Thank You

It all started with Spiedie Fest.

I cooked my heart our for that little 3rd place trophy, and went home exhausted and happy.

Ironically as I was uploading my pictures, I got the email which started the ball rolling on my future.

I knew I needed to stay through the HD conversion, the flood anniversary, and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

These last two months, knowing my days at 40 were numbered, really let me take it all in.

What I never quite expected was the outpouring of love I got both in person and on Facebook.

The night before "Strides" we went to Octoberfest at the German-American Club. My husband was stunned by all the people who came up to wish me well.

As we walked back he said turn around and look at all this. Remember it for when things are not going well.

Strides was super-emotional for me. I took this job when I was still finishing up rehab after being treated for breast cancer. I was in sort of rough shape at the time, but 2 years later I am in much less pain.

I am so grateful I had the chance to tell my story at Strides, it wasn't really appropriate for the sign-off of a newscast. Also I will always be thankful to Lori for downloading my good-bye song from Dreamgirls.

I wish my husband had not missed taking a photo of the ribbon cutting..anybody got one?

There is of course Miss Elaine and Sistas Upliftng Sistas. Elaine and her lovely lasses walked in Strides, danced with me during my good-bye, made me a video, and threw me a party and even made me a trophy!

Hard to Say Goodbye Suzanne Music Video

WICZ was a wonderful place to work, and I will always be rooting for news director Suh Neubauer and GM John Leet, and the rest of the team. Hey and there is still a football show I named! Suh even made me the best cupcakes, I don't know many news directors who bake for departing anchors.

Outside of work, the time I spent with friends, the beautiful (for the most part) weather, all lead to an enchanted week.

My last meals were delicious, great food at Moxie, Water Street, Bud's in Apalachin, one of the friendliest restaurants in the world.

Speaking of food, for two years I drooled at Wally and Mary Roper's food pix, and just in time I got to come over and have a spectacular dinner on the lake.

I have to say, it did take saying good-bye for me to fully appreciate what makes Greater Binghamton so special.

You don't get it your first day, your first month, or even your first year.

As you get to know the area, it's most special quality is not spiedies or even the hills, it's the generous spirit of the people.

Thank you for giving me a wonderful send-off. You will always be in my heart.

Meanies

Don't pursue a career as a news anchor if you can't take a few snide comments. Usually they are not to your face, but come via the internet. The vast majority of people I actually meet are exceptionally nice.

I don't know why the internet brings out the meanies. I mean are people really this mean, and the internet just takes away the shame?

I notice this in the comment section of our station's website, and in other open comments sections of newspapers and the like.

People post and then "flame" each other.

So what is it that makes people so mean online?

Storms x 3

Breaking news normally follows a pattern. There is a big burst of news, followed by follow-up stories.

This week was so strange because we had essentially the same story, a storm, at the same time, 3 days in a row. Not only did mother nature not have much mercy for people dealing with the storms, she also doesn't have much respect for deadlines. The storms happened right around newstime.

Still, there were grace notes in what was a challenging week. I am not sure how I would react if a tv crew showed up and wanted to go in my flooded bathroom, but bless the couple in Johnson City who let me do just that.

Also cheers to the people I met in Binghamton who let us know about the sinkhole on their street, and played along with my questions.

http://www.wicz.com/news2005/viewarticle.asp?a=18409

Spring in Bing

When you live in this part of the world spring comes slowly. Really slowly.

The snow is melting, the hills are grey, while it's technically spring, not much is springing.

One thing that is getting back in swing is the community's schedule of events. There are bake sales, chicken and biscuit dinners, and more.

I went to my first lenten pirohi lunch at St. Michael's Church. I was so impressed with the teamwork and spirit. Here is a nice little article from a local food blogger.

http://www.examiner.com/food-in-binghamton/homemade-lenten-pirohi-s

Nature is a little slower, but there are sure a lot of deer out there.

I had one little bulb sprout up outside my house, every day I would check on it, sadly it seems like one of the deer got to it.

Oh well, April showers, May flowers, they are all ahead.

I love a parade!

I absolutely love parades. And of all the parades I have been in, the one yesterday in Binghamton was my favorite. (At least of my post-baton-twirling career.)

The energy was simply infectious, and it was so much fun seeing everyone in green.

At one point I admired a string of beads a spectator was wearing and he insisted on giving them to me.  Ironically a short time later a spectator really really wanted my other string of beads so I gave those up and came out even. At one point another spectator demanded my hat and I had to draw the line.

Several things stand out...the parade went slowly enough that I had time to say hi and take a picture with people. My phone is miserable at uploads, so I will have to put up pictures at a later date.

Also, there were bake sales along the route. I have a major weakness for bake sales. Cookies that benefit a good cause don't have calories right? I managed to stop and buy cookies during the parade!

Finally Mummers!!!

I remember learning about them in a college history class.
http://www.mummersonnationaltv.com/history.htm

Yesterday I got to see them in person, something I had always hoped to do. They are kind of like the northeast version of Mardi Gras Indians. (On a totally random note my favorite tv show ever was Treme, which taught me a lot about that tradition.) Our news vehicle was right next to the Mummers so I really got to enjoy them and even take a picture. I was in heaven.

It's true Binghamton's parade is a few weeks early, but it is perfectly timed for the season of Carnival, celebrated worldwide in so many ways.

Cheers!

Seasons

Wow fall went by in a whirl. Here in the Southern Tier the lead up to Thanksgiving seems to be even busier than the lead up to Christmas.

I guess that's part of growing older, things do seem to move quickly.

 I still have not gotten to a chicken and biscuit dinner, but I did enjoy the Choconut Center United Methodist Church harvest supper very much. I also really enjoyed meeting the women at the Holly Day Festival at Our Lady of Good Council in Endicott. Finally I had a really fun time at the Community Neighbors Connecting cookie swap in New Milford, PA.


I have reunited on facebook with folks I knew 10, 20, and even 40 years ago. Seeing how these people developed is remarkable and surprising. One former co-worker was always pretty but she has bloomed into a drop dead gorgeous model. I don't know how she did it, what she ate, or how she exercised, but I am beyond impressed, I am inspired. She is changing my idea of what it mean to age.

People ask me all the time how I like it here.

"Just fine," I answer. It's hard to wrap it all up in a sentence. I am no longer "new in town," so I now begin the real work of truly getting to know a place and people. Finding how you fit into a community takes time and effort.

I was really happy to get to go to Owego, if only for a public hearing. I am looking forward to a more substantial visit soon.

It is a quirky part of my nature, I get a child-like wave of delight just getting to see new places. My favorite part of reporting is the permission you get to speak to anyone. Even a truck stop on a snowy night can have it's charm. People never fail to surprise me.

I don't know a single news anchor who doesn't have a little bit of an ego. When I meet people who enjoy watching my newscasts it's the best feeling ever. Still, I can enjoy meeting people who don't own a television, or (gasp) watch the competition.

Finally I am very excited to start teaching a public speaking class at the American Civic Association on January 5th. I plan on taking my "media training" techniques and helping students there learn to enjoy expressing themselves. I was hoping for 4-8 students and ended up with 15!

So 2010 has been a year of epic change for me. Let's see what 2011 might bring.

Happy New Year!

Suzanne

In Living Colors

I have to say I am in love with the countryside right now. Everyday I drive to work, I feel like I am in a painting that keeps changing. This weekend my husband and I rode down to Montrose. What a beautiful town. We attended the Harvest Moon festival and had a really really fun time. We hope to come back soon.