expect, getting a good night’s sleep is extremely important to those of us on the Good Morning Indiana crew.

Paul told our audience yesterday that he and his wife purchased a new mattress this past weekend.  Apparently, the mattress is being delivered today.  We’ll have to see if Paul seems more rested tomorrow morning.

What’s amazing is how most of us on the crew could probably fall asleep on a bed of nails.  We’ve heard many exercise experts say you shouldn’t exercise right before you go to bed.  Well, Paul reports that after several minutes on the treadmill, he can collapse in bed and fall asleep without missing a step.  We’ve heard nutrionists say you shouldn’t eat a heavy meal before bed.  However, Dan reports he can eat a nice meal and go right to bed… staying on course for a restful, peaceful night’s sleep.

We’ve also heard that you shouldn’t take a long nap during the day because it can mess up your sleep pattern at night.  Tom, on the other hand, once took a 6 hour nap… woke up long enough to eat and talk to his wife… and go right back to bed with no problem.

And yes, I have to agree that I can nap, eat and chase the kids around the house a few times… and once my head hits the pillow, I’m done.

So, somehow, those of us on the Good Morning Indiana crew have found a way to contradict most studies regarding sleep patterns.  I’m sure there’s a good reason for this, but I’m not going to let an explanation keep me up at night.

Making changes to benefit your health has dominated the top ten resolutions list for many years. We all know that exercising, following a good diet, and not smoking are really good habits for us, and the New Year has a way of reminding us of these important goals. It is common knowledge that these things make us healthier, and there are very few people who aren’t interested in making an effort to be healthier. So why is it so hard to stick with an exercise program all year long? Or eat a healthy, balanced meal everyday?

Speaking from personal experience, I know that our lifestyle preferences and personal responsibilities put up the biggest challenge against doing the right things for our health on a consistent basis. We get so busy with family, friends, work, vacation, holidays, and so much more—that before we realize it, we are too busy to make the best choices for our health.

This is not a unique situation for me or you—almost everyone struggles with this problem. But luckily, there are many ways to work towards your goals for better health without having to sacrifice your time, energy, or money. There are plenty of steps you can take that you will find rewarding and easy. The best part is how much our bodies appreciate the care you give it—so much that even the smallest changes can bring on immediate and noticeable benefits.

Every healthy lifestyle change helps your body and improves your well-being and sense of accomplishment. Your goals will be challenging and hard to stick with at times, but the reward is what makes them worthy of the sacrifice and effort. Try to think of these goals as opportunities to prove to yourself that you can overcome challenges and make a difference. Making a big or small change isn’t supposed to be easy, but it is worth it. So remember the sense of pride and accomplishment in addition to all the long-term health benefits that you will feel while you move toward your goal, so you can stay motivated and dedicated.

If you haven’t started on a plan yet, don’t worry…there is still enough time to make and keep your resolutions for 2008. In fact, you don’t have to wait for January to roll around to start working towards your goals. Now is as good of time as any to plan to make a healthier, more beneficial change to your life. The New Year brings a sense of renewal, but you can’t expect change to happen overnight. So if you are just beginning your resolution or working towards a goal set forth last year, remember to keep sticking with it because it takes time to change your habits, but the reward for your efforts is within your reach.

Stick with me on Good Morning Indiana to learn what you can do to get in shape, make smart choices for your diet, and bring health and wellness into your daily routine!

While it’s fun for some of our friends to see us on the news… I think it’s even more exciting to see people we know on the big screen.

Months ago, I mentioned that I went to college with Kristen Chenoweth.  She won a Tony Award, she was on The West Wing and she currently stars in Pushing Daisies.  She also starred in the movie RV with Robin Williams.  Talk about a jaw-dropping moment the first time I saw her on a television show!  I went to school with a lot of talented people, so I wasn’t totally shocked that one of them made it all the way to the top.

Tom had one of those jaw-dropping moments this weekend.  As I’ve mentioned before, Tom used to do stand-up comedy in Chicago.  One of the guys he used to do stand-up with is in the new movie, Cloverfield.  Apparently, this same guy also has a role in the television show, Carpoolers.  Tom and I are both happy for our friends and we wish them well with their careers.  I know my friend Kristen, or Kristy as she was known in college, had dreams of  becoming an opera star.  It’s great to see her dream take off in a new and exciting direction.

Speaking of new and exciting, Paul got a new haircut.  Our director Betsy and I think it makes him look younger.  What do you think?

Many of us in the television industry are hoping for new episodes of our favorite shows soon.  The writer’s strike will likely impact our February sweeps period.  So, our hopes are that the strike will end sooner rather than later… so we can cheer on our ABC friends to ratings success.