Well, just before the Noon Show yesterday, Paul surprised me in the newsroom.  He turned the corner and said, “Hey Grace.  What do you think?”  I looked up and I thought… now, there’s my Paul.  Between GMI and the Noon Show, Paul visited a downtown barber and got his moustache shaved off.  I must say he smelled as clean as he looked.  I don’t know what kind of products the barber used, but they left Paul with a fresh, clean smell.  Let’s face it.  When you have to sit as close as we do on the anchor desk, you appreciate a nice-smelling co-worker.

Tom went with Paul to the barber, so hopefully you got a chance to see the video on this morning’s GMI.  I have no doubt more video will show up on Off the Cuff.  Enjoy!

Paul admitted that he didn’t like the moustache, either.  Apparently he just didn’t feel like shaving during his vacation.  I can certainly understand that.  My husband often complains about shaving, too.  I feel the same way about styling my hair.  Somedays I wish I could just put on a hat and read the news.  I’d love to see the emails about that fashion statement.  During my vacations, I usually put my hair in a ponytail and enjoy the break.

Now that Paul is clean-shaven again, we can give him a break.  Hairy or not, he’s still one of the best forecasters around. 

O-K.  Yesterday morning I woke up and was feeling ill, so I called in sick.  (I know… I know.  I just blogged about how I never call in sick.  Clearly, I jinxed myself).  At any rate, even though I was feeling under the weather, I finally decided to turn on the t-v to get the weather forecast.  When I saw Paul my first thought was, wow.  This stomach bug is affecting my eyesight.  I remember Paul showing me pictures of him from the 80’s with a moustache and longer hair.  He really looked like Tony Orlando.  Well, the dawn of a new day brings a new Paul in 2008.

I’ve had some good laughs over the emails we received.  We even did an online poll.  A whopping 82 percent of those who’ve responded don’t like Paul’s moustache.  In case you’re wondering, I’ve always liked the clean-shaven look.  Some men, however, can really pull off a moustache.  Tom Selleck comes to mind.

I’m also sensitive to what Paul prefers.  As someone who has gone through dozens of hairstyles (and received hundreds of comments about all of them), I know people don’t pull any punches when it comes to voicing their opinions about our hair… whether it’s on our face or on our head.  So, I told Paul to do whatever makes him happy.

One viewer agreed that Paul should keep the moustache if he really likes it.  Another viewer said Paul needs to shave it off, and she also begged Dan not to get any ideas.  I don’t think Dan or Tom plan to grow a moustache anytime soon.  And just for the record, neither do I.

Well, after some computer problems, I finally feel connected again.  Happy Monday, everyone!  I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend.  I especially hope all of you dads out there had a fabulous Father’s Day.

Dan had a nice weekend.  Saturday was his birthday.  He and a group of friends had a fun time.  Paul and Tom are still enjoying some vacation time.

The show definitely had a different feel to it today, don’t you think?  Usually, it’s Grace and the guys.  Today it was Dan and the ladies.  It’s been fun working with Crystal and it was nice to have Joni in the studio for a change.  They both did a fabulous job filling in for their male colleagues.

I couldn’t help but think how far ladies have come in the news business.  Earlier today I saw a picture of the RTV-6 anchor team from about 20 years ago.  It was on a table in our conference room.  Howard Caldwell and Clyde Lee were the anchors.  Bob McLain was the weatherman. I didn’t recognize the person who did sports, but guess what?  It was another guy.

I’m so thankful to ladies like Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, and even Oprah Winfrey for paving the way for women in broadcasting.  Without those women working hard to break gender barrier, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today.  And Dan wouldn’t have the opportunity to sit at the anchor desk with three hard-working women.

A new kind of exercise has strolled into the Indianapolis area that will help moms and caretakers get a workout while keeping their children right in front of them. 

Stroller Strides is the nation’s fastest-growing fitness program for new moms and just opened up in Carmel last month.  It is a total exercise program that moms can do while their babies are in their strollers–and moms actually get a chance to use the strollers in their workouts.  The classes are 60 minutes long and include power walking, body toning, and cardio intervals.  The class incorporates fun activities like singing nursery rhymes to the children, so they are actively engaged as well.  Tiffany Sabens, the owner of Stroller Strides in Carmel, also promotes this as a valuable experience to show your children that exercise is important and fun!

Stroller Strides extends its services beyond exercise, which is drawing new mothers to this kind of community experience.  In addition to exercise classes, Stroller Strides offers playdates and mom’s night out opportunities to help them meet other people with the same age children. 

“We provide the outlet that moms need to enjoy time with other moms, while also focusing on the much needed exercise to fuel their demanding lives,” Sabens said. “You can make new friends, get into shape and enjoy time with your baby.”

Classes are held Mondays–Wednesdays–Fridays at 9:30am.  The class location is Coxhall Gardens in Carmel, Indiana.  For more information about Stroller Strides, please contact:

Tiffany Sabens
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Cell: 317.919.7258
phone | fax | vm: 888.704.3501
866.FIT.4.MOM / 866.348.4666
tiffanysabens@strollerstrides.net
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Helping Moms Make Strides In Fitness, Motherhood, and Life™

http://www.strollerstrides.com

A news anchor named Jorge Ramos has a new book coming out, in which he basically apologizes to his children for not spending enough time with them.  His job as a journalist has taken him around the world and he and the children’s mom are divorced.  That combination made it difficult for him to spend a lot of quality time with his kids and now he’s starting to feel regret.

Regret and guilt are terrible feelings to try and handle.  My own dad has said he wishes he had not worked so hard when my sisters and I were young.  My dad owned a business and was basically on call 24-7.  I don’t ever remember him missing a weekday at the office and it wasn’t uncommon for him to work a few hours and Saturdays and Sundays. 

It makes me sad that my dad deals with some regrets.  I’ve hold him, however, that thanks to him I value the importance of a strong work ethic.  In more than 12 years at RTV-6, I can count on one hand the number of sick days I’ve taken… and that includes three pregnancies.  Perhaps there’s a little part of me that’s still trying to please dear ole dad.

My husband definitely takes his role as a father very seriously.  He and I split the parenting duties 50-50 and I know it’s going to make a difference in the lives of our children.

As we approach Father’s Day, hopefully you’ll get a chance to spend a little time with the first important man in your life.  And if you’re a father, I hope you have a wonderful weekend and never look back on your children’s younger years with any regrets.