I'm back......

Late December and early January were quite busy for me. So that's why I've been kinda MIA (missing in action)!

The Saturday after Christmas, I flew to NY to spend time with my family and a few friends. Then I flew to Atlanta to be with TMIL for New Years. We had a good time. I relaxed A LOT. Then we ran into some car problems on the way back to Jackson.

Then I got right back to work and did another "Who's Accountable" report. This idea came from an e-mail I received from a woman I'll call Tasha, who's been STUCK in her marriage for years. She wanted to know Who's Accountable for the law that won't allow her to get a divorce unless her "so called husband" agrees.

Check out the story here and let me know what you think:

http://www.wapt.com/video/18515996/

On a much lighter and multimedia note, I'm now on www.facebook.com.
My friends Angela and Jeanine have been harassing me about NOT being on it. So now I'm catching up with tons of classmates from Mizzou and NB class of 91!

But it's time for me to watch the Inauguration of the 44th president!

Sorry for the mini-hiatus

Wow!
It's going on almost two weeks since I was able to post here.
MY BAD.
I've been busy selling stuff on Craigslist and Ebay because I'm really trying to declutter my house. Some stuff has been given away or sold in garage sales (http://joycebrewer.blogspot.com/2008/11/hidden-cash-in-garage-sales.html). But checking the status of Ebay sales and driving to meet folks who bought your Craigslist items takes time.

I've also been back and forth to Atlanta to see TMIL (The Man I Love).

My recent special report on people illegally parking in handicapped spots also kep me busy and sparked a lot of feedback:
http://www.wapt.com/video/18049442/index.html

Promise to post again this week!

Yes, He Did!

Tuesday night, I had the pleasure of saying LIVE on the air:

"Barack Obama is the next president of the United States."

Before Tuesday, I was not one of those people who walked around saying "he's going to win" or "Obama will beat McCain."

Maybe it's the journalist in me who needs facts in order to believe. Or maybe it's because I worked in newsrooms in the 2000 and 2004 election nights and I can't forget that sometimes we don't know who the president is until hours, days, or months later. So Obama's historic victory is something I didn't want to celebrate ahead of time.

I could hardly enjoy his win TUESDAY because I was working. Although everyone in the newsroom paused to watch his acceptance speech as you can see in the photos below. In fact, my first thoughts were for the safety of the Obama family. I prayed out loud, "Lord - keep him safe and honest."




It wasn't until Wednesday morning while watching news coverage and seeing so much emotion and celebration cross the country and the world - that I was moved to cry.

Earlier this week, I told my colleague, Don Champion, how it would be amazing IF Obama won. There would be a significant difference in what my generation and my father's generation would see as "possible" for African Americans.

For instance, my Dad was born in 1932 when Charleston, South Carolina was segregated. He went to Burke High School - the first public school for black students in the city. He told me he read from old books after the white students had gotten rid of them and the books were even missing pages they were in such bad shape. Later he was drafted during the Korean War and remembers that when the Army bus drove through Mississippi he and the other black soldier were NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE BUS - for fear of their safety. Fast forward to today, I live in Mississippi now. I am an anchor at a TV station - all because of what my parents taught me and because no schools or universities were ever "out of my reach."

What a difference in what one generation can see and CHANGE. And in case you're wondering, based on what my Dad has lived and survived - he didn't think he'd ever live to see a black president.

I didn't watch the Emmy's...and others didn't either

I spent Sunday night enjoying turkey meatballs and spaghetti, while watching re-runs of Lost.

I'd rather see the fashions online instead of spending three hours watching the whole show.

That's where I saw Heidi Klum's fab silver dress!

I flipped to the Emmy's for a second but that's all.

Guess I wasn't alone according to http://www.eonline.com/ :

No Deal for Emmy Ratings
Today 10:15 AM PDT by Joal Ryan

Reality bit for the Emmys.
If ratings estimates hold, last night's show could go down as the least-watched Emmy telecast on record.
From 8-11 p.m., the ABC telecast averaged 12.2 million, down 6 percent from last year's Nielsen-challenged affair, and on par with the record-low 12.3 million who caught the show in 1990.
This year was the fourth straight year of ratings decline for the Emmys, which last topped 20 million viewers in 2000.
Judging by the numbers, slightly more people were interested in this year's Emmy telecast than last, at least until the show started.
ABC's Jimmy Kimmel-hosted red-carpet preshow, which aired from 7-8 p.m., averaged 4.6 million viewers, up a tick from the 4.4 million Fox scored for its preshow in 2007.
Last night's show took hits from critics, and even Emmy winners, for its emphasis on reality TV as embodied by its squadron of reality TV hosts: Survivor's Jeff Probst; Project Runway's Heidi Klum; American Idol's Ryan Seacrest; Dancing with the Stars' Tom Bergeron; and Deal or No Deal's Howie Mandel.

A few birthday pics courtesy of Lauren Nicole

Thanks to my friend and producer, Lauren Nicole Taylor, I have a few pics to share from my birthday party. She sent these to me today. THANKS LIL SIS!

That's me and Lauren there. I like it, except, I didn't have time to put on my fake eyelashes before the guests arrived. So my eyes didn't really POP the way I like them to.


Here's Faith, Lauren, Don, Travoris and a few other folks from my party at Pi Lounge in Jackson before I came to NY.












Promise to post more when I can somehow locate the cord for my digital camera.

Survey Says....I'm a Year Older

You know those surveys where you're required to to check off your age? 17-22; 23-28; 29-34?

Now I'm officially in the 35-40 BOX! Geez Louise - it hurts a little. But I'm gonna pull through. My 35th birthday was actually a little anti-climactic. I flew home to NY, my brother picked me up from the airport, I went grocery shopping and my Mom made me shrimp fried rice.

I knew I'd be travelling which is one reason why I celebrated my birthday early with a party last Saturday at Pi Lounge. I had a blast and it was great to see so many folks before I headed out of town. In the hurry to pack enough clothes for a month, I've misplaced my cable to upload pics from my digital camera. FORGIVE ME! So as soon as I find it or buy another one, I'll share.

I'm off to care for the parents by picking up some take out!

I Spoke at Chris Rogers' Funeral

(This is the photo animation 16 aired when Chris passed away last week)

One of the hardest things I've ever done was speaking at Chris' funeral on behalf of co-workers. His funeral was such an outpouring of love and appreciation for the way he touched lives. Aldersgate U.M. church was packed. People stood in the hall and overflow room just to attend.

Here's the story/speech I wrote after speaking to and getting e-mails from folks who worked with and loved Chris:

There are people here who’ve known and worked with Chris Rogers much longer than me. I met him in 2002 when I moved to Jackson to work for 16. But whether you knew him for 50 years or 5 minutes your impressions would be the same.

If you worked with Chris Rogers, you heart broke into a million pieces last week when you heard he passed away. You stopped for a second, a minute or an hour and thought – not Chris, not my friend, not my buddy, not him! He was too young, too energetic, too funny. I still need him. He can’t be gone.

If you worked with Chris Rogers - you got your feelings hurt. Not in a bad way but if your stuff wasn’t good or up to par – he told you. He was a teacher, instructor, professor, trainer and mentor. If you were doing something wrong with your camera, your story, a tape or a deck – he could make it right. He practically wrote your package for you with the video he shot. Chris knew so many people he could tell you who to interview, where to find them, where they ate lunch, where they went to school, who they used to be married to and who they were currently dating! Chris kept his ear to the streets and he knew what was going on in the hood.

If you worked with Chris Rogers, he was happy for you when you got promoted. And if you didn’t get promoted, he could tell you why not! Chris would edit your resume tape, make a million dubs and not take a penny of your money. Chris just wanted to see you succeed – maybe because he was happy enough just to know he had something to do with it. He probably served as a reference for a job. If you were new - Chris introduced you to people, taught you how to get around, told you the names of neighborhoods, and how to pronounce the names of towns in Mississippi. You probably worked with Chris at one station, then ya’ll ended up at another station at the same time! He gave you advice; took you under his wing, and treated you like gold!

People who worked with Chris told me they had nicknames for each other: Cornbread, Shawty, C Rog, Spike for Spike Lee just to name a few. Or he called you – HIS anchor; HIS reporter – that’s how you knew you had made it.

At work, Chris never complained, especially when he wasn’t feeling well. He was a perfectionist with his video and editing. He stayed late, got up early, and was dependable. Chris probably saved you from making a fool of yourself on more than one occasion. If he was on a story with you, you knew he covered all the bases and the final product would be stellar.

Chris greeted everyone with a smile or a story that made them laugh. If he ever interviewed you – it was memorable. He knew how to put little kids and nervous folks at ease. His camera was not just a tool, it was an extension of Chris’ expertise and he was a master of photography. And that man always had a disposable Kodak handy!

If you worked with Chris Rogers, left Jackson, and then came back for a visit – he was on your MUST SEE list. You needed another laugh, to see his smile, and for him to catch you up on the “at work” gossip since you left.

If you worked with Chris Rogers, you were never hungry. He either brought you leftovers from home or a restaurant where he worked. I can still taste his barbeque. And don’t tell him what you were making at home – because that meant you had to bring him some. But you were torn and so was he – on what he should or should not eat. And he knew he couldn’t lie to his doctor because he’s a fraternity brother. Chris shared everything; his food, his Extra sugar free gum, his knowledge.

If you worked with Chris Rogers, everyday was a party. Work just wasn’t about work. Don’t think my friend wasn’t serious. He was just seriously crazy. The Ultimate Chris Rogers experience – was partying at Christoff’s house – in the backyard, in the garage, in the street. Chicken wings were on the main course. The chance to party, dance, and laugh with Chris – was the dessert. Chris was the perpetual LIFE OF THE PARTY and made sure anyone he met – had a good time. Your friends would ask you, “When’s the next Chris Rogers’ party?” because they were legendary.

If you worked with Chris Rogers, he told you many stories. About growing up and moving around as his dad, Dr. Rogers pursued his career, moving from university to university, and church to church. And Chris told you about working at TV stations across the country, who he met, who he worked with and who’s now gone on to bigger and better things. Chris told you about mistakes he’d made, his success and lessons he learned. But some things were secret. His rule: what happens between a photog and a reporter in the news car – stays between a photog and a reporter in a news car.

If you worked with Chris Rogers, you worked with a grown man…who was really a big kid. But he was also your “dad away from home” or the dad you never had….Chris may have let you borrow his truck or a few dollars if you were a little financially challenged. If you were having a bad day, Chris had a joke. No – not just one joke. A day of jokes; a whole newscast where he kept everyone laughing on headsets and in the studio. People who worked with Chris called him “trooper”, their uncle, their brother. He WAS family. Chris was your road dog, your go-to guy, your ace!

If you worked with Chris Rogers, you knew he was a PROUD OMEGA MAN. You heard stories of his days at Tougaloo and kicking it with his bruhs! You saw him dressed in full OMEGA MAN attire. Purple hat, purple t-shirt, purple sweatpants, purple handkerchief on down!

If you worked with Chris Rogers, just the site of his red pickup truck with all the bumper stickers made you smile. You will never be the same now that he’s gone. He touched you, he taught you, he fed you, he laughed AT you and WITH you.

I worked with Chris Rogers and I am a better journalist, a better person, a better daughter and friend – because of him. I can’t believe the last time I saw him - was THE LAST TIME I would ever see him. But I know Chris is no longer frustrated by the limitations he’s had on his body the last few years.

Be comforted knowing that you co-worker, Chris Rogers, doesn’t have any more surgeries or sickness ahead.

And remember that Chris Rogers, more than anything else, was LARGER THAN LIFE.

I Lost A Dear Friend

I received shocking and sad news at work Thursday. My beloved friend, Chris Rogers passed away earlier that day.

He was only 51. A father and a friend. I was in shock and so were many of my co-workers.

I met Chris when I started working at WAPT in 2002 and we quickly became friends, especially since my friend Omari had told me how great it was to work with Chris when he was in Jackson.

Chris was one of the greatest photojournalists I've worked with in my career. Chris made work fun, knew everyone in Jackson and knew a lot about our business. Many of the people Chris worked with here in Mississippi and in Tennessee are now in larger markets and on national news, like Robin Roberts on Good Morning America.

But aside from the professional stuff, Chris loved to cook, party and entertain. The parties Chris and his brother, Christoff, threw are legendary for their FUN FACTOR! They were usually twice a year and anyone in the TV biz and anyone of their friends made a point to be there for the food, music and the chance to kick it with Chris Rogers!

Chris and I also loved to club it too. I'm pretty sure the picture of us you see above was taken in a club. Probably Crystal's Lounge.

Chris and I shared a love for TV shows too: LOST and Nip/Tuck. I wondered if Chris was looking forward to the LOST season finale like I was.

Chris and his family embraced me too. I've had Thanksgiving meals with his parents and visited their church. My heart goes out to his parents, his brothers and most of all his daughters, Christie and Tina.

For the last two years Chris has been in and out of the hospital for complications from his diabetes and last year he had a defibrillator implanted in his chest to regulate his heart. Chris' oldest daughter, Christie, told me it appears the device did not work or function well Wednesday afternoon when Chris started feeling weak and collapsed at his home.

I could go one for awhile about Chris. My biggest regret was that he was on my mind earlier this week and I didn't get around to calling him. That's my fault and a reminder to reach out to folks when they're on your mind.

You never know what tomorrow brings.

But I know Chris loved me. And I loved him.

Memorial Day Weekend

It's Tuesday morning so I'm a little late posting what happened over the weekend. Forgive me. But I worked Memorial Day. My weekend actually started the Friday before Memorial Day when I headed down to New Orleans.

While a lot of folks stayed home for the holiday weekend I decided to take a brief trip three hours south of Jackson. This time I stayed in the Central Business District at Hotel Le Cirque which had some advantages and disadvantages. It is a longer walk to the French Quarter but it's also a little closer to the Garden District and come cool shops on Magazine Street. So I split my time between both areas over the two days. For the first time in my many visits to N.O. I also enjoyed the Audobon Aquarium.

The Audobon aquarium is right along the Mississippi River where ferry rides are available.

The Seadragons were the most interesting thing I saw!

These are Barking Tree Frogs. As a child, I loved frogs and often caught them in my backyard!

The penguins were not very playful and the glass case around them wasn't very clean so I apologize for the blurry photos.

Other photos:

Weekend Cooking

I have to admit I haven't been very faithful to my South Beach Diet plan. Actually, I've put it off now until June when I can really focus on diet and exercise. May has been too busy and I haven't been as devoted as I should.

JB's lasagna

But this weekend I attempted to eat "healthier" by making whole wheat veggie lasagna with spinach and broccoli. This was made without a recipe, I just flew by the seat of my pants and wanted to share what it looked like. The reviews were "good" and "delicious." I'll try it again soon but focus a little more on seasoning.

JB's lasagna again

Picture of My Parents

As I was digging through the "junk drawer" in my kitchen this weekend, I came upon this jewel:

Elaine and John Brewer in the late 60's

What's funny is I was on the phone with my Mom when I found it, told her what she was wearing in the picture and she remembered it clearly.

Told her I could tell from the decor that this was taken in my Mom's best friend, Florene Cheeks' kitchen in Westbury, NY.

Mom didn't remember the exact date but we assume it's in the late 60's-early 70's.

Mom wasn't too keen on me posting a picture of her with rollers in her hair, but I thought this picture was too cute not to share.

I love to see picture of my parents when they were "younger," especially because I see so much of myself in my Mom's face.

A couple of years ago, I remember going through family photos - most had been taken before I was born. I stumbled across a picture that for about two seconds I thought - WAS ME!

But it was my Mom is her 30's wearing a red sweater just like one I have now!

Very weird, but very welcome to know I'll be beautiful just like her when I get older: (http://joycebrewer.blogspot.com/2008/04/my-dad-broke-both-of-his-hips.html)

Digital Camera Purchase Complete!

Joyce with no make-up using new camera for the first time!

Get ready to see better photos on this blog thanks to my brand new Sony Cybershot DSC-W90.
It has HD and movie taking capabilities. Plus it's compact and has face detection for better photos of faces. Rechargeable batteries are another plus.

Too bad I haven't gotten around to reading the manual yet.
But it's clearly simple enough to use without reading the manual. Like it already and I stayed pretty much within my budget.

I'll also be checking back with Best Buy to see if it goes on sale in the next 14 days to get a credit/refund.

I need to buy a DIGITAL CAMERA!

This weekend will be a defining moment for me. I'm going to stop talking about it. And be about it.
So I'm going to check the BEST BUY deals in Sunday's paper and take the plunge.
I've been debating between a SONY and a Canon. The budget went from $300 to now about $250 (including a case and memory cards). So we'll see.
I'm hoping that by posting this to my blog, I'll be more likely to fulfill my promise to myself.
Although my Sprint treo is handy and capable, I'd like to get step up my game.
So check back for updates!